CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY DIGEST
[mks_col] [mks_one_third][mks_button size=”small” title=”Download Current Affairs PDFs” style=”squared” url=”https://www.daytodaygk.com/category/current-affairs/current-affairs-pdf/” target=”_blank” bg_color=”#dd3030″ txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=”” nofollow=”0″][/mks_one_third] [mks_one_third][mks_button size=”small” title=”Current Affairs Online Tests” style=”squared” url=”https://www.daytodaygk.com/category/online-test/” target=”_blank” bg_color=”#dd3030″ txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=”” nofollow=”0″][/mks_one_third] [mks_one_third][mks_button size=”small” title=”Current Affairs Quizzes Everyday” style=”squared” url=”https://www.daytodaygk.com/category/current-affairs-quiz/” target=”_blank” bg_color=”#dd3030″ txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=”” nofollow=”0″][/mks_one_third] [/mks_col]1. Konkani writer begs Saraswati Samman
Eminent Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail has been honoured with the Saraswati Samman 2016 for his novel Hawthan. The 74-year-old’s novel was shortlisted out of 22 books written in as many languages. The award carries a cash prize of ₹15 lakh and a citation. Mr. Sail is a bilingual writer who has four Marathi dramas and seven Konkani novels to his credit. He has also written five short stories and a novel in Marathi.
2. Mohan Bhagwat conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Science
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) by the city-based Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University. Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao awarded the degree to Bhagwat, a veterinary doctor by training, at the convocation of the varsity. He was conferred the degree for his contribution in the field of veterinary sciencesand social work.
3. NTPC commissions 45 MW of Bhadla solar plant
State-run power giant NTPC has announced commissioning of 45 MW solar capacity at Bhadla in Rajasthan taking the total installed capacity of the project to 160 MW. “The 45 MW of Bhadla solar power project of NTPC in Rajasthan has been commissioned. With this, the installed capacity of Bhadla solar power project has become 160 MW and that of NTPC’s solar power projects has become 520 MW
4. Parliament passes bill to raise maternity leave to 26 weeks
Women employees in the organized sector will now get six months of paid maternity leave, more than double the entitlement so far, after the Lok Sabha amended the law on maternity benefits. Terming the move a “gift on International Women’s Day”, labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the legislation will have far reaching consequences both in terms of child care and female work force participation in India.
5. Odisha govt launches 181 helpline for distressed women
Chief Mnister Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated a 24X7 toll free helpline number 181 for distressed women on the occasion on International Women’s Day. The helpline will facilitate quick response of various services including lodging police complaint to provide medical, legal and counselling to women victims.
6. India and Belgium sign Protocol to amend DTAA
India and Belgium have signed a Protocol to amend the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between the two countries.This Protocol was signed by Sushil Chandra, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on behalf of India and Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium to India, on behalf of Belgium.
The Protocol seeks to broaden the scope of the existing framework of exchange of tax related information. This in turn will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two countries and will also enable mutual assistance in collection of taxes. It may be recalled that the Union Cabinet had in June last year approved the signing of a Protocol to amend the existing DTAA pact with Belgium.
7. US Congress approves NASA’s manned Mars mission in 2033
For the first time in more than 6 years, both chambers of Congress passed a bill that approves funding for NASA and lays out new mandates for the space agency. The NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017 , which appropriates $19.508 billion to the agency, is a version of a nearly identical bill that the Senate and House had previously collaborated on for months. The space agency received $19.3 billion in 2016 – less than half a percent of the total federal budget .
8. India’s first lunar probe Chandrayaan 1 still orbiting Moon: NASA
India’s first lunar probe – the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft – which was considered lost, is still orbiting the Moon, Nasa scientists have found by using a new ground-based radar technique. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost communication with Chandrayaan-1 on August 29, 2009, almost a year after it was launched on October 22, 2008. Now, scientists at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California have successfully located the spacecraft still circling some 200 kilometres above the lunar surface.
9. China developing manned submersible to reach deepest points
China is developing a manned submersible capable of reaching the deepest known points in the world’s oceans in search of precious metals. The 11,000-metre deep-sea submersible is planned to conduct its first ocean test in 2021, said Yan Kai, director of the state key laboratory of deep-sea manned submersible under the China Ship Scientific Research Centre.
10. Scientists say potatoes can be grown on Mars
Potatoes can be grown even in the extreme environment of Mars, according to a new study that has implications for future manned missions to the red planet as well as helping people survive in harsh climates on Earth.
The International Potato Centre (CIP) in Peru launched a series of experiments to discover if potatoes can grow under Mars atmospheric conditions and thereby prove they are also able to grow in extreme climates on Earth.
11. INS Tillanchang commissioned to Indian Navy
INS Tillanchang, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) was commissioned into the Indian Navy by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, at Karwa. INS Tillanchang is the third ship of four follow-on WJFAC built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata. The first two ships of the class, IN ships Tarmugli and Tihayu were commissioned in 2016 and are based at Visakhapatnam. The ship has been indigenously designed and built and is an upgrade from the Chetlat class of Fast Attack Craft that the Indian Navy possesses.
12. Indian women’s ice hockey team registers 1st ever int’l win
The Indian women’s ice hockey team registered its first victory ever in an international match by beating Philippines at the Challenge Cup of Asia fixture held in Bangkok. The score after fulltime read 4-3 in favour of India and there was very little to choose between the teams.
13. British artist Howard Hodgkin passes away aged 84
Veteran British artist Sir Howard Hodgkin has died at the age of 84. Sir Howard was born in London in 1932, but as a child he was evacuated to the US during the war. During his artistic career he served as a trustee of both the Tate and the National Gallery in the 1970s and 80s, and was represented Britain at the Venice Biennale – the art world’s most coveted festival – in 1984.
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