Current Affairs March 19, 2018 S.No Topic Page Number 1 World News 2 2 National News 3-4 3 State News 5 4 Banking & Economy 6 5 Sports 7-8 6 Appointments & Resignations 9 7 Science & Technology 10 1
World News Singapore named the world s most expensive city Singapore has been dubbed the world s most expensive city to live in for the fifth year running in the Economist Intelligence Unit s (EIU) Worldwide Cost of Living 2018 survey. The EIU s annual ranking compares the prices of over 150 items in 133 cities around the world, such as bread, wine, cigarettes and petrol. It is designed to help hiring managers calculate fair salaries when relocating their employees overseas. 1st India-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction Inaugurated The Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog, Dr Rajiv Kumar inaugurated the First India-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi. The two-day workshop is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Government of Japan. The workshop marks the beginning of the formal implementation of the initiatives agreed under the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the two countries on Disaster Risk Reduction in September 2017. UN Issues $951 Million Appeal for Rohingya Refugees The United Nations has issued an appeal for 951 million Dollars to meet the needs of nearly 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Over the months since the most recent Rohingya influx began, it has become the world's fastest-growing refugee crisis with tens of thousands fleeing by land and sea daily from Myanmar's northern Rakhine state at the peak of the emergency. So far, the emergency response from September 2017 to February 2018 has received 321 million Dollars of the 434 million required. 2
National News Informal WTO Ministerial Meeting Held in New Delhi Representatives from 50 countries gathered in New Delhi for a two-day informal World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the informal meeting of ministers will provide an opportunity to engage in free and frank discussions with the hope that it will lead to political guidance on some major issues. Lok Sabha Passes Gratuity Amendment Bill The Lok Sabha passed the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) bill which seeks to empower the government to fix period of maternity leave and tax-free gratuity amount with an executive order. After the passage of the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha, the government would be able to enhance the ceiling of tax-free gratuity to Rs 20 lakh from existing Rs 10 lakh for employee under the Payment of Gratuity Act. Navy Chief Sunil Lanba to be on a 5-Day visit to USA Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba is on a five-day visit to the USA. The visit aims to consolidate relations between the Armed Forces of both the nations and to explore new avenues of defence co-operation. During the visit, Admiral Lanba will hold bilateral discussions with US Defence Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer among others. The Admiral will also visit the Pacific Command Headquarters at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, the Naval Surface Warfare Centre Dahlgren, the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC. Phase I of Varuna 18, Indo-French Naval exercise, kick-started The first phase of Indo-French joint naval exercise Varuna 2018 kickstarted at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) in Vasco, Goa. The exercise is being held in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast. The second and third phases of the exercise will be held at the Chennai coast in April 2018 and in La Reunion Island in May 2018, respectively. 3
President has released Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 10 commemorative coins on Nabakalebar festival President Ram Nath Kovind has released Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 10 commemorative coins on the occasion of Nabakalebar festival at a function held in Puri, Odisha. These coins were release to mark the festival which is a symbolic recreation of sibling deities Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. Nabakalebara festival is an ancient ritual that is observed in the Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri, Odisha at predefined time according to Hindu Calender. 4
State News Coast Guard commissions interceptor boat at Guj s Porbandar The Coast Guard commissioned an interceptor boat at Porbandar, Gujarat as part of its efforts to strengthen the security umbrella of the West coast. Indian Coast Guard Ship C-437 would strengthen the security umbrella of the West coast and also help augment patrolling to prevent illicit activities such as infiltration, smuggling and illegal fishing. Punjab imposes permanent ban on Hookah bars In a bid to combat various smoking-related diseases, the Punjab Government imposed a permanent ban on Hookah bars in the state. The state cabinet approved an amendment to the Cigarette & Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act, 2003, to prevent and control diseases caused by the use of various tobacco products. Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba celebrated in Manipur The traditional festival of Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba was celebrated in Manipur on 18th March to mark the beginning of a new year. The festival is mainly observed on the first lunar day of the lunar month Sajibu (March/April) by the Meitei community, a majority ethnic group of Manipur. 7th Women Science Congress Inaugurated at Imphal The 7th edition of the Women science congress was formally inaugurated at the Centenary Hall of Manipur University, which is currently hosting the 105th Indian Science Congress. During the five-day programme, the focus will be on various scientific disciplines and how they can connect with the society. 5
