Daily GK Updates - 21st March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Parsis celebrate their New Year’s Day, Navroz : Parsis in India & abroad are celebrating their New year's ‘Navroz’ with great enthusiasm. Parsis in Mumbai are visiting nearby Agiaries to offer special Tehveel-e-Navroz prayers on the occasion of Navroz. Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the first day of the first month (Farvardin) in the Iranian calendar.

2. Aamir Khan appointed the Brand Ambassador of PhonePe :  PhonePe (UPI based payment app company) has appointed Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as its Brand Ambassador. PhonePe is one of India’s fastest growing payment platform and is based on UPI.  It is headquartered in Bengaluru.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.21st March: International Day of Forests :  The United Nations General Assembly designated 21st March as the International Day of Forests to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. This global celebration of forests provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of woodlands, trees, and celebrate the ways in which they sustain and protect us.

2. 21st March: World Down Syndrome Day : The World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), (Schrage Day), is celebrated on 21st March to raise public awareness for the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of people with Down syndrome. The global theme for 2019 is “Leave no one behind”.

3. 21st March: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination : The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21st March to remind people about the negative consequences of racial discrimination. The theme of 2019 is Mitigating and countering rising nationalist populism and extreme supremacist ideologies. The United Nations General Assembly called for the day in 1966 to encourage people to remember their obligation and determination to combat racial discrimination.

4.  21st March: World Poetry Day :  World Poetry Day is observed every year on 21st March to promote the reading, writing, publishing, and teaching of poetry throughout the world. A decision to proclaim 21st March as World Poetry Day was adopted during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999.

Daily GK Updates - 20th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Gauri Sawant becomes first transgender election ambassador : The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed transgender social activist Gauri Sawant, as one of the 12 election ambassadors from Maharashtra. According to the Election Commission, Gauri Sawant's appointment would help in more people from this category getting registered during the final phase of voter’s enrolment. Following the Supreme Court order, transgenders got the right to vote for the first time in 2014.In 2019, 2,086 (2014-918 voters) were registered in this third category.

2. Indian writer Raghu Karnad wins Windham-Campbell Prize :  An Indian journalist, author and chief of The Wire, ‘Raghu Karnad’ received the prestigious Windham-Campbell Literature prize (USD 165,000) for non-fiction category. He is the son of Girish Karnad(actor, film director, Kannada writer). He won the award for his debut book, ‘Farthest Field: An Indian story of Second World War’ published in the year 2015.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pune-based firm developing software to operate the world’s largest ground telescope in Hawaii :  A Pune-based IT firm is developing software for the world’s largest ground-based telescope ‘Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT)’, likely to come up on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The telescope is being constructed jointly by India, US, China, Japan and Canada and is likely to become operational in the mid-2020s.India is building the telescope’s complex optical structure, called the Segment Support Assembly (SSA).

2. International Day of Happiness being observed :  The 'International Day of Happiness' is celebrated throughout the world on the 20th of March. The day was founded by United Nations adviser ‘Jayme Illien’ on June 28, 2012.

3. Kazakhstan President resigns after nearly 30 years in power : Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev (78-year) has announced his resignation after nearly 30 years in power. Mr Nazarbayev had ruled the country since it emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. GST council approves transition plan for new GST rates on residential properties :  GST council approved a transition plan for new goods and services tax rates on residential properties under which developers of under-construction buildings may either opt to shift to the revised lower rates without input tax credit or stick to the previous rates. For housing projects launched on or after the first of April this year, the developers will have to adhere to the new GST rates recommended by the council last month.

DEFENCE:

1. Indian Army holds Military Exercise with 17 African Nations  : The Indian Army began a 10-day military exercise with armed forces of 17 African nations ‘AFINDEX-19’ at Aundh Military Station, Pune (Maharashtra).A flypast by a set of Advanced Light Helicopters and Cheetah Helicopter of the Indian Army carrying the flags of United Nations, India and the AFINDEX was the highlight of the opening ceremony.The countries participating in the inaugural edition of the Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX) include Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Benin and Botswana.

SPORTS:

1. India won 188 medals at Special Olympics World Games :  India has won a total of 188 medals (50 gold, 63 silver and 75 bronze) at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In the women’s singles event, Anu Chennekota’s won her maiden Special Olympics World Games gold in the 16-21 years’ division-3 category, another Indian Sabita Yadav won a singles gold in division-4 category and Reshma Shaikh claimed silver following a narrow loss to Sabita in the final.

OBITUARIES:

1. Famed Economist Alan Krueger passes away : Former White House economist and Princeton University professor Alan Krueger (58-years) passed away. Mr. Krueger served as chief economist at the Department of Labor under President Bill Clinton and chair of the Council of Economic Advisers from 2011 to 2013 under former President Barack Obama.

Daily GK Updates - 19th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Pramod Sawant sworn in as Goa Chief Minister : BJP leader Pramod Sawant (46-years) was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister (11th) of Goa. Goa Governor Mridula Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Sawant. He succeeded Manohar Parrikar, who died on Sunday after a prolonged battle with advanced pancreatic cancer. Mr. Sawant (former Speaker) represents Sankhalim constituency in Goa Assembly. Sudin (alias Ramkrishna Dhavlikar) of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Vijai Sardesai of Goa Forward Party were sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers.

2. Santosh Jha appointed new ambassador of India to Uzbekistan : According to Ministry of External Affairs press release, Santosh Jha (Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer: the 1993 batch) has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Uzbekistan. Currently, Mr Santosh Jha is the Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Washington.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Recycling into the Future”- Global Recycling Day 2019 : Global Recycling Day 2019 was celebrated on 18th March 2019 to encourage the world to think ‘resource not waste”.The theme of the global recycling day 2019 was “Recycling into the future”.Global Recycling Day was created in 2018 to help recognize, and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet.

2. Cyclone Idai hits Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe : According to the UN and government officials, ‘Cyclone Idai’ has affected more than 1.5 million people in the three southern African countries Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.Cyclone Idai’ killed nearly 150 people, left hundreds more missing and stranded tens of thousands who are cut off from roads and telephones in mainly poor, rural areasHardest hit is Mozambique’s central port city of Beira where the airport is closed, electricity is out and many homes have been destroyed.

3. 14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership begins in New Delhi : The three-day 14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnerships have been started on in New Delhi.More than 31 ministers from 21 African countries and business delegates from 37 countries are participating in the event.The discussion revolved around two key themes: digital infrastructure and digital skills.It will pave the way for a whole range of cross-border project partnerships.

OTHER UPDATES 

SPORTS:

1.India's Irfan KT qualifies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics : India's Irfan KT qualified for next year's Tokyo Olympics. He made the cut after finishing fourth at the Asian Race-Walking Championship at Nomi in Japan. Irfan clocked 1 hour 20 minutes and 57 seconds in the 20-kilometre walk to attain the standard qualifying mark for the Olympics. He also ensured a berth in the upcoming International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championship in Doha that begins in September.

2. Bengaluru FC crowned ISL champions for the first time : Bengaluru FC won the 2018-19 edition of the Indian Super League which was also their maiden triumph defeating FC Goa 1-0 in the final. FC Goa's Ferran Corominas (16 goals) wins the Indian Super League (ISL) 2018-19 Golden Boot Award. Bengaluru FC goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu wins the Indian Super League (ISL) 2018-19 Golden Glove Award. Bengaluru FC is owned and operated by the Mumbai–based JSW Group and its managing director Sajjan Jindal.

OBITUARIES:

1. Veteran Journalist Darryl D’Monte passes away : Senior journalist and environmental activist Darryl D’Monte (74-years) passed away in Mumbai after a brief illness.He served as the resident editor of Mumbai editions of The Times of India and The Indian Express.He was the founder-president of the International Federation of Environmental Journalists (IFEJ) in Dresden, Germany, in 1993.Besides a career in journalism, he had a keen interest in environmental issues and took some initiatives for the cause.

