DAILY GK: 14,15 MAR 2021

 DAILY GK: 14,15 MAR 2021

1.INDIA’S 1ST BULLET TRAIN PROJECT

      National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) & Japan Railway Track Consultant Co. Limited (JRTC) virtually signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Track works in the 237-km stretch between Vadodara & Vapi in Gujarat for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) also known as Bullet Train Project.

      It will strengthen the ‘Make in India’ initiative & ensure the transfer of technology from the Japanese high-speed rail system to India.

 

 2.‘AZADI KA AMRIT MAHOTSAV’ (INDIA@75)

      PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the curtain raiser activities of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (India@75) at the event organised in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

      He also flagged off the Padyatra from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad to Dandi, Gujarat as a part of the India@75 programme.

      This marks the 91st anniversary of Gandhi’s 1930 Dandi March.

      Union MoS Prahlad Singh Patel led the first lap of 75 kilometers of the padyatra.

 

3.3000 HP CAPE GAUGE LOCOMOTIVE FOR EXPORT TO MOZAMBIQUE

      Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal flagged off the two 3000 Horse Power (HP) Cape Gauge Locomotive for export to Mozambique.

      It was indigenously developed by Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW), Varanasi, a production unit of Indian Railways.

      This is BLW’s first AC-AC traction system3000 HP, Cape Gauge locomotive.

      These Locomotives will be exported through Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Ltd.

 

4.SOUTH ASIA GROUP ON ENERGY (SAGE) AT RIS

      Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringala inaugurated the South Asia Group of Energy (SAGE) at the Research & Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) in New Delhi.

      He highlighted various initiatives taken by India through its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

      Note – India is the largest producer and consumer of energy in this region.

 

5.INDIA’S FIRST ‘TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY DESK’                

      India’s 1st ‘Transgender Community Desk’ launched in Gachibowli Police Station, Hyderabad, Telangana by Cyberabad Police chief VC Sajjanar.

      It is the world’s first-ever help desk for the transgender community and it will be managed by a Police Liaison Officer and a member of the transgender community who is designated as a community coordinator.

 

6.NEW PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN DHAKA AND NEW JALPAIGURI

      A new passenger train service between Dhaka, Bangladesh and New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India is set to start from the 26th of March 2021 marking the 50th Anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh.

      The direct train between Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri will run through the Chilahati-Haldibari cross-border rail route.

 

7.PWC’S GLOBAL CEO SURVEY

      According to PwC’s (PricewaterhouseCoopers) 24th Annual Global CEO Survey, India emerged as the 5th most attractive growth destination in the world. India has slipped one position to 5th, after being surpassed by the United Kingdom which took the 4th Position.

      The USA emerged as the Number one market favored by CEOs over the next 1 year followed by China, Germany.

      The survey covered 5, 050 CEOs in 100 Countries & Territories including India.

      Japan took the 6th position overtaking Australia.

      76% of CEOs expect the global economic recovery to improve in 2021.

 

8.1ST EVER LEADER-LEVEL SUMMIT OF QUAD COUNTRIES

      The First-ever Leader-Level Summit of 4 QUAD  (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) countries – India, Japan, USA & Australia took place virtually.

Participants

      Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

      US President Joseph Biden

      Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

      Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga

Major Announcements

      The 4 Countries agreed to work towards an ‘open’ & ‘free’ Indo-Pacific region.

      Proposals for setting up 3 Expert Working Groups in areas of Vaccines, emerging technology & Climate were cleared.

      They agreed to produce 1 Billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines across Asia by 2022 to fight the pandemic.

      It would be funded by US & Japan, while Australia will contribute in logistical aspects.

 

9.FIRST INDIAN TO RECEIVE UN’S ASIA ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT AWARD

      Sasmita Lenka, Divisional Forest Officer, Athagarh Forest Division, Odisha received the United Nations’s 2020 Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards under the category Impact and Gender Leadership.

      She became the first Indian to receive the award.

      The 2020 theme of the 5th edition Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards “Fighting Transboundary Environmental Crimes”.

 

10.LUPEX MISSION

      The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) & Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) virtually reviewed the progress made under the Joint Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission.

      LUPEX is a robotic Lunar mission that aims to send a lander and rover to the Moon’s south pole in the year 2024.

 

11.ISRO LAUNCHES SOUNDING ROCKET RH-560

      Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched a new Sounding rocket from its Rohini Series, RH-560 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota Range (SHAR), Andhra Pradesh.

      This Sounding rocket will help in carrying out studies in the upper Atmospheric regions, on Altitude Variations in the Neutral Winds and Plasma Dynamics.

 

12.INSECT NAMED AFTER NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER

      Hemiandrus jacinda is a species of wētā,a giant flightless cricket and native to New Zealand was first described by Steven A. Trewick.

      It was named after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and was published in Zootaxa journal.

 

13.OLIVIER DASSAULT DIED IN HELICOPTER CRASH

      French Billionaire and Member of French National Assembly, Olivier Dassault of Les Republicains party died in a helicopter crash in Normandy, France at age 69.

      Olivier Dassault the heir of Dassault Groupe (Dassault Aviation, Le Figaro etc) was born on 1st June 1951 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

      He was the son of businessman and politician Serge Dassault.

 

14.1ST INDIAN WOMEN CRICKETER TO SCORE 10,000 INT RUNS

      Mithali Raj became the first Indian woman to score 10000 runs in international cricket across all formats.

      She achieved the feat with a boundary off Anne Bosch in the 28th over of India’s innings during the ongoing third ODI against South Africa.