important days - s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com

HS 14, 2nd Floor, Kailash Colony Main Market, Delhi 110048 TEL : +91 95995 33135 | [email protected] | WWW.WORLDGKOLYMPIAD.COM

IMPORTANT DAYS

Zero discrimination Day observed by UNAIDS on 1st

March

The Zero Discrimination Day was observed by UNAIDS on March 1. Zero Discrimination Day 2021 aims at ending inequalities, discrimination existing in the world, especially after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zero Discrimination Day was launched by UNAIDS director Michel Sidibé on World Aids Day in December 2013. The symbol for Zero Discrimination Day is a butterfly. People use the symbol on social media widely to share posts to end discrimination.

World Wildlife Day observed on 3

rd

March

World Wildlife Day is celebrated each year on 3rd March to raise awareness of issues that impact wildlife. Earth is home to countless species, and wildlife plays an important role in balancing the environment. It also seeks to raise awareness on how sustainable lifestyle is beneficial for livelihood.

The theme of the day for the year 2021 theme "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet.”

National Safety Day 2021 observed on 4

th

March

National Safety Day is observed on 4th March every year to commemorate the foundation of the National Safety Council (NSC). NSC aims to raise awareness about safety measures that need to be undertaken to prevent accidents and mishaps.

National Safety Day was observed for the first time in 1972, on the foundation day of the National Safety Council.

This year the theme of the day is “Sadak Suraksha” (Road Safety). International Women's Day observed on 8

th

March

International Women‟s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March every year. This day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women‟s equality.

This year‟s theme for International Women Day, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”, celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Consumer Rights Day observed on 15th

March

World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on the 15th of March every year to raise global awareness about consumer rights and needs. The day was inspired by US President John F Kennedy‟s special message to the US Congress on March, 1962.

The day is being observed since 1983. The theme of the World Consumer Rights Day 2021 is „tackle plastic pollution'.


National Vaccination Day observed on 16th

March

National Vaccination Day also called the National Immunization Day is celebrated every year on 16th March to convey the importance of vaccination to the entire nation.

The day is observed to celebrate the Indian government‟s Pulse Polio Campaign which was an initiative to eradicate polio from the country.

Global Recycling Day observed on 18th

March

Global Recycling Day is observed globally on 18th March every year by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) and celebrated globally every year to raise awareness of the importance of recycling. The main aim of the day is to turn „waste‟ into a valuable resource.

The theme for this year‟s Global Recycling Day is “celebrating our Recycling Heroes”.

International Day of Happiness observed on 20th

March

March 20 is observed as the International Day of Happiness. Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognise the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.

The theme of International Day of Happiness for this year is “Happiness for All, Forever” which implies the significance of happiness for people all over the world.

World Water Day observed on 22nd

March World Water Day is observed on 22nd March around the world. The idea for a World Water

Day was put forward in 1992, at the Rio de Janeiro United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

The objective of the day is to raise awareness of the global water crisis and to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal.

The day is being observed under the United Nations theme- “Valuing Water” which focuses on “How we can better protect this vital resource”.

World Meteorological Day observed on 23rd

March

World Meteorological Day takes place every year on 23rd March. It commemorates the coming into force on 23 March 1950 of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization. In 1961, the World Meteorological Organization designated March 23rd as the UN World Meteorological Day.

This year‟s theme is “The Ocean, our climate and weather” which celebrates WMO‟s focus in connecting the ocean, climate and weather within the Earth System.

World Tuberculosis Day observed on 24th

March

World Tuberculosis Day is observed each year on 24th March. World Tuberculosis day is celebrated to raise public awareness regarding the debilitating impact of TB on health, social and economic wellbeing of the person.

The day is observed on March 24 to commemorate the discovery of bacterium causing Tuberculosis that is “TB bacillus” in the year 1882. The theme of the day for this year is “The Clock is ticking”.

World Theatre Day observed on 27

th

March


World Theatre Day is celebrated annually on 27th March. World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), France.

One of the most important events organised on this day is the circulation of the World Theatre Day Message through which at the invitation of ITI, a figure of world stature shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace. There is no specific theme every year.


INDIAN AFFAIRS Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched Real-Time Monitoring System of Toll Plazas

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari launched the Real-time Monitoring System of Toll Plazas at a function in New Delhi.

The monitoring system will measure the „Daily Congestion Index‟ for each plaza as well as the overall congestion across the national highway network. It will also provide real-time details of high peak hours‟ traffic at toll plazas.

Government of India decided to form Centre of Excellence in gaming

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with IIT Bombay has decided to form a Centre of Excellence in gaming and other related areas.

This was announced by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar while addressing the virtual exhibition and prize announcement of "Khel Khel Mein", a Pan Maharashtra toy/game project design competition.

Prime Minister inaugurated 2

nd

edition of 'Maritime India Summit 2021'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day „Maritime India Summit 2021‟. The Maritime India Summit 2021 is being organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on a virtual platform.

The summit will visualise a roadmap for India‟s Maritime sector for next decade and will work to propel India to the forefront of the Global Maritime Sector. Denmark is the partner country for the three-day summit.

National Highway Authority created world record by constructing 25.54-km road in 18

hours

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) completed a single lane of the four-lane stretch of 25.54 km being developed between Solapur-Vijapur (NH 52) in 18 hours. This record will be recorded in the 'Limca Book of Records‟.

Hyderabad-based construction company IJM India carried out the construction work, according to media reports. About 500 contractual workers worked hard for the project.

Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV merged into ‚Sansad TV‛

The Parliament of India has merged two of the TV channels namely, Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV into an integrated channel “Sansad TV”. The proposal for the merger of two entities was put forward in 2019 by an expert committee headed by Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer, Surya Prakash.

This new platform will continue to live telecast the house proceedings, pack news and the current affairs programme in Hindi as well as in English languages.


Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated 2

nd

edition of Global-Bio India 2021

The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare & Science and Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan virtually inaugurated the second edition of Global-Bio India 2021.

Global-Bio India aims at facilitating the recognition of India as an emerging Innovation Hub and the bio-manufacturing hub globally. The theme of the event is „Transforming Lives‟ with the tagline „Biosciences to Bio-economy‟.

Union Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot launched ‘Sugamya Bharat’ App

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawar Chand Gehlot launched the “Sugamya Bharat App” and a handbook entitled “Access - The Photo Digest”.

Sugamya Bharat App is a means for sensitizing and enhancing accessibility. It provides five main features. The fifth feature is a special feature meant only for Divyangjan for COVID-related issues.

Chief Minister of Uttrakhand launched 'Gharoki Pechan, Chelik Naam' scheme

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has launched 'Gharoki Pechan, Chelik Naam' (daughter‟s name is a home‟s identity) programme and development schemes worth Rs 42 crore in Nainital.

Under the scheme nameplates of homes will feature the names of daughters in the family. The initiative is similar to one launched in Pauri Garhwal district in 2020.

7 days International Yoga Festival inaugurated in Rishikesh

The seven-day International Yoga Festival was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Subodh Uniyal and Patanjali Yogpeeth chairman Acharya Balakrishna in Rishikesh.

The festival is being jointly organised by Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) and Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN).

Government of Haryana approved bill to reserve 75% jobs in private sector for locals

The Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana Dushyant Chautala announced on that the governor of the state Satyadev Narayan Arya has approved the bill that will provide 75% reservation in the private sector jobs.

The bill, tabled by the Dushyant Chautala in 2020, makes it compulsory for the private sector companies to reserve 75% of the jobs with a salary up to 50,000 for the people of the state.

Nagaland launched its 1

st

air cargo services from Dimapur airport

Nagaland launched its first air cargo services from Dimapur airport. The service was flagged off by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. The Airport Authority of India is planning to construct a new terminal building including a cargo service terminal at Dimapur with all modern facilities.

The air cargo service is a joint initiative of the Department of Horticulture, Nagaland and Airport Authority of India with Air India and Indigo as airline partners.

Railway Minister announced that entire Rail Network in country will be fully electrified by

2023


The entire rail network in the country will be fully electrified by 2023 while all rail networks will run on renewable energy by 2030. This was stated by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal while addressing the Maritime India Summit-2021.

The government is working on multi-modal logistical solutions to bring down the cost of transportation and increase the supply chain efficiency. He also informed that the capacity of India's major ports has almost doubled in the six years.

Western Railway zone introduced ‚Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) system

The Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways has introduced the “Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) system”.

The Mobile Train Radio Communication system is a technologically advanced and effective communication system. This system provides for an instant and constant interaction of train crew with the station master as well as the Control Centre.

Union Government set up National Committee to commemorate 75 years of India’s

Independence The government set up a 259-member high-level national committee headed by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi to commemorate 75 years of India‟s independence. It will provide policy direction and guidelines for the formulation of programmes for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence, at national and international levels.

The 75 years of India‟s Independence falls on 15th August next year and celebrations are proposed to be launched 75 weeks prior to this date on 12th March this year. 12th March is the 91st anniversary of the historic Salt Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhi.

Indian Army inaugurated 1

st

Community Radio Station 'Radio Chinar 90.4

The 1st of its kind in North Kashmir, a community radio station with the tagline “Radio Chinar 90.4, Har Dil Ki Dhadkan” was inaugurated by the Indian Army.

This radio station has been started with an aim to revitalize the connection within different segments of the community. The reach of the radio station will be Sopore, Bandipora & Baramulla Districts.

India flagged off first consignment of ‘red rice’ to USA

The first consignment of „red rice‟ flagged off to the US. Iron rich „red rice‟ is grown in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertilizer.

This rice variety is referred as „Bao-Dhaan‟, which is an integral part of Assamese food. The growth in exports of „red rice‟ would enhance the incomes of farming families of the Brahmaputra flood plains.

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal inaugurated New Delhi World Book Fair 2021

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal „Nishank‟ inaugurated the New Delhi World Book Fair 2021 - Virtual Edition. The Education Minister noted that National Education Policy has emerged as world‟s biggest reform.

The policy will develop India not only as the Knowledge hub but will also help in making learners ideal and global citizens. The theme of World Book Fair 2021 is „National Education Policy-2020.‟


Government of Delhi approved constitution of Delhi Board of School Education

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, has announced that the Delhi Cabinet has given approval to constitute the Delhi Board of School Education. There are some 1000 government schools and 1700 private schools functional in the Union territory of Delhi.

The Delhi Board of School Education will comprise of a governing body which will be headed by Education minister of Delhi government. It will also comprise of an executive body which will be headed by a chief executive officer.

Chief Minister of Odisha inaugurated India’s 1

st

World Skill Centre at Bhubaneswar

Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik inaugurated India‟s 1st World Skill Centre (WSC) at Mancheswar Industrial Area of Bhubaneswar.

The World Skill Centre, an 18 storey building is aimed to make Odisha the global capital of trained manpower and is dedicated to different skills and trades. The project has been developed in partnership with ITEES Singapore and Asian Development Bank.

Government of Meghalaya launched online registration portal for migrant workers

Meghalaya government has launched the online registration portal for migrant workers under the Meghalaya Identification Registration (Safety and Security) of Migrant Workers Act 2020.

It will improve the ease of doing business. Only those migrant workers/labourers who fulfill various criteria stated under the Act will be issued with a labour license.

Madhya Pradesh Tourism introduced Night Safari in three national parks

The state of Madhya Pradesh has introduced the night safaris in the three national parks in Madhya Pradesh. This move by the state is a major boost for the state which is already known for its robust tourism industry.

With the introduction of night safaris in three national parks, wildlife enthusiasts can now experience the majestic animals at night. The three parks include the Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park and Pench National Park.

ITBP handed over SCME to Himachal Pradesh Police personnel deployed on Atal Tunnel

Security

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has handed over more than 60 sets of various categories of Special Clothing and Mountaineering Equipment (SCME) to Himachal Pradesh Police personnel deployed on Atal Tunnel Security.

These will be used by HP police personnel in extreme cold conditions. Atal Tunnel is located at altitudes of more than 10000 feet where winter temperature remains sub-zero.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated 7500

th

Janaushadhi Kendra to nation in Shillong

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the 7,500th Jan Aushadhi Kendra at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong.

