World Sparrow Day observed with the theme I Love Sparrows
(ii) The theme has been inspired by the hope that more and more of us will celebrate the relationship between People and Sparrows.
(iii) The day is designated to raise awareness of the house sparrow and other common birds to urban environments, and of threats to their populations.
(iv) The Sparrow Day is an international initiative by the Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and numerous other national and international organisations across the world.
(v) The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010 in different parts of the world.
Martin Guptill scored the highest-ever score of 237 in Cricket World Cup history
(i) Martin Guptill, the batsman of New Zealand cricket team, on 21 March 2015 scored the highest-ever score of 237 not out in Cricket World Cup history.
(ii) He achieved the feat in 2015 World Cup quarter-final match against West Indies played at WestpacTrust Stadium, Wellington.
(iii) He scored 237 off 163 balls. His 200 came off just 152 deliveries that included 21 fours and eight sixes.
(iv) Guptill’s double century helped New Zealand to set a target of 393 for 6 wickets for West Indies. In reply the West Indies could only manage 250 in 30.3 over.
Pakistani cricketers Misbah-ul-Haq, Shaid Afridi retired from ODI cricket
(i) Pakistani cricketers, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shaid Afridi on 20 March 2015 retired from the One Day International (ODI) format of cricket.
(ii) They retired after the World Cup quarter-final match against Australia played at Adelaide, Australia. In the quarter-final, they lost to Australia by six-wickets.
(iii) Though Misbah will continue to play in the Test matches but Afridi will feature only in T20 format of the cricket.
Amitabh Bachchan roped in as Brand Ambassador for Campaign against Hepatitis B
(ii) Bachchan was roped in as the brand ambassador for India’s fight against Hepatitis B after his successful stint as UNICEF’s goodwill brand ambassador of pulse polio campaign in India.
(iii) Besides Hepatitis B, Mission Indradhanush will include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis and measles. The government aims to achieve the target by 2020.
(iv) The campaign against Hepatitis B will be launched in April 2015.
(v) The campaign is a part of the Union Government’s ambitious child immunization programme named Mission Indradhanush, against seven vaccine-preventable diseases.
Union Cabinet approved 33% women reservation in police forces of all Union Territories
(i) The Union Cabinet on 20 March 2015 approved 33 percent reservation for women in police forces of all Union territories (UTs) including Delhi police, through direct recruitment in non-gazetted posts like constables to sub-inspectors.
(ii) The aim of the decision is to make police more gender-sensitive and increase representation of women in Police.
(iii) The reservation will also cover reserved categories like SCs, STs and OBCs. The reservation would apply to all existing vacancies in police forces of the UTs and any vacancy arising later.
NYU announced Prison Education Programme to Educate US Prisoners
(i) Indian-American New York University (NYU) Professor Nikhil Pal Singh will heads programme. The programme is a new initiative of New York University to bring college education to the inmates of a medium-security prison in New York State.
(ii) The programme offers credit-bearing, university courses that will enable students to earn an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from the university
(iii) The programme was backed by a 500000 US dollar grant from the Ford Foundation. The NYU programme aims to help redress inequities that result from the fact that the United States incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world.
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser died
(ii) He was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia and the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1975 to 1983.
(iii) He won the largest majority in two subsequent Elections of 1977 and 1980 in Australian political history.
(iv) He came to power after the dismissal of Gough Whitlam’s Labor government – having first triggered a constitutional crisis by engineering deadlock in the Senate.
(v) In 1979 the Fraser government established the Australian Refugee Advisory Council to advise it on the settlement of refugees.
Marathi Folk legend Shahir Krishnarao Sable died
(i) Shahir Sable was an accomplished singer, writer, playwright, performer, Loknatya (Folk Theater) producer-director.
(ii) He was the person who brought Maharashtra’s folk singing and theatre traditions to the centre stage and his songs enriched Maharashtra’s culture.
(iii) He also made ballads such as Garja Maharashtra Majha and Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha popular.
Trained under the guidance of Shahir Shankarrao, he had changed the traditional form of Lok Natya (folk theatre) and created a new form called Mukta Natya (free drama).
(iv) He also had fought for social causes such as anti-liquor campaigns, financial welfare of folk artists and rejuvenation of folk music.
International Day of Forests observed with the theme Forests and Climate Change
(ii) The theme highlights forest-based solutions to address climate change mitigation and adaptation, and more broadly forests and sustainable development.
(iii) The day provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests.
(iv) The day is also used to communicate the vital role forests play in poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and food security.
(v) 21 March was established as the International Day of Forests by resolution A/RES/67/200 of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 28 November 2012. International Day of Forests was observed for the first time on 21 March 2013.
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