Current Affairs - March 2019

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155 Current Affairs were found in Period - March 11 - 20, 2019 for Type - All

Appointments 1. Acuite Ratings and Research appointed S S Mundra (former deputy RBI governor) as its non-executive chairman. 2. Aditya Kumar Misra has been appointed as new Chairman of the Agricultural Scientific Recruitment Board (ASRB). 3. Axis Bank appointed Rakesh Makhija as its non-executive chairman for 3 years, to replace Sanjiv Misra, whose term expires on July 17. 4. C Lalsawta appointed as first Chairman of newly-constituted Lokayukta in Mizoram. 5. Former SC judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose has been appointed first Lokpal of India (anti-corruption watchdog). President also appointed 4 Judicial Members (Dilip B. Bhosale, Pradip Kumar Mohanty, Abhilasha Kumari, Ajay Kumar Tripathi) and 4 non Judicial Members (Kumar Jain, Archana Ramasundaram, Mahender Singh and Indrajeet Prasad Gautam). 6. Indian-origin Jagmeet Singh became first non-white leader of a major opposition party in Canada, as he made his debut in House of Commons. Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, was elected in federal by-elections held in February 2019. 7. Krishna Kumari Kohli appointed as first female senator of Pakistan from Hindu Dalit community. She is also the first Thari Hindu woman to be elected to the Pakistan senate. 8. M R Kumar has been appointed as new Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). 9. Pramod Sawant has been appointed as 13th Chief Minister of Goa, succeeding Manohar Parrikar, who passed away recently. Also, Vijai Sardesai and Manohar Ajgaonkar are appointed as Deputy Chief Ministers of Goa. Sudin Dhavalikar was also appointed Deputy CM earlier, but later removed from the post. 10. Supreme Court appointed PS Narasimha as a mediator for resolving various disputes related to cricket administration within Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Top

Awards 1. 13 years old pianist from Chennai Lydian Nadhaswaram won prize of $1 million (6.9 crore) for his performance on the American reality show ‘The World’s Best’. Lydian Nadhaswaram is student of Chennai-based KM Music Conservatory which is run by A.R. Rahman in Chennai. 2. 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her work leading a youth campaign to halt climate change. If she wins, Greta would become youngest person to receive Nobel Peace Prize. 3. Director C Prem Kumar will be awarded with 22nd Gollapudi Srinivas National Award for his debut film Tamil ‘96’, presented to debutant filmmaker by Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Foundation in memory of Gollapudi Srinivas who passed away while making his first project. 4. Harry Hatry Award for Performance Management has been awarded to Indian Origin Prajapati Trivedi, Commonwealth’s Director of Economic, Youth and Sustainable Development, by American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and Center for Accountability and Performance (CAP). 5. Hindi writer Leeladhar Jagudi named as winner of honoured with Vyas Samman 2018 by KK Birla Foundation for his collection of poems “Jitne Log Utne Prem”. Vyas Samman started in 1991, ans carries an amount of 4 lakh. 6. Indian Writer Raghu Karnad won Windham-Campbell Prize with cash $165000, in non-fiction category for his debut book, The Farthest Field: An Indian Story Of The Second World War. 1. Karnad is one of 8 winners chosen across four categories - fiction, non-fiction, drama and poetry. Other awardee in non- fiction is American writer Rebecca Solnit. 2. Windham-Campbell Prize is administered by Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University in the US and was established in 2013. Jury selects two winners each for each of the category fiction, non-fiction, drama and poetry. 7. Indian psychologist professor Ashis Nandy (Former director of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) has been chosen for the Hans-Kilian Award 2019 which carries an amount of 80,000 Euros. This award is named after late social psychologist and psychoanalyst Hans Kilian and given by Köhler Foundation. 8. Noted Novelist and Film Director, Ved Rahi will be honored with Kusumagraj Rashtriya Sahitya Puraskar which carries cash prize of Rs. 1 Lakh. Kusumagraj award is named after Marathi Poet and playwright, late V V Shirwadkar who was popularly known as Kusumagraj. 9. Social entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu, Padmanaban Gopalan (founder of No Food Waste) has been named winner of Commonwealth Youth Award for Asian region, worth 3,000 Pounds. 10. Swati Shingade of Pune (Maharashtra) won first prize of DD Mahila Kisan Award for 2018-19, out of 110 women farmers who participated. Top

Committees 1. Delhi government’s Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) has set up a 17-member committee to “reform higher education”, chaired by DDC vice-chairperson Jasmine Shah. 2. Government formed an inter-ministerial panel for monitoring, sanctioning and implementation of projects under the Rs 10,000- crore Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME-II) programme, aimed at incentivising clean mobility. It will be chaired by secretary in Department of Heavy Industries, A. R. Sihag. 2nd phase of FAME India scheme will be implemented over 3 years from April 2019. Top

Days 1. Mar 12, 2019 marks 89th anniversary of Dandi Satyagraha or Salt Satyagraha, an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by M K Gandhi in 1930. 2. Mar 14, 2019 - World Kidney Day (WKD) 2019. It is observed annually on second Thursday in March. 2019 theme is Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere. 3. Mar 15 - World Consumer Rights Day. 2019 theme is Trusted Smart Products. Mar 15 is also noted as World Sleep Day. 2019 theme is Healthy Sleep, Healthy Aging. 4. Mar 18 - Ordnance Factories Day in India. On 18th March 1802, production of oldest Ordnance Factory of India was commenced at Cossipore, Kolkata. On 200th anniversary of first ordnance factory which is known as Gun and Shell Factory, day was declared as Ordinance factories day. 5. Mar 18 is noted as Global Recycling day. 6. Mar 20 - World Sparrow Day. 2019 theme is I LOVE Sparrows. Mar 20 is also known as International Day of Happiness, with 2019 theme ‘Happier Together’. Top

