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Current Affairs 21 & 22 March 2021

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We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 21 & 22 March 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Labour Bureau signs agreement with BECIL for conducting all-India surveysLabour Bureau inks agreement with BECILLabour Bureau an attached office of Ministry of Labour & Employment has signed an service level agreement with Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL) for providing technical and manpower support for conducting All India Surveys on Migrant Workers & All India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey (AQEES).

  • BECIL will provide technical support to all the surveys to be conducted by the Labour Bureau.
  • The IT-enabled surveys are expected to reduce the time taken for completion of surveys by at least 30-40%.
  • The data from the surveys will be used for framing right policies for employment & labour welfare.
  • BECIL is a Government of India Enterprise-Under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (A Mini Ratna Company).

5 All India Surveys in 2021
The Labour Bureau is set to conduct 5 All India surveys in 2021 on Migrant Workers, Domestic Workers, AQEES, Employment generated by professionals & Employment generated in the transport sector.
About  Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL):
CMD – George Kuruvilla
Head Office – New Delhi
About Labour Bureau:
Director General – DPS Negi
Head Office – Chandigarh/Shimla
<<Read Full News>>

Power Minister R K Singh launches GRAM UJALA in Bihar; 1st Carbon Credits Programme in IndiaPower Minister Shri R K Singh launches GRAM UJALA in BiharOn March 19, 2021, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, R K Singh  virtually launched the ‘GRAM UJALA’ programme in Arrah, Bihar.  Under the programme, 15 Million (1.5 Crore) LEDs with 3 years of warranty will be given to rural customers on submission of working  condition incandescent bulbs.

  • Under this scheme Government will offer the world’s cheapest LED bulbs in rural areas at a INR 10.
  • The LEDs distributed has the capacities of 7-watt & 12-watt.Each household can get up to 5 LEDs.
  • The scheme was unveiled by  Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL).
  • It will be financed entirely through Carbon Credits making it the 1st such programme in India.

Objective

  • It will have a significant impact on India’s climate change action energy savings of 2025 million KWh/year and CO2 reductions of 1.65 million tonnes CO2/year.
  • It also aims to bring in better illumination at affordable prices, better standard of life, financial savings, more economic activity & better safety for rural citizens.

1st Phase of Implementation

  • Under the 1st phase of the programme, it will be implemented across villages of 5 states – Aarah (Bihar), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Nagpur (Maharashtra) & in villages of Western Gujarat.

About Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL):
It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL)
CEO – Mahua Acharya
<<Read Full News>>

PM Narendra Modi addresses the 4th Global Ayurveda Festival 2021PM addresses fourth Global Ayurveda FestivalPrime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the 4th Global Ayurveda Festival 2021 (GAF 2021),largest Ayurvedic event held anywhere across the world. The event is held in a virtual format is organized by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) from March 12-19, 2021.The Festival aims to popularize Ayurveda & Traditional forms of Medicine.

  • FICCI is the industry partner.
  • Chairman of GAF 2021 – V Muraleedharan (Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs).
  • Around 25 Countries participated in the event.

Key Points from PM’s address

  • India’s policy regarding Ayurveda & other Indian systems of medicine is aligned with Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-23 of WHO.
  • WHO has also proposed the setting up of the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India.

About Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA):
President – G G Gangadharan
Location – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
<<Read Full News>>

ISRO to Set-up Space Technology Incubation Center at NIT-RourkelaISRO-NIT Rourkela sign MoU to set up Space Technology Incubation CentreOn 19th March, 2021 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Institute of Technology (NIT)- Rourkela to set-up a Space Technology Incubation Center (S-TIC) at NIT-Rourkela campus, Odisha. This will be the 4th S-TIC of the 6 targeted by ISRO.
i.Under this MoU, Rs. 2 crores will be provided by ISRO to the NIT for infrastructure development of S-TIC & to carry out ISRO projects & prototypes.
About ISRO:
Founded by Vikram Sarabhai, also known as the Father of Indian Space Program.
Established- 1969
Headquarters- Bangalore, Karnataka
Chairman- Kailasavadivoo Sivan
<<Read Full News>>

IBBI & British High Commission released an ethical handbook for IPsIBBI releases ‘Handbook of Ethics’On March 19, 2021, in New Delhi, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) in association with the British High Commission has prepared and released a publication titled “Handbook on Ethics for Insolvency Professionals: Ethical and Regulatory Framework”, a practical guide for insolvency professionals(IPs) for discharging their duties ethically.

