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Current Affairs Magic

Weekly Current Affairs Update

Current Affairs magic March 4 to 10, 2018 www.globalias.in

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For the Week: March 4 to 10, 2018

HEADLINES

Section A: INDIA

PM launches National Nutrition Mission, and pan India expansion of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

Centre launches biodegradable sanitary pad on International Women‟s Day

Cabinet approves continuation of Swatantra Sainik Samman Yojana

Aadhaar not mandatory for enrolment of students in all India exams: SC

SC upholds „living will‟, allows passive euthanasia for the terminally ill

I&B ministry makes 5-fold hike in journalist welfare scheme

President Kovind launches pre-skilling programme for trafficking survivors

Sanitary pad dispenser installed in Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express

Govt. launches menstrual hygiene campaign “#Yes I Bleed”

Child marriages decline in India: UNICEF

Indian Navy concludes two-month long war games

ITBP gets first woman officer in combat role

Sitanshu Kar will be the next Director General of Press Information Bureau

DAVP DG Goyal appointed as head of Bureau of Outreach Communication

TDP ministers resign from Union Cabinet

Sufi singer Pyarelal of Wadali Brothers dies at 75

Veteran actress Shammi dies at 89

Disability rights activist Javed Abidi dies at 53

Dawood‟s aide Farooq Takla sent to CBI custody till March 19 by TADA court

Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

3 Indian „Smart Cities‟ selected among finalists for WWF‟s One Planet City Challenge

India, Vietnam ink three MoUs

India to build 50,000 houses for quake victims in Nepal

India to join European Bank of Reconstruction and Development

Air India‟s thrice-a-week Delhi-Tel Aviv flight to begin from March 22 via Saudi airspace

India imposes fresh restrictions on trade with North Korea

India-Pakistan to release, repatriate women prisoners and those over 70 years

India, Malta discuss ways to strengthen ties

India-Europe 29 Business Forum held in New Delhi

WTO sets up panel for India-U.S. dispute

Iraq dethrones Saudi Arabia to become India‟s top crude oil supplier

Indian-origin U.K. officer is new anti-terror chief

Prince Charles appoints Indian-origin steel tycoon as UK skills ambassador

Section C: WORLD

China slashes 3 lakh troops; reduces PLA size to 2 million

Egypt court upholds Red Sea islands transfer to Saudi Arabia

Lassa fever deaths rise to 110 in Nigeria

Wreckage found of WWII aircraft carrier USS Lexington

US announces USD 5 mn reward for Pak Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah

US imposes stiff import duties on steel and aluminium

Israeli, US start joint military drill Juniper Cobra 2018




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US President Trump accepts invitation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

Sri Lankan President removes PM Wickremesinghe as law and order minister after communal riots

Sri Lankan govt. declares state of emergency to quell communal violence

Russian military plane crash in Syria kills 39

Rare signed photo of Mahatma Gandhi fetches over $41,000 at US auction

Quake in Papua New Guinea leaves 67 dead

Saudi Arabia hosts its first marathon for women

World Wildlife Day observed

First-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator elected in Pakistan

Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib to resign over financial scandal claims

Aung San Suu Kyi‟s award rescinded by US Museum

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA‟s Juno spacecraft explores internal structure of Jupiter

Section E: AWARDS

Nari Shakti Puraskars presented

PNB wins CVC‟s vigilance award for timely clearance of disciplinary proceedings

Balkrishna Doshi wins Pritzker Architecture Prize

90th

Academy Awards presented

Indian volunteer wins Commonwealth Point of Light award

NDTV‟s Uma Sudhir wins 2017 Chameli Devi Jain award

Shatrughan Sinha wins lifetime achievement award in UK

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

Finance Ministry sets up panel to review fintech sector, leverage it for credit to MSMEs

RBI tightens PSL norms for banks by directing them to create sub-targets

RBI slaps Rs 5 crore penalty on Airtel Payments Bank for KYC violation

RBI slaps Rs 40 lakh penalty on SBI for flouting fake note norms

Bandhan Bank gets SEBI nod for Rs. 2,500 crore IPO

PSU banks wrote off loans worth Rs.81,683 crore in 2016-17

RBI to inject extra liquidity of Rs. 1 lakh crore

RBI fines Axis Bank, Indian Overseas Bank for violating IRAC and KYC norms

SEBI re-constitutes panel on corporate bond market

Bank fraud: PNB chief Sunil Mehta appears before SFIO

Section G: ECONOMY

CCEA approves Rs 1,151.80 crore scheme to address stubble burning

Union Cabinet approves relief package for telecom sector

Global growth, domestic demand to lift FY19 GDP to 7.5%: CRISIL

CCI imposes penalties upon 3 Airlines for fixing and revising fuel surcharge on cargo transport

Cabinet approves setting up of more district level commercial courts

Cabinet approves additional 2% DA for central government employees

Cabinet clears bill for institutional arbitration of disputes

NITI Aayog launches platform for women to build their enterprises

Forex reserves jump by $168 million to $421 billion

India 12th largest overseas holder of US securities in 2017 at $147.4 bn

Direct tax collection show growth of 19.5 percent till February




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Housing Ministry launches metro rail companies association

Services PMI falls to 6-month low in February

Centre launches app to report accidents, potholes on highways

WINGS INDIA 2018 organised in Hyderabad

Section H: CORPORATE

Tata Steel to acquire Bhushan Steel

JSW Sports to buy 50% stake in Delhi Daredevils from GMR

JCB announces India‟s richest literary award at Rs 2.5 million

India ranks fifth lowest in having women at top leadership positions

Women in India earn 20% less than men: Monster Salary Index

Facebook launches tool to empower women entrepreneurs

Mumbai ranks 47th on global „city wealth index‟: Knight Frank‟s Wealth Report 2018

Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ start at Rs. 57,900

3 Indian airports among winners in ACI survey

Infosys opens Indianapolis Technology and Innovation Hub

China‟s WeChat app crosses one billion accounts

Google India launches #HerStoryOurStory campaign

Tata Motors unveils E-Vision Sedan concept at Geneva Motor Show

Mahindra launches new version of „MyAgriGuru‟ app

Forbes India names 25 women as „trailblazers‟ in India

Samsung Galaxy S9+ named „Best New Connected Mobile Device‟ at MWC 2018

Amazon‟s Bezos unseats Gates to head Forbes‟ 2018 „World‟s Billionaires‟ list

Michael Bloomberg to launch $20mn anti-tobacco watchdog

M. S. Dhoni named ambassador of chocolate brand Snickers

Section I: STATES

Swachh Shakti 2018 celebrated in Lucknow

MP govt. announces pension for single women above 50 years

MP CM announces Rs 12,000 on childbirth for poor

AWBI headquarters shifted to Haryana

Rajasthan passes bill awarding death for rape of girls aged 12 or less

Delhi govt approves for delivery of ration at doorsteps of PDS beneficiaries

Second phase of „Jang-e-Azadi‟ memorial dedicated in Punjab

Gadchiroli book reading event sets new Guinness world record

BSF, Border Guard Bangladesh launch „Crime-free Zone‟ project in West Bengal district

WB govt decides to include Swami Vivekananda‟s famous speech in Class 9 to 12 syllabus

Siddaramaiah unveils proposed state flag for Karnataka

PETA honours Malayalam magazine for highlighting importance of human breast milk

First aircraft lands at Pakyong airport in Sikkim

Odisha govt launches „Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas‟ programme

Biplab Kumar Deb sworn in as Tripura CM

NDPP‟s Neiphiu Rio sworn in as chief minister of Nagaland

Conrad Sangma sworn in as Meghalaya CM

Veteran broadcaster Shivaji Dasgupta dies at 71

Odia writer Prafulla Das dies at 91

Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty out of danger




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IIEST confers D.Litt on former President Pranab Mukherjee

Section J: SPORTS

India win 3 gold medals at ISSF World Cup

India win 8 medals at Asian Wrestling Championships

Maharashtra women‟s team wins national tennis championship

Del Potro wins Men‟s Singles title at Mexican Open tennis

Bautista-Agut wins Men‟s Singles title at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Fabio Fognini wins Men‟s Singles title at Brazil Open tennis

Tata sets up Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Jamshedpur

V. Anand wins Tal Memorial Rapid Chess

Football‟s laws body approves VAR for World Cup

Minerva Punjab FC win I-League title

Italian footballer Davide Astori dies at 31

Sri Lanka‟s Perera wins Chennai Open golf tournament

2012 Olympic badminton bronze medallist Chung Jae-sung dies at 35

Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a mile under 4 minutes, dies at 88

Ayyasamy Dharun breaks National record in 400m hurdles

Gymnast Aruna Reddy to join South Central Railway

India win Snooker Team World Cup




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Section A: INDIA

NEWS ROUND UP

PM launches National Nutrition Mission, and pan India expansion of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

On the occasion of International Women‟s Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Nutrition Mission and Pan India Expansion of Beti

Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) covering all 640 districts of the Country at a mega event held at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on March 8, 2018.

The Prime Minister also awarded ten districts for showing outstanding performance in the areas of effective community engagement, enforcement of

PC&PNDT Act and enabling education of the girl child.

The Prime Minister also awarded the winners of the Spot the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Logo Contest and the winner of Logo for National Nutrition Mission. To

commemorate the 3rd Anniversary of BBBP, the Prime Minister released a Photo Journey Book showcasing the innovative initiatives undertaken by the

districts.

The ten districts which were felicitated by the Prime Minister have been awarded for their contribution in these categories: Effective community

engagement (Six districts awarded): Raigarh (Chattisgarh), Sikar (Rajasthan), Bijapur (Karnataka), North Sikkim (Sikkim), Tarantaran (Punjab), Hyderabad

(Telangana). Enforcement of PC&PNDT Act (Two Districts awarded): Sonipat (Haryana), Ahmedabad (Gujarat) Enabling education of Girl Child (Two

districts awarded): Jhunjhunu (Rajasthan), Udhampur (Jammu & Kashmir)

Sex ratio has improved

As per data available in the Health Management Information System (HMIS), there has been an improvement in the sex ratio at birth. The efforts with the

active participation of States/Districts have brought out encouraging results in achieving its goal; as a result of which the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) which was

918 in 2014-15 has improved to 926 in 2016-17 as per HMIS data. Buoyed by its success, it has been decided to go Pan-India and expand the programme to

all districts. The total outlay of BBBP is ₹1132.5 Crore from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Scope of BBBP widened

Initial focus of BBBP had been on the districts which were either below national average or were the worse in their own states in terms of absolute values of

CSR. However, looking at the magnitude and criticality of the problem and its spread across the country, no district can be left out of BBBP ambit to make a

real dent on overall CSR and following strategies are proposed to be implemented in various districts under its pan India expansion:

Multi sectoral intervention: Under the stewardship of DCs/DMs, convergent action between WCD, Health and Education to focus on changing mindsets

through local level community engagements, training/ sensitization of functionaries and community members; effective implementation of PC&PNDT Act,

enabling girl child education and engaging local champions in the districts. Proposed expansion is in 244 districts (in addition to existing 161 districts)

Alert District Media & Advocacy: This will be done by following a 360 approach with focus on positive reinforcement of girl child and sustained local level

engagement with community. Proposed expansion is in 235 districts.

About National Nutrition Mission

The National Nutrition Mission (NNM) has been set up with a three year budget of Rs.9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18. The NNM is a

comprehensive approach towards raising nutrition level in the country on a war footing. It will comprise mapping of various Schemes contributing towards

addressing malnutrition, including a very robust convergence mechanism, ICT based Real Time Monitoring system, incentivizing States/UTs for meeting the

targets, incentivizing Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) for using IT based tools, eliminating registers used by AWWs, introducing measurement of height of

children at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), Social Audits, setting-up Nutrition Resource Centres, involving masses through Jan Andolan for their participation

on nutrition through various activities, among others.

NNM targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3%

and 2% per annum respectively. Although the target to reduce Stunting is at least 2% p.a., Mission would strive to achieve reduction in Stunting from 38.4%

(NFHS-4) to 25% by 2022 (Mission 25 by 2022). More than 10 crore people will be benefitted by this programme. All the States and districts will be covered in

a phased manner i.e. 315 districts in 2017-18, 235 districts in 2018-19 and remaining districts in 2019-20.

Centre launches biodegradable sanitary pad on International Women‟s Day




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On International Women‟s Day on March 8, 2018, Union Minister Ananth Kumar launched 100 percent oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins „Suvdiha‟. These

napkins will cost Rs. 2.50 per pad and will be available at Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana stores from May 28.

Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Mansukh Lal Mandaviya explained the term „Oxo-biodegradable‟. The

Minister said, “A special additive is added in the „Suvidha‟ napkin which makes it biodegradable when it reacts with oxygen after it is used and discarded.”

According to the National Family Health Survey 2015-16, about 58 percent of women aged between 15 to 24 years use locally prepared napkins, sanitary

napkins and tampons.

