25th March 2015 Daily Current Affairs Updates

1) India's Polar vehicle 'PROVe' in North Antarctica operationalised:

--> India's Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle (PROVe) has been successfully operationalized for research in North Antarctica on March 25, 2015.

--> PROVe has been indigenously built by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.

--> Union Minister for Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan made the symbolic launch of the PROVe from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) headquarters in Chennai.

2) Delhi HC sets up commercial courts to ensure speedy disposal of trials:

--> The Delhi high court on 25 March 2015 became the first court to set up dedicated commercial divisions within it, in line with recommendation of the Law Commission of India.

--> Saying that the move will streamline civil judicial system and ensure speedy disposal of cases, the HC administration, in a press release said it has launched commercial courts to deal with disputes and also to hear appeals against them.

3) PM Modi launched PRAGATI platform for redressal of grievances:

--> Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 March 2015 launched his ambitious multi-purpose and multi-modal platform, PRAGATI, which is aimed at addressing the common man's grievances and monitoring important programmes and projects.

--> Speaking on the occasion, Modi said the step is to ensure that governance in India becomes more efficient and responsive as the whole world is now observing India keenly.

--> PRAGATI which stands for Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation, is a unique integrative and interactive platform. 

4) Kerala FM KM Mani new chairman of GST Empowered Committee:

--> Kerala finance minister KM Mani has been appointed chairman of the empowered committee of state finance ministers on Goods & Services Tax (GST).

--> The GST, a much-awaited reform to replace multiple indirect taxes with one levy, is proposed to be rolled out from April 2016.

--> The empowered committee chairman's post fell vacant after Abdul Rahim Rather, the former finance minister of Jammu & Kashmir, quit following the defeat of the National Conference in state elections held in December.

5) Indian-American author Akhil Sharma won The Folio Prize 2015:

--> Novelist Akhil Sharma’s 2014 novel Family Life has won the Folio Prize 2015.

--> The 43-year old novelist beat writers like Irish novelist Colm Toibin and Scottish writer Ali Smith Coilm to win the £40,000 prize.

--> Family Life, Mr. Sharma’s second novel, took him 13 years to write and was selected by The New York Times as one of their Top Ten Books of the Year for 2014.

--> The Folio Prize recognises the best English-language fiction from around the world, published in the U.K. during a given year, regardless of form, genre or the author’s country of origin.

6) Railways constituted committee to review PPP cell:

--> The ministry of railways has constituted a committee to review the existing Public Private Partnership (PPP) Cell in the railway board on 25 March 2015.

--> The move is in line with the promise that railways minister Suresh Prabhu made during the presentation of the rail budget on 26 February.

--> The committee will be headed by Ajay Shankar, former secretary, department of industrial policy and promotion.

7) Veteran poet Gopaldas Neeraj awarded inaugural National Kavi Pradeep Samman:

--> Noted Hindi poet Gopaldas Neeraj on 24 March 2015 was awarded with first National Kavi Pradeep Samman.

--> He was presented the award by Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Surendra Patwa at a function held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

--> National Kavi Pradeep Samman was instituted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in the memory of late renowned poet and songwriter Kavi Pradeep.

8) Cabinet approved Rs. 4500-Crore National Supercomputing Mission:

--> The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 25 March 2015 approved the launch of the visionary Rs. 4,500-crore National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) aimed to steer India into the league of world class computing power nations.

9) RBI signed $400 million currency swap pact with Sri Lanka:

--> RBI today signed a USD 400 million currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka for three years that will allow the island nation to draw the amount in dollars or euros in multiple tranches.

--> The swap arrangement is intended to provide a backstop line of funding for the SAARC member countries to meet any balance of payments and liquidity crises till long-term arrangements are made.

10) Bangladesh won Women in Parliaments Award:

--> Bangladesh has won the prestigious Women in Parliaments (WIP) Award for regional leadership in the South and Southeast Asia category for closing the gender gap in politics. 

--> The award was presented by WIP Global Forum at annual summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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Daily Current Affairs: 24 March 2015

1) Navy commissioned three UAE-supplied naval vessels:

--> The Indian Navy on 24 March 2015 has commissioned three Immediate Support Vessels (ISVs) supplied by the UAE's Abu Dhabi Ship Builders (ADSB).

--> The three ships were given pennant numbers T-38, T-39 and T-40.

--> These three ISVs are in addition to the first batch of ISVs commissioned on 04 June 2014 and will constitute the 84th Immediate Support Vessel Squadron based at Visakhapatnam. 

2) Dolly Shivani Cherukuri became the youngest Archer to enter India Book of Records:

--> Three-year-old archer Dolly Shivani Cherukuri of Andhra Pradesh on 24 March 2015 entered the India Book of Records.

--> She entered the list of records by scoring 388 points in the recurve segment in two distances, seven and five meters, at the Volga Archery Academy in Vijayawada.

--> At the time of entering the India Book of Records, she was nine days less than three years.

--> Shivani is the sister of late Indian coach and international archer Cherukuli Lenin, who passed in a road accident soon after the Commonwealth Games 2010.

3) Supreme Court scraped Section 66A of IT Act:

--> Section 66A of the Information Technology Act is unconstitutional in its entirety, the Supreme Court ruled on 24 March 2015 striking down a “draconian” provision that had led to the arrests of many people for posting content deemed to be “allegedly objectionable” on the Internet.

--> Terming liberty of thought and expression as "cardinal", a bench of justices J Chelameswar and R F Nariman said, "The public's right to know is directly affected by section 66A of the Information Technology Act."

--> The first public interest litigation against section 66(A) was filed in 2012, by a then 21-year-old student, Shreya Singhal.

4) 62nd National Awards announced:

--> Kangana Ranaut won the best actress award for her powerful performance in " Queen" at the 62nd National Film Awards where Bollywood movies "Haider" and "Mary Kom" bagged key honours while Chaitanya Tamhane's "Court" was named the best feature film.

--> Kangana Ranaut won her first National award, as best supporting actress, for "Fashion" in 2010.

--> Vijay was declared the best actor for his poignant portrayal of a woman trapped in a man's body in Kannada film "Nanu Avanalla Avalu" (I am not a he, but she).

Click Here to check the complete list of winners.

5) World TB Day observed:

--> World Tuberculosis Day (WTD) 2015 was globally observed on 24 March 2015.

--> The theme for the year 2015 is continuation of the 2014 theme Reach the 3 Million.

--> The main sub-theme and message for the year 2015 is Reach, Treat, Cure Everyone.

--> This day is annually celebrated on 24 March to commemorate the day on which Dr. Robert Koch discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus in 1882.

6) New Zealand beat South Africa by 4 wickets to reach World Cup final:

--> New Zealand scripted history by making their maiden cricket World Cup final appearance with a stunning four-wicket win in a nerve-wrecking last-four clash against the formidable South Africa.

--> Chasing a stiff target of 298 runs in 43 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis rule in the rain-curtailed game, New Zealand crossed the line when Grant Elliot (84) smashed Dale Steyn over long-on for a six with just one ball to spare in a thrilling showdown.

--> Since the inaugural edition in 1975, New Zealand have reached the semifinals of the showpiece event six times, but failed to clear the penultimate hurdle on all the occasions.

7) German airline crashed in French Alps with 150 aboard:

--> Flight 4U 9525 of Germanwings Airbus A320 plane carrying 150 people crashed on 24 March 2015 in a remote area of the French Alps as it flew from Barcelona to Duesseldorf.

--> All 144 passengers and six crew members on board were killed in the worst air disaster in the mainland France in 40 years.

--> The cause of the crash was yet not ascertained though the Black box of the plane has been recovered.

8) Bharti Kher conferred with the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France:

--> Artist Bharti Kher of India has been awarded the esteemed 'Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres' (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), which is the highest cultural award of France.

--> French ambassador to India Francois Richier conferred the award to Kher on March 23, 2015, for her contribution in contemporary art landscape.

9) Bengaluru Airport declared as South India's busiest airport:

--> The Kempegowda International Airport (KIAB), Bengaluru, has been named as South India's busiest airport and third largest in the country.

--> The airport, which was opened just seven years ago, overtook Chennai and Hyderabad to become the busiest airport in South India by handling 15 million passengers in one year.

10) Government launched new initiative to interact with citizens via Tweets and SMS:

--> The government of India, in the fourth week of March, 2015, launched the Digital India initiative called Twitter Samvad, which will enable the citizens of the country to have a direct communication with the governmental bodies via Tweets and SMSes.

--> The initiative is aimed at reaching out to masses through the social networking media, facilitating direct communication between the leaders and the citizens and at boosting various nation's e-governance plans.

11) Nine sporting disciplines upgraded to 'high priority' by the Sports Ministry:

--> The Sports Ministry on 23 March, 2015 has categorised nine sporting discipline as the 'high priority sports'.

--> The category comprises of athletics, tennis, wrestling, weightlifting, badminton, archery, hockey, shooting and boxing.

--> The category undertaken by the ministry will be funded for their national and zonal events.

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 23 March 2015

1) Dada Saheb Phalke Award for Shashi Kapoor:

--> Veteran film actor Shashi Kapoor will be conferred the highest award in cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke award for the year 2014. 

--> The award is conferred by the government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema on the recommendations of a five-member jury.

--> The 77-year-old will be the 46th recipient of the award.

--> Interestingly, he will be the third person in his family to be conferred with the same award,  Shashi’s father Prithviraj Kapoor received the award in 1971 and elder brother Raj Kapoor in 1987.

--> Shashi Kapoor forayed into films as lead actor in Dharmputra in 1961 and went on to appear in more than 100 Hindi films.

2) Andhra Pradesh to name capital Amaravati:

--> Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government is all set to declare the heritage city, Amaravati, 35 kms from Guntur district,as its new capital.

--> According to reports, nearly 33,000 acres of land have been procured by the TDP government for the new capital and it is spread over 29 villages in Thulluru, Mangalagiri and Tadikonda mandals of Guntur district.

--> However, as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014, Hyderabad will remain the shared capital of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for 10 years.

3) Railways restrict booking of train e-tickets on a single login:

--> The Ministry of Railways on 23 March 2015 decided to restrict the number of tickets that an individual can book via the e-ticketing platform, in a single login session.

--> In case of e-ticketing, there will be a restriction of only one booking in one user login session and forced logging out of the user before another booking for all users including IRCTC agents but excluding defence booking under warrant only.

--> However, this restriction will be applicable only while booking of e-ticket between 0800 and 1200 hours. It will also not be applicable while booking onward journey/return journey e-tickets, the release said.

4) Ecologist Madhav Gadgil won Tyler Prize:

--> Renowned ecologist Madhav Gadgil has been chosen for the prestigious 2015 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.

--> The prize, instituted in 1973, is awarded by the international Tyler Prize Executive Committee with the administrative support of the University of Southern California.

--> Prof. Gadgil, who was Chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), will share the $200,000 cash prize with noted American marine ecologist Dr. Jane Lubchenco.

--> Both winners will receive the prize and a gold medallion at a private ceremony in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles on April 24.

5) World Meteorological Day observed:

--> Every year March 23 is observed as World Meteorological Day (WMD).

--> Theme for this year is Climate Knowledge for Climate Action.

--> On this day in 1950 the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Convention came into force that aimed at creating WMO.

6) Pakistan military holds first Republic Day parade in seven years:

--> Pakistan held its first Republic Day parade in seven years on 23 March 2015, full of flag-waving pomp and aerial military expertise, a symbolic show of strength in the war against the Taliban months after a militant attack on a school killed 132 children.

--> Pakistan Day commemorates March 23, 1940, when the Muslim League demanded the establishment of separate nations to protect Muslims in the then British colony of India.

7) Railways launched RuPay pre-paid debit card service:

--> Railway passengers can now book their tickets, do shopping and pay service bills using RuPay pre-paid cards, as the IRCTC launched the debit card service on 23 March 2015.

--> The service was launched by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in collaboration with the Union Bank of India and the National Payment Corporation of India.

--> RuPay is India's own card payment gateway network like Visa and Master Card, and provides an alternative system for banks to provide a debit card service.

8) Railways hike platform ticket price to Rs. 10:

--> Railways has hiked the cost of platform tickets to Rs. 10 and the new rate will come into effect from April 2015.

--> Additionally, the Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) have been empowered to increase the rate of a platform ticket beyond Rs. 10 to regulate rush at platforms.

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Employment News: 21 March 2015 to 27 March 2015

1. SSC (Western Region)

Name of Posts – Court Master, Library and Information Assistant, Technical

Superintendent (Weaving) etc.

No. of Vacancies- 38

Last Date-21.04.2015

2. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Dehradun

Name of Post-Assistant Executive Engineer (Cementing, Civil, Drilling,

Electrical etc.), Chemist, Geologist etc.

No. of Vacancies- 873

Last Date – 10.04.2015

3. Narmada Jhabua Gramin Bank, Indore

Name of Post-Officers (General Banking Officer, IT, CA, Treasury Manager

etc.) and Office Assistant.

No. of Vacancies –350

Last Date – 08..04.2015

4. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemical Limited (MRPL), Mangalore

Name of Posts- Chief Manager, Sr. Manager, Dy. Manager, Sr. Executive etc.

No. of Vacancies- 24

Last Date- 04.04.2015

5. Coal India Limited, Kolkata

Name of the Posts- Sr. Medical Specialist, Medical Specialist and Sr. Medical Officer.

