Latest Current Affairs – March 11 2018
1. Bolivia unfurls ‘world’s biggest flag’ stretching 200 km
Bolivia claimed to have unfurled the world’s biggest flag that stretched nearly 200 kilometres. Tens of thousands of Bolivians held the flag in a show of support for the country amid a maritime dispute with Chile. Bolivia has been demanding access to the Pacific Ocean, which it lost to Chile during a war in the 19th Century.
2. China allows President Xi Jinping to rule for life
China’s Xi Jinping has secured a path to rule indefinitely as parliament abolished presidential term limits, handing him almost total authority to pursue a vision of transforming the nation into an economic and military superpower. The move reverses the era of “collective” leadership and orderly succession that was promoted by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping to ensure stability following the turbulent one-man rule of Communist China’s founder Mao Zedong.
3. Akhil Sheoran bags 4th gold medal for India at World Cup
India’s 22-year-old shooter Akhil Sheoran won the country’s fourth gold medal at the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. Sheoran, who was participating in his first-ever World Cup, won in the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions final. With the gold medal, India are leading the medal tally with nine medals including one silver and four bronze medals.
4. Bengaluru observes Less Traffic Day to combat pollution
Bengaluru has observed the second edition of Less Traffic Day, a campaign launched in February 2018 to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion in the city. The Transport Ministry has decided to observe it on the second Sunday of every month. The campaign aims to encourage people to voluntarily opt for public transport services for combating pollution, officials said.
5. ISRO aims to launch Chandrayaan-2 by April
The ISRO said it is aiming for an April launch of the Chandrayaan-2 satellite to the moon, this time it plans to send a rover to explore the lunar surface. If the April launch of the Chandrayaan-2, the country’s second mission to the Moon, is not possible, then the ISRO will aim for a launch by October.
The Chandrayaan-2 satellite would comprise an orbiter, lander and six-wheeled rover which would move around the landing site and instruments on it would send back data that would be useful in analysing the lunar soil. After reaching the lunar orbit, the Lander housing the rover will separate from the orbiter. After a controlled descent, the lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy the rover.
6. Amol Palekar receives ‘Godavari Gaurav’ award
Noted actor Amol Palekar was honoured with the ‘Godavari Gaurav’ award. The 73-year-old actor, known for his performance in films like “Gol Maal” , “Choti Si Baat”, “Chitchor” among others, was presented with the award, which has been instituted by city-based ‘Kusumagraj Prathishthan’. Classical singer Pandit Satyasheel Deshpande also received the ‘Godavari Gaurav’ award.
7. Rajasthan passes bill for death penalty for child rape of girls below 12
Rajasthan Passes Bill For Death Penalty For Rape Of Girls Up To 12 Years. Those convicted of raping girls under 12 years of age or below will be given death sentence, proposed a bill that was unanimously passed in the Rajasthan Assembly on Friday. Once the bill becomes a law, Rajasthan will be the second such state, after Madhya Pradesh, where the rapists will get a death penalty.
The maximum punishment for the rape of a minor has also been extended from seven years to 14 years and life imprisonment. If a minor is gang-raped and the child dies, the convict will have to spend 20 years in jail.
8. Karnataka Government approves state flag proposal
The Siddaramaiah government has unveiled the State flag (nada dhwaja) for Karnataka. If approved by the Centre, Karnataka will be the second State to have a flag after Jammu and Kashmir. The yellow-white-red flag has the State emblem at the centre. The proposal will be now sent to the Union Home Ministry for approval, since a State has no powers to announce its own flag.
9. WHO launches plan for cheaper TB drugs
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has invited pharmaceutical companies around the world to submit proposals to manufacture affordable versions of newer medicines for treatment of drug resistant tuberculosis. The aim was to replicate the success of addressing the HIV epidemic. Competition among Indian drug producers had then brought down the price of HIV medicines by 99% from $15,000 per patient per year to less than a dollar a day.
WHO has now requested drug makers to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) for Bedaquiline and Delaminid, two new-generation drugs, recommended for drug resistant-TB.
10. India and France exchange 14 agreements
India and France sign 14 pacts in various fields including solar energy, climate change and defence.
The 14 agreements include:-
- Illicit Trafficking and Narcotics
- An agreement which will facilitate student and professional mobility between France and India by simplifying the conditions for entry and long term stay in the two countries
- One on Facilitating mutual recognition of academic qualifications
- Technical Co-operation in field of Railways
- Letter of intent on creation of a Permanent Indo-French Railway Forum
- Logistics Support between Armed forces
- Ecological and Inclusive Transition agreement
- Cooperation in Urban Development
- Exchange and reciprocal protection of Classified information
- Cooperation in Space Research
- An Industrial way forward agreement in the Nuclear Field for the Implementation of six nuclear power reactor units at Jaitapur, Maharashtra, India
- Agreement Marine Hydrography and Cartography
- Credit Facility Agreement worth 100 Bn Euro For Smart Cities
- Solar Energy
The International solar alliance is an idea that has further cemented India-France ties. Launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris on 30 November 2015 by PM Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande, India is the Headquarter for this body and the two countries are now co-hosts at the first International solar alliance Summit.
11. 1st International Solar Alliance Summit: PM shares 10 action points on solar energy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, along with several heads of States and governments, symbolically launch International Solar Alliance; PM shares 10 action points on solar energy; says easy accessibility of better and cheaper solar technology has to be ensured.
Summit Venue : Rashtrapathi Bhavan, New Delhi.
The Prime Minister said that India is making fast progress in the field of renewable energy and has set a target of producing 175 GW energy by year 2022 of which 100 GW will be solar energy. Referring to the Atal Jyoti Yojana, the Prime Minister said that India is installing solar based street lights under the scheme. He said that with the usage of LED bulbs in India about 2 Billion dollars have been saved.
12. Australia beat England 2-1 to lift 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
Australia outplayed England 2-1 in the final to lift the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia. Australia took the lead in a tightly contested game when Blake Govers drilled a low shot into the bottom corner from a penalty corner.
- The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is an annual international men’s field hockey tournament held in Malaysia. It began in 1983 as a biennial contest.
- The tournament became an annual event after 1998, following its growth and popularity.
- The tournament is named after the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia, Sultan Azlan Shah, an avid fan of field hockey.
