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MARCH 2021 MP NEWS + GK

APP : MPPSCADDA [email protected] Call – 8368182233, 9953733830 MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 1 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

WhatsApp - 7982862964 Telegram - t.me/mppscadda MADHYA PRADESH NEWS

BUDGET 2021-22  Budget Date - 2 March 2021  Budget session began on 22 February.  Finance Minister Jagdish Deora has presented a paperless budget in MP Legislative Assembly Bhopal,  This is MP's first e-budget.  Finance Minister Jagdish Deora has made several big announcements.

"ATMANIRBHAR Madhya Pradesh"  Keeping in view the ATMANIRBNHAR Madhya Pradesh, the budget 2021-22 has prepared various schemes in mission mode.

"Public budget"  To prepare the budget, efforts were made to get the suggestions of the public and included in the budget.

"Digital Budget"  The budget for the year 2021-22 was presented digitally. Which can also be seen now through the MP Govt Diary app.  The budget will also be available on the website of the Finance Department.

Budget Estimates Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Madhya Pradesh  GSDP For 2021-22 (at current prices) is projected to be Rs 11, 32,116 crore. (around 10 Trillion)  This is equivalent to a 10% annual growth over 2019-20.  In 2021-22 GSDP is estimated to be 23.4% higher than the revised estimate of GSDP for 2020-21 (Rs 9, 17,555 crore).  In 2020-21, GSDP (at current prices) is estimated to contract by 2.1% from the previous year.

Expenditure  Total expenditure for 2021-22 is estimated to be Rs 2,34,918 crore, an 11% annual increase over the expenditure in 2019-20.  Estimated 9% increase in revenue expenditure in the year 2021-22 as compared to the revised estimate for the year 2020-21  Estimated increase in capital expenditure by 42.6% in the year 2021-22 as compared to the revised estimate for the year 2020-21  Capital outlay for the year 2021-22 is estimated at 3.90% of the state GDP. MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 2 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

Receipts  Total receipts (excluding borrowings) for 2021-22 are estimated to be Rs 1,66,525 crore, an annual increase of 6% over the actual receipts for 2019-20.  In 2020-21, as per the revised estimates, total receipts (excluding borrowings) are estimated to be Rs 1,37,566 crore, which is 7% lower in comparison to 2019-20.  Estimated 22% increase in the state's own tax revenue in the year 2021-22 as compared to the revised estimate for the year 2020-21.  Interest payments in the year 2021-22 are 12.72% of the total revenue receipts.  No increase in tax will be done.

Revenue Deficit  Revenue deficit for 2021-22 is estimated to be Rs 7,953 crore, which is 0.7% of the GSDP.  In 2020-21, as per the revised figures, revenue deficit is estimated at Rs 21,051 crore (2.29% of GSDP), as compared to the budgeted estimate of Rs 17,189 crore (1.81% of GSDP).

Fiscal Deficit  Fiscal deficit for 2021-22 is targeted at Rs 50,598 crore (4.47% of GSDP).  In 2020-21, the revised estimate for fiscal deficit is expected to be 5.66% of GSDP, higher than the budget estimate of 4.96% of GSDP.

Sectors  Allocation towards water supply and sanitation had the highest annual increase of 54% over 2019-20, followed by health and family welfare (10%), and education, sports, arts and culture (10%).  An annual decrease of 2% is seen in the allocation for construction of roads and bridges, and rural development between actual expenditure for 2019-20 and estimates for 2021-22.

Budget – Amount in each sector

S.R Sector Part of budget (Percentage) 1. Infrastructure development 20.35 2. Education 18.87 3. Agriculture and Allied Sectors 16.29 4. Health and Allied Sectors 7.20 5. Poor welfare 5.51 6. Women 4.92

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Budget Allocation

 ₹ 24,911 crore for Scheduled Tribes (Sub Scheme)

 ₹ 17,980 crores for scheduled castes (sub schemes)

 ₹ 9793 crore provision for the establishment of government primary schools (school education)

 Provision of ₹ 5762 crore for Water Life Mission

 ₹ 15329 crore provision for secondary schools (school education)

 ₹ 4600 crore for Atal Krishi Jyoti Yojana

 ₹ 4027 crore for government high / higher secondary schools

 ₹ 3993 crore for Composite Education Campaign

 ₹ 4394 crore for grant to local bodies as per the recommendation of 15th Finance Commission

 ₹ 3600 crore for transfer of tax from urban bodies to entry tax

 ₹ 3200 crores for Chief Minister Kisan Kalyan Yojana

 ₹ 3035 crores for National Health Mission

 ₹ 2987 crore for Primary Schools (Tribal Affairs Department)

 ₹ 2925 crores for the Prime Minister's Village Road Scheme

 ₹ 2581 crore for Atal Griha Jyoti Yojana

 ₹ 2500 crore provision for the Prime Minister's Housing Scheme

 ₹ 2220 crores for Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme

 ₹ 2026 crore for canal and related construction work

 ₹ 2016 crore for Arts, Science and Commerce College

 ₹ 2000 crores for National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

 ₹ 2000 crores for the Chief Minister Farmer Crop Acquisition Assistance Scheme

 ₹ 1885 crores for dam and ring work MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 4 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

 ₹ 1816 crores for social security and welfare

 ₹ 1769 crore provision for secondary schools (Tribal Affairs Department)

 ₹ 1500 crore provision for Housing for All

 ₹ 1500 crore provision for CM Rise

 ₹ 11450 crore provision for Minimum Needs Program Special Nutrition Diet Plan

 ₹ 1272 crore provision for ANGANBARI services;

 ₹ 1237 crore provision for Magnificent MP Investment Attraction Scheme.

 ₹ 1208 crores for district / civil hospital and dispensary

 ₹ 1172 crores for medical college and allied hospital

 ₹ 1144 crore for Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension

 ₹ 1001 crore provision for mid-day meal program

 ₹ 1000 crore for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation

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 ₹ 11000 crore for interest subsidy short term loans to farmers through cooperative banks

 ₹ 922 crore provision for Ladli Laxmi Yojana

 ₹ 900 crore provision for smart city

 ₹ 891 crore for general Maintenance and repair

 ₹ 878 crores for rural group water supply scheme

 ₹ 872 crores for 11th, 12th and Mahavidyalaya Scholarship

 ₹ 870 crore for additional honorarium to Anganwadi workers and assistants

 ₹ 850 crore for renovation & upgrading of roads under the Prime Minister's Road Plan

 ₹ 684 crore for intensive animal development project

 ₹ 620 crores for construction of rural roads

 ₹ 602 crores for Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana (externally funded)

 ₹ 600 crores for the Chief Minister Jan Kalyan (Sambal) Scheme

 ₹ 600 crores for Road Development Program (ADB funded)

 ₹ 550 crores for loan assistance for restructuring the state government undertakings

 ₹ 550 crore provision for compensatory forest rope fund

 ₹ 515 crores for funding (road construction) from NDB

 ₹ 500 crores for the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan

Important Budget Announcements  Government has also approved the AATMANIRBHAR PACKAGE  Portal has been created for ATMANIRBHAR MP - http://atmanirbhar.mp.gov.in/  It has been approved to increase seats in medical colleges.  The Finance Minister said that the priority of the government is agriculture.

 World’s largest floating solar power plant in Omkareshwar

 New solar park in 6 districts.

 Work of Atal Progress Way has started.  To increase irrigation capacity to 65 lakh hectares.

 4,000 recruitments in police and for 24 thousand posts of teachers.

 Pilot project of transport system for school students of Class IX to XI in five development blocks.

 Budget for construction of Chambal Progress-Way and Narmada Express-Way.

 Construction of more than 6 thousand kilometers of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and the Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

 Jal-Jivan mission for urban areas also.

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 Development of Van Dhan Kendra at 86 places in 13 districts.

 Pre-primary classes to be conducted on pilot basis in 38 Ashram schools of 3 Denotified Special Backward tribes of Baiga, Sahariya and Bharia.

 Mukhya Mantri Swarozgar Byaj Paridan Yojana to be started.

 Rapid implementation of ‘Start Your Business in Thirty Days' for Ease of Doing Business.

 A 50-bed police hospital will be constructed.

 Diamond museum will be built in Panna.

 Food processing unit will be set up in Panna.

 Ropeway construction at Jatashankar in Chhatarpur district.

 To arrange pension from its budget for Bhopal gas victims after the Central Pension Scheme ended.

 Approval for 9 new medical colleges in the state.

 Sambal scheme has been restarted.

 Small and marginal farmers will get an amount of Rs 10 thousand in a year.

 Along with the Pradhan Mantri Swanidhi Yojana, benefits of the Chief Minister Kisan-Kalyan Yojana will also be received

 Gyanodaya School to be upgraded from CBSE

 Regional Science Center will be established in Jabalpur

 Budget provision of 3680 crores for the development of Narmada Valley

 Water from the tap will be delivered to every house under the Jal Jivan Mission

 Target to provide 33 lakhs tap connections in 2021-22

 Rural schools will be electrified in the coming 4 years

 Will make railway crossing accident free

 There will be uninterrupted power supply in urban and rural areas

 Good nutrition garden will be established

 Computer labs to be built in 33 residential schools

 Mukhyamantri Tirth Darshan Yojana will be started again

 3250 MBBS seats to be increased in 2022-23

 Bunjar and waste land will be made fertile

 Payment has been made for the purchase of gram and lentils

 A positive atmosphere is being created in MP for investment of big industries.

 1 thousand gaushalas are being established in 1 thousand gram panchayats.

 Land Fishing on 4.33 Lakh Hectares

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 Airstrips will be used for aero sports activities

 Cancer hospital to be set up in  Bhopal  Jabalpur  Indore

 2441 km of new roads will be constructed in the state.

 In the next three years, 105 foot over bridges will be built at 105 railway crossings.

What did Malwa and Nimar get?

 Solar parks of 4 thousand 500 MW capacity will be developed at Neemuch, Shajapur, Agar.

 600 MW floating solar power plant will be built at Omkareshwar, which will be the largest in the world.

 Seats will be increased in Indore, Bhopal and Rewa Medical College. There was an increase of 165 seats in 2020-21.

 New government medical colleges will be opened in Mandsaur and Neemuch.

 Pilot training will now be done by paying fees on the airstrips of Mandsaur, Ratlam and Ujjain.

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ATMANIRBHAR MADHYA PRADESH 2023 Madhya Pradesh has, thus, set its foot forward to make itself self-reliant ‘AtmaN_MP@23’ endorsing AtmaN principle for achieving self-reliant Madhya Pradesh by 2023, thereby contributing in the making of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.  A-Aspiration,  T-Transformation,  M-Mission,  A-Action,  N-Neeti

Goal of Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh to be achieved through Mission Approach. Activities will be implemented by adopting Mission Approach in the areas of :  Governance  Physical infrastructure  Education and Health  Economy and Employment

S. No. Subject Name of Sub-Groups

 Road Infrastructure  Travel and Tourism  Urban Development and Housing 1 Physical Infrastructure  Water  Energy  Transport and Logistics

 Public service delivery/ e-governance/ emerging technologies  Transparency/ Accountability/ Public participation/ Government 2 Governance Procurement  Updation and Simplification of Regulations: Acts/ Rules/ Guidelines  Grievance Redressal and Human Resource Management

 Health and Medical Education  Technical Education and Skill Development 3 Health and Education  Higher Education  School Education

 Agriculture and Allied Sectors Economy and  Industries and Skill Development 4 Employment  Natural Resources  Trade and Commerce

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Six pillars mentioned by the Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech for the year 21-20 No. Budget pillars of Government of India Atmanirbhar Pillars of State Government

Building physical, financial and capital 1 Physical infrastructure infrastructure

2 Health and welfare Education and health

3 Inclusive development for aspiring India Economy and employment

4 Innovation, Research and Development Good Governance

5 Infusing new life in human capital Education and Health, Economy and Employment

6 Minimum Government - Maximum Governance Good governance

The pillars of Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh are also in line with the six-point agenda laid for the transformation of India at the meeting of the Governing Body of NITI Aayog. No NITI Aayog and Trasformation Agenda Atmanirbhar pilars of state goverment

1 Making India A Global Manufacturing Hub Economy and Employment

2 Reimagining agriculture Economy and Employment

3 Imrpoving Physical Intrastructure Physical Intrastructure

4 Accelerating Human Resource Development Education and health, Economy and employment

5 Improving service delivery at grassroots level Good governance

6 Health and nutrition Education and health

MISSIONS to be implemented for achieving ATMANIRBHAR MP @23

Mission Janagana  The Public Service Guarantee Act has been amended to provide for deemed approval.

 Now, if the application for receiving the selected services is not disposed of within the time-limit, then the citizens will automatically get such service or certificate from the portal.

 In this series, a single citizen database will be created under the Integrated Programme. Mission Nirman - Mahapath  The budget for this financial year includes 2,441 km of new roads and 65 new bridges, as well as the goal of constructing railway over bridges at all railway gates with high traffic.

 The work of Atal Progress-Way has been started to accelerate the development of Chambal Zone.

 A project report is being prepared for the construction of Narmada Expressway connecting the eastern and western regions of the state.

 The construction of these Mahapaths will provide better employment and business opportunities to local people. The budget for public works has been increased by Rs 475 crore. MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 10 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

Mission Gramoday  About 72 percent of the state’s population resides in rural areas.

 Providing high level of infrastructure in rural areas and increasing rural income by generating employment opportunities is the priority of the government.

 Settlements of 500 in general area and more than 250 population of tribal area which are not connected by road, will be connected with perennial asphalted roads.

 There are ambitious plans for housing construction, employment generation and training also.

Mission Nagaroday  A provision of Rs 262 crore has been made to give speed to the metro rail project in Bhopal and Indore.

 A provision of Rs.1,500 crore has been made for Housing for All scheme

 Rs 1000 crore for sewerage and water supply works

 Rs. 900 crore for development of selected cities under Smart City Yojana.

Mission Bodhi - more than 24 thousand teachers will be appointed  To ensure quality in government schools, CM Rise schools will be started.

 These schools will be equipped with laboratories, library, computer labs and bus facility for commutation of students.

 The target is to set up 9 thousand 200 schools in the state.

 In the first phase, 350 schools are being developed, for which a provision of Rs one thousand 500 crore has been made in the year 2021-22.

 In the year 2021-22, fresh recruitment of teachers will be done for about 24 thousand 200 posts.

Mission Niramay  For continuous improvement in the quality of health services and management in the state.

 A provision of Rs 15 thousand 622 crore has been made for the health and allied sector in the year 2021-22. MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 11 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

 MBBS seats will be increased to 3250 from 2035 to increase the availability of qualified and specialist doctors.

 Soon 23 government medical colleges will become functional.

 Tele-medicine services are being provided for specialist consultation in the sub-health centers and primary health centers of the state.

Mission Arth  Provision of Rs 35,353 crore has been made in the year 2021-22 for the works of agriculture and allied sectors.Activities related to agriculture, cooperatives, horticulture, food processing, animal husbandry, fisheries development, industrial policy and investment promotion and tourism and aviation related activities will be implemented in a concerted manner to ensure that every citizen becomes a partner in the development of the state

 New employment opportunities are created and the economy grows rapidly.

 The incentive amount has been increased to Rs. 1,437 crore to attract industrial investment.

Mission Daksh  Infrastructural reforms will be made in the field of technical education and skill development to provide support to local economy and create additional employment opportunities.

 Upgradation of  Global Skill Park,  ITI,  Polytechnic and  Engineering Colleges is proposed.

TAXATION in MP Budget 2021-22  No new taxes are proposed in the budget of the state for the year 2021-22

 No hike in the rate of any tax

 While the fiscal deficit is 4.5 percent of the state's gross domestic product, a target has been set to bring it down to 3 percent in the next three years.

15th Finance Commission increased MP state’s share  In the 14th Finance Commission, a memorandum was submitted by Madhya Pradesh to increase the share of 7.548 percent fixed for Madhya Pradesh in the central taxes to be distributed among the states.

 For the period 2020-21 to 2025-26, the share of the state has been hiked to 7.85 percent by the 15th Finance Commission.

 With this increase, the state is expected to receive an additional amount of about Rs. 2 thousand crores from central taxes in the year 2021-22.

 Capital expenditure has increased by more than 42 percent in the new financial year compared to the previous year.

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ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRY DEVELOPMENT in Madhya Pradesh  To achieve the goals of Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh as per time-bound action plan. Rural economy should be strengthened through the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department.

 Minsiter : Animal Husbandry, Social Justice and Disabled Welfare Minister Shri Prem Singh Patel

 Role of animal husbandry should be increased to strengthen rural economy by following means:

Artificial insemination and Gausevak  It was informed that the target is to increase artificial insemination from 32 percent to 50 percent at present. In the year 2020-21, 1628 private artificial insemination workers have been trained. Private participation in this work is being encouraged.

Frozen semen  26 lakh doses of frozen semen have been produced. The target of 45 million frozen semen dosages will be achieved.

Vaccination  In the first phase, FMD vaccinations have been administered to about 253 lakh animals. The Bio Products Laboratory at Mhow that produces vaccines for 12 diseases of cattle will be upgraded and renewed.

Projects approved  A product dairy project of 12 crore in Bhopal

 Cold storage project for storage of butter costing 5 crore in Indore

 A milk plant project of 20 thousand litres capacity costing 3.5 crore in Rewa

Gaushalas  In the year 2019-20, 1004 gaushalas were sanctioned out of which construction of 963 gaushalas has been completed. The target is to construct 2365 gaushalas in the year 2020-21.

Dairy Technology Course  It was decided in the meeting that dairy technology courses will be started under Nana Ji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University.

Vigyan Kendras  For the expansion of animal husbandry and dairy activities, only the Krishi Vigyan Kendras operated under the Department of Agriculture will be entrusted with the responsibility of curriculum and dairy development.

Farmer Credit Card to cattle farmers  Against the target of providing Kisan Credit Cards to three lakh cattle rearers under animal husbandry, 4 lakh applications have been submitted to banks. At present, 84 thousand farmer credit cards have been approved.

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Artificial insemination of goats  Facility of artificial insemination of goats has been started on pilot basis in district Seoni.

Bird flu status  Action has been taken in the affected areas as per the guidelines and action plan of the Government of India for control of bird flu disease in crows, wild birds and chicken.

MP tops in LAND RECORDS SERVICE INDEX in NCAER Ranking  Madhya Pradesh has ranked first in the country once again this year for the Land Records Service Index in the ranking given by the National Council for Applied Economic Research.  This honour is given for the use of modern technology in official work.  The basis of analysis is mainly computerization of land records and quality of services related to land records.  State’s Revenue and Transport Minister Shri Govind Singh Rajput has congratulated the officers / employees concerned for this achievement.  With the use of technology, transparency in the state’s revenue works has also increased.

NCAER  NCAER implements the Land Record Service Index Survey every year.  The first Land Record Service Index was published on 27 February 2020 after collection and analysis of the data of all the states in the year 2020 by the institution, in which Madhya Pradesh ranked first.  Compared to last year, this year too, the state score more and ranked first.

Computerization of land records  Many important works have been done by the Land Records Office of Madhya Pradesh in the field of information technology to deliver its services to the citizens. Madhya Pradesh has received this honour on the basis of the quality of these services. Under these services, an electronic database of about 4 crore Khasra numbers has been prepared for about one crore 51 lakh land owners of all 56 thousand 761 villages of the state by computerization of land records. Revenue Department services are being provided through M.P Online, Lokseva Kendras and online portal.

Digitization of maps  Digitization of land maps and computerized copies of land records can be obtained online anywhere anytime by the Land Records Office. Similarly, by facilitating the process of land mortgages online, farmers have been given the facility to get loans easily.  The processes of name transfer and property distribution are completely computerized. With this, cases can be resolved easily and high level monitoring can be done.  The parties to this facility will not be required to come to court to obtain an order.

“SAARA app” effective for crop girdawari  “SAARA app” is being used by citizens across the state to facilitate girdawari works of land records ad ensure transparency.  The effective use of SAARA app in the work of crop girdawari is majorly included in the achievements of the department.

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INDORE ranks No. 1 and Bhopal ranks no 3 in Municipal Performance Index (MPI)  Ranking of urban bodies was released in New Delhi after a study of the Ease of Living and Municipal Performance Index of 111 cities of the country under the Smart City Scheme by the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Government of India.  Indore ranked first while Bhopal ranked third in Municipal Performance Index, among cities with more than 10 lakh population.  Indore ranked 9th in the country in the Ease of Living Index.

Hollywood Filmmaker SWETA RAI from MP  Hollywood film maker Sweta Rai calls on Chief Minister Shri Chouhan  Sushri Sweta Rai, the director and writer associated with filmmaking in Hollywood  Sushri Sweta Rai is a native of Kymore in Katni district.  Sushri Rai has produced a film with 10 prominent women at the centre, which include Dr. Saumya Swaminathan who collaborated in vaccine for protection from Covid in India and the first pilot Sushri Swati Rawal.  Sushri Shweta has urged Hollywood filmmakers to produce films at major locations in Madhya Pradesh.  “A Pandemic Away from the Mother Lands” is a film made by her during lockdown period.  Sweta is the founder and CEO of Indo Holly Films.

Harsingar (Parijat) plant  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan planted a sapling of Parijat  Harsingar (Parijat) plant is a very good herbal medicine.  Harsingar is useful in the treatment of many diseases including digestive system, stomach worm disease, fever and liver disorders. Drinking the decoction made by boiling its leaves cures chronic knee pain.

Karanj (Plant)  Karanj is a multipurpose evergreen tree, the wood of which is used for agricultural equipments, domestic works and fuel for daily use of farmers.  Karanj is one such plant, which shows strong and immense possibilities of using the oil obtained as bio- diesel.

Tamot, Raisen  Sagar Group is keen to invest in textile and food processing units at Tamot village in Raisen district  Sagar Group Chairman Shri Sudhir Kumar Agrawal held a discussion on the plan to set up textile and food processing units at Tamot village in Raisen district at a cost of Rs 600 crore. These units will generate employment for 2 thousand 500 persons.

March 5th CMs Birthday  March 5 is the birthday of the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan  CM for 4th time  Born on March 5, 1959, in Jait a small village on the banks of the Narmada in Sehore district. MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 15 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

 Constituency : Budhni- Sehore District  For women and girls, he actually worked as a Mama Ji.

President Shri Ram Nath Kovind on State visit : March 6-7  Visited Jabalpur and Damoh  President Shri Ram Nath Kovind will be on a two-day visit to Madhya Pradesh  Fact: Jabalpur - Dumna Airport

Also three books related to judicial field were released and the first copy of the books was presented to thePresident Shri Kovind  ‘Bharat ke Nyayalay: Ateet se Vartaman tak’ was released by Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Shri Bobde,  ‘Madhya Pradesh ka Nyayik Itihas evam Nyayalaya’ was released by Justice N.V. Ramanna  ‘Madhya Pradesh Ucchha Nyalaya ke Varsh 1950 se aaj tak ke digest’ was released by Supreme Court Justice Ashok Bhushan.

Nari Tu Narayani ( March 8 - International Women's Day) Two major state level programmes to be organised on March 8 on the International Women's Day .  First programme will be held at Hunar-Haat Bhopal Haat.  In this, loans of 200 crores will be distributed among rural self-help groups.  Buy products from women's self-help groups, become vocal for local  Govt promoted Kodo-Kutki dishes (coarse grains of Gond Tribals), toys, domestic use items, adornments and artistic clothes

About 50 self-help groups will bring products in the three-day Hunar-Haat. The districts from which more groups are coming include seven groups each from Balaghat and Dindori, five each from Panna and Mandla. Apart from this, Raisen, Barwani, Anuppur, Satna, Umaria districts are also taking participating actively. Major products include:  kodo-kutki,  powerloom textiles and  gondi paintings from Dindori,  honey from Anuppur,  woodwork from Sehore and  artistic dresses from Mandla.

‘Andayi’ portal of Kodo cuisine started  Government released the ‘Andayi’ portal, ‘Andayi’ book and One Stop Center booklet of recipes based on Kodo, coarse and nutritious grains.  Kodo dishes includes Dosa, Idli, Mousse, Khichdi, Roll and Biscuits prepared by women of ‘Andayi’ (Dindori). MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 16 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

International Women’s Day : March 8 Government made several important announcements on this occasion  State government will bear the burden of higher education of all Ladli Laxmi in India and abroad.  Rs 150 crores will be deposited every month in the accounts of self-help groups.  Women self-help groups will now be given loans at 2 percent interest instead of 4 percent. The remaining interest will be borne by the government.  Contractual women employees will also be entitled to 180 days of maternity leave.  Temporary female sanitation workers working in urban bodies will get one day off in a week.  Nari Samman Kosh will be created in Madhya Pradesh at a cost of Rs 100 crores.  Free training in driving will be given to women.  Land ownership will include the name of the wife along with the husband.  Documents of all schemes including the Pradhan Mantri Awas under which houses will be built, will be in the name of women also. The key will also be given jointly.  2 percent discount will be given on registration on purchase of new property in the name of women.  Registration of women will be free on contractorship.  School uniforms will be stitched by members of women self-help groups.  Self-help groups will also do the work of purchasing wheat, crops etc.  Women self-help groups will also be included in the surveys to be conducted at the panchayat level.  Women’s help desk to be set up in government hospitals.  Career counseling will be conducted for women.  Women will be given free training in driving in marked ITIs.  Women self-help groups will also run canteens in government premises at the district level.  Skill labs will be set up for training related to Women’s Health Services in Ujjain and Sagar districts.  1600 health centers of the state will be converted into modern delivery centers.  Rs. 2 lakh will be provided separately for the development of villages with equal number of births of male and female child for 3 consecutive years.  Women police stations will be opened in every district of the state.  In the next three years, every household in every village of the state will be provided with tap water.  Students of Class IX, X and XI will be educated on the importance of giving respect to women.  Oil, spices etc. used in preparing mid-day meal will be purchased from the women self-help groups.  Self-help groups will also be included in the anti-drugs campaign.  Drug-free panchayats will be rewarded apart from being given more funds for development.  Local women self-help groups, Shaurya Dal etc. will also take part in the anti-drugs programme.  Martial arts training for self –defense will be given to 23 thousand women of the state.

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Women participation in Atma Nirbhar Madhya Pradesh  Women self-help groups will now be provided loans at a rate of 2 percent instead of 4 percent.  Under the Panchayat level surveys, 50 percent members will be of the women self-help groups.  Women self-help groups have also been entrusted with the task of making uniforms for the children of the government schools.  State government has decided that it will be necessary to add the wife's name with the husband in the land papers.  Provision for two percent exemption in registration on purchase of new property in the name of sister, mother, daughter and wife will be applicable.  The housing plans will have a joint name of both the spouses.  Umang programme is being implemented to change the male-oriented mindset. In this, children of Class IX to XI will be given lessons on values of giving respect to girls.  In the Ladli Laxmi Yojana launched in the state to foster affection for girls, has more than 38 lakh girls of the state in it.  The government is also taking responsibility for the education of these Ladli Laxmis. The government will bear the fees for their higher education in IIT, IIM, medicine, engineering both in the country and abroad. Nari Samman Kosh will also be set up in the state soon.

MP ranked 1st in Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana implementation  Recently, the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development reviewed the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in which it was announced that Madhya Pradesh has ranked first in successful implementation of the scheme and for its achievement of 152 percent.  Under the scheme, there is provision of Rs 5000 per beneficiary to all pregnant women and lactating mothers in three installments on fulfilling the laid down conditions on the first born child.  The Freedom of Religion Bill has been passed by the Legislative Assembly in the state. Under the Act, criminals who instill fear, threaten and seduce girls will be punished with rigorous imprisonment for life.

Muskan Abhiyan  Muskan Abhiyan’ has been launched to trace missing girls of the state.  About 9 thousand missing girls have been rescued and handed over to their parents under this campaign.  Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country to not only provide death by hanging to such criminals, but so far 72 convicts have also been sentenced to death.

Aparajita programme  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan inaugurated the ‘Aparajita’ programme at Bhopal Haat for the protection of girls.  Aparajita programme has also been started for the self-defense of girls.  In the first phase of the programme, martial arts training will be imparted to 23 thousand girl students of the state.  In this, martial arts training of 15 to 21 days will be imparted from all the districts of the state.

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Freedom to Religion Bill, 2021  Freedom of Religion Act to stop religious conversion under pressure, by allurement and fear.  Under this law, a provision has been made for strict punishment for people who lure girls into marriage and then force them to convert their religion.  This law will help save the lives of especially women from turning miserable.

5 S for women development Madhya Pradesh government will take new decisions related to women will be taken on the basis of 1. Samanta, equality 2. Samman, respect 3. Suraksha, security 4. Shiksha education 5. Swavlamban self-reliance

Fact  Culture and Tourism Minister Sushri Usha Thakur

Balshri Awards presented  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan presented Balshri Awards to Tanya Sharma, Sobhi Jain, Sakshi Pandole, Aanya Kekre and Tanishka Singh Rathore.  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan also honoured Mamta Mishra, Preeti Meghwani, Rashi, Bindiya and Aadya Singh, for securing 1st to 5th place in the cyclothon

Vivekananda Career Guidance Scheme  Arrangement of training in ten subjects  Students can take training in any one of the ten subjects according to their interest under Swami Vivekananda Career Guidance Scheme.  Subjects like advanced agricultural skills, solar power plant maintenance and marketing, livestock, poultry, beekeeping-fisheries, tourism and travel management skills, e-commerce and online banking, taxation, IT-GST, food manufacturing and processing, self-employment related to mines and minerals, weavers, printing art- textile manufacturing, journalism and translation work has been included under this.

Sarthak Attendance System  Sarthak Attendance system related to the presence and absence of government officials, employees in the offices was presented.

‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign  ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign is being launched nationwide 75 weeks before by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on March 12, 2021 from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad to celebrate the 75 years of India’s independence.  In pursuance of that, a state-wide campaign will be launched by Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Shaurya Smarak, Bhopal. on March 12  The ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign will be launched to celebrate the 75th year of India’s MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 19 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

independence in a ceremonial manner.  The campaign will launched on March 12.  Programmes will also be organized in those places where the immortal saga of the freedom struggle exists besides the district headquarters in the state.

Major landmarks at the Shaurya Smarak, Bhopal  Bharat Mata statue  Shaurya Stambh.

Sites where Mahotsav is organized  All 52 district headquarters of the state  Sited associated with the Jana Nayaks and freedom movement.

Among the mainly identified sites in the state are  Bhabhara, Alirajpur district (Chandrashekhar Azad),  Orchha, Niwari district (Tatya Tope),  Tamia Chhindwara district (Khaja Nayak),  Bara, Jabalpur district (Rani Durgavati),  Deori, Sagar district (Sangram Shah),  Madanpur, Shivpuri district (Dhillon Shah),  Turia, Seoni district (Wmen hanged),  Vijayaraghogarh, Katni district (Raja Saryu Pratap),  Balpur, Dindori district (Rani Avantibai),  Dagdoua, Umaria district (Birsa Munda),  Mungawali, Ashoknagar district (Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi)  Amjhera, Dhar district (Rana Bakhtawar Singh).  Ghoda Dongri Betul district,  Babai Hoshangabad district,  Kareli Narsinghpur district,  Gadhakota Sagar district,  Sanwer Indore district,  Mahidpur Ujjain district,  Depalpur Indore district,  Udaipur Raisen district,  Nainpur Mandla district,  Nagaud Satna district  Ambah Morena district.