Defence 1. 33rd edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) began at Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar Islands), to be held till 04 Apr 2019. 2. 8th Indo - Bangladesh Joint Army Exercise Sampriti-VIII, held at Tangail (Bangladesh). 3. Armies of India and Myanmar conducted a "coordinated operation" named Operation Sunrise, against insurgents in Myanmarese territory to avert a possible threat to the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project. Indian Army did not cross border during the operation. 1. Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project is being viewed as India's gateway to the Southeast Asia. India entered into a framework agreement with Myanmar in April 2008 to facilitate implementation of the project. Phe project will help connect Mizoram with the Sittwe Port in Rakhine State of Myanmar. 4. Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) test fired PINAKA guided WEAPON rocket system from Pokhran range in Rajasthan. 1. DRDO ALSO successfully test-fired indigenously designed and developed Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), a third-generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), developed by DRDO in association with VEM Technologies Ltd. 5. INS Khanderi, second of the 6 Scorpene Class Submarines, will be inducted into Indian Navy by May 2019. 6. Indian Coast Guard Ship 'Vijit' became the first-ever Coast Guard ship to visit Indonesia (in Sabang). 7. Largest War Game of Indian Navy - the Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 19) concluded, which began in Jan 19. About 60 ships of the Indian Navy, 12 ships of the Indian Coast Guard and 60 aircraft were part of TROPEX 19. Largest Coastal Defence Exercise code named SEA VIGIL' was also part of Tropex - 19. 8. Red Flag 19 military drill held in the USA, to test combat readiness. 9. USA Special Forces Group stationed in Japan held a joint exercise with India’s National Security Guard in Hyderabad, aimed at enhancing capabilities. Top

Economy 1. Aviva Life Insurance launched Wings, a specially designed mentorship program to empower female workforce, giving them an avenue to freely communicate in a safe environment, allowing them to focus on growth and improvement. 2. Bank of India (BoI) raised 661 crores by issuing shares to employees under Employee Share Purchase Scheme (ESPS). Karur Vysya Bank also announced raising 487 crores through Basel-III compliant bonds for funding its growth plans. 3. GST council approved a transition plan for new goods and services tax rates on residential properties under which developers of under-construction buildings may either opt to shift to the revised lower rates without input tax credit or stick to previous rates. From April 2019, developers will have to adhere to new GST rates recommended by the council. 4. HDFC Bank crossed INR 6 trillion market capitalization mark for first time, becoming third Indian firm after Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) to achieve the milestone. RIL is most valued company with market cap 8.50 trillion. 5. Hyundai Motor Group and Kia Motors Corporation will invest a total of $ 300 million in Cab Aggregator Ola, as their biggest combined investment to date. 6. ICICI Lombard and Mobikwik partnered to provide cyber-insurance cover of Upto 50000, to provide protection against unauthorized and fraudulent transactions online. 7. ICRA stated that fresh NPAs in banking sector are expected to come down 1.9-2.4 % in FY’20 from 3.7% in FY 19, owing to a dedicated NPA recovery mechanism and write offs by banks. Public sector banks (PSBs) may earn profit after 4 continuous years of losses. Gross NPAs is expected to be 8.3 lakh crore (7.9 %) for March 2020. 8. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) signed MoU with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), to co-operate for effective implementation of the Code, by sharing of information and resources and other terms of MOU. 9. RBI Approved Bandhan Bank's acquisition of Gruh Finance, to enhance and strenthen its portfolio. 1. Gruh Finance is low-cost arm of HDFC Group. After the merger, HDFC Sought to take 14.96 % state in Bandhan Bank. The same has been limited by RBI hold 9.9%. 9.9 % is maximum a non-banking finance company can own in a private bank. 10. RBI Relaxed norms for imports of capital and non-capital goods, by raising the trade credit limit to $150 million under automatic route. 1. Trade Credits up to $150 million or equivalent per import transaction for oil and gas refining & marketing, airline and shipping companies can be availed under automatic route, while for other industries, this limit has been fixed at $50 million. 2. Previously, under automatic route banks were allowed to approve trade credit of up to $20 million and anything beyond that required RBI’s approval. 11. RBI categorised IDBI Bank as a private sector lender following acquisition of majority stake by Life Insurance Corporation. In January, LIC completed picking up a controlling 51% stake in IDBI Bank. 12. RBI named State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), which means that these banks are too big to fail. These banks will have to set aside more capital for their continued operation. Inclusion in D-SIB indicates that failure of any of these banks would have a cascading effect on the Indian financial system. 13. RBI offered a $5-billion swap facility to banks to aid liquidity before end of the financial year. The auction will happen on March 26 and the buy/sell swap will run up to March 28, 2022. The swap facility is part of its ‘liquidity management toolkit’ and would be to meet the durable liquidity needs of the system. 14. RBI will use a new tool for the first time to enhance liquidity in system using which it will buy $5 billion from banks in a swap deal that is capable of injecting 35000 crores into system. Minimum bid size for auction has been fixed at $25 million and multiple bids submission by banks will be allowed. 15. Reliance Commnications cleared outstanding dues Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson by paying Rs 458.7 crores. 1. Reliance Industries CMD Mukesh Ambani helped Younger brother Anil Ambani in this Payout Case, by providing funds. 2. Supreme Court’s held Reliance Communications (RCom) chairman Anil Ambani guilty of contempt of court for wilfully violating its order and not paying its dues of Rs 550 crore to Telecom equipment maker Ericsson. SC Stated that Anil ambani will have to Face Jail term ifg fails to pay dues by March 19, 2019. 16. SBI launched a new service called ‘YONO Cash’ for its customers using which customers can withdraw money from ATMs without using debit cards. YONO stands for You Only Need One. 17. Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) withdrew 20% limit on investments by Foreign Portfolio Investors in corporate bonds of an entity, in accordance with a RBI circular. 18. Singapore-based merchant platform firm Pine Labs acquired Bengaluru-based gift card solutions provider Qwikcilver for $110 million. Founded in 2006, Qwikcilver is a full-stack gift card service provider, powering nine out of every 10 gift cards in the country and managing an annualised gross transaction value of $1.5 billion across India, Middle East and South East Asia. 19. State Bank of India (SBI) launched doorstep banking service for senior citizens over 70 years of age and differently-abled customers, at a nominal fee of 100 rupees per transaction for financial transactions and 60 rupees for non-financial transactions. Eligible customers residing within 5 kilometers radius from home branch ay avail the service. 20. State Bank of India (SBI) partnered with Bank of China (BoC) to boost business opportunities and enhance business cooperation. Partnering with SBI will make BoC an opportunity to grow through established relationships and market expertise as India. Top

