MARCH

Ø STATES

Ø India’s first Insect Museum opened in Tamil Nadu

Ø  A Rs 5 crore insect museum with the state-of-the-art amenities was unveiled by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswamy at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

Ø  World’s Oldest city Varanasi goes Wireless

Ø  Eighty-six years after the city got electricity, overhead power cables in world’s oldest city ‘Varanasi ‘ is being dismantled after a project to lay underground lines over 16 sq-km has been finally completed.

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Ø  Surat: First district to have 100% solar powered health centres

Ø  Surat district in Gujarat become first in country to have 100% solar powered Primary Health Centers (PHCs). All 52 PHCs in the district are now powered by solar system.

Ø  Bihar Governor Satya Pal Mallik gets additional charge of Odisha

Ø  Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik will discharge the functions of Odisha Governor in addition to his own duties till regular arrangements are made. Odisha Governor SC Jamir completed his tenure.

Ø  Kerala declares Jackfruit as Official Fruit of State

Ø  Jackfruit has attained a respected status with the state government declaring it as the official fruit of Kerala. Kerala has been producing around 30 to 60 crore jackfruits every year.

Ø  Punjab imposes permanent ban on Hookah bars

Ø  The Punjab Government imposed a permanent ban on Hookah bars in the state. The state cabinet approved an amendment to the Cigarette & Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act, 2003, to prevent and control diseases caused by the use of various tobacco products.

Ø  Maharashtra Government bans use of plastic

Ø  Maharashtra Government has banned use of plastic in time-bound manner, citing environmental and public health concerns. The ban will include plastic bags, thermocol, disposable cups and plates, cutlery, non-woven polypropylene bags, plastic pouches and packaging.

Ø  AP stands at 51st position in Poverty Index

Ø  Andhra Pradesh stands at 51st rank globally in Multidimensional Poverty Index according to a household survey conducted in the state. Andhra Pradesh becomes the first Indian state to conduct a household survey at state and district level to estimate the multidimensional poverty of the state. The study was conducted by Govt. of Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with University of Oxford, UK.

Ø  Country’s ‘tallest’ flag unfurled in Karnataka

Ø  Country’s tallest national flag with 9,600 sq.ft on a 110 m flag pole unfurled in Belagavi, Karnataka. Schoolchildren, NGO members, leaders and others gathered at the Kote Kere lake front to witness a unique celebration.

Ø  Rajasthan passes bill to award death penalty for rape of girls below 12 years of age

Ø  Rajasthan Assembly has passed The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2018 awarding death penalty to convicts involved in the rape of girls below 12 years of age. The Bill was introduced by Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria and was passed in the House by a voice vote following a debate.

Ø  Madhya Pradesh announces Pension for single women

Ø  Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on International Women’s day announced ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Kosh’ scheme. Under this scheme, the women who aren’t married and are above the age of 50 will be given pension.

Ø  Delhi Police launches ‘all women patrolling squad’

Ø  The South District Police in Delhi launched an ‘all women patrolling squad’ on March 8, 2018, on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The squad named ‘Knightingale’ has been formed to ensure safety and security of women at public places. The squad comprises 16 women personnel, aged between 20-35 years, in the ranks of sub-inspectors and constables who have been trained in unarmed combat and driving.

Ø  Chandragiri becomes first ‘all women’ station in Andhra Pradesh

Ø  The South Central Railway (SCR) management has named the Chandragiri station in Guntakal Division, near Tirupati as the first ‘all-women railway station’ in Andhra Pradesh. The transition process was done by deploying women staff to handle all the day to day activities including train operations, ticketing, security and other relevant duties.

Ø  Neiphiu Rio appointed Nagaland CM

Ø  Nagaland Governor PB Acharya has appointed Neiphiu Rio as the new Chief Minister of the state. Mr Rio will replace TR Zeliang. The Governor has received letters of support in favour of Rio from MLAs of BJP, JD (U) and an Independent besides NDPP legislators. Mr Rio will take the oath of his duties shortly. The Governor has also requested Mr Rio to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before 16th of March.

Ø  India’s 1st Helicopter taxi service launched in Bengaluru

Ø  India’s first helicopter taxi service was launched in Bengaluru to fly passengers from Kempegowda International Airport to Electronic City. The service is expected to reduce the time taken to cover the distance from 2 hours to 15 minutes. The helicopter will seat up to six people apart from the pilot and the service will cost Rs3,500 plus GST.

Ø  Conrad Sangma to be next CM of Meghalaya

Ø  National People’s Party (NPP) President Conrad Sangma will be the new chief minister of Meghalaya. NPP came out as the second largest party with 19 seats in the recently held elections which threw a hung verdict. Sarma has informed that there will be no deputy chief minister in the new government. He will replace congress leader Mukul Sangma.

Ø  BJP won Tripura for 1st time

Ø  The BJP defeated the CPI(M) in Tripura to form the state government for the first-ever time after winning 35 seats. The CPI(M), which ruled the state for 25 years, reportedly won 16 seats in the 60-member Assembly with 43% vote share. BJP-ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) won 8 seats after fielding candidates in 9 constituencies.

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Ø  Odisha Govt launches ‘Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas’ Programme

Ø  The Odisha government has launched a programme Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas (Our Village, our development) to reach out to the people in rural areas and involve themselves in the developmental activities. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has flagged off mobile video vans for ‘Ama Gaon Ama Vikas’ programme that will move across the State to highlight various welfare schemes at villages in the state.