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Why March 12?  March 12 is associated with the Dandi March, a historical event of the Indian independence struggle.  This was a civil law breach programme organized in 1930 by Mahatma Gandhi against the law of the British government to impose tax on salt.  The anti-salt law was violated on April 6, 1930 by Mahatma Gandhi under the leadership of 78 people in a foot march (390 km) from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi.

Tribal Intiatives Singaurgarh region as National Tribal Tourism Hub  3-day programme will be held every year on Rani Durgavati Balidan Divas  President Shri Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the state level tribal conference on Sunday at Singrampur gram panchayat in Damoh district by laying the foundation stone for the conservation work of Singaurgarh Fort.  Singaur region can be developed as a National Tribal Hub.  Works being undertaken for the preservation of Singaurgarh Fort, this area will become important in terms of tourism in the future.  Saving the heritage of Chambal, Malwa, Bundelkhand, Mahakaushal, Baghelkhand.

New Archaeology Divisions  The 6 divisions of Indian archaeology that have been newly constructed, will do meaningful work in this direction.  Baiga, a special backward tribe in Madhya Pradesh, community possess great knowledge about traditional medicine.  Education is the most effective medium for the development of any individual or community. Therefore, it is necessary to make efforts for educational development of tribal community.

Eklavya Tribal Residential Schools  Special emphasis is being laid on construction and operation of Eklavya Tribal Residential Schools in Madhya Pradesh.

Kanya Shiksha Parisar  The construction of Kanya Shiksha Parisar is being encouraged in Madhya Pradesh to promote literacy and education.

Awards in the name of Rani Durgavati and Shankarshah.  The President also appreciated the awards instituted in the name of Rani Durgavati and Shankarshah.  Women Empowerment Scheme is a special scheme for the development of Scheduled Tribes.  National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation provides financial assistance on concessional rates under the scheme.

Efforts of lt Atal Bihari Vajpayee  President also remembered former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.  Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee formed the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the Government of India.  In the present scenario, this department is also being run by the state governments along with the central government. MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 21 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

Other Provisions  Tribal class beneficiaries are being benefited by schemes of various departments under tribal sub- schemes by making a budget provision of more than 21 percent in proportion to tribal population in the state.  A scholarship of Rs. 465 crore has been provided to about 25 lakh tribal students in the state last year.  Organic authentication protocols will be established for agricultural and horticultural products in tribal areas.  The state government will provide scholarship of Rs. 1300 per month to tribal boys and Rs. 1340 to girls of the community.  Not only this, students pursuing higher education in district and divisional headquarters will be provided Rs 2000 per month as rent for staying in rented houses.

Rani Durgavati  Rani Durgavati was the ruling Queen of Gondwana from 1550 until 1564. She was born in the family of Chandel king Keerat Rai at the fort of Kalinjar. Rani Durgavati's achievements further enhanced the glory of her ancestral tradition of courage and patronage.  Born: 05 Oct 1524 · Banda district, India  Died: 24 Jun 1564 · Achalpur, India  Spouse: Dalpat Shah (m. 1542)  Children: Vir Narayan  Parents: Keerat Rai

Van Dhan Kendras  Van Dhan Kendras are being developed at 86 places in thirteen districts to provide better value of minor forest produce to Scheduled Tribes.  Minimum support price has been fixed for a total of 32 minor forest produces in this financial year, including 18 new minor forest produces. ‘Aadirang.com’  ‘Aadirang.com’, a portal of art training virtual class by tribal artists was also launched by President Shri Ram Nath Kovind at the State Level Tribal Conference.  The portal has been created by Vanya Prakashan.

Awards distributed to talented tribal students  President Shri Ram Nath Kovind awarded talented tribal students with Shankarshah and Rani Durgavati awards.  Sarika Thakur and Muskan Rawat were honoured with Rani Durgavati Award and Pankaj Dhurve and Ravindra Edpache with Shankarshah Award.  Along with this, the newly constituted Jabalpur Circle of Archaeological Survey of India is inaugrated.

Badadev Temple and Khermai Temple  Shri Chouhan also announced to extend all possible support for the construction of the Badadev temple at Chourai Panchayat of Jabera development block and the construction of the Khermai temple in Kalhara village.

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Mission Nagarodaya: Urban Development: March 12  Mission Nagarodaya is organised in all urban bodies, including capital Bhopal  Distributed benefits of various beneficiary-oriented schemes worth Rs 3300 crore and perform bhumi pujan and lay the foundation stone of various development works in urban bodies.  Distributed the first and second installments amounting to about 1602 crore rupees to more than one lakh 60 thousand families under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana  Distributed benefits to the beneficiaries of the Pradhanmantri Swanidhi Yojana.  Released about Rs 810 crore for the development works of urban bodies under the 15th Finance Commission.  Bhumi pujan and foundation stone laying of Amrut Yojana, Smart City under Chief Minister Urban Infrastructure Phase-3 and infrastructure development programmes of urban fund is done.  Mukhyamantri Udyam Kranti Yojana launched for self-employment to all.  Rs 70 thousand crore will be spent for the development of cities in the next five years.  Development and public welfare works will continue. Road, electricity, water, underground sewage and tap water will be provided in every house.  Three new programmes on infrastructure, drinking water purification and sanitation started  Also announced to launch the Chief Minister’s Urban Infrastructure Phase-4, Chief Minister’s Urban Drinking Water Purification Scheme and Chief Minister’s Urban Sanitation Mission.

Key Facts  Urban Development and Housing Minister Shri Bhupendra Singh  Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing Shri O.P.S. Bhadoria  Finance Minister Shri Jagdish Deora,  Urban Development and Housing Minister Shri Bhupendra Singh,  Micro Small and Medium Enterprises and Science and Technology Minister Shri Om Prakash Sakhlecha  Khajuraho MLA Shri Rameshwar Sharma  Khajuraho MP and State BJP President Shri V.D. Sharma

Rawatpura Dham (Bhind District)  Rawatpura Dham is an holy religious shrine.  It will be added to the pilgrimage tourist circuit.  The problem of drinking water in the dham will also be resolved by making arrangements of a community building for the pilgrims coming here.  85 feet tall Adidev Shiva statue built at a cost of Rs 3 crore at Rawatpura Dham in Bhind district on Thursday.  Rawatpura Dham is the confluence of the Triveni of Gyan (knowledge), Bhakti (devotion) and Karma (action).  Gurudev Sri Ravishankar ji of Rawatpura Dham said that statues will be installed in 11 other places by the year 2030, just like the Shiva statue installed in Rawatpura Dham.

‘Bangi’ : A pictorial portrayal of tribal culture, development  First copy of book focusing on tribal heritage and development presented to President

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 Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan released 'Bangi', a publication of Tribal Affairs Department at a tribal conference held in Damoh in the presence of President Shri Ram Nath Kovind.  The booklet ‘Bangi’ focuses on the tribal heritage, development and success stories of Madhya Pradesh.  Author - Dr. Swati Tiwari, an officer of the Department, has conceptualized and edited the book ‘Bangi’, underlining tribal development in Madhya Pradesh. Divided into four sections,  first section of this book depicts tribal culture and tradition, tribal development, concepts, dimensions and regional development schemes.  second section has 40 success stories focusing on various schemes.  third section outlines 11 activities focused on the success of unique schemes carried out as innovative initiatives.  fourth section includes reader literature related to the rich traditions of tribal expression, brief details of literature, dance, festivals, art and museums etc. National Archery Event: 41st Junior National Archery Championship, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. CM congratulated and Madhya Pradesh archers  Sushri Sonia Thakur for winning silver medal and  Shri Amit Kumar for winning bronze medal Both the players are undergoing trainng at Madhya Pradesh Archery Academy Jabalpur.

Atal Progress-way Project  1523 hectare government land required by the state government for 309 km stretch of Madhya Pradesh has been allotted under the ownership free of charge in Atal Progress-way Project.  Expenditure on diversion of forest land is being borne by the State Government.  Preparations have been made to provide free land to NHAI through land acquisition and swapping. In a very short time NHAI has selected the agency for making the DPR of Atal Progress-way.

Narmada Express-way  Narmada Express-way should be constructed from Amarkantak to Gulf of Khambhat.  An industrial corridor can be developed on either side of this route.

Indore to Jabalpur National Highway  CM proposed that the route between Indore and Jabalpur via Budhni should be connected and if this link road is declared a national highway, then the distance of the road between Indore-Jabalpur will be reduced considerably.

Eklavya Shiksha Vikas Yojana for children of tendu patta collectors  Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah  Better arrangements are being made for the education of the children of tendu patta collectors, phadmunshis and managers residing in the forest areas of the state.  The future of children of tendu patta collectors is being made brighter by supporting them in educational activities through the Eklavya Vikas Yojana by the Laghu Vanopaj Sangh.  Under the Eklavya Shiksha Vikas Yojana of the Forest Department, the children of Tendupatta MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 24 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

collectors, Phad and Primary Munshis and the Natural Forest Produce Committee managers are being provided higher education opportunities.  So far assistance of Rs 9 crore 88 lakh 43 thousand has been provided to 935 students for the academic session 2019-20 under Eklavya Shiksha Vikas Yojana for the financial year 2020-21.  These include 739 students of school education, 139 undergraduates and 57 undergraduates of technical education.

Eligibility criteria  Children of tendupatta collectors, Phadmunshis and Primary Forest Produce Committee Managers are eligible to benefit from the scheme if they get 60 percent marks in the previous examination.  Apart from this, it is necessary for the collector to have collected at least one standard bag of tendu leaves in a period of at least three years in the last 5 years.  The Phadmunshi and Committee Manager must have worked for a minimum 3 years in tendu patta season.

Provision of assistance  Under this ambitious scheme, tuition fee, text books, hostel expenditure and travel expenses and yearly to and fro expenses are provided to students to come to their homes.

Annual assistance  Maximum annual assistance of Rs 12 thousand is given to students of Class IX and X, Rs 15 thousand to the students of Class XI and XII, Rs 20 thousand to non-technical graduate students and maximum Rs. 50 thousand to students pursuing vocational courses

100 driving schools and 52 vehicle fitness centres to open  Union Minister Shri Gadkari said that in view of the immense possibilities of skill development in Madhya Pradesh, 100 driving schools have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 100 crore as per the proposal of Madhya Pradesh government.  Vehicle fitness centres will also be opened in all 52 districts of Madhya Pradesh under the scrap policy.

Anugunj programme based on art education  Students who give cultural performances in the Anugunj programme will be given a prize money of Rs. 5 thousand each and the entire team will be honoured at the Chief Minister’s residence.  Anugunj, a two-day programme of dance, music and theatrical performances organized by the School Education Department in the premises of Government school bhopal  Minister of State for School Education Shri Inder Singh Parmar

Anugunj  On the first and second day of the two-day Anugunj programme, there were musical performances, group songs, Bharatanatyam, Mayurbhanj dance, Odissi and Kathak, contemporary dance, etc. Also, Jataka story based drama Nirdavandav and Manipuri folk tale based play Mijaogi Khongchat were staged.  The Madhya Pradesh government was grouped with the states of Nagaland and Manipur for the exchange of cultural wealth under the concept of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat of the Central Government.  A glimpse of the art and culture of these North Eastern states was also seen in the presentations and hypotheses of Anugunj 2021. MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 25 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

MP ranks first at the national level in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana  Madhya Pradesh has ranked first in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, in the year 2020-21.  Madhya Pradesh has achieved 152 percent achievement in the scheme.  Chief Minister congratulated the officers and employees of the Department of Women and Child Development for this achievement.  Since the inception of the scheme in Madhya Pradesh,  maternity benefit of Rs 942 crore was distributed to the beneficiaries on 22 lakh 2 thousand 258 applications, which is the first at the national level.  The efforts of the districts and the state doing excellent work in the districts of Agar Malwa, Chhindwara, Shahdol, Sehore and Alirajpur were appreciated  Madhya Pradesh was awarded last year also for achieving the first position at the national level in the implementation of the scheme. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

 Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana launched by the Government of India from January 1, 2017, has been implemented in all the districts of the state under the 'National Food Security Act 2013. The objective of the scheme is to provide cash incentives to pregnant women as partial compensation for the loss of wages so as to ensure that the women get adequate rest before and after delivery of the first child. The objective of the scheme is to improve the health practices of pregnant women and lactating mothers through cash incentives.  Under the scheme, all pregnant women and nursing mothers are given Rs 5 thousand per beneficiary in three installments after fulfillment of conditions laid down on the first born child. There is provision of depositing the first installment of Rs 1000 on early registration of pregnancy at the Anganwadi center, second installment of Rs. 2000 on prenatal check up and completion of 6 months of pregnancy and third installment of Rs.2000 after registration of birth of the child and first cycle of vaccination of the child, through D.B.T. directly in their aadhar-linked bank or post office account.  The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana has also been linked with the ‘Umang’ app, using which the time taken for the entry of the applications of the beneficiaries under the scheme will be reduced. Through the ‘Umang’ app, the regional staff will be able to register new beneficiaries, get entry of second and third installment applications, improvement in correction queue and information of beneficiaries.

First Paid old age home being built in Heart of Bhopal  Social Justice and Disabled Welfare Minister Shri Prem Singh Patel  Paid old age home with modern facilities is being constructed by the department in heart of the city Bhopal for old age persons spending life lonely.  This will be the first paid Old Age home of the state.  For paid old age home, 5 acres of land has been allotted by the government on Link Road No. 3. Construction work of this building to be built at a cost of ten crore 83 lakhs has started.

Bundeli Bauchhar newspaper  Chief Minister was presented a copy of the special issue of the weekly Bundeli Bauchhar newspaper The The publication of material is focused on the regional culture of Bundelkhand in newspaper. MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 26 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

Gramodaya Mission Inaugurated from Dhar  Gruha Pravesh programme held for 1.25 lakh families  Over 10 thousand 500 community construction works dedicated  Overall development of rural areas will be done through this mission.  Besides providing housing facilities in rural areas, basic and fundamental infrastructure will also be expanded under the mission.  Mission Gramodaya has been started for the overall development of rural areas. Under this, every village will have  concrete roads,  gram panchayat building,  Muktidham and  sports grounds in every gram panchayat.  Water will be supplied through taps in every house in every village.  Arrangements are being made to supply tap water to 26 lakh houses this year.  In the next 3 years, arrangement of tap water to one crore 2 lakh houses will be ensured.  Self-help groups in Mission Gramodaya will be empowered financially. They will be given loans at 2 percent interest.  Self-help groups are being entrusted with the task of making school uniforms and nutritious food for anganwadis. New Announcements

 A bus stand will be named after late Shri Kushabhau Thackeray in Dhar  A new building of government college will be built in Pithampur.

Madhya Pradesh tops the country in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana implementation  Madhya Pradesh is among the top 5 states in the country in the implementation of many rural development schemes.  Tops in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana implementation  Madhya Pradesh is second in the country in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. More than 3 lakh houses have been constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Madhya Pradesh.

Litterateur Shri Batuk Chaturvedi  Demise of Shri Batuk Chaturvedi, a veteran writer and patron of the Lekhak Sangh.  Shri Chaturvedi had retired from the rank of first class in the Public Relations Department.  Late Shri Batuk Chaturvedi contributed significantly in the field of writing.  He continuously wrote on the regional culture of Madhya Pradesh.

Energy Department performed Well  Energy Minister Shri Tomar MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 27 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

 Transmission losses in the state are now only 2.59 percent. It is one of the lowest losses in the entire country.  There has been an increase of 909 MW in the available power capacity in the state this year.  Transmission losses are now only 2.59 percent in the state.