Further, about 78 percent women in urban areas use hygienic methods of protection during menstrual period; only 48 percent women in rural areas have

access to clean sanitary napkins.

Cabinet approves continuation of Swatantra Sainik Samman Yojana

The Union Cabinet on March 7, 2018 approved the continuation of Swatantra Sainik Samman Yojana (SSSY) during 2017-2020 beyond the 12th Five Year Plan

which ended on March 31, 2017.

The approval provides for a monthly Samman Pension to freedom fighters, as a token of respect for their contribution in the national freedom struggle and

on their demise, to their eligible dependents viz spouses and thereafter, unmarried and unemployed daughters and dependent parents, as per prescribed

eligibility norms and procedure.

The financial implication for continuation of SSSY during 2017-2020 would be Rs 2552.93 crore.

The Government introduced the „Ex-Andaman Political Prisoners Pension Scheme‟ in 1969 to honour the freedom fighters who had been incarcerated in the

Cellular Jail at Port Blair.

At present 37,356 freedom fighters and their eligible dependent pensioners are covered under this scheme which includes 12,657 freedom fighters and

23,127 dependent spouses and 1572 daughters. The amount of pension was initially Rs 200 per month and has been revised from time to time.

With effect from August 15, 2016 the amount of pension for all categories of pensioners has been enhanced and the Dearness Relief system based on All

India Consumer Price Index for Industrial workers hitherto applied to freedom fighter pensioners, had been discontinued and replaced by the Dearness

Allowance system applicable to Central Government employees twice a year.

Aadhaar not mandatory for enrolment of students in all India exams: SC

The Supreme Court on March 7, 2018 directed the CBSE not to make Aadhaar number mandatory for enrolment of students appearing in NEET 2018 and

other all-India examinations.

The top court said that the CBSE can take other identity proofs like passport number, driving licence, bank statement, voter card or ration card from the

students for enrolling them for appearing in the examinations.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief justice Dipak Misra directed the CBSE to upload the information on its official website and clarified that this

arrangement is made “for now” till the pendency of cases related to challenge to the Aadhaar and its enabling Act is not decided.

SC upholds „living will‟, allows passive euthanasia for the terminally ill

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on March 9, 2018 recognised that a terminally ill patient or a person in a persistent vegetative state may execute

an “advance medical directive” or a “living will” to refuse medical treatment, saying the right to live with dignity also included “smoothening” the process of

dying.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra observed that the failure to legally recognise advance medical directives might amount

to “non-facilitation” of the right to smoothen the dying process, and dignity in that process was also part of the right to life under Article 21 of the

Constitution.




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The apex court laid down principles relating to the procedure for execution of advance directives and spelt out guidelines and safeguards to give effect to

passive euthanasia in both circumstances, that is where there are advance directives and where there are none.

I&B ministry makes 5-fold hike in journalist welfare scheme

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has made a five-fold increase in a journalist welfare scheme from Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 1 crore. The scheme provides

financial assistance to scribes and their families in times of extreme hardships. The increase will be effective from April 1. The scheme covers journalists

accredited to the Press Information Bureau, state governments, UTs, and non-accredited journalists working for a minimum five continuous years as news

editor, reporter, photographer, cameraman and freelance journalist.

President Kovind launches pre-skilling programme for trafficking survivors

Taking the central government‟s Skill India Program to the vulnerable survivors of trafficking, President Ram Nath Kovind on March 8, 2018 launched a

pioneering program- Foundation Course -which prepares the survivors for skill training, on the occasion of International Women‟s Day. The three-month,

360-hour programme aims to work with the survivors to build their aptitude and ability and prepare them for economic and social reintegration.

Sanitary pad dispenser installed in Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express

On the occasion of International Women‟s Day on March 8, 2018, for the first time in the country a sanitary pad dispensing machine was installed in a coach

of Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express. According to the Western Railways, it has been installed on a trial basis and the move would be extended to other

trains as well. “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women‟s lives” is theme of this year‟s International Women‟s Day.

Govt. launches menstrual hygiene campaign “#Yes I Bleed”

Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey on March 6, 2018 launched a menstrual hygiene campaign -- “#Yes I Bleed” -- for creating awareness. He

said that only 12 per cent of women in the country have access to sanitary napkins and 90 per cent of those napkins are made of plastic which are not only

harmful for environment but also for the body. He further said that young girls and women in rural areas have to suffer from infections as they do not have

access to appropriate napkins, which can also turn fatal for their lives. The campaign, “#Yes I Bleed”, which is aimed at creating holistic approach to the issue

of menstruation and eliminate all myths, superstitions and orthodox thinking surrounding it, was launched at Amity University in New Delhi.

Child marriages decline in India: UNICEF

India saw a sharp decline in child marriages over the last ten years with 27 per cent of girls getting married before their 18th birthday as against 47 per cent a

decade ago, the United Nations children‟s agency UNICEF said on March 6, 2018. The UN children‟s agency attributed increasing rates of girls‟ education,

proactive government investments in adolescent girls, and strong public awareness about the illegality of child marriage and the harm it causes are among

the reasons for the decline.

Indian Navy concludes two-month long war games

Indian Navy concluded two-month long War Game on February 28 that saw the participation of various operational ships, submarines and aircraft along with

men and equipment of the Army. The War Games were conducted on both the Seaboards of India, which extended from the Northern Arabian Sea off the

coast of Gujarat to the Southern Indian Ocean off the Sunda Straits near Indonesia. The War Game on the Eastern seaboard was codenamed ENCORE

(Eastern Naval Command Operational Readiness Exercise), while on the Western seaboard was codenamed Exercise Paschim Lehar.

RECENT BOOKS

The Dramatic Decade: Landmark Cases of Modern India by Indu Bhan

The Poverty of Economic Thinking by Jebamalai Vinanchiarachi

History of Education Policymaking in India, 1947-2016 by R.V. Vaidyanatha Ayyar

I Did It My Way by Bikram Dasgupta

Jesus in Asia by R.S. Sugirtharajah

Directorate S: The CIA and America‟s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, 2001-2016 by Steve Coll

Unthinkable: An Extraordinary Journey Through the World‟s Strangest Brains by Helen Thomson

Civilisations: How do we Look & the Eye of Faith by Mary Beard

Djinn City by Saad Hossain

You Can‟t Go Home Again by Sarvat Hasin




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Ghost in the Tamarind: A Novel by S. Shankar

A Murder On Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey

Death at the Durbar by Arjun Raj Gaind

Padmini: The Spirited Queen of Chittor by Mridula Behari

Murder in the City: Twelve Incredible Case Files of the Kolkata Police by Supratim Sarkar

Solstice at Panipat by Uday S. Kulkarni

NEWSMAKERS

ITBP gets first woman officer in combat role

In another first for women, 25-year-old Prakriti has been inducted as the first direct-entry combat officer in the border guarding force, ITBP. The Indo-Tibetan

Border Police (ITBP) force is the last of the CAPFs to induct women officers in combat roles after the government first allowed it to enroll them in 2016.

Prakriti, who goes by a single name, had cleared the UPSC exam for officers‟ recruitment in CAPFs in the same year. She has a bachelor‟s degree in electrical

engineering and is right now based in an ITBP unit in Uttarakhand‟s Pithoragarh. She will soon join the Officers‟ Training Academy of the force in Dehradun.

Of the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the Central Reserve Police Force and the Central Industrial Security Force had allowed women to apply as

direct-entry officers through the UPSC for a long time. Two other forces -- the Border Security Force and the Sashastra Seema Bal -- were allowed to directly

induct women officers in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

The ITBP was the only paramilitary that had not allowed women to join in supervisory combat roles owing to its primary task of guarding the difficult Sino-

India border. The force, that guards the 3,488 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China, was raised in 1962 in the aftermath of the

Chinese aggression. The over 83,000 personnel-strong ITBP at present has about 1,500 women (nearly 1.75 per cent) with the majority being in the rank of

constables. There are senior women officers in the force but they are in other service streams like veterinary doctors but not in a combat role.

Sitanshu Kar will be the next Director General of Press Information Bureau

All India Radio‟s News Services Division (NSD) Director General Sitanshu Kar will be the next Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) after

superannuation of Frank Noronha on April 30. Kar, a senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officer, will take charge as PIB head on May 1, an Information and

Broadcasting Ministry‟s order said on March 9, 2018. Doordarshan News DG Ira Joshi will hold additional charge of DG of AIR‟s NSD. Noronha was appointed

as the head of the PIB in August 2014.

DAVP DG Goyal appointed as head of Bureau of Outreach Communication

Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Ghanshyam Goyal was on March 6, 2018 appointed as the head of Bureau of Outreach Communication (BOC), an entity

formed by merging of DFP, S&DD and DAVP. In 2017, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had integrated its three departments -- Directorate of

Field Publicity (DFP), Song and Drama Division (S&DD) and Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP).

TDP ministers resign from Union Cabinet

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of state for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary submitted their resignations to Prime Minister

Narendra Modi on March 9, 2018. This came after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced that his party, TDP, has decided to pull out

of the Central government over the special status issue. Meanwhile, two BJP ministers Dr. Kamineni Srinivasa Rao and P. Manikyala Rao also tendered their

resignations from the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet.

Sufi singer Pyarelal of Wadali Brothers dies at 75

Noted Punjabi Sufi singer Pyarelal, the younger of the two famed Wadali Brothers, died in Amritsar on March 9, 2018 at the age of 75. Pyarelal is the younger

brother of singer Puranchand Wadali. The Wadali Brothers have performed at numerous shows in India and other countries. Their famous numbers include

“Tu maane ya na maane dildara, aasan te tenu rab manya”, “Ik tu hi tu hi” and “Chitthiye”. They sang for the film “Pinjar”.

Veteran actress Shammi dies at 89

Veteran actor Shammi, who acted in over 200 films and some popular television serials, died in Mumbai on March 6, 2018 at the age of 89. Born as Nargis

Rabadi in a Parsi family, Shammi featured in many popular films, including “Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi”, “Half Ticket”, “Jab Jab Phool Khile”, “Ittefaq” and “The

Burning Train”.




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Disability rights activist Javed Abidi dies at 53

Disability rights activist Javed Abidi passed away in New Delhi on March 4, 2018 at the age of 53. Abidi was the Director of the National Centre for Promotion

of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP). He was also the Global Chair of Disabled People International (DPI), a world body with special consultative

status to the United Nations.

Dawood‟s aide Farooq Takla sent to CBI custody till March 19 by TADA court

Fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim‟s aide Farooq Takla, an accused of 1993 serial bomb blasts, sent to CBI custody till March 19 by a TADA court in Mumbai.

57-year old Farooq Takla was a facilitator for those key accused who left the country before and after the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. He used to facilitate the

travel of men from Dubai to Karachi without immigration checks, for their training in making bombs and use of sophisticated weapons. Mohammed Farooq,

better known as Farooq Takla, was arrested in Delhi by the CBI on March 8, 2018 upon his arrival from Dubai.




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Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

3 Indian „Smart Cities‟ selected among finalists for WWF‟s One Planet City Challenge

Three Indian cities - Panaji, Pune and Rajkot have been selected as national finalists in the 2017-2018 edition of WWF‟s One Planet City Challenge (OPCC).

These are amongst the 40 finalists out of the 118 cities across 23 countries that participated in the global challenge this year.

The One Planet City Challenge, previously known as the Earth Hour City Challenge, invites cities in participating countries to report ambitious and innovative

climate actions and plans in different sectors including energy, transport, housing and waste, on the international carbonn® Climate Registry platform. After

evaluation by international jury, one city from each country is selected as the National Winner, which is then in the run-up to receive the Global Winner title.

In addition to being the OPCC finalist cities, Panaji, Pune and Rajkot are also among the 99 cities under Government of India‟s Smart City Mission, which

demonstrates their commitment in undertaking progressive actions towards integrating sustainability in their initiatives. The plans and actions undertaken by

these cities under the Smart City Mission resonate with the themes identified in the OPCC platform such as, renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable

mobility, waste management and sustainable infrastructure plans.

These three cities have moved on to the next phase of the challenge and will now compete for the title of National and Global Winner. They will also

participate in the OPCC‟s public campaign called, “We Love Cities”, which aims to inspire and engage citizens for support as well as sharing ideas for

improvement.

Since the inception of the Challenge in 2011, WWF has engaged over 411 cities across 5 continents. India became part of this global platform in 2012 and

was the first developing country to join this initiative.

WWF works in collaboration with ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability to mobilize cities to participate in the One Planet City Challenge. ICLEI assists

cities in reporting their data on its carbonn® Climate Registry platform.

India, Vietnam ink three MoUs

India and Vietnam on March 3, 2018 inked three agreements in the areas of trade, agriculture and atomic energy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in New Delhi and discussed steps to further strengthen the

comprehensive strategic partnership in different sectors between the two nations. Vietnamese President came on a three-day visit to India on March 3-5,

2018.

The countries signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on economic and trade cooperation to establish a framework for enhancing economic and

trade promotion.

Another MoU signed on Cooperation between the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership, India (GCNEP) and the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute

(VINATOM) to strengthen the technical cooperation in the field of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, the MEA release said.

Both countries also signed a work plan for the years 2018-2022 between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Ministry of Agriculture and

Rural Development of Vietnam

India to build 50,000 houses for quake victims in Nepal

To assist earthquake-ravaged Nepal in its reconstruction effort, India on March 8, 2018 pledged to build 50,000 houses in its two worst hit districts. India

signed an agreement with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to build 50,000 homes

for quake victims in Gorkha, the epicentre of 2015 earthquake, and the Nuwakot district.

Under the project, 26,912 home owners will be benefited in Gorkha and 23,088 homeowners in Nuwakot. Under the agreement, India will give USD 8.41

million to the UNOPS and USD 7.41 Million to the UNDP for the reconstruction of the 50,000 homes.

The massive earthquake in Nepal in April, 2015 created havoc in the Himalayan nation, killing over 10,000 people and injuring nearly 22,000 people. Gorkha

and Nuwakot were the worst-hit districts.




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India to join European Bank of Reconstruction and Development

India has got the go-ahead to join the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), after shareholders of the London-based multilateral lender

agreed to the country becoming its 69th

member, enabling Indian companies to undertake joint investments in regions in which the EBRD operates. EBRD was

set up in 1991. The EBRD‟s largest shareholder is currently the US. Sir Suma Chakrabarti is the President of EBRD.

Air India‟s thrice-a-week Delhi-Tel Aviv flight to begin from March 22 via Saudi airspace

Air India on March 7, 2018 said that it will introduce thrice-a-week flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv from March 22. The announcement from Air India comes after

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on March 5, during his visit to the US, that Saudi Arabia had given permission to the Indian carrier

for flying over its territory on its route from New Delhi to Tel Aviv. The permission to fly over Saudi Arabia will save Air India almost 2 hours and 10 minutes

as compared to the longer route taken by Israel‟s national carrier El Al, which has direct flights between Tel Aviv and Mumbai. Many Arab and Islamic nations

do not recognise Israel and, therefore, disallow airlines from using their airspace for flight services to that country. The Air India flight will fly over Oman,

Saudi Arabia and Jordan to reach Israel.

India imposes fresh restrictions on trade with North Korea

India has imposed fresh restrictions on trade with North Korea in line with the restrictions imposed by the United Nations, Directorate General of Foreign

Trade (DGFT) said on March 7, 2018. As per a notification of the DGFT, “supply, sale, transfer or export” of crude oil will be subjected to the restrictions

imposed by the UN Security Council (UNSC). North Korea is facing sanctions for pursuing its nuclear programme. Certain curbs have also been imposed on

export of industrial machinery, iron, steel and other metals.

India-Pakistan to release, repatriate women prisoners and those over 70 years

Release and repatriation of women prisoners as well as of those who are over 70 years of age, and resumption of visits by the Joint Judicial Committee are

among the humanitarian proposals agreed between India and Pakistan on March 7, 2018.

India, Malta discuss ways to strengthen ties

India and Malta on March 6, 2018 discussed ways to strengthen ties across various sectors during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

and Maltese Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Carmelo Abela in New Delhi. The nation in the central Mediterranean Sea is also home to a

400-strong Indian community. India was one of the first countries to recognise independence of Malta in 1964 and the two countries established diplomatic

relations in 1965.

India‟s economic ties with Malta have grown stronger with annual bilateral trade reaching around $350 million last financial year.

India-Europe 29 Business Forum held in New Delhi

The fourth edition of the India-Europe 29 Business Forum (IE29BF) was organised in New Delhi on March 5, 2018. The Forum was created for the first time in

2014 by the External Affairs Ministry and industry body FICCI to provide an institutionalised platform for promoting business exchanges between India and

the 29 countries of the Central Europe region. The theme of IE29BF 2018 was “Synergising Economic Vision for Expanded Relations”. This year, the Czech

Republic was the focus country of the Forum. Eighteen other European countries participated in the event. It was attended by 180 business delegates and

officials from European countries and 200 business delegates from India.

WTO sets up panel for India-U.S. dispute

The World Trade Organization has agreed to set up a panel to determine whether India has complied with its ruling in a case about domestic content

requirements for solar modules. In 2016, India lost a case after the WTO stated that power purchase agreements signed with solar firms for its National Solar

Mission did not meet international norms.

Iraq dethrones Saudi Arabia to become India‟s top crude oil supplier

Iraq has overtaken Saudi Arabia by a wide margin to become India‟s top crude oil supplier in the April-January period of 2017-18. Iraq supplied 38.9 million

tonnes (MT) of oil, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on March 5, 2018. Saudi Arabia supplied 30.9 MT of crude oil in the first 10 months of the current

financial year. Iran continued to be the third largest supplier selling 18.4 MT during April-January. India imported 184.4 MT of crude oil during the period.




12

NEWSMAKERS

Indian-origin U.K. officer is new anti-terror chief

Neil Basu, a senior Indian-origin Scotland Yard officer, was appointed as the counterterrorism chief. He will take charge as the force‟s National Lead for

Counter Terrorism and the Head of the Met Police‟s Specialist Operations after the resignation of Mark Rowley on March 21.

Prince Charles appoints Indian-origin steel tycoon as UK skills ambassador

In Britain, Indian-origin steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta has been appointed by Prince Charles as an official ambassador for the Industrial Cadets programme

designed to nurture manufacturing skills. The Industrial Cadets annual awards ceremony was held in London on March 8, 2018. Gupta was appointed to the

flagship programme to give children and young people the direct structured experience of the industry at school or college level.




13

Section C: WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

China slashes 3 lakh troops; reduces PLA size to 2 million

China on March 5, 2018 said it has slashed three lakh troops, reducing the size of its 2.3-million People‟s Liberation Army (PLA) to just two-million-strong

force, a move aimed at making the world‟s largest army a mightier force capable of winning modern wars. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made the

announcement in his annual work report to the National People‟s Congress (NPC) in Beijing.

China also announced an 8.1 per cent hike in its defence budget in 2018 to a whopping USD 175 billion, over three times higher than that of India, as an

increasingly assertive Beijing focused on the modernisation and reach of the country‟s military, amidst simmering disputes with its neighbours.

China has set its economy growth rate for 2018 at around 6.5 per cent, which is the same as 2017, as the country started its annual parliament session in

Beijing on March 5. The session attended by over 2,900 delegates was regarded significant at it is set to endorse the constitutional proposals to remove two

term limits for President and Vice President. The removal of the term limit is widely speculated to enable President Xi Jinping to continue in office as head of

the ruling Communist Party of China, (CPC), Chief of the military and the largely ceremonial Presidency possibly for life.

Egypt court upholds Red Sea islands transfer to Saudi Arabia

Egypt‟s top court has upheld a deal to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Situated between the two countries, the islands of Tiran and Sanafir are

largely unoccupied but they lie in a strategically important and politically sensitive area.

The agreement was first announced during the visit of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Cairo in April 2016. He had also announced a multi-

billion-dollar package of investments and soft loans for Egypt.

The decision by the Egypt Supreme Court on March 3, 2018 nullifies the contradictory rulings two other lower courts had given, with the Supreme

Administrative Court opposing ceding control of the islands and the Court of Urgent Matters approving the deal.

The Supreme Court ruled the deal was not unconstitutional, adding that approving the deal was down to Egypt‟s legislative body.

Lassa fever deaths rise to 110 in Nigeria

Lassa fever has claimed 110 lives in Nigeria since the beginning of the year, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said in Lagos on March 6, 2018, in

one of the worst outbreaks since 2016. The World Health Organisation said recently that the epidemic had left 72 people dead.

Lassa fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with fever, vomiting and in worst-case scenarios,

haemorrhagic bleeding. The name comes from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria where it was first identified in 1969.

More than 100 people were killed in 2016 in one of the nation‟s worst outbreaks of the disease, affecting 14 of the 36 states, including Lagos and the capital

Abuja. The virus is spread through contact with food or household items contaminated with rats‟ urine or faeces or after coming into direct contact with the

bodily fluids of an infected person.

Wreckage found of WWII aircraft carrier USS Lexington

Wreckage from the USS Lexington, a US aircraft carrier which sank during World War II, has been discovered in the Coral Sea, a search team led by Microsoft

co-founder Paul Allen announced on March 5, 2018. The wreckage was found by the team‟s research vessel, the R/V Petrel, some 3,000 meters (two miles)

below the surface more than 800 kilometers off the eastern coast of Australia.

The search team released pictures and video of the Lexington, one of the first ever US aircraft carriers, and some of the planes which went down with the

ship. Remarkably preserved aircraft could be seen on the seabed bearing the five-pointed star insignia of the US Army Air Forces on their wings and fuselage.

The USS Lexington and another US aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown, fought against three Japanese aircraft carriers from May 4-8, 1942 in the Battle of the

Coral Sea, the first ever between carriers. The badly damaged Lexington was deliberately sunk by another US warship at the conclusion of the battle. More

than 200 members of the crew died in the battle but most were rescued by other US vessels before the Lexington sank.




14

US announces USD 5 mn reward for Pak Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah

The US on March 9, 2018 announced a USD 5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Maulana Fazlullah, the chief of the banned terror outfit

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan which has carried out several deadly attacks, including the 2014 Peshawar school massacre in which over 150 people, mostly

students, were killed. In 2012,

Fazlullah had ordered the assassination of Pakistani school girl Malala Yousafzai for promoting girls‟ right to education and publicly criticized Fazlullah and

the TTP, it said. Malala was seriously injured in the attack and had to be shifted to the UK for specialised treatment. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Under its rewards for justice programme, the US also announced a USD 3 million reward for information each on Abdul Wali of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA) and

Lashkar-e-Islam leader Mangal Bagh. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a terrorist organisation that split away from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while Lashkar-e-Islam is

based in Pakistan‟s Khyber Tribal Agency.

US imposes stiff import duties on steel and aluminium

US President Donald Trump on March 9, 2018 imposed hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, citing national security concerns and the need to

protect American industries from “unfair” business practices. Trump signed two proclamations that levied a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff

on aluminium imported from all countries except neighbouring Canada and Mexico. The tariffs will go into effect in 15 days. Other countries would have to

negotiate with US Trade Representatives (USTR) if they want exemptions from the steel and aluminium import tariffs.

Israeli, US start joint military drill Juniper Cobra 2018

The US and Israeli defence forces on March 4, 2018 launched a month-long joint military drill “Juniper Cobra 2018”. The biennial drill is jointly held by the

Israeli military and the US European Command (USEUCOM). The exercise simulates a scenario in which Israel is being attacked on several fronts, including by

precision-guided ballistic missiles from Iran.

US President Trump accepts invitation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

US President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The news was confirmed on March 8, 2018 by both the

White House and the visiting South Korean National Security Adviser. In Seoul, the presidential Blue House clarified that the meeting would occur by the end

of May.




15

Sri Lankan President removes PM Wickremesinghe as law and order minister after communal riots

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on March 8, 2018 replaced Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the law and order minister amidst fresh violence

between majority Sinhala Buddhists and minority Muslims in the Kandy district despite imposition of nationwide emergency. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, a

senior politician from Wickremesinghe‟s United National Party (UNP) was sworn in as the new minister in charge of the police. Wickremesinghe‟s 11-day

tenure as the law and order minister was marred by racial tension in the central district of Kandy since February 26. Muslim owned businesses and religious

sites came under attack from majority Sinhala mobs, forcing the government to enforce curfew.

Sri Lankan govt. declares state of emergency to quell communal violence

Sri Lanka on March 6, 2018 declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence between majority Sinhala Buddhists and

minority Muslims in the country‟s scenic Kandy district that left two persons dead and damaged several mosques and homes. Violence, triggered by the

death of a Sinhalese man at the hands of a mob earlier this month, erupted on March 5 in the Theldeniya area of the central hill district popular with tourists.

The government sent forces to Kandy to restore order and enforce the curfew. The Sinhalese are a mainly Buddhist ethnic group making up nearly three-

quarters of Sri Lanka‟s 21 million people, while Muslims are just 10 per cent of the country‟s population.

Russian military plane crash in Syria kills 39

A Russian military transport plane crashed in Syria on March 6, 2018 killing all 39 people on board. A Soviet-designed An-26, crashed at Russia‟s Hmeymim

air base in Latakia Province. The cause may have been a technical malfunction. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, in a telegram offering his

condolences, said when the crash happened, the service personnel on board were returning to base after completing an unspecified combat mission.

