Top Headlines 30-03-2015
1) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 March 2015 successfully launched the IRNSS-1D navigation satellite through its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle – the PSLV-C27. This was the ………. satellite under the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) series. – Fourth
Explanation: IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland. ISRO has proposed to place 7 satellites under the IRNSS series and has now placed the 4th satellite of the series. IRNSS-1D will provide navigation, tracking and mapping service and will have a mission life of 10 years. This was the twenty eighth consecutively successful mission of the PSLV rocket series of ISRO and was executed from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.
2) The Union Govt. during March 2015 established a fund with a corpus of Rs. 500 crore which seeks to keep prices of perishable farm commodities under control through suitable market interventions. What is the name of this fund? – ‘Price Stabilization Fund’ (PSF)
Explanation: The ‘Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) will be used to advance interest free loans to state governments and central agencies to support their working capital and other expenses on “procurement and distribution” interventions for such commodities. It has initially been proposed for onion and potato. The fund has been set up as a follow-up of a budget announcement made by finance minister Arun Jaitley on 28 February 2015. According to operational details of the fund, the states will set up a “revolving fund” for adequate market interventions. The Centre and state will contribute equally (50:50) for the revolving fund. The ratio of Centre-state contribution to the state level corpus in respect of north-east states will be 75:25. Apart from this an eight-member price stabilization fund management committee has been set up under the chairmanship of additional secretary in agriculture ministry to manage the fund at the Centre and monitor revolving funds in each state.
3) Which state became the first state in India to make minimum educational qualification an eligibility for Panchayat elections by passing the requisite bill on 27 March 2015?- Rajasthan
Explanation: The Rajasthan Govt. on 27 March passed the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2015 that seeks to fix a minimum educational qualification for contesting elections to the Panchayati Raj institution in the state. The said bill amended the Rajasthan Panchayat Raj Act, 1994. The newly passed bill stipulates a minimum qualification of Class X pass from a recognized board for contesting election for the post of member of Zila Parishad or Panchayat Samiti while minimum qualification of class VIII pass has been stipulated for the post of Sarpanch (village head). This makes Rajasthan the first state in the country to stipulate a minimum educational qualification for Panchayat elections.
4) The opposition parties of Tamil Nadu observed a bandh over the Mekadatu Reservoir issue on 28 March 2015. This reservoir is being constructed over which river in Karnataka which has been opposed by numerous political parties in Tamil Nadu? – Cauvery
Explanation: The bandh was called to press the Centre to rein in Karnataka from going ahead with its plan to build a dam across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu. Mekedatu is situated in Kanakpura Taluka of Karnataka where the state govt. has proposed to construct a reservoir for storing water from the river. The said reservoir is expected to reduce the amount of water that Tamil Nadu receives through the Cauvery River.
5) Who won the women’s and men’s title of India Open badminton championship that concluded at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in New Delhi on 29 March 2015? – Saina Nehwal and K. Srikanth (Both from India)
Explanation: Saina Nehwal and K. Srikanth, respectively, won the women’s and men’s title of $275,000 India Open badminton championship. The newly crowned World No. 1 Saina Nehwal defeated former World Champion Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand) by 21-16, 21-14 to won her maiden India Open title. Second-seeded K. Srikanth, on the other hand, defeated World No. 6 Viktor Axelsen (Denmark ) by 18-21, 21-13, 21-12 to win the men’s title. The title win of both these Indian players this reinforced their status among the strongest non-Chinese players in the world.
6) Who won the Malaysian Grand Prix, the second F1 GP race of 2015 season on 29 March 2015? – Sebastian Vettel (Germany)
Explanation: Ferrari team’s Sebastian Vettel ended Mercedes’ long Formula One winning streak by winning the Malaysian Grand Prix held at the Sepang International Circuit. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) of Mercedes took second place while his German teammate Nico Rosberg was third. Mercedes had won the previous eight races dating back to last season and had been expected to dominate through 2015. It was Ferrari’s first victory since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.
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