DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: MARCH 16, 2019 -

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: MARCH 16, 2019

Dear Aspirants,

Daily Current Affairs (March 16, 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

Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Gandhinagar :

The President of India Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.The festival is organised by the National Innovation Foundation in association with the Department of Science and Technology.
10th Biennial National Grassroots Innovation awards were also distributed by the President on the occasion.First prize in Veterinary, Herbal medication for coccidiosis was presented to Periyasami Ramasami of Salem, Tamil Nadu.
The event will provide platform to the innovators for building the linkages with potential stakeholders whose support can improve the prospects in coming years for the betterment of the society.

STATIC : Gujarat

Capital : Gandhinagar

CM : Vijay Rupani

Governor : Om Prakash Kohli

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to head transformative mobility panel

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant will head the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage, which is being set up to promote clean and sustainable mobility initiatives in the country.
The terms of reference of mission includes ensuring implementation and compliance of the decisions and recommendations of the steering committee.
The panel will also propose and recommend policy guidelines and government interventions and possible strategies for holistic, sustainable and transformative mobility and energy storage in India.

BANKING & ECONOMY

Aviva Life Insurance launches WINGS program to empower women:

Aviva Life Insurance announces the launch of WINGS, a specially designed mentorship program to empower women workforce.
The WINGS program is an initiative of the SHE division of Aviva Life Insurance for mentoring all the women employees in Aviva.SHE was conceptualised in 2016 by Aviva India’s Women Network.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Raghu Karnad awarded Windham-Campbell prize in non-fiction :

Journalist and author Raghu Karnad has been conferred the prestigious Windham-Campbell Prize for his debut book, ‘Farthest Field: An Indian Story of the Second World War,’ published in 2015.
He is one of eight recipients of the award handed out by Yale University to English language writers from around the world. Each winner receives $165,000 to support their writing.

Kent RO receives the Best Domestic Water Purifier Award 2019 :

One of the leading brands in the water purifier industry, Kent RO Systems Pvt. Ltd. has been bestowed with the Best Domestic Water Purifier Award 2018-19 for its RO+UV+UF technology at the Water Digest Water Awards organized at The Lalit, New Delhi.
The Water Digest Water Awards are given jointly by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and UNESCO.
Kent had also earlier received awards like Organization of the Year Awards 2017, Best Domestic Water Purifier Award 2016-17, and Asia’s Most Promising Brand 2016.

ESPN World Fame 100 list: Virat Kohli the only Indian in Top 10, MS Dhoni ranked 13th

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni are among the 8 Indian cricketers in the 2019’s ESPN World Fame 100 list, an annual list of the most famous athletes on the planet.
Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is at the top spot, followed by basketball player LeBron James and FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi. These top 3 positions have not changed from the previous year.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Duminy to retire from ODIs after 2019 World Cup :

JP Duminy from South Africa announced that he would retire from ODIs after the ICC World Cup in England. Duminy will, however, continue to be available for South Africa in T20 Internationals.
Duminy, who announced his retirement from Test and first-class cricket in 2017, stated that ‘the time is right’ to close this chapter of his international career.

Rahul Bajaj to step down as Chairman of Bajaj Finserv :

Rahul Bajaj who served as Bajaj Finserv’s Chairman and Non-Executive Director has resigned and will take over as the Chairman Emeritus from May 2019.
Vice-Chairman Nanoo Pamnani will take over as the new Chairman of Bajaj Finserv.
Bajaj, 80, has tendered his resignation which will be effective from the conclusion of the board meeting scheduled for May 16, 2019.

Santosh Jha Appointed As The Next Ambassador To The Republic Of Uzbekistan :

Shri Santosh Jha – Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Washington, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Uzbekistan.He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

RANKINS & REPORTS

Vienna ranked best city in The Mercer’s Quality Of Living Survey 2019

Austria’s capital city Vienna has been ranked the most liveable city in the world for the 10^th year in Mercer’s annual Quality of Living Survey 2019.
The Economist Intelligence Unit had also given Vienna the top spot in its ranking of the world’s most liveable cities in 2018. Hyderabad and Pune, at a rank of 143, continue to be the most liveable cities in India for expatriates.
Zurich in Switzerland ranked second in the survey in which Auckland, Munich and Vancouver tied in third.

UN Environment’s sixth Global Environment Outlook released :

The United Nation Environment Program (UNEP) has released the sixth edition of the Global Environment Outlook (2019) titled ‘Healthy Planet, Healthy People’.
The report calls on the decision makers to take immediate action to address pressing environmental issues to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals as well as other internationally agreed environment goals, such as the Paris Agreement.
The title of the report- Healthy Planet, Healthy People, makes clear that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require a transformation in human lifestyles and productive activities: our industry, agriculture, buildings, transport and the energy system which powers them.

STATIC: UNEP

Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.

Head: Joyce Msuya:

Climate Vulnerability Index for India : Highest For Assam And Mizoram

Department of Science and Technology has decided to commission a study to assess the climate risks faced by States in India.The assessment shows that the Climate vulnerability index is the highest for Assam (0.72) and Mizoram (0.71).Sikkim with the score of 0.42 was relatively less vulnerable.
Assam is highly vulnerable to climate change because of factors like low per capita income, deforestation, a large number of marginal farmers, least area under irrigation, lack of alternative sources of income and high rates of poverty.

SPORTS

India To Host 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup

The All India Football Federation confirmed that India will be hosting the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2020, three years after hosting the U-17 Men’s World Cup.
This was announced by the President of International Football Federation (FIFA) Gianni Infantino after the council meeting in Miami, USA.

Karnataka defeated Maharashtra to win Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy :

Karnataka defeated Maharashtra to win their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.
With the win, Karnataka set a record of most number of wins in a row by an Indian domestic team as they won 14 T20 matches to lift the coveted T20 trophy.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Sleep Day 2019 : 15th March

The World Sleep Day was observed on 15^th March 2019 which aims to spread awareness about sleep issues and their effect on our daily lives, prevention and treatment of these issues.
The theme for this year was ‘Healthy Sleep, Healthy Aging’.