ONE LINER OF THE DAY 31st MARCH 2019

1.ICICI Securities appointed Vijay Chandok as an additional director, Managing Director and CEO of the company with effect from May 7, 2019. He is presently Executive Director of the ICICI Bank.Sandeep Bakhshi -Managing Director (MD) and CEO of ICICI Bank.

2.Government will raise Rs 4.42 lakh crore through gilts in the first half of FY20. The borrowing for the second half is set at Rs 2.68 lakh crore. The Centre will auction Rs 17,000 crore of gilts per week during April-September.Economic Affairs Secretary- Subhash Chandra Garg.

3.Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) became the "first Indian shipyard to build and deliver 100 warships. The 100th warship, a Landing Craft Utility (LCU), is the sixth of an order of eight such vessels from the Navy.GRSE Chairman and MD- Rear Admiral (Retd) V K Saxena.

4.Ranveer Singh launched his own music label INCINK in collaboration with filmmaker Navzar Eranee. It will be headed by musicians Anushka Manchanda and Shikhar Manchanda and initially focus primarily on hip-hop.INCINK literally means writing your own story.

5.Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cleared ₹19,240.91 crore towards Cash Credit Limit (CCL) for Punjab for the purchase of wheat in the Rabi marketing season. The government has fixed the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat at ₹1,840 per quintal.Punjab ,Chief Minister -Amarinder Singh.

6.BNP Paribas Cardif, the foreign partner of SBI Life Insurance, sold 5 crore shares of the company for Rs 2,889 crore. The sale was done at average price of Rs 577.93 per equity share.SBI Life Insurance-Joint venture b/w SBI & BNP Paribas Cardif.

7.Infosys consulting arm is set to buy 75 per cent stake in Starter NV, a subsidiary of the Dutch-based ABN AMRO Bank, for Rs 999 crore ($144 million) for strategic partnership in the Netherlands.Infosys CEO-Salil Parekh.

8.RBI has set the average base rate to be charged from borrowers by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and micro-finance institutions (MFIs) at 9.21 per cent for the first quarter of the next fiscal.National Housing Bank is a Subsidiary of RBI.

9.The country’s fiscal deficit touched 134.2% of the full-year revised budgeted estimate at the end of February 2019, mainly due to tepid growth in revenue collections. Govt is committed to restrict the fiscal deficit at 3.4% of the GDP.Fiscal deficit for April-February 2018-19 was Rs 8.51 lakh crore.

10.Zuzana Caputova a 45-year-old lawyer, activist and political newcomer elected as the nation’s first female president. She vowed to return a sense of decency to Slovakia’s often toxic political climate.Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 30th MARCH 2019

1.According to London-based wireless coverage mapping company OpenSignal. In terms of 4G availability, Dhanbad in Jharkhand topped the list of 50 cities in India. Ranchi came second followed by Srinagar.Dhanbad scored 95.3 per cent in OpenSignal's measurements.

2.Hitachi Payment Services (Hitachi Payments) appointed Rustom Irani as the new managing director (MD) of the company. His role is in addition to his responsibilities as the CEO of cash business. He will also be inducted into the company's board.Loney Antony led Hitachi Payments as the MD from its inception.

3.Punjab National Bank (PNB) sold its stake in PNB Housing Finance to General Atlantic and Varde Partners for Rs 1,851.60 crore. They bought 1.09 crore shares each. Now, PNB hold a strategic stake of 19.78 per cent in PNB Housing.MD & CEO Of Punjab National Bank- Sunil Mehta.

4.After passing a critical series of tests at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the space agency's Mars helicopter is ready to take flight over the Mars.It will take flight for the 1st time, when it launches with NASA's next Mars rover in 2022.NASA-National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

5.Larsen & Toubro (L&T) announced a new initiative, L&T-Nxt, to focus on the areas of artificial intelligence, internet of things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, geospatial solutions as well as cybersecurity.S N Subrahmanyan is Chief Executive Officer and MD of L&T.

6.Zydus Cadila received the approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market the drug in strengths of 5 mg and 10 mg. The sales of Ambrisentan tablets (ATs) USP in the US market stood at USD 943 million (about Rs 6,500 crore) last year.ATs are used to treat high blood pressure in the lungs.

7.The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University , USA have transplanted the kidney of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman namely Nina Martinez, into another patient with the AIDS virus. It is the first in the world of its kind.HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

8.Acc. to RBI data, India Inc's borrowings from foreign markets fell to USD 2.81 billion in February, down by 9 per cent as compared to the year-ago month. The entire fund mop-up during the month was done through the automatic route of ECB.Tata Capital Housing Finance raised $200 million for on-lending.

9.The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank have proposed 51 indicators, aligned with the SDGs’ global indicators, as part of efforts to develop an “inclusion index” for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.UNDP began developing the LGBTI Inclusion Index in 2015.

10.The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank have proposed 51 indicators, aligned with the SDGs’ global indicators, as part of efforts to develop an “inclusion index” for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.UNDP began developing the LGBTI Inclusion Index in 2015.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 29th MARCH 2019

1.Dr. Rajendra Joshi has been conferred with the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award for his outstanding achievement in the field of Science & his contribution in promoting the honour & prestige of India and in fostering the interests of Overseas Indians.The Indian Ambassador to Switzerland is Sibi George.

2.The resolution calls for member nations to members to create financial intelligence units in order to ensure that their domestic laws and regulations establish serious criminal offenses to the collection of funds/financial resources providing for terror groups.U.N. counter-terrorism chief: Vladimir Voronkov.