International 1. A new coin that features Crimea or Kerch Strait Bridge released by Russia’s central bank, to mark Crimea reunification with Russia. 2. Annual Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey named Singapore, Paris and Hong Kong as the world’s most expensive citiesm as first time ever that 3 cities are sharing the top spot. 1. Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland ranked fourth and fifth respectively, with Osaka (Japan) ranked at 6th. 2. India's Bengaluru, Chennai and New Delhi ranked 5th, 7th and 8th position respectively among top ten cheapest cities. Caracas in Venezuela is cheapest city in world. 3. As per 2nd Global Chemicals Outlook (GCO II) report released at United Nations’ Environment Assembly in Nairobi (Kenya), chemical production across the world will double by 2030, from current global capacity to produce 2.3 billion tonne chemicals. 1.6 million lives were lost in 2016 due to diseases related to chemicals. China will account for almost 50 % of global sales by 2030. 4. Bomb cyclone struck US Great Plains resulting in blizzard conditions, hurricane-like winds, snow and heavy rain and subsequent flooding. Bomb Cyclone (Bombogenesis) refers to a rapidly intensifying area of low-pressure winter storm when there is a pressure drop by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. 5. British Army will create a new Specialised Infantry Battalion by recruiting more than 800 Nepalese Gurkha servicepersons. 1. Gurkhas have completed 200 years of service in the British Army and currently, they comprise up to 3% of the British Army. 2. During Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16, Gorkha Kingdom had inflicted heavy casualties on British Army even though they had lost war. British India decided to recruit these soldiers starting in 1815 and Gurkhas have fought on the side of the British Empire in almost every war. 3. After Indian Independence in 1947, as per Britain-India-Nepal Tripartite Agreement 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, and 10th Gurkha Rifles regiments were assigned to India, and the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 10th were assigned regiments to Britain. 4. Further India created 11th Gurkha Rifles regiment to accommodate Gurkhas who refused to depart with now-British regiments. 5. British later amalgamated the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 10th battalions into Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) regiment. 6. China blocked bid to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Azhar Masood as a global terrorist in United Nations Security Council 1267 list. Proposal was moved by France, UK and US, after Pulwama Terror Attack. 7. European Union expanded its tax haven blacklist by including 10 countries, now having 15 countries. List was first drawn up by EU in 2017 in the wake of several scandals, including Panama Papers and LuxLeaks. Countries added - Aruba, Belize, Bermuda, Fiji, Oman, Vanuatu, Dominica, Barbados, United Arab Emirates and Marshall Islands. 8. Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) approved a loan agreement of USD 83.11 million to Congo (Central African) for financing three solar power projects in country, with total capacity of 35 megawatts in Karawa, Mbandaka, and Lusambo provinces. 1. It was approved During 14th CII-Exim Conclave 2019 held in New Delhi. Till now, Exim Bank has extended 10 LOC valued at USD 578.05 million, to Congo. With this, Exim Bank has 244 LOCs covering 63 countries with over $23.43 billion credit commitments. 9. First shipment under United Nations ‘Transports Internationaux Routiers’ (TIR) convention arrived in India from Afghanistan through Chabahar Port of Iran. 1. TIR an international Convention aimed at harmonising administrative formalities of international road transport. The goods being moved through the TIR convention requires the goods to be outlined in a TIR carnet and sealed in load compartments. 2. Customs officials only verify carnet and check seal without physical checking of contents. This enables shipments to pass through countries without being opened at borders. 10. Forum of Young Global Leaders, World Economic Forum’s foundation for remarkable leaders under 40 released list of Individuals with grit, foresight and potential to improve state of world in 2019. Indians Featuring in List are - 1. Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh, BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, Xiaomi India head Manu Kumar Jain, Telangana government’s Chief Innovation Officer Phanindra Sama, SaveLife Foundation’s Piyush Tewari and Kaleidofin’s co-Founder Sucharita Mukherjee 11. Google has been fined €1.49 billion ($1.7 billion) b European Union, for Blocking advertising rivals, focusing on company's illegal practises in search advertising brokering from 2006 to 2016. 12. Google phased out its “Allo” mobile messaging app, which was launched in 2016. 13. IIT Guwahati, IIT Mandi, and Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru partnered hands with Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to develop a climate change vulnerability assessment for the Indian Himalayan region using a common framework called as the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE). 14. In a first, India piloted resolutions on two important global environment issues relating to Single-use Plastics and Sustainable Nitrogen management at the fourth session of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) which was held in Nairobi (Kenya). 1. UNEA adopted both resolutions with consensus. The theme of the UNEA this year was Innovative Solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable production and consumption 2. Global nitrogen use efficiency is low, resulting in pollution by reactive nitrogen which threatens human health, eco system services, contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion. Only a small proportion of the plastics produced globally are recycled with most of it damaging the environment and aquatic bio-diversity. Both these are global challenges and the resolutions piloted by India at the UNEA are vital first steps towards addressing these issues and attracting focus of the global community. 15. India and Pakistan held first round of talks to discuss and finalise modalities for Kartarpur Corridor, to facilitate visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan. 16. India and USA will now be able to exchange country-by-country (CbC) reports filed by ultimate parent corporations based in either of countries. This will reduce compliance burden on their subsidiaries operating out of these countries, after signing of an agreement for the same. 1. Income Tax Act requires Indian subsidiaries of multinational companies to provide details of key financial statements from other jurisdictions where they operate. This provides the IT department with better operational view of such companies, primarily with regards to revenue and income tax paid. 17. India announced 200 scholarships to meritorious Nepali students for continuing various undergraduate courses at colleges and universities. , under Golden Jubilee Scholarship scheme. It was initiated by Indian Embassy in Nepal to mark completion of 50 years of India-Nepal Economic Cooperation. 18. India has so far extended a grant assistance of up to USD 250 million to Nepal for the reconstruction of infrastructures in the areas of housing, education, health and cultural heritage that was destroyed during the devastating April 2015 earthquake. 19. India ranked 16th in terms of highest number of impacted species in biodiversity-rich zone is (also known as hotspots) due to human actions. In India, 35 species affected on an average in biodiversity-rich zones. 20. India registered highest growth of 27% among countries in patent applications in 2018 with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). India filed 2013 international patent applications during 2018. US-based applicants filed 56,142 PCT applications, followed by those from China (53,345), Japan (49,702), Germany (19,883), and Korea (17,014). 