Current Affairs 20th March 2015

Current Affairs 20th March 2015 - Important Points

• NGT instructed Indian Railways to impose a fine of 5000 rupees for - littering on railway property

• Who has been appointed as Chief of Pakistan Air Force - Air Marshal Sohail Aman

• Whats the new name of Girgaum Chowpatty announced by Maharashtra Government - Swaraj Bhoomi

• Who has been appointed as President of Britain’s Royal Society - Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

• Who has been appointed as vice-chair of International Relations Commission of ANOC - Ramachandran

• Who has became the first Indian Captain to register 100 ODI wins - Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Current Affairs 20th March 2015 - Details

NGT instructed Indian Railways to impose a fine of 5000 rupees for - littering on railway property

On 18th March 2015, National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Indian Railways to impose a fine of 5000 rupees on individuals spotted littering or throwing waste on the railway platforms and railway tracks.

The order was given with an aim to administer the genesis of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan and was passed by a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.

The bench passed a slew of directions to Railways and other authorities for maintaining cleanliness on railway lines. The directions are as follows:

• Fix dustbins after identifying exact locations for collection of garbage in 46 slum clusters adjoining railway tracks.
• For assembling and disposal of municipal solid wastes, it directed the Railways to collect, transport and treat the waste at the treatment plants instead of directly releasing the garbage into sewer system.
• Provide mobile toilets near slum clusters in order to control pollution caused by plastic products and human defecation around railway tracks.

Who has been appointed as Chief of Pakistan Air Force - Air Marshal Sohail Aman

Among the important International Current Affairs, On 18th March 2015, Air Marshal Sohail Aman was appointed as the Chief of Pakistan Air Force. Also he was elevated to the rank of Air Chief Marshal from Air Marshal.

Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz sharif approved his appointment and he will take the charge immediately from present Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt.

Prior to this appointment as Chief of Pakistan Air Force, he was helping as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) at Air Headquarters, Islamabad. For his meritorious and exceptionally dedicated services, he was awarded with Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Hilal-i-Imtiaz.

Whats the new name of Girgaum Chowpatty announced by Maharashtra Government - Swaraj Bhoomi

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 18th March 2015, to honour veteran freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak Maharashtra Government announced to rename Girgaum Chowpatty as Swaraj Bhoomi. Chowpatty is the oldest and most famous beach of Mumbai. It is one of the best spots to see the sunset.

Lokmanya Tilak Gaurav Samiti raised this demand that the spot at Chowpatty where Lokmanya Tilak was incinerated, and where a garden stands now, should be known as Swaraj Bhoomi. He died on 1st August 1920.

Who has been appointed as President of Britain’s Royal Society - Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

Among the important appointments, On 18th March 2015, Nobel laureate Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was appointed as the President of Britain's prestigious Royal Society, a fellowship of the many of the world's most distinguished scientists. Ramakrishnan will succeed geneticist Sir Paul Nurse, also a Nobel Laureatewho and will take up the post on the 1st December 2015.

About Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

• The Indo-American scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009 with Ada Yonath and Tom Steitz.
• He was awarded a knighthood in 2012.
• He studied how genetic information is translated by the ribosome to make proteins and the action of antibiotics on this process.
• He was voted as a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina (the German Science Academy), Fellow of the Royal Society in 2003 and a Foreign Member of the Indian National Science Academy.

About Britain’s Royal Society

The Royal Society, founded in 1660 is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists. Since establishment, the Society has seen 60 Presidents and some of them included Ernest Rutherford, Samuel Pepys, Joseph Banks, Humphry Davy, Isaac Newton and Christopher Wren.

The Society’s elementary purpose, reflected in its founding Charters of the 1660s, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.

Who has been appointed as vice-chair of International Relations Commission of ANOC - Ramachandran

Among the important appointments, On 17th March 2015, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President N Ramachandran was appointed as a vice-chair of the International Relations Commission of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC). He will serve as a vice-chair of ANOC International Relations Commission for 2015.

The decision of appointment of Ramachandran as a member of ANOC was announced by ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah. Ramachandran will be the only Indian on the 14-member Commission, which consists of 205 National Olympic Committees recognised by the International Olympic Committee. It was established in 1979 and has its headquarters in Lausanne in Switzerland.

Who has became the first Indian Captain to register 100 ODI wins - Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Among the important Sports Current Affairs, On 19th March 2015, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Captain of Indian Cricket team became the first Indian captain and third in the history of the game, to head his country to 100 ODI wins. He acquired the milestone of 100 wins in 178th ODI.

By achieving this fete, he joined the Australian pair of Ricky Ponting (165 wins) and Allan Border (107 wins). Dhoni achieved the fete after India defeated Bangladesh by 109-run in their 2015 ICC World Cup quarter-final match in Melbourne Cricket Ground.

With the win, Indian cricket team led by Dhoni became the first ever side to take 70 wickets in seven consecutive World Cup games. The quarter-final win over Bangladesh also helped India to register a record ninth knock-out win in ICC tournaments, which included the 2013 Champions Trophy titles, 2011 World Cup and 2007 World Cup T20.