March 2017 Current Affairs Highlights (One-Liners)

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Friends, here are the Major Current Affairs Highlights of March 2017. These one-liners cover all important International, National, MOUs, Indexes, Banking, Technology, Books & Authors, Committees and Sports affairs of March month (from 1st to 31st March 2017). We will  provide the pdf version soon, but we advise you to write these on your own so that you wont forget them again. All the Best and Happy Reading :)

March 2017 Current Affairs Highlights (One-Liners) 

• 2017 Finance Bill presented by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was passed in the Lok Sabha, making the Aadhaar card mandatory for filing Income Tax returns and getting a PAN.
• 3rd edition of ‘World Conference on Environment’ was recently held in New Delhi.
  
• 3rd edition of G20 Framework Working Group (FWG) meeting was held at Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). Headed by : Dinesh Sharma (Special secretary in the Finance ministry)
• 3rd edition of International Conference on Alternate Fuels and Raw Materials in Cement Industry -Towards Realising Swachh Bharat Dream” was held New Delhi.
• 48th Raising Day of the CISF was observed on 10th March 2017.
• 4th edition of India – CLMV (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam) Business Conclave was recently held in Jaipur (Rajasthan). The 2-day conference organised by Department of Commerce and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) held deliberations on manufacturing, renewable energy, agriculture and skilling among others sectors in the region.
• 5th edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) – 2017’ was held in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
• 86th Shaheed Diwas (Martyr’s Day) was observed on 23rd March 2017.
• According to Forbes 2017 World's Billionaires List, Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates is the world's richest person with a fortune of $86 billion.
• According to recently released Hurun Global Rich List, India has 100 billionaires led by Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani with a net worth of $26 billion.
• According to the recently revealed RBI data, ICICI Bank topped the list of banks that witnessed most number of frauds, with State Bank of India taking the second spot, during April-December 2016 period.
• Africa has got its own domain name '.africa' for the continent 32 years after the world's first domain name was registered.
• American retail chain Walmart is going to open 50 new stores in India over the next three to four years, following which it may create 40,000 jobs in India.
• Andhra Pradesh Government has renamed Tirupati Airport as Sri Venkateswara Airport and Gannavaram Airport as NTR Amaravati Airport.
• Ashwin and Jadeja become first spinners to be jointly ranked number one in ICC Test rankings for bowlers.
• Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal has launched an initiative to develop Majuli, the world's largest river island, as India's first carbon neutral district and a biodiversity heritage site.
• Assam Government has signed MoU with State Bank of India (SBI) to provide Housing and Educational Loan at subsidised interest rates to the employees of the state government.
• Australian bowler Shaun Tait has become an Overseas Citizen of India.
• Australian Cricketer and world’s fastest bowlers in his prime Shaun Tait announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
• Australian cricketer-turned-tennis player Ashleigh Barty won her first Women's Tennis Association singles title, the WTA Malaysian Open, in Kuala Lumpur.
• Bangladesh has become the quickest nation to complete a century of Tests after they took the field against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
• Beijing has shut its last large coal-fired power plant to become China's first city to be powered by only natural gas.
• Bollywood actor Salman Khan is going to venture into the smartphone business with 'Being Smart' branded phones.
• Braille maps and platform indicators were unveiled at the Bengaluru City railway station, making it the second blind-friendly station after Mysuru railway station in India.
• Brian Chesky, the Co-founder and CEO of American homestay startup Airbnb, was on a visit to India.
• British Airways has started rolling out a facial recognition technology at its London Heathrow Airport to allow passengers to go through boarding gates faster.
• Canada is going to host the 9th edition of World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) in Vancouver from 9th to 15th September 2017. Theme of the year 2017 : “Culture/Environment: Weaving New Connections”.
• China has announced that its Military Budget this year will grow by about 7%, which is the country's slowest defence budget rise since 2010.
• China is going to build a 1,000-kilometer pipeline connecting the drought-hit city of Lanzhou to Russia's Lake Baikal (the deepest freshwater lake on earth).