Daily GK Updates - 18th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Expert panel to review OBC ‘creamy layer’ criteria after 26 years :  The Centre has constituted an expert committee to “revisit the criteria” for determining the “creamy layer” for OBCs which was laid down in 1993. After 26 years, ministry of social justice, on March 8, set up a panel headed by retired GOI secretary BP Sharma, with “terms of reference” which sound radical in their breadth and scope. The committee will “revisit the criteria evolved by the Prasad committee” and give recommendations for “redefining, simplifying and streamlining the concept of creamy layer” while keeping in view the SC’s observations in Indira Sawhney case.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Guinea PM Arrives In Delhi On 10-Day Visit To India :  Prime Minister of Guinea Dr. Ibrahima Kassory Fofana arrived in New Delhi on a ten-day official visit to India. During the visit, Mr Fofona called on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan.He also had a meeting with Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Mr. Fofona addressed the inaugural session of 14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Partnership Project in New Delhi.

2. 'Vijit' Becomes 1st Indian Coast Guard Ship To Visit Indonesia : Highlighting the close maritime proximity between India and Indonesia, Indian Coast Guard Ship 'Vijit' became the first-ever Coast Guard ship to visit Sabang, Indonesia.  During its maiden voyage, officers and crew of Vijit will hold interaction with officials of Bakamla (Indonesian Coast Guard), Indonesian Armed Forces and the civil administration at Sabang, read a press release from Indian embassy in Jakarta.

3. India & Afghanistan Signed an MOU On Digital Education Initiatives: The Ministry of Human Resource Development has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Afghanistan government to work on digital education initiatives, which include many prominent programs developed by Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The MoU was signed at IIT-Madras. This collaboration hopes to contribute to bilateral relations and beget mutual benefits for the two countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Tata, Reliance And Airtel Emerge Best Indian Brands Of 2019 : Tata, Reliance, and Airtel emerged as the top three Indian brands of 2019, according to a report published by Interbrand, part of the Omnicom Media Group.Tata continued to hold the top position in the best Indian Brands ranking as its brand value grew by 6%, mainly due to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Knocking Airtel off from the 2nd spot, Reliance's brand value grew by 12%, bolstered by the success of Jio. Airtel stood at number 3.

SPORTS:

1. 8-yr-old Diksha 2nd Indian Golfer To Win Ladies European Tour : 18-year-old Diksha Dagar has become the second Indian to win an event on Ladies European Tour after clinching South African Women's Open in Cape Town. Aditi Ashok was the first Indian to win on the Ladies European Tour after clinching Hero Women's Indian Open in Gurugram in 2016.

Daily GK Updates - 17th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Goa CM Manohar Parrikar passes away :  Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar (63-years) passed away in Panaji on 17th March 2019 after a prolonged illness. Parrikar was diagnosed with a pancreatic ailment in February last year. Since then, he received treatment at various hospitals across Mumbai, New Delhi, Goa and the US.

The popular leader would be remembered for his efforts in infrastructure and education development in the state and bringing the International Film Festival of India to Goa in 2004. for his role as the union defence minister and his dynamism

2.  Former SC Judge Justice PC Ghose to be India's first Lokpal :  Former Supreme Court Judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose is set to be India's first anti-corruption ombudsman of India. His name was finalised and recommended by the Selection Committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and eminent jurist Mukul Rohatgi. Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who is part of the committee, did not attend the meeting. His was among the top 10 names shortlisted by the Lokpal Search Committee. Justice Ghose's appointment has come nearly five years after the Lokpal Act was notified on January 16, 2014.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 3rd edition of Namaste Thailand festival held in New Delhi :  The 3rd edition of Namaste Thailand festival was held in New Delhi The festival aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and increasing cultural exchange between India and Thailand. Along with the traditional Thai cuisines, the Namaste Thailand festival featured a series of Thai craft activities which include mulberry paper mini umbrella making, fan painting, body paint, and button badge making.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Fresh NPAs to moderate in FY'20-ICRA :  According to the ratings firm Icra; fresh NPAs in the banking sector are expected to moderate to 1.9 to 2.4 perc ent in FY'20.

