Current Affairs 30th March 2017

Current Affairs 30th March 2017 - Important Points

• India became net exporter of electricity - For the first time
• Turkey's Elvan Abeylegesse removed of - Olympic medals
• Four GST Bills passed by - Lok Sabha
• Letter signed to trigger Brexit from EU by - British PM Theresa May
• Medicinal use of marijuana approved by - Argentina

Current Affairs 30th March 2017 - Details

India became net exporter of electricity - For the first time

India became the net exporter of electricity for the first time, as per Central Electricity Authority, the designated authority of Union Government for Cross Border Trade of Electricity on 29th March 2017. During the financial year 2016-17, India exported around 5798 million units to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar which was 213 Million units more than the import of around 5585 million units from Bhutan.

More information-

• Ever since the cross border trade of electricity began in mid-1980s, India has been importing power from Bhutan and marginally 
• exporting to Nepal in radial mode at 33 kV and 132 kV from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. 
• It was further augmented by commissioning of 2nd cross border Interconnection between Surjyamaninagar (Tripura) in India and South
•  Comilla in Bangladesh. Around 600 MW power is being exported to Bangladesh at present.

Turkey's Elvan Abeylegesse removed of - Olympic medals

Turkish runner Elvan Abeylegesse was stripped of two Olympic silver medals and one world silver on 29th March 2017. The decision was taken after re-analysis of an in-competition doping test dating back to 2007. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in a statement stated that Abeylegesse’s “results from August 25th, 2007, to August 25th, 2009, have been removed, with the 34-year-old retrospectively banned from September 29th, 2015, to September 28th, 2017.” Abeylegesse tested positive on 25th August 2007 after winning silver at the 2007 World Athletics championships in Osaka. It also signifies that she is set to be stripped not only of that world silver but also the 5000m and 10000m silver medals she won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The runner reportedly tested positive for a steroid, stanozolol.

Important Highlights

• She is an Ethiopian-born Turkish middle and long-distance running athlete.
• Elvan is the former world record-holder for the 5000 metres.
• In August 2015, the Turkish Athletics Federation confirmed that an anti-doping test taken during 2007 World Championships in Athletics had been retested and found to be positive. After the result, she was temporarily suspended pending retesting of her 'B-sample'.

Four GST Bills passed by - Lok Sabha

• The Lok Sabha passed four Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bills on 29th March 2017, that includes:
• The CGST Bill - The Central Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017.
• The IGST Bill - The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017.
• The UTGST Bill - The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017.
• The Compensation Bill - The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to the States) Bill, 2017.

These GST Bills will include all the indirect taxes currently levied such as the Value Added Tax, excise duty, service tax and central sales tax. It empowers the centre to impose an additional tax of up to 1 per cent on the inter-state supply of goods for two or more years.

Letter signed to trigger Brexit from EU by - British PM Theresa May

British Prime Minister Theresa May signed the letter that will trigger Britain's exit from the European Union (EU) on 28th March 2017. This letter was delivered to European Council President Donald Tusk by British ambassador on 29th March 2017.

Important Highlights

 Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty that was invoked with the sign provides both sides a time-limit of two years to reach to this agreement. Unless that time-frame is extended, Britain will have to leave the economic bloc by 29th March 2019. The signed letter is a follow-up step of the 23rd June 2016 referendum which resulted in a vote to leave the European Union.  In short, the notification of Article 50 marks the first formal step in the direction of Brexit after the June referendum in favour of Britain leaving the EU.

Important Highlights

• 29th March 2017: Article 50 was triggered.
• 30th March 2017: Great Repeal Bill was published. The bill aims at converting EU law into domestic legislation and repeal the European Communities Act.
• 31st March 2017: negotiation guidelines will be published by Donald Tusk, the President of the European Union.
• 29th April 2017: EU summit, where remaining members of the European Council will adopt negotiation guidelines.
• Great Repeal Bill will be announced at the opening of the Parliament in spring 2017.
• Face to face talks will start in May/June 2017.
• The negotiation period of two years comes to an end and with this end UK will leave the Union with or without any agreement in March 2019.

Medicinal use of marijuana approved by - Argentina

The Argentine Senate gave final legislative approval to a bill that permits the medicinal use of marijuana on 29th March 2017. The legislation had already obtained the green signal from the Chamber of Deputies in November 2016. The measure will become law once it is signed by President, Mauricio Macri.

Interesting Highlights

• Cannabis is a grud prepared from the Cannabis plant intended to use as a psychoactive drug or medicine.
• It is also called marijuana.
• The major psychoactive part of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
• It can be used by different ways like smoking, vaporization, within food, or as an extract.
• Cannabis and its cannabinoids can be used to treat diseases or improve symptoms.
• The medicinal use of cannabis has not been scientifically tested seriosuly, mostly due to production restrictions and other federal regulations.
• There are chances where cannabis can be used to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, to improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and to cure chronic pain and muscle spasms.