DND (Relevant Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Examination) Monthly Compilation for March 2021 Visit our website www.sleepyclasses.com or our YouTube channel for entire GS Course FREE of cost Also Available: Prelims Crash Course || Prelims Test Series T.me/SleepyClasses Table of Contents 1. Geography .............................................................................................................1 1.1.This February among hottest in the Capital since 1901 .............................................2 1.2.Warmer winters in India: La Nina events may be getting hotter than El Nino, say experts ........................................................................................................................................3 1.3.IMD rules out heat wave despite warming trend ..........................................................5 1.4.China gives green light for first downstream dams on Brahmaputra ......................8 1.5.ICAR receives King Bhumibol World Soil Day - 2020 Award by FAO .....................9 1.6.Genomes in Indian Ocean ....................................................................................................10 1.7.Martian blueberries ...............................................................................................................11 1.8.Sangay Volcano eruption .....................................................................................................12 1.9.Mullaperiyar dam ..................................................................................................................13 1.10.Indian monsoon 25 million years ago resembled present day Australia ..............16 1.11.Crisis of Obtaining Helium in India ................................................................................18 1.12.Ken-Betwa Link Project .....................................................................................................19 1.13.Water Crisis in Himachal ..................................................................................................21 1.14.H2Ooooh! .............................................................................................................................23 1.15.Indus Water treaty ..............................................................................................................23 1.16.Suez Canal .............................................................................................................................25 1.17.Pesticide Pollution ..............................................................................................................27 2. History & Culture ................................................................................................28 2.1.Ancient church, set to be razed, gets new life .................................................................29 2.2.The Forgotten Life of Sushila Didi ......................................................................................30 2.3.Sikh fighter pilot memorial in UK to honour Indians who fought in World Wars .31 2.4.PM to flag off march to Dandi today ................................................................................31 2.5.Kathakali maestro Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair dead ..........................................32 2.6.Ahom general Lachit Borphukan .......................................................................................33 2.7.Shigmotsav ..............................................................................................................................36 2.8.Garhwal Himalayas ...............................................................................................................36 3. Polity .......................................................................................................................38 3.1.In Nagaland, an itch for reviving prickly cages for offenders .....................................39 3.2.DU to issue digital degrees to 2017-19 graduates soon .............................................39 3.3.Election Commission cuts notice period for new political parties ............................40 3.4.Delhi riots: court takes cognisance of sedition charge against 18 people ..............42 3.5.Use of PM’s photo in petrol pump hoardings violates poll code, should be removed: ECI official .........................................................................................................................................44 www.sleepyclasses.com Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses 3.6.Freedom in the world report 2021 ....................................................................................46 3.7.All-women crew of MT Swarna Krishna makes history ...............................................47 3.8.Revisiting the quota template ............................................................................................48 3.9.Ahead of Polls in 4 States, SC Needs to Prioritise the Challenge to Electoral Bonds 50 3.10.Vaccine passports, and why you may need one soon ................................................54 3.11.After Mizoram, Manipur offers help to Myanmar refugees .....................................55 3.12.TV channels warned against violating code .................................................................56 3.13.Centre approves creation of PM Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi ....................................57 3.14.Official Panel on India’s Low Press Freedom Rank .....................................................58 3.15.LGBTIQ Freedom Zone in EU ...........................................................................................60 3.16.Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 ......................................................62 3.17.Maths, physics not compulsory for engineering admissions ....................................63 3.18.Allocation of symbols to political parties ......................................................................64 3.19.Changes to NCT Act revive power tussle ......................................................................65 3.20.As States Enter Election Season, Important CAG Reports Remain Unavailable to the Public ..........................................................................................................................................66 3.21.Many teaching institutes substandard ..........................................................................68 3.22.World Happiness Report 2021: India ranks 139 out of 149 ..................................71 3.23.Right to Health .....................................................................................................................72 3.24.Rajasthan brings private medical colleges within RTI Act purview .......................74 3.25.Citizenship amendment act (Wiil discuss in April with updations) .......................79 3.26.Appointment of Judges ......................................................................................................80 3.27.Right to Information (RTI) ................................................................................................82 3.28.Time frame for accident information reports ..............................................................83 3.29.Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana ..........................................................................................86 4. Economy ................................................................................................................88 4.1.GST mop-up rises 7.4% in Feb; tops Rs 1 lakh crore for 5th straight month ..........89 4.2.Why Bihar farmers are looking to sell their sugarcane in Nepal ...............................90 4.3.Revising food security act: NITI Aayog .............................................................................91 4.4.No TDS when Indian firms pay to use foreign software ...............................................93 4.5.Purchasing Manager’s index ...............................................................................................93 4.6.Purple Revolution (Under Aroma Mission): ....................................................................94 4.7.PM to receive the CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award 97 4.8.Food waste index report 2021 ...........................................................................................101 4.9.RailTel launches prepaid wi-fi services at 4,000 railway stations ............................102 4.10.Central Revenues Control Laboratory gets recognised as a Regional Customs Laboratory (RCL) of the World Customs Organisation .................................................104 www.sleepyclasses.com Call 6280133177 T.me/SleepyClasses 4.11.International Women’s Day: 10 million more girls at risk of child marriage due to COVID-19, warns UNICEF ...................................................................................................105 4.12.International Women’s day: How Telangana’s women farm hands turned farmers 106 4.13.MSMEs seen as next stress area as banks wary of loan repayments under ECLGS 106 4.14.Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare signs MoU with Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles for promotion of Agroforestry in Silk Sector ................................108 4.15.Only half of government schools, anganwadis have tap water supply .................112 4.16.Why private companies are queueing up to set up New Umbrella Entities (NUE) 114 4.17.Govt. to telcos: buy only from ‘trusted sources ............................................................115 4.18.How FPOs can help small