22nd March 2016

A.Nico Rosberg wins 2016 Australian Grand Prix of Formula One

1.Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg from Germany has won the 2016 Formula One Rolex Australian Grand Prix held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. 

2.Australian Grand Prix title race was the first race of the 2016 season of Formula One in which total 11 teams had participated. 

3.It was Rosberg’s overall fifteenth championship title of F1 in his career and the first win in the 2016. 

Result of 2016 Australian Grand Prix First Position: Nico Rosberg (Germany) of Mercedes team. 

Second Position: Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) of Mercedes team. 

Third Position: Sebastian Vettel (Germany) of Ferrari team. 

Fourth Position Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) of Red Bull team. 

Fifth Position: Felipe Massa (Brazil) of Williams team. 

Seventh Position: Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) of Force India team. 

Thirteenth Position: Sergio Perez (Mexico) of Force India team.

B.Wrestler Hardeep Singh wins silver medal in Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament

1.Indian wrestler Hardeep Singh has won silver medal in the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in the 98 kg category. 

2.In the final bout played held in Astana, Kazakhstan, Hardeep lost to his opponent Di Xiao of China. 

3.By reaching the final in the 98 kg category, he qualified for participation in the 2016 Rio Olympics in Greco-Roman category. 

4.With this win, Hardeep became the first Indian to get an Olympic berth in the Greco-Roman category in last 12 years. 

5.The previous participation in this category was of Mausam Khatri in 2004 Athens Games. 

6.He is also the first time an Indian Greco-Roman grappler who has ensured a place in the Olympics in a heavyweight category. 

C.Indian Navy deploys P8I maritime surveillance aircraft to Seychelles

1.The Indian Navy for the first has deployed a P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft to Seychelles for surveillance in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Seychelles. 

2.The deployment has been done in accordance with the MoU signed between India and Seychelles. 

3.The deployment will provide Professional assistance to the Seychelles People’s Defence Force (SPDF) in curbing illegal activities and piracy as well as contribute towards security and stability in the IOR. 

4.This is the first time that Indian Navy has deployed its latest and technologically most advanced maritime reconnaissance aircraft in Seychelles. 

5.Comment This move gives India geo-strategic boost in Indian Ocean Region (IOR) that will further enhance its ability to gather intelligence and assist in surveillance operations in IOR especially vital energy lanes near Seychelles. 

6.Owing to strategic importance of IOR, India has been reaching out to the smaller Indian Ocean island nations through various Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) exercises. 

7.These exercises include Search and Rescue (SAR) support, oil pollution response exercises, and assistance in legal matters.

D.March 22: World Water Day

1.Every year World Water Day (WWD) is observed globally on 22 March to preserve and ration consumption of water. 

2.Significance of the Day: WWD is observed to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water related issues.

3. It marks a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future. 

2016 Theme: “Better Water, Better Jobs”. 

4.It focuses on the central role that water plays in creating and supporting good quality jobs. 

5.Almost half of the world’s workers (nearly 1.5 billion) people work in water related sectors and nearly all jobs depend on water and those that ensure its safe delivery.

E.Health Ministry launches new anti TB drug Bedaquilin

1.The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has launched new anti-TB (Tuberculosis) drug Bedaquiline. 

2.It was launched by the Union Health Minister J P Nadda as part of the TB national programme Initially the drug will be made available in six public hospitals in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati and Ahmedabad.  

3.Later it will be introduced in 104 districts across five States. 

4.Bedaquiline is a new anti-TB drug for treatment of Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. 

5.It specifically targets Mycobacterial ATP synthase, an enzyme which is essential for the supply of energy to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and most other mycobacteria. 

6.CBNAAT machines The Union Health Minister also has launched CBNAAT (Cartridge-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test) diagnostic machines for the quick diagnosis of TB within two hours. 

7.These machines have revolutionised rapid molecular test which detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin drug resistance, simultaneously. 

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. 

19th March 2016

A.Union Government unveils Model Building Bye-Laws, 2016

1.The Union Government has unveiled a Model Building Bye-Laws, 2016 for granting permission for construction of buildings. 

2.It was released by the Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi. 

3.It seeks to provide an online single window framework for approval process. 

Key facts 

1.Model Building Bye-Laws, 2016 intends to improve ease of doing business regarding issuance of construction permits. 

2.The time limit for all kinds of single window approvals is 30 days and if it is not done by the concerned agencies within this time-frame then it will be deemed as approved. 

3.Different set of environmental conditions are provided for each category of building ranging from 5000 square meters to 1.5 lakh square meters.

B.Ashley Judd appointed as Goodwill Ambassador of UN Population Fund appointed

1.Acclaimed humanitarian, actor, writer and political activist Ashley Judd from US has been appointed as Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 

2.As a Goodwill Ambassador, she will support the UNFPA’s efforts to empower women to choose when and how often to become pregnant and to stop women dying giving life. 

3.She will also play important role at generating awareness about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

4.It should be noted that Goals 3 and 5 in the 2030 Agenda for SDGs seek to end discrimination against women in all forms and promote their well-being. 

About United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 

1.UNFPA is the nodal UN agency to address reproductive health and population issues, and raises awareness of these issues in all countries. 

Established: It was formerly known as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities. 

Headquarters: New York, US. It supports programs in more than 150 countries spread across 4 geographic regions viz. Arab States and Europe, Asia and Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa.

C.Venkaiah Naidu conferred with Skoch Lifetime Achievement Award

1.Union urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has been conferred with the Skoch Lifetime Achievement Award. 

2.He was bestowed with this award at 43rd SKOCH summit held in New Delhi for his contributions to inclusive growth and towards poverty alleviation in India. 

3.Besides, Information Technology (IT) Minister of Telangana State KT Rama Rao was also awarded the Skoch Award in the Startup India category. 

4.He was bestowed with this for his initiative in establishing the path breaking tech incubator T-Hub. 

About Skoch Challenger Awards 

1.Instituted in 2003. 

2.These are the highest independently instituted civilian honours. 

3.They have been conferred on some of the best brains from across India for their efforts in the area of digital, social and financial inclusion.

D.General Lori Robinson nominated as first US female combatant Chief

1.United States (US) Air Force General Lori Robinson has been selected as the next head of the US military’s Northern Command. 

2.With this she becomes the first woman to head a US combatant command as the position is one of the most senior in the US military. 

3.Currently, she leads US air forces in the Pacific and Executive Director of Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. 

4.She had enrolled in the US Air Force in 1982. Earlier in September 2007, Robinson had made history after she became the first Air Battle Manager and first woman 552nd ACW commander to be frocked to brigadier general. 

5.Her appointment comes after US Government had announced to open all combat roles in the US military to women in December 2015. The move had opened up about 220,000 positions to women.

E.Union Government bans repeat animal testing of drugs

1.The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has scrapped repeat tests on animals for drugs which already have been approved by other countries. 

2.In this regard, the ministry has as amended Schedule Y of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. 

3.The new rules state that There is no need for repeat tests on animals for new drug registrations if complete data from similar toxicity experiments already exists for drugs approved abroad. 

4.However, no permission will be required to conduct clinical trial intended for academic purposes in respect of approved drug formulation. 

5.The amendments come after repeated appeals by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and Union Women & Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi who is a well-known animal rights activist.

F.IAF conducts day-night exercise ‘Iron-fist 2016’ at Pokhran firing range

1.The Indian Air Force (IAF) has conducted its flagship day-night exercise ‘Iron-fist 2016’ at Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan. 

2.The day-night exercise demonstrating IAF’s combat and fire power was conducted in the presence of Hon’ble President Shri Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

3.The event comprised 6 packages depicting 6 different themes in which more than 180 aircraft, including fighters, transport and helicopters of IAF participated. 

4.They are Fly Past: It depicted the great journey of the IAF over 8 decades with the aircraft of yesteryear flying wing to wing along with the latest acquisitions of the IAF. 

Net Enabled Operations: 

It showcased the indigenously developed Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEWCS) of aircrafts. It also displayed multiple aircraft weapon delivery demonstration of precision based bombing at simulated enemy targets. Air Defence 

Operations: 

The multi-layered Air Defence Operations of the IAF was demonstrated by the Flight Refuelling aircraft (IL-78 FRA) along with two Su-30 aircraft and the indigenously built Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’. 

Combat Support Operations: It showcased the very important role played by the IAF in support of the ground forces using live weapons.

G.Surat cleanest A-1 Railway Station in India: IRCTC Survey

1.As per recently published survey of Indian Railways Surat (Gujarat) was declared the cleanest railway station in the country. 

2.The survey was conducted by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) at 407 railway stations, which included 75 A-1 stations and 332 A-category railway stations across the country based on feedback from around 1.34 lakh passengers. 

3.It was conducted as part of Union Government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Union Railway Ministry’s ‘Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat’ mission. 

4.The survey was conducted in January-February 2016 and passengers were asked questions on 40 cleanliness parameters. 

Key facts 

1.75 A1-category cleanest railway stations: Surat (Gujarat), Rajkot (Gujarat), Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), Solapur (Maharashtra), Mumbai Central (Maharashtra), Chandigarh, Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) and Vadodara (Gujarat). 

2.‘A’ Category cleanest stations: Beas (Punjab), Jamnagar Gandhidham (Gujarat), Gandhidham (Gujarat), Vasco-Da-Gama (Goa), Kumbakonam (Tamil Nadu) and Nasik (Maharashtra). 

H.Geetakshi Arora wins inaugural Noor Inayat Khan Prize

1.An Indian student Geetakshi Arora has been awarded the inaugural Noor Inayat Khan Prize for her excellent dissertation on “Goddess Myths in Graphic Novels: Reimagining Indian Feminity”. 

2.Currently, Geetakshi is a post-graduate student of the South Asia Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. 

About Noor Inayat Khan Prize 
1.The award has been instituted in the memory of Noor Inayat Khan, famous World War II heroine. 

2.The award was established by Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust that promote the message of peace, non-violence and religious and racial harmony The award consists of 1,000 pounds and certificate. 

About Noor Inayat Khan 
1.Noor Inayat Khan (also known as “Nora Baker” and “Madeleine”) was of Indian Sufi origin and believed in non-violence and religious harmony. 

2.Born in Moscow to an Indian father, Hazrat Inayat Khan and an American mother, Ora Ray Baker. 

3.Her father was great-grandson of Tipu Sultan.


I.Indian Railways, ISRO ink MoU for Remote Sensing, GIS Technologies

1.The Union Ministry of Railways and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have signed a MoU for Effective use of Space Technology in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) based Governance Application for Indian Railways. 

2.It was signed after the Union Railway Minister in his Budget had announced that Indian Railways will use geospatial and space technology in various sectors of governance. 

Key facts 
1.The MoU aims at developing applications in the field of Remote Sensing and GIS for Remote Sensing at unmanned railway crossing using ISRO’s advance space technology. 

2.It also seeks to develop geospatial solutions and customized software solutions for providing reliable, efficient and optimal solutions to Railways in it various areas of operation. 

3.ISRO will also provide its best technology to solve all the day to day problems of Indian Railways. 

4.It will in turn benefit adopt with the new technologies. 

5.Currently, Indian Railways is using Space technology for providing Passenger Information System (PIS) in Mumbai Sub-urban trains.