No. of Vacancies- 281

Last Date- 04.04.2015

6. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Delhi

Name of the Posts- Scientists

No. of Vacancies- 23

Last Date- 20 days of publication

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National Film Awards 2015: Complete List of Winners PDF

Download List as PDF- Click Here

* The 62nd National Film Awards 2014 were announced on 24 March 2015 by the Chairpersons of the three juries on Feature Films, Non Feature Films and Best Writing on Cinema.

* Kangana Ranaut won the best actress award for her powerful performance in "Queen" where Bollywood movies "Haider" and "Mary Kom" bagged key honours while Chaitanya Tamhane's "Court" was named the best feature film.

* Vijay was declared the best actor for his poignant portrayal of a woman trapped in a man's body in Kannada film "Nanu Avanalla Avalu" (I am not a he, but she).

* The Feature Film Central panel was headed by P. Bharathiraja a legend in Tamil cinema and National Film Award winner.

* The Central panel comprised of 11 members including Chairman, the Non Feature jury was headed by Kamal Swarup and comprised of 7 members including the Chairman.

* The jury on Best Writing on Cinema was headed by Govind Kumar (Madhan) and comprised of 3 members including Chairperson.

Here is the complete list of winners:

1. Best Feature Film - Court (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati & English)

2. Indira Gandhi award for Best Debut Film of a Director - Asha Jaoar Majhe (Bengali)

3. Best Popular Film providing wholesome entertainment - Mary Kom (Hindi)

4. Best Film on Social Issues - Chotoder Chobi (Bengali)

5. Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation - Ottaal (Malayalam)

6. Best Children's Film - Kaakkaa Muttai (Tamil) & Elizabeth Ekadashi (Marathi)

7. Best Direction - Srijit Mukherji (Chotushkone - Bengali Film)

8. Best Actor - Vijay (Nanu Avanalla Avalu -Kannada Film)

9. Best Actress - Kangana Ranaut (Queen - Hindi Film)

10. Best Supporting Actor -  Bobby Simhaa (Jigarthanda -Tamil)

11. Best Supporting Actress - Baljinder Kaur (Pagdi The Honour - Haryanavi)

12. Best Child Artist - J. Vignesh & Ramesh (Kaakkaa Muttai - Tamil)

13. Best Male Playback Singer - Sukhwinder Singh (Song: Bismil) (Haider - Hindi)

14. Best Female Playback Singer - Uttara Unnikrishanan (Song: Azhagu) (Saivam - Tamil)

15. Best Cinematography - Sudeep Chatterjee (Chotushkone - Bengali)

16. Best Screenplay-

i. Screenplay Writer (Original): Srijit Mukherji (Chotushkone - Bengali)

ii. Screenplay Writer (Adapted) : Joshy Mangalath (Ottal - Malayalam)

iii. Dialogues : Vishal Bhardwaj (Haidar - Hindi)

17. Best Audiography:

i. Location Sound Recordist: Mahaveer Sabbanwal (Khwada - Marathi)

ii. Sound Designer: Anish John (Asha Jaoar Majhe - Bengali)

iii.  Re-recordist of the final mixed track: Anirban Sengupta & Dipankar Chaki (Nirbashito -Bengali)

18. Best Editing - Vivek Harshan (Jigarthanda -Tamil)

19. Best production Design - Aparna Raina (Nachom – IA Kumpasar - Konkani)

20. Best Costume Designer - Dolly Ahluwalia (Haider -Hindi)

21. Best Make-Up Artist - Nangaraju  & Raju (Nanu Avanalla Avalu -Kannada)

22. Best Music Direction -

a) Songs: Vishal Bhardwaj (Haider - Hindi)

b) Background Score:  Gopi Sunder (Nineteen Eighty Three - Malayalam)

23. Best Lyrics - NA. Muthukumar (Saivam -Tamil) (Azhagu)

24. Special Jury Award -

Director: Bhaurao Karhade (Khwada -Marathi)

