Daily GK Update: 5th March, 2016

1. 15 States have Joined UDAY Scheme

i. The Finance Ministry Arun jaitley has given permission to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to issue the bonds as part of the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY).

ii. The Ministry of Finance and the RBI are working out the mode of these bond issues.

iii. According to Union Power Under the UDAY scheme, State governments take over 75 per cent of the debt of the distribution utilities. This is then issued as non-SLR (statutory liquidity ratio) bonds. The remaining 25 per cent of debt with electricity distribution utilities is also refinanced through State government-backed DISCOM bonds.

iv. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh account for around Rs. 1.5 lakh crore or about 35 per cent of the outstanding loans of State electricity distribution utilities in the country. 

v. Six States have already signed agreements to finalise their participation in the UDAY scheme including Bihar. 

2. MoU between Indian Army and Induslnd Bank

i. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Indian Army and Hinduja Grouped Induslnd Bank on the Defence Salary package.

ii. The signing ceremony of MoU was headed by Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma and the Dignitaries from Induslnd bank headed by Anil M Rao Head-General Banking Operations.

iii. The first MoU was signed earlier in 2011 was valid for a period of three years, this MoU revised to suit the requirements of serving soldiers also provide them opportunity to access modern banking facilities.

iv. The specially designed salary will hold additional features free/ concessional services including free drafts, Cheques books, and free fund transfer to any bank in India through NEFT/ RTGS and free ATM cards.

v. In the latest MoU Personal Accident Insurance  cover has been Included an amount of Rs. 2 lacs for Junior Commissioned Officer and up to 5 lacs for officers and NOC issuing time is reduced to 3 days from the date of application.

3. Sunil Sabharwal Re Appointed As Alternate Executive Director At IMF

i. Independent investor Sunil Sabharwal has become the first Indian American to occupy a key administration post as Alternate Executive Director at the IMF. 

ii. Mr. Sabharwal is re nominated by US President Barack Obama. He was 1st nominated in April 2014 and then renominated to the position of Alternate Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

iii. The post of Alternate Executive Director is one of the most powerful position in the IMF considering more than the 16.81 % voting share (highest) of US in the total IMF voting share. 

iv. Prior to this appointment Mr. Sabharwal has served as board chairman of Ogone, a European e-commerce payment services firm, from 2011-13. 

v. Mr. Sabharwal also had served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Investments at First Data Corporation/Western Union from 2003 to 2006. Since 2006, he has been an independent investor in the payments sector. 

4. Award for Srinivasan K. Swamy

i. The Advertising Club Madras conferred its 1st Distinguished Service Award on Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman and Managing Director, R K Swamy BBDO for his outstanding contribution to the advertising industry. 

ii. The award was presented to the ad lander who is also president of the IAA India chapter, at a ceremony in Chennai on 3 March 2016.

iii. N Murali, co-chairman of The Hindu group of publications ( Kasturi and Sons Ltd ), and second recipient of the title, was the chief guest for the evening. 

iv.  Mr. Murali was conferred with this award in 1995. 

v. Other recipients of this award were Narayanan in 1998, S.R. (Mani) Aiyer in 2001 and C K Ranganathan in 2004.

5. River Information System Like ATC To Be Launched For Inland Waterways Traffic

i. The Government has launched a River Information System (RIS)  between Haldia and Farakka stretch of the National Waterway-1 (NW-1) on 06.01.2016.

ii. The system enhances swift electronic data transfer between mobile vessels and shore (Base stations) through advance and real-time exchange of information.  

iii. RIS aims to streamline the exchange of information between waterway operators, regulators and users.

iv. This would facilitate: Inland navigation safety, Improvement in efficiency of inland navigation, Dissemination of information to vessels on the status of fairways, Provision of virtual aids to navigation and guidance to the vessels and Planning of voyages.