  • Dr. Navrang Saini, Whole Time Member, IBBI released the handbook in the presence of Ms. Natalie Toms, Chief Economist and Counsellor, British High Commission.
  • The launch was followed by the webinar on “Pre-Pack Insolvency Resolution Process: Report of the Sub-Committee of the ILC”.

About the Handbook:

  • It is based on inputs on the best practices followed by insolvency practitioners in the UK.
  • It aims to stimulate the highest standards of ethics and professionalism among insolvency professionals (IPs).
  • The book is in line with the ground realities of the Indian insolvency ecosystem and is expected to serve as a practical guide for IPs in discharging their duties ethically and effectively.

About Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI):
Establishment – 1st October 2016
Headquarters – New Delhi, India
Chairperson – M.S. Sahoo
<<Read Full News>>

4th JPO-DPIIT Review Meeting held Virtually under Indo-Japan MoC on Industrial Property

i.On 12th March 2021, 4th Review Meeting held virtually between Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India and the Japan Patent Office (JPO), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan under Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Industrial Property signed in 2015.
ii.The 1st Phase of the meeting was Co-chaired by Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary, DPIIT & Mr. Toshihide Kasutani, Commissioner, JPO. Similarly, the 2nd Phase of the meeting was Co-chaired by Shri Ravinder, Joint Secretary, DPIIT and Mr. Toshihide Kasutani.
iii.In June 2015, JPO & Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) (predecessor to the DPIIT) signed an MoC in the Field of Industrial Property.
iv.During the Review Meeting, both the entities agreed to act mutually & competent International Searching and International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA/IPEA) for any international patent application filed with them under the PCT, from 1 July 2021.
About Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT):
Established – 1995 & Reconstituted in 2000.
The department was earlier called Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and was renamed as DPIIT in January, 2019.
<<Read Full News>>

Sadananda Gowda inaugurates 11th Edition of India Chem 2021 in New Delhi11th Edition of India Chem 2021 in New Delhi newSadananda Gowda, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers inaugurated ‘India Chem 2021’ – the 11th Biennial International Exhibition & Conference at New Delhi.  It is organized by the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Government of India & FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) and will be held from March 17-19, 2021.

  • Theme – “India: Global Manufacturing Hub for Chemicals and Petrochemicals”
  • Objective – To highlight the investment potential in Indian Chemicals & Petrochemicals Industry.
  • India Chem is one of the largest composite events of the Chemical & Petrochemical sector in the Asia-Pacific event.

Investment of 8 Lakh Crore by 2025
Union Minister  D V Sadananda Gowda stated that an investment of INR 8 Lakh Crore is anticipated in the Indian Chemicals & Petrochemical industry by 2025.
About Ministry for Chemicals & Fertilizers:
Union Minister – D V Sadananda Gowda (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Bangalore North, Karnataka)
Minister of State – Mansukh Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha MP  – Gujarat)
<<Read Full News>>

NITI Aayog Submits 1st List of about 12 PSUs for Privatisation

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi headed Think Tank, NITI Aayog had submitted the 1st list of 12 Public Sector Undertaking’s(PSUs) for Privatisation. The list contains both Banks as well as Insurance Companies. Now, the list will be considered by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), and the Core Group of Secretaries on Divestment (CGD), headed by the cabinet secretary (Current Cabinet Secretary is Rajiv Gauba).

  • While Presenting the Union Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Plan to Privatise the PSUs to clear the ways for centre to complete the target of Rs 1.75 lakh crores of disinvestment in the financial year 2021-2022.
  • It was planned to privatise two Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and one general Insurance company in the year 2021-22.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Received Interim Dividend Cheque Of Rs. 92.56 Crore From DPSU – MDL

On 3rd March 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received the interim dividend cheque of Rs.92.56 crore from the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (formerly called Mazagon Dock Limited – MDL), a Defence Public Sector Undertaking(DPSU) in New Delhi.
i.Vice Admiral Narayan Prasad (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of MDL handed over the cheque to the Defence Minister.
ii.With this, MDL has paid a total dividend of Rs.138.73 crore to the Government during FY2020-21 including a final dividend of Rs. 46.17 crore for FY2019-20.

  • DPSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has paid an interim dividend of 140% – Rs 174.43 crore interim dividend to the government.
  • The company has declared interim dividend of 109.11 crore rupees @ 54.10 per cent of equity capital for Financial Year 2020-21, Government share being 84.83 per cent.
  • M V Gowtama, CMD of BEL presented the cheque to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

AAI Agreed To Assist Bangladesh Aviation Regulator To Enhance Infrastructure

On 15th March 2021, The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has agreed to assist the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), the aviation regulator of Bangladesh, to enhance its capacity in terms of infrastructure and skilled manpower.

