Current Affairs Questions for Competitive Exams: 5th March 2019

According to Moody’s, Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.3 percent in the calendar year 2019 and 2020.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed the plenary session of the foreign ministers’ meet of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation states in Abu Dhabi.

A book titled, ‘Mann Ki Baat- A Social Revolution on Radio’ was released by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi. The book is a compendium encompassing 50 editions of the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on All India Radio.

Former Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia was appointed as non-executive chairman of Bank of Baroda. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as the part-time non-official director as well as non-executive chairman on the board of Bank of Baroda for a period of three years.

The Centre and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a 926 million dollar loan agreement to operationalize two lines of the Mumbai Metro Rail System.

The Reserve Bank of India has constituted an eight-member task force on offshore rupee markets, headed by Usha Thorat former Deputy Governor, to look into issues related to the markets and recommend appropriate policy measures to ensure the stability of the external value of the rupee.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) created the Guinness World Record for ‘longest single line bicycle parade (moving)’ at the Yamuna Expressway, Noida. CISF personnel rode 1,327 bicycles non-stop in a single line, maintaining a uniform distance between the bicycles.

The United States has officially shuttered its consulate in Jerusalem, downgrading the status of its main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians by folding it into the U.S. Embassy to Israel. The U.S. State Department stated that the decision was driven to increase the efficiency and effectiveness in diplomatic engagements.

Roger Federer has claimed the 100th ATP title of his career after beating 20-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships. The 20-time grand slam champion is the second man, after American Jimmy Connors to claim 100 titles.

India has signed a deal with a Russian firm to manufacture 7.5 lakh AK-203 rifles. These are the latest derivative of the AK-47 rifles. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the AK-203 rifles will be produced at the Indian Ordnance Factory at Amethi’s Korwa. The new rifles will replace the indigenous INSAS rifles in the Army, Air Force, and Navy.

Zhores Alferov, a Russian physicist and Nobel Prize laureate, has passed away. He was 88. In 2000, Alferov received the Nobel Prize in Physics together with US scientists Jack Kilby and Herbert Kroemer, for developing semiconductor heterostructures used in high-speed-and optoelectronics.

Former Finance Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha has joined as a member of the 15th Finance Commission. Jha has been posted in place of Shaktikanta Das who had resigned as a member of the Commission after being appointed the RBI Governor. Jha is a 1982-batch IAS officer of Manipur cadre. He was retired as a Finance Secretary to the central government.

Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani launched a comprehensive scheme for the development of knitting and knitwear sector under PowerTex India in New Delhi. Apart from financial incentives, the two key elements are Yarn Bank and financial assistance for the solar energy scheme.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran (JI-VAN) Yojana’ for providing financial support to the Integrated Bioethanol Projects.

Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) took part in the 3-day ‘Mainamati Maitree Exercise 2019’ as a part of ‘Confidence Building Measures’ between India and Bangladesh held in Agartala, Tripura. The main objective of this exercise was to plan and conduct anti-smuggling and anti-criminal activity related operations with an aim to achieve better joint operational efficiency and border management in the area.

A loan agreement of USD 455 million was signed between the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Government of India for financing the Andhra Pradesh Rural Roads Projects. These projects will connect 3,300 habitations with a population of more than 250, and benefit around 2 million people. It is the third project in Andhra Pradesh signed by the AIIB after two projects in Power Sector and Water Sector.

IFFCO Tokio General Insurance has launched ‘bank locker protector policy’, the first stand-alone bank locker cover offered by any insurance company with a plan to protect the contents of a bank locker such as jewelry, title documents, and other valuables. The policy offers a cover against various risks including fire, earthquake, burglary, holdup or any act of terrorism. It offers 7 options of sum insured ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 40 lakh and above and the premium rate is affordable with a cover of Rs 3 lakh available at just Rs 300.

Gram Samridhi Yojana, a Rs 3,000 crore scheme funded by the World Bank and the Government of India, is being worked upon by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in order to strengthen the unorganised food processing sector concentrated in rural areas.

‘Mukhyamantri Parivar Samman Nidhi’ scheme was launched by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh. It is primarily meant for farmers of the state who cultivate on land with areas up to 5 acres and the families with an income of less than Rs. 15,000 per month. The scheme would provide a sum of Rs. 6,000 yearly and each family has to nominate a member who will be provided with this amount.

A water conservation scheme ‘Jal Amrutha’ was launched by Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru. A function was organized by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department at Dr. B R Ambedkar Bhavan in Bengaluru.