• International Day of Happiness is observed every year on [latex]20^{th}[/latex] March. Since 2013, United Nations has celebrated this day to recognise the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.


• The UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 to end poverty, reduce inequality and protect our planet which are the three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness.

• World Sparrow Day is celebrated across the world on [latex]20^{th}[/latex] March to raise awareness about the conservation of sparrows.


• This day also celebrate the relationship between people and sparrows; spread love for sparrows, awareness about their importance in our lives etc.

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• US President Donald Trump has said that he intends to designate Brazil as a "major non-NATO ally", a move aimed to cement America's ties with the Latin American country where China has made deep strides in recent years.


• The move by Trump gains significance as Brazil is a key member of the powerful five-nation BRICS grouping and has joined hands with India, Japan and Germany to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

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• Boeing Co, facing its biggest crisis in years following deadly crashes of its flagship 737 MAX aircraft, has brought in a new vice president of engineering while dedicating another top executive to the aircraft investigations.


• The management reshuffle comes as Europe and Canada said they would seek their own guarantees over the safety of Boeing`s 737 MAX, further complicating plans to get the aircraft flying worldwide after they were grounded in the wake of crashes that killed more than 300 people.

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• The Supreme Court endorsed U.S. government authority to detain immigrants awaiting deportation anytime potentially even years after they have completed prison terms for criminal convictions, handing President Donald Trump a victory as he pursues hard line immigration policies.


• The court ruled 5-4, with its conservative justices in the majority and its liberal justices dissenting, that federal authorities could pick up such immigrants and place them into indefinite detention at any time, not just immediately after they finish their prison sentences.

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• A senior US arms control official said the only way for North Korea to achieve security and development is to abandon all of its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes.


• The Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea`s Kim Jong Un last month broke down over differences about U.S. demands for Pyongyang to denuclearise, as well as Pyongyang`s demand for major relief from international sanctions imposed for its nuclear and missile tests, which it pursued for years in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

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• The government has constituted an inter-ministerial panel for monitoring, sanctioning and implementation of projects under the Rs 10,000-crore FAME-II programme, aimed at incentivising clean mobility. The Rs 10,000-crore programme under the second phase of the FAME India scheme will be implemented over a period of three years with effect from [latex]1^{st}[/latex] April, 2019.


• Under phase-II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME-II) scheme, 10 lakh registered electric two-wheelers with a maximum ex-factory price will be eligible to avail incentive of Rs 20,000 each. It will also support 5 lakh e-rickshaws having ex-factory price of up to Rs 5 lakh with an incentive of Rs 50,000 each.

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• International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI), a two-day workshop organised by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), and in partnership with the Global Commission on Adaptation, United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank was held at New Delhi.


• The objectives of the workshop were to Identify good practices of disaster risk management in key infrastructure sectors.


• Identify specific areas and pathways for collaborative research on DRI (Transport, Energy, Telecom and Water).


• Discuss and co-create the broad contours of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) as well as a notional roll-out plan for the next three years.


• Build a forum for members to work on areas of common interest and make specific commitments.


• Besides reducing infrastructure losses, disaster resilient infrastructure will also help achieve targets pertaining to reduction in mortality, number of affected people and economic losses due to disasters.


• The first IWDRI was held in January 2018 and IWDRI 2019 built upon some of the ideas generated at the IWDRI 2018 as a crucial milestone towards the establishment of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).


• The CDRI is envisaged as a knowledge exchange and capacity development partnership and India had announced the creation of a CDRI soon after the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which was held in New Delhi in 2016.

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• In a white paper on its massive crackdown against terrorists in the restive Xianjiang province, China described the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit, as one of the most notorious terrorist attacks.


• The white paper titled ‘The Fight Against Terrorism and Extremism and Human Rights Protection in Xinjiang’ was launched alongside Pakistan Foreign Minister's Shah Mehmood Qureshi's visit to China.


• The white paper said that throughout the world, terrorism and extremism gravely threaten peace and development, and endanger the life and property of individuals.


