Current Affairs Weekly PDF

Current Affairs Weekly PDF – March Second Week

(16-21)

INDIAN AFFAIRS

• On March 15, 2018, Lok Sabha passed Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was
introduced by Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar in the Lok Sabha during the winter
session. which seeks to authorise Central Government to fix tax-free gratuity amount from Rs 10
lakh to Rs 20 lakh and period of maternity leave which would be enhanced to 26 weeks with an
executive order.

• Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has granted environmental clearance for
setting up India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) project at Bodi West hills in Theni district
of Tamil Nadu.This Project is jointly supported by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and
Department of Science and Technology (DST)

• On March 14, 2018, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra
Pradhan inaugurated the first edition of Delhi Energy Dialogue (DED) 2018 in New Delhi.The
dialogue was organised by Ashden India Collective (AIC) in alliance with the Climate
Parliament and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). India currently offers 1 lakh
crore of bio-fuel and bio-energy business to the world.

• Three-day annual Krishi Unnati Mela, focusing on ‘doubling farmers’ income’ began in New
Delhi on March 16, 2018.The objective of Krishi Unnati Mela is to create awareness among
farmers about latest agriculture related developments.

• On 14th March 2018, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the two-day Asia-Pacific
Regional Conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi.Theme: Challenges to Policing in 2020 - How is Cyber Space shaping our
approach to Cybercrime and Terrorism, how do we perform within it and take advantage of it.The
conference was organised by the Asia-Pacific World Regional Office & Intelligence
Bureau.Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Jain was the host of the conference.

• On 16th March 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 105th session of the
Indian Science Congress in Imphal, Manipur.Imphal has become the second city in the North-
East India to host the Indian Science Congress. He inaugurated Luwangpokpa Multi-Sports
Complex, Rani Gaidinliu Park, and few other projects after inaugurating the congress

• Ministry of Health launches LaQshya program to benefit pregnant woman and newborn
The quality improvement in labour room and maternity OT will be monitored through NQAS.
Facility that obtains 70% score on NQAS will be given LaQshya certification.Facilities that
obtain more than 90%, 80% and 70% score will be awarded Platinum, Gold and Silver badge
respectively.The beneficiaries will receive Rs 6 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh as incentive for
Medical College Hospital, District Hospital and FRUs respectively

• On March 17, 2018, NITI Aayog released comprehensive roadmaps and detailed timelines
for ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital in Education (SATH-E)’ project,
with an aim to become ‘Role Model States’ in school education.Blueprints were released by Amitabh
Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog and the Chief Secretaries of the three participating States - Jharkhand,

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Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

• On 16th and 17th March 2018, the Rising India Summit organized by Network 18 is held in New
Delhi. Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, is the guest of honour. This summit is a
conclusion of Rising Series hosted by Network 18 in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, etc.

• 1st meeting of the Working Group on making India,was held on March 15, 2018 in New Delhi. The
objective of Working Group is to make Indian economy a USD 5 trillion economy from the current
USD 2.6 trillion economy. The meeting was chaired by Union Minister of Commerce and
Industry, Suresh Prabhu and was attended by representatives from NITI Aayog and other industry
bodies including are CII and FICCI

• On March 16, 2018, Maharashtra Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam announced that state
government has decided to ban the use of plastic from March 18, 2018.Violation of these
norms will be punishable with up to three months of jail term and/or will attract a penalty of Rs
5000-25000.Maharashtra contributes 30 percent of all plastic waste in India.The ban would apply
on production, use, storage, sale, distribution, import and transportation of plastic.

• National School of Drama (NSD) will be hosting the 8th edition of Theatre Olympics in Mumbai
this is the first time India is hosting the festival from 24th March, 2018 to 7th April, 2018. Concept of
Theatre Olympics was established in 1993 in Greece, and thereafter it was held in Japan (1999),
followed by Russia (2001), Turkey (2006), South Korea (2010),China (2014) and Poland (2016).
Theme for the 8th edition of Theatre Olympics is 'Flag of Friendship'

• On 16th March 2018, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 5th 'Nadi Mahotsava' at Bandrabhan in Hoshangabad,
Madhya Pradesh.It was started by late Union Minister Anil Madhav Dave. He urged people to
cooperate in preserving of water.

• On March 17, 2018, Indian Coast Guard commissioned C-437,which is 27.80 metres long, has
displacement of 106 tonnes and can attain a maximum speed of 45 knots an interceptor boat
at Porbandar. C-437 will not only strengthen the security umbrella of the West coast but will
also help augment patrolling to prevent illicit activities such as smuggling, infiltration and illegal
fishing.

• On March 14, 2018, Lok Sabha passed 21 amendments to the Finance Bill 2018 including an
amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.As per Representation of Peoples
Act, political parties in India cannot accept foreign funds . The retrospective amendment to FCRA
2010 through Finance Bill 2018 will do away with the scope for scrutiny of a political party’s
funding since 1976

• On March 18, 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind released Rs 1000 and Rs 10 commemorative
coins on Nabakalebara festival which observed in the Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri, Odisha.It
is a symbolic recreation of the wooden forms of deities at Jagannath Temple, Puri. ‘Naba’ means
new and ‘Kalebara’ is body.

• On March 15, 2018, R.K. Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Power and New
& Renewable Energy informed the process of formulating a ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan
Mahabhiyan (KUSUM)’ scheme which envisages, installation of grid-connected solar power
plants each of capacity up to 2 MW in the rural areas & It will also provide for solarization of
existing grid-connected agriculture pumps & farmers will be able to sell the power to power
distribution companies (DISCOMs) and get extra income.
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• On March 18, 2018, Governor of West Bengal, Keshari Nath Tripathi inaugurated the 7th Women
Science Congress at the ongoing 105th session of Indian Science Congress in Imphal, Manipur.First
edition of Women Science Congress was held in 2012.Objective is to inspire young women to be
a part of scientific community and engage themselves in active scientific research & also released a
souvenir of Women Science Congress on the occasion

• Monkey Business, a first co-working in South Asia that also provides onsite childcare was launched
in South Point Mall, Gurugram, Haryana.It is Spread over 3000 sq ft, Monkey Business has
thoughtfully designed play zone and includes a nap area, a feeding and diaper changing room.

• On March 19, 2018, four memorandum of understanding (MoUs) were signed in New Delhi under
the aegis of the Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER) for promotion of
tourism in the North-East India.
i. The MoUs were signed between various entities in North East India and Airbnb
ii. These MoU are aimed at creating hospitality micro-entrepreneurs
iii.The aim of creating more sustainable accommodation options to enhance the hospitality
service standards in North East Region and thereby doubling tourist growth rate in the next
three years.

• On March 19, 2018, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar inaugurated the First India-
Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi.This workshop has been jointly
organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Union Ministry of Home
Affairs and Government of Japan.

• On 20th March 2018, the 3rd National Conclave on Mines & Minerals will be held at Convention
Hall in Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi.It is organized by the Ministry of Mines. Federation of Indian
Mineral Industries (FIMI) partners the event.
Technical sessions will be conducted on Auction of Mineral Blocks & Implementation of Pradhan
Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojna (PMKKKY), Impetus on Exploration, Sustainable
Development Framework – Sharing of Best Practices.

• On 19th March 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated a Festival of Innovation and
Entrepreneurship (FINE) at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.Ram Nath Kovind also presented the
Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards.FINE aims to recognise, display and reward
innovations and to create a supportive ecosystem for innovators.

• On 19th March 2018, Phase I of Varuna 18, an Indo-French Naval Exercise, began in Mormugao
Port Trust (MPT) in Goa.Second and third phases will be conducted in Chennai and La Reunion
Island respectively. Varuna 18 will be conducted in 3 sea areas: the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal
and South Western Indian Ocean. INS Kalavari, P8-I and Dornier Maritiem Patrol Aircraft and Mig
29-K fighter aircraft also take part in this exercise.

• On 20th March 2018, the 3rd edition of National Conclave on Mines and Minerals was held in
New Delhi. Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar presented awards to 20 best performing
mines with '5-Star' rating.

• India’s National Cultural Audiovisual Archives (NCAA) which is implemented by Indira

Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) & powered by DIGITĀLAYA which is developed
by C-DAC Pune. has been certified as the world’s first Trusted Digital Repository as per ISO
16363:2012 standard, granted by Primary Trustworthy Digital Repository Authorisation Body

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Ltd. (PTAB), United Kingdom.At present, 11 governmental and 10 non-governmental cultural

organisations are the partnering institutions of NCAA.
• On March 19, 2018, Karnataka State Government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (belonging to
Congress Party) approved the separate religion status for the Lingayat community.
The community constitutes about 17 percent of Karnataka's population mainly residing in
northern parts of the state.

• Informal meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministers was held in New Delhi on
March 20, 2018.This meeting was called by India to explore options to reinvigorate the World
Trade Organisation (WTO), by engaging in free and frank discussions.This meeting was attended
by Ministers and Vice Ministers from 27 countries and WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo.

• On 19th March 2018, India's Department of Space and the European Commission signed an
agreement that will enable them to share earth observation data from each other's satellite.
The agreement was signed by Philippe Brunet, director for Space Policy, Copernicus and Defence,
on behalf of European Commission and by PG Diwakar, Scientific Secretary in the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) on behalf of the Department of Space in Bengaluru.

• On March 20, 2018, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE),
Dehradun and Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council (TIFAC), New
Delhi signed an MoU for providing livelihood opportunities and augment income of the forest based
communities TIFAC shall help ICFRE to refine and up-scale the technologies that have been
developed and make it accessible to the end users including farmers and other stakeholders

• On March 20, 2018, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water
Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the Inland
ferry services in Vasco, Goa.Several dignitaries including Union Minister of State for AYUSH
(Independent Charge) Shripad Naik were present at the inauguration.

• Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Ananthkumar has announced that Central
Government has approved the setting up of a Plastic Park in Deoghar District of Jharkhand.
The Plastic Park would be set up at a cost of Rs. 120 crores over an area of 150 acres.
Besides, Mr. Ananthkumar also announced the setting up of Rs. 3.5 crore Plastic Recycling unit at
Deoghar to handle the problem of plastic waste being generated due to tourist inflow.

