21 March 2017 - Daily Current Affairs

International Day of Forests being observed today

The United Nations General Assembly designated 21st March as the International Day of Forests to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
The theme of 2018 is ‘Forests and Sustainable Cities’.
This global celebration of forests provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of woodlands, trees, and celebrate the ways in which they sustain and protect us.

21st March: World Poetry Day

The World Poetry Day is observed every year on 21st March to promote the reading, writing, publishing, and teaching of poetry throughout the world.
A decision to proclaim 21^st March as World Poetry Day was adopted during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999.

Parsis celebrate their New year's day, Navroz

Today, Parsis in India & abroad are celebrating their New year's ‘Navroz’ with great enthusiasm.
Parsis in Mumbai are visiting nearby Agiaries to offer special Tehveel-e-Navroz prayers on the occasion of Navroz.

Note:

Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
It marks the first day of the first month (Farvardin) in the Iranian calendar.

Summits and Conferences

106th Indian Science Congress to be held in Bhopal

The 106th edition of the Indian Science Congress will be held next year from 3rd to 7th January at the ‘Barkatullah University’ in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
The theme of the106th Indian Science Congress will be “Future India: Science and Technology”.
Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a premier scientific organization of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal.

Note:

The association started in the year 1914 in Kolkata.
It has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.

Sessions of Indian Science Congress:

Session	Year	Place	Title/Theme
103rd	2016	Mysore	Science and Technology for Indigenous Development in India
104th	2017	Tirupati (S. V. University)	SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
105th	2018	Imphal (Manipur University)	Reaching the unreached through science and technology
106th	2019	Bhopal (Barkatullah University)	Future India: Science and Technology

Books & Authors

Indian Army releases a book on Paramveer Chakra awardees

The chief of the Army Staff ‘General Bipin Rawat’ has released a book on Paramveer Chakra Awardee ’Paramveer Parwane’.
The book is written by Dr. Prabhakiran Jain and published by ‘Medha Books’.
The book illustrates the bravery of Paramveer Chakra Awardees from 1947 to 1965.
The book has eleven short stories, poems, and songs highlighting the history of the battles in which the brave soldiers sacrificed their lives and have shown the utmost courage & leadership while facing the enemy during War to protect the motherland.

National Affairs

UGC gives full autonomy to 60 higher educational institutions

According to the Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, The University Grant Commission (UGC) has accorded autonomy to 60 higher education institutions, which have maintained high academic standards.
In Sixty institutions (Central Universities-5, State Universities-21, deemed-24, Private Universities-2 and colleges-8), have been granted autonomy under the Autonomous Colleges Regulation.
These universities will remain within the ambit of the UGC but will have the freedom to start new courses, off-campus centers, skill development courses, research parks and any other new academic programs.
They will have the freedom to hire foreign faculty, enroll foreign students, give incentive-based emoluments to the faculty, enter into academic collaborations and run open distance learning programmes.

Note: Five Central Universities are Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Delhi, University of Hyderabad, Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and the English and Foreign Languages University in Telangana.

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 at an event in the GPO Mumbai.
The postal department is paying tribute to the legendary scientist by releasing the special cover in all its 22 Circles.
Hawking passed away at the age of 76 on 14^th March in his home in Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

Govt. approves Plastic park in Deoghar, Jharkhand

The Union Minister Mr. Ananth Kumar has approved the setting up of a Plastic Park in Deoghar District, Jharkhand.
The project would be set up at a cost of Rs. 120 crores in an area of 150 acres.
He also announced the setting up of Rs. 3.5 crore Plastic Recycling unit at Deoghar to tackle the menace of plastic waste.
Deoghar receives over 5 crore tourists per year, leading to the generation of a lot of plastic waste.

AM Gotsurve appointed Indian ambassador to the Republic of Korea

Atul M. Gotsurve (IFS officer - 2004 batch) has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Currently, Mr. Gotsurve is serving as the Director in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Note: South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea) is a sovereign state in East Asia constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

International Affairs

Myanmar President Htin Kyaw resigns

Myanmar's President Htin Kyaw (72-year) resigned after two years in the position (30^th March 2016 – 20^th March 2018).
According to the constitution, Myanmar's Vice President Myint Swe, (former general) will move into the role until a new president is in place.
The President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar is the head of state and the head of government of Myanmar and heads the Cabinet of Myanmar.

Note:

The president is elected by members of parliament, not by the general population.
The Presidential Electoral College, a three-committee body made up of Amyotha Hluttaw, Pyithu Hluttaw members of parliament, or military-appointed lawmakers, nominates a candidate for the presidency.
The candidate with the highest number of votes from the Electoral College is elected president, while the two other candidates become vice-presidents.

India & Hong Kong sign double taxation avoidance agreement

India signed a double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) with Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on to improve transparency in tax matters.
The agreement has been signed by Indian Ambassador to China ‘Gautam Bambawale’ and Hong Kong Finance Secretary ‘Paul Chan Mo-po’ in Hong Kong.
It will prevent double taxation and boost exchange of information between the two contracting parties.
It will also improve transparency in tax matters and will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance.