30 March 2016 Current Affairs

Bihar Assembly Passes Liquor Ban Bill

The Bihar Assembly on 30 March unanimously passed the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Bill 2016 to enforce the ban on country made liquor from 1 April 2016. The 1915 liquor Bill was amended to incorporate stricter penal provisions, including death sentence, for manufacturers and distributors of illicit liquor in the event of a hooch tragedy.

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4,000 Indian Millionaires Shifted Overseas In 2015

According to a report by New World Wealth,India has seen the fourth biggest outflow of High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) globally in 2015 with shifting of 4,000 millionaires overseas. Some 4,000 uber-rich Indians have changed their domicile in 2015, while France saw the maximum outflow of millionaires with as many as 10,000 super rich leaving the country. In terms of countries ranked by millionaires outflow, France was followed by China in the second place with 9,000 millionaires leaving the country while for Italy, at third position, the figure stood at 6,000.

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PM Narendra Modi Unveiled Asia’s Largest Optical Telescope 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel on 30 March remotely launched Asia’s biggest telescope, the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) which is located at Devasthal near Nainital in Uttarakhand. The telescope is the product of an Indo-Belgian collaborative effort and was assisted by the Russian Academy of Sciences. It will replace Vainu Bappu Observatory in Kavalur, Tamil Nadu to be Asia’s largest ground-based optical telescope. The ARIES optical telescope has mirror of 3.6 m diameter. The telescope facility has been incorporated with high end technology which enables it to be operated with the help of remote control from anywhere in the world.

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Myanmar’s Htin Kyaw Sworn In As president

Htin Kyaw on 30 March sworn in as the first elected civilian (non-military) President of Myanmar after 53 years of military rule. Myanmar’s Army was in power since 1962 coup. He belongs to National League for Democracy (NLD) Party and succeeds Thein Sein, who had stepped down after end of five years of army-backed rule. Apart from him, Military backed Myint Swe and NLD member Henry Van Thio were sworn in as first vice-president and second vice-president of the country along 18 Cabinet ministers. Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi who is the leader of NLD party that has majority in the Parliament was sworn in as foreign affairs Minister. She also is Minister of President’s office, education, and energy and electric power. Htin Kyaw is a close aide and adviser of Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. He was as the first civilian President of the country by the Myanmar’s 

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29 March 2016 Current Affairs

29 March 2016 Current Affairs

US museum Returns 10th century Rama statue To Cambodia

United States returned an ancient decapitated statue of Hindu god Rama stolen from Cambodia during the South East Asian country’s civil war in the 70s. The sandstone Torso of Rama statue, which stands 157 centimetres tall and is missing its head, arms and feet, was formally handed over at a ceremony in Phnom Penh attended by government officials, the US ambassador and the director of the Denver Museum of Art. In May last year, a 10th century stone statue of Hanuman was returned to Cambodia by the Cleveland Museum of Art. In January, a 7th century stone sculpture of Harihara, a deity that combines aspects of Vishnu and Shiva, was returned by France and reattached to its body for display at a museum in Phnom Penh, more than 130 years after it was spirited away.

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“Union Govt Permits 100 percent FDI In e-commerce”

Union Government on 29 March permitted 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) under the automatic route for retail trading, or B2C (business-to-consumer) transactions, in the marketplace model of e-commerce. At present, 100% FDI is permitted in B2B (business-to-business) transactions under the automatic route. This notification has been long-awaited by e-commerce firms, such as Flipkart Ltd, Snapdeal and Amazon India, and brick-and-mortar companies. The notification is expected to redefine the way online retail is done in India.

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Haryana Assembly Passed Jat quota Bill

The Haryana Assembly on 29 March passed the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Bill, 2016 to provide reservation for Jats and four other communities in government jobs and education. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar moved the Bill in the House to give statutory status to Backward classes Block ‘A’, Backward classes Block ‘B’ and Backward classes Block ‘C’ — by enacting the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Act, 2016 and requested the Central government to include this Act in 9th Schedule read with Article 31B of the Constitution of India.

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Singer P.Susheela Enters Guinness World Records

Legendary playback singer P. Susheela Mohan created a new world record for singing highest number of songs. She has now been recognised by both the Guinness Book of World Records for singing most number of songs in Indian languages. Guinness Book of World Records officially credited her for singing record 17,695 songs (solo, duet and chorus backed songs) in twelve Indian languages. Asia Book of Records also has recognised her for singing close to 17, 330 songs. It bestowed certificate and a badge of honour to the singer for the most number of single studio recordings. She has five National Awards to her credit, besides the coveted Padma Bhushan honour, which was presented to her in 2008.

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28 March 2016 Current Affairs

28 March 2016 Current Affairs

Defence Expo 2016 

“India’s biggest ever land, naval and homeland security exhibition Defence Expo 2016 began in Goa. The four-day biennial event was inaugurated by the Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. This for the first time, the Expo is being held outside the national capital New Delhi. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 28 March unveiled Defence Procurement Policy during the ninth edition ​of Defence Expo India-2016. The 2016 theme is “Rise of Futurism” and its vision is to make India prosperous by establishing world class science and technology base in defence sector.”

