TOP NEWS OF THE DAY:              

                                                                                  DATE: 19/03/2024

1.  According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Heavy Rains to Lash Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha Till March 20.

2.  The Supreme Court directed the State Bank of India to make a complete disclosure of all details related to electoral bonds by Thursday. The apex court said the details to be disclosed include the unique bond numbers that would reveal the link between the buyers and the recipient political parties. 

3.  The 37th Foundation Day of Indira Gandhi National Center for Arts (IGNCA) will be celebrated from Tuesday at the IGNCA premises in New Delhi. The three-day event will organize various programs, which include classical singing, musical instruments, dance, Holi of flowers, workshops and basketry exhibition.

4.  PM Modi virtually inaugurated India’s first integrated oil palm processing unit, operated by 3F Oil Palm, marking a significant stride in the nation’s journey towards self-reliance in edible oils. Situated in Arunachal Pradesh’s Roing, this project aligns with Mission Palm Oil under the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).

5.  Three day Startup Mahakumbh Begins in New Delhi; Aims to Connect Startups with inventors including Venture Capitalists, Investors and Potential Corporate Partners. 

6.  National Democractic Alliance has reached seat-sharing agreement in Bihar for the Lok Sabha polls with the BJP set to contest 17 seats and JD-U 16.

7.  Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that about three-five lakh people will apply for Indian citizenship under the CAA in the state, asserting that the applicants will comprise only those who were excluded from the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC).

8.  Andhrapradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will embark on 'Memantha Siddham' (We are all ready) bus yatra as part of the YSRC campaign for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

9.  Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has landed in Delhi on Monday to hold discussions with the BJP leaders on joining the NDA for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

10.  India government has started the process of building a major ropeway project right next to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. The 5.2-km-long ropeway project, to be built at a cost of Rs 522 crore, will be from the world-famous Tawang Monastery to PT Tso Lake and will be developed within the next three years.

11.  Senior bureaucrat Rahul Singh has been appointed as the chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

12.  Election Commission of India (ECI), the West Bengal government on Monday appointed Vivek Sahay as the new DGP of the state. 

13.  The Hon’ble Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Dr Smt Tamilisai Soundararajan has tendered her resignation with immediate effect. The resignation has been submitted to the Hon’ble President of India. She is now expected to join the BJP and contest on a party ticket in the Lok Sabha elections.

LEGAL NEWS:

#Chief Justice of India:

Shri Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud

#Minister Of Law & Justice : Arjun Ram Meghwal

#International Court Of Justice Prz. :  Nawaf Salam

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1.  Saket Gokhale, of Trinamool Congress party claimed that PM Modi violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for using an Indian Air Force helicopter to attend an election rally in Andhra Pradesh. 

2.  In his social media post, Gokhale said, "Filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Modi for using an Indian Air Force helicopter to attend an election rally. 

3.  BRS leader K Kavitha and some others "conspired" with top AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, to get favours in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy by paying Rs 100 crore to the political party that rules Delhi, the Enforcement Directorate alleged on Monday.

4.  Sukhwinder Singh alias Rana Mansoorpuria, the gangster who had killed police constable Amritpal Singh during a raid at Mansoorpur near Mukerian on Sunday, was shot dead near Bhangala in Mukerian on the national highway in an encounter on Monday evening.

5.  The Supreme Court granted bail to Abbas Ansari, son of the infamous gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in an arms license case on Monday, following an extended legal battle. 

""""""""" MiISHAPS """"""""""

A five-story under-construction building on Sunday night (Mar 17) collapsed in the Indian city of Kolkata in West Bengal, killing at least 10 people as per local reports

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FINANCE:

#Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman.

#Commerce & Industry : Piyush Goyal

#RBI Gvrnr: Shaktikanta Das

#President of the World Bank : Ajay Banga

#IMF MD: Kristalina Georgieva

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💰 USD  ₹  83

💷 GBP  ₹ 106

€  Euro : ₹ 91

 🇨🇳 Yuan ¥ : ₹ 12

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 GDP(PPP ) :

purchasing power parity (PPP)

 $13.119 trillion 

 GDP (nominal) 

: $3.73 trillion 

(Nominal means total market value of all goods and services produced in a country's economy) . 

 

 GDP growth :  7.6% 

India is the fifth largest economy in the world. 

 Inflation rate :  Retail Inflation 5.69% in Dec 2023

 Population : 143.86 cr  

(17.7% of the total world population).

 Unemployment : 6.8%

 Per capita: This income is also known as average income as it is calculated by dividing the total income of the country by the total population of the country.

 GDP per capita 

 $2,845 (Nominal; 2024) 

 $9,983 (PPP; 2024)

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 BSE SENSEX 

72,748.42 +104.99 (0.14%)🌲

 NIFTY

22,055.70 +32.35 (0.15%)🌲

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 Rates in Financial Capital Mumbai 

 GOLD : ₹ 65,600/10gm (24 krt) 

 SILVER : ₹ 77,000/KG

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 ⛽ FUEL in DELHI 

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 PETROL : ₹ 95/Ltr

 DIESEL : ₹ 88/Ltr 

 CNG  : ₹ 76/Ltr

 LPG : ₹ 903/14.2 Kg 

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 ⛽ FUEL in MUMBAI 

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 PETROL  : ₹ 104/Ltr

 DIESEL   : 93/Ltr

 Auto Gas : ₹ 60/Ltr

 CNG    : 76/Kg

 LPG    : ₹ 903/14.2 Kg 

1.  SANY India, a top construction equipment manufacturer, has forged a strategic partnership with J&K Bank to fuel growth and development opportunities in the region. The collaboration aims to offer accessible financial solutions to customers, facilitating the acquisition of advanced machinery for infrastructure projects.

2.  Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints Jaideep Hansraj as Group President - One Kotak.

3.  Top-10 Largest Steel Companies in India. 

(a) Tata Steel Ltd. 1907 Mumbai

(b) Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) 1954 New Delhi

(c) Visa Steel Ltd. 1994 Kolkata

(d) Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) 1962 Visakhapatnam

(e) JSW Steel 1982 Mumbai

(f)  Essar Steel 1998 Mumbai

(g) Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. 1979 New Delhi

(h)  Electro Steel Castings Ltd. 1955 Kolkata

(j) Mideast Integrated Steel Limited (MISL) 1992 Odisha

(k) Godawari Power and Ispat Ltd. 1999

  

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DEFENCE:

#Supreme Commander of Armed Forces: The President

#Def Minister: Rajnath Singh

#Def Minister of State :

Ajay Bhatt

#Union Home : Amit Shah

#National Security Advisor : Ajit Doval

#Chief of Defence Staff:  

Gen Anil Chauhan, PVSM UYSM AVSM SM VSM

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1.  India and the United States are all set for 'Tiger Triumph 2024' as the bilateral, tri-service exercise between the two nations commenced on Monday and will take place until March 31.

2.  The U.S. Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin appreciated the important role being played by the Indian Navy in conducting anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean Region. This was conveyed during a telephonic conversation with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on March 18.

3.  South Korean Air Force's Chief of Staff, General Lee Youngsu, called on Indian Air Force Chief, Air Marshal VR Chaudhari, in New Delhi on Monday.The two leaders, as they met, discussed issues of mutual interest between the forces of the two countries. 

4.  GUYANA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH INDIAN EXIM BANK TO PURCHASE 2 AIRCRAFT FOR GUYANA DEFENCE FORCES :  The Finance Minister of Guyana, Dr Ashni K. Singh, finalized a Line of Credit (LOC) Agreement worth US$23.27 million with the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) for the acquisition of two aircraft.

5.  The Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata has taken 35 sea pirates into custody and is being brought to India along with the 17 crew members rescued after the major operation, officials said. 

Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Mariya Gabriel on Sunday expressed gratitude to the Indian Navy for successfully carrying out a rescue operation to take back control of a hijacked merchant vessel and its 17 crew members including seven Bulgarian nationals in the Arabian Sea.

