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WORLD / INTERNATIONAL 1. Multilateral naval exercise begins in AndamansThe Indian Navy began an eight-day-long mega naval exercisealong with leading maritime powers of the region at theAndaman and Nicobar Islands.The biennial exercise — Milan — is taking place in thebackdrop of imposition of state of emergency in Maldives andSri Lanka, two of India's maritime neighbours.28 warships including 17 from India and 11 from Australia,Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, SriLanka and Thailand are participating in the 10th exercise. 2. . to boost UAE Naval ships exercise off the coast of AbuDhabi.Naval ships of the UAE and India held a first-ever jointexercise - 'Gulf Star 1' - giving a further boost to bilateral ties.Indian participants : ships INS Gomati and INS Kolkata 3. President of India inaugurates world Hindi secretariatbuilding in MauritiusHe also launched the World Hindi Secretariat’s logo and a largeENT hospital being built with Indian assistance.Apart from India, Mauritius is the only country where thisconference is being hosted for a third time. 4. Global Firepower ranks India’s military as fourthstrongestIndia’s military is placed fourth on a global index that hasranked 133 countries on the basis of their global militaryprowess.The US, Russia and China were on top three positions

respectively.India’s western neighbour Pakistan ranks 13 on the GlobalFirepower (GFP) list 2017. 5. India ranks 52 in Mastercard women entrepreneurs index 6. India to give UN $15.82m for Nepal quake reconstructionIndia signed an agreement with the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for ProjectServices (UNOPS) to build 50000 homes for the quake victims. 7. Finland tops 2018 global happiness indexNorway and Denmark ranked second and third respectively.India ranked 133rd in the report. Burundi ranked last in theindex. 8. Paper £10 notes go out of circulation in UKOld paper £10 notes, featuring British naturalist Charles Darwin,went out of circulation across the UK on March 1.They have been replaced by the new polymer version featuringBritish author Jane Austen introduced last year.Anyone with the old banknote will need to deposit it at a bank asshops will refuse to accept them as they cease to be legal tender. 9. PM inaugurates two-day National Legislators ConferencePrime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a two-dayNational Legislators Conference on ‘We For Development’atthe Central Hall of Parliament House. 10. US tops global arms exporter list, India leads importersThe United States was the world’s biggest arms exporter in thepast five years, while India imported the most weapons,according to a new Stockholm International Peace ResearchInstitute (SIPRI) report.The SIPRI report revealed that the U.S. accounted for 34 percentof global major arms exports in 2013-2017. India topped the listof arms importers, followed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UnitedArab Emirates and China.

11. ‘WINGS INDIA 2018’The four-day biennial event ‘WINGS INDIA 2018 ‘, jointlyorganized by Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport Authority ofIndia and FICCI .The theme of the four-day biennial event this year is ‘India-Global Aviation Hub’. 12. Start-up incubator for women 'We-Hub' launched inTelanganaA start-up incubator was launched by the Telangana governmenton the occasion of International Women’s Day to exclusivelypromote entrepreneurship among women. The facility, named We-Hub, is the country’s first state-ledincubator exclusively for women entrepreneurs.We-Hub is an entrepreneurial platform for aspiring women fromrural and urban backgrounds helping them achieve beingindependent and overcome the societal barriers. 13. China scrapped two-term limit for Presidential ruleChina has abolished the limit on how long its leader can serve,meaning President Xi Jinping could now rule the countryindefinitely.The amendment overhauls a system introduced by former leaderDeng Xiaoping in 1982, which was introduced with the aim ofpreventing a repeat of the bloody reign of Mao Zedong.Until now, presidents had been limited to two consecutive terms. 14. World Ocean Summit 2018 concluded in Mexico 15. World ATM congress held in SpainThe Airports Authority of India (AAI) is participating in WorldATM Congress (WATMC) 2018 being held at IFEMA, Feria deMadrid, Spain from March 6 to 8.World ATM Congress is the world's largest international airtraffic management (ATM) exhibition and conference attractingthousands of delegates each year.The AAI is showcasing its achievements and initiatives, througha stall at the conference. 16. India ranks 78th on WEF energy transition index

India has been ranked at 78th, lower than its emerging marketpeers like Brazil and China, among 114 countries on the WorldEconomic Forum’s (WEF) energy transition index.The overall list was topped by Sweden, followed by Norway atthe 2nd position and Switzerland at the 3rd rank. 17. 17th World Conference on Tobacco held in South Africa The 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH)was held in Cape Town, South Africa from 7-9 March 2018. 18. India to host International Competition Network AnnualConference for the first timeIndia to host 17th Annual Conference of InternationalCompetition Network 2018 (ICN2018) from 21st to 23rd March2018 in New Delhi.While addressing the press conference, CompetitionCommission of India’s Chairperson Shri Devender Singh Sikrisaid that this is the first time India is hosting the ICN2018Annual Conference since it joined International CompetitionNetwork (ICN) in 2009. 19. Philippines to withdraw from International CriminalCourtThe Philippines says it will withdraw from the InternationalCriminal Court (ICC), a month after the judicial body started aninquiry into President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial war ondrugs.The country had given notice that it would withdraw from thetreaty that established the court.Duterte has been accused of encouraging extrajudicial killingsand other rights abuses in his bid to rid the country of drugssince his election in 2016. 20. Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resignsMauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigned after beingembroiled in a scandal over her use of a credit card to buyluxury personal items.Gurib-Fakim, Africa’s only female head of state, submitted herresignation.

21.Singapore named the world's most expensive citySingapore has been dubbed the world's most expensive city tolive in for the fifth year running.Damascus (SYRIA) ranked cheapest in the world.Bangalore, Chennai and New Delhi also featured among the top10 cheapest locations this year. 22. India, Russia, Bangladesh sign pact for Rooppur atomicplantThe Rooppur project is the first initiative under an Indo-Russiandeal to undertake atomic energy projects in third countries.Thiswill also be the first time Indian companies will be able toparticipate in a nuclear power project abroad.India is not amember of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and hencecannot participate directly in construction of atomic powerreactors. 23. G20 ministerial meeting opens in Buenos Aires(Argentina )The first G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bankgovernors began in Buenos Aires, with the presence of 57delegations from different countries and institutions.This is the first of five such meetings to be held beforeArgentina hosts the G20 Summit on November 30 to December1. 24.'World's best airport' title goes to Changi, Mumbairanked 63rd Singapore's Changi Airport has topped in the list of 'world'sbest airport' for the sixth consecutive year.The announcement was made at the Skytrax World AirportAwards held in Stockholm.South Korea's Incheon Airport, Tokyo Haneda in Japan, HongKong and Doha Hamad turned out to be the top five in the listrespectiveley.Mumbai airport has been given 63rd position whereas theairports in Bangalore and Delhi are at 64th and 66th placerespectively. 25. India Is Now The 4th Largest Automobile Market

GloballyAccording to the latest 2018 global data show, India hasovertaken Germany and has become the fourth largestautomobile market in the world.China is the largest Auto Market globally. 26. India is the third largest electricity producerNow India is the third largest electricity producer ahead ofRussia Japan.China and the United States are at first and second numberrespectively.