Icra expects gross NPAs of the banking sector to 8.3 lakh crore or 7.9 per cent for March 2020, as compared to estimated 9.2 per cent as of March 2019. Icra has revised the ratings outlook of four public sector banks from negative to stable including, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Punjab National Bank and Oriental Bank of Commerce. It revised upward, the outlook for IDBI Bank from negative to ‘Rating watch with developing implications’.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI, ICICI, HDFC Bank to remain as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs)-RBI : SBI, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank continue to be in the Reserve Bank of India’s list of Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) for 2018. The Reserve Bank of India released the list of Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) on 14th March 2019. As per the notification, SBI, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank continue to be identified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), under the same bucketing structure as last year.

2. J&K Bank to sell a stake in PNB Metlife for  185 cr :  Jammu and Kashmir Bank said it proposes to sell its stake in PNB Metlife India to private equity player Oman India Joint Investment Fund II for ₹ 185 crore. According to the J&K Bank, bank has executed share purchase agreement with Oman India Joint Investment Fund II for sale of 4.1 crore shares of PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Ltd. Jammu and Kashmir Bank holds 5 per cent stake in the insurance venture.

SPORTS:

1. Dominic Thiem beats Roger Federer to win Indian Wells title : Australia's Dominic Thiem defeated Switzerland's Roger Federer in the men's singles final of the BNP Paribas Open in California. He defeated Federer 3-6,6-3,7-5 in the final. With this win he claim his first ATP Masters 1000 crown. With this win, Thiem is set to become fourth in the world rankings on Monday. It was his first win since September 2018.

OBITUARIES:

1.  Former Minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy dead : Former Member of Parliament and State minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy (68-years) passed away in Kadapa. He was the younger brother of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) and uncle of YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He won Pulivendula assembly constituency twice (in 1989 and 1994) and represented Kadapa Lok Sabha in the parliament twice In 2009, he was elected as MLC and given the portfolio of Agriculture after YSR passed away in Kiran Kumar Reddy cabinet.

Daily GK Updates - 16th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Swati Shingade bags the first prize of DD Mahila Kisan Award: Swati Shingade of Pune, Maharashtra has bagged the first prize of DD Mahila Kisan Award for 2018-19.The award was presented by Prasar Bharati Chairman A. Surya Prakash to Ms Shingade at a grand finale event organised by DD Kisan Channel in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Surya Prakash said, the Kisan Channel has provided a platform to the women farmers and the aim of the channel is to make aware the people about the various schemes of the government.

2. Manmohan Singh presents an award to Arun Jaitley for implementing GST :  Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented the BusinessLine Changemaker Of The Year award to Union Minister Arun Jaitley for successfully introducing the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Jaitley received the award on behalf of the GST Council. The award was also presented to the petitioners against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised homosexuality.

3. Padmanaban Gopalan wins the Commonwealth Youth Award for The Asian Region :  A social entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu, Padmanaban Gopalan, founder of No Food Waste, was named the winner of the Commonwealth Youth Award for the Asian region worth 3,000 Pounds at a ceremony at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. His initiative runs a geo-mapping platform, which allows users to drop food at located “hunger spots” and has so far recovered over 650,000 meals across 14 cities and the platform has been used by over 12,000 volunteers.

4.  Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to head transformative mobility panel :  Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant will head the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage, which is being set up to promote clean and sustainable mobility initiatives in the country. The Union Cabinet on March 7 had approved setting up of the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage. The terms of reference of the mission include ensuring implementation and compliance of the decisions and recommendations of the steering committee.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Vienna placed at the top position in the Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey 2019 : The Austrian capital Vienna topped the new Mercer Quality of Living Survey. Thirteen out of the world’s 20 best places to live are in Europe. Zurich, Switzerland's biggest city, came in second place for overall quality of living, followed by Auckland, Munich and Vancouver in joint third place. Luxembourg was named as the safest city in the world, followed by Helsinki in Finland and the Swiss cities of Basel, Bern and Zurich.

