19 March 2016 Current Affairs
PM Narendra Modi Launched Kisan Suvidha Mobile app
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 March launched Kisan Suvidha mobile application for farmers. It will provide information on subjects such as weather, market prices, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and agriculture machinery. Kisaan Suvidha is an omnibus mobile app developed to help farmers by providing relevant information to them quickly.
Prime Minister Inaugurates ‘Krishi Unnati Mela’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Krishi Unnati Mela’- the National Level Agriculture Fair-cum-Exhibition in New Delhi on 19 March. Prime Minister conferred Krishi Karman Awards. ‘Krishi Unnati Mela’ is organized jointly by the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India and Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi at Indian Agriculture Research Institute from 19-21 March 2016.
Agasthyamala Among 20 UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves
The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve was on 19 March 2016 included in the UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. It is one among the 20 new sites adopted by the council to its Network. It was included at the meeting of the International Co-ordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere programme of UNESCO in Lima. Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in situated at the southern-most end of the Western Ghats and spread over two southern states Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It was established in 2001. The reserve is named after Agastya Mala peak that rises up to almost 1868 metres above sea level, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It covers an area of 3,500 sq km at an altitude ranging from 100 metres to 1,868 metres above the Mean Sea Level. It covers Peppara and Shendurney wildlife sanctuaries and parts of the Neyyar sanctuary in Kerala and the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu.
T V Paul Appointed 56th President of ISA
An Indian Professor has become the president of a scholarly group in the US dedicated to international studies. Prof T V Paul took over as the 56th president of International Studies Association (ISA), at its annual convention at Atlanta, Georgia.
Hinduja Brothers Top Britain’s ‘Asian Rich List’
“The Hinduja brothers have emerged as the richest Asian-origin entrepreneurs in Britain for the fourth consecutive year with an estimated personal fortune of 16.5 billion pounds. The India-born brothers GP Hinduja and SP Hinduja topped the “”Asian Rich List 2016″” released on 19 March and the annual rankings showed that they had added one billion pounds to their personal fortune in a year to be worth an estimated 16.5 billion pounds. The Asian Rich List assesses the total wealth of Britain’s top 101 richest Asians and is compiled by UK-based publishing house Asian Media and Market. Steel tycoon Lakshmi Niwas Mittal was ranked second in the list, released by the Indian high commissioner to the UK Navtej Sarna. The fortune of Mittal, however, has plummeted by 3.3 billion pounds to finish with 6.4 billion pounds.”