Current Affairs - 21st March 2014
First woman President of Indian Journalist Association
Aditi Khurana has become the first woman president of Indian Journalist Association (IJA) in London. IJA has a history of 67 years. The new secretary general of IJA is Rupanjana Dutta. Aditi Khurana is a London based correspondent. The IJA was made in 1947 with efforts by V.K. Krishna Menon, the first high commissioner of independent India.
National Icon for 2014 General Elections
The Election Commission of India has decided to make Bollywood actor Amir Khan as its “national icon” for the 2014 general elections. Amir will be a part of Voter awareness programme. He will be encouraging the people of the nation to cast their vote. He has joined the group of four other national icons- Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Saina Nehwal, APJ Abdul Kalam and Mary Kom.
Noted Journalist Khushwant Singh passed away
Famous author and journalist Khushwant Singh passed away on 21 March at the age of 99. He has been awarded with Padma Vibhushan and has also served as a MP. He was known for his strong connects with the Gandhi family and his articles on the inside stories of Indira Gandi-Sanjay Gandhi era. Some of his famous books are- “Train to Pakistan”, “Delhi” etc.
World Sparrow Day
World Sparrow Day was observed on 20th March across the globe. This year the theme was “Rise for the Sparrow”. The day first started in the year 2010 and is mainly aimed at spreading awareness about sparrows and their protection.
KC Chakraborty resigns from RBI
KC Chakraborty, the deputy governor of RBI has resigned three months before the completion of his term. He was appointed in 2009 and in 2012 he got an extension of 2 years. Before serving RBI, he was the MD of Punjab National Bank. As of now there are three deputy governors in RBI- Urjit Patel, Anand Sinha and H.R. Khan.
Highest monthly per capita consumption expenditure
Haryana has become the state with highest monthly per capita consumption expenditure in urban areas, in a ranking released by National Sample Survey organization (NSSO). Kerala is at the second spot followed by Maharashtra at 3rd rank. Bihar has the lowest MPCE in urban areas.
5 private banks to import gold
The RBI allowed 5 private banks to import gold from international markets to give a boost to gold supplies in the country and also bring down the prices of gold. The 5 banks are- HDFC, IndusInd, KotakMahindra, Axis and YES Bank.