• On March 20, 2018, India Post paid a tribute to theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author
Stephen Hawking by issuing a special cover on him.The special cover on Stephen Hawking was
jointly issued by Chief Post Master General (CPMG) of Maharashtra and Goa Circle, H C Agrawal
and Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Dr Sandip Trivedi at an event
held in the General Post Office (GPO), Mumbai

• On March 20, 2018, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cabinet gave its in-principle approval for adopting
the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) which will be in addition
to Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for horticulture crops such as apple and saffron in the
state.Farmers will be provided insurance coverage and financial support in the event of failure
of any of the notified crops due to adverse weather incidences.

• NITI Aayog and Piramal Foundation have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to work closely with the
District Collectors and Key Government officials of 'Aspirational Districts' to support their
transformation in terms of education, healthcare and nutrition.Piramal Foundation will work in
close conjunction with the State Government, district administration, and concerned Central
ministries in improving the identified indicators in the health and nutrition and education
sectors.
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• Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Union Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
conduct skill development training programmes for agriculture and allied sector. skill development
training programmes will be conducted on a regular basis at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs).

• On 20th March 2018, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao mandated teaching
Telugu as a compulsory subject in all the public and private schools of the Telangana for the
academic year 2018-2019.He said that, the Telugu University and the Sahitya Academy will decide
the Telugu syllabus for various standards.

• On 19th March 2018, Punjab government decided to impose a permanent ban on hookah bars in
Punjab.Punjab cabinet approved an amendment to the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products
(Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply
and Distribution) Act (COTPA), 2003 for the prevention and control of diseases caused by the use
of tobacco products.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

• Indian President Ram Nath Kovind was on a six-day official visit to island nations of Mauritius and
Madagascar from March 11, 2018.These visits of President Kovind held lot of significance as
Mauritius and Madagascar are located in Indian Ocean, a region where China has been increasing its
naval presence in recent times. India announced a new USD 100 million Line of Credit for
defence procurement by Mauritius.Click here to read more

• India has ranked 78th among 114 countries on the World Economic Forum's (WEF’s) Energy
Transition Index. The index is a part of first edition of ‘Fostering Effective Energy Transition
report’, prepared by World Economic Forum (WEF) with analytical support from McKinsey &
Company. Among emerging markets, Brazil ranked 38th, Russia at 70th and China stood at 76th
spot.
Energy Transition Index – Top 10:
1 Sweden
2 Norway
3 Switzerland
4 Finland
5 Denmark
6 Netherlands
7 UK
8 Austria
9 France
10 Iceland

• Sierra Leone, a West African country has become the first country in the world to deploy blockchain
technology in election process. The blockchain based solution was developed by a Switzerland
based voting technology company, Agora.It uses a publicly visible ledger for keeping track of
elections has potential to complement and eventually replace electronic voting machines.

• United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has announced that Bhutan along
with Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe and Solomon Islands will be recommended for graduation
from the least developed country (LDC) category, to move up from ranks of poorest nations on
account of increasing national earning power as well as access to better health care.

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The recommendation has been sent to ECOSOC (the UN Economic and Social Council) for
endorsement, which in turn will refer its decision to the UN General Assembly

• Qatar has announced a $50 million donation to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).It was announced at the extraordinary ministerial meeting of
UNRWA held in Rome, Italy. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was present at the
extraordinary ministerial meeting of UNRWA.

• On 16th March 2018, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte stated that, Philippines withdraws
from ICC due to baseless and outrageous attacks by ICC.Teodoro Locsin, permanent representative
of Philippines to the UN, submitted a letter stating Philippines’ withdrawal from ICC to UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

• Singapore is the most expensive city in the world as per Worldwide Cost of Living 2018 which is
a bi-annual study of 133 cities conducted by London-headquartered Economist Intelligence Unit
(EIU).
10 Most Expensive Cities in the World:
Rank City
1 Singapore
2 Paris, France
3 Zurich, Switzerland
4 Hong Kong
5 Oslo, Norway
6 Geneva, Switzerland
6 Seoul, South Korea
8 Copenhagen,
Denmark
9 Tel Aviv, Israel
10 Sydney, Australia

10 Cheapest Cities in the World:

Rank City
133 Damascus, Syria
132 Caracas,
Venezuela
131 Almaty,
Kazakhstan
130 Lagos, Nigeria
129 Bengaluru, India
127 Karachi, Pakistan
127 Algiers, Algeria
126 Chennai, India
124 Bucharest,
Romania
124 New Delhi, India

• Gulf Shield 1 Joint drills, organised by Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry, started in the eastern
region of Saudi Arabia from March 18, 2018.Objective of this drill is to enhance coordination and
cooperation, modernise joint mechanisms and raise military readiness of participating
countries.

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• First G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors under Presidency of
Argentina was held on 19th and 20th March 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Discussions at the this two-day meeting revolved around infrastructure development and the
future of work in the digital arena.

