Current Affairs March – 2017 Current Affairs March 2017 This is a guide to provide you a precise summary and huge collection of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) covering national and international current affairs for the month of March 2017. This guide helps you in preparation for Indian competitive examinations like Bank PO, Banking, Railway, IAS, PCS, UPSC, CAT, GATE, CDS, NDA, MCA, MBA, Engineering, IBPS, Clerical Grade, Officer Grade etc. Audience Aspirants who are preparing for different competitive exams like Bank PO, Banking, Railway, IAS, PCS, UPSC, CAT, GATE, CDS, NDA, MCA, MBA, Engineering, IBPS, Clerical Grade, Officer Grade etc. Even though you are not preparing for any exams but are willing to have news encapsulated in a roll which you can walk through within 30 minutes, then we have put all the major points for the whole month in a precise and interesting way. Copyright and Disclaimer Copyright 2017 by Tutorials Point (I) Pvt. Ltd. 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If you discover any errors on our website or in this tutorial, please notify us at [email protected] 1 Current Affairs March – 2017 Table of Contents Current Affairs March 2017.............................................................................................................................. 1 Audience.......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Copyright and Disclaimer ................................................................................................................................. 1 Table of Contents............................................................................................................................................. 2 APPOINTMENTS .......................................................................................................................... 4 AWARDS ................................................................................................................................... 12 BOOKS & AUTHORS ................................................................................................................... 20 COMMITTEES ............................................................................................................................ 22 DEATHS ..................................................................................................................................... 24 DEFENCE ................................................................................................................................... 30 ECONOMIC ............................................................................................................................... 36 ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................................... 46 FINANCE.................................................................................................................................... 50 IMPORTANT DAYS ..................................................................................................................... 64 INTERNATIONAL ........................................................................................................................ 69 MISCELLANEOUS ....................................................................................................................... 80 NATIONAL ................................................................................................................................. 84 PERSONS IN NEWS .................................................................................................................. 126 PLACES IN NEWS ..................................................................................................................... 131 2 Current Affairs March – 2017 REGIONAL ............................................................................................................................... 137 REPORTS ................................................................................................................................. 153 RESIGNATIONS & RETIREMENTS ............................................................................................. 161 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 163 SPORTS ................................................................................................................................... 167 3 APPOINTMENTSCurrent Affairs March – 2017 1. Neil Gaiman appointed as the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Internationally acclaimed author Neil Gaiman has been appointed as a global Goodwill Ambassador by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Mr. Gaiman had been working closely with UNHCR since 2013 to raise awareness about the plight of forcibly displaced people and to generate much needed funds. He has championed UNHCR’s work through media interviews and via his social media channels. He has supported several fundraising initiatives and UNHCR campaigns and events. 2. IAS officer Sumit Mullick appointed as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Senior IAS officer Sumit Mullick was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra. He will succeed Swadheen Kshatriya. Mr. Mullick, a 1982 batch IAS officer is Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) and currently serving as the Chief Protocol Officer in the General Administration department. He had earlier served as the Divisional Commissioner of Amravati and worked as Secretary of School Education. He was also Secretary to the Governor. 3. Senior IAS officer Ajay Tyagi became the SEBI Chairman Senior IAS officer Ajay Tyagi became the 9th Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India. He took over the charge from U K Sinha and was appointed for a period of three years. Mr. Tyagi is 1984 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre. Prior to this appointment, he has handled capital markets division in the Finance Ministry. He was the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change before joining the Finance Ministry in November 2014 as an Additional Secretary. He has also worked in ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Steel and Rural Development. 4 Current Affairs March – 2017 4. JS Deepak named as India's next Ambassador to the WTO Telecom Secretary J S Deepak has been named as India's next Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) beginning June 2017. A 1982 batch IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh, Deepak, has been shifted from the Telecom Ministry and has been made Officer on Special Duty in the Commerce Department. During his earlier stint in the Commerce Ministry, he was India's chief negotiator at the WTO and for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement. 5. P K Purwar announced as the CMD of MTNL The Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) appointed P K Purwar, as the Chairman and Managing Director of MTNL, for 5 years. Prior to this appointment, he has been working as Director (Finance) in MTNL. He has experience of working as additional charge of the post of MTNL CMD between June 2014 and June 2015. The Committee under the Chairmanship of Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has appointed CMD of MTNL, as post was vacant, since the superannuation of A K Garg. 6. Cairn India appointed Melody Meyer and Atul Gupta as advisors Melody Meyer and Atul Gupta have been appointed as Technical Advisors by Cairn India. Meyer and Gupta would be heading specific projects to drive the company’s aim of contributing 50% of India’s overall crude production. Meyer is a US citizen and has 37 years of experience across nine countries. Gupta, a British citizen of Indian origin, has over 36 years of experience. Mr Gupta has also served as the Managing Director of Hindustan Oil Exploration Company. 5 Current Affairs March – 2017 7. Dr. K Srinath Reddy appointed as the adviser to the Odisha Govt Professor Dr. K Srinath Reddy has been appointed as the adviser to the Odisha Government. He will advise the State Government on proper implementation and smooth delivery of the ongoing health service programs. Mr. Reddy would be accorded the rank of a Cabinet Minister in the State. He is a Padma Bhushan awardee. He was the former head of the Department of Cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. 8. Harm Ohlmeyer selected as the CFO of Adidas Supervisory Board of Adidas AG has appointed Harm Ohlmeyer (49) as the successor for long- time Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Robin J. Stalker (59). Harm Ohlmeyer has been appointed to the Executive Board as an ordinary member with immediate effect and as the CFO of Adidas AG effective May 12, 2017. Harm Ohlmeyer started his career with Adidas in 1998 and gained extensive experience in the areas of Finance and Sales. Prior to this, Harm Ohlmeyer held various positions within the company’s Finance organisation, including