21. Indian IT Firm Infosys will open a digital innovation centre at Bucharest in Romania to develop software for clients based on cloud, big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning. 22. Indian budget Airline SpiceJet joined global airlines’ grouping ‘International Air Transport Association’ (IATA), as first Indian low-budget carrier to join IATA. India based Air India, Jet Airways and Vistara are already IATA Members. 23. Information Technology (IT) major IBM has created a Blockchain-based global payment network that transmits monetary value in the form of digital assets, commonly known as cryptocurrencies or “stable coins.” The payment network called World Wire uses the Stellar protocol that reduces intermediaries and allows users to accelerate settlement time. 24. Intense Tropical Cyclone Idai struck Africa, with damage in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, causing over 1000 casualties. It is regarded as one of the worst tropical cyclones. Indian Navy sent Squadron containing INS Sujata, Sarathi and Shardul, for providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in Mozambique. 25. Japanese government announced donation of some approx Rs 22 lakh ($31,800) to Rabindra Bharati Museum in Kolkata, to strengthen historical and cultural ties with India. 26. Kazakhstan renamed its capital as Nursultan from its previous name Astana, to recognize its outgoing president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who served nearly 30 years as president of Kazakhstan. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has been appointed as new president of Kazakhstan. 27. Marshall Islands (Oceanic Nation) will release a digital currency called “SOV” (Sovereign) in 2019, in partnership with Neema, an Israeli company. With SOV, every account would be fully identified and buyers would be checked against US Office of Foreign Asset Control so that only legitimate, law-abiding people can use the currency. 28. Mercer’s annual Quality of Living Survey 2019 placed Austria’s capital city Vienna at the number one spot, for 10th year in a row. 1. Top 5 - Vienna (Austria), Zürich (Switzerland), Vancouver (Canada), Munich (Germany), Auckland (New Zealand) 2. Hyderabad and Pune, ranked 143, are most liveable cities in India for expatriates. 29. Metropolitan Clearing Corporation of India (MCCIL) became first clearing corporation in India to receive recognition as a Third- Country Central Counterparty (TC-CCP) by Bank of England for offering various clearing services to UK-based entities, granted under UK’s Temporary Recognition Regime (TRR). 1. In 2017, European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) also recognized the Metropolitan Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (MCCIL) as a third Country Central Counterparty . 2. A financial institution which provides clearing and settlement services for trading in foreign exchange, securities, and derivative contracts as well as deals with counter party credit risk between 2 parties known as Central counterparty clearing (CCP). 30. Ministry of Human Resource Development signed MoU with Afghanistan to work on digital education initiatives, which include many prominent programs developed by Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), at IIT-Madras. 31. New visa agreement between India and Maldives came into force, providing a liberal visa policy for Maldivian citizens seeking medical treatment as well as education and business opportunities in India. 32. PM Narendra Modi and Bangladeshi PM jointly unveiled e-plaques for development projects in Bangladesh, through video conferencing, including Extension of National Knowledge Network to Bangladesh. NKN is an Indian resource sharing network aimed at digitally connecting all national universities, colleges and research establishments to create country-wide virtual classrooms. 33. Reliance CMD Mukesh Ambani leads Forbes' list of richest sports team owners with a net worth of around $50 billion. He owns IPL team Mumbai Indians for approx $100 million. American businessmen Steve Ballmer (Net worth: $41.2 billion) and Austria's Dietrich Mateschitz ($18.9 billion) are at 2nd and 3rd places. 34. Researchers at University of Texas (UT) at Austin (USA) developed a novel solar-powered harvesting system that absorbs moisture from the air and converts it into clean, usable water. It relies on hydrogels, gel-polymer hybrid materials designed to be “super sponges” that can retain large amounts of water. 1. With estimated 50,000 cubic kilometers of water contained in the atmosphere, this new system could tap into those reserves and potentially lead to small, inexpensive and portable filtration systems. 35. Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying NASA Astronaut Nick Hague and Christina Koch, and Cosmonaut (Russian Crew members are called as a cosmonaut) Alexey Ovchinin docked successfully to International Space Station. 36. Russian-US joint interplanetary probe to Venus will be launched in 2027. Venera-D space mission, a joint project to land on Venus, involves Russian orbital and landing gear and a small US scientific station. 37. Social media Facebook launched Facebook Hubs to foster innovation and offer support for budding entrepreneurs, by providing support for start-up community by hosting mentor hours and conducting trainings, workshops, discussions. 38. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released the Trends in International Arms Transfers 2018 Report. 1. Russia’s arms export to India decreased by 42 % between 2014-18 and 2009-2013. Russia accounted for 58 % of total Indian arms imports in 2014-2018, compared with 76 % in 2009-2013. 2. India’s import of arms decreased by 24 per cent between 2009-2013 and 2014-2018. India was world’s second largest importer of major arms in 2014-18 and accounted for 9.5 per cent of the global total. 3. Five largest Arm exporters in 2014-18 were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China. 4. Five largest Arm importers were Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and Algeria. Saudi Arabia replaced india as world's largest importer of arms, a position which india held for over a decade. 39. UK Members of Parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, which sets out the terms of the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU), for second time, by 391 to 242 votes. 40. USA signed agreement with South American Nation Brazil to protect its technology associated with US participation in space launches. 41. United Kingdom commemorated Noted Physicist Stephen Hawking in a new 50p coin, with references to His pioneering work on black holes. 42. United Nations Environment Programme released Global Environment Outlook 2019. Observations about India - 1. India could save at least $3 trillion (Rs 210 trillion approx.) in healthcare costs if India implements policy initiatives which are consistent with ensuring that the globe didn’t heat up beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius by the turn of the century. 2. India is on track to achieve the target of lowering the emission intensity of its GDP by 33-35% compared to 2005 levels by 2030 and increasing the total cumulative electricity generation from fossil-free energy sources to 40% by 2030. 3. Paris Accord 2015 aims to keep global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. 43. World Bank approved a $125 million loan for Sri Lanka to help small farmers improve productivity and tackle climate change. 44. World Gold Council report quantum of gold holding by the different countries - 1. 11th largest gold reserve and the current holding pegged at 607 tonnes. 2. List contains International Organization International Monetary Fund (IMF) which is ranked third with gold reserves of 2,814 tonnes. 3. Top spot is occupied by US gold reserves of 8,133.5 tonnes, followed by Germany with 3,369.7 tonnes. 3rd and 4th slot occupied by Germany and France with reserves of around 2,400 tonnes each. 4. China has gold reserves of 1,864.3 tonnes. 45. World Health Organization (WHO) released a Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030 aimed at protecting people in all countries from the threat of influenza, one of greatest public health challenges. WHO recommends annual influenza vaccination as the most effective way to prevent influenza, which is especially important for people at higher risk of serious influenza complications and for health care workers. Top

