22nd March 2015 Daily Current Affairs Updates

1) World Water Day 2015 observed:

--> World Water Day (WWD) 2015 was globally observed on 22 March 2015 with the theme Water and Sustainable Development.

--> World Water Day is observed on March 22 every year since 1993.

--> In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March as the first World Water Day.

--> This day was formally proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

2) Sarath Fonseka becomes Sri Lanka's first field marshal:

--> Sri Lanka's new government on 22 March 2015 conferred the country's highest military rank of field marshal to former army chief Sarath Fonseka.

--> President Maithripala Sirisena awarded the honourary title to retired Gen Fonseka at an official ceremony in the capital.

--> Fonseka, who became the first Sri Lankan to receive the title, was stripped of his rank, pension and medal he received during his 40-year career, and jailed after he unsuccessfully tried to challenge Rajapksa's re-election bid in 2010.

--> Fonseka led Sri Lankan troops to victory over the Tamil Tigers in 2009. 

3) Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won BNP Paribas Open tennis title:

--> Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis began their partnership on winning note as the duo defeated Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina to win the BNP Paribas Open doubles title.

--> Hingis has won 11 Grand Slams in the team discipline (nine in women's and two in mixed) while Sania has claimed three Grand Slams (all in mixed) -- and their doubles partnership was eagerly awaited in the tennis circuit.

4) International Day of Forests observed:

--> International Day of Forests was observed on 21 March 2015 with the theme Forests and Climate Change.

--> The theme highlights forest-based solutions to address climate change mitigation and adaptation, and more broadly forests and sustainable development.

--> 21 March was established as the International Day of Forests by resolution A/RES/67/200 of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 28 November 2012.

5) Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew died:

--> Lee Kuan Yew, the statesman who transformed Singapore from a small port city into a wealthy global hub, has died at the age of 91.

--> The city-state's prime minister for 31 years, he was widely respected as the architect of Singapore's prosperity.

--> He was elected as First Prime Minister of Singapore in 1959. Since then he had served as PM of country for 31 years and had stepped down in 1990.

6) India overtakes US as third biggest steel producer:

--> India has overtaken the US to become the third-largest steel producer in the world with a production of 14.56 million tonnes (MT) in first two months of the year.

--> India has been the fourth-largest steel producer for the past five years, behind China, Japan and the US.

--> Data compiled by World Steel Association ( WSA) showed that the country's production growth was the highest during the January-February period at 7.6 per cent as compared to the global average of just 0.6 per cent at 127.6 MT.

7) Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer in Indian Wells final:

--> World number one Novak Djokovic recovered from a second-set battle to beat Roger Federer 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 in the BNP Paribas Open final.

8) President confered Chakra awards to 12 defence personnel:

--> President Pranab Mukherjee on 22 March 2015 conferred one Kirti Chakra and 11 Shaurya Chakra awards on armed forces personnel, three of them posthumously, for gallantry.

--> The awards were given at a Defence Investiture Ceremony, attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar among others.

--> The Kirti Chakra was given to Captain Jaidev of Parachute Regiment, posted at 3rd Battalion Rashtriya Rifles, for displaying dauntless courage and extraordinary valour under heavy fire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on June 19 last year while tackling three terrorists.

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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).

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LIC AAO Exam Questions: 21 March 2015 (Evening Shift)

Friends.. Here are the GA questions asked in 21 March 2015 Evening shift LIC AAO exam. These questions were shared by Parvathy Paru. This will be useful for those having exam in coming days. If anybody would like to share more questions, kindly mail us at currentaffairs4examz@gmail.com. We will publish them here.

1) Capital of Portugal? - Lisbon

2) Currency of Denmark? - Danish krone

3) Which among the following will be the base currency for BRICS New Development Bank? - US Dollar

4) Name the Union Minister of Women and Child Development? - Maneka Gandhi

5) Author of the book "Odyssey of My Life: An Autobiography"? - Shivraj Patil

6) Aloysius Vincent who passed away recently was? - Cinematographer

7)  Bihu geet is the traditional dance form of? - Assam

8) 1180MW Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP) is located at? - Rawatbhata

9) Chilka lake is situated in which state? - Odisha

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Quiz Questions Current Affairs: 22 March 2015

1) Name the Indian pancreatic cancer researcher who has been named as the New South Wales (NSW) Woman of the year 2015, in Australia recently?