3.In addition to BCCI Ombudsman, Committee of Administrators has appointed Justice (Retd.) DK Jain as an Ethics Officer for looking into the matters of Conflict of Interest. He is appointed on an ad-hoc basis until a permanent appointment takes place.BCCI President: C.K. Khanna; Headquarters: Mumbai.

4.Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, and Yann LeCun were announced as recipients of the 2018 ACM A.M. Turing Award for conceptual and engineering breakthroughs that have made deep neural networks a critical component of computing.A.M. Turing Award is referred to as "Nobel Prize of Computing".

5.The government decided to infuse around Rs 5000 crore into state-owned Bank of Baroda ahead of its merger with 2 other public sector lenders Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. The merger will be effective from April 1, 2019.The merged bank would be 3rd largest lender after SBI & ICICI.

6.Singapore's Changi Airport was announced as the world's best for the 7th consecutive year while Tokyo Haneda and Seoul Incheon were placed at 2nd and 3rd position. Japan's airports also won the cleanest and the best airport staff title.Skytrax is an airline & airport review/ranking site.

7.Commerce Ministry launched blockchain based coffee e-marketplace through video conferencing in New Delhi. The project would help integrate the farmers with markets in a transparent manner & lead to the realization of a fair price for coffee producers.Coffee Board (under Commerce Ministry) Head Office: Bangalore.

8.N.K. Singh, Chairman of 15th Finance Commission launched the book “Indian Fiscal Federalism” authored by Dr. Y. V. Reddy, former Governor of RBI. The book describes Fiscal Federalism as a dynamic process, Work in Motion.Y.V Reddy was Chairman of 14th Finance Commission.

9.More than 1,000 Australian Defence Force personnel to work together with their Indian counterparts on naval manoeuvres and military training activities for AUSINDEX-2019 to be organized in Visakhapatnam.Exercise Malabar is a naval exercise b/w U.S.A, Japan & India.

10.Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi researchers recently developed an Artificial Intelligence-based electronic hardware system to detect malaria, tuberculosis, intestinal parasite & cervical cancer in milliseconds.IIT-Delhi BoD Chairman: Kumar Mangalam Birla.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 28th MARCH 2019

1.Tashigang, a Himachal Pradesh (HP) village at an altitude of 15,256 feet, is now the highest polling station in the world. Situated about 29 km from the India-China border, the polling station covers two villages, Tashigang and Gete.HP CM- Jai Ram Thakur Governor- Kaptan Singh Solanki.

2.Bank of Baroda to develop an agri-digital platform called 'Baroda Kisan' in order to provide solutions for all major agricultural requirements. Six companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the bank for this project.Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III is the founder of Bank of Baroda.

3.DRDO successfully conducted Anti-Satellite missile test ‘Mission Shakti’ from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island. Ballistic Missile Defence Interceptor Missile successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit in a ‘Hit to Kill’ mode.India is 4th nation after US, Russia & China to conduct this.

4.Adani Ports and SEZ (APSEZ) has claimed that its portfolio of nine ports and terminals handled 200 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo in 2018-19, becoming the first Indian port operator to achieve the milestone.APSEZ's Mundra Port in Gujarat is India's largest private port.

5.Adani Ports and SEZ (APSEZ) has claimed that its portfolio of nine ports and terminals handled 200 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo in 2018-19, becoming the first Indian port operator to achieve the milestone.APSEZ's Mundra Port in Gujarat is India's largest private port.

6.Vice Admiral MA Hampiholi, AVSM NM has assumed charge as Director General Naval Operations. He is a recipient of the Nao Sena Medal in 2011 and the AthiVishistSeva Medal in 2019.Navy Day in India is celebrated on 4 December every year.

7.Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary have bagged a Gold medal in the 10-meter Air Pistol Mixed team event at the 12th Asian Airgun Championship at Taoyuan in Taipei, Taiwan. They shot a combined score of 784, breaking the record at the European Championships.The duo won the Gold Medal at ISSF World Cup 2019 also.

8.A yarn bank has been set up at the Mysore Powerloom Silk Manufacturers Cooperative Society on Avenue Road to benefit the state’s weavers. The bank, with aid from the Centre, will supply pure silk yarn and zari to weavers who subscribe with the bank.3naturally Sanskrit speaking districts of India are in Karnataka

9.The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved an MoU on youth matters between India and Morocco. Cabinet also approved MoU to promote the exchange of information and technical cooperation in the field of housing and human settlement.Morocco Capital- Rabat Currency- Dirham

10.The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Croatia in the field of tourism.Another MoU was approved between India and South Korea on start-up cooperation.Croatia Capital- Zagreb Currency- Kuna

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 27th MARCH 2019

1.Ram Nath Kovind was honoured with Croatia's highest civilian award - the Grand Order of the King of Tomislav. The civilian order is awarded to heads of state for their contribution towards the development of state relations b/w Croatia & other countries.Croatian President - Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic; Capital – Zagreb.

2.According to Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2018 Report prepared by UNDP, Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative, India has reduced its poverty rate from 55% to 28% in 10 yrs, with 271 mn people moving out of poverty b/w 2005-06 & 2015-16.HQ of United Nations Development Programme - New York.

3.Karur Vysya Bank has appointed N S Srinath as non-executive chairman for a period of three years. He had served as an executive director on the board of Bank of Baroda and superannuated on May 31, 2012.HQ of Karur Vysya Bank: Karur, Tamil Nadu. It was set up in 1916.

