Weekly Current Affairs and GK Compilation – First Week Of March ( 1st March to 7th March 2018)

Dear friends our team prepare the daily gk material and publish it on website daily basis, however it become difficult to keep track of GK on daily basis and moreover many of the news are repeated , so we have comeup with Plan to Provide Weekly Current Affairs and GK Booklet which will be helpful for you for your preparation, in this article we have covered articles from 1st March to 7th PDF, also you can get the PDF version of same.

 First Week Of March ( 1st March to 7th March 2018) GK and Current Affairs 

We have arranged the Complete week current affairs topic wise starting from National,  International, Business and Economy, Sports, Science and Tech etc. so that it is easier for you to read and navigate.

Current Affairs National

India regains ‘world’s fastest growing economy’ tag 

• India has regained the world’s fastest growing major economy tag with the GDP at 7.2 per cent for October-December quarter, compared to China’s 6.8 per cent.
• The GDP figure for the December quarter has beaten estimates in the range of 6.5 to 6.9 percent.
• The economy is expected to grow at 6.6 per cent in the current fiscal ending March 31, as per the second advanced estimates of the Central Statistics Office (CSO), compared to 7.1 per cent in 2016-17.
• The earlier estimate was 6.5 per cent.

Govt sanctions Rs. 1200 cr to clear pollution in Delhi

• In a move to provide Delhi residents relief from the burgeoning air pollution crisis in the city, the NDA government at the Centre has sanctioned schemes worth Rs 1,200 crore to keep a check on alarming pollution levels in the capital.
• On account of the air quality worsening in Delhi due to burning crop residue from October to December months, the schemes will help curb pollution, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said at an event on 26 February.

15th finance commission’s national survey map begins with Arunachal Pradesh

• The 15th finance commission (FFC), which looks at the sharing of tax revenues between central and state governments, will launch its national level interactions from Arunachal Pradesh.
• It will be the first time a finance commission will be doing so.
• N.K. Singh, chairman of the FFC said, “It (the visit) is more than symbolic. We will be beginning with Arunachal Pradesh in April. After that we are scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir and after that Kerala.”
• In the process India is sending a clear signal to China that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of its sovereign territory.

Shri Nitin Gadkari Lays the foundation stone for National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IIT Chennai 

• Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation laid  the  foundation stone for setting up of a National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC), at IIT Chennai on Monday.  
• The Ministry of Shipping and IIT Chennai also signed an MoU for this at the event on Monday.
• NTCPWC, being set up under the Shipping Ministry’s flagship programme Sagarmala, will act as a technology arm of the Ministry of Shipping for providing engineering and technological inputs and support for Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India and other institutions. 

Computers allowed to students to write CBSE 10th 12th Board Exams

• Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE has released an official notification on Tuesday evening, permitting the use of computers for a candidate with special needs or CWSN in the upcoming Class 10th 12th Board Examinations 2018.
• As per the circular candidates who have been certified by medical practitioners, qualified psychologists and have been recommended the use of computers would be allowed the facility to use the same in writing the examination.
• The circular dated February 27, 2018, also details that such students are required to carry their own computer laptops.

India, US working together on regional, maritime security

• The US is working with India on a range of issues including regional and maritime security, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
• “Our goal is to ensure that we are working together on an array of issues with respect to regional security,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White told.

NHAI to deploy all-women toll staff on International Women’s Day

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to deploy all women toll collecting staff in day shift on at least one toll plaza close to the city area in every state and Union Territory on the International Women’s Day on March 8.
• “If this initiative is successful, then it will be implemented across all toll plazas under operation by NHAI within the next three months.
• The regional officers have been instructed in this regard,” the ministry of road transport and highways said in a statement.
  

Centre approves Rs 2,900 crore to make cities safer for women

• The Centre on Thursday approved projects worth over Rs 2,900 crore under the Nirbhaya fund for eight major cities of the country in a bid to make them safer for women.
• Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad Ahmedabad and Lucknow have been sanctioned a total of Rs 2,919.55 crore after a meeting today of the Empowered Committee, which is headed by the secretary of Women and Child Development (WCD).