• China is going to build its first national underwater observatory in the disputed South China Sea.
• China's Parliament has approved President Xi Jinping as the core leader, elevating him to a status higher than others in the ruling Communist Party of China's collective leadership system.
• Commonwealth Day was observed on 13th March 2017 (2nd Monday of March) with the Theme 'A Peace-building Commonwealth'.
• Elon Musk-led space exploration startup SpaceX successfully launched its pre-used Falcon 9 rocket, marking the first time an orbital class rocket has been relaunched.
• European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched Sentinel-2B satellite, 5th of its Sentinel Earth observation satellites part of its multi-billion-euro Copernicus observation program.
• First fully India-made train (rake) Medha was flagged off at Dadar station in Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu via video-conferencing.
• Flipkart is acquiring eBay India in a deal that is part of a $2 billion fundraising.
• Following pressure from citizens and green activists, the Karnataka government abandoned the controversial Steel Flyover Project in Bengaluru, saving at least 800 trees from being cut. 
• Following Tamil Nadu, traders in Kerala have decided to stop sale of drinks produced by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, to promote local beverages like lime soda.
• For the first time in 16 years, Odisha has achieved highest decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). It was 96 per 1000 births in 2000 has been reduced to 40 in 2015-16.
• For the first time in India, 4 states (Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand) have decided to conduct a synchronised elephant census.
• For the first time, Chinese, Saudi and Turkish troops joined the Pakistan Day parade in the capital Islamabad on 23rd March 2017.
• Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar launched his own app titled '100MB' in Mumbai.
• Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has been appointed the Ambassador of Blind Cricket World Cup's fifth edition.
• GMR Hyderabad International Airport has been ranked first in the world in the highest passenger handling capacity category by the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality survey.
• Government appointed 18 member ‘Working Group on Migration’ headed by Partha Mukhopadhay has recommended necessary legal and policy framework to protect the interests of the migrants in the country.
• Hawaii became the 1st US state to file a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's revised immigration ban.
• HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank have started charging a minimum of ₹150 per transaction for cash deposits and withdrawals beyond four free transactions in a month.
• HDFC Bank's Managing Director Aditya Puri has featured on the list of world's 30 best CEOs, published by American financial magazine Barron's.
• IBM has announced 'IBM Q', an industry-first initiative to build commercially available universal quantum computing systems.
• IBM researchers have created the world's smallest magnet using a single atom and managed to store data on it.
• ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar has resigned from his post with immediate effect. Former President of the BCCI, Manohar became ICC's first independent chairman in May 2016 for a two-year term, succeeding N Srinivasan.
• Iceland became the first country in the world to force companies to prove they pay all employees the same, regardless of gender, sexuality or nationality.
• Idea Cellular's board has approved merger with Vodafone India to create India's largest telecom company both in terms of revenues and subscribers.
• India along with other countries in the South East Asian Region have signed World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Call To end Tuberculosis (TB) by 2030 in the region.
• India and Nepal have signed an agreement to renew supply of petroleum to Nepal for a period of five years i.e. till 2022.
• India and other G4 nations (Brazil, Germany and Japan) have offered to forgo their veto power if granted permanent membership in a reformed Security Council.
• India and World Bank have singed Signs Financing Agreement for IDA credit of $100 million for the “Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project".
• India defeated Australia by 8 wickets in the fourth Test at Dharamsala to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1.
• India for first time is going to host ICEGOV 2017 (International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance).
• India had highest bribery rate among the 16 Asia-Pacific countries surveyed between July 2015 and January 2017.
• India has become Net Exporter of Electricity from a Net Importer of Electricity for the first time, Central Electricity Authority has recently announced.
• India has been ranked 122nd in the world’s happiest countries category.
• India has signed it's 1st loan agreement with the New Development Bank (NDB)/BRICS Bank for $350 million. This loan to be used in the development and upgradation of district roads in Madhya Pradesh.