4.The armies of India and Sri Lanka holds the sixth iteration of their annual Mitra Shakti military exercise. The exercise is the major scheduled military-to-military activities between two sides & will focus on tactical interoperability & counterterrorism.Prime Minister of Sri Lanka - Ranil Wickremesinghe.

5.The Reserve Bank of India has slapped a penalty of Rs 2 crore on Punjab National Bank for non-compliance of regulatory directions with regard to SWIFT operations. SWIFT is a global messaging software used for transactions by financial entities.CEO of PNB – Sunil Mehta; HQ – New Delhi.

6.INS Kadmatt arrived at Langkawi, Malaysia to participate in the 15th Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA-19). It is an indigenous stealth anti-submarine warfare corvette & commissioned into the Indian Navy in Jan 2016.Harimau Shakti is the military exercise b/w India & Malaysia.

7.The digital lending industry has suggested that the RBI allow direct debit for loan repayment through the instant inter-bank fund's transfer mechanism UPI, extend the ‘Udaan’ scheme to fin-techs and non-banking finance companies.Udaan is a central government-run credit guarantee scheme.

8.1st Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition to Mt Makalu was flagged off. Mt Makalu is one of the most dangerous peaks & summiting the peak is considered extremely challenging due to inclement weather conditions & freezing temperatures.Makalu is the 5th highest mountain in the world at 8,485 metres.

9.The world's largest e-waste recycling facility has opened in Dubai. It has a processing capacity of 100000 T of total integrated waste per year, of which 39000 T is e-waste. It can process the WEEE from consumer & industrial to commercial & military.WEEE – Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

10.American experimental pop hero Scott Walker died at the age of 76. Walker was one-third of the Walker Brothers. In 2017 Walker was honoured for his contribution to music in a concert by the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.He published Sundog which is a book of his lyrics.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 26th MARCH 2019

1.India ranks 76th on World Economic Forum’s Global Energy Transition Index 2019. Sweden remained on the top of the list of 115 countries. India has moved up two places from 78th last year.WEF HQ- Cologny, Switzerland; Founder- Klaus Schwab.

2.Irish Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Conor McGregor has announced his retirement from the sport. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion at featherweight and lightweight categories.UFC HQ- Las Vegas, USA; President- Dana White.

3.Admiral Sunil Lamba, Chief of the Naval staff commissioned a state of the art "Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Training Facility – ABHEDYA at INS Shivaji, Lonavla (Maharashtra).Vice Admiral Karambir Singh is appointed as the new Navy chief.

4.Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra is appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court, following the resignation of Chief Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi. Chief Justice AK Tripathi resigns after appointed as a judicial member of the Lokpal.Justice PC Ghose was appointed as India’s First Lokpal.

5.Archana Kamath claimed Under-21 silver at the ITTF Challenge Plus Oman Open Table Tennis Tournament while Sathiyan Gnanasekaran settled for bronze with a loss in the semi-final.

Archana Kamath was defeated by Japanese Satsuki Odo.Archana Kamath won National Women's Singles Tournament 2019.

6.Peter Tabichi, a Maths & Physics teacher from a secondary school in a remote village in Kenya's Rift Valley has won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize for 2019. The competition for this award is run by Varkey Foundation.World Teachers’ day is observed on 5 October every year.

7.Axis Bank opened its 4000th branch at EON, Kharadi, in Pune. The new branch was inaugurated by Amitabh Chaudhry, Managing Director and CEO, Axis Bank, and Ravi Narayanan, President and Head Branch Banking, Axis Bank.Axis bank - 3rd largest private bank in India after HDFC & ICICI.

8.Jet Airways Founders Naresh Goyal (also Chairman) and wife Anita Goyal have stepped down from the board of Jet Airways. Joint venture partner Eithad's stake will be brought down to 12 percent from 25 percent and Naresh Goyal will now hold 25 percent.Jet Airways is 1st airline to connect India with Manchester, UK.

9.K. Govindaraj was unanimously re-elected as president of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). Veselin Matic of Serbia will be India’s new Basketball Head Coach.Headquarters of BFI is at New Delhi.

10.Apple Inc & Goldman Sachs Group Inc jointly launched the Apple Card credit card for iPhones. The card is tied to Apple Pay, a service that allows people to load banking information and pay in store or use it for purchases online.Apple Inc. CEO- Tim Cook; HQ- California, USA.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 25th MARCH 2019

1.Alia Bhatt won the Best Actress award at 64th Filmfare Awards 'Raazi' & Ranbir Kapoor was named the Best Actor 'Sanju'. 'Raazi' won the award for the Best Film, while its director Meghna Gulzar was named the Best Director.Lifetime Achievement Award was posthumously awarded to Sridevi.

2.According to the preliminary World Airport Traffic Rankings for 2018 released by the Airports Council International (ACI), New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has now become the world's 12th busiest airport.India is world's 3rd largest aviation market in passenger count.

3.ESPNcricinfo, in partnership with the Indian IT Madras, unveiled an AI-powered tech platform called ‘Superstats’ that will analyse the cricket matches. The platform will use data science for the first time to give a context to every event in a game.The Ashes is a test series played between England and Australia.

4.China’s SAIC-owned British vehicle manufacturer Morris Garages (MG Motors) signed actor Benedict Cumberbatch as the brand ambassador for its India operations. MG Motors is expected to launch its first car, a sports utility vehicle named Hector in 2019.MG Motor India will manufacture vehicles at Halol plant, Gujarat.

5.Chennai Super Kings' Suresh Raina has become the first ever cricketer to reach 5,000 runs in Indian Premier League. The 32-year-old left-handed batsman achieved the feat after scoring 15 runs in the IPL 2019 opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore.Suresh Raina is the 1st Indian to score 100 in all 3 formats.

6.Private sector lender Karnataka Bank reported a fraud amounting to Rs 13.26 crore in the fund-based working capital facility extended to SRS Finance. The fraud was on account of diversion of funds.Earlier this month, RBI imposed Rs 4 cr fine on Karnataka Bank.

7.NITI Aayog is organising FinTech Conclave at Dr. Ambedkar International Center, New Delhi today (25 March). The Conclave will be inaugurated by RBI governor Shaktikanta Das. Conclave will host more than 300 representatives from the financial institutions.The Indian FinTech ecosystem is the third largest in the world.

8.Norway's capital Oslo will become the world's first city to install wireless induction-based fast-charging systems for electric taxis. Charging plates will connect with receivers in taxis and allow them to charge for up to 75 kilowatts.Harald V is the King of Norway. PM- Erna Solberg.

9.The government has yielded ₹700 cr through the first-ever sale of 'enemy shares'. Enemy property refers to the assets left behind by people who migrated to Pakistan or China and are no longer citizens of India.Govt. set a disinvestment target of ₹90,000 crore for FY 2019-20.

10.The government of India has extended a financial grant of 35.5 million Nepalese rupees for the construction of an educational campus in Nepal. As part of the Development Partnership Programme, the GOI is aiding institutions at all levels in Nepal.Khadga Prasad Oli is the Prime Minister of Nepal.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 24th MARCH 2019

1.March 23 is observed as Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day in India to honor the great freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar, who were hanged on 23 March 1931 by the British Raj for their alleged involvement in the killing of John.Martyrs’ day is also celebrated on 30 January in India.

24th March is observed every year as a Day to raise awareness regarding Tuberculosis. This year’s theme is 'It's time'- to focus on urgency to act on the commitments made to scale up access to prevention and treatment of the disease.In 1882 Dr Robert Koch discovered TB causing bacterium.

2.Smriti Mandhana (797 points) tops the batting list while Jhulan Goswami leads the bowlers list (730 points) in the latest ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings. In all-rounder’s list, Deepti Sharma shared the 3rd spot with D van Niekerk of South Africa.New ICC Designated CEO: Manu Sawhney (from July 2019).

3.The list released at Asian Business Awards, puts London-based Hinduja family at topmost position with an estimated net worth of £25.2 billion while steel magnates Mittal family remained in 2nd place, with £11.2 billionHinduja family topped the list for 6th successive year

4.IT-services focused subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange, NSEIT recently announced its acquisition of Aujas Networks Ltd., provider of information security consulting and IT risk management services.CEO & MD, NSEIT: N Muralidharan

5.Government owned Canara Bank launched issuance of 5-year senior unsecured bonds Medium Term Notes to the extent of $400 million, via its London branch to be utilised for deploying in long-term assets by the bank’s foreign branches.Canara Bank Founder: Ammembal Subba Rao Pai; HQ: Bengaluru

6.ISRO to launch an electronic intelligence satellite Emisat for the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) along with 28 third party satellites using a new variant of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket.ISRO in Jan launched defence satellite Microsat R for DRDO

7.State Bank of India recently announced that it has raised about ₹1,251 crore by issuing Basel III-compliant bonds with a face value of ₹10 lakh each and a coupon rate of 9.45% per annum payable annually with call option after 5 years.SBI Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar.

8.Indian Navy is undertaking Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations post the Cyclone 'IDAI' hitting the coast of Mozambique causing large scale destruction and loss of lives. In addition, 2 medical camps have been set up at Port Beira.Mozambique Capital: Maputo; Currency: Mozambican metical.

9.PhonePe appointed Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as its brand ambassador to help create awareness about the benefits of digital payments for users across India and PhonePe is also officially co-presenting sponsor for the television broadcast of VIVO IPL 2019.PhonePe is a Bengaluru based start-up.

10.Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari recently launched former Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla’s book Every Vote Counts-The Story of India’s Elections. Navin Chawla had served as 16th Chief Election Commissioner of India in 2009.Current CEC: Sunil Arora

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 23rd MARCH 2019

1.The nation is observing Shaheed Diwas or Martyr's Day on 23rd March. Each year, March 23, homage is paid to the great revolutionary fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdevwho sacrificed their lives for the country.It was on March 23, 1931, three young freedom fighters were hanged to death in the Lahore Central Jail (Now in Pakistan).


2.The Government of India has appointed Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, presently Flag Officer Commander-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) Eastern Naval Command as next Chief of the Naval Staff with effect from May 31, 2019. The present Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba retires on the same day.


3.The “100 Most Influential People in Climate Policy” list is comprised of seven Indian names including Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Dr. Harsh Vardhan, who took important measures to combat climate change.The list is prepared by Apolitical, a peer to peer learning platform for governments. The list has been topped by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Congresswoman, US Congress).The other 5 names from India: 1. Mukta Tilak- Mayor of Pune. 2.Jyoti Kirit Parikh- Executive director of Integrated Research and Action for Development. 3.Sunita Narain- Director of the Centre for Science and the Environment. 4. Vandana Shiva- Founder of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Natural Resource Policy. 5.Upendra Tripathy- Director general of the International Solar Alliance.

4.Indian low-cost airlines SpiceJet has joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA). SpiceJet is the first Indian budget carrier to join the IATA, which has over 290 airlines as members.The membership of IATA will allow SpiceJet to explore and grow its collaborations with international member airlines of IATA through interlining and code shares and also enables to seamlessly expand the network options for its passengers in future.

