Current Affairs Updates - 20th March 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 20th March 2018

In our today's Current Affairs Updates - 20th March 2018 we have brought to you all the Latest and Updated Current Affairs headlines. Here we have divided each of the news in different sections based on the category to which it best fits in. We have news headlines from National, International affairs, Schemes, Appointments, Programmes and other parts like Science and Technology, Defence and Obituary. We hope candidates will like our article and will go through the One Liner Static GK and Note Down Points along with the Current Affairs Quiz for better performance in the examination.

New Appointments: National

Sony India appoints Sunil Nayyar as MD

• Nayyar is the first Indian to be appointed as Managing Director for Sony India.

Rankings & Indexes

According to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Worldwide Cost of Living report 2018, Singapore is the costliest city for living in the world

• The capital of Syria, Damascus is the cheapest city for living in the world, followed by Venezuela’s capital Caracas.  

National Affairs

PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of Navi Mumbai International Airport 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asserted that Mumbai’s second airport would see its first flight next year, even as he acknowledged that aviation infrastructure in India is lagging growth. 

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday released coins in denominations of Rs 10 and Rs 1,000 commemorating Lord Jagannath's Nabakalebara festival

• The coins had been slated for release during the mega festival, celebrated once every 12 to 19 years, but the Union finance ministry had rejected a design sent by the state government as it featured the deities' feet. 

India to seek guidance on future of multilateral trade at WTO ministerial meet

• India will seek guidance on the future of the multilateral trading system from 50 trade envoys at a two-day World Trade Organization (WTO) informal ministerial meeting in New Delhi starting on Monday amid attempts by the US to undermine WTO rules, raising fears of trade wars.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is to set up India’s first offshore wind turbines at Arichamunai near Dhanushkodi at an estimated investment of ₹300 crore

• The MNRE proposed to install four to five wind turbines, each with the capacity to generate minimum of 6 MW of power, though offshore wind turbines were quite large with capacities ranging from 6 MW to 12 MW. 

International Affairs

Vladimir Putin wins Russia’s presidential election

• According to state-run exit polls and early returns, Vladimir Putin has won another term as Russia’s president. 

Li Keqiang elected China’s Prime Minister for second term

• Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang has been elected for a second term in office to steer some of the major structural reforms in government and the Communist Party of China (CPC) that are being marshaled by President Xi Jinping.

Science & Technology

NASA May Build 'HAMMER' Spacecraft To Blow Up Earth-Bound Asteroid

• The spacecraft named Hammer (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response) is an eight tonne spaceship which could deflect a giant space rock.

Defence & Railway News

Indian Navy to host Bilateral Exercise 'Varuna' with French Navy 

• The conduct of VARUNA, and the special impetus on taking this Navy-to-Navy cooperative engagement forward, was reiterated in the Joint Statement made by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France, on the 10th of March 2018.

Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will begin a five-day visit to the US tomorrow during which he will hold extensive talks with the top military brass of the Trump administration to consolidate bilateral naval cooperation, including in the Indo-Pacific region

• The Navy chief will also meet Commander of Pacific Fleet Admiral Scott Swift and Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command Vice Admiral Thomas J Moore.

The Coast Guard today commissioned an interceptor boat at Porbandar as part of its efforts to strengthen the security umbrella of the West coast

• An official release said that Indian Coast Guard Ship C-437 would "strengthen the security umbrella of the West coast and also help augment patrolling to prevent illicit activities such as infiltration, smuggling and illegal fishing".

Application / Portal 

The CISF has launched a mobile application called 'Lost and Found' through which travellers can register complaints to recover items they lost or forgot at various airports. 

• The app called 'Lost and Found' can be downloaded from the website of the Information and Technology Ministry. 

Schemes / Programme

The Government of India is in the process of formulating a Scheme ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM)’ to harness solar power for rural India 

• It involves installation of grid-connected solar power plants each of capacity up to 2 MW in the rural areas;

First India-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction inaugurated 

• The Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar inaugurated the First India-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction here today. The two-day workshop is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Government of Japan.

Summit /Conference / Events

The 7th Women Science Congress, 2018 was inaugurated today in the backdrop of the ongoing 105th Indian Science Congress on its 3rd day being held at Manipur University since 16th March.

• The inaugural function was presided over by Dr.Ashok Kumar Saxena, Former General Secretary, ISCA.
• Keshari Nath Tripath, Hon'ble Governor of West Bengal inaugurated the 7th Edition of Science Congress for women at the Centenary Hall of Manipur University.

Shri Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) organised by the Rashtrapati Bhavan in association with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) India and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

• After inaugurating the exhibition, he also presented the Gandhi Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards for 2018.

Awards & Honours: Sports

Purva Barve clinches Israel Junior badminton tournament

• Defending champion Purva Barve won the women's singles (Under-19) title at the Israel Junior 2018 held in Rishon LeZion.

Juan Martin del Potro ended world number one Roger Federer's 17-match unbeaten run to claim the BNP Paribas Open title at Indian Wells.

• Federer had been searching for a record sixth title in California, but it was Del Potro who powered to his first ATP Masters 1000 title.

Ranji Trophy winners Vidarbha grabbed their second title in the domestic cricket season as they won the Irani Cup

• Vidarbha piled on 800/7 in the first innings which they declared on the fourth day on Saturday. ROI then on the fifth and final day were bowled out for 390 in their first innings.

Other Sports & Award Related News

English cricketer Kevin Pietersen announces retirement

• The former England batsman appeared to officially announce his retirement from the game in a series of posts on his social media accounts over Friday and Saturday.