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana endeavors to provide quality medicines at an affordable price. The number of stores under the scheme has grown to 7499, with all districts of the country covered.


India’s first ‘Transgender Community Desk’ inaugurated in Telangana

The Cyberabad Police has launched India‟s first-ever Transgender Community Desk‟ at the Gachibowli Police Station in Hyderabad, Telangana. The desk was formally inaugurated on Saturday by Cyberabad Police chief VC Sajjanar in a ceremony that was attended by over 200 transgender people.

Earlier in 2014, the Supreme Court recognised the transgender community as a third gender along with male and female and ruled that they have equal privilege over the fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

Government of Odisha announced separate department to strengthen SHGs

Odisha government has set up a new department, namely the Department of Mission Shakti for self-help groups (SHGs) in the state. A proposal to this effect has received the nod in the state cabinet.

The new department will work towards strengthening the 'SHG' initiatives already taken by departments & agencies by bringing them all under one platform to ensure greater focus & synergy.

Jammu and Kashmir administration launched ANMOL app under national health mission

The Jammu and Kashmir administration distributed tablets among auxiliary nursing midwives (ANMs) and launched an application under the national health mission for identification and tracking of beneficiaries.

The ANMOL application allows ANMs to enter and update records of beneficiaries on real-time basis. This will thus ensure prompt entry and update of data as well as improve the data quality and accountability.

Flight operations launched at Bareilly Airport with Alliance Air's maiden flight with all-

women crew

Bareilly airport has begun its operations as Air India's subsidiary company Alliance Air operated maiden flight from Delhi to Bareilly with an all-women crew to celebrate International Women's Day.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced the inaugural flight virtually. He thanked all the stakeholders who were involved in starting the Bareilly flight under the 'Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik' (UDAN) scheme."

Indian Navy deployed women officers on warships after 23 years

In a major move, the Indian Navy deployed four women officers onboard its warships recently after a gap of almost 23 years. Two women officers have been posted on aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, while two others have been deployed on tanker ship INS Shakti.

Women officers started getting deployed on warships for the first time in 1998 but the decision was changed later due to logistical and other issues. The Indian Navy also deployed a lady officer as the first women defence attache posted abroad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 'Maitri Setu’ between India and Bangladesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated „Maitri Setu‟ connecting India and Bangladesh virtually. During the event, he also laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple infrastructure projects in Tripura. The 1.9 km long bridge will join Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh.


The „Maitri Setu‟ bridge between India and Bangladesh has been constructed over the Feni River which flows between Bangladesh and the Indian boundary in Tripura. The building of Maitri Setu was taken up by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited

India's 1

st

forest healing centre opened in Kalika, Uttarakhand

First Forest Healing centre of the country was inaugurated at Ranikhet in Kalika, Uttarakhand. It involves many activities like forest walking, tree-hugging, etc.

The forest healing centre has been developed by the Research Wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department after research on the healing properties of the forests and its revitalizing impact on overall health and well-being.

Government of Delhi announced to open special women mohalla clinics

The Delhi government announced that special women mohalla clinics will be opened across the city in the next financial year to offer free gynecological and other medical care services to them within walking distance from their homes.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia made the announcement while presenting the government's annual budget for year 2021-22.

Indian Railway announced new helpline number

Indian Railway has integrated all railway helplines into a single number 139 which is Rail Madad Helpline for quick grievance redressed and enquiry during the journey. The new helpline number will be available in 12 languages.

It will be easy for the passengers to remember this number and connect with Railways for all their needs during the travel. Helpline number 182 would also be discontinued from the 1st of April 2021.

First 'Milk ATM' installed in Kashmir's Pulwama

The first milk vending machine called as 'Milk ATM' has been installed in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. The machine has been installed near Shaheed Park in the Chatpora area of Pulwama by a professional milk supplier, Shabir Ahmad Wagay.

The milk ATM has been set up in collaboration with the Department of Animal and Sheep Husbandry under the Integrated Dairy Development Scheme.

NHA signed MoU with UTIITSL to issue new PVC Ayushman Bharat cards for free

The National Health Authority (NHA) has entered into an agreement with UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Limited (UTIITSL) to issue free PVC Ayushman cards to beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in 11 states and Union Territories.

UTIITSL is the second agency after Common Service Centre (CSC SPV) which has been empanelled by the NHA to provide free PVC Ayushman cards to the beneficiaries.

Ministry of Labour and Employment launched convergence of ESI and Ayushman Bharat

schemes

Union Minister for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar launched the convergence of Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Scheme with Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, PM-JAY.


Initially, the convergence will be effective in 113 districts of Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The convergence ensures ESI beneficiaries to avail cashless medical services.

APEDA launched 1

st

virtual trade fair to boost export of agricultural, processed food

products

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority launched its first virtual trade fair to boost export of agricultural and processed food products.

This trade fair was organised in order to boost the export of agricultural and processed food products. This fair will focus on showcasing exports potential of several agricultural commodities. The fair is being organised under the theme “India Rice and Agro Commodity”.

Government of Delhi announced to launch new scheme to empower women

Delhi government has announced to launch a new scheme "Sahel Samanvay Kendra" to empower women. Under the new scheme, 500 anganwadi hubs will be set up for incubating individual start-ups and to promote self-help groups.

The Delhi government has set aside ₹4,750 crore for the Department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development and welfare of SC/ST/OBC.

Prime Minister inaugurated Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the curtain-raiser activities of Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav as well as flagged off padyatra in Gujarat to celebrate 75 years of India‟s Independence.

The mega event will be witnessing the inauguration of activities that have been planned under the theme „India@75‟ such as a website, film, Aatmanirbhar Charkha, song, and Aatmanirbhar incubator.

Government of India launched ‚Mera Ration Mobile App‛

The central government has launched the “Mera Ration Mobile App” in the country. This app was launched in order to facilitate the „One Nation-One Ration Card‟ system.

It was developed in order to facilitate several “one nation-one ration card” system related services among the National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries.

Government of Uttar Pradesh ordered removal of all roadside religious structures

The Uttar Pradesh government ordered the removal of all religious structures on public roads. These instructions have been issued by the state government in compliance with the order of the high court.

The home department has directed the district magistrates (DMs) and Mandalayukta of all the districts to remove all the religious places that encroaches the road.

Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh flagged off mobile digital movie theatres

Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu flagged off 5 Mobile Digital Movie Theatre vans of the Department of Information and Public Relation from DK Convention Centre premises in Itanagar.

These will be stationed at East Siang, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, Namsai and Tawang districts. These will facilitate effective dissemination of information on policies and programmes of the government.


Ministry of Tourism formed committee to promote tourism in the North-East

The Ministry of Tourism has formed a committee of stakeholders for promoting tourism in the north-east region of the country.

The Ministry under its different schemes such as Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD provides financial assistance to the North- East States for the development of tourist infrastructure, promotion of fairs/ festivals, tourism-related events in the region, etc.

Jharkhand Cabinet approved 75% private sector job reservation policy for locals

The Jharkhand cabinet has approved the employment policy of mandating the private sector units to reserve 7% of jobs, with the salary up to Rs 30,000 per month, for local people.

This new policy mandating 75% reservation will be announced by the Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the Assembly session. Before Jharkhand, Haryana government had also approved a similar policy.

BIAL launched India's first dedicated Express Cargo Terminal

Chief Commissioner of Customs of Bengaluru zone M Srinivas inaugurated India‟s first dedicated express cargo terminal at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.

Cargo terminal works exclusively for the export and import of international couriers. The new facility will enable Bengaluru Airport to process 150,000 Metric Tonnes cargo capacity annually.

Ministry of Commerce announced to launch Atmanirbhar Niveshak Mitra portal for

investors

Government will soon launch 'Atmanirbhar Niveshak Mitra' portal for handholding and facilitation of domestic investors. To promote domestic investments, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is in process to finalise the digital portal.

Portal will be ready for launch by 15 May 2021. The webpage will also be available in regional languages and mobile App in due course.

Prime Minister inaugurated Global Ayurveda Festival

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fourth edition of the Global Ayurveda Festival through video conference.

The festival will hold an all-time record in the number of delegates, the number of scientists presenting papers and the number of participating countries and institutions.

Government of India launched new scheme for tourist vehicle operators

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has announced a new scheme under which any tourist vehicle operator will be able to apply for an „All India Tourist Authorisation Permit‟ via online mode.

The step has been taken to promote tourism as well as to grow state revenues. The Ministry has also informed that a new set of rules will be known as „All India Tourist Vehicles Authorization and Permit Rules, 2021‟.

Union Cabinet approved amendments in Insurance Act 1938

The Union Cabinet has given its nod for amendments in the Insurance Act, paving way for 74% foreign direct investment in the sector. Currently, the permissible FDI limit in life and general insurance stands at 49% with ownership and management control with Indian.


The Cabinet in its meeting has approval for amendments in the Insurance Act, 1938. It was in 2015 when the government hiked the FDI cap in the insurance sector from 26 per cent to 49%.

Government of India reconstituted advisory committee Sarasvati River

The Centre has reconstituted an advisory committee to chalk out a plan for studying the mythical Sarasvati River for the next two years, after the earlier panel‟s term ended in 2019.

The Archaeological Survey of India issued a notification for “reconstitution of the Advisory Committee for the Multidisciplinary Study of the River Sarasvati”. The committee would continue to be chaired by Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh launched ‘Kalanamak’ rice festival

After the grand success of the Strawberry Festival in Jhansi and the Jaggery Festival in Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh state government is organising a three-day „Kalanamak Rice Festival‟ in Siddharthnagar district.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in his sustained efforts of creating new income opportunities for the farmers, has stressed on promoting the localised production and providing them with a market.

Kerala High Court allowed transgender woman to join National Cadet Corps (NCC)

Kerala High Court allowed a transgender woman to seek admission into the National Cadet Corps (NCC). The court also directed the NCC to amend its enrolment criteria and allow the entry of transgender people in the cadet corps.

This comes days after Hina Haneefa had moved a petition challenging a section of the NCC act that only allowed males and females to enrol with the cadet corps.

Parliament passed bill to raise upper limit for abortions to 24 weeks in special cases

Parliament passed The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which increases the upper limit for abortions from 20 to 24 weeks for certain; categories of women and removes limits in the case of substantial foetal abnormalities after the Rajya Sabha approved the measure.

The Lok Sabha had passed the bill in March 2020. It also provides for setting up the state-level Medical Boards to decide if a pregnancy to be terminated beyond 24 weeks in cases of foetal abnormalities.

Haryana Yog Aayog Bill 2021 passed by Haryana State Assembly

Haryana Yog Aayog Bill 2021 was passed along by the Haryana Vidhan Sabha during the ongoing budget session. The Haryana Yog Aayog Bill, 2021 was passed to establish Haryana Yog Aayog for the promotion, management, regulation, and training of Yoga.

The bill seeks to develop a system of Naturopathy system of medicine. It seeks to regulate the practice thereof and deal with certain other matters such as training, promotion and Yogasana as a Sport in the state.


Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh launched Temple Management System

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched a 'temple management system' at his Camp Office. It will bring all the temples under Endowments Department into one system.

It would help in eliminating corruptions in temples, ensuring clean and transparent policies. It also includes temple information, online services for devotees, temple profiles, asset management, etc.

NGT directed to sets up 12-member Oversight Committee to prevent mining in

Meghalaya

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has set up a 12-member Oversight Committee. The NGT bench is headed by its chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel. The order came while observing that illegal mining is still continuing.

It will oversee the prevention of unscientific and unregulated mining, restoring the environment, rehabilitating the victims, and handling illegally mined coal in Meghalaya.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced vehicle scrappage policy in Lok Sabha

The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari introduced the Vehicle Scrapping Policy in Lok Sabha. The policy by the government aims at creating an eco-system to phase out the old, unfit, and polluting vehicles.

The Minister in Lok Sabha informed that the new policy will bring major changes by reducing vehicular emission of pollutants.

6

th

India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Women’s Forum meeting held in virtually

The Sixth India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Women‟s Forum meeting was held virtually. India is the current chair of IBSA Dialogue Forum.

