Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran

Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran XI commences The Indo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran XI commenced on 7 March 2017 at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. During the 14-day long exercise, the Nepal Army is being represented by the officers and troops of the elite Durga Baksh Battalion. The Indian Army is represented by the Ekta Shakti Battalion of the Punjab Regiment. Surya Kiran XI is the eleventh such battalion level exercise between the two nations. It is aimed at training of troops in counter insurgency operations in mountainous terrain. The exercise formally incorporates issues related to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management (HADR). It will also help enhance defence co-operation and military relations between the two India and Nepal. The Surya Kiran series of exercises are conducted annually, alternatively in Nepal and India. Notably in the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries, Surya Kiran series with Nepal is the largest in terms of troop’s participation.

International Yoga fest to begin in New Delhi

International Yoga fest to begin in New Delhi The two-day International Yoga festival is scheduled to begin in New Delhi on 8 March 2017. The festival is expected to witness participation from more than 3500 participants including well-known yoga gurus, masters, scholars, policy makers and representatives from over 15-18 countries from across the world. Key Highlights
• The event is reportedly going to be inaugurated by Venkaiah Naidu, the Information and Broadcasting Minister at the Talkatora stadium.
• It is being organised by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in association with the Indian Yoga associations.
• The mega event will include parallel yoga workshops, lectures, satsang, yoga demos and various other cultural programmes.
• It would also include an exhibition comprising more than 50 stalls with yoga appliances, other yoga related products, dvds and books on display.
• Apart from this, the event would comprise a half-day seminar on the life sketch and contributions of two eminent yoga gurus- Swami Ved Bharati and T KV Desikachar for the promotion and further development of yoga.

Bengali singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee passes away

Bengali singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee passes away Famed Bengali singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee passed away in a car accident on 7 March 2017 in Hooghly district's Gurap town. He was 56. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.He was on his way to a show in Birbhum, when his car was hit by a truck. Following the smash, his car fell into a ditch on Durgapur expressway at Gurap, Hooghly. Four other singers of Kalika Prasad's band Dohar were also in the car. However, driver and other three people were injured. About Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee • He was best known for popularising folk songs of rural Bengal among the present generation in the albums of his band 'Dohar'.
• In 1999, he co-founded the band Dohar and was the lead singer of this Bangla band.
• He had also lent his voice in films like Jaatishwar (2014), Moner Manush (2010) and Bhuban Majhi (2017).
• He studied Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University.
• He was born and raised in Silchar, Assam.

First smart tribal village Habbi inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir Habbi

First smart tribal village Habbi inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir Habbi: A tribal village in Jammu and Kashmir Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, Jammu and Kashmir Minister for food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, on 5 March 2017 inaugurated the first tribal model village Habbi in Kotranka in Jammu and Kashmir. Kotranka is located Rajouri District of the state. The village is developed under the Rural Development Department of the State Government.  The village has been introduced with smart classes in the schools, better roads, electricity and water facility. About Jammu and Kashmir Government
• The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which has 3 Divisions and 22 districts.
• It consists of an executive, a judiciary and a legislative branch. The executive is led by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Governor is the head of state of J & K. The Governor is appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Union Government.
• Srinagar and Jammu are the summer and winter capitals of Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.
• The present Legislature of the state is bicameral, consisting of a lower house of 89 Member of the Legislative Assembly and an upper house of 36 members.

Brexit Bill: House of Lords votes to give Parliament

Brexit Bill: House of Lords votes to give Parliament a final say The upper house of British Parliament, the House of Lords called for a meaningful parliamentary vote on the final terms of Brexit on 7 March 2017, further delaying the passing of the bill. This is the second defeat for British Prime Minister Theresa May who looked forward to meeting her deadline of triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty to start the process of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Brexit bill delayed as House of Lords backs EU nationals' rights Theresa May urges House of Lords Members to not hold up Brexit Bill Key Highlights
• The House voted 366 to 268 for an amendment in the legislation for the second time in a week after a three-hour long debate.
• The peers voted in favour of giving the Parliament a final say over the Brexit bill, thereby sending it back for review to the House of Commons.
• Ministers in the House of Commons called the vote disappointing and said that they would seek to overturn the move when the bill returns to the lower house for further debate and discussions.
• The House of Lords earlier on 1 March voted in favour of an amendment to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK after it exits from the bloc. This was May’s first defeat.
• The turnout in this time’s vote at the House of Lords was by far the largest. The last time the house witnessed a gathering larger than this was way back in 1831.

