• Current Affairs 6th March 2019

    Updated : 06-Mar-2019

    Current Affairs 6th March 2019 - Important Points

    • Prayagraj Kumbha Mela 2019 makes it to the - Guinness World Records
    •  New Guinness World Record created by - CISF
    • Medal Winners Indians at - Dan Kovlov 2019
    • UNSC Blacklists Osama bin Laden’s Son-  Hamza
    • DRDO chief Satheesh Reddy conferred - Missile Systems Award
    • President gives assent to ordinance allowing voluntary use of - Aadhaar
    • India-Bangladesh joint military exercise Exercise Sampriti 2019 began on - 2nd March 2019
    •  ‘Young Scientist Program’ for school children launched by - ISRO

    Current Affairs 6th March 2019 - Details

    Prayagraj Kumbha Mela 2019 makes it to the - Guinness World Records

    The Prayagraj Kumbh Mela-2019 has made into Guinness World Records. The origin of Kumbh Mela can be outlined to the works of the 8-century philosopher Shankaracharya. The establishment myth of the Kumbh Mela points out to the Puranas which narrates how Gods & demons fought over the sacred pitcher-Kumbh of Amrit.
    The Prayagraj Kumbh Mela-2019 has made into Guinness World Records in the following 3 sectors:
    1. Largest traffic & crowd management plan.
    2. Biggest painting exercise of public sites under paint my city scheme.
    3. Biggest sanitation &waste disposal mechanism.
    Kumbha Mela

    Kumbh Mela-2019, the festival of the sacred pitcher is the largest public assembly & collective act of
    faith, anywhere in the world. This Hindu pilgrimage Kumbh Mela is observed 4 times over a period of 12
    years over 4 locations in India. The site of Kumbh Mela keeps circling between any one of the 4
    pilgrimages on 4 sacred rivers as listed below:
    1. Haridwar on the Ganges in Uttarakhand
    2. Ujjain on the Shipra in MP
    3. Nashik on the Godavari in Maharashtra
    4. Prayagraj at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, & the mythical Sarasvati in UP.
    The Kumbh Mela has been decorated on the list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO in 2017.

     New Guinness World Record created by - CISF

    The Central Industrial Security Force - CISF formed a new Guinness World Record for the longest single
    moving line bicycle parade at the Yamuna Expressway.
    New World Record

    • The world record was tried to memorialize the 50 years of the paramilitary force Central Industrial
      Security Force.
    • For forming the World Record the staff of the central force rode 1327 bicycles non-stop with a even
      distance between bicycles in a single lane.
    • The bicycle parade enclosed 3.2 kilometres distance non-stop where the Central Industrial Security
      Force staff displayed a highly maintained discipline, keeping in mind that the distance between 2 cycles should not surpass the length of 3, for the world record to be broken.
    • The Central Industrial Security Force broke the earlier record of Hubballi bicycle club of India which had 1235 bicycles in a single chain.
      Central Industrial Security Force
      The Central Industrial Security Force came into existence in 1969 with a modest 3 battalions, to deliver integrated security cover to the PSUs which had employed the  commanding heights of the economy in those days. In a span of 5 decades, the Force has full-grown several folds to reach 148371 staff.

    Medal Winners Indians at - Dan Kovlov 2019

    The medal winners for India at the Dan Kovlov 2019 wrestling programme is listed below -

    Bajrang Punia secured Gold in the Men’s freestyle wrestling 65kg category.
    Pooja Dhanda secured Gold in the Women’s 59kg category.
    Sakshi Malik secured Silver medal in the Women’s 65kg category.
    Sandeep Tomar secured Silver medal in the Men’s 61kg category.
    Vinesh Phogat secured Silver medal in the Women’s 53kg
    The Wrestling programme was being held at Ruse, Bulgaria.

    UNSC Blacklists Osama bin Laden’s Son-  Hamza

    The  United Nations Security Council- UNSC  has declared Hamza bin Laden, the son of slain al Qaida chief Osama bin Laden, under its sanctions list by recitation him as being seen as the ‘most probable successor’ of the group’s present leader Aiman al-Zawahiri.
    United Nations Security Council 1267 ISIL & Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee has recorded Hamza bin Laden under its sanctions list a day following the US proclaimed a reward of up to 1 million dollars for information about him.
    Consequences

    • The sanctions would result in travel ban, assets freeze & an arms embargo.
    • The Asset Freeze commands all states to freeze, without delay, the funds & other financial
      assets/economic resources of declared individuals & entities.
      Similarly, the travel restriction implies prevent the entry of declared individuals into/transit by all states through their territories.
    • Arms embargo needs all states to prevent the direct/indirect supply, sale & transfer from their
      territories/by their nationals outside their territories/using their flag vessels/aircraft, of arms &related material of all types & technical advice, assistance, to declared individuals & entities.
      1267 ISIL (Da’esh) &  Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee
      The 1267 &  Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee was recognized under the United Nations Security Council resolution 1267. Under the resolution 1988, the committee was retitled as Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in 2011 & was mandated to supervise implementation of the measures against individuals & units associated with Al-Qaida.

