Current Affairs Weekly PDF

Current Affairs Weekly PDF – March Second Week (8-15)

INDIAN AFFAIRS

• On 7th March 2018, Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the
following initiatives:
 Cabinet approves the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018
 Cabinet approves two percent Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees that is
increase of 2% over the existing rate of 5% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise
 Cabinet approves Recommendations of Inter-Ministerial Group on Stressed Assets in Telecom
Sector
 Cabinet approves continuation of Swatantra Sainik Samman Yojana (SSSY) during 2017-2020
with an estimated cost of Rs. 2552.93 crore.
 Cabinet approves a Memorandum of Cooperation between India and France in the field of
environment
 Cabinet approves agri mechanisation promotion for crop residue management with a central fund
of Rs. 1151.80 crore
• On 7th March 2018, CEO of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, V Umashankar along
with Sandeep Khirwar, Commissioner of Police, Gurugram, inaugurated Haryana’s first cyber police
station,to facilitate registration of cyber offence related cases.
On 8th March 2018, Ananthkumar, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary
Affairs, announced the launch of ‘Suvidha’ napkin, the 100% Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Pad under
the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) initiated by the Department of
Pharmaceuticals.
• On 7th March 2018, R K Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy,
launched the National E-Mobility Programme to improve the e-mobility ecosystem that comprises
vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure companies, fleet operators, service providers, etc. with
the motto - “Healthier world, healthier country”.It is implemented by Energy Efficiency Services
Limited (EESL).
• On 7th March 2018, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the
following initiatives.
 Cabinet approves signing of Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement between India
and France:
 Cabinet approves signing of Agreement with France to facilitate MRAQ (Mutual Recognition
of Academic Qualifications):
 Cabinet approves agreement with France to prevent illicit Drugs:
 The Union Cabinet has approved an Agreement between India and France on the Prevention
of the Illicit Consumption and Reduction of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic
Substances and Chemical Precursors, and related offences.
 Cabinet approves an MoU between India and Hellenic on Renewable Energy Cooperation:
 Cabinet approves MoU between UPSC and Public Service Commission of Mauritius:
• On 7 March 2018, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved
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the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts
(Amendment) Bill, 2018 for introduction in the Parliament.The Bill brings down the specified value
of a commercial dispute to 3 Lakhs from the current 1 Crore & will reduce time taken (presently
1445 days) to resolve commercial disputes of lesser value and will improve India's ranking in the
Ease of Doing Business.
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• The Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Laboratory (IBSD), Imphal, & Loktak Development
Authority (LDA) has established a floating laboratory in Loktak Lake, Manipur, inaugurated by
Manipur's Forest and Environment Minister, Thounaojam Shyamkumar Singh.to continuously
monitor its water quality and improve it with a budget of Rs 5. Lakh. Further equipments for Rs 20
lakh will be procured to improve its efficiency.
• On 8th March 2018, P K Sinha, Cabinet Secretary, launched “I-Metros”, an association of all Indian
Metro Rail companies, at the Conference on “Indian Metros: Collaborating for Excellence”
conducted at Metro Bhawan, in New Delhi. It will be registered under Society Registration Act-
1860 & act as a platform for sharing of ideas, knowledge, experience, best practices, innovations,
etc..
• On 8th March 2018 (International Women's Day), Akash Tripathi, MD of Madhya Pradesh West
Power Distribution Company (MPWPDC) said that MPWPDC launched a "Pink Electricity Zone'
that will be managed by women staff comprises 25 women staff.
• On 8th March 2018, Karnataka government unveiled the State flag (nada dhwaja) for Karnataka. The
flag is tricolor comprising yellow, white and red with State emblem at the centre. The state emblem
is blue in colour named Gandaberunda. Gandaberunda is a mythical two-headed bird.
• On 9th March 2018, Supreme Court passed an order permitting passive euthanasia in India.It is a
condition where medical treatment is deliberately withdrawn to hasten the death of a terminally-ill
person.The Constitution bench consisted of 5 judges. It was led by Chief Justice of India Dipak
Misra.Other judges present on the bench are: justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud
and Ashok Bhushan.
• On 8th March 2018, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
launched the National Nutrition Mission at an event held at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan.The Mission
(NNM) has been formulated with a 3 year budget of Rs.9046.17 crore starting from 2017-18.
• On 10th March 2018, the 26th meeting of the GST Council was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
• There is difference in the amount of IGST & Compensation Cess paid by importers at Customs ports
and input tax credit of the same claimed in GSTR-3B & great difference in self-declared liability
in FORM GSTR-1 and FORM GSTR-3B.
• The present system of filing of GSTR 3B and GSTR 1 is extended for 3 more months: April to June,
2018 untill new return system is finalized.
• The provisions for deduction of tax at source (TDS) under section 51 of the CGST Act and collection
of tax at source (TCS) under section 52 of the CGST Act will be suspended till 30.06.2018 & GST
implementation Committee (GIC) will work on redressing the grievances caused to the taxpayers due
to IT glitches.Click here to read more
• On 9th March 2018,Rajasthan has become the second state in India after Madhya Pradesh to approve
death sentence for those convicted of raping girls aged 12 years and below.Gulab Chand
Kataria, Rajasthan home minister, introduced the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill,
2018 in the assembly.Sections 376-AA and 376-DD have been added in the Indian Penal Code,
1860, in regard with rape and gang-rape of young girls.
• Diu has become the first and only Union Territory of India to achieve full solar energy efficiency.13
MW of electricity is generated from the solar power-generating systems in Diu. Out of which, 3MW
is produced from rooftop solar plants and 10MW from other solar power plants.
• On 8th March 2018, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the
'Mukhyamantri Mahila Kosh' scheme that will offer pension to unmarried women above 50 years of
age.
• On 8th March 2018,On the International Women’s Day, Banaswadi railway station was declared
South Western Railway (SWR) zone’s first all-woman railway station by Piyush Goyal, Union
railway minister, through video link.It is 5th in India to attain the all-woman railway station status.
• On the occasion of International Women’s Day,The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in
association with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, organized aWomen’s Convention called Swachh
Shakti 2018 at Lucknow. Swachh Shakti 2018 has been hosted by Uttarpradesh Government.
• On March 8 2018, Government of Telangana launched Women Entrepreneurship Hub (WE- Hub)
India’s first state-led incubator exclusively for women entrepreneurs in Hyderabad.
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• It was launched by Tessy Thomas, Director, ASL, DRDL and Vani Kola, Managing Director of
Kalaari Capital, in the presence of IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao.Deepthi Ravula has been
appointed as the CEO of WE Hub.
• On March 10,2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates a two-day National Legislators
Conference at the Central Hall of Parliament House. It will be a platform for Members of Parliament
to share their ideas,plans or experience for country development..The theme of the conference is -
"We For Development".
• On March 8,2018, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport Authority of India and FICCI
jointly organized the four-day biennial event ‘WINGS INDIA 2018 ‘ in Hyderabad. Theme of the
four-day biennial event this year is ‘India-Global Aviation Hub’.
• The founding conference of International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held on March 11, 2018 in New
Delhi.The conference was co- hosted by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and visiting French
President Emmanuel Macron. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India has set a target to
generate 175 GW of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2022 & also outlined a 10-point
action plan to bring about a “worldwide solar revolution”.
• ‘MILAN 2018’, a multinational naval exercise hosted by Indian Navy began on March 6, 2018 at
Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.Objective behind MILAN 2018 is to expand regional
cooperation and combat unlawful activities in critical sea lanes in Indian Ocean region.Theme of
‘MILAN 2018’ is 'Friendship Across the Seas'.
• India's biggest Media & Entertainment Services Market – enTTech 2018 was inaugurated in Mumbai
on March 7, 2018.It was organized by Service Export Promotion Council (SEPC) in association
with MEAI (Media & Entertainment Association of India) and TVAGA (Telangana VFX, Animation
and Gaming Association). The event was supported by the Department of Commerce under Union
Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• On March 9, 2018, Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar presented the fourth budget
of the incumbent BJP-led government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis state budget for
2018-19 in legislative assembly while Minister of State for Finance, Deepak Kesarkar presented the
budget in legislative council.Budget 2018-19 focused on farmers and youth.For fiscal 2018-19,
revenue deficit is estimated at Rs. 15375 crore.Click here to read more
• India’s tallest tricolour flag hoisted in Belagavi in presence of in-charge Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi
is 110m high from the base plate to the top while its size is 120X80 ft & weights 500kg.Previous
tallest Flags hoisted are
1.107 metre in Pune
2.105 metre in Attari-Wagah border
• According to data provided by the Minister of State for Rural Development, Ram Kripal Yadav in
Rajya Sabha,West Bengal is the best performing State followed by Tamil Nadu in terms of allotting
jobs and utilising funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA).West Bengal Spent Rs.7335.31 Crore whereas Tamilnadu Spent Rs.5981.75 Crore
• Banlotwa has become the first 'alcohol-free' village in Ranchi district.Jharkhand Chief Minister
Raghubar Das lauded the residents of the village for achieving this feat and has given Rs 1 lakh cash
to the village head of Banlotwa.
• Multilateral Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Air Force exercise, ‘Samvedna’
began off the coast of Kerala on March 12, 2018.In Hindi, Samvedna means
'Empathy'.Representatives from air forces of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) are participating in this exercise.
• On March 12, 2018, Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented state's first e-
Budget at the legislative Assembly.Assam State Budget 2018-19 has also been made available
on Google app.

