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Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update

Dear Aspirants,
The General Awareness Section of Banking Exams covers numerous sections in it like Banking Awareness, Static GK, and Current Affairs. But the most important thing that you might have noticed is that both the Banking Awareness and Static Awareness questions asked in the General Awareness Section are based on Current Affairs only. The questions on Static and Banking Awareness are related to the countries, events or anything that has been in news for a while. Here is the Daily GK Update to get you acquainted with the top events that made the headlines today!!

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update

National News


1. 1st International Exhibition of Graphic Prints ‘Print Biennale India 2018’ Inaugurated

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_3.1
i. The country’s National Academy of Art, the Lalit Kala Akademi hosted the first-ever International Print Biennale in the country with a record number of 17 countries taking part in it.
ii. The first-ever International Exhibition of Graphic Prints ‘Print Biennale India 2018’ opened, at the Rabindra Bhavan Galleries of the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi. The eminent Artist-Printmaker, Shakti Barman was the Chief Guest.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
  • Dr Mahesh Sharma is the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture.
2. CCEA Approves Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry
Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_4.1
i.  The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry for the next three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20. The decisions taken by the cabinet will lead to the formation of a first-ever inter-ministerial panel to boost R&D and technology transfer in the silk sector with a 1,000 crore rupee fund.

ii. The scheme will help to increase productive employment from 85 lakhs to 1 crore persons by 2020. The scheme aims to achieve self-sufficiency in silk production by 2022. The scheme will be implemented by the Ministry through Central Silk Board.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
  • Smriti Irani is the Union Textiles Minister of India.
3. President Kovind Lays Foundation Stone of 5 National Highway Projects in Varanasi
Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_5.1
i. President Ram Nath Kovind visited Varanasi on a one-day visit to Uttar Pradesh. During his temple city visit, Mr Kovind laid the foundation stone of five projects of the National Highway Authority of India.

ii. Mr Kovind was welcomed by State Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the Varanasi Airport (Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-

  • Nitin Gadkari is the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways.

4. World’s Oldest City Varanasi Goes ‘Wireless’
Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_6.1
i. Eighty-six years after the city got electricity, overhead power cables in world’s oldest city ‘Varanasi ‘ is being dismantled after a project to lay underground lines over 16 sq-km has been finally completed.
ii. Laying cables for 50,000 consumers through the serpentine lanes and congested markets in one of the world’s oldest cities was quite a challenge for Powergrid, the company conducting the integrated power development scheme (IPDS) project.


International News

5. World’s Largest Cruise Ship ‘Symphony of the Seas’ Sets Sail
Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_7.1
i. The world’s biggest cruise-liner, Symphony of the Seas, has left the shipyard of Saint-Nazaire in France to embark on its maiden voyage in the Mediterranean. French shipbuilder STX handed over to U.S. giant Royal Caribbean International.
ii. The ship, which weighs 228,000 tonnes, is 362 metres long just 20 metres shy of the length of the Empire State Building. It is marginally bigger than its sister ship, the Harmony of the Seas, which STX France delivered to Royal Caribbean in 2016.

6. ISA and India Sign Host Country Agreement

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_8.1
i. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), signed the Host Country Agreement.
ii. The Agreement will give ISA a juridical personality and gives it power to contract, to acquire and dispose off movable and immovable properties, to institute and defend legal proceedings.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
  • The International Solar Alliance is an initiative jointly launched by the PM Modi and President of France on 30th November 2015 in Paris, France.
  • The ISA became the first international intergovernmental treaty-based organization to be headquartered in India.

Awards

7. London Based Organisation SACF Wins Frederick Pincott Award

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_9.1
i. South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF), a London based organisation has received the Frederick Pincott Award for 2017 from the Indian High Commissioner, Y K Sinha for promoting Hindi cinema in Britain for the last 18 years.

ii. The SACF has been doing commendable work for nearly two decades to promote Hindi and regional Indian cinema in the UK.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
  • Lalit Mohan Joshi is the Director of SACF.
  • The SACF was set up in London in January 2000.

Ranks and Reports

8. India Becomes 3rd Largest Electricity Producer in the World
Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_10.1
i. India has become the 3rd largest electricity producer in the world as its electricity production grew 34% over seven years to 2017. The country now produces more energy than Japan and Russia, which had 27% and 8.77% more electricity generation capacity installed, respectively.
ii. Electricity production stood at 1,003.525 Billion Unit between April 2017-January 2018, according to a February 2018 report by India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a trust established by the commerce ministry.
iii. The top 3 Producers of Electricity in the world are-
1. China
2. The USA
3. India.