6. PepsiCo Named As New Associate Sponsor Of BCCI

i. Beverage giants PepsiCo has named as the new associate sponsor of BCCI , which was earlier pulled out as title sponsors of the Indian Premier League in October. 

ii. BCCI has named it as BCCI's official associate sponsor for all international matches in India. 

iii. The both entered into a 4 year partnership for refreshment, snacks and drinks besides grounds where the firm will try to garner maximum visibility for their brands.

iv. Besides, Pepsico, there would be two other official associate sponsors of BCCI, from which the cricket body would get Rs 150 crore for the next four years. 

v. Names of the other two sponsors will be announced in the next 7-10 days. Apart from them Mobile commerce platform Paytm is the official title sponsor of the BCCI. 

7. Chapchar Kut Festival Celebrated Across Mizoram

i. The traditional festival of Chapchar Kut of the Mizos was celebrated across the north-eastern state of Mizoram and also in the Mizo-inhabited areas in the neighbouring states. 

ii. It is a spring festival celebrated every year in month of March.

iii. The festival is celebrated with great fervor and gaiety by Mizos after completion of their Jhum operation (shifting agriculture by clearing jungle by burning and cultivating in remnants of burning). 

iv. The citizen belongs to the region dressed in traditional attire, exuberant dancers danced to the tune of typical music and songs. While popular Mizo dances including Cheraw, Sarlamkai, Chheihlam and Khuallam were performed by different cultural troupes.

v. Chapchar Kut Festival is estimated to have started in 1450-1700 A.D. in a village called Suaipui. In Aizawl, state state home minister R Lalzirliana was the 'Kut pa' or father of the festival, while state Art and Culture minister R Romawia was the 'Kut thlengtu' or host of the festival. 

8. TCS chief N Chandrasekaran appointed to board of Reserve Bank

i. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO and managing director Natarajan Chandrasekaran and two others were on Friday appointed as non-official directors to the board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

ii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved appointment of former Chief Secretary of Gujarat Sudhir Mankad as part-time non-official director on the central board of the RBI for a period of four years, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

iii. Mr Mankad was Chief Secretary of Gujarat from April 2005 to August 2007 when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of the state. Besides Mr Mankad, Mr Chandrasekaran of TCS has also been appointed as part-time non-official director on the RBI board, it said.

iv. Bharat Narotam Doshi, non-executive chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, is the third part-time non-official director on the central board of the bank, the department said. Both Mr Chandrasekaran and Mr Doshi will have a tenure of four years.

v. The Reserve Bank's affairs are governed by a central board of directors. The board is appointed by the government of India. Besides the RBI Governor, there cannot be more than four deputy governors as full-time official directors of the central bank.

There can be ten non-official directors from various fields and two government officials.

9. Election Commission Announces Assembly Election In 4 States & 1 Union Territory

i. The Election Commission today announced the schedule for Assembly polls in four states — West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and for Union Territory Puducherry. The Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has announced the election date today in New Delhi.

ii. In Assam, elections will be held in two phases – April 4 and 11. In West Bengal, it will be held on April 4, 11, 17, 21, 25, 30 April, and May 5. In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, the elections will be held on May 16. Counting of votes for all five states will be done on May 19.

iii. The elections will also see for the first time a symbol, which has been created by the National School of Design, allotted to NOTA (None of the above) that will be placed at the bottom of the list of candidates. And If possible polling centers will be set up in blind schools, leprosy centers to ensure inclusiveness.

iv. This time all the polls will have Mobile squads with GPS-fitted vehicles and will be accompanied by central forces to ensure that they quickly attend to complaints. 

v. There will be exclusive polling stations for differently-abled voters.

10. Pat Conroy, Prince of Tides And Great Santini Author, Dies At 70

i. Donald Patrick "Pat" Conroy was a New York Times bestselling author who has written several acclaimed novels and memoirs. 

ii. Two of his novels, The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, were made into Oscar-nominated films.

iii. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, he was the eldest of seven children (five boys and two girls) born to Marine Colonel Donald Conroy, of Chicago, and the former Frances "Peggy" Peek of Alabama. 

iv. Conroy grew up in a military family, moving many times during his childhood and adolescence and never having a hometown, as his family followed his father, a fighter pilot, who was transferred from military base to military base. 

v. Conroy moved 23 times before he was 18 years old.

