NATIONAL NEWS
CCEA approves investment approval for 1320 megawatt Khurja Super Thermal Power Plant in Bulandshahar
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has approved the investment approval for a 1320 megawatt Khurja Super Thermal Power Plant (STPP) in Bulandshahar of Uttar Pradesh. Eleven thousand eight nine crore rupees will be spent on the plant.
- Investment approval for 1320 Mega Watt Buxar thermal Power Project in District Buxar of Bihar was also approved. The project will be completed at an estimated cost of ten thousand 439 crore rupees. The Buxar Thermal Power Project will improve the deficit power scenario in Bihar and Eastern Region. It will start yielding benefit from 2023-24.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates BOLD-QIT project in Assam
Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the project BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) on India-Bangladesh border in Dhubri District of Assam. Border Security Force, BSF is responsible for safeguarding of over four thousand kilometer long International Border with Bangladesh.
- The implementation of this project will not only help BSF to curb all types of cross border crimes but also provide respite to the troops from round the clock human surveillance.
Rajnath Singh inaugurates CRPF training centre in Jodhpur
Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a training centre of the Central Reserve Police Force at Paladi Khinchiyan village in Jodhpur. He inaugurated it remotely from New Delhi. Spread over 175 acres, training can be provided to 1,600 security personnel at the centre every year.
- The new centre has been handed over to the CRPF and soon the training facility will be shifted to Paladi Khinchiyan from Suratgarh.
Smriti Irani inaugurates refurbished Handloom Haat in Delhi
Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the refurbished Handloom Haat at Janpath in New Delhi. The main objective of the Haat is to provide infrastructure support to handloom agencies to augment their sales of handloom products and to showcase the exquisite variety of products produced all over the country.
- These projects are being set up in the building by National Institute of Fashion Technology, NIFT which will help handloom sector in production of handloom products as per market requirement in terms of trends, design and colour forecast.
National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation to be set up at Sehore in Madhya Pradesh
SmtShakuntala D. Gamlin, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment laid the foundation stone of the ‘National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation’ at Sherpur Village in District Sehore, Madhya Pradesh.
- This Institute will be first of its kind in the country. The Central Government has approved an outlay of Rs 180 crore for this project for an initial period of three years.
96.5% of households in rural India have access to toilet: NARSS
The National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey, NARSS 2018-19 has found that 96.5 per cent of the households in rural India have access to a toilet. The survey was conducted by an Independent Verification Agency under the World Bank support project to the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
- The survey also re-confirmed the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status of over 90 per cent of villages which were previously declared and verified as ODF by various districts and States.
France, India agree to establish maritime surveillance centres in India
French Space Agency CNES signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up a maritime surveillance centre in the country. The agreement was signed by CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall and India's space agency Chairman K. Sivan in Bengaluru.
- The CNES-ISRO agreement, intended to supply an operational system for detecting, identifying and tracking ships in the Indian Ocean, provides for a maritime surveillance centre to be set up in India.
India signs Loan Agreement with the World Bank for USD 96 Million for Uttarakhand Disaster Recovery Project
India signed a loan agreement with the World Bank for 96 Million US dollars for additional financing of Uttarakhand Disaster Recovery Project. The World Bank has been supporting the State Government since 2014 to restore housing and rural connectivity and to build the resilience of communities.
- The additional financing of 96 million US dollars will further help in the reconstruction of bridges, road and river bank protection works in the state.
Korea Exim Bank to give Rs 4,100 cr loan for Vizag Metro
Korea Exim Bank has come forward to extend a Rs 4,100 crore loan for Visakhapatnam Metro Rail project. A team of officials from Korea Exim Bank called on Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary A.C. Punetha in Amaravati and discussed the loan proposal and related issues.
Chennai Central Station to be renamed after MGR
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Chennai Central Railway Station will be renamed after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR. In Kancheepuram, the Prime Minister inaugurated a number of developmental projects in roadways, railways, and energy sector. These projects are meant to further strengthen the roadway and railway infrastructure in the state paving way for better, faster and cheaper transportation for people in Tamil Nadu.
HP to build Centre of Excellence for 3D printing in Andhra Pradesh
HP Inc India has signed a pact with with Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) and Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) to build a Center of Excellence (CoE) that would 3D printing technology work. HP would bring in its global 3D printing expertise to support various training programmes at the CoE.
- The CoE would give assist small and medium businesses (SMBs) and start-ups in Andhra Pradesh in learning more about the benefits of additive manufacturing and using 3D printing to digitally transform their own business operations.
Google launches reading tutor app 'Bolo' for kids in India
Google launched a free app called "Bolo" that parents can download to help primary grade children improve their Hindi and English reading skills. Launched in India first, the app is designed to work offline and comes with a built-in reading buddy, "Diya", who encourages, aids, explains, and corrects the child, as they read aloud.
