VINTAGE

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF MARCH 4^th, 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF MARCH 4^th, 2019

1.     'Sampriti', the 8th edition of joint military exercise between the armies of India and Bangladesh began with an impressive ceremony at Bongobondhu Cantonment in Tangail, Bangladesh. 

a.       Sampriti-2019 is being conducted as a part of the ongoing India-Bangladesh defence cooperation. 

b.      The Bangladesh contingent was represented by 36 East Bengal Battalion, while Indian side was represented by 9th Battalion of the Rajputana Rifles.

c.       Aim of Sampriti 2019 : To increase mutual cooperation, bonhomie and camaraderie between the armies of two countries.

2.     (4th March) is National Safety Day.

a.       ational Safety Week is being observed from 4th March 2018 to 10th March 2018.

b.      The National Safety Day/Week Campaign is celebrated in India every year by the National Safety Council to enhance the safety awareness among people.

c.       Note : National Safety Council of India is a self-governing body (non profit and nongovernmental organization for public service) which was established on 4th of March in 1966 under the Societies Act in Mumbai.

d.      Themes of National Safety Day / Week 2019 : Cultivate and Sustain A Safety Culture for Building Nation

3.     Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared 'April 2019-March 2020' as Construction-Technology year and stressed on use of advanced technology to meet the increasing demand of housing in the country caused by rapid urbanisation.

a.       He also sought the support of the private sector in fulfilling the government's mission of providing brick house to every Indian by 2022.

b.      The declaration of Construction year aims to give the housing sector a new pace by using the latest technologies available in the world.

4.     The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) created the Guinness World Record for 'longest single line bicycle parade (moving)' in Noida. 

a.       CISF personnel rode 1,327 bicycles non-stop in a single line, maintaining a uniform distance between the bicycles. 

5.     Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2019 has been placed in the Guinness World Records in 3 sectors.

a.       They are :

i)       Largest traffic and crowd management plan.

ii)     The biggest painting exercise of public sites under paint my city scheme. 

iii)   Biggest sanitation and waste disposal mechanism

6.     India's aerospace scientist and Chief of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), G Satheesh Reddy, has been conferred the Missile Systems Award 2019 by  American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the world's largest and reputed aerospace technical society.

a.       With this, Satheesh has became the 1st Indian to win the award, which recognises his leadership role in the Indian missile programme. 

b.      Note : He will share this prize with Rondell J. Wilson, a former Principal Engineering Fellow of Raytheon Missile Systems.

7.     Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be honored with the 'Bhagwan Mahavir Ahimsa Puraskar' instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Digambar Jain Mahasamiti. 

a.       Abhinandan, who returned to India after being in Pakistan's custody for 58 hours, will become the 1st recipient of the award. 

b.      The award carries a cash prize of ₹2.51 lakh, a memento and a citation.

8.     The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has bagged the SKOCH Award 2018 for its remarkable achievements in the field of disaster management. 

a.       The award was presented at the 56th SKOTCH Summit held at New Delhi.

9.     Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for AK-47 rifles manufacturing unit at Amethi (Uttar Pradesh). 

10.French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire today announced that the country is planning to levy 3% digital tax on about 30 Internet giants including Google to ensure "fiscal justice". 

a.       The decision will help France raise about $570 million, he added. 

11.According to a recent report released by the World Bank, only 6 countries give women and men equal legal work rights. They are :

a.       Belgium

b.      Denmark

c.       France

d.      Latvia

e.       Luxembourg 

f.        Sweden

g.       Note : These 6 countries scored 100% in equality, whereas India scored 71.25%. 

h.      These Scores were given on the basis of eight indicators ranging from freedom of movement to pension.

12.The government has approved Adani Power's ₹14,000-crore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project in Jharkhand to export power generated to Bangladesh.

13.Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the 2nd phase of Mumbai monorail between Wadala and Jacob Circle. 

a.       With this, the entire 19.54 km route of the monorail is now functional. "At almost 20 km, Mumbai monorail is the third largest route in the world," Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority Commissioner RA Rajeev said.

14.Former Finance Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha has joined as a Member of the 15th Finance Commission. 

a.       Jha has been posted in place of Shaktikanta Das who had resigned as a member of the Commission after being appointed the RBI Governor. 

15.The Ministry of Commerce and Industries has approved the re-appointment of P K Bezbaruah as the Chairman of Tea Board for a second tenure. 

a.       Note : He was the 1st non-IAS chairman of the Tea Board.

16.Former India captain Anil Kumble has been re-appointed as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Committee.   

a.       Note : Kumble was appointed as ch`airman of ICC's Cricket Committee by the game's governing body in 2012, replacing West Indies' Clive Lloyd.