• As per 20th annual Quality of Living world’s best city to live in survey by Mercer survey assesses
living conditions in 231 cities of the world on 39 factors, grouped under 10 broad categories.
Most Liveable Cities – Top 10:
1 Vienna, Austria
2 Zurich, Switzerland
3 Auckland, New Zealand
4 Munich, Germany
5 Vancouver, Canada
6 Dusseldorf, Germany
7 Frankfurt, Germany
8 Geneva, Switzerland
9 Copenhagen, Denmark
10 Basel, Switzerland
10 Sydney, Australia
San Francisco (overall rank 30th) is the highest ranking US city.
Singapore at overall 25th rank and Montevideo at overall 77th rank are the highest ranking cities in
Asia and Latin America, respectively.
Capital of Mauritius, Port Louis (overall rank 83) is the best African city on the list.
Capital of Iraq, Baghdad (overall rank 231) has been adjudged as the least liveable city.
Honolulu (capital of Hawaii) has topped the inaugural City Sanitation ranking while Port au
Prince (capital of Haiti) is at the bottom.

• New Delhi has secured 22nd rank in the world and 8th in Asia in the TripAdvisor’s top 25 travellers
choice of destinations list for 2018. Paris secured 1st rank in the global list of Travellers Choice
awards for Destinations. It is followed by London (UK), Rome (Italy), Bali (Indonesia), Crete
(Greece).In the Asia list, the following Indian cities have secured a place:New Delhi –
8thposition, Goa – 9thposition and Jaipur - 16th position.The Asia list is topped by Bali in
Indonesia. It is followed by Phuket in Thailand, Hanoi (Vietnam), Siem Reap (Siem Reap Province),
Tokyo (Japan), Kathmandu (Nepal) and Hong Kong.

BANKING & FINANCE

• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has raised the exposure limit under exchange
traded currency derivatives (ETCD) for residents and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to USD
100 million across all currency pairs. Earlier exposure limit was USD 15 million for USD-INR
contracts and USD 5 million for other currency pairs

• On March 15, 2018, Muthoot Finance Ltd., the flagship company of Muthoot Group tied up
with Global IME Bank to expand its money remittance services between Indo-
Nepal Corridor.As per the terms of the tie-up, Nepali migrant residing in India would be able to
transfer money instantly (by paying nominal charge of Rs. 200) to their families in Nepal from any
of the 4600 branches of Muthoot Finance.

• Indian Government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a $120 million loan is
the third tranche of $500 million multi-tranche financing facility for the Railway Sector
Investment Program approved by the ADB Board in 2011 agreement for improving rail
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infrastructure which will enhance operational efficiency of Indian railways.It also includes "Golden
Quadrilateral" corridor that connects Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi.

• In wake of several scams unearthed at public sector banks, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued
a Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework aimed at maintaining the sound financial health of
banks.The PCA framework stipulates risk thresholds for key areas such as capital, profitability
and asset quality (tracked in terms of the net Non-Performing Assets ratio).
Public sector banks that have been brought under PCA by RBI:
1. IDBI Bank,
2. Dena Bank,
3. Bank of Maharashtra,
4. Central Bank of India,
5. UCO Bank,
6. Oriental Bank of Commerce,
7. Indian Overseas Bank,
8. Bank of India,
9. Allahabad Bank,
10. Corporation Bank and United Bank of India.

• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the regulator for the securities market in India has
allowed the Universal Commodity Exchange (UCX) to discontinue operations as a commodity
exchange.However; board of UCX had suspended trading operations with effect from July 16,
2014 on account of drastic decline in trading volume and did not make attempts for revival
thereafter.

• On March 18, 2018, Axis Bank announced the opening of its new representative office in
Sharjah,which is 3rd in United Arab Emirates (UAE).The Axis Bank commands a 20 per cent market
share in the USD 12 billion dollar-a-year inward remittances market from the UAE

• On March 19, 2018, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order making it illegal for US
citizens to purchase any cryptocurrency issued by Venezuela. The order prohibits U.S. citizens from
engaging in transactions using Venezuela’s oil-backed currency, called the Petro.

• On March 19, 2018, India's largest bank State Bank of India (SBI) and India Mortgage Guarantee
Corporation (IMGC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to offer mortgage guarantee
scheme for prospective non-salaried and self-employed home loan.SBI expects that this
arrangement will help increase home loan eligibility up to 15 per cent.

• Bank of America has started rolling out Erica, its chatbot that can help customers check
balances, remind about bills and answer bank-related questions. Erica has been rolled out to
customers in Rhode Island. Customers of Bank of America will be able to interact with Erica via
voice or text and it will help them with routine day to day banking transactions.

• Indian Government-owned reinsurer, General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) has
received permission to commence operations of 'GIC Syndicate 1947' from Lloyd's of London from
April 2018.Lloyd’s is a United Kingdom-based insurance marketplace, where specialty
underwriters provide reinsurance to global buyers by forming a syndicate.
'GIC Syndicate 1947' is thus the first Lloyd's syndicate to be backed entirely by capital from an
Indian reinsurance entity.