Statue of Raja Bhoj at Bhoj Udyan in Dhar  CM unveiled statue of Raja Bhoj at Bhoj Udyan in Dhar and dedicates art gallery  Also dedicated the Art and Crafts Gallery (Haat Bazar) and released a five-year road map

Raja Bhoj  Dhar is identified by Raja Bhoj.  Raja Bhoj was the ninth king of the Parmar or Panwar dynasty.  The kings of Parmar dynasty ruled from Malwa’s capital Dharanagri (Dhar) from the 8th century to the first half of the 14th century.  Raja Bhoj ruled from 1000 AD to 1055 AD.  The capital of present-day Madhya Pradesh Bhopal came into existence due to Raja Bhoj, its name then was Bhojpal Nagar, which later became Bhupal and then Bhopal.  The Bhoj Research Institute in Dhar has a collection of Bhoj granths.  There are only 21 out of 84 granths created by Bhoj left in the world.  Bhoj was the son of King Sindhul of Dhara Nagri. His mother’s name was Savitri.  His father passed away when Bhoj was five years old, leaving his kingdom and the burden of his upbringing on his brother Munj.

World Bank hailed Green India Mission in Madhya Pradesh  The World Bank has hailed the Green India Mission Scheme for reducing the effects of climate change by conserving forests, preserving water catchments areas and strengthening the livelihood of the local communities by training and skill development in the state.

Green India Mission Scheme  A 5-year long-term plan has been prepared on the basis of various scientific studies to tackle the dangers of climate change by the Project Implementation Unit set up in the forest department at the state level.  The forests of the state have been divided into 8 different landscape scenarios and identified as the most sensitive, sensitive and less sensitive areas from the point of view of climate change.

 Plantation undertaken of over 9 thousand 217 hectares under the National Mission for Green India during the last financial year.  Identification of 5367 beneficiaries was done in the World Bank’s 100% subsidized scheme Ecosystem Services Improvement Project and 3203 beneficiaries have been provided training and skill development, employment assistance etc.  World Bank has recognised the state as a pioneer in Star Map based planning monitoring system and the use of Mahua Net in the field of Mahua collection to increase the income of the tribals of North Betul Forest Circle landscape in Hoshangabad and Betul while success has been achieved in keeping the 18 MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 28 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

thousand hectare forest area safe from the effects of fire.

Highly sensitive forest areas in MADHYA PRADESH  Satna,  Balaghat (South Balaghat),  Betul (West Betul),  Betul (North Betul),  Dhar,  Jhabua,  Barwani,  Badwani (Sendhwa),  Panna (South Panna),  Sheopur,  Umaria,  Hoshangabad,  Seoni (South Seoni),  Raisen,  Obedullaganj,  Sehore  South Sagar Forest Division of Sagar District

Shri Surajbhan Solanki passed away  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan has expressed grief over the demise of Shri Surajbhan Solanki, former Member of Parliament.

PM Shri Modi launches ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan - Catch the Rain’  On World Water Day 22 March , CM Shri Chouhan signed a tripartite contract for Ken-Betwa Link National Project to build a prosperous Bundelkhand on the launch of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan Catch the Rain campaign.  The Nadi Jodo Pariyojana is one of the best examples of Sahakari Sanghvad (Cooperative Federalism).

23rd March – Martyr’s Day  Government remembered the contribution of immortal martyrs on the day of their martyrdom.  Sardar Bhagat Singh,  Rajguru and  Sukhdev  Also remembered Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and martyr Hemu Kalani on their birth anniversary. Dr. Lohia and Hemu Kalani were actively involved in Quit India Movement.

Roko-Toko campaign Roko-Toko campaign is related to follow the precautions related to Corona infection

Cabinet Decisions

Approved Madhya Pradesh Municipality Law (Amendment) Bill 2021  In the bill, amendments have been proposed to clarify and simplify the process of registration of colonizers, the process of permitting colony development, so as to encourage the development of authorised colonies.  Provision for strict action against violation of permission for development of the colony has been MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 29 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

proposed.  Apart from this, stringent provisions have also been made in the Amendment Bill to provide penalties for the offence of development of unauthorized colonies, in which it will be possible to curb unauthorized colony development.  After the unauthorized colonies are identified, to ensure proper development of civil infrastructure in them and regularization of the layout of unauthorized colonies and to provide building permission in them, such provisions have been made in the amendment bill.

Approval for Bhind Sainik School  Keeping in view the health, safety and convenience of transportation in Industrial Area Malanpur for Sainik School, 50 acres of land has been identified by Collector Bhind for allotment.  The total expenditure of Rs 3 crore for the state government's obligations has been provided in the state budget. An amount of Rs 70 to 100 crore is expected to be spent for the construction of infrastructure, which will be borne by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi : Death Anniversary 20 March  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today paid floral tributes to Veerangana Avanti Bai Lodhi on her death anniversary.

Rani Avantibai Lodhi (Ramgarh , Mandla)  Avantibai lodhi was an Indian freedom fighter and the queen of Ramgarh in Madhya Pradesh.  An opponent of the British East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, information concerning her is sparse and mostly comes from folklore.  Through this, she is claimed to have been a member of the Ksatriya Lodhi Rajput Community and has been used as an icon in Lodhi politics in the 21st century.  Born: 16 Aug 1831  Died: 20 Mar 1858  Samadhi site Balpur in Dindori district

Contribution of Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi  Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi is one of the prominent fighters of India’s first freedom struggle.  She was active in the revolution of 1857 and continue to fight against the British.  British officer Waddington had to bow down to the valour of Rani Avanti Bai.  Mandla and Ramgarh state became independent.  Lieutenant Worton sent forces from Nagpur towards Ramgarh. Ghughri was overpowered by the British. The British were shocked by their defeat earlier.  Rani Avanti Bai’s army was much smaller than the British army. The British army surrounded  Rani Avanti Bai fighting at the front at Devhargarh hills.  Compeled by circumstances the Rani chose to kill herself by stabbing herself.  She chose to lay down her life respectably rather than die in the hands of the British.

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MEET IN INDIA Road Show – March 26th  CM inaugurated the MICE Road-Show “Meet in India” on March 26 at the World Heritage Site and historical tourism city Khajuraho.  Also dedicated the newly-constructed Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho in collaboration with the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and the Government of Madhya Pradesh.  The programme will be held in the presence of  Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel,  State’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Spirituality Sushri Usha Thakur,  Khajuraho MP Shri Vishnudutt Sharma  Chhatrasal Convention Centre is of international standards. It has all the ultramodern facilities available. The inugural programme will be attended by travel agents, tour operators of India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICBP) and other cities, besides event management agencies, corporate clients, stakeholders and a limited number of other guests.  A large 1200-capacity hall has been built at the Chhatrasal Convention Centre.  This centre will be useful for future investment meetings in Madhya Pradesh as well as government, private and corporate conferences. Conferences of the national and international level and the corporate meets will be held here which will provide employment opportunities to the local people and lead to commercial development of Khajuraho, Panna, Orchha, Bandhavgarh etc.

Concept of MICE tourism  MICE is an abbreviation for meeting, incentive, conference, exhibition, which is the main type of business tourism.  It is a special tourism category; under MICE tourism, an event is organised by a business establishment at a particular destination for the purpose of expanding its business with the gathering of a large number of participants.  Firstly, the participants taking part in the event also get an opportunity to visit the destination and its surroundings along with business activities. They remember this forever, which they share with their friends. In this way, the destination is propagated.

Helpline started for Senior Citizens in the country  Madhya Pradesh All Set to Launch Helpline in line with Centre  The helpline will be started in Madhya Pradesh in collaboration with Helpage India.  At present, the number of helpline 'Elder Line' has been set as '14567' .  The objective of the National Senior Citizen Helpline is to make the lives of elderly citizens easier and happier. Senior citizens will be able to solve various types of problems of harassment, abandoned life, pension cases, security, medical etc. through a call in a very easy way.

‘Mera mask –Meri Suraksha’ campaign  ‘Mera Mask-Meri Suraksha’ campaign is being conducted in the state under which masks are being distributed among the people and they are being made aware of the importance of wearing masks. Wearing a mask gives 90 percent protection from Corona.

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Financial aid of Rs. 4 Lakh each to women suffering from mutilation  Women's help desk to be Setup in 700 police stations of the state  Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that financial assistance of Rs. Four lakh each will be given to the three women affected by the heinous crime of mutilation in the month of March.

Electricity bill from email and WhatsApp to consumers of 10 KW and above  Central Region Power Distribution Company will send electricity bills to its high value consumers through WhatsApp, e-mail and SMS from April 1 like HT consumers.  High value consumers of 10 KW and above of the company contribute significantly to the company's monthly revenue. Therefore, as a special feature, in addition to the electronic means of electricity bills, if a consumer wants a high value consumer, then a hard copy of the electricity bill will also be sent to him.  For this, consumers have to register on the company's portal portal.mpcz.in or https://bit.ly/2O6xIHl or they will have to enter their number through call center (1912) or whatsapp chatbot (0755- 2551222).

Bagh Print made it to digital edition of ‘Vogue Italia’  ‘One district-one product’ scheme boosting Bagh print market  When the girls of the self-help group came out wearing the sagas of Bagh print prepared by the self- help group of Dhar district, the group's photo of Sita Didi appeared in the digital edition of VOGUE ITALIA.  The world-renowned 'Bagh Print' of Dhar district has been selected in the 'One District-One Product (ODOP)' scheme of the Government of India.  Now construction of Bagh Print Hub is also proposed in Bagh Development Block by connecting artists together in cluster activity.  Fully natural and botanical colors are used to engrave various designs on Bagh print sarees, salwar suits, chadar etc.  In order to provide employment to more and more tribal artisans of Dhar district, especially women of women self-help groups, Khadi by preparing a project of Rs. Three crore for special cluster development under 'Pragati Yojana' of Government of India has been submitted to the Village Industries Commission.

Religious Freedom Act 2021 comes into force : March 27with publication in Gazette  The Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act 2021 has come into force in the state with immediate effect after the Gazette notification.  The Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act has made provision for prohibition of conversion from one religion to another, legal action against conversion of religion, punishment for violation of the provisions of the section, etc.  Marriage done with the intention of converting a person's religion will be null and void.  In this regard, the person converted or his parents or sibling brother or sister or any person related by blood, marriage or adoption guardianship or custody, as applicable, with the permission of the court can submit the petition to the court within the local limits.  According to the Act, where any institution or organisation violates any provision of this Act, the person in charge of the functioning of such institution or organisation, as the case may be, shall be liable to the MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 32 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

penalty as provided in this section. Investigation of a crime registered under this Act cannot be done by a police officer of rank lower than a sub-inspector of police.

Right to inheritance and maintenance  According to this act, any child born out of wedlock in violation of the rules shall be deemed legitimate. The inheritance of the property of such child shall be in accordance with the law regulating the succession of the father.  A child born from a marriage declared null and void according to the rules will have the right to the property of his father. Despite the marriage getting declared null and void, the woman and the child born will be entitled to maintenance according to the Act.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana in the newly formed 29 urban bodies also  Approval was granted to a proposal to extend the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) from 378 urban bodies to the newly formed 29 urban bodies too.

Mission Earth : April 3  Chief Minister inaugurated the Semen Production Laboratory in Bhopal on April 3 under Mission Earth.

Mahatma Gandhi picked up a handful of salt and awakened the entire nation to freedom : CM Shri Chouhan  Chief Minister Shri Chouhan will join Dandi Yatra from Delad in Surat district to Surat on April 1 covering a distance of 17 kilometer.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Principal Scientific Adviser to GOI launches Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship  The Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to Govt of India under its Waste to Wealth Mission launched Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship to recognize students, community workers or SHGs and municipal or sanitary workers engaged in tackling waste management. Waste to Wealth Mission is one of the 9 missions of PM SITAC.

Nitin Gadkari launches Real-Time Monitoring System of Toll Plazas  Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari launched the Real-Time Monitoring System to assess the live condition at toll plazas pan India and released a rating system for highways. Government has made FASTag mandatory from the 15th of February. Minister of State for Road Transport: Mansukh L. Mandaviya.

Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launches field assessment of Swachh Survekshan -2021  MoHUA launched the field assessment of Swachh Survekshan -2021. Swachh Survekshan was introduced in 2016 as a competitive framework to encourage cities to improve the status of urban sanitation while encouraging large scale citizen participation. This will be the 6th edition of the annual cleanliness survey.

Dal lake, Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves among 12 iconic sites under ‘ Swachh Tourist Destinations’  The Swachh Tourist Destinations initiative comes under the overarching Swachh Bharat Mission of the Modi government which was launched by the government. The 12 sites have been selected under phase IV of the Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) project. SBM Phase 2 will be implemented between 2020–21 and 2024-25.

Swachh Survekshan 2021: Government Launches Field Assessment Of The Annual Cleanliness Survey  Cities and towns across the country are once again ready to be assessed on the basis of their Swachh quotient as the Ministry of Housing and Housing Affairs (MoHUA) launched the field assessment of the Swachh Surveshan 2021. It is the sixth edition of the cleanliness survey (since 2016).

In A First, Rating Mechanism Formulated For National Highways, To Enhance Accountability Towards Motorists  The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has released the ratings for 18,668 km of completed four and six lane stretches of National Highways covering 343 toll plazas.This has been done by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under MoRTH. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road, Transport, and Highways.

Rajya Sabha TV, Lok Sabha TV merged into ‘Sansad TV’; Ravi Capoor named CEO  The decision was taken in line with the proposals given by a panel headed by former Prasar Bharati chairman A Surya Prakash. It was appointed by Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu in consultation with LS speaker Om Birla. Lok Sabha, Next election: May 2024.

Mumbai local train:Indian Railways install Mobile Train Radio Communication(MTRC)system, commuters to get real-time updates  MTRC system will monitor,track & aid in communication between trains & control room thereby ensuring smooth movement of railway rakes.System uses lowest time to connect calls i.e 300 milliseconds & it is the first time that MTRC is commissioned in India.

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Union Education Minister inaugurates the New Delhi World Book Fair 2021  The New Delhi World Book Fair was first held in the year 1972. It is arguably one of the biggest book fairs with a record footfall of more than 12 lakh visitors.This virtual edition has more than 15 foreign countries participating including UK, USA, France This year's theme is National Education Policy 2020.

One Rail, One Helpline: Indian Railways Launches 139 For All Queries And Complaints  The Helpline 139 will be available in twelve languages. Passengers can opt for IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System), or directly connect to the call-centre executive by pressing '*' (asterisk). Helpline no. 182 would be discontinued from April 1, 2021.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurates All-Women’s Art Exhibition titled ‘Akshya Patra'  He inaugurated the All-Women’s Art Exhibition titled ‘Akshya Patra’ at Rabindra Bhavan Galleries in New Delhi on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Also congratulated Lalit Kala Akademi for curating this encouraging opportunity. Lalit Kala Akademi formed on August 5th, 1954

PM Narendra Modi launched the Kindle version of Swami Chidbhavanandaji’s Bhagavad Gita  The event has been organised to commemorate the sale of over 5 lakh copies of the Swami Chidbhavanandaji’s Bhagavad Gita.Swami Chidbhavanandaji is the founder of Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam Ashram at Thirupparaithurai, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu. Gita's Tamil version with his commentaries was published in 1951

Department of Telecommunications Launches Online Certificate Course on 5G Technology to Train Government of India Officers  DoT has launched a new online certificate course on 5G technology to be conducted by the National Telecommunications Institute for Policy Research, Innovation and Training (NTIPRIT), which is the training institute of DoT. 5G is the 5th generation mobile network.