• India is going to participate in the meeting of Permanent Indus Commission, scheduled to be held in Lahore in March.
• India Navy has commissioned INS Tillanchang at Karwar, Karnataka. It is a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) It is the third ship of four follow-on WJFAC built by the Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).
• India ranked 87th on the Global Energy Architecture Performance Index (EAPI) released as part of report of Geneva- based World Economic Forum (WEF).
• India signed two agreements with Russia for long-term maintenance and technical support for the Indian Air Force's Sukhoi-30 fighter jets.
• India successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kg, from a test range along the Odisha coast.
• India was ranked 131 in the 2016 Human Development Index (HDI) among the 188 countries.
• Indian cueist Vidya Pillai won a Silver medal at the Women World Snooker Championship in Singapore.
• Indian grandmaster Harika Dronavalli has won a Bronze medal at the 2017 Women's World Chess Championship in Tehran.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore has become India's first university to be ranked among the world's top 10.
• Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy from former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev for being named the ICC Cricketer of the Year as well as the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year.
• Indian para shuttler Sukant Kadam won the Singles and Doubles Bronze Medals in the recently-concluded Spanish Para-Badminton International 2017 held in Mallorca, Spain.
• Indian shooter Jitu Rai won the Gold medal in the 50-metre air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Delhi.
• Indian skipper Virat Kohli and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin were awarded at the annual BCCI awards ceremony in Bengaluru.
• India's first air-conditioned rail ambulance was unveiled in Mumbai.
• India's tallest national flag, measuring 360 feet, was hoisted at the Attari-Wagah joint check post in Punjab.
• India's third largest Internet Service Provider ACT Fibernet has announced the launch of 1 Gbps wired broadband internet service for Hyderabad, making it the first Indian city to offer such a service. 
• Indonesia is hosting the 20th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) summit 2017.
• INSViraat - the oldest serving aircraft carrier serving the Indian Navy for 30 years was recently decommissioned.
• 'International Day of Forests' was observed on 21st March 2017 with the Theme Forests & Energy.
• International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade was observed on 25th March 2017 with the Theme "Remember Slavery: Recognising the Legacy and Contributions of People of African Descent".
• International Women’s Day was observed on 8th March 2017 with the Theme  "Women in the Changing World of Work : Planet 50-50 by 2030“
• Italy has been ranked the world's healthiest country by Bloomberg Global Health Index, with a citizen expected to live up to 89 years.
• Jammu & Kashmir Governor N.N.Vohra has released noted Pashmina activist Babar Afzal’s book “6 TIMES THINNER”.
• Juri, a village in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district, has initiated the practice of naming its lanes after its most educated girls.
• Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram has topped in city governance ranking of the Annual Survey of India’s City Systems (ASICS) 2016 conducted by Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. 
• Kolkata's iconic Salt Lake Stadium has been selected by FIFA to host the final of the Under-17 World Cup on 28th October 2017.
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated AB Celestial, the 1st floating hotel (also called as floatel) in Mumbai.
• Mexico has canceled existing sugar export permits to the US to avoid penalties in a dispute over the pace of shipments.
• National Safety Day was observed on 4th March 2017 with the Theme “Keep Each Other Safe”
• Nepal will provide GPS tracking devices to mountaineers attempting to scale Mount Everest in an effort to track climbers in distress and prevent them from making false summit claims.
• North Korean government has banned its overseas citizens from accessing mobile internet.
• Norway is going to construct the world's first ship tunnel to improve safety in the Stad peninsula.
• Nuclear hit Fukushima (Japan) will host baseball and softball matches at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• Odisha is going to host the Asian Athletics Championship to be held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on the first week of July.
• Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar will host the Men's Hockey World League Final 2017 and World Cup 2018.
• On the eve of International Women's Day, the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) sanctioned loans to 1,000 women entrepreneurs for various income generating economic activities across the country.
• On the occasion of International Women's Day, Karnataka's IT Minister Priyank Kharge announced a ₹10 crore fund for women entrepreneurs in the state.
• Online travel company Yatra.com has announced that it signed an agreement with the Madhya Pradesh government to jointly promote homestays in the state.
• Osmania University (OU) in Hyderabad (Telagana) is going to host the 105th Indian Science Congress (ISC) from 3rd to 7th January 2018.
• Pakistan has awarded two contracts worth over ₹11,000 crore to a Chinese firm for constructing the second phase of Dasu hydropower project on Indus river in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
• Pakistan has started conducting its first national census in 19 years, from 15th March 2017 with the assistance of over 2 lakh troops and 1 lakh civilian enumerators.
• Pakistan’s Parliament has finally passed the much awaited landmark Hindu Marriage Bill, 2017 to regulate marriages of minority Hindus.
• Pakistani cricketer, Kamran Akmal was named the best batsman, the best wicketkeeper and the best player of the Pakistan Super League 2017.
• Parliament has passed the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, which provides for healthcare and services to people with mental illness and also decriminalises suicide.
• PM Narendra Modi inaugurated India's longest Cable Bridge (1.4-kilometre) on River Narmada at Bharuch (Gujarat).
• Publishing company Penguin Random House has signed a deal to publish two forthcoming books by former US President Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama, who plan to write about their time in the White House.
• Punjab has won the 71st Santosh Trophy football tournament by defeating Railways by 2-1 goals.
• Qatar Airways is going to set up an airline in India, its CEO Akbar Al Baker recently announced. [Last year, India allowed 100% FDI in the airlines segment].
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set an inter-disciplinary standing committee on cyber security to review the threats inherent in existing and emerging technology. Head of this Committee : Meena Hemchandra (Executive Director, RBI)
• Shooter Abhinav Bindra and wrestler Sushil Kumar are among the 14 Olympians appointed by Sports Minister Vijay Goel to oversee 2020 Olympics preparations in their respective disciplines.
• Srinath Narayanan from Chennai has become India's 46th chess Grandmaster after defeating Spanish Grandmaster David Anton Guijarro at the Sharjah Masters.
• SSP Chawrasia has become only the second Indian golfer to successfully defend the Hero Indian Open title.
• State Bank of India (SBI) announced a one-time farm loan settlement scheme worth Rs 6,000 crore primarily for tractors.
• State Bank of India (SBI) Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya has been ranked 26th among the world's 50 greatest leaders, according to Fortune.
• State-controlled Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) is going to enter the travel business with the launch of a startup called 'Happy Roads', that would help travellers plan and execute road trips. 
• State-run housing finance company Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (Hudco) has received Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approval to raise funds through an IPO.
• State-run NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) Limited has installed India’s largest floating solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant (RGCCPP) at Kayamkulam in Kerala.
• Sweden has announced that it will reintroduce Compulsory Military Service for both Men and Women to respond to global security challenges including those from Russia.
• Swiss tennis player Roger Federer defeated compatriot Stan Wawrinka to win the Indian Wells Masters for the fifth time, tying Novak Djokovic's tournament record.
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami launched a housing scheme estimated at ₹1,580 crore with Central assistance for the economically poor.
• Tamil Nadu has won the Vijay Hazare Trophy after beating Bengal by 37 runs in the final of the 2017 edition.
• Tamil Nadu have become the first state to win all BCCI senior trophies after winning the Deodhar Trophy.
• The 11 edition of joint military exercise between India and Nepal titled ‘Surya Kiran 2017‘ was recently held at Pithoragarh area of Uttarakhand.
• The 29th International Yoga Festival was inaugurated by Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul on 1st March at Rishikesh.
• The Andhra Pradesh government is going to launch an airline, named after the state's capital Amaravathi.
• The Anthem for the 2017 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was recently released. The anthem, titled '10 Saal Aapke Naam', has been composed by Bollywood music composer Salim Merchant.
• The Assam government has decided to make Sanskrit compulsory up to Class 8 in all schools across the state.
• The BJP scripted a historic victory in Uttar Pradesh where it emerged as the single largest party with win in over 300 seats.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into 10 more Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) pertaining to various sectors of economy like Telecom, Banking & Finance, Pharmaceutical, Steel, Retail and IT etc It includes 7 Unilateral APAs, 2 Bilateral APAs with the United Kingdom and Japan.
• The Changi Airport in Singapore has been rated the world's best airport for the fifth consecutive year in a survey by research firm Skytrax.
• The Commonwealth of Nations has launched “Peace in the home” programme to help member states tackle domestic violence which still remains a “stubborn stain” on communities, disproportionately impacting women.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) formally handed over weapon-locating radar 'Swati' to the Indian Army.
• The Delhi government has approved ₹54.84 crore for construction of the longest skywalk in the city, that will connect Tilak Marg railway station to ITO Metro station.
• The Delhi Government has extended the mid-day meal scheme for girls up to class 12, making it the first state in the country to do so.
• The Delhi government has tied up with as many as 41 private hospitals in Delhi to facilitate 30 types of surgeries free of cost for patients referred by the national capital's government hospitals.
• The Election Commission has announced that it will make the voting system watertight by introducing Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) by the 2019 General Elections.
• The government has lowered the interest rates on small savings schemes like PPF, Kisan Vikas Patra and Sukanya Samriddhi scheme by 0.1 per cent for the April-June quarter, a move that would prompt banks to cut their deposit rates.
• The government has notified a law that makes the possession of more than 10 scrapped notes by individuals a criminal offence.
• The government has recently announced that the use of virtual currencies like Bitcoin is not authorised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and could result in breach of anti-money laundering laws.
• The government recently launched the Aadhaar Pay service that allows people to do away with debit and credit cards and make payments through their fingerprints.
• The government will launch an 'I am Trolled' app to help women internet users threatened with physical violence or trolled on social media.
• The Himachal Pradesh government has approved a proposal to make Dharamshala the 2nd Capital of the state.
• The Hinduja brothers, Gopichand and Srichand of the Hinduja Group have been ranked the richest Asians in UK in 2017 with an estimated $23.5 billion (₹1.5 lakh crore), an annual list of Britain's richest Asians revealed.
• The Income Tax department has urged black money holders to make “honest” disclosures under the tax amnesty scheme, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.
• The Indian Navy has de-inducted TU142M Long Range Maritime Patrol aircraft after 29 years of dedicated service to the nation and 30,000 hours of accident-free flying.
• The Indian Navy successfully conducted the maiden firing of an anti-ship missile from first of the indigenously built Kalvari class submarines, during its test firing in the Arabian Sea.
• The Indian Navy successfully conducted the trial firing of the newly installed surface-to-air Barak missile system from onboard its aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
• The IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) Leaders’ Summit was recently concluded in Jakarta (Indonesia). Theme of the summit : ‘Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous Indian Ocean’.
• The joint military exercise between India and Oman titled Al-Nagah-II 2017 was recently held at the Dhauladhar Ranges in Bakloh belt of Himachal Pradesh.
• The Kanha Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) has become the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, which has been named "Bhoorsingh the Barasingha".
• The Karnataka government has capped the price of movie tickets at all cinema theatres, including multiplexes, in the state at ₹200.
• The Lok Sabha has passed the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill which raises the maternity leave for all working women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for the first two children.
• The National Conference on Jal Kranti Abhiyan organized by the Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, was held in New Delhi.
• The Philippine House of Representatives recently passed a controversial bill that restores the death penalty in the country.
• The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee recently inaugurated the 12th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India Africa Project Partnership in New Delhi.
• The Punjab cabinet has decided to provide 33 per cent reservation for Women in all government jobs.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it will soon issue ₹10 denomination notes with enhanced security features for circulation. The note will bear the year of printing on its backside.
• The South African city of Durban has been stripped of its rights to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games after it failed to meet the eligibility criteria due to financial constraints. Following this, the Indian Olympic Association is mulling to bid for the event subject to government support.
