Excellence by Saikat Sir: Current Affairs 28th & 29th March 2021| Current Affairs News

Current Affairs 28th & 29th March 2021| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

‘Two Mobile Medical Vans’ – Centre, Maharashtra Public Health Dept dedicate it to the nation

Public Health Department, Maharashtra and National Health Mission, government of India dedicated ‘Two air conditioned Mobile Medical Vans’ to the nation in Jalna district of Maharashtra.
The program was inaugurated by State Health Minister Rajesh Tope with a green flag.
Rs 20 lakh cost van will be used to provide health facilities and state-of-the-art clinics in remote areas of the district.
The van will provide information on health schemes of the Central and State Governments and all types of check-ups, obstetrics, other treatments etc.
Health Minister Rajesh Tope has said that 20 districts have been selected under this national campaign and this will make it easier to implement the national health campaign in rural areas.
He further said that two air-conditioned vehicles have been provided for Jalna district, through which the poorer will be given 100 percent free treatment.
It has been ensured that 60 patients will be examined.
Daily efforts will be made to improve the quality of health services under the National Health Mission.
Former Minister Arjun Khotkar, MLA Kailash Gorantyal, Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Pratap Sawade, District Surgeon Archana Bhosale were present on the occasion.

Prasar Bharati run DD Free Dish touches 40 million subscribers

Prasar Bharati CEO, Shashi Shekhar Vempati has expressed happiness that the public broadcaster-run Direct to Home (DTH) platform DD Free Dish has crossed 40 million subscribers.
According to FICCI-EY Media Entertainment Annual Report for 2021, DD Free Dish has an estimated base of more than 40 million households.
The growth has been attributed to less expensive television sets, economic issues, launch of the DD Retro Channel and return of big broadcasters to the Free Dish platform.
DD Free Dish has also become a second set top box within the home, used when there are no large events on television in some cases.
Free Dish distributors have mentioned year on year growth in sales as well as the inability to keep up with demand due to a shortage of China-manufactured chipsets.
Television households will continue to grow at over 5 percent till 2025, driven by connected TVs which could cross 40 million by 2025 and DD Free Dish could cross 50 million.
DD Free Dish, is a multi-channel Free-To-Air Direct to Home service of Prasar Bharati.

Inauguration of new building of Bombay High Court in Goa – addresses by Union Law Minister

Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that whenever various types of challenges arose in India, Judiciary always came with an apt and competent answer to it.
He was speaking in the event of inauguration of a new building of the Bombay High Court at Goa in Porvorim near Panaji.
Digital technology did a stellar performance during Covid pandemic in as much as 82 lakh cases were heard virtually in various courts, Minister Prasad added further.
There has to be a robust answer on the claims regarding environment and development, he added.
Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde after inaugurating the building said that the bench at Goa always maintained the highest standards and made significant contribution to development of law.
New building is a sign of a new time, he added.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India-US economic cooperation through mutual dialogue and discussion

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

UP CM grand initiate Shaheed Ashfaq Ulla Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Shaheed Ashfaq Ulla Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur.
This is the first zoo in Purvanchal and the third in the state.
In his address, the Chief Minister said the construction of the zoo has been completed in a record time of four years.
He added that the zoo will not only provide entertainment and learning to the people but it has also opened the possibilities of tourism in the region.
The Chief Minister said the zoo has been named after great freedom fighter Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan.
He said that the nation is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its Independence as Azadi Ka Amit Mahotsav this year, and it is a tribute to the great freedom fighter.
The foundation of the Gorakhpur zoo was laid a decade ago in May 2011 but its construction gained momentum after the year 2017.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat: Goa paired with Jharkhand

Under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat State of Goa is paired with Jharkhand.
During this COVID Pandemic period, various educational institutions carried out online and offline activities.
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ campaign has been launched to promote cultural unity among various states of the country.
Coastal State Goa has got rich cultural heritage.
Before this Pandemic Goa students had visited Jharkhand for a cultural Exchange Programme.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Biocon Pharma partners with Libbs Farmaceutica – for launch generic formulations in Brazil

Biocon Ltd, an innovation-led global biopharma company, has announced a partnership between Biocon Pharma Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Biocon Limited, and Libbs Farmaceutica, a pharmaceuticals company in Brazil, to launch generic drugs in Brazil, the world’s sixth most populous country.
In a regulatory filing to exchanges, the company said, “The partnership, which marks the entry of Biocon’s generic formulations into Latin America, builds upon a successful association with Libbs, which began in 2017 to launch biosimilar Trastuzumab in Brazil.
It reflects Biocon’s commitment to make affordable healthcare accessible for patients the world over, by establishing a strong global presence for its formulations portfolio, either directly or through strategic partnerships.”

ABOUT BIOCON:

Biocon ranked among top 5 global biotech employers for 2020
Abhijit Zutshi, Commercial Head, Global Generics, added, “The partnership with Libbs further builds on Biocon’s ability to forward integrate its portfolio of complex and differentiated APIs into finished dosages.
The resultant quality, safety and cost advantages, coupled with reliability of supply, give us a distinct competitive edge as we enter new markets.”

Delhi court appoints Local Commissioner (LC) to oversee sealing of advocate Mehmood Pracha’s computer

A Delhi court appointed a Local Commissioner (LC) to oversee the sealing of advocate Mehmood Pracha’s computer in a case of alleged tutoring of a witness in connection with the northeast Delhi riots.
The court directed the official to coordinate with him a visit to Mehmood Pracha’s office.
The sessions court will now hear the matter on April 28.
The court’s order came after Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad did not object to Pracha’s proposal to appoint an LC.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana directed the Investigating Officer (IO) to go to Pracha’s office and seize and seal the computer.
It directed that the entire procedure be videographed in the presence of advocate Avneet Kaur who was appointed as the Local Commissioner.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS and HONOURS

Filmfare Awards 2021 conferred

The star-studded 66th Filmfare Awards saw Anubhav Sinha’s ‘Thappad’ recording the most wins with seven awards, followed by ‘Gulabo Sitabo’, winning six, both emerging as big winners.

Here is a complete list of the winners:

Best Film: Thappad
Best Film (Critics):Prateek Vats (Eeb Allay Ooo!)
Best Director: Om Raut (Tanhaji – The Unsung Warrior)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male):Irrfan Khan (posthomous) (Angrezi Medium)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female): Taapsee Pannu (Thappad)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male – Critics): Amitabh Bachchan – (Gulabo Sitabo)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female – Critics): Tillotama Shome – (Is Love Enough? SIR)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male): Saif Ali Khan (Tanhaji – The Unsung Warrior)
BestActor in a Supporting Role (Female):Farrokh Jaffar (Gulabo Sitabo)
Best Debutant Actress:Alaya F (Jawaani Jaaneman)
Best Debutant Director:Rajesh Krishnan (Lootcase)
Best Story:Anubhav Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo (Thappad)
Best Screenplay:Rohena Gera (Is Love Enough? SIR)
Best Dialogue: Juhi Chaturvedi (Gulabo Sitabo)
Best Cinematography:Avik Mukhopadhayay (Gulabo Sitabo)
Best Editing:Yasha Pushpa Ramchandani (Thappad)
Best VFX:Prasad Sutar from NY VFXWaala (Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior)
Best Action:Ramazan Bulut, RP Yadav (Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior)
Best Music Album:Pritam Chakraborty (Ludo)
Best Lyricist:Gulzar – Chhappak (Chhappak)
Best Singer (Male):Raghav Chaitanya – Ek Tukda Dhoop (Thappad)
Best Singer (Female): Asees Kaur- Malang (Malang)
Best Chereography: Farah Khan for Dil Bechara (Dil Bechara)
Best Background Score:Mangesh Urmila Dhakde (Thappad)
Best Sound Design:Kaamod Kharade (Thappad)
Best Production Design: Manasi Dhruv Mehta (Gulabo Sitabo)
Best Costume Design:Veera Kapur Ee (Gulabo Sitabo)
Lifetime Achievement Award:Irrfan Khan
Best Short Film (Fiction): Arjun
Best Short Film (Non-Fiction): Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary
Best Short Film (Popular Choice):Devi
Best Short Film Actor: Arnav Abdagire (Arjun)
Best Short Film Actress: Purti Savardekar (The First Wedding)
All in all, though 2020 was a tough year for the film industry still they came together as one to ensure that the magic of cinema would not be extinguished amidst the raging coronavirus pandemic.
The 66th edition of the Filmfare Awards was hosted by Riteish Deshmukh, Rajkummar Rao, and Maniesh Paul.

