Content

Banking and Economy ...... 1

Government & Polity ...... 4

International ...... 6

States ...... 9

Person/Events/Awards ...... 11

Sports ...... 15

Science and technology ...... 17

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ~Helen Keller

Weekly capsule

Banking and Economy

Hinduja family tops Asian Rich List 2019

 Leading London-based NRI industrial tycoons, the Hinduja family top the Asian Rich List 2019 for the sixth successive year with an estimated net worth of £25.2 billion, an increase of over £3 billion over the previous year.  According to the Asian Rich List 2019 released at the Asian Business Awards, Steel magnates Lakshmi Mittal and his son Aditya Mittal remained in second place, with £11.2 billion — down £2.8 billion. S P Lohia (Petrochemicals) took the third place with £5.8 billion. SAIL launches smart garbage bins made of steel

 Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has launched smart garbage bins made of stainless steel. These smart garbage bins will be able to send a signal to the garbage collection vehicle about the ‘fill-up’ position of the bin, aiding better cleaning and lower human intervention.  The environment-friendly garbage bins will be made of SAIL SALEM stainless steel. These will be installed in underground Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) pits at the Smart Garbage Station. This will help prevent the spread of stink and diseases. RBI delays implementation of new accounting rules again

 The Reserve Bank of India again deferred the implementation of the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) by banks as the requisite legislative amendments are still under consideration.  The new rules — based on the IFRS9 standards created in the aftermath of the financial crisis — were supposed to kick in at the start of the new fiscal year that starts on April 1, after being delayed last year. According to Fitch Ratings local unit, India’s state-run lenders would have had to increase provisions by as much as Rs 1, 10,000 cr ($16 billion) in the fiscal first quarter ending June 30 if the rules had gone ahead. RBI slaps Rs 2 crore penalty on PNB

 The Reserve Bank of India has slapped a penalty of Rs 2 crore on Punjab National Bank for non- compliance of regulatory directions with regard to SWIFT operations. .  Earlier this year, the Reserve Bank had imposed penalties worth 71 crore rupees on 36 public, private and foreign banks for non-compliance with various directions on time-bound implementation and strengthening of SWIFT operations.

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) provides a network that enables financial institutions worldwide to send and receive information about financial transactions in a secure, standardized and reliable environment. RBI appoints five-member committee related to digital payments

 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das has said that the central bank of the country has appointed 5-member committee under the chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani to further deepen digital payments and enhance financial inclusion through Fintech. He said, the RBI has requested the committee to give recommendations in 3 months in this regard. Mr. Das

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was speaking at the inaugural event of Financial Technology (Fintech) Conclave being organized by NITI Aayog in New Delhi.  Nearly 300 Representatives from across the financial space - central ministries, regulators, bankers, startups, service providers and entrepreneurs are participating in the conclave. Financial technology, often shortened to Fintech, is computer programs and a new technology innovation that aims to compete with traditional financial methods in the delivery of financial services. Uber acquires Careem for USD 3.1 billion

 Uber has confirmed that it is acquiring its Middle East rival Careem in a deal worth USD 3.1 billion. Careem was founded in 2012 as a ride-hailing service. Over the years, it expanded its services to include food and package delivery, bus services, and credit transfers, TechCrunch reported.  Uber will acquire all of Careen's mobility, delivery and payments businesses across the greater Middle East region, ranging from Morocco to Pakistan, with major markets including Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. After the acquisition is complete, Careem will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Uber. ICICI Pru Mutual Fund launches Bharat Consumption Scheme

 ICICI Prudential AMC announced launched the ICICI Prudential Bharat Consumption Scheme. The Scheme aims to benefit from the Indian consumption story, considered as one of the fastest growing consumption markets globally.  The benchmark for the Scheme is Nifty India Consumption Index and will be managed by Rajat Chandak and Dharmesh Kakkad. The overseas investments of the scheme will be managed by Priyanka Khandelwal. Bank of Baroda to get Rs 5,042 cr capital infusion