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami launches new education helpline for students

• Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami on Thursday has launched a 24-hour education helpline – 14417 – which will provide all education-related information in a single platform.
• Students and parents can get answers to their queries on higher education opportunities, career guidance and other education-related information in this new toll-free helpline.
• Students with depression can also contact 14417 to get psychological help.
  

India successfully test-fires ATGM Nag in desert conditions

• India on Wednesday successfully test-fired Anti Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) Nag in desert conditions, defence sources said.
• The Nag ATGM has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Wednesday’s flight tests have once again proved their capability.
• Director General (Missiles and Strategic Systems) G Satheesh Reddy said the technologies pertaining to ATGM to engage targets in different conditions have been established with the successful tests.
  

India-Jordan sign 12 agreements

• India and Jordan inked 12 Agreements and MoUs.These include agreement on Defence Co-operation, Visa waiver of Diplomatic & Official Passport holders, Cultural Exchange Programme, Manpower Co-operation agreement, Co-operation in field of Health and Medicine.
• For setting up of Next Generation Centre of Excellence. MoU for long term supply of Rock Phosphate and Fertilizer/NPK, Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement.

1st Mega Food Park inaugurated in Maharashtra at Satara

• The first Mega Food Park in the state of Maharashtra, M/s Satara Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd. at Village Degaon, District Satarawas inaugurated on 1st March, 2018 by Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries in the presence of Shri DevendraFadnavis, Chief Minister, of Maharashtra.
• This is the 12th Mega Food Park operationalized in the country so far and the 10th operationalized during the tenure of present government.
• Ministry of Food Processing Industries is focusing on boosting the food processing industry so that agriculture sector grows exponentially and becomes a major contributor to doubling the farmer’s income and ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government.
  

India backs Kabul’s peace offer

• India welcomed Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s outreach to the Taliban at the Second Kabul Conference on Wednesday.
• Representing India at the conference, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale met Mr. Ghani as well as Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
• “The Foreign Secretary conveyed that India welcomed the Afghan government’s call to armed groups to cease violence and join national peace and reconciliation process that would protect the rights of all Afghans, including the women, children and the minorities,” an Ministry of External Affairs statement said.

Imp Note : Afghanistan    Capital – Kabul   Currency – Afghan afghani

Vinay Kumar is envoy to Afghanistan

• Senior diplomat Vinay Kumar has been appointed as India’s ambassador to strategically key Afghanistan, succeeding incumbent Manpreet Vohra.
• Mr. Kumar, a 1992 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as Joint Secretary (south) in the headquarters of the External Affairs Ministry.
• Mr. Kumar has served in various positions and has worked in India’s permanent mission to the United Nations in New York. 

Hetero launches HIV treatment drug in India

• Drug firm Hetero on Tuesday said it has launched generic anti-retroviral fixed-dose combination (FDC) of Emtricitabine (200mg) and Tenofovir Alafenamide (25mg) in India.
• The product has been approved by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and will be marketed and distributed under the brand name ‘TAFERO-EM’ by Hetero Healthcare Ltd.
• The FDC drug is an anti-retroviral medication which is indicated in combination with other anti-retroviral agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older.

Lakshadweep joins “UDAY” scheme; would derive an overall net benefit of Rs 8 crore through “UDAY” 

• The Government of India and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the Scheme UDAY, for operational turnaround of the Union Territory’s Electricity Department. 
• An overall net benefit of approximately Rs. 8 crore would accrue to Lakshadweep by participating in UDAY, by way of cheaper funds, reduction in AT&C losses, interventions in energy efficiency, etc. during the period of turnaround and will continue in future years.
• The MoU paves way for improving operational efficiency of the Electricity Department of the Union Territory (UT).
• Through compulsory Distribution Transformer metering, consumer indexing & GIS mapping of losses, upgrade/change transformers, smart metering of high-end consumers, feeder audit etc.,AT&C losses and transmission losses would be brought down, besides eliminating the gap between cost of supply of power and realisation.

Imp Note : UDAY – Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana is the financial turnaround and revival package for electricity distribution companies of India initiated by the Government of India.

Indian Navy’s three-week tri-service maritime exercise concludes

• Paschim Lehar, a three-week tri-service maritime exercise off India’s western coast, in which several ships, submarines and fighter aircraft participated, has concluded, the Navy said on Thursday.
• The objective of the exercise, which commenced on February 12, was to build interoperability.
• Over 40 naval assets including the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, frontline ships of the Western Fleet and Eastern Fleet, including the newly-inducted Kolkata class ones, submarines, potent missile vessels of the 22nd Killer Squadron, patrol vessels and craft of the local flotilla and the Coast Guard participated in the exercise.

Manik Sarkar Resigns As Tripura Chief Minister

• Outgoing Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar submitted his resignation to governor Tathagata Roy today, a day after the CPI(M)-led Left Front was dethroned by the BJP-IPFT coalition after nearly 25 years in power.
• The governor advised Sarkar, who was chief minister since 1998, to continue until the new chief minister takes oath.
• Coming out of the Raj Bhavan, Sarkar told reporters that he and his ministers would not have been able to run the government for so many years unless the people and the employees extended their cooperation to them.
• He expressed gratitude to the people of the state and the staff members of the state administration.
• The BJP-IPFT combine scripted history yesterday by winning the Tripura Assembly polls with a two-third majority, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front in the north-eastern state.
  

IIEST confers D.Litt on ex-President Pranab Mukherjee

• Former President Pranab Mukherjee was today conferred the D.Litt by the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST). 
• Mukherjee was conferred the honorary D.Litt (Honoris Causa) at the 4th annual convocation of the IIEST here in Howrah district. 
• “Director of IIEST Prof Ajoy Ray had earlier requested me to receive this honour but I did not agree then due to constitutional reasons.After I left the Rashtrapati Bhavan, I thought now I can accept the honour,” Mukherjee said. 
• Ray said Mukherjee was chosen for the honour for his contributions in the fields of social, economics and arts. 

Tripura’s new government to take oath on March 8

• The new government will be sworn in on Thursday in Tripura, where the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance defeated the Communist Party of India (Marxist) government in power in the northeastern state for 25 years.
• The BJP and alliance partner, the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), scripted history on Saturday by winning the Tripura assembly polls with a two-third majority in the state, ensuring India would now have 15 chief ministers from the party.
• The BJP in 2013 had forfeited its deposit in 49 of the 50 seats it contested, bagging less than 2% of the vote. This time around, it swept to a comfortable majority winning 43 seats with an ally, ousting the long-serving Communist chief minister of the state, Manik Sarkar.
• Biplab Deb, a young BJP leader with a background in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is expected to be the state’s new chief minister.

Odisha launches ‘Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas’ programme on Panchayatiraj Divas

• Taking an initiative to strengthen panchayatiraj system in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today launched ‘Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas’ programme to mark birth anniversary of legendary leader Biju Patnaik.
• The programme was inaugurated with an aim to take new projects to meet people’s necessities along with encouraging the panchayats performing well in each block of the state.
• Chief Minister Patnaik will reach the panchayats through the programme ‘Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas’.
• “On Panchayatiraj Divas and Biju Babu’s birth anniversary, we have initiated a new programme ‘Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas’. We will directly speak to our villagers twice a week to hear about their projects and desires and sanction their projects immediately. I have sanctioned the project worth Rs 2 crore,” said Patnaik.
• Through the programme, the government will directly talk to the panchayat representatives and public.

Odisha launches ‘Khushi’ to provide free sanitary napkins

• The Odisha government on Monday launched a scheme ‘Khushi’ to provide free sanitary pads to 17 lakh girl students across the state.
• Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the free sanitary napkin scheme for girl students from Class 6 to 12 in all the government and government-aided schools in the state.
• “In continuation of our pro-women initiative, I am happy to announce “Khushi” universal provisioning of free sanitary napkins to all 17 lakh girls in government and government-aided schools from Class 6 to 12,” the Chief Minister said.

Karnataka unveils healthcare scheme

• Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday unveiled a healthcare scheme aimed at benefitting about 1.43 crore households in the state.
• “The ‘Arogya Karnataka’ (Healthy Karnataka) will provide quality primary, secondary and tertiary treatment to both BPL and APL families in the state,” Siddaramaiah said after unveiling the scheme in the city.
• It is a step towards a healthier and more productive Karnataka.