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BHEL Commissions 40 MW Hydropower Plant In West Bengal

Power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned the second 40 MW hydropower generating unit at the Teesta low dam hydro electric project (HEP) stage IV in West Bengal. The hydropower generating unit was successfully installed at the Teesta low dam HEP, a run-of-the-river greenfield project, located in Darjeeling district of the West Bengal.

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“First Direct Container Between India and Bangladesh Flagged Off “

The first direct container MV Harbour-1 Vessel between India and Bangladesh carrying cotton was flagged off from Krishnapatnam of Andhra Pradesh to Chittagong on 28 March.The voyage was started as a part of a coastal shipping agreement to facilitate trade between India and Bangladesh. The trade agreements were earlier signed during the reign of the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1974 and they were revived back after a period of four decades during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka in June 2015.

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USAID and ADB Signed ‘Develop Solar Parks’ MoU

“The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 28 March signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate 848 million US dollars in funding to develop solar parks across India. The agreement was signed by Jonathan Addleton, Mission Director, USAID/India and M. Teresa Kho, Country Director, India Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank. This agreement between USAID and ADB will help finance the development of solar parks in support of the Government of India’s renewable energy targets.”

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Union Govt Notifies Aadhaar Act, 2016

The Union Government has notified the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, benefits and services) Act, 2016. The Act will provide statutory backing for transfer of subsidies and benefits to eligible people having Aadhaar (UID) number. Aadhaar Act seeks to provide efficient, transparent and targeted delivery of subsidies, benefits and services to individuals residing in India by assigning them unique identity numbers (UID) or Aadhaar number. It will be used for all benefit that will be linked to consolidated fund of India or the expenditure incurred from it. The Act gives statutory for establishment of the Unique Identification Authority of India consisting of a Chairperson (part time or full time) and two Members (part time). Those individuals not having Aadhaar number shall be offered alternate and viable means of identification for delivery of the subsidies, benefits or service.

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AP Govt Inaugurates Country’s First Lift Irrigation Project

Andhra Pradesh government on 28 March inaugurated Pattiseema lift irrigation project, which is described as the first river linking project in country, connecting Godavari River with Krishna River from the ongoing Polavaram Multi-purpose Irrigation Project. The project was  awarded to Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) and completed in a record time of one year. The project has been designed to lift 80 tmc (trillion metric cubic feet) of flood water in a span of 110 days during the flooding season between July and October from Godavari as permitted by the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT). From this project, water is pumped up to a nearby point and discharged into Polavaram Right Main Canal, which carry water by gravity to a tributary of River Krishna about 170 km away in the neighbouring Krishna district above the Prakasham barrage.

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ISRO set To Launch Record 22 Satellites In Single Mission

“India is all set to script history by launching a record number of 22 satellites, including a number of micro and nano ones from foreign countries, in a single mission in May 2016.These satellites (micro and nano) will be launched using ISRO’s workhorse Polar rocket PSLV C34. It will be carrying India’s Cartosat 2C along with 21 other satellites from other countries, including US, Canada, Indonesia and Germany as co-passengers. This launch would be made from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. Earlier in 2008, ISRO had sent ten satellites into orbit in a single mission. The US space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) holds current world record for sending highest number of satellites in single launch. It had sent 29 satellites to the orbit in a single launch in 2013.”

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27 March 2016 Current Affairs

27 March 2016 Current Affairs

President’s Rule Imposed In Uttarakhand

President Pranab Mukherjee has imposed Present’s Rule (State Emergency) in the state of Uttarakhand on 27 March in the wake of constitutional breakdown under Article 356 of Constitution. In this regard, President has signed the proclamation state Emergency based on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet. With this proclamation, Congress Government headed by Chief Minister Harish Rawat ceased to function and the state Assembly has been suspended. Background The constitutional breakdown in state was due rebellion in the ruling Congress Government after its nine rebel MLAs rebelled, bringing government in minority in the state legislature. These 9 rebel MLAs were disqualified by the speaker under the anti-defection law. This disqualification had reduced the strength of the 70-member house to 61. So the final tally of Congress MLAs was 27 and BJP had 28 MLAs.

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Surya Deva Appointed UN Adviser On Human Rights and Businesses

An India-born academician Surya Deva has been appointed as the United Nations (UN) Adviser on Human Rights and Businesses. He was appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as the Asia-Pacific representative of the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. Surya Deva is an associate professor at the School of Law of City University of Hong Kong. His research interests lie in Business and Human Rights, India-China Constitutional Law, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development.

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World Bank Approved $100 million Loan To Jordan

The World Bank on 27 March agreed to provide concessional 100 million US dollar loan to Jordan for creating one lakh jobs for Jordanians and Syrian refugees. The loan will be provided at rates usually reserved for the poorest countries. The announcement was made by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim during a joint visit of Kim and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Jordan.