5.Each year, World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is commemorated on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.The theme of World TB Day 2019 - ‘It’s time’.


6.India has lifted South Asian Football Federation SAFF Women's Championship 5th time in a row. Keeping its winning streak India defeated host Nepal in the final by 3-1 in Biratnagar, Nepal. 


7.Fitch Ratings cut India’s economic growth forecast for the next financial year starting April 1, to 6.8% from its previous estimate of 7%, on weaker than expected momentum in the economy. The rating agency also cut growth forecasts for FY20 and FY21 to 7% from 7.3% and 7.1% from 7.3%, respectively.

8.Brazilian physicist and astronomer Marcelo Gleiser (60) was awarded 2019 Templeton Prize worth $1.4 million for his work on blending science and spirituality. It makes him first Latin American to win this award. Templeton Prize is awarded annually on person for outstanding his/her contributions in affirming life's spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.

9.India Post released a special stamp cover on Ice Stupa in Leh at an event in the presence of Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh founder Sonam Wangchuk who spearheaded the Ice Stupa initiative.

10.Captain Mohan Narayan Rao Samant of the Indian Navy, a 1971 India-Pakistan war hero, who was honoured by Bangladesh as a ‘Friend of Liberation War’, has passed away at the age of 89.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 22nd MARCH 2019

1.India has been ranked 140 out of 156 in the World Happiness Report 2019. Finland topped the list & South Sudan was at the bottom. The report is produced by UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network in partnership with the Ernesto Illy Foundation.India was ranked 133 in World Happiness Report 2018.

2.India won 368 medals, including 85 gold, at the Special Olympics World Summer Games, which was held at UAE's Abu Dhabi from March 14 to 21. The Indian team of 284 athletes also clinched 154 silver and 129 bronze medals at the event.Indian powerlifters bagged the maximum number of medals (96).

3.Xiaomi launched Mi Pay, a UPI based payments app in India in collaboration with ICICI bank & PayU. Mi Pay app has been approved by the National Payments Council of India (NPCI).Xiaomi is the market leader of smartphones in India.

4.International World Water Day is a UN observation day held annually on 22 March. The theme for World Water Day 2019 is ‘Leaving no one behind,’ which is the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.India uses largest amount of groundwater (24% of global total).

5.Asian Development Bank (ADB) has inked an agreement to invest $50 mil in solar energy project developer Avaada Energy. The investment will come equally from ADB's Ordinary Capital Resources & Leading Asia's Private Infrastructure Fund(LEAP).LEAP is a funding facility provided by JICA, administered by ADB.

6.Bihar Diwas or Bihar Day is celebrated every year on 22 March to commemorate the state’s separation from Bengal presidency in 1912. This day is a public holiday in Bihar. This day marks the 107th foundation day of Bihar.Governor of Bihar- Lalji Tandon. Chief Minister- Nitish Kumar

7.Fitch Ratings cut India's economic growth forecast for the next financial year starting April 1, to 6.8% from its previous estimate of 7% and Fitch also estimated for FY21 to be 7.1%. Earlier on December 6, Fitch Ratings cut India's FY19 forecast to 7.2%.Fitch Rating HQ- New York, USA CEO- Paul Taylor.

8.SBI has signed MoU with Bank of China (BoC), the 3rd largest bank in the world by capital size to enhance business synergies between both the banks. SBI has a branch in Shanghai and BOC is opening its branch in Mumbai.SBI Anywhere changed its name to YONO Lite.

9.A Brazilian physicist and astronomer Marcelo Gleiser have won the 2019 Templeton Prize for his work blending science and spirituality.Templeton prize is often referred to as “Nobel Prize of Spirituality”.Brazil Capital- Brasilia Currency- Real.

10.The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) launched a new podcast app 'Shiksha Vani' that will disseminate crucial information to students and parents in a timely manner.CBSE Chairperson- Anita Karwal HQ- New Delhi.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 21st MARCH 2019

1.Dr. Karen Uhlenbeck won the 2019 Abel Prize, becoming the first woman to ever to receive the award, which is often known as the Nobel Prize of mathematics. Karen Uhlenbeck is referred to as the founder of modern geometric analysis.Abel prize is named after mathematician Niels Henrik Abel.

2.Maldives finance ministry has signed an agreement with Export-Import bank for a line of credit of $800mil for infrastructure projects. The EXIM Bank loans come with a 1.75 percent interest rate and a 15-year repayment period after five years of moratorium.CEO & MD of Exim Bank- David Rasquinha HQ- Mumbai.

3.The Election Commission of India has appointed transgender social activist Gauri Sawant, as one of the 12 election ambassadors from Maharashtra. She becomes the first transgender election ambassador of India.Transgenders got the right to vote for the first time in 2014.

4.SAIL has come out with smart steel garbage bins that can emit signals to the collection vehicles about the fill-up position. The smart garbage bins made up of stainless steel can also collect unbridled garbage.SAIL CEO- Anil Kumar Chaudhary.

5.Jammu & Kashmir teenager Irfan Ramzan Sheikh was bestowed with the Shaurya Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind for foiling an attack by three militants on his house in 2017. Irfan was 14 years old then.Shaurya Chakra is peacetime gallantry award, 1st awarded in 1952.

6.Nepal is hosting a 3-day International Sanskrit Conference that began on March 19, 2019, jointly organized by The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, India’s Ministry of Culture and the Balmiki campus of Nepal Sanskrit University.In the 2001 Census,14135 people have Sanskrit as a 1st language.