NATIONAL 1. Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahtsav held in Indore 2. Cabinet approves continuation of PMEGP beyond 12thPlan The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by thePrime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved thecontinuation of Prime Minister's Employment GenerationProgramme (PMEGP) beyond 12th Plan for three years from2017-18 to 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs.5,500 crore.Scheme will create sustainable estimated employmentopportunities for 15 lakh persons in three financial years. Khadiand Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is the nodalimplementation agency at the national level. 3. Dr Harsh Vardhan Launches Mobile AppIn an effort to transform environment protection into a peoples’movement, a digital mobile application was launched by theUnion Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change.Earth Sciences and Science & Technology in New Delhi. The App, named “Dr Harsh Vardhan”, focuses on his social& public activities and involvement of citizens in “Green GoodDeeds” movement, which urges people to perform at least oneGreen Good Deed every day. Some of the 500 Green Good Deeds listed in the Mobile Appinclude – planting trees, saving energy, conserving water, use of

public transport and promoting carpool. 4. Successful Flight Test of ATGM NAGAnti Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) NAG were successfullyflight-tested in desert conditions against two tank targets atdifferent ranges and timings.NAG ATGM has been developed by Defence Research andDevelopment Organisation (DRDO) and flight tests have onceagain proved its capability.With this, the developmental trials of the missile have beencompleted and it is now ready for induction. 15. India, Israel Joint Steering Committee Meeting onHomeland and Public Security heldThe two-day meeting of the Joint Steering Committee onHomeland and Public Security of India and Israel concluded inNew Delhi. 16. 1,28,509 Affordable Houses Sanctioned for Urban Poorunder PMAY(urban)Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved theconstruction of 1,28,509 more affordable houses for the benefitof urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) withan investment of Rs. 9,364 cr with central assistance of Rs.1,928 cr. 17. India’s first Aviation multi-skill development centreopens in ChandigarhAn aviation multi-skill development centre (MSDC) was openedin Chandigarh by aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.(housed at Chandigarh's old airport terminal building.) 18. First Mega Food Park in Maharashtra at SataraInauguratedThe first Mega Food Park in the state of Maharashtra, M/sSatara Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd. at Village Degaon, DistrictSatarawas inaugurated on 1stMarch, 2018 by Smt. HarsimratKaur Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries in thepresence of Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister, ofMaharashtra.

This is the 12th Mega Food Park operationalized in the countryso far and the 10th operationalized during the tenure of presentgovernment.Under the Scheme, Government of India provides financialassistance upto Rs. 50 Crore per Mega Food Park project. 19. List of MoUs signed during the Visit of the King ofJordan (Abdullah II) to IndiaMoU on Defence CooperationVisa waiver for diplomatic and official passport holdersCultural Exchange Programme (CEP)Manpower Cooperation AgreementMoU for cooperation in the field of Health and Medicinebetween India and JordanMoU for setting up of the next generation Centre of Excellence(COE) in JordanMoU for long term supply of Rock Phosphate andFertilizer/NPKCustoms Mutual Assistance AgreementTwining Agreement between Agra and Petra (Jordan)Cooperation between Indian Institute of Mass Communication(IIMC) and Jordan Media Institute (JMI)MoU between PrasarBharati and Jordan TVMoU between University of Jordan (UJ) and ICCR regardingsetting up of a Hindi Chair at the University 20. Dr Bhamre inaugurates Annual Army Seminar 2017-18Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr Subhash Bhamre inaugurated one-dayAnnual Army Seminar for 2017-18 on ‘Contribution of theArmy Towards Nation Building’ at Manekshaw Centre NewDelhi. 21. Western Naval Command Concludes Exercise PaschimLeher (XPL-18) Arabian Sea. 22. Delhi govt to set up State Sanskrit Education Council toimprove the state of formal education of the language in thenational capital. 23. NHAI to deploy all women toll collecting staff on

international Women’s Day (8th March)The National Highways Authority of India has decided todeploy all women toll collecting staff in day shift on at least onetoll plaza close to the city area, in every state and UT of thecountry InternationalWomen’s Day. 24. World's largest solar park launched in KarnatakaThe world's largest solar park set up at an investment ofRs.16,500 crore at Pavagada in Karnataka's Tumakuru districtwas launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.The 2,000 MW park, named as 'Shakti Sthala', spans across13,000 acres spread over five villages. 25. Telangana launches integrated app for all governmentservicesThe Telangana government has launched an m-Governancemobile application called ‘T App Folio’ to help citizens withone point access to government services. 26. Odisha Launches Scheme To Provide Free Sanitary PadsAs part of its initiatives to empower women, the Odishagovernment has launched Khushi scheme to provide freesanitary napkins to school girls across the state. 27. Centre approves Rs 2900 crore to make cities safer forwomenThe Centre has approved projects worth over Rs 2,900 croreunder the Nirbhaya fund for eight major cities of the country in abid to make them safer for women.Cities : Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru,Hyderabad Ahmedabad and LucknowThe Nirbhaya Fund was set up in the aftermath of the gruesomegangrape and murder of a paramedical student in Delhi in 2012,and aims at improving safety for women. 28. Maharashtra government ties up with Wikipedia topromote Marathi 29. List of Agreements signed visit of President of Vietnam

(Tran Dại Quang) to IndiaMoU on Economic and Trade Cooperation.Work Plan for the years 2018-2022 between the Indian Councilof Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development of Vietnam.MoU on Cooperation between the Global Centre for NuclearEnergy Partnership, India (GCNEP) and the Vietnam AtomicEnergy Institute (VINATOM).Points to RememberVietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of is the easternmostcountry on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia.is the President of Vietnam. Nguyen Xuan Phuc is the PrimeMinister of Vietnam.Hanoi is the Capital of Vietnam while Dong is the Currency. 30. After 25 years, Manik Sarkar steps down as Tripura CMTripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar (CPI) tendered hisresignation to Governor Tathagata Roy, who asked him tocontinue in office till the next Chief Minister takes over.The BJP-IPFT coalition has swept the polls, winning 43 of the59 seats for which elections were held.The BJP secured 35 seats in the 60-member assembly while itsally IPFT, a tribal based party, has won eight seats. 31. Odisha govt launches ‘Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas’programme to reach out to the people in rural areas and involvethemselves in the developmental activities. 32. Bengaluru’s first helitaxi service takes offApp-based taxi service took on a whole new meaning whenBengaluru’s first helitaxi service took off, ferrying passengersfrom Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to ElectronicsCity in 15 minutes.The helitaxi, touted to be the first such service in the country. 33. Threat of new malware looms over cyberspaceAfter Mirai and Reaper, cybersecurity agencies have detected anew malware called Saposhi. 34. Over Rs. 5600 crore sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan

Scheme by Tourism MinistryUnder the Swadesh Darshan scheme, thirteen thematic circuitshave been identified, for development namely: North-East IndiaCircuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit,Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit,Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, RamayanaCircuit and Heritage Circuit. 35. Centre sanctions Rs 1,000 crore for research andinnovationThe Union Government has announced a grant of Rs 1,000 crorefor the second phase of the Impacting Research Innovation andTechnology (IMPRINT) India programme.Under the IMPRINT-II, a fund is being created by theDepartment of Science and Technology and Ministry of HumanResource Development together, in which participation willcome from industry and other interested Ministries.Under the IMPRINT-I Programme, 142 projects at a cost of Rs.318.71 crore are already under implementation. 36. Cabinet approves MoU between UPSC and PublicService Commission of MauritiusThe Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri NarendraModi has approved the signing of a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) between Union Public ServiceCommission (UPSC) and Public Service Commission ofMauritius. 37. Swachh Shakti 2018 to be held in LucknowThe Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in associationwith the Government of Uttar Pradesh, is organizing a Women’sConvention – called Swachh Shakti 2018 – on InternationalWomen’s Day, at Lucknow. 38. RK Singh launches National E-Mobility ProgrammeShri R K Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) Power and New &Renewable Energy, launched the National E-MobilityProgramme.The Programme aims to provide an impetus to the entire e-mobility ecosystem including vehicle manufacturers, charging

infrastructure companies, fleet operators, service providers, etc.The Programme will be implemented by Energy EfficiencyServices Limited (EESL) which will aggregate demand byprocuring electric vehicles in bulk to get economies of scale. 39. NITI Aayog to launch Women EntrepreneurshipPlatform on 8th March on the occasion of the InternationalWomen's Day. The platform aspires to substantially increase thenumber of women entrepreneurs who will create and empower adynamic New India. 40. PM launches National Nutrition MissionOn the occasion of International Women's Day, the PrimeMinister, Shri Narendra Modi, launched the National NutritionMission, and expansion of the coverage of Beti Bachao BetiPadhao programme, at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. 41. Government announces launch of ‘SUVIDHA’Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and ParliamentaryAffairs, Shri Ananth kumar announced the launch of ‘Suvidha’,the 100% Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkin, under thePradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).The affordable sanitary napkin will be available for Rs. 2.50 perpad at over 3200 Janaushadhi Kendras across India and wouldensure ‘Swachhta, Swasthya and Suvidha’for theunderprivileged Women of India. 42. Udyam Sakhi Portal (www.udyamsakhi.org.) Launchedfor Women Entrepreneurs on March 8 by Ministry of Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME)On the occasion of International Women’s Day today, ,thelaunched a portal for women entrepreneursof India:www.udyamsakhi.org.The portal is a network for nurturing entrepreneurship andcreating business models for low cost products and services inorder to empower women and make them self-reliant and self-sufficient. 43. Shivraj Singh Chouhan Announces Pension For SingleWomen

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan onWomen's day announced 'Mukhyamantri Mahila Kosh' schemeunder which women who aren't married and are above the age of50 will be given pension. 44. Diu becomes first UT to run 100% on solar powerDiu generates a total of 13 megawatts of electricity from solarpower generating facilities daily.Around 3 MW is generated by rooftop solar plants and 10 MWby its other solar power plants. 45. India's top court allows passive euthanasiaOver a decade after NGO Common Clause filed a petitionseeking the right for terminally-ill patients “to die with dignity,”India’s Supreme Court has decreed that passive euthanasia islegally valid across the country.The judgment was made by a bench consisting of chief justiceDipak Misra and justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DYChandrachud, and Ashok Bhushanin.India is 22nd country to legalize passive euthanasia. (Netherland was first country to legalise it in 2000). 46. NCRB releases “Citizen Services” Mobile APPNational Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) celebratedits 33rd Inception Day, on March 11, 2018 in their newlyconstructed Complex at Mahipalpur, New Delhi and released“Citizen Services” Mobile APP. 47. The first ever Indo-French Knowledge Summit held inNew Delhi with the visit of French President EmmanuelMacron to India.The summit was organized by the French Embassy in India andco-hosted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development,Government of India. 48. PM Modi, French President inaugurate InternationalSolar AlliancePrime Minister Narendra Modi and French President EmmanuelMacron inaugurated the first International Solar Alliance (ISA)Summit on Sunday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre.

Both Macron and PM Modi addressed the plenary session of theSummit.PM Modi said that of the 121 countries which the ISA aims tocover, 61 have joined the alliance and 32 have ratifiedframework agreement.Besides the heads of 23 nations, 10 ministerial representatives ofdifferent countries attended the Summit. 49. Sanitary pad dispenser installed in Rajdhani ExpressOn the occasion of International Women's Day, for the first timein the country a sanitary pad dispensing machine was installed ina coach of Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express.It has been installed on a trial basis and the move would beextended to other trains as well. 50. Macron inaugurated UP’s largest solar plant inMirzapurFrench President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated UttarPradesh’s largest solar power plant, at Dadar Kala village inMirzapur district, during his proposed visit on March 12. 51. Bengal tops in rural job scheme, TN is secondWest Bengal has become the best performing State both in termsof allotting jobs and utilizing funds under the Mahatma GandhiNational Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). 52. India's first coastal policing academy set upThe Union home ministry recently sanctioned the launch of theNational Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP) located incoastal Okha in the newly created Devbhoomi Dwarka district(Gujarat). 53. Centre Constitutes Mahanadi Water Disputes TribunalThe Tribunal will have its headquarters at Delhi and will havethe following members nominated by the Chief Justice of India:Mr Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Judge, Supreme Court of India asChairmanDr Justice Ravi Ranjan, Judge, Patna High Court as MemberMrs Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar, Judge, Delhi High Courtas Member

54. Tata Motors and IOC commence trials of India’s firsthydrogen busTata Motors and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) have begun thecountry’s first demonstration trials for a hydrogen fuel cell bus. 55. Home Minister to inaugurate International PoliceConference on Cybercrime & TerrorismThe Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will inauguratethe two-day Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of theInternational Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in NewDelhi.The theme is "Challenges to Policing in 2020- How is CyberSpace shaping our approach to Cybercrime & Terrorism, how dowe perform within it and take advantage of it". 56. Pune tops in improved quality governance: SurveyPune has emerged as the top city to show improvement inquality of governance, according to a survey.The other cities that came in the top five include Kolkata,Thiruvananthapuram, Bhubaneswar and Surat.The survey was conducted by Janaagraha Centre for Citizenshipand Democracy. 57. “Innovation Cell” to be set up in HRD Ministry to boostInnovationIt will be headed by a Scientist and comprise of a seniorMinistry official and young professionals who bring to the tablenew ideas in promoting innovation. 58. LaQshya program for pregnant womanMinistry of Health and Family Welfare has recently announcedthe launch of program ‘LaQshya’.The Program will improve quality of care for pregnant womenin labour room, maternity Operation Theatre and ObstetricsIntensive Care Units (ICUs) and High Dependency Units(HDUs).The LaQshya program is being implemented at all MedicalCollege Hospitals, District Hospitals and First Referral Unit(FRU), and Community Health Center (CHCs) and will benefitevery pregnant woman and new-born delivering in public health