 Ahead of its merged entity operation, Bank of Baroda will receive Rs 5,042 crore fund infusion from the government.  The Ministry of Finance has conveyed its decision to infuse the capital in Bank of Baroda. The infusion will be by way of preferential allotment of equity shares (special securities/bonds) of the bank during FY 2018-19 as government's investment, the bank said on Thursday.  The merged entity also involving Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will start operation from April 1. PNB to sell part stake in housing finance arm for Rs 1,852 cr

 Punjab National Bank (PNB) is selling part of its stake in PNB Housing Finance to global private equity firm General Atlantic Group and alternative investment firm Varde Partners for Rs 1,851.60 crore.  After the transaction, PNB will continue to hold a 19.78 per cent stake in the housing finance arm, and will remain the promoter and strategic shareholder of the company  PNB will sell 10.89 million equity shares each to General Atlantic and Varde Partners at Rs 850 per share, aggregating to Rs 1851.60 crore. GAIL, BHEL sign pact for development of solar power projects

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 State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd Friday said it has signed an agreement with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) for cooperation in the development of solar power projects.  GAIL is India's biggest natural gas company with diversified interests across the value chain of trading, transmission, LPG production and transmission, LNG re-gasification, petrochemicals and city gas.  GAIL commands 75% market share in gas transmission and has a gas trading share of over 50% in India.

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Weekly capsule

Government & Polity

NITI Aayog's FinTech Conclave in New Delhi

 NITI Aayog is organising a day-long FinTech Conclave at Dr. Ambedkar International Center, New Delhi today. The objective of the conference is to shape India’s continued ascendancy in FinTech, build the narrative for future strategy and policy efforts, and to deliberate steps for comprehensive financial inclusion.  The Conclave will be inaugurated by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. It will host more than 300 representatives from the leading financial institutions. INS Kadmatt at Langkawi, to Participate in LIMA-19

 Indian Navy’s frontline ASW corvette, INS Kadmatt arrived at Langkawi, Malaysia on a seven days official visit on Monday 25 Mar 19. The ship is scheduled to participate in the 15th edition of Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition, LIMA-19 during the visit.  INS Kadmatt (P 29) is an indigenous stealth anti-submarine warfare corvette and was commissioned into the Indian Navy in January 2016. The ship is fitted with state of the art weapons, sensors and machinery and is also designed to embark the Seaking anti-submarine helicopter. Pakistan Okays plan to open Sharda Peeth corridor

 The Pakistan government approved a proposal to establish a corridor that will allow Hindu pilgrims from India to visit Sharda Peeth, an ancient Hindu temple and cultural site in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir.  The Sharda Peeth corridor, when opened, will be the second religious tract after Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan-controlled territory that will connect the two neighbouring nations. Established in 237 BC during the reign of Ashoka, the 5,000-year-old Sharada Peeth is an abandoned temple and ancient centre of learning dedicated to the Hindu goddess of learning. Between the 6th and 12th centuries CE, Sharada Peeth was one of the foremost temple universities of the Indian subcontinent. Railways will run 100 summer special trains

 The Indian Railways said that hundred summer special trains would be run to handle extra rush of passengers during this season. These special trains will be run from March 28.  The general second class coaches of all the summer specials will run as unreserved coaches and can be booked through UTS system (Unreserved Ticketing System). India 4th nation to enter elite space power club with anti-satellite weapon

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India has officially entered the elite space power club with the successful targeting of a live satellite with an anti-satellite weapon (A-SAT). India is the fourth nation in the world to achieve the feat.  PM Modi said India has become the 4th nation in the world after US, Russia and China to have a satellite weapon that can take down enemy satellites.

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 Modi said India shot down a low-orbit satellite through an Indian anti-satellite weapon A-SAT in an operation called ‘Mission Shakti’ which lasted for just 3 minutes.