2.  First BRICS Sherpa meeting under the Presidency of Brazil concludes successfully :  The first BRICS Sherpa meeting under the Presidency of Brazil concluded yesterday at Curitiba in Brazil. Secretary, Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Affairs, T S Tirumurti led the Indian delegation at the two-day meeting. During the meeting, India conveyed its support for the priority areas set out by Brazil, particularly to take forward BRICS cooperation on counter-terrorism in a meaningful and concrete manner with BRICS member countries.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Kent RO receives the Best Domestic Water Purifier Award 2019 :  One of the leading brands in the water purifier industry, Kent RO Systems Pvt. Ltd. has been bestowed with the Best Domestic Water Purifier Award 2018-19 for its RO+UV+UF technology at the Water Digest Water Awards. Water Digest Water Awards backed by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and UNESCO. Kent has become the first choice when people think of a water purifier and winning awards like these just reflect on the kind of quality that we intend to provide to our users.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI Yono App to allow cardless withdrawals :  The State Bank of India has launched the YONO Cash service for its customers which will allow them to withdraw cash from ATMs without their debit cards. A part of SBI's digital banking platform, You Only Need One (YONO),the cardless cash withdrawal service will be available across 16,500 ATMs of the bank in the country. Such SBI ATMs will be called YONO Cash Point.

SPORTS:

1.India to host U-17 Women's Football World Cup in 2020 :  India will host the Under-17 Women's Football World Cup in 2020. This was announced by the President of International Football Federation (FIFA) Gianni Infantino after the council meeting in Miami, USA on 15th March 2019. The tournament in India will be the seventh edition and the second to be held in Asia after Jordan in 2016. This will be the second FIFA tournament India will be hosting, after the U-17 Men's World Cup in 2017.

2. Karnataka lifts maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy :  Karnataka defeated Maharashtra to win their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on 14th March 2019. With the win, Karnataka set a record of most number of wins in a row by an Indian domestic team as they won 14 T20 matches to lift the coveted T20 trophy. Karnataka also equalled Indian Premier League outfit Kolkata Knight Riders’ record of 14 consecutive wins.

3. JP Duminy to retire from ODIs after ICC World Cup 2019 :  South African all-rounder JP Duminy announced that he would retire from ODIs after the ICC World Cup in England. However, he will continue to be available for South Africa in T20 Internationals. The 34-year-old made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2004 and has played 193 matches in the format.

4. SC appoints PS Narasimha as a mediator to resolve disputes of admin in BCCI :  The Supreme Court (SC) has appointed senior advocate P S Narasimha as a mediator for resolving various disputes related to cricket administration in the country. Narasimha is assisting the apex court as an amicus curiae in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) matter. According to the SC bench, the game must go on, asking Narasimha to act as a mediator in the cricket administration disputes.

Daily GK Updates - 15th March, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.President of India presents Gallantry Awards : The President Shri Ram Nath Kovind conferred three Kirti Chakras and fifteen Shaurya Chakras to Armed Forces at the Defence Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.Two Kirti Chakras (Ysepoyvrahma Pal Singh & Rajendra Kumar Nain) and one Shaurya Chakra (Dhanawadera vindrababan) were given posthumously. The President also conferred fifteen Param VishishtSeva Medals, one Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and twenty-five AtiVishisht Seva Medals to senior officers of the Armed Forces for distinguished service of an exceptional order.

