NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Government launches alternate Auto Fuel Ethanol100: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri has launched Ethanol100, an alternate auto fuel in New Delhi. Ethanol100, a
cleaner and greener alternative to gasoline, is a blend of 92 to 94 percent
ethanol, 4 to 5 percent motor spirit to provide colour to flame and 1.5 percent
Co-solvent higher saturated alcohol. The fuel produces lower emissions of greenhouse
gases, a reduction by around 63% on well to wheel basis.
2. Rahul Singh appointed as new chief of CBSE: The Central Government has appointed
senior IAS officer Rahul Singh the
Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Rahul Singh
will replace Nidhi Chiber in this post because Nidhi Chiber has recently been
made an advisor in NITI Aayog. Singh, a 1996-batch Indian Administrative
Service (IAS) officer of the Bihar cadre, is currently serving as the
Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
3. NK Sehgal becomes new chairman of Prasar Bharati: The Central Government has appointed retired bureaucrat Navneet Kumar Sehgal the new Chairman of
Prasar Bharati. The chairperson’s post has been vacant since A Surya
Prakash reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in February 2020. Navneet
Sehgal has become the seventh president of Prasar Bharati. Sehgal is a retired
IAS officer of the 1988 batch from the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He is known for
playing a significant role in UP’s global investor summit.
4. EC announces Para Archer Sheetal Devi as National PwD
icon: Election
Commission has announced Para
Archer and Arjuna Awardee, Sheetal Devi as its National PwD Icon. Her
name was announced at an Exhibition Cricket Match between the Indian Deaf
Cricket Association Team and the Delhi and District Cricket Association team in
Delhi. The match was organized by the Election Commission in association with
the Board of Control for Cricket in India to foster voter education and
inclusivity.
5. 18 March – Ordnance Factories Day: Ordnance Factories
Day is observed every year on March 18. Indian Ordnance Factories play an important role in
safeguarding us and providing strength to the Indian Armed Forces. Indian Ordnance
Factories provide arms and ammunition to the Indian Armed Forces, in turn
providing them strength to protect us with more zeal and determination. During
the British rule in India, the British East India Company realized the growing
demands of arms and ammunition for the British army in India. In 1775, the
Board of Ordnance was formed in Fort William, Kolkata.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India & Singapore sign MoU on Law and Dispute
Resolution: India and Singapore have signed a MoU on cooperation
in the sphere of law and dispute resolution. This agreement will further
enhance the cooperation between the two countries in areas of common interest
such as international commercial dispute resolution The agreement was signed in
a virtual meeting of the Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram
Meghwal and Singapore Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Mr. Edwin Tong.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Army raises helicopter unit at Jodhpur to induct
Apache attack choppers: The Indian Army has raised its first
squadron of Apache attack helicopters in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur with
the aim of supporting ground operations near the Pakistan border. Developed by
the US aviation giant Boeing, Apache choppers are known as the ‘tanks in the
air’. They are advanced multi-mission helicopters with the latest technology
and have come to be known the best attack helicopters in the world. These
advanced attack helicopters are expected to land at the Indian Air Force’s
(IAF) Hindon Air Force Station and then will be deployed in Jodhpur, near the
India-Pakistan border.
2. Defence Ministry contract with HAL for upgrade of 25
Dornier aircraft: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has
signed a contract worth ₹2,890
crore with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the midlife upgrade of
25 Dornier patrol aircraft of the Indian Navy. The midlife upgrade for
Dornier aircraft includes an upgrade to incorporate state-of-the art avionics
systems and primary role sensors. The upgrade would significantly enhance the
operational capability of the Dornier aircraft of the Indian Navy to perform
primary roles of maritime surveillance, coastal surveillance, electronic
intelligence and development of maritime domain awareness.
3. Indian Army contingent departs for Seychelles for
Exercise “LAMITIYE-2024”: A contingent from the Indian Army embarked on a journey to Seychelles to participate in the Tenth edition of the Joint Military Exercise
“LAMITIYE-2024” alongside the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF). Scheduled
to take place from March 18th to 27th, this biennial training event holds
significant importance in fostering cooperation between the two nations. The
term ‘LAMITIYE’, translating to ‘Friendship’ in the Creole language,
encapsulates the spirit of camaraderie underlying this exercise, which has been
a tradition since its inception in 2001.
SPORTS
1. Matthew Wade retires from first-class cricket: Australia keeper Matthew Wade has announced his decision to
retire from first-class cricket. The left-hand batter stated that he will continue
to feature in shorter formats of the game. The 36-year-old announced his
decision just before the upcoming Sheffield Shield final, marking his 166th and
final first-class match as Tasmania takes on Western Australia. Wade has been a
crucial part of Australia’s T20I squad, having scored 1175 runs from 64 innings
since his debut back in 2011.
2. RCB triumphs over Delhi Capitals in WPL 2024 final: Royal Challengers Bangalore
(RCB) beat Delhi Capitals in the final of the 2024 Women’s Premier
League to break their 16-year-long trophy drought. RCB defeated DC by
eight wickets to lift the WPL trophy at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. RCB
made easy work of their 114-run chase against DC to lift their maiden WPL
title. A wonderful first innings performance from RCB’s spin-attack helped them
clinch their first-ever trophy as a franchise. Royal Challengers Bangalore
(RCB) Captain – Smriti Mandhana
Delhi
Capitals (DC) Captain – Meg Lanning (Australia)
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. SANY India signs MoU with J&K Bank to give finance
solution: SANY India, a leading manufacturer of construction equipment, has taken a
significant stride towards offering
improved financial solutions to its customers. The company has
formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with J&K Bank, aiming to
stimulate substantial growth and development opportunities within the region,
while facilitating easier access to SANY India’s advanced product line along
with readily available financial solutions. This collaboration between SANY India
and J&K Bank is strategically designed to leverage the strengths of both
entities, providing comprehensive financial solutions to
2. Kotak Bank appoints Jaideep Hansraj as President of
‘One Kotak’: Kotak
Mahindra Bank has appointed Kotak Securities MD and CEO Jaideep Hansraj as Group President –
One Kotak, with effect from 1 April 2024. This marks a pivotal move towards
leveraging the Group’s financial conglomerate model and delivering holistic
propositions to customers. Jaideep will spearhead a cultural shift towards
driving collaboration to unlock internal synergies across the Bank and its
subsidiaries.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Uday Bhatia & Manasi Gupta honoured with Diana Memorial Award: India’s Uday Bhatia and Manasi Gupta were honored with the ‘Diana Memorial Award’. Along with them, a total of 20 people from the world were honored with the ‘Diana Memorial Award’. Uday Bhatia, founder of Uday Electric, and Manasi Gupta, founder of Huesofthemind Foundation, received their awards from Prince William, the older son of Princess Diana, at an awards ceremony in London’s Science Museum.
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