  • To explore the possible cooperation areas, the high-level delegations of CAAB visited AAI from 7th to 11th March 2021.
  • India is currently celebrating ”Swarnim Vijay Varsh”, the golden jubilee year marking the 1971 war victory over Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
  • AAI has suggested providing customised courses to assist in the training progress.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Ranked 139 out of 149 in UN World Happiness Report 2021, Finland Tops World Happiness Report 2021India with a score of 3.819 has been ranked 139 out of 149 countries in the ‘World Happiness Report 2021’ an publication of United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.  The rankings were topped by Finland (tops for the 4th time).

  • This is the 9th World Happiness Report and is based on surveys conducted during the time period of 2018-20.
  • It ranks the world’s 149 countries on “how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be”.
  • The results of the report based on the Gallup World Poll.
  • The least happy countries were Afghanistan (149), Zimbabwe (148) & Rwanda (147).
  • Apart from Afghanistan (149), all neighbouring countries ranked higher than India.

Ranking Based on Past 3 Years(2018-2020):

CountryRankingPoints
India1393.819
Finland17.842
Denmark27.620
Switzerland37.571

Ranking Based on Last Year(2020):

CountryRankingPoints
Finland17.889
Iceland27.575
Denmark37.515

About United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN):
President  – Jeffrey Sachs
Secretariat – New York, USA; Paris, France; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
<<Read Full News>>

PM Addresses 3rd Edition of Annual Conference of  ICDRI 2021PM addresses International Conference on Disaster resilient InfrastructurePrime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi addressed the 3rd Edition of the Annual Conference of International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 2021 (ICDRI 2021).  The Conference took place virtually from March 17-19, 2021, and was hosted by Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

  • ICDRI is an International Workshop hosted annually by CDRI.
  • Objective – To strengthen the global discourses on disaster and climate-resilient infrastructure.
  • The conference was addressed by PM Modi;UK PM Boris Johnson;PM of Italy Mario Draghi OMRI;Josaia Voreqq Bainimarama, PM of Fiji.

EU Joins CDRI

  • During the event, the 27-member European Union joined the CDRI.

US pledges funds up to USD 9.2 million

  • The US announced funds of up to USD 9.2 Million for supporting CDRI.

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
It was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019.
About Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI):
Director General – Sandeep Poundrik
Head Office – New Delhi (Interim Headquarters)
Membership – 22 countries & 6 International agencies (as of 2nd March, 2021)
<<Read Full News>>

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Moody’s Analytics sees India’s GDP growth at 12% in 2021India's economy may grow at 12%Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation, predicts India’s GDP to grow by 12 % in 2021 following a contraction of 7.1%(-7.1%) in 2020 and sees favorable near-term prospects due to the stronger unexpected growth over months.
India’s Growth forecast by Moody’s Analytics:

  • Domestic and external demand has increased and leads to improved manufacturing output in recent months as the restrictions are eased.
  • Private consumption and non-residential investments also will pick up over the next few quarters and strengthen the demand in growth thus they saw real GDP growth of 12% in the 2021 calendar year.

GDP Comparison: 

  • GDP is growing by 4% above pre-COVID-19 levels (march 2020-march 2021) or equivalently by 5.7% above the GDP level (December 2020-December 2021).
  • GDP growth for the December quarter of 0.4% with a 7.5% contraction in the previous months favored India’s near-term prospects.

About Moody’s Analytics:
Establishment – 2008
Headquarters – United States
President – Stephen Tulenko
<<Read Full News>>

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Amitabh Bachchan Honoured with FIAF Award 2021Amitabh Bachchan honoured with FIAF awardi.On 19th March 2021, Indian Actor Amitabh Bachchan received the FIAF Award 2021 by the International Federation of Film Archives (French: Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film, FIAF), an international organization of film archives and museums across the globe over a virtual award ceremony hosted from Mumbai, Maharashtra.
ii.The award was bestowed upon him by former FIAF Award recipients and filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan. 
iii.Amitabh became the first Indian to receive this award.
iv.The FIAF Award was introduced in 2001 and the inaugural award was presented to American Martin Scorsese.
About FIAF:
President– Frédéric Maire
Secretary-General– Michael Loebenstein
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
<<Read Full News>>