Mission Shakti is the test of India’s anti-satellite weapon. Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are created to destroy or incapacitate satellites. There are many countries which have this capability, but only four countries — including India — have demonstrated their ASAT capabilities. India & Bolivia sign 8 MoUs in various fields

 India and Bolivia have signed eight MoUs on the second day of President Ram Nath Kovind’s three-day visit to that country.  These MoUs were signed in the fields of culture, Visa waiver arrangement for diplomats, the exchange between diplomatic academies, mining, space, traditional medicine, establishment of Centre of Excellence in IT and Bi-Oceanic Railway project.  India offered 100 million US Dollar Line of Credit to Bolivia for financing development projects. Both countries also agreed on the need for reform of the UN Security Council to make it reflective of contemporary realities. Bolivia is a country in central South America. The capital and currency of Bolivia are Sucre Bolivian boliviano respectively. India to be guest country at Paris Book Fair 2020

 In a bid to strengthen Indo-French ties, India has been designated as the guest of honour at the, while France will be the guest country at the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) in 2022.  The announcement was made by the nodal agency - National Book Trust (NBT) - in a statement on Friday. The Livre Paris (Paris Book Fair) will take place from March 20 to 23, 2020.  The designation of India as the guest country was declared in the joint statement signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron during the latter's visit to India in March 2018.

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International

India extends financial aid to Nepal

 India has extended Nepalese Rupees 35. 5 million as financial assistance for the construction of an educational campus in Nepal.  The campus building was jointly inaugurated by District Coordination Committee and Campus Management Committee. India has extended a total of Nepalese Rupees 35.5 million as financial assistance for the construction of the three storied building for the Siddheswar Education Public Campus at Ramechhap district which has now been completed.International. India achieves 84 % reduction in TB deaths among HIV patients

 India has achieved an 84 per cent reduction in tuberculosis deaths among people living with HIV by 2017.  According to the Joint United Nations Programme on the UNAIDS, it is the highest recorded decline among over 20 nations and it is also three years ahead of the 2020 deadline.  World Health Organisation estimates show that globally, TB deaths among people living with HIV have fallen by 42 per cent since 2010.

Oman signs agreement allowing United States military to use its ports

 Oman has signed an agreement with the United States that allow American ships and warplanes to take advantage of his ports and airports.  The agreement will allow the US forces to take advantage from the facilities offered at some of the Sultanate's ports and airports during visits of the US military vessels and aircraft, particularly in the port of Duqm.  Duqm port is located in southern Oman on the Arabian Sea and around 500 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz. At the mouth of the Gulf, the strait is crucial to global energy supplies. World's largest e-waste recycling hub opens in Dubai

 The world's largest e-waste recycling facility has opened in Dubai. Located at the Dubai Industrial Park, the 280,000 square feet plant will process Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), IT asset disposition (ITAD), refrigerant gas and specialised waste, the Gulf News reported on Sunday night.  The facility will utilise state-of-the-art reclamation technology, which surpasses the European Union's standards for e-waste.It has a processing capacity of 100,000 tonnes of total integrated waste per year, of which 39,000 tonnes is e-waste. The 120 million dirhams ($5 million) project is backed by the Swiss Government Export Finance Agency. Kenya's Peter Tabichi awarded World's best teacher

 A science teacher from rural Kenya who donates most of his salary to help poorer students has been crowned the world’s best teacher and awarded a $1m prize, beating 10,000 nominations from 179 countries.  Peter Tabichi, a maths and physics teacher at Keriko secondary school in Pwani Village, in a remote part of Kenya’s Rift Valley, has won the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2019.

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 Tabichi, a member of the Franciscan religious order, received his prize at a ceremony in Dubai hosted by actor Hugh Jackman. India, US ink pact to check tax evasion by MNCs

 India and the US signed an agreement for exchange of country-by-country (CbC) report, a move that is expected to give a huge relief to subsidiaries of US headquartered companies in taxation- related matter.The agreement was signed by PC Mody, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), and Kenneth I Juster, US Ambassador to India.  The agreement for exchange of CbC reports, along with the Bilateral Competent Authority Arrangement between the two competent authorities, will enable the two countries to automatically exchange the reports filed by the ultimate parent entities of the multinational enterprises in the respective jurisdictions pertaining to the years commencing on or after January 1, 2016. Nepal Investment Summit 2019 to be held on March 29 -30 in Kathmandu

 The Government of Nepal is organizing "Nepal Investment Summit 2019" on March 29 -30 in Kathmandu. The summit will unveil potential opportunities for investment in various sectors in Nepal including Hydro power, Tourism, Infrastructure, Industry, Transport, Agriculture and Information and Communication Technology.  77 projects worth $31.93 billion in various sectors will be showcased and 12 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) will be signed during the summit. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will inaugurate the summit on Friday. Over 600 investors and delegates from 40 countries including India will participate in two day event. Israel unveils world’s longest salt cave

 Israeli researchers say they have discovered the world’s longest salt cave near the desert site where, according to the Bible, Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt.  The 10-km long warren of underground passages and chambers in Mount Sodom, overlooking the Dead Sea, was mapped out over two years by cavers from nine countries, led by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The cave is called Malham. Comoros President Azali Assoumani re-elected

 Comoros President Azali Assoumani was re-elected according to results published by the electoral commission of the Indian Ocean archipelago.  Electoral commission Chief Djaza Ahmed Mohamed said, Azali, who first took office in 2016, was way ahead of his closest rival Mahamoudou Ahamada, who garnered only 14.62 percent of the ballots cast. The Comoros is a volcanic archipelago off Africa’s east coast, in the warm Indian Ocean waters of the Mozambique Channel. The capital of Comoros is Moroni and its currency is Comorian franc. Over 600,000 older Japanese live in social isolation

 More than 6 lakh Japanese people over 40 are living in complete isolation from society, staying at home for more than six months without social interaction,the government estimated on Friday. The phenomenon is so widespread in Japan it even has its own name -- hikikomori -- defined as

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Weekly capsule

someone who does not go to school or work for six months and does not interact with anyone outside their family during that time.  A government survey published on Friday estimated there were 613,000 hikikomori aged between 40 and 64, nearly three-quarters of whom were male. Around half of those included in the survey had been reclusive for more than seven years, the government said. India, Australia to hold bilateral exercise AUSINDEX in April

 India and Australia are set to further deepen defence and strategic relationship with the third edition of the biennial, bilateral exercise AUSINDEX 19 from April 2 to April 16 at Vishakhapatnam. The upcoming exercise will focus on anti-submarine warfare and will see Australia's largest defence force deployment in India.  The exercise is the cornerstone of a wider Indo-Pacific endeavour deployment by Australia which will see the Task Force conduct port visits to , Malaysia, , Sri Lanka, and .

Zuzana Caputova set to become 1st female President of Slovakia

 In Slovakia, the government critic and anti-corruption activist Zuzana Caputova is set to become the first female President.  The Slovak Statistics Office said, environmental lawyer Caputova got over 58 percent of the ballot after results from 91 percent of polling stations were counted, while EU energy commissioner Maros Sefcovic garnered nearly 42 percent.

The Capital and Currency of Slovakia are Bratislava and Euro respectively.

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Weekly capsule

States

Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar appointed Deputy CM of Goa

 Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, on the recommendation of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday, issued an order designating Ministers Vijai Sardesai and Manohar Ajgaonkar as Deputy Chief Ministers.  Ajgaonkar has become the second deputy chief minister after Vijai Sardesai in the Pramod Sawant government in Goa. Following this development, Chief Minister had sacked Mr. Sudin Dhavlikar of MGP as Deputy Chief Minister from his Cabinet and replaced him with Mr. Ajgaonkar, who was earlier Minister of Tourism. 'Sankalp' app develops to reach out to 1st-time voter in Assam

