Current Affairs 27th March 2021| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Theatre Day – Observed on Mar 27

• World Theatre Day is an international observance celebrated on 27 March. It was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute.
• Theatrehas always been a significant place to present ideas and ideologies before the audience. Hence, people started celebrating World Theatre Day on 27 March to generate awareness about the importance of theatre
• Every year the Executive Council of ITI choses an outstanding theatre personality to write the message for World Theatre Day.
• The author of the Message of World Theatre Day 2021 is: Helen MIRREN, United Kingdom.

Earth Hour 2021: Observed on last Saturday of March (March 27 2021)

• Every year, the Earth Houris celebrated worldwide on the last Saturday of the March month to show support for fight against climate change and commitment towards better planet.
• Earth Hour 2021 is being marked on March 27, 2021.
• The Earth Hour 2021 theme will focus on “Climate Change to Save Earth.”
• The Day is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), encouraging individuals, communities, corporates, and households to turn off their lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• It was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 to raise awareness for energy consumption and effects on the environment.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Swarna Jayanti scholarship for youths of Bangladesh announced

• Prime Minister Modi announced Swarna Jayanti scholarship for youths of Bangladesh.
• The Swarna Jayanti Fellowship is a research fellowship awarded annually by the Department of Science and Technology of India.
• It is given for the notable and outstanding research by young scientists, applied or fundamental, in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and physics.
• Referring to the completion of 50 years of diplomatic relationship between India and Bangladesh, Modi also announced to invite 50 entrepreneurs of Bangladesh to visit India and join start-up initiatives and meet Indian venture capitalists.
• Remembering the struggle of Independence by Bangladeshi people, Prime Minister Modi also shared his personal contribution during that struggle.
• He said that the struggle for independence of Bangladesh was one of the first movements that he participated in.
• He said that he was 20 or 22 years old when he and his colleagues had organized Satyagraha for Bangladesh’s freedom.

Hyderabad-based Maithri Aquatech made-up ‘World’s First Mobile Water from Air Kiosk’ at Vizag Smart City

• Hyderabad-based startup, Maithri Aquatech has set up the world’s first mobile water from air kiosk and water knowledge centre in the smart city of Visakhapatnam, inAndhra Pradesh.
• This innovative water kiosk is such that the potable water is harvested from the air instead of depending on scarce groundwater and surface water resources.
• This initiative is supported by Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and project SEWAH (Sustainable Enterprises for Water and Health), an alliance between USAID and SWN (Safe Water Network).
• The kiosk will provide clean, mineral-enriched potable water harvested from the air by making use of Maithri Aquatech’s own Meghdoot solution as a source to generate water.
• Apart from this, the kiosk will also function as a Water Knowledge Resource Centre by creating awareness and imparting necessary information to members of the local underserved communities as well as nearby schools on the benefits of good water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices.

Health Minister unveiled ‘Tribal TB Initiative’ in pursuit of TB Mukt Bharat

• Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched ‘Tribal TB Initiative’ in pursuit of TB Mukt Bharat.
• He said that the government accords top priority to ensuring Universal Access to free treatment and care for TB across the country.
• The Minister said, over ten crore tribal population is living with a huge diversity in their population dynamics.
• He said, the government has already increased the Budget allocation for TB in India four-fold in the last five years.
• Dr Harsh Vardhan said, the Union Territories of Lakshadweep and district of Badgam in Jammu and Kashmir have been declared TB Free on World TB Day this year.
• During the function, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda was also present.

IIT Kharagpur team bagged CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 6.0

• A team of four undergraduate students from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-K)has achieved historic win as they emerged as winners at the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 6.0, sponsored by Cushman and Wakefield, KI and IA: Interior Architects.
• It is for the first timethat a squad from India has emerged as winners in the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge since the inception of the competition in 2015.
• The members of the team comprised of Siddhant Samarth (3rd year, Department of Civil Engineering), Pratim Majumdar (3rd year, Department of Chemical Engineering), Rishita Raj (2nd year, Department of Mechanical Engineering) and Utkarsh Agrawal (3rd year, Department of Manufacturing Science and Engineering), and were guided by Jenia Mukherjee (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences).
• The IIT Kharagpur team was one of the four teams to enter into the final round out of 1,300 teams from all over the world.

Skill Development Ministry invites Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship applications till 27th March

• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in association with 9 IIMS has invited applications for Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship till 27th of this month.
• The fellowship is a two-year blended program consisting of classroom sessions at IIMs and a unique opportunity to promote skill planning and development in district economies.
• Following the success of the pilot cohort, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship announced the launch of ‘Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship’ (MGNF) 2021-23 in collaboration with IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM-Jammu, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM Nagpur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Udaipur and IIM Visakhapatnam.
• It is a unique opportunity for young, dynamic individuals to combine classroom sessions at IIM with engagement in the district economies to promote skill development and skill planning.
• Launched last year, the implementation of the programme has been a great success and has garnered appreciation from various stakeholders.
• The Fellowship, 2021-23, has been rolled out nationally in more than 660 districts across India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India and US agree to further India-US economic cooperation 

• India and US have agreed to further India-US economic cooperation on the basis of shared objectives and resolve pending legacy issues through mutual dialogue and discussion.
• Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal had a very productive discussion with the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Ambassador Katherine Tai, over a video call.
• Mr Goyal congratulated Katherine Tai on her appointment as USTR.
• Mr Goyal said that both sides discussed a range of issues and agreed to strengthen the India-US trade and investment relationship.
• They also agreed to strengthen the India- US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) and to convene the next Ministerial-level meeting of the forum in 2021.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Ministry of Tourism inaugurated Chhatrasal Convention Centre developed under Swadesh Darshan Scheme at Khajuraho

• Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the ‘Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho.
• Union minister Prahlad Singh Patel mentioned that we have to develop the iconic tourism places in various States of India but simultaneously we will have to conserve our ancient old culture also.
• Central government and state government have to work together to develop these new iconic tourism places.
• We all will have to realise our responsibility towards our tourism places accordingly.
• Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan assured full cooperation of the state government in developing all tourism places in the state with the help of the Central Government.
• He also said that under the table guidance of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi development of many tourism places are undergoing in the state.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS

Three Wheels United appointed Hardip Singh Goindi as COO

• Three Wheels United (TWU), a Bengaluru-based tech-enabled financier of light electric vehicles, has appointed Hardip Singh Goindi as the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO).
• An industry veteran, Hardip Singh Goindi, brings 38 plus years of leadership experience in managing operations for well known automotive brands in domestic and international markets.
• As COO of Three Wheels United, he will lead TWU’s expansion across multiple cities and focus on building strategic partnerships for the company.
• Hardip Singh Goindi has previously worked at Piaggio Vehicles as Executive Vice President where he was responsible for manufacturing operations, domestic marketing, sales, after market service, international business and parts business.
• Prior to Piaggio, Hardip was President-Marketing at TVS Motor Company.
• In his 12 year long stint at TVS, he also served as the Senior Vice President for international Business and three Wheelers.

UIDAI, AAI and FCI Respectively appointed Saurbah Garg, Sanjeev Kumar and Atish Chandra as Chief of the organizations

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved various new appointments on March 25, 2021, as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle.
• Senior bureaucrat Saurbah Garg, a 1991 batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
• Similarly, Sanjeev Kumar, a 1991 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre, has been appointed as the Chairman, Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• Atish Chandra,  a 1994 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre, has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director,Food Corporation of India (FCI).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS and HONOURS

Gandhi Peace Prize for honour Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman – received by Rehman’s daughter Sheikh Rehana 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman’s younger daughter.
• Modi said that it is a matter of pride for all Indians that we got the opportunity to honor Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with Gandhi Peace Prize.
• He said that we salute the brave soldiers of the Indian Army who stood with the brothers and sisters of Bangladesh in the ‘Muktijuddho’- Liberation War of Bangladesh.
• He recalled the contribution of India in the liberation of Bangladesh and condemned the atrocities committed by Pakistani forces on the liberation fighters.
• Modi said that during the liberation war of Bangladesh, the blood of Bangladesh and Indian soldiers flowed together.
• This blood will form such a relationship that will never break down or fall in any situation in the future.

