14th March 2019 Current Affairs
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SBI launches doorstep banking service for senior citizens over 70 & differently-abled
- State Bank of India (SBI) has launched doorstep banking service for senior citizens over 70 years of age and differently-abled customers.
- Eligible customers can avail this service at a nominal fee of Rs. 100 per transaction for financial transactions and ₹60 for non-financial transactions.
- According to a statement, doorstep banking services are available to KYC- compliant account holders, with a valid mobile number registered with the bank and residing within 5 kilometres radius from their home branch.
- This service will not be available for accounts operated jointly, minor accounts, and accounts of non-personal nature.
RBI Categorises IDBI Bank as Private Sector Lender
- As per RBI notification, IDBI Bank has been categorized as a private sector lender following the acquisition of majority stake by Life Insurance Corporation.
- IDBI Bank has been under the prompt corrective action framework of RBI that bans it from corporate lending and branch expansions, salary hikes and other regular activities.
- In January 2019, LIC completed the process of picking up a controlling 51% stake in the nearly crippled IDBI Bank.
- IDBI Bank has been categorized as a ‘private sector bank’ with effect from January 21, 2019.
India ranks 11th in gold holding: World Gold Council
- India (world’s largest consumer of gold) has the 11th largest gold reserve, with the current holding pegged at 607 tonnes, as per the latest report by the World Gold Council (WGC).
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is included and is third on the list with total gold reserves of 2,814 tonnes.
- The list is topped by the U.S., which claims of gold reserves of 8,133.5 tonnes, followed by Germany with 3,369.7 tonnes.
- Italy and France complete the top five list with reserves of a little over 2,400 tonnes each.
Special Olympics World Games 2019 to begin today at Abu Dhabi in UAE
- Special Olympics World Games 2019 begin at Abu Dhabi in UAE this evening.
- The event has already made history by welcoming a record-breaking 200 nations at the Games.
- Of the 200 nations, 195 will compete in the Games and five will observe.
- More than 2,500 women will fly the flag for their nation, with almost half of them performing in athletics competitions. Saudi Arabia will send female athletes for the first time, with 14 women participating.
- Hosts UAE will field its largest-ever squad of athletes at a World Games, followed by India and the United States.
Renedy Singh named Neroca FC Coach
- Former India midfielder Renedy Singh was named head coach of Neroca FC, succeeding Spaniard Manuel Retamero Fraile, on 13 March 2019.
- He had a stint as assistant coach of Indian Super League side Pune City FC in the 2015-16 season. He is an AFC – A Licence holder.
- Neroca lost to Real Kashmir 2-3 at home in their final match of the 12th I-League to finish with 26 points (from 20 matches).
Indian Oil won Gold in Hockey Cup
- Indian Oil retained their Bombay Gold Cup Hockey crown on 13 March 2019.
- They defeated Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB) 9-7 via penalty shootout in the summit clash.
- Bharat Petroleum’s Darshan Gawkar was adjudged as the most promising player of the tournament and received a cheque of Rs 10,000 awarded by the Sports Journalists’ Association of Mumbai.
President Confers Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards
- The President and Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces Ram Nath Kovind conferred 3 Kirti Chakras and 15 Shaurya Chakras to Armed Forces Personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty at a solemn ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
- 2 Kirti Chakras and 1 Shaurya Chakra were given posthumously.
- The President also conferred 15 Param VishishtSeva Medals, 1 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 25 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals to senior officers of the Armed Forces for distinguished service of an exceptional order.
M R Kumar appointed LIC Chairman
- The Union government appointed M R Kumar as the Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
- He will succeed MD Hemant Bhargava who had been named interim chairman after VK Sharma’s retirement on 31st December 2018.
- T C Suseel Kumar and Vipin Anand have been appointed as Managing Directors (MD) of the LIC for five years.
- Currently, MR Kumar is the Zonal Manager, Delhi at LIC while TC Suseel Kumar is Zonal Manager, Hyderabad.
- Vipin Anand is Zonal Manager of the Western zone.
World Kidney Day being observed today
- World Kidney Day is observed annually on the second Thursday in March.
- The theme for this year is ‘Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere’.
- The day is observed to create awareness on the importance of the kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease.
- According to the WHO report, 850 million people worldwide are now estimated to have kidney diseases from various causes.
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes at least 2.4 million deaths per year and is now the 6th fastest growing cause of death.
- It is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
Indo-Oman Joint Exercise began
- Indo Oman Joint Exercise Al Nagah III 2019, a joint military exercise between Indian and Royal Army of Oman (RAO), commenced on 13 March 2019 at Nizwa, Oman.
- The Omani contingent was represented by Jabel Regiment of the RAO while the Indian side was represented by troops of ‘Tenth Battalion of The Garhwal Rifles Regiment’.
Formula One director Charlie Whiting has died in Australia
- Formula One race director Charlie Whiting (66-years) has died from a pulmonary embolism three days before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
- Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the Federation for international auto racing, issued a statement saying Whiting died on March 14 morning in Melbourne.
- A pulmonary embolism is a blockage in the lung, usually caused by a blood clot.
Arecanut Gets Its First GI Tag For ‘Sirsi Supari’
- The Registrar of Geographical Indications, Government of India, accorded a GI tag, ‘Sirsi Supari’, to arecanut grown in Sirsi, Siddpaur and Yellapur taluks of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka.
- The Totagars’ Cooperative Sale Society (TSS) Ltd, a Sirsi-based agri cooperative, is the registered proprietor of the GI ‘Sirsi Supari’.
- Grown on an area of around 40,000 acres, the annual production of ‘Sirsi Supari’ is estimated to be around 40,000 tonnes.
Try out the quiz ?
Q.11 Due to which of the following Disease Formula One director Charlie Whiting has died?
Correct!
Wrong!
Formula One race director Charlie Whiting (66-years) has died from a pulmonary embolism three days before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.