Current Affairs Business and economy

Amazon buys video doorbell firm Ring for over $1bn

• Amazon has acquired video doorbell and home security camera maker Ring in a deal reportedly worth more than $1bn, as it pushes further into the internet of things and in-home-delivery space.
• The deal values Ring, which makes and sells popular video doorbells in the US, UK and Europe, at between $1.2bn (£86.4m) and $1.8bn.

India’s first ‘Made in India’ BS-VI diesel car unveiled

• Stuttgart based luxury car maker, Mercedes-Benz India on Monday launched country’s first BS VI compliant vehicle S Class in Delhi almost two years ahead of schedule.
• The company is planning to democratize its entire diesel product line up with BS VI engines ahead of schedule with every new product introduction in coming years.

PNB appoints A K Pradhan as Group Chief Risk Officer

• Hit by nearly Rs 12,700 crore fraud, Punjab National Bank (PNB) appointed its general manager A K Pradhan as the Group Chief Risk Officer, on Tuesday.
• PNB on Monday said that the amount of fraud in he Nirav Modi case can go up to Rs 12,700 crore as against the earlier estimate of Rs 11,400 crore.
• On February 14, PNB had detected the fraud wherein billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and associates allegedly cheated the bank by acquiring fraudulent letters of undertaking (LoUs) from one of its branches for overseas credit from other Indian lenders.

SBI, ICICI Bank, PNB hike leading rates; EMIs to get costlier

• Home and auto loans are set to get costlier as banks increase their benchmark lending rates. State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and ICICI Bank all increased their marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) by 10-20 basis points on Thursday.
• After the MCLR system came into affect in April 2016, this is the first time banks have increased the benchmark lending rate, signalling a turn in the interest rate cycle.
• SBI increased the one-year MCLR by 20bps to 8.15% from 7.95%, whereas ICICI Bank, the largest private sector bank, raised one-year MCLR by 10bps from 8.20% to 8.30%. 

Cabinet approves Establishment of National Financial Reporting Authority

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for establishment of National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) and creation of one post of Chairperson, three posts of full-time Members and one post of Secretary for NFRA.
• The decision aims at establishment of NFRA as an independent regulator for the auditing profession which is one of the key changes brought in by the Companies Act, 2013.
• The decision is expected to result in improved foreign/domestic investments, enhancement of economic growth, supporting the globalisation of business by meeting international practices, and assist in further development of audit profession. 

IndusInd Bank, Ripple tie up for cross border payments

• IndusInd Bank announced its partnership with Ripple, the enterprise blockchain solution for global payments, to facilitate payments into and out of India.
• With this affiliation, RippleNet can now provide instant access in emerging markets such as India, Brazil and China.
• In 2017, India saw a total of USD 65 billion move into the country and IndusInd Bank which has significant interests in cross border remittances, plans to harness the power of blockchain technology for facilitating global payments.

Cabinet approves new regulator to oversee auditors

• Union cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to establish a National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) as an independent regulator for the auditing profession, in an attempt to tighten the regulatory oversight over chartered accountants and plug loopholes.
• Setting up NFRA was one of the key changes brought about by the Companies Act 2013 but its provisions were not notified for the last five years.
• NFRA will have powers to investigate chartered accountants and their firms of all listed companies and large unlisted public companies, 

IDBI Bank cuts stake in Punjab Alkalies

• IDBI Bank has cut its stake In Punjab Alkalies & Chemicals (PAC). According to bulk deal data on the BSE, the bank has been selling its stake in the company.
• In 2018 so far, IDBI Bank has sold 18.11 lakh shares of PAC.Recently on February 28, IDBI sold 9.65 lakh shares at an average price of ₹25.35 and the shares were bought by Dayawati Dahiya.
• At the end of December 2017, IDBI Bank was holding 47.10 lakh shares, or 17.35 per cent stake in PAC.

Union Cabinet approves Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 1, 2018 approved the proposal of the Ministry of Finance to introduce the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 in Parliament.
• The main objective of the bill is to lay down measures to deter fugitive economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. 
• The Bill is expected to restore law and order, as with its implementation the fugitive economic offenders would be forced to return to India to face trial for their offences.
• The bill would also help the banks and other financial institutions to achieve higher recovery from financial defaults committed by such fugitive economic offenders and thus improving the financial health of such institutions.