India at 75 | PM Modi launched 'Amrut Mahotsav' to mark 75 years of India’s Independence  PM Modi has launched 'Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav', the government's initiative to mark 75 years of India's Independence. These celebrations will continue till August 15, 2023. The Mahotsav is a tribute to the country's freedom fighters & the freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi did a 386 km-long Dandi Yatra in 1930,

Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates Two-day Workshop on Implementation of Clusters under SFURTI  A two-day Workshop on implementation of traditional artisan clusters under Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) in New Delhi. The purpose of the workshop is to train the stakeholders to enhance their quality of production. Union Minister for Micro,Small &Medium Enterprises:Nitin Gadkari

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal announces linking of OTPRMS certificates with DigiLocker  The Ministry of Education has decided to link the certificates with DigiLocker in order to ensure hassle- free access to verified Online Teacher Pupil Registration Management System (OTPRMS) Certificates. The registration fee for the certificate is ₹200/-. Certificate issued by National Council for Teacher Education

PM launches 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan:Catch the Rain’ campaign on World Water Day.  Campaign will be undertaken across rural and urban areas,with the theme "catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls".Historic Memorandum of Agreement for Ken Betwa Link Project to be signed between MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 35 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

Union Jal Shakti Minister and CM of MP and UP as well. Campaign will be implemented from 22nd March to 30th November.

India achieves 92.97 GW of renewable energy(RE) capacity in February this year  India has set an ambitious target of achieving 175 GW of installed RE capacity (excluding large hydropower) by 2022.While 50.15 GW is under various stages of implementation,India has achieved 92.97 GW of renewable energy (RE) capacity till Feb. Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister: R K Singh

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank Inaugurated Shaheed Bhagat Singh Smarak In New Delhi  Delhi University now has a Shaheed Bhagat Singh Smarak, which was inaugurated on the 90 years of martyrdom of Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru.The minister announced that the existing collection of books and freedom fighters at the smarak will be converted into ‘Shahid Smriti Pustakalaya’.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to develop world class ‘Wayside Amenities’ at more than 600 locations  To improve commuters’ experience on National Highways for both passengers and truckers, NHAI will develop world class ‘Wayside Amenities’ at more than 600 locations across 22 states in the next 5 years. Out of these,130 are targeted for development in 2021-22.Amenities will include Fuel Station, Electric Charging Facilities,Food Court, Retail Shops, ATM, Toilets etc.

President Kovind Approves Bill to Set up National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development  The bill seeks to establish National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development(NaBFID) to support the development of long-term non-recourse infrastructure financing in India including development of the bonds and derivatives markets necessary for infrastructure financing and to carry on the business of financing infrastructure and for matters connected therewith. DFI (Development Finance Institution), called NaBFID will be answerable to Parliament.

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda airport becomes first in south India to have operational parallel runways  After receiving the necessary approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the refurbished and upgraded North Runway (which was closed since June 2020) at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru has commenced operations.The Runway will continue to be categorised as CAT I.CAT IIIB-equipped South Runway has been operational since December 6, 2019.Both runways operate in low visibility and adverse weather conditions.

2nd edition of Global Bio-India 2021 held virtually; Inaugurated by Dr Harsh Vardhan  The theme of the event was ‘Transforming lives’ with the tagline ‘Biosciences to Bio-economy’. Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance addressed the inaugural session as a special guest.  The Biotechnology sector is recognized as one of the key drivers for India to achieve its USD 5 trillion targets by 2024.  Indian Biotechnology industry’s economy is valued at $70 billion in 2020 is expected to grow to USD 150 Bn by 2025.

PM Modi inaugurated Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences and Research at IIT Kharagpur  PM Shri Narendra Modi has addressed the 66th Convocation of IIT Kharagpur through a video conference and also inaugurated Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences and MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 36 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

Research at IIT Kharagpur.Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences and Research is a super specialty hospital that has been set up by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur with support from the Minister of Education.

India’s first dolphin research centre to start soon in Patna  India’s and Asia’s first National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) will come up on the bank of the Ganges in the premises of Patna University in Bihar. 50% of the world’s river dolphin population are in Bihar, Dolphin a highly endangered species under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and declared the National Aquatic Animal in 2009.

Madhya Pradesh top in Land Records Digitisation: 2nd N-LRSI index 2021  In accordance with the 2nd edition of NCAER Land Record and Services Index (N-LRSI) 2021, almost 32 States and Union Territories (UTs) have shown an improvement in their effort to digitise land records. Their mean has shown an increase of 16.6% in 2020-21 from 38.7 in 2019-20 to 45.1 in 2020- 21 (out of 100 points). Notably, Madhya Pradesh topped the list for the second year in a row and followed by West Bengal (2nd), Odisha (3rd), Maharashtra (4th) and Tamil Nadu (5th).

MoHUA releases Rankings for Ease of Living Index 2020 & Municipal Performance Index 2020  On February 4, 2021, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) released the Final Rankings of Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020 & Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2020 through an online event. For the purpose of ranking, both EoLI 2020 & MLI 2020 categorized the rankings of Cities (including cities under Smart Cities Program) & Municipalities under 2 categories based on their population – Million+ Category & Less than Million Category.

Ease of Living Index 2020

Population Million+ Population Less than Million Rank City Score City Score 1 Bengaluru (Karnataka) 66.7 Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) 60.9 2 Pune (Maharashtra) 66.27 Bhubaneswar (Odisha) 59.85 3 Ahmedabad (Gujarat) 64.87 Silvassa (Dadra & Nagar Haveli) 58.43

Municipal Performance Index 2020

Population Million+ Population Less than Million Rank Municipality Score Municipality Score

Indore 1 (Madhya Pradesh) 66.08 New Delhi MC 52.92 Surat (Gujarat) 2 60.82 Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) 51.69 Bhopal 3 (Madhya Pradesh) 59.04 Gandhinagar (Gujarat) 51.59

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Harsh Vardhan launches “CSIR Floriculture Mission”

China regains its position as India’s Largest Trading Partner

PM Modi inaugurates 2nd Edition of Maritime India Summit-2021; Chabahar Day observed on same event  Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the 2nd Edition of Maritime India Summit-2021 (MIS-2021)-“Exploring the potential business opportunities in Indian Maritime sector and making Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.  On the sidelines of the MIS-2021, Chabahar day was commemorated on March 4, 2021.  PM Modi launched the e-plaque of ‘Sagar-Manthan’: Mercantile Maritime Domain Awareness Centre (MM-DAC).  During the event, PM Modi released a new e-book titled ‘Maritime India Vision-2030’.

India’s first forest healing centre inaugurated in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand  India’s first Forest Healing centre was inaugurated by noted environmentalist Joginder Bisht in the pine dominated forest located at Ranikhet in Kalika ,Uttarakhand. It was developed by the Research Wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department in an area of around 13 acres. The forest is inspired from the Japanese technique of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) and ancient Indian traditions. It is themed on ‘be silent, go slow, think less and feel more’.

Merger of Rajya Sabha TV & Lok SabhaTV; Replaced by Sansad TV  This is an attempt to cover beyond the proceedings of the two houses and feature the functions of parliament and Parliamentarians when the houses are not in session. Ravi Capoor Retired IAS officer of 1986 batch has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sansad TV.

BRO builds 200ft ‘The Bridge of Compassion’ across Rishiganga river in Uttarakhand  The Border Road Organisation (BRO) has built a 200 feet bridge across Rishiganga river, connecting 13 villages in Uttarakhand. The bridge was built by BRO in a record 26 days, as a replacement to the 90- metre Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) bridge that was washed away in the February 7 flash floods in Rishiganga river.

NITI Aayog Along With RMI India Releases ‘Mobilising Electric Vehicle Financing in India’ Report  NITI Aayog along with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) India released the ‘Mobilising Finance for EVs in India: A Toolkit of Solutions to Mitigate Risks and Address Market Barriers’ report. The report analyses the risk & market barriers involved in transforming India’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Sector and provides Target Instruments to overcome the hurdles. Indian EV market size to be of USD 50 billion (Rs 3.7 lakh crore) by 2030, which is equivalent to 80% of the current market size of India’s retail vehicle Finance Industry at USD 60 billion (Rs 4.5 lakh crore).

Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda Inaugurated First of its Kind “Tribes India GI Mahotsav” at LBSNAA, Mussoorie  This is the first of its kind exhibition featuring the GI Products from across India. The Tribes India GI Mahotsav: Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India was organised by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation of India(TRIFED), under MoTA in collaboration with LBSNAA, Mussoorie and Ministry of Culture.

India, Uzbekistan armies conduct Military Exercise ‘DUSTLIK II’ in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand  Annual Bilateral Joint Military Exercise ‘DUSTLIK-II’ between the Indian Army & Uzbekistan Army is being held from March 10-19, 2021 at Chaubatia, near Ranikhet, Uttarakhand.

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India’s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant at Telangana to be commissioned by May 2021  India’s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant of 100-MegaWatt (MW) capacity being constructed at Ramagundam in Peddapalli district of Telangana is set to be commissioned by May-June, 2021. It will be India’s largest floating solar plant in a single location as of now.  It is being developed by NTPC South (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) at a cost of INR 423 Crore over the water surface of Sri Ram Sagar Project Reservoir.

Jammu & Kashmir Celebrates “Hearth” Festival  Three-day long Maha Shivaratri festival, locally known as “Hearth” festival is celebrated across the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). Pandit Community across J&K celebrated the festival with religious offerings “Watak Nath Pooja”. The festival marks the wedding of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati. Biggest gathering of the festival was observed at Shankaracharya Temple, which is located near the Dal lake in Srinagar.

PM Modi releases Manuscript with Comments by 21 scholars on “Shlokas” of Srimad Bhagavadgita  On 9th March 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a Manuscript with commentaries by 21 scholars on ‘Shlokas’ of Srimad Bhagavadgita. The event also saw the presence of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Sinha & Dr. Karan Singh, the Chairman Trustee of Dharmarth Trust, J&K. PM prided on India’s culture to share its knowledge, thus Bhagavad Gita is translated into many Indian & International Languages.

President Laid Foundation Stone for Conservation Works at Singorgarh Fort in MP  On 7th March 2021, Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, laid the foundation stone for the conservation works at the Singorgarh fort and addressed the State level (Janjatiya Sammelan) Tribal conference in Singrampur village of Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh(MP).Singorgarh fort was a magnificent fort and a residence of Rajgond rulers of Central India. He also inaugurated the new Jabalpur circle of Archaeological Survey of India(ASI).

Google honours ‘India’s Satellite Man’ Udupi Ramachandra Rao with doodle on his birth anniversary  ‘India’s Satellite Man’ Udupi Ramachandra Rao was an Indian space scientist and chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) between 1984-94, supervised the 1975 launch of India’s first satellite “Aryabhata.”He was born in Karnataka in 1932. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and Padma Vibhushan in 2017.

PM Inaugurated the Curtain Raiser Activities of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (India@75)  On 12th March 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the curtain raiser activities of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (India@75), the government’s initiative to mark 75 years of India’s Independence at the event organised in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It will continue till 15 August, 2023. He also flagged off the Padyatra (Freedom March) from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad to Dandi, Gujarat as a part of the India@75 programme. This marks the 91st anniversary of Gandhi’s 1930 Dandi March.

Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal-India’s 1st Centralized AC Terminal set to become operational in Bengaluru

UP Govt Celebrates 3 Day-long ‘Kalanamak Rice Festival’  On March 13, 2021, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a three-day-long ‘Kalanamak rice festival’ in Siddharth Nagar.The festival was organized after the success of Strawberry and Jaggery festivals.

Indian Railways Integrated Rail Madad Helpline ‘139’  Indian Railways has integrated all railway helplines into a single number ‘139’, which is now the main ‘Rail Madad’ Helpline, for quick grievance redressal and enquiry mechanism during train journeys for

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passengers.

Harsh Vardhan addresses the inaugural session of Techbharat 2021  On March 6, 2021, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan addressed the inaugural session of 2nd edition of TechBharat 2021, e-conclave of HealthTech & Edutech sectors.

Indian Navy Deploys Women Officers On Warship After 23 Years  On 8th March 2021, International Women’s Day, For the first time in 23 years since 1998, the Indian Navy has deployed 4 women officers onboard its warships. 2 of the 4 officers were posted on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and the other 2 were deployed on the tanker ship INS Shakti.  Recently Indian Navy has posted Lieutenant Commander Karabi Gogoi as the first women defence attach abroad in Moscow, Russia.

UNDP Launched ‘Sahi Disha’ Campaign to Celebrate Women’s Livelihoods in Rural India  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched ‘Sahi Disha’ campaign to celebrate the livelihoods and entrepreneurship of women in rural India. The campaign aims to highlight the issues that affect the rural women’s opportunity to access jobs, livelihood and to establish enterprises to become self-reliant. The Disha initiative is a 5-year partnership between UNDP and IKEA Foundation.

Power Minister R K Singh launches GRAM UJALA in Bihar; 1st Carbon Credits Programme in India  On March 19, 2021, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, R K Singh virtually launched the ‘GRAM UJALA’ programme in Arrah, Bihar. Under the programme, 15 Million (1.5 Crore) LEDs with 3 years of warranty will be given to rural customers on submission of working condition incandescent bulbs. The scheme was unveiled by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a wholly- owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL). This scheme will be financed entirely through Carbon Credits making it the first such program in India.

PM Narendra Modi addresses the 4th Global Ayurveda Festival 2021  PM Narendra Modi virtually addressed the 4th Global Ayurveda Festival 2021 (GAF 2021),largest Ayurvedic event held anywhere across the world. The event is held in a virtual format is organized by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) from March 12-19, 2021.The Festival aims to popularize Ayurveda & Traditional forms of Medicine. FICCI is the industry partner.Chairman of GAF 2021 – V Muraleedharan (Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs).

PM Modi launches ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan:Catch the Rain’; MoA for Ken Betwa Link Project  On the Occasion of World Water Day (March 22, 2021), Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched/witnessed two key events.Launch of ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan:Catch the Rain’ campaign to undertake water conservation at grass-root level through people’s participation.

Bihar Becomes 1st State in India to implement ‘Ethanol Production Promotion Policy 2021’  Bihar Cabinet has approved the state’s own Ethanol policy called ‘Ethanol Production Promotion Policy, 2021’. The approval has made Bihar as the 1st State in India to implement Ethanol Promotion Policy under the National Policy of Biofuels, 2018.

Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports extends Khelo India Scheme till 2025-26  Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has decided to extend the Khelo India scheme from 2021-22 to 2025- 26. The Ministry has furnished an Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) memorandum to the Ministry of Finance for the extension of the scheme. INR 8750 Crore has been estimated as financial implication of the new Khelo India Scheme in the EFC Memorandum. An amount of INR 657.71 Crore was allocated in the Budget Estimate (B.E.) for the year 2021-22 under the Khelo India Scheme.

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Manipur emerged as Champion State for Van Dhan Vikas Yojana  With active cooperation from the state government of Manipur, Van Dhan Vikas Yojana has been successfully implemented, turning Manipur into the Champion State for the scheme.  Van Dhan Yojana was launched in October 2019 in Manipur, with the successful establishment of 100 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in the state. This constitutes 1500 self-help groups for marketing & providing value-addition to the tribal, minor forest produces.

Lakshadweep, Budgam District declared TB Free; Himachal Pradesh tops State TBI Index 2021  On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day on March 24, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare inaugurated the celebrations at Dr Ambedkar International Centre at Delhi.

President Ram Nath Kovind gives Assent to 3 Major Bills  President Ram Nath Kovind gave his Assent to 3 Major Bills passed by the Indian Parliament. They are  National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Bill, 2021,  The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021,  The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021.

India Initiates 3rd phase of Indian Beamline Project in Japan

Bihar set to become India’s 1st State to have 2 Green Energy Efficient Towns  Bihar is set to become India’s 1st State to have 2 Green Energy Efficient towns, the 2 towns are Rajgir & BodhGaya. They will start getting Solar Energy through 1st of its kind Renewable energy project from 2023.The green energy supply required for running the towns will be developed and supplied by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

ICM, Think Tank of MEA and IOM to collaborate for joint Study on Migration  On 23rd March 2021, The India Centre for Migration (ICM), a research think tank of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), entered into collaboration with International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for the joint study on “Strengthening data-informed and migrant-centred migration management frameworks in India”.The project was launched by Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary (CPV & OIA) and Chairman of ICM.

Tourism Ministry launches ‘MICE Roadshow – Meet in India’ & Inaugurates Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho  On 25th March 2021, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge), Prahlad Singh Patel, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh jointly inaugurated the ‘Chhatrasal Convention Centre’ at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. The Tourism Ministry also launched the “MICE Roadshow Meet in India” at the Chhatrasal Convention Centre.

Harsh Vardhan Launches Tribal TB Initiative to achieve ‘TB Mukt Bharat’ by 2025

Kushinagar Airport Becomes 3rd Licensed International Airport of UP

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Bangladesh gets UN recommendation for graduating from LDC status  UN Committee for Development Policy recommended Bangladesh's graduation from Least Developed Country status. It met, for the 2nd time, all 3 eligibility criteria for graduation such as income per capita, human assets, economic & environmental vulnerability Myanmar and Lao PDR also met the criteria for the 2nd time.

Ghana becomes the world's first nation to receive COVAX vaccines  Ghana became the 1st country in the world to receive vaccines acquired through the United Nations- backed COVAX initiative with a delivery of 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India. COVAX is led by WHO, GAVI and CEPI. Ghana is among 92 countries that signed onto the COVAX program.

USA: Food and Drug Administration formally approves single-shot COVID-19 vaccine  US Food and Drug Administration formally approved the single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine. The vaccine is set to be a cost-effective alternative to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and can be stored in a refrigerator instead of a freezer. It is the 3rd vaccine to be authorised in the country.

Israel officially receives first ever UAE ambassador  Israel's president received the first-ever ambassador from the UAE following the agreement between the countries to normalise ties under Abraham Accords. UAE envoy Mohamed Al Khaja delivered his credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem. UAE – 3rd major Arab country to form ties with Israel.

Russia Launches First Satellite to Monitor Climate and Environment of Arctic  It will provide round-the-clock continuous monitoring of the northern territory of Russia and the seas of the Arctic Ocean.Satellite will be able to transmit overview images of the Earth's northern polar region &the adjacent areas at least every 15-30 Min. Russia's space agency: Roscosmos.

Russia and China signed MoU to build lunar space station  An international lunar science station is a complex of experimental and research facilities created on the surface and/or in orbit of the moon. Russia and China will promote international cooperation on the project and offer equal access to any nation. Roscosmos:- the Russian space agency

Quad member countries to be part of France-led joint naval exercises this year  India will be part of France-led exercises "La Pérouse" that will take place in early April in the Bay of Bengal. With the Indian Navy's addition, all Quad member countries - US, Japan, & Australia will be part of France initiated joint naval exercise QUAD nations agree to send 1 bn vaccines across Asia by end- 2022

El Salvador certified as malaria-free by WHO  El Salvador is the first Central American country to achieve this status, third in all of the Americas in recent years. The certification follows more than 50 years of commitment by the Salvadoran government and people to ending the disease. Capital: San Salvador; Currency: El Salvador colon

Canada clears Johnson & Johnson vaccine, first to approve 4 vaccines  The vaccine shortage is so acute in Canada that provincial governments are now saying they will extend the interval between the two doses of Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines to four months rather MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 42 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

than three to four weeks. Canada, Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau.

WHO Grants Emergency Use Authorization To Johnson & Johnson Vaccine  The World Health Organization (WHO) issued emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for the one-shot dose to be used as part of the United Nation’s international vaccine distribution effort. Alex Gorsky is chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson.

Italy signs International Solar Alliance under amended ISA Framework Agreement Italy joined the ISA under the amended ISA Framework Agreement. Initiated by India at the 2015 UN Paris Climate Conference, ISA provides a platform for cooperation through which the global community can help to accelerate the deployment of solar energy. ISA HQs: Gurugram, India; Italy Capital: Rome; Currency: Euro.

Bangladesh celebrates 50 years of independence  From 1947 to 1971, modern-day Pakistan was West Pakistan and Bangladesh was East Pakistan.On March 26, 1971,Bangladesh was proclaimed as an independent nation by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and this led to Bangladesh Liberation War when war ensued between Pakistan and Bangladesh liberation forces with Indian support.

Project billed as world's first ship tunnel slated for construction in Norway  The tunnel will run underneath the mountains in Norway's Stadhavet peninsula. It will measure 1,700 metres long, 37 metres high and 26.5 metres wide when complete.At present,vessels sometimes have to wait days for harsh weather and rough tides to subside in the Stadhavet Sea.Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2022 and be complete by 2025 or 2026.

Indian-American physician Dr Vivek Murthy sworn in as US Surgeon General  Indian-American physician Vivek Murthy has been sworn in as the 21st Surgeon General of the US, a role in which his top priority would be to end the coronavirus pandemic that has severely hit the country and be a voice for science.He has occupied the position of America's Surgeon General for the second time. In 2011, president Barack Obama tapped him to serve on the advisor

IAF gifts 1971 war helicopter to Bangladesh: Golden Jubilee of 1971 war  In order to mark the Golden Jubilee of 1971 War of Liberation, IAF (Indian Air Force) Chief RKS Bhadauria gifted a Legacy Alouette III Helicopter to Bangladesh Air Force (BAF), in return BAF gifted a legacy F-86 Sabre aircraft to the IAF.The exchange of aircraft took place in Dhaka during RKS Bhadauria’ 4-day visit to Bangladesh in February, 2021. Both Legacy gifts will be placed in museums of both countries.

UNGA adopts India’s Resolution to mark 2023 as ‘International Year of Millets’  On March 3, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution sponsored by India to mark 2023 as ‘International Year of Millets’. The resolution was initiated by India along with Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Russia & Senegal.The resolution titled ‘International Year of Millets 2023’ was supported by over 70 nations.  The resolution called for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to implement the International Year of Millets in 2023.  Note:- India celebrated National Year of Millets in 2018.

India’s position downgraded to ‘Partly Free’ in Freedom in the World 2021 report  According to the ‘Freedom in the World 2021: Democracy under Siege’ released by US based Think Tank Freedom House, India has scored 67 and its position has been downgraded to ‘Partly Free’ from ‘Free’ in 2020. India’s ranking has also fallen to 88 (from 83) out of 211 countries. The ‘most free MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 43 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

countries’ with a score of 100 are Finland, Norway & Sweden. Least Free Countries with a score of 1 are Tibet & Syria. This is the 1st time since 1997 that India has been downgraded to ‘partly free’. India’s score has decreased from 71 (in 2020 ).

LinkedIn’s ‘The Opportunity Index 2021’ report highlights 85% Indian Women miss promotion on Gender basis  In January 2021, LinkedIn surveyed 10,000 working women in the Asia Pacific region and released “The Opportunity Index 2021”, which revealed that 85% of Indian women felt missed out of Salary hike or promotion because of their gender, while the number stands at 60% in Asia Pacific region. However, 66% felt that gender equality has improved from the time of their parents. Shockingly 9 of 10 women revealed that they were negatively impacted by the pandemic.

India ranks 71 in UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index 2020, Switzerland tops  In accordance with the ‘UNCTAD B2C E-COMMERCE INDEX 2020- Spotlight on Latin America and the Caribbean’, India ranked 71 out of 152 countries as compared to 75th position in 2019. The index measures an economy’s preparedness to support online shopping where B2C stands for Business to Consumer. UNCTAD is an acronym for United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. The index has been topped by Switzerland for the first time which has surpassed the Netherland. On the regional front of East, South & Southeast Asia, India ranked at 10th position which has been topped by Singapore.

India ranked 121st & Singapore retains 1st Rank in the 2021 Economic Freedom Index  India with a score of 56.5 was ranked 121 (category – ‘Mostly Unfree’) in the ‘2021 Index of Economic Freedom’ (27th Annual Edition) released by The Heritage Foundation. Singapore topped the list for the 2nd time in a row followed by New Zealand & Australia. For the 1st time, The Heritage Foundation has excluded Hong Kong from its rankings. Hong Kong had topped the Index for 25 out of 27 years (1995- 2019). Overall, the Global Economy remains ‘Moderately Free’ in the 2021 Index.

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ECONOMY

Fino Payments Bank Ltd Gets the Status of Scheduled Commercial Bank: RBI  According to RBI, Fino payment bank can improve its banking position in the treasury and participation in Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) window.Therefore Reserve Bank of India(RBI) included the Fino Payment Bank in the Second Schedule to the RBI Act, 1934. With this inclusion, Fino Payments bank gets the status of scheduled commercial bank.

World Bank plans $100-mn Guarantee Scheme for Solar Rooftop Projects  In order to boost India’s rooftop solar programme, the World Bank (WB) headquartered at Washington, D.C., United States is planning to launch a $100-million (~727 Crore Indian Rupees) credit guarantee scheme along with the State Bank of India (SBI) and the MSME ministry. This scheme will enable micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and those firms which do not meet the lending criteria of banks and other financial institutions to avail concessional debt financing for setting up rooftop solar units.

NPCI tie up with SBI Payments to launch a solution ‘Rupay SoftPoS’  On March 05, 2021, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) partnered with SBI Payments to launch ‘RuPay SoftPoS’ to transform NFC enabled smartphones into Point of Sale (POS) terminals for the merchants and retailers. In order to support Digital India’s initiative of cashless digital transaction, NPCI has partnered with SBI Payments to launch a solution called ‘Rupay SoftPoS. Using this facility, merchants were able to do digital payment and acceptance of up to INR 5000 through a simple ‘tap and pay’ mechanism via their smartphones.

HDFC Bank launched “SmartUp Unnati for Women Entrepreneurs  On 8th March 2021 the HDFC Bank has launched “SmartUp Unnati”, a mentoring program by women for women entrepreneurs. Under this programme, senior women leaders from HDFC bank with expertise spanning domains will mentor women entrepreneurs to achieve their goals in the next one year. The initial target of the programme is more than 3000 women entrepreneurs associated with the SmartUp programme of HDFC Bank.

Axis Bank Launched WhatsApp Banking Service  On 3rd March 2021, Axis Bank launched the banking services on WhatsApp, this will enable the customers to get information on their balance, transactions, credit card payments, and deposit details. This is in line to the Dil se open philosophy of Axis Bank.This service will be available for both customers and non-customers of the bank.

Yes Bank launched a women centric service – ‘Yes Essence’  On March 08,2021, In the event of International Women’s Day, Yes Bank launched a banking proposition YES Essence service to offer preferentially priced loans and healthcare benefits for the women customers. It aims to encourage the women customers to fulfil their aspirations by providing different solutions covering various categories like lifestyle, wellness, education, protection and investment.

DBS Bank India joined with TRRAIN to upskill differently-abled youth  On March 9,2021, DBS Bank India Ltd. (DBIL) headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra partnered with TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers & Retail Associate of India) to support the youth from low-income households, pandemic affected, and persons with disabilities through skill training and employment opportunities. It is a part of the initiative ‘DBS Stronger Together Fund’.

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Magicbricks Partnered with Razorpay & HDFC Bank for Property Service “Pay Rent” through Credit Card  Magicbricks Realty Services limited(Magicbricks), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd of The Times Group, partnered with Razorpay and HDFC Bank to create a secure online solution “Pay Rent” feature for rent payments through credit cards. The online solution is created with a focus on the 10 million rental residential household market.

Samsung Electronics, Mastercard, and Samsung Card join hands to launch a Fingerprint Biometric Payment Card  On March 04, 2021, in Korea, Mastercard, Samsung Electronics’ System LSI Business, and Samsung Card signed a MoU to develop a biometric card with a built-in fingerprint scanner sensor to provide faster and secure payments transactions which will reduce physical contact by avoiding the entering of PIN on Keypad. The biometric card with a fingerprint sensor is launched to eliminate the physical contact of users at the payment terminal.

Axis Bank became First in India by launching its wearable contactless payment device ‘Wear ‘N’ Pay’  On March 10, 2021, Axis Bank headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra became India’s first bank after launching its own wearable payment device named ‘Wear ‘N’ Pay’, to make contactless transactions. It includes a variety of accessories like the band, key chain, and watch loop. Axis Bank partnered with Thales and Tappy Technologies to design and create these products and they are available on the Mastercard platform.

Paytm launches Smart PoS App & Soundbox 2.0  On 9th March, 2021 e-Commerce & financial Service provider, Paytm, launched “Smart PoS”a new application for accepting contactless payments through smartphones. Paytm also launched the second version of its Internet of Things (IoT) based instant voice conformation device, “Soundbox 2.0”. The Smart PoS app is supported by “Paytm for Business” (P4B) app for managing seamless transactions.

NPCI Launched ‘UPI-Help’ Feature on BHIM UPI app  National Payments Corporation Limited (NPCI), an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India launched ‘UPI-Help’ on Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) UPI, a part of its Digi-Help stack.This Feature will enhance the hassle-free experience on issue resolution for BHIM UPI app users. Initially, this feature will be available for the customers of State Bank of India (SBI), AXIS Bank, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank.

LIC of India launched an individual life assurance savings plan ‘Bachat Plus’  The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has launched Bachat Plus, a Non-Linked, Participating,Individual, Savings Plan which offers a combination of protection and savings & financial support for the family of the deceased policyholder any time before maturity. The Minimum Basic Sum Assured is Rs 1,00,000/- with no upper limit.The maturity period of the plan is about five years.The minimum policy term suitable is 10 years and maximum of 25 years under all the options.

Union Bank of India along with HPCL launched ‘UNI-CARBON CARD’  On March 26,2021 Union Bank of India headquarters at Mumbai, Maharashtra launched first of its kind ‘UNI-CARBON CARD’, a credit card that is co-branded by HPCL in Rupay platform of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to create an opportunity to create value for the Bank’s customers. This card is a contactless “Tap & Go” card and National Common Mobility Card(NCMC).

Google.org to support 1 Million Women Entrepreneurs in rural India  Google.org the Philanthropic arm of Google will support 1 Million women entrepreneurs in rural India by providing them with business tutorials, mentorship & accelerator programmes through Google’s newly launched ‘Women Will’ web platform. A grant of USD 500, 000 will be provided to NASSCOM

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(National Association of Software & Service Companies) Foundation for supporting 1 Lakh women agriculture workers with digital and financial literacy.Google also launched a global org Impact Challenge for Women & Girls.

India became the World’s 4th largest Forex Reserve by surpassing Russia  As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, India’s Foreign exchange (Forex) reserves to become the world’s fourth-largest by surpassing Russia.India’s foreign currency holdings fell by $4.3 billion to $580.3 billion and Russia’s forex holdings were $580.1 billion.As of March 2021, International Monetary Fund(IMF)table, China has the largest reserves, followed by Japan, Switzerland, India, and Russia. Most of the foreign exchange reserves are held in U.S. dollars, as it is the most traded currency in the world.

Gautam Adani Becomes World’s Biggest Wealth Gainer in 2021; Beats Jeff Bezos & Elon Musk  On March 16,2021 , Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani become the World’s Biggest Wealth Gainer in 2021, ahead of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk as per the recent Bloomberg Billionaires Index.Gautam Adani gained USD 16.2 billion & was followed by Google Co-founder Larry Page, who gained 14.3 billion USD.As per Bloomberg Billionaires Index, now he became the 26th richest person in the world.

