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Daily Current Affairs of 15th March 2019

International Current Affairs

Today is World Consumer Rights Day.

In India this day is celebrated as Viswa Upabhokta Adhikar Diwas.
On this day (March 15) in the year 1962 US President John F. Kennedy gave a speech on consumer rights which led to the creation of the Consumer Bill of Rights.
Consumer rights activist Anwar Fazal later proposed the observance of a "World Consumer Rights Day" marking that date, and from 15 March 1983 consumer organizations began observing that date as an occasion to promote basic rights of consumers.
Theme of World Consumer Rights Day 2019 : "Trusted Smart Products".

Australia will embark on its largest ever defence engagement with Sri Lanka next week as part of the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019.

More than 1,000 defence personnel will be involved in the exercise comprising of Australian Naval, Army and Air force and their assets.
After departing Sri Lanka, Australian Defence excercise team will visit India and other regional partners.
Note : Australia along with India, Japan and US had formed the Quad to promote their interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

France has decided to freeze all assets of Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, JeM chief Masood Azhar, in application of the country's Monetary and Financial Code.

The decision comes after China blocked the UNSC bid to designate Azhar as global terrorist.
France, was one of the main initiators of the proposal.
Note : Jaish e Mohammad claimed responsibility of the deadly Pulwama attack on CRPF convoy on 14th February this year.

AFINDEX-19, a Joint Field Training Exercise between the Indian Army and 16 African nations will be held at Pune from 18th to 27th March 2019.

10 personnel, each from the participating nations from the African continent and personnel of Maratha Light Infantry of the Indian Army will participate in the joint exercise.
Aim of AFINDEX-19 : To train the participating contingents in Humanitarian Mine Assistance (HMA) and Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) under the United Nations Charter through practical and comprehensive discussions and tactical exercises

Global consulting firm Mercer has released its Annual quality of living survey in which 231 cities across the globe were ranked based on factors such as healthcare, education, public services, recreation, crime, housing and personal freedom. Here are the top 10 global and Indian cities on the list.

Top 10 in 2019 City Ranking

Vienna (Austria)
Zurich (Switzerland)
Vancouver (Canada)
Munich (Germany)
Auckland (New Zealand)
Dusseldorf (Germany)
Frankfurt (Germany)
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Geneva (Switzerland)
Basel (Switzerland)

Top 3 Indian Cities in the Rankings

Chennai topped the list among the Indian cities with a rank of 105.
Bengaluru was the 2nd best with the ranking of 149.
Mumbai with the ranking of 154 stood 3rd among Indian cities.

National Current Affairs

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen "Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai" as its slogan for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has announced today.

Jaitley further claimed that PM Modi had an "indefatigable approach" and worked round the clock for the past five years, achieving results that would not have been possible otherwise.

For the 1st time in the arecanut sector, ‘Sirsi Supari’ grown in Uttara Kannada has received the Geographic Indication (GI) tag.

It is cultivated in Yellapura, Siddapura and Sirsi taluks.

Erode Turmeric has also received GI tag from the Geographical Indication Registry after a long and cumbersome process which lasted for about 8 years.

Erode is the city in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Science & Technology

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired the Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) being developed for infantry troops of the Army.

The indigenously developed missile has features like a state-of-the-art imaging infrared radar seeker with integrated avionics.
The missile, with a range of 2-3 kilometres, hit the designated targets in both of its tests.

The Centre today sent a medical team to Malappuram district (Kerala) where a 7-year-old boy tested positive for the West Nile virus.

The virus is transmitted to humans through a mosquito bite and is mostly reported in the continental United States.
The four-member team will support state health authorities to manage the disease.

Banking, Business & Economic Affairs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has re-categorised IDBI Bank as a Private Sector Lender.

This comes after the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India acquired a 51% stake in the bank, becoming its majority shareholder.
Note : IDBI Bank has been under the RBI's Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework which bans it from activities including corporate lending and branch expansion.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs has released National Guidelines on responsible business conduct.

These guidelines urge businesses to actualise the principles in letter and spirit.
The Ministry has revised the National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business, 2011 and formulated the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct.
According to the guidelines, businesses should conduct and govern themselves with integrity in a manner that is ethical, transparent and accountable.
Businesses should provide goods and services in a manner that is sustainable and safe.

Recent Committees in News

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant will head the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage, which is being set up to promote clean and sustainable mobility initiatives in the country.

Other members of the panel are : Secretaries of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Power, Department of Heavy Industry, Department of Science and Technology, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, and Director General of Bureau of Industrial Standard.
The terms of reference of mission includes ensuring implementation and compliance of the decisions and recommendations of the steering committee.
The panel will also propose and recommend policy guidelines and government interventions and possible strategies for holistic, sustainable and transformative mobility and energy storage in India.

Awards & Honors

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat was conferred with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), the highest military medal award in recognition of peace-time service not accounting to gallantry, by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Major Tushar Gauba of 20 JAT regiment was given Kirti Chakra by the President.
12 officers and jawans from the Army and CRPF received Shaurya Chakra.

Sweden's 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, who encouraged students to skip school and protest for faster action on climate change, has been nominated by Norwegian lawmakers for the Nobel Peace Prize.

She began her weekly protest in August 2018 by riding her bicycle to the Parliament with ''School strike for climate'' sign.
Note : The #FridaysForFuture movement went viral and spread over 80 countries.

President Ramnath Kovind awarded National Grassroots Innovators at Grambharti near Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi (Uttar Pradesh) has been awarded Lifetime achievement award for his innovations in new varieties of agriculture crops.
The 1st prize in Veterinary, Herbal medication for coccidiosis was presented to Periyasami Ramasami of Salem, Tamil Nadu.

Deaths

1st woman Lingayat 'jagadguru' and Basava Dharma Peetha President, Maate Mahadevi (73) passed away.

Mahadevi took part in the protests held for separate religion and grant of minority religious status for Lingayats in Karnataka last month.

New Appointments

Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever promoted Nitin Paranjpe, President of Foods and Refreshment division, to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO).

With this, he became only the 2nd Indian after Harish Manwani to be elevated to this role.

The US Senate has voted to confirm Indian-origin Neomi Rao as a Judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.

Rao will replace Brett Kavanaugh who was confirmed to the US Supreme Court in October last year.

The Supreme Court today appointed senior advocate P S Narasimha, who is assisting the apex court as an amicus curiae in the BCCI matter, as mediator for resolving various disputes related to cricket administration in the country.

Sports Current Affairs

Karnataka defeated Maharashtra in the final to win their maiden Syed Mushtaq AliTrophy title.

Karnataka's Rohan Kadam became the first batsman to score 500 runs in a single edition of the tournament.

South Africa's J P Duminy has announced that he will retire from the ODI format after the ICC World Cup 2019.

The 34-year-old made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2004 and has played 193 matches in the format.

The Supreme Court has set aside the life ban imposed on cricketer Sreesanth by BCCI over his involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.

The apex court directed BCCI to hear Sreesanth and take a fresh decision on quantum of punishment within three months.
However, the court's order shall have no effect on criminal proceedings pending against Sreesanth.

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