This is the current affairs of 16 March 2024. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. What is the ‘Stop Clock’ rule, which was made permanent by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in T20i and One Day Internationals?
a. Provision to end the match within three hours
b. Penalty of 5 runs after two warnings for not starting the next over within 60 seconds
c. Penalty for not completing the over by the bowler within 5 minutes
d. Both a and b
Answer: b. Penalty of 5 runs after two warnings for not starting the next over within 60 seconds
– ICC has decided to implement the ‘stop clock’ in all One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20 Internationals (T20Is) from June 2024, starting with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA.
What is the ‘Stop Clock’ rule:
– To reduce time wastage in cricket matches, ICC has introduced the ‘Stop Clock’ rule.
– According to this rule, after the completion of an over, the fielding team has to start the next over within 60 seconds.
– If the fielding team fails to adhere to this rule, there is provision for penalties. However, two warnings will be given before that.
– Under this rule, an electronic clock is installed on the field.
– This clock counts down from 60 seconds to zero. – The third umpire decides when to start the clock.
– If a team breaches this rule for the third time, the batting team is penalized with 5 runs.
Exemptions under these circumstances:
– Official drink intervals, player injuries.
ICC
Headquarters: Dubai, UAE
Chairman: Greg Barclay
CEO: Geoff Allardice
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2. Former Navy Chief Admiral Lakshminarayan Ramdas passed away on 15 March 2024, which award had he received?
a. Ramon Magsaysay
b. Padma Bhushan
c. Padma Vibhushan
d. Nobel
Answer: a. Ramon Magsaysay
– He was 90 years old and passed away due to age-related issues.
– Ramdas served as the Chief of Naval Staff from December 1990 to September 1993.
– He was the 13th Chief of Naval Staff.
– Prior to that, he played a significant role in the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
– He was associated with the Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy.
– In 2004, he was honored with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace for his efforts in demilitarizing South Asia and nuclear disarmament.
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3. When is National Vaccination Day celebrated?
a. 17 March
b. 16 March
c. 15 March
d. 14 March
Answer: b. 16 March
– National Immunization Day is celebrated to highlight the importance of vaccination across the country.
– National Immunization Day was first observed on March 16, 1995.
– In the year 1995, India initiated the Pulse Polio program and administered the first dose of Oral Polio Vaccine.
– The campaign to eradicate polio from India was launched by the Indian government through the Pulse Polio campaign.
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4. What was the rank of India in the year 2022 according to the Human Development Index 2023/24?
a. 132
b. 134
c. 140
d. 161
Answer: b. 134
– The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released the Human Development Report (2023/2024) on March 13, 2024. However, it includes data from the year 2022.
– In the year 2022, India’s rank is 134.
– There has been an improvement in rank compared to the previous time. India’s score in the index is 0.644.
– This index includes 193 countries.
– The country with the lowest rank in this index is Somalia, with a score of 0.380.
What was the previous rank?
– In 2021, out of 191 countries, India’s rank was 135.
– At that time, India’s score was 0.633.
Criteria for measuring Human Development Index (indicators):
– The index is calculated from 4 indicators:
1- Life expectancy at birth
2- Expected years of schooling
3- Mean years of schooling
4- Gross national income (GNI) per capita
According to the Human Development Report 2023/24, India’s status in 2022:
– Life expectancy at birth: 67.7 years
– Expected years of schooling: 12.6 years
– Mean years of schooling: 6.6 years
– Gross National Income per capita: $6,951 (5.76 lakh rupees)
Note: The first Human Development Index was released in 1990. Since then, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) publishes it every year.
Top 10 countries:
1. Switzerland
2. