21-22 March 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

World Water Day is being observed every year on 22nd March to raise awareness about the importance of water.
The theme of this year is ‘Leaving no one behind’.
This is an adaptation of the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: as sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit.
Today, there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home.

Today, Bihar is celebrating its 107th foundation day, a number of programmes have been organized throughout the state on the occasion.
Bihar Diwas (Bihar Day) is observed every year on March 22, marking the formation of the state of Bihar.
It was on this day when the British carved out the state from Bengal Presidency in 1912.

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.

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.
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.

The World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), (Schrage Day), is celebrated on 21st March to raise public awareness for the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of people with Down syndrome.
The global theme for 2019 is “Leave no one behind”.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21^st March to remind people about the negative consequences of racial discrimination.
The theme of 2019 is Mitigating and countering rising nationalist populism and extreme supremacist ideologies.
The United Nations General Assembly called for the day in 1966 to encourage people to remember their obligation and determination to combat racial discrimination.

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 21st March as World Poetry Day was adopted during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999.

India and Sri Lanka will conduct a joint exercise 'Mitra Shakti' in Sri Lanka from 26^th March to 8^th April for the year 2018-19.
It is conducted annually as part of military diplomacy and interaction between armies of two nations.
The exercise will involve tactical level operations in an international counter-terrorism environment under United Nations mandate.

Obituaries

sitting AIADMK MLA from Sulur constituency, R Kanagaraj (66 years) passed away due to cardiac arrest at Sulur near Coimbatore.
He was first-time MLA (AIADMK)from Sulur constituency.
Several leaders have offered their condolences to his family for his demise.

University of Texas professor Karen Uhlenbeck (76-year) has become the first woman to win the Abel Prize, a mathematics honour first given in 2003.
She was awarded for the impact of her work on “analysis, geometry and mathematical physics”.
Modelled after the Nobel Prize, the Abel Prize is presented by the King of Norway and carries cash award USD 700,000.
The award was awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo.

Kazakhstan has renamed its capital Astana to Nursultan to honour outgoing leader Nursultan Nazarbayev(78-years), served nearly 30 years as president of the nation.
Mr Tokayev was sworn in as president some 24 hours after Mr Nazarbayev's surprise resignation.
He will serve for the remainder of the presidential term which expires in April 2020.

Election Commission has appointed two eminent former Civil Servants Shailendra Handa and Ms. Madhu Mahajan as Special Expenditure Observers for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.
Shailendra Handa has been deployed in Maharashtra and Madhu Mahajan has been deployed in Tamil Nadu.
Both officers have rich experience of working in Investigation Wing of I.T Department and have supervised many successful search and seizure actions unearthing tax evasion in complicated cases.
The Special Observers will supervise and monitor the work being done by the electoral machinery.
They will ensure that stringent and effective enforcement action is undertaken based on intelligence inputs and complaints received through C-VIGIL and Voter Helpline 1950 against all persons and entities trying to induce voters by distributing cash and liquor.

PhonePe (UPI based payment app company) has appointed Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as its Brand Ambassador.
PhonePe is one of India’s fastest growing payment platform and is based on UPI.
It is headquartered in Bengaluru.

Note:

A brand ambassador is a person who is hired by an organization or company to represent a brand in a positive light and by doing so help to increase brand awareness and sales.