• China has arrested around 13,000 terrorists since 2014 and has broken up more than a thousand terrorist gangs in the western Xinjiang region.


• The paper came days after China for the fourth time blocked the United Nations Security Council bid to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

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• The 'i-help' initiative to promote digital electoral literacy in Assam has been launched in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.


• It is a joint initiative of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) and Common Service Centres (CSC) in Assam.

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• The Africa-India Field Training Exercise 2019 (AFINDEX-19) between India and African nations began at Aundh Military Station, Pune. The exercise will conclude on [latex]27^{th}[/latex] March, 2019.


• 17 African Nations- Benin, Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe are participating in the exercise.


• A fly past by a set of Advanced Light Helicopters and Cheetah Helicopter of the Indian Army carrying the flags of United Nations, India and the AFINDEX was the highlight of the opening ceremony.


• The aim of the exercise is to practice the participating nations in planning and conduct of Humanitarian Mine Assistance and Peace Keeping Operations under Chapter VII of United Nations Peace Keeping Operations.


• The exercise will focus on exchange of best practices between the participating nations, team building and tactical level operations in conduct of United Nations mandate.

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• Metropolitan Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (MCCIL) has become the first clearing corporation in India to receive recognition as a Third-Country Central Counterparty (TC-CCP) by Bank of England for offering various clearing services to UK-based entities.The recognition has been granted under United Kingdom’s Temporary Recognition Regime (TRR).


• In the year 2017, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) also recognized the Metropolitan Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (MCCIL) as a third Country Central Counterparty.


• A financial institution which provides clearing and settlement services for trading in foreign exchange, securities, and derivative contracts as well as deals with the counter party credit risk between the two parties known as Central counterparty clearing (CCP).

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• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) seeking effective implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code) and its allied rules and regulations, which have redefined the debt-equity relationship and aims to promote entrepreneurship and debt market, at Mumbai.


• Under the MoU, they agreed to assist and cooperate with each other for the effective implementation of the Code, subject to limitations imposed by the applicable laws.

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• Indian Premier League will take place entirely in India in a Lok Sabha election year for the first time, the BCCI announced.


• The 2009 IPL was held in South Africa, while the 2014 edition was held in India and the UAE. Further, each of the eight franchises will play their seven home games in 2019 IPL at their respective venues.

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• The United World Wrestling (UWW) has taken away the hosting rights from India for the junior Asian Championship.


• It is the first sporting event to be taken away from India after the denial of visas to Pakistan’s shooters last month for the ISSF World Cup prompted the International Olympic Committee to censure the Indian Olympic Association.


• The UWW had asked all its affiliated federations to suspend all communication with the Wrestling Federation of India.

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• C Prem Kumar’s 96, with Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha, has clinched this year’s Gollapudi Srinivas Award. The prize money of Rs 1.5 lakhs will be handed over to the first-time director on August 12. The award, which was first announced in 1997, went to Leslie Carvalho’s debut work.


• Since then many first works have been honoured with the Gollapudi Srinivas trophy. Shyamaprasad’s Agni Sakshi (Malayalam), Shonali’s Bose’s Amu (English), Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par (Hindi) and Gyan Correa’s The Good Road (Gujarati) are some of the award winners.

Source: Cick Here

• Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas joined international celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Meryl Streep in the list of "50 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment" of the USA.


• The list also included Beyonce, Ellen Degeneres, Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Lopez, Tina Fey, Nicole Kidman, and Reese Witherspoon among many others.


• Priyanka became a global icon through her lead role of Alex Parrish in the American TV drama thriller series "Quantico".


• She made her Hollywood debut opposite Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Zac Efron in the action-comedy ‘Baywatch’ in 2017.


• The actress married American singer Nick Jonas in November 2018.

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• President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Gallantry Awards and Distinguished Service Decorations at the Defence Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.


• He conferred the ‘Kirti Chakras’ on Sepoy Vijay Kumar of Indian Army and Constable Pradip Kumar Panda of CRPF, posthumously. Both the soldiers made supreme sacrifice for the nation during counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.