Meetings 1. 1st BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Sherpa meeting held in Curitiba (Brazil). Indian delegation was led by Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs T S Tirumurti. 2. 2nd International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure organised by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in New Delhi. 3. 34th meeting of Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) council of Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). 1. During the meet, It was decided to hold Sary-Arka-Antiterror 2019, the first joint military exercise of SCO. 2. Meeting also announced the holding of the first joint border operation Solidarity 2019-2021. 3. SCO member states China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan will participate in a joint counter-terrorism exercise ‘Sary-Arka-Antiterror 2019’ to be held in grasslands of Kazakhstan in the Sary Arka region. Top

National 1. A report by brand consultancy Interbrand named Tata, Reliance and Airtel are the top three Indian brands of 2019. Big Bazaar (33rd), DMart (37th) and Nerolac Paints (39th) are new entrants in this year’s ranking. 2. Ahmedabad bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)approved 42,000 crores resolution plan submitted by ArcelorMittal for debt-ridden Essar Steel. 3. Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft has been banned by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in the Indian airspace, following Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people. 4. Cab Aggregator Ola signed MoU with Telangana Government to support latter's efforts in strengthening traffic infrastructure in city. Ola would share intelligent insights that will enable Government to implement smart solutions to enhance 'mobility experience'. 5. Cabinet Approvals (Mar 13, 2019) 1. General Approvals - 1. Approved General Elections to the Lok Sabha 2019) -for issuance of statutory notifications under under sub- section(2) of Section 14 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. It provides for calling upon parliamentary constituencies to elect Members to House of the People, on dates to be recommended by Election Commission of India. 2. Approved Promulgation of Daman and Diu Civil Courts (Amendment) Regulation 2019 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil Courts and Miscellaneous Provisions)Amendment Regulation 2019 under Article 240 of the Constitution, to help bring uniformity in Judicial Service. 3. Approved proposal for accession of India to 1. The Nice Agreement concerning International classification of Goods and Services for the purposes of registration of marks, 2. The Vienna Agreement establishing an International Classification of the figurative elements of marks 3. The Locarno Agreement establishing an International classification for industrial designs. 4. Accession to these Agreements will help Intellectual Property Office in India to harmonise the classification systems for examinational of trademark and design applications, in line with the classification systems followed globally. 6. Central government allowed state governments to put enemy properties into public use, amending guidelines for disposal of the Enemy Property Order 2018. Enemy properties are the properties of the people who migrated to Pakistan during partition and also to China after Sino-India war in 1962. 1. It is estimated that there are 9,280 such properties which were left behind by people who went to Pakistan and 126 such properties were left by the Chinese nationals. 7. Election Commission of India (ECI) informed Supreme court that exclusion of names from draft NRC (National Register of Citizens) in Assam will not affect voting rights of persons in the upcoming elections provided that their name features in electoral rolls. Response came after ECI Secretary was summoned by supreme court in connection with a PIL(Public Interest Litigation). 8. General Conferences (Mar 11 - 20, 2019) 1. 3rd edition of Namaste Thailand festival, organised by Royal Thai Embassy held in New Delhi. 2. India and Japan organized 3rd Indo-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) in New Delhi. 3. NITI Aayog organized a day-long FinTech Conclave in New Delhi, aiming to To shape India’s continued ascendancy in FinTech. 4. India Smart Utility Week (ISUW) 2019 held in Manekshaw Center,New Delhi, organized by India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF). 5. 2 day national convention of War Decorated India held at the Manekshaw Auditorium in Chandimandir, near Chandigarh. 6. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) in Gandhinagar (Gujarat), organised by National Innovation Foundation. 7. 9th round of India-US Strategic Security Dialogue held in Washington DC. Both sides committed to strengthen bilateral security and civil nuclear cooperation, including the establishment of 6 U.S. nuclear reactors in India. 8. NITI Aayog and US Agency for International Development (USAID) organized the first workshop on development of the India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF), envisaged as a pan-stakeholder platform for debating ideas, scenario-planning & discussing the India’s energy future in New Delhi. 9. 4th IoT India Congress, an event which will see digital technology leaders converge to discuss and explore business opportunities in mainstreaming Internet of Things (IoT), will be held in Bengaluru in August 2019. 10. 34th edition of Aahar - International Food and Hospitality Fair, organized by India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) held in New Delhi. 11. Vastradan Campaign initiated by the erstwhile royal family of Udaipur has set the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of clothes for donation. Campaign had collected more than 3 lakh items of clothing. 12. Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Sahu launched ‘i-help’ initiative, to promote digital electoral literacy in the State 9. Geographical Indication (GI) tags granted to Coorg Arabica Coffee, Wayanad Robusta Coffee, Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee, Araku Valley Arabica Coffee and Bababudangiris Arabica Coffee, by Geographical Indications Registry. 10. Government ordered monitoring West Nile Virus spread in Kerala, after A seven-year-old in Kerala was tested positive. It typically spreads by mosquitoes and results in neurological disease as well as death in people. Virus is the member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of family Flaviviridae, first detected in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. 11. Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) partnered with NASSCOM Foundation, to launch a centre of excellence in Bengaluru for training differently-abled persons (PwDs) which will train a minimum of 100 PwDs making them industry-ready over next 12 months. 