• Online food ordering and delivery platform, Swiggy and India’s largest private bank, ICICI Bank
have partnered to roll out two innovative digital solutions to facilitate a convenient and hassle-free
way for delivery partners to transfer funds to Swiggy.The first one is a Unified Payment Interface
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(UPI) based solution which enables instant fund transfers on-the-go & the other depositing cash
at automated Cash Deposit Machines (CDM) available at ICICI Bank

BUSINESS

• On 16th March 2018, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi inaugurated the first
'Startup hub' of Bihar in Patna.The work station and office space along with free of cost "plug and
play" facility will be offered to 31 startup companies in the startup hubHe also said that, policy and
structural reforms to encourage IT enable services and ESDM (Electronics System Design and
Manufacturing) in Bihar had been recently initiated.

• Russia continues to be the largest arms supplier to India as per report produced by Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).But its share of total imports has decreased. India
is the world's biggest importer of major arms amounting to 12 per cent of the total global imports in
the last five years
Place Country Percent
2 United States 15%
3 Israel 11%
4 France 4.6%

• With an objective to secure a better future for the Kashmiri youth, Indian Army under the aegis of
Chinar Corps has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) As per the terms of the
MoU, Kanpur-based educational trust National Integrity and Educational Development
Organisation (NIEDO) will provide quality faculty for professional coaching of Kashmir
Youth, while HPCL will be the corporate partner for this project.

• India has imposed anti-dumping duty on import of Ofloxacin which is used for treatment of certain
infections from China to protect domestic producers from below-cost shipments.Aarti Drugs, a
pharmaceutical company had approached Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties
(DGAD) for initiation of anti-dumping investigation and imposition of the duty on Ofloxacin
exported to India from China which will be in the range of USD 2.58 to USD 9.48 per kg for three
years.

• On March 19, 2018, government-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited announced that it has
commissioned the first unit of 110 MW of the Kishanganga hydro-electric in J&K. The 340 MW
Kishanganga hydro project is located in Bandipora district of J&K on the river Kishanganga (a
tributary of the Jhelum). Bhel has so far commissioned 31 Hydro sets with a cumulative capacity of
1257 MW in J&K.

• Lockheed Martin has announced the setting up of F-16 jet production unit in India which will
be an exclusive one and will be in line with the 'Make in India' initiative.

• In a bid to boost overseas sales in a surplus year of production, India Government has scrapped the
20 per cent sugar export duty.In the 2017-18 season ending on September 30, 2018, sugar
production in India is likely to touch a record 29.5 million tonnes. This marks a 45 per cent
increment over previous year, and is the main reason behind local sugar prices coming down by
more than 15 per cent in the past six months.

• On 19th March 2018, IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) announced its
partnership with Ola Cabs, in order to provide a book taxi option in its app and website for six
month pilot project. This will offer Ola Cabs booking services to customers in the IRCTC Rail
Connect App and on its website. Cabs can be booked up to seven days in advance or on reaching

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the railway station

.
• On March 19, 2018, India and Hong Kong signed Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion.This pact is in accordance with Section 90 of the Income Tax
Act, 1961 which authorises Indian Government to enter into an Agreement with a foreign country or
specified territory for avoidance of double taxation of income

• In a bid to boost overseas sales in a surplus year of production, India Government has scrapped the
20 per cent sugar export duty.In the 2017-18 season ending on September 30, 2018, sugar
production in India is likely to touch a record 29.5 million tonnes. This marks a 45 per cent
increment over previous year, and is the main reason behind local sugar prices coming down by
more than 15 per cent in the past six months.

• On 19th March 2018, IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) announced its
partnership with Ola Cabs, in order to provide a book taxi option in its app and website for six
month pilot project. This will offer Ola Cabs booking services to customers in the IRCTC Rail
Connect App and on its website. Cabs can be booked up to seven days in advance or on reaching
the railway station.

• On March 19, 2018, India and Hong Kong signed Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion.This pact is in accordance with Section 90 of the Income Tax
Act, 1961 which authorises Indian Government to enter into an Agreement with a foreign country or
specified territory for avoidance of double taxation of income

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

• On 15th March 2018, Indian actress Simi Garewal received the "UK Golden Flame Award" at
the opening ceremony of the Tongues of Fire UK Asian Film Festival in London. It is held in
London, Leicester, Manchester and Edinburgh.

• On 14th March 2018, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances & Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) which is received by Satyabrata Sahu, Joint
Secretary and Mrs Seemantinee Sengupta, Senior Technical Director, HOD, NIC-MDWS for
implementation of e-office software.

• On 16th March 2018, Bhawana Kanth became the second woman pilot of Indian Air Force to
fly solo in a fighter aircraft.Flying Officer Bhawana Kanth flew in a MiG-21 Bison aircraft from
Ambala Air Force Station on 16th March 2018.The first woman pilot is Avani Chaturvedi.

• Chattisgarh’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra has been named the best such centre in India for its initiatives
like nutrition gardens and integrated farming techniques. It is affiliated to the IGKV Dr S K Patil,
vice chancellor of IGKV in Raipur, and Birbal Sahu, coordinator of Kanker Krishi Vigyan Kendra,
received the 'Pt Deendayal Upadhyay Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Award-2017' which has cash
prize of Rs 25 lakh from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17th March 2018 in New Delhi.