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• On March 11, 2018, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State for External Affairs
General VK Singh and cricketer Gautam Gambhir attended the first edition of 'Soldierathon' in New
Delhi. Cricketer Mohammad Kaif and Actor Varun Sood also witnessed this marathon.'Soldierathon'
is a special marathon aimed at raising funds for welfare of Indian soldiers and their families & the
funds will be donated to Indian Army's Artificial Limb Centre (ALC) and for the education of
martyrs' children.
• The National Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP), India’s first coastal policing academy, has been
set up in Okha, in Devbhoomi Dwarka district of Gujarat. The Bureau of Police Research and
Development (BPRD) will pilot the setting up of NACP. The Border Security Force (BSF) will
ensure security of the campus
• French President Emmanuel Macron was on a four-day official visit to India from 9th to 12th March,
2018 which is focused on strengthening bilateral ties between India and France.The bilateral trade
between India and France for the period from April 2016 to March 2017 stood at $10.95
billion. France is the 9th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of $6.09
billion as on October 2017.PM Modi and French President hold delegation-level talks; 14
agreements inked in different areas Click here to read more
• On March 13, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘End TB Summit’ which is co-
hosted by Union Health Ministry, World Health Organisation (WHO) South East Asia Regional
Office and Stop TB Partnership in New Delhi and launched ‘Tuberculosis Free India
Campaign’.Cick here to read more
• On March 12, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a number of schemes for the poor in
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
i. Firstly, PM Modi inaugurated a 101-megawatt solar power plant in Mirzapur
• ii. PM Modi announced Ayushman Bharat scheme to ensure better healthcare facilities for the poor.
iii. Pradhan Mantri Poshan Mission Yojana to ensure nutrition to children, especially girls.
iv.PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth over Rs. 800 crore
and flagged off a new train - Kanshi-Patna Jan Shatabdi Express - between Varanasi and Patna.
• Government of India has decided to institute 'Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Police
Investigation' award for best investigation of crime in order to encourage high professional standards
in police forces.Eligibility: Officers ranging from Sub-Inspector to Superintendent of Police are
eligible for this award.162 medals will be presented annually.
• On 13th March 2018, the first regional conference on ‘Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) for
Urban Areas – Opportunities and Challenges’ was held in Kolkata.This conference was organized by
Ministry of Finance, AIIB, ASSOCHAM and Research and Information System for Developing
Countries (RIS). AIIB is increasing the loan amount to India from current US $ 1.7 billion to 2
billion.
• According to a study titled ‘India’s digital divide: how broadband speed splits the nation’ by Ookla,
Chennai has the highest fixed broadband download speed among 20 largest cities of India. India
ranked 67th in the world on Speedtest Global Index. On state-wise consideration Karnataka has the
fastest broadband in India, with a mean download speed of 28.46 Mbps.
• Highest Average Download Speed – Top 5 Cities
Chennai 32.67 Mbps
Bengaluru 31.09 Mbps
Hyderabad 28.93 Mbps
Visakhapatnam 26.59 Mbps
Delhi 23.57 Mbps
• As per fifth edition of the Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS) by Janaagraha Centre for
Citizenship and Democracy, Pune is the top city to show improvement in quality of governance in
2017.The survey was administered in 23 major cities across 20 Indian states and contained 89
questions.

