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Contents

National …………………………………………………………………………………………..…… 1 International …………………………………………………………………………….…..……… 12 Legal News ……………………………………………………………………..………….………… 16 Economy ………………………………………………………………………………..….………… 18 Science & Technology ……………………………………………………………….…..……… 21 Sports ……………………………………………………………………………………….………… 26 Awards ………………………………………………………………………………..……………… 28 Summits ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 31 Persons in News ………………………………………………………………………..………… 33 Obituary ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 36 Days …………………………………………………………………………………….……………… 36 Miscellaneous ……………………………………………………………………………………… 37 Exercise Questions ……………………….……………………………………………………… 38

Contents

Current Affairs March, 2018 MODULE March, 2018

announced that the country would skip the NATIONAL BS–V norms altogether and adopt BS–VI norms by 2020. By moving to BS–VI, the  The National Highways Authority of India country will be using the highest (NHAI) has conducted detailed pre– specifications of fuel standard available in feasibility studies for setting up Inter the world right now. Modal Station at Nagpur and Varanasi  President Ram Nath Kovind, received the and the development of DPRs for this is in first copy of the book ‘Fulfilling Bapu’s final stages of completion. For the pilot Dreams – Prime Minister Modi’s Tribute project, the satellite railways stations at to Gandhiji’ from Sadhguru Jaggi Ajni in Nagpur and Kashi in Varanasi Vasudev. have been selected for development of IMS.  The Centre has decided to install these Justice Clocks with LED message Know more displayed on the screens, in all 24 high courts of India to show the daily rate of  Intermodal Stations are terminal disposal of cases. The clocks will also infrastructure which integrate display the number of pending cases and various transportation modes like the individual rank of each of these rail, road, mass rapid transit system, courts. The idea of ‘justice clock’ was bus rapid transit, inland waterways, floated by Prime Minister Narendra auto–rickshaws, taxis and private Modi last year. The initiative was vehicles etc, so that people can move undertaken to create public awareness in from one mode to another judicial matters. Justice clock was first seamlessly, with minimum use of installed in the New Delhi office of the automobiles. Justice Department.

 In a bid to bring down pollution levels,  36 Hour Smart India Hackathon 2018 the Supreme Court asked the Centre to Grand Finale to be held in Chennai. consider increasing the price of diesel in Smart India Hackathon 2018 would be order to lessen the consumption of it. The the second massive scale hackathon bench also proposed a roll out of Bharat initiative in India following Smart India Stage–VI (BS–VI) fuel across 13 metros Hackathon 2017. by April 1, 2019 and directed the central  Country’s first global counter terrorism government to consult the Oil Marketing and anti–insurgency centre will be set Companies (OMCs) and get their reply on up in Jaipur over a 50–acre plot. The this proposal. Bharat stage emission institute will be first–of–its–kind in India standards (BSES) are emission standards where activities such as discussions, instituted by the Government of India to training modules etc will be prepared to regulate the output of air pollutants from counter terrorism. Security agencies and internal combustion engines and Spark– armed forces would be trained to counter ignition engines equipment, including terrorism tactically and strategically. motor vehicles. The standards, based on

European regulations were first introduced  The Uttar Pradesh government has 1

in 2000. In 2016, the Indian government made it mandatory for all government

Current Affairs March, 2018 offices in the state to have a portrait Choice awards for Destinations by picture of Dr BR Ambedkar from April 1. TripAdvisor.  SAP (German software company) signed  The ears of the bovine are being tagged a Statement of Intent (SOI) with NITI with UID numbers as a part of a scheme Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a run by National Dairy Development flagship programme of the Government Board (NDDB). The UID given to cattle will of India to promote a culture of be linked to the Aadhaar number of its innovation and entrepreneurship. owner which would also keep a check on illegal sale, smuggling and abandoning of  The NITI Aayog has recently launched its the cattle as well as to increase milk first round of ranking of India’s production. aspirational districts. The ranking was based on the socio–economic performance.  Karnataka cabinet approves separate Niti Aayog is set to monitor on a real–time religion status for Lingayats. Karnataka basis the progress made by 115 State Minorities Commission had formed a “aspirational districts” that face seven–member committee, headed by challenges on health and nutrition, retired high court judge HN Nagamohan education and financial front, and display Das on the issue, which submitted its their ranking from next month. The report on 2 March stating that “Lingayats baseline ranking for the 115 aspirational in Karnataka may be considered as a districts is based on 49 indicators across religious minority”. five sectors that includes health and  President Ram Nath Kovind released nutrition (30% weightage) education commemorative coins in denominations (30%), agriculture and water resources of ₹10 and ₹1000 on Lord Jagannath’s (20%), financial inclusion and skill Nabakalebar festival during the development (10%) and basic centenary celebration of Rastriya Sanskrit infrastructure (10%). Sansthan in Puri.  As per the baseline ranking, Vizianagaram  The National Annual Rural Sanitation in Andhra Pradesh is ranked highest Survey (NARSS) 2017–18 reveals that with score of 48. 13 per cent while 68% of rural households in India use Mewat in Haryana tails at the end with the toilet when required. 26.02 per cent. Among others, Asifabad (Telangana), Singrauli (Madhya Pradesh),  The survey was conducted by a third party Kiphire (Nagaland), Shrawasti, agency Kantar Public, as a requirement by Siddarthnagar and Balrampur (Uttar the World Bank to begin payout on its Pradesh), Namsai (Arunachal Pradesh), $1.5 billion loan to the Swacch Bharat Sukma (Chattisgarh) are ranked at bottom Abhiyan–Gramin. The provisional of the list. summary report of the survey found that 77% of all rural households now have  The longest elevated road in the country access to toilets, and that 93.4% of those in Ghaziabad has been inaugurated. The who had access to toilets used them elevated six–lane road is approximately 10 regularly. Kerala and Mizoram top the kilometres–long and built on 227 single list of States, with 100% of households pillars. It connects UP Gate to Rajnagar which do not practice open defecation. Extension. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are at the  New Delhi has been ranked 22nd in the bottom of the rankings, with less than world and eighth in Asia among the top 44% of such households. The following

destination for 2018 at the Travellers’ 11 states/UTs namely Sikkim, Himachal 2

Current Affairs March, 2018 Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Haryana, of the month Sajibu (usually falls in Gujarat, Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, March or April). Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Meghalaya had been declared Open  Three Indian cities –– New Delhi, Defecation Free in India. Bangalore and Chennai –– are among the cheapest cities in the world, according to  The Unique Identification Authority of an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) India (UIDAI), is in–charge of the 12– survey, that named Singapore as the digit identifier Aadhaar is all set to make most expensive city. face authentication available alongside iris or fingerprint scan from July 1,  Pune, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram 2018. top the country in terms of urban governance, a 23–city survey conducted  The Union government has decided to by Bengaluru–based advocacy group declare 2018 as ‘National Year of Millets’ Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and to boost the cultivation of millets. Democracy has found. Delhi and Mumbai  India is expected to establish itself as the figure in the sixth and ninth positions. third largest travel and tourism  Sustainable Action for Transforming economy by 2028. Human Capital in Education (SATH–E)  With 20 lakh tulips of 46 varieties in its project has been launched in New Delhi. lap, Asia’s largest Tulip garden  Chandigarh has become the first city in overlooking the world famous Dal Lake North India to install Automatic Speed in Srinagar was thrown open to visitors, Gun Cameras with digital displays for marking the beginning of new tourism traffic management, joining Kolkata to season in the Valley. install such system.  The government has launched “E–  West Bengal has attained first spot both Tribes”, TRIFED’s websites. It includes in terms of allotting jobs and utilising www.tribesindia.com, www.trifed.in and funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Retail Inventory Software and M– Rural Employment Guarantee Act commerce app. TRIFED is an apex (MGNREGA) scheme. It is followed by organisation at National Level and Tamil Nadu. functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.  Ahead of International Women’s Day, the TRIFED is serving the interests of Tribals, South Central Railway (SCR) who are engaged in collection of NTFP and management named the little–known making of Tribal Art & Handicraft Products Chandragiri station near Tirupati as the for their livelihood so as to ensure better “all–women railway station” in the zone. remunerative price for their products as well as for the socio–economic betterment  During the 41st session of the ‘World through Self Help Groups, Heritage Committee’, one of India’s two nominations, ‘Historic City of  BHEL has commissioned first unit of 110 Ahmadabad’ has been added to the World MW of the Kishanganga hydro–electric Heritage List. The number of such sites in project (HEP) of NHPC in Jammu and India has reached 36. Kashmir. It is located on the river Kishanganga, a tributary of the Jhelum.  Air India operated all–women crew flights on Mar 8 on the Kolkata–  Cheiraoba is the New Year festival of Dimapur–Kolkata sector.

Manipur. It is celebrated on the first day 3

Current Affairs March, 2018  To facilitate start–ups and  The Union Health Ministry recently entrepreneurship ventures, a large Bio– announced the launch of LaQshya, a Incubator with 20,000 sq ft area, has been programme aimed at improving quality launched in the University of Hyderabad of care in labour room and maternity (UoH). The BioNEST (Bio–Incubator operation theatre. India has improved Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling maternal survival as Maternal Mortality Technologies) was inaugurated on the Ratio (MMR) reduced from 301 maternal occasion of ‘National Science Day’, that is deaths in 2001–03 to 167 in 2011–13, an 28th Feburary. impressive decline of 45% in a decade.  India’s first offshore wind turbines is  Kollam, Kerela is set to become the first coming up at Arichamunai near district in India to bring all food Dhanushkodi, the south–eastern tip of business operators under the provisions Pamban Island of the state of Tamil Nadu of the Food Safety and Standards Act in India. (FSSA).  After Madhya Pradesh, Haryana  Minister of Power, New and Renewable proposes death penalty for rapists of Energy, R K Singh flagged off the National girls below 12 years. E–Mobility Programme in India. In line  The ie100 – List of India’s most powerful with the Government of India’s vision of – is back with some names repeating 100 per cent e–mobility by 2030, Energy themselves for a second year running – Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) will issue a such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi fresh tender for additional 10,000 e– at the helm followed by BJP President vehicles. Amit Shah. As far as sportspersons are concerned, India’s cricket captain Virat  Seeking to resolve the long–standing Kohli has ranked 20th this year. New dispute between Odisha and inclusions to the list are India’s chief Chhattisgarh on sharing Mahanadi river badminton coach Pullela Gopichand (91st waters, the Union Cabinet approved position) and Nita Ambani (66th constitution of a Tribunal. This inter–state position) with her involvement in IPL, ISL, water dispute Tribunal will be required to NBA and IOC. adjudicate the matter within a timeframe of maximum five years. Supreme Court  Kerala deployed ‘Bandicoot’ robots to Judge AM Khanwilkar will be the clean the sewers in order to end the Chairman of the tribunal, with Justice practice of manual scavenging Ravi Ranjan of the Patna High Court and Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar of the  Union Minister for Social Justice and Delhi High Court being the other two Empowerment, Thaawarchand members. Gehlot launched “First Indian Sign Language Dictionary of 3000 words” in New Delhi.  World’s largest solar park ‘Shakti Sthala’ launched in Karnataka.  Owing to a demand of the armed forces, the government has removed the cap of  India’s first 3D Swami Vivekananda Rs 10,000 per month on educational Planetarium is inaugurated at Dr. K. assistance given to children of martyrs Shivaram Karanth Pilikula or those disabled in action, eight months

Nisargadhama in Mangaluru, Karnataka. after imposing it.

Current Affairs March, 2018

Know more BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya by releasing a book, titled A Tribute to Jagu.  The government order in July last year saying the assistance under the  India ranks 52 on the Mastercard Index scheme cannot exceed Rs 10,000 for Women Entrepreneurs (MIWE), a list per month had triggered of 57 nations released by Mastercard. widespread discontent among all the  According to Hurun’s Global Rich List 2018, three services. India has now become the third country  Under the scheme, which was with maximum billionaires after China initially rolled out in 1972, tuition and the USA. fee of children of martyrs or those  Odisha Government has launched ‘Ama disabled in action were Gaon, Ama Vikas’ (Our Village, our completely waived in schools, development) programme to reach out colleges and other professional to people in rural areas and involve educational institutions. themselves in developmental activities on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Divas in  China will create a bastion for giant the state. Odisha observes Panchayati pandas three times the size of Raj Divas on March 5 every year to mark Yellowstone National Park to link up and the birth anniversary of former Chief encourage breeding among existing wild Minister Biju Patnaik. populations of the notoriously slow– reproducing animal.  Kerala, which last year became the first State to declare Internet a basic human  Saudi Arabia opened its airspace for the right, has notched up another first by first time to a commercial flight to Israel launching mKeralam, an app that will with the inauguration of an Air India serve as a single window for accessing route between New Delhi and Tel Aviv. thousands of government services.  National Cultural Audiovisual Archives  As per Census 2011 data, India is home (NCAA) becomes the World’s First to 413670 beggars. Among all state and Trusted Digital Repository. Union Territories, highest number of  The Modi government has constituted a beggars resides in West Bengal (nearly six–member task force to review the 81000 beggars), while Lakshadweep has Income Tax Act, 1961, and draft a new only two beggars. Direct Tax Law in consonance with  Surat district in Gujarat has become the economic needs of the country. CBDT first district in India to have 100 percent member Arvind Modi will be convener of solar powered Primary Health Centers task force. Chief Economic Adviser Dr. (PHC). 150 out of 572 gram panchayats Arvind Subramanian will be its in Surat are now powered by solar system. permanent Special Invitee.  India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has  Udyam Sakhi (www. udyamsakhi. org) retained the top spot on ’IE 100 2018’, portal is considered as India’s first The List of Most Powerful Indians. interactive portal for female entrepreneurs and was launched in New  Rahul Dravid has been appointed as new Delhi. state election icon of Karnataka.  Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), on the occasion  Anushka Sharma & PV Sindhu features in of the 70th independence of the island the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018 list. nation, paid a glowing tribute to former Anushka is one of Indian film industry’s