11. Cngress MLA R. Venkat Reddy Passes Away

i. Telangana Congress Former Minister Ramreddy Venkat Reddy passed away yesterday. He was undergoing with the treatment for cancer He was 72.

ii.  Mr. Reddy was a 5 time MLA from Khammam District. The veteran leader, who was also Chairman of Public Accounts Committee of Telangana Assembly, was a Minister in Congress Governments led by Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and Kiran Kumar Reddy in undivided Andhra Pardesh. 

iii. After the constituency was demerged, he shifted to Palair and won with comfortable majority in the 2014 elections. 

iv. A soft spoken low-profile politician, Venkat Reddy served as Horticulture Minister in Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Kiran Kumar Reddy Governments. Venkat Reddy’s brother R. Damodar Reddy is also a former Minister.

v. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President N Uttam Kumar Reddy, its working President Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Congress Legislature Party leader K Jana Reddy, among others, condoled his death.

12. Legendary Film Archivist P.K.Nair Passed Away

i. P.K.Nair, the founder director of the Nationl Film Archive of India has passed away. He was 86. Nair, who was in critical condition since the last 10 days, passed away at a hospital in Pune due to cardiac arrest. 

ii. He was instrumental in archiving several landmark Indian Films such as Dadasahe Phalke's " Raja Harishchndra " and " Kaliya Mardan". 

iii. Paramesh Krishnan Nair, who had dedicated his life to preservation of films and building the collection of films at the NFAI. 

iv. Nair joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune as a research assistant in 1961 and went on to play a key role in  setting up  the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) in 1964. 

v. He was appointed assistant curator in 1965  and continued with the NFAI till 1991.By the time when Mr. Nair retired as NFAI director, he had acquired a whopping 12,000 films for the archive out Of these, 8,000 were Indian and the rest foreign films. His life and work has been immortalized in the documentary Celluloid Man, made by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.

13. Anirban Lahiri Jumps To 9th Spot At World Golf Championships

i. Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri turned in a second successive two-under 70 and jumped into the top-10 at tied ninth at the midway stage of the $9.5 million WGC Cadillac Championships.

ii. Lahiri, who had three birdies -- two of them in last three holes and one bogey, is still six shots behind the leader, Adam Scott, who is looking to make it two wins in two weeks Lahiri broke into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in March 2014 following a consistent season which included two victories on the Asian Tour. 

iii. Lahiri learned to play golf at the age of eight from his father, Dr. Tushar Lahiri, a physician with the armed forces who was also a recreational golfer. 

14. Indian Shooter Jitu Rai Clinches Gold 50m Pistol Gold

i. Jitu Rai (Nepali) (born 25 August 1987) is an Indian shooter of Nepalese origin, clinch the 50m pistol gold at the ISSF World Cup Bangkok.

ii. Jitu Rai beat China’s former World and Olympic Champion Wei to second place shooting 191.3 to Pang’s 186.5. Wang Zhiwei, also of China and an Olympic Bronze medallist, finished third with a final round score of 165.8. 

iii. Jitu Rai reached the final by finishing third at the end of the 60 shot qualifying series with a score of 562. 

iv. He led the field of eight top qualifiers with a score of 564, while Zheiwei followed him in second place scoring 563. 

v. Former World Champion Tomoyuki Matsuda of Japan was also going to be a threat in the final given his recent form in the Asian Shooting qualifiers in Delhi.

Daily GK Update : 4th March, 2016

1. PM Narendra Modi Launches ‘Setu Bharatam’ Project, To Boost Infrastructure

i. Today, The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Rs 50,000-crore "Setu Bharatam" programme to build bridges for safe and seamless travel on National Highways. 

ii. With this the government aims to make all national highways free from railway crossings by 2019.

iii. Under this project, 208 new road over bridges or road under bridges places have been identified for construction and nearly 10200 crore rupees will be spent on it. 

iv. While around 1500 bridges will be widened, rehabilitated or replaced that are over 50 to 60 years old. The cost of rebuilding the old bridges is expected to be about 30000 crore rupees.

v. The Prime Minister spoke of the Government’s initiatives in other infrastructure sectors as well, including railways, irrigation and digital connectivity. He said that developing rural roads is a priority for the government and it has got huge budgetary support this year. In Budget 2016-17, Rs. 19,000 crore has been sanctioned under the Pradham Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), to connect all villages with roads, compared with Rs. 14,291 crore in the revised estimates of 2015-16.

2. Kerala Government has taken first of its kind initiative by launching the Air Ambulance

i. Government of  Kerala has taken first of its kind initiative by launching the Air Ambulance in Kerala launched by the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. 

ii. The Air Ambulance in Kerala will exclusively be used for the speedy organ transplant. 

iii. The Air Ambulance in Kerala is a brand new six-seater aircraft that is a state-owned Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology. It imparts training to the aspirants seeking to become commercial pilots.

iv. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed regarding the Air Ambulance in Kerala took place between the Aviation Academy and the Kerala Network for Organ Sharing that was headed by the principal of the state-run Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. 

v. The two organizations will work together or speedy organ transportation between hospitals from brain-dead persons with the help of Air Ambulance in Kerala.

3. Manoj Kumar To Be Conferred Dada Saheb Phalke Award For The Year 2015

i. Veteran Film Actor and Director Shri Manoj Kumar is to be conferred the 47th Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2015. 

ii. Award is conferred by the Government of India for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. 

iii. The Award consists of a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakhs and a shawl.

iv. The Award is given on the basis of recommendations of a Committee of eminent personalities set up by the Government for this purpose. This year, a five member jury named as Latha Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Salim Khan, Nitin Mukesh and Anup Jalota, unanimously recommended Shri Manoj Kumar for the prestigious Award. Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri Arun Jaitley spoke to Shri Manoj Kumar today and congratulated him on being conferred the Award. 

v. The Dadasaheb Phalke award is India's highest award in cinema. Last year, the Dadasaheb Phalke award was given to Shashi Kapoor.

4. Alappuzha Backwaters To Get India’s First Solar Ferry

i. A 75-seater solar-powered passenger ferry, the first of its kind in the country, is quietly taking shape at Aroor in Alappuzha district. 

ii. The boat is expected to be commissioned within the next three months.

iii. This boat is being built by NavAlt, a Kochi-based joint venture, in collaboration with a French company. 

iv. The cost of the Rs.1.7-crore boat will make no noise or cause any pollution, unlike the diesel powered ones. 

v. It may work out to be a cheaper option too. An ordinary boat, made of steel and with a carrying capacity of 75 passengers, may cost around Rs.1.9 crore.

5. Government Proposes 10 Member Kashmiri Pandit Panel

i. The government of India has proposed to constitute a committee of  Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) to monitor implementation of packages for rehabilitation of the displaced community. The committee panel will consist 10 member. 

ii. According to the last month proposal of the Union Home Ministry the panel will includes the representatives of migrant camps from Muthi and Pukhroo.

iii. The proposal has been sent to governments of Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi, asking them to consult various associations of Kashmiri migrants and offer inputs in the matter at the earliest. 

iv. This included amounts towards jobs for Kashmiri migrants, rehabilitation of families from Chhamb and PoK, construction of houses, and setting up of five India Reserve Battalions.

v. This year’s budget saw that more than half of the Rs. 580 crore fund allocated for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants remained unutilised during 2015-16 but as per revised estimates, only Rs. 280 crore was provided, leaving Rs. 300 crore unutilised.

6. Ratan Thiyam Selected For 11th META Lifetime Achievement Award

i. Veteran playwright and director Ratan Thiyam has been selected for prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016 at the 11th edition of Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META). 

ii. The award will be given to the theatre guru Ratan Thiyam for creating a new language in theatre and enriching the art form in various roles as writer, director, designer, composer and choreographer.

iii. Currently he is the chairman of the National School of Drama. 

iv. Prior to him, this award has been given to theatre greats such as Zohra Sehgal, Badal Sarkar, Khaled Chowdhury, Ebrahim Alkazi, Girish Karnad and Heisnam Kanhailal.

v. The awards consist of a specially designed trophy and a cheque of 1,00,000 rupees for the best production, 75,000 rupees for best original playwright and 45,000 rupees for all other award categories.

7. World's Costliest Train Station Opened In New York At 9/11 Site

i. The World's most expensive train station in the world opens at the World Trade Center site in New York, United States Of America. 

ii. The site World Trade Center destroyed 14 years ago in the 9/11 attacks. 

iii. Santiago Calatrava, the Spanish Swiss architect taken 12 years to make it. The site has been made at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub next to the Twin Towers, which were destroyed in the Al- Qaeda hijackings.

iv. The site World Trade Center Transportation Hub is expected to eventually serve more than 2,00,000 daily commuters. The building space measures 350 feet (107 meters) long by 115 feet (35 meters) at its widest point.

v. The center connects the PATH commuter rail to New Jersey with New York subway lines, provides indoor pedestrian access to the Trade Center towers and will also house an enormous shopping and restaurant plaza. The transit hub will serve 250,000 people making it the third largest transportation center in the city.

8. Flipkart launches Commerce Advertising Platform

i. Leading e-commerce company Flipkart launched its own advertisement platform, Brand Story Ads, with over 50 leading brands on board.

ii. Yes Bank, L’Oreal, Micromax, Intel, Gillette, Datsun and Sony have signed up with Flipkart to launch their ads campaigns on the platform.

iii. Flipkart ventured into the online advertising space last year with the introduction of product listing ads to enable sellers on the platform gain more visibility and reach a larger customer base. 

iv. With the launch of Brand Story Ads, Flipkart has introduced a new form of advertising called – Commerce Advertising. 

v. Commerce Advertising delivers a holistic view of consumer’s purchase journey post ad interactions and highlight effectiveness of the advertising campaigns.

9. Stevie Wonder Honoured With Global Green Hero Award

i. Veteran singer Stevie Wonder was honoured with Global Green Hero award. 

ii. The award has been given at the 13th Annual Global Green USA Pre Oscar party. 

iii. Presently the 65 year old singer Stevie is an music icon in the industry. 

iv. The singer is serving the industry from the age of 11 and has continued to perform and record till the early 2010s. He has been blind since shortly after birth.

v. On the occasion Mr. Wonder also performed a nine-song set of his greatest hits also pointed out that climate change and its environmental impact are issues that he has always been invested in. The singer has already honoured with the Grammy Award.

10. Veteran Left Chief Ashok Ghosh Lifeless

i. Veteran All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) leader and senior-most leader of the Left Front in West Bengal, Ashok Ghosh passed away recently. He was 94.

ii. A freedom fighter, Mr. Ghosh was the State secretary of the AIFB, the second biggest constituent of the Left Front, since 1951 — for 65 years. 

iii. He joined the AIFB in 1940, a year after its formation, influenced by the political philosophy of Subhas Chandra Bose. 

iv. In more than seven decades of public life, Mr. Ghosh did not leave the AIFB. 

v. Mr. Ghosh’s most significant contribution to the Bengal’s Left movement was destabilising the Congress by forging an anti-Congress alliance, much before the CPI (M)-led Left Front came to power in West Bengal.

11. Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma Passes Away

i. Purno Agitok Sangma, who was the Lok Sabha Speaker from 1996 to 1998 and one of the co-founders of Nationalist Congress Party passed away today following a heart attack. He was 68.

ii. Purno Agitok Sangma was born on 1 September 1947 in village Chapahati in the picturesque West Garo Hills District of the State of Meghalaya in North East India. 

iii. One of the greatest leaders from Northeast in national politics, he has been elected to the Lok Sabha eight times since 1977. 

iv. After completing his graduation from St. Anthony's College, he went to Dibrugarh University in Assam for his Masters degree in International Relations. 

v.  Subsequently, he also obtained a degree in Law.

12. Mumbai U-23 Team Clinched CK Nayudu Trophy 2015-16

i. The Mumbai under-23 team clinched the Col CK Nayudu Trophy by defeating Madhya Pradesh at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. 

ii. Mumbai bowled out Madhya Pradesh for 442 and took a first innings lead of 135 runs to be declared the winner.

iii. This was Mumbai’s second big title of the season, After clinching their 41st Ranji Trophy title in Pune around a week back. 

iv. Winning team’s right arm seam bowler Tushar Deshpande made the most of the third new ball in the closing minutes of the game. 

v. The Mumbai team, winners of the 2015, 2016, U23 Col C K Nayudu Trophy, will be awarded with a cash prize of 20 lakh rupees on clinching the title.

Daily GK Update : 3rd March, 2016

1. Mega Military Exercise Of ASEAN Plus Countries Begins In Pune

i. The multinational mega Military Exercise Force 18 conducted by Indian Army has started in Pune, Maharashtra from 2nd March. 

ii. The theme of the exercise is `Humanitarian Mine Action’ (HMA) and `Peacekeeping Operations’ (PKO). 

iii. The exercise will conclude on 8th March, 2016 with around 300 participants from 18 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations ) Plus countries.

iv. Participating ASEAN countries along with ASEAN Plus nations are India, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Russia and US . The ten ASEAN countries from South East Asia are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

v. The Exercise Force Eighteen is the largest multinational exercise ever conducted by the ground on Indian soil on Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) and Peace Keeping Operatios (PKO). It is conducted by India as part of its ambitious Look (Act) East policy. The exercise will allow the armies of these countries to develop a common understanding in handling any complex situation.

2. India Signs Financing Agreement With World Bank For US$ 3OO Million

i. A financing agreement for International Development Association (IDA) credit of US$ 300 (equivalent) for the Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Quality Improvement Project was signed with the World Bank.

ii. The Financing Agreement was signed by Mr. Raj Kumar (Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs) on behalf of Government of India and Onno Ruhl, Country Director, World Bank, India on behalf of the World Bank. 

iii. Objective of this project is to improve student outcomes especially of disadvantaged groups in selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and to increase the effectiveness of the Higher Education System in Madhya Pradesh.

iv. The project has three component- (1) State Level Initiatives, (2) Improving System Management and (3) Grants Support to Higher Education Institutions.

3. NHAI ties up with ISB for skill development

i. NHAI has taken a significant step in ensuring development of management competencies of its technical and managerial manpower, with a tie up with Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.

ii. With the Government’s ambitious plans for infrastructure development in the country, road sector is seen as one of the thrust areas to achieve the objective and ensure sustained economic growth.

iii. The programme on “Leadership Programme in Infrastructure Management” in ISB aims at developing skills and competencies relating to multiple disciplines : Strategic Planning, Finance, Economics, Law, Social and Environmental issues, Public Policy etc. in Infrastructure Management.

iv. Indian School of Business (ISB) has selected eight NHAI officers after stringent scrutiny and evaluation. Four officers which includes Chief General Managers, General Manager and Dy General Manager, have commenced training in “Leadership Programme in Infrastructure Management” this year with funding support from NHAI.

v. NHAI is planning to create a pool of officers who can play a critical role in ensuring the utmost professional capability to shoulder the responsibilities at senior management level and guide the NHAI towards its long term vision.

4. Government Cancels IRB Contract

i. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has cancelled a contract to build a $1.5 billion tunnel in Himalayas after the opposition politician  alleged irregularities in bidding for India most expensive road project.

ii. IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd, which recently won the bid to build South Asia’s longest Zoji La Pass tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir.The government has cancelled the award without mentioning any reason. 

iii. In january 2016  IRB won the bid for an all-weather Zoji La Pass tunnel road, which was to connect Srinagar to Ladakh region that remains cut off during winters. 
iv. With the estimated cost of Rs.10,050 crore, the 14.08-km tunnel was considered India’s most expensive road project, to be completed in seven years.

v. The Zoji La project had landed in a controversy as soon as it was awarded, with Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleging that the promoters of IRB were close to Union roads minister Nitin Gadkari. Digvijaya Singh wrote to the prime minister and approached Central Vigilance Commission seeking a federal investigation into the matter. Gadkari has rejected all charges as false.

5. Government Plans Too Setup More Nuclear Power Plants

i. To meet the need of the country, the Government of India plans to set up nuclear power plants in Haryana, Bihar and Punjab. 

ii. The government aims to increase nuclear power generation capacity by three times in 10 years. 

iii. As per this nuclear power programme, the government is considering setting up new plants in areas which is not covered before. 

iv. For this, a site has been identified to built a nuclear plant at Razauli in Bihar’s Nawada district in the last 18-19 months of the current government but there has been a delay due to water shortage. Since the current level of water is not sufficient for the project. 

v. The other places which are listed out by the Minister include Patiala (Punjab), Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and Bulandshahar (Uttar Pradesh), Patiala and the areas explored in Haryana.

6. Parliament passes Carriage by Air amendment Bill, 2015 

i. Parliament has passed the Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to empower Union government to revise the limits of liability for airlines and compensation as per the Montreal Convention which India accepted in 2009. 

ii. The bill was first passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2015 and later it was passed by the Rajya in March 2016. 

iii. Now it will go for the Presidential assent as per Article 111 of Constitution. 

iv. The Bill seeks to amend the Carriage by Air Act, 1972 to revise the limits of liability for airlines and compensation in order adhere with the global counterparts. Empowers Union government to revise the limits of liability for airlines and compensation as per the Montreal Convention. 

v. Empowers Union Government to make rules to carry out provisions of the Act. The Bill intends to raise the liability limit for damage in case of delay, injury or death to each person. It also intends to revise the liability limits in case of damage, loss, or delay of baggage and cargo as per global counterparts. 

7. India Ranks 90 In Terms Of Energy Security

i. India has been ranked at the 90th place in a list of 126 countries in terms of Energy Security complied by World Economic Forum (WEF). 

ii. The list is topped by Switzerland followed by Norway on the basis of the ability to deliver secure, affordable and sustainable energy. 

iii. It was  revealed by Global Energy Architecture Performance Index (GEAPI) and Report compiled by WEF.

iv. Others in the top 10 include  Sweden (3rd), France (4th), Denmark (5th), Austria (6th), Spain (7th), Colombia (8th), New Zealand (9th) and Uruguay (10th). 

v. Among the BRIC nations, Brazil was the top performer as it was ranked at the 25th place, followed by Russia (52nd), India (90th), China (94).

8. Chennai Gets India’s First Self Cleaning Smart Toilets

i. A total of 183 self cleaning public eToilets have been installed in the Chennai City. Chennai is the 1st city in India to gets smart Toilets. 

ii. These toilets are free for Public use. 

iii. Each toilet automatically cleans itself before entry and after use and sensors enable consumption of less water and power with each use. 

iv. An Indian social enterprise, Eram Scientific Solution is the brains behind the project and has already installed over 1,600 eToilets in private buildings and schools across 18 Indian states. 

v. In 2012, it even won a grant of $450,000 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

9. Three British scientists win 2016 Brain Prize

i. Three British scientists have won a prestigious 2016 Grete Lundbeck European Brain Research Prize (also known as Brain Prize) for giving vital insight how the human brain remembers, learns and navigates. 

ii. These scientists are Timothy Bliss: He is a visiting worker at the Crick Institute in London. Graham Collingridge: He is professor of neuroscience in anatomy at the University of Bristol. He is also head of the Department of Physiology at the University of Toronto. Richard Morris: He is a professor of neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh 

iii. Prize criteria: It is awarded to scientist of any nationality although, research for which they are nominated must be carried in Europe or in collaboration with European researchers.

10. South Korea Lawmakers Pass Contentious Anti-Terror Bill

i. South Korea's parliament Passed the country's first anti-terror bill, with opposition lawmakers leaving the plenary chamber after ending the nine-day marathon speeches.

ii. Among almost 300 parliamentary seats, only 156 ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers and one minority party member participated in a vote on the country's first anti-terrorism legislation, which was passed through the National Assembly with 156 in favour. 

iii. One dissenting vote was cast by the minority party member.

iv. Opposition lawmakers launched nonstop speeches to delay the vote on the country's first anti-terror bill from February 23 when the parliamentary speaker sought to put the bill on a vote with his own authority.

v. Lee Jong-Geol, floor leader of the main opposition Minju Party and the last speaker of the filibuster, set a record for his marathon speech that did not stop for 12 hours and 31 minutes. 

