Latest Current Affairs – March 27 2018
1. Rahul Dravid named election icon for K’taka Assembly polls
Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid has been named as the election icon to motivate young voters to come and vote in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections. Meanwhile, film and music director Yograj Bhat will make the Karnataka Election Anthem. The voting for Karnataka Assembly elections will take place on May 12.
2. FSSAI asks firms to set up teams to manage food recalls
India’s food regulator FSSAI has asked top 200 food companies to constitute exclusive teams to manage food recalls in case such a situation arises. This is a part of the regulator’s plan to implement regulations for food recalls that it notified in November 2017. Notably, the directive comes nearly three years after Nestle India was ordered to recall Maggi noodles.
3. Motorola names Sergio Buniac as new President and Chairman
Motorola has announced that the company’s 20-year veteran Sergio Buniac will take over as the new President and the Chairman. He will lead the research and development, product, sales, strategy, and supply chain, across global markets, excluding China. Buniac will be replacing Aymar de Lencquesaing, who has stepped down to spend more time with his family.
4. Deadline to link Aadhaar with PAN extended to June 30
The government has extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar with Permanent Account Number (PAN) to June 30. This is the fourth time that the government has extended the deadline. Earlier, the Supreme Court indefinitely extended the March 31 deadline for linking Aadhaar with bank accounts and mobile numbers till a five-judge bench delivers a judgment on the matter.
5. Siddaramaiah becomes 1st K’taka CM in 40 yrs to finish term
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has become the first CM in the state to complete the full five-year term in 40 years. The last Karnataka CM to finish the full term was D Devaraj Urs, who ruled from 1972 to 1977. The Election Commission has announced that the Assembly elections will take place on May 12 in the state.
6. Microsoft opens innovation centre ‘The Garage’ in Hyderabad
Microsoft has inaugurated ‘The Garage’, an 8,000-sq-foot facility in Hyderabad for its employees to support a culture of experimentation. The Garage is a platform for Microsoft employees to help them work together across technology to explore ideas and build prototypes, the company said. It has three dedicated lab sections, including a Reality Room for working on Virtual Reality.
7. Surat first district with 100% solar-powered health centres
Gujarat’s Surat has become the first Indian district to have 100% solar-powered Primary Health Centres (PHCs). Other than PHCs, there are 572 gram panchayats in the Surat District, out of which 150 are solar powered gram panchayats and soon the other 422 panchayats will too be solar powered.
8. AAI signs MoU with Assam government to develop villages in Kamrup
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has signed an MoU with the Assam government under its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) initiative for sustainable development of human settlements at villages in Kamrup district. The AAI would provide financial assistance under its CSR initiative of Rs 4.58 crore for the Kamrup district as per the estimates prepared by the UNDP to improve the resilience of communities around Guwahati Airport.
9. Brazzaville declaration signed to protect world’s largest tropical peatland
In an unprecedented move to protect the Cuvette Centrale region in the Congo Basin from unregulated land use and prevent its drainage and degradation, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo and Indonesia jointly signed the Brazzaville declaration that promotes better management and conservation of this globally important carbon store.
Peatlands are wetlands that contain a mixture of decomposed organic material, partially submerged in a layer of water, lacking oxygen. The complex biodiversity of the peatlands means they are home to a variety of species, but their high carbon content makes them uniquely vulnerable to incineration if they are drained. The declaration recognizes the importance of the scientific breakthrough of mapping the world’s largest tropical peatland area.
Cuvette Centrale region – world’s largest tropical peatlands.
10. Ministry of Culture organises Madhavpur Mela in Gujarat
The famous Madhavpur Mela begins at Madhavpur Ghed of Porbandar district in Gujarat. In a unique initiative, the four-day-long Mela will see its first-ever cultural integration with the North-East with which it is said to share its roots. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts- IGNCA, Ministry of Culture and states of Gujarat, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and others have joined hands to give a new dimension to the festival.
11. Print Biennale India 2018: First International Exhibition of Graphic Prints held in New Delhi
The country’s National Academy of Art, the Lalit Kala Akademi hosted the first-ever International Print Biennale in the country with a record number of 17 countries taking part in it. The first-ever International Exhibition of Graphic Prints ‘Print Biennale India 2018’ opened, at the Rabindra Bhavan Galleries of the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi. The eminent Artist-Printmaker, Shakti Barman was the Chief Guest.
12. President Confers Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards
The President Ram Nath Kovind conferred three Kirti Chakras and 17 Shaurya Chakras to Armed Forces Personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty at a solemn ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. One Kirti Chakra and five of the Shaurya Chakras were given posthumously.
The President also conferred fourteen Param Vishisht Seva Medals, one Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and twenty two Ati Vishisht Seva Medals to senior officers of the Armed Forces for distinguished service of an exceptional order.
Shaurya Chakra
1. NK Chandra Singh
2. Major Satish Dahiya
3. Const Manzoor Ahmad Naik
4. Sergeant Khairnar Milind Kishor
5. CPL Nilesh Kumar Nayan
Kirti Chakra
1. Chetan Kumar Cheeta
2. Major Vijayant Bist
3. Major David Manlun
Uttam Yuddh Seva Medal
Lieutenant General Ajae Kumar Sharma
13. Two Indian activists shortlisted for Commonwealth Youth Awards
Two Indian activists have been named among 20 finalists from across 53 member-countries for the Commonwealth Youth Awards 2018 for their work in the field of gender equality.
Mirnalini Dayal has been recognised for her work as a campaign leader for ‘Health Over Stigma’ and Yogesh Kumar as the founder of social enterprise ‘Even Cargo’.
Both Delhi-based Indian finalists were singled out for their work in the field of achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 on gender equality.
14. India Becomes Fourth Largest Auto Market In The World
India has overtaken Germany to become the fourth largest automobile market in the world, According to the latest global data. Automobile sales, including passenger and commercial vehicles, in Asia’s third-largest economy, grew 9.5%.
It is the fastest among major global markets, last year to more than 4 million units, outpacing Germany’s 3.8-million vehicle sales, which rose by a modest 2.8% in the same period.
The top 5 countries on the list are-
1. China
2. USA
3. Japan
4. India
5. Germany
15. India Becomes 3rd Largest Electricity Producer In The World
India become the 3rd largest electricity producer in the world as its electricity production grew 34% over seven years to 2017. The country now produces more energy than Japan and Russia, which had 27% and 8.77% more electricity generation capacity installed, respectively, than India seven years ago.
The top 3 Producers of Electricity in the world are-
1. China
2. The USA
3. India.
16. Equitas Bank Ties Up With CSK
Equitas Small Finance Bank has launched a new ‘Yellow Army Savings Account’ to increase its customer base through its association with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a franchise of the Indian Premium League (IPL). The yellow army savings account will offer an interest rate of 6% per annum for balance below Rs10 lakh and 6.5% per annum for balance above Rs10 lakh. The average quarterly balance requirement will be Rs 10,000 per account.