- Google said it has been piloting Bolo with over 900 children in 200 villages in Uttar Pradesh with the help of ASER Centre, a research and assessment unit of Pratham Education Foundation.
Hi-tech traffic management & surveillance centre set up in Raipur
The Chhattisgarh government has set up a hi-tech 'integrated command and control centre' in Raipur for better traffic management and surveillance in the city. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched the 'Daksha' project under which the centre has been built.
- Set up at a cost of Rs 157.70 crore as part of the Raipur Smart City initiative, the project will take care of safety and security, traffic management, public communication, and also to keep the city environment green.
Janaushadhi Diwas being celebrated across the country
Janaushadhi Diwas celebrated across the country on 7 March. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed five thousand Janaushadhi stores across the country through video-conferencing on the occasion. He also interacted with owners of Janaushadhi Kendras and beneficiaries of the scheme. More than five thousand 50 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendras, PMBJP, are functional in 652 districts.
- The Janaushadhi Kendras are providing quality medicine at the affordable price. He said the government's aim is to open Janaushadhi Kedras at block level by 2020.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Daaji's new book on how to design one's destiny
Spiritual teacher Kamlesh Patel, popularly known as Daaji, addresses key issues related to destiny and how it shapes one's life in his new book. In "Designing Destiny: The Heartfulness Way", the author provides practical wisdom on how to use heartfulness practices to refine lifestyle and design destiny, including destiny in the afterlife.
- In the book, brought out by Westland Publications, Daaji shares how beliefs determine the relative importance of fate and free will in people's lives.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Jio propels Mukesh Ambani to 13th spot in Forbes' billionaire list
The phenomenal growth of Reliance Jio, backed by its ultra-cheap data plans that has transformed the telecom scenario in India, has helped Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani move six places up to rank 13th in US magazine Forbes' "World's Billionaire list 2019". Others in the top-100 billionaires' list include Wipro Chairman Azim Premji at rank 36th, followed by HCL co-founder Shiv Nadar at 82nd spot and ArcelorMittal chairman Lakshmi Mittal at 91st position.
- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos continued to remain the world's richest man with a net worth of $131 billion, followed by Bill Gates at $96.5 billion and Warren Buffett at $82.5 billion.
SPORTS
Kyrgios beats Zverev to win Acapulco title
Australian Nick Kyrgios stunned German second seed Alexander Zverev 6-3 6-4 to win the Acapulco International in Mexico for his fifth career ATP title.
- Kyrgios defeated three top-10 players on the way to the title, saving three match points in a second-round victory over second-ranked Rafael Nadal owner of 17 Grand Slam titles and beating No. 9 John Isner in the semis.
APPOINTMENTS
Sanjeev Ranjan named Road Transport Secretary & N N Sinha appointed as NHAI Chief
Senior IAS officer Sanjeev Ranjan has been named secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the central government. Ranjan, a 1985-batch IAS officer of Tripura cadre, is at present the chairman of National Highways Authority of India.
- Nagendra Nath Sinha will replace Ranjan as the new NHAI chief. Sinha is managing director, National Highways and infrastructure Development Corporation. He will continue to hold the additional charge of this post too.
Ajit Kumar Mohanty appointed Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
The Ministry of Personnel has notified the appointment of Ajit Kumar Mohanty as Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre for the period of three years. Currently, he is the Director, Physics Group in BARC and Director, Saha Institute Institute of Nuclear Physics.
- The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India’s premier nuclear research facility headquartered in Trombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Kaja Kallas appointed as the first female prime minister of Estonia
Kaja Kallas was appointed as first female Prime Minister of Estonia. She is leader of country’s Reform Party. Her appointment comes after her liberal Reform Party was declared victoriois in the elections against centre-left Prime Minister Juri Ratas’s party.
- In recently concluded elections her party secured 28.8% votes against Centre party votes of 23%. Her party has form coalition government with support of far-right EKRE.
- Extra info.:
Estonia Capital: Tallinn
Currency: Euro
OBITUARIES
Former Union minister Venur Dhananjay Kumar passes away
Former Union minister Venur Dhananjay Kumar battling multi-organ failure, passed away at a private hospital in Mangaluru. He was 68. Having started his career in the youth wing of BJP, Kumar became an MLA in 1983 from then Mangalore assembly constituency.
- A lawyer by profession, Kumar had a brief stint with Janata Dal (Secular) and he was last associated with the Congress before illness laid him low for past few months.
Matua matriarch Binapani Devi passes away at 100
Matua community matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as ‘Boro Ma’ (elder mother), passed away after a prolonged illness. She was 100. Matuas are a religious refugee community from Bangladesh. Matuas are considered as a key political force behind Mamata Banarjee’s rise to power.
- Devi headed the Matuas sect, a religious refugee community from Bangladesh.
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