launched fifth satellite of Copernicus observation program

launched fifth satellite of Copernicus observation program The European Union (EU) on 7 March 2017 launched the fifth satellite of the Copernicus observation program from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. The Sentinel-2B satellite is a part of Sentinel Earth observation satellites, a system of satellites that monitors Earth. This fifth Sentinel satellite will cut the time of imaging the earth by half and will ensure speedy provision of images of land, oceans and waterways. This will improve services for farmers, fishermen and other users of land and sea maps. Now, the globe’s image will take only five days. The acceleration of the building up of the globe’s image will positively affect the activities of fishermen by allowing them to monitor the emergence of toxic algal blooms in sea. About Sentinel-2B satellite
• It will join its twin Sentinel-2A, which has been in orbit since 2015, to take high-resolution, color and infrared images for a wide array of environmental initiatives.
• These two satellites will orbit 488 miles (786 km) above Earth on opposite sides of the planet.
• Together, they will cover all of Earth's land surfaces, large islands, inland and coastal waterways every five days.
• They will provide more up-to-date images and at higher resolution than the available ones. • It will help track pollution of lakes and coastal waters, monitor land changes or produce disaster maps by providing information on floods, volcanic eruptions and landslide. About Copernicus earth observation program The Copernicus project is described by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the most ambitious Earth observation program till date. The European Union and the ESA have committed funding of more than USD 9 billion to it until 2020. The program is aimed at improving the life of EU communities by providing near-real-time global environment data. Click below to see the complete story

China overtakes eurozone as world’s biggest bank system

China overtakes eurozone as world’s biggest bank system A new analysis by the Financial Times shows that the banking system of China has overtaken the eurozone to become the world’s biggest by assets. The analysis indicates China’s increasing global influence and its reliance on growth driven by debt.Key highlights of the analysis
• China’s GDP surpassed that of the European Union’s in 2011 at market exchange rates. However, its banking system did not take over the top spot until the end of 2016.
• That lag was stimulated by an extraordinary increase in bank lending since 2008 when the Chinese government unleashed aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus to soften the impact of the global crisis.
• Data show that Chinese bank assets hit USD 33 trillion at the end of 2016, versus USD 31 trillion for the eurozone.
• Also, the value of China’s banking system is more than 3.1 times the size of the country’s annual economic output, while it is 2.8 times for the eurozone and its banks.
• It was also noted that, unlike in developed markets, Chinese local governments have relied heavily on bank loans to finance infrastructure.Banking in China
• China's banking system has undergone significant changes in the last 20 years.
• China's banking industry has remained in the government's hands even though banks have gained more autonomy.
• In 1995, the Government of China introduced the Commercial Bank Law to commercialize the operations of the four state-owned banks. These "big four" state-owned commercial banks are: the Bank of China, the China Construction Bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and the Agricultural Bank of China. • The central bank of China is the People's Bank of China, which formulates and implements monetary policy.

Funds transferred from Provident Fund to National Pension System

Funds transferred from Provident Fund to National Pension System not taxable PFRDA The Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) on 7 March 2017 unveiled certain rules for transfer of funds from recognised provident and superannuation funds to the National Pension System (NPS). The regulator mentioned that as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961, the amount transferred from recognised provident or superannuation fund to NPS was not treated as income for the current year and hence it is not taxable. Key Highlights
• As per the rules, funds transferred from Provident Fund to the National Pension System will not be taxable.
• The transferred recognised provident fund or the superannuation fund will not be treated as contribution of the current year by employee or employer and accordingly the subscriber cannot make income tax claim of contribution for this transferred amount.
• Any subscriber interested in such a transfer should have an active NPS Tier I account.
• The NPS Tier I account can be opened either through the employer (where NPS is implemented) or through the points-of-presence (POPs) or online through eNPS on the NPS Trust website.
• The subscriber should approach the recognised provident or superannuation fund trust through the current employer requesting transfer to the NPS account.
• The recognised provident fund or the superannuation fund trust may then initiate transfer of the fund as per the provisions of the trust deed read with the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
• In case of a government or private sector employee, the employee should request the recognised provident or superannuation fund to issue a letter to his present employer mentioning that the amount was being transferred from the recognised fund to the NPS Tier I account of the employee. The return on NPS for central government employees for one year comes out to be 15.9 per cent while for five years it stands at 11 per cent.

Longest extradosed bridge across River Narmada

Longest extradosed bridge across River Narmada dedicated to nation at Bharuch Bharuch: Bharuch, formerly known as Broach, is a city at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat. Bharuch was in the news on 7 March 2017 as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated India’s longest extradosed bridge at this place. Previously, the record for being India’s longest extradosed bridge was held by the Nivedita Setu over the Hooghly in West Bengal. Features of Bharuch Bridge
• The 1.4 kilo metre edtradosed bridge is located across River Narmada at Bharuch in Gujarat. An extradosed bridge employs a structure which combines the main elements of both a prestressed box girder bridge and a cable-stayed bridge.
• The project has been completed in 34 months at a cost of Rs 380 crore.
• The bridge is 20.8 metre wide, with 14.5 metre carriageway and 3 metre footpath.
• It is supported on 9 pylons of 36 meter height on pile foundation of 1.5 metre  diameter.
• The bridge will be lit by more than 400 light emitting diode (LED) lights.
• The bridge is a part of National Highways Authority of India’s  project for six laning of Ahmedabad-Mumbai section of NH-8.
• This section of NH-8 will have state-of-the-art Highway Traffic Management System (HTMS), variable message sign boards, median plantation, traffic aid post, medical aid post and radio-frequency identification (RFID).
• Smart card swapping enabled infrastructure was put in place at the toll plaza of the bridge.

Harvard honoured Viola Davis with 'Artist of the Year' award

Harvard honoured Viola Davis with 'Artist of the Year' award Viola Davis, the actress who took home some of this year’s biggest awards, was honoured with the Harvard foundation 'Artist of the Year' 2017 award at Harvard's 32nd Cultural Rhythms Festival in Cambridge on 4 March 2017. Speaking on the occasion, S Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation said that the foundation’s students and faculty were delighted to present the award to Davis, the much-acclaimed television and film artist, who has made outstanding contributions to American and International film and theatre.  The actress not only won an Oscar recently but also won the Golden Globe, BAFTA and the Screen Actors Guild Award for best supporting actress female for her performance as Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of August Wilson’s play ‘Fences’. Davis also acted in the play's 2010 Broadway revival with Denzel Washington, for which she won her second Tony award. About Harvard foundation award The award aims to honour the America’s most acclaimed artists and scientists each year. Previous winners of the prestigious award include Shakira, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek, Quincy Jones, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Matt Damon, Jackie Chan, Eva Longoria, Sharon Stone and Denzel Washington. Trump revises travel ban, Iraq excluded from the list  About Viola Davis
• She was born on 11 August 1965 in  St. Matthews, South Carolina,
• A graduate of Julliard School, Davis began her acting career through theatre and won an Off-Broadway Theater Award in 1999 for her performance as Ruby McCollum in a play 'Everybody's Ruby'.
• Davis is the only African- American actress to win the Triple Crown of Acting, the Academy Award, Emmy Award and the Tony Award.
• She was also listed by the Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012.
• Her actual breakthrough in films came through her supporting role in the drama film 'Doubt', which earned her several nominations including the Golden globe, SAG and Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress.
• She became the first African American to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2015 for her role as Annalise Keating in the ABC’s drama series 'How to Get Away with Murder’.
• She along with her husband Julius Tennon are founders of a production company called JuVee productions.

International Women's Day: What Religions Say about Women?

International Women's Day: What Religions Say about Women? Religion has been an integral part of human civilization so is the woman. Every Religion has been a guiding philosophy for related society. So it is important to know what they about the half of the civilization i.e. woman. We have described what most of the religions say and preach about women.   Hinduism and Women 1. Female Birth The beliefs of Hinduisms are based on Vedas. There is no evidence in the Vedas that daughter was regarded as inferior to son. In Vedas, it is never mentioned that the birth of a girl child was considered undesirable. In Vedas, there is evidence that a female child was pampered as carefully as a male child. Therefore, Vedas can be considered as the golden period for early women empowerment and development in India. In Vedic scriptures, there are many terms which were used for a girl. These are duhita, kanya, kaaneea, kanayala etc. The meaning of all these terms is similar to Kanya. The meaning of Kanya is “desirable in the society” and “the pupil of the eye”.
2. Education Vedas have a unique tradition in itself because in this civilization education is compulsory for both girls and boys. In Vedic tradition, both boys and girls are required to a process named as religious initiation called upnayana which entitles them to study of Vedic texts. The education of girl child is appreciated in the Vedas. A tenet of Yajurveda states ““O king and other nobles: make adequate arrangements to train lady teachers for imparting training to girl students who, on obtaining maturity, select for themselves their partner for marriage.”
3. Marriage  In the Vedic system or Hinduism, marriage is an optional institution. Child marriages are unknown to the Vedas. Vedas give a girl freedom to take decisions about her life. In the Vedic period, females were free to decide their life partner. Islam and Women 1.Spiritual Status of women In Holy Quran, it is clearly dictated that a woman has a soul, that she has the same spiritual capacity as a man, and that she can attain equal spiritual rewards by her own efforts. The Quran states, “ whoever does good works, whether male or female and is a believer, such shall enter heaven…”. 2. Education Rights Prophet Muhammad inspired his wives to seek knowledge and once stated that “half the religion of Islam could be learned from Ayesha (his wife). He emphasized that education is compulsory for both. Islam provided women equal opportunity to acquire knowledge 1400 years ago. Islam stresses that education for men and women is of equal importance. A verse in Quran says “O my Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
3. Economic Rights Islam has given rights to women to possess wealth and property, whether it is inherited or earned. A verse of the Quran states, “Men shall have the share of what they have earned, and women shall have the share of what they have earned…” This verse gives women a clear right to manage their own wealth. Another verse of the Quran says, “For men, there is a share of that which parents and near relatives leave, and for women also there is a share of that which parents and near relatives leave,— a determined share.” Sikhism and Women
1. Praise of Women Sikhism’s beliefs are based on Sri Guru Granth Sahib. In Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Nanak writes “We take birth from a woman, we are shaped in the woman's womb; We are engaged to the woman, to the woman we are wedded; Our friend is the woman and our family is from the woman; The bonds of the world are through the; From the woman is the woman, without woman there is none".
2. Gender Equality The Guru Granth Sahib reprimands those who think women as inferior to men. It sees women as active partners in advancing general happiness, goodwill, and the collective moral values of society. This belief definitively considers women to be placed in high esteem.  Guru Nanak openly scolded those who attributed pollution to women because of menstruation. He asserted that pollution lies in the heart and mind of the person and not in the cosmic process of birth. Sikhism provides the socio-religious equality to women in every part of the life. Guru Nanak introduced the Concept of Sangat (holy congregation) - where both men and women can sit together and equally participate in reciting the praises of the Divine and Pangat - sitting together, irrespective of caste or social status differences, to eat a common meal in the Institution of Langar (common kitchen).
3. Marriage In Sikhism marriage is not a power equation where a man is given higher status than a woman. Sikhism stresses that marriage is an equal partnership of love and sharing between husband and wife. Married life is celebrated to restore to woman her due place and status as an equal partner in life. Sri Guru Granth Sahib declares "They are not said to be husband and wife, who merely sit together. Rather they alone are called husband and wife, who have one soul in two bodies".   Buddhism and Women
1. Birth Buddhism does not make any difference in the birth of a girl or boy. Here is a sense of equanimity for both genders. One example of it is the Buddha's advice to the King Pasenadi of Kosala, who was a close devotee of his, that a daughter is never a cause of worry and despair rather it is a cause of celebrations in the life.
2. Education Buddhism advocates for the equal educational opportunities of women or their religious freedom. The Buddha clearly accepted that women are enabled to realize the Truth, just as men are. Despite being not in favor of the admission of women into the Order at the beginning, Buddha permitted women to take admission in the order. The Buddhist texts provide the record of eminent saintly Bhikkhunis, who were very learned and who were experts in preaching the Dhamma. 3. Equality Buddhism has rational approach while dealing with the issues related to gender equality. Buddhism accepts the biological and physical differences between man and woman but it also considers men and women to be equally useful to the society. The Buddha said in any family both husbands and wives are supposed to share equal responsibility and discharge their duties with equal dedication. The husband is advised to treat the wife as a friend, a companion, and a partner. Buddhism allows a wife to acquaint herself with the business, trade, or industries in which the husband engaged.   Jainism and Women
1. Equality Jainism is considered to be a religion of religious equality. It is devoted to recognizing the rights of all living creatures. So it is not surprising that it accepts that women are able to play their part on the road to liberation. The principle of social equality among the classes and sexes is well established in Jain Religion.
2. Education In Jainism, women are given equality of opportunity for education. Jainism considers that it is of the utmost importance to impart education to females, along with males. Rsabhadeva, who was the first Tirthankara, had advised his two young daughters, Brahmi and Sundari, that "only when you would adorn yourself with education your life would be fruitful because just as a learned man is held in high esteem by educated persons, a learned lady also occupies the highest position in the female world." Jainism says women should know 64 arts which include painting, dancing, music, aesthetics, domestic science medicine, etc.
3. Non-Violence Jainism talks about non-Violence. It considers it is evil to kill or cause harm to the micro-organisms. So it is against any kind of violence against women in the society.   Christianity and Women
1. Equality  Bible says “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Christian ethic advocates for the equal values and worth for both women and men. Husbands were commanded to love their wives and not exasperate their children. Women were also granted basically the same control over their property as men and mothers were allowed to be guardians of their children.
2. Education Bible Says “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” Christianity openly advocates for the education of females. It advocated for the idea of schools for women. It also appealed to the society for funding for girl education.
3. Marriage The biblical considers husbands and wives as equal partners. Christianity eroded the ancient practice of men marrying child brides against their will, often as young as eleven or twelve years old. It enhanced the age for girl’s marriage. Christianity gives great marital freedom to women. That is why a western woman is not compelled to marry someone she does not want, nor can she legally be married as a child bride.