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Govt Forms Experts Advisory Committee For Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), Chaired by H K Mittal Govt forms experts committee for Startup India Seed Fund Schemei.The Government of India has constituted an expert advisory committee to execute and monitor the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme(SISFS). The committee will be chaired by H K Mittal from the Department of Science and Technology.
ii.The committee will evaluate and select incubators for the allotment of the fund under the scheme.
iii.It will also monitor the progress of the scheme and take the required measures to effectively utilise the funds to achieve the objectives of SISFS.
iv.On 5th February 2021, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry approved the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) for a period of 4 years starting from 2021-22.
About Ministry of Commerce & Industry:
Union Minister– Piyush Goyal (Rajya Sabha – Maharashtra)
Minister of State (MoS)- Hardeep Singh Puri (Rajya Sabha – Uttar Pradesh), Som Parkash (Lok Sabha – Hoshiarpur, Punjab)
<<Read Full News>>

Anurag Thakur becomes first serving MP to be appointed captain in Territorial Army

Minister of State (MoS) for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Anurag Thakur has become the first serving member of parliament (MP) to be appointed as Captain in the Territorial Army.

  • The four-time BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur was commissioned into the Territorial Army as a Lieutenant in July 2016.
  • Territorial Army  is the second line of defence in the hierarchy, which comprises volunteers who are imparted military training for about a month in a year.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

CCI approved Tata Power’s 51% stake acquisition in NESCO Utility from GRIDCOGrid Corporation of Odisha LimitedOn March 18, 2021, The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of 51% of the equity share capital of North Eastern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha (NESCO Utility) by The Tata Power Company Limited (TPCL) from Grid Corporation of Odisha Limited (GRIDCO) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002,

  • The proposed acquisition is in accordance with the competitive bidding process initiated by the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (“OERC”) under Section 20 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

About TPCL and NESCO:

  • TPCL which is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra was incorporated on 18th September 1919, a public listed company that is primarily engaged in the business of power generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a part of the Tata group.
  • NESCO Utility was incorporated on 19 November 1997, which is engaged in the business of distribution and retail supply of power in five districts of Odisha namely, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar and Baripada.

About Competition Commission of India (CCI):
Establishment – 14th October 2003
Headquarters – New Delhi, India
Chairman – Ashok Kumar Gupta

PowerGrid acquired the Outstanding 74% stake in JPVL from Jaypee PowergridPowerGrid inks pact to acquire balance 74% stake in Jaypee PowergridOn March 19,2021 Power Grid Corporation of India(Powergrid) has signed an agreement with Jaiprakash Power Ventures (JPVL) for the acquisition of the outstanding 74% stake of JPVL in Jaypee PowerGrid(JPL) at an aggregate consideration of Rs 351.64 crore.

  • Powergrid has already owned a 26% stake in JPVL and now through this acquisition, it became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Power Grid.
  • JPL has developed a 214-kilometer-long EHV power transmission project to evacuate power from the Karcham-Wangtoo project in Himachal Pradesh.
  • The power transmitted is slated for distribution and consumption in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

About Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID):
Establishment – 23rd October 1989
Headquarters – Gurgaon, Haryana
Chairman & Managing Director – K. Sreekant
About Jaypee Powergrid Limited (JPL):
It is a joint venture company set up between Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited (JPVL) and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL)
Establishment – April 2012
Company Location– New Delhi
Chairman– Shri I.S. Jha(Part-time)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Govt focused to Develop & Strengthen India’s First own Mobile Appstore – “Mobile Seva Appstore”: Ravi Shankar PrasadGovt keen to develop, strengthen own mobile app store ‘Mobile Seva AppstoreOn 18th March 2021, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister, Ministry for Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY), stated that the government is keen to develop and strengthen India’s first indigenously developed mobile app store – Mobile Seva Appstore”.
This digital app store for government and private apps is a part of India’s efforts towards self-reliance. 
Need for Mobile Seva app store:
i.India is the largest user of mobile apps.
ii.According to the India App Market Statistics report 2021, around 5% of the apps on android were developed by Indian app developers.
iii.In the absence of India’s own app store, the dependence on Google and Apple for the digital service has affected the digital ecosystem of India.
Mobile Seva App Store:
Mobile Seva is an innovative initiative launched by MeitY and implemented by CDAC to enable all Government departments and agencies at the Centre, State and Local levels in the country to deliver their services through various channels of mobile such as SMS, IVRS, USSD, Mobile Application and AppStore.
i.Mobile Seva AppStore is a mobile application hosting platform owned by the Government of India.
ii.The app store is based on service-oriented architecture and cloud-based technologies using open standards.
Features:
i.The government Departments and Developers can host their mobile application related to Government and other public services on the Mobile Seva Appstore.
ii.The developers can host the mobile applications related to the public services related to health, education, agriculture, financial, online payments and others.
iii.The verified and signed APK files can be uploaded on the AppStore free of cost and these apps can be downloaded free of cost.
About Ministry for Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY):
Union Minister– Ravi Shankar Prasad (Lok Sabha- Patna Sahib, Bihar)
MoS–  Sanjay Dhotre(Lok Sabha – Akola, Maharashtra)

