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

JINGLE BELLS song ON CRISTMAS DAY

“Jingle Bells” is among the most popular Christmas songs around the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont, its original title was “One Horse Open Sleigh” and it was published under it in the autumn of 1857.

funny dance by fat man

JOKES BASED VIDEO---COMEDY

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray passes away

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray passes away Rabi Ray, former Speaker of Lok Sabha, passed away on 6 March 2017 after a prolonged illness in Cuttack. He was 91. Ray was also an eminent socialist politician, a Gandhian, and had also served as a former Union minister. About Rabi Ray++++
• Born on 26 November 1926, Rabi Ray passed obtained his bachelor’s degree in History from the Ravenshaw College in Cuttack.
• Later, he studied Law in the Madhusudan Law College in Cuttack.
• In 1948, he joined the Socialist Party as its member.
• During 1953-54, he held the post of the Joint Secretary of the All India Samajwadi Yuvak Sabha.
• Under the leadership of Rammanohar Lohia, Ray founded the Socialist Party in Orissa in 1956.
• In 1967, he was elected to the 4th Lok Sabha from Puri constituency in Orissa.
• He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Orissa in 1974. He completed his term in Rajya Sabha in 1980.
• From January 1979 to January 1980, he served as the Union minister of Health and Family Welfare in Morarji Desai Ministry.
• In 1989, he was re-elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from the Kendrapara constituency in Orissa as a Janata Dal candidate.
• On 19 December 1989, he was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 9th Lok Sabha.

Babri Masjid Demolition Case

Babri Masjid Demolition Case: Won't accept dropping of charges against Advani on technical grounds: SC The Supreme Court of India on 6 March 2017 said that it will not accept discharge of senior BJP leader LK Advani and others in the Babri Masjid demolition case only on technical grounds. While making oral observations on the discharge of Advani and other BJP leaders like MM Joshi and Uma Bharti, the apex court kept the option open on reviving the conspiracy charge against them. Besides, the apex court also came up with an option of ordering a joint trial of cases that arises out of the two FIRs, which were lodged in the wake of the demolition of the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri structure in Ayodhya in 1992. Oldest litigant of Babri Masjid case Hashim Ansari decided to withdraw his plea These observations were made during a brief hearing by the bench of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Rohinton F Nariman, who posted the matter for further hearing on 22 March 2017. Altogether, thirteen people were discharged of the conspiracy charge in the case, the trial of which is being held at a special court in Raebareli. Few of them were LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritambhara, Vinay Katiyar, Giriraj Kishore and Vishnu Hari Dalmia. The two FIRs on Babri Masjid Demolition Case The two cases of the Babri Masjid Demolition Case on which the joint trail will be ordered in a Lucknow court by the Supreme Court are Oldest and last Babri litigant Hashim Ansari passes away • Crime No. 197/1992: It was registered in a police station of Ayodhya and deals with the actual demolition of the masjid. The case was filed against lakhs of unknown Kar Sevaks (volunteers). The karsevaks were accused of pulling down the three domes of the Masjid.
• Crime No. 198/1992: It was filed against 12 people for promoting enmity, promoting imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration and statements conducing to public mischief. Some of the 12 accused in the case were Giriraj Kishore, Ashok Singhal, LK Advani, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti and Sadvi Ritambara. At the time of the incident, i.e. demolition of the masjid, they were standing on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj. Punishments of the two cases if found guilty
• Crime No. 197/1992: It calls for the maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment.
• Crime No. 198/1992: It calls for the maximum punishment of five-year imprisonment. Former IFS and MP Syed Shahabuddin passes away These FIRs were filed shortly after the structure of the Babri Masjid was demolished on 6 December 1992. The two cases are being tried in courts of Rae Bareilly and Lucknow.

Trump revises travel ban, Iraq excluded from the list US President

Trump revises travel ban, Iraq excluded from the list US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on 6 March 2017, reinstating a ban on immigration from six of the previously banned Muslim majority countries for three months and all refugees for four months. The countries featuring on the banned list include Libya, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia. Iraq, which was included in the previous ban, was spared from the current one after agreeing for additional visa vetting measures. The decision to exclude Iraq from the list was welcomed by the Iraqi foreign ministry and it said that this order will enhance US-Iraqi cooperation in the fight against Islamic State terrorists. Trump calls for 'merit-based' immigration system in address to Congress
Key Highlights
• The new ban will come into effect on 16 March 2017.
• The new order exempts permanent residents and current visa holders who had initially been covered by the previous order.
• It also dropped language offering preferential status to persecuted religious minorities for refugee settlement, a provision that had been viewed as targeting Muslims. • This revised order was unveiled by the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Homeland Security John Kelly.
• The order also gives permission to refugees who had already received approval from the State department to enter the United States.
• It also lifts the indefinite ban imposed on all Syrian refugees. Trump’s previous executive order, his first immigration directive, was faced with wide-scale protests, especially at the nation’s airports. It was ultimately blocked by a federal appeals court. Trump administration revokes law protecting transgender students