Daily Current Affairs 21 March 2018 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NATIONAL NEWS
India Post releases special cover on Stephen Hawking
India Post paid tribute to theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking by issuing a special cover on him.
- The postal department is paying tribute to the legendary scientist by releasing the special cover in all its 22 Circles.
106th Indian Science Congress to be Held in Bhopal
General President-elect of Indian Science Congress Manoj Kumar Chakrabarti announced that the 106th edition of the Indian Science Congress will be held in January 2019 at Barkatullah University Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
- The theme for the ISC 2019 will be “Future India: Science & Technology”.
World’s longest sandstone cave found in Meghalaya
A 24,583-metre-long cave that was discovered in 2016 in Meghalaya has been found to be the world’s longest sandstone cave by the Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association. Called Krem Puri, it is also the second largest cave in India. It is over 6,000 metres longer than the current world record-holder for the longest sandstone cave, the Cueva Del Saman in Zulia, Venezuela.
Indian Army Releases Book on Paramveer Chakra Awardees
General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff released a book on Paramveer Chakra Awardees – ‘Paramveer Parwane’. The book illustrates the bravery of Paramveer Chakra Awardees from 1947 to 1965. The book is written by Dr Prabhakiran Jain and is published by Medha Books.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Vienna named the world’s most liveable city for the ninth year running
The Austrian capital Vienna has been named the world’s best city to live in for the ninth consecutive year.
- Mercer’s 20th annual Quality of Living survey compared 231 major metropolises, examining factors such as crime, healthcare, education, public services, recreation, housing and personal freedom.
- Also, Baghdad remained the worst city to live according to the same survey.
US bans use of Venezuela’s Petro cryptocurrency
The Trump administration banned all use by Americans of Venezuelan cryptocurrency, saying that its introduction is intended to skirt U.S. sanctions. In a separate move, the administration also slapped sanctions on four current and former senior Venezuelan officials accused of corruption and mismanagement.
BUSINESS
ABFL’s merger with Allahabad Bank gets nod
State-run Allahabad Bank announced that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has allowed the amalgamation of its wholly own subsidiary – All Bank Finance Ltd (ABFL)-with the lender.
- Earlier in September last year, the bank had announced merging AllBank Finance with itself.
APPOINTMENTS/RESIGNS
Nanda Bahadur Pun re-elected Nepal vice president
Nanda Bahadur Pun was sworn in as Nepal’s vice president for his second term in office on 21st March, a day after he was re-elected to the post unopposed.
Myanmar president resigns
Myanmar’s civilian president, Htin Kyaw, has resigned with immediate effect “in order to take rest from the current duties and responsibilities”.
AWARDS
Canadian mathematician Langlands wins Abel Prize
Canadian mathematician Robert Langlands won the prestigious Abel Prize for developing a programme connecting representation theory to number theory.
- The so-called Langlands programme dates back to 1967, when the then-associate professor at Princeton University wrote a letter to renowned French mathematician Andre Weil outlining his new theory.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Day of Forests: 21 March
The International Day of Forests was established on the 21st day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2012. Each year, various events celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations.
- The theme of the International Day of Forests in 2018 is “Forests and Sustainable Cities”.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: 21 March
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid pass laws. Proclaiming the day in 1966, the United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
- The theme of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2018 is “Promoting tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity in the context of combating racial discrimination”.
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