    DRDO chief Satheesh Reddy conferred - Missile Systems Award

    Aerospace scientist & Chief of the DRDO, G Satheesh Reddy has been deliberated the Missile Systems  Award-2019 by the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics.
    Satheesh Reddy shares the award with Rondell J. Wilson, who is a former Principal Engineering Fellow of Raytheon Missile Systems. He is the 1st Indian & 1st person outside the United States to be presented this prestigious award in approximately 4 decades.
    Satheesh Reddy

    • Satheesh Reddy is the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister & is measured the architect of advanced missile technologies & smart guided weapons technologies in India.
    • Satheesh Reddy was the Project Director for the design & development of the nation’s 1st 1000-
      kilogram class guided bomb which has improved precision strike capabilities.
    • Satheesh Reddy is also the 1st scientist from India to collect the Silver Medal from the Royal
      Aeronautical Society, London.
    • Satheesh Reddy has also played an important role in the development of some important systems,
      including tactical missile systems for example, the quick reaction surface-to-air missile, the portable anti-tank guided missile &the HELINA as well as NAG anti-tank weapons.

    President gives assent to ordinance allowing voluntary use of - Aadhaar

    President of India Ram Nath Kovind has given his approval to an ordinance that permits voluntary
    usage of Aadhaar as ID proof for obtaining mobile SIM cards &  opening bank accounts.

    The ordinance was demanded because the Rajya Sabha could not sanction the Aadhaar & other laws
    (Amendment Bill) 2018, as it was suspended sine die on February 13th, 2019. As a result, many
    significant bills for example, the Aadhaar Bill, Triple Talaq Bill & Citizenship Amendment Bill had failed. 
    The Lok Sabha had passed the Aadhaar Amendment Bill on January 4th, 2019.
    Important Highlights

    • The Union Cabinet had accepted the promulgation of an ordinance to give effect to variations
      proposed in Aadhaar & 2 others legislations last week.
    • The amendments deliver for stiff disadvantages for violation of standards set for the usage of
      Aadhaar & violation of privacy.
    • The ordinance gives effect to the modifications in the Aadhaar Act including giving a minor an option to quit from the biometric ID program on attaining 18 years of age.
    • The amendments also clarify that anyone not offering Aadhaar cannot be rejected any service of
      opening of a bank account/obtaining a mobile SIM card.
    • The amendments will allow UIDAI to have a much robust mechanism to assist the public interest & 
      restrain the misuse of Aadhaar.

    India-Bangladesh joint military exercise Exercise Sampriti 2019 began on - 2nd March 2019

    India-Bangladesh joint military exercise, “Exercise Sampriti 2019” started on March 2nd, 2019 at Tangail, Bangladesh. This will be the 8th edition of the exercise which is accommodated alternately by both nations. The exercise will complete on March 15th, 2019. As part of the ongoing Indo-Bangladesh defence co-operation, Exercise Sampriti is an imperative bilateral endeavour between India &  Bangladesh.
    Important highlights

    • The exercise started with the ceremonial salute of the participating nations to the national flags of
      both the nations to the strains of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ & the ‘Amar Shonar Bangla’.
    • The Bangladesh contingent was represented by 36 East Bengal Battalion, whereas Indian side was
      represented by 9th Battalion the Rajputana Rifles.
    • The specialists from both the nations will also arrange discussions to share each other’s experiences
      in varied topics for mutual advantages.
    • The exercise will include tactical level operations in a security insurgency & counter terrorism
      environment under the mandate of the UN.
    • Both sides will mutually train, plan & perform a series of well-developed tactical drills for
      neutralization of likely threats that may be come across during simulated United Nations peace
      keeping operations.

     ‘Young Scientist Program’ for school children launched by - ISRO

    The Indian Space Research organisation has launched the Young Scientist Program- Yuva Vigyani Karyakram, to communicate basic knowledge on space technology, space science & applications to the young ones to provoke their interest in space activities.
    Young Scientist Program

    • Indian Space Research organisation has turn up with this young scientist program to ‘catch them young’. The residential training program will be directed during the summer holidays. It will be organised for a duration of around 2 weeks.
    • Under the program, 3 students each will be nominated to participate in it every year from each state &UT, covering CBSE, ICSE & state syllabus. 
    • Indian Space Research organisation has contacted the Chief Secretaries of the respective states & 
      administrators of UTs in India to organise for the selection of 3 students from each of their states &
    • UTs & communicate the list to Indian Space Research organisation.
    • The eligibility for being nominated for the program includes those students who have finished 8th
      standard & are presently studying in the 9th standard.
    • Besides this, the nomination will be based on the academic performance & extracurricular activities of the students, according to the selection criteria already dispersed to the chief secretaries of the states & UT administrators.
    • Each state &  UT is anticipated to submit the list of selected candidates to Indian Space Research organisation by the end of March 2019.