Haryana Government announces Tirtha Darshan scheme for senior

Haryana Government announces Tirtha Darshan scheme for senior citizens .The Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar on 6 March 2017 announced the Tirtha Darshan Scheme. Under the scheme, senior citizens above 60 years of age in the State will be able to go on a pilgrimage within India at the expense of the government. The announcement was made by Khattar while replying to the discussion on the Governor’s address during the budget session of the State Assembly. Features of Tirtha Darshan Scheme
• Under the scheme, the State government will bear the entire cost of the tour of senior citizens belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
• Couples belonging to the BPL category are also covered under the scheme.
• In case of senior citizens of non-BPL families, the State government would bear only 70 per cent of the total cost.
• The beneficiaries of the scheme will be selected on the basis of a lottery system.
• Under the scheme, over 400 destinations can be visited. However, the maximum number of pilgrims is capped at 250 per year. • Selection of pilgrims will be made by a district committee headed by an officer of the deputy commissioner rank.
• The tour packages include journey in sleeper class by chartered train and night accommodation on multi-sharing basis.

Leaders' Summit in Commemoration of 20th Anniversary of IORA concluded in Jakarta

Leaders' Summit in Commemoration of 20th Anniversary of IORA concluded in Jakarta The Leaders' Summit in Commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) concluded on 7 March 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia. In the summit, India was represented by the Vice President Hamid Ansari. About the Leaders’ Summit
• It was held with the theme - Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable, and Prosperous Indian Ocean.
• In a historic first, the summit brought together the leaders of the 21 IORA Member States, including India, and its 7 Dialogue Partners as well as other special invitees including Myanmar.
• Member States issued the Jakarta Concord, which sets out a vision for a revitalized and sustainable regional architecture.
• The summit is considered as a game-changer for regional cooperation and a demonstration of Member States and Dialogue Partners commitment to the Indian Ocean region.
• The convening of the summit is a strategic and progressive step by IORA leaders to realise an IORA that is able to move faster and able to deal with future challenges.
• The current summit is also a milestone in the renewal of commitment by IORA countries to intensify IORA cooperation.
• The Leaders' Summit was preceded by the Council of Ministers' meeting on 6 March 2017.
• The meeting released the first IORA Action Plan, which sets out IORA's short-, medium- and long-term flagship initiatives for 2017-2021.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wins Best Actress Award for Sarbjit