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Researchers Research That Mint Plant Can Help to Fight Cancer

Scientists at CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic plants (CIMAP) have identified that a compound called `L-Menthol’ derived from Mentha plant, popularly known as mint, can also be used in anti-cancer drugs. LMenthol can kill the colon cancer cell line without affecting the normal cell line. Mentha compound inhibits the division of cancer cell and prevent its growth and spread to other organs of the body.Production of L-menthol is cost-effective, non-destructive and easily available in comparison to anticancer compound used at present, derived from the bark of European Yew tree. Mentha is available in abundance across the world, the European Yew tree is found only in Europe and some parts of Africa and Asia.

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26 March 2016 Current Affairs

26 March 2016 Current Affairs

Union Govt Launched Rotavirus Vaccine

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda on 26 March launched India’s first indigenous rotavirus vaccine named Rotavac to combat infant mortality due to diarrhoea. It was launched by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda as part country’s ambitious Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). The vaccine is being introduced initially in four States Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh (first to launch it) and Odisha. It would be expanded to the entire country in a phased manner. The rotavirus vaccine was developed indigenously, under a public-private partnership by the Ministry of Science and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Apart from the rotavirus vaccine, three new vaccines are also being introduced as part of UIP including Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Measles, Rubella (MR) vaccine and Adult Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine. With these new vaccines, India’s UIP will provide free vaccines against 12 life threatening diseases to 27 million children annually, the largest birth cohort in the world.

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Hockey India 2nd Annual Awards

“Indian hockey players P R Sreejesh  and Deepika  who won Dhruv Batra Player of the year award in Men”s and Women”s category respectively at the Hockey India 2nd Annual Awards for the year 2015 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Late Capt. Shankar Laxman was posthumously chosen for the 2016 Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award.Late Capt. Shankar Laxman was one of legendary hockey player in India. He was a goalkeeper and was part of the Olympic medal-winning teams of 1956 (Melbourne, Gold), 1960 (Rome, Silver), and 1964 (Tokyo, Gold). Other winners * Dhruv Batra Player of the Year Award – P.R Sreejesh (male), Deepika (female). * Baljit Singh Goalkeeper of the Year Award – Savita. * Pargat Singh Defender of the Year Award – Kothajit Singh. * Ajit Pal Singh Midfielder of the Year Award – Ritu Rani. * Dhanraj Pillay Forward of the Year Award – Rani. * Asunta Lakra Upcoming Player of the Year Award – Harjeet Singh (male), Preeti Dubey (female). * Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution – Baldev Singh. * President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement – Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy.”

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“Ancient City Of Palmyra Recaptured By Syrian Army”

Syrian Army and popular defence forces have regained control of the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group on 26 March 2016. The city was captured by the IS in May 2015 and since then the Army of Syria fought for its control with the support of national aviation and Russian Aerospace Forces. The loss of Palmyra represents one of the biggest setbacks for the Islamic State that declared a caliphate in 2014 across large parts of Syria and Iraq. The ancient city of Palmyra is a UNESCO designated World Heritage site and home to some of the world’s most magnificent ancient ruins.

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Nandita Bakhshi Appointed as President CEO of Bank of the West

Indian-American Nandita Bakshi has been appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank of the West, a subsidiary unit of French banking giant BNP Paribas. She will take over the roles of President and CEO-designate effective from 1 April 2016 and will assume the role on 1 June 2016. She will succeed Michael Shepherd who has been appointed as chairman of the BNP Paribas USA, a new holding company for all BNP Paribas subsidiaries in the United States.

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25 March 2016 Current Affairs

25 March 2016 Current Affairs

Union Govt Launched Survey To Find New Enemy Properties

With an aim to find new enemy properties, the government has launched a survey in five states, including Delhi, for identification of movable and immovable assets once held by people who migrated to Pakistan. The survey work has started in five states — Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Delhi — for identification of new enemy properties. In order to detect more enemy properties in the states by conducting the survey in an organised manner, the Home Ministry has appointed 65 personnel for the task that include 50 surveyors and 15 accountancy and management personnel. After the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971 many people migrated to that country subsequent to which Indian government, in accordance with the Defence of India Rules framed under the Defence of India Act, took over the properties and companies of such persons who had taken Pakistani nationality. These ‘enemy properties’ were vested by the central government in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India.

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Cassini Discovered Largest Mountain On Saturn’s Moon Titan

Scientists working on NASA’s Cassini mission have found the tallest peak on Titan, the Saturn’s largest moon. The tallest mountain is about 3,337 meters high. The highest point on Titan is within a trio of mountainous ridges called the Mithrim Montes, and most of the tallest mountains on this moon are closer to equator. The discovery was led by images and other data collected by radar instrument on Cassini, which aims at observing surface of the Titan in detail. The discovery was made during investigation to find active zones within Titan’s crust, where dynamic forces have shaped the landscape, perhaps in the relatively recent past.