Veteran singer Asha Bhosle nominated for Maharashtra Bhushan award, – the state’s highest honour

• The MaharashtraGovernment has named legendary singer Asha Bhosle for the Maharashtra Bhushan Award, the highest honour presented by the government of Maharashtra.
• Bhosle has been chosen for the award for the year 2020, by a committee chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
• Instituted in 1996, the Maharashtra Bhushan Award recognises distinguished work and achievements of eminent persons from the state, representing different walks of life.
• It carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a citation.
• Bhosle’s sister Lata Mangeshkar won the award in 1997.

Hyderabad bags three awards at 2021 International Exhibition and 6th Smart Cities India Expo

• Hyderabad bagged three awards in different categories at the 2021 International Exhibition and 6th Smart Cities India Expo held during March 24-26 in New Delhi.
• The awards were given by the India Trade Promotion Organisation, a Government of India Enterprise.
• Under the Green and Clean City category, the Rain Garden developed by the HMDA underneath the Begumpet flyover at the intersection of Kukatpally and Yousufguda nalas has bagged the award.
• In the Smart Waste Disposal Project category, the New Municipal Solid Waste Management project bagged the award.
• The project comprises a city-wide network of fully mechanised Secondary Collection and Transport Points (SCTPs).
• In the Startup category, We Hub, a one of its kind initiative that has been instrumental in empowering women won the award.
• We Hub is a one of its kind initiative that has been instrumental in empowering the women.
• It has created a supportive community for aspiring women entrepreneurs.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s

MoUs signed to speed up work – national clean air programme

• To improve air quality of 132 cities under the action plan proposed in the National Clean Air Programme, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with different stakeholders were signed in the presence of the union environment minister Prakash Javadekar.
• Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the occasion emphasised the idea of ‘Swachh Bharat, Swachh Vayu’ and urged different bodies and individuals to work towards the goal of curbing air pollution by roughly 20 per cent in the upcoming four years.
• “It is not an easy task but a tough challenge which we all need to achieve together,” he added.
• Regretting despite allocating funds for 6,000 e-buses to different cities, only 600 buses have been procured and operational. 
• He warned that if any town fails to utilise the funds sanctioned for procurement, the allocation will be moved to other cities.

PM Modi and Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina hold meet in Dhaka and India – Bangladesh to sign several MoUs 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. 
• India and Bangladesh will also sign several MoUs following the talks.
• Delegation level talks will also be held before the signing of agreements.
• The two leaders will virtually inaugurate some development projects.
• Prime Minister Modi will also visit Jeshoreshwari temple at Satkhira and perform puja.
• He will also visit Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex in Tungipara, Gopalganj and pay tribute to the father of the nation of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
• Mr Modi will also participate in a Community Reception at Orakandi.
• Before leaving for Delhi, Prime Minister Modi will also meet Bangladesh President Md Abdul Hamid.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE

Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Vajra’ commissioned

• On March 24, 2021, Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Vajra’, the sixth offshore patrol vessel to enhance coastal security, was formally commissioned into service.
• Chief of Defence staff General Bipin Rawat formally unveiled a ‘plaque’ and the ship’s name board ‘Vajra’ meaning ‘Thunderbolt’ at the Chennai Port Trust.
• The ship was indigenously designed and built by Larsen and Toubro Shipbuilding Ltd.
• It is fitted with state-of-the-art Navigation and Communication Equipment, Sensors and Machinery.
• The ship would be based at Tuticorin under the operational control of the coast guard eastern region.

Purpose : 

• The ship is designed to carry one twin engine helicopter with night flying capabilities and also four high speed boats, two rigid hull inflatable boats for taking up search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrolling.

About the Ship :

• The ship has a 30mm gun as main armament and equipped with two FCS controlled 12.7 mm SRCG (Stabilised Remote Controlled Gun) for enhanced fighting efficiency.

About Indian Coast Guard :

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director General: Krishnaswamy Natarajan
• Additional Director General: D. Chafekar
• Comes Under Ministry of Defence

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Indian Government to sell15% stake in Rail Vikas Nigam Limited

• The Indian Government has announced it will sell a 15% stake in Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to raise nearly $103m (Rs7.5bn).
• Out of  15% the government would divest 10% equity with a 5% Green Shoe option.

About RVNL :

• RVNL was established as a 100 per cent owned PSU of the Ministry of Railways in January 2003

Objective:

• Raising extra-budgetary resources and implementation of projects relating to creation and augmentation of capacity of rail infrastructure on a fast track basis.
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Chairman & MD : Pradeep Gaur
• RVNL was incorporated for raising extra-budgetary resources and has also executed several projects on a fast-track basis in connection with the formation and capacity expansion of rail infrastructure.
• Last month, RVNL successfully conducted the trial run of an electric locomotive for the very first time in the northeastern state of Assam.
• As per RVNL’s shareholding pattern, the government held 87.84 per cent stake in the company at the end of December 2020 quarter.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

North Korea fires 2 ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan

• On March 24, 2021, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.
• Its first such launch in a year and put pressure on the administration of the U.S. President Joe Biden.
• The launch was a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning North Korea from firing ballistic missiles

Note :

• Previously in March the South Korea,and USA held a joint military exercise in korean peninsular region. 

About North Korea :

• Capital: Pyongyang
• Currency: North Korean won
• Supreme leader: Kim Jong-un

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ENVIRONMENT

As IUCN Red list African elephant recognised as Endangered & Critically Endangered

• On March 25th, 2021, the African forest elephant is listed as Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• This is the first time the two species have been assessed separately for the IUCN Red List, following the emergence of new genetic evidence.
• The number of African forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a period of 31 years, while the population of African savanna elephants decreased by at least 60% over the last 50 years
• At Present Only 4,15,000 African Elephants are present.
• This is due to In 2008 both species suffered a sharp decline due to increases in poaching

About the 2 Elephant :

• African forest elephant – Loxodonta cyclotis
• This is slightly smaller than African savanna elephant, reaching around 2.5 metres tall and tipping the scales at up to four tonnes.
• Its diminutive size is thought to be an adaptation to living in the tropical rainforests that blanket much of the African continent’s interior, where this species is predominantly found.
• African savanna elephant – Loxodonta africana
• The African savanna (or bush) elephant is the bigger species and is seen most often, as it moves through open grasslands across the plains and deserts of much of eastern and southern Africa.
• Reaching up to four metres tall and weighing over 10 tonnes, the savanna elephant is the largest living land animal.

About IUCN :

• Director General & CEO : Dr Bruno Oberle
• Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland
• Founder: Julian Huxley
• Founded: 5 October 1948, Fontainebleau, France
• Motto: United for Life and Livelihoods

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

“Indians: A Brief History of A Civilization” authored by Namit Arora

• A Book Titles Indians: A Brief History of A Civilization” Authored by Namit Arora.
• It is published by India Viking.

About the Book :

• The Book Covers Feature of 5 Chapters on travellers like

1. Megasthenes
2. Faxian
3. Xuanzang
4. Yijing
5. Alberuni (al-Biruni)
6. Marco Polo
7. François Bernier.

On Six Places 

1. Dholavira
2. Nagarjunakonda
3. Nalanda
4. Khajuraho
5. Hampi
6. Varanasi

• This book conveys the way of Indian lived, ate, built, loved, fought, and made sense.