Forbes India names 25 businesswomen as ‘trailblazers’

• Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, Forbes India has released as its “W-Power Trailblazers” issue this weekend, featuring 25 women stars, on the ascendency in business.
• The 25 women stars included names like Chiki Sarkar, publisher, Juggernaut Books, Adhuna Bhabani, founder-director, Bblunt, Anupriya Acharya, CEO (India), Publicis Media, Kavitha Sairam, co-founder, FIB-SOL Life Technologies, Dina Wadia and Shivpriya Nanda, joint managing partners, J Sagar Associates among others.
• “We need to specify that this is not a ranking but a qualitative selection — a grouping of ground breakers, game-changers and innovators working across diverse sectors such as technology, law, banking, insurance, media, biotech and the startup sector,” Forbes India said in a statement.

NTPC commissions 8 MW small hydro capacity in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh

• NTPC on Monday announced commissioning its 8 megawatt (MW) small hydro-capacity at Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, which has increased the state-owned power giant’s installed capacity to 51,391 MW.
• “Commercial Operation of Units 1 & 2 (2 x 4 MW) of Singrauli Small Hydro Electric Power Project. Units1 & 2 (2 x 4 MW) of Singrauli Small Hydro Electric Power Project has been declared on commercial operation from March 5, 2018,” NTPC said in a BSE filing on Monday.
• With this, the total commissioned and commercial capacity of the NTPC and NTPC group has become 44,500 MW and 51,391 MW respectively, said the exchange filing.

Current Affairs Sports

India, South Africa make combined donation for Cape Town water crisis

• Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli and his South African cricket team counterpart Faf du Plessis have donated Rs 5.5 lakhs (100,000 Rand) to the Cape Town Water Crisis on behalf of both teams.
• The cheque was handed over to the Gift of the Givers at the last T20 International at Newlands on Sunday.
• “Both teams had first-hand experience of the Water Crisis in Cape Town and, having chatted to Virat, we decided to get our teams to sign some jerseys which we auctioned off with the funds raised going to assist the Cape Town Water Crisis,” said Du Plessis.

Japan unveils Tokyo 2020 Olympics superhero mascots

• Japan has chosen two fox-like creatures with “supernatural” powers as its mascots for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• The yet unnamed mascots won a vote among schoolchildren, beating four other equally surreal contenders.
• The organizing committee said 16,769 schools across the country took part in the ballot.
• The mascots will greet visitors to the 2020 Games and help spread the Olympic and Paralympic spirit, it said.

New South Wales Open : Golfer Amandeep Drall tied 16th, Sharmila Nicollet tied 42nd 

• Amandeep Drall was the best Indian on view despite two late bogeys as she finished at tied 16th at the end of the opening round of the Women’s New South Wales Open.
• At the Coffs Harbour Golf Club, Amandeep, who missed the cut at Bonville Resort a week ago, was 2-under through 15 holes, when she dropped back-to-back bogeys on seventh and eighth holes, which were the second nine for her.
• She finished on tied 16th at even par 71.
• Sharmila Nicollet was four-over through her first five holes, before staging a good recovery with three birdies against one bogey in the remaining holes for a card of 2-over 73 and is currently tied 42nd.
• Vani Kapoor and Gaurika Bishnoi were 4-over 75 and Tied-67th after the first round.
  

Indian woman cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur joins Punjab police

• Indian women’s Twenty20 cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur joined the Punjab police as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora pinned the stars on her uniform.
• Harmanpreet, who was serving in the Indian Railways, was relieved from her duties after she put in a request to join Punjab police.
  

Vinesh Phogat settles for silver at Asian Wrestling Championships

•  Vinesh Phogat lost a close bout on Thursday to settle for a silver medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
• Vinesh suffered a 2-3 defeat to China’s Chun Lei in the summit clash of the women’s 50kg freestyle event.
• Another Indian wrestler Sangeeta defeated Jieun Um of Korea to win a bronze medal in the women’s 59kg freestyle event.
• Vinesh and Sangeeta’s medals increased the India’s tally so far to four, including two bronze medal in Greco-Roman events.

Australian 99-year-old George Corones smashes age world record in swimming

• Australia’s George Corones has broken what is claimed to be the 50-metres long-course freestyle world record for his age group.
• The 99-year-old was the only competitor in the 100 to 104 years men’s masters category on Friday and set a time of 56.12 seconds for a single length of the Gold Coast Aquatic Center pool, which will host the swimming competition at the Commonwealth Games next month.
• The race was organised specifically to allow Corones a chance to break the 100-104 age group record of 1:31.19 set in 2014 by Briton John Harrison.

27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey tournament begins in Ipoh 

• The 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey tournament begins in the Malaysian city of Ipoh today. Six nations – India, hosts Malaysia, defending champions England, Australia, Argentina and Ireland – are taking part in the tournament.
• India, currently the world number six side, will take on world number two Argentina in their opening round-robin match this afternoon.
• The match will begin at 1:30 PM Indian Time.

Venkatesh Prasad steps down as BCCI junior national selection committee chairman

• Former India pace bowler Venkatesh Prasad on Friday tendered his resignation from the post of chairman, junior national selection committee, less than a month after the country won the ICC U-19 World Cup.
• Prasad, who has worked as the head of the junior national selection committee for 30 months, of late shared a cold relationship with the BCCI mandarins.
• It has been learnt that Prasad cited personal reasons for stepping down and has also mentioned that he doesn’t want to fall under the purview of ‘Conflict of Interest’.
• “It’s still not clear but there are chances that he might be joining any IPL franchise and that’s why he wanted to avoid a potential conflict of interest,” a senior BCCI official told.
  

KKR name Dinesh Karthik as captain for IPL 2018; Uthappa his deputy

• India’s wicket-keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been appointed as the new captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
• Meanwhile, Saurashtra player Robin Uthappa has been named as the vice-captain of the side.
• Karthik will be taking over the captaincy from KKR’s long-serving captain Gautam Gambhir, who had led the franchise to their two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014

Advani-led India beat Pakistan to win Snooker Team World Cup

• The Indian combine of Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra staged a remarkable recovery to beat Pakistan in the final of the inaugural IBSF Snooker Team World Cup.
• After being 0-2 down in the best-of-five final played last night, India found themselves in a deeper hole at 0-30 down in the third frame.
• Thanks to a well-crafted 39 break from Chandra and a classy clearance of the final colours by Advani, the Indian hopes were kept alive.
• The third frame was a doubles match in which both Indians played out of their skin to stay alive in the final, winning it 72-47. 

Sunil Gavaskar named as Commissioner of T20 Mumbai League

• Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar was today named as the Commissioner of the inaugural edition of the T20 Mumbai League, which will be held from March 11-21.
• All the matches of the League, in which six teams are participating, will be held at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
• The announcement to appoint Gavaskar was made by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and Probability Sports India Private Limited (PSIPL) through a media release. 

Current Affairs World

Brussels to make public transport free on high air pollution days

• Brussels has moved to make the city’s public transport and bike share system free on the smoggiest days in a bid to drive down pollution levels and meet EU air quality directives.
• After two consecutive days of high particulate matter (PM) levels – defined as surpassing an average of 51-70 micrograms per cubic metre of air – buses, trams and metros would have to open their doors completely free, under new city council rules.
• Speed limits for cars would be also cut by about a third and wood burning for stoves would be banned under the law, which was forwarded for judicial review last week.
  

Imp Note : Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the de jure capital of Belgium.

Hope Hicks resigns as White House communications director

• Hope Hicks, the White House communications director and longtime aide to Donald Trump, has announced her resignation.
• The White House confirmed news of Hicks’ departure on Wednesday, one day after Hicks testified before the House intelligence committee for nine hours as part of the panel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
• “There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to President Trump,” Hicks said in a statement. “I wish the President and his administration the very best as he continues to lead our country.”

India, Russia and Bangladesh sign MoU on building nuke plant

• India, Russia and Bangladesh on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in building the Rooppur nuclear power project in Bangladesh.
• Indian companies can be involved in construction and installation works and supply of materials and equipment of a non-critical category for the project, said a statement issued by Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation or Rosatom.
• Rosatom, Bangladesh’s science and technology ministry and India’s Department of Atomic Energy will also cooperate in the field of personnel training, exchange of experience and consulting support.
• The MoU was signed in Moscow by Rosatom’s deputy director general for international relations Nikolay Spassky, Bangladesh ambassador SM Saiful Hoque and Indian ambassador Pankaj Saran.