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Top 5 cities in terms of Quality of Governance:

1 Pune
2 Kolkata
3 Thiruvananthapuram
4 Bhubaneswar
5 Surat
• Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Adarsh K Goel and Uday U Lalit barred foreign law firms
and foreign lawyers practising in India for both litigatious (likely to engage in lawsuits) as well as
non-litigatious activities.This judgement takes into consideration Bar Council of India Rules
(BCI) that the Indian laws are of specialised nature and only those who have a exhaustive and
holistic idea of its functioning, are permitted to practice law by it.
• On March 13, 2018, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and World Health Organization
(WHO) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for enhanced cooperation in health sector.The
agreement was signed by Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary (International Health) and Dr. Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of WHO in New Delhi.
• Assam State Government has proposed an insurance scheme for journalists and their families in State
budget for the year 2018-19.This is announced by Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
stated that for the year 2018-19, budgetary allocation of Rs 63 crore for the Information and Public
Relations Department that would implement schemes for journalists in Assam.
• On March 13, 2018, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) announced that it will set up a multi-skill
centre in partnership with the Gorkha Territorial Administration in Darjeeling,West
Bengal.Announced by CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee at the inaugural session of the two-
day Darjeeling Business Summit.
• On March 13, 2018, Odisha State government and Tata Trusts signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) for implementing the state’s decision on land rights settlement for slum
dwellers in urban areas.As per the terms of the MoU, Tata Trusts will provide technical support to
Odisha State Government in implementing this decision.
• On 12th March 2018, Minister of State for Textiles Ajay Tamta said that, the government has
constituted ‘Field Inspection and Scientific Evaluation Committee (FISEC)’ to investigate into
illegal cultivation of HT (Herbicide Tolerant) cotton in 4 states namely Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• On 13 March 2018, C-17 Globemaster, the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) largest transport aircraft, made
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a historic landing at Tuting Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh.The landing
ground is just 30 km away from China.
• On 13 March 2018, International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that, it has signed a MoU
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with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and National Aviation University to improve human resource
availability in India's aviation industry.The three parties formalised this partnership in the presence
of Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation at the Wings India 2018 event in Hyderabad.
• On March 14, 2018, Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved following
bilateral agreements and initiatives.
 Cabinet approves the MoU between India and Iran in field of Traditional Systems of
Medicine
 Cabinet approves MoU between India and Iran in agriculture and allied sectors
 Cabinet approves Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Fiscal Evasion between
India and Iran
 Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and Sri Lanka in the field of Information
Technology and Electronics
 Cabinet approves continuation of ongoing urea subsidy scheme beyond 12th Five Year Plan

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• The HRD (Human Resources Development) ministry has decided to set up an innovation cell lead by
a scientist,senior official and young professional to develop new ideas to encourage innovation in
India.This decision is made after India improved by 6 ranks in the Global Innovation Index Ranking
60th rank in 2017 from 66th rank in 2016 on the Global Innovation Index Ranking
• First Interaction of 15th Finance Commission with the Members of Parliament was held on March
14, 2018 in New Delhi which will function in a different scenario wherein there is no Planning
Commission and Government has removed the distinction between Plan and Non Plan grants.The
meeting was held to convey the proposed schedule of the Commission’s work and its Terms of
Reference (TOR) as well as to seek suggestions of Parliamentarians.
• On March 15, 2018, Lok Sabha passed the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2018.The amendment
proposes a remedy which aims at the exact fulfilment of an obligation or specific performance of the
contract rather than grant of a general relief or damages or compensation.
• As per a recent household survey conducted in Andhra Pradesh, the state attained a rank equivalent
to 51st rank globally on Multidimensional Poverty Index whose index value is 0.0825 East Godavari
has topped with index value of 0.0468 and Vizianagaram is at the bottom with a value of 0.1271..On
the global Multidimensional Poverty Index, India ranked at 66th position with an index value of
0.1911

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

• Mumbai has ranked 16th in the top 20 costliest cities in the world list, as per the Knight Frank Wealth
Report 2018. It was developed based on four major indicators namely wealth, investments, lifestyle
and future.Top 4 cities are,
Rank City
1 Monaco
2 Hong Kong
3 New York
4 London
• Over 5,000 Israeli and American troops train together through "Juniper Cobra" exercise in Israel.
was started in 2001. It has been conducted every two years since then.It comprises field training,
computer simulations and live-fire drills of sophisticated missile-defence systems Brig. Gen. Zvika
Haimovich,it the chief of Israel's air defence command
• India seals agreement with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations
Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to build 50, 000 homes in Gorkha and Nuwakot which is the
worst-hit districts.India will give USD 8.41 million to the UNOPS and USD 7.41 Million to the
UNDP to build 50, 000 homes.
• India ranks 52 out of 57 nations on the Mastercard Index for Women Entrepreneurs (MIWE) .The
report focuses on female entrepreneurs’ ability to “capitalize the opportunities granted through
various supporting conditions within their local environment”. The index was based on 12 indicators
and 25 sub-indicators representing 78.6
Rank Country
1 Newzealand
2 Swedan
3 Canada
4 US
5 Singapore

