GK STUDENT

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Tuesday introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha that seeks to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and empowers the Centre to freeze and seize financial assets of people involved in such activities. The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which is aimed at unifying the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi to ensure a “robust set­up for synergised and strategic planning and optimal utilisation of resources”. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022 passed by Parliament. Australian keeper-­batter Alyssa Healy jumped to the top in the recently released ICC Women ODI Batters rankings. National Maritime Day (NMD) is observed every year on 5 April.

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, by voice vote.  Sudayadas S., Shijit R.B., Rahul Balakrishnan, Jayesh K.K., and Smitha Babu have been selected for the The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi awards for visual arts awards of 2020­-21 that comprise a purse of ₹50,000 and a citation. Raji Prasad, Vaishak K., Akhil Mohan, Abdulla P.A., and Deepa Gopal have received honourable mention in the The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi awards for visual arts awards of 2020­-21, which comprises a purse of ₹25,000 and a citation. Biji Bhaskar was selected for the V. Shankara Menon Endowment Gold Medal in The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi awards for visual arts awards of 2020-­21. The Vijaya Raghavan Endowment Gold Medal in The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi awards for visual arts awards of 2020­-21 went to Abela Rueben. Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur on Monday launched the Broadcast Seva Portal, as part of the “ease­of­doing busine...

India will set up hybrid power projects in three islands, of Jaffna, SriLanka. Assam and Meghalaya entered into an agreement to resolve border issue in 6 among 12 disputed sectors. As per the latest Rhino population census, the animal's number has increased by 200 in four years. Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue started under the Motto: “From Ambition to Action”. National SARAS (Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society) Mela started in Thiruvananthapuram. The Navy on Tuesday formally commissioned its second squadron of P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, ‘Condors’, at INS Hansa in Goa. Fire breaks out at Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. Credit rating agency ICRA has cut its India GDP growth forecast for 2022­23 to 7.2%, from 8%. FedEx names Raj Subramanium as next CEO.

 Robert Abela sworn in as Prime Minister of  Malta for the second consecutive term. Gujarat opens India'as first steel road. US and Philippines army exercise named Balkatan 2022 started in Lusone. DRDO testfired Indian Army's Medium Range Surfact to Air missile. Gilbert Houngbo named next Director-General of International Labour Organisation. Max Verstappan wins Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Government of India designated October 5 as National Dolphin Day. Aadi Bazaar, a celebration of spirit of Tribe culture started in Gujarat. A three day north east festival named Ishan Manthan held in New Delhi. Western Naval command conducted security exercise named Prasthan in Mumbai Offshore. Dhaka became the most noise polluted city in the world as per latest UNEP report. Cochin International Airport bagged Covid Champion award at the Wings India 2022. 94th Oscar awards announced. Professor Wilfred Brutsaert bagged Stockholm Water Prize. PM Garib Kalyan Yojana extended by half a year. P.V.Sindhu won Swiss Open Badminton. Indian women team won SAFF under-18 womens championship title.

DRDO is developing a corners-shot weapon system that can engage targets located around the corners as the system bends and captures video feed thus saving soldiers from any surprise counter-attack and is best suited for urban, close-quarter situations.  The Union Government has extended the PM-GKAY to provide 5 kg of foodgrains free of cost to the poor by six months till September 30. Delhi government presented with an outlay of 75800 crore rupees. The Kerala government has decided to disburse a compensation of ₹5 lakh each to 3,714 endosulfan victims in Kasaragod after verifying their eligibility. India is deliberating the scope of criminal records to be shared with the United Kingdom. China and Nepal ink 9 Memorandums of Understanding. Poland’s Iga Swiatek became the new World No. 1 in women’s tennis by defeating Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic 6­2, 6­0 in the WTA Miami Open. Delhi lad Priyansh emerged as the compound men’s individual champion in the National archery championship...

The Centre has decided to start COVID­19 vaccination for the 12­14 age group with Corbevax.  India’s retail inflation inched up to an eight­month high of 6.07%. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday allowed microfinance institutions to fix interest rates on loans, with a caveat that the rates should not be usurious. Kolkata Book Fair records highest ever sales at ₹23 crores. N. Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, has been appointed chairman of Air India by the airline’s board, aviation industry. The Centre envisages a ₹19,000–crore project to rejuvenate 13 major rivers by planting trees. Post­Galwan incident, the Government of India sanctioned 32 roads along the China border, of which work has started on eight roads, a report tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Monday said. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of India has declined by 10 points, says a special bulletin released by the Registrar­General of India. The Jammu and Kashmir Budget 2022­23 of around ₹1.42 lakh crore was p...

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed people with disabilities who have cleared the civil services written examinations time till April 1 to provisionally apply to the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) for selection to the Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Railways Protection Force Service (IRPFS) and the Delhi, Daman & Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Police Service (DANIPS). Costa Rican film Clara Sola, directed by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, bagged the Golden Crow Pheasant (Suvarna Chakoram) for the Best Film and the Silver Crow Pheasant (Rajata Chakoram) for the Best Debut Director in the 26th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).  Argentinian film  Camila Comes Out Tonight, directed by Inés Barrionuevo, won the Silver Crow Pheasant for the Best Director. Tamil film Pebbles (Koozhangal), directed by P.S. Vinothraj, won the audience poll award for the Best Film in the 26th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)....

Yogi Adityanatha set to take oath as Chief Minister of UP for a second term. The Supreme Court of India has fixed the outer limits to apply for COVID­19 death compensation at 60 days for deaths that occurred before March 20, 2022, and 90 days in case of future deaths. The Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill making use of Marathi language mandatory in all local authorities of the State. Wings India 2022 civil aviation display started in Hyderabad. India abstained on two resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday related to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday extended the validity of FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] registration of NGOs till June 30. On  World Tuberculosis Day on Thursday, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making India tuberculosis–free by 2025. A 10 day Red Fort cultural festival called Bharat Bhagya Vidhata started. The Solomo...

World No.1 tennis player of Australia Ashleigh Barty retired from the game. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday cleared The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 proposes to unify the three civic bodies in Delhi.   The Haryana Assembly on Tuesday passed the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced that the Delhi government would honour Shaheed­eAzam Bhagat Singh by naming its armed forces preparatory school after him. The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the registration of BS­VI light and heavy diesel vehicles used for public utility and essential services. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Tuesday approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute for the 2022­2023 season by over 250 rupees. The 2016 World championship runner­up Sergey Karjakin has been banned by FIDE, the governing body of chess, for six months. Gauri Pandey of Uttar Pradesh claimed the women’s 55kg gold medal...

Pushkar Singh Dhami retained as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. Pramod Sawant reatained as Chief Minister of Goa. A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 with 132 people on board crashed in the hills of southern China on Monday. Indian President gives away Padma awards which was announced on Republic Day this year. The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the National AIDS and STDs Control Programme, a scheme funded by the Centre from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026 with an outlay of ₹15,471.94 crore by approving Phase 5 of the programme. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Monday announced that the Russian race walker Yelena Lashmanova has been banned for two years for the use of prohibited substances. Sanket Sargar beat Prashant Koli by one kg and win the men’s 55kg title in the National weightliftisng championships in Bhubaneswar.

Nongthombam Biren Singh will be the Chief Minister of Manipur for a second straight term. Heritage Park inaugurated near Jama Masjid, New Delhi. In view of the impending cyclone Asani, the Andaman and Nicobar administration has closed all schools and colleges in the union territory as a precautionary measure from March 21.  Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files has courted a controversy in New Zealand with the country’s chief censor reviewing the film’s classification. Yemen’s Houthi rebels unleashed a barrage of drone and missile strikes on Saudi Arabia that targeted key facilities. Axelsen claimed the men’s singles title for the second time and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi won the women’s singles crown in the All England Badminton Championship. Hyderabad FC won their first ever ISL Football Trophy beating Kerala Blasters. Hyderabad FC's Bartholomew Ogbeche wins ISL 2021-22 Golden Boot. Kerala Blasters FC's Prabhsukhan Gill wins ISL 2021-22 Golden Glove. Jamshedpur FC is the league...

Neeraj Chopra bagged Sports Star of the Year Award. India and Japan set an investment target of “five trillion yen” ($42 billion) in the next five years. The Postal department will honour the primitive tribe Cholanaikkans by releasing a special cover in association with the Forest and Wildlife department. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate ‘Samathva’, a free laptop distribution initiative by the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, on March 23. A recent study by scientists has suggested a significant decline in the habitat of the golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), an endangered primate species distributed in the transboundary region of Bhutan and India. Sri Lanka cancelled exams for millions of school students as the country ran out of printing paper with Colombo short on dollars to finance imports. Myanmar will resume international passenger flights from April 17, the military said on Saturday, lifting a two-year ban on foreign tourists. The Reliance Foundation won...

For the first time ever in the country, question papers of the annual Class 10 and 12 examinations in the public education sector in Kerala will be reviewed by students.  Mr. J.George, from Venniyoor in Thiruvananthapuram district, is the winner of the 2021 State­level Haritha Mithra award for the best vegetable farmer in Kerala. Sivananda of Puthige, Kasaragod, has won the State-­level Sibi Kallingal Memorial Karshakothama Award for the best farmer in Kerala. Poleppadam Padasekhara Samithi has bagged the Mitraniketan K. Viswanathan Memorial Nelkathir Award for the best group farming collective. E. Sachidananda Gopalakrishnan of Kadanmanpara, Meenakshipuram, Palakkad, has won the Keralakesari award for best coconut farmer in Kerala. The Central Prison, Viyyur, has won the award for vegetable cultivation among public sector institutions. Punnoose Jacob of Idukki is the best farmer in the rooftop farming category.  Nalini J. Thampi, who has been teaching French, Gallic culture a...

India on Thursday extended a $1 billion credit facility to Sri Lanka to assist the island nation through its worst foreign exchange crisis and enable it to procure food, medicines and essential items. In Gujarat, the Bhagavad Gita will be part of the school syllabus for Classes VI to XII from the academic year 2022-­23. ₹26,892 crore tax-­free Budget presented in Tripura House. The 26th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) will open at the Nishagandhi auditorium on Friday. Amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, the government has decided to extend the tenure of India’s envoy to the United Nations T.S. Tirumurti for three months. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has proposed to allow students who have completed a four­year undergraduate (UG) programme, including a research component with a cumulative grade point average of 7.5, to directly enrol in Ph.D. programmes without having to first complete a Master’s degree. Ashish Jha, an Indian-­origin physician and p...

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Singh Mann was sworn in as the 17th Chief Minister of Punjab. The Supreme Court on Wednesday confirmed Tamil Nadu’s decision to reserve 50% super-­specialty seats for in-service candidates in government medical colleges. The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the Centre’s one rank, one pension (OROP) scheme for the armed forces. The Union Home Ministry has placed the U.S.­ based Hewlett Foundation on its watchlist following an  investigation that foreign contributions it sent were being used for climate awareness campaigns, an activity not permissible under the FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act]. The India Cements Ltd. (ICL) has roped in Chennai Super Kings Captain M.S. Dhoni to endorse two of its new brands — Conkrete Super King and Halo Super King. Basic land tax rates revised by Kerala as follows: Grama panchayats: Up to 8.1 are ­ ₹5 per are (₹2.50), above 8.1 are ­ ₹8 per are (₹5). Municipalities: up to ₹2.43 are ­ ₹10 per are (₹5)...

Karnataka High Court ruled that wearing Hijab is not essential part of religion. Supreme Court of India stayed telecast ban of Media One Channel. As the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Tuesday to proclaim March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, India expressed concern over phobia against “one religion being elevated to the level of an international day”. Maharashtra (1,43,745), Kerala (66,374), Karnataka (40,004), Tamil Nadu (38,019), Delhi (26,139), Uttar Pradesh (23,485) and West Bengal (21,181) head the list of COVID­19 deaths. On the eve of the 65th birthday of late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, the Indian Army has instituted a Chair of Excellence in his memory at the United Service Institution of India (USI). Bangladesh Cabinet resolved to remove the provisions of character evidence of rape victims from the Evidence law. Vishwanath Suresh (48kg) and Vanshaj (63.5kg) clinched gold medals in the men’s youth competition ...

The Centre has decided to start COVID­19 vaccination for the 12­-14 age group with Corbevax. India’s retail inflation inched up to an eight­month high of 6.07%. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday allowed microfinance institutions to fix interest rates on loans, with a caveat that the rates should not be usurious. Kolkata Book Fair records highest ever sales at ₹23 crores. N. Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, has been appointed chairman of Air India by the airline’s board, aviation industry. The Centre envisages a ₹19,000–crore project to rejuvenate 13 major rivers by planting trees. Post­-Galwan incident, the Government of India sanctioned 32 roads along the China border, of which work has started on eight roads, a report tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Monday said. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of India has declined by 10 points, says a special bulletin released by the Registrar­General of India. The Jammu and Kashmir Budget 2022-­23 of around ₹1.42 lakh crore was passed...

India's External Ministry announced that Indian Embassy will be temporarily relocated to Poland. Aimed at providing accessible, standardised and affordable generic medicines, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Kendras, have added nutraceuticals products, including protein powder and bar, malt­based food supplements and immunity bar for its customers. The Odisha government has proposed to ban movement of mechanised fishing boats in the Mangalajodi area of the Chilika lake, an important haunt of migratory birds, to provide the winged guests an undisturbed ecosystem for six months every year. Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name in the record books as professional football’s all­time leading scorer with 807 goals after a brilliant hat­trick against Premier League rival Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Vini, Yakshika, Vidhi, Nikita, Shrushti and Rudrika win to claim gold medals in their weight categories at the 2022 ASBC Asian youth and juni...

The return on workers’ retirement savings parked with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has been slashed to 8.1% for 2021­22 from the 8.5% rate credited to members’ accounts in the past two years. The Union government has amended the Census Rules framed in 1990 to allow the details to be captured and stored in electronic format and also to enable self­enumeration by respondents.  The Union government plans to open the villages along the Chinese border for tourists under the Vibrant Village programme announced in the Union Budget 2022-­23. Kerala has yet again emerged on top in maternal and child health, recording the lowest Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 30 (per one lakh live births) in the country. Kerala Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty on Saturday announced the formation of a committee to help in the revision of school curriculum and another for dealing with all academic matters related to school education. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai...