Current Affairs 31 March 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 31 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

Bihar set to become India’s 1st State to have 2 Green Energy Efficient TownsBihar is set to become India’s 1st State to have 2 Green Energy Efficient towns, the 2 towns are Rajgir & BodhGaya. They will start getting Solar Energy through 1st of its kind Renewable energy project from 2023.

• The green energy supply required for running the towns will be developed and supplied by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
• To implement the project, the state government of Bihar will construct 500 MW solar energy plants at Lakhisarai & Bhagalpur.
• After Rajgir & BodhGaya, many important government offices in Patna like the Governor house, High Court, Museum & Vidhyut Bhawan would also run on green energy supplied by SECI.

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)

• It is the only CPSU (Central Public Sector Undertaking) dedicated to the Solar Energy Sector. However, at present the mandate of SECI has broadened to cover the entire renewable energy domain.
• It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• It was set up in 2011.

About Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI):
Chairman & Managing Director – Jatindra Nath Swain
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Bihar:
Chief Minister – Nitish Kumar
Governor – Phagu Chauhan
>>Read Full News

HMEL became the first Indian buyer of Guyanese oilIn March 2020, HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) a joint venture between state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp and steel tycoon L.N. Mittal, became India’s first company to buy cargo from the oil producers of Guyana.
Key points:

• HMEL bought the 1 million-barrel cargo of Guyana’s Liza light sweet crude which had started its sail on March 2 on Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, Sea Garnet and it is set to arrive around April 8 to India’s Mundra port(Gujarat).
• HMEL operates 226,000 barrels per day(bpd) in the Bathinda refinery which is in the northern state of Punjab.
• India is the third-biggest oil importer in the world, speeding up its diversification of imports to cut its dependency on Middle Eastern crudes.
• OPEC’s share in India’s oil imports fell to historic lows between April 2020 and January 2021.

About HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL):
Establishment – 2007
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director – Prabh Das
Headquarters – Noida, Uttar Pradesh
>>Read Full News

ICM, Think Tank of MEA and IOM to collaborate for joint Study on Migration

On 23rd March 2021, The India Centre for Migration (ICM), a research think tank of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), entered into collaboration with International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for the joint study on “Strengthening data-informed and migrant-centred migration management frameworks in India”.

• The project was launched by Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary (CPV & OIA) and Chairman of ICM.

Aim:
i.To address the issues of international migration that gained momentum during the post COVID-19 recovery efforts.
ii.To provide a gender sensitive approach and policies.
Objective of the study:
i.Best practices with regards to international migration data management to strengthen evidence based policy making
ii.Explore opportunities for new migration corridors based on sectoral data and trends.
iii.To augment practical information for aspiring Indian Migrants in emerging sectors in new destinations.
About the joint study:
i.Examine the impacts of changes in technology, economic environment and the Covid-19 situation.
ii.Explore the possibilities for skilling and for conducting bilateral and multilateral agreements
iii.Analyse the evidence based approach for safe, legal, smart and sustainable migration.
iv.This will facilitate the implementation of various migrant centric and evidence based policies of the Government to address the interests of migrants and to enhance labour market opportunities in both traditional and new destinations.
About The India Centre for Migration (ICM):
Chairman– Sanjay Bhattacharyya
Headquarters– New Delhi

Tourism Ministry launches ‘MICE Roadshow – Meet in India’ & Inaugurates Chhatrasal Convention Centre at KhajurahoOn 25th March 2021, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge), Prahlad Singh Patel, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh jointly inaugurated the ‘Chhatrasal Convention Centre’ at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. The Tourism Ministry also launched the “MICE Roadshow Meet in India” at the Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho.
What is MICE?

• MICE – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions
• It is an initiative by the Ministry of Tourism to promote India’s Iconic tourist spots into World class destinations for conducting MICE events.

During the event, the Tourism Ministry launched its “Meet in India” Campaign to recognise India as a World class MICE destination.
About the Ministry of Tourism:
Minister of State – Prahlad Singh Patel (Damoh, Madhya Pradesh)
About Madhya Pradesh:
Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport – Indore, Madhya Pradesh
>>Read Full News

Harsh Vardhan Launches Tribal TB Initiative to achieve ‘TB Mukt Bharat’ by 2025Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan launched the ‘Tribal TB Initiative’ as a step towards the goal of ‘TB Mukt Bharat’ by 2025.
i.During the event, he also released

• A Guidance Note on Joint Action Plan for Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination
• A Special Edition of Tribal Ministry’s Publication ‘ALEKH’ on TB. ALEKH is a quarterly e-newsletter of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs which focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of the tribal communities.
• A Document on Tribal Tuberculosis (TB) Initiative.

Tribal Population

• The Joint plan will focus on 162 Tribal districts across 18 identified states.
• The initiative will take steps to improve vulnerability mapping techniques, organization of sensitization and capacity building workshops for volunteers, periodic TB active case finding drives, provision of TB Preventive Therapy (IPT) to identify vulnerable populations & developing long term mechanisms for vulnerability reduction.

Linking of Portals
Harsh Vardhan highlighted the linking of the NIKSHAY Portal of MoHFW & Swasthya Portal of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to boost data compilation on TB.
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA):
Union Minister– Arjun Munda (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Khunti, Jharkhand)
Minister of State– Renuka Singh Saruta (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Surguja, Chhattisgarh)
>>Read Full News

Bureau of Civil Aviation Security & Yamuna International Airport sign LoA for civil aviation security at Jewar AirportOn 24th March, 2021, A Letter of Agreement (LoA) was signed between the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) & Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) in New Delhi. Under this LoA Bureau of Civil Aviation Security will take up security responsibilities of Jewar Airport, Uttar Pradesh.

• LoA will help to implement the tasks relating to civil aviation security, defined, and allocated for implementation of various aspects of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP) at Noida International Airport.

Signatories: Ankit Garg, Deputy Director General, BCAS, and Christoph Schnellmann, CEO, YIAPL.
About Jewar Airport:
i.The contract for construction of the Jewar Airport, officially Noida International Greenfield Airport, has been awarded to YIAPL, which is a joint venture of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Zurich international airport.
About Bureau of Civil Aviation Security:
Established as an independent department under the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 1st April, 1987.
Director General – M. A. Ganapathy

10 tonnes Unexploded Ordnance Safely disposed under “Operation Thiruvallur”Indian Army’s Southern Command Troops, Pune launched “Operation Thiruvallur” in Tamil Nadu(TN) to safely dispose of around 10 tonnes of unexploded ordnance collected by factories. The Ministry of Defence has directed the Indian Army for conducting the operation under the aegis of  “Aid to Civil Authorities”.
i.The ordnance was collected from the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) Industrial Estate in Gummidipoondi, Thiruvallur district, TN.
ii.Operation Thiruvallur was initiated by the Ministry of Defence on the request of Govt. of Tamil Nadu.
iii.Unexploded ordnance from a metal scrap dump were successfully neutralised by the Army Bomb Disposal Team.
About Indian Army:
Chief of the Army Staff– Manoj Mukund Naravane
Headquarters– New Delhi
About Tamil Nadu:

• Temple Town of South India – Kumbakonam
• Queen of Hill Stations – Ooty
• Princess of Hill Station – Kodaikanal

Kempegowda Airport becomes 1st in South India to have operational Parallel runways

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport became the 1st Airport in South India to have a fully operational parallel runways. This comes as a result of the Airports northern runway coming to operation which was closed for renovation and upgrades in June 2020.

• While the Southern runway is equipped with a CAT III B System that provides precision landing facility by improving runway visibility.
• Due to reduced passenger traffic caused by the pandemic, it was decided not to implement the CAT III B system in the Northern runway.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India may miss its 2022 Renewable Energy Capacity Targets: GWEC Report 2021According to ‘Global Wind Report 2021’ released by Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), India may miss its 2022 Renewable Energy Capacity Targets (175 GW RE by 2022 – 100 GW Solar, 60 GW Wind, 10 GW Bio-Energy, 5 GW Small Hydro) due to several constraints.

• The constraints range from things like Land Allocation, grid availability, the recurring financial instability of DISCOMs (Power Distribution Companies), tender design & PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) Sanctity and others.
• At the Global level, 2020 was the best year in history for the Global wind industry.  Around 93 GW of new capacity were installed (53% year-on-year increase).
• The world needs at least 180 GW of new wind energy every year to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
• Out of 93 GW of new Wind Power capacity installed in 2020, India’s share was just20% (1119 MW).
• The total wind power capacity across the world stands at 743 GW (US & China account for more than 50% of it),
• The Global Wind Report 2021 is GWEC’s 16th Annual flagship report.

About Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC):
CEO – Ben Backwell
Headquarters – Brussels, Belgium
>>Read Full News

Overview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2-day visit to BangladeshIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh from March 26-27, 2021 at the invitation of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. During the meeting, PM Narendra Modi participated in major events such as

• Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Independence of Bangladesh. PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at the event.
• ‘Mujib Barsho’ – Celebrations of Birth Centenary of the Father of Bangladesh –  Bangabandhu ‘Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’.
• Event for celebrating 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India & Bangladesh.

Key Events

• India conferred Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020 on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
• Both countries signed 5 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on key sectors like Disaster Management, Sports and Youth Affairs, Trade, Technology, Commerce, Information Technology.
• The leaders launched a new passenger train ‘Mitali Express’ connecting Dhaka- New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal).
• PM Narendra Modi reiterated India’s commitment and efforts to conclude the Teesta Water-Sharing pact.
• The government of India announced 1000 Shuborno Jayanti Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students for pursuing education/courses in India.
• India will be involved in the development of the transmission lines for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (Bangladesh’s 1st Nuclear Power Plant) in Bangladesh.
• It was decided to commemorate 6th December every year as Maitri Diwas.

About Bangladesh:
Capital– Dhaka
Currency– Bangladeshi Taka
>>Read Full News

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Anish Shah Appointed as MD & CEO of Mahindra and Mahindra LtdOn 25th March 2021, Anish Shah was appointed as the Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd(M&M) with effect from 2nd April 2021.

• He takes over from Pawan Goenka who will retire as the MD and CEO, and member of the Board of Directors of M&M on 2nd April 2021.
• Anish Shah is currently serving as the deputy managing director and Chief Financial Officer(CFO) of the company.
• He will oversee the operations of all the companies under the Mahindra Group along with the automobile and tractor manufacturing businesses.

Note:
When Anand Mahindra transitions to the position of Non-Executive Chairman,  Anish Shah will become the First Professional MD and CEO of Mahindra Group to complete oversight of and responsibility for Mahindra Group.
About Anish Shah:
i.Anish Shah joined M&M as the group President – Strategy in 2015 and led the strategy development.
ii.He has served as the  President and CEO of GE Capital India before joining M&M.
iii.He started his career at Citibank in Mumbai and later worked as strategy consultant

Govt Extended the Term of K. VijayRaghavan as PSA for One Year Till April 2022On March 25, 2021, The official order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training stated that the government has extended the term of K. VijayRaghavan as Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) for one more year.

• K. VijayRaghavan, 67, was appointed as PSA in 2018, after retiring as Secretary, Department of Biotechnology. His contract ends on April 2 but has now been extended until April 2022.
• He was conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2013.

About The office of Principal Scientific Advisor(PSA):

• Establishment: The office of the PSA to the Government of India was established in November 1999 by the cabinet secretariat.

• Aim: The office aims to provide pragmatic and objective advice to the prime minister and cabinet on matters related to science, technology and innovation with a focus on the application of science and technology in critical infrastructure, economic and social sectors in partnership with the government departments, institutions and industry.
• The Office of the PSA has been among the key coordinating agencies with industry, research bodies, health and science ministries after the pandemic to accelerate the development of diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.
• The PSA office also will be formulating the National Science Innovation and Technology Policy as well as the forthcoming National Research Foundation.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

