Current Affairs One liners : March 1st week : Feb 27 – Mar 05

Current Affairs One liners : March 1st week :

Feb 27 – Mar 05

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

1. Jharkhand to ban polythene bags soon.
2. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das his government would soon impose a ban on use of polythene bags in the State.
3. Jharkhand CM. Mr. Raghubar Das signed an MoU worth over 63 crore with Jamshedpur Utility Services Company (Jusco), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Tata Steel, for the two projects
4. The Haryana government has set up an online system for Panipat to monitor the sex ratio in the district as part of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme.
5. The Centre is considering a proposal each from Telangana and Uttar Pradesh for setting up a ‘dedicated cargo airport’, to be built in northern Hyderabad.
6. The world’s largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal may set up a solar farm on land allotted to it for the proposed 6 MT Karnataka with a captive 750 MW power plant at an investment of 5 billion.
7. The architectural history and the heritage of Rashtrapati Bhavan has been documented in a series of books, which will soon be available in an online series.
8. Addressing the nation in the 29th edition of radio programme ‘Mann ki Baat’, PM Narendra Modi said that under the Digi Dhan Yojana,10 lakh peoplewere rewarded
9. Chandigarh might face total liquor ban from April 1
10. Belowpoverty line andabove poverty line families in Karnataka will not get their monthly ration under the Public Distribution System (PDS) from April 1.
11. All popular colas banned at 300-odd railway stations by the Western Central Railways of India.
12. INS Viraat, Guinness world record and the second aircraft carrier in the Indian naval fleet, will be decommissioned on March 6.
13. Radhanagar beach in the Andamanshas been ranked the world’s 8th best in Trip Advisor’s ‘World’s Travellers Choice Award-Winning Beaches’.
14. Thiruvananthapuramhas been ranked first among the 21 Indian cities for urban governance parameters, according to the latest survey byJanaagraha Centrefor Citizenship and Democracy. Chandigarh was ranked the lowest.
15. India and Israelcelebrated 25 years of establishmentof their diplomatic relations established in 1992.  Israel is also a major contributor of defence technology to India.
16. India’s first integrated heliportto reduce congestion at the Delhi airport was built by Pawan Hans Ltd, with the parking capacity of 16 helicoptersand 9 parking bays.
17. The first manufacturing line under the Britannia-Chipita joint ventureis set to begin production in Tamil Nadufrom early next year with an 90-crore investment.
18. The Delhi Governmenthas extended the mid-day meal scheme for girls up to class 12, making it the first state worth Rs.50 crore
19. World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgievapaid a visit to Asia’s largest slum Dharavi in Mumbai. She also travelled in a local train from Churchgate to Dadar.
20. The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to launch an airline, named after the state’s capital Amaravathi upcoming city and boost the state’s aviation sector.
21. The railways will soon move towards Aadhaar-based online ticketing systemand made mandatory for senior citizensto avail concessions in train tickets from April 1^st.
22. Online travel company comhas signed an agreement with the Madhya Pradeshgovernment to jointly promote home-stays in the state. They also signed agreements with the Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat governments.

23. The Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK) started its first cashless transaction services at District Hospital Pulwama.
24. The Assam Cabinet’s decision to introduce Sanskrit as a compulsory subject till Class VIIIhas evoked sharp criticism from students’ organizations.
25. Hyderabadand the S.- based VSoft Technologies, which is in an expansion mode, is planning to set up a software development centre in Amaravati, which allotted a 1,882- square feet area of land in the IT Park.
26. The Wildlife Institute of India(WII)and Gujarat forest department will soon begin the first ever joint survey to ascertain the exact population of dugongs (“sea cow”).
27. The Gujarat state government has estimated that 78 lakh affordable housesare needed in the state. The recent state budget allocated Rs 1,340 crorefor the various housing schemes.
28. Haryana Governmenthas decided to expand the network ofdialysis centres in the State, so as to provide the facility of dialysis to the patients at only Rs 959.
29. Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet naming of  Gannavaram  Airport  as  NTR  Amaravati Airport and Tirupati Airport as Sri Venkateswara Airport.
30. India’s national carrier airline Air India ‘AI 173’– the world’s longest all womenoperated and supported flight took the non-stop Delhi – San Francisco route, successfully covering 14,600 kilometres,  was covered in 17 hours.
31. India will have the world’s largest Muslim populationby 2050, according to US-based Pew Research Center. Islamis currently the fastest-growingmajor religion in the world.
32. The AAP governmenthas tied up with as many as 41 private hospitalsin Delhi to facilitate 30 types of surgeries free of cost for patients referred by the national capital’s government hospitals.
33. Cook-cum-helpersworking under the midday meal schemeas well as the student beneficiaries will now be required to have an Aadhaar card to avail the facility with the HRD Ministry.
34. The Indian Navy will set up meteorological facilitiesand impart trainingto the Myanmar Navy, to boost strategic cooperation under the ‘Act East’ policy and will help offset increasing Chinese presence in its neighbourhood.
35. Goods and Services Tax (GST), gave its formal approval to the Central GST and Inter-State GST laws, with the Compensation Law already having been approved during the previous meeting on February 18.
36. The Ministry of IT and Electronics, programmeto train small and medium sized traders will conduct 30 state workshops and 100 Digi Dhan campaigns.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

1. Fifth Harmony star Normani Kordei has been named a global ambassador for the American CancerSociety.
2. Iran’s Navyhas test fired the latest versions of theNasir and Dehlaviyeh missiles during military exercises in the Gulf.
3. EU member states approve visa-free travel for Georgia
4. China will build itsfirst long-term underwater observation platformin resource-rich South China Sea,
5. Oman, to conduct their second bilateral exercise, Al Nagah-II 2017, in March with a focus on counter-terrorism which would be held in the Dhauladhar Ranges at Baklohin Himachal Pradesh
6. China has lifted 4 millionpeople out of poverty last year. China has to lift 10 million peopleout of poverty every year till 2020.
7. Saudi Arabia’s King Salmanheld talks with Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo and signed a range of cooperation agreements at the beginning of a 12-day visit, the first by a Saudi monarch in nearly five decades.
8. India is set to participate in the meeting of Permanent Indus Commission, scheduled to be held in Lahore in March to resolve Indus water treaty.
9. Pakistansucceeded in getting its official electedto the post of the Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
10. India’s border shared with Bangladeshhas been fenced. The aim of the projectis to curb infiltration and smuggling of cattle and fake Indian currency notes.
11. Swedenannounced that it will reintroducecompulsory military service starting this summer to respond to global security challenges, including from
12. China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC), the China National Space Administration (CNSA) successfully flew its first Kaituozhe-2 rocket.
13. A total of 52 billion US dollarhas been pledged as foreign investment during the Nepal Investment Summit-2017held in the Capital on March 2.
14. Australia introduces world’s first cyber crime university course, to train intelligence analysts to fight cyber crime.
15. Indiahas recognised thattrade and investment pacts with Canada in health and safety as well as protecting cultural diversity.
16. Chinawill raise defence spending “around 7%”this year as its disputed regional territorial claims in an apparent reference to Washington.
17. Iran’sadvanced S-300 air defence system, delivered by Russiafollowing a July 2015 nuclear deal after years of delay, is now operational.
18. Chinainvited India to participate in the Belt and Road connectivity initiative, and not allowing specific differences on counterterrorism to cloud the growing relationship.
19. Bangladesh’snew child marriage lawthat has a special provision allowing marriage of minors has raised new concerns in the country highest child marriage rates in Asia.

BANKING & BUSINESS

1. Microsoft opens a cyber security centre in Mexico, by opening this Cyber Security Center, they offer protection from attacks and security risks,
2. National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has lowered the country’s growth forecast to 9 per cent, NCAER had projected a growth rate of 7.6 per cent for 2016-17.
3. Oxford Dictionaries add ‘clicktivism’ and ‘haterade’ as new words for angry times
4. Dena Bankhas introducedRFID-enabled banking cards whereby a branch/relationship manager can identify a valued client.
5. Government-run Air Indiahas put into operation its newly-leasedAirbus A320 Neowith its maiden flight arriving in Chennai from New Delhi.
6. Mobile subscribers ofIndia’s largest telecom operator Bharti Airtelare in for a far simpler roaming experience when they travel within and outside the country from April
7. Paytm E-Commerceannounced the introduction of its newPaytm Mall application on Android.
8. SEBIplans to tighten the regulationsfor algorithmic trading to minimize instances of misuse of such systems that can be used to execute complex trading strategies at a very high speed.
9. About20%of all spam emails in the fourth quarter of last year distributed ransom-ware Trojans.
10. L&T InfraDebt Fund (L&T IDF),a refinancing unit, is raising aboutRs 2,500 crore through debentures to provide liquidity for road and renewable energy projects.
11. Ministry of electronics and information technologywants all bank accounts to be internet-enabled by March 31after ‘phenomenal success’ of the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app.
12. Reliance Jio Infocomm(Jio) has partnered with Ciscoto further expand its Jio platform with 100 million customers.
13. Lender to small industries SIDBI signed an agreement with Capital Small Finance Bank (CSFB)to enable it to provideloans known as ‘SMILE’ at a concessional rate to
14. GIFT Cityhas signed a pact with Dubai International Financial Centre. This will enableboth organisations to “share exchange of information on banking, financial service and securities, enhancing mutual development of the centres”.
15. Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insuranceexpanded its online product suitwith the launch ofiSelect term plan meant for family protection.
16. The Central Statistics Office (CSO)has kept its January estimate for growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016-17unchanged at 1%.
17. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report, forecast a growth rate of 3% for 2017-18and 7.7% for 2018-19.
18. L&T arm signs five-year pact with Shell Global for providing construction management services for Shell projects in Middle East, South-East Asia and India.
19. Mukesh Ambaniled Reliance Jiohas collaborated with electronics giant Samsung to further improve its quality of LTE (4G) services in India.
20. India’s largest e-commerce marketplace Flipkarthas witnessed yet another
21. mark-downfrom one of its largest mutual fund investor Morgan Stanley, with the valuation of Flipkart at $5.37 billion.
22. Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be implemented from July 1, 2017.
23. HDFC, ICICI, Axis banks will now charge up to Rs 150 after 4 free transactions a month:
24. The “non-exclusive”licensing agreement for armour applications was signed between the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), the Hyderabad-based laboratory of the DRDO and the JSHL.
25. Airtel counters Reliance Jio -To bring 5G internet & IoT in partnership with Nokia the company, 5G technologywill dramatically improve peak data speeds.
26. World Bank offers over $1-billion loan to Maharashtra over the next 2-3 years.
27. Reliance General Insurance, a bancassurancetie-up with Catholic Syrian Bank will offer its general insurance products to 5 million customer branches in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
28. Germany-based global chemicalsmajor BASFwill invest Rs.21,000 crore between2017-2021 in the Asia Pacific Region to build new capacities. “India will get a fair share of it investment
29. ICICI Bankhit the overseas debt marketwith a $500-million dollar-denominated bond issue and is expected to close the 5.5-year issue.
30. Essar Steelhas forayed into high-growth defence manufacturing sector. The estimated expenditure in defence sector is more than the$200 billion over the next five years.
31. GAIL signs time-swap deal with Swiss trader Gunvor to sell US LNG:
32. GAIL(India) Ltd has signed a time-swap dealwith Swiss trader Gunvor to sell some of its S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), as the Indian firm tries to ease the burden of its costly foreign LNG supplies.
33. India’s Tata Sonswill split a dispute settlement payment of $1.18 billionowed to NTT DoCoMo over the Japanese firm’s exit from a telecoms joint venture, leaving it with about two-thirds of the amount to invest in India,
34. Google Indiaand Telanganagovernment have signed a MoU aimed at supporting the digitization efforts of the state.
35. Telecom giant Vodafonehas launched a programme ‘ReConnect’ to bring on board women professionals on a career break across 26 countries.
36. Taxi–hailing app Olasigned an agreement with the Madhya Pradesh Governmentto train about 25,000 people. It is part of Ola’s target of skilling 50 lakh drivers by 2020.
37. Reddy’s Laboratories announced that it has acquired 100 per cent stakein Imperial Credit Private Ltd, a Kolkata–based non– banking Finance company.
38. Bharti Airteland Millicom International Cellularwhere Airtel and Millicom would have equal ownership and governance rights in Ghana in the combined entity.
39. Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coal India,approved the buy-back of equity sharesnot exceeding Rs.1,001 crore in value.
40. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation’splan for a cross country pipeline to move LPG receivedon the west coast to bottling plants over 600 km away  has hit a roadblock with GAIL.

APPOINTMENTS:

1. Ex-Labor Secretary Perez of Democratic National Committee (DNC) elected former Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.
2. Gopal Baglay assumes charge as new MEA spokesperson of the Indian foreign ministry. Baglay has served as the deputy high commissioner to Islamabad.
3. Hockey India officially confirmed Dutchman Marijne Sjoerd as the new women’s coach, succeeding Neil Hawgood in the role for a period of four years.
4. Lt. General Bobby Mathews retires; commissioned into 2 KUMAON in 1978,he was
5. an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla.
6. Deepakwas named India’snext Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) from June this year
7. Finance ministry official Ajay Tyagitook over as  SEBI Chairmanwith two likely priorities – developing the country’s commodity and corporate bond markets and shoring up corporate governance.
8. Wrestler Kripa Shankar Patel Bishnoi, ‘Dangal coach’ becomes international referee for the United World Wrestling (UWW).
9. West Indiesbatsman Dwayne Smithhas announced his retirement from all International Cricket His last West Indies appearance came at the 2015 World Cup.
10. Remarkable Israel’s Tennis Player Shahar Peer retires :
11. Shahar Peer, world number 11 and Israel’s most successful women’s tennis player announced her retirement because of a chronic shoulder injury.
12. Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijalas transferred Women and Child Development SecretaryDilraj Kaur.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. Scientists have created athree-dimensional (3D)organ-on-a-chip that can mimic the heart’s amazing biomechanical properties
2. Mappingall the proteins found in thedolphin genome could pave the way for finding a new way to treat some common diseases that affect humans
3. SpaceX to send two people around the moon who paid for a 2018 mission
4. Japanese scientists develop a new flexible material which is tougher than steel.
5. Scientists have for the first timefound evidence of a Tatooine-like rocky planetary system in the Star Wars series about 1,000 light-years away by researchers at University College London (UCL) in the UK.
6. For the first time, scientists have detected a giant neuronwrapped around the entire circumference of a mouse’s brain.
7. UK-based scientists have invented a super-material that bends, shapes and focuses sound waves that pass through it.
8. American businessman Dennis Titopaid 133 crore ($20 million) becoming the world’s first orbital space tourist. .
9. US-based researchers have used lightfor the first time to monitor a patient’s blood in real-time, to prevent fatal blood clottingduring heart surgeries.
10. DRDOsuccessfully carried out a test of an interceptor missile – endo-atmospheric missile, which can intercept missiles at ranges of 15-30 km, launched from the Abdul Kalam Islandoff the Odisha coast
11. Frogshave a unique ability to see colour even when it is so dark that humans are not able to see anything at all, a new study has found by Lund Universityin Sweden
12. NASA’s orbiting Hubble Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers has deduced in unprecedented detail the distributions of dark matter within three clusters of galaxies.
13. The DRDOformally handed over an indigenously developed Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) systemcalled ‘Swati’ to the Army.
14. Kalvari, the firstof the Scorpion submarinesbeing built in India, successfully conducted its maiden test-firing of an anti-ship missile in the Arabian Sea.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

1. The world’s first robot table tennis tutor FORPHEUS in Japan has set a new Guinness World Record for its uncanny ability of being able to play the game better than most humans.
2. Meghalaya’sroot-bridgehas been nominated for the prestigious National Innovation Foundation award
3. Padmakar Shivalkar, Rajinder Goel and Shantha Rangaswamy is the first women to get C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award of BCCI.
4. Japan’s Masako Wakamiyahas created her first app ‘Hinadan’ for iPhone at the age of 81.
5. Singer Rihanna has been honoured with the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year for her work in hernative island of Barbados.
6. Jawaharlal Nehru University has bagged Visitor’s Award for Best University of 2017.
7. Sri Lankawon the “Most Popular Tourism Destination Award”at the Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF) in China.
8. (i) Best Animated Feature– ‘Zootopia’ by Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer(ii) Best Animated Short Film– ‘Piper’ by Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer
   (iii) Best Foreign Language Film – ‘The Salesman’ by Asghar Farhadi
   (iv) Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Viola Davis for ‘Fences’
   (v) Best Documentary Feature – Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow for ‘O J: Made In America’.(vi) Best Song, Best score, Best cinematography, Best production design – La La Land

SPORTS

1. Saina Nehwal would join the BWF Athletes’ Commission as an IOC AC representative.
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s brace wins League Cup for Manchester United
3. Husna Sameera, a sixteen-year-old girl from Hyderabad created a Guinness record along with 22-year-old Allada Pavan for the “longest carrom playing marathon.
4. Kalinga Lancers beat Dabang Mumbai to clinch maiden Hockey India League title by defeating Dabang Mumbai in the final.
5. Ankur Mittal strikes silver and Jitu along with Heena win gold in test event for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
6. Austrian Dominic Thiem secured his eighth professional title win over Pablo Carreno Busta in the final of the Rio Open.
7. Anirban Lahiri finishes T-11 at Honda Classic, Fowler secures 4-shot win
8. India Test skipper Virat Kohli has been named ‘Captain of the Year’ at the 10th annual ESPNcricinfo Awards.
9. Mohamed Hussamuddin Wins Silver at 68th Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament
10. Military teams from around the globe are participating in the World Winter Games being held in the southern Russian city of Sochi.
11. Jitu Rai won India’s third medalin the ongoing ISSF World Cup in New Delhiwhen he clinched a bronze medal in the 10-metre air pistol
12. Indian shuttlers Tarun Kona and AlwinFranciswon the men’s doubles gold at the 2017 Uganda International Series.
13. Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapovahas been given a wildcard to play in the Italian Openin May, after completing a 15-month ban for doping.
14. Former FIFA executive committee member Amos Adamuhas received a second ban for unethical conduct.
15. Jitu Rai wins gold in 50m pistol, Amanpreet Singh settles for silver at ISSF World Cup:
16. Virat Kohlihas been named India’s best international cricketerof the year by the BCCI, making him the first player to win the top honour three times.
17. Roger Federer defeated by world number 116 Evgeny Donskoyin the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Championships.
18. Angad Vir Singh Bajwawon the mixed skeet bronze medalwith Haley Dunn of the USA, at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad.
19. Six-time Olympic medallistand former World champion Kimberly Rhode wonthe gold with Hayden Stewart.
20. Argentine football greatDiego Maradonaappointed as a national football advisor in China.
21. Keith Thurmanbeat Danny Garciaand holding on to add the WBC welterweight title to his WBA championship.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS:

1. Punjab Congresschief Amarinder Singh’sbiography, ‘The People’s Maharaja’, was released, biography authored by Chandigarh-based writer Khushwant Singh.
2. ‘Number Do Die’is a book written by former Indian cricketerAakash Chopra based on ‘Impact Index Analytics’ of three eminent personalities.

OBITUARY

1. Hollywood actor Bill Paxton, best known for his roles in such blockbusters as Apollo 13 and Titanic, has died at the age of 61
2. Neil Fingleton, Game of Thrones star and UK’s tallest man, dies aged 36
3. Welsh rugby international Elli Norkett dies in road accident. Miss Norkett, 20, from Llandarcy, Neath, had been the youngest player in the 2014 Rugby World Cup.
4. Taarak Mehta, the popular Gujarati columnist, humorist and playwright, passed away at the age of
5. Former Union Minister P Shivshankar, an influential Congress leader passed away in Hyderabad Shivshankar served as a judge in the then Andhra Pradesh High Court.
6. FormerEnglandbatsman and Test umpire JohnHampshire made history on his Test debut by becoming the first Englishman to score a century at Lord’s stadium, dies.
7. Former France footballgreat Raymond Kopa, who won three consecutive European Cups has died at the age of 85 is one of four French playersto have won the Ballon d’Or award.
8. Paula Fox, a prize-winning authorwho created high art out novels such as Poor George and Desperate Characters has died at age 93. Fox was singer CourtneyLove’s grandmother.
9. Haiti’s former President Rene Preval, an agronomist and champion of the poor who served two terms as the country’s leader, died. He was 74.
10. Former IFS and MP Syed Shahabuddin who had strongly opposed the demolition of the Babri Masjidand was the leader of the Babri Action Committee dies.

Important Days

1. National and International Polar Bear Day celebrated on February 27^th
2. National Science Dayis celebrated all over India with great enthusiasm on28^th of February. The theme this year is ‘Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons’.
3. Zero Discrimination Day celebrated March 1.The theme of this year’s Zero Discrimination Day is “make some noise”.
4. World Wildlife Day –March 3. Theme: “Listen to the young voices”.
5. National Defence Day – March 3. This day is commemorated with flag unfurling function being world’s largest and tallest Indian Tricolour was unfurled at Town Park
6. National Safety Day/Weekis a celebrated from 4^thof March to 10^th of March  National Safety Day/week theme of 2017 is “Keep Each Other Safe”.