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AWARDS& RECOGNITIONS

5 Indian-Origin personalities & 1 Indian Activist feature in TIME Magazine’s Annual List of 100  5 Indian-origin personalities & 1 Indian Activist have been featured in the 2021 TIME100 Next (TIME Magazine’s 100 emerging leaders list).  The 5 Indian origin personalities are  Vijaya Gadde (Chief Legal Officer of Twitter),  Rishi Sunak (Britain’s Finance Minister),  Apoorva Mehta (Founder & CEO of Instacart),  Shikha Gupta (Executive Director of Nonprofit ‘Get Us PPE’) &  Rohan Pavuluri (Founder of Nonprofit ‘Upsolve’).  Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Azad is the sole Indian activist who has been named in the list.

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2021  On February 20, 2021, the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Awards 2021 were announced. DPIFF was introduced to commemorate the Father of Indian Cinema Dadasaheb Phalke.  Late Actor Sushant Singh Rajput was awarded the ‘Critics Best Actor’ award for his performance in the movie ‘Dil Bechara’.

President Ram Nath Kovind presented a baton of honour to Kiran Bedi  President Ram Nath Kovind presented a baton of honour and a letter of appreciation to former Puducherry lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi  The Baton which is decorated with the emblem of the Indian Republic was given as a memento for recognizing Kiran Bedi’s service in the Union Territory of Puducherry and to appreciate her constitutional duties discharging method. She is the first female IPS officer who started her service in 1972.

Chess Player Koneru Humpy Won 2nd Edition of BBC ISWOTY 2020

Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou wins 2020 Ibrahim Prize  Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou has won the 2020 Ibrahim Prize( $5 million award) for Achievement in African Leadership, who is the sixth recipient.The prize was introduced by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim’s foundation in 2006, which is awarded on criteria of good governance, democratic election and respect of terms limits.

Bihari Puraskar 2020 to be awarded to Mohankrishna Bohara  Mohankrishna Bohara will be awarded the 30th Bihari Puraskar Award for his Book ‘Taslima: Sangharsh aur Sahitya’.  The Bihari Puraskar is one of the three literary awards instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991.The award is given every year for an outstanding work published in the last 10 years by a Rajasthani author in Hindi or Rajasthani.

SahityaAkademi Announces Annual Sahitya Akademi Award 2020  On 12th March 2021, The winners of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2020 were announced by the National Academy of Letters  Annually the Sahitya Akademi presents the award to the literary works in the 24 languages including English which are recognised by the Akademi. Important Awardees:

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 Poet Arundhathi Subramaniam received the Sahitya Akademi Award 2020 for her English poetry collection titled “When God is a Traveller”.  M Veerappa Moily, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Congress Leader has won the award for his Kannada epic poem title “Sri Bahubali Ahimsa Digvijayam”.  Bengali author Mani Shankar Mukhopadhyay popularly known as Shankar has received the award for his memoirs titled Eka Eka Ekashi.

Odisha Forest Officer, Sasmita Lenka, Became First Indian to Receive UN’s 2020 Asia Environmental Enforcement Award

Amitabh Bachchan Honoured with FIAF Award 2021  Indian Actor Amitabh Bachchan became first Indian to receive the FIAF Award 2021 by the International Federation of Film Archives (French: Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film, FIAF), an international organization of film archives and museums across the globe over a virtual award ceremony hosted from Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Govt conferred Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 to Sheikh Mujibur Rehman and for 2019 to Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said  Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the “Father of the Nation” of Bangladesh conferred with Gandhi peace prize 2020 for recognizing his fraternal relations between India and Bangladesh and, promoting peace and non-violence in the Indian subcontinent.  The Jury of Gandhi Peace Prize is chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi

Overview of 67th National Film Awards for the year 2019  On March 22, 2021, the 67th edition of annual National Film Awards was announced, it bestows honours on films and artists for the year 2019.  The National Film Awards are given out by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation which comes under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.  Most Film Friendly State – Sikkim (Medal – Rajat Kamal),  Best Non-Feature Film – An Engineered Dream (Hindi Film) ,  Best Feature Film – Marakkar-Arabi Kadalinte-Simham (Malayalam)  ,Best Children’s Film award – Kastoori (Hindi).

HDFC Bank has adjudged the 'India's Best Bank for SMEs' at the Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2021  On March 25, 2021, HDFC Bank, was adjudged the ‘India’s Best Bank for Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs)’ at the Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2021 of Asiamoney for the transformation of its Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) business. HDFC’s advances to MSMEs as of December 31, 2020, is about Rs2.02 trillion ($28 billion) which is 38% higher than in 2019.

Hindi Writer Prof. Sharad Pagare Honoured with Vyas Samman 2020  Established Hindi writer Professor Sharad Pagare from Madhya Pradesh has been chosen as the recipient of the prestigious Vyas Samman 2020 for his historic novel titled “Patliputru ki Samragi”. The 2020 Vyas Samman is the 30th Vyas Samman presented by KK Birla Foundation.The novel – “Patliputru ki Samragi” was printed in the year 2010.

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle conferred with Maharashtra Bhushan Award  A committee chaired by Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray announced singer Asha Bhosle has been selected for the Maharashtra Bhushan award for the year 2020, Maharashtra State highest civilian award for outstanding individual achievements in their field, The award, instituted in MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 49 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

1996 carries a cash prize of ₹10 lakh.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Govt of India Constitutes a National Committee Headed by PM to Commemorate 75 year of Independence Day  Government of India constituted a National Committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 75 years of Independence day which falls on 15th August 2022. The day will be commemorated at national and international level in the form of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The celebration of the 75 years will be launched on 12th March 2022. PM Modi will also flag off a Padyatra from Sabarmati to Dandi memorial which will culminate on 5th April 2022.

Ajai Malhotra Became the 1st Indian Chairperson of the Advisory Committee of UNHRC  Ajai Malhotra has become the first Indian to be elected as the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC). His 3-year term on the committee will expire on 30th September 2023. The Advisory Committee is a body of 18 independent experts serving as a think- tank to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Tirath Singh Rawat Sworn in as the New CM of Uttarakhand; Trivendra Singh Rawat resigned as CM  On 10th March 2021, Tirath Singh Rawat, Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha), was sworn in as the 9th Chief Minister(CM) of Uttarakhand following the resignation of Trivendra Singh Rawat on 9th March 2021 following the unease over his governance. The Oath Taking Ceremony is administered by Governor, Baby Rani Maurya. He was the first Education Minister of Uttarakhand when the state was formed in 2000.

Thomas Bach Re-elected as President of IOC until 2025  On 10th March 2021, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) re-elected Thomas Bach for an additional term of 4 years as the President of ICO until 2025.  His current term as the President of IOC will finish on the closing day of the Tokyo Olympic Games on 8th August 2021 and his second term as the President will start on 9th August 2021 and will conclude in 2025.

GP Samanta Appointed as The New CSI For A Term Of 2 Years  On 10th March 2021, GP Samanta, an advisor in the Department of Statistics and information management(DSIM), Reserve Bank of India(RBI) was appointed as the 4th Chief Statistician of India(CSI) for a term of 2 years. Samanta replaces Dr. Kshatrapati Shivaji, a 1986 batch IAS officer who has been the CSI since September 2020.CSI will also hold the post of the Secretary of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation(MoSPI).

Kapil Dev Inducted into PGTI As A Board Member  On 15th March 2021, Former Indian Cricketer Kapil Dev was inducted into the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) as a board member. Kapil Dev, the captain of the Indian Cricket team that won the 1983 World Cup, will be working towards the development of Golf in the country. The official inclusion of Kapil Dev was made while announcing the Prometheus School Delhi-NCR Open Golf Championship 2021, which will be held from 16th to 19th March 2021 in Gurugram, Haryana.

Samia Suluhu Hassan became Tanzania’s first woman president  On March 19, 2021, Samia Suluhu Hassan,61 sworn in as Tanzania’s first woman President by succeeding John Magufuli (2015-2021) at the State House in Dar es Salaam, which is the country’s largest city.She is the sixth President of Tanzania and 2nd female president within the East African MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 50 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

Community. Tanzania’s Capital – Dodoma and Currency - Tanzanian shilling.

Anurag Thakur becomes first serving MP to be appointed captain in Territorial Army  Minister of State (MoS) for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Anurag Thakur has become the first serving member of parliament (MP) to be appointed as Captain in the Territorial Army.  The four-time BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur was commissioned into the Territorial Army as a Lieutenant in July 2016.

Saurabh Garg Appointed as CEO of UIDAI; Sanjeev Kumar Appointed as Chairman of AAI  On 25th March 2021, as a part of the Bureaucratic reshuffle, the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Saurabh Garg, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).Sanjeev Kumar appointed as Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI). He succeeds Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the CEO of UIDAI.

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SCIENCE &TECHNOLOGY

ISRO flags off 2021 with 19 satellites, e-Gita & PM Modi's picture  The Indian Space Research Organisation made its first launch of 2021 by successfully blasting into space the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C51. It carried 19 payloads: Brazil's 637- kg Amazonia- 1 (its primary passenger) & 18 co-passenger satellites. It was also the 1st commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited

SpaceX Starship prototype rocket explodes after successful landing in high- altitude flight test  SpaceX test flew Serial Number 10,or SN10,on a flight to about 32,800 feet altitude before returning for a soft landing on a concrete pad at the company’s facility in Boca Chica,Texas.Starship is developed to get people and payloads to the moon,mars etc.Plan is to use Starship to shuttle 12 people around moon in 2023

ISRF Awards Research Fellowship To 40 Scholars From 6 Countries: Ministry Of Science  It is for doing research in science and technology at Indian institutes and universities. These scholars have been selected for India Science and Research Fellowship (ISRF) 2021 based on research proposal, experience, academic merit and publication record. The ISRF program was implemented in 2015.

ISRO launches sounding rocket RH-560  ISRO launched the sounding rocket (RH-560) to study altitudinal variations in the neutral winds & plasma dynamics carried out @ Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The rockets are 1 or 2-stage solid propellant rockets used for probing upper atmosphere ISRO has launched indigenously made sounding rockets from 1965

Samsung Opens Innovation Lab in Delhi, Ties with DTU to Work with Students  Samsung India has inaugurated a Samsung Innovation Lab at Delhi Technological University (DTU) under the Samsung Innovation Campus initiative, strengthening its commitment towards the Government’s Skill India initiative. Skill India initiative latest vision #PoweringDigitalIndia.

Russia Launches Soyuz Rocket Into Space Carrying 38 Satellites From 18 Countries  The Soyuz-2.1 rocket with the Fregat upper stage and 38 satellites from 18 countries lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome.In a first,Tanzania has manufactured its own satellite dubbed Challenge-1 that took off with Russia’s Soyuz rocket along with other satellites for countries including South Korea, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, and Brazil. Russia’s State Corporation for Space Activities is ROSCOSMOS.

Women-led startup Astrome develops low-cost Internet services to suburban and rural areas.  The wireless product 'Giga Mesh' could enable telecom operators to deploy quality, high-speed rural telecom infrastructure at five times lower cost.The Multi-beam E-band product,Giga Mesh, packs 6 Point-to-Point E-band radios in one, thereby distributing the device’s cost over multiple links and hence reduces capital expenditure.Neha Satak,Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Astrome.

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ENVIRONMENT

Researchers Discover 5 new Species of Shrub Frogs in Western Ghats  Researchers from India’s University of Delhi and Kerala Forest Research Institute along with University of Minnesota, USA have discovered 5 new species of Shrub Frogs (genus Raorchestes) in Western Ghats. Their findings were published in ‘PeerJ’ journal, the findings came as an outcome of a long comprehensive study on the Shrub frogs that was conducted in Western Ghats over a period of 10 years. The scientific name of Frog is “Anura”.

African Elephants listed under IUCN Red List as Endangered & Critically Endangered  On 25th March 2021, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the African Elephants: African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) as Critically Endangered and the African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana) as Endangered in the IUCN Red List. As a result of new genetic findings, the African Elephants are classified into 2 groups Forest & Savanna Elephant.

Methylobacterium ajmalii: new bacteria found on ISS named after Indian Scientist Ajmal Khan  New bacterial strains were found in different locations on the International Space Station (ISS). The new species is named “Methylobacterium ajmalii” to honour the renowned Indian biodiversity scientist, Dr. Ajmal Khan, a former professor at Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu.The genome analysis of Methylobacterium ajmalii revealed the presence of genes that are involved in promoting plant growth.The findings of the study were published in the journal “Frontiers in Microbiology”.

Two New Red Seaweed species discovered along India’s Coastline  A Group of marine botanists led by Researcher Felix Bast from the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) have discovered 2 New red algal seaweed species – ‘Hypnea Indica’ (after India) & ‘Hypnea Bullata’ (Presence of blister like marks on its body) along the coasts of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu & in Gujarat and Daman & Diu. It is the 1st time that red algal species of seaweeds have been discovered along Indian coasts.

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SPORTS

Vinesh Phogat bags Gold in Ukraine wrestling event  Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat won the gold medal in the women's 53-kg category at XXIV Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial in Kyiv, Ukraine. She defeated world number 7 Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus in the finals to win the medal. She is 1st Indian nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards.

Manu Bhaker Emerging Player, Anju George wins BBC Lifetime award  Olympian Anju Bobby George was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement award while chess Grandmaster Koneru Humpy was the Sportswoman of the Year. English cricket star Ben Stokes announced the 19-year-old Manu Bhaker as the winner. British Broadcasting Corporation; HQ: London

Mithali Raj Becomes First Indian Woman Cricketer To Score 10,000 International Runs  Mithali Raj has become the 1st Indian woman and 2nd international cricketer to score 10,000 runs in international cricket across all formats. Mithali reached the milestone in the ongoing third One-day International (ODI) against South Africa in Lucknow. UK's Charlotte E is the only other lady cricketer with this feat

C. A. Bhavani Devi becomes first Indian fencer ever to qualify for Olympics  Bhavani Devi has become the first Indian fencer in history to qualify for the Olympics. She qualified after Hungary lost to South Korea in the quarterfinals of the Fencing Sabre World Cup. Currently, she is ranked 45th in the world In 2017 She won India's 1st international gold medal in fencing.

Virat Kohli becomes first player to score 3000 runs in men's T20I  Indian captain Virat Kohli breached the 3000-run mark in Twenty20 Internationals with his last shot in the second T20I against England. Kohli's knock of 73 runs, which came off 49 balls, also helped India to level the five-match T20I series. Virat Kohli: First player to play 200 matches for a team in T20

National Anti-Doping Agency imposes sanctions on Madhavan R & Ruchika for violation of its code.  NADA, HQ: New Delhi;  CEO: Navin Agarwal

Hashmatullah Shahidi becomes Afghanistan's first double-centurion in Test cricket  Hashmatullah Shahidi (200*) became the first Afghanistan player to score a double-century in Test cricket. Asghar Afghan briefly held the record for the highest individual score for Afghanistan with his 164 before Shahidi overtook him. Capital: Kabul;President: Ashraf Ghani; Currency: Afghan afghani

Kapil Dev Inducted as Professional Golf Tour of India Board Member  Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev was inducted as one of the board members of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the sports body. Dev, who captained India to World Cup glory in 1983, said he would work for the development of golf in the country.The Professional Golf Tour of India was founded in 2006.