Rare signed photo of Mahatma Gandhi fetches over $41,000 at US auction

A signed vintage photo of Mahatma Gandhi, walking alongside Madan Mohan Malaviya, was auctioned for $41,806 in the United States. Signed in fountain

pen, “M K Gandhi,” the rare photo was taken after the second session of India‟s Round Table Conference in London in September 1931, according to Boston-

based RR Auction. The photo dates to a period in which Gandhi, suffering from pain in his right thumb, opted to write with his left hand, a temporary

inconvenience that lasted from August 8-December 19, 1931, according to RR Auction. At the auction, Karl Marx‟s letter requesting copies of his „Revelations‟

from a noted radical editor sold for $53,509. The Fine Autographs and Artifacts auction concluded on March 7.

Quake in Papua New Guinea leaves 67 dead

At least 67 people were killed by a major earthquake that devastated Papua New Guinea‟s remote highlands recently, the Red Cross said on March 5, 2018,

with thousands homeless. The recovery effort has been slow as aid workers grapple with blocked roads and power outages to reach cut-off villages after the

7.5-magnitude quake struck on February 26 in the Pacific nation‟s mountainous interior.

Saudi Arabia hosts its first marathon for women

Saudi Arabia hosted its first marathon for women on March 3, 2018 as the conservative kingdom seeks to boost female sports in a far-reaching

modernisation drive. Hundreds of women runners, many of them dressed in traditional Islamic attire, raced in eastern Al-Ahsa region.

World Wildlife Day observed

World Wildlife Day was observed on March 3, 2018. Theme: „Big Cats: Predators under Threat‟. March 3 marks the day of the adoption of the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973.




16

NEWSMAKERS

First-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator elected in Pakistan

Kirshna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan‟s Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country on March 4, 2018.

39-year old Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province. She is a member of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan

Peoples‟ Party (PPP). She won the election for the reserved seat for women from Sindh province. Earlier, PPP had elected first Hindu woman named Ratna

Bhagwandas Chawla as a senator.

Born to a poor peasant, Jugno Kolhi, in February 1979, Kolhi and her family members spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri

of Umerkot district. She was a grade 3 student at the time when held captive. She was married at the age of 16, when she was studying in 9th

grade. However,

she pursued her studies and in 2013 she did masters in sociology from the Sindh University. She had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother.

Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib to resign over financial scandal claims

Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is to resign after becoming embroiled in a financial scandal, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announced in capital

Port Louis on March 9, 2018. Gurib-Fakim, who is the only female head of state in Africa, has been accused of using a bank card provided by an NGO to make

personal purchases and will step down after ceremonies to mark the 50th

anniversary of independence on March 12.

When Gurib-Fakim, 58, took the honorary position of president in 2015 she became the first woman to do so in Mauritian history.

A scientist and biologist of international renown, she had been under pressure since a Mauritian daily published bank documents showing that Gurib-Fakim

had used a credit card given to her by the London-based Planet Earth Institute to make thousands of dollars worth of personal purchases.

The NGO is funded by the controversial Angolan billionaire Alvaro Sobrinho who is himself being investigated for fraud.

Aung San Suu Kyi‟s award rescinded by US Museum

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum invalidated the prestigious Elie Wiesel Award that was presented to Myanmar‟s Aung San Suu Kyi in 2012. In an official

statement, the museum stated that the lack of action by the National League for Democracy (NLD), a social-liberal democratic political party founded and led

by the Myanmar State Counsellor, and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, against the genocide committed by the military against the Rohingya community,

was the primary reason behind them stripping her of the award. It has been reported that over 7,00,000 Rohingyas have fled the country in an attempt to

escape the atrocities committed by the country‟s military against the minority community.




17

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA‟s Juno spacecraft explores internal structure of Jupiter

The interior of Jupiter is just as intriguing as the planet‟s dazzling surface, with a swirling mixture of liquid hydrogen and helium at its center, vast

atmospheric jet streams and exotic gravitational properties, scientists said on March 7, 2018.

Data from NASA‟s Juno spacecraft, orbiting the solar system‟s largest planet since 2016, is providing researchers with what they called unprecedented insight

into Jupiter‟s internal dynamics and structure. Until now, scientists have had scant information about what lies below Jupiter‟s thick red, brown, yellow and

white clouds. Juno is designed to look beneath these clouds.

Jupiter is a type of planet called a gas giant, as opposed to rocky planets like Earth and Mars, and its composition is 99 percent hydrogen and helium. Juno‟s

data showed that as you go deeper under the surface, Jupiter‟s gas becomes ionized and eventually turns into a hot, dense metallic liquid.

The scientists said Jupiter‟s jet streams, related to the familiar stripes on its surface, plunge some 1,800 miles (3,000 km) below cloud level, and that its deep

interior is comprised of a fluid hydrogen and helium mixture that rotates as if it were a solid body.

The very center may contain a core made of high-pressure and high-temperature rocks and perhaps water, but it is believed to be fluid as well.

Juno‟s data showed a small but significant asymmetry between the gravitational field of Jupiter‟s northern and southern hemispheres, driven by the immense

jet streams. The deeper the jets streams go, the more mass they contain, exerting a strong effect on Jupiter‟s gravitational field.

Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, dwarfs the solar system‟s other planets, measuring about 89,000 miles (143,000 km) in diameter at its equator,

compared with Earth‟s diameter of about 8,000 miles (12,750 km). It is big enough that 1,300 Earths could fit inside it.

The research was published in the journal Nature.




18

Section E: AWARDS

Nari Shakti Puraskars presented

President Ram Nath Kovind presented Nari Shakti Puraskars 2017 at a special ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on the occasion of

International Women‟s Day on March 8, 2018. The awards were conferred on 30 eminent individuals and 9 distinguished institutions in recognition of their

efforts in rendering distinguished services for the cause of women, especially vulnerable and marginalized women.

This year the winners of the Nari Shakti Puraskar are from fields as diverse as sports, social work, science, art, agriculture, education, conservation, security,

handicrafts and defence. The list of the winners is follows:

Women: Ms. Ambica Beri, Dr. Anita Bhardwaj, Ms. Anuradha Krishnamoorthy and Ms. Namrata Sundaresan, Dr. Bharti Kashyap, Dr. C.K. Durga, Ms. Chirom

Indira, Ms. Deepika Kundaji, Ms. Gargi Gupta, Ms. Gauri Maulekhi, Justice Gita Mittal, Ms. Jayamma Bandari, Ms. Jetsun Pema, Ms. K. Syamalakumari, Dr.

Lizymol Philipose Pamadykandathil, Dr. M.S. Sunil, Ms. Madhu Jain, Dr. Malvika Iyer, Ms. Mehvish Mushtaq, Ms. Mittal Patel, Ms. Purnima Barman, Ms. Pushpa

Girimaji, Ms. Rekha Mishra, Ms. Revanna Umadevi Nagraj, Dr. S. Siva Sathya, Ms. Sabarmatee, Ms. Sheela Balaji, Dr. Sindhutai Sapkal, Ms. Thinlas Chorol and

Ms. Urmila Balawant Apte

Institutions: Aranya Naturals, AVANI organization, Beti Zindabad Bakery, Karuna Society for Animals and Nature, Millet Network of India, Navika Sagar

Parikrama - INSV Tarini Team, One Stop Centre, Raipur, Shrujan, State of Punjab and Vanastree.

PNB wins CVC‟s vigilance award for timely clearance of disciplinary proceedings

The Punjab National Bank (PNB) has been given the vigilance award by the Central Vigilance Commission for timely clearance of disciplinary proceedings and

not for other categories. In the category of „Timely Completion of Disciplinary Proceedings‟, the chief vigilance officer (CVO) of PNB had the best disposal of

92 per cent of cases initiated during 2016. The next best performance was reported by the CVO of Indian Bank, with 58 cases finalised out of 103 cases

initiated in 2016 (56 per cent).

The Vigilance Excellence Awards were instituted in 2017 and were awarded for performance of various organisations in 2016. The awards were given in three

categories -- for the CVOs/vigilance functionaries of Central Public Sector Enterprises(CPSEs), Public Sector Banks(PSBs) & Public Sector Insurance

Companies(PSICs); Ministries, Departments, Others; and for Management.

The CVOs are responsible for preventive vigilance, punitive vigilance and surveillance and detection. Punitive vigilance relates to timely initiation and

completion of disciplinary proceedings against officials of the organisations concerned.

PNB has been rocked by an over Rs 12,000 crore scam with the alleged involvement of bank employees and diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle and

Gitanjali Gems promoter Mehul Choksi.

Balkrishna Doshi wins Pritzker Architecture Prize

Nonagenarian architect and reputed urban planner Balkrishna Doshi has been named this year‟s winner of architecture‟s highest honour - the Pritzker Prize,

becoming the first Indian to do so.

His designs include the IIM-Bangalore; Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad; cultural spaces in Ahmedabad such as Tagore

Memorial Hall, the Institute of Indology, and Premabhai Hall; and private residence Kamala House (Ahmedabad), among many others. The architect also

designed Aranya Low Cost Housing (Indore, 1989), which currently accommodates over 80,000 individuals through a system of houses, courtyards and a

labyrinth of internal pathways.

Tom Pritzker, chairman of the Hyatt Foundation that sponsors the award made the announcement in Chicago, selecting Doshi as the 2018 Pritzker

Architecture Prize Laureate.

90th

Academy Awards presented

The 90th Academy Awards ceremony, were presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los

Angeles, California on March 4. AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories. Among the big winners was „The

Shape of Water‟ which won four awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Guillermo del Toro.




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Complete list of winners:

Best Picture: The Shape of Water

Best Actor: Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour

Best Actress: Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney in I, Tonya

Best Director: Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water

Best Animated Feature: Coco, Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson

Best Animated Short: Dear Basketball, Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant

Best Adapted Screenplay: James Ivory for Call Me by Your Name

Best Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele for Get Out

Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins for Blade Runner 2049

Best Documentary Feature: Icarus, Bryan Fogel, Cogan

Best Documentary Short Subject: Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405, Frank Stiefel

Best Live Action Short Film: The Silent Child, Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton

Best Foreign Language Film: A Fantastic Woman - Chile

Best Film Editing: Lee Smith for Dunkirk

Best Sound Editing: Alex Gibson, Richard King for Dunkirk

Best Sound Mixing: Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo for Dunkirk

Best Production Design: Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau for The Shape of Water

Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water

Best Original Song: “Remember Me” from Coco, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez

Best Makeup and Hair: Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick for Darkest Hour

Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges for Phantom Thread

Best Visual Effects: John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer for Blade Runner 2049

Indian volunteer wins Commonwealth Point of Light award

Britain‟s Queen Elizabeth II on March 8, 2018 recognised Srishti Bakshi from India as the 26th

Commonwealth Point of Light in honour of her exceptional

service to empowering women in India. Srishti is the founder of the Cross Bow Miles movement.

After seeing that India‟s National Crime Records Bureau recorded 327,394 cases of violence against women in 2015, Srishti decided to make a statement and

spread her message of gender equality across the country. She is leading a team of hundreds of female volunteers on a 3,800-km walk through India across

260 days. During the walk, Srishti leads workshops for women in rural communities on digital and financial literacy, leadership and health.

The Points of Light awards recognise outstanding volunteers every day of the week people whose service is making a difference in their communities and

whose story can inspire others to creative innovative solutions to social challenges in their own communities and beyond.

In the lead-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London in April 2018, the Queen as head of the Commonwealth is thanking

inspirational volunteers across the 53 Commonwealth nations as part of a special series of the award. One volunteer will be recognised from each of the

Commonwealth countries in the 53 week days preceding the Heads of Government meeting.

NDTV‟s Uma Sudhir wins 2017 Chameli Devi Jain award

Uma Sudhir of NDTV bagged the prestigious Chameli Devi Jain award for the year 2017. She was chosen for the recognition for her impressive body of work

covering vital issues relating to politics, children, women, human rights, agriculture, rural distress and minority issues. The jury also recommended journalist

Suraksha P of the New Indian Express with an honourable mention for her series on leprosy patients with no access to social benefit schemes. She reported

that the biometric details of such patients could not be captured as they had lost their fingerprints due to the disease. The awards were presented on March

9, 2018 in New Delhi. Named after Chameli Devi Jain, a freedom fighter and home maker, the award has been recognising women journalists for the past 38

years for upholding standards of excellence through a sustained body of work.

Shatrughan Sinha wins lifetime achievement award in UK

Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to the fields of arts and politics at a ceremony in

the UK‟s Parliament complex in London on March 3, 2018. The annual „Political and Public Life Awards‟ presented by Britain‟s Asian Voice weekly newspaper,

now in its 12th

year, recognises individuals who have made a significant impact on public life or made a difference in their local communities. Sinha, who




20

started his career as an actor in late 1960s, has to his credit over 225 Hindi feature films besides several in other Indian languages. A member of the ruling

BJP, he represents Bihar state‟s Patna Sahib constituency in the Lok Sabha.




21

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

Finance Ministry sets up panel to review fintech sector, leverage it for credit to MSMEs

The Finance Ministry has set up an eight-member expert panel to review the regulatory regime for the country‟s financial technology (fintech) sector and

explore how to use it for greater financial inclusion.

“A Steering Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs,” it said on March

5, 2018.

The committee would consider issues relating to development of financial technology space in India to make related regulations more flexible and generate

enhanced entrepreneurship.

The committee will focus on how Fintech can be leveraged to enhance financial inclusion of MSMEs. It will also study how to use data with the GST Network

and with information utilities such as Credit Information Companies to developing applications for financing of MSMEs.

Apart from reviewing the developments in the sector globally and in India, the committee would also analyse the regulatory regime spread over different

entities that has impacted the growth of Fintech in India.

Significantly, it has also been entrusted with the task to develop regulatory interventions such as a regulatory sandbox model that will enhance the role of

Fintech in the sectors identified for focused interventions.

It would also work with government agencies like the UIDAI to explore creation and use of unique enterprise identification number, the Ministry said.

Other Members of the Committee include Secretaries of the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and MSME,

Chairperson, Central Board of Excise and Customs, CEO, UIDAI and Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India. Joint Secretary (Investment) in the Department of

Economic Affairs will be its Convener.

RBI tightens PSL norms for banks by directing them to create sub-targets

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has further tightened the priority sector lending (PSL) norms for foreign banks by directing them to mandatorily create sub-

targets so that they lend a portion of their loans to small and marginal farmers as well as micro enterprises (MSMEs) from April.

The move is directed at foreign banks with over 20 branches and will come into force from the next financial year. The PSL norms mandate foreign banks to

eventually lend 40 per cent of their total loan book to the priority sector, such as agriculture, rural infra, and MSMEs among others from April 2020.

RBI said that a sub-target of 8 per cent of net bank credit, or credit equivalent amount of off-balance sheet exposure, whichever is higher, shall become

applicable for foreign banks with 20 branches and above, for lending to small and marginal farmers and micro enterprises (MSMEs) from FY19.

It further said another sub-target of 7.50 per cent, using the same criterion, will be applicable to these banks from FY19 for lending to micro-enterprises. But

in a partial relief, the apex bank removed the prior condition that only loans of up to Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore given to MSMEs would be PSL-compliant. The

notification further said all bank loans to MSMEs will now qualify under PSL without any credit cap.

RBI slaps Rs 5 crore penalty on Airtel Payments Bank for KYC violation

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on March 9, 2018 slapped a penalty of Rs 5 crore on Airtel Payments Bank Limited for violating KYC norms. Airtel Payments

Bank Limited was found to have contravened the „Operating Guidelines for Payments Banks‟ and directions issued by RBI on Know Your Customer (KYC)

norms.

RBI said that this action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or

agreement entered into by the bank with its customers.

Airtel Payments Bank had opened customer accounts without clear/specific consent of the customers. After receiving complaints, a supervisory visit to the

bank was undertaken by RBI between November 20 and 22, 2017.




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Earlier, Shashi Arora, CEO and Managing Director, Airtel Payments Bank has stepped down on December 22, 2017 following the Unique Identification

Authority of India (UIDAI) suspending Aadhaar linked e-KYC services on December 16 because of alleged misuse by the company.

The UIDAI‟s interim order had come after some customers of telecom major Airtel alleged that the company had opened their bank account in Airtel

Payments Bank without their consent when they used the “Aadhaar linked e-KYC services”.

The “Aadhaar linked e-KYC” service of UIDAI provides an instant, electronic, non-repudiable proof of identity and proof of address along with date of birth

and gender, resident‟s mobile number and email address to the service provider.

RBI slaps Rs 40 lakh penalty on SBI for flouting fake note norms

The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 40 lakh on State Bank of India for non-compliance of its directions on detection and

impounding of counterfeit notes. An RBI notification issued from Mumbai on March 7, 2018 said that the action is based on deficiencies in regulatory

compliance found at two of the bank‟s currency chests. RBI has clarified that penal action is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or

agreement entered into by the bank with its customers.

Bandhan Bank gets SEBI nod for Rs. 2,500 crore IPO

Private sector lender Bandhan Bank has received markets regulator SEBI‟s approval to raise an estimated amount of over Rs. 2,500 crore through an initial

public offer (IPO). According to the draft papers, Bandhan Bank‟s IPO comprises fresh issue of up to 9,76,63,910 equity shares and an offer for sale of up to

1,40,50,780 scrips by International Finance Corporation (IFC) and up to 75,65,804 shares by IFC FIG Investment Company.

PSU banks wrote off loans worth Rs.81,683 crore in 2016-17

Loans worth Rs.81,683 crore were written-off by public sector banks (PSBs) in 2016-17, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Rajya Sabha on March 6,

2018. He said that the write-off is done for tax benefit as well as capital optimisation and borrowers of such loans continue to be liable for repayment. The

amount written off by PSBs was Rs. 28,781 crore during 2017-18 (up to September, 2017).

RBI to inject extra liquidity of Rs. 1 lakh crore

The Reserve Bank on March 5, 2018 said it would inject additional liquidity of Rs. 1 lakh crore in banks through longer tenor instruments to enable flexibility

towards meeting their fund needs. The RBI said in order to address additional demand for liquidity and with a view to providing flexibility to the banking

system in its liquidity management towards March-end, it was “prepared to inject adequate additional liquidity using a combination of appropriate

instruments.” This will be in addition to normal Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) operations.

RBI fines Axis Bank, Indian Overseas Bank for violating IRAC and KYC norms

The Reserve Bank of India imposed a penalty of Rs. 3 crore on Axis Bank for non-compliance of Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms.

Besides, the central bank also imposed a penalty of Rs. 2 crore on Indian Overseas Bank for non-compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. These

penalties were imposed on February 27.

SEBI re-constitutes panel on corporate bond market

Markets regulator SEBI has re-constituted its committee that suggests roadmap for developing corporate bond market in the country. The 27-member

committee would now be chaired by Harun R Khan, former Deputy Governor at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as per the latest update with Securities and

Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Earlier, the panel was headed by Shyamala Gopinath, who was also a former Deputy Governor at RBI.

The committee -- corporate bonds and securitization advisory -- has representations from the government, banks, markets regulator, mutual funds, rating

agencies, stock exchanges and depositories. The panel was set up in 2011 under the chairmanship of R H Patil and is mandated to advise the regulator on

developing the corporate bond market and as well as securitised instruments in the country.

The members on the panel include Jayesh J Mehta, managing director and country treasurer at Bank of America Merrill Lynch; Milind Barve, MD and CEO of

HDFC Mutual Fund; A Balasubramanian, CEO at Aditya Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company, BSE chief Ashishkumar Chauhan and NSE chief Vikram

Limaye.

NEWSMAKERS




23

Bank fraud: PNB chief Sunil Mehta appears before SFIO

The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) on March 7, 2018 questioned PNB managing director and CEO Sunil Mehta for five hours in Mumbai in

connection with the Rs 12,636 cr fraud at the bank, allegedly carried out by diamond jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

The New Delhi-based PNB is the third bank which has been called by SFIO in the last two days in connection with the nearly USD 2 billion fraud. Axis Bank

and ICICI Bank officials had appeared before SFIO on March 6 to record their statement in the case, as well.

In February 2018, PNB had said it had detected fraudulent transactions worth nearly Rs 12,700 crore at one of its branches in Mumbai. The transactions were

carried out by Modi by allegedly acquiring fraudulent letters of undertaking (LoU) from the lender‟s Brady House branch in Mumbai to secure overseas credit

from other Indian lenders.




24

Section G: ECONOMY

CCEA approves Rs 1,151.80 crore scheme to address stubble burning

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on March 7, 2018 approved a new scheme worth Rs 1,151.80 crore to provide subsidised farm

machineries to farmers in Delhi and adjoining states to address stubble burning and curb air pollution in the national capital.

The new central scheme will be implemented for two years. Out of the total approved funds, Rs 591.65 crore will be spent in the 2018-19 fiscal and the rest

560.15 crore in the next financial year.

The new scheme Promotion of agricultural Mechanization for in-situ management of crop residue with 100 per cent central share will be executed with the

Delhi government along with neighbouring states Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.

The main component of the scheme includes establishment of Farm Machinery Banks for custom hiring of in-situ crop residue management machinery.

Under the scheme, financial assistance at 80 per cent of the project cost will be provided to the cooperative societies of the farmers, farmer producers‟

organisation (FPOs), Self Help Groups, registered farmers societies, private entrepreneurs, group of women farmers.

Financial assistance at 50 per cent of the machinery cost will be provided to individual farmers. Funds will also be given to various organisations for creating

awareness.

Under the scheme to be administered by the Union Agriculture Ministry, a national steering committee will be set up to give guidance for implementation of

the scheme and it will also monitor and review the progress.

At the state level, there will be a nodal implementing agency and also a State Level Executive Committee (SLEC) to implement the scheme and to ensure that

no crop residue burning takes place in the farmer field.

Whereas, the District Level Executive Committee (DLEC) would be responsible for carrying forward the objectives of the scheme. It will constitute Surveillance

Committees involving farmers group/progressive farmers to mobilise farmers for not burning the crop residue and will also ensure active participation of

Panchayati Raj Institution.

State governments through DLEC will indentify various beneficiaries and location-specific agricultural equipment depending on the farming system.

DLEC will identify and select beneficiaries for establishment of farm machinery bank for custom hiring and procurement of machines on individual ownership

basis to avail the benefit in transparent and time bound manner.

The state nodal department/ DLEC will tie up with the banks for credit requirements of the beneficiaries. Name and details of selected beneficiaries will be

documented at district level indicating Aadhaar/UID numbers and the financial assistance will be paid through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Union Cabinet approves relief package for telecom sector

In a major relief for telecom operators, Union Cabinet on March 7, 2018 allowed extending the time for payment of spectrum liabilities and relaxing spectrum

holding limits.

The Cabinet approved restructuring of deferred payment liabilities to a period of 16 years from 10 years earlier.

In 2017, an inter-ministerial group set up to recommend measures for easing financial stress in the telecom sector had suggest a longer spectrum payment

period based on telecom operators‟ demands. The Department of Telecom had also approved the move in September 2017 after which the suggestions were

sent to the cabinet for a final clearance.

The telecom sector has been engaged in an aggressive price war since the launch of Mukesh Ambani‟s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. in 2016. Jio‟s disruptive

pricing caused other operators to slash rates in an attempt to retain market share, at a time when operators were already reeling under significant debt.

Operators get more time for spectrum payments




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The telecom sector has more than Rs 2.9 lakh crore deferred spectrum liability. The Cabinet‟s nod means operators will have more time to pay this amount.

Currently, telecom operators pay half of the spectrum amount upfront, following which there is a two-year moratorium. The remaining half is paid in annual

instalments over ten years.

Spectrum holding ceiling enhanced

The Cabinet also gave its nod to revised limits of spectrum holdings approved by the Telecom Commission in January. Telecom companies can now hold a

maximum of 35 percent of the spectrum in a particular circle from 25 percent earlier. The 50 percent cap on spectrum holdings in individual bands too has

been done away with. This has been replaced with a 50 percent limit on combined spectrum holding in the 500 MHz, 800 MHz and 900 MHz airwaves. There

will be also no cap for individual or combined spectrum holding in above 1GHz band.

Global growth, domestic demand to lift FY19 GDP to 7.5%: CRISIL

The economy will grow up to 7.5% in FY19, supported by domestic consumption, policy push, and synchronised global growth, said rating agency CRISIL in

its report. In the current fiscal, GDP growth is expected to be 6.5 per cent. The Economic Survey 2018 has pegged FY19 growth at 7-7.5 per cent. According to

CRISIL, the key engines supporting the upturn are largely domestic and policy-driven, though a synchronous upturn in global growth will provide some

tailwind.

The upturn in growth will be aided partly by the low-base effect. The report has identified four thrust vectors- resolution of stressed assets in banking, rural

rejuvenation, relentless implementation of reforms and rising global growth that will determine the extent of pick-up and its sustainability.

NPAs in banking sector: CRISIL said the asset quality issues plaguing public sector banks - with gross non-performing assets touching 10.5 per cent, has

reached to a point that no meaningful and sustainable economic recovery is plausible without beginning of a resolution process. The transparent and time-

bound process driven by National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) offers hope. While haircuts are likely to be deep, the scale and timeframe of recovery will

mark a watershed for the country‟s banking system. With improving economy and turning credit cycle, fresh slippages will moderate and NPAs will likely peak

at 11 per cent by March 2019, says the report.

Growth factors for next fiscal: CRISIL said the focus on demand and job creation through spending on rural and labour-intensive infrastructure space is

likely to support growth next fiscal, and push demand in the consumer sectors. The sustainability of recovery also depends on effective implementation of

key reforms such as GST, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act of 2016, and the Uday rolled out in power sector the last few years.