 In Assam, the Bongaigaon district administration has developed a mobile app Sankalp to particularly reach out to the first-time voters.  Bongaigaon Deputy Commissioner Adil Khan said that a special initiative has been taken to encourage the first-time voters. Mr. Khan said that the NIC team has developed the app and it will be launched soon.  Voters will have to input a few details, like name and age, and the app will track their polling station and other details. The new voters will also be able to sign a digital ‘sankalp patra’, promising to cast their votes on the day of polling. Enajori initiative launches in Guwahati

 Assam Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Sahu launched the Enajori initiative in Guwahati. It is a special initiative for persons with disabilities with an aim that 'No Voter to be Left behind'. It is a joint initiative of CEO Assam and Social Welfare Department with an objective to make Lok Sabha Elections accessible to Persons with Disability, PwD voters.  Under this initiative comprehensive mapping of PwDs will be done in consultation with Booth Level Officers, Divyang Sarothis and a woman mascot-Chandraprabha, to facilitate the PwD voters for barrier-free and inclusive accessible elections.

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Appointment

Govindaraj re-elected BFI president

 K. Govindaraj was unanimously re-elected as president of the Federation of India (BFI) at its annual general-body meeting in Bengaluruu. Chander Mukhi Sharma was re-elected secretary-general.

Basketball Federation of India is Headquarters in New Delhi. Board of Karur Vysya Bank appoints Chairman

 Karur Vysya Bank on Tuesday said it has appointed N S Srinath as non-executive chairman for a period of three years.  Srinath, 66, was the non-executive independent director on the board of the private sector lender. Srinath had earlier served as an executive director on the board of Bank of Baroda and superannuated on May 31, 2012.

Trump sign proclamation recognising Israel's sovereignty over Golan Heights

 US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation recognising Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights and told the visiting Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that Israel has an absolute right to self-defense.  Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war but its sovereignty over the territory is not recognized by the international community. Mr Trump's move reversed more than a half- century of the US policy over the issue.

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Person/Events/Awards

Filmfare Awards 2019

 Actors Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor came out as top winners at the 64th Filmfare Awards for their roles in ‘Raazi’ and ‘Sanju’, respectively.  Ranbir won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) – Popular award for portraying the controversial cine icon Sanjay Dutt in his biopic ‘Sanju’, whereas Alia won Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) – Popular category for essaying the role of an undercover agent in ‘Raazi’.  Meghna Gulzar won the Best Director award for ‘Raazi’ which also took home the Best Film award. India ranks 76th on WEF global Energy Transition index

 India has moved up two places to rank 76th on a global energy transition index. This annual list, compiled by Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF), has ranked 115 economies on how well they are able to balance energy security and access with environmental sustainability and affordability.  Sweden remains on the top on this annual list and is followed by Switzerland and Norway in the top three. Among major economies, the UK is ranked 7th, Singapore 13th, Germany 17th, Japan 18th and the US 27th. Within Asia, Malaysia is ranked highest at 31st, Sri Lanka is 60th, Bangladesh 90th and Nepal 93rd. Book Titled ‘Every Vote Counts’ Launched

 A book titled 'Every Vote Counts-The Story of India’s Elections' was launched by the former Vice- President of India Hamid Ansari.  The book is authored by former Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla. Noted folk artist passes away

 Noted folk artist, music director and writer Vinjamuri Anasuya Devi died at Houston in the U.S. at the age of 99. A recipient of Kala Prapoorna award, she got her first gramophone record at the age of 8 years.

Anasuya Devi composed and sang the famous patriotic song Jaya Jaya Jaya Priya Bharathi written by her uncle Devulapally Krishna Shastry. Anasuya Devi presented her talent in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sarvepally Radhakrishnan during the freedom movement. Her book Bhava Geetalu, a compilation of folk songs, was released in Chennai last year. Navy's "Abhedya" launched

 Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba inaugurated the Indian Navy's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Training Facility (NBCTF) at INS Shivaji in Lonavala.  The NBCTF, christened "Abhedya", impenetrable in Sanskrit, will help train personnel of naval ships fitted with nuclear, biological and chemical detection and protection systems.  The facility will provide realistic training to naval personnel in detection, protection against and decontamination of nuclear, biological and chemical agents.