Range officer Mahinder Giri won International Ranger Award

Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has congratulated Mahinder Giri, range officer of Rajaji Tiger Reserve for being the only ranger from Asia to win the prestigious International Ranger Award for his contribution towards conservation.
The award has been announced for 10 professionals across the world by the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN and World Commission on Protected Areas WCPA.
Developed through collaboration between the IUCN WCPA, the International Ranger Federation, Global Wildlife Conservation, and Conservation Allies, these awards, created in 2020, aim to highlight and felicitate the extraordinary work that rangers do in protected and conserved areas worldwide.

CRUT wins Cities India Awards

The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) that manages Mo Bus service has won the Cities India Awards-2021 in the Smart SPV/Municipal Corporation category.
The award was presented to CRUT at an event organized by the India Trade Promotion Organization under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Exhibitions India Group in Delhi. CRUT general manager Dipti Mahapatro received the award.
The award recognises projects from the designated special purpose vehicles (under Smart City Mission) that are promoting sustainable development in urban areas.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s

India, Bangladesh ink five MoUs

India and Bangladesh signed 5 MoUs in the fields of trade, IT and setting up of sports facilities on the concluding day of the 2-day long official visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Five MoUs were signed between India and Bangladesh in various fields like disaster management, ICT equipment, and sports in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
Wrapping up the visit, the delegation level talks were held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Both the leaders discussed the progress achieved in areas of health, trade, connectivity, energy, developmental cooperation and many more.
Prime Minister Modi and Sheikh Hasina discussed bilateral issues covering areas of commerce and trade, water resources, security and defence, power and energy among others.
Spokesperson of the MEA mentioned that the meeting between the Prime Ministers reiterates the highest priority India attaches to Bangladesh.
Several important announcements were also made after the summit meeting between the Prime Ministers.
Both leaders agreed that a direct passenger train named ‘Mitali Express’ will run between Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri.
India gifted 109 ambulances to Bangladesh and also 1.2 million doses of the Covishield vaccine

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pakistan Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Ballistic Missile Shaheen-1A

On March 26, 2021, Pakistan conducted a successful test-fired of a Shaheen-1A nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
It has a range of 900 kilometers.
It was Jointly designed and developed by the joint venture of National Engineering & Scientific commission (NESCOM) and the National Defence Complex.
The launch was witnessed by senior officials from Strategic Plans Division, strategic forces, scientists and engineers of strategic organisations.
In February, Pakistan successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile which can strike targets up to 290 kilometres.

Aim :

Re-validating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system including advanced navigation systems.

About Strategic Plans Division :

Director General : Lieutenant General Nadeem Zaki Manj
Founded: 2 February 2000
Headquarters: Chaklala Cantt., Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

About Pakistan :

Prime Minister : Imran Khan
President Arif Alvi
Capital : Islamabad
Currency : Pakistani rupee

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ENVIRONMENT

New Bacteria Methylobacterium ajmalii Found on ISO Named After Indian Scientist Ajmal Khan

The new bacterial strains discovered from different locations aboard the ISS .
The researchers named the novel species as Methylobacterium ajmalii, in honour of the renowned Indian biodiversity scientist, Dr Ajmal Khan, a former professor at Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu.
The genome analysis of Methylobacterium ajmalii strains revealed the presence of genes that are involved in promoting plant growth.
The bacterial strains belonging to the family Methylobacteriaceae.
It was isolated from different locations aboard the ISS across two consecutive flights.
The findings of the study were published in a recent issue of the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

About the Research :

The research teams were led by Kasthuri Venkateswaran of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, C.C. Wang of WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Professor Appa Rao Podile from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) with expertise on plant growth-promoting bacteria and plant microbiome and Dr. Ramprasad, a CSIR-pool Scientist.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

Carmen Maria Machado wins Rathbones Folio Literary prize

The American author Carmen Maria Machado has won the £30,000 Rathbones Folio prize.
It is for her memoir In the DreamHouse, which examines the domestic abuse she was subjected to by her ex-girlfriend.

About the book :

The DreamHouse looks at the relationship through different literary genres and tropes, from classic romance to ghost story, unreliable narrator to pathetic fallacy.
In the book, the author outlines her experiences in a same-sex relationship with her former partner, and the abuse she was subjected to.

