Daily Current affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this.
NATIONAL:
Modi will inaugurate Krishi Unnati Mela:
· Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate three-day ‘Krishi Unnati Mela’ providing information on new farm schemes and technologies that will help farmers double their incomes within the next few years.
· Modi will give away ‘Krishi Karman Awards’ to States and progressive farmers who have made outstanding contribution in the field of agriculture. He will also visit the theme pavilion and address farmers.
Karnataka CM presents Budget in phone torchlight:
· Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah was forced to present the state Budget for 2016-17 using the torch of a mobile phone, as the power went off twice in the Assembly.
· Presenting the Budget, the CM announced the elimination of all levies on LED-bulbs and electric vehicles to encourage eco-friendly solutions.
· Siddaramaiah also allocated 5,000 crore for infrastructural development
FENI is now Goa’s Heritage Spirit:
· Feni is the first liquor product in the country to obtain such status and got its Geographical Indication (GI) certification in 2000.
· Feni (sometimes spelled fenny or fenim) is a spirit produced exclusively in Goa, India.
· It is generally accepted that coconut feni was produced before and then followed to adapt the same procedure for distilling the exotic cashew fruit.
Government allows 49% automatic route FDI in insurance:
· The government has relaxed FDI norms for the insurance sector by permitting overseas companies to buy 49% stake in domestic insurers, subject to verification by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India.
· Currently, FDI up to 26% is permitted through automatic approval route and up to 49% with the approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board.
2.5 Million Zero Rupee Notes shared since 2007: NGO
· The NGO '5th Pillar', which introduced the Zero Rupee Note (ZRN), has claimed that since their inception in 2007, they have distributed over 2.5 million ZRNs across 45 districts of India.
· The note was introduced as a measure to deter corruption. The note contains anti-corruption messages and is advised to be given to anyone who asks for a bribe.
Maharashtra Exempts mills from Paying Cane tax:
· The Maharashtra government exempted sugar exporting mills from paying cane purchase tax for the 2015 to 2016 marketing year, which began in October.
· Mills which export sugar in accordance with government guidelines will be exempted from paying the tax, said Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.
· Notably, the Maharashtra government levies 3% Purchase Tax on Sugarcane
'World Sleep Day' celebrated on March 18:
· The ninth 'World Sleep Day' was observed on Friday to celebrate healthy sleep and draw attention towards its related issues including medicine and social aspects.
· Celebrated annually on Friday of the second full week of March, it was introduced in 2008 by the World Association of Sleep Medicine.
· “Good Sleep is a Reachable Dream”, was the slogan for this year
Webportal Launched for allocation and monitoring of Coal resources:
· Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal New and Renewable Energy launched the web portal for distribution of coal by State Distribution agencies.
Features of Web portal:
· Motivates states for paperless communication digitizing all the information
· It will save time and energy of government organizations
· The Web portal would provide small and medium consumers access to information about SNAs, availability, booking/supply distribution of coal in public domain
· The portal offers facility of online registration to consumers
· The web portal also provides monitoring of sales margins of SNAs and platform to the consumers for feedback
Govt. scraps repeat tests on animals for drugs:
· The government has scrapped repeat tests on animals for drugs, which have already been approved by other countries.
· The Union Health Ministry has amended the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, which states that animals will be spared the cruel tests for new drug registrations where complete data from similar toxicity experiments already exists for drugs approved abroad.
Andhra Pradesh becomes the first open defecation free village in Srikakulam district:
· In Andhra Pradesh, Vanjangipeta under Amudalavalasa mandal, the small village in the north coastal district of Srikakulam has become the first open defecation-free village in the district with remarkable improvement in hygiene under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
· Once known for poor hygiene, where unsanitary conditions prevailed and villagers used to fall sick quite often, all the 162 houses in the village now have their individual toilets.
CJI TS Thakur to inaugurate new building of Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court in Lucknow:
· The Chief Justice of India TS Thakur will inaugurate the new iconic building of the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court in Lucknow.
· Presently, the Lucknow bench is housed in a 125-year-old Raja Balrampur building.
· Spread over a 40-acre plot, the new building has 56 courtrooms with 69 chambers for judges and has an office for the Advocate General, 1440 chambers for lawyers and a library.
Integrated payment gateway – consumer to SNA and SNA to Coal Company:
· Automated SMS/mail service alerts and end to end activities integration through ERP.
