9 PM Current Affairs Brief – March 25, 2019

Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe lays foundation stone for oil refinery Sri Lankan Prime Minister has laid the foundation stone for the oil refinery and cement factory in Mirijjawila, Hambantota. The $3.85 billion project is the single largest foreign investment in Sri Lanka. It is jointly funded by Oman and Singapore-registered Silver Park International, a… Continue reading Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe lays foundation stone for oil refinery

Lesser clicks, a boon for bricks The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion new rules on the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy for e-retail has benefitted the offline retailers also known as brick and mortar (B&M) retail sector. Brick and mortar(B&M) refers to businesses that are bound to a physical space, like a specific building… Continue reading Lesser clicks, a boon for bricks

Punjab and Haryana likely to reap a bumper crop of wheat Punjab and Haryana are expected to reap a bumper harvest of wheat due to an extended winter and good rain spells during the ongoing Rabi season. In India, there are two major cropping seasons: a) Kharif and b) Rabi. Another cropping season Zaid i.e.… Continue reading Punjab and Haryana likely to reap a bumper crop of wheat

Protect ocean ecosystem, tap blue economy: V Naidu India’s Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has said that any further degradation of marine ecosystems should be prevented. He also advocated that India should reap the enormous potential of ‘blue economy’ to achieve higher economic growth. Blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth,… Continue reading Protect ocean ecosystem, tap blue economy: V Naidu

Scooters, bikes used as earth excavators in Mizoram: CAG A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has found anomalies in the implementation of Border Area Development Programme (BADP) from 2012-2017 along Mizoram’s border with Myanmar. Border Area Development Programme (BADP) aims to meet the special development needs of the people living in remote and inaccessible… Continue reading Scooters, bikes used as earth excavators in Mizoram: CAG

Sunstroke claims three lives in Kerala Sunstroke, also known as heatstroke, has killed 3 people in Kerala. Early in March, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast heat wave conditions in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh. A heat wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures-more than the… Continue reading Sunstroke claims three lives in Kerala

Rising sea levels to affect water table along Chennai’s shoreline According to a recent study, coastal areas in Chennai is under threat of sever salt water intrusion due to anticipated sea level rise as a consequence of climate change. A report by the Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) has stated that there is… Continue reading Rising sea levels to affect water table along Chennai’s shoreline

Odisha’s Rushikulya rookery awaits Olive Ridleys Olive Ridley turtles have not yet arrived for mass nesting at Rushikulya rookery and Devi river mouth in Odisha. A rookery is a communal nesting ground of animals. The Olive Ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles in the world. They inhabit in the… Continue reading Odisha’s Rushikulya rookery awaits Olive Ridleys

Health Ministry commemorates World TB Day The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India recently commemorated the World TB Day with a function to mark the occasion. World TB Day is observed every year on March 24. World TB Day commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of… Continue reading Health Ministry commemorates World TB Day

Virtual SIMs used in Pulwama terror attack; India to approach U.S. for help Indian government has decided to send a request to the United States to seek details from a service provider of virtual SIMs. These virtual SIMs were used by the Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber behind the Pulwama attack to communicate with his Pakistan based… Continue reading Virtual SIMs used in Pulwama terror attack; India to approach U.S. for help

Bar use of ‘mental’ & ‘mad’ jibe: Psychiatry body to poll panel The Indian Psychiatry Society (IPS) has requested the Election Commission of India to put a ban on the use of words like mental instability and mad. These words are used by politicians while describing their opponents during the election campaign. The Indian Psychiatry… Continue reading Bar use of ‘mental’ & ‘mad’ jibe: Psychiatry body to poll panel