institutions.‘LaQshya’ will reduce maternal and newborn morbidity andmortality, improve quality of care during delivery andimmediate post-partum period and enhance satisfaction ofbeneficiaries and provide Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) toall pregnant women attending public health facilities. 59.. KUSUM Scheme – harnessing solar power for ruralIndiaThe Government of India is in the process of formulating aScheme ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan(KUSUM)’ which provides for:Installation of grid-connected solar power plants each ofcapacity up to 2 MW in the rural areas;Installation of standalone off-grid solar water pumps to fulfillirrigation needs of farmers not connected to grid;Solarization of existing grid-connected agriculture pumps tomake farmers independent of grid supply and also enable themto sell surplus solar power generated to DISCOM and get extraincome; andSolarization of tube-wells and lift irrigation projects ofGovernment sector. 60. Atal Bhujal YojanaThe Government has proposed Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY)aimed at sustainable ground water management withcommunity participation in select over-exploited and groundwater stressed areas in seven States (Gujarat, Haryana,Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UttarPradesh). ABHY is designed as a Central Sector Scheme with a totaloutlay of Rs. 6,000 Crore and is proposed to be implementedwith World Bank assistance. 61. Modi to inaugurate Science CongressPrime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 105th edition ofthe Indian Science Congress in Imphal on March 16. Earlie itwas scheduled to be held at osmania university Hydrabad butwas shifted to Imphal due to security concerns.Note : first Indian science congress was held in Asiatic society

building Calcutte in January 1914 and presided over byAshutosh Mukherjee, then vice chancellor of Calcuttauniversity. The 106th edition of the Indian Science Congress will be heldnext year from 3rd to 7th January at the Barkatullah Universityin Bhopal. 62. NITI Aayog Releases SATH-E RoadmapsSATH-E to introduce System-wide Governance Transformationin School EducationSATH-E- ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capitalin Education on March 17. 63. More than 17 lakh beneficiaries enrolled under PradhanMantri Matru Vandana YojanaNumber of beneficiaries enrolled under Pradhan Mantri MatruVandanaYojana (PMMVY) has increased to 17,66,423.Every day on an average, around 50, 000 new applications arereceived for enrolment.The Government of India has approved Pan-Indiaimplementation of PMMVY in all districts of the country from01.01.2017 under which the eligible beneficiaries get Rs. 5,000/-under PMMVY and the remaining cash incentive as perapproved norms towards Maternity Benefit under JananiSuraksha Yojana (JSY) after institutional delivery so that on anaverage, a woman gets Rs. 6000/-. 64. Nitin Gadkari inaugurates 5th 'Nadi Mahotsava' inHoshangabadUnion Minister for Water Resources, River Development andGanga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated the 5th 'NadiMahotsava' in Hoshangabad District of Madhya Pradesh. 65. President of India Inaugurated a Festival of Innovationand EntrepreneurshipThe President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurate aFestival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) and presentGandhian Young Technological Innovation awards instituted by

Society for Research and Initiatives for SustainableTechnologies and Institutions [SRISTI] at Rashtrapati Bhavanon March 19, 2018. 66. First India-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reductionbegan on 19th MarchIndia and Japan, two of the most disaster-prone countries in theworld, are coming together to address disaster risk.Japan is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire and is highlysusceptible to earthquakes.Its technological know-how, especially in the area of earthquakerisk reduction, is among the most advanced in the world. 67. Informal World Trade Organisation Ministerial Meetingon 19-20th March in New DelhiRepresentatives from 50 countries will be gathering in NewDelhi on 19-20 March for an informal World Trade Organisation(WTO) ministerial meeting.The informal meeting of ministers will provide an opportunity toengage in free and frank discussions with the hope that it willlead to political guidance on some major issues. 68.7th Women Science Congress Inaugurated at at theongoing 105th session of Indian Science Congress in Imphal, 69. Manduadih to be renamed Banaras railway stationThe holy city of Varanasi is soon likely to get a railway stationnamed “Banaras”.The Railway Ministry is considering renaming the Manduadihrailway station as Banaras railway station.(The name Varanasi is said to be derived from combination of‘Varuna’ and ‘Asi’ — the names of rivers.Kashi is the ancient name of Varanasi.) 70. Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba celebrated in ManipurThe traditional festival of Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba wascelebrated in Manipur on 18th March to mark the beginning of anew year.The festival is mainly observed on the first lunar day of the lunarmonth Sajibu (March/April) by the Meitei community, a

majority ethnic group of Manipur. 71. Punjab to impose permanent ban on hookah bars.Punjab will be the second State in the country, after Gujarat, totake the significant decision.Gujarat has banned Hookah bars in the State by passing theCOTPA Amendment Bill, 2017. 72. Dr. Jitendra Singh to inaugurate international yoga festA 3-day International Yoga Fest from 21-23 March, 2018 held atTalkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. 73. Indian Navy to host Bilateral Exercise 'Varuna' withFrench NavyThe Indian Navy and the French Navy have conducted bilateralmaritime exercises since May 1993.Since 2001, the exercises have been named VARUNA and therehave been fifteen editions of the same till date.The last edition of VARUNA was conducted off the FrenchCoast in Apr 2017.This year too VARUNA-18 would be conducted in three seaareas, namely, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and SouthWestern Indian Ocean. 74. ‘Tribal Diaries’ Mobile App to strengthen internalmonitoringThe Ministry of Tribal Affairs has developed an android basedmobile application called Tribal Diaries for internal monitoringas also connecting with officers/officials concerned withimplementation of schemes / programmes for tribaldevelopment.The application is for accredited users. 75. First National Workshop on POSHAN AbhiyaanThe first National workshop on POSHAN Abhiyaan involvingall the states and union territories is being held on 20th March atPravasi Bharatiya Kendra,New Delhi.The Ministry of Women and Child Development is organisingthe day long workshop with participation from all thestates/UTs.

76. Government approves Plastic Park to be set up inDeoghar , Jharkhand. 77. NCAA becomes the World’s First Trusted DigitalRepositoryNational Cultural Audiovisual Archives (NCAA) project of theMinistry of Culture, Government of India, implemented byIndira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) has beencertified as the world’s first Trusted Digital Repository as perISO 16363:2012 standard, granted by Primary TrustworthyDigital Repository Authorisation Body Ltd. (PTAB), UnitedKingdom. 78. Cabinet approves Opening of 18 Missions in Africa overa four year period from 2018-2021.The 18 new Indian Missions in Africa will be opened in BurkinaFaso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of the Congo,Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea Bissau,Liberia, Mauritania, Rwanda, Sao Tome& Principe, SierraLeone, Somalia, Swaziland and Togo over a four year periodfrom 2018-2021 thereby increasing the number of ResidentIndian Missions in Africa from 29 to 47.The decision will enhance India's diplomatic outreach in theAfrican continent and allow India to engage with Indiandiaspora in African countries.Opening of new Missions is also a step towards implementingthe vision of enhanced co-operation and engagement withAfrica. 79. Cabinet approves North-East Industrial DevelopmentScheme (NEIDS) 2017 80. Cabinet approves Ayushman Bharat – National HealthProtection MissionThe scheme has the benefit cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family peryear.The target beneficiaries of the proposed scheme will be morethan 10 crore families belonging to poor and vulnerablepopulation based on SECC (socio economic caste census )

