VINTAGE

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF MARCH 12^th, 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF MARCH 12^th, 2019

1.     (12th March) is World Day against Cyber Censorship.

a.      This is is an online event held each year on March 12 to rally support for a single, unrestricted Internet that is accessible to all and to draw attention to the ways that governments around the world are deterring and censoring free speech online.

b.      This day was first observed on 12 March 2008 at the request of Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International.

2.     Saudi Arabia's state minister for Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir is on a day long visit to India.

a.      During this visit, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. 

b.      Jubeir's visit to India comes days after his trip to Pakistan's Islamabad. 

c.      The Saudi minister's visit comes after Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's stand-alone visits to India and Pakistan soon after the Pulwama terror attack.

3.     Nation pays tribute to Gandhiji on the 89th Anniversary of historical Dandi March.

a.      On this day (12th March) in the year 1930, Mahatma Gandhi embarked a historic Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat's Ahmedabad to the village of Dandi in the state's coastal area to protest against the steep tax the British levied on salt. 

b.      The significant march came to be known as Dandi March or Salt March, also referred as the Dandi Satyagraha. 

4.     The 34th edition of Aahar - the International Food and Hospitality Fair commenced in New Delhi today. 

a.      The 5-day fair, organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), features wide range of food products, machinery, food and beverages equipment, hospitality and decor solutions, confectionery items from over 560 participants from  India and foreign countries.

b.      The foreign participants in the fair are from countries including China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Spain, USA and UK among others.

5.     Veteran Hindi Newsreader Vinod Kashyap (88) has passed away.

a.      She served All India Radio for about 30 years.

6.     Rio Olympic silver medallist and three-time cycling world champion Kelly Catlin (23) passed away.

a.      Catlin was part of the US team pursuit squads that captured world titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018 but she withdrew from the American team that failed to defend the title February 27-28 at the 2019 worlds in Poland.

7.     Today is the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web (WWW).

a.      Inventor of WWW : Tim Berners-Lee,

8.     The indigenously developed Pinaka guided rocket system was successfully test fired at Rajasthan's Pokhran. 

a.      Developed by DRDO, the weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance kit comprising of an advanced navigation and control system. 

9.     With 90 per cent of gravely wounded security personnel succumbing to injuries within a few hours, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO's) medical laboratory has come up with a range of 'combat casualty drugs' that can extend the golden hour till the trooper is shifted to hospital.

a.      Scientists said, the spectrum includes bleeding wound sealants, super absorptive dressings and glycerinated salines, all of which can save lives in the event of warfare in the jungle and high altitude areas as well as in terror attacks.

10.China’s Long March-3B rocket, regarded as the main stay of the country’s space programme since 1970, successfully completed its 300th launch by putting a new communication satellite into orbit.

a.      The indigenously-built rocket had send more than 500 spacecraft into space.

b.      The Long March carrier rocket series, developed by CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation), is responsible for about 96.4 per cent of all the launch missions in China.

11.Vice President Venkaiah Naidu was conferred Honorary Doctorate from the UN established University of Peace. 

a.      The university has stated that the degree of “Doctor Honoris Causa”( Doctor of Philosophy) was conferred on the Indian Vice President recognising his contribution to the Rule of Law, democracy and sustainable development in India.

b.      Note : With this Mr. Naidu has became the 1st Indian to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Peace.

12.The Ministry of Tourism has won the 1st Prize in the category of TV Cinema Spot at the prestigious international Golden City Gate Tourism Awards 2019.

13.Saudi Arabia has displaced India to become the world's largest importer of weaponswith 12% of the global share of arms imported between 2014 and 2018, the data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed. 

a.      Note : India, which is now the 2nd largest arms importer with 9.5% share, had held the top position for almost a decade.

14.The Centre has allowed state governments to put to "public use" some enemy properties that were left behind by people who migrated to Pakistan since the Partition and to China after the 1962 Sino-Indian war.

a.      This move comes amid the central government's efforts to sell more than 9,400 enemy properties, worth over Rs 1 lakh crore, and Rs 3,000 crore worth of enemy shares. 

15.Retired IAS officer C Lalsawta becomes the 1st Lokayukta of Mizoram.

a.      Mizoram Governor Jagdish Mukhi administered him the oath of office at the Raj Bhawan in Aizawl.

16.The Jammu and Kashmir Governor administration has appointed "Metro Man" E Sreedharan as Principal advisor for two Mass Rapid Transit Corporations (MRTCs) in the state.

17.Note : The two MRTCs namely, the Jammu Mass Rapid Transit Corporation and Srinagar Mass Rapid Transit Corporation, were recently approved by the J&K government to provide a robust transportation system.

18.Sanjana Singh, a transgender woman, has been appointed as the Personal secretary to the Director of Madhya Pradesh's Department of Social Justice and Disabled Welfare, Krishna Gopal Tiwari. 

a.      Appointed on March 1, Singh has become the 1st transgender in the state to get a government job. 

19.Zinedine Zidane has been re-appointed as the coach of Spanish football club Real Madrid till 2022. 

a.      He has replaced Santiago Solari, who was sacked after less than five months in charge.

20.The 5th South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), Women's Championship kicks off in Biratnagar, Nepal today. 

a.      Defending champion India has been drawn in Group B in the 6-team competition alongside Maldives and Sri Lanka, while host Nepal has been kept in Group A with Bangladesh and Bhutan.

b.      Indian Football team captain : Ashalata Devi