CURRENT AFFAIRS MARCH/25/2015

 CURRENT AFFAIRS MARCH/25/2015

MADHAV GADGIL AND DR. JANE LUBCHENCO WON TYLER PRIZE 2015:

Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil and US Scientist Dr. Jane Lubchenco won Tyler prize for Environmental Achievement 2015.

Madhav Gadgil is the second Indian to bag this award after MS Swaminathan in 1991.

NOTE: - The Tyler prize was instituted in 1973 by the International Tyler Prize Executive committee with the administrative support of University of southern California. Tyler awardee gets a gold medallion and receives a $ 200,000 annual cash prize.

1. WORLD TB DAY WAS OBSERVED ON 24^TH MARCH:

World Tuberculosis Day 2015 was observed globally on 24^thMarch.

The theme for the WTB Day 2015 is continuation of the 2014 theme ‘ Reach the 3 million’

World Tuberculosis Day is celebrated on 24^th March every year because Dr. Robert Koch discovered the cause of TB on this day in 1882.

2. RENU KHATOR ELECTED AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF BOARD OF DIRCTORS  OF ACE:

Indian-American Renu Khator is elected to be the chairperson of Board of Directors of American Council of Education (ACE).

Renu Khator is elected as the chairperson of the Board of Directors of ACE during 97^th Annual meeting in Washington DC.

Renu Khator succeeded H.Mullen Jr. to be the chairperson and will serve for a period of next 1 year.

NOTE: - ACE is the major coordinating body for US colleges and Universities.

3. INDIAN-AMERICAN AKHIL SHARMA WINS FOLIO PRIZE:

Indian-American Novelist Akhil Sharma wins Folio Prize for fiction.

Akhil Sharma won the prize for his semi-autobiographical story, “Family life”.

NOTE: - The folio Prize is a literary award sponsored by the London-based publisher the Folio Society.

4. 150 DEAD AS PLANE CRASHES IN FRENCH ALPS:

German Airbus A320 plane crashes in French Alps.

Lufthansa’s German wings budget Airlines flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf went down in Southern France.

No survivor is reported, all 150 passengers and staff are declared dead which includes 67 germans, 45 sapnish and 16 school children.

5. RAILWAY LAUNCHES RU-PAY CARD:

Indian Railways launched Ru-pay pre-paid Debit cards.

IRCTC has launched this card for its customers which enables them to book their tickets, do shopping and pay service bills.

IRCTC has developed the card in collaboration with the Union Bank of India.

NOTE: - For booking a ticket through this card, a transaction fee of Rs. 10 will be charged.

IRCTC: Indian railway catering and Tourism Corporation.

6. GOVERNMENT JOINED HANDS WITH TWITTER TO LAUNCH A NEWS SERVICE:

7.Union Government of India has joined hands with Twitter to launch ‘Twitter Samvad’.

Twiter Samvad is an initiative, as part of the government’s digital India campaign.

About Twitter Samvad: Any one can connect to this by just giving a missed call on 011 3006 3006 and will get Narendra Modi’s, 7 states chief ministers and some government department tweets on their mobile as SMS.

It can mainly be used at the time of emergency to deliver live updates by government bodies.

8. 62nd NATIONAL FILM AWARDS ANNOUNCED IN NEW DELHI:

Jury chairpersons Shri Bharathiraja and shri Kamal Swaroop in a press conference announced 62^nd National Film Award winners.

The award ceremony will held on 3^rd May 2015.

List of Winners is:

Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Queen

Best Supporting Actress: Baljinder Kaur for pagdi the honour(Haryanvi)

Best Actor: Vijat for Nanu Avanalla Avalu (Kannad)

Best Supporting Actor: Bobby Simhaa for Jigarthanda(Tamil)

Best Direction: Srijit mukherjee for chotushkone(Bengali)

Best Music Direction: a) Songs – Haider (Hindi)

Background Score – Nineteen eighty thee(malyalam)

Best Costume Designer: Dolly Ahluwalia for Haider

Best Male Playback Singer: Sukhwinder singh for bismil song from haider

Best Female Playback Singer: Uttara Unnikrishanan for azhagu song from Saivam(tamil)

Best Hindi Film: Queen

Best popular Film providing wholesome Entertainment: Mary Kom

Best Feature film: Court (Marathi, Hindi, Gujrati and English)

Best Music Direction: Haider

Best Choreographer: Bismil for Haider

9. AMITAV GHOSH SHORTLISTED FOR BOOKER PRIZE:

Indian author

Amitav Ghosh is among the 10 finalist shortlisted for 2015 man booker International prize.

Amitav Ghosh is the only Indian to be in the final list of 10 shortlisted for the prize.

Earlier Amitav Ghosh was also shortlisted for his English language writing in 2008.

NOTES: - Some famous writings of Amitav Ghosh are:

Sea of poppies

The circle of reason

The shadow lines

River of smoke