27 March 2017 - Daily Current Affairs

27 March 2017 - Daily Current Affairs

27 March 2017 - Daily Current Affairs

Asia’s largest tulip garden in Srinagar thrown open to visitors

  • Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden has been opened for visitors on the foothills of Zabarwan Range, in Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir).
  • It is the largest tulip garden in Asia spread over an area of about 30 hectares.
  • This year around 1.25 million tulip bulbs were sown in the garden.
  • Tulip is a very short-lived flower that comes to bloom in spring and lasts for barely a fortnight.
Note:
  • The tulip garden was opened in 2008 with the aim to boost floriculture and tourism in Kashmir Valley.
  • Tulip festival (25th March to 15th April-2018) is an annual celebration that aims to showcase the range of flowers in the garden as a part of tourism efforts by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, organized during the onset of the spring season in Kashmir valley.

Notification of Assembly elections in Karnataka issued

  • The Chief Election Commissioner ‘Om Prakash Rawat’ has announced the schedule for the Assembly election in Karnataka
  • Single phase polling in the state will take place on 12th May and results on the 15th May.
  • There are 224 assembly seats in Karnataka 225 assembly seats, while one seat will be nominated from the Anglo-Indian community.
  • The limit for expenses for candidates is Rs. 28 lakhs. 
  • VVPATs will be used with EVMs during the polling in over 56 thousand polling stations and over 4 crores 96 lakh people will exercise their franchise in the state. 

Rural Development Minister inaugurates ‘Saras Aajeevika Mela’ in Delhi

  • The Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has inaugurated the ‘Saras Aajeevika Mela’ at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
  • The stalls will display the skills, potential and hard work of our women from across India.
  • The products range from handlooms, handicrafts, artifacts and heritage products, tribal ornaments, decorative items, metallic products, earthen utensils, paintings, organic food items, spices, processed food products, soft toys, utility items, brass and wrought iron products.
  • Now onwards two Saras Melas will be organized in each state.

AAI signs MoU with Assam govt to develop villages in Kamrup

  • The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Assam government under its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) initiative for the sustainable development of human settlements at villages in Kamrup district.
  • It would provide financial assistance under its CSR initiative of Rs. 4.58 crore for the Kamrup district as per the estimates prepared by the UNDP to improve the resilience of communities around Guwahati Airport.

India becomes world’s third largest electricity producer

  • India is the third largest producer and consumer of electricity in the world with the generation of 1,423 BU, behind China (6,015 BU) and the United States (4,327 BU).
  • According to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) February 2018 report, Electricity production stood at 1,003.525 Billion Unit between April 2017- Jan2018.

BHEL wins 75MW solar photovoltaic plant in Gujarat

  • The public-sector Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has won an order for setting up a 75 MW Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) power plant in Gujarat, against stiff international bidding.
  • This is the organization’s largest solar PV project till date.
  • The company is presently executing over 150 MW of ground-mounted and rooftop Solar PV projects across the country.
  • This space-grade solar and battery panels as well as solar plants in various locations in India including the remote Lakshadweep islands.

27th March: World Theatre Day

  • The World Theatre Day (WTD) is celebrated annually on 27th March by ITI Centres and the international theatre community.
  • World Theatre Day was created in 1961 by an international non-governmental organization International Theatre Institute (ITI), France.
  • ITI was founded in 1948 by UNESCO and the international theatre community.
Note:
  • Each year, a World Theatre Day International Message is circulated, through which, at the invitation of International Theatre Institute (ITI), a figure of world stature shares his/her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace.

Exim Bank extends USD 500 million loan facility to the 15-nation group in Africa

  • The Export-Import Bank ‘Exim Bank’ will provide a USD 500 million credit facility to Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to fund various development projects in western-south Africa.
  • Now, Bank has extended four LoCs to the Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) of West African States, taking the total value of LOCs to USD 1,000 million.
  • The LoC of USD 500 million is an umbrella limit for financing developmental projects in 15-member countries.

Govt approves the guarantee of Rs 5,000 cr for IRFC Bonds

  • The Ministry of Finance has approved Government guarantee of Rs. 5,000 cores in the current fiscal year for Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) bonds to be subscribed by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
  • The guarantee fee for the amount has also been waived by the Finance Ministry.
  • On 11th March 2015, the Railway ministry had entered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LIC by which LIC must provide a financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh 50 thousand crores for identified Railway projects from 2015 to 2109.
Note:
  • Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) is a finance arm of the Indian Railway.
  • It raises financial resources for expansion and running through capital markets and other borrowings.

Chhattisgarh bags 'Water Digest Award' for water conservation

  • The Union Minister of State for Water Resources ‘Arjun Ram Megwal’ presented the National 'Water Digest Award' to ‘Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department’ for Water Conservation-Diversion and increasing the irrigation capacity in the State.
  • Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department had been given national Award during the past 17 years.
  • The Award is presented every year by the globally renowned magazine 'Water Digest', which focuses mainly on water resources.

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