BPCL sells 61.5% stake in Numaligarh Refinery for Rs.9876 crorei.On 26th March 2021, The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) sold its entire stake (61.5%) in Numaligarh Refinery limited(NRL), Assam to  consortium of Oil India Ltd(OIL) and Engineers India Limited(EIL) and Government of Assam for Rs 9,876 crore.
ii.The sale purchase agreement was signed on 25th March 2021 between BPCL and the consortium of OIL, EIL for sale of 43.05 crore equity shares in NRL to the consortium for Rs. 9375.96 crore.
iii.The remaining 2.29 crore equity was transferred to the Government of Assam for Rs.499.99 crore.
About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL):
Chairman and Managing Director(CMD)– K. Padmakar
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
>>Read Full News

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ITI and Thalamus Irwine Developed Blockchain Technology in Healthcare EcosystemITI Limited(ITI), the Indian telecom products manufacturing arm and Thalamus Irwine, Delhi based AI (Artificial Intelligence) Firm, have developed a first of its kind technology called Garuda Blockchain Platform for storing medical data on the blockchain. On March 25, 2021, they have demonstrated a working proof of concept (PoC) for the technology with 300 patients.

• The healthcare platform Garuda will accelerate the roll-out of the “One Nation, One Health Card” vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Objective: To bring blockchain technology to the healthcare ecosystem
Key points:

• Under the Garuda Blockchain Platform, the very first PoC of the AI-based testing was conducted in Bengaluru and the second in Delhi airport.
• To provide data security, ITI has established a three-tiered security data centre where information of all the health cards of citizens can be safely stored.
• With this unique collaboration, ITI will be one of the first PSUs to store medical data on a Blockchain network and,
• India also came on the list of very few countries that have successfully demonstrated its ability to use blockchain in a healthcare ecosystem.

About ITI Limited:
Establishment – 1948
Chairman & MD – Shri Rakesh Mohan Agarwal
Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
>>Read Full News

Cochin Shipyard Ltd delivers ‘MV Sindhu’ Passenger-cum-Cargo Vessel to A&N Island AdministrationCochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) delivered the indigenously built ‘MV Sindhu’, a 150 MT Cargo Vessel to the Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) Island Administration.

Specification of MV Sindhu:

• It is capable of carrying 500 passengers and can cruise at 16 Knots.
• CSL will also provide full life cycle support for the Ship’s efficient operation.
• The ship is part of Government’s plans to add new ships to the transportation fleet for improving the connectivity between the mainland and the islands.
• The basic design of the vessel was developed by Knud E Hansen, An Denmark based Naval Architect company in collaboration with Smart Engineering and Design Solution, Kochi.
• MV Sindhu is part of a series of Four Passenger vessels comprising 2 Numbers of 500 Pax (Pax – Total occupants of a ship) & 2 Numbers of 1, 200 Pax at a total order value of ~ INR 1, 400 crores under the ‘Make in India’.
• The 2nd 500 Pax Vessel is under advanced stage of construction and is expected to join the fleet in 2021.

Reason for the Launch:

The plan is part of a larger strategy to develop infrastructure in Andaman and Nicobar Islands with state-run National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corp. Ltd (NHIDCL) been tasked with building bridges and roads at an investment of around Rs 3,000 crore.

About Andaman & Nicobar Island Administration:
Lieutenant Governor – D K Joshi
Capital – Port Blair
About Cochin Shipyard Ltd:
Chairman & Managing Director – Madhu S Nair
Location – Cochin, Kerala

SPORTS

Lewis Hamilton wins 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix of Formula OneMercedes Driver Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) won the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix (officially known as Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021) held at Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain on March 28, 2021.

• Red Bull Racing’s driver Max Verstappen (Netherlands) finished 2nd in the race, while Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas (Finland) finished 3rd in the race.
• The victory was Hamilton’s 96th Formula One Victory.
• The Bahrain Grand Prix is the inaugural GP of the 2021 Formula One World Championship.
• The Formula One World Championships are organized by Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)

About Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA):
President – Jean Todt
Headquarters – Paris, France

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Debut book of Daribha Lyndem titled “Name Place Animal Things”The debut book of Daribha Lyndem titled “Name Place Animal Things” examines the boundaries between the adult world and the world of a child. The book takes its name from a beloved school game.
The book is published by Zubaan Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
 
About the book:
i.The book features a young khasi woman who lives in the city of Shillong, Meghalaya in early 2000s.
ii.The book has interconnected stories that move through age, lives and places and covers the breadth of childhood and moves into the awareness of adulthood.
About Daribha Lyndem:
Daribha Lyndem is a writer and a civil servant from Shillong, Meghalaya who works with the Indian Revenue Service and a Deputy Commissioner of Customs.