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“OVL gets Russia’s nod For $1.268 Billion Vankor Deal”

Russian government has approved ONGC Videsh Ltd’s deal to buy 15 per cent in the country’s second biggest oil field of Vankor from Rosneft for $1.268 billion. OVL, the overseas arm of the state explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), had in September 2015 signed an agreement to buy 15 per cent stake in Vankorneft, the developer of the Vankor oil and gas condensate field in Turukhansky district of Krasnoyak territory in Russia. Vankor is OVL’s fourth-biggest acquisition ever. Vankorneft, a subsidiary of Rosneft, was founded in 2004 to carry out the project of the Vankor field development, the largest field to have been discovered and brought into production in Russia in the last 25 years. It is located in the northern part of eastern Siberia, in Turukhansky district of Krasnoyarsk territory, 142km from Igarka.

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“Kejriwal On Fortune’s List of ’50 Greatest Leaders’”

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been named among the world’s 50 greatest leaders by Fortune magazine. He is sole leader from India in the list and has been placed at 42nd position. 2016 edition is Fortune magazine’s third annual ‘World’s 50 Greatest Leaders’ list and it has been topped by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The ‘World’s 50 Greatest Leaders’ list of Fortune Magazine features men and women from across the globe from the fields of government, business, arts and the philanthropy who are transforming the world and inspiring others to do the same. The list was released on 25 March 2016.

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BHEL Commissioned 600 MW Power Plant In Telangana

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 25 March announced that it successfully commissioned a 600 MW coal-based thermal power plant in Telangana. The unit was commissioned at the upcoming 2×600 MW Singareni Thermal Power Project (TPP) located at Jaipur in Adilabad district of Telangana. The 1200 MW Jaipur Power Plant is being developed by Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). With the commissioning of this unit, SCCL has now successfully diversified into the power generation business. SCCL is India’s second largest coal mining company and operates 16 opencast and 32 underground mines in 4 districts of Telangana. For Telangana, it is the second major plant after the formation of the State in June 2014. Earlier, in December 2015, the 600 MW Kakatiya Thermal Power Plant Stage-II was commissioned at Bhoopalapally in Warangal district.

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AP Govt Inaugurates Country’s First Lift Irrigation Project

Andhra Pradesh government inaugurated India’s first river linking project viz. Pattiseema lift irrigation project connecting Godavari River with Krishna River from the ongoing Polavaram Multi-purpose Irrigation Project. The project has been completed in a record time of one year by the Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL). The project has capactiry to lift 80 tmc (trillion metric cubic feet) of flood water from Godavari River in a span of 110 days during the flooding season between July and October.

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24 March 2016 Current Affairs

24 March 2016 Current Affairs

North Korea Claims Successful Test of Solid-Fuel Missile Engine

North Korea on 24 March successfully tested a solid-fuel engine that boosted the power of its ballistic rockets. Pyongyang’s claim indicates it is continuing to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a rapid pace in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and amid assessment by the South’s officials that it could conduct a new nuclear test at any time. North Korea uses liquid propellants for its main ballistic missiles that target South Korea and U.S. bases in the Asia-Pacific region.

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South Korea Tops Global Average Internet Speed

According to Akamai’s ‘State of the Internet’ report released on 24 March, South Korea has the fastest average connection speed in the world at 26.7 Mbps. Sweden occupies the second spot with an average speed of 19.1 Mbps followed by Norway at 18.8 Mbps. India stands at 114th position with an average internet speed of 2.8 Mbps.  India’s neighbour China ranks 89th with average speed of 4.1Mbps.

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Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso Won Re-election

Congo Republic President Denis Sassou Nguesso has won re-election with 60.39 percent of the vote, extending his 32-year rule of the oil-producing country. Presidential elections were held in the Republic of the Congo on 20 March 2016. It was the first election to be held under the constitution passed by referendum in 2015. President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who had exhausted the two-term limit imposed by the previous constitution, was allowed to run again due to the adoption of the new constitution.

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India Overtakes China In U.S. Direct Investment

India has overtaken China in terms of direct equity allocation by US investors.The data released by US Treasury shows India makes up 1.8% of US foreign equity holdings as on December 2015 as against 1.6% of China. US investors direct investment in Indian equities has risen from $7 billion in September 2013 to $12 billion in December 2015. During the same period US investors’ direct investment in Chinese equities has declined from $12.8 billion to $11.1 billion. However, India’s overexposure within the EM basket has gradually declined in 2015.

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Shane Watson Retires From International Cricket

Australia’s Shane Watson on 24 March announced that he will retire from international cricket at the end of the 2016 World Twenty20 Tournament. Watson retired from test cricket in September 2015 and since then he didn’t play any One Day Internationals also. He debuted for the Australian cricket team in 2002, playing his first One Day International against South Africa. He debuted in the test cricket on 2 January 2005 against Pakistan at Sydney, Australia. He batted in 109 innings of 59 test matches and scored 3731 runs of which 176 was his highest score. He also bowled in 93 innings of those matches and took 75 wickets. In ODIs, he scored 5718 runs from 190 matches with an average of 40.55. He also took 168 wickets with 31.79 average. In T20 Internationals, he played 52 matches so far and accumulated 1315. His highest score is 124 (not out). He also holds the record of highest ODI batting average of all Australian opening batsmen who have scored over 1000 runs.