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wins Best Actress Award for Sarbjit at IFFAA Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the first week of March 2017 won Best Actress Award at the International Film Festival and Awards of Australia (IFFAA). Aishwarya grabbed the award for her role in 2016 film 'Sarbjit'. The movie Sarbjit is a 2016 Indian biographical drama film. It was directed by Omung Kumar. The film revolved around Sarabjit Singh, an Indian man, who was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1991. He consequently spent 22 years in prison for alleged terrorism and spying. About Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
• Born on 1 November 1973, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan won the Miss World pageant in 1994.
• In 1997, she made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar. • Her first Hindi film release was Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, which released in 1997.
• In 1998, she delivered her first commercial success movie named Jeans.
• In 1999, she won Best Actress awards at Filmfare for her performance in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. In 2002, she again won the award for Devdas.
• In 2003, she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.
• In 2009, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.
• She is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS).

International Women's Day 2017 observed across the world 8 March

International Women's Day 2017 observed across the world 8 March: International Women's Day The 2017 International Women's Day ((IWD)) was observed across the world on 8 March 2017. The year's theme for the Day is Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. The idea of the theme is to consider how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals, especially goal number 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; and number 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning. The theme focuses on new commitments under UN Women’s Step It Up initiative. International Women's Day: Celebrating India’s women scientists who made India proud A few of the key targets of the 2030 Agenda: • By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes.
• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
• End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. International Women's Day Celebrations in India The 2017 International Women's Day was observed in India by conferring the Nari Shakti Awards to 31 individuals and organisations that are working towards empowering women. The President of India Pranab Mukherjee presented the awards at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. International Women’s Day: Women Empowerment Schemes of Narendra Modi Government Google Doodle Honours 13 remarkable women Google’s latest doodle also presented its tribute to all the women on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2017. In its doodle, Google presents creative photo slideshow of sorts, invoking those women who have broken new ground in their field of expertise. The 13 women who have been showcased in the doodle through art are Lotfia ElNadi, Ida B Wells, Ada Lovelace, Sally Ride, Lina Bo Bardi, Cecilia Grierson, Frida Kahlo, Miriam Makeba, Olga Skorokhodova, Halet Cambel, Lee Tai-young, Rukmini Devi Arundale and Suzanne Lenglen. Arundale is the only Indian in the list of these 13 women. She was a Bharatanatyam dancer and a choreographer and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956.

Formation of committee to resolve grievances of women sports

Formation of committee to resolve grievances of women sports persons announced The Union Government on 8 March 2017 decided to constitute a high level committee to resolve the grievances and complaints of women sports persons. An announcement in this regard was made by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel at a conference on ‘Women and Sports in India’ in New Delhi. The conference was organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to mark the International Women’s Day to deliberate upon various issues for encouraging more and more women to take up sports. The day long conference  focused on – i. Creation of safe spaces for girls athletes and women coaches ii. Inclusion of gender sensitization modules in coach training modules iii. Gender parity in terms of support to women athletes iv. Zero tolerance towards sexual harassment in sports complex v. Women representation in sports institutions, federations and other sports bodies Facts related to the committee ::::::
• The committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of Joint secretary Sports.
• The committee will comprise athletes, advocates and senior officers of the ministry and sports journalists.
• In order to ensure effectiveness of the committee, all of its members will be women.
• Women athletes, who have any complaint, can approach the committee for their grievance redressal.

