Important Current Affairs 3rd April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 3rd April 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 3rd April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Govt plans to change security marks of notes every 3-4 years

To check counterfeiting, the government plans to change security features of higher denomination banknotes of Rs2,000 and Rs500 every 3-4 years in accordance with global standards.
●    The move comes in the wake of recovery of a large amount of fake Indian currency notes in last four months after demonetisation. 
●    The issue was discussed threadbare at a high-level meeting on Thursday attended by senior officials of the ministries of finance and home, including Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.
●    Advocating the move, home ministry officials said most of the developed countries change security features of their currency notes every 3-4 years and therefore, it is absolutely necessary for India to follow this policy. 
●    The change in design of Indian currency notes of higher denominations was long due. 
●    Till it's demonetisation, there had been no major change in the Rs1,000 note since its introduction in 2000.

Govt to exempt education, healthcare from GST

Education, healthcare and pilgrimages will continue to be out of the service tax net under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime as the Centre wants to avoid any shock in the first year of the rollout by bringing in new services.
●    Besides making a strong case to the GST Council for not including services that are out of tax net currently, the Centre will also pitch for keeping concessional rate for services like transport at the current level.
●    The GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising representatives of all states, is scheduled to meet in Srinagar on May 18-19 to decide on rates various good and services will be charged in the new indirect tax regime that is being targeted for rollout from July 1.
●    Adhia said the endeavour would be to maintain the current tax incidence on a commodity or service at the same level in the new GST regime.

Prakash Javadekar Declares IIM Trichy New Permanent Campus Open 

The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar today declared open the new permanent campus of Indian Institute of Management, Trichy in Tamil Nadu through Video Conferencing here in New Delhi. 
●    Speaking on this occasion he congratulated the faculty of IIM Trichy for the timely completion of New Campus and expressed hope that best quality education in the new premises will be offered to the students coming there with promising dreams of a settled and secure career. 
●    The Minister said in our quest for quality education and our quest for continuous improvement in the quality of higher education and providing facilities for medical student the government has opened 7 new IIMs, 6 New IITs One New Central University , One New IIIT and one new NIT, more than 104 Kendriya Vidyalayas and 62 Navodaya Vidyalayas. 
●    Our effort is for expansion of quality education, he said. 
●    The Minister exhorted the students for extending helping hand to society as and when required in future as for now the expenses on their career building are coming from the taxes paid by the citizen and society at large. 
●    He also accepted the invitation of faculty to visit IIM Trichy in near future.

PM Modi inaugurates India's longest road tunnel in J&K

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated India's longest road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, making it operational for traffic. 
●    Security has been tightened across the state. 
●    Speaking ahead of the inauguration, Jitendra Singh, who is the Union Minister of State in the PM's Office said, "It is a matter of great pride for the people of Jammu and Kashmir that this great tunnel is being dedicated to the nation by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi - the most popular PM. 
●    It is dedicated to the nation in keeping with his call for a new India." 
●    The tunnel will save fuel worth nearly Rs 99 crores a year. "Rs 27 lakh worth of fuel is likely to be saved per day," Mr Singh said.
●    The tunnel will also reduce the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by two hours
●    The distance between Chenani and Nashri will now be 10.9 kms (between two ends of the tunnel), instead of the existing 41 kms. 
●    The Chenani-Nashri tunnel is 10.9 kms long and will reduce travel time between Jammu and Srinagar
 

Current Affairs 3rd April 2017: SPORTS

Sindhu beats Marin to win Indian Open

P V Sindhu on 2 April 2017 defeated reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain to lift her maiden India Open Super Series title.
●    Third seeded Sindhu defeated Marin 21-19, 21-16 at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. 
●    The Indian badminton player had last defeated Marin in the BWF Super Series in Dubai in the year 2016.
●    Born on 5 July 1995, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is an Indian professional badminton player.
●    At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal.
●    In 2013, she became the first ever Indian women's singles player to win a medal at the Badminton World Championships.
●    In March 2015, she was conferred with the Padma Shri.
●    The India Open is officially titled as the Yonex-Sunrise India Open.
 

Current Affairs 3rd April 2017: DAYS & DATES

2 April - World Autism Awareness Day

The World Autism Awareness Day 2017 was observed across the world on 2 April 2017. 
●    The 2017 theme for the day is Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination.
●    World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognised day, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about children with autism throughout the world.
●    It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 62/139. 
●    World Autism Awareness Day, passed in council on 1 November 2007 and adopted on 18 December 2007.
●    This resolution was passed and adopted without a vote in the UN General Assembly, mainly as a supplement to previous UN initiatives to improve human rights.
●    World Autism Day is also one of only four official health-specific UN Days.
●    Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life.
 

Current Affairs 3rd April 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Japan officially announces Bitcoin as currency

Bitcoin has finally gained the recognition of a mainstream currency along the lines of other fiat currencies. 
●    The privilege follows the implementation of a new law in Japan which categorizes Bitcoin as a legal payment option within the country. 
●    The much-awaited law went into effect on April 1, 2017 (beginning of a new fiscal year in many countries).
●    With the new law’s implementation, Bitcoin exchanges will also come under additional regulatory scrutiny. 
●    The recognition of cryptocurrency as a legal tender also means the applicability of regulations governing banks and financial institutions to cryptocurrency exchange platforms. 
●    They will be required to comply with strict anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, along with annual audits. 
●    Other requirements include meeting the stated capital and cyber security requirements to ensure consumer protection.
 

Current Affairs 3rd April 2017: APPOINTMENTS

Prof. David R. Syiemlieh takes Oath as Chairman, UPSC

Prof. David R. Syiemlieh took the Oath of Office and Secrecy as Chairman, Union Public Service Commission, under clause (1) of Article 316 of the Constitution of India, today. 
●    The oath was administered by Shri Vinay Mittal, the senior most Member of the Commission, at a function at the UPSC office. 
●    Prof. Syiemlieh joined the Commission as Member on June 25, 2012 and was later on appointed to perform the duties of the post of Chairman, UPSC under Article 316 (1A) of the Constitution of India w.e.f. January 4, 2017. 
●    Prior to joining UPSC, Prof. Syiemlieh was Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar. 
●    Prof. Syiemlieh has held many important positions in various policy making, academic and administrative bodies. 
●    He has authored/edited several books/publications and had been awarded Senior Fulbright Fellowship in the year 1999.
 

Important Current Affairs 2nd April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 2nd April 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 2nd April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

PM Modi meets Malaysian PM Making Razak

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak ahead of delegation-level talks here on Saturday.
●    A number of agreements are expected to be signed between India and Malaysia following the delegation-level talks between the two sides.
●    Earlier in the day, Razak was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
●    Thereafter he called on President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari. 
●    External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj too called on the visiting dignitary.
●    Razak arrived in Chennai on Thursday on a six-day visit to India and reached New Delhi on Friday evening.
●    He will also visit Jaipur on Sunday where he will meet Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia.
●    The is the Malaysian Prime Minister’s third official visit to India.

Current Affairs 2nd April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Haryana to provide Rs. 21,000 to families of third girl child

Haryana government would provide one-time grant of Rs 21,000 to all those families whose third girl child was born after August 24, 2015, under the Aapki Beti, Hamari Beti scheme.
●    Under the scheme, the eligible families would receive the amount irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, income and number of sons, an official release issued here today said.
●    The scheme is aimed to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio and promote girls education in the state.
●    The third girl child born on or after August 24, 2015 in any family in the state satisfying the eligibility criteria would be covered in this scheme.
●    Earlier under the scheme, the first girl child born in the families belonging to Scheduled Castes and all Below Poverty Line (BPL), and second, twin or multiple girls born on or after January 22, 2015 in any family were eligible for the grant.
●    Infamous for its adverse sex ratio, Haryana has witnessed a significant improvement in it, which was recorded at 938 in February this year.

