GK and Current Affairs Updates

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi on 7 March 2016 launched Mahila e-Haat portal in New Delhi.
The Mahila e-Haat portal, http://mahilaehaat-rmk.gov.in, is an online marketing platform. 
•    It allows women entrepreneurs to leverage technology for showcasing products made or manufactured or sold by women entrepreneurs. This facility is also available to services, like tailoring, also.
•    The product, along with photograph description, cost and mobile no./address of the participants will be displayed on the e-Haat enabling direct contact between seller’s/service providers and buyers.
•    It is open to all Indian women citizens more than 18 years of age and women SHGs desiring for marketing their legal products/services after indemnifying RMK from any or all acts of transaction.
•    Rahstriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) is primarily involved in the creation of the portal and the entire business of e-Haat can be handled through mobile phone.
•    3-Stages of women empowerment: The launch of Mahila E-Haat is the first stage towards achieving the objective of women empowerment.
•    In the second stage Mahila E-Haat will be integrated with e-commerce portals to provide a larger platform for selling and buying.
•    In third and final stage, it will culminate into Women’s Entrepreneurs Council which will help to expand this initiative further and give it an institutional shape.
•    It will benefit more than 10000 Self Help Groups (SHGs) and 1.25 Lakh women beneficiaries spread across the country.

A group of Indian and British researchers discovered a new species of burrowing snake in the Western Ghats.
The snake has been named after well-known herpetologist from Maharashtra, Neelam Kumar Khaire, as Melanophidium Khairei.
The research paper about it has been published in the scientific journal, Zootaxa in the first week of March 2016. Researchers were studying the species since 2001 and confirmed the new species.
•    The genus Melanophidium, commonly referred to as Black shieldtail, is endemic to the Western Ghats.
•    Three species of the genus were previously known.
•    The new species, Melanophidium khairei is distinct from three other species.
•    Melanophidium khairei is a highly iridescent burrowing snake that inhabits everg-reen forests.
•    It is rarely seen above ground.
•    It eats earthworms and is believed to bear young as mammals.
•    At present, it is known in a few locations in southern Maharashtra, Goa and northern Karnataka.
•    It is a small snake. The largest known specimen is 550 mm in length.
•    It is not poisonous.

International Women's Day was observed across the world on 8 March 2016. 
•    This year's theme for the Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. 
•    The campaign theme for the day is #PledgeForParity.
•    The special focus is on Achieving gender equality and empower all women and girls and Ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.
•    2016 International Women's Day (IWD) was observed in India by conferring the Nari Shakti Awards by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhawan. 
•    Around 40 acid attack survivors were felicitated with the Rani Laxmi Bai award and provided financial assistance in Uttar Pradesh.
•    In context of Uttar Pradesh, a special eating joint ''Café Sheroes'', was inaugurated for acid attack survivors. 
•    The United Nations started celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March during International Women’s Year 1975. 

The Reserve Bank of India will share FDI-related information with country's intelligence agencies IB and RAW to check black money from entering the country. 

•    The decision was taken during a recent meeting of a government group, headed by Revenue Secretary, to check economic crimes. 
•    During the meeting of "Working Group on Intelligence Apparatus", representatives of Intelligence Bureau felt that it is important to have the information. 
•    It was decided that RBI should share with IB and Cabinet Secretariat, information on FDI which actually enters the country, the sources said. 
•    Foreigners who bring FDI may also get long-term visa or residency permit as the option is being explored by the government to make travel easy for businessmen as part of its 'Make In India' campaign, the official said. 

•    In 2016-17 budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has announced 100 per cent FDI through government approval route in the marketing of food products produced and manufactured in India. 
•    FDI flows into India nearly doubled in 2015 to USD 59 billion, according to a report of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. 
•    Foreign Direct Investment is important for the country as it needs around USD 1 trillion worth investments between 2012-13 and 2016-17, the 12th Five Year Plan period, to fund infrastructure growth covering sectors such as ports, airports and highways. 

On 6th March 2016 Australian golfer Adam Scott won the 2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, Florida, U.S.
•    The victory was Scott's second consecutive win on the PGA Tour, having won The Honda Classic in February 2016.
•    Australian professional golfer, Adam Derek Scott plays mainly on the PGA Tour.
•    He was the World No. 1 ranked golfer from mid-May to August 2014.
•    He has won 29 professional tournaments around the world.
•    His biggest win to date was the 2013 Masters Tournament, his first major championship and the first Masters won by an Australian in its 77-year history.
•    The WGC-Cadillac Championship is a professional golf tournament, one of the four annual World Golf Championships.
•    It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour.
•    The 2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship was played on the TPC Blue Monster course at Trump National Doral in Doral, Florida.

On 5th  March 2016 The Union Minister Prakash Javadekar released the list of re-classified industries based on pollution levels.
•    Four-colour scheme was announced as per the resolution adopted at the two-day State Environment and Forest Ministers' Conference in April 2015.
•    New Pollution Index (PI) scores and the new categories are as follows 
•    Red category – PI Score 60 and above – 60 Industries
•    Orange Category – PI Score 41 to 59 – 83 Industries
•    Green Category – PI Score 21 to 40 – 63 Industries
•    White Category – PI Score 0 to 20 – 36 Industries

•    The purpose of the categorization is to ensure that the industry is established in an environmental friendly manner.
•    No Red category of industries shall normally be permitted in the ecologically fragile area or protected area, 
•    The White category was created to identify non-polluting industries.
•    White category is a newly-introduced industry category and contains 36 industrial sectors which are practically non-polluting.
•    There shall be no necessity of obtaining the Consent to Operate for this category of industries and intimation to concerned SPCB / PCC shall suffice.

On 5th March 2016 the Patna Pirates defeated U Mumba 31-28 & won Pro Kabaddi League trophy in the final played in New Delhi.
•    Rohit Kumar of Patna Pirates was awarded Best Raider and Mohit Chillar of U Mumba was announced the Best Defender of the Match.
•    U Mumba’s Rishank Devadiga finished the season as the Most Successful Raider with 106 points.
•    The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is a professional kabaddi league in India.
•    It is known as the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi.
•    The first edition of the tournament was played in 2014 with eight franchises representing various cities in India.
•    Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is organized by Mashal Sports and Star India in association with the International Kabaddi Federation, Asian Kabaddi Federation and the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India.
•    U Mumba was the winner of the 2015 Pro Kabaddi League.

On 8th March 2016 Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLCB) constituted a new National Cricket Selection Panel headed by former cricketer Arvinda de Silva. 
•    Members of the panel are Kumar Sangakkara (retired from international cricket recently), Romesh Kaluwitharana, Lalith Kaluperuma and Ranjith Madurasinghe.
•    The panel will succeed the Kapila Wijegunawardena-headed selection committee which was appointed in April 2015. 
•    Wijegunawardena selection panel was sacked by Sri Lankan board ahead of the 2016 ICC World T20, 
•    T20 World cup has started from 8th March 2016 in India.
•    Wijegunawardena selection panel was sacked in the wake of the national team’s poor performances in the just-concluded Asia Cup in Bangladesh and the preceding bilateral series in India. 
•    In January 2016, Sri Lanka had also lost its No 1 ICC Twenty20 ranking after they lost to New Zealand.
•    Board also announced that Angelo Mathews will be the captain and Dinesh Chandimal the Vice Captain of the team for the T-20 Cricket World Cup.

President of India and the Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces Pranab Mukherjee on 4 March 2016 presented President’s Standard to 119 Helicopter Unit (HU) and President’s Colours to 28 Equipment Depot (ED) of the Indian Air Force. 

•    The awards were given away at Air Force Station in Jamnagar, Gujarat.  
•    Indian Air Force's operational squadrons become eligible for award of Presidential Standard after completion of 18 years of service to the Nation. 
•    The selection is based on the unit's performance and achievements during peace as well as hostilities. 
•    The honour is an acknowledgement of the meritorious service rendered by the units.
•    The helicopter Unit has recently saw the induction of new acquired most modern fixed wing aircraft Mi-17 V5. 
•    The Unit, also known as ‘the Stallions’, was among the first to fly Mi-8 choppers.
•    It took part in several challenging missions after being raised exactly 44 years ago. 
•    Apart from this, the President also released a commemorative postage stamp at the presentation of the Standard to 119 Helicopter Unit and Colours to 28 Equipment Depot of Indian Air Force.