Australian service marks the third anniversary of MH370

Australian service marks the third anniversary of MH370 tragedy Family members of the Australians on board the fatal Malaysian Airlines’ flight MH370 gathered at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane to mark the third anniversary of the tragedy on 8 March 2017. The private ceremony was attended by around 100 people including Darren Chester, Australian Minister for infrastructure and transport and Angus Houston, former Australian defence chief who coordinated the initial search efforts for the missing flight and diplomats from Malaysia, China and New Zealand. Speaking at the ceremony, Darren Chester stated that while the searchers have been unsuccessful in solving the mystery surrounding the missing plane, they tried their best and still hope remains for a possible breakthrough in the future that would result in the plane being found. Key Details :::::::--
• Several relatives of the 239 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 777 live in or near Brisbane. • Chester announced the government’s decision of erecting a permanent memorial in remembrance of the lost passengers and crew in the west coast city of Perth, which had been a base for the Indian Ocean air and sea search parties.
• Chester noted right before the service that he could understand the frustration many family members of the victims felt about the fact that there was no longer any search mission for the plane.
• The active search for the crash site of the plane was officially called off by Australia, Malaysia and China in January 2017, after the search crew failed to find any further lead or trace.
• The advanced search mission was suspended after sweeping almost 120000 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia.
• The airliner is suspected to have flown very far off course for some unknown reason during its journey from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Beijing in China on 8 March 2017.
• There are suggestions by some relatives of raising funds to continue the search of the ocean floor privately. The mystery surrounding MH370
• The plane was carrying 239 people including 12 crew members • It had completed 53460 flight hours and 7525 take-offs and landings.
• The pilot had a record of more than 18000 flying hours and had been employed with the airlines since 1981.
• The air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane almost an hour after its take off.
• The flight was last detected on the military radar near the island of Pulau Perak at the northern end of the Strait of Malacca.
• Though no distress signal or message was sent from the plane, reports suggest that it attempted to turn back from its scheduled path.
• The weather conditions were also reported to be good.
• The plane’s disappearance launched one of the largest-ever international search efforts in the area over the South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean.
• Around 120000 sq km area of the seabed has been searched using advanced underwater drones and sonar equipment.
• A flaperon from the plane was discovered on Reunion Island more than 3700 km away from the main search site in July 2015

President Pranab Mukherjee presents Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016

President Pranab Mukherjee presents Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee on 8 March 2017 presented the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016 at a ceremony in New Delhi on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2017. This year, the Selection Committee, chaired by the Minister of Women & Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, unanimously agreed to increase the number of Awards to 31 as more nominees were found to be deserving and the age criteria was also relaxed. Some of the awardees of this year are scientists Anatta Sonney, B Codanayaguy and Subhu Varier, entrepreneurs Reema Sathe and Zuboni Humtsoe, trailblazer Mumtaz Kazi and many more. The Nari Shakti Puraskar carries a cash award of Rs 1 Lakh and a certificate for individuals and institutions. About Nari Shakti Puraskar
• Union Government confers Nari Shakti Puraskar every year on eminent women and institutions in recognition of their service towards the cause of women empowerment.
• The Nari Shakti Awards were initiated in the year 1999 and the guidelines were reframed in the year 2015.
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development announces these national level awards.
• The award is open to all Indian Institutions, organisations and individuals.
• The WCD Ministry invites nominations from the State Governments, concerned Central Ministries, NGOs, universities, private and public sector undertakings (PSUs) working for empowerment of women.
• In exceptional cases, the Selection Committee may also, suo moto, recommend a person or institution for the award with justification.
• The final selection of the awardees is made by the National Selection Committee which takes into account the recommendations of the Screening Committee.

Current Affairs Quiz: 8 March 2017

These quizzes will help you in answering questions which can/may be asked in the next exam that will be faced by you. The day’s updated quizzes cover the topics like 2017 International Women's Day 2017, India’s longest extradosed bridge and Times Higher Education (THE) rankings 2017  among others.