The virtual meeting was participated by the Ministers and officials who are responsible for Women Affairs of IBSA Countries. The forum discussed the issues which have contributed in transforming the lives of women.

Railway Minister announced Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors to be

operational in 2022

Railways Minister Piyush informed in Lok Sabha that the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors will become operational in 2022. Mr. Goyal stated that two lakh 15 thousand crore rupees have been allocated for Railways in 2021-22 Budget.

Railways planning to start 44 Vande Bharat trains across the country. The Minister said that Railways is focusing on the safety of the passengers and asserted that no passenger was killed due to rail accidents in the last two years.

Mission Gramodaya launched in Madhya Pradesh

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have launched the Mission Gramodaya in Madhya Pradesh.

Under the Gramodaya mission, besides providing housing facilities in rural areas, basic and fundamental infrastructure will also be expanded.


Supreme Court stated that States can pass resolutions against Central laws

The Supreme Court prima facie found no harm in State Legislative Assemblies passing resolutions against Central laws like the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act or controversial new farm laws.

A Bench, led by Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde, said these resolutions are merely “opinions” of majority members of a Legislative Assembly and do not have the force of law.

Government announced to set up 11 committees to drive country’s country to Circular

Economy

The government has set up 11 committees which will be led by the concerned line ministries apart from officials from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and NITI Aayog.

The committee will expedite the transition India from a linear to a circular economy across the 11 focus areas. These committees will be preparing the comprehensive action plans to help in transitioning from the linear to the circular economy in the respective focus areas.

Manipur declared as model state for Van Dhan Vikas Yojana

Manipur has been declared as a winner state where the government‟s Van Dhan Vikas Yojana has appeared as a major source of employment for the local tribal residing in the state.

100 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras has been established ever since the program was launched in October 2019. The Kendras constitute 1500 SHGs and have been benefitting 30,000 tribal entrepreneurs in the state

Government of India launched Gram Ujala Scheme for Rural Areas

India has launched the “Gram Ujala Scheme” to provide the cheapest LED bulbs in the rural areas. The scheme was launched by the Union power and new and renewable energy minister, Raj Kumar Singh.

The Gram Ujala Scheme is an ambitious scheme which offers the world‟s cheapest LED bulbs in rural areas. This is the first such scheme in India. It provides the LED Bulbs in these areas at a mere ₹10.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched radio program ‘Awaam Ki Baat’

In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, initiated the project “Awaam Ki Baat” a Radio program by launching its website at Raj Bhavan, Jammu.

The radio show will allow the citizens to interact with the government and give their feedback on issues of governance. The initiative has been taken to make governance interactive, participatory and people-centric.

Indian naval Landing Craft Utility L58 commissioned at Port Blair

The Indian Naval Landing Craft Utility (LCU) L58 was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

It is the eighth and last ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mark IV Class. It has been indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata.


Bihar became 1st

state to have own ethanol policy for biofuel

Bihar Cabinet has approved the Ethanol Production Promotion Policy, 2021, becoming the 1st Indian State to have an ethanol promotion policy. The policy allows the extraction of ethanol, which was restricted to sugarcane, from surplus quantities of maize as well.

The new policy would permit ethanol production in Bihar from all feedstocks permitted by National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, and subsequently by the National Biofuel Coordination Committee.

Government of Jharkhand launched ‘SAAMAR’ campaign to fight malnutrition

The Jharkhand government announced the launch of SAAMAR (Strategic Action for Alleviation of Malnutrition and Anemia Reduction) campaign to tackle malnutrition in the state.

The campaign aims to identify anemic women and malnourished children and converge various departments to effectively deal with the problem in a state where malnutrition has been a major problem.

Government of Delhi launched 'Education Mentoring Programme' for girls of class 9-12

Over 200 students from Indira Gandhi Delhi Technological University for Women will mentor 1,000 girl students of Delhi government schools in grades 9 to 12 under the AAP dispensation‟s “Education Mentoring Programme” launched.

The Delhi Government launched the programme through its “Youth for Education” initiative to clearing their doubts related to careers in STEM, share strategies for clearing entrance exams, support in accessing learning resources and motivate them as they transition from school to colleges and careers.

Maharashtra farmers started fresh fruit cake ‘movement’

Fruit growers in rural Maharashtra have started an innovative „movement‟ to promote fresh fruit cakes as a healthier option, instead of the traditional bakery-made cakes.

The aim of this „spontaneous‟ movement is to encourage farmers and their families to increase the intake of fruits in their diet and to find a new way of selling their produce in times of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'Catch the Rain' campaign

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched „Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain‟ campaign for conserving water and stressed that every penny of MGNREGA funds be spent on rain water conservation till the monsoon arrives.

The Jal Shakti campaign will take place across India, in both the rural and the urban areas. The theme of the new campaign will be „Catch the rain, where it falls when it falls.‟

Ministry of Defence signed deal with Mahindra Defence for procurement of 1,300 combat

vehicles

The Defence Ministry has finalised a contract with Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) to procure 1,300 light combat vehicles for the Indian Army at a cost of Rs 1,056 crore.

The induction of the vehicles is planned to be completed in four years. The light specialist vehicle is a modern fighting vehicle and will be authorised to various fighting units for carriage of medium machine guns, automatic grenade launchers as well as anti-tank guided missiles.


Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh launched ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’ campaign

The Government of Arunachal Pradesh launched the „Dekho Apna Pradesh‟ campaign in order to encourage people of the state to visit tourist places within it. The boost in tourism will help in healing the damage caused to the sector due to pandemic.

Around 1,00,000 tourists, mostly from outside Arunachal Pradesh, visited various places of the picturesque Northeastern state in 2019-20, while the number of visitors is negligible in 2020-21 due to the pandemic

Health Minister inaugurated new Advanced High Resolution Microscopy Facility at NABI

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the new Advanced High Resolution Microscopy Facility at National AgriFood Biotechnology Institute (NABI).

He also unveiled the 4 Star GRIHA Certification of Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB) Lab and Admin Building at Mohali in Punjab.

Government of Andhra Pradesh decided to launch India's 1

st

ambulance network for

animals

The state government of the Andhra Pradesh has decided to set up “India‟s first government-run ambulance network” for animals. This decision was taken in order to further boost the animal husbandry and veterinary sector in the state.

The Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has made this ambulance network as one of its main missions in order to help in reaching out to the distressed animals to provide them proper animal healthcare.

Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh signed MoU to implement Ken-Betwa river interlinking

project

The governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on March 22, 2021 signed a memorandum of agreement with the Union Jal Shakti Ministry to implement the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project.

The project‟s purpose is to carry water from surplus regions to drought-prone and water-scarce areas through interlinking of rivers. The project involves transfer of surplus water from Ken River in Panna district in Madhya Pradesh to Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh.

Jal Shakti Ministry entered a partnership with the United Nations

The Jal Shakti Ministry has signed a pact with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the government of Denmark in order to bring the tap water connections to the 11 water-scarce districts of the Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions in Uttar Pradesh under the Jal Jeevan mission.

The project will comprise of the supports like capacity building, creation of village action plans, grassroots water quality monitoring methods and community mobilisation.

Andaman & Nicobar achieved 100% Functional Household Tap Connection coverage

Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lt. Governor Admiral D K Joshi declared that the UT has achieved 100% Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) coverage.

With this, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands becomes the third state/UT in the country to achieve the target after Goa and Telangana under Jal Jeevan Mission. The connections were provided at 266 villages located in 9 blocks.


Competition Commission ordered probe into the new privacy policy of WhatsApp

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) ordered an investigation into WhatsApp‟s new privacy policy for breaching The Competition Act, 2002.

The regulator noted that the existing policy allows users to choose whether they want to share their data with WhatsApp and Facebook, but the latest version mandates that they agree to such data sharing mechanism with Facebook.

Education Minister inaugurated Shaheed Bhagat Singh Smarak in New Delhi

Shaheed Bhagat Singh Smarak was inaugurated in New Delhi by Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal „Nishank‟. Education minister also paid homage to Bhagat Singh in the chamber located in basement of Viceregal Lodge of Delhi University.

Bhagat Singh was imprisoned in this chamber. To commemorate the 90 years of martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, the university has organised a programme.

Parliament passed National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021

The Parliament has passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amend) Bill, 2021 with Rajya Sabha giving its nod. The bill which seeks to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, has already been passed in Lok Sabha.

It provides that the term „government‟ referred to in any law made by the Legislative Assembly of Delhi will imply Lieutenant Governor.

India and Bangladesh inaugurated ‚Bangabandhu-Bapu Museum‛ in Dhaka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the “Bangabandhu-Bapu Museum” at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

The museum has a digital exhibition on India‟s Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Bangladesh‟s Father of the Nation „Bangabandhu‟ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The exhibition is dedicated to the lives of Gandhi and „Bangabandhu‟.

Supreme Court upheld decision of Tata Sons to remove Chairman Cyrus Mistry in 2016

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Tata Sons board in October 2016 to remove its then chairman, Cyrus Mistry, from office and later the company‟s board.

The court set aside the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal‟s (NCLAT‟s) order of December 2019, which had re-instated Mistry on the Tata Sons board and had termed the appointment of the current Chairman, N. Chandrasekaran, “illegal”.

Finance Minister launched Central Scrutiny Centre and IEPFA mobile App

Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched Central Scrutiny Centre and Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority, IEPFA mobile App.

Mobile App aims at achieving the goal of financial literacy, spreading investors‟ awareness, education and protection among investors. The centre will scrutinize Straight through Process Forms filed by the corporate.

Union Health Minister launched ‘Tribal TB Initiative’ in pursuit of TB Mukt Bharat


Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched „Tribal TB Initiative‟ in pursuit of TB Mukt Bharat. Speaking on the occasion, he stated that government accords top priority to ensuring Universal Access to free treatment and care for TB across the country.

The government has already increased the Budget allocation for TB in India a four-fold in the last five years.

Parliament passed ‘National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill’

The Parliament has passed the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill, 2021 with the approval of Rajya Sabha. The legislation seeks to establish the NBFID to support infrastructure financing in the country.

The NBFID will be set up as a corporate body with an authorized share capital of one lakh crore rupees, with financial and developmental objectives.

Indo-Korean Bilateral Friendship Park inaugurated in Delhi Cantt

Indian Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh and South Korean Defence Minister, Suh Wook has inaugurated “Indo-Korean Bilateral Friendship Park” in Delhi Cantt. Friendship Park has been built to commemorate contribution of Indian peacekeepers in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

India-South Korea relations have strengthened in recent years with the convergence of Act East Policy (AEP) of India and New Southern Policy (NSP) of South Korea.

India conducted first-ever joint patrol in Madagascar’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

In a first, the navies of India and Madagascar undertook joint patrolling of Madagascar‟s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and also conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX).

The first-ever joint patrol between the navies reflects the growing defence ties between the two Indian Ocean neighbours aimed at the common objective of ensuring maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Sub-Inspector Priyanka became 1st

female officer to be part of encounter

Sub-Inspector Priyanka became the first woman personnel of Delhi Police to be a part of an encounter in central Delhi.

She was the part of the encounter which took place at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi and led to the arrest of an alleged gangster and his associate.

Union Civil Aviation Minister announced 100% privatisation of Air India

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on 27 March 2021 announced the complete disinvestment of Air India. Air India is a first-rate asset but has an accumulated debt of Rs 60,000 Crore.

The government has started the process to sell its entire 100 per cent stake in Air India that has been in losses since it merged with Indian Airlines in 2007.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh inaugurated Shaheed Ashfaq Ulla Khan Zoological Park

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Shaheed Ashfaq Ulla Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur. This is the first zoo in Purvanchal and the third in the state.

The zoo will not only provide entertainment and learning to the people but it has also opened the possibilities of tourism in the region. The foundation of the Gorakhpur zoo was laid a decade ago in May 2011 but its construction gained momentum after the year 2017.


Chief Justice of India SA Bobde inaugurated new Bombay High Court building at Goa

Supreme Court judge Justice N V Ramana stated that the Centre and state governments should come together to form the `National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation‟ to tackle the judiciary‟s needs.