(A) Gautami Sharma

(B) Devyani Khobragade

(C) Minoti Apate

(D) Shikha Sharma

2) Which Bank on 17 March 2015 announced the launch of a mobile app named 'Chillr',which allows users to instantly transfer money to any contact in their phone book?

(A) ICICI Bank

(B) Axis Bank

(C) State Bank of India

(D) HDFC Bank

3) Name the political party of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which scored an unexpected victory in country’s Parliamentary election held on 18 March 2015?

(A) Knesst party

(B) Likud party

(C) Zionist Union

(D) Democratic party

4) Gunmen wearing military uniforms on 18 March 2015 stormed which country's national museum named Barbo Museum, killing 17 foreign tourists and two Tunisians?

(A) Canada

(B) Iraq

(C) Algeria

(D) Tunisia 

5) Which South African all-rounder recently became the 9th player to claim a hat-trick in the history of the World Cup?

(A) JP Duminy

(B) AB de Villers

(C) Faf du Plessis

(D) Imran Tahir

6) Electronic Voting Machines will have photographs of candidates from which date onwards, as announced by Election Commission of India recently?

(A) 1 April 2015

(B) 1 January 2016

(C) 1 May 2015

(D) 1 July 2016

7) Kavinder Gupta was on 18 March 2015 unanimously elected as Speaker of the 12th Assembly of which state?

(A) Jammu and Kashmir

(B) Maharashtra

(C) Bihar

(D) Delhi

8) National Green Tribunal on 18 March 2015 announced a fine of Rs _____ on individuals spotted littering or throwing waste on the platforms and tracks?

(A) Rs.1000

(B) Rs. 5,000

(C) Rs.500

(D) Rs.100

9) Sohail Aman was on 18 March 2015 appointed as Chief of Air Force of which country?

(A) Bangladesh

(B) Nepal

(C) Sri Lanka

(D) Pakistan

10) Which Union Minister was on 17 March 2015 named Young Global Leader from India by the World Economic Forum (WEF)?

(A) Ravi Shankar Prasad

(B) Smriti Irani

(C) Nitin Gadkarai

(D) Suresh Prabhu

Answers

1) Ans. (C) Minoti Apate

2) Ans. (D) HDFC Bank

3) Ans. (B) Likud party

4) Ans.  (D) Tunisia

5) Ans. (A) JP Duminy

6) Ans. (C) 1 May 2015

7) Ans. (A) Jammu and Kashmir

8) Ans. (B) Rs. 5,000

9) Ans. (D) Pakistan

10) Ans. (B) Smriti Irani

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February 2015 Current Affairs PDF: Last Week

Download as PDF: Click Here

1) Chris Gayle on 24 February 2015 became the first person to make double century in any Cricket World Cup. He achieved this record against which country? - Zimbabwe

2) Who was sworn in as the 12th Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 1 March 2015? - Mufti Mohammed Sayeed

3) AB de Villiers on 26 February 2015 hit the fastest-ever 150 runs in one-day internationals (ODIs) against which country? - West Indies

4) National Science Day was observed in India on 28 February 2015. The theme for the National Science Day 2015 was? - Science for Nation Building

5) Dr Rajendra Kumar Pachauri on 24 February 2015 stepped down as Chairperson of? - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

6) Who was on 23 February 2015 unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly? - Ram Niwas Goel

7) Who was sworn in as the 34th Chief Minister of Bihar on 22 February 2015? - Nitish Kumar

8) Which team on 23 February 2015 crowned champions of Hero Hockey India League 2015 (HHIL) by defeating Jaypee Punjab Warriors? - Ranchi Rays

9) Name the former Chief Justice of Odisha High Court who was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court on 27 February 2015? - Justice Amitava Roy

10) Name the Eighth India-Nepal Battalion level Combined Military Training which commenced on 23 February 2015 at Integrated Army Training Centre, Saljhandi, Nepal? - Surya Kiran-VIII

11) Former India captain Anil Kumble and which Australian legend were on 22 February 2015 inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia? - Betty Wilson

12) Name the former New Zealand cricket captain who was on 28 February 2015 inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame? - Martin David Crowe