Aadhaar mandatory for driving license

The Union Cabinet on Friday decided to link the issue of driving licences and vehicle registration to Aadhaar, as part of a slew of changes that will affect the Motor Vehicles Act.
●    The Union Cabinet on Friday decided to link the issue of driving licences and vehicle registration to Aadhaar, as part of a slew of changes that will affect the Motor Vehicles Act.
●    “The government is proposing an all-India register for vehicles and driving licences to ensure no duplication is done. 
●    Besides, measures like making vehicle registration and driving licences Aadhaar-based will help to check registration of stolen vehicles. 
●    The move will also help in portability—i.e. transfer of vehicle registration from one state to another,” said Nitin Gadkari, minister for road transport and highways.
●    The Finance Bill 2017 cleared by both the Houses of Parliament has already made it mandatory for obtaining and retaining the permanent account number (PAN) as well as for filing of income-tax returns.

Mizoram becomes 27th State to join UDAY

The Government of India and the State of Mizoram signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the scheme Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) today for operational improvement of the State’s Power Distribution Department. 
●    With the signing of MoU by Mizoram, the total States/ Union territories covered under UDAY will be 27. 
●    Mizoram would derive an overall net benefit of approximately Rs.198 crores by opting to participate in UDAY, by way of cheaper funds, reduction in AT&C and transmission losses, interventions in energy efficiency, etc. during the period of turnaround.
●    The MoU paves way for improving operational efficiency of the Power Distribution department of the State. 
●    Through compulsory Distribution Transformer metering, consumer indexing & GIS mapping of losses, upgrade/change transformers, meters etc., smart metering of high-end consumers, feeder audit etc. 
●    AT&C losses and transmission losses would be brought down, besides eliminating the gap between cost of supply of power and realisation. 
●    The reduction in AT&C losses and transmission losses to 15% and 2.50% respectively is likely to bring additional revenue of around Rs.166 crores during the period of turnaround.

Uttarakhand HC declares air, jungles as living entities

The Uttarakhand High Court, which recently accorded the status of "living human entities" to the Ganga and Yamuna river, today extended the order to include a wide range of natural entities within the ambit of a "juristic (non-living) person".
●    A division bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Alok Singh of the High Court declared all the glaciers, including Gangotri and Yamunotri, rivers, streams, rivulets, lakes, air, meadows, dales, jungles, forests wetlands, grasslands, springs and waterfalls as living entities. 
●    Following the order these will have some legal rights on a living person.
●    The Court laid special attention towards Gangotri and Yamunotri glaciers, saying, "Gangotri is one of the largest glaciers in the Himalayas. 
●    However, it is receding fast. In over 25 years, it has retreated more than 850 meters.
●    Yamunotri Glacier is also receding at an alarming rate.
●    Glacial Ice is the largest reservoir of freshwater on earth.
●    It directed that all corresponding rights, duties, liabilities and rights akin to fundamental and legal rights of a living person be conferred on the aforementioned, so as to preserve and conserve them.

5 associate banks, BMB merge with SBI

Five associates and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank became part of the State Bank of India (SBI) on Saturday, catapulting the country's largest lender to among the top 50 banks in the world.
●    State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) and State Bank of Travancore (SBT), besides Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB), merged with SBI with effect from April 1, the bank said in a statement.
●    With this merger, the bank will join the league of top 50 banks globally in terms of assets, it added.
●    The total customer base of the bank will reach 37 crores with a branch network of around 24,000 and nearly 59,000 ATMs across the country.
●    The merged entity will have a deposit base of more than Rs 26 lakh crore and advances level of Rs 18.50 lakh crore.
●    Welcoming all the stakeholders of merged entities, SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya said the bank will strive to conclude the transition process within a quarter.

President of India Lays Foundation Stone of Rabindra Bhawan and Haj House in Ranchi 

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone of Rabindra Bhawan and Haj House today (April 2, 2017) in Ranchi, Jharkhand. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that he was happy to be present in Ranchi on the occasion of laying of foundation stone for the Rabindra Bhavan and Haj House. 
●    It is indeed a matter of pleasure that Gurudev and his family who left a long lasting impression in the state will be commemorated through the construction of Rabindra Bhavan. 
●    The President said that his association with Jharkhand, as indeed the entire Eastern region goes back many a decades with the neighbouring West Bengal being his home state. 
●    Indeed Bihar, undivided Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Assam were part of the same Bengal Presidency for a long period in the earlier part of the last century. 
●    The area has a shared past and heritage and its shaping in the post Independence era has also been similar. 
●    The President said that for our Muslim brethren a travel to Mecca for Haj is a life time dream. 
●    It is indeed commendable that the Government of Jharkhand has come up with the project of establishing a “Haj House” to facilitate Haj pilgrimage. 
●    He was sure that this will provide much needed relief to the pilgrims from the State and the area.

Record Capacity Addition of Wind Power of 5400 MW in Last Fiscal

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set another record in the wind power capacity addition  by adding over 5400 MW in 2016-17 against the target of 4000 MW.  
●    This year’s achievement surpassed the previous higher capacity addition of 3.423 MW achieved in the previous year.
●    The leading States in the wind power capacity addition during 2016-17 are Andhra Pradesh 2190 MW, followed by Gujarat 1275 MW and Karnataka 882 MW. 
●    In addition Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra ,Telangana and Kerala have reported 357 MW, 288 MW, 262 MW, 118 MW , 23 MW and 8 MW wind power capacity addition respectively during 2016-17. 
●    During 2016-17 MNRE has taken various policy initiatives in the wind energy sector that includes Introduction of Bidding in Wind Energy Sector, Re -powering Policy, Draft Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy, New Guidelines for Development of Wind Power Projects, etc.

Important Current Affairs 1st April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 1st April 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 1st April 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye Arrested

South Korea’s disgraced former President Park Geun-hye was arrested and jailed on Friday over high-profile corruption allegations that already ended her tumultuous four-year rule and prompted an election to find her successor.
●    A convoy of vehicles, including a black sedan carrying Park, entered a detention facility near Seoul after the Seoul Central District Court granted prosecutors’ request to arrest her.
●    Many Park supporters waved national flags and shouted “president” as Park’s car entered the facility.
●    Prosecutors can detain her for up to 20 days before formally charging her, meaning she will likely be in jail while her case is heard. 
●    A district court normally issues a ruling within six months of an indictment.
●    The Seoul court’s decision is yet another humiliating fall for Park, South Korea’s first female president who was elected in 2012 amid overwhelming support from conservatives, who recall her dictator father as a hero who lifted the country from poverty in the 1960-70s despite a record of severe human rights abuses.
 

Current Affairs 1st April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Government Awards 128 new regional routes to Air India, 4 others

Flights offering seats for as little as Rs2,500 will connect big cities and small town India starting next month after the aviation ministry on Thursday authorized five airlines to operate on so-called regional routes.
●    Inexpensive regional air connectivity under the government’s UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme will allow travellers to save on time and enable the middle-class in small town India to take their first flights. 
●    The scheme’s name loosely translates as “let the common man fly”.
●    They will connect metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad with 70 small cities including Kanpur, Shimla, Agra, Bathinda, Pathankot, Gwalior, Ludhiana, Bhavnagar, Diu, Jamshedpur and Puducherry.
●    At present no airline flies to 31 of the 70 cities.
●    The five airlines awarded the rights to fly are Air India, SpiceJet, Turbo Megha, Air Odisha and Air Deccan, which its original founder G.R. Gopinath has revived after selling it in 2008 to Vijay Mallya’s now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.

Government lowers interest rate on small savings deposits by 0.1% 

Returns on small savings schemes, including public provident fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra, will be lower from April 1, the government announced on Friday.
●    Interest rates on all nine small savings schemes will be lower by 0.1%. Interest rates are reviewed quarterly.
●    Until now, PPF fetched an annual interest rate of 8%, the same as the five-year NSC. Returns on Kisan Vikas Patra used to be 7.7%.
●    The government moved to a market-linked interest rates system for these instruments last year but also reserved the right to review them quarterly.
●    “In a declining inflation scenario the lowering of returns should not be a major cause for concern,” Soumya Kanti Ghosh, chief economic adviser, State Bank of India told Hindustan Times.
●    PPF scheme will fetch lower annual rate of 7.9%.
●    Kisan Vikas Patra investments will yield 7.6% and mature in 112 months.

