Daily Current affairs - March 5, 2018 for all competitive exams
A Steering Committee has been constituted by the
Ministry of Finance under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Shri Subhash
Chandra Garg, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) to consider
various issues relating to the development of Fintech space in India.
- The constitution of the committee is in pursuance of
the announcement made by the Union Minister of Finance and Corporate
Affairs, Arun Jaitley in his Budget Speech 2018-19
Fintech Or
financial technology is the industry known for championing software and technology
in the financial sector. A very broad term, it includes anything from a bank
ATM, to software used to help spot manipulation of securities markets.
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Dr Jitendra Singh attended the social media
launch of “Namaste Shalom
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry
of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public
Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh launched
the social media of “Namaste Shalom”, a magazine devoted to India-Israel
relations.
- The magazine is edited by former MP Shri Tarun Vijay.
- Israeli Ambassador to India, Mr. Daniel Carmon and
other dignitaries were also present.
Karnataka Unveils Healthcare Scheme 'Arogya
Karnataka'
Karnataka Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah unveiled a healthcare scheme named 'Arogya
Karnataka' (Healthy Karnataka) aimed at benefitting about 1.43 crore
households in the state.
- It will provide quality primary, secondary and tertiary
treatment to both below-poverty-line (BPL) and
above-poverty-line (APL) families in the state.
Odisha govt launches 'Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas'
programme
The Odisha government has launched a
programme Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas (Our Village, our development) to reach
out to the people in rural areas and involve themselves in the developmental
activities.
- Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has flagged off
mobile video vans for ‘Ama Gaon Ama Vikas’ programme that will
move across the State to highlight various welfare schemes at villages in
the state.
Conrad Sangma to be Next Meghalaya CM
National People's Party (NPP) President Conrad
Sangma will be the new chief minister of Meghalaya. He will replace
Mukul Sangma.
- There would be no deputy chief minister for the state.
- Conrad Sangma is currently Member of Parliament,
Lok Sabha from Tura Parliamentary constituency.
Shigmotsav 2018 Celebrated in Goa
Shigmotsav has been organized
enthusiastically in Goa.
- Shigmotsav or Shigmo is one of the several cultural
festivals of the coastal state and is celebrated through colours,
costumes, music, dance and parades.
- Shigmo parades offer glimpses of Goan life depicted
through folk dance and music performances by locals.
India, Israel Inked MoU on Water Conservation
The government of India has signed an
MoU with Israel to enhance cooperation on 'National Campaign for
Water Conservation in India'.
- It was announced by the Minister of State for
Drinking Water and Sanitation S S Ahluwalia.
- As per this MoU, both sides would work to enhance
cooperation at the national, regional and international level to design,
implement and monitor a professionally designed National Water
Conservation Campaign in India to put water conservation on to the
national agenda.
Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP)
India and
Vietnam have signed an MoU on Cooperation between the Global Centre for Nuclear
Energy Partnership (GCNEP) and the Vietnam Atomic Energy
Institute (VINATOM).
- The two countries had signed a civil nuclear
cooperation agreement in 2016 and the MoU will enhance training and
research collaboration possibilities.
Global
Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) is located near Bahadurgarh in
Haryana. GCNEP is the sixth R&D unit under the aegis of Department
of Atomic Energy (DAE). GCNEP will help in capacity building, in association
with the interested countries and the IAEA, involving technology, human resource
development, education & training and giving a momentum to R&D in
enlisted areas.
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Merkel becomes fourth term as German Chancellor
Germany’s Angela Merkel has secured her fourth
term as the Chancellor after the Social Democratic party voted in favor of a
grand coalition with Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union.
- Efforts to form a coalition failed last year after the
Free Democratic and Green party pulled out of negotiations.
- The Parliament will formally elect Merkel as the
Chancellor on March 14.
Pakistan elects its first Dalit woman Senator
Pakistan has
elected Krishna Kumari Kohli as its first Dalit woman Senator.
- She won the election for the reserved seat for women
from Sindh Province.
- This election represents a major milestone for women
and minority rights in Pakistan.
- Earlier, Pakistan People’s Party had elected first
Hindu woman named Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla as a Senator.
China to recruit civilian astronauts
China will begin recruiting civilian astronauts
for its military-backed space programme and plans to increase the number of
crewed missions to around two a year
- China’s third batch of astronaut trainees will include
recruits from industry, research institutions and universities who will
help build and crew China’s independent space station
- New astronauts will include maintenance engineers,
yload specialists and pilots, Mr. Yang, who became China’s first man in
space in 2003
China now operates the Tiangong 2 precursor space station
facility, while the permanent station’s 20-ton core module will be launched
this year. The completed 60-ton station is set to come into full service in
2022 and operate for at least a decade.
China was excluded from the 420-ton International Space
Station mainly due to U.S. legislation barring such cooperation and concerns
over the Chinese space programme’s strong military connections.
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Researchers developed Silver copper telluride (AgCuTe)
Researchers
have developed silver copper telluride (AgCuTe), a novel compound that exhibits
poor thermal conductivity in the 25-425 degree C range but shows good
electrical conductivity.
