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).