database.AB-NHPM will subsume the on-going centrally sponsoredschemes –Rashtriya Swasthya BimaYojana (RSBY) and theSenior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS). 81. Cabinet approves closure of India DevelopmentFoundation of Overseas IndiansIDF-OI was set up by Government of India with the approval ofCabinet in 2008 as an autonomous not-for-profit Trust, tofacilitate Overseas Indian philanthropy into social anddevelopment projects in India. As the Foundation received only Rs. 36.80 Lakhs betweenDecember 2008 and March 2015 as donation from overseasIndian community. 82.Jackfruit declared as Kerala’s official fruit 83.India to be Self-Reliant in Silk Production by 2020, saidthe Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani 84. Punjab observes martyrdom day as YouthEmpowerment DayThe Punjab government has observed March 23, the deathanniversary of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev andRajguru, as Youth Empowerment Day.State Cultural Affairs, Tourism and Local Bodies MinisterNavjot Singh Sidhu said he would write to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi requesting him to commemorate the date as‘Youth Empowerment Day’ at the national level also. 85. Govt decides to declare 2018 as National Year of MilletsThe government has decided to declare 2018 as ‘National Yearof Millets to boost the cultivation of millets like ragi and jowaron a mission mode to achieve nutritional security. This was stated by Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singhwhile addressing MPs in a consultative committee meeting inNew Delhi.The Minister said millet cultivation has declined due to changein dietary habits and unavailability of millets. As a result of this,level of nutrients like proteins, Vitamin-A, iron and iodine fell in

women and children. 86. 5th India Maize Summit 2018 at FICCI, New Delhi. 87. ‘First Indian Sign Language Dictionary of 3000 Words’Launched“First Indian Sign Language Dictionary of 3000 words” waslaunched by Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister forSocial Justice and Empowerment.The dictionary has been developed by Indian Sign LanguageResearch & Training Centre (ISLR&TC) under Department ofEmpowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), M/oSocial Justice & Empowerment. 88. Andhra Govt launches Naipunya RathamThe Andhra Pradesh Government launched, NAIPUNYARATHAM, a multi-utility vehicle which aims to bringtechnology to the remote corners.Naipunya Rathaams will facilitate and look to improve digitalliteracy, digital skills and create an awareness on variousgovernment schemes. 89. Navy warship INS Ganga decommissioned in MumbaiINS Ganga, an indigenously built frigate of the Indian Navy,was decommissioned in Mumbai after over three decades ofservice.Commissioned on December 30, 1985, the ship represented abig step forward in the nation's warship building capability. 90. Ambedkar Jayanti to be celebrated as 'Social JusticeDay'The birth anniversary of India's Dalit social reformer Dr BRAmbedkar will be celebrated as 'Social Justice Day'.Born into a poor Dalit family, on 14 April 1891, Ambedkarbecame independent India's first law minister, the principalarchitect of the Constitution of India.Ambedkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in1990. 91. All India Police Science Congress kicks off in Himachal

The two-day 46th All India Police Science Congress organisedby the Himachal Pradesh Police Department and The Bureau ofPolice Research and Development began in Himachal Pradesh.It began with a clarion call to the police by Chief Minister JaiRam Thakur to stay ahead of criminals by using technology toprevent and detect crime. 92. Theatre Olympics kicks off in MumbaiFilmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, along with veteran actorVikram Gokhle, inaugurated the eighth edition of TheatreOlympics, a fortnight-long international theatre festival inMumbai. 93. West Bengal tops the list of states with most number ofbeggarsAs per the data released by Union ministry of Social Justice,there are around 4 lakh beggars in total.The highest number of beggars, 81,000, are in West Bengal.West Bengal is followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at numbertwo and three respectively.Lakshadweep, a union territory, has only two people begging fortheir livelihood. 94. UIDAI set to introduce face authentication feature fromJuly 1The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is all setto make face authentication available alongside iris orfingerprint scan as means of verifying Aadhaar users from July1, 2018.The UIDAI, which is in-charge of the 12-digit identifierAadhaar, in January had announced that it will introduce faceauthentication feature to help those who run into problems inbiometric authentication due to old age, hardwork or worn-outfingerprints. 95. 11th Rashtriya Rifles biennial conference at Nagrota(J&K) on 26-27 March 2018 96. Surat first district to have 100% solar powered healthcentres

Surat has become the first district in the country to have 100percent solar powered Primary Health Centers (PHC). There area total of 52 PHCs in the district and all of them are nowpowered by solar system. 97. ‘National Conference on Down Syndrome’ heldA’ National Conference on Down Syndrome’ was organised bythe National Trust under Ministry of Social Justice andEmpowerment in New Delhi.A book entitled “Twilights Children” based on the lives ofperson suffering from Down Syndrome was released on theoccasion.Down syndrome is called trisomy 21, it is a chromosomealdisorder of number 21. It causes developmentaland intellectualdelays. 98. Tribal Affairs Minister, Shri Jual Oram to launch “E-Tribes India” in New Delhi 99. Department of Posts launches Cool EMS Service betweenIndia and JapanMinistry of Communications has launched the Cool EMSService which will come into force from 29.03.2018.Cool EMS service is one-way service from Japan to India whichallows customers in India to import Japanese food items forpersonal use which is allowed under Indian regulations.Initially, Cool EMS Service will be available in Delhi only.Food items will be carried by Japan Post in special cool boxescontaining refrigerant to preserve the quality of the food itemsand addressee will collect them from Foreign Post office, KotlaRoad, New Delhi in-person or through a messenger in theprescribed time frame. 100. IM-PDS approved for implementation during 2018-19and 2019-20A new central sector scheme namely “Integrated Management ofPublic Distribution System (IM-PDS)” has been approved forimplementation during 2018-19 and 2019-20.The key objectives of the scheme are to integrate PDSsystem/portals of States/UTs with Central System/portals,

introduction of National Portability, and de-duplication of rationcards/beneficiary, etc. 101. Government has set up of National AcademicDepository (NAD) for Digitalization of School RecordsThe University Grants Commission (UGC) has been designatedas authorized body to operationalise NAD. 102. Deadline To Link PAN With Aadhaar Extended ToJune 30The CBDT has extended the deadline for the PAN-Aadhaarlinking to June 30. The policy-making body of the taxdepartment issued an order extending the deadline from thecurrent last date of March 31.The order said the deadline for PAN-Aadhaar linking for filingI-T returns is being extended after "consideration of the matter". 103. Rashtrapati Bhavan Harvests Its First Crop of HoneyFrom KVIC’s Apiaryfrom the gardens of the Presidential House around 186kilograms of honey was extracted.Rashtrapati Bhavan has abundant flora and fauna, including lushtrees of mangoes, Indian blackberries (jamun), neem anddrumsticks.The apiary in the Rashtrapati Bhavan garden was set up underHoney Mission of KVIC. 104. Haryana’s Mewat is India’s most backward district (acc to NITI AAYOG)Haryana’s Mewat is the lowest-ranked among these backwardsdistricts, while Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram is the best-performing district of the 101.Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon and Maharashtra’s Osmanabad liesecond and third on the top of the table. 105. GSLV Successfully Launches GSAT-6A SatelliteIndia's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08)successfully launched GSAT-6A Satellite into GeosynchronousTransfer Orbit (GTO) on March 29, 2018.Launch of GSLV was its twelfth and took place from the Second

Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR,Sriharikota, the spaceport of India.This is the fifth consecutive success achieved by GSLV carryingindigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage. 106. Andhra CM inaugurates International YachtingFestivalAndhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu flaggedoff the International Yachting Festival in Visakhapatnam. 107. MP to raise retirement age for govt employees to 62years Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan hasannounced raising the retirement age of state governmentemployees to 62 years from the current 60 years.The state government had made a provision for reservation forSC/ST employees in promotion, which was set aside by theMadhya Pradesh High Court. 108. Madhya Pradesh’s Kadaknath chicken getsGeographical Indication tagKadaknath, a chicken breed whose black meat is in demand inMadhya Pradesh has got the coveted Geographical Indications(GI) tag label.The protein-rich meat of Kadaknath, chicks and eggs are sold ata much higher rate than other varieties of chicken. 109. Shri Prakash Javadekar launches the Grand Finale ofthe Smart India Hackathon 2018 (Software Edition) beingheld at 28 nodal centres across the country simultaneously.