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Mehbooba Mufti to be Jammu and Kashmir’s first woman CM

Mehbooba Mufti is set to become the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Her party, the PDP, formally elected her its chief ministerial candidate at a meeting on March 24. Ms Mufti’s father, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, died in January as Chief Minister of a coalition government that included the BJP. After his death Jammu and Kashmir has been under Governor’s Rule since January 8.

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23 March 2016 Current Affairs

23 March 2016 Current Affairs

Development of Zika Virus Vaccine Underway In India

India is among five countries where projects are underway to develop vaccines to fight the Zika virus currently circulating in 38 countries. For vaccines, 23 projects are being worked on by 14 vaccine developers in the US, France, Brazil, India and Austria. Zika virus is posing severe public health implications and is linked to neonatal malformations and neurological disorders affecting newborns.

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Union Cabinet Approves Construction of 2.95 cr Rural Houses

Union Government on 23 March decided to construct 2.95 crore houses in rural areas under its ambitious Housing for All by 2022 scheme. The Union Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its nod for the implementation of the rural component of the scheme. The government will have to spend nearly Rs 81,975 crore over construction of the one crore houses in the first three years of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin under which it will provide financial assistance of Rs 1.20 lakh to those living in plain areas and Rs 1.30 lakh to those in hilly and difficult areas.

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Union Cabinet Approved World Bank Project For Swachh Bharat 

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 March approved the 1500 million US dollar project of World Bank to support Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin (SBM-G). The approval seeks to provide for the mechanism of incentivisation of States under the SBM-G through World Bank credit.   The incentivisation of the States on the basis of their performance under the SBM-G was approved by the Union Cabinet on 24 September 2014. The project is aimed at supporting government efforts to achieve universal sanitation in rural areas and end the practice of open defecation in the countryside by 2019. The project will also put in place a robust and credible independent verification system for annual measurement of improvement in rural sanitation.

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PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates 100-MW power Supply For Bangladesh 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 March 2016 inaugurated broadband connectivity to North Eastern States via Bangladesh to strengthen telecom services in the region. Under the project, an international gateway for broadband connectivity will be set up at Agartala in Tripura. Using this platform, connectivity will be provided to other North Eastern States like Manipur, Nagaland, etc through Bangladesh. The cost of the project is around 19 crore rupees and BSNL will bear annual operational expenditure of around seven crore rupees from its own resources.

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India – France Signed MoU For Construction of Nuclear Reactors

India and France have signed an MoU for the construction of six nuclear reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra, two months after the two countries decided to conclude the techno-commercial negotiations for the project by the year end. The pact was on 23 March signed at the end of the two-day visit of a high-level delegation of Electricity de France (EDF – French public utility) to Mumbai for holding discussions with National Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) on the construction of the plants.

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India To Accede To The Ashgabat Agreement

The union cabinet on 23 March gave its approval for India to accede to the Ashgabat Agreement, an international transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of goods between central Asia and the Persian Gulf. The Ashgabat Agreement has Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as its founding members. Kazakhstan also joined this arrangement later. India would become party to the Agreement upon consent of the founding members.

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US lawmakers Introduce Legislation To Help India Join APEC

A group of influential US lawmakers have on 23 March introduced a Bill in the Congress asking the US President Barack Obama administration to help India join the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The legislation has been introduced by Matt Salmon, Chairman of the House Sub-committee on Asia and the Pacific.India’s membership to the APEC would provide it a constructive forum to glean insight from other Asian countries that have already taken significant steps to advance their economies. Indian Government is striving for major economic reforms to open India’s markets, improve trade volume, and facilitate his growing population’s need for continued job growth. US-India partnership is vital to the US strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific region and across the globe. Economically prosperous India benefits the US’ strategic goals in Asia.

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22 March 2016 Current Affairs

22 March 2016 Current Affairs

8th BRICS Summit To Be Held In Goa

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on 22 March announced that India will host the 8th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit from 15 October to 16 October 2016 in Goa. India will host the summit in its capacity as chair of the influential bloc comprising five countries with 42% of the world population and combined GDP of over 16 trillion US dollars. India assumed chairmanship of BRICS from Russia on 15 February 2016 and it will last till 31 December 2016. The minister also unveiled a logo and a website of the Summit in New Delhi. The logo for the Summit is a lotus having colours from all the five member countries and a traditional Namaste in the centre. The theme of India’s BRICS Chairmanship is Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions.

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76 Million In India Lack Access To Safe Water

According to the WaterAid report titled ‘Water: At what cost? The State of the World’s Water’, India has the highest number of 76 million–people in the world without access to safe water supply, followed by China and Nigeria. The report placed India on the top of 10 countries in the world with the greatest numbers of people living without access to safe water, followed by China and Nigeria.

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India, France sign MoU for construction of six nuclear reactors at Jaitapur

India and France have signed an MoU for the construction of six nuclear reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.The pact was signed between Electricite de France (EDF – French public utility) and National Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) at the end of two day meeting held in Mumbai on March 22. This cooperation roadmap was finalised during the official state Visit of French President Francois Hollande to India in January 2016. EDF is France’s public electricity producer and supplier. It has been designated by the French government for taking over AREVA NP and shall supply equipment to for Jaitapur nuclear park. About Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project It is a 9900 MW power project proposed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) at Madban village of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra. On completion, it will become the largest nuclear power generating station in the world by net electrical power rating.

