Current Affairs – March 22, 2021 [Today’s News Headlines]

Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for March 22, 2021

India

New Advanced High-Resolution Microscopy Facility opens at NABI, Mohali

The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Science & technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan on March 21, 2021 inaugurated the new Advanced High-Resolution Microscopy Facility at National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) and Unveiled the 4 Star GRIHA Certification of Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB) Lab and Admin Building at Mohali in Punjab.

Arunachal Pradesh: CM inaugurates 1^st indigenous knowledge system school

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has inaugurated the state’s first formal indigenous language and knowledge system school in East Kameng district. The first-of-its-kind school called ‘Nyubu Nyvgam Yerko’ was inaugurated at Rang village near Seppa on March 20, 2021.

Economy & Corporate

Aadhaar not mandatory for Jeevan Pramaan, Sandes app, attendance system

Aadhaar is no longer mandatory for pensioners to get digital life certificate, Jeevan Pramaan, that is required to collect their pensions, according to the new rule notified by the government. The government has also made Aadhaar verification voluntary for its instant messaging solution ‘Sandes’ and attendance management at public offices under the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Rules, 2020.

Former SEBI Chairman G. V. Ramakrishna dies at 91

G.V. Ramakrishna, 91, who was the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) after it became a statutorily empowered markets regulator, passed away on March 20, 2021. He was also the first chairman of the Disinvestment Commission and a member of the Planning Commission.

World

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to hold “Pabbi-Antiterror-2021” exercise

India, Pakistan, China and other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will hold a joint anti-terrorism exercise this year, the eight-member bloc said. The decision to hold the joint exercise “Pabbi-Antiterror-2021” was announced during the 36th meeting of the Council of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on March 18.

US to hold ‘Group Arabian Sea Warfare Exercise’ in Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman

The US Navy said on March 21, 2021 that it will hold a major naval exercise alongside Belgium, France and Japan in the Mideast amid tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme in the region. The Group Arabian Sea Warfare Exercise will see ships from the four countries conduct drills in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.

China has the strongest military force in the world: defence website Military Direct

China has the strongest military force in the world while India stands at number four, according to a study released on March 21, 2021 by defence website Military Direct. The USA, despite their enormous military budgets, comes in 2nd place with 74 points, followed by Russia with 69, India at 61 and then France with 58. China has the strongest military in the world, scoring 82 out of 100 points in the index, it noted.

International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination observed on March 21

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was observed by UN on March 21, 2021. The theme in the year 2021 is “Youth standing up against racism”. It engages the public through #FightRacism, which aims to foster a global culture of tolerance, equality and anti-discrimination and calls on each and every one of us to stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes.

World Poetry Day celebrated by UNESCO on March 21

The World Poetry Day was celebrated on March 21, 2021 by UNESCO. One of the main objectives of the Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.

International Day of Forests celebrated on March 21

The International Day of Forests was celebrated on March 21, 2021 with its theme as “Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being.” Forests cover one third of the Earth’s land mass and are home to more than 80% of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. This year’s theme fits into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world.

International Nowruz Day celebrated on March 21

The International Nowruz Day was celebrated on March 21, 2021. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated as the beginning of the new year in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.

World Down Syndrome Day observed on March 21

The World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) was observed on March 21, 2021. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has an extra partial (or whole) copy of chromosome 21. It is not yet known why this syndrome occurs, but Down syndrome has always been a part of the human condition. It exists in all regions across the globe and commonly results in variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics and health. For WDSD 2021 the focus is on improving connections to ensure that all people with Down syndrome can CONNECT and participate on an equal basis with others.

Nawal Saadawi, renowned Egyptian feminist, dies in Cairo at 89

Nawal Saadawi, a renowned Egyptian feminist, psychiatrist and novelist, whose writings have stirred controversy for decades in an overwhelming conservative society, died at the age of 89 in Cairo on March 21, 2021. Saadawi was the founder and head of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and co-founder of the Arab Association for Human Rights.

Sports

All England Open Badminton Championships concludes in Birmingham

Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia won the Men’s Singles title while Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara won the Women’s Singles title at the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships 2021 that concluded in Birmingham on March 21, 2021. Men’s Doubles title was won Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe. Women’s Doubles title was won by Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara. Mixed Doubles title was won by Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino.

Kamalpreet Kaur breaks 9-year old national record in women’s discus throw

Kamalpreet Kaur broke 9-year old national record in women’s discus throw at Federation Cup athletics in Patiala on March 19, 2021. The previous record of 64.76m was held by Krishna Punia. Kamalpreet also qualified for the Olympics where the qualifying mark is 63.50m.

Bosphorus boxing tournament: Nikhat Zareen, Gaurav Solanki win bronze medals

Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and Gaurav Solanki (57kg) were beaten in the semifinals on March 19, 2021 and will return with bronze medals from the Bosphorus boxing tournament in Istanbul. Zareen lost 5-0 to Busenaz Cakiroglu of Turkey. Solanki lost 5-0 to Argentina’s Nirco Cuello.

Shooting World Cup: India win gold in both team events in 10m air pistol

A dominant India claimed both the gold medals on offer by some distance in the men’s and women’s 10m air pistol team events on the third competition day of the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi on March 21, 2021. First, the trio of Yashaswini Singh Deswal, Manu Bhaker and Shri Nivetha won the top prize in the women’s team 10m air pistol event. Then, the team of Saurabh Chaudhary, Abhishek Verma and Shahzar Rizvi bagged the yellow metal in the men’s event. India’s Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Deepak Kumar and Pankaj Kumar combined to win the silver medal in the men’s team air rifle event. Gold was won by the US team of Lucas Kozeniesky, William Shaner and Timothy Sherry.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2021