BUSINESS

1. Cabinet approves Establishment of National FinancialReporting Authority 2. EESL to install energy-efficient LEDs across all airportsin IndiaEnergy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL signed aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the AirportsAuthority of India (AAI) for installing energy-efficient LEDlights at airports, buildings and facilities owned by AAI acrossIndia. 3. RBI lifts per-borrower loan cap for MSMEsSo far, loans to Micro/ Small and Medium Enterprises (Services)up to Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore, respectively, were classified aspriority sector lending (PSL).Now all bank loans to MSMEs will qualify under priority sectorwithout any credit cap. 4. Paytm emerges largest UPI transaction platformPaytm has said it is the largest contributor to the overall volumeof UPI transactions in February 2018.In a statement, Paytm said it had registered 6.8 crore UPItransactions in February.In December 2017, Paytm contributed 3.3 crore to the overalltransaction volume for UPI. 5. RBI slaps Rs 3 cr penalty on Axis Bank, 2 cr on IOB fornot complying with the KYC regulations. 6. RBI slaps Rs 40 lakh penalty on SBI for not complying withits directions on detection and impounding of counterfeit notes. 7. TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) ranked as the fastestgrowing IT services brand in 2018 8. Passport details must for loans of Rs 50 cr and above9. RBI discontinues Letter of Undertaking, Letter ofComfort

In view of the alleged Rs 12,700-crore Punjab National Bank(PNB) scam, done through fraudulent issuance of Letter ofUnderstanding (LoUs) by connivance of the bank’s staff, theReserve Bank of India (RBI) has discontinued issuance of LoUsby banks for trade credits for imports into India. 10. World Bank projects India's FY19 GDP growth at 7.3per cent

11. INDIA and ADB Sign $120 Million Loan to Improve RailInfrastructure 12. ISRO–BHEL Tie up for the Production of Space GradeLithium-Ion Cells 13. Rs 350 coin to mark birth anniversary of Guru GobindSingh (10th sikh Guru).The coin with standard weight of 35 gram will have 50 per centsilver, 40 per cent copper and 5 per cent each of nickel and zinc.The reverse side will bear the picture of "Takht Shri HarimandirJi Patna Sahib" in the centre.

BUSINESS / FINANCE

1. PNB appoints A K Pradhan as Group Chief Risk OfficerPNB has said that the amount of fraud in the Nirav Modi casecan go up to Rs 12,700 crore as against the earlier estimate of Rs11,400 crore. 2. Vinay Kumar appointed as envoy to Afghanistan 3. R Subrahmanyam appointed higher education secretary 4. Armen Sarkisian Elected Next Armenian President 5. SBI Life Insurance appoints Sanjeev Nautiyal as MD,CEO

6. Conrad Sangma (National people party) - 12th CM ofMeghalaya 7. Hindu woman elected to Pakistan’s senate in historic firstKirshna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan’s Sindh province hasbecome the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in pakistan. 8.Biplab Deb (BJP ) - new Tripura Chief MinisterBJP MLA Jishnu Debbarma will be the deputy chief minister.

9. Neiphiu Rio Takes Oath As Nagaland Chief MinisterNeiphiu Rio has took oath today as the Chief Minister ofNagaland. This comes after the BJP and the NationalistDemocratic People's Party (NDPP) won 29 seats in theelections.This will be Neiphiu Rio's fourth time as the Chief Minister ofNagaland.10. Virat Kohli named Uber India's first brand ambassador 11. Suresh Prabhu gets additional charge of civil aviationministry Commerce and Industries minister Suresh Prabhu was givenadditional charge of the Civil Aviation Ministry, a day after theresignation of TDP's Ashok Gajapathi Raju.Raju and another Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Y S Chowdaryhad resigned from the council of ministers. 12. Sitanshu Kar to be next head of PIB (Press InformationBureau). 13. Bidya Devi Bhandari relected as Nepal PresidentNepal's first woman president Bidya Devi Bhandari has beenrelected for a second term in office.Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leaderKumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in thepresidential election.She became Nepal's first woman president in 2015. 14. Gina Haspel to become CIA’s first woman chiefU.S. President Donald Trump has chosen Gina Haspel for the

position of CIA (central investigation agency ) Director. She willreplace Mike Pompeo.Ms. Haspel, the agency’s current Deputy Director, will becomeits first woman chief. 15. Sebastian Pinera sworn in as Chile's president(secondterm)According to Forbes magazine, Pinera is the fourth wealthiestman in Chile.

(Santiago is the capital of Chile while Peso is its currency). 16. Angela Merkel elected to fourth term as GermanchancellorAngela Merkel was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany afterlawmakers voted to re-elect her as leader in a close vote onWednesday morning.She will now begin a historic fourth term as Chancellor. 17. Tata Sons chairman Chandrasekaran elected IIScPresidentTata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran was elected President ofthe court of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for three years.Chandrasekaran has been elected as the 8th President of theinstitute for the period 2018-21 and succeed K. Kasturirangan.

18. Sangeeta Bahadur appointed Ambassador of India toBelarus 19. Xi Jinping re-elected as China's presidentFormer top graft-buster Wang Qishan, a key ally of President XiJinping, was also chosen as vice president. 20. Putin Elected for fourth term as Russian PresidentVladimir Putin will lead Russia for another six years, aftersecuring an expected victory in presidential election.The main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, was barred fromthe race. 21. Li Keqiang Appointed for Second 5 year Term asChinese PM

22. Bihar Governor gets additional charge of OdishaPresident Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Bihar GovernorSatya Pal Malik to additionally hold the office of the Governorof Odisha.Mr Malik will hold the additional charge till regulararrangements are made for the office of the Governor of Odishawhich fell vacant upon the completion of the tenure ofincumbent S C Jamir.

23. Atul M. Gotsurve Appointed Ambassador of India to theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea. (NORTH KOREA ). 24. Martin Vizcarra Sworn In As Peru's New President 25. Government nominates J S Rajput as Representative tothe Board of UNESCO 26. Vijay Raghavan appointed principal scientific advisorto govtK Vijay Raghavan, one of the most distinguished biologists ofthe country, was appointed Principal Scientific Advisor to theGovernment of India.The Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA), a post created by theAtal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1999, is the topmost advisorto the government on all matters related to scientific policy. 27. Win Myint elected new Myanmar presidentMyanmar's parliament has elected Win Myint as the country'snext president, a week after the resignation of his predecessorHtin Kyaw. 28. Shekhar Kapur to head the jury for 65th National FilmAwardsVeteran director Shekhar Kapur has been appointed chairman ofthe central panel of the 65th National Film Awards.The central panel comprises a chairperson and 10 othermembers, including five regional chairpersons who head therespective regional panels.