Justice Ramana, who is set to become the next Chief Justice of India (CJI), was speaking at inauguration of a new building for Goa Bench of Bombay High Court at Porvorim near Panaji.

Nagaland Health Minister launched ‘i-Learn’ app for Community Health Officers

Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Minister, S Pangnyu Phom has launched i-Learn a capacity building and performance tracking application for Community Health Officers, CHOs in the state at his office chamber in Kohima.

The state government launched the i-Learn application in partnership with USAID-NISHTHA/Jgpiego which will cater across the 189 Health & wellness centres in the state.

Government of India proposed up to 25% tax concession on purchase of new vehicles

Centre has proposed up to 25% tax concession on the purchase of new vehicles on submission of scrappage certificate. Road, Transport and Highways Ministry today published the draft rules regarding concession in motor vehicle tax against scrapped vehicles.

Under the draft rules, people will get 25% concession on the purchase of personal vehicles with vehicle scrappage certificate while on the purchase of commercial vehicles; the tax relief will be 15%.

Ministry of AYUSH set up interdisciplinary team to explore potential of Yoga

The Ministry of AYUSH has set up an interdisciplinary team of experts to explore the potential of Yoga as a productivity enhancing tool for the population.

The committee is chaired by H. R Nagendra, Chancellor, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana and its members include representatives from AIIMS New Delhi, IIM Bangalore, IIT Bombay, various leading Yoga institutions, the corporate sector and the AYUSH Ministry.

Government of India approved issuance of 16

th

tranche of electoral bonds

Amid the ongoing assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, the Finance Ministry informed that the issuance of the 16th tranche of electoral bonds will be open for sale from April 1 to April 10.

The electoral bonds for the elections can be purchased by an individual who is a citizen of India or established or incorporated in India. The electoral bonds will be encashed only by an eligible political party.

Bihar set to become India’s first state to have two Green Energy Efficient towns

Bihar is set to become the country‟s first state to have two green energy efficient towns in Rajgir and Bodh Gaya. The towns will start getting solar energy through the first of its kind renewable energy project from 2023.

After Rajgir and Bodh Gaya, Patna‟s many important government offices including the governor house, the Patna High Court, the Bihar Museum and the Vidhyut Bhawan would also get round the clock green energy supply being developed with the help of the Solar Energy Corporation of India.


Special Forces of India & US carried out a joint military exercise in Himachal Pradesh

Special Forces of India and the US carried out a joint military exercise at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh this month to further enhance interoperability between the two sides.

It was the 11th edition of the exercise „Vajra Prahar‟ which is aimed at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.


INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Israel received 1

st

ever UAE ambassador

Israel's President formally received the first ever ambassador from the UAE, following the 2020's historic agreement between the countries to normalize ties.

UAE envoy Mohamed Al Khaja delivered his credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem. UAE was the 1st country to agree to establish full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state under the Abraham Accords.

Australia unveiled plan to build world’s 1

st

platypus sanctuary in New South Wales State

Australian conservationists unveiled plans to build the world‟s first refuge for the platypus, to promote breeding and rehabilitation as the duck-billed mammal faces extinction due to climate change.

The Taronga Conservation Society Australia and the New South Wales State government informed that, they would build the specialist facility, mostly ponds and burrows for the semi-aquatic creatures, at a zoo 391 km from Sydney, by 2022.

UNGA adopted India-sponsored resolution, declared 2023 as International Year of Millets

The India-sponsored resolution has been adopted by consensus and is supported by over 70 nations. The 193 member United Nations General Assembly- UNGA has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

The resolution declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets invites the UN, all the member states, and other global organisations to observe the year through activities that aim at raising awareness as well as directing policy attention to the health and nutritional benefits of millets.

Britain approved 'world's most expensive drug', costs ₹18 crore per dose

Zolgensma which has a reported list price of £1.79 mn (₹18 crore) per dose is labelled the most expensive drug in the world. It was approved by the National Health Service England to treat babies with a rare fatal genetic disorder.

It is a gene therapy indicated for the treatment of pediatric patients less than 2 years of age with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

France launched its first military exercises in space

France launched its first military exercise in space to evaluate its ability to defend its satellites and other defence equipment from an attack.

The exercise, codenamed "AsterX" in the memory of the first French satellite from 1965, will be based on 18 simulated events in an operations room. The US Space Force and German space agencies are taking part in the exercises.


China launched virus passport amid Covid pandemic

China has launched a health certificate programme for Chinese international travellers, leading the world in plans for so-called virus passports. The certificate is being rolled out “to help promote world economic recovery and facilitate cross-border travel”

The digital certificate, which shows a user‟s vaccination status and virus test results, is available for Chinese citizens via a programme on Chinese social media platform WeChat that was launched.

1

st

Meeting of ‚BRICS Contact Group‛ held on Economic and Trade Issues

The BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues (CGETI) held their first meeting under the Chair ship of India.

India under its Chair ship for 2021, presented a calendar of events for BRICS CGETI 2021. The meeting was held under the Theme –“BRICS @15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation, and Consensus”.

India, Australia, Japan & US President participated in 1

st

Quad Leaders’ Summit

The First Quad Leaders‟ Summit was held virtually. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and US President Joseph R. Biden participated in the Summit.

The four countries plan to establish a series of working groups that will focus on climate change; critical and emerging technologies, including working to set technology standards and norms and jointly developing some of the critical technologies of the future.

European Union (EU) declared as ‘LGBT Freedom Zone’

The European Parliament has declared whole of the European Union as “LGBTIQ Freedom Zone”. Poland had also planned to close the loophole that allowed same-sex couples to adopt.

This symbolic resolution was passed in the answer to local authorities in Poland who were labelling themselves as “LGBT ideology-free zones” in recent times.

Moderna started testing COVID-19 vaccine on young children, babies

Moderna has started testing its Coronavirus vaccine on infants and children between the ages of 6 months and 12 years in a study. The testing has been started by the pharmaceutical company as it seeks to expand approval for its vaccine on children.

The company informed that the first participants have been dosed in the Phase 2/3 study, called the KidCOVE study, on pediatric Coronavirus vaccinations. Moderna has become the first of the companies with vaccines authorized in the United States to launch testing among infants.

El Salvador became first Central American country to declare malaria-free

El Salvador is the first country in Central America to be certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization. El Salvador hasn‟t had a malaria outbreak since 1996 and has reported no indigenous cases since 2017.

WHO grants a certification of malaria elimination when a country proves “beyond a reasonable doubt” that there has been no indigenous transmission of the disease nationwide for the previous three consecutive years.


Italy signed International Solar Alliance amended Framework Agreement

Italy signed the International Solar Alliance under the amended International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement. The Framework Agreement was signed by Italy's Ambassador, Vincenzo De Luca.

The amendments to the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance entered into force, opening its membership to all Member States of the United Nation.

European Commission proposed Covid-19 certificate to boost travel

The European Commission has proposed for a Covid-19 certificate called “Digital Green Certificate” covering the details regarding the Covid-19 vaccination, testing and recovery.

This decision was taken in order to reopen the European Union (EU) for travel in a safe, sustainable and predictable manner. The Covid-19 certificate is an approach by European Union to issue, verify and accept the certificates so as to facilitate a free movement within the European Union.

United Nations Development Program launched ‘Sahi Disha’ campaign

The United Nations Development Program has launched the „Sahi Disha‟ Campaign for celebrating the livelihoods and entrepreneurship of women living in rural parts of India.

The campaign highlights the problems impacting the opportunities for women to access jobs and livelihoods. The Disha initiative is five years collaboration between the IKEA Foundation and the United Nations Development Program.

UNESCO joined USO India for Water Conservation Programme

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have joined the USO India and Toonz Media Group over the water conservation awareness programme for students.

For the water conservation programme, the students have created the animation videos which will be unveiled on the occasion of World Water Day. It will be unveiled as a part of “H2Ooooh! – Waterwise Program” for the school students.

UNHRC adopted resolution against Sri Lanka’s human rights record

The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva adopted a resolution against Sri Lanka‟s human rights record. India abstained from voting on a resolution against Sri Lanka adopted by the UNHRC in Geneva.

The resolution titled „Promotion of Reconciliation Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka‟ was adopted by the UNHRC after 22 members out of 47 voted in favour of it. Eleven members voted against the resolution.

World’s first Ship Tunnel to be built in Norway

The Norwegian Coastal Administration has received the green signal to start working on the construction of world‟s first tunnel, being built exclusively for ships.

The tunnel is dubbed as “Stad Ship Tunnel” and would be built under the mountainous Stadhavet peninsula in northwestern Norway. The 1.7 km tunnel will be able to handle ships of up to 16,000 tones and give ships a safer passage through the treacherous Stadhavet Sea.

New Zealand Parliament passed bereavement leave law for miscarriages, stillbirths


The Parliament of New Zealand unanimously approved the legislation that will give couples- who have suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth- three days of paid leave. According to Labour Party MP Ginny Anderson, one in four women in New Zealand has suffered a miscarriage.

New Zealand has become the second country in the world to provide such benefits, as India is the only other country with such legislation. India is the only other country that has similar legislation.

China and Iran signed 25-year ‚strategic cooperation pact‛

China and Iran signed what was described as a 25-year “strategic cooperation pact”, during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi‟s on-going six-nation tour to West Asia.

The deal was signed between Wang and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif in Tehran. Negotiations for the deal, launched five years ago, sparked controversy in Iran last year and virtually no details of its contents have been released.


BANKING & FINANCE SBI Mutual Fund launched 1

st

international fund investing in US stocks

The State Bank of India (SBI) Mutual Funds has launched its first overseas offering. The scheme will invest 95-100 per cent of its net assets generally in Amundi Funds US Pioneer Fund (including ETFs), which invest predominantly in the US markets.

The fund titled SBI International Access US Equity FOF is an open-ended fund of funds scheme investing in mutual fund scheme/ETFs that invest in US markets, which are domiciled overseas.

Central Board of EPFO recommends 8.5% annual rate of interest for current financial

year

The Central Board of the Employees' Provident Fund Organization has recommended an 8.5% annual rate of interest for FY 2020-21. Since 2014, EPFO has consistently generated returns not less than 8.5%.

The decision was taken in the 228th meeting of the Central Board of Trustees, which was held in Srinagar, under the chairmanship of Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

NPCI partnered with SBI Payments to launch ‘RuPay SoftPoS’ solution

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in association with the SBI Payments has announced to launch the „RuPay SoftPoS‟ for millions of Indian merchants. This technology will be helpful in transforming the NFC enabled smartphones into merchant Point of Sale (PoS) terminals for retailers.

With the help of RuPay SOftPoS system, the merchants will be able to accept the contactless payments of up to ₹5000 by simple tap and pay mechanism using their smartphones.

Kotak Mahindra Bank signed MoU with Indian Army

Kotak Mahindra Bank will handle the salary account of the Indian Army personnel. The bank has signed a MoU with the Indian Army for the salary account.

The MoU enables Kotak to offer its salary account proposition, combined with exclusive benefits for the Indian Army, to all army personnel – both active and retired.

Titan’s youth brand Fastrack partnered with Yono-SBI bank to launch a smart fitness

band

Titan-owned youth accessories brand Fastrack has partnered with Yono-State Bank of India (SBI) to enter the smart wearable category of fitness bands with digital payment component under its sub-brand Reflex in order to strengthen the company‟s foothold in the wearable category for the youth.


This is the second time Titan has tied up with SBI this fiscal to launch a collaborative product. A chip embedded in the smart band will be linked to one‟s SBI account to make cashless payments by flashing the band in front of POS machines.

HDFC Bank launched 'SmartUp Unnati' for women entrepreneurs

The HDFC Bank has launched the “SmartUp Unnati mentoring Programme”. This programme was launched to provide its support to the women entrepreneurs.

Under this programme, the senior women leaders from the HDFC Bank with the expertise will mentor the women entrepreneurs so as to help them in achieving their goals in next one year.

Yes Bank launched 'Yes Essence' services for women

Yes Bank announced the launch of women-centric „Yes Essence‟ services that will offer preferentially-priced loans and healthcare benefits, among other services.