7.SpiceJet has joined global airlines' grouping International Air Transport Association (IATA), becoming the first Indian low-cost carrier to get the membership. Other Indian members of the IATA include Air India, Jet Airways and Vistara.IATA HQ- Montreal, Canada CEO- Alexandre de Juniac.

8.Kazakhstan's Parliament has voted to rename the country's capital Astana as 'Nursultan', in honor of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Nursultan Nazarbayev announced his retirement after 29 years in power.Kazakhstan’s new President is Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

9.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has turned down IDBI Bank's proposal to change its name following the transfer of 51% stake to LIC. IDBI proposed to change its name to either LIC IDBI Bank or LIC Bank.RBI changed categorization from public sector to private bank.

10.India has lost the hosting rights of the junior Davis Cup & Fed Cup after Pakistan closed its airspace.16 teams were supposed to arrive on April 8-13 for Davis Cup & Fed Cup from April 15-20. Both the competitions will now be held in Bangkok, Thailand.Prajnesh Gunneswaran is the top-ranked Indian tennis player.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 20th MARCH 2019

1.World Sparrow Day is celebrated on 20th March every year. The theme for World Sparrow Day 2019 is “I LOVE Sparrows”. It is an initiative by the Nature Forever Society (NFS) of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France).The NFS was founded by Indian conservationist Mohammed Dilawar.

2.Former Supreme Court judge & current member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Pinaki Chandra Ghose will be India’s first anti-corruption ombudsman (Lokpal) after his name was cleared & recommended by the high-level selection committee.The Lokpal Act was passed in 2013 to probe corruption complaints.

3.Shi Yuqi of China beat India’s B Sai Praneeth to clinch Men’s single title in Yonex Swiss Open 2019 held at Basel, Switzerland. Chen Yufei of China won the Women’s singles title.2019 BWF World Championships will be in Basel, Switzerland.

4.Indian fashion designer Ritu Beri has been appointed as the Cultural & Tourism Ambassador of Uzbekistan in India by the Ministry of Tourism of Uzbekistan. It was officially announced during the Uzbek-Indian joint fashion and music Festival.Uzbekistan Capital- Tashkent Currency- Som PM- Abdulla Aripov.

5.Diksha Dagar becomes youngest Indian woman to win on the Ladies European Tour (LET) in Investec Women’s South African Open in Capetown. She is a World Deaf Championship winner & also won the 2018 Singapore Amateur title.Aditi Ashok was the 1st Indian to win the LET in 2016.

6.GI tag was granted to Coorg Arabica Coffee (Karnataka),Wayanad Robusta Coffee (kerala), Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee(Karnataka), Araku Valley Arabica Coffee (Andhra Pradesh) & Bababudangiris Arabica Coffee(India’s First Coffee grown in Chikmagalur,Karnataka).Chikmagalur is referred to as the birthplace of Coffee in India.

7.The United Nations International Day of Happiness is celebrated on March 20 to inspire and spread a global happiness movement. The theme for 2019 is “Happier together”. The central theme is “Share Happiness and be Part of Something Amazing”.The day was founded by UN special advisor Jayme Illien.

8.The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code) and its allied rules and regulations.Dr. MS Sahoo is the Chairperson of IBBI. HQ- New Delhi.

9.GST council in its 34th meeting approved a transition plan for new rates on residential properties under which developers of under-construction buildings may either opt to shift to the revised lower rates without input tax credit or stick to previous rates.Ajay Bhushan Pandey is the Chairman of GST Network.

10.Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan's first and only President announced his resignation after 29 years in power. He has been Kazakhstan's President since 1990 and was formally elected in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union.Kazakhstan Capital- Astana Currency- Tenge

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 19th MARCH 2019

1.Pramod Sawant was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Goa. He succeeds Manohar Parrikar, who passed away recently. He is the former speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly. Goa Governor Mridula Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sawant.Sawant represents Sankhalim constituency in Goa Assembly.

2.India and Maldives signed three agreements on visa facilitation for diplomatic and official passport holders, development cooperation and renewable energy. It sets the framework for strengthening and deepening of the relationship between two nations.Maldives: Capital – Male; Currency – Rufiyaa.

3.RBI has proposed a rule-based approach in fixing Ways & Means limits for state govts, replacing the expenditure-based system. It will set up a panel to recommend parameters of the new system which is aimed at preventing automatic monetization of deficits.WMA - Short-term loan facility provided by RBI to states.

4.ICICI Lombard & Mobikwik announced a partnership to offer cyber-insurance against unauthorized & fraudulent transactions online across bank accounts, debit/credit cards & mobile wallets. It can be availed via app at ₹ 99/month & with sum insured of ₹ 50000.Sanjeev Mantri - Executive Director of ICICI Lombard.

5.Indian Army began a 10-day military exercise AFINDEX with armed forces of 17 African nations at Aundh, Maharashtra. The exercise will focus on exchange of practices b/w the nations, team building & tactical level operations in conduct of UN-mandated tasks.Bipin Rawat – Chief of Indian Army.

6.Ola has signed an MoU with Telangana to support the efforts in strengthening traffic infrastructure in the city. The partnership would see Ola 'share intelligent insights' that enable the Govt to implement smart solutions to enhance mobility experience.Governor of Telangana - ESL Narasimhan; CM - Chandrashekar Rao.

7.The day is celebrated every year on March 18 to mark the importance of recycling & making the world think resource not waste. The theme of the day is ‘Recycling into the Future’ would focus on the power of youth & education in ensuring a brighter future.Global Recycling Day was launched in 2018.

