Weekly Digest - Important Current Affairs March-2017

Weekly Digest: Current Affairs covered National, International News Weekly Digest, Business & Economy News Weekly Digest and Awards & Honours

National

President Pranab Mukherjee: President Pranab Mukherjee has said in the last 13 years, Country’s economy grew more than 7 per cent, making it the fastest growing large economy of the world. The President was speaking on the topic of ‘India at 70’, during the sixth K S Rajamony Memorial Lecture in Kochi on 2nd March.

Post Graduate seats: Centre has approved over 4,000 Post Graduate seats in medical colleges and hospitals across the country for the academic session 2017-18. Health Minister J P Nadda in an official statement said that with this, the total number of PG seats available in the country will go up to over 35 thousand

Kalvari Class Submarine: Indian Navy has successfully test- fired an antiship missile for the first time from an indigenously built Kalvari class submarine, describing the launch as a significant milestone in enhancing its “sub- surface” warfare prowess. The weapon was fired from the submarine, the first of India’s six Scorpene-class submarines which are being built under the Project 75, and it “successfully hit” a surface target during the trial in the Arabian Sea.

Advanced Air Defence (AAD): India has successfully test-fired an indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile capable of destroying incoming enemy ballistic missile at low altitudes. This Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile, which was tested for the second time in less than a month, is part of an effort to put in place a multilayer missile defence system.

Best University- 2017 Award: Jawaharlal Nehru University has won the annual visitor’s award for the Best University- 2017. 

National Science Day: National Science Day was celebrated across the country on February 28 this year. The theme for this year was “Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons”. This day marks the epoch-making discovery of Raman Effect by Indian physicist C V Raman on February 28, 1928. His discovery was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. 

International News Weekly Digest

United Nations - Myanmar: The United Nations envoy on human rights in Myanmar called for the creation of a Commission of Inquiry (COI), the UN’s highest-level probe, to investigate abuses in the country. Human Rights envoy Yanghee Lee made the appeal in a report submitted to the UN rights council, currently holding its main annual session in Geneva. She urged the 47-member body to establish a COI to investigate the systematic, structural and institutional discrimination in policy, law and practice, as well long-standing persecution, against the Rohingya and other minorities in Rakhine State.

Business & Economy News Weekly Digest

India’s Economic Growth: Contrary to projections by analysts and economists, demonetization has not dented India’s economic growth, data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). According to CSO, India’s GDP growth during the third quarter of the current financial year will be seven per cent, which will help the country retain the tag of the fastest growing major economy. In comparison, China had recorded a GDP growth of 6.8 per cent for the same period. According to CSO data, the GDP growth for the entire financial year would be 7.1 per cent, down from 7.9 per cent estimated for 2015-16.

Unified Payments Interface: The Reserve Bank of India has asked bankoperated Financial Literacy Centers, FLCs and rural branches to organize special camps starting from April 1 to educate public about digital payments through Unified Payments Interface, 

Transactions Charges: Some banks, including HDFC, ICICI and Axis Bank are now charging a minimum amount of Rs. 150 on cash withdrawal and beyond four transactions in a month. The move was seen aimed at discouraging cash transactions and furthering the digital payment drive. Leading private sector player HDFC Bank said in a circular the bank would also cap the third party cash transactions at Rs. 25,000 per day. ICICI Bank website says there will be no charge for first four transactions in a month in home branch. The third party limit would be Rs. 50,000 per day.

SEBI Chairman New Appointment: Senior IAS officer Ajay Tyagi became the ninth Chairman of markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India. Mr. Tyagi took over the charge of SEBI Chairman in Mumbai from U K Sinha, who completed his six-year tenure. The appointment of 58-year-old Tyagi is for a period of three years. Mr Tyagi is 1984 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre. Prior to this appointment he has handled capital markets division in the Finance Ministry.

Awards & Honours 

Academy  OscarsAwards 2017: The 89th Academy Awards , popularly known as Oscars was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood,  Los Angeles. The award presented in 24 categories by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honouring best films of 2016. Musical drama La La Land won the most number of awards totaling to six at the ceremony after it was nominated into 14 categories. It was followed by Moonlight and Arrival with each being nominated in eight categories :- 

• Best Picture: Moonlight
• Best Actress: Emma Stone (La La Land)
• Best Actor: Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) 
• Best Director: Damien Chazelle (La La Land). He became youngest director to win Oscar at 32
• Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis (Fences) 

Courtesy & Source: Employment News.

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