DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: MARCH 13, 2019 -

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: MARCH 13, 2019

Dear Aspirants,

Daily Current Affairs (March 13, 2019) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

DDC sets up a High-Level Committee to Reform Higher Education in Delhi :

The Delhi government’s Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC), a think-tank that advises the government on key issues, has set up a 17-member high-level committee to “reform higher education” in the capital. The committee will be chaired by DDC vice-chairperson Jasmine Shah.
The committee will “recommend goals, metrics, policies, and actionable plans for reforming Delhi’s higher education system within a year”.

Erode turmeric gets GI tag after an 8-year process :

Erode turmeric (of Tamil Nadu) finally got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indication Registry after an eight-year-long process.
The Erode Manjal Vanigargal Matrum Kidangu Urimaiyalargal Sangham applied for the GI tag in January, 2011, at the office of the Deputy Registrar of GI Registry in Chennai.
A Geographical Indication is a name or sign used on certain products that correspond to a specific geographical location or origin.

India’s first LGBTQ clinic and HIV treatment centre inaugurated in Mumbai :

The first HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) treatment centre and holistic clinic for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) by Humsafar trust in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The centre will also offer Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) which is a HIV medicine to treat infection.

PM Modi & Sheikh Hasina, jointly unveil e-plaques for development projects in Bangladesh :

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, jointly unveiled e-plaques for development projects in Bangladesh, through video conference.
The National Knowledge Network will connect scholars and research institutes in Bangladesh to India and the world.

INTERNATIONAL

4th Internet of Things India Congress To Be Held In Bengaluru :

The Internet of Things (IoT) India Congress(4th), an event which will see digital technology leaders converge to discuss and explore business opportunities in mainstreaming IoT, will be held in Bengaluru.
The IoT India Congress 2019 will include tracks on segments such as healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, smart cities, energy, retail, cybersecurity, skills and development, IoT Standards, legal and regulatory, and agriculture.

India and Saudi Arabia plan to revive the USD 44 bn West Coast refinery project in Maharashtra :

In a meeting between Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his Saudi counterpart and the chairman of Saudi Aramco,Khalid A Al-Falih, in New Delhi, it was decided that India and Saudi Arabia will revive and expedite the implementation of USD 44 billion West Coast refinery project in Maharashtra, in which Saudi Aramco will be holding a considerable stake.
Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) had formed a joint venture with Indian state-run oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) — to hold 50% stake in Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals (RRPCL).

WHO releases the Global Influenza Strategy 2019-2030 :

World Health Organization released a Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030 aimed at protecting people in all countries from the threat of influenza, one of the world’s greatest public health challenges.
The aim of the strategy is to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans, and prepare for the next influenza pandemic.

BANKING & ECONOMY

Sebi lifts foreign investment cap in corporate bonds :

In accordance with a circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India Markets regulator, Sebi withdrew the 20 per cent limit on investments by Foreign Portfolio Investors in corporate bonds of an entity.
In June 2018, Sebi had mandated that no Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) shall have an exposure of more than 20% of its corporate bond portfolio to a single corporate.

Bank of Baroda : one of the first PSBs to launch creche/day-care facility for employees’ children :

Bank of Baroda has become one of the first public sector banks to launch a crèche/child day-care facility for children of its employees.The bank will bear 60% of the cost incurred every month and rest 40% will be borne by the parents.
The day-care facility has been launched at its Mumbai corporate office in Bandra Kurla Complex and is being mulled further on being implemented at the head office in Vadodara, Gujarat.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Raghuram Rajan received Yaswantrao Chavan National Award :

Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan was awarded the ‘Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2018‘ for his contribution towards economic development
This is to infer the 106th birth anniversary of late Yashwantrao Chavan, the first chief minister of Maharashtra.

APPOINTMENTS

Former IAS officer C Lalsawta Sworn In As Mizoram’s 1st Lokayukta Chairman :

C Lalsawta was sworn-in as the first Chairman of the newly-constituted Lokayukta in Mizoram,who was the retired IAS Officer.
He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the newly appointed Mizoram governor Jagdish Mukhi in a swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Aizawl.
Chief Minister Zoramthanga, other ministers, Mizoram Assembly Speaker Lalrinliana Sailo, legislators and senior officials were present on the occasion.

STATIC : Mizoram

CM: Zoramthanga

Capital: Aizawl

Axis Bank appoints Rakesh Makhija as non-executive Chairman :

Private sector lender Axis Bank has appointed Rakesh Makhija as its non-executive chairman for a term of 3 years, with effect from July 18 by replacing Sanjiv Misra , whose term as the bank’s non-executive chairman.

SPORTS

Mumbai sailor Upamanyu Dutta clinches bronze in Asian regatta :

Mumbai sailor Upamanyu Dutta bagged the bronze medal in the Laser Standard race for men in the Laser Asian Sailing which concluded in Singapore.
Nethra Kumanan of Chennai achieved a creditable 4th position in the Laser Radial event for women.
The young sailor sailed superbly to gain India’s first ever medal in the competitive single-handed Laser Standard category.
Dutta aggregated a total of 56 points to finish behind Thailand’s Keerati Bualong (28 points) and Nicholas Bezy (47 points) of Hong Kong.

OBITUARY

U.S. Olympic medalist Kelly Catlin dies at age 23 :

Kelly Catlin, who had thrice been the world champion and had been a member of the U.S. women’s pursuit team that won silver in 2016 Rio Olympics died at Stanford University in the age of 23. She belonged to Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States.