1. India’s longest extradosed bridge was inaugurated in
a) Bharuch
b) Kakinada
c) Ghazipur
d) Jabalpur

2. The Tirtha Darshan scheme for senior citizens was announced by a) Karnataka
b) Haryana
c) Punjab
d) Kerala

3. The Leaders' Summit in Commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Rim Association was held in
a) Jakarta
b) New Delhi
c) Colombo
d) Dhaka

4. Which airport secured first position in the world in the 5-15 million passengers per annum category in 2016?

a) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
b) Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi
c) Bengaluru International Airport d) Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

5. Which of the following figured in top 10 institutions in the 'Best Small Universities' category of the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings 2017?
a) IIT, Kanpur
b) IIM, Ahmedabad
c) NID, Ahmedabad
d) IISc, Bangalore

6. Which Oscar winner was honoured by the Harvard foundation with the ‘Artist of the Year’ 2017 award?
a) Viola Davis
b) Emma Stone
c) Casey Affleck
d) Mahershala Ali

7. Which city hosted the two-day International Yoga festival, organised by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in association?
a) Mumbai
b) Delhi
c) Bangalore
d) Pune

8. The House of Lords voted in overwhelming majority to call for which body’s meaningful vote on the final terms of Brexit?
a) The Sovereign
b) Parliament
c) The Judiciary
d) The Church

9. What is the theme of the 2017 International Women's Day that is observed on 8 March every year?
a) Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality
b) Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it! c) Equality for Women is Progress for All
d) Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030

10. Which country recently overtook Eurozone to become world’s biggest bank system, as per a new analysis by the Financial Times?
a) India
b) United States
c) China
d) Japan

11. First smart tribal village Habbi was recently inaugurated. The village is located in which of the following states?
a) Punjab
b) Jammu and Kashmir
c) Arunachal Pradesh
d) Telangana

12. The Indo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran-XI commenced recently at which of the following places?
a) Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
b) Saljhandi, Nepal
c) Almora, Uttarakhand
d) None of the above

13. The joint military training exercise AL NAGAH-II was conducted between Indian Army and the Army troops of which country?
a) Bangladesh
b) Oman
c) Japan
d) Myanmar

14. The State bank of India will levy penalty if Minimum Average Balance in account of metropolitan population is below what amount? a) Rs 3000
b) Rs 4000
c) Rs 5000
d) Rs 7000

15. India’s first AI based chatbot EVA was launched by which bank? a) ICICI Bank
b) Axis Bank
c) Yes Bank
d) HDFC Bank

ANSWERS 1. (a) Bharuch
2. (b) Haryana
3. (a) Jakarta
4. (a) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
5. (d) IISc, Bangalore
6. (a) Viola Davis
7. (b) Delhi
8. (b) Parliament
9. (d) Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030
10. (c) China
11. (b) Jammu and Kashmir
12. (a) Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand 13. (b) Oman
14. (c) Rs 5000
15. (d) HDFC Bank

Current Affairs One liner of the day: 8 March 2017

Current Affairs One liner of the day: 8 March 2017 8 March 2017: The one liner of 8th March covers important current happenings that are relevant to competitive exams. The day’s one liner’s cover important the happenings like 2017 International Women's Day 2017, India’s longest extradosed bridge and Times Higher Education (THE) rankings 2017  among others.
• India’s longest extradosed bridge was inaugurated in – Bharuch, Gujarat
• The Tirtha Darshan scheme for senior citizens was announced by – Haryana
• This Indian institute figured in top 10 institutions in the 'Best Small Universities' category of the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings 2017 - IISc, Bangalore
• This airport secured first position in the world in the 5-15 million passengers per annum category in 2016 - Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
• The Leaders' Summit in Commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Rim Association was held in – Jakarta, Indonesia
• This Oscar winner was honoured by the Harvard foundation with the ‘Artist of the Year’ 2017 award – Viola Davis
• This city hosted the two-day International Yoga festival, organised by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in association – Delhi
• The House of Lords voted in overwhelming majority to call for this body’s meaningful vote on the final terms of Brexit – Parliament
• The Indo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran-XI commenced recently at - Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
• First smart tribal village Habbi was recently inaugurated. The village is located in - Jammu and Kashmir
• The country that recently overtook Eurozone to become world’s biggest bank system, as per a new analysis by the Financial Times, is – China
• The theme of the 2017 International Women's Day that is observed on 8 March every year is - Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030
• The joint military training exercise AL NAGAH-II was conducted between Indian Army and the Army troops of - Oman
• State bank of India will levy penalty if Minimum Average Balance in account of metropolitan population is below - Rs 5000
• India’s first AI based chatbot EVA was launched by - HDFC Bank