I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban – An autobiography of Malala Yousafzai I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban is an autobiographical book by Malala Yousafzai about herself. It was co-written by Christina Lamb and published on 8 October 2013, by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK and Little, Brown and Company in the US.
About the book:
The book details the early life of Yousafzai, the rise and fall of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and the assassination attempt made against Yousafzai, when she was aged 15, following her activism for female education.
Awards for the book:

• 2013 – Specsavers National Book Awards, Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year
• 2013-  Goodreads Choice Awards, Best Memoir & Autobiography

About Malala Yousafzai:

• In December 2014 at the age of 17, she became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.
•  The Nobel Peace Prize of 2014 was shared between Malala and Indian children’s rights and education advocate Kailash Satyarthi.
• The United Nations(UN) designated the 12th July of every year as Malala Day, to commemorate her birthday. In 2013 first “Malala Day: An Education for All Children” was celebrated.

Key points:

• Malala spoke about this book at the Jaipur Literature Festival(JFL) which was addressed by her virtually.
• The 14th edition of JLF featured over 300 speakers and performers representing around 25 Indian and 18 International languages over 23 nationalities.
• Some of the important personalities of JFL include American linguist Noam Chomsky, 2020 Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart, Nobel Laureates Joseph Stiglitz, Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates, and actor-author Priyanka Chopra.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Piano Day 2021 – 29th March World Piano Day is annually observed across the globe on the 88th Day of the Year to celebrate the piano, piano performers, composers, piano builders, tuners and listeners.
The World Piano Day 2021 falls on the 29th March 2021. 

• The World Piano Day 2020 was celebrated on 28th March 2020.
• The World Piano Day 2022 will be celebrated on 29th March 2022.

Aim:
The day aims to create a platform for piano related projects to promote the development of musical dimensions and to share the joy of playing piano.
Background:
i.The celebration of piano day was the idea of the German pianist, composer and producer Nils Frahm. 
ii.He launched the Piano day in 2015 and the First World Piano Day was celebrated on 29th March 2015. 
Why 88th Day of the Year?
The World Piano Day is celebrated on the 88th Day of the year to celebrate the total number of keys (88) on a full-keyboard Piano.

STATE NEWS

UP CM Yogi Adityanath Inaugurated Shaheed Ashfaq Ulla Khan Zoo, 1^st Zoo in Purvanchal, UPOn March 27, 2021, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Shaheed Ashfaq Ulla Khan Zoological Park in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh which is named after freedom fighter Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan to create possibilities for tourism in the region.

• It became the third zoo of the state after Kanpur Zoological Park and Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Prani Udyan and the first zoo in the Purvanchal region.
• The construction of the zoo has been completed in four years with the estimated cost of Rs 260 crore.
• CM has inaugurated 6 One District One Product (ODOP) shops in the zoo.

About the Animals and Birds in the Zoo:

• So far, 153 wild birds and animals of 31 species have been brought to the zoo.

The Lions of Gujarat from Etawah Lion Safari. Cheetah, leopard, hippopotamus, deer, swamp deer (barasingha), chital, jackal, python, russell viper, bonnet macaque (a species of monkey), sambar, fox (fox), kakar (barking deer), Pada (hog deer), crocodile, Wild cat, tortoise, porcupine, parrot, peacock etc have been brought here.
About other Zoological Parks of the state:
1.Kanpur Zoological Park or Allen Forest Zoo

• It is located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh and it is the largest zoological park in North India.

2.Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Prani Udyan or popularly known as Lucknow Zoological Garden

• It is located in Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh and was named after Wajid Ali Shah- the last Nawab of Awadh.

About Uttar Pradesh:
Chief Minister– Yogi Adityanath
Governor– Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel
Capital– Lucknow

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