Rajendra Singh, the Water Man of India, named as the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate
(i) The Waterman of India Rajendra Singh was named as the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate on 20 March 2015.
(ii) Singh was named for the prestigious award for his innovative water restoration efforts, improving water security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve the living conditions for those most in need.
(iii) Singh has invested several decades of his life to defeat drought and empowering communities of Rajasthan through his organisation Tarun Bharat Sangh (India Youth Association).
(iv) His efforts also helped in increasing the forest cover in the state, which helped the return of antelope and leopard in the state.
Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore died
(i) Lee Kuan Yew, the statesman and founding father of Singapore died on 23 March 2015 at the Singapore General Hospital. He was 91.
(ii) Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared a period of National Mourning from 23 March to 29 March 2015.
(iii) He served as the city-state's prime minister for 31 years and continued to work in government until 2011
(iv) Lee stepped down as Prime Minister of Singapore in 1990 by handing over the power to Goh Chok Ting, who appointed him Senior Minister in 1990
Novak Djokovic won Indian Wells Open Tennis Men's Singles title
(i) Novak Djokovic of Serbia on 22 March 2015 won his fourth Indian Wells Open Tennis Men’s Singles title.
(ii) In the final clash, Djokovic defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2.
(iii) This win at Indian Wells Open was the 50th tour-level title for Djokovic.
(iv) With this fourth title in Indian Wells, he also became the 12th player in the Open Era to win 50 titles, surpassing his coach, Boris Becker, of 49 trophies.
PM Modi Appointed as Chancellor of Visva Bharati University
(i) As soon as the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stepped down from the responsibility of Chancellor of Visva Bharati University, present Prime Minister Narendra Modi replaced him to sit on the prestigious chair.
(ii) According to a University notification, “The President in his capacity as the Visitor of Visva Bharati (Acharya) has been pleased to appoint Prime Minster Narendra Modi as the Chancellor of Visva Bharati for a term of three years.”
(iii) Under an Act of Parliament in 1951, Visva Bharati was declared a central university and an institution of national importance.
(iv) This is also the only central university in the entire nation that gets the nation’s Prime Minister to be its chancellor, making a special place for the university in the academic field around the nation.
World Water Day 2015 observed with the theme Water and Sustainable Development
(i) World Water Day (WWD) 2015 was globally observed on 22 March 2015 with the theme Water and Sustainable Development.
(ii) The theme for the WWD 2015 talks about how water links to all areas we need to consider creating the future we want.
(iii) WWD is celebrated every year to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water related issues.
(iv) It’s a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future.
(v) In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March as the first World Water Day.
(vi) This day was formally proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
10 new urea plants in coal rich states: Hansraj Ahir
(i) The central government is planning to set up at least 10 new Urea production plants in coal rich states of the country.
(ii) Hansraj Ahir, centre’s Minister of State for Fertilizers and Chemical on Monday said that these plants will manufacture Urea from coal.
(iii) According to the minister states such as Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and others where coal is available in large quantities will host the new Urea plants.
(iv) “The Chinese are using this technology of producing Urea from coal. We need to adopt it to be self-sufficient,” the minister added.
(v) As per the ministry’s plan, it has also planned the expansion of present RCF plant in Mumbai, which currently produces 1.5 million MT.
(vi) “Another plant to produce fertilizers from bio-waste of Navi Mumbai’s vegetable market is under consideration and decision on it will be taken soon,” he said.
New A.P. capital city to be called Amaravathi?
(i) With the State Government considering naming the new capital as Amaravathi, the
(ii) Since then, it continued as the capital of many Andhra dynasties until the Mogul conquest and the subsequent British rule.
(iii) Government seemed to have weighed some factors in zeroing in on this naming proposal.
(iv) Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been invoking the Telugu pride during his public speeches and it could be that prompted Government consider Amaravathi, as it was once the capital of Satavahanas.
Railways hikes platform ticket price to Rs. 10
(i) Railways has hiked the cost of platform tickets to Rs. 10 and the new rate will come into effect from April 2015.
(ii) The rate of platform ticket will be increased from Rs. 5 to Rs. 10 per ticket from April 1, and all concerned have been given instruction regarding this, according to a Railway Ministry release on Monday.
(iii) The Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) have been empowered to increase the rate of a platform ticket beyond Rs. 10 to regulate rush at platforms.
Ecologist Madhav Gadgil wins Tyler Prize
(i) Renowned ecologist Madhav Gadgil has been chosen for the prestigious 2015 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.(ii) The prize, instituted in 1973, is awarded by the international Tyler Prize Executive Committee with the administrative support of the University of Southern California.
(iii) Both winners will receive the prize and a gold medallion at a private ceremony in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles on April 24.
(iv) The day before, Dr. Lubchenco and Dr. Gadgil will deliver public lectures on their work at The Forum at the University of Southern California.
NTPC Simhadri plans new 2,000 MW power plant
(i) NTPC Simhadri Super Thermal Station is planning expansion of its 2,000 MW coal-fired power plant at Parawada near here.
(ii) “We are exploring various options to acquire 400 acres so as to take up construction of a super critical power plant adjoining our existing power plant,” NTPC Simhadri Group General Manager A.K. Samanta told reporters here on Monday.
(iii) Stating that 4,000 MW ultra mega power plant at Pudimadaka contemplated by NTPC was a Greenfield project for which clearances were being obtained, he said if there was a possibility, they wanted to expand the capacity of NTPC Simhadri.
(iv) Both Parawada and Pudimadaka projects of NTPC were located at a distance of 50 km.
The terms of reference and revised layout plan for Pudimadaka project proposed with an investment of Rs.20,000 crore is awaiting clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests.
India’s GDP to grow at 8.3 pc in FY’17: HSBC
(i) Stars are “gradually aligning” for the Indian economy and it is expected to clock a growth rate of 7.4 per cent in the current financial year, which is likely to improve further to 8.3 per cent by 2016-17, says an HSBC report.(ii) According to the global financial services major, GDP growth in the first three quarters of the current fiscal year (ending March) has averaged 7.4 per cent, y-o-y — an improvement over the previous year and the trend is likely to continue in the coming months as well.
(iii) “We expect growth to improve from 7.4 per cent y-o-y in FY2015 to 7.8 per cent in FY2016 and 8.3 per cent in FY2017,” HSBC Chief India Economist Pranjul Bhandari said in a research note, “The stars are gradually aligning”.
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