• The Uttam Yudh Seva Medal was conferred on Lieutenant General Anil Kumar Bhatt for successful counter-terrorist operations conducted under him in Jammu and Kashmir.

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• Rear Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, VSM, has assumed charge as Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) at Kochi.


• He is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1st July 1987, and is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla at Pune.


• He will succeed Rear Admiral Sanjay J Singh, who has been appointed as Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF).

Source: Cick Here

• K.M. Mammen, CMD, MRF and Anshuman Singhania, whole-time director of JK Tyre and Industries, have been unanimously elected as chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA).


• ATMA acts as a key link between tyre makers and the Centre, and assists in policy formulation on the sector. It regularly publishes industry data and brings out status notes on industry issues.

Source: Cick Here

• Former White House Economist, Alan B. Krueger, who advised two presidents and helped lead economics toward a more scientific approach to research and policy making, was found dead at his home in Princeton, New Jersey, United States after committing suicide.


• He was born on [latex]17^{th}[/latex] September 1960 in Livingston, New Jersey, United States and was 58 years old at the time of his death.


• He was an assistant secretary of the Treasury from 2009 to 2010, as President Barack Obama’s administration tried to lead the United States out of its worst recession since the Great Depression.


• President Obama later named him chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, a post he held from 2011 to 2013.


• He was the Labor Department’s chief economist under President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 1995.

A. SpiceJet B. Indigo C. Lufthansa D. Vistara Answer: A

A. Dinesh Kumar Jain B. Pinaki Chandra Ghose C. Pradip Kumar Mohanty D. Ajay Kumar Tripathi Answer: B

A. RBI B. FICCI C. SEBI D. NITI Aayog Answer: C

A. Maharashtra B. Bihar C. Haryana D. Kerala Answer: D

A. 20 March B. 21 March C. 22 March D. 23 March Answer: A

A. Afghanistan B. Tajikistan C. Zimbabwe D. Kazakhstan Answer: D

A. Karnataka B. Maharashtra C. Tamil Nadu D. Telangana Answer: B

A. Zayed Cricket Stadium B. Eden Gardens C. Melbourne Cricket Ground D. Lord's Cricket Ground Answer: A

A. Swaziland B. Canada C. Ireland D. Iran Answer: C

A. India B. United States C. Japan D. France Answer: B

A. Pune B. Chennai C. Mumbai D. SuratView Answer Answer: A

A. New Delhi B. Chennai C. Lucknow D. Mumbai Answer: A

A. Myanmar B. Maldives C. Indonesia D. China Answer: B

A. Rs 9000 cr B. Rs 5500 cr C. Rs 10000 cr D. Rs 20000 cr Answer: C

A. Indonesia B. Afghanistan C. Myanmar D. Maldives Answer: B

A. Telangana B. Andhra Pradesh C. Odisha D. Uttar Pradesh Answer: A

A. Vadodara B. Mumbai C. Kochi D. Chennai Answer: C

A. Kiev B. Paris C. Damascus D. Caracas Answer: D

A. Rs 40 lakh crore B. Rs 30 lakh crore C. Rs 10 lakh crore D. Rs 20 lakh crore Answer: C

A. Maldives B. Indonesia C. India D. Thailand Answer: D

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A. Australia B. India C. UK D. Switzerland Answer: D

A. Japan B. Indonesia C. India D. China Answer: D

A. Ram Naik B. Sudin Dhavalikar C. Vijai Sardesai D. Pramod Sawant Answer: D

A. Anurag Kishore Pandey B. Ashutosh Garg C. Anshuman Singhania D. KM Mammen Answer: D

A. D Rajan Kumar B. Shonali Bose C. C Prem Kumar D. Durjoy Dutta Answer: C

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A. Yen B. Euro C. Rupee D. Rufiyaa Answer: D

A. Baghdad B. Astana C. Kabul D. Bishkek Answer: C