highest paid actresses. 5

Current Affairs March, 2018  India’s first Start–up incubator for Narendra Modi has approved the women ‘We–Hub’ launched in continuation of Prime Minister’s Telangana. Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) beyond 12th Plan for three  War Memorial Boys and Girls Hostel was years from 2017–18 to 2019–20. 12th inaugurated at village DandaLakhond, five–year plan was observed between Dehradun. The Garhwal Rifles War 2012–17. Memorial Boys and Girls Hostel at Lansdowne exist since 1980.  World’s oldest city Varanasi goes ‘wireless’.  British architecture firm Zaha Hadid’s first major project is to design Navi  President Ram Nath Kovind going to visit Mumbai international airport. the island nations of Madagascar and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.  Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project (NMHEP) will be constructed on the river  Ram Nath Kovind will be the chief Tons – a tributary of the Yamuna, in guest at the celebrations Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. commemorating the 50th year of  Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), the independence of Mauritius. the government aims to attain 100 per  Ram Nath Kovind becomes first cent scientific management of solid Indian President to visit waste, and also make the country Open– Madagascar. This is the first ever Defecation Free (ODF) by October 2, visit by a President or Prime 2019, the 150th anniversary of the birth Minister of India to this country. of Mahatma Gandhi. Maharashtra produced the highest quantity of solid  The President of India has waste as on January 31, out of which inaugurated the World Hindi 7,900 tpd or 35 per cent was processed. Secretariat building on the third Maharashtra tops the list of biomedical day of his visit to Mauritius. waste generated in the country daily  India announced a new Line of followed by Karnataka (2nd) and Tamil Credit of USD 100 million for Nadu (3rd) defence procurement by  Meenangadi village in the Western Mauritius as the two sides signed Ghats of Kerala is to become country’s many agreements. first carbon–neutral panchayat. Carbon neutral is a state of zero carbon  As per findings of National Annual Rural footprint achieved when carbon emissions Sanitation Survey (NARSS) 2017–18, in the atmosphere are cancelled out by an about 77% homes in rural areas of India equal amount of sequestration. have got toilets and over 93 per cent households in villages who have access  The Union Ministry of Chemicals & to toilets are using them. Fertilizers has approved proposal of setting up of Plastic Park in Deoghar  With production of 1423 billion units (BU) District, Jharkhand. It will also set up in Financial Year 2016, India was the Central Institute for Plastic Engineering & third largest producer of electricity in Technology (CIPET) and Plastic the world according to a report by India Recycling unit at Deoghar. Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a trust established by the commerce ministry. 1st  The Cabinet Committee on Economic

is china. 6

Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri

Current Affairs March, 2018  NITI Aayog launched the Women  India has imposed anti–dumping duty on Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), on import of Ofloxacin from China to protect the occasion of International Women’s Day domestic producers from below–cost in New Delhi. The WEP theme song shipments. “Naari Shakti” is composed and sung by  Jackfruit declared as Kerala’s official Shri Kailash Kher. fruit  The proportion of girls below the age of 18  On 29th March 2018, Andhra Pradesh Chief getting married in India has nearly halved Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in a decade, the United Nations children’s inaugurated the International Yachting agency UNICEF. UNICEF estimates that 12 Festival in Visakhapatnam, Andhra million girls a year are married globally, Pradesh and says more is needed to end the practice  Among all Indian states, Madhya Pradesh by 2030 – the target set under the U.N.’s has the highest number tribal Sustainable Development Goals. habitations (55770) fully covered with  The HRD (Human Resources Development) the safe drinking water supply. ministry has decided to set up an  Madhya Pradesh has got Geographical innovation cell lead by a scientist to Indications (GI) tag for Kadaknath, a develop new ideas to encourage innovation chicken breed whose black meat is in in India. India was at 66th position in demand in certain regions of the state. 2016. It improved to 60th rank in 2017 on the Global Innovation Index Ranking.  Araku Valley in Visakhapatnam district of This index is published by Cornell Andhra Pradesh has got Geographical University, INSEAD, and the World Indication to protect the unique identity of Intellectual Property Organization. the coffee grown by the tribal communities of Araku Valley.  Mumbai ranks 16th among the top 20  The Tripura government has decided to costliest cities in the world, while in set up a “well–equipped” crime branch Monaco, which tops the list of most under the state police to deal with expensive cities, according to the Knight unlawful activities such as drug and Frank Wealth Report 2018. narcotics peddling.  Andhra Pradesh stands at 51st position  Asia’s Largest Tulip Garden “Indira in Global Multidimensional Poverty Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden” in Inde. However, on the global Srinagar Opens for Visitors Multidimensional Poverty Index, India  The Central Institute for Research on ranked at 66th position with an index Buffaloes (CIRB) has claimed that India’s value of 0.1911. first cloned Assamese buffalo male calf  “Indian Images: People and Places”, a photo named Sach–Gaurav was born in Hisar, exhibition about India was inaugurated by Haryana. It was born to Murrah buffalo, India’s Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay at Hi Tech Sach Dairy Farm, 100 kms from Bhattacharyya in Cairo, Egypt. cloning laboratory, making it first buffalo calf to be born in field.  President Ram Nath Kovind released Rs 1000 and Rs 10 commemorative Know more coins on Nabakalebara festival in Puri,  This is second cloned male buffalo Odisha. Nabakalebara is a festival produced by ICAR–CIRB after observed in the Shree Jagannath Temple Hisar–Gaurav, born in December

at Puri, Odisha 2015. 7

Current Affairs March, 2018  In a first, the Centre is planning to rank made a historic landing at Tuting medical and dental colleges. The Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in National Institutional Ranking Arunachal Pradesh. Framework (NIRF) of the human  India has ranked 133rd out of 156 development resource ministry is working countries in the World Happiness towards adding medical education Report 2018. World Happiness report is category to the rankings this year. an annual report published by the U. N.  India’s first insect museum opened at Sustainable Development Solutions Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu Network. Finland tops the list.  MHRD has approved ‘Study in India’  In a First, Madhya Pradesh To Measure Its programme. This programme has several People’s Happiness Quotient Across objectives including doubling India’s Cities & Villages. market share of global education exports  According to the report by Stockholm from less than 1 percent to 2 percent and International Peace Research Institute, improving global ranking of Indian India was the world’s largest importer educational institutes. of major arms in 2013–17.  According to internet speed testing  Madhya Pradesh West Power analysis firm Ookla, India ranked 67th Distribution Company (MPWPDC) for fixed broadband and 109th for mobile launched a “Pink Electricity Zone’ that internet speeds in February 2018 on will be managed by women staff. Speedtest. For Broadband 1st is Singapore. For Mobile Internet Download 1st is  Cabinet approves signing of Migration Norway. and Mobility Partnership Agreement between India and France covering  “Huddle Kerala”, Asia’s largest startup areas like people–to–people contacts, ecosystem congregation, will be held at mobility of students, academics, Kovalam, Kerala, on 6th and 7th April researchers and skilled professionals. 2018. The Union Cabinet has approved the  Suzlon Energy announced the signing of an Agreement between India and installation and commissioning of S128, France to facilitate Mutual Recognition of claimed to be the largest wind turbine educational qualifications and periods of generator (WTG) in India. The first study undertaken by students in duly prototype of S128 has been approved, recognized and/or accredited commissioned at Sanganeri, in Tamil educational Institutions in India and Nadu. France. The Union Cabinet has approved an Agreement between India and France on  Government launches ‘I – Metros’, an the Prevention of the Illicit association of all Indian Metro Rail Consumption and Reduction of Illicit companies Traffic in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic  Passport details of borrowers obtaining Substances and Chemical Precursors, loans of Rs 50 crore and above has been and related offences. made mandatory to take immediate  India’s tallest tricolour was hoisted action in case of fraud and to prevent in Belagavi, Karnataka. The flag hoisted defaulters from escaping away from India. in Belagavi is 110m high from the base  C–17 Globemaster, the Indian Air plate to the top while its size is 120X80 ft.

Force’s (IAF) largest transport aircraft, 8

Current Affairs March, 2018  Banlotwa has become the first ‘alcohol– of Milan 2018 is to enhance regional free’ village in Ranchi district cooperation for combating Unlawful of Jharkhand. Activities at sea will be organised.  Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa  Central Government approved projects Sarma presents State’s First E–Budget. worth Rs 2919.55 crore under the Each legislator of Assam State Legislative ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ for eight major cities of Assembly was provided with a tablet India, in order to make them safer for (computer) having details of the Budget. women. The projects have been approved for Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai,  India’s first coastal policing academy set Bengaluru, Hyderabad Ahmedabad and up in Gujarat. The National Academy of Lucknow. Coastal Policing (NACP), India’s first coastal policing academy, has been set  India to have its own size chart for up in Okha, in Devbhoomi Dwarka clothes, NIFT to conduct survey. Under district of Gujarat. the aegis of the Union Ministry of Textiles, the National Institute of  Arunachal Pradesh Assembly passed Fashion Technology (NIFT) – New Delhi, Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill 2018 to will conduct a National Sizing Survey of do away with the Anchal Samiti, the India to develop an ‘India size chart’ for intermediate level of the three–tier the garment industry. panchayati raj system and set up a two– tier system in the state. In two–tier  The Odisha government launched system, even strength of elected members ‘Khushi’, a scheme that offers free will be reduced, thus helping to save sanitary pads to 17 lakh girl students in money for conducting polls and functional Odisha. Maharashtra government has costs on Anchal Samities. The revenue started Ashmita Yojana under which saved can be utilised for developmental sanitary napkins at subsidised rates will activities and strengthening panchayats. be given to rural girls.  Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime  Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Minister Narendra Modi approved the Singh Rawat inaugurated the week– proposal for establishment of National long 29th edition of annual Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA). International Yoga Festival (IYF) The decision aims at establishment of at Parmarth Niketan ashram in NFRA as an independent regulator for Rishikesh. The Ministry of AYUSH will the auditing profession which is one of organise the 2018 International Yoga Fest the key changes brought in by the at the Morarji Desai National Institute of Companies Act, 2013. The NFRA will have Yoga in New Delhi from March 21, 2018. a Chairperson, a Secretary and three full– The fest is a curtain raiser for International time Members. It will be an independent Yoga Day–2018, which is celebrated on the regulator for the auditing profession. 21st June.  The Maharashtra government has  Global Firepower ranks India’s military partnered with Wikipedia, to spread the as fourth strongest behind the US (1st), Marathi language and enhance its online Russia (2nd) and China (3rd). Pakistan is usage. on 13th position.  The Andaman Nicobar naval command is  The Central Council for Research in organizing “Milan 2018” with theme Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has developed ‘Friendship Across the Seas’ at Port Blair in a coded drug AYUSH QOL–2C for cancer patients. CCRAS is headquartered in

Andaman & Nicobar islands. The purpose 9

Bengaluru.

Current Affairs March, 2018  Karnataka government unveiled the  ‘WE Hub’, India’s first state–led State flag (nada dhwaja) for Karnataka. incubator for women launched by If Karnataka receives Central Telengana Government. government approval, it will be the  India’s first helicopter taxi service (heli second state after Jammu and Kashmir taxi) was launched in Bengaluru. This to have a flag. Now the proposal will be service has been launched by Kerala– forwarded to the Union Home Ministry for based Thumby Aviation Private Limited approval, as a State is not empowered to declare its own flag. The state emblem is  Central Government has sanctioned a grant blue in colour named Gandaberunda. of Rs 1000 crore for the second phase of Gandaberunda is a mythical two– the Impacting Research Innovation and headed bird. Technology (IMPRINT) India programme. Launched in 2015, IMPRINT  On the occasion of International Women’s India is a joint initiative of Indian Institutes Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of launched the National Nutrition Mission Science (IISc), aimed at identifying areas of and expanded Beti Bachao, Beti relevance to society that require Padhao at an event held at Jhunjhunu in innovation, ensuring Rajasthan. The National Nutrition Mission higher funding support for research into (NNM) has been formulated with a 3 year these areas and measuring the research’s budget of Rs. 9046.17 crore starting from impact on people’s standard of living. 2017–18. NNM aims to reduce stunting, under–nutrition, anemia and reduce low  Delhi government approved a proposal birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per for delivering rations in sealed packets at annum respectively. It will work to achieve the doorstep to Public Distribution reduction in stunting from 38.4% to 25% System (PDS) beneficiaries. by 2022.  As per a survey by Airports Council International (ACI), Delhi’s Indira  Rajasthan has become the second state in Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has India after Madhya Pradesh to approve been rated as the world number one death sentence for those convicted of among airports handling more than 40 raping girls aged 12 years and below. million passengers per annum. Among  Diu has become the first and only Union other Indian Airports, Mumbai’s Territory of India to achieve full solar Chhatrapati Shivaji International energy efficiency. Airport has been ranked as the World’s Best Airport for customer experience.  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and nd the International Solar Alliance (ISA)  On 22 March 2018, celebrations for the signed a cooperation arrangement to 106th foundation day of Bihar began at promote solar energy deployment in three locations: Gandhi Maidan, S K Asia and the Pacific. Memorial Hall and Rabindra Bhawan in Patna, Bihar.  Banaswadi railway station of Bengaluru  Chandigarh has become North India’s 1st became the first all–woman railway city to install Digital Automatic Speed station in South Western Railway zone. Gun Cameras to check vehicles driving  Kerala has the highest literacy rate above the permissible speed limit. 93.91% in the 2011 census; the highest  India’s first Aviation Multi Skill life expectancy, 77 years; and the highest

Development Centre launched in 10

sex ratio, 1,084 women per 1,000 men. Chandigarh.

