The Weekly Update consisting of Important News, Events, Facts and Achievements. Browse Regularly for Strengthening your General Knowledge, and staying abreast with what is happening around you.
National Political News:
1. A new beginning in Jammu & Kashmir as a historic PDP – BJP government in sworn in.
Mufti Mohd.Sayeed of PDP is the CM of J&K and Nirmal Singh of BJP is the Deputy CM.
PM Modi attends the swearing in ceremony of J&K government with veteran BJP leader LK Advani and BJP President Amit Shah.
The PDP–BJP Government has had a rocky start with Mufti Mohd. Sayeed praising the Pakistan Government and the Kashmir Separatists for a peaceful conduct of polls in J&K whereas the BJP has praised the election commission and the Indian Army for the same.
2. Power tussle in AAP party after swearing in of its Delhi Government becomes shriller.
Aligned on one side is Arvind Kejriwal chief minister of Delhi and on the other side are founder leaders of AAP Prashant Bhushan and Yogender Yadav. Kejriwal group has ousted Bhushan and Yadav from the 21 member Political Affairs Committee of AAP.
3. Weather Gods are playing truant in North India. Unprecedented rainfall in themonth of March in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarhaccompanied by heavy snowfall at various places in Himachal Pradesh and J&K. Extensive damage has been caused by this rainfall and snow to Rabi crop andstone fruit crop.
International Political News:
1. The British Government proposes to raise a regiment of Sikh soldiers in its royal army.
The Sikh regiment in British India army was the most decorated regiment.
2. Iraqi forces launch attacks to take back Saddam’s hometown Tikrit from ISIS militants.
The move is backed by both Shiite and Sunni fighters allied together.
Tikrit and a large swath of territory in Iraq is controlled by ISIS militants since last summer.
ISIS is a conglomerate of Al Qaida remnants, Sunni insurgents and highly radicalised Islamic groups seeking a path to day of judgement.
3. Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissents with America who is seeking to conclude a nuclear deal with Iran. Israeli PM’s address to US congress warned of a nuclear tinderbox in the Middle East.
Business and Finance News:
1. China has reduced its growth target to 7% from 7.5% as declared earlier.
2. Indian stock market Index Nifty has breached the 9000 mark for the first time as stock and share prices soar after the presentation of the Indian budget 2015.
3. RBI cuts its repo rate to 7.5% from 7.75%.
Rate cut as per RBI Governor Raghu Ram Rajan prompted by low Inflation and fiscal consolidation.
India incorporated stands to gain from the rate cut so do others who have borrowed funds from the banks for home and car loans.
4. Dilip Shangvi of Sun Pharma is richest Indian with wealth of Rs.1.39 lakh crore ahead of RIL’s Mukesh Ambani’s Rs.1.3 lakh crores.
Science and Technology:
1. First solar cell powered flight around the world to start from Abu Dhabi.
It will chart 35000 km route without conventional fuel. The aircraft is a single seater, 2300 kg in weight with a maximum speed of 140 km/hr.
Solar panels are mounted on its wings to charge the batteries which will run electric motor engines.
Sports:
1. Jagmohan Dalmia aged 75, becomes BCCI president for a second term. Dalmia has secured favour of Srinivasan and Pawar camps in BCCI.
Anurag Thakur, BJP MP has been elected Secretary of BCCI.
2. Pakistan records its 1st win in the World Cup at the Gabba ground, Brisbane, Australia.
Pakistan scored 235/7 in 50 overs while Zimbabwe replied with 215 all out in 49.4 overs.
Pakistan’s Mohd. Irfan picked up 4 Zimbabwe wickets on the bouncy track.
3. At Wellington, New Zealand, Sri Lanka defeat England.
England scored 309/6 in 50 overs with their J Root scoring 121. Sri Lanka replied with 312/1 in 47.2 overs. Thirimanne 139 not out and K Sangakkara 117 not out scripted Sri Lanka’s win.
4. Pakistan keep their hopes alive of entering the quarter final defeating UAE by 129 runs at Napier, New Zealand.
5. Bangladesh at 322/4 in 48.1 overs overtook Scotland 318/8 in 50 overs, to keep their quarter final hopes alive.
Miscellaneous:
1. The world cup in Australia is seeing the use of Kookaburra balls. White Kookaburra ball used in ODI & T-20 cricket is made from cork and latex rubber on the inside and leather on the outside. The ball weighs 156 gms and is hand sewn. The white ball swings more than the red balls because of a pronounced seam.