13) Researchers from which country on 26 February 2015 unveiled the world's first 3D-printed jet engine? – Australia

14) Name the former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and present leading Russian opposition politician who was shot dead on 27 February 2015? - Boris Nemtsov

15) 3rd Tortoise Festival was organised at Hajong Lake in Dima Hasao district of which state on 21 February 2015? – Assam

 Prepared by: www.currentaffairs4examz.com

16) Name the former acting Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan died on 23 February 2015 in Karachi, Pakistan? - Rana Bhagwandas

Note: Bhagwandas was the first Hindu and second non-Muslim to head the Supreme Court of Pakistan. First non-Muslim Chief Justice was Alvin Robert Cornelius (a Christian).

17) Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers on 25 February 2015 declared the year 2015 as? - Year of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

18) Indian Army and which bank on 23 February 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Defence Salary Package? - State Bank of India (SBI)

19) Forbes on 26 February 2015 released Asia’s 50 Power Businesswomen 2015 list. The list features six Indian women CEO and Managing Director (MD). Name theme? -

1) Arundhati Bhattacharya, CMD, State Bank of India

2) Chanda Kochchar, CEO, ICICI Bank,

3) Akhila Srinivasan, MD/Non-Executive Director, Shriram Life Insurance/Shriram Capital

4) Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Founder, Chairman and MD, Biocon

5) Shikha Sharma, CEO and MD, Axis Bank

6) Usha Sangwan, MD, Life Insurance Corp. of India

20) Which player on 22 February 2015 won the Indian Open title at the Delhi Golf Club? - Anirban Lahiri

21) Which words were added to Oxford dictionary on 27 February 2015? - Ride-share and unboxing

22) Indian-origin lawyer Kannan Ramesh was on 27 February 2015 appointed as Judicial Commissioner to Supreme Court bench of which country with effect from 22 May 2015? – Singapore

23) Which state government on 24 February 2015 launched a mobile application mLiquorSaleCheck for the benefit of the customers and to put a cap on sale of illicit liquor? – Delhi

24) Who was on 23 February 2015 appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co. Limited? - Takahiro Hachigo

25) International Rare Disease Day 2015 was observed on? - 28 February 2015

26) Who was on 27 February 2015 appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (MD) of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)? - Kshatrapati Shivaji

27) Who won the Delhi Open Tennis title on 22 February 2015? - Somdev Devvarman

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 20 March 2015

1) Karnataka won Irani Trophy 2015:

-->  Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka retained the Irani Cup by defeating Rest of India by 246 runs on the fourth and penultimate day on 20 March 2015.

--> A fine unbeaten 123 by Man-of-the-Match Manish Pandey, who spent 287 minutes in the middle, helped Karnataka set ROI a stiff target of 403.

--> Chasing a victory target of 403, Rest of India were bowled out for 156 after opening bowler Abhimanyu Mithun ripped through the top order.

--> This was the first time that Karnataka successfully defended their Irani Cup title while they also became only the third team after ROI and Mumbai to win the trophy in two successive years.

2) France to host the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019:

--> France will host the 2019 women's World Cup and the Under-20 women's tournament in 2018 after beating off competition from South Korea for the hosting rights, FIFA said on 19 March 2015.

--> Five countries had originally declared an interest in staging the events but England, New Zealand and South Africa fell by the wayside last year leaving France and South Korea to battle it out.

3) Justice Uma Nath Singh sworn in as new Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court:

--> Justice Uma Nath Singh was sworn in as Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court at the Raj Bhavan in Shillong on 19 March 2015.

--> Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Singh at a ceremony.

--> Justice Singh had earlier served at the High Court in Shillong as acting Chief Justice replacing Justice PC Pant.

--> He is the third Chief Justice of the state's High Court set up in 2013.

4) Cabinet approved Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana:

--> Union Cabinet on 20 March 2015 approved the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) with an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore to provide skills training to youth, including Class 10 and 12 drop outs.

--> The flagship scheme, which will cover 24 lakh persons, will be implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

5) Dehradun-Varanasi Janta Express derailed in Rae Bareli:

--> Two coaches and engine of the Dehradun-Varanasi Janta Express were derailed at Bachhrawan railway station near Rae Bareli on 20 March 2015 morning.

--> At least 36 people were killed and over 150 were injured in the accident. 