Daily CA On March 26 :

• Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has launched more than one hundred comic books created by teachers and students of CBSE schools and curated by NCERT. 
• The government is working to roll out a GPS based toll collection system and introducing E-Highway from Delhi to Mumbai in the upcoming months. 
• Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank held a virtual meeting with Director General UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay in New Delhi.
• More than 68 lakh 33 thousand beneficiaries were provided maternity benefits in 2020 under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, PMMVY.
• The Bank of England unveiled the design of the new GBP 50 banknote, which features British scientist and World War II codebreaker Alan Turing.
• The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has inaugurated the Kurnool Airport located at Orvakal  and  named it after the first ever freedom fighter of the country,  Uyyalavada Narasimha Reddy, as a tribute to him.
• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana has registered a landmark achievement with the issuing of ten crore cards to a resident of Bihar.
• IT services major Infosys announced the appointment of former Salesforce executiveChitra Nayak as an independent director.
• To give wings to its global ambitions, TVS MotorCompany has brought on board Ralf Speth, former CEO of Jaguar Land Rover.
• HarshC. Mariwala, chairman of Marico, was named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2020.
• Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan has commended DGP Gautam Sawang for receiving the SKOCH Award as the best DGP in the country for outstanding performance in policing, public safety and taking up technical reforms in AP Police.
• Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” received a major boost ahead of the Oscars as the movie bagged the top prize at the 2021 Producers Guild Awards.
• On March 25, 2021, Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman here virtually launched Central Scrutiny Centre (CSC) and Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority’s (IEPFA) Mobile App.
• India ranked 40 among 53 global economies on the latest annual edition of the International Intellectual Property (IP) Index.
• Actor Samir Soni will release his debut book, My Experiments With Silence, later this year.
• India ended the 2021 World Shooting Para Sport competitions with seven medals.

Daily CA On Mar 27 :

• World Theatre Day is an international observance celebrated on 27 March. It was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute.
• Every year, the Earth Houris celebrated worldwide on the last Saturday of the March month to show support for fight against climate change and commitment towards better planet.
• Prime Minister Modi announced Swarna Jayanti scholarship for youths of Bangladesh.
• Hyderabad-based startup, Maithri Aquatech has set up the world’s first mobile water from air kiosk and water knowledge centre in the smart city of Visakhapatnam, inAndhra Pradesh.
• Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched ‘Tribal TB Initiative’ in pursuit of TB Mukt Bharat.
• A team of four undergraduate students from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-K)has achieved historic win as they emerged as winners at the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 6.0, sponsored by Cushman and Wakefield, KI and IA: Interior Architects.
• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in association with 9 IIMS has invited applications for Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship till 27th of this month.
• India and US have agreed to further India-US economic cooperation on the basis of shared objectives and resolve pending legacy issues through mutual dialogue and discussion.
• Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the ‘Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho.
• Three Wheels United (TWU), a Bengaluru-based tech-enabled financier of light electric vehicles, has appointed Hardip Singh Goindi as the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO).
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved various new appointments on March 25, 2021, as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman’s younger daughter.
• The MaharashtraGovernment has named legendary singer Asha Bhosle for the Maharashtra Bhushan Award, the highest honour presented by the government of Maharashtra.
• Hyderabad bagged three awards in different categories at the 2021 International Exhibition and 6th Smart Cities India Expo held during March 24-26 in New Delhi.
• To improve air quality of 132 cities under the action plan proposed in the National Clean Air Programme, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with different stakeholders were signed in the presence of the union environment minister Prakash Javadekar.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. 
• On March 24, 2021, Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Vajra’, the sixth offshore patrol vessel to enhance coastal security, was formally commissioned into service.
• The Indian Government has announced it will sell a 15% stake in Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to raise nearly $103m (Rs7.5bn).
• On March 24, 2021, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.
• On March 25th, 2021, the African forest elephant is listed as Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• A Book Titles Indians: A Brief History of A Civilization” Authored by Namit Arora.