Bank of Maharashtra loses Rs. 25 crore due to UPI bug

Bank of Maharashtra lost Rs25 crore in one of the biggest Unified Payments Interface (UPI) frauds till date when a few people moved money illegally, taking advantage of a minor bug.
●    Corrective steps have been initiated and the process of recovering the money from the 19 banks where it has been transferred to is on, said A.P. Hota, managing director and chief executive officer of the National Payments Corporation, or NPCI.
●    The bug in the UPI system allowed people to send money without having the necessary funds in their accounts.
●    Even when the core banking solution of the bank declined a transaction, the UPI solution used to send the success message to NPCI. 
●    About 50-60 people in Aurangabad discovered this loophole, possibly through a trial-and-error method. 
●    The fraud was reported first on 22 February, said Hota.
●    He added that Bank of Maharashtra reported the fraud amount as around Rs25 crore, and that some amount has been recovered.

Hotels, Restaurants near highways can't serve liquor : SC

The Supreme Court on Friday clarified there will be no liquor sale in hotels and restaurants, or liquor outlets, within 500 meters of state and national highways.
●    The ban will be effective from midnight.
●    A bench comprising chief justice J.S. Khehar, justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao also modified an earlier ruling that banned sale of liquor with 500 meters of state and national highways. 
●    The court said the ban will be within 220m of the highway in towns with population below 20,000.
●    The court also exempted Meghalaya and Sikkim from the court’s order.
●    The court’s orders came after over nine states and Union territories sought a review of the court’s ruling. 
●    On 15 December last year, a bench comprising then chief justice T.S. Thakur, justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao had allowed liquor shops in proximity to highways to operate till 31 March, but ruled against renewal of their licences. 
●    The court’s decision came on a public interest litigation case seeking to curb road accidents on highways due to drunken driving.

Centre notifies simplified one page ITR form

The government on Friday notified a simpler, one-page form for filing income tax returns while making it mandatory to quote Aadhaar number and disclose bank deposits of more than Rs 2 lakh post-demonetisation.
●    The Income Tax Return Form-1 (Sahaj) will replace the 7-page form, removing a plethora of columns on deductions from income claimed.
●    Sahaj can be filed by an individual having income of up to Rs 50 lakh from salary, house property and interest.
●    Currently, SAHAJ (ITR 1) is filed by salaried employees and ITR 2 by individuals and HUFs whose income does not include income from business.
●    The government has done away with form ITR 2A.
●    Sahaj makes quoting of 12-digit biometric identifier Aadhaar number mandatory along with Permanent Account Number (PAN) and also seeks details of cash in excess of Rs 2 lakh that was deposited in bank accounts in the 50-day post-demonetisation window.
●    ITR 2 and ITR 3 have a Schedule AL requiring assessees to declare their assets and liabilities at the end of the fiscal.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) organized its Investiture Parade – 2017

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) organized its Investiture Parade – 2017 on 01.04.2017 at 6th Bn. RPSF, Dayabasti, New Delhi.  
●    The Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu was the Chief Guest.  
●    On this occasion Chairman, Railway Board Shri A.K.Mital, Member Staff Railway Board, other Board Members, senior Police officers of Central Police Organisations and senior officer of Government of India may also attend. Director General, RPF Shri S.K.Bhagat delivered the welcome address at the function.
●    Minister of Railways presented awards to RPF officers / RPF personnel on this occasion. 
●    It is quite gratifying for the RPF, that 03 officers/ RPF personnel received the prestigious President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Services, and 43 with Police Medals for their Meritorious Service. 
●    Other awards like Railway Minister’s award for Best Investigation, and Railway Minister’s Award for Bravery were also given to the deserving RPF/ RPSF personnel. 

Important Current Affairs 31st March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 31st 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 31st March 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India and Bavaria to Set up Joint Group to Identify Areas of Cooperation in Water Sector

 Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has suggested formation of a joint group to identify areas of cooperation in water sector.

●     This was stated that by the Minister, when Minister of Environment and Consumer Protection of the Free State of Bavaria, Federal Republic of Germany, Ms. Ulrike Scharf called on her in New Delhi today.

●     Both the leaders discussed various others probable areas of cooperation in water resources sector.

●     Sushri Bharti said that Bavaria has a rich experience of successfully cleaning the river Danube in Germany and India may benefit from their experience.

●     She gave an overview of the Namami Gange programme to the visiting dignitary and sought her co-operation for the same. 

●     The Bavarian Minister appreciated the work of Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and said that Bavaria and India would like to exchange their experience and knowledge in water resources sector.

●     Ms. Ulrike Scharf extended an invitation to Sushri Bharti to visit Bavaria.

Current Affairs 31st March 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Pranab Mukherjee to inaugurate the National Skill Exhibition, Driver Training Institutes (DTIs) and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras from Deoghar, Jharkhand

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will soon be seen steering the progress roadmap for the country to enhance workforce.

●     President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will be inaugurating a national skill exhibition, two new large scale Driver Training Institutes (DTIs) in Dhanbad and Godda and 31 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK).

●     He will also lay foundation stone for building two new DTIs at Deoghar and Ranchi. President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the initiatives on 2nd April at Deoghar.

●     Skill India has been quite close to the President’s heart.

●     In a recent initiative, he has ensured that 1500 skilled employees at the Rashtrapati Bhavan get certified for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) under PMKVY across 18 job roles.

●     Union Minister of State (I/C) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy has said that the President, in one of his speeches had mentioned that, we must go full throttle on education and skill development to change from ‘low skill, labour-intensive goods and services to providers of more skill-intensive goods and services.

●     Shri Rudy said his Ministry is working towards that vision and he is sure that government’s offering will fulfil the aspirations of the youth and give them a direction to grow in their respective career.

90 Days of Digi Dhan Mela

Public response to embrace Digital Payments is on a roll giving a push to make India a less-cash economy and NITI Aayog’s move to incentivize digital transactions by the people has paid dividends.

●     14 lakh people and 77,000 merchants have been awarded since the launch of the two incentive schemes for Digital Payments – Lucky Grahak Yojana and DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana on 25th December 2016.

●     A sum of Rs. 226,45,40,000 (Rs. 176,95,40,000 to consumers and Rs. 49,50,00,000 to merchants) has already been disbursed so far under the two incentive schemes.

●     The winners have been from various walks of life cutting across the barriers of age, sex and economic status.

●     27 year old Devinder is a mechanic from Azamgarh village in Bihar who won Rs. 1 lakh under Lucky Grahak Yojana.

●     Being the eldest among six siblings in a family of 12, he has to make a lot of transactions, which he now realizes is very simple if done digitally.

●     Earlier he was using his brother’s bank account for his funds, but will soon open his own account.

2nd Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade, Commerce and Investment between India and Afghanistan

The 2^nd meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Trade, Commerce and Investment between India and Afghanistan, at the level of Commerce Secretary, which was instituted under the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two countries, was held in a cordial atmosphere on 29-30 March, 2017 in New Delhi.

●     The Indian delegation was led by Ms. Rita Teaotia, Commerce Secretary and the Afghan delegation was headed by Mr Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, Deputy Minister for Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

●     The two sides had extensive discussions on a variety of issues concerning bilateral trade and economic relations, including transit of goods,business visas, trade in pharmaceutical products and rough gemstones, air freight corridor, customs cooperation etc.

●     Both sides also agreed for further cooperation in different sectors such as renewable energy, power, standards, agriculture, transportation and public health, and discussed opportunities for investments.

●     It was agreed that the next meeting of the JWG will be held in Kabul at a mutually convenient date.

Two day Conference of Directors of Fingerprint Bureaux to begin tomorrow at HPA, Karnal, Haryana

 A two day Conference of Directors of Fingerprint Bureaux (FPBx) is being organized at Haryana Police Academy (HPA), Madhuban, Karnal, Haryana by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in joint collaboration with Haryana Police on March 30-31, 2017.

●     Shri Yashpal Singhal, DG (prisons) will be the Chief Guest at the conference tomorrow. Dr. K. P. Singh, DGP, Haryana Police and Dr. Ish Kumar, Director, NCRB would address the conference.

●     The conference is expected to be attended by more than 100 delegates from various FPBx. Senior officials of NCRB and States/ UT Police would participate in the conference.

●     In this conference, latest development, research papers, capacity building, R&D, administrative matters concerning various FPBx, and other related legal issues of Fingerprints would be deliberated by Fingerprint fraternity. 

●     A few research papers will also be presented by universities of Punjab & Delhi.

         Army Releases Book on Rashtriya Rifles

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), on 27 March 2017 at South Block, New Delhi, released the book ‘Home of the Brave’ on the history of Indian Army’s Counter Insurgency Force, the Rashtriya Rifles (RR).

●     The book is authored by Mr Nitin A Gokhale, Defence & Security Analyst and Brig S K Chatterji (Retired).

●     The event of release of the book was attended by the COAS, Director General of the Rashtriya Rifles, other senior officers from Directorate General of the Rashtriya Rifles along with the authors.

●     Home of the Brave traces the early history of the RR, its organization, including its raising and subsequent deployment in Punjab, the North East and in Jammu & Kashmir.

●     The RR, a formidable Counter Insurgency Force, has won many laurels in the operations.

●     In addition to fulfilling its primary mandate of securing the Nation, the Force has also conducted several softer measures to win hearts and minds of the people- a critical and valuable practice that the Indian Army has embraced.

●     The book also reflects upon the role of the RR in strengthening the professionalism of the Indian Army and military ethics and values throughout its rank and file.

Important Current Affairs 30th March 2017 with Free PDF

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CURRENT AFFAIRS 30TH MARCH 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Environment Minister Launches Online Filing of Access and Benefit Sharing Applications

 
Taking yet another important step towards contributing to and promoting Digital India and Ease of Doing Business, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Anil Madhav Dave, launched the online filing of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) applications through videoconferencing, here today.  

●    Emphasising that the meaning of good governance lies in making processes transparent, Shri Dave said that the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, inspires everyone to embrace E-governance.  
●    The Environment Minister expressed the hope that E-governance will be made 100% operational in the near future and all the processes of the Ministry will be made fully transparent. 
●    The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), teamed up with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), to launch the Online Filing of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Applications at - www.nbaindia.org - to enable E-filing of applications. 
●    Applications seeking such approval are to be made on the appropriate forms available online.  
●    If Indian or foreign individuals and entities like registered companies wish to access biological resources and associated knowledge  to carry out various activities, prior approval of NBA, or the State Biodiversity Boards is a prerequisite.  
●    NBA will adhere to stipulated timelines to process applications.  With the process being made online, the attempt is to address these issues better and also to keep pace with digitisation.

Grand Finale of ‘Smart India Hackathon-2017’

The Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon-2017 will be hosted on April 1 & 2, 2017 by Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region at Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management & Technology (GIMT), Guwahati, along with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under Ministry of Human Resource Development. 

●    The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh’s message for Smart India Hackathon-2017 reads "Digital Solutions along with appropriate technologies have the potential to catalyse development solutions in the North East States".
●    Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region is a premier partner in this initiative and has identified 11 problems, on which the 31 teams (6 students & 2 mentors per team) shortlisted by the Ministry would build innovative digital solutions at GIMT, Guwahati. 
●    The GIMT, Guwahati has been selected as the only nodal centre in the North East, among 26 other nodal centers across the country.

Vijay Goel to inaugurate Conference on Restructuring of NSS in New Delhi 

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Department of Youth Affairs is organizing a Conference on ’Restructuring of NSS’ on 31 March, 2017 in New Delhi. 

●    The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session.
●    The structure of the NSS has largely remained unchanged over the years. 
●    The circumstances have been changing over the years, including the needs of the community and the aspirations of the young students. 
●    The Objective of organising the one-day Conference is to generate ideas for restructuring of the Scheme, in order to make it more robust and effective. 
●    All the stakeholders of the Scheme are being invited to the Conference so that a balanced view can be taken. The total number of participants in the Workshop would be around 100.
●    National Service Scheme (NSS) was introduced in 1969 with the primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service. 
●    NSS was launched initially in 37 Universities involving about 40,000 volunteers. 
●    Till March 2016, NSS had about 36.58 lakh volunteers enrolled in 39,695 NSS units spread over 391 Universities/ +2 Councils, 16,278 Colleges/ Technical Institutions and 12,483 Senior Secondary Schools.

WiFi Services at National Rail Museum

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu released the book titled “Indian Railway- The weaving of a National Tapestry” jointly authored by Shri Bibek Debroy (Member, NITI Aayog) Shri Sanjay Chadha (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce) & Ms. Vidya Krishnamurthi.

●    In addition, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu also launched Hi-speed free Wi-Fi services for the visitors at National Rail Museum. Chairman,
●    Railway Board, Shri A. K. Mital, the three authors of the book, Shri Ashwani Lohani, CMD, Air India and other Railway Board Members and senior officials were also present on the occasion.
●    Minister of Railways said that It is really an honour to release a book by authored by Shri Bibek Debroy and his colleagues. 
●    This book by Shri Bibek Debroy is a great contribution for Indian Railways. We can shape the future of Indian Railways by linking the past through this book. 
●    Interest of organisation cannot be overlooked..We are working on how to revitalize the organisation. We are working for making Railways as an efficient organisation, modern and tech savvy. We need to take many steps at the same time. 
●    All issues ranging from HR, Environment, finance, technological up gradation are to be taken care of.

IICA organises two day Colloquium on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Laws and Procedure for NCLT

●    Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), an autonomous body under Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) organized a two day colloquium on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Laws and Procedure focusing upon the ways to effective enforcement of Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code 2016. 
●    Two day colloquium was held on 26th and 27th March, 2017 in national capital. 
●    Members of all 10 Benches of NCLT across India and NCLAT at Delhi participated in the Colloquium. 
●    Dr. M.S Sahoo, Chairperson, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) highlighted the Role of IBBI in enforcement of IBC 2016 and Potential Challenges and Prospects for insolvency professionals and role of the Tribunal. 
●    Hon’ble Justice M.M. Kumar, President, NCLT delivered the Inaugural Address and appreciated the efforts of Members in dealing with the complicated issues under the Code and potential challenges. 
●    Hon’ble Justice Sh. Mukhopadhyay, Chairperson, NCLAT delivered the Keynote Address and highlighted the key questions which may come-up for consideration by NCLT under the Code for contributing towards ease of doing business. 
●    Shri G.K. Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs; Ms. Suman Saxena, Whole Time Member, IBBI, Secretary & Registrar, NCLT were also present.

Dr. Mahesh sharma inaugurates ‘National Tribal and North East Art Conclave’

Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism inaugurated the “National Tribal and North East Conclave-2017” organized by Lalit Kala Akademi under Ministry of Culture here today. 

●    Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mahesh Sharma applauded the creativity of the tribal communities, as also of the artists from the North East region and select contemporary artists. 
●    He said that the Conclave is a unique artistic event representing the important schools of Indian tribal art, alongside other art genres. 
●    He wished them grand success in their creative endeavours.
●    The conclave platform features more than a dozen forms of tribal art. Most of these artists from 100 and more artist contingents, have showcased their art forms at Festivals of India held abroad and distinguished platforms elsewhere. 
●    The handpicked coteries are fielding their master painters for the event. 
●    Some of the noteworthy forms on schedule are Cheriyal painters from Telangana, southern miniature paintings, Patachitra art from Odisha, fresco paintings from Rajasthan, as also Bhil, Mina works, and paintings on leather by artists from Andhra Pradesh. 
●    The event includes demonstrations of folk traditions that allow visitors to gauge the in-depth sourcing of their output.

Important Current Affairs 29th March 2017 with Free PDF

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Current Affairs 29th March 2017: SPORTS

Ashwin receives Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy

 
Ravichandran Ashwin on 28 March 2017 was awarded the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in Dharamsala.
●    Ashwin was honoured with the trophy for being named the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2016.
●    With 48 wickets and 336 runs against his name in eight Tests, and 27 wickets in 19 Twenty20 Internationals during the voting period, Ashwin was a popular choice for the prestigious title.
●    With this, Ashwin has become the third Indian and the 12th player overall to win the award.
●    The award was judged by a voting academy, which was completely independent of the ICC. 
●    They panel took into consideration performances between 14 September 2015 and 20 September 2016. 
●    During this period, Ashwin produced some extraordinary all-round performances across all three formats of the game.
●    Other recipients of the award include Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Andrew Flintoff, Jacques Kallis Ricky Ponting and others.

Current Affairs 29th March 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

NITI Aayog to launch 3 year Action Plan from April 1

Putting a final lid on the Planning era, the Niti Aayog is gearing up to launch the three-year action plan from April 1 after the end of 12th Five Year Plan on March 31.
●    Under the new system, sources said states will be encouraged to meet the targets of various schemes or face the prospects of drying up of the fund flows.
●    The 12th five-year plan is coming to an end on March 31. 
●    The three-year action plan to be unveiled this month will come in force from April 1, which will also end the prevailing system of the centre patiently waiting (for) the state governments to implement the schemes.
●    The official said, "We have patiently waited for the state governments to adopt a number of reform-oriented legislative bills. 
●    But our experiences have largely been negative... therefore, the reform agenda arrived at after consensus will need to be adopted by them, and the states doing so will get incentives".

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to host Smart India Hackathon 2017 Grand Finale in Nagpur

The Ministry of Road transport and Highways will host the Grand Finale of the Smart India Hackathon 2017 at Nagpur on 1st and 2nd April, 2017. 
●    Nagpur is one among 26 cities where the event will be held simultaneously, with the support and coordination of 29 Government departments. 
●    Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways & Shipping will  inaugurate the event at Sri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering in  Nagpur on 1.04.2017. 
●    Shri Sanjay Jaju, Director National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited is the Nodal Officer for MoRTH. 
●    The Smart India Hackathon 2017 was launched on Nov 9, 2016 in New Delhi by the Ministry of Human Resources Development to  harnesses the creativity and  expertise of students, build funnel for ‘Startup India, Standup India’ campaigns, crowd source solutions for improving governance and quality of life and provide opportunity to citizens to contribute innovative solutions for nation building.   
●    For the first time different government departments have directly engaged with students and challenged them to build digital solutions to improve their efficiency, plug revenue leakages and corruption. 
●    MoHRD had received 598 problem statements from 29 different government ministries and departments against which ideas were received from 7531 teams out of which 637 ideas and 84 teams comprising 672 youngsters have been selected for the finale. 

India becomes net exporter of Electricity for the first time 

India has become a net exporter of electricity during the April-February period this fiscal for the first time, power ministry said on Wednesday.
●    As per Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the designated authority of government of India for cross border trade of electricity, first time India has turned around from a net importer of electricity to net exporter of electricity. 
●    According to the statement, during the current year 2016-17 (April-February), India has exported around 5,798 million units to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar which is 213 million units more than the import of around 5,585 million units from Bhutan.
●    Export to Nepal and Bangladesh increased 2.5 and 2.8 times respectively in the last three years. 
●    Ever since the cross border trade of electricity started in mid-80s, India has been importing power from Bhutan and marginally exporting to Nepal in radial mode at 33 kV and 132 kV from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh respectively.

Swachh Bharat Pakhwada for Clean and Green Ports and Harbours

To spread awareness on cleanliness as part of its ‘Swachhta Abhiyan’, the Ministry of Shipping is celebrating Swachh Bharat Pakhwada from 16th -31st March, 2017 and has undertaken  various activities under this campaign. 
●    The event was launched by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Shipping and Road Transport & Highways on 16th March 2017, in the premises of the Shipping Corporation of India in Mumbai.  
●    The Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan was launched by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 2nd October, 2014 to urge people to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of a clean India, by his 150th birth anniversary in 2019.
●    The Swachh Bharat Pakhwada is a culmination of the year long efforts of the Ministry, the ports and other organizations like DG Shipping, SCI, Dredging Corporation Of India, Cochin Shipyard Limited, Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships, to spread cleanliness at their premises.  
●    The activities taken up during this period included  weeding out of old files, a drive for digitization of files, disposal of all obsolete articles, renovation of rooms, toilets and providing pure and clean drinking water to all employees.

Current Affairs 29th March 2017:  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Indian Army Chief Visits Nepal and Bangladesh 

General Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is visiting Nepal and Bangladesh from 28 March to 02 April 2017 on his first foreign visit after assuming office. 
●    COAS will be visiting important military installations and meeting high ranking dignitaries including the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and the Chief of Army Staff. 
●    The delegation will also visit Nepalese Army Mountain Warfare School at Jomsom and the Pension Paying office at Pokhara where the COAS will address the Indian Army ex-servicemen of Nepalese origin.
●    The visit to Nepal assumes importance as the President of Nepal will confer the title of “Honorary General of the Nepalese Army” to the COAS at a special investiture ceremony on 29 March 2017. 
●    This historic tradition is a reciprocal arrangement that is continuing uninterrupted since its inception in 1969 and has been a hallmark of the special relationship between the Indian and the Nepalese Army. 
●    General Rajendra Chettri, the Chief of Army Staff of Nepalese Army was conferred the title of “Honorary General of the Indian Army” on 03 February 2016, during his first visit to India after assuming office.

Current Affairs 29th March 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Theresa May Signs Brexit Letter to EU

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday signed a historic letter that will launch Brexit when it is delivered to Brussels on Wednesday, a photo released by her office showed.
●    Sitting in front of a Union Jack national flag and a portrait of Britain’s first Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, a serene-looking Ms. May signed the letter to begin the country‘s departure from the European Union.
●    The letter will be taken from 10 Downing Street to Brussels, where it will be delivered by Tim Barrow, Britain’s E.U. ambassador, to EU President Donald Tusk on Wednesday.
●    Formally notifying Mr. Tusk of Britain’s intention to leave the bloc, by triggering Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, sets the clock ticking on a two-year negotiating period to end the U.K.’s 44 years of membership.
●    Ms. May on Tuesday evening made separate phone calls to Mr. Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

Important Current Affairs 28th March 2017 with Free PDF

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We bring you Important Current Affairs 28th 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 28TH MARCH 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

 Surat Airport to become International Airport
 
Civil aviation minister Jayant Sinha on Sunday said Surat will soon be connected to several cities via more flights, and assured that the Surat airport will be soon turned into an international one.

● Sinha was in Surat to inaugurate services of SpiceJet Ltd between the city and Delhi. The budget airline will operate two daily Surat-Delhi flights.
● Addressing the gathering, Sinha assured that work on expansion of runway of the Surat airport and terminals will also begin to convert it into an international one. 
● “We will soon expand runway, improve terminals and add many more flights to Surat airport. Airport Authority of India (AAI) will begin expansion of runway...we will soon begin work to make it an international airport,” he said.

Govt. can't make Aadhaar mandatory for welfare schemes : SC

Aadhaar cannot be mandatory for central welfare schemes, the Supreme Court said today, but added that it cannot stop the government from linking the 12-digit identification number to the opening of bank accounts or filing of tax returns.

● The government recently made it mandatory for citizens to produce their Aadhaar number for benefits under nearly three dozen central schemes including free mid-day meals for schoolchildren. 
● Aadhaar was also made compulsory for scholarships and other schemes for backward castes and the disabled. Aadhaar cards are mandatory for subsidized cooking gas and foodgrains.
● The government has said it will enable people to get their biometric identity documents by June 30.
● Aadhaar cards will also be needed for filing tax returns - a move that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says will check tax evasion.

Govt. launches Online Film Certification System

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M Venkaiah Naidu on 27 March 2017 launched Online Film Certification System E-Cine Pramaan of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with an aim to promote transparency and ensure Clean Cinema Clean India.

● This online system integrated the payments made by the producers towards certification fees with Bharatkosh portal, a system for all non-tax revenue receipts. 
● This online certification system will enable in making the CBFC Office paperless.
● It will enable effective monitoring & real time progress in tracking for both CBFC Officials and the applicant. 
● In the e-cinepramaan, the status of each application will be visible online in the dashboard of the producer or the concerned CBFC official.

India decides not to participate in UN Negotiations For Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons 

The United Nations conference to ‘negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination’ took off at the UN headquarters in New York on 27 March 2017. The meeting was attended by more than 100 countries. 

● The United States, leading a coalition of more than 40 countries including Britain and France boycotted the talks. 
● India too chose to skip the meeting. 
● The decision was taken independently by New Delhi by taking into account the nation’s own interests but it would, however, be closely monitoring the developments at the conference.
● Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, speaking on the sidelines of the opening day of the nuclear ban talks stated that the countries skipping the negotiations are instead committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty that was brought into force in 1970 and is aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology.

Commissioning of INLCU L51 by Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, AVSM Commander-in-Chief Andaman And Nicobar Command

L51 was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 28 Mar 2017 by Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, AVSM, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command at Port Blair. 

● The commissioning ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Dilip Deshpande, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, Rear Admiral VK Saxena (Retd), CMD, GRSE and other senior officers from Indian Navy.
● LU 51 IS First of the Eight ships of the LCU Mk IV Class. 
● It has been built by M/s Garden Reach Ship Builders & Engineers Ltd, Kolkata, it is the first of the eight ships of the LCU MK IV Class. 
● Conceived and designed indigenously, the commissioning of the ship adds a feather to the glorious chapter in the nation’s ‘Make in India’ initiatives & indigenisation efforts in the field of warship design and construction. 
● With a displacement of 900 tons the magnificent ship spans 62.8 m in length and 11 m in breadth.
● The ship is propelled by 02 MTU diesel engines of 1840 Kw rating and can sustain speeds up to 15 knots. 
● The ship has been built to assist in amphibious operations by carrying out beaching operations and has an endurance of 1500 nm. 
● The ship will also play a key role in carrying out maritime surveillance of Andaman & Nicobar Islands for preventing anti-poaching, illegal fishing, drug trafficking, human trafficking, poaching and other illegal activities. 
● It will also enhance the capabilities of the Andaman and Nicobar Command in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS 28TH MARCH 2017: SPORTS

Bhubaneshwar to host men's Hockey World Cup 2018 

The international hockey federation (FIH) confirmed Bhubaneswar as venue for two of its major events -- the Men’s Hockey World League Final in December this year and the men’s World Cup in 2018.

● The Kalinga Stadium in the Orissa capital was confirmed as host after the state government signed a deal with FIH to sponsor the two events. 
● Hockey India had proposed the Kalinga Stadium, which played host to the men’s Champions Trophy in 2014, as venue for the 2018 World Cup last year and it seems the Hockey World League Final will be a dress rehearsal for the mega event.
● The multi-purpose stadium, built in 2010, has facilities for athletics, football, basketball, tennis, table tennis and swimming, ensuring that it is well equipped to host international sporting events.
● The Men’s Hockey World League Final, involving eight of World’s best teams including hosts India, will be played between December 1-10, 2017 while the World Cup is scheduled between November 28/December 16 in 2018 and will see 15 teams join the hosts at the event.

Kolkata to host India's first ever FIFA U-17 World Cup Final

The City of Joy, also known as the Mecca of Indian football, will host the final as well as nine other matches of the Fifa U-17 World Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium in October.

● After inspecting all six venues of the October 6-28 tournament, Impressed with the refurbished Salt Lake Stadium, an eight-member Fifa delegation - led by its head of events Jaime Yarza -chose the iconic venue for the summit clash on Monday.
● "The Salt Lake Stadium has set a benchmark, fulfilling all the high standards. When the renovation work is complete, it will be as good as the Maracana (in Rio de Janeiro)," Yarza said during an interaction with media persons.
● Apart from the final and third-fourth play-off matches, Kolkata will also host six Group F matches, a Round Of-16 game and a quarterfinal. 
● Fifa also plans to set up the U-17 World Cup headquarters at the stadium.
● The two semifinals will be held in Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium and the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium in Guwahati. Other quarterfinals will be held in Goa (Nehru Stadium), Kochi (Nehru Stadium) and Guwahati. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS 28TH MARCH 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India and Vietnam to strengthen bilateral relations through medium of Cinema

Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, Minister for Information & Broadcasting has said that collaboration in the field of Films, Broadcasting and Information Dissemination would strengthen the ties between India and Vietnam. 

● Cooperation in the field of institutional capacity building in social media, student exchange programs between premier institutes of both the countries in the field of journalism and films would bring the two countries close. 
● He mentioned this while meeting the Vietnamese delegation led by Minister of Information and Communications, Government of Vietnam Mr. Truong Minh Tuan.
● During the discussions, Shri Naidu said that Ministry of Information & Broadcasting would extend all possible support to promote exchange programs between public broadcasters of the two countries, content creation, screening and distribution of films.
● Shri Naidu apprised the Vietnam delegation about the Film Facilitation Office (FFO) setup in the Ministry of I&B to facilitate single window clearance for film makers. 
● The FFO setup shall act as a facilitation point for film producers and assist them in obtaining requisite permissions, disseminate information on shooting locales as well as the details about the various facilities available within the Indian film industry for production/post production thereof.

Important Current Affairs 27th March 2017 with Free PDF

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We bring you Important Current Affairs 27th 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 27TH MARCH 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

World's Largest capstone found at Burial Site in Telangana

 
 The archaeology department of Telangana has discovered the world's largest capstone after excavating an ancient human burial site in Siddipet district, department officials said.

●    The efforts to lift this massive capstone was coordinated by S S Rangacharyulu, archaeology consultant and K Padmanabha, assistant director (museums), as this mission requires great precision and caution, Department officials said.
●    A large crane lifted the huge capstone at the excavation site in Narmeta village on March 21, department officials said.
●    "The capstone of the menhir burial reportedly weighs about 40 tonnes," they added.
●    The archaeology department is all set to undertake DNA testing of various artefacts that have been discovered at this site which will help in tracing the lineage of pre-historic humans, their food habits, lifestyle, and how their population later became extinct, the officials said.
●    Last year, team of experts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) discovered a signet made of clay with ornamental design was among the about 3,000 ancient artefacts at the Keezhadi Pallai Sandhaipudur village in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu during an excavation. 

Sanction of 101 New Integrated Cold Chain Projects

India is one of the largest food producers in the world and is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables yet only 2.2% of our fruits and vegetables are processed.

●    India requires affordable cold storages and cold chains at every food producing hub in the country. 
●    While existing cold storages are concentrated in few states and roughly 80 to 90% are used for potatoes, India has a long way to go. 
●    MoFPI is building National Cold Chain Grid in the country so that all food producing hubs are connected to cold storage and processing industries.
●    Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been constantly involved in setting up new cold chain infrastructure which has both cold storage and processing facilities. 
●    The Ministry had announced sanction of 30 Cold Chain Projects in May, 2015. 
●    Today Ministry announces sanction of 101 new integrated Cold Chain Projects spread across the country. 
●    These projects are for fruits and vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, marine, poultry, ready to eat/ready to cook sectors. 

'Railwire Saathi' - wifi kiosks to be set up 

Aiming to provide connectivity in remote areas, Railways will set up Wi-Fi hotspot kiosks at about 500 stations and help people access an array of online services, including various government schemes.

●    Christened as Railwire Saathi, the Wi-Fi kiosks will function like a PCO for Digital India and enable people to use services like e-commerce, online banking, offer them access to open school/university and insurance schemes, e-ticketing for train and bus services among others.
●    Automated form filling, mobile and DTH recharge are other services which the Railwire Saathi is expected to provide in areas with limited connectivity.
●    The Railwire Saathi aims to provide connectivity to the unconnected and at the same time offer jobs opportunities in rural areas, a senior Railway Ministry official said.
●    While Railways is equipping about 400 stations with free Wi-Fi service in association with Google, this scheme has dual aim - providing jobs as well as connectivity.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 27TH MARCH 2017:AWARDS

Anupam Kher receives Kala Ratan Award

Veteran actor Anupam Kher will be honoured with the Kala Ratan Award by Vice President Hamid Ansari. 

●    Anupam Kher was honoured him the Padma Shri in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution in the field of cinema and arts.
●    The actor who has worked mainly in Hindi films has also appeared in acclaimed international films like Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice, The Mistress Of Spices, Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution, and David O. Russell’s 2013 Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook.
●    Anupam Kher Says Indian Films Does Not Have A Legendary Detective Figure
●    He has also teamed with Harry Potter actor Jason Isaac and Dev Patel for another film Hotel Mumbai. 
●    Coming to his Bollywood projects, he will soon be seen in Taapsee Pannu starrer Naam Shabana where superstar Akshay Kumar will have a cameo. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS 27TH MARCH 2017: SPORTS

India Wins Archery Team Gold at Asia Cup

The Indian men’s compound archery team overcame Iran in a nail-biting encounter to win gold in the 2017 Asia Cup Tournament Stage 1, which concluded at Bangkok today. 

●    The Indian trio of Aman Saini, Shivansh Awasthi and Robert Singh shot 231 against Iran’s 230 to win the title.
●    Both teams started off well, scoring 58 points each in the first round. The Indian trio, though, got the better of the Iranians in the second round and took a two-point lead with a total of 116 against Iran’s 114. 
●    The Iranian trio reduced the deficit to just one point with a total of 171 against India’s 172 in the third. 
●    In the fourth and decisive round, which was also the highest in terms of scoring, it was a treat for the viewers as Iran shot 59 out of 60 to pose a tough challenge to the Indians. 
●    However, the Indian trio managed to hold on to their nerves and finished with an equal score to maintain a one-point lead over their opponents and clinch the title.

Shaun Tait Retires from All Forms of Cricket

Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait has called time on his cricketing career early Monday morning after having represented his country in three Tests, 35 One-Day Internationals and 21 Twenty20 Internationals during which he picked up 95 wickets.

●    "The Wild Thing", Tait had over the years been nursing a series of elbow injuries and eventually decided to hang up his boots.
●    Despite not having represented Australia since January last year against India, Tait was a regular in the Big Bash and the Sheffield Shield. 
●    In fact it was his performance in this very tournament that paved the way for his selection in the Australian Test team in 2004. 
●    He eventually made his Test debut against England at Trent Bridge in the 2005 Ashes.
●    On 29 January 2008, Tait announced that he would take an "indefinite break from cricket, citing being physically and emotionally exhausted" and then a year later, retired from first-class cricket. 
●    In the shorter format however, Tait remained a vital cog in Australia's scheme of things. During the 2007 World Cup that Australia, won Tait picked up 23 wickets. 

Sebastian Vettel Wins Australian Grand Prix

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel on 26 March 2017 defeated Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to clinch the 2017 Australian Grand Prix.

●    It was Vettel's first win since the Singapore Grand Prix in September 2015.
●    Born on 3 July 1987, Sebastian Vettel is a German racing driver.
●    At present, he is driving in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari.
●    He is a four-time Formula One World Champion. He won the championship in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 with Red Bull Racing.
●    He has held numerous "youngest" Formula One records. 
●    A few of them are: the youngest driver to have taken part in an official practice session of a Grand Prix (until Max Verstappen at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix), to score championship points (until Daniil Kvyat at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix), to lead a race (until Max Verstappen at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix), and others. 
●    At present, he is in fourth place among all time race winners.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 27TH MARCH 2017: ECONOMY

RBI proposes exchange of Rs.4500 in old notes for Nepalese 

A team of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) visiting Nepal has hinted that it will allow exchange of up to Rs 4,500 in banned Indian currency notes to Nepali citizens.

●    As India had earlier allowed Nepali citizens to possess up to Rs 25,000 each, the central bank's proposal has sent waves of nervousness among the Nepali public.
●    An RBI team led by Dipali Pant Joshi, executive director, RBI, held talks with a Nepali team, led by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Deputy Governor Chintamani Siwakoti, in Kathmandu and offered to provide exchange facilities up to INR 4,500 in banned Indian currency notes and gave one week's window to complete the exchange formalities.
●    However, the Nepali side has been pushing to arrange facilities up to Indian Rs 25,000. 
●    The NRB team has conveyed to the RBI team that it is also impossible to exchange banned Indian notes within a week as the Nepali side is yet to conduct inventory of banned Indian bills possessed by Nepalis. 
●    However, the RBI team said it was ready to exchange Indian notes held with Nepali banking and financial institutions immediately but currency notes held by individuals should be exchanged through the banking system.

Important Current Affairs 26th March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 26th 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 26 MARCH 2017: SPORTS

India ends with 73 medals from 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games

India's 'special' athletes have once again done the country proud. They have raked in a rich haul of medals in the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Austria including 37 gold. 
●    The team for specially-abled sportspersons of the Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) not only competed with 2,600 athletes from over 105 countries, but also won a total of 73 medals. 
●    The victorious delegation will return to India on March 26. In the event, held in Austria between March 18 and March 24, a total of 37 gold, 10 silver and 26 bronze medals were added to India's kitty. 
●    The games included seven disciplines including Alpine Skiing, Snow Boarding, Snow Shoeing, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Floor Hockey, Floor Ball (and Unified floor Ball), at the mega event.
●    While three team events-Floor Hockey (male), Unified Floorball and Traditional Floorball-logged in 30 gold medals, the highest number in a single day, the 'special' women hockey team also collected 16 bronze medals.

ANKUR MITTAL WINS DOUBLE TRAP GOLD IN SHOTGUN WORLD CUP

Extending his good form, Ankur Mittal clinched the gold medal at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in the double trap event, pipping his Australian rival James Willet in the final in a world record equalling effort in second World Cup appearance of the year.
●    Mittal had to settle for silver at the recent International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in New Delhi, where Willet had won the gold.
●    Mittal ended with 75 points out of possible 80 in the six-man final to win India's first medal in the competition while Willet managed 73.
●    Ankur shot strong throughout the day, ending second in qualification with a score of 138 out of a possible 150. 
●    He also got the better off China's Ying Qi 6-5 in a shoot-off to decide second and third spots after both had finished their qualifying rounds on the same score.
 

Lukas Podolski’s farewell

The harsh reality is that Gareth Southgate’s first match since taking the England job full-time ended in disappointment and Germany have still not conceded a goal since Euro 2016, a sequence incorporating seven games – or, to put it another way, coming up for 11 hours of football.
●    Ultimately, though, England should not be too desolate bearing in mind their impressive contribution for long stages. 
●    A reasonable argument could be made that they were the superior team for the opening hour and, though Southgate will not want to make a habit of losing gallantly, he could be forgiven for thinking his new-look team deserved better than to lose to a spectacular 68th-minute goal from Lukas Podolski, making his final appearance for the German national side.
●    Podolski chose a good moment to score with a firecracker of a shot on a night when England’s new 3-4-3 formation, featuring a full debut for Michael Keane, coped ably and Southgate’s decision to try a new formation was justified by the overall performance.
 

CURRENT AFFAIRS 26 MARCH 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

NTPC commissions 20 MW capacity at Bhadla solar project

State-run power producer NTPC today said it has commissioned 20 mega watt (MW) of Bhadla Solar Power Project in Rajasthan.
●    “We wish to inform that 20 MW of Bhadla Solar Power Project has been commissioned. With this, the commissioned capacity of Bhadla Solar Power Project, NTPC and NTPC group, has become 205 MW, 41,927 MW and 48,893 MW respectively,” NTPC said in a BSE filing.
●    Last month, NTPC had commissioned 115 MW capacity out of 260 MW of Bhadla Solar Power Project.
●    NTPC has planned capacity addition of about 1,000 MW through renewable resources by 2017. Towards this, NTPC has already commissioned 310 MW solar PV projects.
●    The 50 MW Solar PV at Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh, 260 MW Solar PV at Bhadla in Rajasthan and 250 MW Solar PV at Mandsar in Madhya Pradesh and 8 MW Small Hydro Projects are under implementation, as per the company’s portal.

Samsung Pay launched in India

Samsung today launched a new digital payments service in the country, called Samsung Pay, that hopes to bring debit cards, credit cards and wallets under one umbrella.
●    Samsung Pay, a service that users of Samsung S7 Edge, S7, S6 Edge Plus, A series 2016 and 2017, and Note 5 users will get via a service update, will be available on Visa, Mastercard and Rupay payment cards. 
●    ICICI, HDFC, Standard Chartered, SBI, Axis bank cards will be supported, along with Paytm and Amex cards. UPI and CitiBank card support is also expected to become available soon.
●    After updating their Samsung phones to the latest software, users can open the Samsung Pay app and link their bank or Paytm or credit/debit card accounts.
●    First, a user must first link their card or wallet to the Samsung Pay account.
●    For phones, the user can then make a transaction by swiping the pay service from the bottom of the screen.
●     The screen will offer options of cards or accounts to pay from. The user selects the card and brings it close to the POS (point of sale) machine. 
●    Once the merchant has entered the amount for the transaction, the machine connects to the payment gateway and asks the user for the bank/ATM pin. Entering the PIN completes the transaction.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 26 MARCH 2017: BANKING

Bank of India, Union Bank of India sell stake in TransUnion CIBIL

Public sector lenders Union Bank of India (UBI) and Bank of India (BoI) said on Thursday that they have sold their entire stakes in TransUnion CIBIL to TransUnion International Inc. for Rs381.24 crore. The banks each held a 5% stake.
●    Banks have been trying to sell assets to shore up their capital after being hit by bad loans.
●    In the September quarter, Bank of India sold its 18% stake in Star Union Daiichi Life Insurance to Life Insurance Corp. of India, earning Rs495 crore in pre-tax profit.
●    Bank of India posted a net profit of Rs101.72 crore for the December quarter. Its capital adequacy ratio was at 12.11%.
●    After the latest stake sales, TransUnion International will hold 92.1% in Cibil.
●    The rest of the shares are owned by Aditya Birla Trustee Co. Pvt. Ltd, India Alternatives Private Equity Fund and India Infoline Finance Ltd.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 26 MARCH 2017: SPACE SCIENCE

NASA Develops Next-Gen Atomic Clock For Space Exploration

 
In a key advance for safely navigating future human exploration of the solar system, NASA said it is set to send its next-generation atomic clock to space in late 2017.
●    This clock will be smaller, lighter and magnitudes more precise than any atomic clock flown in space before, NASA said.
●    Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California have completed integration of the instrument, the Deep Space Atomic Clock, with the spacecraft that will take it into orbit later in 2017, the US space agency said in a statement on Tuesday.
●    Timekeeping plays a critical role in spacecraft navigation and will be especially important for future deep space missions.
●    Most spacecraft are tracked using "two-way" methods -- the ground-based antenna 'pings' the spacecraft and waits for the signal to return.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 26 MARCH 2017: APPOINTMENTS

Madhabi Puri Buch appointed as Sebi Whole-Time Member
 
Madhabi Puri Buch was today appointed as a Whole-Time Member of capital markets regulator SEBI.

●    She is founder-director of Agora Advisory Pvt Ltd and currently at the New Development Bank in Shanghai, China.
●    Buch has been appointed to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) post for a period of three years, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.
●    She will get pay as admissible to a additional secretary to Government of India or a consolidated salary of Rs 3.75 lakh per month, it said.

Important Current Affairs 25th March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 25th 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.

President of India inaugurates ‘World Conference on Environment’

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the ‘World Conference on Environment’ organized by the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi today (March 25, 2017).

• Speaking on the occasion, the President welcomed the fact that conservation has now become inclusive and participatory.
• This shift has strengthened over a period of time due to sensitization of people in general and firm political will on part of governments all across.
• He quoted Mahatma Gandhi and said “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed”.
• The President said recent studies and systematic reviews indicate that environmental factors are responsible for an estimated 24% of the global burden of disease in terms of healthy life years lost and 23 % of all deaths.
• Children are the worst sufferers of the adverse impact of environmental diseases. 24% of all deaths under the age of 15 are due to diarrhoea, malaria and respiratory diseases – all of which are environment related.
• 19% of the deaths caused by Cancer worldwide are attributed to carcinogens that unmindful industrialization produces.

Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurates ‘National Conference on Down Syndrome’

Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated a “National Conference on Down Syndrome” in the presence of Ministers of State for SJ&E Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar and Shri Vijay Sampla here today.

• Shri N.S. Kang, Secretary, DEPwD, M/o SJ&E, Dr. K. K. Pandey, Chairperson, National Trust, Shri Mukesh Jain, JS&CEO, National Trust, Senior Central and State Governments officials, Representatives from Civil societies and parents of Persons with Down Syndrome were present on the occasion.
• The Conference was organized by The National Trust for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities under M/o SJ&E in collaboration with Muskaan, a registered organisation of the National Trust.
• Down Syndrome is a chromosomal condition associated with intellectual and learning disabilities. Delayed development and behavioural problems are often reported in children with Down Syndrome.
• Persons with Down Syndrome have 47 chromosomes as compared to 46 in majority of people.
• This one Extra chromosome causes its own impact and slows down learning process. It impacts neurological functioning causing impairment of intellectual functions e.g. analytical thinking, complex abstractions and judgement etc.
• Good schooling, loving family, learning and work opportunities make them grow up to be responsible, loving and cheerful persons. Their emotions and needs are like any other person of the same age.
•  Accepting and respecting family/community is a big support to their growth and development.

Shri Singh launch Coffee Table Book titled “50 Years – The Great Indian Milk Revolution”

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the growth in dairy production is the result of dairy cooperative societies’ hard work.

• Shri Singh said it at the launch of Coffee Table Book titled “50 Years – The Great Indian Milk Revolution” commemorating National Dairy Development Board’s (NDDB) Golden Jubilee year.
• Shri Radha Mohan Singh also said that since 1998, the poor and marginal milk producers have worked hard to make the country world's top milk producer.
• The success was not achieved overnight; it’s the result of milk producers’ constant efforts, support of committed professionals, and the vision and expertise of NDDB.
• Shri Singh also said that NDDB's sustained efforts through Operation Flood and the present National Dairy plan helped the country’s dairy sector in maintaining a steady growth.
• There has been a marked increase in the contribution of livestock to agricultural GDP and livestock’s in the dairy sector.
• In terms of value, milk is the largest agricultural commodity in India.

Cabinet approves proposal for Amendments to the NABARD Act, 1981

Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals:

• Amendments to National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981 as proposed in the draft Bill with such changes of drafting and of consequential nature, as may be considered necessary by Legislative Department.
• The Amendments, include provisions that enable Central Government to increase the authorized capital of NABARD from Rs. 5,000 crore to Rs. 30,000 crore and to increase it beyond Rs. 30,000 crore in consultation with RBI, as deemed necessary from time to time.
• Transfer of 0.4 per cent. equity of RBI in NABARD amounting to Rs. 20 crores to the Government of India.
• The proposed amendments in NABARD Act, include, certain other amendments including changes in long title and certain Sections to bring Medium Enterprises and Handlooms in NABARD’s mandate.

Cabinet approves amendment to 'The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009'

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the amendment to Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

• This will ensure that all teachers, in position as on 31^st March, 2015, acquire the minimum qualifications prescribed by the academic authority to extend the period for such training for four years up to 31^st March, 2019.
•  This will enable the in-service untrained elementary teachers to complete their training and ensure that all teachers at the elementary level in the country have a certain minimum standard of qualifications.
• This would also ensure that all Teachers would attain minimum qualifications as considered necessary to maintain the standard of teaching quality.
• This would ultimately result in improvement in overall quality of teachers, teaching processes and consequently learning outcomes of children.
• This will reinforce the Government's emphasis on improvement of quality of elementary education.

Cabinet approves hike in MSP for Copra for 2017 season

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of "Milling Copra" to Rs.6500/- per quintal for 2017 season from Rs.5950/-per quintal in 2016.

• The MSP for FAQ of "Ball Copra" has been increased to Rs.6785/- per quintal for 2017 season from Rs. 6240/- per quintal in 2016.
• The MSP of Copra is expected to ensure appropriate minimum prices to the farmers and step up investment in Coconut cultivation and thereby production and productivity in the country.
• The approval is based on recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• CACP, which is an expert body, takes into account the cost of production, trends in the domestic and international prices of edible oils, overall demand and supply of copra and coconut oil, cost of processing of copra into coconut oil and the likely impact of the recommended MSPs on consumers, while recommending the MSPs.

Ministry of Power issued more than 38 lakhs Energy Savings Certificates to Industries

Ministry of Power has issued/entitled to purchase Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts) to Designated Consumers (DCs) of Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) Cycle I on 16^th February 2017 on verification of their performance with regard to energy savings, based on the recommendations of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

• The first cycle of PAT has been completed in March 2015.
• The DCs have contributed to the success of PAT cycle I and this cycle has witnessed an energy saving of 8.67 million tonne of oil equivalent (Mtoe) against the targeted energy saving of 6.886 Mtoe which is about 30% more than the target.
• This cycle also contributed in emission reduction of 31 million tonnes of CO2 and avoided generation of about 5,635 MW resulting in monetary savings of Rs. 37,685 crore.It has also contributed in investment of Rs. 24,517 crore for energy efficient technologies by DCs under PAT.
• PAT is a multi-cycle scheme aimed to cover most of the energy intensive sectors of the economy.
• In this regard currently in the PAT cycle II, 621 DCs from 11 sectors have been included in the scheme.