Daily GK Updates - 22nd March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Bihar celebrates its 107th foundation day  : Bihar is celebrating its 107th foundation day, a number of programmes have been organized throughout the state on the occasion. Bihar Diwas (Bihar Day) is observed every year on March 22, marking the formation of the state of Bihar. It was on this day when the British carved out the state from Bengal Presidency in 1912.

2. EC appoints Shailendra Handa & Madhu Mahajan as Special Expenditure Observers :  Election Commission has appointed two eminent former Civil Servants Shailendra Handa and Ms. Madhu Mahajan as Special Expenditure Observers for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. Shailendra Handa has been deployed in Maharashtra and Madhu Mahajan has been deployed in Tamil Nadu. Both officers have rich experience of working in Investigation Wing of I.T Department and have supervised many successful search and seizure actions unearthing tax evasion in complicated cases. The Special Observers will supervise and monitor the work being done by the electoral machinery.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.The World Water Day being observed :  World Water Day is being observed every year on 22nd March to raise awareness about the importance of water. The theme of this year is ‘Leaving no one behind’.This is an adaptation of the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: as sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit. there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home.

2. India, Sri Lanka joint exercise 'Mitra Shakti-VI' to commence from 26th March : India and Sri Lanka will conduct a joint exercise 'Mitra Shakti' in Sri Lanka from 26th March to 8th April for the year 2018-19. It is conducted annually as part of military diplomacy and interaction between armies of two nations. The exercise will involve tactical level operations in an international counter-terrorism environment under United Nations mandate.

3. Mathematician Karen Uhlenbeck becomes 1st woman to Win Abel Prize : University of Texas professor Karen Uhlenbeck (76-year) has become the first woman to win the Abel Prize, a mathematics honour first given in 2003. She was awarded for the impact of her work on “analysis, geometry and mathematical physics”. Modelled after the Nobel Prize, the Abel Prize is presented by the King of Norway and carries cash award USD 700,000. The award was awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo.

4.  Kazakhstan renames its capital Astana to Nursultan : Kazakhstan has renamed its capital Astana to Nursultan to honour outgoing leader Nursultan Nazarbayev(78-years), served nearly 30 years as president of the nation. Mr Tokayev was sworn in as president some 24 hours after Mr Nazarbayev's surprise resignation. He will serve for the remainder of the presidential term which expires in April 2020.

OTHER UPDATES:

OBITUARIES:

1. AIADMK MLA R Kanagaraj passes away :  sitting AIADMK MLA from Sulur constituency, R Kanagaraj (66 years) passed away due to cardiac arrest at Sulur near Coimbatore. He was first-time MLA (AIADMK)from Sulur constituency.Several leaders have offered their condolences to his family for his demise.