25. Best Choreography - Sudesh Adhana (Haider -Hindi) (Bismil)

26. Best Feature Film in Each of the Language Specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution-

* Best Assamese Film : Othello

* Best Bengali Film: Nirbashito

* Best Hindi Film: Queen

* Best Kannada Film: Harivu

* Best Malayalam Film: Ain

* Best Marathi Film: Killa

* Best Odiya Film: Aadim Vichar

* Best Punjabi Film: Punjab 1984

* Best Tamil Film: Kuttram Kadithal

* Best Telugu Film: Chandamama Kathalu

* Best Rabha Film: Orong

* Best Haryanvi Film: Pagdi The Honour

27. Best Feature Film in Language other than specified in VIII Constitution -

* Best Haryanvi Film: Pagdi The Honour

* Best Rabha Film: Orong

28. Special Mention

a) Musthafa: (Ain -Malayalam)

b) Palomi Ghosh: (Nachom – IA Kumpasar - Konkani)

c) Parth  Bhalerao (Killa -Marathi & Bhootnath Returns -Hindi)

29. Awards for Writing on Cinema

Best Film Critic: Tanul Thakur

Best Book On Cinema: Silent Cinema (1895-1930) by Pasupuleti Purnachandra Rao

Best Writing On Cinema (Special Mention): Pride Of Tamil Cinema by G. Dhananjayan

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Shashi Kapoor selected for Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2014

* Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor, who has reigned and contributed to the Hindi film industry for almost five decades, has been honoured with Dada Saheb Phalke award 2014, India's highest honour in cinema.

* He will be the 46th Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner.

* The 2014 Dadasaheb Phalke award to Shashi Kapoor made him the third member of Kapoor family to receive the award after Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor.

* The Dadasaheb Phalke award is the highest award of India in cinema and is conferred by the Union Government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema.

* The award was introduced in 1969 to commemorate the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke.

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February 2015: Current Affairs Question Bank (PDF Download)

Friends.. Here is the Current Affairs Question Bank for the month of February 2015. We have tried our level best to make this PDF error free, but anyhow, if you notice any mistakes please bring it to our notice so that we will revise it. Thank You guys for your support & do continue the same. Also comment your suggestions & reviews below. Wish you all the best for upcoming exams..

Download Question Bank PDF: Click Here

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Current Affairs Multiple Choice Quiz: 23 March 2015

1) Who was on 19 March 2015 appointed as the head of an innovation council of Indian Railways called ‘Kayakalp’?

(A) Azim Premji

(B) E. Sreedharan

(C) Ratan Tata

(D) APJ Abdul Kalam

2) Name the Information and Technology Minister who on 18 March 2015 launched Bharatniti.in, a public policy portal that attempts to put into perspective policy matters using an “ancient yet contemporary” approach?

(A) Ravi Shankar Prasad

(B) Ram Vilas Paswan

(C) Smriti Irani

(D) Suresh Prabhu

3) Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 19 March 2015 became the first Indian captain to register 100 One Day International wins. Which cricketer is leading the list of most victories as captain in ODI?

(A) Hansie Cronje

(B) Ricky Ponting

(C) Allan Border

(D) Viv Richards 

4) Book entitled “Indian Parliamentary Diplomacy – Speaker’s Perspective” which was released on 19 March 2015 is authored by which former speaker of Lok Sabha?

(A) Somnath Chatterjee

(B) Manohar Joshi

(C) P. A. Sangma

(D) Meira Kumar

5) International Conference on Counter Terrorism was recently held in which city of India?

(A) Jaipur

(B) Kochi

(C) Pune

(D) Vishakhapatnam

6) India on 19 March 2015 defeated which country to enter the semifinals of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015?

(A) South Africa

(B) Bangladesh

(C) Pakistan

(D) West Indies

7) India-born Nobel laureate Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was recently elected president of Britain's prestigious Royal Society. In which year Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath?

(A) 2008

(B) 2007

(C) 2009

(D) 2006

8) Name India's Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile which was on 19 March 2015 successfully test fired from a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft?

(A) Astra

(B) K-100

(C) Mitra

(D) Tejas

9) Maharashtra government on 18 March 2015 decided to rename the area at Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai where veteran freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak was cremated as?

(A) Chaitya Bhoomi

(B) Veer Bhoomi

(C) Punya Bhoomi

(D) Swaraj Bhoomi

10) Two coaches and engine of the Dehradun-Varanasi ____ Express were derailed at Bachhrawan railway station near Rae Bareli on 20 March 2015?

(A) Shatabdi

(B) Rajadhani

(C) Janta

(D) None of these

Answers

1) Ans. (C) Ratan Tata

2) Ans. (A) Ravi Shankar Prasad

3) Ans. (B) Ricky Ponting

4) Ans. (D) Meira Kumar

5) Ans. (A) Jaipur

6) Ans. (B) Bangladesh

7) Ans. (C) 2009

8) Ans. (A) Astra

9) Ans. (D) Swaraj Bhoomi

10) Ans. (C) Janta

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