Storm-driven flood in Northeast US 

• Businesses blocked doors with sandbags and officials warned residents of waterfront homes to be ready to evacuate as the northeastern United States braced for a powerful storm on Friday that threatened to flood coasts from Maine to North Carolina.
• Along Boston’s Long Wharf, not far from the Fanueil Hall tourist area, large piles of sandbags were in place around a subway station and a Marriott hotel, a spot that flooded with icy seawater during an early January storm.
  

Pakistan can do more to combat terrorism, says Pentagon

• Pakistan can do more to combat terrorism, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
• The US has repeatedly said that Pakistan is not taking action against terror groups like the Haqqani network and the Taliban.
• Islamabad has denied those allegations.Last month, the US froze some $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan.
• “With respect to Pakistan, we believe that Pakistan can do more to combat terrorism. This is an inflection point and this is an opportunity and Pakistan has an opportunity to do more,” Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Dana White told reporters at her weekly news conference.

Sri Lankan govt. launches Office of Missing Persons

• Sri Lanka has appointed commissioners to a special panel tasked with investigating war-era disappearances. The Office of Missing Persons was officially launched on Wednesday by President Maithripala Sirisena.
• The country’s Parliament agreed two years ago to the first steps toward reconciling its war-era past — tracing about 20,000 people who went missing during 37 years of fighting.
  

French president Emmanuel Macron to visit India on March 9

• French President Emmanuel Macron will pay a four-day visit to India from March 9 during which he would discuss the economic, political and strategic ties between the two countries.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold delegation-level talks with the French president on March 10. 
• The leaders will co-chair the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) a day later. 

NASA launches advanced weather satellite for western U.S.

• NASA launched another of the world’s most advanced weather satellites on Thursday, this time to safeguard the western U.S.
• The GOES-S satellite thundered toward orbit aboard an Atlas V rocket, slicing through a hazy late afternoon sky.
• Dozens of meteorologists gathered for the launch, including TV crews from the Weather Channel and WeatherNation.GOES-S is the second satellite in an approximately $11 billion effort that’s already revolutionising forecasting with astonishingly fast, crisp images of hurricanes, wildfires, floods, mudslides and other natural calamities.
• The first spacecraft in the series, GOES-16, has been monitoring the Atlantic and East Coast for the past year for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . 

Women march in London to call for gender equality

• Thousands of people joined a march in central London calling for gender equality and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote.
• The event, organised by the charity Care, was the sixth annual #March4Women, which is held each year on or near International Women’s Day on 8 March.
• Organisers promised an “uplifting and inspiring” march, which aimed to shine a spotlight on the inequality women and girls face worldwide.

Saudi Arabia Hosts First Marathon For Women As Part Of Modernisation Drive

• Saudi Arabia hosted its first marathon for women at the weekend, local media said, as the conservative kingdom seeks to boost female sports in a far-reaching modernisation drive.
• Hundreds of women runners, many of them dressed in traditional Islamic attire, raced in eastern Al-Ahsa region on Saturday.
• The event came after Riyadh hosted its first international half-marathon in late February, which prompted complaints from some Saudis on social media about the notable absence of women.
• Sports authorities are set to organise another marathon for women in the holy city of Mecca on April 6, pro-government Okaz newspaper reported.

China slashes 3 lakh troops; reduces army size to 2 million

• China on Monday said it has slashed three lakh troops, reducing the size of its 2.3-million People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to just two-million-strong force, a move aimed at making the world’s largest army a mightier force capable of winning modern wars.
• Chinese premier Li Keqiang made the announcement in his annual work report to the National People’s Congress (NPC).
• Li said the military had completed its goal of slashing three lakh troops, reducing the size of the 2.3 million PLA to just two-million-strong force.
• The PLA Daily, official newspaper of the Chinese military, said non-battle personnel were downsized.

