Notes:
Thaawarchand Gehlot, the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, has launched the first Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary of 3000 words at a function in New Delhi on March 23, 2018. The basic aim of developing the ISL Dictionary is to remove communications barriers between the deaf and hearing communities as it is focused on providing more information in Indian sign language. Its aim is to give deaf people the constitutional right to speech and opportunity of freedom of expression and also bringing them into the mainstream of the society. The dictionary has been developed by Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre under Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a multi-utility vehicle “NAIPUNYA RATHAM (or World on Wheels)”, which aims to bring technology to the remote corners. It was launched at the Secretariat in Amaravathi on March 22, 2018. As part of the Smart village Smart Ward Programme, the Naipunya Rathaams will facilitate and look to improve digital literacy, digital skills and create an awareness on various government schemes that are underway in the new state of Andhra Pradesh. The state government will soon roll out 12 more Naipunya Rathams by May 2018.

Notes:
The Union government has decided to declare 2018 as ‘National Year of Millets’ to boost the cultivation of millets like ragi and jowar on a mission mode to achieve nutritional security. This was stated by Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh while addressing MPs in a consultative committee meeting in New Delhi on March 22, 2018. The Minister stated that millet cultivation has declined due to change in dietary habits and unavailability of millets. As a result of this, level of nutrients like proteins, Vitamin-A, iron and iodine fell in women and children. He said this has led to a special focus on millets, which are being promoted under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM). The push will promote cultivation of jowar, bajra, ragi. Under NFSM, maize and jau are also promoted separately.

Notes:
The Punjab Government is observing the martyrdom day of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Sukhdev and Shaheed Rajguru as ‘Youth Empowerment Day’ on March 23, 2018. In the state-level function organised at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh paid homage to the three freedom fighters. To mark the occasion, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also launched a state-wide programme to administer the oath to Drug Abuse Prevention Officers (DAPOs). Programmes at the district level were presided by the state ministers.

Notes:
Canadian mathematician Robert P. Langlands has won the prestigious Abel Prize 2018 for his visionary programme connecting representation theory to number theory. The 81-year-old mathematician would receive the award from Norway’s King Harald V at an award ceremony in Oslo on May 22, 2018. The prize is awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and is worth 6 million Norwegian krone (about £550,000). It is considered by many to be a maths equivalent of the Nobel Prize, which has no prize for mathematics. The prize is named after the 19th century Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel and is awarded annually since 2003.

Notes:
The first-ever National Conference on Drug Law Enforcement has inaugurated by Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, in New Delhi on March 23, 2018. The 2-day conference is being organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Ministry of Home Affairs. The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will be the Chief Guest at the closing session. More than 50 State and Central law enforcement agencies involved in combating drug trafficking have confirmed their participation in this Conference. The conference working sessions are focused on various topics such as ‘Wider context of drug trafficking in India’, ‘Financial Investigations’ and ‘Foreign & Cyber Investigations’. During these sessions various agencies would give presentations while UN and other foreign law enforcement agencies would share their experiences.

Notes:
Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan (18) shattered the world record and claimed the gold medal in 10m women’s air rifle event of the season’s first junior ISSF World Cup in Sydney on March 22, 2018. She shot 249.8 in the women’s final to claim the top individual honours. Her 631.4 in the qualification was a new world record. Besides her individual podium finish, Elavenil also combined with Shreya Agrawal and Zeena Khitta to claim the team gold medal.

Notes:
Les Payne (76), a fervid and fearless Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, has passed away in Manhattan, United States on March 18, 2018. He served as an editor and columnist at Newsday and is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). Payne received a Pulitzer Prize for his investigative research ‘Heroin Trail’ in 1974.

Notes:
The Kerala government has declared Jackfruit as the official fruit of the state to promote the ‘Kerala Jackfruit’ as a brand in markets across the country and abroad. The brand will showcase its organic and nutritious qualities. This would also help in giving in the fruit’s production and sale, besides increasing its value-added products. It is expected that the state can generate Rs 15,000 crore through sale of jackfruit and its allied products through branding of the fruit. As per officials, Kerala has been producing around 32 crore jackfruits every year, of which 30% gets wasted. Elephant is the state animal of Kerala, while ‘great hornbill’ the bird and ‘kanikkonna’ the official flower. The state had recently declared pearl spot, popularly known as ‘karimeen’, as its official fish.

Notes:
Karan Thapar, the veteran journalist and television presenter, has been honoured with the 2017 G.K. Reddy Memorial National Award for journalism for his contribution in the field of journalism. The award was presented to Thapar by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh  at the Teen Murti Bhawan in New Delhi on March 22, 2018. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh, a gold medal and a special trophy.