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Justice HL Dattu appointed as member of International coordinating Committee Bureau of NHRC

Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and former Chief Justice of India HL Dattu was appointed a member of the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (ICC) Bureau in Geneva on 22 March 2016. NHRC, India will now be representing Asia-Pacific Region along with Mongolia, Qatar and Australia.No other National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) from the Asia Pacific region nominated a candidate against Dattu to fill the position of a member vacated by the representative of NHRI of South-Korea. The International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (ICC) is a global network of NHRIs administrative bodies set up to promote, protect and monitor human rights in a given country. The ICC coordinates the relationship between NHRIs and the United Nations human rights system.

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Aung San Suu Kyi Nominated To Myanmar’s Cabinet

Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been nominated to become a member of the cabinet Myanmar’s president-elect, Htin Kyaw. The Nobel Peace Prize-winner’s name was on a list of proposed ministers announced on 22 March by the speaker of parliament. The list has Aung San Suu Kyi’s name next to four posts — minister of the president’s office, foreign affairs, energy and education.

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Indian Wells Tournament Director Resigns 

Raymond Moore has on 22 March resigned as tournament director of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells following a tide of outrage for his controversial comments on women’s tennis.

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President Conferred Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards

The President and Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces Pranab Mukherjee on 22 March conferred Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards at a solemn ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. He awarded 16 Param Vashishta Seva Medals, two Kirti Chakras, three Uttam Seva medals, 24 Ati Vishishta Seva medals and 11 Shaurya Chakras. Among the winners of the Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime decoration, is Sepoy Jagdish Chandra of Defence Security Corps, killed while fighting the attackers of the Pathankot air base. Subedar Mahendra Singh of Parachute Regiment was also awarded Kirti Chakra for his role in an anti-terrorist operation in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.The list of Shaurya Chakra – the third highest peacetime award – awardees includes two Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel – Head Constable Mohd. Shafi Sheikh, and Constable Reyaz Ahmad Lone – but both posthumously. The recipients also include Colonel M.N. Rai from Gorkha regiment who died fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2015, and Commander Mohan Milind Mokashi, commanding officer of INS Sumitra, who played a pivotal role in evacuating Indian nationals from Yemen under ‘Operation Rahat’.

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21 March 2016 Current Affairs

21 March 2016 Current Affairs

PM Lays Foundation Stone For Ambedkar Memorial 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 21 March laid the foundation stone of a state of the art memorial of Doctor B R Ambedkar in New Delhi, which would mainly house his relics and cover all important aspects of his life and work.

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5th National Photography Awards Presented

“The Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting Arun Jailey on 21 March presented 5th National Photography Awards in New Delhi. The annual awards are meant to honour and recognize those creative professionals who defined moments in history through their creative pictorial mastery. In addition to the Life Time Achievement Award, a total of 12 awards were presented on this occasion to various amateur and professional photographers. Recipients of major awards* Bhawan Singh – Life Time Achievement Award* Javed Ahmed Dar – Professional Photographer Award* Himanshu Thakur – Amateur Photographer”

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Indian Coast Guard Ship Arnvesh Commissioned

“The fast patrol vessel (FPV) of the Indian Coast Guard ICGS Arnvesh was commissioned on 21 March at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The ship is primarily intended to undertake coastal patrol, surveillance at sea, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy operations and search and rescue operations. The vessel among the 20 FPVs indigenously built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). It is capable of carrying a crew of five officers and 34 men on board. The ship is 50-metre long, 300-tonne vessel. The vessel is propelled by triple Rolls Royce Kamewa water jets. It can achieve a maximum speed of 33 knots. It has been fitted with the state-of-the-art communication and navigational equipment including night vision capabilities. Its main armament comprise 40/60 Bofors guns. At present, the Indian Coast Guard has 120 ships, 63 aircraft and 10,000 men, spread across its 42 Coast Guard Stations, 10 Coast Guard Air Enclaves and 5 air stations.”

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Health Ministry Launched new anti TB drug Bedaquilin

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has launched new anti-TB (Tuberculosis) drug Bedaquiline. It was launched by the Union Health Minister J P Nadda on 21 March as part of the TB national programme Initially the drug will be made available in six public hospitals in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati and Ahmedabad.  Later it will be introduced in 104 districts across five States. Bedaquiline is a new anti-TB drug for treatment of Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. It specifically targets Mycobacterial ATP synthase, an enzyme which is essential for the supply of energy to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and most other mycobacteria.

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Pakistan Ratifies Nuclear Material Protection Pact

Pakistan on 21 March ratified an amendment to a legally-binding international instrument on the safety of nuclear material that expands its scope to cover atomic facilities and material in peaceful use, storage and international as well as domestic transportation. Pakistan has ratified the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM). The Instrument of Ratification was signed by President Mamnoon Hussain on the advice of the Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif).

