Current Affairs Daily Digest – March 9 2019
1. President launches countrywide Pulse Polio Programme for 2019
The Hon. President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, launched the Pulse Polio programme for 2019 by administering polio drops to children less than five years old, at the Rahstrapati Bhawan. more than 17 crore children of less than five years across the country will be given polio drops as part of the drive of Government of India to sustain polio eradication from the country.
Universal Immunization Programme is focusing to protect children from more diseases than ever before and has introduced several new vaccines like Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Rotavirus vaccine, and Measles-Rubella vaccine in the recent past. “To provide additional protection to our children, Government has also introduced the injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine into its routine immunization program,” Shri Nadda added.
2. Indias envoy to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria to return to Islamabad
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said, India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria will return to Islamabad. the High Commissioner is returning to Islamabad after having completed his consultations in India.
Ajay Bisaria had been called from Pakistan for consultations on the way forward post the Pulwama terror attack.
3. Centre, ADB sign 26 million dollar loan pact for improving drainage infrastructure in Dibrugarh
The Centre and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a 26 million dollar loan agreement to provide additional financing for improving drainage infrastructure in Dibrugarh town of Assam.
The ongoing loan of 51 million dollars under the Assam Urban Infrastructure Investment Program is helping to improve water supply infrastructure in Guwahati and solid waste management and drainage infrastructure in Guwahati and Dibrugarh.
4. India, Japan hold inaugural space dialogue
The inaugural India-Japan Space Dialogue was held in New Delhi. The dialogue brought together Ministries and agencies related to outer space in the two countries and provided an opportunity for information exchange on the respective space policies. Discussions were also held on bilateral cooperation between JAXA-ISRO, their space industries, global navigation satellite system, space situational awareness, space security and space-related norms.
The Indian delegation was led by Additional Secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs in Ministry of External Affairs, Indra Mani Pandey. The Japanese delegation was co-led by Deputy Assistant Minister in Foreign Policy Bureau of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Policy Planning and International Security Policy, Kansuke Nagaoka and Director General of National Space Policy Secretariat in Cabinet Office Shuzo Takada.
5. 116-year-old Japanese woman officially named oldest person
A 116-year-old Japanese woman has been honoured as the world’s oldest living person by Guinness World Records. The global authority on records officially recognised Kane Tanaka in a ceremony at the nursing home where she lives in Fukuoka, in southwest Japan. Her family was present to celebrate.
Born in January 1903, Tanaka loves playing the board game ‘Othello’ and enjoys studying mathematics.
The previous oldest living person was another Japanese woman, Chiyo Miyako, who passed away last July, aged 117.
6. Bill Shine resigns as Donald Trump’s communications director
US has said Former Fox News executive Bill Shine has resigned as President Donald Trump’s communications director.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Assistant to the president and communications director Bill Shine offered his resignation to the president yesterday and the president accepted it. Sanders didn’t go into Shine’s reasoning but said he continued to support Trump and his agenda and would be a senior advisor to the 2020 re-election campaign.
7. Jagdish Mukhi sworn in as Governor of Mizoram
Jagdish Mukhi was sworn-in as the Governor of Mizoram at a simple function at the Raj Bhavan. Gauhati High Court judge, Justice Nelson Sailo administered the oath of office to Mr. Mukhi. He is also the Governor of Assam.
He succeeded Kummanam Rajasekharan as the governor of Mizoram as the latter resigned on Thursday and his resignation was accepted by the President Ram Nath Kovind who appointed Mr. Mukhi to take additional charge of Mizoram.
8. Ashu Khullar to succeed Pramit Jhaveri as Citibank India head from April 1
Citibank has named Ashu Khullar, currently head of Asia-Pacific capital markets origination, as its India head with effective from April 1. Khullar succeeds Pramit Jhaveri, who will become the vice-chairman of banking, capital markets and advisory for Asia Pacific from April 1. Both will report to Francisco Aristeguieta, CEO of Citigroup Asia Pacific.
Khullar, a graduate from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, is a career Citibanker, having worked with the organisation since 1988. He started his career in India before moving to London and then to Hong Kong. Khullar has varied experience in banking, especially in investment banking, and held a range of senior management positions in the European as well as Asia operations of Citibank.
9. Subhash Chandra Garg named Finance Secretary
Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg was named as the Finance Secretary. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved designating Garg as the Finance Secretary.
Garg, 58, a 1983 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, has been working as the Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs since June 2017.
10. Vice President pushes for intensifying trade ties between India, Costa Rica
India and Costa Rica signed two documents during Vice President Venkaiah Naidu’s first visit to the Central American nation. The documents were signed and exchanged following talks between Naidu and Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada.
The 2 agreements were signed on waiving visa requirements for Diplomatic and Official passport holders and the signing of the Letter of Intent to collaborate in the field of Biotechnology.
11. Kerala’s Marayur jaggery gets GI tag
Kerala’s Marayur jaggery has finally got the geographical indication (GI) tag, making it safe for consumption while rejuvenating the traditional way of production and ensuring a safe market in future.
It has been a long-term demand of farmers in Marayur and Kanthallur grama panchayats, where jaggery is produced without adding any chemicals. Though the Marayur jaggery has always been known for its high quality, fake jaggery with a salty taste was being marketed as Marayur jaggery.