9. India Becomes 4th Largest Auto Market in the World

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_11.1
i. India has overtaken Germany to become the fourth largest automobile market in the world, According to the latest global data. Automobile sales, including passenger and commercial vehicles, in Asia’s third-largest economy, grew 9.5%.
ii. It is the fastest among major global markets, last year to more than 4 million units, outpacing Germany’s 3.8-million vehicle sales, which rose by a modest 2.8% in the same period.
iii. The top 5 countries on the list are-
1. China
2. USA
3. Japan.
10. West Bengal Tops List of States with Most Number of Beggars
Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_12.1

i. The government of India has come out with the total number of beggars in the country. As per the data, based on 2011 census released by Union ministry of Social Justice, there are around 4 lakh beggars in total. The highest number of beggars, 81,000, are in West Bengal.
ii. Lakshadweep, a union territory, has only two people (Least) begging for their livelihood. West Bengal is followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at number two and three respectively.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-

  • Thawar Chand Gehlot is the Social Justice Minister of India.
Banking News


11. Equitas Bank Ties Up With CSK

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_13.1
i. Equitas Small Finance Bank has launched a new ‘Yellow Army Savings Account’ to increase its customer base through its association with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a franchise of the Indian Premium League (IPL).
ii. The yellow army savings account will offer an interest rate of 6% per annum for balance below Rs10 lakh and 6.5% per annum for balance above Rs10 lakh. The average quarterly balance requirement will be Rs10,000 per account.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
  • Part-time Chairman of Equitas Small Finance Bank- Arun Ramanathan, Headquarters in- Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Appointments

12. JS Rajput Nominated India’s Representative to UNESCO’s Executive Board

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_14.1
i. The Government of India has decided to nominate Prof. J S Rajput, former Director NCERT, as India’s representative to the Executive Board (EXB) of UNESCO. The EXB has a four-year term of office and 58 seats.

ii. The executive board is one of the constitutional organs of UNESCO and is elected by the General Conference. The next meeting of Executive Board of UNESCO is to be held in Paris, France in April 2018.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
  • UNESCO- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
  • France’s Audrey Azoulay- 11th DG of UNESCO, Headquarters- Paris, France.



Sports News
13. ISSF Junior World Cup- Anish Bhanwala Wins Gold
Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_15.1
i. India’s 15-year-old shooter Anish Bhanwala won a gold medal at the ISSF Junior World Cup in the 25 meter rapid fire pistol event in Sydney, Australia. It was India’s third gold at the event.
ii. India is now placed second in the overall standings with 15 medals, comprising six gold, three silver and six bronze, behind China and ahead of top shooting nations such as Italy and hosts Australia.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
  • Australia Capital- Canberra, Currency- Australian Dollar, Prime Minister- Malcolm Turnbull.

14. Sebastian Vettel Wins Australian Grand Prix

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_16.1
i. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) won a dramatic Australian Grand Prix after leapfrogging Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) during a safety car period.
ii. Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari was in the third position. Sebastian Vettel was the first man to meet the chequered flag in 2018.

15. Pankaj Advani Wins Asian Billiards Championships Title

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_17.1
i. Pankaj Advani defended his Asian Billiards Championships title by demolishing his practice partner B Bhaskar 6-1 in the summit clash in Yangon, Myanmar. With this win, Advani remains the reigning Indian, Asian and world champion in billiards for 2017-18.
ii. This is Advani’s 11th gold medal at the Asian level of cue sports. India’s Amee Kamani won the Asian Women’s Snooker title by defeating her Thai opponent Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan 3-0.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
  • Myanmar State Counsellor– Aung San Suu Kyi, Capital- Naypyidaw. 
  • Pankaj Advani won the Arjuna Award in 2004, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2006, and Padma Shri in 2009.

16. India U-16 Win Hong Kong Football Tournament

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_18.1
i. The India U-16 team emerged champions in the Jockey Cup International Youth Invitational Football Tournament with a victory over Hong Kong U-17 in the final in Hong Kong.
ii. The tournament was an U-17 event where India fielded their U-16 National Team. The team was coached by Bibiano Fernandes.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
  • Hong Kong is an autonomous territory, and former British colony, in southeastern China.

Current Affairs 26th March 2018: Daily GK Update |_20.1



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