NATIONAL NEWS
India Smart Utility Week 2019 inaugurated by AK Bhalla
Conference and Exhibition on Smart Energy, Smart Grid and Smart Cities India Smart Utility Week (ISUW 2019) organized by India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) was inaugurated by Shri AK Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India in New Delhi.
- During the event more than 50 technology companies from India and overseas will be exhibiting latest products and solutions. India Smart Utility Week (ISUW) 2019 will be organized as an International Conference and Exhibition on Smart Energy, Gas and Water for Smarter Cities at Manekshaw Center, New Delhi.
U.S. spl Ops Forces hold exercise with NSG in Hyderabad
The United States Special Forces Group stationed in Japan is involved in a joint exercise with India's National Security Guard in Hyderabad, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the armed forces of the two countries.
- The Hyderabad-exercise would help build interoperability and comradeship between the two forces and was designed to enhance the capabilities of both Indian and U.S. armed forces.
Wipro opens third industrial IoT centre in Kochi
IT major Wipro Ltd opened its centre of excellence for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in Kochi in Kerala. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain and robotics, the centre will develop proofs of concept and market-ready IoT solutions.
- The facility is Wipro's third one dedicated to industrial IoT after one each in Mountain View in California and Bengaluru.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Austrian capital Vienna named 'most liveable' for 10th year
The Austrian capital Vienna has topped Mercer's index of most liveable cities for the 10th year in a row, while Sydney has fallen out of the top ten. Being medium-sized, safe and relatively green are some of the features it shares with second-placed Zurich. Auckland, Munich and Vancouver came joint third.
- Those top five cities in consulting firm Mercer's 2019 Quality of Living Ranking published recently were unchanged from last year's edition, though Vancouver rose to joint third from fifth.
- The 10 cities at the bottom of the 231-city table were unchanged, with Baghdad ranked last, followed by Bangui in the Central African Republic and Yemen's capital Sanaa.
- Extra info.:
Austria Capital: Vienna
Currency: Euro
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle announces retirement
WWE legend Kurt Angle has announced he will retire at WrestleMania 35 next month. The 50-year-old Hall of Famer confirmed his “farewell match” will take place at WWE’s biggest show of the year, on April 7 at the MetLife Stadium.
- Angle joined WWE in 1999 after winning the gold medal in the freestyle Olympic games three years earlier. Angle won the WWE title on six occasions before leaving the company in 2006 to embark on a 10-year stretch with TNA.
BANKING & FINANCE
SBI launches doorstep banking service for senior citizens over 70
State Bank of India (SBI) has launched doorstep banking service for senior citizens over 70 years of age and differently-abled customers. Eligible customers can avail this service at a nominal fee of Rs. 100 per transaction for financial transactions and Rs. 60 for non-financial transactions.
- Doorstep banking services are available to KYC- compliant account holders, with a valid mobile number registered with the bank and residing within 5 kilometres radius from their home branch.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Infosys to open digital centre in Romania
Infosys would open a digital innovation centre at Bucharest in Romania to develop software for clients based on cloud, big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning. The $11-billion outsourcing firm also tied up with the University of Bucharest and the University Politehnica Bucharest for innovation and Romanian workforce development, including joint training courses, scholarships and research.
- The services will be in cyber forensics, ethical hacking, security analytics, threat detection and response.
- Extra info.:
Romania Capital: Bucharest
Currency: Romanian leu
SPORTS
Special Olympics World Games 2019 begins at Abu Dhabi in UAE
Special Olympics World Games 2019 begin at Abu Dhabi in UAE. The event has already made history by welcoming a record-breaking 200 nations at the Games. Of the 200 nations, 195 will compete in the Games and five will observe. More than 2,500 women will fly the flag for their nation, with almost half of them performing in athletics competitions. Saudi Arabia will send female athletes for the first time, with 14 women participating.
- Hosts UAE will field its largest-ever squad of athletes at a World Games, followed by India and the United States.
Indian Oil retain Gold Cup Hockey crown
Indian Oil retained their Bombay Gold Cup Hockey crown after fighting back from the brink to overcome Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB) 9-7 via the penalty shootout in the summit clash in Mumbai.
- Bharat Petroleum's 18-year-old forward Darshan Gawkar was adjudged as the most promising player of the tournament and received a cheque of Rs 10,000 awarded by the Sports Journalists' Association of Mumbai.
Former Indian pacer VRV Singh retires
VRV Singh, the Indian pacer who just played five Test matches in 2006-07, has announced his retirement after a career constantly hampered by injury. The 34-year-old also played two ODI matches for India along with five Tests as part of a new-look Indian pace attack.
- The bowler was just able to take eight wickets in five Tests and he did not take any wicket in the ODI format.
APPOINTMENTS
MR Kumar appointed as LIC Chairman
The government appointed MR Kumar as the Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and Vipin Anand and TC Suseel Kumar as the managing directors (MDs). MD Hemant Bhargava had been named interim chairman after VK Sharma's retirement on December 31, 2018. LIC's executive board comprises of one chairman and four managing directors.
- This is the first time an interview for the top position of LIC was conducted by the Banks Board Bureau (BBB), which so far selected top management for public sector banks. Top executives for LIC were earlier appointed by a panel of the finance ministry.
- Extra info.:
LIC Headquarters: Mumbai
Banks Board Bureau Chairperson: Bhanu Pratap Sharma
AWARDS
Army Chief Bipin Rawat receives PVSM from Prez Kovind
Chief of Army Staff Bipin Rawat was conferred with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal by President Ramnath Kovind for distinguished services. The medal was presented to Gen. Rawat at a Defence Investiture Ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were present on the occasion.
- Army's Sepoy VrahmaPal Singh and CRPF jawans Rajendra Nain and Ravindra Babban Dhanwade were decorated with the Kirti Chakra, India's second highest peacetime gallantry award, posthumously.
- Major Tushar Gauba of 20 Jat regiment was conferred with the Kirti Chakra for killing three terrorists in close combat along the Line of Control in Kupwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Film director, novelist Ved Rahi to get Kusumagraj literature award
Film director and novelist Ved Rahi has been selected for prestigious "Kusumagraj" national award for literature. Instituted by the city-based Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU), the "Kusumagraj Rashtriya Sahitya Puraskar" carries cash prize of Rs one lakh, a memento and a citation.
- The award is instituted after Jnanpith-laureate Marathi poet and playwright late V V Shirwadkar, popularly known as "Kusumagraj".
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Kidney Day 2019
March 14 is observed as World Kidney Day. The day is meant to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of kidneys. Every year, World Kidney Day is celebrated all across the globe, featuring awareness campaigns, programs and discussions about the importance of kidneys.
- The theme of World Kidney Day 2019 is "Kidney health for everyone, everywhere."
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