29. Indu Bhushan appointed CEO of 'Ayushman Bharat'mission 30. Abiye Ahmed is new Ethiopia Prime MinisterEthiopia’s ruling coalition has voted in Abiye Ahmed as newprime minister following the resignation of HailemariamDesalegn last month. 31. SC Appoints Justice Jawad Rahim as Acting

Chairperson of NGT 32. Andhra Pradesh appoints shuttler Srikanth as DeputyCollectorSrikanth IS Indian badminton player and recently receivesPadma Shri award. 33. Egypt's Sisi re-elected with 92% voteEgyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for asecond term with 92 percent of the vote. 34. US diplomat DiCarlo becomes first female UN politicalchiefLong-serving American diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo wasappointed to become the first woman to head UN politicalaffairs, one of the most high-profile positions at the world body. 35. Chandra Bhushan appointed Deputy ECSenior bureaucrat Chandra Bhushan Kumar has been appointedas Deputy Election Commissioner as part of a majorbureaucratic reshuffle by the government. 36. Vineet Joshi appointed as first Director General ofNational Testing AgencyFinance Minister Arun Jaitley had, in his budget speech of 2017-18, announced the setting up of the NTA "as an autonomous andself-sustained premier testing organisation to conduct allentrance examinations for higher educational institutions".

AWARDS

1. Shatrughan Sinha wins lifetime achievement award inUnited Kingdom (parliament complex).Given for his contribution to the fields of arts and politicsA member of the ruling BJP, he represents Bihar state's PatnaSahib Constituency in the Lok Sabha, the lower house ofParliament. 2. British Indian man wins bravery award in Barcelona

terror attackAn Indian-origin Birmingham man, Harry Athwal who riskedhis life to help a fatally injured young boy in the last year'sBarcelona terror attack, has been selected for this year's 'Prideof Birmingham' award. 3. ‘The Shape of Water’ Wins Best Picture as Oscars ProjectDiversityThe 90th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), tookplace at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles,California.The Shape of Water won a leading four awards, including BestPicture and Best Director for Guillermo del Toro.The Complete List of WinnersBest Picture: “The Shape of Water”Director: Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water”Actor: Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”Actress: Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards OutsideEbbing, Missouri”Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards OutsideEbbing, Missouri”Supporting Actress: Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”Original Screenplay: “Get Out”Adapted Screenplay: “Call Me by Your Name”Foreign Language Film: “A Fantastic Woman”Animated Feature: “Coco”Visual Effects: “Blade Runner 2049”Film Editing: “Dunkirk”Animated Short: “Dear Basketball”

Live Action Short: “The Silent Child”Documentary Short: “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405”Score: “The Shape of Water”Song: “Remember Me” from “Coco”Production Design: “The Shape of Water”Cinematography: “Blade Runner 2049”Costume Design: “Phantom Thread”Makeup and Hairstyling: “Darkest Hour”Documentary Feature: “Icarus”Sound Editing: “Dunkirk”

4. Rahul is Wisden India Almanack's Cricketer of the YearKL Rahul is the 'Cricketer of the Year' in the sixth edition ofWisden India Almanack, which has just been released.The Almanack pays a tribute to India's women cricketers, with awonderful cover picture of celebration at the World Cup.Shantha Rangaswamy, India's first woman superstar (cricketer),has been inducted into the Wisden India Hall of Fame alongsideErapalli Prasanna. 5. Canadian mathematician Robert Langlands wins AbelPrizeCanadian mathematician Robert Langlands has won theprestigious Abel Prize for developing a programme connectingrepresentation theory to number theory.Named after the 19th century Norwegian mathematician NielsHenrik Abel, the prize was established by the Norwegiangovernment in 2002. 6. NHAI Receives Best Design Pavilion Award at 105thIndian Science CongressThe NHAI pavilion at 105th Indian Science Congress- Pride ofIndia Expo held at Imphal from 16-20 March 2018 has beenadjudged as BEST DESIGN PAVILION. The award was conferred by Dr. Najma Heptulla, Governor ofManipur. 7. India Post releases special cover on Stephen HawkingIndia Post has paid tribute to theoretical physicist andcosmologist Stephen Hawking by issuing a special cover on

him.Hawking died at the age of 76 on March 14 in his home inCambridge in the United Kingdom. 8. Drdo Pavilion Adjudged As Most Informative at 105thIndian Science CongressDefence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) hasreceived the ‘Most Informative Pavilion’ Award in Pride of IndiaExpo organized as part of the 105th Indian Science Congressheld from 16 to 20 March 2018 at Manipur University, Imphal.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had inaugurated this annualmega event on 16 March 2018. 9. We Are Sikhs’ campaign wins top US award 10. Balkrishna Doshi named India's first winner of thePritzker PrizeBalkrishna Doshi has become the first Indian architect to win thePritzker Prize in its four-decade history.Doshi is known for designing low-cost housing and publicinstitutions.Among his most acclaimed projects are Tagore Memorial Hallin Ahmedabad and the Aranya Low Cost Housing development. 11. India Won "Best Exhibitor Award" at ITB – BerlinIndia has won the “Best Exhibitor Award” at ITB – Berlin on itslast day. ‘ITB- Berlin World Tourist Meet’ was convened atBerlin, Germany from 7th March to 10th March, 2018.India's Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) presented a shortfilm named "Yogi of the Racetrack " in the meet. 12. Amol Palekar receives ‘Godavari Gaurav’ awardNoted actor Amol Palekar was honoured with the ‘GodavariGaurav’ award at an event in Nashik.The 73-year-old actor, known for his performance in films like“Gol Maal” , “Choti Si Baat”, “Chitchor” among others, waspresented with the award, which has been instituted by city-based ‘Kusumagraj Prathishthan’Classical singer Pandit Satyasheel Deshpande also received the‘Godavari Gaurav’ award.

12. India Was Awarded “Best Exhibitor” Award forAustralia and Oceania CategoryIndia, was awarded “Best Exhibitor” Award for Australia andOceania category at the World`s Tourism exhibition at"Internationale Tourismus Borse" (ITB) 2018 in Messe, Berlin,Germany. 13. Dr Rajan Sankaranarayanan wins 27th GD Birla AwardThe 27th G D Birla Award for Scientific Research for year 2017

has been given to Dr Rajan Sankaranarayanan.Using X-ray crystallography and biochemical approaches, hislaboratory has identified how chiral checkpoints ensure that D-chiral amino acids are excluded from the translation machinery. 14. Indian film 'Halkaa' bags award at Montreal festIndian filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda's "Halkaa" has bagged theGrand Prix de Montreal."Halkaa" was selected among seven international children'sfilms from different countries in the official competition of thefestival.The film is a take on a slum child's heroism, aspirations, anddreams. 15. G.K. Reddy award for journalist Karan Thapar 16. Chhattisgarh bags 'Water Digest Award' for waterconservation 17. London based organisation SACF (South Asian CinemaFoundation (SACF), ) wins Frederick Pincott Award for 2017from the Indian High Commissioner, Y K Sinha for promotingHindi cinema in Britain for the last 18 years. 18. Liashkova from Belarus wins Miss SupermodelWorldwide 2018 titleBelarus beauty Aleksandra Liashkova won Miss SupermodelWorldwide 2018 title at a grand finale in Gurugram. EkaterinaEvdokimova of Russia was declared 1st runner-up.India's Shweta Parmar was awarded Miss Congeniality.

