Dhyan Chand Awardee Veteran Indian Athlete Ishar Singh Deol passes away
Dhyan Chand National Sports Award-winning veteran Indian athlete Ishar Singh Deol, has passed away. Punjab-based Deol won the Dhyan Chand National Award in 2009 for his lifelong contribution towards sports. He was specialised in the field sports of discus and shot put. He had competed in the first three Asian Games and won a bronze medal in the second Asian Games held in Manila, the Philippines in 1954.
Former Rajasthan Governor Anshuman Singh Passes Away
Justice Shri Anshuman Singh, the former Governor of Rajasthan & Gujarat, has passed away. Anshuman Singh was a retired Justice who served as the Governor of Rajasthan from January 1999 till 2003. Prior to that, he was appointed as the Governor of Gujarat state in 1998.
Bajrang Punia bags gold in Matteo Pellicon World ranking series
In wrestling, the World Championship bronze medallist Bajrang Punia won a gold medal at the Matteo Pallicone ranking series held in Rome, Italy. He defeated Mongolia’s Tulga Tumur Ochir 2-2 by criteria in the 65kg freestyle event final. It is the second successive gold medal for 27 years Haryana wrestler, who had won the previous gold at this competition in 2020 by beating Jordan Oliver of the USA in the final.
Apart from this, the ace India woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat won the gold medal in the 53kg title. The 26-year-old Vinesh beat Canada’s Diana Weicker 4-0.
NABARD”s Chintala takes charge as chairman of APRACA
NABARD chairman, G R Chintala has assumed charge as the chairman of APRACA (Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association). He has taken over from DPK Gunasekera, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Ceylon. Chintala, in his address as APRACA Chairman, appreciated the role of the members of APRACA in promoting the development of rural finance in Asia Pacific.
About the APRACA:
APRACA, established in 1977, is an association of institutions involved in agricultural, rural and microfinance policy and development, representing 21 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
India qualify for ICC World Test Championship Final
Indian Cricket Team have qualified for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final after beating England in an innings and 25 runs in the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad on 6th March. New Zealand had already qualified for the WTC final with 420 points from 11 Tests with 7 wins and 4 losses. The World Test Championship final will be played at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from June 18.
UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WRAP released the Food Waste Index Report 2021 and highlights that food wastes by different countries in 2019. As per the report, Over 931 million tonnes of food were wasted globally in 2019.
Highlights:
- In India, the household food waste estimate is 50 kg per capita per year, or 68,760,163 tonnes a year.
- The household food waste estimate in the US is 59 kg per capita per year, or 19,359,951 tonnes a year.
- China these estimates are 64 kg per capita per year or 91,646,213 tonnes a year.
About the Food Waste Index Report 2021:
The Food Waste Index Report aims at supporting the goals of SDG 12.3. It does so by presenting the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling to date, generating a new estimate of global food waste; and publishing a methodology for countries to measure food waste, at household, foodservice and retail level, to track national progress towards 2030 and to report on SDG 12.3. Countries using this methodology will generate strong evidence to guide a national strategy on food waste prevention, that is sufficiently sensitive to pick up changes in food waste over two- or four-year intervals, and that enables meaningful comparisons between countries globally.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- UNEP Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.
- UNEP Head: Inger Andersen.
- UNEP Founder: Maurice Strong.
- UNEP Founded: 5 June 1972, Nairobi, Kenya.
Alliance Insurance launches insurance portal ‘SMEInsure’
Alliance Insurance has launched the insurance portal ‘SMEInsure’ in order to provide financial security to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), small shop and business owners Alliance. It is a portal to insure 5 crores Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) under the insurance category.
Notably, the portal will provide insurance services in a phygital formate. physical, through individual personal assistance and digital insurance through the portal. The target of Alliance Insurance is to reach more than 5 crore SMEs in the first year and expect revenue of Rs 10 crore. Approximately 97% of the SMEs in India are not insured.
Important Points:
- Its objective is to help SMEs in managing multiple risks through a single platform ranging from buying insurance, renewing cover to filing claims.
- This portal will provide options to choose and compare products from various well-known insurance services including HDFC Ergo, Bajaj Allianz, Iffco Tokio, Tata Aig, Liberty General Insurance, Raheja QBE, Reliance General Insurance, and SBI General.
- SMEs can get their businesses insured for professional indemnity, director and officers, marine, fire and burglary etc
- In the first phase, the company will focus on the hospitality industry, shop owners, salon, offices and educational institutes.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Alliance Insurance CEO & Principal Officer: S. V. Thakkar.
- Alliance Insurance Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Bangladesh to commemorate 50th anniversary of 1971 Liberation war
In the 50th year of Indian victory over Pakistan in the 1971 Liberation war, Indian Naval Ships arrived in the port town of Mongla for a three-day visit to Bangladesh. The Indian Naval Ships is on a three-day visit between March 8 to 10. This is the first time ever that any Indian Naval Ship is visiting the port of Mongla in Bangladesh.
The basic aim of this visit is to pay homage to the Bangladeshi and Indian combatants and citizens who laid down their lives during the Liberation War of 1971 against Pakistan. The ships will take part in the ongoing Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations to commemorate 50 years of the Liberation War of 1971 and reiterating the historic Indo-Bangladeshi friendship.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.
- President of Bangladesh: Abdul Hamid.
President of India Inaugurates conservation works at Singorgarh Fort in MP
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind has laid the foundation stone for the conservation works of Singorgarh Fort in Singrampur village of Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh. He also inaugurated the newly carved Jabalpur Circle of Archaeological Survey of India.
Apart from this, President Kovind addressed the State Level Tribal Conference ‘Janjatiya Sammelan’ at Singrampur village in Damoh. The program was organized jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and the Tribal Affairs Department of Madhya Pradesh.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.
India’s first forest healing centre inaugurated in Uttrakand’s Ranikhet
The First Forest Healing centre of the country was inaugurated at Ranikhet in Kalika Uttarakhand. The forest healing centre has been developed by the Research Wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department after research on the healing properties of the forests and its revitalizing impact on overall health and well being. It is spread over an area of around 13 acres.
About the healing centre:
- This healing centre has been established in a pine-dominated forest as it has been found in various studies that coniferous like Pine trees emit certain oil compounds to safeguard themselves from various microbes and pathogens, which are called phytoncides.
- It has been found in various researches that these compounds help to multiply natural killer (NK) cells in our blood, which help in fighting infections and cancerous growth and enhance overall immunity.
- It has been found that because of typical molecular vibration patterns of trees, tree-hugging has a beneficial impact on the increase in the level of feel-good hormones like oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine, creating the pleasant effect and in countries like Iceland forest department has been making efforts to facilitate this activity for benefit of health purpose of local citizens.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.
HDFC Bank launches SmartUp Unnati programme
HDFC Bank on the occasion of International Women’ Day has announced the launch of a dedicated programme named “SmartUp Unnati” for mentoring women entrepreneurs by women leaders at the bank. Under the SmartUp Unnati programme, over the next one year, senior women leaders from HDFC Bank will mentor women entrepreneurs in helping them achieve their goals. This programme is available only to exist customers and will initially target more than 3,000 women entrepreneurs associated with the bank’s SmartUp programme.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- MD and CEO of HDFC Bank: Sashidhar Jagdishan(Succeeds Aditya Puri).
- The tagline of HDFC Bank: We understand your world.
Frontier Gandhi’s autobiography released in English
The autobiography of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as the “Frontier Gandhi”, titled “The Frontier Gandhi: My Life and Struggle” is set to be published in English by the publishing house Roli Books. This will be his first autobiography in English. The book was translated into English by Imitiaz Ahmad Sahibzada, the former Pakistani civil servant and author.
The earlier account of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s life in English was a collection of his interviews and was not his autobiography. The foreword of the book is written by historian Rajmohan Gandhi, Grandson of Gandhi and the book was originally written in Pashto and published in 1983.
About the book:
- The book by Ghaffar Khan brings out the life events and personalities of the independence movement.
- The book accounts the sacrifices and efforts that resulted in the Independence of India.
About Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan:
- Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan who was also known as Bacha Khan, Badshah Khan and Fakr-e-Afghan was born in Utmanzai, Northwest Frontier Province, British India in 1890.
- He was one of the close associates of Mahatma Gandhi.
- He led the Khundai Khidmatgar (Servants of God) movement from 1930 to 1947.
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat resigns
Trivendra Singh Rawat has resigned as the chief minister of Uttarakhand, a year before the hill state is scheduled to go to polls. Rawat, who became the CM after the BJP swept the assembly elections here in early 2017, tendered his resignation after meeting governor Baby Rani Maurya. According to reports, the party is mulling bringing in a deputy chief minister, the frontrunners for the post include State Education MinisterDhan Singh Rawat, MP Ajay Bhatt and Satpal Maharaj.
The central BJP leadership had recently sent two observers, party vice president Raman Singh and general secretary Dushayant Kumar Gautam, to Uttarakhand to get feedback from the party’s core group in the state amid reports of discontent against the chief minister.
A book on Smriti Irani’s victory in Amethi released soon
The English translation of journalist-author Anant Vijay’s book “Amethi Sangram: Aitihasik Jeet Ankahi Dastan” will be released on March 15. The book, titled “Dynasty to Democracy: The Untold Story of Smriti Irani’s Triumph”, traces Union Minister Irani’s journey from her defeat in 2014 to her victory in the Congress stronghold of Amethi, Uttar Pradesh during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The Hindi book was published in December 2020. The book can also be seen as a study of the RSS’s working style, its strategies and exemplary execution that backed Smriti Irani’s efforts from 2014 to 2019.
The 44-year-old BJP leader had defeated the then Congress chief and MP Rahul Gandhi in his family bastion by a margin of 55,120 votes. It was the second time that Irani had contested against Rahul in Amethi. In 2014, Rahul got 4,08,651 votes against Irani’s 30,0748 votes.
