UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS MARCH/23/2015

 CURRENT AFFAIRS MARCH/23/2015

1. Legendary actor Shashi Kapoor to receive the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2014.

Legendary actor Shashi Kapoor will be given the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2014. The announcement was made today by Information and Broadcasting Ministry. 

Mr Kapoor’s cinematic journey as a lead actor started in 1961 with the movie Dharmputra and acted in more than 100 Hindi films.

Mr Kapoor is the 46th Dada Saheb Phalke Award Winner. In 2011, Mr Shashi Kapoor was honoured with Padma Bhushan. He is also a recipient of 3 National Film Awards.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of State Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore have congratulated Shashi Kapoor on being selected for the prestigious award. Mr Rathore in a tweet said, Kapoor's sensitive portrayal of human emotions has touched many a heart.

2. Sania Mirza jumped to her career-best

Sania Mirza jumped to her career-best rank of three in the doubles world rankings, following her stupendous title win at the BNP Paribas Open with Swiss great Martina Hingis on Saturday. Sania now sits at number three, behind Italians Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani, who share the top spot.

3. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 23^rd/MARCH/2015

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, General V.K. Singh today attended Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit's dinner in the national capital today to celebrate Pakistan Day. Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyer also attended the programme. Seven separatist leaders from Jammu and Kashmir including Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq attended Pakistan's National Day celebrations.

4. Special Representatives of India and China held 18th round of talks on boundary question in New Delhi (23^rd/MARCH/2015).

Special Representatives of India and China held 18th round of talks on boundary question in New Delhi today . It was the first meeting to resolve the vexed issue after NDA led by Narendra Modi came to power last year.  National Security Adviser Ajit Doval who was appointed Special Representatives last November, led the Indian delegation. Chinese side was led by State Councillor Yang Jiechi.  The talks come a year after the last round of Special Representative talks and six months after Mr. Modi had raised serious concern about incidents of transgression along the India-China border which had overshadowed the Chinese President's visit to New Delhi last year.

The Chinese leader will call on Prime Minster Narendra Modi tomorrow before 

5. Railways platform tickets will become costlier from 1st of next month

Railways platform tickets will become costlier from 1st of next month, as the railway has increased the rate of ticket from five to ten rupees. An official release said that railways have given directions to all Zonal Railways to print the revised tickets on top priority and ensure supply to all stations in time. However, till such time the tickets are printed, the existing stock of tickets will be used with the rate corrected with a stamp.

CURRENT AFFAIRS MARCH/23/2015

1. AMITABH BACHCHAN BECOMES BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR CAMPAIGN AGAINST HEPATITIS B:

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is appointed as the Brand Ambassador for Union Governments Campaign againstHepatitis B.

Union Governments campaign against Hepatitis B will be launched in April 2015.

Earlier Amitabh Bachchan was made good will brand ambassador for the polio Eradication campaign by UNICEF in 2005.

NOTE:    The campaign against Hepatitis B is a part of the Union Government’s ambitious child immunization programme namedMission Indradhanush which is against seven vaccine – preventable disease s which includes diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and Hepatitis B. Union Government has aimed to achieve the target by 2020.

2. 33% WOMEN RESERVATION IN POLICE FORCES OF ALL UT’S:

Union Government of India has approved 33% women reservation in police forces for all Union Territories.

The decision was taken by the Union Cabinet in a meeting headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Reservation is provided through direct recruitment in non-gazetted posts like constables to sub-inspectors.

NOTE:  Earlier Gujarat Government had announced 33% reservation for women in the police force of the state.

3. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FORESTS WAS OBSERVED ON 21^ST MARCH:

International Day of forests was observed on 21^st March around the globe.

The theme for International Day of Forests 2015 was “Forests and climate Change”.

International Day of forests was observed for the first time on 21^stMarch 2013.

The theme highlights forest-based solutions to address climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to ensure sustainable development.

31 percent of global land area is covered by forests providing life to almost 80 percent of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.

Around 1.6 billion people, including 2000 indigenous cultures, depend on forests for their livelihood.

4.COUNTER-TERRORISM CONFERENCE HELD IN JAIPUR:

First Counter-Terrorism Conference -2015 held in Jaipur.

India foundation in association with the Sardar Patel Universityof police security and Criminal Justice together organized the event.

Theme of the conference was ‘Integrated Approach to Counter Terrorism’.

5. PRADHAN MANTRI KAUSHAL VIKAS YOJANA (PMKVY) GETS CABINET APPROVAL:

The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

The programme is aimed to import skill training to youth with focus on first time entrants to the labour market and school dropouts.

The scheme is launched with an outlay of Rs. 1500 crore.

6. COLIN MACDONALD BECOMES MD OF RENAULT NISSAN AUTOMOTIVE   INDIA:

Renault Nissan Automotive India appointed Colin MacDonald as the new Managing Director.

Nissan is the third biggest exporter of cars from India.

Chairman and CEO of Nissan/Renault – Carlos Ghosn.

7. ICONIC STATESMAN 'LEE KUAN YEW' - THE ARCHITECT OF MODERN SINGAPORE - BREATHES HIS LAST AT 91. 

He is credited with transforming the tiny island into one of the wealthiest and least corrupt countries in Asia; often called - 'a First World oasis in a Third World region'.

8. Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza lift women's doubles title at BNP Paribas Open. 

They beat the pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina by 6-3, 6-4 in the final to grab their first title together.

Hingis has won 11 Grand Slams in the team discipline (nine in women's and two in mixed) while Sania has claimed 3 Grand Slams (all in mixed) so far.

9. JAMMU & KASHMIR TO SOON HAVE A MASSIVE NETWORK OF SEISMIC STATIONS.

The station will be equipped with accelerometers and GPS instruments giving the quake-prone region some control to limit the damage.

Kashmir Valley is few of the most vulnerable (seismic zone 5) regions to earthquake in India alongwith entire North-East.

Though, the region had not experienced a major earthquake (of more than magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale) for the past 400 years; the possibility of one can't be denied.

10. NOVAK DJOKOVIC CLINCHES MEN'S SINGLES CROWN AT INDIAN WELLS OPEN 2015; HIS 4TH SO FAR 

The Serbian icon humbled Swiss great Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2.

Its been the 50th tour-level title for Djokovic making him the 12th player in the Open Era to win 50 titles.

Female singles winner: Simona Halep of Romania