21st March 2016

A.S Sridhar appointed as MD of Pfizer India

1.Pfizer India has appointed S Sridhar as the managing director (MD) of the company. 

2.His appointment will be subject to approval of the company’s shareholders at the annual general meeting. 

3.S Sridhar is a chartered accountant by profession and has over 20 years of experience. 

4.Earlier he had served Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Pfizer India for a period of seven years. 

5.He had concurrently led the Pfizer India’s distribution function for three years. 

6.Prior to this appointment he was heading Pfizer’s anti-infective, cardio-vascular and ophthalmology business. 

7.Before joining Pfizer, Sridhar has worked as finance director of Diageo India. He had also worked on the board of Wyeth Limited.

B.Tikka Shatrujit Singh knighted with Knight of the Legion of Honour

1.Tikka Shatrujit Singh (54), the royal scion of Kapurthala’s Ahluwalia dynasty, has been conferred with the prestigious Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French Government. 

2.He was presented with this honour by the French ambassador to India Francois Richier in a ceremony held in New Delhi. 

3.He was bestowed with this prestigious award for his extraordinary work in the exchanging the French lifestyle and Indian culture with each other. 

About Tikka Shatrujit Singh 
1.Tikka Shatrujit Singh is famously known as guru of luxury. 

2.He is the Advisor to the Chairman of multinational group Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton (LVMH). 

3.He is the great-grandson of Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala who was a celebrated Francophile. 

About Knight of the Legion of Honour 
1.The Legion d’Honneur (in English: Knight of the Legion) was instituted by famous French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. 

2.It is the highest civilian award given by the French Government for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients.

C.Earth Hour 2016 observed across the World on 19 March 2016

1.The tenth edition of World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF’s) Earth Hour was observed across the World on 19 March 2016 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time. 

2.Earth Hour 2016 encouraged people to explore and adopt a cleaner and more sustainable lifestyle by embracing renewable energy solutions. 

Key facts 
1.In the 2016 edition of Earth Hour, millions of people around the world took part in the event for the global climate change awareness campaign. 

2.Over 178 countries and territories participated in the event and more than 1,200 landmarks along with 40 UNESCO world heritage sites observed the Earth Hour. 

3.For India, the country-specific theme was to encourage usage of solar energy by individuals and organizations. 

4.Paris’s iconic Eiffel Tower, Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and Hong Kong’s famed skyline also participated in the Earth Hour by switching off their lights for 1 hour from 8:30pm local time. 

5.In India, Rashtrapati Bhavan also participated by switching off lights for 1 hour. 

About Earth Hour 
1.It is an annual global environmental event (movement) organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). 

2.Earth Hour’s goal is to raise awareness for sustainable energy use and create a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle. 

3.This day encourages citizens, communities, businesses and organisations to switch the lights off from 8:30 pm local time for an hour to highlight the plight of the planet.

D.PM Narendra Modi presents 2014-15 Krishi Karman Awards

1.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conferred 2014-15 Krishi Karman Awards to various states in a ceremony held at New Delhi. 

2.The awards were presented in two different categories viz. Total foodgrain production and Individual Crops. 

3.Winner of Krishi Karman Awards 2014-15 Total foodgrain production: Total 5 winning states were awarded in different categories. 

4.Each state was awarded a trophy, a citation and a monetary prize of 5 crore rupees. 

5.These states are Madhya Pradesh: For production greater than 10 million tonnes in Category I States. 

Himachal Pradesh and Odisha: For production between 1 and 10 million tonnes in Category II States. 

Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya: For production less than 1 million tonnes in Category III States.

E.21 March: International Day of Forests

1.Every year 21st March is being observed as International Day of Forests to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests. 

2.The observance of the day is also used to communicate the vital role forests play in to sustain and protect us i.e. in environmental sustainability, food security and poverty eradication. 

Theme for 2016: “Forests and water”. 

1.The theme highlights importance of forests as key factor to the planet’s supply of freshwater, which is essential for life. 

2.It also marks the joint celebration of the International Day of Forests and World Water Day (22nd March). 

Background 

1.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests by adopting resolution A/RES/67/200 on 28 November 2012. 

2.The first International Day of Forests was observed on 21 March 2013. 

Key facts 

1.Forests cover one third (about 31% of global land area) of the Earth’s land mass, performing vital functions around the world. 

2.Being the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, forests are a home for more than 80% of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.