Important Current Affairs 24th March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We present here Important Current Affairs 24th 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 23rd March 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Petroleum Minister launches MoPNG e Seva

Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched MoP&NG e-Seva, a dedicated grievances redressal platform on Social Media for all queries and grievances relating to Oil and Gas Sector.

• The MOPNG e-Seva is an integrated grievances redressal platform across social media for all Oil & Gas related service issues.
• This portal will be a single point interface for all customers to reach out to the government for addressing their feedback or grievances related to Oil & Gas Sector on social media.
• MOPNG e-Seva will also deliver 24 x 7 support for consumers.
• The e-Seva portal will serve as a single point for queries on Twitter and Facebook to begin with; and other social media platforms in due course.
• A team of Nodal Officers from Oil Companies and Allied Services have been formed to address issues on real-time basis.

Director, FSB, Russia, calls on Union Home Minister

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, received the 9-Member Russian delegation led by the Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), Mr. Alexander Bortnikov here today.

• Shri Rajnath Singh informed the visiting delegation that India and Russia are all weather friends and enjoy family like relations.
• He said that our bilateral relations had withstood all trying times in the midst of changing nature of international and political relations.
• Shri Rajnath Singh said that the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, have been meeting on different occasions to share and strengthen the bilateral cooperation at the highest level.
• He also mentioned that the Russian President is loved and respected by all Indians.
• During the course of Delegation level meeting lasting for about 45 minutes, the Home Minister highlighted the sponsoring of terrorism by our neighbouring country, which is a threat not only to India and international community but to the humanity as a whole.
• Shri Singh reiterated that India has a policy of zero tolerance for terrorism.

Airtel to buy Tikona Digital Operations

Bharti Airtel Ltd has agreed to buy Tikona Digital Networks Pvt. Ltd’s 4G business, including its broadband wireless access spectrum and 350 cellular sites in five telecom circles, the country’s largest telecom operator said on Thursday.

• The deal size is “approximately Rs1,600 crore”, Bharti Airtel said in a regulatory filing
• Mint had on 18 March first reported that the Bharti-Tikona transaction could be in the range of Rs800-1,000 crore.
• Tikona has some debt on its books, which Bharti Airtel will assume, so the overall deal value is close to Rs1,500-1,700 crore.
• “Tikona currently has 20 MHz spectrum in the 2300 MHz band in Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West), Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh circles.
• Airtel plans to roll out high-speed 4G services on the newly acquired spectrum in the five circles immediately after the closure of the transaction.
• The acquisition of the 4G business in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh (East), Uttar Pradesh (West) and Himachal Pradesh will be undertaken by Airtel, while in the Rajasthan circle, it will be accomplished through its subsidiary, Bharti Hexacom Ltd, the statement said.

G20 Leaders to meet at Varanasi next Week

India will host the third meeting of the G20 Framework Working Group (FWG) in Varanasi from March 28 to discuss challenges before the global economy and their possible solutions.

• More than 100 high-level officials from G20 member and invitee countries, as well as international organisations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Labour Organization (ILO) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will take part in the meeting.
• This is the first time that such a meeting is taking place outside the national capital.
• The FYG is a core working group within the G20.
• Its main mandate is to deliberate on the challenges facing the global economy and the policy options that countries can use to address these challenges.
• India, along with Canada, has been co-chairing this group and the chief economic advisor of India holds the role of the Indian co-chair.

33rd India Carpet Expo to be inaugurated by Union Textiles Minister

The Carpet Export Promotion Council is organizing the 33rd India Carpet Expo, a sourcing platform for handmade carpets and other floor coverings, from 27-30 March, 2017 in Hall No. 11, 12 & 12A, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

• The Expo, one of Asia’s largest handmade carpet fairs, will be inaugurated by the Union Textiles Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, on March 27, 2017.
• Minister of State for Textiles, Shri Ajay Tamta; Textiles Secretary, Smt. Rashmi Varma, other officials and representatives from trade and media would also be present.
• The Expo is being organized to promote the cultural heritage of Indian handmade carpets and other floor coverings, and the weaving skills of their makers, amongst visiting overseas carpet buyers.
• The Expo is an ideal platform for international carpet buyers, buying houses, buying agents and architects to meet with and establish long-term business relationships with Indian carpet manufacturers and exporters.
• It is a unique platform for buyers to source the best handmade carpets, rugs and other floor coverings under one roof.
• The Expo has established itself as a popular sourcing platform for carpet buyers from all over the globe. India’s unique capability in adapting to any type of design, colour, quality and size, as per the specifications of carpet buyers has made it a household name in the international market.

PAN Card Can be Invalid if not linked to Aadhaar

According to the amendments to the Finance Bill, taxpayers will be required to link their PAN cards with Aadhaar numbers.

• And for those who have not linked their PAN cards to Aadhaar numbers before the deadline will be deemed invalid.
• All the taxpayers have been told to have a PAN number to file income tax returns and for those who do not come under the tax slab also use the PAN card as the proof of identity.
• Over the past few years, the Centre has linked Aadhaar to a growing list of subsidies and schemes.
• Recently, the ministry of human resource development had announced that the midday meal would no longer be free for those children without an Aadhaar card.
• However, the government currently has no proposal to link Aadhaar numbers with railway passes.
   

Current Affairs 23rd March 2017: REPORTS AND RANKINGS

Sea Ice Hits Record Winter Low

The sea ice cover in the Arctic and the Antarctic hit new record lows for this time of year, marking the smallest polar ice caps in the 38-year satellite record, U.S. government scientists said on Wednesday.

• In March, the Arctic ice sheet should be at its biggest, but on March 7 the ice cover reached “a record low wintertime maximum extent,” said a statement by NASA.
• Data from the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado, also showed that on March 3, “sea ice around Antarctica hit its lowest extent ever recorded by satellites at the end of summer in the Southern Hemisphere”.
• The disappearing sea ice comes as the planet has marked three years in a row of record-breaking heat, raising new concerns about the accelerating pace of global warming and the need to curb burning of fossil fuels which spew heat-trapping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

Current Affairs 23rd March 2017: DAYS AND DATES

24 March : World Tuberculosis Day

As today is marked as World Tuberculosis Day, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) public health department released a report on the growing health problem in the city that showed a 21% rise in the number of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB cases in 2016 compared to 2015.

• MDR TB cases are difficult to treat as patients do not respond to two of the most powerful first line anti-TB drugs Isoniazid and Rifampicin.
• This makes the treatment longer and results in higher mortality.
• A total of 4,347 cases of MDR TB cases across public and private hospitals were reported by the BMC in 2016, compared to 3,608 cases in 2015.
• Among fresh cases, there was an 8% increase in drug sensitive cases, which are relatively easier to treat as the first-line drugs work.
• Out of 42,115 drug sensitive cases, 8.9% were paediatric cases.
• Civic authorities said the cases have hiked as people have been made more aware about the disease and more private hospitals have reported about the number of cases they saw.
• There was a 75% increase on TB reporting from private facilities in 2016.

Important Current Affairs 23rd March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 23rd 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 23rd March 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Finance Bill Removes Limits on Political Donations by Firms

Just weeks after the government announced measures to clean up political funding in India, the government is removing limits on how much companies can contribute towards political donations as part of several amendments the government has proposed to the Finance Bill.
●    On Tuesday, the government put forth over 40 amendments to the finance bill including many new measures that are significantly different from those announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech on Feb 1. 
●    Several observers have called these amendments "unprecedented." The proposals were debated in the Parliament on Wednesday.
●    The current laws allow companies to contribute only up to 7.5 per cent of their average net profits in the last three financial years to political parties, and require they disclose the name of the political parties that have received those donations. 
●    In another backflip from the budget, the government has cut the cap on cash transactions from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 2 lakh.
●    It has also announced that Aadhaar card will now be mandatory for filing tax returns, as well as obtaining a PAN card.

NCST Approves Proposal for Five Additional Seats for Tribals in Sikkim Assembly

 
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has approved the proposal for five additional seat for tribals in Sikkim assembly. 
●    In its full meeting held in New Delhi today the Commission gave its approval to the proposal of increasing reserve seats for STs from 12 to 17 in Sikkim assembly. 
●    At present there are 32 members in Sikkim assembly and it would be increased to 40. 
●    Out of the proposed additional eight seats, five seats would be reserved for Limbu and Tamang tribes. 
●    The Commission has also decided to send a three member high level investigation committee for on the spot investigation of atrocities on Scheduled Tribes. 
●    The Commission also decided send a letter to States seeking latest update on tribal welfare programmes. 
●    States will also be asked to provide full details about the activities of Tribal Advisory Committees. 
●    The states will also be requested to provide link of NCST website on their official website so that people may know the activities of the commission. 
●    Chairing the first meeting of the Commission after taking over as its Chairman Shri Nand Kumar Sai said that Commission is very serious about the illegal transfer of land holdings of Scheduled Tribes. 
●    He said a detailed study will be carried out of all such incidents. 
●    Later, a national level workshop will be organised in New Delhi sometimes in May this year on this issue where representatives of State governments will also be invited. 

Govt. Proposes Ban on Cash Transactions Above Rs. 2 Lakh

The government on Tuesday proposed to ban all cash transactions above Rs 2 lakh, instead of Rs 3 lakh announced in the budget, and said Aadhaar would be mandatory for filing tax returns and getting a permanent account number (PAN) as it sought fresh checks on black money.
●    The proposals were part of the 44 amendments to the Finance Bill moved by finance minister Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha. 
●    The large number of changes sought by the government attracted criticism from the opposition benches with some calling it unprecedented.
●    Jaitley has proposed amendments to the Companies Act, mandating disclosure of election-related donations in company books besides making such donations compulsorily by cheque, bank draft or through electronic means. 
●    The step was part of reforms announced in the budget to make election funding more transparent.
●    The move to reduce the ceiling for cash transactions to Rs 2 lakh was announced as the government was of the view that the earlier cap was too high. 
●    With Aadhaar made mandatory, the government is hoping to track returns better and act against those misusing the provisions. 
●    The use of Aadhaar has been mandated from July 1.

3rd International Conference on Alternate Fuels and Raw Materials in Cement Industry 

The “3rd International Conference on Alternate Fuels and Raw Materials in Cement Industry -Towards Realising Swachh Bharat Dream”, was inaugurated today. 
●    Ms. Ravneet Kaur, Joint Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion lauded the efforts and initiatives of the Cement Industry in enhancing the AFR usage to increase the  Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) which is very low at 1% as against the average 60% world-over. 
●    She mentioned that with Indian Cement Industry currently producing 7% of the Global Cement requirement has a long way to go to improve the country’s per capita consumption at a dismal low as yet. 
●    She also expressed her appreciation for the recently published BIS Standards on Composite Cement. 
●    Ms Kaur assured the Cement Industry that Govt. will support this cause to frame conducive policies to facilitate such AFR usage in the Cement Industry.

Current Affairs 23rd March 2017: PERSONS

Five Indians in WEF's 100 Young Global Leaders List

Five Indians, including Paytm Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma and Shruti Shibulal of The Tamara Hospitality, have made it to the World Economic Forum's 100 Young Global Leaders list.
●    The other individuals who represented India in the list include Ambarish Mitra Founder and CEO Blippar, a mobile phone app business valued at USD 1.5 billion; Hindol Sengupta Editor-at large Fortune India and Rwitwika Bhattacharya - Agarwal Founder and CEO Swaniti Initiative.
●    There were nine global leaders from South Asia, out of which five are from India. Besides, there are some persons of Indian origin in the US and Europe were also named in the list.
●    Each year, the World Economic Forum (WEF) selects 100 young leaders, under the age of 40, who are tackling the world's most complex challenges with innovative approaches.
●    In this year's class of 100 Young Global Leaders, half the intake come from emerging economies, reflecting a trend towards greater diversity in global leadership.
●    From the public sector, the list features Aja Brown the youngest mayor to be elected in Compton, California.

Bill Gates Named World's Richest Man for 18th Time : Forbes

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has once again topped Forbes' list of world's richest people of 2017. 
●    It is the fourth consecutive year that the 61-year-old has held the spot. 
●    He is closely followed by Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Amancio Ortega and Mark Zuckerberg.
●    There are 2,043 billionaires in the world, led by the United States with 565, followed by China with 319 billionaires, and Germany with 114.
●    Ten Indians have also made it to the list of Forbes' 500 richest people in the world. 
●    Mukesh Ambani leads the list among the Indians at 33rd spot with a fortune of $23.2 billion, followed by Lakshmi Mittal ($16.4 billion) at No. 56, Azim Premji ($14.9 billion) at 72, and Dilip Shanghvi ($13.7 billion) at 84. 
●    Shiv Nadar (102), Kumar Birla (133), Cyrus Poonawalla (159), Uday Kotak (166), Sunil Mittal (182), and Gautam Adani (250) also made it to the list.
 

Current Affairs 23rd March 2017: REPORTS AND RANKINGS

India Slips to Rank 131 in HDI

India has slipped to rank 131in the 2016 Human Development Report (HDR) that was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 21 March 2017.
●    Among the 188 countries ranked in terms of human development, India stood at 131, a rank below its previous 130. 
●    India’s human development index (HDI) value of 0.624 puts it in the “medium human development” category alongside Pakistan and other countries such as Congo and Namibia.
●    Only two SAARC nations rank above India in the list, Sri Lanka (73) and Maldives (105), both of which figure in the high human development category. 
●    The top three countries in the list include Norway at rank 1 with an HDI of 0.949, followed by Australia (0.939) and Switzerland (0.939). 
●    Norway, which was recently adjudged to be the happiest nation in the world going by the World happiness report, clinched the top spot in this report as well. 
●    The HDI value is a measure for assessing the progress in the three basic dimensions of human development, a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and the access to a decent standard of living. 
●    According to the HDR, 1.5 million people across the world still live in multidimensional poverty and almost 54% among them are concentrated in South Asia. 

Current Affairs 23rd March 2017: DAYS AND DATES

First Nine Gorkhas Celebrates 200 Years

The Ninth Gorkhas celebrated 200-years of its raising in Secunderabad, Telangana on 16 March 2017. The first battalion of the Ninth Gorkhas was raised by the British government in 1817 as the ‘Fatehgarh Levy’.
●    Ninth Gorkha Rifles has a unique honour that all its battalions have been awarded the Chief of Army Staff’s Citation for exceptional performance in the line of duty.
●    Some of the Regiments battle honours are Mesopotamia, France and Flanders, Afghanistan, North Africa, Burma, Chindits, Kumarkhalli, Phillora, Dera Baba Nanak and Jammu & Kashmir.
●    Events held as prelude to the Bicentenary Celebrations includes
●    Scaling of Mount Stok Kangri (6153 meters): A team of the regiment on 30 September 2016 scaled Mount Stok Kangri, which is the highest peak of the Stok Ranges in the Ladakh Region.
●    Motorcycle Rally: A motorcycle rally was flagged off by the Chief of Army Staff, General Rawat. 
●    The rally was conducted on the traditional recruiting areas in Western Nepal. The rally reached Pokhara, Nepal on 4 February 2017.

Important Current Affairs 22nd March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

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

 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. 

Important Current Affairs 21st March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 21st 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 21st March 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

AYUSH Minister to inaugurate conference of State Health Ministers in New Delhi tomorrow

The third Conference of Health/AYUSH Ministers of States/UTs will be organized by the Ministry of AYUSH in New Delhi tomorrow. 
●    It will be inaugurated by the Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) Shri Shripad Yesso Naik. The day long conference will provide an opportunity to interact with all the States/UTs for the development of AYUSH sector. 
●    The conference will be attended by state AYUSH/Health Ministers/Secretaries and officials; senior officials of AYUSH Ministry and representatives of AYUSH organizations.
●    The purpose of this Conference is to discuss the various issues connected with propagation and mainstreaming of AYUSH, and also to take stock of the progress made and developments that took place during the last two years. 
●    The Conference aims also to deliberate upon how to take AYUSH systems forward in the healthcare delivery system of the country, as acceptance of AYUSH systems among the people of not only this country, but the world over is increasing.
●    It is the endeavour of the Ministry to make AYUSH systems of medicine as the preferred, affordable, safe and credible solutions for health problems among the people at large. 
●    The Conference is expected to streamline the coordination with the States/UTs to ensure and effect better and affordable healthcare delivery in the country.
 

Current Affairs 21st March 2017: International Relations

Petroleum Minister meets Mr Showkutally Soodhun, Vice-Prime Minister of Mauritius

Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan met H.E. Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Housing and Lands of Mauritius, Mr Shokutally Soodhun. Mr Soodhun is on a three day visit to India for the meeting of the Joint Committee on Hydrography and to further strengthen India-Mauritius bilateral maritime cooperation. 
●    India and Mauritius enjoy old and time-tested ties which are rooted in culture and kinship which have grown from strength to strength in recent years. 
●    In the hydrocarbon sector, Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), India’s PSU refinery, has been supplying the Island nation’s petroleum product requirements since 2006. 
●    Both countries are presently working towards further deepening the engagement in the oil and gas sector. 
●    During the meeting, Shri Pradhan assured India’s continued support to Mauritius in meeting its energy requirement. 
●    He also expressed India’s commitment in Mauritius becoming a regional petroleum hub, through requisite oil and gas sector infrastructure development, including to ensure energy security of Mauritius. 
●    Both Ministers expressed their keenness to work towards further strengthening the bilateral engagements in the hydrocarbon sector and make it one of the important areas of bilateral cooperation between both the countries.

 20 million dollar deal between India & Mauritius

NBCC, a Navratna construction major under the Ministry of Urban Development will execute a 20 million US dollars (Rs 130 crore) social housing project in Mauritius. 
●    A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed here today in the presence of Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and the visiting Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Housing and Lands, Showkutally Soodhun.
●    As per the MoU, NBCC will undertake construction of 700 duplex type houses with 50 sq mt net floor area with two bedrooms, living and dining rooms, kitchen, bathrooms and toilets each in 18 months in Dagotiere and Mare Tabac.
●    The visiting dignitary also informed that NBCC will also execute construction of new Supreme Court Building at a cost of 33 million US dollars (Rs 220 crore) in Port Louis in 24 months. 
●    An agreement has been signed earlier this month in this regard.Government of India has sanctioned a grant of 353 million US dollars for execution of five projects in Mauritius including Metro Express Project, new ENT Hospital and supply of digital tablets to primary school children.
●    The visiting Mauritius leader thanked India for assisting his country in several fields.

Current Affairs 21st March 2017: Days and Dates

World Poetry Day celebrated 

The World  Poetry Day was celebrated on 21 March 2017 across the globe. 
●    The objective behind the day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression as well as to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their societies.
●    The day also provides an occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry.
●    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) first adopted 21 March as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999.
●    Each country is invited to celebrate the day in its own manner with the active participation of National Commissions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and public and private institutions concerned.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination observed

Every person is entitled to human rights without discrimination. 
●    The rights to equality and non-discrimination are cornerstones of human rights law. 
●    Yet in many parts of the world, discriminatory practices are still widespread, including racial, ethnic, religious and nationality based profiling, and incitement to hatred.
●    Refugees and migrants are particular targets of racial profiling and incitement to hatred. 
●    In the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants adopted in September 2016, United Nations Member States strongly condemned acts and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against refugees and migrants, and committed to a range of steps to counter such attitudes and behaviours, particularly regarding hate crimes, hate speech and racial violence.

Current Affairs 21st March 2017: APPOINTMENTS

 Navniti Prasad Singh sworn in as Kerala HC Chief Justice

Justice Navanita Prasad Singh was on 20 March 2017 sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Kerala High Court.
●    The Governor of Kerala Justice (retd) P Sathasivam administered the oath of office to Justice Singh at a function held at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.
●    After doing schooling from Scindia School in Gwalior, he did graduation and LL.B. from the Delhi University.
●    He practiced in commercial, taxation and constitutional matters in Patna and Jharkhand High Courts.
●    His private corporate clients include State Bank of India, Lalit Narain Mithila University and other statutory authorities.
●    He was designated as a Senior Advocate on 11 December 2004 by the Patna high court. 
●    He was elevated as a Judge of the Patna High Court on 6 March 2006.
●    Justice Navaniti Prasad Singh was born on 6 November 1955.

Current Affairs 21st March 2017: SPORTS

Tamil Nadu wins Vijay Hazare Trophy

Tamil Nadu has won the domestic 50-over competition, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, for the fifth time. 
●    In the Final played at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi yesterday, they defeated Bengal by 37 runs.
●    Opting to bat, Tamil Nadu posted 217, riding on a century by Dinesh Karthik. He made 112. 
●    In reply, they bundled out Bengal for 180 in 45.5 overs. 
●    Aswin Crist, Rahil Shah and M. Mohammad bagged 2 wickets each, while for Bengal, Sudip Chatterjee top scored with 58. 
●    Karthik was named man of the match.
●    It was Tamil Nadu’s third victory over Bengal in the final of this competition.

Current Affairs 21st March 2017: ECONOMY

Bharatiya Mahila Bank to merge with SBI

The government on Monday said it has decided to merge the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with the State Bank of India (SBI) to ensure greater banking services outreach to more women.
●    The decision has been taken in view of the advantage of the large network of SBI.
●    The objectives of affordable credit to women as well as propagation of women-centric products need to be quickly achieved through a wider network and lower cost of funds.
●    SBI group already has 126 exclusive all-women branches across the country while BMB has only seven.
●    In the three years since BMB was set up in 2013, it has extended loans of Rs 192 crore to women borrowers. 
●    The SBI group has provided loans of about Rs 46,000 crore to women.
●    SBI has more than 20,000 branches. Out its workforce of around 2 lakh, 22 per cent are women.

Important Current Affairs 20th March 2017 with Free PDF

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 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: AWARDS

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

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

 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: ECONOMY

 
Cabinet approves four GST Bills

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

 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

 Government designates Olympians as National Observers

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

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

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

 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: DAYS AND DATES

World Sparrow Day 2017 observed

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

 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: SPORTS

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

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

 Current Affairs 20th March 2017: OBITUARY

Dev Raj Sikka, India’s monsoon man, dies

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

Important Current Affairs 19th March 2017 with Free PDF

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CURRENT AFFAIRS 19TH MARCH 2017: DISCOVERY

Algae Fossil In India, 1.6 Billion Years Old, May Be World's Oldest Plant Life

Scientists in India have uncovered a pair of 1.6 billion-year-old fossils that appear to contain red algae, which may be the oldest plant-like life discovered on Earth, according to a study Tuesday.
●    Until now, the oldest known red algae was 1.2 billion years old, said the paper in the journal PLOS Biology.
●    Scientists often debate the question of when complex life began on Earth, but they generally agree that large multicellular organisms became common about 600 million years ago.
●    This discovery could lead experts to rewrite the tree of life, said lead author Stefan Bengtson, professor emeritus of paleozoology at the Swedish Museum of Natural History.
●    No DNA remains in the fossils to be analyzed.
●    But the material structurally resembles red algae, embedded in fossil mats of cyanobacteria, called stromatolites, inside a 1.6 billion-year-old Indian phosphorite.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 19TH MARCH 2017:BUSINESS

Paytm launches payment services in Canada

 Alibaba-backed Paytm today announced its foray into the Canadian market with the launch of its bill payments service in the North American country.
●    "Users in Canada will now be able to pay for their cell phone, cable, internet, electricity and water bills. In addition to this, users will also be able to pay for their insurance and property taxes by using the new Paytm Canada app," Paytm said in a statement.
●    The app will be available for both Android and iOS users in Canada, it added.
●    Toronto Mayor John Tory, who was present at Paytm's headquarters in Noida, said the city has been home to the Paytm Labs team since 2014.
●    Paytm Labs, located in Toronto, Canada, is the research and development division of Paytm.
●    Paytm has expanded its team, growing from a two-person operation to a full-fledged team of data scientists and engineers.
●    In India, Paytm is one of the largest financial technology platforms. With a current user base of over 200 million, Paytm offers services like payments/recharges, mobile wallets, e-commerce and will soon launch payment banking services.
●    Its investors include Ant Financial (Alipay), Alibaba Group, SAIF Partners and Mediatek

CURRENT AFFAIRS 19TH MARCH 2017:PERSONS

Hindujas are UK's wealthiest Asians in 2017

 NRI businessmen, the Hinduja brothers, have retained their position as the richest Asians in the UK in 2017 with an estimated wealth of 19 billion pounds, an increase of 2.5 billion pounds over last year, according to an annual ranking of the richest Asians in Britain.
●    Steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal secured the second place with a fortune of 12.6 billion pounds - up from 6.4 billion pounds last year - in the Eastern Eye Asian Rich List, Britain's 101 Wealthiest Asians 2017, released last night.
●    According to the list, the Hinduja brothers - Srichand and Gopi in London, Prakash in Geneva and Ashok in Mumbai - have seen sharp increases in profitability in Ashok Leyland, InduSind bank, Gulf Oil, energy and real estate.
●    This has justified the family's long adopted policy of pursuing the path of diversity, the list said.
●    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who was the Chief Guest at the 20th Annual Asian Business Awards organised by the Asian Media & Marketing Group, presented the first copy of the Rich List to GP Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group.
 

CURRENT AFFAIRS 19TH MARCH 2017:NATIONAL NEWS

India's longest road tunnel will be open to traffic soon

India's longest road tunnel built on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway will open to traffic very soon following successful completion of trial run. 
●    The work on the 9.2 km-long twin-tube tunnel, which is part of a 286-km-long four-lane project on the highway, started on May 23, 2011 in lower Himalayan mountain range, and cost R3,720 crore, officials said. 
●    Located at an elevation of 1,200 metres, the tunnel will be the first in India to be equipped with world class "integrated tunnel control system" through which ventilation, fire control, signals, communication and electrical systems will be automatically actuated. 
●    It will reduce the travel time between the two state capitals of Jammu and Srinagar by two-and-a-half hours. The road distance from Chennai and Nasri will now be 10.9 km, instead of the existing 41 km, they said. 
●    Once the tunnel becomes operational, it will reduce the traffic jams on National Highway-1A that occur due to snowfall and avalanches during winter at Patnitop, Rathore said. 
●    9.2KM The stretch of the road tunnel Rs 3.7K Amount (in crores) spent on constructing tunnel.

Yogi Adityanath becomes Uttar Pradesh chief minister

 BJP leader and five-time Gorakhpur MP, Yogi Adityanath was sworn-in as the 21st Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, a day after he was unanimously chosen by party MLAs as the legislative leader at a meeting in Lucknow. 
●    The oath taking ceremony took place at Smriti Upvan in Lucknow and was attended by senior leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah.
●    Former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav were also present at the event. 
●    The chief ministers from the BJP and NDA-ruled states were also among those in attendance. Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma were also sworn-in as the deputy chief ministers of the state.
●    Apart from that, a total of 23 leaders took oath of the cabinet minister. Swami Prasad Maurya,Satish Mahana,Rajesh Agarwal,Rita Bahuguna Joshi,Surya Pratap Shahi,Suresh Khanna,Dara Singh Chauhan,Dharmpal Singh,SP Singh Baghel,Satyadev Pachauri,Ramapati Shastri,Jay Pratap Singh,Omprakash Rajbhar,Brajesh Pathak,Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary,Chetan Chauhan,Shrikant Sharma,Rajendra Pratap Singh,Siddharth Nath Singh,Mukut Bihari Verma,Ashutosh Tandon,Girish Yadav,Nand Kumar Nandi.
●    Apart from the Cabinet Ministers, nine Ministers of State (Independent) and 15 Ministers of State also took oath of office.
 

Cabinet approves 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas

The Cabinet has on March 15 given a nod setting up of 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) across the country. 
●    These schools will provide education to around 50,000 students. As per an official statement, the schools will be set up under the civil/defence sector for classes 1 to 5. 
●    For these new Kendriya Vidyalayas, about which 650 regular posts will be created.
●    The total project cost based on Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) norms for the proposed 50 new KVs is Rs 1,160 crore. 
●    There are at present 1,142 functional Kendriya Vidyalayas under the KVS including three abroad at Moscow, Kathmandu and Tehran.
●    By providing a common syllabus and system of education, the KVs are intended to ensure that the children of government employees do not face educational disadvantages while their parents are transferred from one location to another.
●    The schools have been operational for over 50 years. 
●    At least four-acre of land is required in a city and beyond that in other areas for setting up of a Kendriya Vidyalaya.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 19TH MARCH 2017:ECONOMY

Paytm hopes to start payments bank by March-end

Our payments bank will be built on a new model that will be focussed on bringing financial services to the hundreds of millions of unserved/under-served.
●    Paytm Payments Bank, which got the final approval from the Reserve Bank of India in January, hopes to start operations by the month-end, PayTm founder and chief executive Vijay Shekhar Sharma said here today.
●    Stating that banking in the present form is outdated, he said, “Versace suits will not change the banking model. 
●    Our payments bank will be built on a new model that will be focussed on bringing financial services to the hundreds of millions of unserved/under-served.”
●    Sharma expressed belief that with greater penetration of mobile Internet connectivity, his business will grow further. 
●    Paytm currently has about 21.5 crore subscribers, Sharma said, adding as against this SBI has 20.7 subscribers. 
●    Paytm does about 20 crore transactions a month, while according to RBI data, all other e-wallets put together do 19 crore transactions.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 19TH MARCH 2017:GLOBAL NEWS

UK to host Commonwealth Heads of Government in mid-April 2018

The United Kingdom (UK) will host the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in April in 2017 after a gap of over 20 years as the 52-nation grouping seeks to devise shared approaches to the opportunities and challenges facing it.
●    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be among the Commonwealth leaders from over 50 countries to attend the summit, which will include Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle Queen Elizabeth II's official residences as venues for the first time.
●    The Commonwealth Summit is held every two years and the 2018 CHOGM will see the UK take over from Malta as chair of the heads of government until 2020. 
●    Last time the UK had hosted the CHOGM in 1997. "The wonderful thing about the Commonwealth is that we are a family of 52 nations spreading across six regions. 
●    What motivates us as a family, and what has guided us, are the shared aims of good governance, sustainable growth, and inclusive social and economic development, aided by our common language, common laws, common parliamentary and other institutions, as well as our cultural ties," said Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, as she prepares to host her first-ever CHOGM.

Important Current Affairs 18th March 2017 with Free PDF

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We bring you Important Current Affairs 18th 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 18th March 2017: National News

Ram Vilas Paswan inaugurates National Consultation meeting of the State Secretaries and Controllers of Legal Metrology in New Delhi

Ram Vilas Paswan, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said that right measurement is a powerful instrument for a sustainable growth of the industry and trade, and it also contributes towards the social progress of the country. 
●    Shri Paswan that the wrong or imprecise measurement builds mistrust, and is often a source of safety hazard. Shri Paswan stated it in his inaugural address on the occasion of National Consultation meeting of the State Secretaries and Controllers of Legal Metrology. 
●    National Consultation meeting was convened by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today.
●    Shri Paswan further stated that common consumer is still finding that accuracy of some of the critical instruments used in daily lives suffer from inaccuracies. 
●    There are doubts expressed sometimes regarding the accuracy of the petrol pumps, and weigh bridges used in agricultural mandis. 
●    Some manufacturers still disregard the provisions of packaged commodities rules. While appreciating the efforts of the state's, Shri Paswan advised the Department of consumer Affairs and States in coordination to enhance their efforts to improve consumer confidence in the system and create deterrence in the minds of the manufactures who indulge in unfair practices or pushing substandard products into the market. 
●    Shri Paswan also mentioned some of the significant steps taken by the Ministry In the last two years in a proactive manner to strengthen legal metrology. 
●    Some of the recent initiatives focused on action against charging more than MRP, declaring dual MRP and we are also contemplating changes to our packaged commodities rules. 

Trivendra Singh Rawat sworn in as Uttarakhand chief minister

BJP leader Trivendra Singh Rawat was sworn in as Uttarakhand chief minister on Saturday after a massive victory in the assembly elections last month.
●    Governor K K Paul administered the oath of office and secrecy to 56-year-old Rawat, and nine ministers at a ceremony at the Parade Grounds in Dehradun. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and other national and state party leaders.
●    Rawat, a former RSS pracharak, is the fifth BJP chief minister in Uttarakhand.
●    Satpal Maharaj, Harak Singh Rawat, Madan Kaushik, Arvind Pandey, Subodh Uniyal, Yashpal Arya and Prakash Pant have been made Cabinet ministers.
●    Rekha Arya and Dhan Singh Rawat took oath as ministers of state.
●    The BJP decimated the Congress in the Assembly election, winning 57 of the 70 seats.
●    Coupled with his administrative and organisational skills and experience, Rawat’s loyalty to the party and RSS ideology catapulted him to the top post in the state.
●    Rawat was appointed the BJP’s national secretary in 2013. He was later made joint in-charge of the party’s affairs in Uttar Pradesh in 2014. 
●    He was BJP in-charge of Jharkhand ahead of the crucial assembly election, a responsibility he discharged well to further strengthen the party leadership’s trust in him.

Indian Oil to sell 24 percent stake in India JV to Lubrizol Corporation

The Cabinet today approved sale of state-owned Indian Oil Corporation's (IOC) 24 per cent stake in Lubrizol India Pvt Ltd to Lubrizol Corporation, USA for an undisclosed sum.     
●    "The sale will enable IOC to have long term association with its joint venture partner and...Lubrizol India Pvt Ltd (LIPL) to have access to the latest global additive technologies developed by Lubrizol Corporation, USA," an official statement said.
●    LIPL, where the US firm holds the remaining 76 per cent stake, is in the lube additives business. 
●    "The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today gave its in-principle approval to permit IOC to sell its 24 per cent equity in one of its joint venture companies, Lubrizol India Private Limited (LIPL) to Lubrizol Corporation, USA (LC), the other joint venture partner," the statement said.

India to push use of LNG for vehicles

India will start using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a vehicle fuel after the Transport Ministry gave its approval.
●    The Road, Transport and Highways Ministry has given a green light to the use of LNG as fuel for vehicles with dispensers at gas stations expected to be installed soon, reports New India Express.
●    "We have given approval to LNG as an automobile fuel and now its standards would be defined by different Ministries including the Petroleum," said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
●    He also said that the Indian government considered LNG as a “clean and future” fuel and that it would promote its use, as it would be good for the environment and it would reduce India´s oil imports. 

Current Affairs 18th March 2017: Global News

New Zealand river becomes first in world to be given legal status of a person

A river in New Zealand has become the first in the world to be recognised as a living entity with its own rights and values and given the legal status of a person.
●    The Whanganui River, located in the north island of New Zealand, has a special and spiritual importance for the Maori people.
●    The New Zealand Parliament has just passed a bill which gives the river the ability to represent itself through human representatives, one appointed by a Maori community, known as Iwi, and one by the Crown, New Zealand news service Newshub reports.
●    The new status of the Whanganui River, or Te Awa Tupua, is believed to be unique in the world.
●    The Maori people recognise the river as part of the living mountains and the sea.
●    Chris Finlayson, who negotiated the treaty, said the Whanganui Iwi had fought for recognition of the people’s relationship with the river since the 1870s.

 Mercer released the results of the 19th annual Quality of Living Survey

Mercer on 14 March 2017 released the results of the 19th annual Quality of Living Survey. In the survey, while Vienna occupies the first place for overall quality of living for the 8th year running, Hyderabad was adjudged as the best Indian city in terms of living standards.
●    The European cities that figured in the top 10 list are  Zurich (2), Munich (4), Düsseldorf (6), Frankfurt (7), Geneva (8), Copenhagen (9) and Basel, a newcomer to the list, in 10th place.
●    The only non-European cities in the top ten are Auckland (New Zealand) and Vancouver (Canada). They were placed at the 3rd and 5th position respectively.
●    The survey also includes a city infrastructure ranking that assesses each city’s supply of electricity, drinking water, telephone and mail services.
●    Singapore tops the city infrastructure ranking, followed by Frankfurt and Munich. Baghdad (230) and Port au Prince (231) rank last for city infrastructure.
●    In the infrastructure rankings, Mumbai was ranked the highest at 141, which was followed by Kolkata (149) and Pune (151).

Current Affairs 18th March 2017: Appointments

Jwala Gutta appointed SAI governing body member

India's most successful doubles specialist Jwala Gutta has been appointed a member of the governing body of Sports Authority of India (SAI).
●    The 14-time national champion said she is looking forward to play her role in the development of sports in the country.
●    The two-time Olympian Jwala, who has won the bronze medal at the 2011 World Championship, said: "The first meeting will be held on March 28th in Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi and I am really looking forward to it. I don't yet know the details of my responsibilities but I will do my best."
●    Jwala is a 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games champion and a silver medallist at the 2014 Glasgow Games in women's doubles.
 

Current Affairs 18th March 2017: Discovery

First fluorescent frog found in Argentina

The first naturally fluorescent frog was discovered recently in Argentina -- almost by chance.
●    Argentine and Brazilian scientists at the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum made the discovery while studying the metabolic origin of pigments in a tree-frog species common to South America.
●    Under normal light the frog's translucent skin is a muted yellowish-brown color with red dots, but when the scientists shone an ultraviolet light on it, it turned a celestial green.
●    According to one of them, Carlos Taboada, the case is "the first scientific record of a fluorescent frog."
●    It also "generates new questions about visual communication in amphibians," he said.
●    The team studied some 200 more examples to ensure the phenomenon was not due to the frog's captivity, and detected the fluorescent properties in all the specimens.

Our Important Current Affairs 18th March 2017 with FREE PDF in Hindi and English which will help you in scoring good marks in Banking, Government and various other competitive exams. The FREE PDF will enable you to quickly revise through important GK sections.

Important Current Affairs 17th March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 17th 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 17TH MARCH 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Inauguration of 3 Day International Buddhist Conference at Rajgir

The three days“International Buddhist Conference” organized by Ministry of Culture and Nava Nalanda Mahavihara,Deemed University was inaugurated by His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Dr.Mahesh Sharma,Minister of Culture and Tourism today at Rajgir International Buddhist Conference, Bihar. 
●    Shri N.K. Sinha,Secretary M/o Culture and Shri M.L. Shrivastava, Vice-Chancellor, Nava Nalanda Mahavihar a Deemed University were present on the occasion.
●    It was followed by the chanting of Mangala Path(Holy Sutra) by the Monks.
●    His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his inaugural address said that all religious traditions should sit in harmony to know the truth which is always unchanged. 
●    That will help the country as well as the World in attaining peace through love and compassion which form the core of Buddhism. 
●    He said that we should not only read about the Buddha and his teachings but we should also experience and experiment it in our lives. 
●    He said that like violence,compassion is the basic makeup of human being. He emphasized on the refinement of our emotions. 
●    The negative emotions that generate within us keep us plagued and diseased. Therefore,we must purify our mind especially through Vipassana Meditation which is of explanatory kind. 
●    He lauded India’s rich religious and philosophical traditions.  He reminded us of the Heart Sutra that Buddha had delivered at Rajgir.

First Airbus Training Centre in Asia to be set up in New Delhi

Airbus is setting up a greenfield training facility at Aerocity, New Delhi, to support India’s growing need for Airbus aircraft pilots and maintenance engineers. 
●    The groundbreaking for the Airbus India Training Centre was performed by P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju,  Minister of Civil Aviation and Tom Enders, CEO, Airbus in the presence of Jayant Sinha,  Minister of State for Civil Aviation.
●    Speaking on the occasion, the  Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that  India’s rapidly growing passenger aircraft fleet must be matched by adequate availability of skilled pilots and maintenance engineers. 
●    Airbus’ pilot and maintenance engineering training center is the type of facility which will help augment the talent pool of such personnel and thus be a force multiplier for the Indian aviation sector.   
●    He also wanted Airbus to think of creating MRO facility in India to take forward the Make in India policy of the Government, as this would create employment opportunity.
●    Tom Enders, CEO, Airbus  said that we have only scratched the surface when it comes to the growth of civil aviation in India. This training centre will be the first such facility fully owned by us in Asia.  
●    It is a symbol of our enduring partnership with this country.

President of India to Inaugurate an International Conference on “Universities of The Future” Tomorrow

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will visit Haryana (Sonipat) tomorrow (March 18, 2017) where he will inaugurate a three-day international conference.
●    Theme was “Universities of the Future: Knowledge, Innovation and Responsibility” at O. P. Jindal Global University (JGU). 
●    The Conference seeks to examine the future of the Indian universities in the twenty first century and will have thirteen thematic panels. 
●    Thematic sessions at the international forum are devoted to important themes surrounding research, knowledge creation and publications, innovation, regulation, policymaking, financing of universities and internationalisation of higher education.
 

NTPC Clocks Highest Ever Annual Cumulative Gross Generation of 263.95 BU

NTPC Group achieved highest ever cumulative gross generation of 263.95 Billion Units (BU) till yesterday during current year surpassing previous annual best of 263.42 BU recorded in Financial Year 2016-17. 
●    Generation of Group NTPC registered an annual growth of 4.71% over last year.
●    NTPC Pit Head Coal stations, having capacity of 25840 MW, recorded day PLF of 95.71% on 16-3-17 and cumulative monthly PLF of 91.4% in the month of March,2017 till date. 
●    29 Units of NTPC coal plants have generated at a PLF of more than 100% on 16-3-17.
●    NTPC stations have continued excellent performance in the current month with Vindhyachal station, India's largest power station having capacity of 4760 MW, achieving highest ever day generation of 114.254 MU at PLF 100.01% on 8-3-17. 
●    Mouda station also recorded highest ever day Generation of 31.2 MU on 9-3-17 and Solar Generation of NTPC touched maximum generation of 2.353 MU on 12-3-17.

Atal Mission investments for Telangana approved for the five year mission period

Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), an expenditure of Rs.1,673 cr will be incurred on improving basic urban infrastructure in 12 mission cities in Telangana by 2019-20, the last year of the mission.
●    Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu approved an investment of Rs.703 cr under Atal Mission over the next three financial years i.e 2017-20, taking the total mission investment to Rs.1,673 cr.
●    Expenditure of Rs.415 cr for 2015-16 and Rs.555 cr for 2016-17, as proposed by the State Government  under the State Annual Action Plans for respective years was earlier  approved by the Ministry of Urban Development.
●    Ministry of Urban Development provides a total central assistance of Rs.832 cr for the five year mission period which is almost half of the total expenditure to be incurred in 12 mission cities and towns of Telangana.
●    Of the Rs.703 cr approved for 2017-20, Rs.560 cr will be spent on water supply projects, Rs.126 cr on expanding sewerage networks and Rs.17 cr for development of parks and green spaces in mission cities. 
●    Of this, a lion’s share of Rs.424.26 will be spent on water supply projects in Warangal.

Rs.11,421cr investments for basic urban infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh under Atal Mission (AMRUT)

Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), a total expenditure  of Rs.11,421 cr will be incurred in Uttar Pradesh on improving basic urban infrastructure in 61 cities and towns with a population of above one lakh each by 2019-20. 
●    To this effect, the Ministry of Urban Development has approved AMRUT Action Plans of Uttar Pradesh for the next three years i.e 2017-20 in one go involving an expenditure of Rs.4,239 cr. 
●    Annual Action Plans for 2015-16 and 2016-17 were earlier approved by the Ministry. Uttar Pradesh has got the highest investment in the country under Atal Mission.
●    Under AMRUT, launched on June 25, 2015 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, providing water taps to all urban households and augmenting water supply to the level of 135 litres per capita per day is given first priority followed by sewerage and drainage networks, non-motorised urban transport and development of green and open spaces in 500 mission cities during the mission period of 2015-20.
●    For Uttar Pradesh, the Ministry has approved an investment of Rs.4,239cr during 2017-20 in the mission cities. This includes; Rs.1,996 cr in water supply projects in 46 cities and towns, Rs.2,149 cr in sewerage projects in 47 cities and Rs.94 cr for development of parks and open cities in 61 mission cities and towns. 
●    An expenditure of Rs.3,287cr for 2015-16 and Rs.3,895 cr for 2016-17 was earlier approved.With this, investments for the entire mission period stands approved for Uttar Pradesh under AMRUT. 

Government to Evolve River Sediment Management Policy soon

Government will soon evolve a river sediment management policy. This was stated by Shri Narendra Kumar, Chairman, Central Water Commission while inaugurating a national seminar on Sediment management in Indian rivers in New Delhi today. 
●    Shri Kumar said many committees have been constituted in the past to look into the silting problems in rivers of India and suggest suitable remedial measures. 
●    He expressed the hope that the conference will be a step ahead in this direction and extensive consultations among varied stakeholders will result in evolving a comprehensive policy. 
●    Shri Kumar said it is essential to devise a methodology for sediment management which is environment friendly and feasible technically as well as economically.
●    Shri Kumar said over the years silting of rivers has assumed serious proportions. 
●    He said as of now there is general feeling that flood prone rivers are aggrading and undergoing change in carrying capacity, leading to rise in flood level. 
●    Shri Kumar said common practices carried out by river management agencies demonstrate that sediment management till late has been based on limited scientific knowledge. 
●    He was of the opinion that a different approach to sediment management is desirable, incorporating knowledge and management of sediments at the basin skill and a wider application of available scientific knowledge.

Important Current Affairs 16th March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 16th 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 16TH MARCH 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Amarinder Singh sworn in as chief minister

Captain Amarinder Singh was sworn in as Punjab chief minister today after the Congress party's emphatic win in the Assembly elections held last month. 
●    Eight cabinet ministers were also sworn in after him.
●    Amarinder, who recently turned 75, was the Congress party's projected chief ministerial candidate. He won from the Patiala seat in the Assembly elections.
●    The former royal has been largely credited for the Congress party's win in Punjab where it got a more-than-comfortable victory, winning 77 of 117 seats. This is his second stint as chief minister.
●    Sworn in along with Amarinder were cabinet ministers Navjot SIngh Sidhu , Manpreet Badal, Brahm Mohindra, Charanjit Channi, Rana Gurjit and Tripat Bajwa; Aruna Choudhary and Razia Sultana were sworn in as ministers of state with independent charge.

Largest Indian Engineering Sourcing Show opens in Chennai

Unfazed by global headwinds and forces of protectionism in some of the leading economies, India is all set to showcase its technological and engineering prowess to top international firms at the 6th edition of the International Engineering Sourcing Show(IESS) at Chennai,expecting significant business deals during the three-day event, beginning March 16.
●    IESS VI was inaugurated in a gala ceremony on 16th March 2017 in Chennai by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Commerce & Industry (Independent Charge), Government of India; Shri Denis Manturov, Minister of Trade & Industry, Russian Federation; Shri Girish Shankar, Secretary, Department of Heavy Industry Government of India,Shri Mangat Ram Sharma, Principal Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, Shri T S Bhasin, Chairman, EEPC India and other senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce & EEPC India.
●    Prior to the inauguration, Smt Sitharaman and Mr. Manturov had a cordial meeting where a host of bilateral issues were discussed. 
●    They agreed that there is enormous potential to enhance the bilateral trade, which is presently US$ 6.62 billion. They discussed the early operationalization of International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that would cut the time and cost for transportation of goods between both countries. 
●    They also deliberated upon other measures to enhance the trade ties, including the proposed FTA between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.
●    The need to finalise a revised Bilateral Investment Treaty was also noted. Smt. Sitharaman also invited Russia to be the ‘Partner Country’ in India International Jewellery Show 2017 scheduled to be held in July 2017 in Mumbai and Advantage Healthcare India scheduled to be held in October 2017 in Delhi / Mumbai.

National Seminar on “Challenges In Implementation of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016” Held

The Office of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (Divyang Jain) under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment organised a “National Seminar on Challenges in Implementation of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016” here today with a view to draw out plan for effective implementation of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPD Act, 2016) and to work out best strategies to implement the Act in comprehensive manner for the welfare of Divyangjan of India.  
●    The Seminar was inaugurated by Shri N.S. Kang, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. 
●    The RPD Act, 2016 was passed in the Parliament in Winter Session on 14th December, 2016 and was notified on 28th December, 2016.  
●    The Act has made various wider provisions for protection of the rights & privileges of Divyangjan by way of raising reservation in services and inclusion of additional 14 categories of disabilities under the Act which also includes new Acid attack victims, Thalsemia, Haemophilia, Dwarfism, Learning Disabilities and Parkinson desease.  
●    The new provisions & categories of disabilities, have been made in accordance with the recommendation of UN Convention held in 2007, wherein India was also a signatory to these recommendations.

Uma Bharti launches Cleanliness Fortnight in her Ministry

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti launched cleanliness fortnight in her Ministry by administering Swachh Bharat pledge to the officials and employees of her Ministry in New Delhi today. 
●    Speaking on the occasion the Minister referred to the Clean Indian Mission of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and said every citizen has to be aware about the need for cleanliness. 
●    She said that the countries in the world which are considered very clean, we find that every citizen there is very conscious about cleanliness. 
●    Sushri Bharti called upon the employees of her Ministry to keep not only their office clean but should also endeavour for cleanliness around there residence also. 
●    The Minister requested them to devote at least two hours every week toward this cause.
●    Alongwith the main function in New Delhi today simultaneous functions were organized at Allahabad in UP, Neemrana in Rajasthan, Chandrapur in Maharashtra and Roorkee and Devprayag in Uttrakhand. 
●    The Ministry has organized about 200 programmes along water bodies located in Rajasthan, Punjab, Tamil Nandu, Uttrakhand, West Bengal, MP, UP, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Manipur, Kerala and Jharkhand. 
●    The participation of NGOs, community groups and industrial houses has been sought in this programmes.

Swachhta Pakhwada successfully celebrated across the country by the Ministry of Women and Child Development

The Ministry of Women & Child Development celebrated Swachhta Pakhwada between 1st to 15th March, 2017 through the country along with the International Women’s Day. 
●    Briefing the media on the successful completion of the swachhta pakhwada, the Secretary WCD, Ms. Leena Nair said that the women and children have a pivotal role to play in the Swachhta Mission. 
●    Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Shri Parameshwaran Iyer was also present at the briefing held in New Delhi today.  
●    The theme of the Swachhta Pakhwada observed by the WCD Ministry was to spread swachhta awareness and implementation across the country with a focus on role of women and children in taking a leadership role for community led sanitation initiatives. 
●    It has been realized that lack of sanitation and hygiene has a far reaching impact on women and children’s health and safety, dignity, education and livelihood, Ms. Leena Nair explained.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 16TH MARCH 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Festival of India Being Organized in Ukraine from March – October, 2017

A Festival of India is being organized in Ukraine from March – October, 2017. 
●    The Festival will showcase diverse Indian culture, i.e. classical and folk dance, music, Rangoli Exhibition, Mango and Film Festivals, Seminars on Yoga and Think Tank and Fashion Week in different cities of Ukraine, namely, Kyiv, Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Lviv, Ivano Frankivsk, Poltava and Ternopil. 
●    Following events will be showcased: 
●    Kathak Dance Group by Vidha Lal Group from 8-14 March, 2017
●    Folk Dance organized by West Zone Cultural Centre from 21-27 June, 2017
●    Yoga Seminar through Ministry of Ayush in June, 2017
●    Mango Festival through APEDA in June, 2017
●    Rangoli Exhibition by Ritu Kaushik group from 15-19 August, 2017
●    Indian films and documentaries through Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in September/October, 2017
●    Participation of Indian Artists in Ukrainian Fashion Week through Ministry of Textile in September/October, 2017
●    Think Tank Seminar by Indian Council of World Affairs in September/October, 2017
●    Screening of Movie ‘Gandhi’ on 2nd October, 2017
 

Deputy PM and Home Minister of Nepal calls on Union Home Minister

The Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Nepal Shri Bimalendra Nidhi called on the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh here today. 
●    Shri Rajnath Singh expressed his grief on the recent death of a Nepalese national at the Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. 
●    He stated that India will carry out a fair and impartial enquiry into the incident and associate the Nepalese counterparts in the effort to arrive at the truth. 
●    Shri Rajnath Singh said that wherever strip maps have been finalised, the same should be signed by the concerned authorities at the earliest. 
●    Shri Rajnath Singh further mentioned that the two countries enjoy friendly and family like relationship with each other in all areas including security and border cooperation. 
●    Shri Rajnath Singh said that any incident taking place even unknowingly, should be settled through joint inspection and investigation by the representatives of two sides. 
●    The Home Minister also asked for regular meetings between DG, SSB and Nepalese counterpart agency Armed Police Force.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 16TH MARCH 2017: APPOINTMENTS

New Chairman of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis along with two members assumed their Office

The newly appointed Chairman of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Shri Manhar Valji Bhai Zala along with two members Smt. Manju Diler and Shri Dalip Kallu Hathibed assumed his office here today. 
●    Welcoming the new Chairman and the members, Secretary of the Commission Shri Narain Dass said that the Commission can now work in a more effective manner as the posts of the Chairman and the members were lying vacant for the past almost one year. 
●    The Safai Karamcharis all over the country have been eagerly waiting for the new Chairman and the members so that they can take up their grievances with them.
●    Expressing his deep gratitude to the Government, the new Chairman Shri Zala assured the Safai Karamcharis present on the occasion that he along with his new team will ensure that issues affecting their socio-economic and working conditions will be addressed to in the right earnest. 
●    He also said that the new Commission will see to it that the benefits of rehabilitation and welfare schemes being run by Central Government reach to their intended beneficiaries.

Important Current Affairs 15th March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 15th 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 15TH MARCH 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Department of Consumers Affairs Celebrates World Consumer Rights Day 2017

 Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has said that the Government is already on the right track in facilitating the consumers to harness the full benefits of digitization and putting in place sufficient safeguards against risks associated with the online world. 
●    Sh. Paswan said that this is the age of technology, and educating the consumer and redressing his grievances in the digital world is a challenge. 
●    E-commerce companies are increasingly coming under our national consumer helpline convergence programme where consumer grievances entered online, are being addressed expeditiously.
●    Sh. Ram Vilas Paswan stated it in his presidential address on the occasion of the World Consumer Rights Day 2017. 
●    The Department of Consumer Affairs, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution, celebrated the World Consumer Rights Day 2017 with the theme “Consumer Rights in digital age” in New Delhi, today. 
●    The Programme was presided over by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. 
●    Shri Ravi Shnkar Prasad, the Union Minister Law & Justice, Electronics & IT and was the Chief Guest of the event.

MoU signed between FTII and Canon to promote short courses in Film & Television

 Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore has said that Technology has played a critical role in defining the contours of professional photography and art of filmmaking. 
●    The exposure of budding young talent to the nuances of technology has a positive impact on their learning curve. 
●    This initiative would ensure the perfect blend of technology and young talent through the platform of FTII. 
●    The Minister stated this on the occasion of signing of an MoU between Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and Canon India Private Limited. 
●    Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President & CEO, Canon India was also present on the occasion.
●    The MoU between Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and Canon India Private Limited would promote film education through short-term courses across several towns and cities in the country. 
●    Under FTII's unique initiative SKIFT several short courses, mostly of skill-oriented nature have been proposed to be held in collaboration with State Governments, Universities and Educational institutions.
 

Two Day meeting on “Strengthening Railway Transport Connectivity in South and South West Asia” Commences in New Delhi

A two day meeting on “Strengthening Railway Transport Connectivity in South and South West Asia” was organised by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in coordination with Organization for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD) and Ministry of Railways, Government of India in New Delhi on 15th – 16th March 2017. 
●    Discussions were held to strengthen the rail transport and provide connectivity to the countries in South Asia and South East Asia. Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Hon’ble Minister of Railways Government of India. 
●    Representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Iran, India, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Turkey and other countries were also present. 
●    The meeting sought to review and identify innovative measures to strengthen cross-border railway transport within South and South-West Asia; which is one of the least connected and integrated sub regions in the world despite its vast contiguous landmass. 
●    Strengthening railway connectivity is central to boosting economic growth, enhancing trade and transport connectivity and improving lives in the sub region. 
●    The meeting brought together government officials and policy makers from nine countries in South Asia and South-West Asia and Central Asia, along with representatives from various international and regional organizations, railway and connectivity experts and academia, as well as the private sector.

National Seminar on Sediment Management in Indian Rivers

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development    and Ganga Rejuvenation has organized a National conference on sediment management in Indian rivers on March 17, 2017 at New Delhi. 
●    Many experts including Dr. M. A. Chitale, Expert Member, NGRBA, Professor Vinod Tare, IIT, Kanpur, Professor A. K. Gosain, IIT – Delhi, Dr. M. K. Sinha, Director, CWPRS, Pune will be attending the daylong conference. 
●    The conference will be inaugurated by Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti. 
●    It may be recalled that Union Minister of Water Resources, River    Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti had expressed the view that urgent steps may be taken to formulate a comprehensive policy on sediment management in Indian rivers. 
●    The Ministry is of the view that such a comprehensive policy can be developed only with extensive consultations with stakeholders.
●    The issue of sediment management in rivers including siltation and dredging has been engaging attention of the public for quite some time. 
●    The need for formulating a comprehensive policy on sediment management in rivers cannot be overstated on account of its serious implications on flooding, environment, river health and navigation.

Twenty projects worth Rs 1,900 Crore approved for Swift Implementation of Namami Gange Programme 

 Picking up pace, projects worth nearly Rs 1,900 crore have been approved by the Executive Committee (EC) of National Mission for Clean Ganga. 
●    Out of 20 projects which were given EC approval in its meeting held on March 02, 2017, 13 are in Uttarakhand that includes creating new sewage treatment plants, upgrading existing STPs and laying of sewage networks in Haridwar at an estimated cost of approximately Rs 415 crore. 
●    Haridwar, one of the holiest cities of India, is thronged by millions of people every year. This approved plan is aimed at treating sewage water generated by not only city’s 1.5 lakh local dwellers, but also by people who visit the holy place for various purposes. 
●    All these projects will be fully funded by the Central Government, including even the expenditure on operation and maintenance of these projects.
●    Among other projects approved in Uttarakhand are four pertaining to pollution abatement works for river Alakananda to ensure cleaner flow of the river downstream.
●    This includes interception and diversion of drains along with creation of new small STPs at four crucial locations – Joshimath, Rudraprayag, Karnprayag and Kirti Nagar at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 78 crore. 
●    Apart from these, a major pollution abatement project for Ganga at Rishikesh has also been approved at an estimated cost of more than Rs 158 crore. 
●    Beginning with Rishikesh, municipal effluent gets mixed in the Ganga and to rid Ganga of impurities just before it hits the plains, this all-encompassing project for this city has been given a go-ahead, which would not only make sure tapping of all city drains in Rishikesh merging into the river but will also treat the sewage water for reuse. 
●    The construction of a new 26 MLD STP at Lakkar Ghat with online monitoring system has also been envisaged in this Rishikesh-specific project.

Manipur gets its first BJP govt as Biren Singh takes oath as CM

N. Biren Singh has become the first-ever Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief minister of Manipur after taking oath on Wednesday along with eight other ministers in capital Imphal. 
●    Singh, who was invited by governor Najma Heptulla on Tuesday evening, has the support of a coalition of 32 MLAs.
●    BJP emerged as the second largest party in the state after the Congress which has 28 seats but couldn’t muster the support of required 31 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur legislative assembly. 
●    Former chief minister and Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh was also present at the swearing-in ceremony.
●    BJP general secretary Ram Madhav and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present at the swearing-in ceremony among others. 
●    Outgoing Chief Minister Ibobi Singh was also present.
●    Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates N. Biren Singh and his team.
●    Other ministers sworn in are: BJP’s Biswajit, NPP’s L. Jayantakumar, LJP’s Karan Shyam, NPP’s L. Haokip, NPP’s N. Koyisi, NPF’s Losie Dikho, Congress’ rebel MLA T. Shyamkumar who won from Andro.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 15TH MARCH 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Admiral Vladimir Korolev, Commander-in-Chief, Russian Federation Navy visits India

Admiral Vladimir Korolev, Commander-in-Chief, Russian Federation Navy along with a four member Russian Navy delegation is on an official visit to India from 15 to 18 March 2017. 
●    The visit aims to consolidate bilateral naval relations between India and Russia, as also to explore new avenues for naval cooperation.
●    During his visit, the Commander-in-Chief of Russian Navy held bilateral discussions with Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff and other senior officials of the Indian Navy. 
●    The Admiral is also scheduled to meet the Hon’ble Minister of Defence, the Chief of the Air Staff, the Chief of the Army Staff and the Defence Secretary as part of his official engagements in New Delhi.
●    India is the largest importer of defence equipment from Russia and majority of the armament inventory in Indian Armed Forces is of Soviet/ Russian origin. 
●    The Indian Navy cooperates with the Russian Federation Navy on many fronts, which include operational interactions, training, hydrographic cooperation, information technology and exchange of Subject Matter Experts in various fields through the medium of Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks. 
●    In addition, the Indian Navy and the Russian Federation Navy have been conducting the bilateral Maritime Exercise ‘INDRA NAVY’, since 2003. 
●    Eight editions have been held so far, the last being held off Visakhapatnam in December 2016.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 15TH MARCH 2017: PERSONS

Shashank Manohar resigns from ICC chairman’s post

In a surprise development, Shashank Manohar on Wednesday resigned as International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman after merely eight months in office, citing personal reasons.
●    Mr. Manohar (59) mailed his resignation letter to ICC CEO Dave Richardson without clarifying the exact reason for this sudden move to end what was to be a two-year-tenure.
●    However, according to highly placed sources, Mr. Manohar has decided to quit, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seems to have gained enough ground to block the constitutional and financial reforms that were set to be passed by the ICC at its next board meeting.
●    Any reform to be passed needs 2/3rd majority, but the BCCI, in all likelihood, has managed to get Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe on its side.
●    It is learnt, expecting a loss of face, Mr. Manohar has resigned with immediate effect.