• On 20th March 2018, the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters said that, Canadian
mathematician Robert Langlands has been named the winner of the Abel Prize for 2018.Robert
Langlands will receive 6 million Norwegian kroner ($776,000) from Norway's King Harald V
at an award function to be held in Oslo on 22nd May 2018.

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APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

• On 16th March 2018, Pakistan appointed Air Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan as the new chief of
Pakistan air staff. Currently, Mujahid Anwar Khan is Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Support) and
Director General, Air Force Strategic Command at Air Headquarters, Islamabad. He replaces Sohail
Aman.

• On 17th March 2018,The National People's Congress has appointed Xi Jinping as China's president
and Wang Qishan as vice president.The National People's Congress recently removed the two-term
limit for Chinese President. Hence Xi Jinping can serve as President without any term limit.

• Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Africa's only female head of state and a renowned
biologist, resigned from her post on March 17, 2018.She has resigned in wake of allegations against
her for using a credit card provided by an NGO to buy items worth $26000 not related to her
work.

• On 13th March 2018, Vedanta Limited said that, it has appointed U.K. Sinha as its additional non-
executive independent director.He is the former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI).He is an IAS officer of the Bihar cadre. He was Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) of the Unit Trust of India Asset Management Company (UTIAMC) also known as UTI
Mutual Fund.

• Yi Gang, a US-educated economist has been named as next Governor of China's central bank, the
People's Bank of China (PBOC).Mr. Yi will succeed Zhou Xiaochuan, who has been holding
the post since 2002.

• On 19th March 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin won the presidential elections and has
been named as Russian President for a 6 year term.Vladimir Putin's fourth term as president will
continue till 2024. He had obtained 76.6% of the total votes cast in the presidential election.

• On March 19, 2018, Reliance Asset Reconstruction Company (RARC) announced the
appointment of Ravindra Rao as its new Chief Executive Officer.He succeeds Asokan Arumugam,
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Capital is the principal sponsor of RARC.Corporation Bank, Indian
Bank, GIC of India, Dacecroft and Blue Ridge are the other stakeholders in RARC.

• On 19th March 2018, Atul M. Gotsurve was appointed the next Ambassador of India to the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of 2004 batch.
At present, he is Director in the Ministry of External Affairs.

• Rakesh Makkar has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fullerton India Home
finance.Launched in 2016, Fullerton India Home Finance Company Limited (FIHFC) is a
subsidiary of Fullerton India Credit Company. FIHFC is also known as Grihashakti

• On 18th March 2018, Li Keqiang was re-elected as Chinese Prime Minister for a second five-
year term.Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia were elected as vice chairmen of Central Military
Commission (CMC).Yang Xiaodu was named the chief of new anti-graft body, the National
Supervisory Commission.

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• On 19th March 2018, Sony India announced the appointment of Sunil Nayyar as its Managing
Director (MD).Sunil Nayyar replaces Kenichiro Hibi as MD of Sony India. Kenichiro Hibi has been
made the President for Sony Brazil.Sunil Nayyar currently serves as head of Retail Experience in
Sony North America.
• On 19th March 2018, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was promoted as State
Councillor.Wang Yi replaces Yang Jiechi.Wang Yi has worked as China’s Vice Foreign Minister,
China’s Ambassador to Japan and Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office. He became Foreign
Minister in 2013.

• On 19th March 2018, Vivo announced the appointment of actor Aamir Khan as its brand
ambassador for India. Aamir Khan replaces actor Ranveer Singh.Aamir Khan has been signed for
future brand and product communication initiatives of Vivo India. He will be involved in a full-
fledged marketing campaign and a new TV commercial soon.

• On 19th March 2018, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai was appointed the new chairman of Tehreek-e-
Hurriyat.Syed Ali Geelani and Ashraf Sehrai are among the founding members of the Tehreek-e-
Hurriyat.

• Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif has been named the brand ambassador of ‘Educate Girls’, an
international non-profit organisation.As brand ambassador of Educate Girls, Katrina Kaif will work
towards creating equal opportunities for girls to access quality education.

• On 19th March 2018, Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik was given additional responsibility as
Governor of Odisha. SC Jamir completed his five-year term as Governor of Odisha. Following
this, Satya Pal Malik has been given additional charge as Governor of Odisha.

• BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) has appointed David Wright as a Public Interest Director on
its board.He worked with the European Commission for a long time. He also worked as Secretary
General of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) from 2012 to 2016.

• On 19th March 2018, Nanda Bahadur Pun took charge as Nepal's vice president for a second
term. Also, Shasi Kala Dahal of CPN-Maoist Centre was elected vice-chairperson of the national
assembly. She defeated Brinda Devi Ale of Nepali Congress.

• On 21st March 2018, Htin Kyaw, Myanmar’s first democratically elected President, announced
his retirement due to ill health.He won the Presidential elections in 2016.
He was the first Myanmar president to visit India in 2016

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB) said that, a cloned Assamese buffalo male
calf named Sach-Gaurav was born for the first time. The calf was born to a Murrah buffalo with a
weight of 54.2 kg

• Indian Railways has launched an innovative analytical approach to enhance the deployment of
electric and diesel locomotives run passenger trains.A software dependent mathematical decision

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support system will be utilised to improve the productivity of locomotives.