„Yes Essence‟ is a holistic banking proposition for women across customer segments homemakers, salaried professionals, entrepreneurs and senior citizens which covers lifestyle, wellness, education, protection and investment.

Axis Bank launched contactless wearable payment devices

Axis Bank launched the country‟s first contactless wearable payment devices to allow customers make on-the-go transactions more conveniently. The wearable are directly linked to the customers‟ bank account and function like a regular debit card.

The bank has partnered with Thales and Tappy Technologies to design and create these products, which are exclusively available on the MasterCard platform.

LIC-owned IDBI Bank removed from PCA framework

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has removed IDBI Bank from the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework which is the enhanced regulatory supervision of RBI.

The bank was removed from the framework after four years as a result of its improved financial performance. Central bank had enlisted the IDBI Bank under the PCA framework in May 2017.

Magicbricks partnered with Razorpay and HDFC Bank for credit card rent pay

Magicbricks has partnered with Razorpay and HDFC Bank to create a secure online solution for rent payments through credit cards with an eye on the 10-million rental residential household market.

The deferment of a large spend which has a credit period of around 45 days also translates into a month‟s interest of approximately 1%. The feature also enables tenants to earn rewards points and offers available on credit card payments.

India’s Forex Reserves became World’s 4

th

Biggest, surpass Russia

India‟s foreign-exchange reserves surpassed Russia‟s to become the world‟s fourth-largest reserve. The foreign currency holdings of India stood at $580.3 billion as of March 5, as per the data by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The reserve of Russia was $580.1 billion. Overall, China has the largest reserves, followed by Japan and Switzerland, as on the International Monetary Fund table.


Deutsche Bank executed world’s 1st

green hedge with Continuum

Deutsche Bank and Continuum Energy Levanter Pte Limited, a subsidiary of Continuum Green Energy (Continuum) has executed the world‟s first green hedging transaction, with a second party opinion based on a specially designed green hedge framework.

The company‟s underlying green project revenues are generated in Indian rupee while the principal and interest are to be repaid in dollar, giving rise to currency risks.

IATA appointed Standard Chartered Bank as EasyPay partner

International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Standard Chartered Bank as one of its IATA EasyPay service providers in India enabling greater payment flexibility to travel agents. IATA EasyPay is a new payment method which aids streamline payment flows within the aviation ecosystem.

EasyPay is based on „pay-as-you-go‟ and provides a secure alternative to traditional billing and settlement plan payment methods (cash or credit card) which is available to all the IATA accredited agents in India.

ICICI Bank launched instant EMI facility on its internet banking platform

ICICI Bank has announced the launch of an instant EMI (Equated Monthly Installments) facility on its internet banking platform. ICICI Bank is the first in the industry to introduce an instant EMI facility.

Called „EMI @ Internet Banking‟, the facility aims to offer increased affordability to preapproved customers, as it enables them to convert their high-value transactions up to Rs5 lakh into easy monthly installments.

Indian Overseas Bank launched ‘IOB Trendy’ savings account for millennial

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has launched „IOB Trendy‟, a savings account customized for the growing millennial population in the country by keeping their banking preferences in mind.

IOB Trendy is a Savings Bank Account Scheme introduced by the bank towards this endeavor. For opening an IOB Trendy account, a customer needs to be within the age bracket of 21 – 38 years.

Tata Cleantech & JICA signed 10 billion yen loan deal for climate change projects

Tata Cleantech Capital, a non-banking financial company, has secured a 10-billionyen loan agreement from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It has been signed for offering loans to Indian firms focussing on clean energy projects.

The loan would be provided through a private sector investment finance scheme of JICA and co-financed with the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

BharatPe launched 'Distributor to Retailer Finance' to empower SMEs

BharatPe has rolled-out its innovative lending product- Distributor to Retailer (D2R) Finance which will focus specifically on empowering Small and Medium Enterprises.

The product is designed to provide instant liquidity to distributors, wholesalers, traders and dealers across industry verticals. With this new lending product, the company will offer collateral-free loans of up to Rs. 50 lakhs for a period of 7 days to 30 days.


BUSINESS & ECONOMY Wipro Limited joined World Economic Forum initiative of Racial Justice in Business

Wipro has joined the 'Partnering for Racial Justice in a Business initiative' launched by the World Economic Forum. It will promote a culture of diversity, equity, and justice for people of all racial backgrounds in the workplace.

The initiative is aimed towards driving action and accountability for companies to confront racism at a systemic level and set new standards for racial justice.

Adani Enterprises became third group firm to hit Rs 1trillion market cap

Adani Enterprises Limited joined an elite club of achieving Rs 1 trillion market cap after its shares surged over 90% so far this year. The stock hit an all-time high of Rs 915 a share with market cap of Rs 1.01 trillion.

This is the 3rd Adani Group Company to have achieved this milestone. Earlier, Adani Green Energy and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone reached this landmark.

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India signed agreement with Odisha to set up steel plant

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) signed an agreement with the government of Odisha for setting up a 12 mtpa integrated steel plant in Kendrapara district with an investment of Rs 50,000 crore.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and steel tycoon Lakshmi N. Mittal were present during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Bhubaneswar.

Reliance Power formed joint venture with Jera for 745 MW project in Bangladesh

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power has formed a joint venture with Japan-headquartered Jera Co. Inc to develop a new gas-fired power generation project in Bangladesh.

The project is to build, own, and operate a 745-MW (net output: 718 MW) natural gas combined-cycle power project in Meghnaghat near Dhaka.

Apple announced to start production of iPhone 12 in India

Apple Inc. will manufacture Made-In-India iPhone 12 soon. Its latest model was launched in India in October 2020. The unit also manufactures iPhone 11, which is the bestseller in India, as well as iPhone XR.

iPhone 12 will be manufactured at the Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) facility in Tamil Nadu, both for the domestic as well as an export market.

Google India launched "Women Will" Web Platform

Google has launched a new web platform „Women Will‟ on March 8, 2021, on the occasion of “International Women‟s Day”. This platform will provide its support to 1 million rural women in


India in order for them to become entrepreneurs with the help of accelerator programmes, business tutorials and mentorship.

This web portal can be accessed in English and Hindi languages. It will offer guidance to the aspiring women in villages to turn their interest or a hobby like beauty services, tailoring, home tuition, food processing, etc. into the business.

National Skill Development Corporation collaborated with SahiPay for digital financial

literacy

National Skill Development Corporation announced its collaboration with SahiPay an Android based integrated platform developed by Manipal Business solutions (MBS) to promote digital enablement and financial inclusion in the country.

The partnership aims to facilitate skilling of youth in digital financial services and provide them with an opportunity to explore self-employment for sustainable livelihood.

Indian Oil Corporation & IDCO signed MoU for Paradip Plastic Park in Odisha

The state-run Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited signed a MoU to develop a Plastic Park in Paradip.

IOCL announced a special strategic incentive scheme to attract investments in downstream polymer industries at Paradip Plastic Park. With a project cost of Rs 107 crore, the park is spread over 120 acres of land.

CAIT launched vendor on boarding mobile app for ‘Bharat e-Market’

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) launched a vendor onboarding mobile app for its upcoming e-commerce portal „Bharat e-Market‟. The traders' body aims to onboard 7 lakh traders on the portal by December this year and 1 crore traders by December 2023.

The app will enable businesses and service providers to register on the portal and create their own “e-dukaan”. It is „purely Indian‟ Bharat e-Market portal and will comply with all the rules & regulations of the country.

United States became second biggest oil supplier of India

The United States has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the second-biggest oil supplier of India in February 2021, as the refiners boosted the cheap U.S. crude purchases to record levels to offset supply cuts by OPEC- Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

The oil imports by India from the US- the global top producer- rose to 48% to a record 5, 45,300 barrels per day (bpd) in February 2021 from the prior month. It accounted for 14% of India‟s overall imports last month.

Sony Pictures Networks India signed multi-year media rights deal with Ultimate Kho Kho

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has signed a multi-year television and digital broadcast deal with Ultimate Kho Kho. The league is expected to be telecast in the prime time slot (7-9 pm) in English and Hindi and will also be streamed on SonyLIV.

Ultimate Kho Kho was founded by Dabur's Amit Burman who had acquired long-term commercial rights from the Kho Kho Federation of India in 2019.

Wipro & Tech Mahindra collaborated with Finnish firms to develop 5G in India


The Information technology companies of India, like Wipro and Tech Mahindra, will be collaborating with the companies of Finland to develop the 5G and 6G technologies to use them in India and other markets.

The tech company, Nokia has already started working in the rural areas of India so as to expand the 5G applications. This was announced after the Indian Prime Minister and Prime Minister of Finland holds a virtual summit.

Nokia announced partnerships with Google, Amazon, and Microsoft

Nokia has partnered with Microsoft, Amazon web services and Google to develop new cloud-based 5G radio solutions with its radio access network (RNA) technology.

The goal of the partnerships is to develop new business cases. It will develop new and innovative high value 5G use cases that will equip customers with the tools they need for digital transformation.

Union Cabinet approved closure of Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation

The Union Cabinet approved the closure of Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation of India Limited (HHEC). The Corporation is a Government of India undertaking under the administrative control of the Ministry of Textiles.

The Corporation is being closed as it has been continuously incurring losses since the Fiscal Year 2015-16 and not earning sufficient income to meet its running expenses. It has little scope for revival.

Hero Motors Company (HMC) announced to set up global headquarters in London

Hero Motors Company (HMC) has announced the setting up of its international headquarters Hero International (HIT) in London to strengthen its global presence.

HIT is aimed at bringing HMC‟s European businesses under one umbrella and giving its electric bike business a major boost globally. The company aims to take up its European revenue up to €300 million by 2021.

LT Foods became 1

st

company to be certified by UN-backed Sustainable Rice Platform

LT Foods Limited has become the first Company globally to be certified with highest level of verification – L3, by UN-backed Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) Eco-label.

This will enable the Company to use Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) verified logo on the packs of Rice produced by verified 1,000+ farmers growing sustainable rice.

World's first ever volcano bonds to cover 10 volcanoes

A bond sponsored by the Danish Red Cross is the first to offer dedicated insurance against volcanic eruptions. The bond will cover 10 volcanoes, including Mexico‟s Popocatepetl and Nevado Del Ruiz in Colombia.

Initial investors include Schroder Investment Management and Plenum Investments, a firm specializing in insurance-linked security.

Maithri Aquatech announced to set up ‘World’s 1

st

Mobile Water from Air Kiosk’

Maithri Aquatech has set up the world‟s first mobile water from air kiosk and water knowledge centre‟ in the smart city of Visakhapatnam.


This initiative is supported by Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and project SEWAH (Sustainable Enterprises for Water and Health). The kiosk will provide clean, mineral-enriched potable water harvested from the air.

China's Xiaomi Corp announced to make electric vehicles (EVs)

China's Xiaomi Corp plans to make electric vehicles (EVs) using Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd's factory. Xiaomi will aim its EVs at the mass market, in line with the broader positioning of its electronics products.

Xiaomi, one of the world's biggest smartphone makers, is in talks to use one of the Great Wall's plants in China to make EVs under its own brand.

Ford partnered with HP to transform 3D printing waste into auto components

Ford Motor has teamed up with tech company HP to innovatively reuse spent 3D printing waste by turning them into injection molded automotive parts.

Auto parts such as injection molded fuel-line clips made from 3D printing waste have already been installed first on Ford's Super Duty F-250 trucks. These injection molded parts are environment friendly, durable and of high quality standard.

Coinbase decided to set up branch in India despite uncertainty around crypto regulation

The U.S. based crypto currency exchange Coinbase is planning to establish its business presence in India and intends to open an office in Hyderabad.

This move comes despite great uncertainty over the future of crypto currency in India, as government planning to introduce a bill that could see it banned outright.

Puma signed multi-year deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore

Global sports brand Puma has signed a three years partnership with the Indian Premier League (IPL) team franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Puma will be the official kit partner of the team from the upcoming 14th edition of the tournament. It also makes Puma the only global sports brand to be associated with IPL 2021.


MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Wipro signed an agreement to acquire Capco for $1.45 billion

Information Technology major Wipro on Thursday said that it has signed an agreement to acquire Capco, a privately held British consultancy, for $1.45 billion

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close by June 2021. London-headquartered Capco‟s clients include many marquee names in the global financial services industry.

ONGC acquired 5% stake in Indian Gas Exchange

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) signed a Share Purchase and Shareholders Agreement (SPSHA) with the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) and the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX).

As per the agreement ONGC has acquired 5 per cent equity in IGX. ONGC is aligned to the government‟s vision of increasing the share of gas in the energy mix to 15% by 2030.

Government of India decided to sell 16.12% stake in Tata Communication

The Indian government will exit its entire 26.12% shareholding in Tata Communications Limited. It will sell a 16.12% stake through an offer-forsale via stock exchanges.

The remaining shares will be sold to Tata Sons Pvt.‟s investment arm Panatone Finvest Limited immediately after that sale. Panatone Finvest currently owns 34.8% of Tata Communications, while Tata Sons has a 14.1% stake in the company.

Tata Sons Private Limited agreed to acquire BigBasket for more than $1 billion

Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd has agreed to acquire control of online grocer BigBasket in a deal valued at more than $1 billion. Tata Sons‟ digital services subsidiary Tata Digital Ltd has proposed to acquire up to 64.3% stake in Supermarket Grocery Supplies Pvt. Ltd (SGS).

SGS and Innovative Retail sell food, grocery, household items, and personal and beauty care products through the BigBasket app.

Tech Mahindra acquired majority stake in Perigord Asset Holdings

Tech Mahindra Ltd has acquired a 70% stake in Perigord Asset Holdings Ltd. The acquisition will help Tech Mahindra boost expertise in the global pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life science (HLS) sectors.

The acquisition underlines Tech Mahindra‟s focus on digital growth, under the NXT.NOW framework, which focuses on leveraging next generation technologies to solve evolving customer needs.

Ratan Tata acquired undisclosed stake in Pritish Nandy Communications

Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons and the Chairman of Tata Trusts, in his personal capacity acquired a stake in Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) in March 2021.


Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) was founded in September 1993. PNC has grown consistently over the 18 years of its existence and is valued at Rs 2,653 million in 2021.

Adani Ports decided to acquire 58.1% stake controlling stake in Gangavaram Port

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited will acquire a 58.1% stake held by DVS Raju in

Gangavaram Port Limited. The acquisition is valued at ₹3,604 crore and subject to regulatory approvals.

Earlier in March 2021, Adani Ports had announced the acquisition of Warburg Pincus‟s 31.5% stake in Gangavaram, and with the latest acquisition, it will own a total 89.6% stake in the port in Andhra Pradesh.

Khatabook acquired Biz Analyst in $10 million

Fintech start-up Khatabook has acquired Biz Analyst, a SaaS business management application in a deal worth $10 million as a mix of cash and equity.

With this deal, Khatabook will offer its customer base of over 10 million monthly active merchants and opportunity to scale up businesses. Biz Analyst is a cash flow positive business firm providing solutions to SMEs using Tally accounting software.


APPOINTMENTS &

RESIGNATIONS

Manpreet Vohra appointed India's High Commissioner to Australia

Senior diplomat Manpreet Vohra has been appointed as India‟s next High Commissioner to Australia. Mr. Vohra, a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is presently Ambassador of India to Mexico.

Vohra‟s appointment comes at a time when the India-Australia ties are at an upswing and the two countries are stepping up cooperation particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.

Jaideep Bhatnagar took over as Principal Director General of Press Information Bureau

Jaideep Bhatnagar has taken over as Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau. He is an officer of the Indian Information Service batch of 1986.

He has earlier served in Doordarshan News and as Head of the Commercial, Sales and Marketing Division of Doordarshan. He has also served as Prasar Bharati Special Correspondent West Asia covering twenty countries.

Mary Kom appointed as the Chairperson of AIBA champions and veterans committee

Indian Boxer Mary Kom has been appointed as the Chairperson of the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) champions and veterans committee. The AIBA champions and veterans committee was formed in December 2020.

The committee comprises the world's most respected boxing veterans and champions who have achieved significant results and who are ready to share their experience.

NABARD Chairman G R Chintala took over Chairmanship of APRACA

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Chairman G R Chintala took over the chairmanship of the Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA).

He has taken over from DPK Gunasekera, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Ceylon. APRACA, established in 1977, is an association of institutions involved in agricultural, rural and microfinance policy and development, representing 21 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Girish Chandra Murmu appointed as Chairman of the Panel of External Auditors of United

Nations

Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Girish Chandra Murmu, have been appointed chairman of the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations for the second time in a row for 2021.


The panel consists of countries including India, Germany, Chile, China, the United Kingdom, France, Philippines, Switzerland, Italy, Ghana, Indonesia, Canada and Russia.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur appointed as Captain in the Territorial Army

Union Minister Anurag Thakur became the 1st serving MP to be appointed as Captain in the Territorial Army. He is the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh.

The Territorial Army that is the second line of defence in the hierarchy comprises volunteers who are imparted military training for about a month in a year.

Wipro appointed Pierre Bruno as Chief Executive Officer of European operations

IT services firm Wipro appointed Pierre Bruno as Chief Executive Officer of its European operations. Bruno previously worked with Dell Inc. for 14 years, in several roles across Asia Pacific, Japan, and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Bruno joined Wipro from DXC Technology, where he was Vice President and Managing Director of Southern Europe. Bruno will lead Wipro's business in six distinct regions across Europe.

Doritos appointed Kartik Aaryan as 1

st

Brand Ambassador in India

PepsiCo India-owned nacho chip brand Doritos has appointed actor Kartik Aaryan as its first brand ambassador in India.

Aaryan will be responsible for boosting brand reach, especially across smaller cities and towns as snacking continues to rise among consumers.

M. A. Ganapathy appointed Director General of National Security Guard

Senior IPS officer M. A. Ganapathy was appointed Director General of National Security Guard. He has been appointed AS NSG DG from the date of joining the post and up to February 29, 2024.

Ganapathy, a 1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Uttarakhand cadre, is currently Director General, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

Kuldiep Singh appointed new Director General of Central Reserve Police Force

Senior IPS officer Kuldeep Singh was appointed Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Singh will replace A P Maheshwari, who is due to superannuate.

Singh, a 1986 batch IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre, is presently the Special DG, CRPF. He has been appointed DG, CRPF up to September 30, 2022 i.e. date of his superannuation.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan appointed Chairman of ‘Stop TB Partnership Board’

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan has been appointed as the Chairman of the international body Stop TB Partnership Board.

He was appointed in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the movement to eradicate Tuberculosis from India by 2025. Dr Harsh Vardhan will serve a three-year term, commencing from July 2021.

Samia Suluhu Hassan sworn in as 1

st

woman President of Tanzania

Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as Tanzania's first female President after the sudden death of John Magufuli. Hassan will serve the remainder of Magufuli's second five-year term, which does not expire until 2025.


She is the only other current serving female head of state in Africa alongside Ethiopia's President Sahle-Work Zewde, whose role is mainly ceremonial.

US President Biden nominated Bill Nelson as NASA Chief

US President Joe Biden announced that he intends to nominate Bill Nelson to serve as the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In May 2019, Bill Nelson was appointed to serve on NASA's advisory council.

Bill Nelson is a former astronaut who served as a US Senator from Florida from 2001 to 2019. He became the second sitting member of Congress to fly to space after Jake Garn in January 1986. He had served as a payload specialist on the Columbia Space Shuttle.

Tata Motors announced CEO designate Marc Llistosella won't join the company

Marc Llistosella won‟t be joining as the next Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Motors as previously announced on 12 February this year.

Guenter Butschek will continue as the company‟s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director until June 30, 2021. Llistosella was most recently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and Head of Daimler Trucks in Asia.

Chief Justice of India announced Justice NV Ramana to take charge as next Chief Justice

of India Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde in a letter to the central government has recommended

appointing senior-most Supreme Court Judge Justice NV Ramana as the next Chief Justice of India.

The Chief Justice of India SA Bobde is scheduled to retire from the position on April 23rd. Justice N V Ramana will take over as the 48th Chief Justice of India on April 24th. He was previously serving as the Delhi High Court Chief Justice and acting Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Atish Chandra appointed as the Chairman & Managing Director of Food Corporation of

India

Atish Chandra has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director, Food Corporation of India in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary.

Mr Chandra, a 1994 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre, is currently Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare.

Saurbah Garg appointed as the CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)

Senior bureaucrat Saurabh Garg has been named as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). This development is made as part of the bureaucratic reshuffle announced by the Centre.

At present, Garg is serving in his cadre state Odisha. He is a 1991 batch IAS officer. Prior to Garg, Ajay Bhushan Pandey was the Chief Executive Officer of UIDAI.

Mahindra and Mahindra appointed Anish Shah as Managing Director and Chief Executive

Officer

Mahindra and Mahindra Limited have announced the appointment of Anish Shah, as the Managing Director and Chief Executive, effective from 2nd April.


Shah will oversee operations of all Mahindra Group companies and will take over from Pawan Goenka. He is currently serving as the Deputy Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Mahindra.

Sanjeev Kumar appointed as Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI)

The government appointed senior IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar as the chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI). Kumar is a 1993 batch, Maharashtra cadre IAS officer.

Prior to current assignment, he has worked in Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation as Joint Secretary & Mission director for Housing for All projects. Mr. Sanjeev will replace Arvind Singh, who was recently appointed Tourism Secretary.

United Nations rights investigator Agnes Callamard named Amnesty Chief

Agnes Callamard, a French human rights expert who led a United Nations‟ investigation into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has been appointed the new leader of Amnesty International.

Founded in London in 1961, Amnesty has offices in more than 70 countries and calls itself the world‟s largest non-governmental human rights organisation.


RANKINGS

Hurun Global Rich List 2021, released

India retained the third spot on the list of countries with a maximum number of billionaires. China was the 1st followed by the United States. Germany ranked 4th and the United Kingdom 5th.

The country‟s elite billion dollar club saw the addition of 55 new entrepreneurs in 2020. India is now home to 177 resident dollar billionaires while overall Indians with net worth exceeding 1 billion dollars is 209, according to Hurun Global Rich List 2021.

United Nations Environment Programme released 'Food Waste Index Report 2021'

The United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) published the “Food Waste Index Report, 2021”. It presents the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modeling to date, generating a new estimate of global food waste.

It has revealed that 17% of all food available at consumer level (11% in households, 5% in food service and 2% in retail) was wasted in 2019 and around 690 million people had to go hungry.

Freedom in the World index released by Freedom House

Washington-based noted think tank Freedom House has demoted India‟s freedom score from “free” to “partly free”. India‟s score decreased from 71 to 67, with 100 being the ranking for the freest country, and its rank fell from 83 to 88 out of 211 countries.

The freest countries in the world, with a score of 100, are Finland, Norway and Sweden, while the least free are Tibet and Syria.

Heritage Foundation released the ‚Economic Freedom Index‛

The Heritage Foundation, a US Conservative think-tank launched the “Economic Freedom Index”. India has obtained ranked at the middle among Asia-Pacific countries that is 26th out of 40 Asia-Pacific countries.

In the index, Singapore has topped the global ranking for the second consecutive year. The second place was obtained by New Zealand and third by Australia. The index was prepared by covering 184 countries this time for the period of July 2019 to June 2020.

Human Performance Indicator (HPI) released by JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle)

JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) released the Human Performance Indicator (HPI), a new formula that gives a comprehensive view of how different aspects of the workplace function.

The report found that India is leading with 81% of high performers practicing flexible working, including flexible hours and work-from-home, in comparison to other APAC countries. Compared to the other APAC countries surveyed, India ranked highest in workplace satisfaction, with a percentage of 98% followed by China at 97%.


'World Air Quality Report 2020' released by IQAir

„World Air Quality Report, 2020‟ has released globally by Swiss organisation IQAir. As per the report, India continues to feature prominently at the top of the most polluted cities ranking, with 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities globally.

The top most polluted city in Xinjiang in China followed by nine Indian cities. Delhi ranked as the 10th most polluted city and the top polluted capital city in the world.

World Happiness Report 2021, released

The United Nation Sustainable Development Solutions Network has released its annual report called “World Happiness Report, 2021”. The report was collected and prepared slightly differently amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

India ranked 139th out of the 149 countries in the list a slight improvement since last year, when it was ranked 140th. Finland was followed by Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Austria.

Indian Armed Forces 4

th

Strongest in the World according to Military Direct

China has the strongest military force in the world while India stands at number four, according to a study released by defence website Military Direct. China has the strongest military in the world, scoring 82 out of 100 points in the index.

The USA, despite their enormous military budgets, comes in 2nd place with 74 points, followed by Russia with 69, India at 61 and then France with 58.

International Intellectual Property Index, released

India ranked 40 among 53 global economies on the latest annual edition of the International Intellectual Property (IP) Index released. This is the ninth IP index released by the GIPC.

Released annually by the US Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Centre (GIPC), the Index evaluates Intellectual Property rights in 53 global economies.


AWARDS & HONOURS

78th

edition of Golden Globe Awards announced

The 78th Golden Globes Awards ceremony was held. Emma Corin has won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Drama) category.

John Boyega won the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Television Series. Netflix's The Queen's Gambit is the Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Indian Railways CSMT became 1

st

station in Maharashtra to get IGBC Gold Certification

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Railway Station of Central Railway is the first railway station in Maharashtra to be awarded with Gold certification as per CII‟s Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) ratings.

Central Railway has implemented various green initiatives across its zone, with plantation creating green areas, installation of solar panels, customer-friendly initiatives at many stations, LED bulbs and lights etc.

Prime Minister received CERAWeek global energy and environment leadership award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award. He also delivered a keynote address at the Cambridge Energy Research Associates Week-2021 via video conferencing.

CERAWeek was founded in 1983 by Dr. Daniel Yergin. CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award were instituted in 2016.

Amitabh Bachchan to be conferred with 2021 Film Archive Award

Indian Megastar Amitabh Bachchan will be conferred with the 2021 Film Archive Award by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) at a virtual ceremony. The International Federation of Film Archives is an organisation of film archives and museums from across the world.

Legendary filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese will present the prestigious award to Amitabh Bachchan. The iconic filmmakers have themselves been previous recipients of the award.

Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan conferred with Global Women of Excellence-2021

Award

Lt. Governor of Telangana Tamilisai Soundararajan was presented the Top 20 Global Women of Excellence Award for 2020 through virtual mode from Illinois in the United States of America.

She joined a league of extraordinary women achievers across the world chosen for the award, including US Vice President Kamala Harris.


Deepika Padukone joined World Economic Forum list of Young Global Leader

Actor Deepika Padukone and several Indian citizens and India-origin persons joined the list of the Young Global Leaders (YGLs) compiled by the World Economic Forum.

Announcing its 2021 class of YGLs, the WEF stated that these are the world's most promising 112 tomorrow's leaders under the age of 40 and are involved in activities ranging from advocating for public healthcare to campaigning for inclusivity in medical research.

ICAR received ‚King Bhumibol World Soil Day 2020 Award‛ of FAO

Ambassador of India to Thailand Suchitra Durai received the prestigious King Bhumibol World Soil Day – 2020 Award of the Food and Agriculture Organization on the behalf of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

This award is recognition of ICAR‟s excellent contributions in “Soil Health Awareness” on the theme “Stop soil erosion, save our future” during the year- 2020.

63

rd

annual Grammy Awards presented in Los Angeles

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion won the Best New Artist award at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, which were handed out in Los Angeles. Beyonce became the most awarded female artist in Grammy history with her 28th win.

Other winners Album of the Year: Taylor Swift, „folklore‟; Record of the Year, recognizing overall performance on a song: Billie Eilish, „Everything I Wanted‟; Song of the Year, for songwriting: H.E.R., Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas, „I Can‟t Breathe‟; Best Music Video: Beyonce, „Brown Skin Girl‟; Best Rock Album: The Strokes, „The New Abnormal‟.

Gowsalya Shankar honoured with International Woman of Courage 2021

The U.S. Consulate honoured Tamil Nadu-based anti-caste activist and human rights defender Gowsalya Shankar with a nomination for the International Woman of Courage (IWOC) Award.

The IWOC Award Certificate of Nomination was handed over to her by U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin at an event „Courageous Women Inspire a Better World‟ held in the city.

Elliot Page became 1

st

transgender man to star on ‘Time’ magazine cover

Oscar-nominated actor Elliot Page will become the first transgender man to star on the front cover of TIME magazine. American actress Laverne Cox had become the first transgender woman to appear on the cover of TIME in 2014.

Elliot Page was nominated for various awards for Oscar-winning 2007 independent film Juno and plays a leading role in the Netflix hit The Umbrella Academy.

Riz Ahmed became first Muslim nominated for lead actor Oscar Award

British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed made history as he is the first Muslim to be nominated for an Academy Award in the lead actor category.

The actor has been nominated for his performance in Sound of Metal. The nomination also makes Ahmed the first actor of Pakistani descent to grab a nomination in a category for actors at the Oscars.

'Manny' bagged four awards at Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival

Sonal Sehgal‟s Indo-Latvian science fiction thriller “Manny” has bagged 4 awards at the Miami International Science Fiction Film festival. It has been directed by Latvian filmmaker Dace Puce.


It won the award for the Best Sci-Fi Picture Runner Up as well as the Best Cinematography. The Best Background Score was won by Naresh Kamath and the Best Supporting Actor was won by Tony Hawkins.

Gandhi Peace Prizes for 2019, 2020 awarded to Sultan Qaboos and Mujibur Rahman

Government of India announced that the Gandhi Peace Prize for the past two years will be conferred on late Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said and Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for their contributions to social and political transformation through non-violent methods.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first President and also became Prime Minister of Bangladesh, later. He is called as “Father of the Nation” or “Mujib”. Winner of the Gandhi Peace Prize 2019, Sultan Qaboos, was the longest-reigning leader of the modern Arab world.

Hindi Writer Prof. Sharad Pagare to be conferred with Vyas Samman 2020

PicsWell known Hindi writer Prof. Sharad Pagare will be conferred with the prestigious Vyas Samman 2020 for his novel „Patliputru Ki Samragi.‟

The Vyas Samman, started in 1991, is given by K K Birla Foundation for an outstanding literary work in Hindi authored by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years. It carries an award of four lakh rupees along with a citation and plaque.

Asha Bhosle to be honoured with ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle will be honoured with the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan Award for the year 2020. Along with two National Awards in 1981 and 1986, she was also honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000.

Maharashtra Bhushan Award was started in 1996. Late writer Purushottam Laxman Deshpande was the first recipient of the honour.

HDFC Bank named India’s best SME Bank by Asiamoney

HDFC Bank was adjudged the „India‟s Best Bank for SMEs‟ at the Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2021. It was recognised for this award for the transformation of its micro, small and medium-sized enterprise business over the past few years.

The Annual Best Banks survey of the financial magazine aims to identify which banks in each market have excelled across a range of banking activities.

Odisha's CRUT awarded ‘Smart Cities India Awards 2021’

The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) that runs „MoBus‟ service, won the 6th Smart Cities India Awards 2021 in the „Smart SPV/Municipal Corporation‟ category.

The award was presented to CRUT at an event organized by the India Trade Promotion Organization under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Exhibitions India Group in Delhi.

Mahinder Giri, range officer won the International Ranger Award

Mahinder Giri becomes the only ranger from Asia to win the prestigious International Ranger Award for his contribution towards conservation. He is deployed as a Range Officer at Motichur range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand.

The award has been announced for 10 professionals across the world by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and World Commission on Protected Areas.


Dehradun Smart City awarded Smart City India award 2021

For its work under the e-Health project, Dehradun Smart City Limited (DSCL) has been awarded the Smart City India award 2021 by the Central Ministry of Urban Development.

All the 100 smart cities had participated in the competition. The award has been given for the work done through integrated control and command centre.


SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

HP Inc. developed first ever PC with plastic waste in ocean

The Computer maker HP has developed its first ever consumer PC using the plastic waste in ocean. Company estimates that using the plastics in such electronic devices will result into moving around 92,000 plastic bottles from the oceans and landfills.

This move was built on the basis of sustainability commitment of the company. The company has manufactured the Pavilion 13, Pavilion 14, and Pavilion 15 Laptops using the ocean-bound plastics.

Russia launched 1

st

Arctic-monitoring satellite to track climate changes

The Russian Space agency, Roscosmos, has successfully launched its first ever Arctic-monitoring satellite that will monitor the Arctic‟s climate and environment.

The space agency blasted off the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket which is also carrying the Arktika-M satellite on board. The rocket was blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Fossils of Dinosaurs from 140 million years ago discovered in Argentina

Researchers announced the discovery of fossils of Dinosaurs that lived 140 million years ago in Argentina. The incomplete skeletal remains of the dinosaur were discovered south of Neuquen city in Argentina.

The fossils belong to Argentina's Patagonian wilderness, the oldest-known member of the dinosaur group known as titanosaurs that includes the largest land animals in Earth's history.

Truecaller launched 'Guardians' safety app for women

Caller identity app Truecaller has launched a safety app for women Guardians. The app helps women share their location with family or friends at all or specific times and alert them in case of an emergency.

Truecaller Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder Alan Mamedi stated that the app works in low connectivity areas and on low-end devices. India accounts for 200 million active users of its total 270 million users globally and women make up for 40-45% of that.

Indian Scientists developed low-cost optical Spectrograph to Locate Distant Galaxies

Indian scientists have designed and developed a low-cost optical spectrograph. This spectrograph can locate sources of faint light from distant quasars and galaxies.

It is one of the largest astronomical spectrographs in the country. It has been successfully commissioned on the 3.6-Metre Devasthal Optical Telescope near Nainital, Uttarakhand.

Orbital Assembly Corporation unveiled plan to open World’s first space hotel expected in

2027


Space construction company Orbital Assembly Corporation has unveiled new details about its ambitious project of building a hotel above Earth‟s atmosphere.

The company is planning to start building the hotel, Voyager Station, in the low Earth orbit in 2025, to be operational as early as 2027. With over 11,600 square metres of habitable space, the commercial station will have many features.

ISRO-NASA developed radar for joint earth observation satellite mission

ISRO has completed development of a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capable of producing extremely high-resolution images for a joint earth observation satellite mission with the US space agency NASA. NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a joint collaboration for a dual-frequency L and S-band SAR for earth observation.

NASA and ISRO signed a partnership in 2014 to collaborate on and launch NISAR. The mission is targeted to launch in early 2022 from ISRO Sriharikota spaceport.

World’s most powerful supercomputer Fugaku is now fully developed in Japan

The Japanese scientific research institute called RIKEN and Fujitsu started developing the “Fugaku” six years ago. Now this supercomputer is fully ready and developed in Japan and is now available for the research use.

This supercomputer has been developed with the aim of making the device core of the computing infrastructure of Japan. Then the supercomputer was tested for the particular projects in order to combat COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020.

Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor announced to restricts Twitter speed over

banned content

In Russia, the media regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced that it was slowing down online access to the social media giant Twitter, accusing the social media company of failing to remove around three thousands posts relating to objectionable content.

The communications watchdog stated that, if Twitter does not comply with Russian law, there will be further actions against the service, including a complete ban.

Odisha farmer created quite a buzz online by building an electric four-wheeler

Sushil Aggarwal from Odisha‟s Mayurbhanj district had built a four-wheeler powered by an 850 Watts motor and 100 Ah/54 Volts of battery. After fully charged the vehicle can travel up to 300 km.

All the work on his vehicle including motor winding, electrical fitting and chassis work were done in my workshop with the help of two other mechanics and a friend who advised me on electric works.

TKRAS rolled out 1

st

batch of MRSAM missile kits for Indian Army and Air Force

The Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS), which is a joint venture between the Kalyani Group of India and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems of Israel, have released the first batch of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) kits. The missile was released for Indian Army and Indian Air Force.

The release of the MRSAM Missile also marked the KRAS‟ commitment to deliver more than 1000 MRSAM missile kits to India in near future.