11. Peru declares emergency after oil spill hits rivers

i. Peru has declared an emergency three weeks after a major oil pipeline burst, affecting two rivers in the country’s northwest. 

ii. The pipeline spilled 3,000 barrels of crude oil into the Chiriaco and Morona rivers, which are the main source of water and food for several indigenous communities. 

iii. The government has told these communities not to eat fish from the polluted waters. 

iv. The broken pipeline reportedly used to transport between 5,000 and 6,000 oil barrels per day. The pipeline is owned by Petro Peru, a state-owned oil company.

v. The oil company has been accused of a slow reaction to the spill – it only started providing food, water and medical attention weeks after the crisis, which has affected the health of more than 200 people. Peru’s main oil pipeline was built more than 30 years ago. This has been the third oil spill in less than a month.

12. International Finance Corporation Launches Masala Bonds

i. International Finance Corporation (IFC), an part of the World Bank group launched its first Uridashi Masala bonds ( Japanese Bonds ) to mobilize R30 crore (or $4.3 million) directly from Japanese household investors to promote private sector development in India.  

ii. The 3 year bond builds on IFC's  Masala bond program which has raised the approx $1.7 billion from international investors for investment in India. 

iii. Masala bonds are rupee denominated instruments sold only to offshore investors, while Uridashi bonds are sold to Japanese household investors. 

iv. The steps from IFC's Uridashi Masala bonds will be used to support private sector investment in India. 

v. JP Morgan is the sole arranger of the bonds and Daisen Hinomaru Securities is its distributor. 

13. Historic Old War Office In London Acquired By Hinduja Group

i. The Hinduja Group is a global conglomerate company acquired the heritage Old War Office in London that was once inhabited by Winston Churchill.

ii. In this Acquirestion with Spanish company Obrascon Huarte Lain Desarrollos (OHLD) on a 250-year lease from the ministry of defence, the plan is to convert it into a hotel and luxury residences. 

iii. As per the ministry on the sale of the Old War Office was for “in excess of £350 million following a competitive marketing process”. 

iv. At this occasion were Indian High Commissioner Navtej Singh Sarna and former Indian National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan.

14. Bihari Puraskar 2015 To Be Given To Dr. Bhagwati Lal Vyas

i. Poet Dr Bhagwati Lal Vyas has been chosen for the 2015 Bihari Puraskar for his anthology of Rajasthani poems 'Katha Sun Aawe Hai Sabad' Published in 2010.

ii. A recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award, Dr Vyas has highlighted the increasing tendencies of commercialization and degradation of human values through his poetry.

iii. Dr Vyas's works reflect the unpleasant changes in human relations, social disparity and loss of human values although positivity and his faith in human life also shine through the vast collection of his poetry.

iv. Dr Bhagwati Lal Vyas best known works  authored several short stories and an eminent translator, are compendium of poems titled 'Shatabdi Niforruttar' (1977), 'Footpath Par Chiriya Nachti Hai' (1984) and a collection of short stories 'Suraj Leelti Ghatiyan' stand out. 

15. New Zealand Cricket Legend Martin Crowe Dead Dies Aged 53 After Losing Cancer Battle

i.New Zealand Cricketer Martin Crowe passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer that eventually proved one attack the gifted cricketer couldn't see off. 

ii. The cricket great had been suffering from lymphoma since September 2014.

iii. He Born on September 22, 1962, in Henderson, Auckland, Crowe's father was former domestic cricketer Dave, while brother Jeff also went on to captain the New Zealand cricket side. 

iv. He received the all-clear from the disease in 2012 but confirmed in September 2014 that it had returned. 

v. Auckland-born Crowe is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's best ever batsman, having scored 17 centuries and 5,444 runs in 77 Tests at an average of 45.36.Crowe captained his country from 1990-1993.