8.ICGS 'Vijit' became the first-ever Coast Guard ship to visit Sabang, Indonesia. Vijit's visit highlights strengthening cooperation in the area of maritime security and safety between New Delhi and Jakarta.Indian Naval Ship Sumitra visited Sabang in July 2018.

9.Indian youth team finished second with a total of 26 medals including 8 gold, 9 silver & 9 bronze medals at Asian Youth Championships, Hongkong. China topped with 31 medals (12 gold, 11 silver, 8 bronze) & Japan finished 3rd with 20 medals.Boys medley relay team won a gold medal for India.

10.Senior journalist and environmental activist Darryl D'Monte, who worked with leading English dailies, died. He was 74. He served as the resident editor of Mumbai editions of The Times of India and The Indian Express.He wrote a book ‘Temples or Tombs: Industry versus Environment’.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 18th MARCH 2019

1.4-time Goa CM & former defence minister Manohar Parrikar (63) died after a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. Mr. Parrikar was the first Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay) alumnus to serve as CM of Goa in 2000.Goa Capital- Panaji Governor- Mridula Sinha.

2.Ordnance Factories Day is observed all over India on 18 March every year. The production of the oldest Ordnance Factory of India, which is located at Cossipore, Kolkata was commenced on 18th March 1802.Narendra Modi launched Rifles plant at Ordnance Factory(Amethi).

3.The first BRICS Sherpa meeting under the Presidency of Brazil concluded at Curitiba in Brazil. Secretary, Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Affairs, T S Tirumurti led the Indian delegation at the two-day meeting.11th BRICS Summit will also be held in Curitiba Brazil this year.

4.Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi have been hit by a vicious cyclone that has killed nearly 150 people. Cyclone Idai has affected more than 1.5 million people in the 3 Southern African countries, according to the United Nations.Mozambique Capital- Maputo Currency- Metical

5.IIT Roorkee & ISRO have signed an MoU to develop Space Technology Cells. The Space Technology Cells developed under this MoU will help & faculty members of the institute to pursue advanced research in different areas related to futuristic space technology.ISRO Chairman- Kailasavadivoo Sivan.

6.34th meeting of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) council held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. All the member nations of the SCO will take part in a joint anti-terrorism exercise ' Sary-Arka-Antiterror 2019 ' to be held this year.SCO- Shanghai Cooperation Organization HQ- Beijing, China.

7.The Ministry of Human Resource Development has signed an MoU with the Afghanistan government to work on digital education initiatives, which include many prominent programs developed by Indian Institutes of Technology. The MoU was signed at IIT-Madras.Afghanistan Capital- Kabul Currency- Afghani.

8.Bengaluru FC clinched its maiden Indian Super League title after a captivating final against FC Goa in Mumbai. FC Goa striker Ferran Corominas was the league's top scorer. Sunil Chhetri is the captain of Bengaluru FC.This was the 5th edition of Indian Super League (ISL).

9.Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas (Finland) beat his world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton to clinch the Australian Formula One Grand Prix 2019. Hamilton finished the race in the second spot, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished third.Finland Capital- Helsinki Currency- Euro

10.Reliance Industries CMD Mukesh Ambani leads Forbes' list of richest sports team owners with a net worth of around $50 billion. Ambani purchased the IPL team Mumbai Indians through a RIL subsidiary in 2008 for just over $100 million.Mumbai Indians lifted the IPL crown in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 17th MARCH 2019

1.Bandhan Bank has received no objection from the Reserve Bank of India for the proposed acquisition of Gruh Finance. Gruh Finance, the affordable housing finance arm of HDFC Ltd, was taken over in January by Kolkata-based Bandhan Bank in a share-swap deal.Chandra Shekhar Ghosh - Managing director & CEO of Bandhan Bank.

2.The Reserve Bank of India has come out with guidelines to prevent misuse of price-sensitive information by participants in markets for financial instruments. The guidelines have become effective from March 15, 2019.RBI’s Interest on reserves – 4%.

3.State Bank of India launched cardless ATM withdrawals with YONO Cash. The feature on YONO is designed to help users withdraw cash without a physical debit card. SBI will enable all its 60000 ATMs in the next 6 months which will be called YONO Cash Point.Rajnish Kumar – Chairman of State Bank of India.

4.Amitabh Kant will head National Mission on Transformative Mobility & Battery Storage which is being set up to promote clean and sustainable mobility initiatives. The panel will recommend policy guidelines for holistic, sustainable energy storage in India.National Institution for Transforming India was formed in 2015.

5.Kathak dancer Seema Mehta has been conferred the 'Nari Shakti Puraskar' award for her contribution towards women empowerment over the last 15 years. She received the award from President Kovind in New Delhi as part of the Women's Day celebrations.Kathak is one of the eight classical dance forms in India.

6.Scientists have developed a solar-powered harvesting system that absorbs moisture from air & converts it into clean, usable water. It relies on hydrogels, gel-polymer hybrid materials designed to be super sponges that can retain large amounts of water.It could be used in disaster situations, water crises areas.

7.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be on a two-day visit to the Maldives. Both govts will discuss ongoing & future collaboration arrangements and development cooperation, cooperation in the field of health, and enhancing people-to-people contact.President of Maldives - Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

8.UNEA has adopted 2 resolutions piloted by India on single-use plastics & sustainable nitrogen management. They were adopted at 4th session of UNEA held in Nairobi on Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges & Sustainable Production & Consumption.Head of United Nations Environment Programme - Joyce Msuya.

9.The 3rd edition of Namaste Thailand festival started in New Delhi aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and increasing cultural exchange between India and Thailand. The festival will feature stage performances including Thai folk-jazz band Asia-7.Thailand capital – Bangkok; King - Maha Vajiralongkorn;

10.India will host the Under-17 Women's Football World Cup in 2020. This was announced by the President of International Football Federation (FIFA) Gianni Infantino after the council meeting in Miami, USA.India already hosted the U-17 Men's World Cup in 2017.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 16th MARCH 2019

1.World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year on March 15. It is a day marked to raise global awareness about consumer rights and needs. This year, the theme of promoted World Consumer Rights Day is "Trusted Smart Products".Consumer Protection Act was implemented in 1986 in India.

2.Padmanaban Gopalan, the founder of No Food Waste, was named the winner of the Commonwealth Youth Award for the Asian region for his work towards achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of zero hunger.There are 53 Commonwealth Countries in the world.

3.World Sleep Day is designed to raise awareness of sleep that is often compromised by the habits of modern life. World Sleep Day is held the Friday before Spring Vernal Equinox each year. The theme for 2019 is “Healthy Sleep, Healthy Aging”.Next World Sleep Day will be celebrated on 13 March 2020.

4.Santosh Jha, presently Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Washington has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Uzbekistan.Uzbekistan Capital- Tashkent Currency- Som

5.Argentina and Colombia are set to co-host the 2020 Copa America. It's the first time that the tournament will be split between 2 countries in the modern Copa America era.Colombia Capital- Bogota Currency- Peso.

6.IT major Wipro Ltd opened its centre of excellence for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in Kochi in Kerala. The facility is Wipro's third one dedicated to industrial IoT after one each in Mountain View in California and Bengaluru.Azim Premji is the Chairman of Wipro.

7.The United States Special Forces Group stationed in Japan conducts a joint exercise with India's National Security Guard in Hyderabad. The overall aim of the program was to enhance professionalism and the ability to operate together during times of crisis.U.S. Air Force is the world's largest air force.

8.Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Naresh Lokesh has been recognised by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as their Young Global Leader for 2019 for next five years. WEF announced 12 persons from South Asia as Young Global Leaders.WEF Headquarters are in Cologny, Switzerland.

9.Karnataka registered their 14th straight win in T20 cricket to clinch the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Karnataka beat Maharashtra by 8 wickets in the final to win the tournament for the first time.Syed Mushtaq Ali- 1st batsman to score 100 for India in overseas

10.President of India Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 15 March. He also presented the 10th Biennial National Grassroots Innovation Awards.Gujarat CM- Vijay Rupani Governor- Om Prakash Kohli

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 15th MARCH 2019

1.The 15th Special Olympics World Summer Games 2019 at Abu Dhabi in UAE kicked off on 14 March by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. 7,500 special athletes from 200 countries marched at the Zayed Stadium.Sweden will host the 2021 Special Olympics World Winter Games.

2.The government appointed MR Kumar as the Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation, Vipin Anand & TC Suseel Kumar as the Managing Directors (MDs). This is the first time an interview for the top position of LIC was conducted by the Banks Board Bureau (BBB).Life Insurance Corporation Act was passed on 19 June 1956.
ii. The opening ceremony saw the unfurling of the national flags of both countries with Omani and Indian soldiers standing side by side signifying the growing cooperation, synergy and understanding between both the countries.Oman Capital: Muscat, Currency: Omani rial.

3.Reserve Bank of India has categorized IDBI Bank as a 'Private Sector Bank' for regulatory purposes by with effect from 21 January 2019. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) acquired 51% of the total paid-up equity share capital of IDBI bank.Hemant Bhargava is the Chairman of IDBI Bank.

4.Mercer’s Quality of Living Ranking 2019 has named Hyderabad & Pune as the most liveable city. Globally, the cities occupy the 143rd position. Vienna retained the top rank for the 10th year. Chennai is ranked the safest Indian city-105th in the world.Vienna is the capital of Austria. Currency- Euro

5.India's most valued lender HDFC Bank Ltd crossed the ₹6 trillion market capitalization for the first time making it only the country's third firm to achieve the milestone after Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).HDFC Bank's EVA is India's 1st & largest AI bank assistant.

6.The Embassy of India, Kathmandu, has awarded 200 Golden Jubilee Scholarships to meritorious Nepali students for continuing their studies in various undergraduate courses at various universities and colleges in Nepal for the academic year 2018-2019.Nepal is officially called Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

7.Indo Oman Joint Exercise Al Nagah III 2019, a joint military exercise between Indian and Royal Army of Oman (RAO), commenced this morning at HQ Jabel Regiment, Nizwa, Oman.

8.Chairman & Non-Executive Director of Bajaj Finserv Rahul Bajaj resigned from Bajaj FInserv. Board of directors has appointed Nanoo Pamnani as Independent Non-Executive Chairman of the company in place of Rahul Bajaj w.e.f 17 May 2019.Bajaj Finserv HQ- Pune CEO & MD- Sanjiv Bajaj

9.First woman Lingayat 'jagadguru' and Basava Dharma Peetha President, Maate Mahadevi passed away at age 73. Mahadevi took part in the protests held for separate religion and grant of minority religious status for Lingayats in Karnataka last month.Karnataka CM- HD Kumaraswamy Governor- Vijubhai Vala

10.Delhi Capitals (Earlier Delhi Daredevils) have appointed ex-India captain Sourav Ganguly as Advisor ahead of 2019 Indian Premier League. Sourav Ganguly is the President of Cricket Association of Bengal and President of Editorial Board with Wisden India.12th Season of IPL will kick off from 23 March 2019