MoD, BDL sign deal for supply of 4, 960 MILAN-2T ATGMs  to Indian ArmyDefence Ministry seals deal with BDL to acquire newThe Acquisition wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed INR 1, 188 Crore deal with Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) for acquiring 4, 960 MILAN-2T Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) for the Indian Army. The deal will boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Indian Government.

  • The induction of 4, 960 tanks is expected to be completed in three years.
  • MILAN-2T missiles have a range of 1, 850 meters. They are capable of being fired from ground as well as vehicle-based launchers.
  • MILAN-2T is being produced by BDL under license from French defence major MBDA Missile Systems.
  • The acquisition is expected to enhance the operational readiness of the Indian Army.
  • The deal will be a big opportunity for the Defence Industry in India to achieve ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ in the defence sector.

Background
The latest order is basically a ‘Repeat Order’ of contract, which was signed with BDL on March 8, 2016.
About  Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL):
CMD – Siddharth Mishra
Head Office – Hyderabad, Telangana
<<Read Full News>>

SPORTS

Former Ireland Captain, Gary Wilson, retires from International CricketFormer Ireland captain Gary Wilson retires from professional cricketOn 19th March 2021, the 35 year Gary Wilson, Former captain of Ireland Cricket Team announced retirement from International Cricket. He represented the Ireland squad in 2 Cricket World Cups (2011, 2015) and 5 T20 World Cups (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016). Currently, he is all set to take over the role of Head Coach and Pathway Manager for North West Warriors.
i.Gary Wilson made his International Debut in 2005 for Ireland, and represented the side 292 times.
ii.He is the 2nd Highest wicket-taker for Ireland with 160 catches & 33 stumpings.
iii.In his 16 yearlong cricketing career, he scored 5,959 runs for Ireland, with 1 century and 30 fifties.
iv.His highest score 113 came against the Netherlands in 2010.
v.He captained Ireland’s T20 squad in 2018, leading the country to be qualified for 2020’s T20 World Cup.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Chairman- Greg Barclay
Deputy-Chairman- Imran Khwaja
CEO- Manu Sawhney
Chairman of ICC Cricket Committee- Anil Kumble
Headquarter – Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

ICC Bans UAE Cricketers Mohammad Naveed & Shaiman Anwar for 8 Years

On 16th March 2021, International Cricket Council (ICC) handed an 8-year ban to UAE cricketers, Former United Arab Emirates(UAE) captain Mohammad Naveed and batsman Shaiman Anwar from all forms of cricket.  They were banned for breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

  • They were found guilty of corruption relating to attempted match-fixing during 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifying tournaments.
  • The bans are backdated to 16th October 2019, when they were provisionally suspended.

Mumbai Cricket Team Wins 2021’s Vijay Hazare Trophy; Prithvi Shaw-1st player to Score 800 runs in Single Edition

Mumbai cricket team won the 2021’s Vijay Hazare Trophy in the finals against Uttar Pradesh, where the captain of Mumbai, Prithvi Shaw became the 1st player to score 800 runs in a single edition. Previously, Mayank Agarwal held the highest run scorer record with 723 runs from the 2018 edition. In the same match, Uttar Pradesh batsman, Madhav Kaushik, scored 158 runs recording the highest runs scored by a batsman in the tournament’s final. 

OBITUARY

Inventor of Cassette Tape, Lou Ottens, passes away at 94

The Dutch inventor, Lou Ottens, inventor of Cassette tape passed away at the age of 94. He was the one who invented the 1st Cassette tape that was produced by Philips in 1962. These Cassette tapes were a huge success worldwide with 100 million sales. The cassette tape was mostly used by Music lovers, until it was replaced by Compact Disk (CD). Lou Ottens also acted as the supervisor of CD’s development team.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Happiness 2021 – 20th MarchInternational Day Of Happinessi.The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Happiness, annually observed across the globe on 20th March, is dedicated to the importance of happiness in people’s life.
The first International day of happiness was observed on 20th March 2013. 
ii.The theme of the International Day of Happiness 2021 is “Keep Calm. Stay Wise. Be Kind”. 
iii.The 2021 International Day of Happiness campaign theme is “Happiness For All Forever”.
iv.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/66/281 on 28th June 2012 and proclaimed the 20th March of every year as the International Day of Happiness, starting from 2013.
v.The world happiness fest annually organizes the 6-day Happiness Celebrations from 18th March to 23rd March as World Happiness Week.
<<Read Full News>>

World Oral Health Day 2021 – March 20World Oral Health Dayi.World Oral Health Day is annually observed across the globe on 20th March to promote the importance of oral health and to reduce the problems of oral diseases that affect the individuals, health system and economy.
ii.The theme of World Oral Health Day 2021 is “Be Proud of your Mouth” and this theme will be followed in 2022 and 2023.
iii.The World Oral Health Day is an initiative of the FDI World Dental Federation, an international organisation that unites the world of dentistry with an aim to achieve optimal oral health for everyone.
iv.The National Oral Health Program was created by the Indian Dental Association(IDA) to improve the overall health of India by targeting oral health.
<<Read Full News>>

World Sparrow Day 2021 – March 20World Sparrowi.World Sparrow Day is annually observed across the world on 20th March to create awareness and to bring attention to the significance and importance of conservation and protection of the sparrows and other such birds.
ii.The first world sparrow day was observed on 20th March 2010. 
iii.The theme of World Sparrow Day is “I Love Sparrows”. 
iv.World sparrow day is the initiative of the Nature Forever Society in India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation, France and other national and international organisations across the globe.
v.The Nature Forever Society was founded by Mohammed Dilawar, an Indian conservationist who worked towards creating awareness on the importance of conservation of house sparrow.
<<Read Full News>>

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S.noCurrent Affairs 21 & 22 March 2021
1Labour Bureau signs agreement with BECIL for conducting all-India surveys
2Power Minister R K Singh launches GRAM UJALA in Bihar; 1st Carbon Credits Programme in India
3PM Narendra Modi addresses the 4th Global Ayurveda Festival 2021
4ISRO to Set-up Space Technology Incubation Center at NIT-Rourkela
5IBBI & British High Commission released an ethical handbook for IPs
64th JPO-DPIIT Review meeting held under Indo-Japan MoC on Industrial Property
7Sadananda Gowda inaugurates 11th Edition of India Chem 2021 in New Delhi
8NITI Aayog Submits 1st List of about 12 PSUs for Privatisation
9Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Received Interim Dividend Cheque Of Rs. 92.56 Crore From DPSU – MDL
10AAI Agreed To Assist Bangladesh Aviation Regulator To Enhance Infrastructure
11India Ranked 139 out of 149 in UN World Happiness Report 2021, Finland Tops
12PM Addresses 3rd Edition of Annual Conference of  ICDRI 2021
13Moody’s Analytics sees India’s GDP growth at 12% in 2021
14Amitabh Bachchan Honoured with FIAF Award 2021
15Govt Forms Experts Advisory Committee For Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), Chaired by H K Mittal
16Anurag Thakur becomes first serving MP to be appointed captain in Territorial Army
17CCI approved Tata Power’s 51% stake acquisition in NESCO Utility from GRIDCO
18PowerGrid acquired the Outstanding 74% stake in JPVL from Jaypee Powergrid
19Govt focused to Develop & Strengthen India’s First own Mobile Appstore – “Mobile Seva Appstore”: Ravi Shankar Prasad
20MoD, BDL sign deal for supply of 4, 690 MILAN-2T ATGMs  to Indian Army
21Former Ireland Captain, Gary Wilson, retires from International Cricket
22ICC Bans UAE Cricketers Mohammad Naveed & Shaiman Anwar for 8 Years
23Mumbai Wins 2021’s Vijay Hazare Trophy; Prithvi Shaw-1st player to Score 800 runs in Single Edition
24Inventor of Cassette Tape, Lou Ottens, passes away at 94
25International Day of Happiness 2021 – 20th March
26World Oral Health Day 2021 – March 20
27World Sparrow Day 2021 – March 20