Current Affairs 31st March 2017

Current Affairs 31st March 2017 - Important Points

• Pranab Mukherjee grants Padma awards at - Rashtrapati Bhavan
• First Tiger Reserve in India to get official mascot - Kanha
• World Theater Day celebrated on - 27th March 2017

Current Affairs 31st March 2017 - Details

Pranab Mukherjee grants Padma awards at - Rashtrapati Bhavan

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the prestigious Padma awards to dignitaries belonging to various fields at a Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 30th March 2017. Among those presented at the occasion were the Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Union Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh.

The President this year granted 7 Padma Vibhushan awards (second highest civilian award), of which two were conferred posthumously, 7 Padma Bhushan awards, of which one was given posthumously and 75 Padma Shri awards, among which 3 were conferred posthumously. 

Interesting Highlights

• The Padma awards were introduced in 1954. 
• Since their institution, apart from the brief interruption during the years 1977-80 and 1993-97, the awards have been conferred every single year. They are announced on the Republic Day. 
• The awards are given in three categories, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri in decreasing order of importance.
• The awards are conferred to recognize exceptional achievements in all fields of activities including art, literature,social work, civil service, science, education, sports, medicine and public affairs.
• Further, not all the awardees received the honour on 30th March, the remaining would be conferred the awards at a ceremony that is likely to be held on 13th April at Rashtrapati Bhavan itself.

 First Tiger Reserve in India to get official mascot - Kanha

Kanha Tiger Reserve became the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, named Bhoorsingh the Barasingha in the last week of March 2017. The step was taken to present the hard ground swamp deer as the spirit of the reserve. It will spread awareness to save the species from possible extinction. Barasingha (swamp deer) is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh. The Kanha tiger reserve is the only place in the world where these species exist.

Important Highlights

• The barasingha is a deer species in the Indian subcontinent.
• This species is extinct in Pakistan and in Bangladesh.
• The species differ from all the Indian deer species in that the antlers carry more than three tines, the species is designated barasingha, meaning "twelve-tined."
• Their population outside protected areas and seasonally migrating populations is threatened by poaching for antlers and meat.
• They lost most of its previous range because wetlands were converted and used for agriculture.
• This Kanha Tiger Reserve is the largest national park of Madhya Pradesh.
• The Kanha National Park was created on 1st June 1955. In 1973, the Kanha Tiger Reserve was made.
• At present, it stretches over an area of 940 km in the two districts Mandla and Balaghat.
• This reserve has a significant population of Bengal tiger, Indian leopards, the sloth bear, barasingha and Indian wild dog.

World Theater Day celebrated on - 27th March 2017

The World Theater Day was celebrated on 27th March 2017 across the globe. To mark the occasion, various national and international theater events were organised by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) Centres and the international theatre community.

Key Highlights

• Since 1962, World theater Day has been celebrated by ITI Centres, ITI Cooperating Members, theater professionals, theater organizations, theater universities and theater lovers all over the world on the 27th of March.
• This day is a celebration for those who can see the value and importance of the art form “theater”.
• The day acts as a wake-up-call for governments, politicians and institutions which have not yet recognised its value to the people and its potential for economic growth.
• While the Russian Dramatist Anatoly Vasiliev was the World theater Day International Message Author 2016, Krzysztof Warlikowski was the International Message Author for the 2015 celebrations.
• The International theater Institute (ITI) was created by theater and dance experts, with the assistance of UNESCO, in 1948.
• ITI has developed into the largest organization for the performing arts with over 100 Centres and Cooperating all over the world.
• ITI organizes the International Dance Day and World theater Day every year at the UNESCO, Paris.