12. Home Ministry has approved the changing of name of the Old Mangkhi village in Tuensang of Nagaland to Mungankhun village. Central government has given its ‘no-objection’ to renaming of 22 villages, towns and railway stations across the country since December 2017. 13. IIT Kharagpur signed MoU with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to set up a 1.3 Petaflop high- performance computing facility and data centre funded under National Supercomputing Mission. 1. National Supercomputing Mission was initiated in 2015, implemented by Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) at cost of 4500 crores over a 7 years. 14. IIT Kharagpur will adopt Amazon Web Services (AWS) Educate programme to help students gain cloud computing skills including hands-on experience in artificial intelligence (AI). The programme offers a robust set of no-cost tools, resources and AWS Promotional Credits for students and educators to boost their cloud skills and experience. 15. Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar in collaboration with National Mental Health Program, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Gujarat has developed a mobile application called as ‘Conquer Exam, Be a Warrior’ for students to reduce the exam pressure. 16. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee tied up with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up a Space Technology Cell, to pursue advanced research in areas of relevance to the future technological and programmatic needs of Indian space programme. 17. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched programme for School Children called “Young Scientist Programme” “YUva VIgyani KAryakram” (यवकाु ), aimed at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications to the younger ones. 1. Residential training programme will be of around two weeks duration during summer holidays and it is proposed to select 3 students each from each State/ UT. Those who have finished 9th and waiting to join 10th standard are eligible. 2. Interested students can register online from 25th March 2019 (1800 hrs) to 03rd April 2019 (1800 hrs). URL is https://yuvika.isro.gov.in/yuvika 18. Indian Sundarbans has been accorded status of ‘Wetland of International Importance’ in Ramsar Convention. Indian Sundarban is also a UNESCO world heritage site, and is home to Royal Bengal Tiger. 1. Ramsar status will help to highlight conservation issues of the Sundarbans at the international level at the time when concerns have been raised about natural ecosystems being changed for cultivation of shrimp, crab, molluscs and fish. 2. Ramsar Convention, is an international agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It is the only global treaty which focus on a single ecosystem. 19. Ireland-based Johnson Controls Building Technologies and Solutions released its report for second annual smart city indicator survey. About India - 1. About 4 per cent of buildings in India are “green” but a lack of technical expertise to execute projects and funding to pay for improvements is biggest barriers to investment in India. 2. Green building refers to both a structure and the application of processes which are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from planning to construction and maintenance. 3. India is on track to be consistent with the global average of 14 per cent. 20. Jammu and Kashmir government proposed monthly stipend of INR 6000 and jobs for those who Shun (Leave) militancy. 21. Madhya Pradesh government announced increase of reservation quotas for the OBCs from 14% to 27%. Madhya Pradesh already has 36% reservation for scheduled castes and tribes. 22. Microsoft partnered with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to promote its Project ‘Sangam’ which is developed to accelerate Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in India. Project Sangam is a cloud-hosted, mobile-first community learning platform. 23. Ministry of Corporate Affairs formulated National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC) by revising National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business, 2011 (NVGs). NGRBC urge businesses to actualise principles in letter and spirit. 24. National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prepare a noise pollution map and remedial action plan to solve issue across country. NGT asked CPCB to consider setting up of such mechanisms in all cities where noise pollution is beyond permissible limits. 25. National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed INR 5-crore fine on the Adani Group over its power plant in Karnataka’s Udupi, also cancelling environmental clearance given to Adani Group to expand its power plant in the area. 26. SC bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi stayed Meghalaya High Court’s judgment against Shillong Times editor, Patricia Mukhim and Publisher, Shobha Chaudhuri who were found guilty of contempt of court. Both Patricia Mukhim and Shobha Chaudhuri were fined with Rs. 2 lakh by Meghalaya HC. 27. Sirsi Supari of Karnataka got GI tag by the Registrar of Geographical Indications, being first product from Arecanut sector to get GI tag. 1. Sirsi Supari is cultivated in Yellapura, Siddapura and Sirsi taluks. Its medium size, somewhat flat and rounded shape, somewhat ash coloured, and a hard seed which makes it unique. 28. Supreme Court censured Uttarakhand High Court for framing a scheme to regularise hundreds of casual workers engaged by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). 1. A case was filed in Uttarakhand HC by unions representing casual workers, against centre alleging that govt. had not regularised labourers though they had worked for BRO for years. 2. Uttarakhand HC Framed a scheme to regularise the services of casual labourers and granted them benefits similar to those of regular employees. 3. SC asia that courts can not form schemes as its done by government. All that High Court could have done is exercising of its the power under Article 226 of Constitution to direct government to consider framing an appropriate scheme. 29. Tamil Nadu's Erode Turmeric received GI tag from Geographical Indication Registry. Erode Turmeric is golden yellow in colour with resistance to pests after boiling. Erode turmeric contains 2.5 to 4.5% of curcumin content. Its grown in hot moist conditions prevalent in the area with temperature ranging from 20 degrees to 37.9 degrees Celsius with average of 600 to 800 mm rainfall in a year. 30. Uttar Pradesh started its First census of otters in its protected areas, beginning in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. Otters live on fish and spend much of its time in or close to water bodies. A thriving population of otters means a healthy ecosystem and pollution-free water bodies. India is home to 3 of 13 species of otters found worldwide. 31. WhatsApp partnered with NASSCOM Foundation, to tackle misinformation issue, aiming train 100,000 Indians to spot false information and provide tips and tricks to stay safe on WhatsApp. Top

