Notes:
Robyn Rihanna Fenty, a Barbadian singer and songwriter, has been conferred with the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year award in recognition for her work to improve cancer treatment in her home country of Barbados and for setting up a college scholarship to bring Caribbean students to study in the United States. The annual award by the prestigious university is given to an individual whose works and deeds have served to improve the quality of lives and have inspired people to greater heights.

Notes:
Recently, para shooter Avani Lekhara (15) from India shot a junior world record 244.4 in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event (R2) to won the silver medal at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Al Ain, UAE. Beside this, para shooter Pooja Agarwal shot 228.4 in the final of the women’s 10m air pistol SH1 event (P2) to won a silver medal at the tournament. Notably, both Indian shooters were making their international debuts at the competition.

Notes:
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli will be conferred with the 2017 Polly Umrigar Award at the BCCI award ceremony in Bangalore on March 8, 2017. Kohli, who received the award in 2011-12 and 2014-15, becomes the first Indian cricketer to get it on the third occasion. The award is given to the international cricketer of the year by the Indian cricket board. Beside this, all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin will also become the first Indian to receive the Dilip Sardesai award twice for his best performance in bilateral series.

Notes:
The ‘Working Group on Migration’ headed by Partha Mukhopadhay has recently submitted its report to the Union Government, which was constituted by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation in 2015. The Working Group has recommended that the Protocols of the Registrar General of India (RGI) needs to be amended to enable caste based enumeration of migrants so that they can avail the attendant benefits in the States to which migration takes place. It also recommended that migrants should be enabled to avail benefits of Public Distribution System (PDS) in the destination State by providing for inter-State operability of PDS. The Group suggested that the hugely underutilized Construction Workers Welfare Cess Fund (CWWCF) should be used to promote rental housing, working Women Hostels etc., for the benefit of migrants.

Notes:
The World Wildlife Day (WWD) is observed every year on March 3 to mark the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and to raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. The 2017 theme is “Listen to the young voices”. The World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts.

Notes:
The book “Lincoln in the Bardo” has been authored by George Saunders, the Folio prize-winning author. The novel is a tale of death and beyond that captures the grief of Abraham Lincoln over the death of his 11-year-old son Willie while the Civil War raged on in the United States of America (USA). The book draws a parallel line between the lives of Willie’s ghost and a similar uncertain state of Lincoln, after the boy’s death. In simple words, the novel is a confrontation with the mysterious beyond the inevitable death, a question that has haunted humankind, and the way death can bring even the head of a nation to his knees.

Notes:
Mobile manufacturer OPPO Mobiles India Pvt Ltd has become the new team sponsor for the Indian cricket team for 5 years. The company in association with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will start from April 2017 for a period of five years. The team sponsor gets to have its commercial logo on the both the men’s and women’s kits. Oppo will replace broadcasting giants Star India, whose tenure will expire in March 2017.

Notes:
The 2nd edition of joint military exercise “Al Nagah-II” has started between India and Oman in the Dhauladhar Ranges at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh from March 6, 2017. The purpose of the 14-day exercise is to build and promote bilateral Army-to-Army relations and enhance inter-operability while exchanging skills and experiences between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman. The exercise would be mainly focused on counter terrorism and forest warfare and approx 60 troops from both countries will participate in the exercise.

Notes:
The 11th edition of joint military exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XI” has started between India and Nepal in Pithoragarh area of Uttarakhand from March 7, 2017. This is a battalion level joint exercise between the two armies. The purpose of the two week long exercise is to train both the troops in the area of various counter insurgency operations over a prolonged period. It will also focus on other important aspects such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations and environmental conservation. Both the armies will mutually benefit from the varied experiences gained during the exercise. The exercise is part of a series of joint training with friendly foreign countries by the Indian armed forces.

Notes:
The 2017 International Yoga Fest has started at Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi from March 8, as a Curtain Raiser for International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2017. The 3-day event is organised by Ministry of AYUSH, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) in association with Indian Yoga Association (IYA) and New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). It is inaugurated by the M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Urban Development and Housing. The main purpose of the Fest is to sensitize the masses regarding celebration of International Day of Yoga (IDY) held every year. More than 3,500 participants including eminent yoga gurus, yoga masters, scholars, policy makers and representatives from 15 to 18 countries will participate in the mega event. It will comprise parallel yoga workshop, lectures, Satsang, cultural programmes and yoga demos.