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Daily Current Affairs- 15/03/2021

1. Prime Minister inaugurates ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ from Sabarmati Ashram; flags off Dandi Padyatra

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the curtain raiser activities of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (@75). • He flagged off the ‘Padyatra’ (Freedom March) from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on March12, 2021. • The Padyatra will cover a journey of 241 miles from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad to Dandi in Navsari and will end on 5th April, 2021 lasting for 25 days. • Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture & Tourism will lead the first lap of 75 kilometers of the Padyatra. • The launch of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ 75 weeks before 15 August 2022 will continue till 15 August, 2023. • Note: Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is a series of events to be organised by the Government of India to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence.

Mahatma Gandhi along with 81 persons had initiated the famous Dandi Padyatra from 12th March to 6th April, 1930.

2. First Quad Leaders’ virtual summit 2021 • Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi virtually participated, along with Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison and Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga and President of U.S.A. Joseph R. Biden, in the first Leaders’ Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework on 12th March 2021. • The Leaders discussed regional and global issues of shared interest and exchange views on practical areas of cooperation towards maintaining a free,

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open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

• Note: Quad Leaders agreed to pool financing, manufacturing and distribution capacity to send 1 billion coronavirus vaccines across Asia by the end of 2022. About Quad: The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue also known as the Quad is an informal strategic forum between Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

3. Prime Minister addresses 4th Global Ayurveda Festival

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 4th Global Ayurveda Festival (12-19 March, 2021, Kerala) through virtual mode. • The National AYUSH Mission has been started to promote AYUSH medical systems through cost effective AYUSH services. • India’s policy regarding Ayurveda and other Indian systems of medicine is already aligned with the Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 of the World Health Organisation. • Note: The WHO has also announced the setting up of the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India.

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4. 1st Meeting of the BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues

held • The BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues (CGETI) held their first meeting under India’s Chairship from 9-11 March 2021. • The theme of BRICS this year is -"BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation, and Consensus”. • Note: The 13th BRICS Summit will be held under India’s Chairship in 2021, and it will be the third time India will host the BRICS Summit after 2012 and 2016. • Facts about BRICS: Formation: 2009 Countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa

5. Government launches ‘Mera Ration’ mobile app

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution launched the ‘Mera Ration’ mobile app in line with the “One Nation One Ration Card” (ONORC) scheme. • This app will benefit especially those ration card holders who move to new areas for livelihoods.

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• Note: The system which was started initially in 4 States in August 2019 has been swiftly rolled out in a very short span of time in 32 States/UTs by December 2020 and the integration of remaining 4 States/UT (Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and West Bengal) is expected to be completed in next few months. • At present, the system covers nearly 69 Crore NFSA beneficiaries (about 86% NFSA population) in the country. The ONORC scheme is being implemented by the Department of Food & Public Distribution for the nation-wide portability of ration cards under National Food Security Act (NFSA).

6. World’s most powerful supercomputer ‘Fugaku’

• The world's most powerful supercomputer ‘Fugaku’ is now ready to use. • Fugaku, the machine was created by Japanese scientific research institute RIKEN in collaboration with multinational IT developer Fujitsu. • Note: In June 2020, Fugaku was deemed the world's most powerful supercomputer in the TOP500 supercomputer speed rankings, overtaking IBM's Summit. • Facts about Japan: Prime Minister: Yoshihide Suga Capital: Tokyo Currency: Japanese yen

7. Union Minister Anurag Thakur appointed as in Territorial Army • Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur became the first serving MP (Member of Parliament) to be appointed as Captain in the

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Territorial Army.

• Mr Thakur has been promoted to the rank of Captain at 124 Infantry Battalion Territorial Army (Sikh). • Note: The four-time BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur was commissioned into the Territorial Army as a Lieutenant by then Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir S Suhag in July 2016.

8. Government appointed GP Samanta as Chief Statistician of India

• Samanta will also hold charge as Secretary in the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI). • He will replace Kshatrapati Shivaji who was given additional charge in MoSPI in September. • Samanta is currently as an advisor in the Reserve Bank of India’s department of statistics and information management.

9. 2021 (20 February to 14 March 2021) • Final: vs Uttar Pradesh • Mumbai won Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 title. • This is Mumbai's fourth Hazare title.

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• Note: Mumbai captain Prithvi Shaw became the first cricketer to score 800 runs in a single edition of Vijay Hazare Trophy.

10. March 15, World Consumer Rights Day

• World Consumer Rights Day is an annual occasion dedicated to highlighting the power of consumers and their rights for a fair, safe and sustainable marketplace for everyone. • The World Consumer Rights Day 2021 theme is to gather all the consumers in a fight to ‘Tackle Plastic Pollution’. • Note: India: On July 20th, 2020, the new Consumer Protection Act, 2019 came into force in India, replacing the previous enactment of 1986. • National Consumer Day is celebrated on 24 December.