DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: MARCH 14, 2018

NATIONAL

PM Modi launches number of schemes for poor in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a number of schemes for the poor in Varanasi and laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth over Rs. 800 crore in Varanasi.

He flagged off a new train – Kanshi-Patna Jan Shatabdi Express – between Varanasi and Patna.

The Prime Minister also announced Ayushman Bharat scheme to ensure better healthcare facilities for the poor and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Mission Yojana to ensure nutrition to children, especially girls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Constituency: Varanasi Lok Sabha


Govt honours best investigators of crime

The government has decided to award best investigation of crime, for promoting high professional standards among police forces.

The award – ‘Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Police Investigation’ – will be given to the best investigators of police forces.

Out of total 162 medals, 137 will be for the states and Union territories and 25 for the central investigating agencies – National Investigation Agency, CBI and Narcotics Control Bureau.


Karnataka’s ‪‪Belgaum‬ has India’s tallest flag

India’s tallest national flag has been unfurled in Belagavi (also known as Belgaum) in Karnataka.

Belagavi District Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi unfurled the 9,600 sq ft wide flag on a 110-metre-tall flagpole.

Where size is concerned, this flag in Belgaum beats the one at the India-Pakistan border at Attari in Punjab.

Karnataka

Capital: Bengaluru

Chief Minister: Siddaramaiah

Governor:  Vajubhai Vala


Bengal tops in rural job scheme, T.N. is second

West Bengal has become the best performing State both in terms of allotting jobs and utilising funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

West Bengal generated 28.21 crore work days under the scheme in 2017-18 and spent more than ₹7,335.31 crore for it.

Tamil Nadu occupied the second spot with 22.17 crore work days and spent ₹5,981.75 crore. Andhra Pradesh is in third place.

Goa is ranked at the bottom of the list with 94,000 work days and spent funds worth ₹2.47 crore.

It has been announced by the Minister of State for Rural Development Ram Kripal Yadav.

West Bengal

Capital: Kolkata

Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee

Governor: Keshari Nath Tripathi


Multilateral HADR Air Force exercise in Kerala

The first Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise of the Indian Air Force in association with South Asian Region nations began at the coast of Kerala.

The multilateral exercise named ‘Samvedna’ is the first composite HADR exercise in the South Asian Region and would involve representatives from air forces of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the UAE.

The objective of the exercise is to galvanise all stakeholders in synergising a unified HADR efforts.


INTERNATIONAL

Maldives Parliament approved anti-defection bill

The Maldives Parliament has approved the anti-defection bill.

According to the bill, MPs elected on political party tickets will lose their seat if they leave their party, get expelled, or switch parties.

The bill would take effect from 13th July 2017, meaning that the 12 MPs that switched to the Opposition last year would lose their seats.

Maldives

Capital: Male

Currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa

President: Abdulla Yameen


BANKING AND ECONOMY

ICICI Bank offers Instant Overdraft Facility

ICICI Bank has launched instant overdraft ‘InstaOD’ facility for MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) customers in a completely online and paperless manner.

Customers can get overdraft facility up to Rs 15 lakh for a year anytime, anywhere using the bank’s Internet and mobile banking app.

The overdraft is renewable on an annual basis, depending on the repayment track records of the overdraft facility.

ICICI Bank

Executive Director: Anup Bagchi


SBI Reduces Minimum Balance Charges

The State Bank of India has reduced its charges on non-maintenance of an average monthly balance (AMB) in savings accounts by up to 75%, effective April 1.

The charges for non-maintenance of AMB for customers in metro and urban centres have been reduced from a maximum of ₹50 per month(+GST), to ₹15 per month(+GST).

For semi-urban and rural centres, the charges have been reduced from ₹40 per month (+GST) to ₹12 and ₹10 per month (+GST), respectively.


BHEL secures order worth Rs 736 crore from NPCIL

State-run power equipment maker BHEL today said that it has bagged an order worth Rs 736 crore from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for the supply of steam generators to a plant at Gorakhpur in Fatehabad district of Haryana.

According to the statement, the steam generators will be used for a 700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) to be installed at Fatehabad district of Haryana.

The steam generators will be manufactured at the Tiruchirappalli plant of BHEL.


Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India signs a MoU with RBI

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The MoU was signed by Mr. Sudarshan Sen, Executive Director of the RBI and Dr. (Ms.) Mamta Suri, Executive Director of the IBBI.

They have agreed under the MoU to assist and co-operate with each other for the effective implementation of the Insolvency Code.


APPOINTMENTS

Bidya Devi Bhandari re-elected as President of Nepal

Nepal’s first woman President Bidya Devi Bhandari has been re-elected for a second term.Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai

She became Nepal’s first woman President in 2015.

Nepal

Capital: Kathmandu

Currency: Nepalese rupee

Prime minister: Khadga Prasad Oli


OBITUARY

Scientist Stephen Hawking passed away

The World famous British scientist Stephen Hawking, modern cosmology’s brightest star known for his groundbreaking work with black holes and relativity passed away.

Hawking won the Albert Einstein Award, the Wolf Prize, the Copley Medal, and the Fundamental Physics Prize.