DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 8TH MAR 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
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