• On March 8, 2018, eleven Pacific Rim countries signed the Comprehensive and Progressive
Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Chile aimed at lowering both non-tariff and
tariff barriers to trade among signatory countries. . The eleven countries that signed the agreement
are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and
Vietnam, together represent 13.5 per cent of the global economy.
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• On March 9, 2018, Director Generals of India’ Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard
Bangladesh (BGB) declared an 8.3 km stretch covers the Gunarmath and Kalyani Border Out Posts
(BOPs) in India and the Puthkhali and Daulatpur BOPs in Bangladesh as the Indo-Bangladesh
border as a 'crime-free zone'.
• Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Summit in Mumbai by Kaspersky Labs said that
India ranks 33rd worldwide in facing web-borne threats & added that India secured 37th place
worldwide in attacks by local threats and 13th in incidents with malicious hosts located within the
country.
• On 7th to 9th March 2018, the World Ocean Summit 2018 was held in Riviera Maya, Mexico.This
was the fifth World Ocean Summit. It was hosted by the Economist Group.
Problems related to the world's seas and solutions to protect ocean resources were discussed in the
summit
• On 10th March 2018, Bolivia unveiled its 200 km long flag, which it claims to be the world’s biggest
flag.The flag extends between the cities La Paz and Oruro. It is made of blue cloth and features
Bolivian national symbols. Its width is three meters.Bolivian people held the flag as a sign of support
for Bolivia’s claim for access to the Pacific coast,which it lost to Chile in a war in the 19th century
• On 12th March 2018, the Maldives Parliament approved the anti-defection bill with retrospective
effect from 13th July 2017. As per the anti-defection bill, MPs elected on political party tickets will
lose their seat if they leave their party, get expelled, or change parties.
• India has ranked 133rd out of 156 countries in the World Happiness Report 2018.World Happiness
report is an annual report published by the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.It was
first published in 2012. Among India’s neighbouring countries, Pakistan has ranked 75th while China
has ranked 86th United States fell to 18th place from 14th last year.Burundi is at the bottom of the
World Happiness Report rankings
• World Happiness Index 2018 – Top 10 Countries:
1 Finland 6 Netherlands
2 Norway 7 Canada
3 Denmark 8 New Zealand
4 Iceland 9 Sweden
5 Switzerland 10 Australia

• On 13th March 2018, Saudi Arabia's cabinet approved the national policy of the atomic energy
program.The national policy limits all nuclear activities to peaceful purposes, within the limits drawn
by international treaties Riyadh had invited US companies to participate in developing Saudi
Arabia’s first atomic energy programme.
• On 14th March 2018, “Indian Images: People and Places”, a photo exhibition about India
was inaugurated by India's Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya in Cairo, Egypt.
at El-Sawy Cultural Center in Zamalek in Cairo, Egypt.This photo exhibition was held as a part of
the annual cultural festival 'India by the Nile'. It featured photos captured by Khaled Gawdat, an
Egyptian photographer.
• On March 14, 2018, Member-countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East
Asia Region, including India, committed to intensifying efforts to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) by
2030.This commitment was made during ‘End TB Summit’ in New Delhi.
• On March 14, 2018, US challenged Indian export subsidies schemes at the World Trade
Organisation, stating that these programmes are creating an uneven playing field and are thus
harming American manufacturers.Reference was being made to various schemes of Indian
Government including Merchandise Exports from India Scheme,etc. As per Government
data, thousands of Indian companies receive financial benefits to the tune of $7 billion annually
through these schemes.
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BANKING & FINANCE

• RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has imposed a penalty of Rs 40 lakh on SBI (State Bank of India) as
SBI failed to comply with RBI’s directions on detection and impounding of counterfeit notes,it came
to know when RBI had inspected currency chests of two SBI branches.
• Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance has partnered with Can Fin Homes for a 3
year corporate agency tie up to sell its policies to home buyers.It said that, all of its life insurance
products will be made available to customers of Can Fin Homes
• On 10th March 2018, International Solar Alliance (ISA) and African Development Bank (AfDb),
Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Green climate fund
(GCF), and New Development Bank (NDB) signed Joint financial partnership declarations. The
agreements are aimed to deepen their cooperation to support Renewable Energy.
• Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has introduced ‘Vikas She Plus’, a loan scheme for
women to help them with new ventures and for expanding or modifying their existing businesses.The
scheme offers loan up to a maximum of Rs 2 lakh. Repayment period for the loan is 60 months under
this scheme.
• Passport details of borrowers obtaining loans of Rs 50 crore and above has been made mandatory to
take immediate action in case of fraud and to prevent defaulters from escaping away from
India. Also, for all existing loans of over Rs 50 crore, banks have been mandated to obtain passport
details of borrowers within 45 days.
• As per a report ‘Transactions 2025’ released by digital payments company AGS Transact in
collaboration with ACI Worldwide, by 2025, India could witness around Rs 1 lakh crore worth of
digital transactions every year due to back of consumer demand, policy push from the government,
disruptive technology and services like taxi payments and ecommerce growth.With the increase in
digital payments, cyber security risks and the cost of managing cyber attacks will also rise to $20
billion from around $4 billion currently.
• On March 10, 2018, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and European
Investment Bank (EIB) inked a 150 million Euros loan agreement for a second line of credit (LoC)
which is for tenure of 15 years and includes a grace period of three yearsFunds procured through
LoC will be utilised for financing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in India.
• DCB Bank has launched “DCB Remit”, a remittance service to enable customers to send money
online globally.Using DCB Remit, any resident Indian can register online and send money to 20
countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, the UAE and Germany.
DCB Remit has been introduced in collaboration with Avenues Payments.
• On March 12, 2018, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) entered into an agreement
with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).IBBI and RBI will assist and co-operate with each other by
sharing of information and resources for effective implementation of the Bankruptcy Code.
• On March 12, 2018, Federal Bank announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with two
new broking partners, Celebrus Capital Ltd and Fortune Wealth Management Co India Pvt. Ltd. for
providing Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) services to Non-resident Indians (NRIs).
• India’s largest bank, State Bank of India has slashed charges for non-maintenance of Average
Monthly Balance (AMB) in savings accounts by nearly 75 per cent.Charges for Customers in Metro
and Urban centres have been reduced from a maximum of Rs 50 per month plus Goods and Services
Tax (GST) to Rs 15 plus GST per month while for Semi-Urban and Rural centres, the charges have
been reduced from Rs 40 to Rs 12 per month.
• ICICI Bank has launched instant overdraft ‘InstaOD’ facility for MSME (Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises) customers which can be availed online without visiting a branch and submitting physical
documents.The pre-qualified customers can get overdraft facility up to Rs 15 lakh for a year anytime,
anywhere using ICICI bank’s Internet and mobile banking app.
• In a bid to plug the loopholes in the trade finance activities of banks, Reserve Bank of India has
scrapped quasi bank guarantee instruments such as the Letter of Undertaking (LoU) and Letter of
Comfort (LoC). With these two instruments being discontinued, Indian Banks will rely more on
•
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letter of credit for trade purposes. Letter of Credit is comparatively more secure as it carries
transaction details such as purchase by the importer, date of issue and the material purchased.
• As per World Bank's biannual publication, India Development Update: India's Growth Story, India’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for next financial year i.e. FY 2018-19 is projected at
7.3%.and will accelerate further to 7.5% in 2019-20.For the current financial year ending March 31,
2018, Indian economy’s growth rate is expected to be 6.7%.
• On March 14, 2018, Lok Sabha passed the crucial Finance Bill 2018 and Appropriation Bill for the
next fiscal year i.e. 2018-19.Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley moved 21 amendments to the
Bill containing taxation proposals for 2018-19.The Appropriation Bill lists outspending plans for 99
government ministries and departments for the year 2018-19.These are money bills, if Rajya Sabha
does not return them to the Lok Sabha within 14 days, they would be considered as approved.
• As per World Bank’s bi-annual India Development Update, Indian goods and services tax (GST)
regime is one of the most complex with the second highest tax rate in the world among a sample of
115 countries which have a similar indirect tax system.49 countries around the world have a single
slab of GST, 28 countries have two slabs, and only five countries, including India, have four non-
zero slabs.
• First Data, a global leader in commerce-enabling technology and Indian private sector bank, RBL
Bank have entered into a partnership wherein First Data will help RBL Bank migrate their credit card
customers to its latest proprietary software providing end-to-end card processing services.On account
of this partnership, RBL Bank will be able to introduce innovative features for its clients and will be
able to scale up transactions on a secure platform.

BUSINESS

• India-China bilateral trade has reached $84.44 billion in 2017, in spite of bilateral tensions like the
Doklam issue.In 2017,India-China bilateral trade increased by 18.63% compared to the previous year
and reached $84.44 billion. The volume of bilateral trade reached $80 billion for the first time.
• On 8th March 2018, Neewee and EFLIGHT, two start-ups accelerated at Airbus Bizlab India, inked
their first contracts with Airbus and subsidiary NAVBLUE to implement their unique innovative
ideas in aerospace.Neewee has come up with a solution called procuSense. These initiatives are in
line with the government's 'Make in India' and 'Startup India' initiatives.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a total fine of nearly Rs 540 million on Jet
Airways(Rs 398.1 million), SpiceJet(Rs 51 million) and IndiGo (Rs 94.5 million) for unfair business
practices related to fixing fuel surcharge on cargo transport. This action was taken based on a
cartelisation complaint filed by Express Industry Council of India
• According to an assessment done by leading brand valuation firm, Brand Finance, Tata Consultancy
Services was named as the fastest growing IT services brand in the world.It has a total brand value of
USD 10.391 billion; a growth of 14.4 percent from last year's total of USD 9.081 billion, with an
increase of USD 1.309 billion.IBM & Accenture also took place in top 3
• On 10th March 2018, Spicejet Q400 Bombardier flight from Kolkata was the First flight to land in
Pakyong Airport Sikkim.Pakyong Airport is 32 km away from Gangtok
• On 10th March 2018, the Telangana government signed a MoU with Safran Electrical and Power
SAS for establishing an aerospace unit in Telangana.Philippe Petitcolin, CEO, Safran and Jayesh
Ranjan, Principal Secretary (industries) of Telangana government inked the MoU at an event in
Delhi. The cost for this will be Rs 52 crore
• On 12th March 2018, Nasscom along with Facebook and WeWork launched Design4India Studio in
Bengaluru, Karnataka.It is a dedicated design studio for web, mobile, augmented reality and virtual
reality platforms for start-ups and designers which aims to eliminate the gap between design and
technology by providing spaces for start-ups and designers to explore, innovate and build together.

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• On 13th March 2018, Suzlon Energy announced the installation and commissioning of S128, claimed
to be the largest wind turbine generator (WTG) in India.The first prototype of S128 has been
commissioned at Sanganeri, in Tamil Nadu.It is available in 2.6 MW to 2.8 MW
• On 13th March 2018, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry C R Chaudhary said that, a total
FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) of USD 208.99 billion has been received from April 2014 to
December 2017.The sectors that have received maximum foreign investment are services, computer
software and hardware, telecommunications, construction, trading, automobile, etc.
• Retail inflation has dipped to 4.44% in February from 5.07% in January 2018, as per data released by
Central Statistics Office on 12th March 2018. Industrial Production increased by 7.5 % in January
2018 compared to 3.5 % in January 2017. This growth is due to improvement in manufacturing
sector,which contributes 77.63% to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). It improved by 8.7 % in
January 2018 compared to 2.5 % in January 2017.
• On 14th March 2018, Boeing and TAL Manufacturing Solutions (TAL) signed a new contract to
manufacture advanced composite floor beams for Boeing's 787-9/10 Dreamliners at TAL’s facility in
Nagpur.Boeing India president Pratyush Kumar said that, Boeing provides advanced technology
support for this project with TAL

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

• On March 8,2017,Britain's Queen Elizabeth II recognised SrishtiBakshi founder of Cross Bow

Milesmovement from India as the 26th Commonwealth Point of Lightin honour for her exceptional
service to empowering women in India. She created a mobile app where people from across the
world can upload steps collected from their phone pedometers and join the campaigns 'Billion Steps
For Women' drive
• On March 11, 2018, India won the "Best Exhibitor Award" at 2018 ITB – Berlin.ITB
Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Borse Berlin) is the world's largest tourism trade fair which takes
place annually in March at the Messe Berlin, Germany.Minister of State (Independent charge) for
Tourism Mr K. J. Alphons represented India & presented a short film named "Yogi of the Racetrack"
at 2018 ITB Berlin.
• On March 10, 2018, renowned actor Amol Palekar was honoured with the ‘Godavari Gaurav’ award
along with Classical singer Pandit Satyasheel Deshpande at an event in Nashik, Maharashtra.She
received the award from noted Marathi writer Madhu Mangesh Karnik, who is the chairperson of the
Prathishthan.Palekar has given impressive performance in several films like “Gol Maal” , “Choti Si
Baat” and“Chitchor”.
• Dr Ketzia David Prakasam has been presented the "Academy Award for Nobel Peace" from the
USA.She is a philanthropist, social worker and spiritual worker & become the first Indian woman to
receive this award.She received the award from the founder Chairman of the Academy Award for
Global Peace.
• On 13th March 2018, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was awarded the International
Kochon Prize 2017 for promoting research and development (R&D) in tuberculosis treatment.ICMR
was presented a cash prize of $65,000 by the Kochon Foundation.
• An India-UK Joint Team has won the Newton-Bhabha Fund for a project on Groundwater Arsenic
Research in Ganga River Basin. The Fund is provided by the British Council. It aims to uitlise the
joint efforts of UK and Indian scientific research sectors to develop solutions for problems faced by
India in economic development and social welfare. Prof Abhijit Mukherjee will lead the project at
IIT Kharagpur
• Union Ministry of Power has been awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for successfully
implementing e-Office system in the Ministry.e-office system is part of Government of India’s
National e-Governance Programme and is aimed at improving the operational efficiency of the
Government.
• Indian film "Halkaa" has won the ‘Grand Prix de Montreal’ award at the 21st Festival International
du Film Pour Enfants de Montreal Film (FIFEM).The film was selected among seven international
children's films in the official competition of the festival held from 8th to 11th March 2018.The film
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was directed by Nila Madhab Panda. Child actor Tathastu has acted as Pichku, the lead role.
• Actor Jackie Shroff’s short film “Shunyata” has won an award at Best of India Short Film Festival in
Los Angeles, US. 'Shunyata' is short fiction film which runs for 22 minutes. It was directed by
Chintan Sarda. It was produced by Sarda and Sunil Khedekar.It received a cash prize of $1,000

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

• On March 8, 2018, Indian-origin steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta has been appointed by Britain's Prince
Charles as an official ambassador for the Industrial Cadets programme designed to nurture
manufacturing skills which currently involves more than 15,000 youngsters across the UK.
• Shri Ravi Thapar ,presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as
the nextAmbassador of India to Lebanon in succession to Smt. Nengcha L. Mukhopadhaya.
• Architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi has been named the 2018 winner of architecture's highest
honour , the Pritzker Prize announced by Tom Pritzker, chairman of the Hyatt Foundation in
Chicago. Doshi is the first Indian and the 45th laureate to receive the award. The award ceremony
will take place at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto this May.
• Prakriti has become the first woman to be directly inducted as combat officer into the ITBP (Indo-
Tibetan Border Police). ITBP women in combat roles already. But they are present in constable
ranks only. Prakriti is the first has woman officer in combat role in ITBP.
• Uber announced the appointment of Indian skipper Virat Kohli as its first brand ambassador in India,
thus embarking on a first-of-its-kind initiative across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region
• On March 10,2018 , Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu was given additional charge
of the Civil Aviation Ministry after the resignation of Ashok Gajapathi Raju of the Telugu Desam
Party (TDP).Raju and another Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Y S Chowdary had resigned from the
council of ministers
• All India Radio's News Services Division (NSD) director general Sitanshu Kar has been appointed as
the next Director General of the Union government's publicity wing, Press Information Bureau
(PIB).Kar will be replacing Frank Noronha, who took charge of the PIB in 2014.
• On 11th March 2018, the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China cleared an amendment to its
constitution that will strike out a clause restricting the term of President to two five-year terms.This
move paves way for Xi Jinping to continue as president of China beyond his term limit of 2023.
• Anjani Kumar has been made the new Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad.He is an IPS officer of
1990 batch.Kumar was the Additional DGP (Law & Order). The post of Hyderabad Police
Commissioner was vacant for the past 4 months. V.V. Srinivasa Rao has been made the Chairman of
Telangana State Level Police Recruitment Board.
• On 13th March 2018, Bidya Devi Bhandari was re-elected for a second term as President of
Nepal.She became the first woman president of Nepal in 2015. She is 56 years old.
• US President Donald Trump has nominated Gina Haspel for the position of CIA Director.
Gina Haspel was once reported to have run a secret prison in Thailand where the inmates were
allegedly subjected to harsh interrogation techniques.Donald Trump recently removed Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson and replaced him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo. He has nominated Gina
Haspel for the position of CIA Director.
• On 15th March 2018, Sangeeta Bahadur was named the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of
Belarus.Sangeeta Bahadur is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of the 1987 batch. She is at
present the Additonal Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs.
• On 15th March 2018, Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar resigned after Slovenia’s top court
invalidated the result of a government referendum.On 14th March 2018, the constitutional court