6.  Armed Forces Medical College AFMC, Pune was awarded with the unit citation by Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan on Monday at a ceremony conducted at AFMC. The award is in recognition for the exceptional commitment displayed and exemplary services rendered during the period from 01 Jul 2022 to 30 Jun 2023.

7.  Major General Manish Kumar, Sena Medal (Bar), took charge as the new Inspector General of Assam Rifles (North), based in Kohima, Nagaland.

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INTERNATIONAL AND WORLD NEWS:

++++++++++++++++++

#External affairs Minister:  S Jaishankar

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1.   Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Vladimir Putin on his re-election as the President of the Russian Federation.

2.  Uday Bhatia and Manasi Gupta from India were honored with the prestigious 'Diana Memorial Award' on 14 March 2024.  This award is given every two years in memory of Princess Diana.  It recognizes exceptional youth for their social work or humanitarian services.

3.  India, Maldives hold 3rd core group meet, review withdrawal of Indian military personnel.

4.  Assistant Administrator for Global Health at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Dr. Atul Gawande, will be visiting India from March 19 to 22 to move forward the US-India health partnership.During his visit, Assistant Administrator Gawande will be visiting New Delhi, Dewas and Indore in Madhya Pradesh to engage with government officials. 

5.  The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a fresh bail plea of Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman who is being probed by the CBI and the ED in the alleged ₹ 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper scam cases relating to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters. 

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UNO Gen. Secy : António Guterres. 

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1.  United States President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (Mar 18) and discussed the situation in Rafah. In the first call between the two leaders since February 15, they talked about the efforts to increase aid to war-ravaged Gaza. 

2.  European Union has announced a landmark partnership agreement with Egypt, elevating the bloc’s relationship with the North African nation and unveiling a substantial funding package to support Egypt’s faltering economy and address shared challenges. 

3.  The Taliban on Monday (Mar 18) condemned the air strikes by Pakistan, claiming that the attacks inside Afghanistan killed women and children. It also said that Afghanistan does not allow anyone to "compromise security" by using Afghan territory. 

4.  Thailand's culture ministry announced that over 4 million devotees paid homage to Buddha's holy relics during the entire exposition held in Thailand.

5.  North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Monday in what analysts said was a calculated move to grab attention as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits South Korea for talks. Blinken is attending the third Summit for Democracy and met President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul early Monday. 

 

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SPORT:

#Minister: Anurag Singh Thakur

#BCCI president: 

Roger Binny 

#Hockey India President:

Dilip Tirkey

#16th President of the Indian Olympic Association : P. T. Usha

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1.  The Indian Olympic Association on Monday dissolved the ad-hoc committee for wrestling, saying "there is no further need" for it to continue after revocation of the suspension on the national federation, which now gets complete administrative control of the sport. The ad-hoc committee was formed in December last year after the sports ministry suspended the WFI. 

2.  TENNIS : World number one Iga Swiatek dominated ninth seed Maria Sakkari to win the Indian Wells final 6-4 6-0 and claim the title for a second time in the California desert on Sunday.

3.  Srinagar hosted its first-ever Formula 4 car racing event, showcasing high-octane action and igniting excitement amongst the local youth on Sunday. The sleek racing cars thundered along a 1.7 km track, stretching from Lalit Ghat on the banks of Dal Lake to Nehru Park in the heart of the city.   the event captivated locals and motorsport enthusiasts alike as professional Formula 4 drivers showcased their skills with exhilarating stunts.

4.  Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated India’s first indoor athletics stadium and indoor aquatic centre at the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneshwar. 

 

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ODISHA = Bhubaneswar

Before was

Orissa Province

 Formation : 01 April 1936; 

 Districts : 30 (3 divisions)

 

 Governor : Raghubar Das

CM : Naveen Patnaik (BJD)

STATE SYMBOLS 

 BIRD : Indian roller

 Fish : Mahanadi mahseer

 Flower : Asoka

 Mammal : Sambar

Tree: Sacred Fig