About Rathbones Folio Literary prize 2021:

The Rathbones Folio Prize is a literary award that was launched by London-based publisher The Folio Society in the initial two years, that is 2014-2015.
Starting in 2017 the sponsor is Rathbone Investment Management.
The Rathbones Folio Prize 2021 Ceremony, hosted from the British Library by Razia Iqbal

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar to host AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022

On March 26, 2021, The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced the venues for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022.

AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 Venues :

DY Patil Stadium – Navi Mumbai,
TransStadia – Ahmedabad
Kalinga Stadium – Bhubaneswar
The Women’s Asian Cup will kickstart on January 20 with the final set to be played on February 6 in 2022.
The 2022 AFC Asian Women’s Cup is the second of the two international women’s football competitions to be held in India next year, with the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s Cup being the other.

About AFC :

President: Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa
Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Founded: 8 May 1954, Manila, Philippines
General Secretary: Windsor John

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Author and Noted journalist Anil Dharker passes away

On March 26, 2021, Noted journalist and author Anil Dharker passed away in Mumbai.
He was 74.

About Anil dharker :

Anil Dharker was the founder and director of the Mumbai International Literary Festival.
Mumbai International Literary Festival held in November every year
Dharker had been a columnist and writer, an architect, a member of the advisory committee of the film certification board.
He had been the editor of a variety of publications, starting with ‘Debonair’, ‘Mid-Day’; The Independent’ and ‘The Illustrated Weekly of India.
Also He was a columnist for The Indian Express newspaper and has authored ‘The Romance Of Salt’, a book on Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March.
Dharker had also worked as a TV show producer and anchor.
He was a member of the Advisory Boards of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Children’s Film Society of India.

Noted Odissi dancer Laxmipriya passes away

Noted Odissi dancer Laxmipriya Mohapatra, Passes away.
She was 86.
She is the wife of legendary classical dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra
She Starting her dancing career at an early age at the Annapurna Theatre in Puri in 1947
Laxmipriya debuted in a drama ‘Mohini’ and went on to perform in popular plays like ‘Manager’, ‘Aloka’, ‘Bharasa’, ‘Tapoi’, ‘Mulia’, ‘Kalapahada’, ‘Jahara’, and ‘Dasavatara’.

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.

Daily CA On Mar 28 & 29 :

Public Health Department, Maharashtra and National Health Mission, government of India dedicated ‘Two air conditioned Mobile Medical Vans’ to the nation in Jalna district of Maharashtra.
Prasar Bharati CEO, Shashi Shekhar Vempati has expressed happiness that the public broadcaster-run Direct to Home (DTH) platform DD Free Dish has crossed 40 million subscribers.
Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that whenever various types of challenges arose in India, Judiciary always came with an apt and competent answer to it.
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.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Shaheed Ashfaq Ulla Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur.
Under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat State of Goa is paired with Jharkhand.
Biocon Ltd, an innovation-led global biopharma company, has announced a partnership between Biocon Pharma Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Biocon Limited, and Libbs Farmaceutica, a pharmaceuticals company in Brazil, to launch generic drugs in Brazil, the world’s sixth most populous country.
A Delhi court appointed a Local Commissioner (LC) to oversee the sealing of advocate Mehmood Pracha’s computer in a case of alleged tutoring of a witness in connection with the northeast Delhi riots.
The star-studded 66th Filmfare Awards saw Anubhav Sinha’s ‘Thappad’ recording the most wins with seven awards, followed by ‘Gulabo Sitabo’, winning six, both emerging as big winners.
Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has congratulated Mahinder Giri, range officer of Rajaji Tiger Reserve for being the only ranger from Asia to win the prestigious International Ranger Award for his contribution towards conservation.
India and Bangladesh signed 5 MoUs in the fields of trade, IT and setting up of sports facilities on the concluding day of the 2-day long official visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On March 26, 2021, Pakistan conducted a successful test-fired of a Shaheen-1A nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
The new bacterial strains discovered from different locations aboard the ISS .
The American author Carmen Maria Machado has won the £30,000 Rathbones Folio prize.
On March 26, 2021, The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced the venues for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022.
On March 26, 2021, Noted journalist and author Anil Dharker passed away in Mumbai.
Noted Odissi dancer Laxmipriya Mohapatra, Passes away.

Excellence by Saikat Sir

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