Important Daily Current Affairs: 21 March 2015

1) Martin Guptill hit the highest ever World Cup score of 237:

--> New Zealand's Martin Guptill hit the highest ever World Cup score of 237 not out against the West Indies in the quarterfinals on 21 March 2015 played at WestpacTrust Stadium, Wellington.

--> This is also the second highest ODI individual total of all time.

--> The 28-year-old opener's total surpassed the previous World Cup best of 215 made by the West Indies' Chris Gayle against Zimbabwe at Canberra last month.

--> Martin Guptill also became the first New Zealand cricketer to score double century in One Day Internationals (ODIs).

--> Guptill is 5th cricketer to score double century in ODI’s. Others are Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma (scored two double centuries) and West Indies Chris Gayle.

2) Activist Rajendra Singh won Stockholm Water Prize 2015:

--> Rajendra Singh, an eminent environment activist, has been conferred the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize this year for his innovative water restoration efforts and extraordinary courage to empower communities in Indian villages.

--> Singh, who is widely popular as the 'Water Man', was named the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate for improving water security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve the living conditions for those most in need, a statement said.

--> Born in 1959, Rajasthan-based Singh for several decades have dedicated himself to defeating drought and empowering communities.

3) International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination observed:

--> The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March.

--> On this day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid pass laws.

--> Proclaiming the day in 1966, the United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

--> The theme for 2015 is "Learning from tragedies to combat racial discrimination today".

4) World Poetry Day observed:

--> World Poetry Day is on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999.

--> The purpose of the day is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the UNESCO session declaring the day says, to "give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements".

5) Katherine Viner to take over as Guardian’s Editor-in-Chief:

--> Katherine Viner will be the next editor-in-chief of The Guardian, the Pulitzer prize-winning newspaper and website that is widely read and respected for its independent voice and investigative strengths.

--> She will be the first woman to run the newspaper in its 194-year history.

--> She will also be the 12th editor of the publication that was founded in 1821.

--> She takes over from Alan Rusbridger, who will take over as Chair of the Scott Trust, which owned the Guardian, early next year.

6) Renowned Malayalam poet Yusufali Kechery passed away:

--> Renowned Malayalam poet Yusufali Kechery, who left a deep impression in Kerala's cultural realm as a lyricist, died at a private hospital on 21 March 2015.

--> Kechery was one of the leading poets of the modern era Malayalam poetry and was known for his mystic lyrics on Hindu gods, particularly Lord Krishna.

--> Kechery, who dominated Malayalam films along with ONV Kurup and P Bhaskaran as a top-notch lyricist, had penned hundreds of songs known for their mystic and romantic charm with the semi-classical touch.

--> He also left a deep impression on Kerala society as a film producer and director.

7) China rolled out world's first hydrogen-powered tramcar:

--> The world's first hydrogen-powered tramcar has rolled off the assembly line in China's eastern Shandong Province.

--> Liang Jianying, chief engineer of Sifang Co, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China South Rail Corporation, said the new tram is the only hydrogen powered vehicle in the field and makes China the only country to have mastered the technology.

8) Mithivirdi nuclear plant gets coastal regulatory zone approval:

--> The 6,000-MW Mithivirdi Nuclear Power Plant in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat has got coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) nod from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEFCC).