Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2018

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu Government has set up a 24-hour helpline that would provide information on education and offer guidance to students on March 1, 2018. Chief Minister K Palaniswami has formally launched the toll-free number – 14417 through the 24-hour Education Guidance Centre set up at the Secretariat that would offer information relating to school education and offer guidance to students.

Notes:
The Zero Discrimination Day (ZDD) is observed every year on March 1 to promote the idea that everyone has a right to live with dignity. The day is also meant to highlight how everyone can be part of the transformation and take a stand towards a fair and just society. It recognizes that no one should ever be discriminated against because of their age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, language, health (including HIV) status, geographical location, economic status or migrant status, or for any other reason. This year (2018), the Zero Discrimination Day campaign invites people to ask themselves “What if …” and to reflect upon their own actions.

Notes:
Khagendra Jamataia (64), the Tripura Fisheries and Cooperation minister, has passed away in New Delhi on March 2, 2018. Jamataia was a CPI (M) candidate from the Krishnapur constituency in the February 18 assembly election. Jamatia had joined CPI (M) in 1983 and had been winning from Krishnapur constituency since 1988. This is the second setback for CPI (M) after the death of Ramendra Narayan Debbarma who was contesting from Charilam (ST) constituency.

Notes:
Navjot Kaur has scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a Gold medal at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships. She clinched the coveted yellow metal in the 65 kg freestyle category at the tournament held at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan on March 2, 2018. Navjot defeated Japan’s Miya Imai, 9-1 in a one-sided final bout yesterday to give India’s its first Gold of the ongoing Championships. Rio Olympics Bronze medallist Sakshi Malik won a bronze in the 62 kg division after getting the better of Kazakhstan’s Ayaulym Kassymova, 10-7.The two medals took India’s medals tally to six – 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 4 Bronze.

Notes:
For the first time, India has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with foreign partners — Russia & Bangladesh — for civil nuclear cooperation. The MoU will be helpful for cooperation in construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna, Bangladesh. This will be first ever nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. It was signed in Moscow by deputy director general of Rosatom (Russia’s Alex civil nuclear body) Nikolay Spassky, ambassador of Bangladesh in Russia SM Saiful Hoque and Indian ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran. The Rooppur project is the first initiative under an Indo-Russian deal to undertake atomic energy projects in third countries. This will also be the first time Indian companies will be able to participate in a nuclear power project abroad. India is not a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and hence cannot participate directly in construction of atomic power reactors. The Nuclear Power Cooperation of India Limited (NPCIL) will play a key role in building a nuclear power plant on foreign soil with the proposed supply of equipment and material for the power station being built by Russia in Bangladesh.

Notes:
Vinod Kumar Omprakash has clinched bronze in men’s 70kg freestyle at the 2018 Asian Wrestling Championships at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Also, defending champion Bajrang Punia won bronze in men’s 65kg freestyle on March 3. Earlier, in the tournament, Navjot Kaur scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in the senior continental championship as she clinched the yellow metal in the 65kg freestyle category. Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik won a bronze in the 62kg freestyle category. With this, the medal haul includes one Gold, one Silver and six Bronze medals.

Notes:
The Union government has set up a steering committee to consider various issues relating to the development of Fintech space in India with a view to make Fintech related regulations more flexible and generate enhanced entrepreneurship. The move is a follow up to the announcement made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget speech of 2018-19. The 8-member committee headed by Economic Affairs Secretary, Subhash Chandra Garg will also focus on how Fintech can be leveraged to enhance financial inclusion of MSMEs. According to the terms and reference, the committee will take stock of the developments in the fintech sector globally, and in India. It will also work with Government agencies like UIDAI to explore creation and use of unique enterprise identification number.

Notes:
The 9th edition of the Women’s Film Festival (WFF-2018) will be organized by the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) from 9 to 11 March at NFAI Pune. The theme of the fest is ‘Travelling Women’. It will open with Sidney Pollack’s Out Of Africa, featuring Meryl Streep. The festival will feature other acclaimed films including Away We Go, Under the Tuscan Sun, and Wild. The closing film is Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts. On March 8, NFAI will also host a special event “Parikathe til Rajkumari”, and screen audiovisual clips paying tribute to women in Indian cinema, from the birth of Indian cinema till the 1960s. The festival to mark the 2018 International Women’s Day will screen Balu Mahendra’s Tamil film Moondram Pirai, in remembrance of actress Sridevi.

Notes:
Neiphiu Rio, the senior leader of President of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) & currently a Member of Parliament (MP) from Nagaland Lok Sabha constituency, will be sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Nagaland on March 8, 2018. He has to prove his majority on the floor of the House “on or before March 16”, according to a media release issued by the office of Governor P B Acharya. Rio belongs to the Angami Naga tribe in the state.

Notes:
Shammi (89), the veteran Bollywood and television actress, has passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra on March 6, 2018. Fondly addressed as ‘Shammi aunty’ by Bollywood celebrities, Shammi started her film career with Malhar as a leading lady and later on moved to the comic genre. She acted in over 100 films and TV shows and was best remembered for her role in the Nineties sitcom ‘Dekh Bhai Dekh’. She was famous for her comic timing and was quite prolific in both TV and cinema.