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China, Nepal Signed 10 Agreements

Nepal and China signed 10 agreements on 21 March including one aimed at easing transit and transport between the two neighbours. The agreements were signed in Beijing following a meeting between visiting Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. The other agreements relate to free trade, installation of solar grids in 32,000 houses, soft loan for projects, loan for constructing an international airport at Pokhara, exploration of gas and petroleum in Nepal and construction of a bridge on the river Hilsa. China will also construct a bridge in far west of Nepal in Hilsa that will connect Nepal and Tibet. Hilsa was a traditional trade route.

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Former Intel Chairman and CEO Andrew Grove Died

Andrew Grove, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Intel, passed away on 21 March 2016. He was 79. He was present at the Intel’s founding in 1968. Later in 1979, he became its president in and CEO in 1987. He served as chairman of the board from 1997 to 2005. Andrew Stephen Grove, also known as Andy, was a Hungarian-born American businessman, engineer, and author. He was also referred to as the ‘guy who drove the growth phase’ of Silicon Valley.

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20 March 2016 Current Affairs

20 March 2016 Current Affairs

EU, Turkey Agreement Comes into Effect

The agreement between the European Union (EU) and Turkey to tackle the migrant crisis has formally come into effect on 20 March 2016. Under this agreement, migrants arriving in Greece will be sent back to Turkey if their asylum claim is rejected.

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China to build rail link to Nepal

“China on March 21 agreed to Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli’s request to build a strategic railway link between the two countries through Tibet to reduce land-locked Nepal’s total dependence on India.KP Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal arrived to Beijing on March 20 for seven day visit. He has signed 10 agreements during his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. This included a landmark transit treaty to end the near-total dependence on India for essential supplies.”

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Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton 2016 Winners

“* Men’s Singles :- Ace Indian shuttler HS Prannoy (World no 13) has won the prestigious 2016 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament in the men’s single category. In the final match played on 20 March at Basel, Switzerland, he defeated Marc Zwiebler (World no 7) of Germany. It was his second Grand Prix Gold title after the Indonesia Open Grand Prix Gold won in 2014.
* Women’s Singles :- He Bingjiao from China won the title by defeating Wang Yihan from China
* Men’s Doubles :- Denmark pair of Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen won the title by defeating Chinese Taipei pair of Lee Sheng-mu and Tsai Chia-hsin
* Women’s Doubles :- Japanese pair of Shizuka Matsuo and Mami Naito won the title by defeating Japanese pair of Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao “

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Nico Rosberg Won 2016 Australian Grand Prix

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany on 20 March won the 2016 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit at Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia. Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, winner of 2015 Australian Grand Prix, secured the second place in the race.

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Gurmeet Singh Won Gold at Asian Race Walking Championships

Gurmeet Singh on 20 March 2016 became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in the Asian 20 Kilometer (km) Race Walk Championships.His feat was the first time in 34 years that an Indian won a gold in either an Asian Championships or Asian Games in this event. Hakam Singh and Chand Ram won a Gold medal each in 20-km road walk in 1978 and 1982 Asian Games respectively. Since then, no Indian won a Gold medal at the continental level in this event. Gurmeet Singh took 1 hour 20 minutes and 29 seconds to complete the race while his close competitor Isamu Fujisawa of Japan took 1:20:49 with close fight in the last 5-km. Georgiy Sheiko of Kazakhstan won the bronze medal in 1:21:52.

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World’s Largest Aircraft Airlander 10 Unveiled

“The world’s largest aircraft has been unveiled on 22 March for the first time since being fully assembled in the UK. The 302ft (92m) long Airlander 10 – part plane, part airship – was floated in a First World War hangar in Bedfordshire. It was first developed for the US government as a long-endurance surveillance aircraft but it fell foul of defence cutbacks.The Airlander 10, which uses helium to become airborne, can travel at a speed of 92mph (148km/h). It is 143ft (44m) wide and 85ft (26m) high. British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) launched a campaign to return the Airlander 10 to the skies in May 2015.”

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19 March 2016 Current Affairs

19 March 2016 Current Affairs

PM Narendra Modi Launched Kisan Suvidha Mobile app

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 March launched Kisan Suvidha mobile application for farmers. It will provide information on subjects such as weather, market prices, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and agriculture machinery. Kisaan Suvidha is an omnibus mobile app developed to help farmers by providing relevant information to them quickly.

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Prime Minister Inaugurates ‘Krishi Unnati Mela’ 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Krishi Unnati Mela’- the National Level Agriculture Fair-cum-Exhibition in New Delhi on 19 March. Prime Minister conferred Krishi Karman Awards. ‘Krishi Unnati Mela’ is organized jointly by the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India and Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi at Indian Agriculture Research Institute from 19-21 March 2016.

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Agasthyamala Among 20 UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves

The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve was on 19 March 2016 included in the UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. It is one among the 20 new sites adopted by the council to its Network. It was included at the meeting of the International Co-ordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere programme of UNESCO in Lima. Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in situated at the southern-most end of the Western Ghats and spread over two southern states Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It was established in 2001. The reserve is named after Agastya Mala peak that rises up to almost 1868 metres above sea level, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It covers an area of 3,500 sq km at an altitude ranging from 100 metres to 1,868 metres above the Mean Sea Level. It covers Peppara and Shendurney wildlife sanctuaries and parts of the Neyyar sanctuary in Kerala and the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu.