CCI imposes penalties upon 3 Airlines for fixing and revising fuel surcharge on cargo transport

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on March 8, 2018 imposed penalties upon 3 Airlines for concerted action in fixing and revising Fuel Surcharge

(FSC) - a component of freight charges. The order was passed on complaint filed by Express Industry Council of India against the airlines alleging

cartelisation. The CCI said that the Airlines acted in a concerted manner in fixing and revising the FSC rates and thereby contravened the provisions of Section

3 of CCI Act which prohibits anti-competitive agreements including cartels. Accordingly, penalties of Rs. 39.81 crore, Rs. 9.45 crore and Rs. 5.10 crore were

imposed upon Jet Airways (India) Ltd., InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) and Spice Jet Limited respectively. Besides, a cease and desist order was also

issued against the Airlines.

Cabinet approves setting up of more district level commercial courts

The Union Cabinet on March 7, 2018 approved a bill that proposes establishment of commercial courts at district level under the jurisdiction of Madras, Delhi,

Calcutta, Bombay and Himachal Pradesh high courts. The Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts

(Amendment) Bill, 2018 was cleared in a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The original Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act, 2015 allowed the establishment of commercial

courts at district levels in all jurisdictions except under the five high courts. The amendment provides for establishment of commercial courts at district Judge

level for the territories over which respective High Courts have ordinary original civil jurisdiction in the cities of Madras, Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay and Himachal

Pradesh.

The proposed bill amends a law on arbitration for speedy settlement of business disputes as part of the government‟s efforts to further improve India‟s Ease

of Doing Business ranking. It also suggests bringing down the specified value of a commercial dispute to Rs 3 lakh from the present Rs 1 crore.

Cabinet approves additional 2% DA for central government employees




26

The Union Cabinet on March 7, 2018 approved an additional two per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees and Dearness Relief

(DR) to pensioners from January 1, 2018. It will benefit about 48.41 lakh central government employees and 61.17 lakh pensioners. The combined impact on

the exchequer on account of both DA and DR would be Rs 6,077.72 crore per annum, and Rs 7,090.68 crore in the financial year 2018-19 (for a period of 14

months from January 2018, to February 2019). This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the

Seventh Central Pay Commission.

Cabinet clears bill for institutional arbitration of disputes

The Union Cabinet on March 7, 2018 approved a bill to encourage institutional arbitration for settlement of disputes. The Arbitration and Conciliation

(Amendment) Bill, 2018 -- which aims to make India a centre of robust Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism -- will now be introduced in

parliament.

The proposed amendments would make arbitration process more party-friendly and cost effective, and would improve institutional arbitration by

establishing an independent body to lay down standards. It would also ensure timely disposal of arbitration cases.

The bill provides for creation of an independent body called the Arbitration Council of India (ACI) which will grade arbitral institution and accredit arbitrators

by laying down norms and take necessary steps to encourage arbitration, conciliation and mediation.

The bill aims to facilitate speedy appointment of arbitrators through designated arbitral institutions, without having to approach the court.

It is envisaged that parties may directly approach arbitral institutions designated by the Supreme Court for international commercial arbitration and in other

cases the concerned High Courts.




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NITI Aayog launches platform for women to build their enterprises

Government think-tank NITI Aayog on March 8, 2018 launched a dedicated platform to promote women entrepreneurs build on their businesses successfully.

The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is aimed at building an ecosystem for women across India to realise their entrepreneurial aspirations, scale up

innovative initiatives and chalk out sustainable, long-term strategies for their business. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant launched WEP in the presence of UN

Resident Coordinator in India Yuri Afanasiev. The WEP theme song “Nari Shakti” composed and sung by singer Kailash Kher was also released on the

occasion.

WEP is manifested on three pillars, namely, Ichha Shakti--motivating aspiring entrepreneurs to start their enterprise, Gyaan Shakti--providing knowledge and

ecosystem support to women entrepreneurs to help them foster entrepreneurship and Karma Shakti --providing hands-on support to entrepreneurs in

setting-up and scaling up businesses.

NNITI Aayog said WEP will address the bottlenecks faced by both aspiring and established women entrepreneurs by streamlining information across

government and private sector schemes and initiatives. The platform will provide credit evaluation of women-led startups by CRISIL and potential equity

investments through Rs 10 crore fund established by DICE Districts.

Forex reserves jump by $168 million to $421 billion

The country‟s foreign exchange reserves rose by USD 167.8 million to USD 420.758 billion in the week to March 2 on an increase in core currency assets, the

Reserve Bank of India said on March 9, 2018. In the week to March 2, the foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, rose by USD

177.2 million to USD 395.642 billion. Expressed in the US dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of the

non-US currencies such as the euro, the pound and the yen held in the reserves. The value of gold reserves increased by USD 8.1 million to USD 21.522

billion. The special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund declined by USD 7.4 million to USD 1.529 billion. The country‟s reserve position

with IMF also declined by USD 10.1 million to USD 2.064 billion.

India 12th

largest overseas holder of US securities in 2017 at $147.4 bn

India‟s exposure to US government securities rose sharply to a high of $144.7 billion at the end of 2017, according to figures compiled by the US Treasury

Department. As per data disclosed in March 2018, India remained the 12th

largest overseas holder of such securities in December 2017. In December 2016,

India‟s exposure was just $118.2 billion. In 2017, neighbouring China was the largest holder of US government securities with holdings to the tune of $1.18

trillion, followed by Japan at $1.06 trillion. At the third position was Ireland whose exposure rose to $326.5 billion.

Direct tax collection show growth of 19.5 percent till February

Provisional figures of direct tax collections up to February 2018 show net collections at Rs.7.44 lakh crore. This is 19.5 percent higher than net collections for

the corresponding period in the previous year, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in a statement on March 8, 2018.

Net direct tax collections represent a 74.3 percent of the revised estimates of direct taxes for financial year 2017-18 (Rs. 10.05 lakh crore).

Gross collections (before adjusting for refunds) have increased by 14.5 percent to Rs.8.83 lakh crore during the period April 2017 to February 2018. Refunds

amounting to Rs.1.39 lakh crore have been issued during April 2017 to February 2018.

The growth rate for net collections for Corporate Income Tax (CIT) is 19.7 percent and for Personal Income Tax (PIT) is 18.6 percent.

Housing Ministry launches metro rail companies association

“I-METROS”, an association of all Indian Metro Rail companies was launched by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha at the Conference on “Indian Metros:

Collaborating for Excellence” held at Metro Bhawan in New Delhi on March 8, 2018 in the presence of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Managing Director

Mangu Singh. The platform will be a forum for exchange of ideas, pooling of knowledge and sharing of experience, best practices, innovations etc. among

the Indian Metro Rail companies to nurture excellence in performance. The event also saw the release of „The Operator‟s Story‟ - a publication by World Bank

and Railway and Transport Strategy Centre, Imperial College London, on findings of the research on “what makes Metros successful”.

Services PMI falls to 6-month low in February

The Indian services sector contracted in February and fell to a six-month low, as new work orders suffered amid weak underlying demand conditions. The

seasonally adjusted Nikkei India Services Business Activity Index fell from 51.7 in January to 47.8 in February, its lowest level since August. The index slipped




28

below the 50-point mark that separates expansion from contraction, for the first time in three months. Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted Nikkei India

Composite PMI Output Index that maps both the manufacturing as well as services industry fell from 52.5 in January to 49.7 in February, as the fall in service

sector activity outweighed an upturn in manufacturing production.

Centre launches app to report accidents, potholes on highways

Union Minister of Water Resources, Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on March 7, 2018 launched the Sukhad Yatra mobile app, National Highways

Authority of India (NHAI) 1033 toll-free number and driver training scheme in Delhi. Sukhad Yatra has been prepared by the NHAI for highway users or

motorists. The key feature of the app will enable the user to enter road quality-related information or to report any accident or pothole on the highway. The

app can also be used by the users to purchase the FASTag tag. On the other hand, the toll-free number - 1033, will enable users to report an emergency

condition, or highway-related feedback, across the highway.

WINGS INDIA 2018 organised in Hyderabad

The four-day biennial event „WINGS INDIA 2018 „ was jointly organized by Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport Authority of India and FICCI in Hyderabad

from March 8 to 11, 2018. The theme of the biennial event was „India-Global Aviation Hub‟. The event served as a platform for interactions, forging alliances,

investments and air connectivity between the States and the global aviation players & stakeholders. The four-day event witnessed the presence of 125

exhibitors.




29

Section H: CORPORATE

Tata Steel to acquire Bhushan Steel

Tata Steel has committed Rs.45,400 crore for Bhushan Steel, far outbidding JSW Living‟s offer of Rs.28,000 crore for the stressed asset. This is the first instance

of the resolution of a stressed asset under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016. In a statement issued on March 7, 2018, Tata Steel said it had

received a formal communication from the Resolution Professional of Bhushan Steel Limited that it had been identified the “highest evaluated compliant

resolution applicant to acquire controlling stake of Bhushan Steel”. The next step in the resolution process will be as per stipulations under the IBC‟s

Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process. Bhushan Steel, which makes auto-grade steel, has an annual production capacity of 5.6 million tonnes. The

company reported a net loss of Rs.1,607 crore in the December quarter.

JSW Sports to buy 50% stake in Delhi Daredevils from GMR

After venturing into football, wrestling and kabaddi, JSW Sports, a unit of Sajjan Jindal-owned JSW Group, on March 9, 2018 said it will acquire a 50 per cent

stake in GMR Group-owned IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils for an undisclosed sum. GMR Sports is owned by the promoters of the GMR Group. GMR Group

had acquired the Delhi franchise in 2008 for USD 84 million. JSW Sports owns franchises in football (Bengaluru FC), pro wrestling (Bengaluru Yodhas) and pro

kabaddi (Haryana Steelers).

JCB announces India‟s richest literary award at Rs 2.5 million

A new literary prize with an award amount of Rs 2.5 million has been announced by earthmoving and construction equipment manufacturer JCB India Ltd.

Award-winning novelist and essayist Rana Dasgupta has been roped in as literary director of the JCB Prize for Literature. The prize will be administered by the

JCB Literature Foundation and is open for entries until May 31. Publishers have entry quotas for works in English, and separately, for works translated into

English from any other language. If the winning book is translated, the translator will be awarded Rs 500,000. All shortlisted authors will win Rs 1 lakh each.

India ranks fifth lowest in having women at top leadership positions

India‟s ranking in gender diversity has improved with the representation of women in top leadership positions rising to 20 per cent in 2018, even as the

country ranks fifth lowest in having women in such roles, revealed Grant Thornton‟s „Women in business: Beyond policy to progress‟ report The findings in

this report are drawn from 4,995 interviews conducted between July and December 2017 with chief executive officers, managing directors, chairs, and other

senior decision-makers from all industry sectors in mid-market businesses in 35 countries.

Women in India earn 20% less than men: Monster Salary Index

Women in India earn 20 per cent less than men, indicating that gender plays an important parameter while determining salaries in India, according to the

latest „Monster Salary Index‟ (MSI) report. Men earned a median gross hourly salary of Rs 231, compared to women, who earned only Rs 184.8. Though on a

year-on-year basis, the gender pay gap has narrowed by about five percentage points from 24.8 per cent in 2016, the report said gender pay gap widens as

one gains in work experience. MSI is an initiative by Monster India in collaboration with Paycheck.in (managed by WageIndicator Foundation) and IIM-

Ahmedabad as a research partner.

Facebook launches tool to empower women entrepreneurs

To mark International Women‟s Day, Facebook on March 8, 2018 launched a new tool that will give female entrepreneurs the power to connect with each

other and share questions, advice, resources and support to help them grow their businesses. The “Community Finder” tool is being launched under the

#SheMeansBusiness programme that was established by Facebook in 2016 to support women-owned businesses. The social media giant also launched the

“Credit Her” campaign that would help people give credit to women for their incredible contributions. People can also show their support to women through

cards, photo frames or themed backgrounds for text posts on the platform.

Mumbai ranks 47th

on global „city wealth index‟: Knight Frank‟s Wealth Report 2018

Mumbai ranked 47th

on the “city wealth index” among 314 cities in the world, independent global property consultancy Knight Frank‟s Wealth Report 2018

revealed on March 7, 2018. The “city wealth index” is drawn from four major indicators -- wealth, investments, lifestyle and future.

Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ start at Rs. 57,900




30

Electronics major Samsung on March 6, 2018 unveiled its flagship smartphones — Galaxy S9 and S9+ — in India priced Rs.57,900 onwards. The phones,

which include features such as dual aperture and slow motion video options, will compete with high-end devices such as Apple‟s iPhone X and Google‟s Pixel

2 series. It also has features such as dual-stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos surround sound capabilities.

3 Indian airports among winners in ACI survey

Delhi‟s Indira Gandhi International Airport has been judged the best airport in the 40 million passengers per annum category, while Hyderabad‟s Rajiv Gandhi

International Airport has been rated as the world number one in the 5-15 million passengers per annum category. The airports were ranked based on a

survey by the Airports Council International (ACI). GVK-run Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai has been ranked as the world‟s best in

customer experience. The Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award is based on a couple of aspects including passenger ratings, perception, traffic type, size,

region, performance indicators such as security screening, check-in, restrooms and other services. Nearly 74 per cent of the world‟s top 100 busiest airports

are part of the ASQ network.

