Weekly Current Affairs (1st to 7th March 2019) PDF Download

Current Affairs: Important Days

Current Affairs: National

1. Cabinet has approved the 10% reservation for general category poor in J&K

2. The Union Human Resource Minister PrakashJavadekar launched the STARS scheme on National Science Day.

3. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), has launched its own payment aggregator system called “IRCTC iPay”
4. PM NarendraModi flagged off the Madurai-Chennai EgmoreTejas Express, the fastest train running between Chennai & Madurai.

5. PM Modi launched ‘ONE NATION ONE CARD’ for all modes of travel.
6. India’s food processing ministry to be launch Gram Samridhi Yojana to bolster the unorganised food processing sector

7. Union Environment Minister launched Anthem on ‘plastic-free India’ in seven languages

8. Government brings TMA scheme to boost agriculture exports of farm commodities.
9. Mahesh Sharma Inaugurated ‘Azaadi Ke Diwane’ Museum at Red Fort in Delhi.

10. Bharat Electronics has launched SWAGAT- Automatic Fare Collection Gating System.

11.  Government has transferred first installment of Rs 2000 each to over two crore farmers so far under PM-Kisan scheme.

12.   NGT imposed Rs. 500 crore fine on Volkswagen for cheating emission tests

Current Affairs: International

1. Malaysia has become a 124th member of the International Criminal Court.

Current Affairs: State

1. West Bengal government launched ‘Banglar Shiksha’ portal for providing real-time data on state-run and aided schools.

2. Union Textiles Minister SmritiIrani inaugurated the ‘Titanwala Museum’ in Rajasthan.

3. Goa Health Minister VishwajitRane laid the foundation stone of a tertiary cancer centre at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Bambolim near Panaji.

4. Assam government launched ‘Rice Knowledge Park’ under Agri-business and Rural Transformation (APART).

5. Haryana government announced Mukhyamantri Parivar Samman Nidhi Yojana 2019 for farmers.

6.      Karnataka Government launched ‘Jal Amrutha’ scheme.

7. Delhi government launched ‘One Delhi’ app to track bus, metro services.

8. Tripura government announced ‘Notun Disha’ for assessing the academic level of students in classes III-VIII

9. PM Modi announced that the Chennai Central railway station will be renamed after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran.

10.   Ancient tribal language Gondi to be taught in tribal districts of Madhya Pradesh.

11. SBI andHitachi Payment Services Pvt Ltd, launched their merchant-acquiring joint venture, SBI Payment Services Pvt Ltd (SBIPSPL).

Current Affairs: Banking and Finance

1. The RBI approved merger of Singapore-based DBS Bank’s Indian unit with its wholly owned local subsidiary, DBS Bank India.

2. Reserve Bank of India and Bank of Japan have signed a Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA).
3. RBI imposed fine of Rs. 8 crore on three banks – Karnataka Bank, United Bank of India and KarurVysya Bank – for non-compliance of directions on Swift messaging software.

4. The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) revised gross domestic product (GDP) estimate for 2018-19 to 7 per cent is at a higher base.
5. GST collections dropped to Rs. 97,247 crore in February from Rs. 1.02 lakh crore in the previous month.
6. Punjab National has been ranked first among public sector banks in the implementation of ‘reforms agenda’

7. Banks will have to lend about Rs. 1 lakh crore more to meet the MUDRA scheme’s target of Rs. 3 lakh crore for 2018-19.
8. SBI had reported frauds amounting 7,951 crore during the first nine months of fiscal 2019.

9. HDFC Bank plans to acquire 9% stake in CSC E-Governance for 14.6 crore.

10. IDBI Bank receives nod to handle import, exports transactions with Iran.

11. RBI has slapped a fine of Rs. 1 crore on the bank for non-compliance of directions on Swift messaging software.

12. State-owned Bank of Baroda cut benchmark lending rate by 0.1 percentage points across all tenors up to one year.

13. World Bank to provide 250 Million dollar for the National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) in India.

Cabinet Approval

• The Cabinet committee approved Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (JaivIndhan –Vatavaran AnukoolfasalawasheshNivaran) Yojana.
  It will provide financial support integrated Bioethanol projects using lignocellulosic biomass and other renewable feedstock. The total financial outlay is of Rs.1969.50cr for the period from 2018-19 to 2023-24.
• Cabinet approved 1450 crore for the share capital of RBI in National Housing Bank (NHB), which operate as the principal agency to promote housing finance institutions in India. The decision is the resultant of the amendments made to the NHB Act, 1987 in 2018.
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)approved construction of four lane bridge which connects Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya over Brahmaputra. It will be constructed with loan assistance from Japan International Cooperative Agency at the Civil Construction cost of Rs.3548 cr and total capital cost of Rs. 4997.04cr.
• Cabinet approved the proposal for setting up a Centre for Disability Sports at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh which will be registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The estimated cost of setting up the centre shall be of 170.99 crore for a period of 5 years.
• Cabinet approved National Policy on Software Products 2019 with an outlay of 1500 cr for a period of 7 years.
• Cabinet approved draft  Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 which looks for the extension of the period for reconstruction of the council from the existing one year to 2 years.
• Union Cabinet approved metro rail projects of Kanpur and Agra cities in Uttar Pradesh. The estimated cost of the project is 8379.62 cr and will be completed in 5 years.
• Union Cabinet decided to value Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as 25^th member of International Energy Agency’s Technology Collaboration Programme on Bioenergy (IEA Bioenergy TCP).
• Cabinet approved the FDI proposal for Foreign Direct Investment of more than Rs.5000cr and upto Rs.25,000cr in Vodafone Idea Limited. It will be part of a proposed equity fund raise by way of Rights issue.
• Union Cabinet approved Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 which will bring the people living in remote and inaccessible areas under reservation. It will pave the way for 10% quota for the economically weaker section to be applicable in the state.
• Union Cabinet approves promulgation of an Ordinance to make amendments to the Aadhaar Act 2016, Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2005 and Indian Telegraph Act 1885.
• Cabinet approved the proposal for creation of 2 posts of commissioners in the office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD), in terms of provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disability (RPF) Act, 2016.
• Cabinet approved the creation of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and associated activities for the disinvestment of Air India and its Subsidiaries/JV. It will transfer Air India’s Rs.29,464 cr loans, Subsidiaries to SPV.
• The proposal for implementation of scheme titled ‘Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Phase II (FAME India Phase II) approved by the Union Cabinet for the promotion of Electric mobility in the country. The total outlay is of Rs.10,000 crore for a period of 3 years with effect from 1^st April 2019.
• Cabinet approved inclusion of Common Service Centre (CSC e-Governance Services India) as Enrollment Agency for PradhanMantriShram Yogi Maan(PM-SYM) which will enable workers in unorganized sector to get monthly pension of Rs.3000 on attaining the age of 60 years.
• Cabinet committee has approved laying down procedure and mechanism for asset monetization of CPSEs/PSUs/other government organizations and immovable enemy properties as per section IV of section 8A of the Enemy Property Act, 1968.
• Union Cabinet approvedsetting up of new AIIMS at Manethi, Haryana at a cost of Rs.1299cr. Cost of construction and running would be met by the Central Government under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
• CCEA approved investment for transmission component of Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project (Nepal portion) by Sutlej JalVikas Nigam (SJVN) Limited. The project is on Arun River in Sankhuwasabha district of Eastern Nepal.

Current Affairs: Appointments

Current Affairs: Awards and Honours

• DRDO Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy is the joint winner of the 2019 Missile Systems Award given by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the US.
• America’s Kylie Jenner has become world’s youngest self-made billionaire
• Tata Steel has been recognised as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute, USA,
• New Delhi Municipal Council areagets cleanest small city award while Uttarakhand’sGauchar was adjudged Best Ganga Town in the SwachhSurvekshan 2019 survey

Current Affairs: Summit and Conference

1. Rising India Summit 2019 held in New Delhi, with the theme of, ‘Beyond Politics: Defining National Priorities’.
2. Airports Authority of India organised the Startup Conclave under the Startup initiative “Innovate for Airports”

3. Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Smt. Anupriya Patel inaugurated the ‘International Digital Health Symposium in New Delhi.
4. 7th RCEP Intersessional Ministerial Meeting held in Cambodia

5. PM Modi to inaugurated Construction Technology India-2019 Expo-cum-Conference in New Delhi
6. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Summit on Innovation and Governance held in New Delhi

 Current Affairs: Ranking

1. According to a Greenpeace report, Delhi has been ranked the most polluted capital in the world, while Gurugram is the most polluted city.
2. According to theDelta ranking report released by NITI Aayog, Assam’s Hailakandi has become the top aspirational district

Current Affairs: MOU

1. NITI Aayog partners with Adobe to boost digital literacy, creativity skills

2. India and Brunei signed an agreement for exchange of information in tax matters to curb tax evasion and tax avoidance

3. Centre and ADB sign 926 million loan agreement to operationalize two lines of Mumbai Metro

4. AIIB to provide USD 455 million for Andhra Pradesh rural roads project

5. India signs deal with Russian firm to produce 7.5 lakh AK-203 rifles

6. The Government of India, the State Government of Chhattisgarh and the World Bank signed $25.2 Million Loan Agreement to support the State’s Reforms in Expenditure Management

7. India signed a loan agreement with the World Bank for 96 Million US dollars for additional financing of Uttarakhand Disaster Recovery Project

Current Affairs: Mobile App and Portal

1. PM Modi launched Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) ‘Khelo India App’ in order to create awareness about sports and fitness in the country.

2. Google unveiled new app ‘Bolo’ to teach kids to read English and Hindi.

Current Affairs: Science and Technology

1. Bengaluru-based Signalchip launched India’s first semiconductor chips for 4G LTE and 5G NR modems
2. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has set up its first solar electric vehicle charger on the Delhi-Chandigarh Highway.

3. ISRO launched “YuvaVIgyaniKaryakram”, a “Young Scientist Programme” for the School Children to be studying in the ninth standard.

Current Affairs: Books

1. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was released a book titled, ‘Mann Ki Baat – A Social Revolution on Radio’ in New Delhi.

Current Affairs: Defence

1. Joint exercise between BSF of India and Border Guards Bangladesh ‘MainamatiMaitree Exercise 2019’ held in Tripura.

      2. US, South Korea call off Foal Eagle and Key Resolve Exercises, announced new                      Exercise.

3. Bilateral joint exercise between India, Oman ‘Al Nagah 2019’ to begin from Mar 12 in Oman.

Current Affairs: Sports

1. Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker claimed a gold medal for India in 10-metre air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi.
2. Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios beat Alexander Zverev in the final to win the Mexico Open title.
3. South African spinner Imran Tahir has announced retirement from ODI cricket after the ICC World Cup 2019.
4. Indian bowler Jhulan Goswami reclaimed the world number one position in the ICC Women’s ODI bowler rankings.

    5. Manpreet Singh named captain of Indian hockey team for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

6. Roger Federer has claimed the 100th ATP title of his career after beating Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in Dubai Tennis Championships.

Current Affairs: Obituaries