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invalidated the result of a referendum which approved a government infrastructure project. The
project was to upgrade transport links to Koper port on the Adriatic coast.
• On 15th March 2018, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha
from Himachal Pradesh for a second term. JP Nadda was the only candidate who filed nomination
for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh.
• On 14th March 2018, Nepal's Chief Justice Gopal Parajuli was removed from his post by Nepal's
Judicial Council for providing fake date of birth in order to remain longer in office.
• Larry Kudlow has been named the new chief economic advisor to US President Donald Trump.Larry
Kudlow replaces Gary Cohn who already worked as Donald Trump's informal economic adviser
during the 2016 campaign.
• On 13th March 2018, HSBC appointed Pradeep Rao as its head of corporates for South-east Asia for
global banking he will work on strategic dialogue with HSBC’s important clients in South-east
Asia.He was previously HSBC's managing director of Asia-Pacific consumer and retail sector.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• An international team of scientists from the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) in Austria,
Harvard University in Massachusetts, and Rice University in Texas,have provided the first proof of
an exotic new state of matter, known as Rydberg polarons which basically involves making use of
the space between the electron and the nucleus inside an atom, enough to fit other atoms inside.This
is Published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
• On the occasion of International Women's Day, March 8,the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME) launched a portal for women entrepreneurs of India “www.udyamsakhi.org”
which is unveiled by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of MSME, Giriraj Singh
• On 11th March 2018, Russia announced that, it successfully launched the high-precision Kinzhal
(Dagger) missile hypersonic missile from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet from an airfield in the
South Military District in southwest Russia.The Speed of Kinzhal is 10 times the speed of sound
• The Odisha forest department has launched an app to track and fight forest fires during summer,
recently & Whatsapp group named 'Forest Fire Alert' has been formed for sharing information on
tracking, preventing and fighting forest fires between forest officials and local people who help the
forest officials.
• Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has undertaken development of a
coded drug AYUSH QOL-2C for enhancing the quality of life of cancer patients. Clinical studies on
breast cancer patients was done at St. John’s Medical College, Bengaluru and AIIMS, New
Delhi. Studies on lung cancer patients was performed at Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital and
Research Centre, Jaipur.

ENVIRONMENT

• A new species of Himalayan moth named “Eucyclodes gavissima” has been discovered in Papikonda
National Park, Andhra Pradesh.An announcement regarding this was made by Anant Shankar,
Divisional Forest Officer (wildlife), at a workshop on butterflies in Andhra Pradesh.

SPORTS

• Indian junior archers bagged three gold and three bronze medals to finish their Asia Cup Archery
Stage 1 campaign.
Medals Archers
Gold 1.Promila Daimary defeated Natalia Erdynieva of Russia (Womens recurve individual)
2. Akash, Gora Ho and Gaurav Lambe defeated Mongolia's Adiyasuren Baasankhuu,
Otgonbold Baatarkhuyag and Gantugs Jantsan(Indian Trio)
3. Muskan Kirar(women's compound individual section)

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Bronze 1. Madhu Vedwan

2. Muskan Kirar
• Minerva Punjab FC beat Churchill Brothers FC 1-0 to win their maiden I-League title on Thursday at
the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula. They will now represent India in the 2019 AFC Champions
League preliminary play-offs.
• On 8th March 2018, India B team won the Deodhar Trophy 2017-18 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket
Association Stadium in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.India B team defeated Karnataka team by six
wickets Man of the Match: Ravikumar Samarth. Ravikumar Samarth of Karnataka team
• On 10th March 2018, Australia won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2018 title, in Malaysia.
Position Country
1 Australia
2 England
3 Argentina
4 Malaysia
5 India
• International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup was held in Guadalajara, Mexico from
1st to 12th March, 2018.India topped the medal tally at ISSF Shooting World Cup by winning four
gold, one silver and three bronze.
Shooter Category Medal
Shahzar Rizvi 10m Air Pistol Men’s Event Gold
Manu Bhaker 10m Air Pistol Women’s Event Gold
Akhil Sheoran Men's 50m Rifle 3 Position Gold
Om Prakash Mitharval & Manu Bhaker 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Title Gold
Anjum Moudgil Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions Silver
Jitu Rai 10m Air Pistol Men’s Event Bronze
Ravi Kumar Men’s 10m Air Rifle Event Bronze
Mehuli Ghosh & Deepak Kumar 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Event Bronze
• On 11th March 2018,Senior National triathlon championship held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh. The triathlon event consisted of 1.5 km of swimming, 40 km of cycling and 10 km of the
run.
Category Name Medal
Men’s Bishworjit Singh Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) Gold
KSH Minachandra(SSCB) Silver
L Mahesh(Manipur) Bronze
Women’s Samira Abraham(Goa) Gold
Pragna Mohan(Gujarat) Silver
Monika Nagpure(Gujarat) Bronze
• Navjot Kaur has become world No 2 in the women's 65kg category in the latest rankings released by
the United World Wrestling.Navjot Kaur recently became the first Indian woman to win a gold
medal at the Asian Championship in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The first position in 65kg category is
occupied by Petra Olli of Finland. However, Navjot Kaur and Petra Olli both have 18 points.
• Odisha will host the 80th Senior National Table Tennis Championships in Cuttack after 12 long
years.Earlier, Odisha had hosted Senior National Table Tennis Championships in 2001 and 2006. It
was decided at the 81st AGM (Annual General Meeting) of the Table Tennis Federation of India
(TTFI), conducted recently in Gurugram.
• On 11th March 2018, Anindith Reddy was presented the 'FMSCI National MotorSports Person of the
Year 2017’ award at a function held in Chennai. FIA world motor sport council member Gautam
Singhania and FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India) president Akbar Ebrahim handed
over the award to Anindith Reddy. KD Madan, a former FMSCI president and K1000 champion, was
presented the FMSCI Lifetime Achievement Award.