Current Affairs March, 2018  As per data compiled by Institute for press conference room and a patient Criminal Policy Research, India has a transport unit for medical emergencies. significantly lower imprisonment rate  Neewee and EFLIGHT, two start–ups and Indians are thereby the least criminal accelerated at Airbus Bizlab India, inked among world’s major economies. United their first contracts with Airbus and States has the highest imprisonment subsidiary NAVBLUE to implement their rate (666) among major countries. unique innovative ideas in aerospace.  Chandigarh to install country’s largest Neewee and EFLIGHT are start– solar photovoltaic power capacity of 20 ups based in Bengaluru. MW over water storage reservoirs.  The Competition Commission of  India is among 20 nations that have India (CCI) has imposed a total fine of pledged additional contribution to the nearly Rs 540 million on Jet Airways, United Nations Relief and Works Agency SpiceJet and IndiGo for unfair business for Palestine Refugees in the Near East practices related to fixing fuel surcharge on (UNRWA). cargo transport.  Country’s first defence industrial  Centre approves to set up a plastic park corridor linking Chennai with four other in Deoghar district of Jharkhand. cities of Tamil Nadu: Hosur, Coimbatore,  ‘Shakti Sthala’, the world’s largest Solar Salem and Tiruchirappalli to promote Park is launched In Karnataka. industries manufacturing weapons and military equipment will be set up.  In a first, researchers have discovered on alpine plants a rare mineral called  Nitin Gadkari launches Sukhad Yatra vaterite, a form of calcium carbonate App and Toll–free Emergency number that holds potential as a new material for for Highway users industrial and medical applications.  The Union Cabinet has approved to release  India ranked 47th out of 86 countries an additional instalment of Dearness when it comes to inclusive internet Allowance (DA) to Central Government connectivity for all: Facebook report employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from 01. 01. 2018  India Postpaid a tribute to theoretical corresponding an increase of 2% over the physicist, cosmologist and author existing rate of 5% of the Basic Stephen Hawking by issuing a special Pay/Pension, to compensate for price cover on him. rise.  The world’s longest sandstone cave named  Mumbai has ranked 16th in the top 20 ‘Krem Puri’ has been discovered in costliest cities in the world list, as per Meghalaya. It was measured by the the Knight Frank Wealth Report 2018. Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association Monaco has secured the first (MAA). It is 24,583 metres long. position among the top 20 costliest cities  Union Cabinet gave ‘in–principle’ approval in the world. It is followed by Hong Kong to inclusion of 2 communities –’Parivara’ in the second position. and ‘Talawara’ – in the list of Scheduled  India’s first set of brand new planes for Tribes (STs) in Karnataka. the prime minister, president and vice–  Odisha government to collaborate with president will be customised and be ready Thailand’s RIMES for disaster management for use by early 2020. Two Boeing 777– in drought monitoring, early warning

300 ERs, bought by Air India recently, will system 11

be retrofitted to have VIP enclosures, a

Current Affairs March, 2018  Union Cabinet has approved the launch of a INTERNATIONAL new Centrally Sponsored Ayushman Bharat –National Health Protection Mission (AB–NHPM), which was  In a reconstruction bid for earthquake– announced in Union Budget 2018. ravaged Nepal, India signed an agreement with United Nations  The Central Institute for Research on Development Programme (UNDP) and Buffaloes (CIRB) has claimed that India’s United Nations Office for Project Services first cloned Assamese buffalo male calf (UNOPS) to build 50, 000 homes for named Sach–Gaurav was born in Hisar, earthquake victims. Haryana  Russia vetoed a UN draft resolution  Central Council for Research in presented by Britain and strongly backed Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has by the United States that would have undertaken development of a coded pressured Iran over its failure to block drug AYUSH QOL–2C for enhancing the supplies of missiles to Yemen’s Huthi quality of life of cancer patients. rebels. Britain had sought to include in the measure renewing sanctions on Yemen an  Union Ministry of Environment and expression of “particular concern” from the Forests (MoEF) has granted Security Council over a UN report that environmental clearance for setting found Iran had violated the 2015 arms up India–based Neutrino Observatory embargo on Yemen. The vote in the (INO) project at Bodi West hills in Theni Security Council was 11 in favor, Russia district of Tamil Nadu. and Bolivia opposed, and China and  India has ranked 78th among 114 Kazakhstan abstained. countries on the World Economic  An India–UK Joint Team has won the Forum’s (WEF’s) Energy Transition Newton–Bhabha Fund for a project on Index. Rank 1 is Sweden. Groundwater Arsenic Research in Ganga  As per World Bank’s bi–annual India River Basin. Development Update, Indian goods and  The first–ever Global Nutrition Report services tax (GST) regime is one of the tracks the progress of 193 member most complex with the second highest countries of the United Nations in tax rate in the world among a sample of improving their nutrition status. 115 countries which have a similar indirect tax system. World Bank highlighted that 49  In a Historic First, India Nutrition countries around the world have a single Report to be released by the slab of GST, 28 countries have two slabs, Government. The Executive Committee and only five countries, including India, which is the Apex body for all Nutrition have four non–zero slabs. related activities under the POSHAN Abhiyaan, held its first meeting to  Maharashtra’s Samruddhi Corridor is decide on the roadmap for the Mission. being constructed to provide faster The Committee is headed by Sh. Rakesh connectivity between Nagpur and Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Women Mumbai and is also planned to be a ‘Zero and Child Development. Fatality’ corridor.  India, Russia, Bangladesh sign pact for  Minority Cyber Gram for digital literacy Rooppur atomic plant in Bangladesh. was launched in a minority dominated

village Chandauli in Alwar district of  The United States will overtake Russia as 12

Rajasthan. the world’s biggest oil producer by 2019

Current Affairs March, 2018 at the latest, the International Energy Constitution for the first time in the last Agency (IEA). According to the 14 years. It seeks to remove the clause of International Energy Agency’s Oil 2018, limiting the presidency to two five–year China, India to replace US as top oil terms, which would allow President Xi importers. Jinping to continue as president beyond his term limit of 2023. The current  International Energy Agency (IEA). version of the Constitution was adopted by  Establishment: 1974 (44 years ago) the 5th National People’s Congress on December 4, 1982. It has so far seen four  Secretariat: Paris, France amendments with the last having taken  Membership: 29 states place in 2004 under then–President Hu Jintao.  Executive Director: Fatih Birol  World’s biggest cruise ship, ‘Symphony  Deputy Executive Director: Paul of the Seas’ was delivered to US Simons company Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd. by French shipbuilder STX.  Seychelles’ opposition coalition (which holds a majority in Seychelles  Singapore Changi Airport has been rated Parliament) stated that it would not as world’s best airport for the sixth ratify a deal signed with India to build consecutive year by UK–based military infrastructure on its Assumption consultancy firm Skytrax. Island.  Air India becomes First commercial  Researchers have for the first time flight to cross Saudi airspace to land in discovered a sketch of a 100–feet Israel. sculpture in Florida, touted as the world’s  India and Vietnam have signed a tallest, envisioned by renowned artist Pablo memorandum of understanding (MoU) Picasso. to strengthen their cooperation in  Ministry of Communications has introduced nuclear energy. The agreement was one of the Cool EMS Service between Japan and three MoUs signed during Vietnamese India with effect from 29. 03. 2018 that President Tran Dai Quang’s visit to will allow Indian customers to import India. The GCNEP is a nuclear research Japanese food items for personal use. and training centre under construction near New Delhi which will enter in  A team of astronomers including an Indian cooperation with Vietnam Atomic Energy graduate student Nivedita Mahesh from Institute (VinAtom). Arizona State University have discovered for the first time signals from “cosmic  Sierra Leone, a West African country has dawn” — the moment when the become the first country in the world to universe’s earliest stars emerged, deploy blockchain technology in election making a significant breakthrough in our process. understanding of the evolution of cosmos.  United Nations Committee for  Saudi Arabian oilfields are amongst the Development Policy (CDP) has announced lowest carbon emitters on the planet, that Bhutan along with Kiribati, Sao thereby being the “Greenest” in the Tome and Principe and Solomon world. Islands will be recommended for graduation from the least developed  The Communist Party of China is

country (LDC) category 13

proposing to amend the country’s

Current Affairs March, 2018  ISA and India signs Host Country biggest supplier is United States. It Agreement. The Agreement gives ISA a provides 15 per cent of India’s weapon juridical personality and authorises it to imports. contract, to institute and defend legal  The National People’s Congress (NPC) of proceedings and to acquire and dispose China cleared an amendment to its off movable and immovable properties. constitution that will strike out a clause ISA shall enjoy all such privileges, restricting the term of President to two applicable tax concessions and immunities five–year terms. Xi Jinping became the that are necessary for ISA’s Headquarter to Chinese President in March 2013. His independently discharge its function and second term as President started in carry out its programmes. October 2017.  Naval ships of the UAE and India (INS  As per 20th annual Quality of Living Gomati and INS Kolkata) held a first–ever survey by Mercer, Austrian capital joint exercise – ‘Gulf Star 1’ to boost Vienna has been named the world’s best bilateral ties. city to live in for the ninth consecutive year  Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while Iraq’s capital Baghdad remains the the Republic of Congo and Indonesia worst in an annual survey from consulting have signed Brazzaville Declaration that firm Mercer. promotes better management and  On 10th March 2018, Bolivia unveiled its conservation of Cuvette Centrale region 200 km long flag, which it claims to be in the Congo Basin, the world’s largest the world’s biggest flag. tropical peatlands.  India’s National Cultural Audiovisual  Malaysia proposes 10 years in jail for Archives (NCAA) has been certified as the fake news. world’s first Trusted Digital Repository as  The United Nations Committee for per ISO 16363:2012 standard, granted Development Policy) announced that the by Primary Trustworthy Digital four countries, Bhutan, Kiribati, Sao Repository Authorisation Body Ltd. Tome and Principe and Solomon Islands (PTAB), United Kingdom. will be recommended for graduation from  US President Donald Trump signed the least developed country (LDC) an executive order making it illegal for US category. Vanuatu and Angola, are citizens to purchase any crypto- scheduled for graduation in 2020 and currency issued by Venezuela. 2021.  China has announced that, it is  Israeli, US troops hold joint military constructing the world’s fastest wind “Juniper Cobra” exercise. tunnel. th  On 16 March 2018, Philippines  Oklahoma to become first US state to use Informed the UN Secretary–General nitrogen gas for executions (for capital about its withdrawal from the punishment) in the United States. International Criminal Court (ICC).  The world’s fastest wind tunnel to  United States challenges Indian export develop a new generation of superfast subsidies schemes at WTO airplanes is being built at China.  Russia continues to be the largest arms  The navies of India and France are supplier to India as per report produced currently engaged in a joint bilateral by Stockholm International Peace

exercise, “Varuna–18”, in the Arabian Sea 14

Research Institute (SIPRI). Second off the Goa coast.

Current Affairs March, 2018  France is the 9th largest foreign people participated in the book reading investor in India with a cumulative event conducted at Gadchiroli, investment of $6.09 billion as on October Maharashtra. 2017.  Washington became the 1st state in US  India, Russia and Bangladesh signed a to pass its own net–neutrality law tripartite agreement which allows Indian after US regulator, Federal firms to participate in construction and Communications Commission’s (FCC) installation works in the “non–critical” repealed rules set during Obama category for the Rooppur nuclear power administration that banned internet plant project in northwest Bangladesh. providers from blocking content or interfering with online traffic.  Marshall Islands has announced that, it will launch its own cryptocurrency and  Microsoft announced that it has inked it will be circulated as legal tender along its first renewable energy deal in India with the U. S. dollar. This for powering its new facility in cryptocurrency is named SOV. Bengaluru.  “India–Russia diplomatic relations have  Department of Posts under Ministry of completed 70 years of successful Communications has launched Cool EMS partnership. As part of the celebrations, Service between India and Japan. Initially International Federation of Indo–Russian the service can be availed only in Delhi. Youth Clubs jointly with BRICS Cool EMS service also has all other features International Forum presented a like track and trace, etc of Express Mail programme –– Vision for Future” in New Service (EMS). It is one–way service from Delhi. Japan to India which allows customers in India to import Japanese food items  Pakistan confirmed that it will be on the for personal use which is allowed under grey list of Financial Action Task Force Indian regulation. (FATF) from June 2018 as FATF has observed deficiencies in its Anti–Money  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Laundering and Countering of Terrorist announced a USD 170 million Financing framework. China for became projects aimed at advancing women’s the Vice President of the Financial economic empowerment in India, Action Task Force (FATF), a global body Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. mandated to combat terror financing.  India will join the European Bank of FATF: Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as its 69th member. On account of  Formed in – 1989 this, Indian companies would be  Purpose – To combat money permitted to undertake joint laundering and terrorist financing investments in regions in which the across the world Headquarters – EBRD operates. Paris, France.  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the completion of the  “Namaste Shalom”, a magazine on India– construction of its first–ever nuclear power Israel relations launched. reactor not only in the country but the  Gadchiroli book reading event created a whole Arab Gulf region. The $20 billion new Guinness world record breaking Barakah plant west of Abu Dhabi has been

the Guinness world record created in constructed by a consortium led by Korea 15

Turkey on 18th May 2017. Nearly 7,000 Electric Power Corp in nine years.

Current Affairs March, 2018  ‘MILAN 2018’, a multinational naval multilateral exercise would involve exercise hosted by Indian Navy began on representatives from air forces of Sri March 6, 2018 at Port Blair, Andaman Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the UAE. and Nicobar Islands. For the first time, Oman is participating in ‘Milan’ exercise  The Global Peatlands Initiative is an effort by leading experts and institutions to save peatlands as the world’s largest  Objective behind MILAN 2018 is to terrestrial organic carbon stock and to expand regional cooperation and prevent it being emitted into the combat unlawful activities in atmosphere. critical sea lanes in Indian Ocean region.  The Brazzaville declaration was singed to iii. Theme of ‘MILAN 2018’ promote better management and is ’Friendship Across the Seas’. conservation world’s largest tropical peatlands–Cuvette Centrale region in  Eleven Pacific Rim countries signed Congo Basin from unregulated land use and the Comprehensive and prevent its drainage and degradation. Progressive Agreement for Trans– Brazzaville is the capital of Democratic Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Republic of Congo. The Democratic Chile. Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of  The eleven countries that signed the Congo and Indonesia have jointly signed agreement are Australia, Brunei, the Brazzaville declaration that promotes Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, better management and conservation of Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, this globally important carbon store. Singapore and Vietnam. Peatlands are wetlands that contain a mixture of decomposed organic material, partially submerged in a layer of water,  Director Generals of India’ Border lacking oxygen. Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) declared an 8. 3 km stretch of the Indo–Bangladesh border as a LEGAL NEWS ‘crime–free zone’. The 8.3 km stretch covers the Gunarmath and Kalyani  Union Cabinet approved the Fugitive Border Out Posts (BOPs) in India and Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 to deal the Puthkhali and Daulatpur BOPs in with those who escape overseas after Bangladesh. committing financial malpractices in India.