· Union Minister of State for Power, Coal & Renewable energy– Piyush Goyal
· Secretary , Ministry of Coal- Anil Swarup
Domestic air traffic grew by 24% in February:
· Domestic air traffic witnessed a 24.27% year-on-year growth in February with various carriers flying 74.76 lakh passengers in the month, according to data byDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
· IndiGo continued to lead in the domestic segment with a 36.8% market share, followed by Jet Airways at 18.4%. Further, the January-February period saw a 23% increase in air traffic.
Give job to acid attack victim: HC to Delhi govt
· The Delhi High Court ordered the state government to provide job to a 29-year-old acid attack victim as per her educational qualifications and medical status.
· The HC has also directed the Delhi government to pay for the woman's treatment calling it a "duty of the state to provide free medical treatment to acid attack victims"
8 crore LED bulbs distributed under UJALA scheme:
· The government said that it has distributed 8 crore LED bulbs in a year across 125 cities across India under UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) scheme.
· Notably, this has helped reduce 23,000 tonnes of daily CO2 emission and save 2.84 crore kWh energy daily which can light over 20 lakh homes for a year.
Artisans, job workers exempt from 1% levy: Govt
· The Finance Ministry said that artisans and job workers in the jewellery industry need not pay the proposed 1% levy.
· In case the jewellery is manufactured on job work basis, the excise duty is to be paid by the manufacturer, it added. Meanwhile, gold traders continued their strike for the 17th day on Friday, opposing the duty.
INTERNATIONAL:
FBI probes B'desh bank account theft: Report
· According to media reports, the FBI is probing into the cyber theft of millions of dollars from the Bangladesh central bank's US account.
· The heist netted $81 million in February, when unknown hackers breached the systems of Bangladesh Bank and attempted to steal $951 million from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Russia starts its own Credit-ratings firm:
· Russia has started his own credit-rating agency–Analytical Credit Rating Agency, as it plans to replace S&P, Fitch Ratings and Moody's to measure credit quality of investments.
· The central bank had earlier announced plans to start a company immune to “geopolitical risks” after S&P and Moody’s cut Russia’s rating to junk because of the economic impact of sanctions imposed over Ukraine
EU strikes deal with Turkey to return migrants:
· The European Union (EU) on Friday finalised a deal with Turkey, wherein allmigrants arriving in Greece will be sent back to Turkey starting Sunday.
· In return, Turkey's EU membership talks will be reopened and the €3-billion migrant fund to Turkey will be disbursed quickly.
· The EU will also resettle up to 72,000 Syrian migrants in Turkey to the EU
Cuba to eliminate tax on US dollars:
· Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez has announced plans to eliminate the 10% tax imposed on US dollars entering the country.
· The United States had recently announced that it would ease the financial and trade restrictions it had imposed on Cuba.
· The tax will be eliminated only after the verification of the effectiveness of the US measures, Rodriguez added
China gets APAC's largest Nuclear Security Hub:
· The largest nuclear security centre in the Asia-Pacific region opened in Beijing, China.
· Financed jointly by China and the US, the centre is capable of training about 2,000 nuclear-security staff.
· The site will enable international exchanges on nuclear security, demonstrate advanced technology and promote peaceful use of nuclear power. The construction of the centre had begun in 2013.
Russia slashes space budget by 30%:
· Russia has slashed its space budget for 2016 to 2025 by 30%, from 2 trillion rubles ($29.24 billion) to 1.4 trillion rubles ($20.68 billion).
· It will delay a manned flight to the moon by five years, and eliminate plans to develop a reusable rocket.
Denmark firm to set up pumps manufacturing unit near Hyderabad:
· Desmi Technology a leading international manufacturer of pumps and pump solutions plans to set up a plant on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
· Desmi is a leading international manufacturer of pumps and pump solutions.
· Their main line of activity includes platform, anchor handling, multipurpose and emergency response vessels equipment.
WHO suspends TB drugs made by Svizera Labs:
· The WHO has suspended the approval of tuberculosis drugs made by Mumbai-based Svizera Labs, a major supplier to developing countries, citing the company's unreliable manufacturing standards as the reason.
· The company's recent batches of medicine in the market should also be retested for quality, it added. Earlier, WHO had issued a warning letter to Svizera last year for the same.
US Defence Secretary nominates first female in military history to lead a combatant command:
· In US, Defence Secretary Ash Carter has nominated the first female in military history to lead a combatant command.
· Mr Carter announced that General Lori Robinson has been nominated to lead the US Northern Command.