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OBITUARY

• Shivaji Dasgupta, a doyen of Indian broadcasting & chartered accountant by profession,passed away
on February 26, but his death came to light only on Tuesday. In 2012, East Bengal Club honoured
him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. He became the first Indian commentator to cover a
football match from abroad when he commentated on India’s matches in AFC Asian Cup Finals
from Singapore in 1984
• South Korean badminton player Chung Jae-sung, who won bronze in the men's doubles at the
London Olympics, has died at the age of 35, the Korea Badminton Association.
Pyarelal Wadali,Sufi Singer who was the younger brother of Puran Chand Wadali of the Wadali
Brothers fame, died in a hospital due to cardiac arrest in Amritsar.
• UK’s pioneering geneticist Sir John Sulston has died.He was professor and chairman of the Institute
of Science, Ethics and Innovation at the University of Manchester.He was awarded the Nobel Prize
for medicine or physiology in 2002.He founded the Sanger Institute - then called the Sanger Centre -
at Hinxton, near Cambridge
• Maharashtra senior Congress leader Patangrao Kadam passed away in Lilavati hospital in
Mumbai.He was known as a staunch Congressman.He founded the Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed
University, an educational empire.He was also served as chairman of the Maharashtra State Road
Transport Corporation (MSRTC).
• On 10th March 2018, Ranjan Roy, a senior journalist, died after suffering from cancer, in New
Delhi.He was the chief of Times News Network (TNN). He was also a member of TNN’s national
editorial board.In 1982, he started his career with Press Trust of India (PTI) in New Delhi as a
trainee.
• On 11th March 2018, comedian Ken Dodd died after suffering from chest infection.90 years old Ken
Dodd was well known for his very long stand-up shows.He was a popular singer. His popular works
are "Happiness" and "Tears".
• On 13th March 2018, Begum Hamida Habibullah, former Uttar Pradesh minister, died at the age of
102 due to a long term illness at her home in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She was a former Rajya Sabha
member.
• On 11th March 2018, Ch Kamalamma, a Communist leader, passed away after suffering from old
age-related ailments, at a private hospital in Telangana.She is also a freedom fighter
• On 14th March 2018, renowned British Scientist Stephen Hawking passed away at his residence in
Cambridge, ‎England.Stephen Hawking was 76 years old. He was well known for his work on black
holes and relativity.He had also written several science books such as A Brief History of Time. He
was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease when he was 22 years old.
• On 12th March 2018, Jayendra Nath Chaturvedi, first Commissioner of Delhi Police during the 1978
to 1980 period and former Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police, died in Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh.Jayendra Nath Chaturvedi is a 1951 batch officer. He served as Chairman of the Uttar
Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC).
• On 14th March 2018, Bollywood actor Narendra Jha died due to a massive heart attack at his
farmhouse in Maharashtra.He was 55 years old.Some of his popular works are: Haider, Kaabil,
Mohenjo Daro, Ghayal Once Again, Raees, etc.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

• On 9th March 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind, received the first copy of the book ‘Fulfilling
Bapu’s Dreams – Prime Minister Modi’s Tribute to Gandhiji’ from Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, who
launched it at an event in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

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IMPORTANT DAYS

• International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year.It was suggested by the 1910
International Socialist Woman's Conference to become an "International Woman's Day."The theme
for International Women's Day 2018 was chosen as - 'Time is Now: Rural and urban activists
transforming women’s lives'.Some Initiative on womens day are
 South Central Railway (SCR), Guntakal division, chose Chandragiri railway station near
Tirupati as the “all-women railway station”.
 NITI Aayog launched the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)
 Delhi High Court Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal becomes the first woman from the field of
law and justice to be conferred the 'Nari Shakti Puraskar', India's highest civilian honour for
women.
 Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurates DoPT Workshop on International Women’s Day on the theme
of “Women Empowerment, Opportunities and Challenges.”
• World Kidney Day is celebrated annually throughout the world on the second Thursday of
March The theme of World Kidney Day 2018 is "Kidneys And Women's Health: Include, Value,
Empower". The celebration was initiated by the joint committee of "International Society of
Nephrology and International Federation of Kidney Foundations" and was first observed by 66
countries in 2006.
• On 11th March 2018, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) celebrated its 33rd Inception Day at
Mahipalpur, New Delhi & it releases “Citizen Services” Mobile App,which is launched by Rajiv
Jain, Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB).The app used for Complaint Registration & Status Check,
View FIR Detail, SOS – Stay Safe, Locate Police Stations, Vahan-Samanvay, Emergency Contact
List, Police Stations Telephone Directory etc
• Less Traffic Day was observed in Bengaluru for the second time on 11th March 2018. The first Less
Traffic Day was observed on 11thFebruary 2018.It was planned by Karnataka Transport Minister HM
Revanna. This has been initiated to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion.
• On 15th March 2018, World Consumer Rights Day was observed all over the world. World
Consumer Rights Day was inspired by President John F Kennedy.The first World Consumer Rights
Day was celebrated in 1983.Theme: “Making Digital Marketplaces Fairer”

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