19. J.C. Daniel Award for Sreekumaran ThampiJ.C. Daniel Award is the he Kerala government’s highest honourfor lifetime contribution to Malayalam cinema.

SPORTS

1. Roger Federer (Switzerland ) named World Sportsman ofthe Year 2017Twenty-time tennis grand slam champion Roger Federer haswon the 2017 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year andComeback of the Year awards.The 36-year-old Swiss won the Australian Open and Wimbledontitles in 2017 after nearly five years without a major victory.Serena Williams took the World Sportswoman of the Year awardafter winning her 23rd grand slam in 2017. 2. Russia's Olympic membership restored by InternationalOlympic CommitteeRussia's Olympic membership has been restored by theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) following itssuspension from Pyeongchang , South Korea 2018(winterOlympics).Russia was banned from winter olympic Games by the IOC overstate-sponsored doping.Despite the ban, 168 Russians competed as neutrals in SouthKorea, and two of them failed drugs tests. 3. Navjot Kaur Becomes First Indian Woman Wrestler toWin Asian GoldNavjot Kaur scripted history on 2 March by becoming the firstIndian woman wrestler to win a gold in the Senior AsianChampionships (Kyrgyzstan).She clinched Gold in the 65kg freestyle category.Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik won a bronze inthe 62kg freestyle category .India won total 6 medals six – a gold, a silver, and four bronzemedals. 4. India beat Pakistan to win Snooker Team World CupThe Indian combine of Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra

staged a remarkable recovery to beat Pakistan in the final of theinaugural IBSF Snooker Team World Cup. 5. Shooter Rizvi wins World Cup goldIndian shooter Shahzar Rizvi created a new world record on hisway to the gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol event at theISSF World Cup. 6. Viswanathan Anand wins Rapid event at Tal MemorialViswanathan Anand won the rapid event at the 11th Tal

Memorial chess in Moscow..7. Bhaker shoots gold, bronze for Ravi KumarYoung Manu Bhaker clinched a gold medal while Ravi Kumarbagged a bronze in the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. 8. Australia beat England 2-1 to lift 27th Sultan Azlan ShahCup (Hockey ) in Malaysia. 9. India B Beat Karnataka to lift Deodhar TrophyThe Deodhar Trophy is a List A cricket competition in Indiandomestic cricket.It is named after Prof. D. B. Deodhar, who known as the GrandOld Man of Indian cricket. 10. Vidarbha defeated Rest of India to clinch maiden IraniCup titleRanji Trophy winners Vidarbha grabbed their second title in thedomestic cricket season as they won the Irani Cup with theirhuge first innings total against Rest of India.Vidarbha piled on 800/7 in the first innings. Rest of India werebowled out for 390 in their first innings.Points to RememberIrani Trophy tournament was conceived during the 1959-60season to mark the completion of 25 years of the Ranji Trophychampionship.It was named after the late Z. R. Irani, who was associated withthe Board of Control for Cricket in India. 11. Sindhu to be India's flagbearer in Gold Coast CWG

Star shuttler P V Sindhu has been named the flag-bearer of theIndian contingent for the opening ceremony of theCommonwealth Games in Gold Coast next month (4 april ). 12. Punjab crowned National hockey champion 14. Cricket Australia bans Steve Smith, David Warner for 12monthsCricket Australia (CA) has banned Australian captain SteveSmith and vice-captain David Warner for 12 months and handed

a nine-month ban to Cameron Bancroft.Warner and Smith have also been banned from captainingAustralia for two years.These players have been charged for ball tampering.

DEATHS 1. Noted Odia Bhajan singer Arabinda Muduli passes awayHe was a disciple of legendary bhajan singer Bhikari Bal. 2. Literateur Prafulla Das passes away 3. Sufi singer Pyarelal Wadali passes away 4. Stephen Hawking: Visionary physicist dies aged 76World renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has died at the ageof 76.The British scientist was famed for his work with black holesand relativity, and wrote several popular science booksincluding ‘A Brief History of Time’.At the age of 22 Prof Hawking was given only a few years tolive after being diagnosed with a rare form of motor neuronedisease.Stephen William Hawking was an English theoretical physicist,cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre forTheoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge. 5. Actor Narendra Jha passes away at 55Bollywood actor Narendra Jha, known for his work in films likeRaees, Haider and Kaabil among others, passed away on March

14. He was 55. 6. Veteran Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh passes away

BOOKS 1. President receives the book ‘Fulfilling Bapu’s Dreams –Prime Minister Modi’s tribute to Gandhiji’The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, received the first

copy of the book ‘Fulfilling Bapu’s Dreams – Prime MinisterModi’s Tribute to Gandhiji’ from Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, whoformally released it at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, noted sanitation activist, was alsopresent. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that this bookunderscores an important aspect of India’s developmentalprocess. 2. Himachal CM launches handbook titled ‘MahilaSuraksha’ on women safetyIt also contains important telephone and helpline numbers. 3. Sri Lanka Cricket releases book 'A Tribute to Jagu'(tribute to former BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya) 4. Anandiben Patel launches her biography named ‘KarmaYatri’ .She stepped down as Gujarat Chief Minister in August 2016.She is presently serving as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. 5. Indian Army Releases Book on Paramveer ChakraAwardees : Paramveer Parwane

Date Day Theme

March 1 World Civil Defence Day Civil defence and the national institutions for more efficient disastermanagement”

March 1 Zero Discrimination Day -March 3 National Defence Day -March 3 World Wildlife Day Big cats – predators under threatMarch 3 World Hearing Day Hear the FutureMarch 4 National Security Day -March 8 International Women’s Day Press for ProgressMarch 8 World Kidney Day Kidneys and Women’s Health – Include, Value, EmpowerMarch 10 CISF Raising Day -March 12 Commonwealth Day Towards a Common Future

March 15 World Consumer Rights Day Making Digital Marketplaces Fairer

March 16 National Vaccination Day -March 16 World Sleep Day Join the Sleep World, Preserve Your Rhythms to Enjoy LifeMarch 18 Ordnance Factories Day -

March 18 Global Recycling DayThe Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) proclaimed March 18,2018 the first Global Recycling Day

March 20 International Day of

Happiness

Share Happiness

March 20 World Sparrow day I Love Sparrows

March 21International Day for theElimination of RacialDiscrimination

Promoting tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity in thecontext of combating racial discrimination.

March 21 International Day of Forests Forests and Sustainable Cities

March 21 World Poetry day -

March 21 World Down Syndrome Day What I bring to my CommunityMarch 22 World Water day Nature for WaterMarch 23 World Meteorological Day Weather-ready, climate-smart

March 24 World Tuberculosis Day Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world

March 25

International Day ofRemembrance of the Victimsof Slavery and theTransatlantic Slave Trade

Remember Slavery: Triumphs and Struggles for Freedom andEquality

March 27 World Theatre Day -