Banking & Economy Axis Bank opened a representative office in sharjah, which is 3rd office in UAE On March 18, 2018, Axis Bank announced the opening of its new representative office in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The third largest private sector lender said the representative office in Sharjah, its third in the UAE, will focus on remittances business. The bank has 20 per cent market share in the USD 12 billion dollar-a-year inward remittances market from the UAE. Muthoot Finance Ties Up With Global IME Bank Muthoot Finance Ltd., the flagship company of Muthoot Group tied up with Global IME Bank to expand its money remittance services between Indo Nepal Corridor. Muthoot Finance is the only Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) to extend the money transfer services from India to Nepal. RBL Bank, India and Global IME Bank Ltd., Nepal are the banking partners to facilitate Indo-Nepal remittance service. SBI, IMGC sign MOU to offer mortgage guarantee backed home loan India s largest lender SBI and India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC) signed a pact to offer mortgage guarantee scheme for prospective non-salaried and self-employed home loan customers. IMGC is a joint venture between National Housing Bank, Genworth Inc International Finance Corporation and Asian Development Bank. It is providing mortgage default guarantee to the lending Institutions in India. 6
Sports Purva Barve clinches Israel Junior badminton tournament India s Purva Barve has won the Women s Singles (Under-19) title at the Israel Junior 2018 held in Rishon LeZion, Israel. She defeated top-ranked Russian Anastasiia Pustinskaia to clinch the title The title is her first in 2018 and third overall. Earlier she won the Israel Junior 2017, Italian Junior International 2017 apart from a bronze at the Russian Junior White Nights 2017. Del Potro outlasts Federer to win Indian Wells title Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro stunned top-ranked Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/2) on March 18 to win his first Indian Wells title and second consecutive ATP crown. The 29-year-old from Argentina handed Federer his first match defeat of 2018 and extended his own win streak to 11 matches, including a title run earlier this month at Acapulco. Nidahas trophy 2018 India vs Bangladesh final: Karthik s last-ball six helps India win India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl first against Bangladesh in the Twenty20 tri-series final in Colombo. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said his team would have to be at their best against India. The underdogs are unchanged from their previous win against hosts Sri Lanka. Put into bat, Bangladesh made 166-8, a total they owe largely to number three batsman Sabbir Rahman who made 77 after their top order collapsed. Chasing 167 to win, India lost openers Shikhar Dhawan and number three Suresh Raina early but skipper Rohit Sharma batted comfortably to score 56 and keep India s chase on track. Vidarbha win Irani Cup after posting 800 in 1st innings Vidarbha claimed the Irani Cup trophy after posting a total of 800/7d in the first innings of their drawn final against Rest of India. The match featured a 286-run innings from 40-year-old Wasim Jaffer. 7
Notably, Vidarbha remained unbeaten throughout the domestic first-class season, winning seven and drawing three of the 10 first-class matches they played this season. 8
Appointments & Resignations Aamir Khan replaces Ranveer Singh as Vivo India's brand ambassador Chinese smartphone maker Vivo on Monday announced the appointment of Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan as its brand ambassador for India, replacing actor Ranveer Singh who had been associated with the company for the past two years. Aamir will soon be seen in a full-fledged marketing campaign around the upcoming products and a new TV commercial. China to appoint Yi Gang as new central bank governor China has selected American-trained economist Yi Gang to become the country s new central bank Governor. It said his appointment to the top post at the People s Bank of China (PBOC) was set to be approved when the legislature reconvenes. He replaces Zhou Xiaochuan. Scandal-tainted Mauritius president Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigns Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has resigned after being embroiled in a scandal over the use of a credit card to buy luxury personal items. She will leave office on 23rd of this month. It has been alleged that Gurib-Fakim made personal purchases, buying jewellery and clothing using a credit card provided by London-based Planet Earth Institute. Africa s only female head of the state, Gurib-Fakim is an internationally renowned scientist and biologist. Vladimir Putin wins historic 4th term as Russian President Russian President Vladimir Putin stormed to victory in presidential election, giving him another six years in power. Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, won more than 75% of the vote according to preliminary results. He is well ahead of his nearest rival Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin at 13.2%. About 107 million Russians were eligible to cast ballots and turnout was 60% before polls closed in Moscow. 9
Science & Technology HAMMER to deal with asteroids heading for earth Hollywood s favourite plan of blowing up an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, may not be the only way to avoid the apocalypse. A small push is all that is needed to change its course and save our planet. Scientists from NASA, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and two other national laboratories in the USA have conceptualised an asteroid deflector that can deliver this small nudge. They also theoretically studied the impact of the deflector on a near-earth asteroid -- 101955 Bennu. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityananth launched an anti-graft portal Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today launched an anti-graft portal as his government completed its first year in office. The chief minister also declared that his government will soon hire four lakh people in various government departments. The portal was launched at the Lok Bhawan in the presence of Governor Ram Naik, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, and UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey. Through this portal, any official who is involved in corruption or is encouraging it at any level will not be spared. Effective action will be taken if a video or any other evidence is uploaded on the portal. This will deliver a lethal blow against the corrupt elements, Adityanath claimed. 10