DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 8TH MAR 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 8TH MAR 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1. CABINET APPROVALS ON MARCH 6, 2017
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the PM Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal for revival of 50 under-served/un-served airports/airstrips of the State Governments, Airports Authority of India and Civil enclaves.
ii. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has also approved the Revised Cost Estimate-I of 400 MW Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project in Uttarakhand.
iii. The Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding between India and Portugal on cooperation in the field of IT&E which was signed on January 6 in New Delhi.
iv. The Cabinet has also given its approval for India’s accession to the Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets and for completion of necessary procedures for ratification, for its entry into force.

2. NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON JAL KRANTI ABHIYAN BEGINS IN NEW DELHI
i. A day long National conference on Jal Kranti Abhiyan was inaugurated by Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Sushri Uma Bharti, in New Delhi.
ii. Jal Kranti Abhiyan was launched on June 05,2015 by Uma Bharti with 4 important components: Development of Model Command Area, Jal Gram Yojana, Pollution Abatement and Mass Awareness Programme.
ii. Its objective is to strengthening grass root involvement of all stakeholders including Panchayati Raj institutions and local bodies for Participatory Irrigation Management.

3. CHHATTISGARH CM RAMAN SINGH PRESENTS RS 76,032 CR BUDGET FOR 2017-18
i. Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh presented the annual budget of Rs 76,032 cr for 2017-18 in the state legislative assembly. The main focus of the budget is on digital inclusion and infrastructure development and on welfare of poorest of poor and inclusive growth.
ii. The estimated expenditure is 7.58% higher than the revised estimate of 2016-17. The revenue surplus is estimated at Rs 4,781 cr, the Gross fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 9,647 cr, which is 3.49% of the GSDP.
iii. The budget allocates 36% of expenditure for the development of scheduled tribe sector and 12% for the scheduled caste sector.
iv. The social sector expenditure is estimated at 41% and economic sector expenditure is 38% of the total expenditure.
v. Allocation for agriculture has been increased by 26% to Rs. 10,434 cr. Irrigation facilities: Rs. 5243 cr, . Organic Farming Mission: Rs. 25 cr, Divyang (specially-abled people) college at a cost of Rs 2.56 cr will be set up at Raipur for educational upliftment of special children

4. INDO-NEPAL JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE ‘SURYA KIRAN-XI’ BEGINS IN UTTARAKHAND
i. The 2-week long India-Nepal joint military exercise ‘Surya Kiran-Xi‘begins in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
ii. Its aim is to train both the troops in the area of various counter insurgency operations over a prolonged period.
iii. It will also focus on other important aspects such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations and environmental conservation.


5. FIRST SMART TRIBAL VILLAGE HABBI INAUGURATED IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR
i. Jammu and Kashmir’s 1st smart tribal village Habbi has inaugurated by J & K  Minister for food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Ch ZulfkarAli.
ii. Habbi village is located in Kotranka in Rajouri District of Jammu and Kashmir.
iii. The smart village has been introduced with smart classes in the schools, better roads, electricity and water facility.

6. HDFC LIFE BRINGS COUNTRY’S FIRST LIFE INSURANCE CHATBOT WITH HAPTIK
i. Mumbai based HDFC Life has launched India’s 1st life insurance chatbot to help users choose the most suitable life insurance plans and solutions.
ii. The chatbot was launched in collaboration with India’s largest chatbot platform Haptik.
iii. Recently HDFC Bank launched an artificial intelligence-driven chatbot Electronic Virtual Assistant.
iv. This chatbot will assist the customers with insurance advice – ranging from Health to Tax Planning & Retirement, based on a simple 60-second quiz which enables it to compute their Insurance Quotient.

7. FITCH ESTIMATES INDIAN ECONOMY TO GROW 7.1% IN 2016-17
i. The US based global rating agency Fitch estimated India’s GDP to grow by 7.1% in the fiscal 2016-17.
ii. The rating agency also projected the growth to see upward trend at 7.7% in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.
iii. It said that 7% GDP suggest that economic activity was “hardly hit” by the cash crunch after the government’s move to remove 86% of currency in circulation.

8. AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN WINS BEST ACTRESS FOR SARBJIT AT IFFA AUSTRALIA
i. Bollywood Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has won the best actress award at the International Film Festival and Awards of Australia for her movie Sarabjit.
ii. Sarabjit was the biopic on Sarabjit Singh who was an Indian farmer who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan and was sentenced to death.
iii. The film starring Aishwarya and Randeep Hooda showcased his journey inside the jail and his sister’s unending fight to free him. Aishwarya played the role of Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur.

9. BENGAL’S POPULAR FOLK SINGER KALIKAPRASAD BHATTARCHARYA DIES
i. Popular Bengali folk music singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharya has died in West Bengal.
ii. The folk singer voiced in films like Jaatishwar (2014), Moner Manush (2010) and Bhuban Majhi (2017).
iv. The Bengal man co-founded the band Dohar in 1999 aimed to revive the folk music tradition of Northern and Eastern Bengal.

10. 2017 BRASIL OPEN: OVERVIEW
i. The 2017 Brasil Open, a tennis tournament was the 17th edition of the Brasil Open, and part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2017 ATP World Tour.
ii. Pablo Cuevas from Uruguay has won men’s singles title on the ATP World Tour in São Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED ON TODAY’S NEWS

Q1. WHO HAS WON THE MEN’S SINGLE TITLE IN THE BRASIL OPEN 2017?
a)  Albert Ramos
b)  Marcus Daniell
c)  Rogério Dutra
d)  Pablo Cuevas
Q2. THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON JAL KRANTI ABHIYAN WAS HELD IN WHICH CITY?
a)  New Delhi
b)  Kolkata
c)  Mumbai
d)  Bangaluru
Q3. THE SURYA KIRAN XI IS A JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE OF INDIAN ARMY WITH THE ARMY TROOPS OF WHICH COUNTRY?
a)  Japan
b)  Nepal
c)  Bangladesh
d)  China
Q4. INDIA’S FIRST SMART TRIBAL VILLAGE HAS BEEN INAUGURATED IN WHICH STATE?
a)  Madhya Prdaesh
b)  Gujarat
c)  Jammu & Kashmir
d)  West Bengal
Q5. IN COLLABORATION WITH WHICH CHATBOT PLATFORM, HDFC LIFE HAS LAUNCHED INDIA’S FIRST LIFE INSURANCE CHATBOT?
a)  Imperson
b)  Rebot.me
c)  Haptik
d)  Bots for Messengers

ANSWERS: 

1 - D    2 - A    3 - B    4 - C    5 - C