2. President of India inaugurates festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Gandhinagar : The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) in Gandhinagar. The aim of this festival of innovation and entrepreneurship is to provide a platform for new innovators for building linkages with potential stakeholders. FINE is an initiative to recognise, respect, showcase, reward innovations and foster supportive ecosystem for innovators. Mr Kovind presented the 10th Biennial National Grassroots Innovation Awards on the occasion. Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi (Uttar Pradesh) has been awarded lifetime achievement award for his innovations in new varieties of agriculture crops.

3. Areca nut gets ‘Sirsi supari’ geographical indication tag : Arecanut (supari or betel nut) is the latest entrant in the list of agricultural produce with a GI (geographical indication) tag.The Registrar of Geographical Indications (Government of India) accorded a GI tag, ‘Sirsi Supari’, to areca nut grown in Sirsi, Siddpaur of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka.The World Intellectual Property Organisation defines GI as a search sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities due to that origin.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Consumer Rights Day being observed today: The World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated globally on 15th March to promote basic rights of all consumers.

The theme for this year is ‘Trusted Smart Products’. The first World Consumer Rights Day was observed in 1983 and become an important occasion for mobilizing citizen action. In India. we also observe the National Consumer Day on the 24th of December every year.

2.  15th March: The world sleep day : The world sleep day 2019 observed on 15th March to celebrate healthy sleep and draw attention towards its related issues including medicine, education and social aspects. The theme for this year is 'Healthy Sleep, Healthy Aging'. The day is observed annually on the Friday before the March Equinox on the Earth.

3. Google shuts down instant messaging app 'Allo' : Google Allo instant messaging mobile app finally shutting down. The ‘Allo app’ uses phone numbers as identifiers, and allows users to exchange messages, files, voice notes and images. Google Allo (launched in 2016) was an instant messaging mobile app by Google for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems, with a web client available on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera.

4. WHO launches new global influenza strategy :  The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030 to protect all people from the threat of influenza. The objective of the strategy is to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans, and prepare for the next influenza pandemic.’ Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of serious influenza complications and for health care workers.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.WEF recognised Naresh Lokesh as Young Global Leader for 2019 :  According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), Andhra Pradesh IT minister ‘Nara Lokesh’ has been recognised as the Young Global Leader, The list has 127 of the world's most promising social activists, business leaders, public servants, artists and technologists under the age of 40. The individuals are expected to take part in the five year-programme that will help them to identify new ways to learn new ideas.

2. MoHUA partners with Microsoft for Swachh Bharat e-Learning Portal :  Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has partnered with Microsoft India to use the platform Project Sangam of Microsoft on its Swachh Bharat e-Learning Portal. Now MoHUA has trained more than 110,000 municipal functionarieson best sanitation practices across 4,000 plus cities in India. With this partnership, the MoHUA has increased the features on the Swachh Bharat e-Learning Portal.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. RBI categorises IDBI Bank as private sector lender :  As per RBI notification, IDBI Bank has been categorized as ‘a private sector lender’ following the acquisition of majority stake by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). Earlier (In January 2019) , LIC completed the process of picking up a controlling 51% stake in the nearly crippled IDBI Bank. IDBI Bank has been categorized as a ‘private sector bank’ with effect from 21st January 2019. IDBI Bank has been under the prompt corrective action framework of RBI that bans it from corporate lending and branch expansions, salary hikes and other regular activities.

DEFENCE:

1. U.S. Special Forces hold an exercise with NSG in Hyderabad :  The United States Special Forces Group stationed in Japan involved in a joint exercise with India's National Security Guard (NSG) in Hyderabad. The US forces are from the 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group stationed out of Okinawa in Japan. The overall aim of the program was to enhance professionalism and the ability to operate together during times of crisis.

SPORTS:

1.  Dipa Karmakar qualifies for vault finals in Artistic Gymnastics World Cup : India's Dipa Karmakar (25-year) has made it to the Vault Finals after finishing third in the qualifying round of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup at Baku in Azerbaijan.The, who had finished fourth in the event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, performed a higher difficulty Hand front 540 vault for the first time in the competition. Dipa had claimed a bronze at the vault event of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Cottbus, Germany in November 2018.