• The SRCC's Global Millennium Summit 2017 was recently held at Marriott Hotel, Al Jaddaf, Dubai.
• The State Bank of India (SBI) has recently announced that it will start charging its account holders a penalty if they fail to maintain a minimum balance in their savings account.
• The Swedish passport has been rated the world's most valuable by consulting firm Nomad Capitalist.
• The UK Parliament has passed the Brexit bill, paving the way for the government to trigger Article 50 so that it can leave the European Union.
• The Union Cabinet approved the National Health Policy 2017 aimed at providing affordable healthcare to all.
• The Union Government has signed a Financing Agreement with World Bank for IDA credit of $63 million for the Tejaswini Socio-Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Project.
• The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched the web portal for obtaining Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances.
• The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched 2 mobile applications titled e-challan and m-parivahan to provide a comprehensive digital solution for enforcement of traffic rules.
• The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has announced that the 2016 was worst year yet for Syria's children.
• The US Congress has passed a funding bill for a probable human spaceflight mission to Mars by 2033.
• The US will retire its Predator drone MQ-1 from service in July after 22 years and will replace it with the more capable MQ-9 Reaper.
• The Uttarakhand High Court has recognised river Ganga as the first living entity of India.
• The West Bengal Government has recently passed the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Bill, 2017, by a voice vote. It repeals the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010.
• The World Bank has approved $175 million for India’s ambitious National Hydrology Project to improve its ability to forecast floods and reduce vulnerability to recurring floods and droughts.
• The world observed 'Pi Day' on March 14 (3/14), which coincides with Mathematical constant Pi's value (3.14).
• The world's first internet domain 'Symbolics.com' was registered 32 years ago, on 15th March 1985, and still exists today.
• To enable employees to work while at home using mobile devices, the State Bank of India (SBI) launched a 'work from home' facility.
• UK PM Theresa May triggered the 2-year process of leaving the European Union on 29th March 2017. Britain will exit EU on 29th March 2019.
• UK's fertility regulator has granted the first license to use "three-parent baby" technique to a fertility clinic in Newcastle.
• Union Government is going to launch Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) scheme for providing physical aids and assisted-living devices for senior citizens belonging to BPL category.
• US President Donald Trump would be hosting PM Narendra Modi later this year, the White House announced.
• Vietnam has announced it will suspend the import of five agricultural products from India after several consignments were found to be contaminated with peanut beetle.
• Virgin Group's billionaire Founder Richard Branson has launched 'Virgin Orbit', a new company to launch small satellites into space using its LauncherOne orbital launch vehicle.
• West Bengal Government has given official language status to the endangered tribal language Kurukh.
• West Bengal won the 71st Edition Santosh Trophy of football by defeating Goa by 1-0 goals.
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has successfully coordinated Operation Thunder Bird from January 30 to February 19, 2017 in its fight to end poaching of India’s wildlife animals.
• With an average age of 29, India will be world's youngest country by 2020.
• World Bank's Chief Economist Paul Romer has praised India's biometric identifier programme Aadhaar, stating, "The system in India is the most sophisticated that I’ve seen."
• World Consumer Rights Day was observed on 15th March 2017 with the Theme ‘Building a Digital World Consumers can Trust’.
• World Meteorological Day was observed on 23rd March 2017 with the Theme 'Understanding Clouds'
• World number one Andy Murray was defeated by world number 129, Canada's Vasek Pospisil, at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
• World Sparrow Day was observed on 20th March 2017 with the Theme I LOVE Sparrows.
• 'World Tuberculosis (TB) Day' was observed on 24th March 2017 with the Theme 'Unite to end TB'
• 'World Water Day' was observed on 22nd March 2017 with the Theme ‘Why Waste Water ?’.
• World Wildlife Day was observed on 3rd March 2017 with the Theme  "Listen to the young voices"
• Zero Discrimination Day is observed on 1st March 2017 with the Theme "Make Some Noise for Zero Discrimination"

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