This system has been developed by Ministry of Railways along with experts. In Budget 2018-19
this project will be implemented by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

• Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB) said that, a cloned Assamese buffalo male
calf named Sach-Gaurav was born for the first time. The calf was born to a Murrah buffalo with a
weight of 54.2 kg

• Indian Railways has launched an innovative analytical approach to enhance the deployment of
electric and diesel locomotives run passenger trains.A software dependent mathematical decision
support system will be utilised to improve the productivity of locomotives.
This system has been developed by Ministry of Railways along with experts. In Budget 2018-19
this project will be implemented by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

• On March 19, 2018,Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath completed one year in office
and on this occasion,he launched an anti-graft portal.The portal is aimed at taking action against any
official who is involved in corruption or is encouraging it at any level.A multi-colour booklet
titled ‘Ek Saal – Nayee Misaal’ with the punchline ‘Huaa Vikaas – Badha Vishwaas’ was
unveiled.

• On March 19, 2018, Delhi Government launched 'Delhi's Date with Democracy', a mobile
application that will serve as a platform for aspiring singers and dancers in the city to
showcase their talent on a big stage.Sahitya Kala Parishad and Delhi Kalyan Samiti have
collaborated with the Delhi Government for this initiative

• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has given in-principle approval to National
Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) for design, development and certification of Hansa-NG, a next
generation trainer aircraft of the two-seater Hansa-3 aircraft.
Hansa-3, developed by NAL is India’s first all-composite light aircraft.Hansa-NG is a collaborative
project between NAL and MESCO Aerospace

• China has announced that, it is constructing the world's fastest wind tunnel.A Chinese researcher
has said that, the 265 meter-long tunnel would be used to test hypersonic aircraft that can travel up to
a speed of 30,625 kph. This speed is 25 times the speed of sound.

• Hellenic Space Agency, Greece’s first space agency was officially launched on March 19, 2018.Dr.
Tom Krimigis, who is regarded as ‘Space Exploration Pioneer’ has been appointed
Chairperson of the Board of Hellenic Space Agency.Greece has been a member of European
Space Agency (ESA) since 2005

ENVIRONMENT

• A new species of water strider which is sixth in India named as ‘Ptilomera nagalanda Jehamalar
and Chandra’ has been discovered in Intanki river, Peren district in Nagaland by scientists of
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).Ventral part of its body is pale yellowish brown in colour. It has
orange with black stripes on the dorsal side. Its legs are 11.79 mm long

• On 20th March 2018, Sudan, the last surviving northern white male rhinoceros of the world,
died after suffering age related ailments at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia national
park, Kenya.It was the only surviving male northern white rhino. Now, only two female rhinoceros
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of that sub-species are living.

SPORTS

• Tommy Haas of Germany, the Indian Wells Tournament Director, has announced his retirement
from professional tennis.He became world number two in May 2002.He bagged silver medal in the
Olympic Games in 2000 & he was made Tournament Director at Indian Wells in 2016.

• On 15th March 2018, Nepal cricket team gained One-Day International (ODI) status for the first
time.It has gained ODI status after it won over Papua New Guinea by six wickets in the World Cup
Qualifiers in Zimbabwe on 15thMarch 2018.

• On 15th March 2018, India's Sanjivani Jadhav won bronze medal in women's 8km cross country
race in the 14th Asian Cross Country Championship at Guiyang in China. Sanjivani Jadhav
covered in 28 minutes and 19 seconds.She was surpassed by China’s Li Dan (28:03) and Japan’s
Abe Yukari (28:06).Indian women's team comprising Sanjivani, Swati Gadhave, Jhuma Khatun
and Lalita Babar also bagged a bronze medal.

• On 16th March 2018, FIFA lifted its three-decade ban on Iraq hosting international football
matches, allowing Arbil, Basra and Karbala cities to host official matches.Iraq will host a
friendly tournament between Qatar and Syria on 21st March 2018 in Basra but organisers of the
championship should take the final decision.

• KL Rahul has been named the 'Cricketer of the Year' in the 6th edition of Wisden India Almanack
that has been released recently
'Cricketer of the Year' Hall of Fame
1. Deepti Sharma, Shantha Rangaswamy
2. Priyank Panchal,
3. Hasan Ali
4. Tamim Iqbal

• On 17th March 2018, Chennaiyin FC won the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 title at
the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka.Mailson Alves scored 2 goals and
Raphael Augusto scored 1 goal for Chennaiyin FC team. Sunil Chhetri and Miku scored one goal
each for Bengaluru FC team.

• On 15th March 2018, Deepa Malik bagged gold medal in the F53/54 Javelin event at the World Para
Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai.She has qualified for the Asian Para Games 2018 that will be held in
Jakarta, Indonesia from 8th to 16th October 2018. She has received Arjuna award in 2012 and Padma
Shri award in 2017.

• On 17th March 2018, former England batsman Kevin Pietersen announced his retirement from
all forms of Cricket.He was the captain of England cricket team in 2008-09 period.His international
cricket career ended in 2014 when he was sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

• On 18th March 2018, India won the Nidahas Trophy at the R Premadasa Stadium, in Colombo,
Sri Lanka.India beat Bangladesh in the finals by four wickets. Dinesh Karthik was named Man
of the Match.

• On 5th to 18th March 2018, the Indian Wells Masters was held in Indian Wells, California,
United States.
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Indian Wells 2018:

i. The Indian Wells 2018 is also known as the 2018 BNP Paribas Open. The complete list of winners
is given below:
Category Winner Runner-up
Men's Singles Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) Roger Federer
(Switzerland)
Women's Singles Naomi Osaka (Japan) Daria Kasatkina (Russia)

Men's Doubles John Isner (United States) Bob Bryan (United

Jack Sock (United States) States)
Mike Bryan (United
States)
Women's Doubles Hsieh Su-wei (Chinese Taipei) Ekaterina Makarova
Barbora Strycova (Czech (Russia)
Republic) Elena Vesnina (Russia)

• On 18th March 2018, the Paralympic Winter Games Pyeong Chang 2018 in South Korea,
concluded with Team USA having its most successful performancein 16 years.It grabbed a total
of 36 medals and topped the overall medal count.Oksana Masters became the female U.S. athlete
to have won the highest number of medals in PyeongChang Olympics with five medals. Among
men, Dan Cnossen won six medals and topped the count

OBITUARY

• On 13th March 2018, Lebanese author and feminist Emily Nasrallah, passed away after battling
cancer, in Beirut, Lebanon. She started her career as a journalist. She published her first book “Birds
of September” in 1962.
• On 16th March 2018, M Sukumaran, a renowned Malayalam writer, died after suffering from
heart related ailments, at the Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He had received the Kendra Sahitiya Akademi and Keral Sahitiya
awards.His popular short stories are: Sangaganam, Unarthupattu, Pithrutharpan and Sheshakriya.

• On 19th March 2018, Kedarnath Singh, a popular Hindi poet passed away, after being ill for some
time, in New Delhi.He had received the Jnanapeeth award in 2013. In 1989 he received the Sahitya
Akademi award.

• On 20th March 2018, Sunil Sharma, a senior journalist, died due to heart attack in Shimla,
Himachal Pradesh.He was working as the bureau chief of 'Divya Himachal', a Hindi newspaper.

• On 20th March 2018, C R Chandradath, a social activist, passed away at a private hospital in
Kochi, Kerala. He was the director of Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development
(COSTFORD) in Thrissur

• On 19th March 2018, journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Les Payne passed away at his
residence in Harlem, United States.He was also a founding member and former president of the
National Association of Black Journalists.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

• Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has released the book named ‘A Tribute to Jagu’ as a tribute to
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former BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya.Avishek, son of Jagmohan Dalmiya, who is the joint
secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) received the book.

• On 14th March 2018, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur released 'Mahila
Suraksha', a handbook.The handbook has been brought out by the Shimla administration. It
explains personal safety measures and safeguards related to crimes, and also about sexual harassment
at workplace It also has important telephone and helpline numbers.

IMPORTANT DAYS

• On 16th March 2018, World Sleep Day was observed all over the world.It is an annual
event organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of World Sleep Society.Theme for World
Sleep Day 2018: Join the Sleep World, Preserve Your Rhythms to Enjoy Life.
• On 18th March 2018, Global Recycling Day has been launched by the Bureau of International
Recycling (BIR). It also coincides with the 70th anniversary of BIR.It insists to consider
recyclables as “resource – not waste.” Recyclables have become world’s Seventh Resource apart
from the six major natural resources: water, air, coal, oil, natural gas and minerals

• On 20th March 2018, International Day of Happiness was celebrated all over the world.Theme for
International Day of Happiness 2018: “Share Happiness”. This year the focus is on the importance
of relationships, kindness and helping each other.

• On 20th March 2018, World Sparrow Day was celebrated all over the world.The World Sparrow Day
aims to create awareness on conservation of sparrows and to fight against extinction of birds.Theme
for World Sparrow Day 2018: I love Sparrows. The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated on
2010.
• On 21st March 2018, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was observed all
over the world.Theme for International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2018:
Promoting tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity in the context of combating
racial discrimination.

• On 21st March 2018, World Poetry Day was celebrated all over the world.UNESCO adopted 21
March as World Poetry Day in 1999. It was adopted with an aim to support linguistic diversity and
protect endangered languages
.
• On 21st March 2018, International Day of Forests was observed all over the world. This day acts as a
platform to create awareness on the importance of all types of woodlands and trees.Theme for
International Day of Forests 2018: Forests and Sustainable Cities.

• On 21st March 2018, World Down syndrome Day (WDSD) was observed all over the world. World
Down syndrome Day 2018 marks the 13th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day.The focus for
World Down syndrome Day 2018 is: #WhatIBringToMyCommunity - how people with Down
syndrome can contribute in schools, workplaces, community, public and political life, culture, media,
recreation, leisure and sport.

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