 Pakistan conducted another successful test  A Fugitive Economic Offender is a firing of its indigenously designed and built person who has an arrest warrant Submarine Launched Cruise Missile issued in respect of a scheduled offence (SLMC) Babur. The Babur is an SLCM and who leaves or has left India so as to having a range of 450 kms was fired from avoid criminal prosecution, or refuses an underwater dynamic platform. to return to India to face criminal prosecution.  The first Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise  The Union Cabinet has approved ‘Samvedna’ of the Indian Air Force in the Arbitration and Conciliation association with South Asian Region (Amendment) Bill, 2018 which will amend the Arbitration and Conciliation

nations has started off the coast of Kerala 16

from March 12, 2018. The 6–day Act of 1996.

Current Affairs March, 2018  Lok Sabha passed the Specific Relief Some important features of this bill (Amendment) Bill, 2018 seeking to grant are a party the right to seek damages from the  It will enable fast appointment of other side in case of a breach of a business arbitrators through designated contract. The current law only provides for arbitral institutions by the Supreme a certain kind of specific relief, while the Court or the High Court, eliminating amendment proposes a remedy which the need to approach the court. aims at the exact fulfilment of an obligation or specific performance of the  It provides for setting up of an contract rather than grant of a general independent body namely the relief or damages or compensation. Arbitration Council of India (ACI) which will grade arbitral institution  The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime and accredit arbitrators by laying Minister Narendra Modi approved down norms. the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate  Supreme Court passed an order Division of High Courts (Amendment) permitting passive euthanasia in India. Bill, 2018 for introduction in the Passive euthanasia is a condition where Parliament. medical treatment is deliberately  The Bill brings down the specified value withdrawn to hasten the death of a of a commercial dispute to 3 Lakhs from terminally–ill person. Supreme Court has the current 1 Crore. Hence, commercial awarded legal sanction to passive disputes of a reasonable value can be euthanasia. It has allowed ‘living will’ by decided by commercial courts. patients to withdraw medical support in case they go to irreversible coma. Supreme  This will reduce time taken (presently Court has also formulated guidelines for 1445 days) to resolve commercial the living will. It includes matters like who disputes of lesser value and will would execute the will and how approval improve India’s ranking in the Ease of for passive euthanasia could be obtained Doing Business. from the medical board.  It provides for establishment of  The Supreme Court comprising Justices A Commercial Courts at district Judge K Goel, R F Nariman and U U Lait capped level for the territories over which the fee charged by high courts for respective High Courts have ordinary responding to queries filed under the RTI original civil jurisdiction i. e. in Chennai, Act at Rs 50 per application, bringing Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and State of cheers to activists seeking information Himachal Pradesh. under the transparency law. The bench also asked the high courts not to force  Lok Sabha passes Payment of Gratuity applicants to disclose the reason for (Amendment) Bill, 2017. After th seeking information under the Right to implementation of 7 Central Pay Information law. Advocate Prashant Commission recommendations, ceiling of Bhushan, the counsel for NGO Common gratuity amount for central government Cause, which was one of the petitioners, employees was increased from Rs 10 said exorbitant fee was charged to lakh to Rs 20 lakh. Parliament passes disincentivise the general public from bill that lets govt double tax–free

seeking information. gratuity to Rs 20 lakh

Current Affairs March, 2018  Supreme Court bench comprising economic development, job growth and air Justices Adarsh K Goel and Uday U transport infrastructure development of all Lalit barred foreign law firms and regions and states of India. Indian prime foreign lawyers practising in India for minister Narendra Modi launched the both litigatious (likely to engage in scheme on 27 May 2017 by flagging off lawsuits) as well as non–litigatious the inaugural regional flights between activities. This judgement takes into Delhi and Shimla, and also between consideration Bar Council of India Rules Kadapa–Hyderabad–Nanded. (BCI) that the Indian laws are of  India is now world’s 4th largest specialised nature and only those who have automobile market, outpaces Germany a exhaustive and holistic idea of its with 9.5% growth in sales. China is the functioning, are permitted to practice law largest automobile market in the world, by it. followed by USA, Japan. ECONOMY  Surat district in Gujarat become first in country to have 100% solar powered Primary Health Centers (PHCs). All 52  Tax on long term capital gains (LTCG) on PHCs in the district are now powered by equity holdings, announced in Budget solar system. With this, Surat sets an 2018 will come into effect from April 1, example for country by developing villages 2018. that use sustainable forms of energy at a  Delhi unveiled the first ‘Green Budget’ time when global warming is mounting for the capital. The budget saw an with each passing day. increase from 2017 to Rs 53,000 crore  According to internet speed testing from Rs 48,000 crore. There are measures analysis firm Ookla, India ranked 67th to curb pollution and traffic congestion, for fixed broadband and 109th for like increasing the fleet of buses and mobile internet speeds in February 2018 inducting electric buses into the public on Speedtest Global Index. transport system. The Delhi government is also pushing for better education with  Norway topped the Speedtest Global increasing the classrooms, incubating Index, February 2018 for mobile internet better facilities and even including a with an average download speed of 62.07 “happiness curriculum”. Mbps, while Singapore ranked first for fixed broadband with a 161.53 Mbps  China to merge banking, insurance average download. regulators, create new ministries in biggest revamp in years.  Government will come out with a Rs 350 commemorative coin to mark 350th  After a gap of about seven years, flight birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, services between Salem and Chennai the 10th and last Sikh Guru. The reverse resumed under the Centre’s regional side will bear the picture of “Takht Shri connectivity scheme ‘UDAN’. UDAN–RCS, Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib” in the centre. UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) is a regional airport development and  MCX, the country’s largest commodity ‘Regional Connectivity Scheme’ (RCS) of exchange, has launched futures trading Government of India, with the objective of in brass for first time in the world. With ‘Let the common citizen of the country the launch of a transparent brass futures fly’ aimed at making air travel affordable contract, MCX will emerge as the

and widespread, to boost inclusive national benchmark price as volume picks up in two 18

Current Affairs March, 2018 months time. Brass, an alloy, usually contains 60% zinc and the rest is copper. Forbes list, 2018 It finds varied industrial use in electrical  appliance, switch gears, sanitary ware, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Tops Forbes automobiles and defence sectors. World’s Rich List as Trump’s Wealth Drops. Bill Gates attained  SBI Card comes out with exclusive credit second place while Warren Buffett card for doctors. attained 3rd spot.

 Asia s largest startup ecosystem  Mukesh Ambani is the richest congregation, Huddle Kerala, will be Indian. held at Kovalam near here on April 6 and 7. The initiative is envisaged to  India is the third largest group of provide a platform for start–ups to pitch the ultra–rich after those from the their products and interact with a wide US and China. array of technology and industry leaders from around the world.  Savitri Jindal is the richest of 8 Indian women followed by Kiran  The Country’s First Artifical Intelligence Mazumdar–Shaw who is the powered Voice–bot Have been Launched second richest woman. By Kotak Mahindra bank Known as ‘Keya’.  Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the youngest Indian  The World Bank projected India’s GDP billionaire, while 92–year–old growth at 7.3 per cent for the 2018–2019 Samprada Singh, chairman and accelerates further to 7.5 per cent emeritus of Alkem Laboratories, in 2019–20. is the oldest.  Telecom operators Vodafone India and Idea Cellular are merging. The merger –  India remains 12th largest foreign slated to create India’s largest telecom holder of US govt securities at the end of operator in terms of customer base and 2017. revenue market share.  The Goods and Services Tax (GST)  Reserve Bank of India has issued a Council mandated the use of electronic Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) way (e–way) bills from April 1, 2018 to framework to Bank of India, Dena Bank, track inter–state movement of goods. Central Bank of India, UCO Bank, IDBI Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce,  The LNG shipment that arrived at Corporation Bank and Allahabad Bank to Dabhol LNG terminal is the first of the maintain sound financial health of contracted loads under the agreement banks. that GAIL (India) signed for US LNG exports. This marks a new beginning in  India’s first Start–up incubator for the Indo–USA energy partnership and women ‘We–Hub’ launched in trade. Telangana

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) slapped  India in December in Beunos Aires, a penalty of Rs 5 crore on Airtel Argentina “blocked” a ministerial Payments Bank Limited for violating declaration reaffirming the principles and

Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. objectives set out in the Marrakesh 19

Agreement establishing the WTO.

Current Affairs March, 2018 development plan of Susangerd oilfield Know more in southwest Iran.  The four–day conference of the 164– member World Trade  The government has announced that, it has planned to sell 76 per cent stake in Air Organisation (WTO) was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. India.  The conference had ended without  Inspite Of WhatsApp, Google’s UPI Push, a ministerial declaration or any Paytm Leads With 40% UPI Transaction substantive outcome in December. Share In Feb’18  The WTO officially commenced on 1  The five Nordic countries of Denmark, January 1995 under the Norway, Finland, Iceland and Sweden Marrakesh Agreement (signed by pitched for a Free Trade Agreement 123 nations on 15 April 1994), (FTA) with India to increase business replaced the General Agreement on among themselves. Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which  India received its first shipment of commenced in 1948. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) from US under a 20–year deal.  The Commerce and Industry Ministry has appointed four institutes, that is The  IRDAI extends Aadhaar linking deadline National Institute of Construction for insurance policies Management and Research (NICMAR), the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of (IIFT), the Institute of Company India (IRDAI): Secretaries of India (ICSI) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of  Constituted by – Insurance India (ICAI) to interact with stakeholders Regulatory and Development and suggest measures to push India’s Authority Act, 1999 ranking in ease of doing business index.  Headquarters – Hyderabad,  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has fined Telangana ICICI Bank Rs 58.9 crore for violating  Current Chairman – T. S. Vijayan norms relating to sale of government securities from the held–to–maturity  MCX Launches World’s First Brass category of its bonds portfolio. This is Futures Contracts the highest penalty imposed by RBI on a bank for a single incident. Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX):  Karnataka Bank opened its first all–  Established in – 2003 woman branch at Bull Temple Road in Bengaluru.  Headquarters – Mumbai  Current CEO – Mrugank Paranjape  Union Government committee chaired by Subhash Chandra Garg will examine  RBI to conduct additional repo issues faced by the FinTech industry in operations to provide liquidity support to India. banks. Repo operation are undertaken by  ONGC Videsh, the overseas arm of RBI to provide liquidity to banks which government–owned ONGC, has signed a helps in overcoming temporary

cooperation agreement with Iran’s IDRO liquidity mismatches. 20

Oil to jointly bid for a $900 million

Current Affairs March, 2018  Moody’s Investors Service estimated that SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY India will grow 7.6 per cent in calendar year 2018 and 7.5 per cent in 2019  Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd (TBAL)  India has become the 3rd largest inaugurated facility to manufacture electricity producer in the world as its fuselages for the AH–64 Apache electricity production grew 34% over helicopter in Hyderabad. seven years to 2017. The country now produces more energy than Japan and  India has joined Europe’s mega global Russia, which had 27% and 8.77% more arrangement of sharing data from Earth electricity generation capacity installed, observation satellites, called respectively, than India seven years ago. Copernicus. The top 3 Producers of Electricity in  Three new freshwater fish species — the world are– Garra biloborostris, Garra clavirostris a) China and Garra substrictorostris — have been discovered by a research team from Assam b) The USA and Manipur, an international journal c) India Zootaxa has reported.  With the first shipment of Liquefied  FLOATING LAB TO SAVE THE FAMED natural gas (LNG) getting loaded on– LOKTAK LAKE board GAIL’s first chartered LNG ship ‘Meridian Spirit’ on March 6, 2018, India has started importing natural gas from US under a 20–year deal.  Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) entered into an agreement with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for increased cooperation in effective implementation of the insolvency law.

IBBI  Formed in – 2016  Headquarters – New Delhi  Three days a week, four women in  Current Chairperson – M. S. Sahoo white lab coats traverse the Loktak Lake in a custombuilt motorboat,  India has regained the world’s fastest scooping flaskfuls of water for growing major economy tag with the analysis. They record changes in the GDP at 7.2 per cent for October– temperature, acidity, conductivity December quarter, compared to China’s and dissolved–oxygen in the 300–sq 6.8 per cent, according to the latest report km lake. released by Central Statistical Office (CSO).  Rising urbanisation and land–use change over the years has seen the  Monkey Business, a first of its kind co– Loktak Lake, the largest in the working space in south Asia which northeast, become a dump yard for provides onsite childcare was launched

municipal waste. 21

in South Point Mall, Gurugram

Current Affairs March, 2018  Loktak Lake is the largest  The James Webb Space Telescope still freshwater lake in Northeast India has some more time left on Earth. The and is famous for the phumdis launch of NASA’s upcoming deep–space (heterogeneous mass of observatory — the James Webb Space vegetation, soil and organic Telescope (JWST) — is being pushed back matter at various stages of by about a year, from spring 2019 to May decomposition) floating over it. 2020. First envisioned in 1996, JWST was The lake is located near Moirang in originally expected to cost between $1 Manipur state, India. billion and $3.5 billion, with a launch date  India’s first floating elementary scheduled for sometime between 2007 and school named Loktak Elementary 2011. Floating School was inaugurated  Scientists have discovered an important at Loktak Lake in Manipur. new organ that may play a critical role in how many tissues and other organs  Artefacts of ‘pre–Iron Age’ like stone do their jobs, as well as in some diseases and bone tools found in Odisha. like cancer. In a New York University–led  Using the K2 telescope, researchers team of researchers describe the from Aix–Marseille Universite in France interstitium, which is a series of and the University of Warwick in the UK connected, fluid–filled spaces found under discovered a hot, metallic, Earth–sized skin as well as throughout the gut, lungs, planet orbiting a dwarf star located 260 blood vessels and muscles. million light years away. Named K2–229b,  Scientists in Ireland, the UK and US have the planet is almost 20 per cent larger than discovered a new metabolic process in the Earth but has a mass which is over two– body that can switch off inflammation. The and–a–half times greater. It reaches a day discovery opens up a strong possibility of side temperature of over 2000 degrees more effective treatment of inflammatory Celsius diseases such as arthritis, inflammatory  Scientists will come out with the first–ever bowel disease and heart disease. Teams led analysis of land worldwide and its by immunologist Prof Luke O’Neill, who is ability to sustain a fast–growing human based in Trinity, and Dr Mike Murphy, of population that relies on it for 95 per the University of Cambridge, have cent of all food. 95 per cent of human food discovered that “itaconate” – a molecule comes directly or indirectly from Earth’s derived from glucose – “acts as a powerful soil as per UN’s Food and Agriculture off switch for macrophages”, which are Organization cells operating at the heart of the the immune system where inflammation  India’s first insect museum with state– occurs. of–the–art amenities was unveiled at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University  NASA will send its first–ever mission campus in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The dedicated to exploring the deep interior museum has been established at an area of of Mars. Scheduled to launch on May 5, 6,691 sqft. It is fully dedicated to insects. It InSight — a stationary lander — will also will display insects preserved as specimens be the first NASA mission since the Apollo as also live ones depicting their different moon landings to place a seismometer, a developmental stages. It will provide device that measures quakes, on the soil of information about insects through images, another planet. InSight or the Interior