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Croatia honours President Kovind with highest civilian award

 President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday was honoured with Croatia’s highest civilian award — the Grand Order of the King of Tomislav.  Kovind is in the European country as part of his eight-day three-nation visit to Croatia, Bolivia and Chile to further strengthen bilateral ties between India and the three countries.  The civilian order is awarded to heads of state for their important contribution towards the development of state relations between Croatia and their respective countries. LKA announces 60th National Academy Award winners

 The Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) announced 15 winners of the 60th Annual Academy Awards. All the awardees will be honoured with a plaque, a shawl and prize money of Rs 1 lakh at the 60th National Exhibition of Art, scheduled from March 25 to April 8 at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and Sir JJ School of Art. The winners will also display their artworks at the exhibition.  All the awardees will be honoured with a plaque, a shawl and prize money of Rs 1 lakh at the 60th National Exhibition of Art, scheduled from March 25 to April 8 at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and Sir JJ School of Art. The Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art is India's national academy of fine arts. It is an autonomous organisation, established in New Delhi in 1954 by Government of India to promote and propagate understanding of Indian art, in and outside the country. Artificial intelligence pioneers win ‘Tech Nobel’

 Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun was awarded the Turing Award, an honour that has become known as technology industry’s version of the Nobel Prize. It comes with a $1 million prize funded by Google, a company where AI has become part of its DNA.  The award marks the latest recognition of the instrumental role that artificial intelligence will likely play in redefining the relationship between humanity and technology in the decades ahead.  Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun, the trio tapped into their own brainpower to make it possible for machines to learn like humans, a breakthrough now commonly known as “artificial intelligence,” or AI. Scott Walker, experimental pop hero, dies aged 76

 Scott Walker, one of the most innovative and enduring songwriters of the 20th century, has died aged 76.

Walker first came to fame in the mid-1960s in the group the Walker Brothers, before creating a string of acclaimed solo albums – Scott, Scott 2, Scott 3 and Scott 4 – that are regarded as some of the most adventurous and boundary-pushing pop albums of the era. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen honoured with Oxford University's Bodley Medal

 Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen has been awarded the prestigious Bodley Medal, the highest honour bestowed by the University of Oxford's world-famous Bodleian Libraries.  The Medal is awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the fields in which the Bodleian is active, including literature, culture, science and communication.

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 This year's other winner of the Bodley Medal is Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, who will hold an in-conversation event with Ovenden next week to celebrate the honour.  Past winners of the honour include physicist Stephen Hawking, novelist Hilary Mantel and inventor of the World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee. Five coffee varieties get GI Tag

 The government said it has awarded Geographical Indication (GI) tag to five varieties of Indian coffee including Coorg Arabica. The move is expected to help the growers get maximum price for their premium produce.  The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has recently awarded this tag to — Coorg Arabica coffee from Karnataka, Wayanad Robusta coffee from Kerala, Chikmaglur Arabica from Karnataka, Araku Valley Arabica from Andhra Pradesh, and Bababudangiris Arabica coffee from Karnataka. A Geographical Indication (GI) is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin. Delhi govt school teacher Manu Gulati conferred Martha Farrell Award 2019

 Manu Gulati, a Delhi government school teacher, has been conferred the Martha Farrell award 2019 for promoting gender quality and women’s empowerment.  Gulati has been instrumental in helping young girls in receiving formal school education. She has also been working with boys and girls at government schools in sensitising them about gender neutrality.  The award gives a prize money of Rs 1.5 lakh to each of the winners in two categories- Most promising individual (any gender), Best organisation for Gender Equality The Martha Farrell Awards began in 2017. Instituted in the memory of Dr Martha Farrell, a prominent activist for gender equality and women’s empowerment, the award is co-sponsored by Rizwan Adatia Foundation (RAF) and Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) and supported by Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF). Adani becomes first Indian port operator to record 200 MMT cargo movement

 Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) said that it has recorded cargo movement of more than 200 million metric tonnes (MMT) at nine ports along the east and west coasts, becoming the first Indian port operator to achieve the milestone.  Adani Ports embarked its journey in 2001 and has become one of the largest port operators in the world. It took 12 years to reach the 50 MMT mark followed by another three years to cross the 100 MMT mark in 2013-14, and then just five years to exceed the 200 MMT mark. Skytrax World Airport Awards

 Singapore's Changi Airport has been crowned the world's best aviation hub for the seventh time in a row, while New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport featured at number 59, according to the Skytrax World Airport Awards.

