Daily Current Affairs 18th March, 2018

Daily Current Affairs 18 March 2018 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

President releases commemorative coins on Nabakalebar festival

President Ram Nath Kovind released Rs 1,000 and Rs 10 commemorative coins on the occasion of Nabakalebar festival in Puri, Odisha.

• Earlier, the government had announced the release of the coins marking the festival which is a symbolic recreation of sibling deities — Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.

Andhra Pradesh celebrates ‘Ugadi’ with traditional fervour & enthusiasm

‘Ugadi’, the Telugu New Year, was celebrated in Andhra Pradesh with traditional fervour and enthusiasm today across Andhra Pradesh State. The festival is celebrated with people consuming ‘Ugadi pachadi’ (chutney) after taking head bath in the early hours of the day.

Maharashtra celebrates Gudi Padwa

Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of the New Year to the Maharashtrians. The advent of a new year heralds new hopes, new dreams and greater chances of prosperity and wish fulfillment and so it is celebrated with a lot of joy and pompousness throughout Maharashtra.

• It is celebrated in and near Maharashtra on the first day of the Chaitra month to mark the beginning of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar.

Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba celebrated in Manipur

The traditional festival of Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba was celebrated in Manipur on 18th March to mark the beginning of a new year with religious fervour and gaiety.

• The festival heralds the advent of New Year and strengthens the bond of love and brother hood among the members of each family.
• The festival is mainly observed on the first lunar day of the lunar month Sajibu (March/April) by the Meitei community, a majority ethnic group of Manipur.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Pak pulls out of WTO meet in India amid diplomatic tension

Pakistan will not attend a World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting to be held in Delhi next week amid the ongoing diplomatic tension between the two nations. Tensions escalated as both Pakistan and India accused each other of harassing their diplomats. India has invited ministers of more than 50 nations including the US and China to attend the meet.

BUSINESS

Paytm launches two new services under wealth management offering

Mobile application based financial services platform Paytm has announced the launch of two new services – Gold Gifting and Gold Savings Plan as part of its wealth management offering, Paytm Gold.

• The company said the customers can now send 24K 999.9 purity gold to each other instantly – offering them a convenient gifting solution.

APPOINTMENTS

Li Keqiang re-elected as China’s Prime Minister for his second term

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang was re-elected for his second five-year term at the ongoing parliament session.

• Li is the second ranking leader in China after President Xi Jinping who has emerged as the most powerful leader after Mao Zedong.

China’s former anti-corruption chief named Vice President

China’s legislature appointed Wang Qishan as vice president, who ran President Xi Jinping’s relentless anti-corruption campaign before reaching a customary retirement age and stepping down from the Communist Party leadership last fall.

OBITUARIES

Legendary violinist Dilip Roy passes away

Legendary musician and violinist Dilip Roy has passed away following old age complications. The West Bengal government had conferred the Sangseet Samman award on him for his contribution to music.

Former Bengal minister Pratim Chatterjee passes away

Former West Bengal minister Pratim Chatterjee, who held the Fire Services portfolio for 15 years till 2011 during the Left Front regime, has passed away.

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