videos and models of their unique Exploration using Seismic 22

behaviour, habits and habitats. Investigations, Geodesy and Heat

Current Affairs March, 2018 Transport mission, carries a suite of  India successfully launched the GSAT–6A sensitive instruments to gather data. satellite that would provide mobile communication facilities, using its heavy  Scientists have recently found evidence of a rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch new mineral inside a diamond. This Vehicle (GSLV–F08) The Indian Space mineral had never been seen before this Research Organisation (ISRO) said that the discovery. The name of the mineral in GSAT–6A was similar to the GSAT–6 put question is calcium silicate perovskite. into orbit in 2015. This marks the first time that scientists have been able to observe calcium  UK–US firms create largest genomics silicate perovskite at Earth’s surface. project to study Indian population. Genomics will help India achieve a  Astronomers at Harvard–Smithsonian paradigm shift in healthcare Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in the US have discovered three super–Earth  On 29th March 2018, China successfully planets orbiting a star named GJ9827 launched a Long March 3B rocket about 100 light–years away from our solar carrying two Beidou–3MEO satellites: system. The three exoplanets discovered by Beidou–30 and Beidou–31 from the LC2 researchers have radii of about 1.6, 1.3, Launch Complex of the Xichang Satellite and 2.1 Earth–radii respectively. All of Launch Center, Sichuan province, China. them are categorised as super–Earths, that  New species of water strider found in is, with masses that are larger than Earth’s Nagaland. but less than Neptune’s. Its three exoplanets are particularly interesting  On March 30, 2018, Russia successfully because two of them have radii between tested its 1.5 and 2.0 Earth–radii. latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Sarmat. On account greater range, it can even fly over the North or Know more the South Poles and can strike targets  A super–Earth is an extrasolar anywhere in the world. planet with a mass higher than Earth’s, but substantially below the  Pakistan successfully test fires masses of the Solar System’s ice Submarine Launched Cruise Missile giants, Uranus and Neptune, which BABUR have masses of 15 and 17 times  Scientists have identified a new organ in Earth’s, respectively. human beings which has been dubbed the ’interstitium’.  A Multilateral Air Force exercise, ‘Ex Samvedna’, is being spearheaded by  NASA has invited people around the world Indian Air Force and conducted by to submit their names online to be placed Southern Air Command (SAC) from 12– on a microchip aboard its historic solar 17 Mar 18. ‘Samvedna’ means ‘Empathy’ probe launching this summer. NASA and will ensure better understanding and renamed the spacecraft from the Solar sharing of response procedures between a Probe Plus to the Parker Solar Probe in number of friendly neighbouring nations. the honour of astrophysicist Eugene Parker.  NASA and SpaceX have tied up to search  India successfully test fired the BrahMos for exoplanets using NASA’s Transiting supersonic cruise missile with Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). 23

an indigenous ‘seeker’ at Rajasthan’s

Current Affairs March, 2018 Pokhran test range, enhancing the  Huawei launched Huawei Balong 5G01, country’s capability to hit enemy targets at claimed to be world’s first 5G commercial a range of up to 400 km. It was for the first chip. time that the missile, capable of travelling at speeds of up to Mach 3.0, or three  Chinese scientists have developed an times the speed of sound, was tested with artificial heart using rocket technology indigenously developed ‘seeker’ and it is currently undergoing testing after technology. The seeker – developed by thorough experiments on animals Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad,  The moon is about to get its first mobile in collaboration with other DRDO labs phone network in 2019. determines the accuracy of a missile by guiding it to the target.  Vodafone Germany, Nokia and Audi said  Hellenic Space Agency, Greece’s first that, they were jointly working to support space agency was officially launched on this project. March 19, 2018.  India successfully test–fired Anti–Tank  The Indira Gandhi Krishi Guided Missiles (ATGM) Nag in desert Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Chandigarh conditions, at Pokhran’s field firing will develop a ‘weed atlas’ to provide range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Nag is a information on the undesirable plants third–generation, fire–and–forget, anti– found in plains of Chhattisgarh to tank guided missile developed to support farmers. both mechanized infantry and airborne forces of the Indian Army.  Data collected by NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter indicate that the atmospheric  All–women Indian crew winds of the gas–giant planet run deep circumnavigating the globe on the into its atmosphere and last longer than Indian Navy Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini similar atmospheric processes found on arrived at a port in Cape Town in South Earth. The findings will improve Africa. This expedition by the all–women understanding of Jupiter’s interior Indian crew is named Navika Sagar structure, core mass and, eventually, its Parikrama. Captain of the vessel is origin. Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi.

Know more  India’s premier defence research institute DRDO carried out “successful” test flight  Juno is the second spacecraft to of its Rustom 2 drone, a medium– orbit Jupiter, after the nuclear altitude long–endurance unmanned aerial powered Galileo orbiter, which vehicle (UAV), at Chalakere in Karnataka’s orbited from 1995 to 2003. It was Chitradurga district. This flight assumes built by Lockheed Martin and is significance due to the fact that this is the operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion first flight in user configuration with Laboratory. higher power engine.

 Russia successfully launched a  GLOBE Observer helps you to make hypersonic missile. The high–precision observations about the Earth around you. Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched Observations you collect and submit with from a MiG–31 supersonic interceptor this app are used by scientists to validate, jet from an airfield in the South Military interpret, and understand satellite data

District in southwest Russia. collected by NASA from space. 24

Current Affairs March, 2018  Indian Space Research Organisation the first time, researchers have observed (ISRO) and Bharat Heavy Electricals specialised bacteria in the world’s driest Limited (BHEL) have entered into a desert, that can rebound after lying Technology Transfer Agreement (TTA) for dormant for decades, a finding that points production of space grade Lithium–Ion towards the possibility of alien life lurking cells. in the soils of Mars.  Indian Navy concluded a gruelling two–  INS Ganga, an indigenously built frigate month long War Games. The War Game on of the Indian Navy, was decommissioned the Western seaboard was codenamed in Mumbai on March 22, 2018. Exercise Paschim Lehar and on the Eastern Seaborad the code name was  Indian Navy’s Talwar class frigate INS ENCORE (Eastern Naval Command Tarkash carried out a greeting and Operational Readiness Exercise). training exercise with the U. S. Navy’s Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike  The Western Naval Command of the Group (TRCSG). Indian Navy concluded a large scale operational exercise in the Arabian Sea.  China deploys J–20 stealth jet fighter, The three week long exercise termed names India as threat. With China’s air Exercise Paschim Leher (XPL), tested the force deploying its “latest stealth jet operational readiness of the Western fighter” – the J–20 Chengdu – one of the Naval Command and the execution of it’s provocations could be the Indian Air Force operational plans. (IAF) deployment of its top–of–the–line Sukhoi–30MKI fighter in Assam.  Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that launch of India’s  ISRO plans to build ‘igloos’ on Moon. second lunar mission ‘Chandrayaan–2’, ISRO has already started to work on which was to be launched in April 2018, building a ‘lunar habitat’. has been postponed to October 2018.  NASA launched another world’s most ISRO: advanced weather satellites, GOES–S satellite, thundered toward orbit aboard  Established in – 1969 an Atlas V rocket.  Headquarters – Bengaluru,  An international team of scientists (Austria, Karnataka Harvard University in Massachusetts, and  Current Chairman – Dr. K. Sivan Rice University) have provided the first proof of an exotic new state of  Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) matter, known as Rydberg polarons. successfully launched India’s latest Rydberg polarons” basically involves communication satellite GSAT–6A on making use of the space between the board Geosynchronous rocket GSLV– electron and the nucleus inside an atom, F08 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at enough to fit other atoms inside. Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.  Astronomers have detected a large  India has handed over a second advanced amount of water in the atmosphere of a offshore patrol vessel (AOPV) to the Sri hot, Saturn–mass exoplanet some 700 Lankan Navy. light–years away. The planet, known as WASP–39b, has three times as much water  Atacama Desert, world’s driest desert, as Saturn does. 25

may hold clues to alien life on Mars. For

Current Affairs March, 2018 SPORTS  The National Boxing Academy in Rohtak, Haryana, is to host the World Series of Boxing (WSB) clash between  Minerva Punjab FC has won the I– Indian Tigers and the Astana Arlans League tournament (2017–18) after from Kazakhastan on 31st March 2018. defeating Churchill Brothers in the final by 1–0 at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in  Nepal gains ODI status after win over Gurgaon, Haryana. Papua New Guinea. Nepal defeated the Pacific nation by six wickets in a playoff  Viswanathan Anand won the rapid event game in the ICC World Cup Qualifier at the 11th Tal Memorial chess in being held in Zimbabwe. Moscow, Russia.  Russia’s Olympic membership has been WINTER PARALYMPICS restored by the International Olympic  The 12th Winter Paralympics, Committee (IOC). Russia was banned by 2018 was an international multi– IOC due to state–sponsored doping during sport event for athletes with the Winter Olympics 2014 in Sochi. disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee International Olympic Committee (IPC), that was held in Pyeongchang (IOC): County, Gangwon Province, South  President – Thomas Bach Korea, from 9 to 18 March 2018.  Headquarters – Lausanne,  Athletes representing 49 National Switzerland Paralympic Committees are participating in these Games, which  The Tokyo Organising Committee of the mark the first time that South Korea Olympic and Paralympic Games, launched has hosted the Winter Paralympics. the superhero mascots for the 2020 It is the second Paralympics held in Tokyo Olympics, at the Kakezuka school the country, after the 1988 Summer in Tokyo. The winning Olympic and Paralympics in Seoul. Neutral Paralympic mascots have not yet been Paralympic athlete’s team namedThe Olympic mascot has a consisted of Russian competitors. futuristic blue and white chequered  The United States topped the pattern. The Paralympic mascot has a medal table with 36 total medals pink and white design inspired by cherry and 13 gold medals. Host nation blossoms South Korea placed 16th with 3 total medals and won its first gold medal at a Winter Paralympics.

 Steve Smith and David Warner were banned from playing for Australia by Cricket Australia after the ball–tampering scandal during the Cape Town Test against South Africa.  India won the inaugural IBSF Snooker  India’s Purva Barve has won the Women’s Team World Cup in Doha, Qatar. In the Singles (Under–19) title at the Israel finals, Indian duo of Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra staged a

Junior 2018 Badminton tournament 26

held in Rishon LeZion, Israel. remarkable recovery after being 0–2 down.

Current Affairs March, 2018  Navjot Kaur became the first Indian  India’s Sanjivani Jadhav won bronze woman wrestler to win gold in the medal in women’s 8km cross country Senior Asian Championships by winning race in the 14th Asian Cross Country gold medal in the 65kg freestyle Championship at Guiyang in China. category in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  Indian captain Virat Kohli’s wax figure  Lionel Messi creates record, scores will be the latest addition at the Madame 100th goal in Champions League. The Tussauds Delhi as he is set to join other Argentinian scored his fastest goal in sports icons including Sachin Tendulkar, the Champions League. He becomes only Kapil Dev and Lionel Messi. the second player to achieve the feat with his rival Real Madrid’s Cristiano  FIFA lifts three–decade ban on Iraq Ronaldo being the first one. hosting international matches. FIFA has lifted Pakistan’s ban from international  Indian shooter Shahzar Rizvi won gold soccer following the end of “undue third– medal with a world record score and Jitu party interference” in the country’s football Rai and Mehuli Ghosh won bronze federation (PFF), the world governing medals at the ISSF World Cup in body. Guadalajara, Mexico.  Pankaj Advani defended his Asian ISSF shooting World Cup, Mexico Billiards Championships title in style by  Young 16 year old Manu Bhaker demolishing his practice partner B Bhaskar marked her international debut with 6–1 in the summit clash. With this win, the gold in the women’s 10m Air Advani remains the reigning Indian, Pistol final Asian and world champion in billiards for 2017–18.  Ravi Kumar bagged bronze in ISSF World Cup.  Champion shuttlers K. Srikanth and P. V.  In the ISSF shooting World Cup, Sindhu were presented the ‘best senior Manu Bhaker with Om Prakash male sportsperson’ and ‘best senior Mitharval bagged Gold for India in female sportsperson’ of the year (April the 10 metre Air Pistol Mixed 2017 to April 2018) respectively at the team event in Mexico. Telangana Sports Journalists Association sports awards. Indian women’s cricket  India’s Akhil Sheoran has clinched captain Mithali Raj was adjudged the the gold medal in men’s 50 metre ‘Sportsperson of the Year’. rifle 3 position at the ISSF World Cup in Mexico.  The Paralympic Winter Games Pyeong Chang 2018 in South Korea, concluded  Australia beat England to lift Sultan with Team USA having its most Azlan Shah Cup 2018 in Malaysia successful performance in 16 years.  Navjot Kaur has become world No 2 in  Rashid Khan of Afghanistan has become the women’s 65kg category in the latest the youngest captain in international rankings released by the United World cricket at 19 years of age. Wrestling. The first position in 65kg category is occupied by Petra Olli of  PV Sindhu has been chosen by IOA Finland. (Indian Olympic Association) as Indian contingent’s flag–bearer at the opening  Ganemat Sekhon is the first Indian ceremony of the Commonwealth Games woman to win ISSF World Cup medal in

(CWG) 2018 at Gold Coast, Australia. 27

skeet event.

Current Affairs March, 2018

 Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan AWARDS has broken the world record and claimed the gold medal in 10m  Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II recognised women’s air rifle event of the Srishti Bakshi from India as the 26th season’s first junior ISSF World Commonwealth Point of Lightin honour Cup held in Sydney. Elavenil of her exceptional service to empowering Valarivan also combined with women in India. She has overseen the Shreya Agrawal and Zeena Khitta creation of a mobile app where people to claim the team gold medal at the from across the world can upload steps junior ISSF World Cup shooting. collected from their phone pedometers and Indian shooter Muskan has clinched join the campaigns ‘Billion Steps For the gold medal in women’s 25m Women’ drive. pistol event at the ISSF Junior  Joginder Sanger, Chairman of Mastcraft World Cup in Sydney, Australia. Group and Chairman of the Bharatiya Vidya Rising shooter Anish Bhanwala Bhavan, won ‘Business Personality’ from India has bagged gold medal in award in UK the men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event at the ISSF Junior Shooting  Anand’s Bangkok restaurant Gaggan World Cup in Sydney, Australia. won the annual ‘Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’ award presented at the  Wisden India Wynn Palace’s Grand Theatre in Macau.  KL Rahul is the ‘Cricketer of the  Defence Research and Development Year’. Priyank Panchal, Hasan Ali Organisation (DRDO) has received the and Tamim Iqbal are the other “Most Informative Pavilion” award in the Cricketers of the Year. Pride of India Expo, as part of the 105th Indian Science Congress (ISC) in  Shantha Rangaswamy, India’s first woman superstar has been inducted Manipur. into the Wisden India Hall of Fame  MS Dhoni was conferred with the alongside Erapalli Prasanna. prestigious Padma Bhushan Award. He was awarded Padma Bhushan on the  On 29th March 2018, Darren Lehmann same day when he guided India to its announced that he has resigned as head second ICC World Cup triumph exactly coach of Australian senior national seven years ago. cricket team. Darren Lehmann has announced his resignation after the ball–  Dhoni, who is the most successful tampering scandal of Australian cricket Indian captain, is the only skipper team. to win all the ICC trophies– ICC Cricket World Cup, World  India’s Amee Kamani won the Asian Twenty20 and the Champions Women’s Snooker title by blanking Trophy. Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan 3–0.  In Test cricket, he helped India  Vidarbha won their second title in the achieve numero uno status in 2009. domestic cricket season as they won the  Dhoni is also the 11th Indian Irani Cup. cricketer to receive the Padma

Bhushan 28

Current Affairs March, 2018  Noted Indian writers Meena Kandasamy book, ‘When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of Best Actress Frances McDormand – the Writer as a Young Wife’ and Three Billboards Arundhati Roy’s ‘The Ministry of Utmost Outside Ebbing, Happiness’ have been longlisted for this Missouri 2018’s Women’s Prize for Fiction that celebrates women’s creativity across the  Paris secured 1st rank in the global world. list of Travellers Choice awards for Destinations. It is followed by London (UK),  Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Rome (Italy), Bali (Indonesia), Crete presented the G. K. Reddy Memorial (Greece). National Award for journalism to senior journalist and television presenter  The Kempegowda International Airport Karan Thapar. was presented the Skytrax award for being voted as the best regional airport in  South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF), India and Central Asia by air travelers, at a London based organisation has received the World Airport Awards at Stockholm in the Frederick Pincott Award for 2017 Sweden. from the Indian High Commissioner, Y K Sinha for promoting Hindi cinema in  Ahmedabad airport receives award for Britain for the last 18 years. ‘Most Improved Airport’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International  Oscars 2018: The Shape of Water bags Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat has Best Picture Award 90th Academy received ‘Most Improved Airport’ award in Awards ceremony, popularly referred to as the Asia Pacific region, in Airport Service Oscars 2018, honouring the best films of Quality awards 2017 organised by the 2017 was held in Los Angeles, Airport Council International (ACI). California, United States.  Two Indian activists Mirnalini Dayal and  Coco won award for Best Animated Yogesh Kumar have been selected among Feature Film. 20 finalists for the Commonwealth Youth  Filmmaker James Ivory, who once worked Awards 2018 for their contribution closely with late Indian star Shashi Kapoor, towards achieving gender equality. became the oldest Oscar winner at 89 for his adapted screenplay for Call Me By  Chhattisgarh bags ‘Water Digest Award’ Your Name. for best water conservation and irrigation facility. This award is presented in association with Central Water Best Foreign A Fantastic Resources River Development and Ganga Language Woman (Chile) Cleaning Ministry, UNESCO, Central Water Film in Spanish Board, Central Water Commission and Ganga Purification National Mission. Best Picture The Shape of Water  ‘We Are Sikhs’ campaign that was Best Director Guillermo del Toro – launched in April 2017 in America, has The Shape of Water received the 2018 PRWeek US award, nicknamed the “Oscars of the Public Relations Industry”, in the category of Best Actor Gary Oldman – Darkest Public Cause.

Hour 29

Current Affairs March, 2018  Indian actress Simi Garewal received the  Government of India has decided to “UK Golden Flame Award” at the institute ‘Union Home Minister’s Medal for opening ceremony of the Tongues of Excellence in Police Investigation’ award Fire UK Asian Film Festival in London. for best investigation of crime in order to encourage high professional standards in  Indian film “Halkaa” has won the ‘Grand police forces. Prix de Montreal’ award at the 21st Festival International du Film Pour  Noted actor Amol Palekar was honoured Enfants de Montreal Film (FIFEM). with the ‘Godavari Gaurav’ award. The Halkaa is directed by Nila Madhab Panda. award was given by noted Marathi writer Child actor Tathastu has acted as Pichku, Madhu Mangesh Karnik, who is the the lead role. Halkaa was selected among chairperson the Prathishthan. seven international children’s films in the official competition of the festival held  “Palace on Wheels” of Rajasthan gets from 8th to 11th March 2018. tourist train of the year award.  Actor Jackie Shroff’s short film  The Union Minister of State (Independent “Shunyata” has won an award at Best of Charge) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public India Short Film Festival in Los Angeles, Grievances & Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, US. presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Ministry of Drinking Water and  Indian Council of Medical Research Sanitation for implementation of e– (ICMR) was awarded the International office software. E–Office is one of the Kochon Prize 2017 for promoting Mission–mode Projects under the Digital research and development (R&D) in India programme. tuberculosis treatmen by setting up of the India TB Research Consortium to  India Won “Best Exhibitor Award” at ITB encourage R&D efforts in India. Berlin. ITB Berlin (Internationale  The “Academy Award or Nobel Peace” Tourismus–Borse Berlin) is the world’s from the USA has been conferred on largest tourism trade fair which takes place Dr Ketzia David Prakasam, a annually in March at the Messe Berlin, philanthropist, social worker and spiritual Germany. worker here. Ketzia is the first Indian  Architect Balkrishna Vithaldas woman to receive this award, presented Doshi has been named the 2018 winner yesterday as part of International Womens of architecture’s highest honour – the Day celebrations here Pritzker Prize. He is the first Indian and the 45th laureate to receive the award. Note: Tom Pritzker, chairman of the Hyatt  The Nobel Peace Prize 2017 was Foundation that sponsors the award. awarded to International  Delhi High Court Acting Chief Justice Gita Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Mittal becomes the first woman from the Weapons (ICAN) “for its work to field of law and justice to be conferred the draw attention to the catastrophic ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’, India’s highest humanitarian consequences of any civilian honour for women. use of nuclear weapons and for its ground–breaking efforts to achieve a  Harry Athwal, an Indian–origin British treaty–based prohibition of such man has been selected for ’Pride of

weapons”. Birmingham’ award in UK. 30

Current Affairs March, 2018  The Norwegian Academy of Sciences and  Krishi Unnati Mela held at the IARI Letters said that, Canadian mathematician Mela Ground, Pusa Campus, in Robert Langlands has been named the New Delhi. winner of the Abel Prize for 2018.  He gave away the Krishi Karman Awards and the Pandit Deen Dayal SUMMITS Upadhyaya Krishi Protsahan Puraskar.  Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport  Authority of India and FICCI The Prime Minister specially jointly organized the four–day biennial mentioned the State of Meghalaya, event ‘WINGS INDIA 2018’ in Hyderabad. which received an award for its Theme of the four–day biennial event this achievements in agriculture, in year is ‘India–Global Aviation Hub’. the period under review.

 Informal WTO ministerial meet which  The 106th edition of the Indian Science was attended by 50 nations took place in n Congress will be held in 2019 from 3rd to New Delhi on 19–20 March 7th January at the Barkatullah University in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.  Ministry of Human Resource Development,  Children’s Science Congress was held for All India Council for Technical Education the first time at Manipur University. (AICTE), Inter Institutional Inclusive Innovation Center (i4C), and Persistent  5th Nadi Mahotsava was held at Systems organised Smart India Bandrabhan of Hoshangabad District of Hackathon, 2017 at Pune. Smart India Madhya Pradesh. Hackathon 2018 to be held different  India to host International Competition nodal centers across India. Grand finale Network Annual Conference for the first of Hackathon was held at Chennai. time at New Delhi.  The 7th edition of the Women Science  6th SAARC Business Leaders’ Conclave Congress (WSC–2018) has inaugurated by was held at Kathmandu, Nepal. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath  Chandigarh hosted Play Write 2018, Tripathi at Manipur University, Imphal India’s first of its kind Sports Literature on March 18, 2018. Festival on March 17–18  The first National workshop on POSHAN  105th Indian Science Congress has been Abhiyan involving all the states and union inaugurated at Manipur University, territories was held at Pravasi Bharatiya Manipur. Kendra, New Delhi. POSHAN Abhiyan was launched in March 2018 by the PM  The Buddhist Community of Itanagar Modi in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. POSHAN celebrated the silver jubilee of the Losar (Partnerships and Opportunities to Festival at the Nyokum Lapang Ground. Strengthen and Harmonize Actions for  India’s biggest Media & Entertainment Nutrition in India) aims to reduce the Services Market – enTTech 2018 was nutrition evidence gap in India by inaugurated in Mumbai. synthesizing, generating, and mobilizing  The first regional conference on ‘Mass nutrition evidence. Rapid Transport System (MRTS) for Urban Areas – Opportunities and

 Krishi Unnati Mela 31

Challenges’began in Kolkata.

Current Affairs March, 2018  The seventh meeting of Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Nepal–India  First ISA Summit was attended by: relations has concluded in Kathmandu, 23 heads of state, 10 ministerial Nepal. EPG is a joint mechanism consisting representatives of different experts and intellectuals from India and countries, Heads of UN agencies, Nepal. It was set up in February 2016 to Presidents of multilateral provide suggestions for updating all development banks, heads of global existing bilateral treaties and agreements funds and financial institutions and between both the countries. Next meeting energy–related institutions. of the group will be held in New Delhi.  The ’Delhi Solar Agenda’ was also  Asia–Pacific Regional Conference of the launched during the first ISA International Association of Chiefs of Summit. As per the agenda, 62 Police, IACP was held in New Delhi. member nations have committed that they will increase share of  India is getting ready to host the 8th 3R solar power in their national Regional Forum in Asia and the Pacific energy mix to deal with climate in its cleanest city, Indore from 9–12 change and provide energy to April, 2018 underprivileged section of the society.  The United Arab Emirates is hosting a stand–alone trade show featuring  Headquarters of ISA is located military drones, showing the power these in National Institute of Solar weapons have across the Middle East. The Energy (NISE) in Gwalpahari, Unmanned Systems Exhibition & Gurugram, India. Conference is being held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.  On 7th to 9th March 2018, the World Ocean  ‘Print Biennale India 2018’, the first– Summit 2018 was held in Riviera Maya, ever International Exhibition of Graphic Mexico. This was the fifth World Ocean Prints was inaugurated in New Delhi on Summit. It was hosted by the Economist March 25, 2018. Group.

 Airports Authority of India (AAI) is  ‘Delhi End TB Summit’ is being co–hosted participating in World ATM by Union Health Ministry, World Health Congress (WATMC) 2018 which is being Organisation (WHO) South East Asia held in Madrid, Spain from 6th to Regional Office and Stop TB Partnership 8th March 2018. World ATM Congress is to eradicate TB from India by 2025. The world’s largest international air traffic global target is to End TB by 2030. management (ATM) exhibition and conference which brings together the  First ever Indo–French Knowledge world’s leading product developers, Summit was held in New Delhi from experts, stakeholders in aviation. 10th to 11th March 2018 and coincided with the state visit of French President  The founding conference of Emmanuel Macron to India. International Solar Alliance (ISA) was

held on March 11, 2018 in New Delhi.

Current Affairs March, 2018 Aung San Suu Kyi is the State Counsellor PERSONS IN NEWS of Myanmar is the de facto head of government of Myanmar, equivalent to  Prakriti has become the first woman to a prime minister. be directly inducted as combat officer into the ITBP (Indo–Tibetan Border  Ajit Singh has been appointed the head Police). of its AntiCorruption Unit (ACU).  Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan has been  Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang has appointed as the new Principal Scientific been elected for a second term in office. Advisor (PSA) to the Government of  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al–Sisi India (GoI) succeeding R Chidambaram has been re–elected for a second term with  Sherry Rehman became the first woman a sweeping majority in the 2018 Egyptian Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, presidential election the upper house of parliament, in  The Government of India has decided to Pakistan. nominate Professor J S Rajput, former  Aleksandra Liashkova from Belarus was Director NCERT, as India’s crowned Miss Supermodel Worldwide representative to the Executive Board 2018 at a grand finale in Gurugram. (EXB) of UNESCO. Ekaterina Evdokimova of Russia was  Indu Bhushan was appointed the Chief declared 1st runner–up. Shweta Parmar Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ayushman from India was awarded Miss Bharat National Health Protection Congeniality Mission.  Mangala Mani, Isro’s first woman  Chandra Bhushan Kumar has been scientist who spent over 403 days in appointed as the new Deputy Election Antarctica, is a true embodiment of ‘Nari Commissioner. There are four Deputy Shakti’. Mani was the only woman in a 23– Election Commissioners who are Mr. member expedition team that went to Umesh Sinha, Mr. Sandeep Saxena, Mr. India’s research station in the icy continent Sudeep Jain, Mr. Chandra Bhushan in November 2016. Kumar.  Long–serving American diplomat  Ava DuVernay becomes first African– Rosemary DiCarlo has been appointed to American woman to helm film with become the first woman to head UN budget over $100 mn will now take on political affairs, one of the most high– superhero film “The New Gods”. profile positions at the world body.  SAARC Secretary General Amjad  Supreme Court appoints Justice Jawad Hussain Sial Rahim as Acting Chairperson of NGT  Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar  Government appointed former CBSE resigned after a key investment project hit chairperson and secretary Vineet Joshi a legal obstacle, saying he had also had as the director general of the National enough of obstruction from his coalition Testing Agency. NTA has been initiated by partners and pressure from trade unions. the government to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational  The Nepal chief justice, Chief Justice institutions organised by the CBSE, AICTE Gopal Prasad Parajuli, was relieved of and other bodies. his post by the country’s judicial council amid dispute over his multiple birth  Aung San Suu Kyi’s loyalist Win Myint certificates. 33

elected as new Myanmar President.