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 The list has been compiled by the UK-based Skytrax, a consultancy firm which runs an airline and airport review and ranking site, featuring 100 airports.  The other Indian aiports in the list were Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 64, the Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport at 66 and Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport at 69. Indian origin scientist awarded with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman

 RUJ Group's founder and chairman, Dr. Rajendra Kumar Joshi, has been awarded with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for his contributions in the field of science, education and medicine, promoting the honour and prestige of India.  The Embassy of India in Switzerland, on behalf of the President of India, handed over a commendation letter and a medal to Dr. Joshi at his residence. The scientist was feted by Sibi George, Indian Ambassador. Dr. Joshi, who belongs to Rajasthan, is a scientist of Indian origin and is based in Switzerland. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) is the highest honour conferred on Non-resident Indians by the President of India for their significant contributions towards bringing honour and glory to India. The theme of 2019 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention was 'Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India.' This year there were 30 awardees for Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.

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Sports

Suresh Raina becomes first batsman to reach 5000 IPL runs

 Suresh Raina, became the first batsman to breach the 5000-run mark in the IPL. He got to the milestone with a single. Raina has 5000 runs from 177 matches at a strike-rate of 138.15 including 35 fifties and one hundred.  Raina is vastly experienced having played 226 ODIs for India since his debut in 2005. He has amassed 5615 runs in one-day internationals. Saina named sportsperson of the year at TSJA awards

 London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal was named ‘sportsperson of the year’ at the annual Telangana Sports Journalists Association awards function on Hyderabad.  Rio Olympics silver medallist P.V. Sindhu was named ‘outstanding performer’ in women’s section while P. Gopichand was presented the ‘coach of the year’ award. The Indian team was adjudged the ‘team of the year’ and the Badminton Association of Telangana was named ‘Association of the Year’. China wins 2019 badminton Asia mixed team trophy

 China won the 2019 badminton Asia mixed team championships by defeating Japan 3-2 in the final, in Hong Kong.  China took the lead 1-0 after He Jiting and overcame Japanese pair Yuta Watanabe and 21-17, 21-17 in the mixed doubles, reports Xinhua news agency.  In the women's doubles, and Du Fu sealed the win for China by beating Ayako Sakuramoto and Yukiko Takahata 21-16, 21-19. Manu Bhaker-Saurabh Chaudhary won Gold medal at Asian Airgun C’ship

 In Shooting, Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary have bagged a Gold medal in the 10-metre Air Pistol Mixed team event at the 12th Asian Airgun Championship at Taoyuan in Taipei.  The pair made it to the Final after smashing the world record in the qualification. 17-year-old Manu and 16-year-old Saurabh shot a combined score of 784, breaking the record set by Russians Vitalina Batsarashkina and Artem Chernousov at the European Championships. Australia's Graham Reid set to be appointed India's new men's hockey coach

 Australian Graham Reid is set to be named the Indian men's hockey team chief coach till the 2022 World Cup after the national federation and the Sports Authority of India gave their go ahead to fill the position lying vacant for nearly three months.  A veteran of 130 international matches, Reid was a member of the Australian team that won the silver medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. A disciple of the legendary Ric Charlesworth, Reid was his assistant in the Australian team for five years before being elevated to the top position in 2014.

