Daily Current Affairs 17 March 2018 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NATIONAL NEWS
LaQshya Program Launched to Improve Quality of Maternity Care
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched ‘LaQshya program’ aimed at improving quality of maternity care in labour room and maternity Operation Theatre (OT).
- ‘LaQshya’ will reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, improve quality of care during delivery. The Program aims at implementing ‘fast-track’ interventions for achieving tangible results within 18 months.
NITI Aayog Released SATH-E Roadmaps
NITI Aayog released comprehensive roadmaps and detailed timelines for its initiative ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital in Education (SATH-E)’ project.
- These roadmaps, which operate between 2018 to 2020, lay out detailed interventions which will be taken by the three participating States- Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha – aiming to become ‘Role Model States’ in school education.
President dedicates Odisha’s Anand Bhawan museum to people
President Ram Nath Kovind dedicated the Anand Bhawan Museum and Learning Centre, the ancestral house of late former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, to the people of Odisha.
- Remembering the contribution of Biju Patnaik, the President said his legacy was above party politics and not only Odisha but all of India was proud of him.
Maharashtra cabinet approves ban on plastic carry bags
The Maharashtra government has decided to ban the use of plastic from “Gudi Padva”, the Maharashtrian New Year which falls on March 18. The ban would cover the production, use, storage, sale, distribution, import and transportation of plastic, the minister informed the House.
- Those violating the ban would be fined Rs 25,000 and could also face a three-year jail term.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Sierra Leone is the first country to run a blockchain-powered election
The tiny West African nation of Sierra Leone has become the world’s first country to have blockchain-powered elections. Blockchain technology helps ensure transparency with crytpocurrency transactions using public ledgers, by recording each vote on blockchain.
Philippines plans to withdraw from International Criminal Court
The Philippines announced that it is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to what President Rodrigo Duterte called “outrageous” attacks by U.N. officials and violations of due process by the ICC.
ECONOMY
Fitch forecasts 7.3% growth for India next year
In its Global Economic Outlook report, Fitch, the US-based agency, projected India’s economic growth to rise to 7.3 per cent in 2018-19 and further to 7.5 per cent in 2019-20.
- Also, it forecast Indian economy to clock a growth rate of 6.5 per cent this fiscal (2017-18), in line with official estimates by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) of 6.5 per cent.
SPORTS
Nepal gets ODI status for first time
Nepal have gained ODI status for the first time in their history after defeating Papua New Guinea by six wickets in the Cricket World Cup Qualifier play-off.
APPOINTMENTS/RESIGNS
Chinese President Xi re-elected for another five-year tenure
Xi Jinping was re-elected as president of China for a second five-year tenure by the country’s rubber-stamp parliament. The move comes after Parliament scrapped the two-term rule for the presidency and allowed him to have a life-long tenure. Parliament also elected 64-year-old Xi as the head of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the two million strong Chinese military.
Slovak PM Robert Fico resigns
Slovak President Andrej Kiska has accepted the resignation of Robert Fico from the prime minister’s post in the wake of a public outcry resulting from the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak last month.
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