Current Affairs March, 2018  Peruvian President Pedro Pablo  Sherry Rehman was elected as the Kuczynski has announced resignation Pakistan’s first woman Leader of ahead of scheduled impeachment against Opposition. him. Martin Vizcarra, Peru’s first vice  Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib– president has been sworn in as the new Fakim will step down after she was president of Peru. accused of using a credit card issued by an  Sebastian Pinera sworn in as Chile’s international non–governmental President. He also served as President organisation to buy clothes and jewellery. from 2010 to 2014. She would resign after March 12, after the  Rana Dasgupta has been appointed as the celebration of the country’s 50th literary director of the JCB Prize for anniversary. Literature. The JCB announces a new  Armen Sarkissian has been elected the literary prize to discover and celebrate fourth President of Armenia as a result of distinguished works of fiction by Indian the vote in the National Assembly. writers.  Indian–Origin Officer Neil Basu Is Scotland  Xi Jinping becomes China’s leader for life Yard’s New counter–terrorism chief. as the constitutional amendment has removed the hurdle for Xi Jinping to  Sir Suma Chakrabarti is the current become China’s leader–for–life. He is President of the European Bank for serving his second five–year term and Reconstruction and Development due to retire in 2023 under the current (EBRD). two–term system.  Nanda Bahadur Pun has been re–elected  Michael McCormack named Australia’s as the Vice–President of Nepal for the new deputy prime minister second term unopposed.  German Chancellor Angela Merkel  Palanisamy Sathasivam is the Governor secures fourth term in power with of Kerala Coalition  Bhawana Kanth became the second  Renowned mountaineer Samina Baig woman pilot of Indian Air Force to fly was appointed the National Goodwill solo in a fighter aircraft. She is one of the Ambassador for Pakistan by the United three in the first batch of women pilots, Nations Development Programme besides Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, (UNDP). The first Pakistani woman to who was inducted into the Indian Air have climbed Mount Everest, Ms Baig will Force fighter squadron on June 18, lead efforts to build national awareness 2016. and partnerships around the Sustainable  Navin Vardarajan, an Indian–American Development Goals, particularly those scientist, along with a fellow researcher, related to climate change, environmental has been granted over USD 1.1 million protection, youth and women’s for cancer research. empowerment.  Jordanian king is King Abdullah II bin  Krishna Kumari Kohli becomes Al–Hussein. Pakistan’s first Hindu woman to be elected to Senate. Krishna Kumari Kohli  Nepal’s first woman president Bidya contested on behalf of Pakistan People’s Devi Bhandari was re–elected for a Party (PPP) from a constituency second term in office. Bidya Devi reserved for women candidates in Bhandari became Nepal’s first woman Tharparkar district. 34

President in 2015.

Current Affairs March, 2018  On 19th March 2018, Russian President  Purpose – effective and fast disposal Vladimir Putin won the presidential of cases related to environmental elections and has been named as protection and conservation of Russian President for a 6–year term. forests and other natural resources Vladimir Putin first became President of including enforcement of any legal Russia in 1999. right related to environment  Vinay Kumar has been appointed as India’s ambassador to strategically key  Shekhar Kapur appointed Chairman of Afghanistan, succeeding incumbent central panel of 65th National Film Manpreet Vohra Awards  Ryoko Azuma was appointed the  Rosemary DiCarlo was named UN commander of a unit that consists of Political Chief, becoming the first female Japan’s biggest warship (IZUMO), UN Political Chief. becoming Japan’s first female chief of warship unit.  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu gave the  Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is currently appointment letter to Kidambi Srikanth serving as the Prime Minister of Nepal. in the presence of former All–England He was the first elected prime minister champion and badminton coach Pullela under the newly adopted Constitution of Gopichand, in Amravati. Nepal.  J S Rajput has been nominated by the  Indian–origin steel tycoon Sanjeev Ministry of Human Resource Development Gupta has been appointed by Britain’s as India’s representative to the Prince Charles as an official ambassador Executive Board (EXB) of UNESCO for the Industrial Cadets (United Nations Educational, Scientific programme designed to nurture and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). manufacturing skills.  Lt Gen Harpal Singh, an alumni of  The president of Myanmar, Htin Kyaw, has resigned following health issues. National Defence Academy (NDA) of Khadakwasla, has been appointed Director  Xi Jinping re–elected as President, Wang General of Border Roads (DGBR). as Vice President of China On 17th March 2018, Xi Jinping was reappointed as  US President Donald Trump has president and Wang Qishan as vice nominated Gina Haspel for the position president of China. of CIA Director.  Vijay Raghavan appointed as principal scientific advisor to Government About CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)  Justice Jawad Rahim was appointed as the acting chairperson of National Green  Formed – 1947 Tribunal (NGT) by the Supreme Court.  Purpose – civilian foreign intelligence service of the United National Green Tribunal (NGT): States federal government, tasked with gathering, processing, and  Established – 2010 analyzing national security

 Location – New Delhi information from all over the world 35

Current Affairs March, 2018 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) OBITUARY celebrated its 33rd Inception Day at Mahipalpur, New Delhi. The theme for  Javed Abidi, a disability rights activist, International Women’s Day 2018 was died due to chest infection. chosen as – ‘Time is Now: Rural and  Sir John Sulston, pioneering genome urban activists transforming women’s scientist, dies aged 75. He was awarded lives’. the Nobel Prize for medicine or  The Pi Day is observed every year on physiology in 2002, March 14 (3/14) across the world.  Sudan, the last surviving northern white  World Consumer Rights Day – March 15. male rhinoceros of the world, died after Theme: “Making Digital Marketplaces suffering age related ailments at the Ol Fairer” is the theme for World Consumer Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia national Rights Day 2018. park, Kenya.  Global Recycling Day – March 18  Kedarnath Singh (84), Jnanpith awardee and renowned Hindi poet, has passed  The International Day of Happiness is away in New Delhi on March 19, 2018. He celebrated worldwide every March 20. won the Sahitya Akademi Award in Hindi in  The International Day for the 1989 for his poetry collection ‘Akaal Mein Elimination of Racial Discrimination is Saras’ and the Jnanpith Award in 2013. observed annually on 21st March.  First Commissioner of Delhi Police and  The World Down syndrome Day (WDSD) former Director General of Uttar is observed every year on March 21 to Pradesh Police Jayendra Nath raise public awareness about the syndrome Chaturvedi passed away in Varanasi. and wellbeing of people with Down  Justice S. Ratnavel Pandian (89), the syndrome. The 2018 theme “What I former Supreme Court judge, has passed Bring To My Community” away at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He headed  The International Day of Forests is 5th Central Pay Commission. observed every year on March 21 The  On 14th arch 201 , renowned ritish 2018 theme is “Forests and Sustainable cientist tephen Haw ing passed away Cities” at his residence in ambridge, England.  World Water Day – March 22. Theme for World Water Day 2018: Nature for DAYS Water.  Bihar Diwas (Bihar Day) is observed  Zero Discrimination Day – March 1. The every year on March 22 marking the first Zero Discrimination Day was formation of the state of Bihar. Bihar was celebrated on 1st March 2014. carved out from undivided Bengal as an  World Wild Life Day – March 3 independent state in 1912  The National Safety Week Campaign is  World TB Day – March 24. The theme for celebrated from 4th of March to the 10th World TB Day 2018 is: ”Wanted: Leaders of March in 2018. for a TB–free world”.  International Women’s Day (IWD) –  On 24th March 2018, Earth Hour 2018 th was observed all over the world. 3

March 8, 2018. On 11 March 2018, 6

Current Affairs March, 2018  The 2018 World Theatre Day (WTD) is  Indore in Madhya Pradesh is India’s celebrated on 27th March. cleanest city while Gonda in Uttar Pradesh is the dirtiest, according to the ‘Swachh  Ambedkar Jayanti to be celebrated as Survekshan–2017’ ‘Social Justice Day’  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon roll out limited edition coins of Rs 350 denomination to mark the 350th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.  In wake of increasing and unacceptable levels of anti–Sikh bigotry, US state of New Jersey’s State Assembly has declared April as ‘Sikh Awareness and Appreciation

Month’. MISCELLANEOUS

 Shri Bandaru Dattatreya Launches “One IP– Two Dispensaries” and “Aadhaar Based Online Claim Submission” Schemes on International Labour Day (1st May)  SS Rajamouli’s box office shattering Baahubali 2: The Conclusion became the first Indian film to cross the 1000 cr mark with its worldwide collections.  Vesak day is also known as Buddha Purnima or Buddha Day. Narendra Modi went to Colombo on Vesak Day.  Brazil has declared an end to its public health emergency for thre Zika virus.

 64th National Film Awards,2017  Best Film Friendly State: State of Uttar Pradesh  Best Film Friendly State – Special Mention: State of Jharkhand  Best Feature Film: Kaasav (Marathi)  Dadasaheb Phalke Award:

Kasinathuni Viswanath (Filmmaker)

Current Affairs March, 2018 5. Which union ministry has recently joined Exercise Questions hands with Ministry of Power to support household electrification scheme 1. Who has been appointed as the new ‘Saubhagya’? Director-General of the National Testing a) Ministry of Skill Development & Agency (NTA)? Entrepreneurship a) Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey b) Ministry of Information and b) B Kishore Broadcasting c) Vineet Joshi c) Ministry of Rural Development d) Nitishwar Kumar d) Ministry of Women and Child Development Answer: Vineet Joshi has been appointed as the new Director-General of the National Answer: It has partnered with the Ministry Testing Agency (NTA) for a period of 5 of Skill Development & years. Entrepreneurship to train the manpower in six states – Assam, Bihar, Madhya 2. Which committee will be constituted by the Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Haryana government to find solution to Pradesh – for speedy implementation of its polluted water flowing in Yamuna river? household electrification scheme a) Ram Bilas Sharma committee ‘SAUBHAGYA’ b) Om Parkash Dhankhar committee c) Krishan Lal Panwar committee 6. Which state government has recently d) Narbir Singh committee raised retirement age of state govt employees from 60 to 62 years? Answer: The Haryana government will a) Madhya Pradesh b) Rajasthan constitute a committee led by Om Parkash c) Punjab d) Uttar Pradesh Dhankhar to find a solution to polluted water flowing in Yamuna river affecting Answer: The Madhya Pradesh government the four districts of the state. has raised the retirement age of state government employees to 62 years from 3. Which Indian city hosted the the the current age of retirement is 60 years. International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP-2018)? 7. The first-ever India-Japan Workshop on a) Kolkata b) Ajmer Disaster Risk Reduction has started in c) New Delhi d) Bhopal which city? a) Gandhinagar b) Varanasi Answer: New Delhi c) New Delhi d) Indore

4. The Salal Hydroelectric Power Station is Answer: The first-ever India-Japan built across which river in Jammu and Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction Kashmir (J & K)? held in New Delhi a) Jhelum b) Ravi c) Chenab d) Beas 8. Who has been appointed as the new Joint Secretary of 15th Finance Commission of Answer: The Salal Hydroelectric Power India? Station (SHPS) is a run-of-the-river power a) Krishna Bahadur Singh project on the Chenab River in the Reasi b) Ravi Kota district of Jammu and Kashmir (J & K). c) Anoop Singh 38

d) Sanjay Adlakha

Current Affairs March, 2018 Answer: Ravi Kota, has been appointed 12. The Union Government has launched TB- Joint Secretary of 15th Finance free India Campaign from which city to Commission. The 15th Finance Commission eradicate TB from India by 2025? was constituted on November 27, 2017 and a) Lucknow b) Varanasi is chaired by N.K. Singh. It’s operational c) New Delhi d) Gandhi Nagar duration will be from 2020-2025. Fourteenth finance mission was formed Answer: New Delhi in the year 2013 under the chairmanship of Dr. Y. V Reddy for a 13. Which Indian short film has won Best Film period of years from 2015–2020. Award at Best of India Short Film Festival in Los Angeles? 9. Which state has become the first Indian a) Dekh Indian Circus b) The Missed Class state to conduct a household survey c) Black Mirror d) Shunyata exclusively to estimate the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) at Answer: Actor Jackie Shroff’s short film the state and district levels? ‘Shunyata’ has won the best film award at a) Andhra Pradesh b) Kerela 2018 Best of India Short Film Festival at c) Odisha d) Karnataka Mack Sennett Studios in Los Angeles, United States on March 3. Answer: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has recently released the Andhra 14. The Festival of Democracy will be Pradesh Multidimensional Poverty Index celebrated in which city of Rajasthan? (MPI) Report 2017. a) Kota b) Udaipur c) Jaisalmer d) Jaipur

10. The Rangit dam is build across which Answer: The Festival of Democracy will be tributary of Tista River in Sikkim? celebrated in Jaipur, Rajasthan on March a) Rangpo River 17, 2018 to discuss developmental b) Rangit River dialogues relevant to democracy in the c) Lachung River country. d) Ringyong Chhu River

15. The National Crime Records Bureau Answer: The Rangit Dam is a run-of-the- (NCRB) has celebrated its 33rd Inception river power project on the Ranjit River, a Day on which date? major tributary of the Tista River, in the a) March 11 b) March 12 South Sikkim district of Sikkim. c) March 10 d) March 13