NASA's Perseverance rover sent back first-ever sound of driving on Mars


National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA's) Mars rover, Perseverance has sent back first-ever sound of driving on Mars. The recordings comprise bangs, pings and rattles.

The driving sounds were part of a 16-minute raw video sent by Perseverance rover as it began rolling over the surface of the Red Planet in its first test drive two weeks ago. The video consists of sounds from the rover's 27.3-meter drive on Mars.

India-US launched Artificial Intelligence Initiative

The Indo-US Science and Technology Forum‟s US India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) initiative was launched. The initiative focuses on AI cooperation in critical areas that are priorities for both countries.

It will provide an opportunity for key stakeholder groups to share experiences, identify new R&D areas and opportunities that would benefit from synergistic activities.

ISRO demonstrated India’s first free space quantum communication

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently demonstrated free-space quantum communication over a distance of 300 m for the first time.

The demonstration included live video conferencing using quantum-key-encrypted signals. This is a major achievement for unconditionally secured satellite data communication using quantum technologies.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh launched UPFPO Shakti portal to support farmers

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has launched UPFPO Shakti Portal as part of Kisan Kalyan Mission. The portal, which is the first of its kind in the country, is aimed at benefitting the farmers at the grassroots level.

The Farmer Producer Organization-centric (FPO-centric) portal will bring farmers, producer groups, traders, and the agriculture and other allied departments on one platform.

ISRO revised launch schedule of GISAT-1 after "minor issue" with satellite

ISRO has revised the launch schedule of geo imaging satellite GISAT-1 on board the GSLV-F10 rocket following a minor issue with the spacecraft. It was earlier looking to launch the satellite on March 28.

Weighing about 2,268kg, GISAT-1 is the first state-of-the-art agile earth observation satellite that will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by GSLVF10.

Facebook & Google planned undersea cables to connect Southeast Asia and America

Facebook announced that it planned two new undersea cables to connect Singapore, Indonesia and North America in a project with Google and regional telecommunication companies to boost internet connection capacity between the regions.

Named Echo and Bifrost, those will be the first two cables to go through a new diverse route crossing the Java Sea and they will increase overall subsea capacity in the trans-pacific by about 70%.


SPORTS

All-India Football Federation has announced Odisha to host Indian Women's League in

2021

The All-India Football Federation has announced that, Odisha will host the Indian Women‟s League (IWL). The Indian football has been trying to restart the on-field sporting action now amid the on-going Covid-19 cases.

The matches started with the I-League qualifiers. This is followed by the Indian Super League (ISL) and the I-League. Both of the leagues, namely, ISL and I-League are presently being played.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli became first cricketer to hit 100 million followers on Instagram

Adding another feather to his illustrious cap, the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team Virat Kohli became the first cricketer to hit 100 million followers on social networking platform Instagram.

Virat Kohli has joined Argentine Forward Lionel Messi, Juventus Striker Cristiano Ronaldo, Hollywood actor and former pro-wrestler Dwayne „The Rock‟, Neymar, American Singer-Songwriter Ariana Grande, and Beyonce in 100 million clubs.

Chief Minister of Delhi announced Delhi will bid to host the 2048 Olympics

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that Delhi will bid to host the 2048 Olympics. The Chief Minister stated that a vision has been provided for the same in the Delhi Budget presented in the state assembly.

Delhi will take up whatever infrastructure and other necessities that are needed to be created for it. He continued by saying Delhi's Finance Minister Manish Sisodia has made a great budget, which keeps in mind people of all sections of the society.

Thomas Bach re-elected as International Olympic Committee president until 2025

Thomas Bach re-elected as President of the International Olympic Committee for a final four-year term with his immediate focus on this year's delayed Tokyo Games.

The German lawyer was unopposed and won the vote 93-1, with four members abstaining, following an opening eight-year mandate dominated by the Russian doping scandal and the first Olympics to be postponed in peacetime.

ICC announced Southampton to host World Test Championship final

The final of the ICC World Test Championship between India and New Zealand will be played in a bio-secure bubble at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton.

The decision, taken by the ICC Board, follows discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). India qualified for the final after beating England 3-1 in the recently-concluded Test series.


Mithali Raj became 1

st

Indian woman cricketer to score 10,000 international runs

The veteran batter of the Indian women‟s cricket team Mithali Raj became the first Indian woman cricketer to complete 10,000 international runs across all cricket formats.

Mithali Raj who leads the ODI team of India has joined Charlotte Edwards of England in the elite club. She achieved success with a boundary off Anne Bosch in the 28th over of India‟s innings in the on-going third ODI match against South Africa.

Bhavani Devi scripted history, becomes 1

st

Indian fencer to qualify for Olympics

India‟s international sabre fencer Bhavani Devi has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics starting July 23 by virtue of improving her world ranking to 42, confirmed the Fencing Association of India.

The 27-year-old from Chennai is the first Indian fencer ever to make the cut for the Olympics. She qualified for the Games at the Budapest World Cup, an Olympic qualifying competition.

Virat Kohli became 1

st

cricketer to score 3,000 runs in T-20 International matches

India skipper Virat Kohli has become the first-ever batsman to score 3,000 runs in T-20 International cricket. Kohli achieved the milestone in his 87th T20I match against England at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

New Zealand‟s Martin Guptill is second on the list of leading run-getters in T20I cricket, having scored 2,839 runs in 99 matches.

India's Annu Rani created new national record in javelin throw

Indian Javelin thrower Annu Rani created a new national record with a 63.24m effort during the opening day of the 24th Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports complex.

Despite an amazing performance, Annu Rani failed to cross the Olympic qualification mark of 64.00m. The 27-year-old is world no. 12 in javelin thrown and with three throws beyond 61 meters; she won three gold medals for Uttar Pradesh in four finals.

International Boxing Association announced India to host Asian Boxing Championships

2021

International Boxing Association (AIBA) has announced that the Asian Boxing Championships 2021 will be hosted by New Delhi.

It will be the first boxing tournament in Asia to be held in 2021. The Championships, earlier scheduled to take place in 2020, were postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic.

FIFA collaborated with United Nations to strengthen fight against match-fixing

FIFA has announced its collaboration with the United Nations on Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to launch the Global Integrity Programme.

It is a comprehensive international programme aimed at providing all 211 member associations with enhanced knowledge and tools to fight and prevent match manipulation.

'Girl Gang' announced official song of ICC Women's World Cup 2022

Girl Gang, a track by New Zealand singer Gin Wigmore, has been announced as the official song of the 2022 ICC Women‟s World Cup.

The tournament is set to be hosted in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3, 2022. The International Cricket Council (ICC) made the announcement in an event.


Pune’s Blades of Glory considered world’s largest Cricket Museum

Blades of Glory, considered as a one-of-a-kind museum in India dedicated to cricket, has been awarded a „World Record‟ by the World Record Academy in Miami, U.S.

The museum in Pune is the brainchild of Rohan Pate, a former U-19 Maharashtra cricket player. It features over 51,000 items of cricket memorabilia and has been visited by nearly 500 cricketers across the globe.

India Legends won Road Safety World Series T-20

India Legends defeated Sri Lanka Legends by 14 runs to clinch the Road Safety World Series final title, held at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

India Legends put up a total of 181/4 but Sri Lankas Legends could manage 167/7. Sachin Tendulkar was the captain of the India Legends.

Indian Style Wrestling Association of India recognised as a National Sports Federation The Indian Style Wrestling Association of India (ISWAI) has officially been recognised as a

National Sports Federation (NSF) by the Sports Ministry. It is now eligible to receive fund and support from the government.

The ISWAI was formed in 1958 and has been in existence for about 60 years. Indian Style Wrestling is a traditional indigenous sport that is played on mud.

Afghanistan’s Asghar Afghan became most successful international T-20 Captain

Afghanistan‟s Asghar Afghan went past former India captain MS Dhoni to become the most successful captain in T-20 internationals. Asghar achieved the feat following Afghanistan‟s 47-run win over Zimbabwe.

Afghan has now recorded 42 wins in T-20I format and has surpassed Dhoni‟s tally of 41 victories. He had equaled Dhoni‟s record of most wins as captain in men‟s T-20I history.

Gokulam Kerala won maiden I-League title

Gokulam Kerala wins the I-League title as it defeated TRAU 4-1 in the final match of the season in Kolkata. They also became the first club from Kerala side to win the I-League title.

Gokulam as an I-League champion has qualified for the group stage of the AFC Cup next season, Asia's second-tier club competition.

Rebecca Welch became first female referee appointed to EFL match

Rebecca Welch has become the first female referee to be appointed to an English Football League match. Welch is the first woman to get an official appointment and is set to officiate the League Two game between Harrogate and Port Vale on 5 April 2021.

Welch has previously officiated men's matches in the National League as well as elite women's matches such as the FA Cup final in 2017.


BOOKS & AUTHORS

Frontier Gandhi's autobiography released in English

The autobiography of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as the “Frontier Gandhi”, titled “The Frontier Gandhi: My Life and Struggle” is set to be published in English by the publishing house Roli Books.

This will be his first autobiography in English. The book was translated into English by Imitiaz Ahmad Sahibzada, the former Pakistani civil servant and author.

Prime Minister released 11 volumes of Shrimad Bhagwat Gita manuscripts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released 11 volumes of the manuscript with commentaries by 21 scholars on shlokas of Srimad Bhagavadgita at New Delhi.

The manuscript, published by Dharmarth Trust, is written with extraordinary variety and nuance of Indian calligraphy ranging from Shankar Bhashya to Bhasanuvada.

Tata Motors launched ‘Wheels of Love’ to support parenthood

Tata Motors has launched „Wheels of Love‟, a holistic programme that supports new parents in the workforce. This is a move to promote a progressive culture of care, inclusion and sensitisation within the organisation across levels.

A specially curated book, also aptly titled, Wheels of Love, puts forth various beliefs to enable new and expectant parents to successfully manage the needs of a growing family while also fulfilling their career goals.

Portfolio Books announced new book titled "My Life in Full"

Former PepsiCo Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi has a memoir, titled „My Life in Full,‟ will hit the stands on September 28 and will be published by Hachette India.

This book will offers insight and a call-to-action from Nooyi on how a society can really blend work and family – and advance women – in the 21st century. My Life in Full: Work, Family and Our Future will be published 28 September, Portfolio Books announced.

Governor of Maharashtra released e-book on Mumbai GPO building

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari released a digital book depicting the history of Mumbai General Post Office building. The Mumbai GPO building was modeled on Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur and was designed by architects John Begg and George Wittet.

The e-book, titled ”Dawn Under The Dome” has been authored by Post Master General of Mumbai Swati Pandey in collaboration with Orchida Mukherjee.


A Book titled ‘Battle Ready for 21st Century’ released

A book titled “Battle Ready for 21st Century” co-edited by Lt Gen AK Singh, Distinguished Fellow CLAWS and Brig Narender Kumar, Visiting Fellow CLAWS was released by Gen Bipin Rawat. The book lays down the conceptual framework for the strategic management of future conflicts.

The book “Battle Ready for the 21st Century” has endeavored to postulate and define emerging areas of conflict, desired capabilities and doctrinal issues that need careful examination.

Prime Minister of Bangladesh inaugurated Amar Ekushey book fair in Dhaka

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Amar Ekushey book fair in Dhaka. She also released the book „New China 1952‟ which is the English translation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib‟s book „Amar Dekha Naya Chin‟.

The theme of the book fair is the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of independence.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched book "Bringing Governments and People

Closer"

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched the book "Bringing Governments and People Closer" through virtual mode. The book is written by Dr. M Ramachandran, IAS (Retd), Chancellor of ICFAI University in Dehradun.

The Vice President praised the author has rightly portrayed the need to bring governments closer to people and illustrated various ways through which the objective can be accomplished.

Education Minister launched NCERT's curriculum-based comic’s books

Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal „Nishank‟ launched 100+ comic books created by teachers and students of CBSE schools and curated by NCERT.

These comics can be accessed online on DIKSHA web portal (diksha.gov.in) or via DIKSHA app on any android Smartphone. The comics can also be accessed through a new WhatsApp powered Chatbot.

important days - s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com

Documents