Current Affairs Miscellaneous

Moon to get first mobile phone network

• The moon will get its first mobile phone network next year, enabling high-definition streaming from the lunar landscape back to earth, part of a project to back the first privately funded moon mission.
• Vodafone Germany, network equipment maker Nokia and carmaker Audi said on Tuesday they were working together to support the mission, 50 years after the first NASA astronauts walked on the moon.
• Vodafone said it had appointed Nokia as its technology partner to develop a space-grade network which would be a small piece of hardware weighing less than a bag of sugar.

India Ranks 47th When It Comes To Inclusive Internet

• Compromised by low usage and poor quality, India is ranked 47th out of 86 countries when it comes to inclusive Internet and connectivity for all, a Facebook report said on Monday.
• Facebook, which commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) to create a comprehensive “Inclusive Internet Index,” found India in the middle of Asian countries (12th out of 23) when it comes to connectivity.

Google celebrates festival of Holi with colourful doodle

• The Google Doodle marked the festival of Holi that is being celebrated across India on Friday.
• The Google itself is designed to depict various colourful people dancing to the beats of the drums which is a significant element of the festivities.
• It further defines Holi as “a Hindu spring festival celebrated in some northern states of the Indian subcontinent, also known as the ‘festival of colours’ “.

 

Viber to launch biggest group chat with up to 1 billion members

• Cross-platform instant messaging and voice over IP (VoIP) application Viber on Thursday announced the biggest group chat – Viber Community, with group “limits” of up to one billion members, in a bid to drive more usage and bring in more users to the app.
• Members of the groups will be able to interact with comments and reactions, and group administrators will be able to monetise the streams, tapping into a network of app partners and the larger e-commerce and media business of Rakuten, which owns Viber, according to a report by TechCrunch.

Google rolls out its Machine Learning course for everyone

• Google on Thursday launched “Learn with Google AI” — a set of educational resources developed by Machine Learning (ML) experts at the company, for people to learn about concepts, develop skills and apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) to real-world problems.
• “Learn with Google AI” comes with existing content as well as the new Machine Learning Crash Course (MLCC).

Facebook Rolls Out Job Search Feature In 40 Countries

• Social networking giant Facebook is reportedly in the process of launching its job application tool in over 40 countries, about a year after it was unveiled in the US and Canada.
• Somewhat similar to LinkedIn and Glassdoor, the feature allows users to look for jobs within Facebook.Among the countries in the list are France, Germany, Spain and the UK.
• Through the new service, Facebook users will now be able to search for and apply to jobs on both the mobile and desktop versions of the social networking app.

Twitter Bookmarks lets you save tweets for later

• Twitter has launched its Bookmarks feature globally that will give its over 300 million users a new way of saving tweets they like and might want to revisit and share.
• With our new “share” icon on every Tweet, the users will be able to bookmark a tweet, share via Direct Message, or Share off of Twitter any number of ways.

Hidden Penguin Mega-Colonies Discovered in Antarctica

• A previously unknown “mega-colony” of Adelie penguins have been found on the islands, which sit on Antarctica’s northern tip.
• More than 1.5 million of the birds were found in 2015 during a survey of the area, according to a report in the journal Scientific Reports.
• Researchers estimate the Danger Islands hold the largest colonies of Adelie penguins in Antarctica and the third- and fourth-largest colonies in the world. 

National Safety Day And National Safety Week

• The National Safety Day/Week Campaign is celebrated in India every year (organized by the National Safety Council) to commemorate the establishment of this event, 4th of March as well as enhance the safety awareness among people.
• National Safety Council of India is a self-governing body (non profit and nongovernmental organization for public service) which was established on 4th of March in 1966 under the Societies Act in Mumbai, having over 8000 members.
• It is a national movement carried out on annual basis to prevent and lessen the loss of life including various human being problems and their financial loss through availing them with safety, health and environment related support services.

Oscars 2018:  list of award winners

• BEST PICTURE- The Shape of Water
• ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE – Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
• ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE – Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• DIRECTING –  Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
• ORIGINAL SONG – ”Remember Me” from Coco Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
• ORIGINAL SCORE – The Shape of Water, Alexandre Desplat
• CINEMATOGRAPHY – Blade Runner 2049, Roger A. Deakins
• ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Get Out, Written by Jordan Peele
• ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Call Me by Your Name, Screenplay by James Ivory