LATEST CURRENT AFFAIRS – MARCH 25 2018
1. Telangana passes bill making Telugu compulsory in schools
The Telangana Assembly has passed a bill making the teaching of Telugu language in schools compulsory. According to the Telangana (Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Telugu in Schools) Act, the language will be a mandatory subject for Classes 1-10 from the upcoming academic session. State Education Minister Kadiyam Srihari said the bill was aimed at preserving the language.
2. Ahmedabad airport receives award for ‘Most Improved Airport’
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad has received the award for ‘Most Improved Airport’ in the Asia-Pacific region by the Airports Council International (ACI). The airport has over 200 flight movements per day and has been a busy city since the city is home to many business houses and educational institutions. ACI is a global non-profit organisation which carries international benchmarking of airports through its participative program Airport Service Quality.
3. National Anthem played for first time in Tripura Assembly
The National Anthem was played for the first time in the Tripura Assembly as the newly-elected BJP government convened its first session. Assembly Secretary Bamdeb Majumder said they will attempt to play the anthem on a daily basis in the Assembly. However, opposition MLAs from the CPI(M) have said they were not consulted on the matter.
4. Rashid Khan fastest to 100 wickets in ODI history
Afghan spinner Rashid Khan has become the fastest-ever bowler to reach 100 wickets in ODI cricket, achieving the feat in his 44th ODI in the ICC World Cup Qualifier final against Windies. The 19-year-old spinner overtook Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, who had reached the 100-wicket mark in 52 ODIs in August 2016.
5. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel wins season’s first Grand Prix
Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel won the F1 season’s opening Grand Prix and overall his third Australian Grand Prix title in Melbourne. Defending F1 champion Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton, who had begun the race at the pole position, came second ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. No Force India driver managed to finish inside the top 10.
6. Advani now holds Indian, Asian, World titles in billiards
Indian billiards player Pankaj Advani beat his training partner B Bhaskar 6-1 in the Asian Billiards Championships’ final to become the reigning Indian, Asian and world champion in billiards for 2017-18. Advani, who registered his 11th title at the Asian level, was the defending champion at the event. Meanwhile, India’s Amee Kamani won the Asian Women’s Snooker title.
7. India’s 2nd mission to the Moon postponed to October
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said the launch of India’s second lunar mission ‘Chandrayaan-2’ has been postponed to October. The decision was taken after experts suggested running some tests. The launch, which was originally scheduled for April 23, will be ISRO’s first attempt to launch a rover on the south pole of the Moon.
8. Tata Power appoints Praveer Sinha as new CEO and MD
Tata Power has appointed Praveer Sinha as the firm’s new CEO and MD with effect from May 1. Sinha is currently serving as the CEO of Tata Power Delhi Distribution, a joint venture between Tata Power and the Delhi government. Sinha will succeed Anil Sardana, whose exit was announced earlier this year.
9. PNB starts Mission Parivartan to curb repeat of another Nirav Modi scam
Hit hard by the Rs 130 billion scam, PNB has decided to tighten loan disbursement and set up a monitoring mechanism to check loan slippages and fraud. A new monitoring group will be set up to keep track of whether cash flow from projects is being used to repay bank loans and that there are no slippages.
This will be tried out as a pilot in some branches before a roll out nationally in the next 6 months. These changes are being made as part of Mission Parivartan drive which the bank has embarked recently.
10. March 25 – International day of Remembrance of the victims of Transatlantic Slave Trade
The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade was observed globally on 25 March. The theme for this year is ‘Remember Slavery: Triumphs and Struggles for Freedom and Equality’.
The Day was proclaimed by UN General Assembly through a resolution on 17 December 2007 to commemorate the struggles and challenges faced by the victims of slave trade.