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BCCI Ombudsman Justice D.K. Jain to Serve As Ad-Hoc Ethics Officer

 The BCCI's newly-appointed ombudsman, Justice (Retd) DK Jain, will also be its ad-hoc Ethics Officer, the Committee of Administrators (COA) running Indian cricket said on Thursday.  The COA, in its 10th Status Report filed on October 28, 2018, had requested the Supreme Court to appoint an Ethics Officer in addition to an Ombudsman for looking into the matters of Conflict of Interest. Gonzalo Higuain retires from international football

 Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 31. Higuain is sixth on the list of Argentina's all-time top scorers with 31 goals in 67 matches in an international career that spanned a decade. Indonesia to host Asean School Games 2019 in July

 Students from Southeast Asian countries and regions will compete at the 2019 Asean School Games in July in Indonesia's city, the country's Youth and Sport Ministry announced on Friday.  Students will take part in athletics, badminton, basketball, , lawn , , , and Indonesia's traditional martial art of Pencak Silat, Xinhua news agency reported.  The 2019 Asean School Games is scheduled to be held from July 17 to 25. South Korea defeat India in Azlan Shah Cup final

 India has lost to South Korea in the final of Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament at Ipoh in Malaysia today. South Korea lifted the title, defeating India in a shootout 4-2.  Hosts Malaysia defeated Canada 4-2 and secured the 3rd place. Gold medalist Japan stood at 5th place, defeating Poland 6-1.

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Science and technology

Shanghai world's first district with 5G coverage

 Shanghai claimed that it has become the world's first district using both 5G coverage and broadband gigabit network as China seeks to establish lead over the US and other countries in the race to develop next generation cellular mobile communications.

5G is the next generation of cellular technology with download speeds that are 10 to 100 times faster than 4G LTE networks. The 5G stations are being installed in different parts of China, including Tibet, as part of Huawei's plans to lead the 5G trials despite the opposition.

Tesla builds its 'largest energy storage system in Asia'

 In a bid to reduce energy demand and provide emergency backup power to trains in Japan, Tesla has claimed to develop its largest power storage system in Asia.  According to Tesla, it has installed a bank of 42 Powerpacks at a train station in Japan's Osaka that can provide sufficient backup power to safely move a train and its passengers to the nearest station in the event of a power outage.  Tesla said the 7 megawatt-hours (MWh) system is its largest energy storage project in Asia, and the fourth largest in the greater Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.  Launched in partnership with Kintetsu, a railway operator in Japan's Osaka, the new Tesla Powerpack system is a fully integrated, AC-connected energy storage system that can connect to a building or utility network. The system contains 16 individual battery pods, each with an isolated DC-DC converter. "Bhonga" app Launched

 The Mumbai-based company Linkus Infratech has launched a hyper-local connectivity app called "Bhonga" to connect users to people in their neighborhood in the city even without an Internet connection. "Bhonga" is a word in Marathi language that translates to meaning megaphone or loudspeaker.  Anyone can open their phone and send a message that is delivered to other users in the neighbourhood, wherever they are. Focusing on security and anonymity, the app only shares location coordinates from where a post originates and it supports voice notes as well as photos. Once the app is downloaded, it automatically lists the user as part of the locality within the radius of one kilometre. ISRO to launch 29 satellites including EMISAT

 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch 29 satellites including the primary payload EMISAT, on the first of April. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C45 will take off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota carrying the satellites onboard  EMISAT has been developed for monitoring radar network by India. An ISRO release says, EMISAT, weighing 436 kg, is intended for electromagnetic spectrum measurement. It will be placed in an orbit of about 753 km altitude. The customer payloads are from Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland and the US. They will be hurled into space at an altitude of about 505 km.

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Wipro and IIT Kharagpur partner for advanced research in 5G and AI

 Wipro Limited, a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, and Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on high-impact, industry-focused applied research in the areas of 5G and AI.  Wipro and IIT Kharagpur will jointly take up applied research projects on industry challenges related to the design, planning and operations of 5G networks and cognitive information processing for the automation of these processes and 5G use cases.

Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Till your good is better and your better is best.

~St. Jerome

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