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T V Paul Appointed 56th President of ISA

An Indian Professor has become the president of a scholarly group in the US dedicated to international studies. Prof T V Paul took over as the 56th president of International Studies Association (ISA), at its annual convention at Atlanta, Georgia.

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Hinduja Brothers Top Britain’s ‘Asian Rich List’

“The Hinduja brothers have emerged as the richest Asian-origin entrepreneurs in Britain for the fourth consecutive year with an estimated personal fortune of 16.5 billion pounds. The India-born brothers GP Hinduja and SP Hinduja topped the “”Asian Rich List 2016″” released on 19 March and the annual rankings showed that they had added one billion pounds to their personal fortune in a year to be worth an estimated 16.5 billion pounds. The Asian Rich List assesses the total wealth of Britain’s top 101 richest Asians and is compiled by UK-based publishing house Asian Media and Market. Steel tycoon Lakshmi Niwas Mittal was ranked second in the list, released by the Indian high commissioner to the UK Navtej Sarna. The fortune of Mittal, however, has plummeted by 3.3 billion pounds to finish with 6.4 billion pounds.”

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17 March 2016 Current Affairs

17 March 2016 Current Affairs

Surat Cleanest Railway Station

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan- ‘Ek Kadam Swachhta Ki Aur’ is the pet project of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi which was flagged off on October 2, 2014 with a vision to make India free of open defecation by 2019 and to fulfil Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean India. As a part of this project, a survey was conducted at 407 railway stations, which included 75 A-1 stations and 332 A-category stations, Surat has emerged to be the cleanest Railway Stations in India, followed by Rajkot and Bilaspur. Varanasi stood last when evaluated on forty cleanliness parameters which formed the basis of the survey.

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SAARC Foreign Ministerial Meeting

The 37th foreign ministerial meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries concluded in Nepal’s Pokhara on March 17 with the declaration to convene the 19th Summit in Pakistan on 9-10 November 2016.

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First World Sufi Forum

first World Sufi Forum was held from 17-20 March in NewDelhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated World Sufi Forum in New Delhi. The meeting was organized by All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), the apex body of Sufi Dargahs in India.

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Narendra Modi on TIME’s ’Most Influential People On Internet’

TIME magazine on 16 March unveiled its second annual 30 Most Influential People on the Internet list. The list has been topped by the artist and entrepreneur Kanye West. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi boasting more than 18 million Twitter followers and over 32 million Facebook likes stood at 15th in the list.

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16 March 2016 Current Affairs

16 March 2016 Current Affairs

Obama Nominated Merrick Garland For US Supreme Court

President Barack Obama on 16 March nominated appeals court judge Merrick Garland to be the next US Supreme Court Justice. Garland will be 113th Supreme Court justice of the US. Garland, who is the Chief Judge on the US Court of Appeals in D.C. Circuit, will succeed Justice Antonin Scalia who died on 13 February 2016.

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India Ranks 118th On UN’s World Happiness Index 2016

India ranked 118th out of 157 countries on the United Nations’ World Happiness Index (WHI) 2016. It was revealed by the fourth World Happiness Report 2016 published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative for the UN. Key Highlights of Report Top 10 countries – Denmark (1st), Switzerland (2nd), Iceland (3rd), Norway (4th) and Finland (5th), Canada (6th), Netherlands (7th), New Zealand (8th), Australia (9th) and Sweden (10th).

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15 March 2016 Current Affairs

15 March 2016 Current Affairs

Myanmar Parliament Elected Htin Kyaw as First Civilian President

Myanmar’s Parliament on 15 March elected Htin Kyaw as the first civilian president to lead the country after 53 years of military rule. Army took power in a 1962 coup. He is a close aide and adviser of Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of National League for Democracy (NLD) party. He was elected with 360 of the total 652 votes casted while, military-nominated Myint Swe received 213 votes and stood second followed by the other NLD candidate, Henry Van Thio, who got 79 votes. Kyaw will replace Thein Sein who will step down at the end of March 2016 after five years of army-backed rule.

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Lok Sabha Passed Real Estate Bill

Lok Sabha on 15 March passed the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015. The Bill seeks set up a Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) for the orderly growth of the real state sector. The bill aims at protecting the interests of the large number of aspiring house buyers and enhances the credibility of construction industry. Earlier, it was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 10 March 2016.

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Pope Announced Mother Teresa To Be Granted Sainthood

Pope Francis on 15 March announced that Mother Teresa will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at a ceremony on 4 September 2016. The pope cleared the way for sainthood to Mother Teresa, who was famed for her lifetime of service to the poor, establishing shelters for homeless, orphanages, soup kitchens and clinics around the world.

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Bangladesh Central Bank Governor Resigns

Bangladesh’s central bank Governor Atiur Rahman resigned on 15 March after hackers stole over USD 100 million from the nation’s foreign reserves in what is believed to be the world’s biggest ever bank theft that embarrassed the government. Atiur Rahman resigned over after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

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