Yashaswini Deswal wins 1st gold medal for India in Women's 10 Meter Air Pistol final  Yashaswini Deswal bagged 1st gold medal for India in Women's 10 Meter Air Pistol final of International Shooting Sport Federation at World Cup. Deswal accumulated 238.8 points to lead in her category. Another Indian shooter Manu Bhaker won a silver medal. International Shooting Sport Federation HQs: Munich, Germany. MARCH 2021 (CURRENT AFFAIRS) 54 App: MPPSCADDA , Call: 9953733830 , WhatsApp: 7982862964 Mail: [email protected] WEB: www.mppscadda.com

Indian table tennis duo Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra qualify for mixed doubles event at Tokyo Olympics  They became the first Indian pairing to qualify for the mega event in Tokyo, beating world no. 8 Korean duo of Sang-Su Lee and Jihee Jeon 4-2 in the final of the Asian Qualification Tournament.The pair are 2018 Asian Games bronze medallists. Delayed Tokyo Games will be held from July 23 to August 8,2021.

India's Singhraj wins gold in Para Shooting World Cup 2021  Indian para-athlete Singhraj won gold medal in the 2021 Para Shooting World Cup at Al Ain in the UAE today. He defeated Uzbekistan's Server Ibragimov to get the top honour in the P1 - Men's 10m Air Pistol SH1 final.With this, India has moved to third place in the medals table.India has now two medals in its list - one gold and one bronze.

Royal London Cup 2021: Shreyas Iyer becomes 6th Indian to sign for Lancashire  India batsman Shreyas Iyer has joined Lancashire for the 2021 Royal London Cup, the English county club. Farokh Engineer joined the county in 1968.Since Engineer retired, four further Indian Internationals - Murali Kartik, Dinesh Mongia, VVS Laxman, and Sourav Ganguly - have represented the club. Lancashire will kick off their Royal London Cup campaign at home to Sussex on July 23.

Khelo India scheme to be extended from 2021-22 to 2025-26:  Shri Kiren Rijiju An amount of ₹ 8750 crore has been estimated as financial implication of the new Khelo India Scheme (2021-22 to 2025-26)  The constituency of Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju is Arunachal (West).

Girl Gang Announced Official Song Of ICC Women’s World Cup 2022  Girl Gang,a track by New Zealand singer Gin Wigmore, has been announced as the official song of the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup. The tournament is set to be hosted in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3, 2022.Originally scheduled to be held from February 6 to March 7, 2021, the World Cup was postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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SCHEMES

On Janaushadhi Divas, PM Narendra Modi inaugurates 7,500th Janaushadhi Kendra to provide medicines at low cost  Centre is located at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Sikkim & the inauguration was held with the help of video conferencing.This scheme is to purchase medicines for people with limited means 'जनऔषधि धिवस' (Janaushadhi Diwas) : 7 मा셍च.

Google plans to support 1 million rural business women under Women Will programme Google announced to celebrate International Women’s Day being committing to support 1 million rural women entrepreneurs all across India as part of their Women Will program. It will award a grant of $500,000 to the Nasscom Foundation. Google founders:- Larry Page, Sergey Brin CEO: Sundar Pichai

Cabinet approves creation of PMSSN as a single non-lapsable reserve fund for health The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has approved the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi (PMSSN) as a single non-lapsable reserve fund for share of Health from the proceeds of Health and Education cess levied. Cess levied under Section 136- b of Finance Act, 2007.

Tata Motors launches ‘Wheels of Love’, a holistic programme to support parenthood It supports new parents in their exciting journey both as a parent and also as a valued employee while promoting a progressive culture of care, inclusion, and sensitization within the organization across levels.Also presented curated book, ‘Wheels of Love’ Tata motors HQ: Mumbai; CEO: Guenter Butschek

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has announced All India Tourist Vehicles Authorization and Permit Rules, 2021 Road Transport Ministry has announced a new scheme, under which any tourist vehicle operator may apply for an “All India Tourist Authorization/Permit" through online mode. The new rules will be applicable from 1 April 2021. MoRTH: Mansukh L. Mandaviya (MoS), Nitin Gadkari (Minister)

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launches 'Tribal TB Initiative' in pursuit of TB Mukt Bharat The government accords top priority to ensuring Universal Access to free treatment and care for TB across the country.The government has already increased the Budget allocation for TB in India four-fold in the last five years.Union Territories of Lakshadweep and the district of Badgam in Jammu and Kashmir declared TB Free on World TB Day (March 24). Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious infection that usually attacks the lungs.

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BOOKS & AUTHORS

Anindya Dutta Authored a New Book Titled “Advantage India: The Story of Indian Tennis”  Anindya Dutta, a banker turned author, penned a new book titled “Advantage India: The Story of Indian Tennis”, a chronicle of Indian Tennis.

Hillary Clinton partners with Louise Penny to co-write ‘State of Terror’ Mystery novel  Former United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is co-writing a mystery novel called ‘State of Terror’ with Louise Penny, a Canadian author. The novel is slated to be released on October 12, 2021.

Evan Osnos’s New Book “Joe Biden: American Dreamer” a Biography of Joe Biden  National Book Award Winner Evan Osnos has authored a new Book “Joe Biden: American Dreamer” a biography of American President, Joe Biden that features both the personal and public life of Joe Biden.

New Book “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds” authored by Rajiv Malhotra  Acclaimed Author Rajiv Malhotra, a Physicist and Computer Scientist specializing in Artificial intelligence(AI) has authored a new book titled “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power: 5 Battlegrounds”.

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s Autobiography “The Frontier Gandhi: My Life And Struggle” to be Published in English  The autobiography of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as the “Frontier Gandhi” & fondly known as Bacha Khan or Badshah Khan, titled “The Frontier Gandhi: My Life and Struggle” is set to be published in English by the publishing house Roli Books. This will be his first autobiography in English. The book was translated into English by Imitiaz Ahmad Sahibzada, former Pakistani civil servant and author. The foreword of the book is written by historian Rajmohan Gandhi, Grandson of Gandhi and the book was originally written in Pashto and published in 1983.

“Dynasty to Democracy: The Untold Story of Smriti Irani’s Triumph”-Anant Vijay’s Book on Smriti Irani’s victory in Amethi  On March 05,2021, Westland Publication ltd, announced the release of the English translation of Anant Vijay’s book named ‘Dynasty to Democracy: The Untold Story of Smriti Irani’s Triumph’ by March 15.The Book is a translation of Hindi book titled ‘Amethi Sangram: Aitihasik Jeet Ankahi Dastan’

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar Released E-book Titled “The Green Queens of India – A Nation’s Pride”  On 8th March 2021, Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEF&CC) released an e-book titled “The Green Queens of India – A Nation’s Pride”, a compilation of case studies, best practices and life experience of women forest officers.

AS Panneerselvan authored a new book titled “Karunanidhi: A Life”  Readers’ editor at The Hindu, AS Panneerselvan authored a new book titled “Karunanidhi: A Life”, a book about the 8-decade political career of Muthuvel Karunanidhi who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for 5 terms and the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for over five decades.

Susmita Mukherjee Authored a New Book Titled “Baanjh: Incomplete Lives of Complete Women”  Actor, Screenwriter, and Playwright Susmita Mukherjee have authored her 2nd book titled “Baanjh: Incomplete Lives of Complete Women”.

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Bhagat Singh Koshyari released the eBook “Dawn Under the Dome”  On 15th March 2021, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the governor of Maharashtra released the ebook “Dawn under the Dome” on the history of the Mumbai General Post Office(GPO) Building, the grand old heritage building.

Jahnavi Barua Released her 3rd Novel Titled “Undertow”  Jahnavi Barua, Bengaluru based author has released her 3rd Novel titled “Undertow”. The story of the novel is set in Assam which touches on various themes like home, family, self-love and others.

Tisca Chopra unveiled the cover of her second book “What’s up with me”  Bollywood actress and author, Tisca Chopra, unveiled the cover of her second book “What’s up with me” a friendly, practical and empathetic guide for pre-teen girls and their parents published by Red Panda.  Her maiden venture was a book titled “Acting Smart: Your Ticket To Showbiz”.

A book titled “Gandhi in Bombay’’ by the authors Usha Thakkar and Sandhya Mehta  On 15th March 2021,The Indiatourism Mumbai, Regional Office of Ministry of Tourism in the Western Region organized an online book reading session of “Gandhi in Bombay’’ by the authors Dr.Usha Thakkar and Sandhya Mehta , as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.

Sanjaya Baru’s “India’s Power Elite: Caste, Class, and Cultural Revolution”, to be released in April  Sanjaya Baru’s book named “India’s Power Elite: Caste, Class, and Cultural Revolution” to be released in April by Penguin Random House India. The book says about the inside story of India’s power elite.

A new book, “Saving Us” by Katharine Hayhoe set to launch in September  Katharine Hayhoe, the present Chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy, authored a book on Climate change, titled “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World ” that is set to be released on 21st September 2021. The book will project the combined perspective of Ms. Hayhoe’s research & personal stories to provide overwhelming evidence of climate change. In 2019, she was honoured with the “Champion of the Earth” award, the highest environmental honor of the United Nations (UN).

General Bipin Rawat releases the new book, “Battle Ready for 21st Century”  On 17th March 2021, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat along with Former Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Deepak released a book, “Battle Ready for 21st Century” at Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).

M Venkaiah Naidu virtually launches the book “Bringing Governments and People Closer”  On the World Happiness Day, 20th March 2021, Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu virtually launched the book “Bringing Governments and People Closer”. This is the 10th book authored by retired IAS officer Dr M Ramachandran.Th

“Escaped: True Stories of Indian Fugitives in London” Authored by Danish Khan & Ruhi Khan Released  The new book titled “Escaped: True Stories of Indian Fugitives in London” Authored by Danish Khan & Ruhi Khan was released on 22nd March 2021. The book features 12 high profile cases where the guilty party has escaped to England.

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“Names of the Women” a New Book by Jeet Thayil  Jeet Thayil’s new book titled ‘Names of the Women’ talks about women whose roles were suppressed, reduced or removed in the Gospels.

Bollywood Actor Samir Soni set to release his debut book  Bollywood Actor Samir Soni(52 years old) is set to release his first book titled “My Experiments With Silence” on anxiety and self-discovery. The book will also chronicle the details of Samir Soni’s early days in Bollywood.

Book Titled “Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization” Authored by Namit Arora  Namit Arora has authored a book titled “Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization” The book is published by India Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Through this book Namit explores the ideas, beliefs and values of our ancestors through millennia.

New Book Titled “1232 km: The Long Journey Home” by Vinod Kapri is set to release  On 25th March 2021, to mark the first Anniversary of lockdown due to COVID-19, HarperCollins India publication announced the release of Vinod Kapri’s new book titled “1232 km: The Long Journey Home”.

A Book Titled “From Incremental To Exponential” Authored By Vivek Wadhwa, Ismail Amla And Alex Salkever  The book titled “From Incremental To Exponential: How Large Companies Can See the Future and Rethink Innovation” authored by Vivek Wadhwa, Ismail Amla And Alex Salkever is a guide to how the companies should proceed to remain relevant.

New Book Titled “Wild and Wilful: Tale of 15 Iconic Indian Species” authored by Neha Sinha  “Wild and Wilful: Tale of 15 Iconic Indian Species” the new book authored by wildlife conservationist Neha Sinha is an evocative collection of insights from various disciplines that describes human –animal coexistence.

Debut book of Daribha Lyndem titled “Name Place Animal Things”  The debut book of Daribha Lyndem from Meghalaya titled “Name Place Animal Things” examines the boundaries between the adult world and the world of a child. The book takes its name from a beloved school game.

I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban – An autobiography of Malala Yousafzai  I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban is an autobiographical book by Malala Yousafzai about herself.

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IMPORTANT DAYS

Zero Discrimination Day: March 1  Zero discrimination Day is commemorated on March 1 every year by the UN & other international institutions. It aims at highlighting the need to take action to end inequalities. The Day was launched in December 2013. The symbol for this day is a butterfly. Zero Discrimination Day was first observed on March 1, 2014.

World Civil Defence Day: March 1  World Civil Defence Day is celebrated on March 1st every year to raise awareness about the importance of civil protection and to pay tribute to the efforts, sacrifices and accomplishments of all the services responsible to fight against disasters. Theme for 2021: Civil Defence and a faster aider in every home.

World Wildlife Day- 3 March 2021  On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March – the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973 -as UN World Wildlife Day. Theme- "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet"

‘International Women’s Day’: observed on March 8 with theme, Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world  It highlights the stories and extraordinary achievements of women that have on many occasions been erased. In 1975, the UN finally acknowledged ‘International Women’s Day’ on global. This year the theme for the campaign is ‘Choose to Challenge’. SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

World Consumer Rights Day 2021: March 15  With the aim to raise global awareness about consumer rights and needs, World Consumer Rights Day is observed every year on March 15, since 1983. The theme of the World Consumer Rights Day 2021 is ‘Tackle plastic pollution'. Grahak Panchayat was established in Pune in 1974.

National Vaccination Day 2021: March 16  Also called National Immunization Day, It was first observed in the year 1995, the year on which India started Pulse Polio Programme. The program worked effectively as India was declared Polio free by the World Health Organization in 2014. The Universal Immunization Programme was introduced in 1978.

International Day of Happiness: 20 March The International Day of Happiness is observed every year around the world on March 20. The day recognizes happiness as the most important need in any human’s life & links it to the overall well-being of humans. Theme 2021: "Happiness For All, Forever". World Happiness Report 2021, India ranked 139 out of 149 nations

World Sparrow Day | March 20  Every year March 20 is observed as World Sparrow Day to raise awareness about the bird. The need for marking this day was felt due to the tremendous decrease in its population. The house sparrow is on the verge of extinction. The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: 21 March  Int. Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21st March that aims to foster a global culture of tolerance, equality, anti-discrimination, and calls on everyone to stand up

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against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes. Theme 2021: "Youth standing up against racism".

World Poetry Day: 21 March  Held every year on 21 March, World Poetry Day was 1st adopted by UNESCO in 1999. One of the main objectives is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer

International Day of Forests: 21st March  The UN General Assembly proclaimed March 21 as the International Day of Forests in 2012 to commemorate and raise awareness about the conservation of forests for a sustainable future as they hold significant importance in human life. 2021 theme: Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well- being

World Down Syndrome Day: 21 March  World Down Syndrome Day is a global awareness day that has been officially observed by the United Nations on 21st March since 2012. Down syndrome is a condition in which a child is born with an extra copy of their 21st chromosome. Down Syndrome is also known as trisomy 21.

International Day of Nowruz: 21 March  The United Nations marks 21st March of every year as the International Day of Nowruz. The festival was added to the ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ in 2009 and the occasion has been celebrated since 2010. Nowruz marks 1st day of spring which usually occurs on 21 March.

World Water Day 2021 | 22 March  The World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the global water crisis, and a core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. The theme of World Water Day 2021 is valuing water.

World Meteorological Day | March 23  World Meteorological Day is celebrated on March 23 every year to commemorate the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization(WMO)on this day in 1950.This World Meteorological Day theme - The ocean, our climate and weather – celebrates WMO’s focus in connecting the ocean, climate and weather within the Earth System. Theme is in conjunction with UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs' Day | March 23  On this Shaheed Diwas,Indians in particular pay tribute to Bhagat Singh,Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru. These freedom fighters had lost their lives on March 23 in 1931 during the struggle for India's independence.They were hanged for assassinating British officer John Saunders in 1928.There are six days declared as Martyrs' Day in India.

World Tuberculosis Day | March 24  Each year, World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24 is commemorated to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB. The theme of World TB Day 2021 - ‘The Clock is Ticking’

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International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade | March 25  Every year on 25 March, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade offers the opportunity to honour and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. The International Day also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today.2021 Theme: “Ending Slavery’s Legacy of Racism: A Global Imperative for Justice”

International Transgender Day of Visibility | March 31  Founded by US-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall, International Transgender Day of Visibility is marked on March 31 every year, with the aim to celebrate transgender individuals’ contributions to society. The day also calls upon us to counter the homophobic, biphobic and transphobic social attitudes that inflict incredible harm on the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals.

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