Persons 1. Former IAS officer Shah Faesal, who became first IAS topper from J&K in 2009, has launched a political party named ‘Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Movement’ at a function in Srinagar . He resigned from the Indian Administrative Service in January to protest killings in Kashmir. 2. Visits from India (Mar 11 - 20, 2019) 1. Indian Navy Chief Sunil Lanba visited UK. 2. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Maldives. 1. Three agreements signed were - 1. Agreement on exemption from visa requirement for holders of diplomatic and official passports 2. MOU regarding Indian grant assistance for implementation of high impact community development projects through local bodies 3. MOU on collaboration in field of energy efficiency and renewable energy 2. Maldives signed agreement with India’s Export-Import Bank (EXIM) for line of credit (LOC) of 800 million US dollars to finance the new government’s infrastructure projects. 1. This LOC is part of 1.4 billion US dollars finance assistance announced by the Indian government during President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih state visit in December 2018. 2. EXIM Bank loans come with a 1.75% interest rate and a 15-year repayment period after five years of moratorium. 3. India also agreed to establish a cricket stadium in Maldives. 3. Visits to India (Mar 11 - 20, 2019) 1. Dr Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, Prime Minister of Guinea ( West Africa) Visited India. 2. Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of Saudi Aramco, Eng. Khalid A. Al-Falih visited India. 1. During the visit, It was decided that India and Saudi Arabia will revive and expedite implementation of USD 44 billion West Coast refinery project in Maharashtra, named Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals (RRPCL), in which Saudi Aramco will be holding a considerable stake. It will be the largest greenfield refinery in world. Top

