03 March 2016 Current Affairs
Former NZ cricket captain Martin Crowe died
Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe died on 3 March 2016 in Auckland. He was 53. He is one of New Zealand’s best ever batsman, having scored 17 centuries and 5444 runs in 77 tests at an average of 45.36. Crowe captained in 16 Test matches and his highest score was 299 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in 1991. He was named one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year in 1985 and was player of the tournament in the 1992 World Cup.
World Wildlife Day observed on March 3
World Wildlife Day was observed on 3 March 2016 across the world. 2016 theme is “The future of wildlife is in our hands”, with African and Asian elephants being the main focus of global campaigns. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its 68th session held on 20 December 2013 decided to proclaim 3 March as World Wildlife Day. The date is the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973. CITES plays an important role in ensuring that international trade does not threaten the species’ survival.
Rajya Sabha passed Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Parliament passed the Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015 on 3 March 2016 to empower Union government to revise the limits of liability for airlines and compensation as per the Montreal Convention which India accepted in 2009. It was introduced in Lok Sabha on 7 August 2015 by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju. The bill was first passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2015 and later it was passed by the Rajya in March 2016. Now it will go for the Presidential assent as per Article 111 of Constitution. Key facts The Bill seeks to amend the Carriage by Air Act, 1972 to revise the limits of liability for airlines and compensation in order adhere with the global counterparts.
The world’s most expensive train station opened in New York
The world’s most expensive train station opened on 3 March 2016 in New York.The station has cost nearly $3.85 billion and will connect New Jersey commuter rail with New York subway lines. The European architect who designed it called it a gift of love to the city. It is situated at the site of the World Trade Center (WTC) twin-towers destroyed some 14 years ago in the 9/11 attacks of 11 September 2001. Santiago Calatrava, the Spanish-Swiss architect who unveiled his ambitious design 12 years ago.
Veteran Left leader Ashok Ghosh dead
Veteran All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) leader and senior-most leader of the Left Front in West Bengal, Ashok Ghosh, died in Kolkata on 3 March 2016. He was 94. A freedom fighter, Mr. Ghosh was the State secretary of the AIFB, the second biggest constituent of the Left Front, since 1951 — for 65 years. He joined the AIFB in 1940, a year after its formation, influenced by the political philosophy of Subhas Chandra Bose. He born on July 21, 1921 at Chinsurah in the Hooghly district of south Bengal, he was one of the founding members of the Left Front in West Bengal, which ruled the State for 34 years from 1977 to 2011. Mr. Ghosh played a significant role in providing advice and support to his comrades in Bangladesh during the Liberation War of 1971.