Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2018

Notes:
India’s star wrestler Vinesh Phogat has settled for Silver Medal in the 50kg Freestyle competition at the Asian Wrestling Championship in Kyrgyzstan on March 1. In the final of the event at Bishkek, she lost to China’s Chun Lei. Another Indian, Sangeeta claimed Bronze in 59kg division. 

Notes:
Armen Vardani Sarkissian has been elected as the new president of Republic of Armenia on March 2, 2018. Sarkissian will succeed Serzh Sarkisian and will assume the presidency in April 9, 2018. This was the first time in Armenia’s history when the president was elected by the National Assembly instead of popular vote. Sarkissian served as Prime minister of Armenia from November 1996 to March 1997. Previously, he had been Armenia’s ambassador in London. He has also served as the Armenian ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and the Holy See.

Notes:
The Odisha government has launched a programme “Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas (Our Village, our development)” to reach out to the people in rural areas and involve themselves in the developmental activities. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has flagged off mobile video vans for ‘Ama Gaon Ama Vikas’ programme that will move across the State to highlight various welfare schemes at villages in the state. Through these Wi-Fi enabled latest technology video wall vans, people can directly send their grievances to the Chief Minister’s Office at the Secretariat in Bhubaneswar. This initiative will help people in solving their grievances instantly.

Notes:
Rashid Khan, the world’s No.1 ODI and Twenty20 International bowler, has become the youngest international captain in cricket history by leading Afghanistan at the age of 19 years & 165 days against Scotland in the first match of the 2018 ICC World Cup qualifiers played in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He replaced Rajin Saleh of Bangladesh who captained his side against South Africa at the age of 20 years and 297 days in 2004.

Notes:
The World Wildlife Day (WWD) is observed every year on March 3 to raise awareness about our planet’s flora and fauna. On this day, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was finalised & and the day has been celebrated as World Wildlife Day since 2014. CITES is an international agreement between the governments of 183 countries to protect wild plants and animals and ensure their survival. The 2018 theme is ‘Big Cats: Predators under Threat’. The 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.

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:
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.

Notes:
Tech giant Microsoft has inked its first renewable energy deal in India for powering its new facility in Bengaluru. The facility, which will be operational from June 2018, is spread over 5.85 lakh square feet. The agreement will see Microsoft purchase 3 megawatts of solar-powered electricity from Atria Power to help power its new office building in Bangalore. This will meet 80% of the projected electricity needs at the new facility. This deal is part of Karnataka government program to encourage investments in local solar energy operations, in line with the country’s goal of ramping up solar power generation to 100 gigawatts by 2022. Once completed, the project will bring Microsoft’s total global direct procurement in renewable energy projects to nearly 900 megawatts. This is Microsoft’s first solar energy agreement in India, and one of the first ones in the Asian region.

Notes:
On the occasion of International Women’s Day (IWD-2018), the Maharashtra government has started Ashmita Yojana under which sanitary napkins at subsidised rates will be provided to rural girls and women across the state. As stated by state government, the scheme will emerge as a model scheme for the country. The girls studying in Zilla Parishad schools will get a sanitary pad packet for Rs 5. Meanwhile, the women living in rural area can avail the sanitary packs for Rs 24 or Rs 29.

Notes:
The 2018 National Legislators Conference will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Central Hall of Parliament House, New Delhi on March 10, 2018. The purpose of the Conference is to provide a platform to Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assemblies and Members of Legislative Councils across the country to share their experiences. The theme of the conference is — “We For Development”. About 170 public representatives are expected to participate in the Conference. The Conference will offer a special opportunity to the delegates whose constituencies have greater possibilities and aspirations of development. Union Cabinet Ministers, Chief Ministers, Presiding Officers of State Legislatures, Members of Parliament and Members of State Legislatures will attend the function.