Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2018

Notes:
The two-day Informal World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting has started in New Delhi on March 19, 2018. Representatives from 50 countries are participating in the meet. The informal meeting is expected to provide an opportunity to engage in free and frank discussions leading to political guidance on some of the major issues, both at the negotiating table and also in other areas. In the absence of Ministerial guidance at the 11th Ministerial Conference that took place in December 2017 in Buenos Aires, it is hoped that the meeting in New Delhi will provide an opportunity for ministers to explore in greater detail options on different issues for re-invigorating the WTO.

Notes:
The Serlui B dam is an earthfill and gravity dam on the Serlui river 12 km from Bilkhawthlir Village near the Kolasib district of Mizoram. It has the capacity of power generation of 12MW and Catchment area of 53 km.

Notes:
The first-ever National workshop on Poshan Abhiyaan has started at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi on March 20, 2018 to implement the campaign in a fast track mode across the country. The Ministry of Women and Child Development is organising the day long workshop in which all states and union territories are participating. The workshop will provide a complete orientation on the campaign to provide handholding in using the softwares involved and to augment the convergence with different Ministries in implementing the campaign for improved Nutritional outcomes. POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan on March 8, 2018. It has been set up with a three year budget of Rs 9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18. It aims to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children. The programme also targets to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia and low birth rate.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently approved the launch of Ayushman Bharat -National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) in New Delhi on March 21, 2018. The scheme has the benefit cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year. The target beneficiaries under the scheme will be over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families. The benefits of the scheme are portable across the country. A beneficiary will be allowed to take cashless benefits from any public and private empaneled hospitals across the country. The AB-NHPM will subsume the ongoing centrally sponsored schemes- Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and senior citizen health insurance scheme.

Notes:
Karan Thapar, the veteran journalist and television presenter, has been honoured with the 2017 G.K. Reddy Memorial National Award for journalism for his contribution in the field of journalism. The award was presented to Thapar by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh  at the Teen Murti Bhawan in New Delhi on March 22, 2018. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh, a gold medal and a special trophy.

Notes:
The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has received the ‘Most Informative Pavilion’ Award in Pride of India Expo organized as part of the 105th Indian Science Congress (ISC) held from 16 to 20 March 2018 at Manipur University, Imphal. DRDO participated in the expo showcasing cutting-edge indigenous defence technologies with over 150 exhibits and models from 18 DRDO laboratories. The DRDO pavilion at the Expo was a big attraction among the visitors particularly students, who got opportunity to interact with DRDO scientists. The scientists engaged the visitors in the lively discussions on science and technologies.

Notes:
The famous Madhavpur Mela has started at Madhavpur Ghed in Porbandar district of Gujarat on March 25, 2018. In a unique initiative, the 4-day Mela will showcase for the first time the cultural integration of the North-East with Gujarat. It will share its connect to the Mishmi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. The Mishmi Tribe traces its ancestry to the legendary King Bhishmak and through him to his daughter Rukmini and Lord Krishna. For the first time ever, the festival will celebrate the immortal journey which Rukmini undertook from Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat with Lord Krishna. The festival will see a vibrant cultural trail of art, dance, music, poetry, story-telling and folk drama from the North-Eastern States with the aim to integrate the rich cultures of the two regions.

Notes:
Martin Vizcarra, a Peruvian engineer and former regional governor, has been sworn-in as the new president of Peru after his predecessor “Pedro Pablo Kuczynski” became the latest of the country’s leaders to resign amid corruption scandals and public repudiation.

Notes:
India Under-16 team has won the 2018 U-17 Jockey Cup International Youth Invitational Football tournament by defeating hosts Hong Kong in the final by 4-2 on March 25, 2018. For India, Bekey Oram netted twice in the first half. The other two goals came through Rohit Danu and Lalrokima in the second session. This was India’s third consecutive victory in as many days. They had earlier defeated Chinese Taipei (4-0) and Singapore (3-1). The tournament was an Under-17 event where India fielded their Under-16 national team. The Indian team have already qualified for the AFC Under-16 Finals from where the top four teams will make it to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

Notes:
The Surat district of Gujarat has become the India’s first district to have 100% solar powered Primary Health Centers (PHCs) to combat the issue of global warming. There are a total of 52 PHCs in the district and all of them are now powered by solar system. This initiative will not only bring down the electricity bill by 40% but also help fight global warming.