Infosys opens Indianapolis Technology and Innovation Hub

India‟s second largest software services firm Infosys on March 6, 2018 inaugurated its Technology and Innovation Hub in Indianapolis, USA. The Hub which

currently houses more than 150 employees also serves as an innovation lab, showcasing new prototypes in virtual, augmented and robotic technologies.

China‟s WeChat app crosses one billion accounts

China‟s ubiquitous WeChat social media platform has crossed the one billion accounts mark as its messaging, game and shopping services attract more and

more users. The symbolic threshold was announced by Pony Ma, the chief executive of its parent company Tencent, on the sidelines of China‟s parliamentary

session in Beijing on March 5, 2018. It compares with 2.1 billion monthly active users on Facebook and 1.5 billion on its messaging app WhatsApp.

Google India launches #HerStoryOurStory campaign

Aiming to celebrate women‟s voices and uncover their inspiring stories of trials, hope and success in everyday life, Google India on March 6, 2018 launched

#HerStoryOurStory campaign ahead of International Women‟s Day. As part of the campaign, Google will be sharing woman hero stories through online

videos, putting spotlight on women who have not just fought societal, cultural and economic barriers to achieve their dreams but are also redefining

women‟s role in the society and business through technology.

Tata Motors unveils E-Vision Sedan concept at Geneva Motor Show

Auto major Tata Motors on March 6, 2018 unveiled an electric concept with long range and class defining interiors as part of its plans to consolidate its green

mobility portfolio. Built on a modified OMEGA (Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced) EV architecture, the „E-Vision Sedan Concept‟ is capable of

attaining a top speed of 200 km/hr. It can also race to 0-100 km/hr in less than 7 seconds. Tata Motors CEO and Managing Director Guenter Butschek

launched the model at Geneva Motor Show. Tata Motors also showcased the „H5X concept‟ - a 5-seater premium SUV and „45X concept‟ - a premium

hatchback.

Mahindra launches new version of „MyAgriGuru‟ app

Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd on March 7, 2018 launched advanced version of its app „MyAgriGuru‟ that includes a voice-based chatbot for providing

solutions to farmers‟ queries. The app-based digital advisory platform currently has a user base of 4 lakh farmers. The app is currently available in English and

Hindi.

Forbes India names 25 women as „trailblazers‟ in India

Forbes India has released its “W-Power Trailblazers” issue featuring 25 women stars on the ascendency in business. The 25 women stars included names like

Chiki Sarkar, publisher, Juggernaut Books, Adhuna Bhabani, founder-director, Bblunt, Anupriya Acharya, CEO (India), Publicis Media, Kavitha Sairam, co-

founder, FIB-SOL Life Technologies, Dina Wadia and Shivpriya Nanda, joint managing partners, J Sagar Associates among others.

Samsung Galaxy S9+ named „Best New Connected Mobile Device‟ at MWC 2018

Samsung Electronics Co on March 3, 2018 said its new flagship smartphone, Galaxy S9 Plus has been named the “Best New Connected Mobile Device” at the

Mobile World Congress 2018 (MWC) -- the world‟s largest gathering for the mobile communications industry.




31

NEWSMAKERS

Amazon‟s Bezos unseats Gates to head Forbes‟ 2018 „World‟s Billionaires‟ list

Mukesh Ambani‟s net worth has soared to $40.1 billion, making him the richest Indian for the 11th

year in a row, while Amazon founder Jeff Bezos toppled Bill

Gates as the world‟s wealthiest person, says Forbes. According to Forbes‟ 2018 „World‟s Billionaires‟ list on March 6, 2018, Bezos topped the list with a net

worth of $112 billion, becoming the only person to appear in the Forbes list with a 12-figure fortune. Here‟s the top 10 list: Jeff Bezos | Amazon | $112

billion, Bill Gates | Microsoft | $90 billion Warren Buffett | Berkshire Hathaway | $84 billion, Bernard Arnault & family | LVMH | $72 billion, Mark

Zuckerberg | Facebook | $71 billion, Amancio Ortega | Zara | $70 billion, Carlos Slim Helu & family | telecom |$67.1 billion, Charles Koch | Koch Industries

|$60 billion, David Koch | Koch Industries | $60 billion, Larry Ellison | software | $58.5 billion

Azim Premji is the second richest Indian and was ranked 58th on the overall list with a net worth of $18.8 billion, followed by Lakshmi Mittal (62nd position,

net worth of $18.5 billion), Shiv Nadar (98th, $14.6 billion) and Dilip Shanghvi (115th, $12.8 billion). The 10 richest Indians include Kumar Birla, ranked 127th

overall with a fortune of $11.8 billion, Uday Kotak (143, $10.7 billion), Radhakishan Damani (151, $10 billion), Gautam Adani (154, $9.7 billion) and Cyrus

Poonawalla (170, $9.1 billion).

Michael Bloomberg to launch $20mn anti-tobacco watchdog

Philanthropist Michael Bloomberg announced on March 7, 2018 that he will spend USD 20 million (16.13 million euros) to launch a watchdog to detect and

expose deceptive practices by the tobacco industry. The monitor will be called Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products (STOP). The announcement was

made at the 17th

World Conference on Tobacco or Health organised in Cape Town, South Africa on March 7-9, 2018. Bloomberg and WHO Director Tedros

Adhanom Ghebreyesus opened the Conference on March 7.

M. S. Dhoni named ambassador of chocolate brand Snickers

Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on March 5, 2018 named brand ambassador of chocolate brand Snickers. .




32

Section I: STATES

Swachh Shakti 2018 celebrated in Lucknow

Swachh Shakti 2018 was celebrated in Lucknow with 15000 women Swachh Bharat champions resolving to usher in clean India on International Women‟s

Day.

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in association with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, organized a Women‟s Convention called Swachh Shakti

2018 at Lucknow on March 8, 2018. 8000 women sarpanches, 3000 women Swachhagrahis and women champions from other walks of life from across the

country were recognised for their outstanding contribution towards making a Swachh Bharat.

The Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Uma Bharti, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, along with other Ministers and dignitaries

addressed and honoured women champions on this occasion.

In 2017, 6000 women sarpanches from across the country had assembled in Gujarat on the occasion of International Women‟s Day under the banner of

Swachh Shakti 2017.

This year, Uttar Pradesh hosted Swachh Shakti 2018. The event included a special exhibition, launch of a film celebrating Swachh Shakti and flagging off of 30

Swachhata Raths that will travel across the State, spreading the message of sanitation at the grassroots. Meanwhile, across the country, many States

organised public events to honour Women Swachhata Champions as a part of Swachh Shakti 2018.

The Swachh Bharat Mission, launched on October 2, 2014, is aimed at achieving a Clean and Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2nd October, 2019. With

all-round efforts, 314 districts and 3.23 lakh villages and 9 States and 2 UTs have been declared ODF. The sanitation coverage has more than doubled from

38.70% to 78.98% since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

MP govt. announces pension for single women above 50 years

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Women‟s on March 8, 2018 announced „Mukhyamantri Mahila Kosh‟ scheme under which women

who aren‟t married and are above the age of 50 will be given pension.

MP CM announces Rs 12,000 on childbirth for poor

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on March 5, 2018 announced grant of Rs 12,000 on childbirth in a poor family and Rs 5,000 for the last

rites of a poor person, along with provision of electricity at Rs 200 per month without requiring any electricity meter. The government will also provide Rs 2

lakh through insurance to people who died a natural death before reaching 60 years of age.

AWBI headquarters shifted to Haryana

The headquarters of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has been shifted from Chennai to Haryana‟s Ballabhgarh for “better coordination” between the

environment ministry and the board, the Rajya Sabha was informed on March 5, 2018. Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Mahesh Sharma said this in a written reply to a question.

Rajasthan passes bill awarding death for rape of girls aged 12 or less

The Rajasthan assembly on March 9, 2018 unanimously passed a bill that will see rapists of girls 12 years or below being hanged till death. Chief Minister

Vasundhara Raje led Rajasthan has become second state after Madhya Pradesh to pass such a bill. Now the bill will be sent to the Centre and will need the

assent of the President to become a law.

Delhi govt approves for delivery of ration at doorsteps of PDS beneficiaries

The Delhi government on March 6, 2018 approved a proposal for delivering rations in sealed packets at he doorstep to PDS beneficiaries, Deputy Chief

Minister Manish Sisodia said. The proposal of the Department of Food, Supply and Consumer Affairs will enable doorstep delivery of wheat/flour, rice and

sugar for eligible beneficiaries. Theft of ration, poor quality of supplies and shops remaining closed were the major issues that residents were facing and the

implementation of this new scheme would put an end to these harassments, Sisodia said.

Second phase of „Jang-e-Azadi‟ memorial dedicated in Punjab




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Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh dedicated the second phase of the „Jang-e-Azadi‟ memorial to the nation in Kartarpur (Jalandhar) on March 6, 2018.

He also announced an allocation of Rs 25 crore for the completion of the third phase in the forthcoming budget and sanction of Rs 9.5 crore towards the

pending arrears for Phase I construction of the memorial.

Gadchiroli book reading event sets new Guinness world record

As many as 7,000 people on March 3, 2018 participated in a book reading event in Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) and managed to break a Guinness world record

set in Turkey in May 2017. A passage in Marathi from the book “Gandhi Vichar Aani Ahimsa‟ (Gandhian Thoughts and Non Violence) was read out by Uday

Jagtap of the Adarsha Mitra Mandal, Pune. The event was organised by police authorities and had representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records

in attendance. The event in Turkey on May 18, 2017 had seen the participation of 5,754 people as audience for a book reading event.

BSF, Border Guard Bangladesh launch „Crime-free Zone‟ project in West Bengal district

The BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on March 9, 2018 jointly launched the „Crime-free Zone‟ project in the Indo-Bangla border area of North 24

Parganas district of West Bengal. The aim of the project is to make the area free from illegal, antisocial and criminal activities by integrating the efforts of BSF

and BGB, in assistance with the district administration, NGOs and border population of both countries. The pilot project was launched by BSF Director General

K. K. Sharma and his BGB counterpart Maj Gen Abul Hosain along a stretch of 8.3 km. The BSF border outposts Gunarmath and Kalyani and BGB border

outposts Putkhali and Daulatpur have been declared as a crime-free zone.

WB govt decides to include Swami Vivekananda‟s famous speech in Class 9 to 12 syllabus

The West Bengal government on March 9, 2018 decided to include Swami Vivekananda‟s famous speech in the Parliament of Worlds Religion in Chicago in

Class 9 to 12 Syllabus from next year, state education minister Partha Chatterjee said in Kolkata. The proposal of including Vivekananda‟s speech was given by

the representatives of the Ramakrishna Mission at the first meeting held by the committee, which was constituted to look after the celebrations of 125 years

of Vivekananda‟s address in the Parliament of Worlds Religion in Chicago in 1893,.

Siddaramaiah unveils proposed state flag for Karnataka

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on March 8, 2018 unveiled the proposed official state flag for Karnataka in Bengaluru. The „Naada Dwaja‟ (state‟s flag) in hues of

yellow, white and red, has the state‟s emblem „Gandaberunda‟ or the two-headed mythological bird, at its centre. A committee formed by the state

government in 2017 had recommended the separate flag for Karnataka, discounting any constitutional or legal hurdles for it.

PETA honours Malayalam magazine for highlighting importance of human breast milk

PETA India on March 8, 2018 honoured Malayalam magazine Grihalakshmi, which had stirred a row by featuring a model breastfeeding on its cover, for

highlighting the importance of breast milk for infants. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India gave its 2018 Good Mother award to the

magazine on International Women‟s Day.

First aircraft lands at Pakyong airport in Sikkim

The first aircraft landed on March 5, 2018 at the newly-constructed greenfield Pakyong airport in Sikkim. The IAF aircraft was a fixed wing 19-seater Dornier

228. The Pakyong airport has been constructed at a cost of over Rs 350 crore and is awaiting the nod from the DGCA for beginning commercial operations

that will bring Sikkim on aviation map of India.

Odisha govt launches „Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas‟ programme

The Odisha government has launched a programme Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas (Our Village, our development) to reach out to the people in rural areas and

involve themselves in the developmental activities. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on March 3, 2018 flagged off mobile video vans for „Ama Gaon Ama Vikas‟

programme that will move across the State to highlight various welfare schemes at villages in the state. Through these Wi-Fi enabled latest technology video

wall vans, people can directly send their grievances to the Chief Minister‟s Office at the Secretariat in Bhubaneswar.

NEWSMAKERS

Biplab Kumar Deb sworn in as Tripura CM




34

Biplab Kumar Deb on March 9, 2018 took oath as the chief minister of the first BJP government in Tripura, ending the 25-year rule of the Left Front. Deb had

won Banamalipur seat defeating his nearest rival Amal Chakraborty by over 9,500 votes.

Jishnu Deb Burman of the BJP was sworn in as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers. Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of

office and secrecy to the ministers at a function at the Assam Rifles ground in Agartala. 48-year-old Biplab Kumar Deb had staked claim before the governor

on March 6 to form the government.

The seven other ministers include five from the BJP and two from the Indigenous People‟s Front of Tripura (IPFT), a BJP ally. The BJP-IPTF alliance had won the

Assembly elections with a two-thirds majority in the 60-member House. The BJP had bagged 35 seats and the IPFT eight seats. CPI-M won 16 seats. Outgoing

CM Manik Sarkar of CPI-M won from Dhanpur seat. Tripura has a 60-member Assembly, but polling was held for 59 seats. Polling to Charilam (ST) seat in

Tripura was postponed till March 12 due to the death of CPI-M candidate Ramendra Narayan Debbarma.

NDPP‟s Neiphiu Rio sworn in as chief minister of Nagaland

Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland in Kohima on March 8, 2018. This is Rio‟s

fourth term as head of the northeastern state. Governor P.B. Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 67-year-old Rio, who is heading a

People‟s Democratic Alliance (PDA) coalition. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yanthungo Patton was made the Deputy Chief Minister. The PDA includes 18

members from NDPP, 12 from BJP, one from the Janata Dal-United and an Independent in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly.

Rio previously held the office in 2003-08, 2008-13 and 2013-14, making him the only Chief Minister of Nagaland to have served three consecutive terms. He

was elected from the state‟s lone Lok Sabha seat in 2014. Rio resigned as MP after he was elected unopposed as a member of the Assembly in February 2018

from the Northern Angami-II seat in Kohima district. The new CM has been asked by the Governor to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or

before March 16.

No party won a clear majority in the election results announced on March 3, 2018. BJP and NDPP jointly command 29 seats in the 60 member Assembly.

Seats (60/60) -- BJP: 17, NDPP: 12, NPF (Naga People‟s Front): 27 seats, NPP (Nationalist People‟s Party): 2, JD(U): 1, Independent: 1. Outgoing Chief Minister

and NPF candidate T. R. Zeliang won from Peren constituency.




35

Conrad Sangma sworn in as Meghalaya CM

Backed by the BJP and regional parties, National People‟s Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma was sworn in as the chief minister of Meghalaya in Shillong on

March 6, 2018. Son of late P. A. Sangma, a former Lok Sabha Speaker and union minister, Conrad Sangma, 40, was administered the oath of office and

secrecy by Governor Ganga Prasad at the Raj Bhavan. P. A. Sangma was also the chief minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990. Conrad Sangma is currently

a Lok Sabha member from Tura. Apart from Sangma, 11 other cabinet ministers were also sworn in by the governor.

A graduate in Entrepreneurial Management and Finance from the University of London, Conrad Sangma, had met the governor on March 4 and staked claim

to form the government with the support of 34 MLAs.

No party won a clear majority in the 60-member Assembly in the results declared on March 3. Congress emerged as the largest party with 21 seats followed

by NPP (National People‟s Party): 19, UDP (United Democratic Party): 6, BJP: 2, Hill State People‟s Democratic Party: 2, People‟s Democratic Front (PDF): 4,

NCP: 1, Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement: 1 and Independents: 3. Outgoing CM Mukul Sangma of Congress won from both Ampati and

Songsak seats he contested. Meghalaya has a 60-member Assembly, but polling was held for 59 seats. The election was countermanded in Williamnagar in

the wake of the killing of NCP candidate Jonathone N Sangma in an IED blast.

Veteran broadcaster Shivaji Dasgupta dies at 71

Shivaji Dasgupta, a doyen of Indian broadcasting, died on February 26, 2018 in Kolkata at the age of 71. A chartered accountant by profession, Dasgupta

retired from Numaligarh Refinery Ltd as General Manager (Finance).

Dasgupta started his broadcasting with All India Radio (AIR) from 1972 and was a regular feature at football matches at the Kolkata Maidan. He interviewed

legendary Brazilian footballer Pele for Calcutta Doordarshan in 1977. 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.

He began his cricket commentary career with the India versus West Indies Test in Kolkata during the 1978-79 series. He also covered hockey matches,

including the Beighton Cup, alongwith disciplines like athletics, kabaddi and basketball.

Odia writer Prafulla Das dies at 91

Odia author Prafulla Das died in Kendrapara (Odisha) on March 3, 2018 at the age of 91. „Banhimana‟, the biography of freedom fighter Malati Chaudhury,

brought him the Sarala Award in 2014.

Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty out of danger

Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty who was admitted to hospital after being stabbed by an assailant in Bengaluru on March 7, 2018 is said to be

out of danger now. The police have registered a case against assailant Tejraj Sharma under various sections for obstructing government servant, for assault,

attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly.

IIEST confers D.Litt on former President Pranab Mukherjee

Former President Pranab Mukherjee was on March 4, 2018 conferred the D.Litt by the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST).

Mukherjee was conferred the honorary D.Litt (Honoris Causa) at the 4th annual convocation of the IIEST at Shibpur in Howrah district of West Bengal.




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Section J: SPORTS

India win 3 gold medals at ISSF World Cup

Indian shooter Shahzar Rizvi created a new world record on his way to the gold medal in the Men‟s 10m Air Pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara

(Mexico) on March 4, 2018. Christian Reitz of Germany won silver while another Indian Jitu Rai bagged the bronze.

On March 5, Manu Bhaker marked her international debut with gold medal in the Women‟s 10m Air Pistol event.

In the women‟s 10m air rifle event, India‟s Mehuli Ghosh won bronze.

On March 6, Manu Bhaker and Om Prakash Mitharval clinched the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team title. Also, the duo of Deepak Kumar and Mehuli Ghosh won a

bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event.

Indian shooter Anjum Moudgil clinched a silver medal in the Women‟s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event on March 9. Anjum finished behind gold winner Ruijiao Pei

of China. Another Chinese Ting Sun claimed bronze.

India win 8 medals at Asian Wrestling Championships

India returned from the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) on March 4, 2018 with a rich haul of eight medals. India bagged one

gold and one silver each, besides six bronze medals from the competition. Besides the rich haul of eight medals, Navjot Kaur had scripted history by

becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in the senior continental championship as she clinched the yellow metal in the 65kg freestyle category.

Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik also won a bronze in the 62kg freestyle category. Vinesh Phogat won silver medal in women‟s 50kg freestyle

event. Another Indian wrestler Sangeeta won bronze medal in the women‟s 59kg freestyle event. Bajrang Punia won bronze in Men‟s 65kg freestyle while

Vinod Kumar Omprakash won bronze in Men‟s 70kg freestyle.

Maharashtra women‟s team wins national tennis championship

The Maharashtra women‟s team has won the interstate national tennis championship 2018 held in Chhattisgarh. The championship was organised under the

auspices of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) by the Chhattisgarh State Tennis Association (CSTA) from February 26 to March 3, 2018. In the final, the

Maharashtra women‟s team won in straight matches as Mihika Yadav defeated Rishika Sunkara of Delhi 6-2,7-6,(3). In another singles match, Rutuja Bhosle of

Maharashtra thrashed Prerana Bhambri of Delhi 6-2,7-5 as the state clinched the championship trophy.

Del Potro wins Men‟s Singles title at Mexican Open tennis

Argentina‟s Juan Martin del Potro defeated Kevin Anderson Africa 6-4, 6-4 in the final to win Men‟s Singles title at the ATP Mexican Open tennis tournament

in Acapulco on March 4, 2018.

Bautista-Agut wins Men‟s Singles title at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut defeated Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-3, 6-4 in the final to win the Men‟s Singles title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis

Championships in Dubai on March 4, 2018. Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands and Horia Tecau of Romania won the Men‟s Doubles title by defeating

India‟s Leander Paes and his US partner Jamie Cerretani 6-2, 7-6 in final.

Fabio Fognini wins Men‟s Singles title at Brazil Open tennis

Italy‟s Fabio Fognini clinched his sixth career title with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Chile‟s Nicolas Jarry in the Brazil Open final on March 4, 2018.

Tata sets up Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Jamshedpur

Tata Trusts and Tata Steel have joined hands to make a foray in hockey with the establishment of the Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA), a high

performance residential training facility, in Jamshedpur. The Academy coaches boys in the age group 14-16. It was inaugurated on the eve of the Founders

Day celebration on March 2 by Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan Tata. Naval Tata held prestigious positions and was the President of the All India Council of Sports

(AICS), President of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) for 15 years and Vice Chairman of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

V. Anand wins Tal Memorial Rapid Chess




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World rapid champion Viswanathan Anand won the Tal Memorial Rapid Chess title in Moscow. Anand finished with six points out of a possible nine, scoring

four wins and four draws. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan, Sergey Karjakin of Russia and Hikaru Nakamura of United States finished in a tie for second

spot with five points apiece, while Boris Gelfand of Israel and Alexander Grischuk of Russia ended on 4.5 points to tie for the fifth spot in the 10-player round-

robin tournament.

Football‟s laws body approves VAR for World Cup

Football‟s lawmakers on March 3, 2018 approved video assistant referee technology (VAR) for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The International Football

Association Board (IFAB, meeting in Zurich, approved a move already backed by FIFA‟s top brass, including president Gianni Infantino. The final decision to

use the technology at the World Cup in Russia will be made when the FIFA Council -- world football‟s top decision-making body -- meets in Colombia on

March 15 and 16. VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: goals, penalty decisions, straight red

cards or mistaken identity. It has already been implemented in top European leagues including the German Bundesliga and Italy‟s Serie A.

Minerva Punjab FC win I-League title

Minerva Punjab FC got the better of Churchill Brothers 1-0 to win the I-League title (2017-18) at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula on March 8, 2018.

Minerva Punjab entered the final day‟s game with 32 points from 17 matches, and they were closely followed by Neroca FC, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

Italian footballer Davide Astori dies at 31

Italy international and ACF Fiorentina captain Davide Astori passed away at the age of 31 on March 4, 2018. Astori, who made 14 appearances for Italy, joined

Fiorentina in 2016 from Cagliari and had made 58 appearances for the club. The defender enjoyed a 12-year career in Serie A league having started his career

at AC Milan before joining Cagliari in 2008.

Sri Lanka‟s Perera wins Chennai Open golf tournament

Sri Lanka‟s Mithun Perera won the Chennai Open 2018 Golf Championship in Chennai on March 4, 2018. Gurgaon-based Digvijay Singh finished joint runner-

up with Mukesh Kumar (66) of Mhow, the winner of the last edition of the Chennai Open. Perera took home a cheque of Rs 4,84,950.

2012 Olympic badminton bronze medallist Chung Jae-sung dies at 35

Olympics 2012 badminton bronze medallist Chung Jae-sung of South Korea died in Hwaseong on March 9, 2018 at the age of 35. Chung teamed up with Lee

Yong-dae to win bronze in the men‟s doubles at the 2012 London Olympics.

Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a mile under 4 minutes, dies at 88

Roger Bannister, the British athlete famed as the first man to run a mile under 4 minutes, died in Oxford (UK) on March 4, 2018 at the age of 88. Bannister set

his record time of three minutes and 59.4 seconds in Oxford on May 6, 1954.

Bannister practiced athletics in his spare time while studying for a medical degree at Oxford. He later became an eminent neurologist. His new world record

lasted for just 46 days when his main rival, Australian athlete John Landy, covered the same distance in 3 minutes and 57.4 seconds.

The current record for the quickest mile is held by Moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj who recorded a time of three minutes and 43.13 seconds in Rome

on July 7, 1999.

No female athlete has ever cracked the four-minute mile. The current women‟s world record holder is Russian athlete Svetlana Masterkova with a time of 4

minutes, 12.56 seconds set on August 14, 1996 in Zurich.

Ayyasamy Dharun breaks National record in 400m hurdles

Tamil Nadu athlete Ayyasamy Dharun smashed the men‟s 400m hurdles national record on the concluding day of the 22nd

Federation Cup National Senior

Championships in Patiala on March 8, 2018. The 21-year-old Dharun clocked 49.45 seconds. Dharun thus erased Joseph G Abraham‟s over 10-year-old earlier

national record of 49.94 made in August 2007 in Osaka.

Gymnast Aruna Reddy to join South Central Railway




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Gymnast Buddha Aruna Reddy, who brought laurels to the country by winning a historic bronze medal in the Gymnastics World Cup, has been offered a job

by South Central Railway (SCR). Hyderabad-born Aruna has been given employment in SCR in the Group C category. Aruna left an inedible mark in the annals

of Indian sports history by winning a bronze medal in the women‟s vault event of Gymnastic World Cup on February 28. The 22-year-old finished third behind

Slovenia‟s Tjasa Kysslef (gold) and Emily White (silver) Australia.

India win Snooker Team World Cup

The Indian combine of Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra defeated Pakistan in the final to win the inaugural IBSF Snooker Team World Cup in Doha on

March 3, 2018. India won the best-of-five final 3-2.

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