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IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF MARCH 30^th, 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF MARCH  30^th, 2019

1.      President Ram Nath Kovind today inaugurated the plaque of the Mahatma Gandhi Hall at the Gabriel Rene Moreno University in Santa Cruz during his visit to Bolivia.

a.       President also participated in the India - Bolivia Business Forum today. 

b.       President is in Bolivia on the 2nd leg of his three nation tour.

c.       He is on a 3-nation visit to Croatia, Bolivia and Chile from March 25th to April 4th.

2.      The European Parliament has voted for an EU-wide ban on single-use plastic products such as the straws, cutlery and cotton buds that are clogging the world’s oceans. 

a.       The law on single-use plastic ban sets a target to gather 90 per cent of plastic for recycling by 2029 and mandates the production of plastic bottles with 25 per cent recycled material by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030.

b.       The law also insists on polluters pay principle by insisting polluters to pay the costs of a clean-up.

3.      Rajasthan Diwas is being celebrated today (30th March).

a.       This day marks the 69th anniversary of the unification of the erstwhile princely states in the region of Rajputana into the State of Rajasthan. 

b.       The state came into being on this day (30th March) in 1949 after unification of 22 princely states.

c.       Important Points to Note :

i)       Capital : Jaipur

ii)     Total Districts :  33

iii)   Governor - Kalyan Singh

iv)   Chief Minister - Ashok Gehlot

v)     Official Language : Hindi

4.      The Centre has set up a Multi-Disciplinary Terror Monitoring Group (MDTMG) to ensure synergised and concerted action against terror financing and terror-related activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

a.       The MDTMG will have representatives from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Intelligence Bureau, CBI, NIA, and Income Tax Department.

5.      Punjab National Bank (PNB) is going to sell a 13% stake in mortgage lender PNB Housing Finance to private equity firms General Atlantic and Varde Partners for ₹1,851 crore. 

a.       PNB will continue to hold a strategic stake of about 19.78% in PNB Housing Finance and will stay on as a promoter.

6.      India has become the 1st country in the world to have a Blockchain-based Marketplace App for Coffee trading. 

a.       Launched by the Coffee Board of India and developed by Eka Software, the platform aims to "premium-ise" coffee, add "bean-to-cup traceability" and cut the role of middlemen. 

b.       Around 20 coffee farmers, exporters, roasters, importers and retailers are already registered on the platform.

7.      Facebook has banned praise, support and representation of white nationalism and white separatism on its platforms. 

a.       This move had a qualified approval from the recent Christchurch mosque shooting. 

b.       Facebook will direct users who post or search content connected to these ideologies to an organization that helps people leave hate groups.

8.      India again extended its deadline to impose retaliatory customs duties on a number of US imports, including almonds and pulses, from April 1 to May 2. 

a.       India announced the tariffs in June 2018 after the US refused to exempt it from new steel and aluminium tariffs. 

b.       Note : The US recently decided to end Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) benefits to India.

9.      President Ram Nath Kovind, who is on a 3 day visit to Bolivia, has been conferred with the Condor de Los Andes en el Grado de Gran Collar (highest State Honour of Bolivia). 

a.       President of Bolivia awarded him the honour at a function in Santa Cruz .

b.       Note : Earlier, Kovind has been awarded the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Grand Star by the President of Croatia.

10. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad has clinched the coveted Best Regional Airport and the Best Airport Staff Service Awards, both in India/Central Asia category in the Skytrax World Airport Awards-2019.

11. India and Bolivia have signed 8 MoUs on the second day of President Ram Nath Kovind’s three-day visit to that country.

12. These MoUs were signed in the fields of culture, Visa waiver arrangement for diplomats, the exchange between diplomatic academies, mining, space, traditional medicine, establishment of Centre of Excellence in IT and Bi-Oceanic Railway project.

13. Wipro Limited, a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, and Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur), today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on high-impact, industry-focused applied research in the areas of 5G and AI.

a.       Research outcomes from this partnership will be leveraged by Wipro to develop solutions for its customers, across industry verticals.

b.       IIT Kharagpur will benefit from the commercialization of the joint research insights and Wipro's real-world industry expertise.

14. Indian sport shooter Manu Bhaker won a Gold medal in the women's 10-metre Air Pistol event in the 12th Asian Airgun Championships in Taoyuan.