- The new material made from silver, copper, and
tellurium shows high levels of thermoelectric performance that the
scientists are hoping could some day be harnessed to extract electricity
from waste heat of chemical, thermal, or steel power plants.
Due to the
low thermal conductivity of AgCuTe, one end of the 8 mm-long rod that is
contact with waste heat remains hot while the other end maintains cold
temperature. The temperature difference is essential for the generation of
electrical voltage. At the same time, the material exhibits good electrical
conductivity like metal.
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TB drugs policy to be discussed at meet
Global public health agencies will discuss the
Union Health Ministry’s policy on rationing new tuberculosis medicines at a
forthcoming meeting in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to
deliver the keynote address at the March 12-17 ‘End TB Summit’ in the capital.
- The conference, hosted by the government, The Stop TB
Partnership and the World Health Organisation (WHO) will discuss
commitments from global heads of state ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting
(HLM) on TB in September. By conservative estimates, a third of the DR-TB
patients need the newer therapies, Bedaquiline and Delaminid.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused
by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Tuberculosis generally
affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. Most
infections do not have symptoms, in which case it is known as latent
tuberculosis.
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India’s falling sex ratio
A recent
report from the NITI Aayog said sex ratio at birth (SRB) nationwide had dropped
from 906 in 2012-2014 to 900 in 2013-2015.
- In all, 17 of 21 large Indian States saw a drop in the
SRB, with Gujarat performing the worst, declining 53 points. Also, newer
data from India’s Sample Registration System show the SRB fell even
further in 2014-2016, from 900 to 898.
Sex Ratio at Birth is the
number of girls born for every 1,000 boys.
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Shatrughan Sinha Wins Lifetime Achievement
Award in UK
Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has been
honoured with the lifetime achievement award for his contribution to
the fields of arts and politics in the United Kingdom.
- The annual Political and Public Life
Awards instituted by Britain’s Asian Voice weekly newspaper was
presented at a ceremony in the UK’s Parliament complex in London.
World’s 1st hand-painted film nominated for
Oscars 2018
‘Loving Vincent’, the world’s first hand-painted
feature film, has been nominated in the ‘Animated Feature Film’ category at
Oscars 2018.
- The paintings used to make the film, which has 65,000
frames, are in the distinct style of painter Vincent Van Gogh.
- A total of 125 artists contributed to the film, which
is based on a probe into Van Gogh’s death.
Oscar Awards 2018
The 90th Annual Academy Awards (also known as
Oscar Awards) were held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the USA.
- The Shape of Water won the top prize of the night –
Best Picture.
- Jimmy Kimmel hosted the ceremony for the second year in
a row.
Best Picture: The Shape Of Water
Best Director: Guillermo del Toro, The Shape Of Water
Best Actress: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside
Ebbing, Missouri
Best Actor: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards
Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Original Screenplay: Get Out
Best Adapted Screenplay: Call Me By Your Name
Best Animated Feature Film: Coco
Best Foreign Language Film: A Fantastic Woman, Chile
Best Original Score: The Shape Of Water
Best Original Song: Remember Me, Coco
Best Documentary Feature: Icarus
Best Documentary Short: Heaven Is A Traffic Jam On The 405
Best Live Action Short: The Silent Child
Best Animation Short: Dear Basketball
Best Sound Editing: Dunkirk
Best Sound Mixing: Dunkirk
Best Production Design: The Shape of Water
Best Cinematography: Blade Runner
Best Makeup And Hair: Darkest Hour
Best Costume Design: Phantom Thread
Best Film Editing: Dunkirk
Best Visual Effects: Blade Runner
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Veteran Literateur Prafulla Das Passes Away
Veteran Literateur Prafulla Das passed away.
He was 91. He worked in Odia language.
- He was a recipient of the prestigious "Sarala
Award" for his achievement in the literary field.
- 'Banhimana', the biography of freedom fighter
Malati Chaudhury, brought him the Sarala Award in 2014.
Advani-led India wins snooker team World Cup
2018
India won the inaugural IBSF Snooker Team World
Cup in Doha, Qatar. India beat Pakistan in the best-of-five final.
- In the finals, Indian duo of Pankaj Advani and
Manan Chandra staged a remarkable recovery after being 0-2 down.
Wesley
Sneijder retires from international football
Midfielder Wesley Sneijder ended his
record-breaking career with the Netherlands by announcing his retirement from
international football.
- The decision follows discussions with new Dutch coach
Ronald Koeman, who went to see him in Qatar.
- He made his debut in 2003 and was a World Cup runner-up
in South Africa in 2010.
Viswanathan Anand wins the rapid event at Tal
Memorial
Viswanathan Anand won the rapid event at
the 11th Tal Memorial chess in Moscow.
- The World rapid champion finished the event with 6
points while Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (with 5 points) came second.
- That reversal was followed by draws to Peter
Svidler and Vladimir Kramnik in the fourth and fifth round
respectively.
