Current Affairs 18th March 2016

Important Points : 

• Which famous magician has passed away - Paul Daniels
• Who has been appointed as CEO of AirAsia India - Amar Abrol
• Who has resigned as Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited - Vijay Mallya
• Feni as Heritage Spirit of Goa
• 10th Asian Film Awards announced
• Who has launched FCI’s Depot Online System - Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan
• Who has been conferred with Skoch Lifetime Achievement Award - Venkaiah Naidu

Details : 

Which famous magician has passed away - Paul Daniels

On 17th March 2016, Famous magician Paul Daniels passed away at the age of 77.

From 1979 to 1994, he was best known for his BBC TV series The Paul Daniels Magic Show.

About Paul Daniels

• In 1970, he made his television debut on the long-running talent show Opportunity Knocks.
• In 1982, the Academy of Magical Arts awarded him with the prestigious Magician of the Year Award. 

Who has been appointed as CEO of AirAsia India - Amar Abrol

Among the important Business Current Affairs, On 17th March 2016, Amar Abrol was appointed as the chief executive officer of AirAsia India.

He will replace Mittu Chandilya. On the other hand, Ankur Khanna and Kiran Jain were appointed as the Chief Financial Officer and the Head of Commercial respectively.

About Amar Abrol

• He has a rich  20 years of experienceand was previously the CEO of Tune Money, a start-up that aims to deliver low-cost financial products in South East Asia.
• He has led diverse teams across multiple markets including India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and UK for 19 years in American Express.

Who has resigned as Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited - Vijay Mallya

On 17th March 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) announced Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Vijay Mallya had resigned from his post as the Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL).

Following this, Russell Adams was appointed as the new Director of RCSPL and also holds the role of being the vice-president of Commercial Operations and Cricket Academy at RCB. 

Feni as Heritage Spirit of Goa

On 17th March 2016, Goa government classified the country liquor, Feni as Heritage Spirit of Goa. It is the form of spirit produced exclusively in the coastal state.

In the year 2000, it got Geographical Indication (GI) certification. It is the first liquor product in the country to obtain such status.

It used in various cultural traditions, cuisines and is well known for its medicinal value also. 

Feni is a brew made from coconut or cashew fruits and is synonymous with the Goan ethos and identity.

10th Asian Film Awards announced

Among the important International Current Affairs, On 17th March 2016, The 10th Asian film awards were presented in Macau, China. The prizes for, best actress and best director were presented to 'The Assassin', a movie about a highly trained female assassin.

On this occasion, Hong Kong Action Choreographer-director Yuen Wo-ping and Japanese Actress Kiki Kirin received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

List of winners of the 10th Asian Film Awards

• Best Newcomer: Jessie Li for Port of Call
• Best Supporting Actor: Tadanobu Asano for Journey to the Shore
• Best Sound: Chu Shih-yi, Tu Duu-chih and Wu Shu-yao for The Assassin
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Yuen Wo-ping and Kirin Kiki
• Best Supporting Actress: Zhou Yun for The Assassin
• Best Production Design: Hwarng Wern-ying for The Assassin
• Best Original Music: Lim Giong for The Assassin
• Best Editing: William Chang Suk-ping, Chu Ka-yat, Liao Ching-sung, Wong Hoi, Philip Yung for Port of Call
• Best Film: The Assassin
• Best Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien for The Assassin
• Best Screenplay: Jia Zhangke for Mountains May Depart
• Best Cinematography: Mark Lee Ping-bing for The Assassin
• Best Actor: Lee Byung-hun for The Inside Men
• Best Actress: Shu Qi for The Assassin
• Best Visual Effects: Prasad Sutar for Bajirao Mastani
• Best Costume Design: Lee Ji-yeon and Shim Hyun-seob for The Throne

Who has launched FCI’s Depot Online System - Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 17th March 2016, the Online Depot System in New Delhi to automate all the operations of Food Corporation of India (FCI) depots was launched by Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan.

The aim of the Depot Online System is to align with Digital India vision for transformation of food distribution supply chain in India.

This system will bring total transparency in the working of FCI. 

Key highlights of Depot Online System

• Usage of manual registers will be eliminated.
• The estimated cost of the project is 63 crore rupees.

Who has been conferred with Skoch Lifetime Achievement Award - Venkaiah Naidu

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 18th March 2016, the Skoch Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred to Union urban Development minister M Venkaiah Naidu at 43rd SKOCH summit held in New Delhi.

He was awarded for his contributions to comprehensive growth and towards poverty alleviation in India.

Apart from this, for the initiative in establishing the path breaking tech incubator T-Hub, IT minister of Telangana State KT Rama Rao was awarded the Skoch Award in the Startup India category.