01 March 2017 - Daily Current Affairs
Roger Federer wins sportsman & comeback of the year awards
- Twenty-times Grand Slam champion Swiss star, Roger Federer (36-year) has won the 2017 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year and Comeback of the Year awards at the 18th edition of the awards ceremony in Monaco.
- Federer had clinched the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles last year after the seven-year break of winning any major.
- Serena Williams took home the World Sportswoman of the Year award after winning her 23rd grand slam in 2017.
- Formula 1 constructors' champions Mercedes picked up the Team of the Year trophy, while wheelchair athlete Marcel Hug bagged the Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.
- Brazilian football club Chapecoense were given the Best Sporting Moment of the Year for their response to adversity following a plane crash in 2016 in which they lost the majority of their team.
CSIR-NIO Goa announces discovery of methane gas flares and active cold seeps
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa has announced the discovery of methane gas flares and active cold seeps from the seabed in the Krishna Godavari basin in the Bay of Bengal.
- The discovery was made by a team of scientists from CSIR-NIO during an exercise undertaken in January-February 2018.
- The seep sites are distributed over a water depth of 900 meters to 1,900 meters.
- These sites are characterized by high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, calcium carbonate, unique faunal groups and shallow presence of methane hydrates.
Eminent Odia writer Kanakalata Mohanty passes away
- Eminent Odia writer Kanakalata Mohanty (82-year) passed away due to old age-related problems
- Mohanty is the author of 12 novels and more than 100 short stories.
- Her novels Ete Andhara, Kete Jwala and Anuradha shot her into the limelight in the 1960s.
I&B Minister Smriti Irani Releases 'India-2018' Book
- Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Smriti Irani has released 'India 2018' (English Version) & 'Bharat 2018' (Hindi Version) in print and online versions.
- The books are published by the Publications Division.
- It is an exhaustive publication dealing with all aspects of the country's development.
Registration for annual Amarnath Yatra begins
- he registration for annual Amarnath Yatra (two-month long) began through 440 branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and YES Bank across the country.
- The pilgrimage will start on the 28th of June this year via both Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
- Any person below the age of 13 years or above 75 years, pregnant women and medically unfit people are barred for taking pilgrimage in south Kashmir.
- For details visit the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board's website: “shriamarnathjishrine.com”.
Note:
- Amarnath cave is a Hindu shrine located in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The cave is situated at an altitude of 12,756 ft, about 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar and reached through Pahalgam town.
- The shrine forms an important part of Hinduism and is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism.
1st Mega Food Park inaugurated in Maharashtra
- In Maharashtra, the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal has inaugurated the first Mega Food Park at M/s Satara Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd. at Village Degaon, District Satara.
- This is the 10th Mega Food Park being operationalized in the country and the 8th one operationalized during the tenure of the present government.
- The Satara Mega Food Park has been set up in 64 acres of land at a cost of Rs. 139.30 crore.
Note:
- The Government of India provides financial assistance of up to Rs. 50.00 Crore per Mega Food Park project under the scheme.
India To Grow 7.6% In 2018: Moody's
- US-based Major credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service estimated that India will grow 7.6% in the calendar year 2018 and 7.5% in 2019.
- The Budget for a fiscal year beginning April 1 (2018-19) includes some measures to stabilize the rural economy that was disproportionately hit by the scrapping of high denomination 500 and 1000 Rupee notes.
Major credit rating agencies of the world:
- Moody's Investors Service was established in 1909, headquarters in New York, USA.
- Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC: was founded in 1860, headquarters in New York, USA, subsidiary of S&P Global.
- Fitch Ratings: was founded in 1914, headquarters in New York City and London.
IOC restores Russia's Olympic membership
- International Olympic Committee (IOC) has restored Russia's Olympic membership with immediate effect following its suspension from the Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang in South Korea.
- A total of 168 Russians competed as part of a neutral OAR team at the Winter Olympics and was the third largest to win 17 medals, including two golds.
- All the remaining tests on the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) team were found negative.
- Russia was banned from February's Games by the IOC over state-sponsored doping.