APPOINTMENTS:
Times Internet appoints Gautam Sinha as CEO:
· Times Internet, Times of India Group's digital wing appointed former Chief Operating Officer, Gautam Sinha as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
· Former CEO Satyan Gajwani has been promoted as the company's Managing Director. Both the new appointments will come into effect in the company in April this year.
Ex Wipro CFO Suresh Senapaty Has Appointed As The New Chairman Of HoneywellAutomation:
· Suresh Senapaty, The ex Wipro CFO has been appointed as the new Chairman by Honeywell Automation India Ltd (HAIL).
· He has been appointed as an Additional Director (Non-Executive, Independent) and as Chairman of its Board of Directors.
· Mr. L.Rao has been succeeded by Mr. Suresh Senapaty.
BANKING :
Government cuts PPF interest rate from 8.7% to 8.1%:
· The interest rate on Public Provident Fund (PPF) was cut from 8.7% to 8.1%
· The government also slashed interest rates on several other small savings schemes, including that of the Kisan Vikas Patra from 8.7% to 7.8% and the 5-year senior citizen scheme from 9.3% to 8.6%.
5600 wilful defaulters owe banks Rs 60K Crore:
· According to the data from credit information bureau CIBIL, more than 5,600 borrowers, who owe banks close to Rs 60,000 crore, have been declared wilful defaulters by lenders as on December 31.
· The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) is owed Rs 12,091 crore, followed by another state-run lender Punjab National Bank (PNB) which has receivables of Rs 9,445 crore lent to 698 borrowers.
· Kotak Mahindra Bank has the highest amount of loans stuck with wilful defaulters among private sector banks at Rs 5,442 crore.
RBI revises rules for resolution of stressed MSME loans:
· The rules have been revised for “revival and rehabilitation of MSMEs having loan limits up to Rs 25 crore”.
· A board-approved policy to operationalise the revised framework will have to be put in place by banks before June 30, the regulator said.
IOB becomes first bank to sell Indian gold coins:
· Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has become the first bank to commence the sale of Indian Gold Coin (IGC) in the domestic market.
· It has tied up with MMTC for the sale of IGC of 24 carat purity.
· The IGC has the national emblem, the Ashok Chakra, engraved on one side and the face of Mahatma Gandhi on the other.
· The coin carries advanced anti-counterfeit features and comes in tamper-proof packaging.
· The current denominations available are 5, 10 and 20 gm.
· IGC is the first ever national gold offering by the Centre and was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 5.
Switzerland to exchange tax information with India soon:
· Switzerland will soon be able to exchange information on tax matters with India as the country is close to completing formalities related to the automatic exchange of tax information (AIE) mechanism, Swiss ambassador to India Linus von Castelmur.
RBI asks banks to remain open full day on Mar 30 and Mar 31:
· Reserve Bank has asked banks to keep their branches, which conduct government business, open for full day on March 30 and till 8 pm on March 31to facilitate the transactions before annual closing of government accounts.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Ford Foundation free from Government's Watch list:
· US-based donor agency Ford Foundation has been taken off the Home Ministry's watch list, allowing the organisation to disburse its funds to any Person or organisation without undergoing government's clearance procedure.
· This comes prior to PM Narendra Modi's visit to the US. Ford was added to the watch list last year, for allegedly donating money to activist Teesta Setalvad's NGOs.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Skoch Lifetime Achievement Award conferred on Venkaiah Naidu:
· Union urban Development minister M Venkaiah Naidu on conferred with theSkoch Lifetime Achievement Award at 43rdSKOCH summit held in New Delhi.
· He was selected for the award for his contributions to inclusive growth and towards poverty alleviation in India.
· Besides, IT minister of Telangana State KT Rama Rao was awarded the Skoch Award in the Startup India category for his initiative in establishing the path breaking tech incubator T-Hub.
Akshay Kumar features on cover of 'Man's World':
· Actor Akshay Kumar has featured on the cover of the luxury magazine, 'Man's World', for its March issue, a special edition to mark the 16th anniversary of the magazine.
· In the cover shot, Akshay is dressed in a suit by the Italian luxury fashion house, 'Ermenegildo Zegna'. The magazine terms the 48-year-old actor as "The Age-Defier" in the cover feature
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Twitter to keep 140-character limit: CEO Dorsey
· Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said that the microblogging site will stick to its 140-character limit, ending speculation that the company might abandon its trademark feature for a 10,000-character limit.
· Twitter last year had dropped the 140-character limit from direct messages and allowed messages of up to 10,000 characters.
India top contributor to FB's Bug Bounty Program:
· India leads Facebook’s Bug Bounty Program with the maximum number of contributing researchers and the maximum amount of bounties received.
· The program invites researchers from 127 countries to report security bugs in Facebook, Instagram and Oculus, among others.
· A total of 205 Indian security researchers have participated in the program and received 4.84 crore as bounties
BSNL to Converge Fixed and Mobile connections:
· A new BSNL app will help customers use their fixed line phones to make calls over mobile networks from April 2.
· The tariff for this will be on a monthly basis, and it will reduce ISD rates for customers who connect their landlines to their mobile phones when travelling abroad. Calls will be charged according to the network plan used
Four Giant Exoplanets Discovered:
· A group of Scientists led by Matias Jones of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile have discovered four enormous planets with masses from 2.4 to 5.5 times that of Jupiter, orbiting stars much bigger than our Sun.
· The newly found planets are:
ü HIP8541b
ü HIP74890b
ü HIP84056b
ü HIP95124b
Three astronauts launch to the Space Station:
· A new three-member crew launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from Kazakhstan.
· The crew includes Jeff Williams, a veteran astronaut set to break the American record for the most time spent in space with his half-year trip.
· The crew has joined astronauts Tim Kopra, Yuri Malenchenko and Tim Peake at the ISS to continue Expedition 47.
China’s first dark matter satellite concludes in-orbit testing:
· China’s first dark matter detection satellite has completed three months of in-orbit testing and found 460 million high energy particles in a 92-day flight.
· The satellite’s initial findings are expected to appear before the end of the year as it has completed three months of in-orbit testing, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
· Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) Satellite “Wukong” detected 460 million high energy particles in a 92-day flight and sent about 2.4 TB of raw data back to Earth, DAMPE chief Scientist Chang Jin
SPORTS:
England complete 2nd-highest successful T20I chase:
· England defeated South Africa in the ICC World T20 by two wickets, in what was the second-highest successful T20I and record World T20 chase.
FIFA to trial fourth substitute in extra-time:
· International football's rule-making body International Football Association Board (IFAB) has approved the proposal to try out the introduction of an additional fourth substitute in the half-hour-long extra-time in games.
· The trials for this new extra-time fourth substitution rule will be held in matches played at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup and the Club World Cup.
De Kock equals record for SA's fastest T20 fifty:
· Wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock scored South Africa’s fastest fifty in Twenty 20 internationals after reaching the milestone in 21 balls in the World T20 game against England.
· With this, he equaled the record which was previously held solely by captain AB de Villiers. Notably, this was de Kock's first half-century in T20 internationals
Du Plessis 2nd fastest to reach 1,000 T20I runs:
· Playing in a World T20 match against England on Friday, Faf du Plessis became the second fastest player to reach 1,000 T20I runs, taking 32 matches.
· Virat Kohli was the fastest to achieve the feat, in 27 matches.
· Meanwhile, Du Plessis also became the third South African player to reach 1,000 T20I runs, behind JP Duminy and AB de Villiers
TCS named official tech partner for London Marathon:
· Under the terms of the partnership, TCS will become the race’s Official Technology Partner for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 events.
· A record total of 247,069 people entered the ballot for the 2016 race.
· This year’s race is also set to see a major milestone, with the London Marathon’s one millionth finisher crossing the finish line on The Mall, said the company in a release.
Shweta Rathore wins Miss India title in Body building:
· Shweta Rathore the silver medalist in Asian Championship in 2015 has won the gold medalin held at New Delhi.
Awards won by Rathore:
ü Miss world 2014 fitness physique
ü Miss Asia 2015 Fitness physique
ü Miss India sports physique champion 2015
ü Miss Maharashtra sports physique champion
ü Brand Ambassador of Muscletech in India
OBITUARY:
LA Law actor Larry Drake passed away:
· Emmy Award winning actor Larry Drake, who famously played Bennyon L.A. Law, died in Hollywood, California. He was 66.
· Drake was best known for his portrayal of developmentally disabledBenny Stulwicz on the television show L.A. Law from 1987 until the show's end in 1994. He returned to the part of Benny in L.A. Law: The Movie that aired on NBC in 2002.
· The actor won two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor for L.A. Law in 1988 and 1989.
No comments:
Post a Comment