--> Brake failure was reported to be the cause of the accident.

6) World Sparrow Day observed:

--> March 20 is observed as World Sparrow Day every year since 2009, to create awareness of the house sparrows and other birds to the rapidly changing environments, and of threats to their populations.

--> The theme for WORLD SPARROW DAY 2015 was I LOVE Sparrows.

--> The Sparrow Day is an international initiative by the Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and numerous other national and international organisations across the world.

7) Union Cabinet approved 33% women reservation in police forces of all Union Territories:

--> Union Cabinet on 20 March 2015 approved 33 per cent reservation for women in police forces of all union territories, including the Delhi Police, through direct recruitment in non-gazetted posts.

--> The move aims at increasing representation of women in police and to make the force gender sensitive.

8) Lata Mangeshkar won the 'Laadli Voice of the Century' award:

--> Singer Lata Mangeshkar was on 20 March 2015 presented the ‘Laadli Voice of the Century’ award in Mumbai during the sixth edition of the national Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity.

--> Queen won the best movie award, while advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather won the “Laadli Grand Prix” for its Titan Raga — ‘tum nahi badle’ advertisement.

--> Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was the chief guest at the awards ceremony.

9) Bard of Maharashtra Shahir Krishnarao Sable passed away:

--> Bard and Marathi folk legend Krishnarao Sable, popularly known as Shahir Sable, who brought Maharashtra’s folk singing and theatre traditions to the centre stage, passed away at his central Mumbai residence on 19 March 2015.

10) 4th National Photography Awards conferred on 13 noted photojournalists:

--> The fourth National Photography Awards were conferred on 13 eminent photojournalists in New Delhi on 20 March 2015.

--> The award were conferred by Secretary (Information & Broadcasting) Bimal Julka.

--> The theme for 4th edition Professional Photographer category was “Hamara Bharat Swachh Bharat” and for the Amateur Category was “Mother and Child”.

--> The jury for this edition of awards was headed by well-known photographer Anil Risal Singh.

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Today's (21 March 2015) LIC AAO Exam Questions: Morning Shift

Friends.. Here are the GA questions asked in today's (21 March 2015) morning shift LIC AAO exam. These questions were shared by Yedu Krishna and Mukesh Kumar. This will be useful for those having exam in coming days. If anybody would like to share more questions, kindly mail us at currentaffairs4examz@gmail.com. We will publish them here. 

1) Name the Union Health Minister? - Jagat Prakash Nadda

2) Gangaur is a festival celebrated in the Indian state of? - Rajasthan

3) Whose birthday is observed as National Youth Day? - Swami Vivekananda

4) Economic Survey 2015-16 prepared by? - Aravind Subramanian (Chief Economic Adviser) and team

5) T-20 world cup 2016 will be held at? - India

6) Capital of Iraq? - Baghdad

7) Latest Euro member? - Lithuania

8) AB de villers hit the fastest 150 in ODI against which country? - West Indies

9) Which Tax was abolished in Budget 2015? - Wealth Tax

10) NATO headquarters? - Brussels, Belgium

11) Madan Mohan Malviya was the Chairman of which newspaper from 1924 to 1946? - Hindustan Times

12) Gyan Sangam or Bankers' Retreat in January 2015 was held at? - Pune

13) World Health Day? - April 7
14) Apart from Rewari-Rohtak section India's first CNG train runs between which other section? - Rewari and Bikaner 
15) NITI Aayog vice-chairman? - Arvind Panagriya
16) First chairman of in BRICS New Development Bank will be from? - India

17) Currency of Finland? - Euro

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GK Daily Updates for March 20, 2015

1) Gahir Matha Turtle sanctuary is situated at? - Odisha

2) The only state in India to have both coastline and Himalayan ranges is? - West Bengal

3) Pyridoxine is the chemical name of the vitamin? - Vitamin B6 

4) First city in India to have a metro railway? - Kolkata

5) Neset is the parliament of which country? - Israel

6) Marine National Park is situated in which state? - Gujarat

7) Smallest country in Africa? - Seychelles

8) Largest country in Africa? - Algeria

9) Iceland is located in which ocean? -  Juncture of the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans

10) The book 'The Life of Mahatma Gandhi' is written by? - Louis Fischer

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