Science 1. A new species of frog known as ‘Starry Dwarf Frog’ has been discovered in Western Ghats mountain range. It has been named ‘Astro Batrachus kurichiya’ and is found in Kurichiyarmala, Kerala. 2. Astronomers from Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai identified a new population of ultraviolet stars in the globular cluster NGC 2808 using the Indian multi-wavelength space observatory AstroSat, launched in September 2015. 3. First remote surgery on a human using 5G technology successfully conducted in China, with low-latency 5G technology provided by Huawei and China Mobile. 5G technology was used in a surgery conducted on a pig last year. 4. NASA Researchers stated that mercury is closer to earth than Venus, As per research on basis of average distance. Every other planet when compared to mercury is farther from earth including Venus based on average distance. Also, mercury is closest planet to every other planet in solar system when considering average. Study Says mercury is at 0.387 AU (Astromomical Unit) from earth while Venus is at 0.722 AU. 5. Scientists developed a common framework for assessment of climate change vulnerability in Himalayan states (Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.). Assessment shows vulnerability index is highest for Assam (0.72) and Mizoram (0.71). Sikkim is the least vulnerable state with the index being 0.42. Top

Sports 1. 2019 All England Badminton Champonships - 1. Men's Singles - Kento Momota (Japan), defeated Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) 2. Women's Singles - Chen Yufei (China), Defeated Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei) 3. Men's Doubles - Indonesia's Mohammad Ahsan AND Hendra Setiawan 4. Women's Doubles - China's Chen Qingchen AND Jia Yifan 5. Mixed Doubles - China's Zheng Siwei AND Huang Yaqiong 2. 2019 Asian Youth Athletics Championships (Hong Kong) - 1. Medal Tally - Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total

1 China 12 11 8 31 2 India 8 9 9 26 3 Japan 6 8 6 20 4 Chinese Taipei 3 3 3 9 5 Kazakhstan 2 1 4 7 2. Indian Gold Medalists - 1. Males - 1. Abdul Razak Cheramkulangara Rasheed (400 Metres) 2. Medley Relay (Team) 3. Vishvendra Singh (10000 Metres Walk) 4. Vipin Kumar (Hammer throw) 5. Usaid Khan (Decathlon) 2. Females - 1. Avantika Santosh Narale (100 metres) 2. Thabitha Philip Maheswaran (100 metres hurdles) 3. Thabitha Philip Maheswaran (Long jump) 3. 2019 BNP Paribas Open (also known as 2019 Indian Wells Masters Tennis Title) - 1. Men's Singles - Dominic Thiem (Austria), defeated Roger Federer (Switzerland) 2. Women's Singles - Bianca Andreescu (Canada), defeated Angelique Kerber (Germany) 3. Men's Doubles - Nikola Mektić (Croatia) AND Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) 4. Women's Doubles - Elise Mertens (Belgium) AND Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) 4. 2019 Swiss Open Badminton (called YONEX Swiss Open 2019) - 1. Men's Singles - Shi Yuqi (China), Defeated India's B. Sai Praneeth in Final. 2. Women's Singles - Chen Yufei (China) 3. Men's Doubles - Indonesia's Fajar Alfian AND Muhammad Rian Ardianto 4. Women's Doubles - South Korea's Chang Ye-na AND Jung Kyung-eun 5. Mixed Doubles - Denmark' Mathias Bay-Smidt AND Rikke Søby Hansen 5. Argentina and Colombia will co-host 2020 Copa America Football Cup, as first time this tournament will be hosted by 2 countries. Two countries are separated by over 7000 kilometers. 6. Bengaluru Football Club (FC) won their first Indian Super League (ISL) title, defeating FC Goa in Mumbai. 7. India defeated Nepal to win 5th South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship in Biratnagar (Nepal). 8. K.T. Irfan became Indian (in athletics) to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2020, as he finished fourth in men’s 20 kilometre category at the Asian Race Walking Championships in Nomi (Japan). 9. Karnataka won Syed Mushtaq ALi T20 Cricket tournament, defeating Maharashtra. 10. Mercedes Racer Valtteri Bottas (Finland) won season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix 2019.

1. Round Grand Prix Winner date 1 Australian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas (Finland) 17 March

2 Bahrain Grand Prix 31 March

3 Chinese Grand Prix 14 April

4 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 28 April

5 Spanish Grand Prix 12 May

6 Monaco Grand Prix 26 May

7 Canadian Grand Prix 9 June

8 French Grand Prix 23 June

9 Austrian Grand Prix 30 June

10 British Grand Prix 14 July

11 German Grand Prix 28 July

12 Hungarian Grand Prix 4 August

13 Belgian Grand Prix 1 September

14 Italian Grand Prix 8 September

15 Singapore Grand Prix 22 September

16 Russian Grand Prix 29 September

17 Japanese Grand Prix 13 October Round Grand Prix Winner date

18 Mexican Grand Prix 27 October

19 United States Grand Prix 3 November

20 Brazilian Grand Prix 17 November

21 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 1 December 11. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) paid $1.6 million as compensation to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after losing a case in the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee. 1. PCB had filed a compensation case against BCCI in 2018 before ICC Dispute Resolution Committee for an amount of around $70 million. 2. PCB sought huge amount as compensation from BCCI for not honouring a MoU signed between two boards, as per which, India and Pakistan were supposed to play 6 bilateral series between 2015 and 2023, which BCCI failed to honour. 3. BCCI said that it was unable to play against Pakistan as Indian government did not give required permission. BCCI also maintained that discussion with PCB was a proposal and never a legally binding MoU. Top

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