11. The executive committee under POSHAN Answer: March 11th Abhiyaan hold its first meeting to decide on road map for mission. The committee is 16. The Gangrel Dam is built across which river headed by whom? in Chhattisgarh? a) Preeti Sudan b) A B Joshi a) Mahanadi River b) Ganga River c) Rakesh Srivastava d) Kavita Jain c) Yamuna River d) Tapti River

Answer: The Executive Committee headed Answer: Mahanadi river by Rakesh Srivastava is the apex body for all nutrition related activities under the 17. Which state is hosting the 17th Sub-junior POSHAN Abhiyaan. It held its first National Wushu Championship 2018?

meeting to decide on the road map for a) Himchal Pradesh b) Punjab 39

the mission on March 14, 2018. c) Jammu & Kashmir d) Sikkim

Current Affairs March, 2018 Answer: The 17th Sub-junior National Answer: ISRO has successfully launched Wushu Championship has started in GSAT-6A telecommunication satellite Jammu on March 29, 2018. using the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08). 18. Which online payment service provider has become the official umpire partner of the 23. Which Indian chessmaster has clinched the Indian Premier League (IPL) for 5 years? 33rd Reykjavik Open Chess Tournament a) PhonePe b) Flipkart 2018? c) JioMoney d) Paytm a) Pentala Harikrishna b) S. P. Sethuraman Answer: Paytm c) Baskaran Adhiban d) Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 19. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) has recently signed pact with which Answer: Baskaran Adhiban from India international organisation to promote solar has clinched the title in the 33rd Reykjavik energy deployment in Asia & Pacific? Open Chess Tournament 2018. He is the a) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank second Indian after Abhijeet Gupta (in b) New Development Bank 2016) to win the prestigious Reykjavik c) African Development Bank Open.

d) Asian Development Bank 24. Which state government has launched

Answer: Asian Development Bank India’s first state-led incubator for women entrepreneurs “WE-Hub”? 20. Which Indian para-athlete has recently a) Andhra Pradesh b) Telangana secured the No. 1 rank in Asia in F53 c) Kerala d) Odisha

Javelin category? Answer: Telangana a) Rinku Hooda b) Deepa Malik c) Karamjyoti Dalal d) Pooja Khanna 25. Which city to host the 2018 National Legislators Conference? Answer: Indian para-athlete Deepa a) Jaipur b) Shimla Malik has won a gold medal in the F- c) New Delhi d) Lucknow 53/54 category javelin event at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai on Answer: The 2018 National Legislators March 15, 2018. With this, she has secured Conference will be inaugurated by Prime the No. 1 rank in Asia in F53 Javelin Minister Narendra Modi in the Central Hall category. of Parliament House, New Delhi on March 10, 2018. 21. Which of the following countries have co- chaired the first founding conference of the 26. The 114th meeting of the Permanent Indus International Solar Alliance (ISA-2018)? Commission (PIC) between India and a) India and Bangladesh Pakistan has started in which city? b) India and Russia a) Islamabad b) New Delhi c) Karachi d) Shimla c) India and France d) India and Germany Answer: The 114th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) Answer: India and France between India and Pakistan has started in

22. ISRO has successfully launched GSAT-6A New Delhi. Earlier it had met in Islamabad satellite from which rocket vehicle? in March 2017.The Indus Waters Treaty

a) GSLV-F07 b) GSLV-F09 (IWT) was signed in 1960 and involves six 40 rivers – the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, c) GSLV-F05 d) GSLV-F08

Current Affairs March, 2018 Chenab and Jhelum. India’s will be Answer: Diu has become the India’s first represented by Indus water Union Territory (UT) to run 100% on solar commissioner PK Saxena Pakistan’s six- power energy. member delegation will be led by Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah. 31. Who has become the first Indian woman from the field of law and justice to be 27. Which country to host the 17th Annual conferred the ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’? Conference of International Competition a) Fathima Beevi b) Sujata Manohar Network 2018 (ICN 2018)? c) Gyan Sudha Misra d) Gita Mittal a) Japan b) Sri Lanka c) Brazil d) India Answer: Gita Mittal, the Delhi High Court Acting Chief Justice, has become the first Answer: India will host the 17th Annual woman from the field of law and justice Conference of International Competition to be conferred the ‘Nari Shakti Network 2018 (ICN2018) for the first time Puraskar’, India’s highest civilian honour from 21st to 23rd March 2018 in New for women. Delhi.

28. The headquarters of the Animal Welfare 32. India’s first Insect Museum has opened in Board of India (AWBI) has shifted from which state? Chennai to which place? a) Kerala b) Tamil Nadu a) Ballabhgarh b) Udaipur c) Assam d) Odisha c) Kanpur d) Bhopal Answer: Tamil Nadu Answer: The headquarters of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has been 33. Which country will become the world’s shifted from Chennai to Ballabhgarh in first country to issue cryptocurrency Faridabad District of Haryana. “Sovereign”? a) Kiribati b) Fiji 29. Which India’s neighboring country will be c) Marshall Islands d) Nauru recommended for graduation from UN’s Least Developed Country (LDC) category? Answer: The Republic of the Marshall a) Pakistan b) Sri Lanka Islands (RMI) will become the first c) Bhutan d) Nepal sovereign nation to issue a cryptocurrency Answer: Bhutan. The United Nations that will be legal tender. The new currency Committee for Development Policy (CDP) is called “Sovereign” with the symbol has recently announced that the four “SOV”. countries will be recommended for graduation from the Least Developed 34. India has signed a tripartite Memorandum Country (LDC) category. These are Bhutan, of Understanding (MoU) with which Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe and countries for civil nuclear cooperation? Solomon Islands a) USA & Nepal b) Japan & Myanmar 30. Which of the following has become the c) Russia & Bangladesh India’s first Union territory to run d) Germany & Sri Lanka completely on solar power? Answer: For the first time, India has signed a) Chandigarh a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding b) Diu (MoU) with foreign partners — Russia &

c) Lakshadweep Bangladesh — for civil nuclear 41

d) Andaman and Nicobar Islands cooperation.

Current Affairs March, 2018 35. Which state has highest number of fully 40. Which campaign has been launched by covered tribal habitations with the safe WWF-India at the 12th edition of Earth drinking water? Hour 2018? a) Madhya Pradesh b) Odisha a) Give Up to Give Back c) Rajasthan d) Jharkhand b) Save Earth for Future c) Connect to Earth Answer: Madhya Pradesh d) Nature calling you, Listen! 36. Which India sports personality has become Answer: This year, in 2018, WWF-India has the brand ambassador of gaming platform launched the “Give Up to Give Back” Dream 11? initiative to inspire organisations, a) Sachin Tendulkar b) Yuvraj Singh institutions and individuals to make the c) Saurab Ganguli d) M S Dhoni choice to curb some habits, practices and Answer: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the lifestyles that burden lives and noted an Indian cricketer, has become a environment. brand ambassador of gaming platform Dream11 on March 5, 2018. 41. European Union (EU) has recently signed pact with which country on sharing earth 37. Which district has become the India’s first observation data from each other’s district to have 100% solar powered health satellites? centres? a) India b) Canada a) Kolkata b) Chennai c) China d) Thailand c) Bangaluru d) Surat Answer: India and the European Union Answer: Surat (EU) have signed an agreement that will enable them to share earth observation 38. Which country’s team has won the 2018 data from each other’s satellites. IBSF Snooker Team World Cup? a) China b) India 42. The world’s largest solar park has launched c) Pakistan d) Japan in which state?

Answer: The Indian Snooker team has a) Odisha b) Madhya Pradesh lifted the first edition of IBSF Snooker c) Rajasthan d) Karnataka

Team World Cup title and won the prize Answer: The Karnataka government has money of $15,000. The Indian duo of launched the world’s largest solar park Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra ‘Shakti Sthalaon’ at Pavagada in defeated Pakistan. Tumakuru district, about 180km from

39. The estimates committee has recently Bengaluru.

recommended effective measures to 43. Which state government has signed pact modernise security systems. The with Airport Authority of India (AAI) to committee is headed by whom? develop villages in Kamrup? a) Murli Manohar Joshi b) Arun Jaitely a) West Bengal b) Mizoram c) Manohar Parrikar d) Sushma Swaraj c) Nagaland d) Assam Answer: The Estimates Committee headed Answer: The Airport Authority of India by Dr Murli Manohar Joshi has (AAI) has recently signed a MoU with recommended effective measures to Assam government under its Corporate modernise and upgrade the country’s Social Responsibilities (CSR) initiative for security systems at par with the developed

sustainable development of human 42 countries. settlements at villages in Kamrup district.

Current Affairs March, 2018 44. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has 47. The world’s longest sandstone cave has launched an initiative ‘Videsh Aaya Pradesh discovered in which state of India? ke Dwaar’ in which city? a) Meghalaya b) Karnataka a) New Delhi b) Ranchi c) Arunachal Pradesh d) Mizoram c) Guwahati d) Hyderabad Answer: The world’s longest sandstone cave named Krem Puri has discovered near Answer: The Ministry of External Affairs the village of Laitsohum in Mawsynram (MEA) has recently launched the first of its area of East Khasi Hills district of kind initiative titled ‘Videsh Aaya Pradesh Meghalaya. ke Dwaar’ in Hyderabad, which is a key centre for Telugu and Urdu media. 48. Which city hosted the 5th India Maize Summit 2018? 45. What is the theme of the 106th foundation a) Indore b) Udaipur day of Bihar? c) New Delhi d) Jhansi a) Centenary of Champaran Satyagraha and Elimination of Dowry and Child Answer: New Delhi

Marriage 49. Which state has launched a multi-utility b) Centenary of Champaran Satyagraha vehicle Naipunya Ratham (or World on and Gandhi Jayanti Wheels)? c) Centenary of Champaran Satyagraha a) Kerala b) Andhra Pradesh and Peaceful protest c) Karnataka d) Telangana d) Centenary of Champaran Satyagraha and Empowerment of Women Answer: The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a multi-utility vehicle Answer: Bihar has celebrated its 106th “NAIPUNYA RATHAM (or World on foundation day on March 22, 2018. Vice Wheels)”, which aims to bring technology President M Venkaiah Naidu released 4 to the remote corners. books- ‘Ek Tha Mohan’, ‘Bapu Ki Chiththi’, ‘Champaran Ki Kahani’ and ‘Neel Ke 50. The Union Cabinet has recently approved Dhabbe’ on this occasion. The 2018 theme the launch of Ayushman Bharat -National for this year’s celebrations is “Centenary Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM). The of Champaran Satyagraha and meeting was chaired by whom? Elimination of Dowry and Child a) Rajnath Singh b) Prakash Javadekar Marriage”. c) Narendra Modi d) Radha Mohan Singh

Answer: Narendra Modi 46. Which Bollywood personality has won the 51. ISRO has tied up with which Public Sector lifetime achievement award at the 2018 Undertaking (PSU) company for the ‘Political and Public Life Awards’ in UK? production of space-grade lithium-ion a) Amitabh Bachchan cells? b) Boman Irani a) NTPC b) BHEL c) Jackie Shroff c) SAIL d) GAIL d) Shatrughan Sinha Answer: ISRO has signed a Technology Answer: Actor-politician Shatrughan Transfer Agreement (TTA) with Bharat Sinha has been honoured with a lifetime Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) to transfer the technology for the manufacture of achievement award in the UK’s Parliament. 43

space-grade Li-Ion cells.

Current Affairs March, 2018 52. Who authored the book on Paramveer 57. Which country’s team has won the U-16 Chakra Awardees ‘Paramveer Parwane’? Jockey Cup International Youth Invitational a) Somnath Sharma b) Prabhakiran Jain Football Tournament 2018? c) Aman Anand d) Bipin Rawat a) Chinese Taipei b) India c) Hong Kong d) Singapore Answer: Prabhakiran Jain Answer: India. India Under-16 team has 53. Which country hosted the first G20 won the Jockey Cup International Youth meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Invitational Football Tournament title by Bank Governors of 2018? defeating Hong Kong. a) India b) Germany c) Argentina d) France 58. Which state government has observed martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Answer: The first G20 meeting of finance and Rajguru as ‘Youth Empowerment Day’? ministers and central bank governors was a) Uttar Pradesh b) Chattisgarh held at the Center of Exhibitions and c) Punjab d) West Bengal Conventions (CEC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Answer: The Punjab Government is observing the martyrdom day of Shaheed- 54. Which state is hosting the 11th Rashtriya e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Sukhdev Rifles Biennial Conference 2018? and Shaheed Rajguru as ‘Youth a) Himachal Pradesh Empowerment Day’ on March 23, 2018. b) Jammu and Kashmir c) Arunachal Pradesh 59. Which Indian woman wrestler has clinched d) Sikkim India’s first gold at the 2018 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships? Answer: Jammu and Kashmir a) Navjot Kaur b) Vinesh Phogat c) Sakshi Malik d) Sangeeta Phogat 55. Which London-based organisation has received the 2017 Frederick Pincott Award Answer: Navjot Kaur

for promoting Hindi cinema? 60. Which city hosted the 27th Technological a) South Asian Cinema Innovation Conference of IJIRA on Shaping the Future b) South Asian Cinema Organisation of Jute? c) South Asian Cinema Association a) Jaipur b) Kolkata d) South Asian Cinema Foundation c) New Delhi d) Patna

Answer: The South Asian Cinema Answer: The 27th Technological Foundation (SACF), a London-based Conference of Indian Jute Industries’ organisation, has received the Frederick Research Association (IJIRA) on Shaping Pincott Award for 2017 from the Indian the Future of Jute was held in Kolkata, High Commissioner, Y K Sinha for West Bengal. promoting Hindi cinema in Britain for the last 18 years. 61. The Nathpa Jhakri Dam (NJD) is built across which river in Himachal Pradesh? 56. The first-ever National Conference on Drug a) Satluj River b) Beas River Law Enforcement has started in which city? c) Ravi River d) Tons River a) Chennai b) New Delhi c) Bangaluru d) Jaipur Answer: The Nathpa Jhakri Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Sutlej river in Answer: New Delhi Himachal Pradesh. 44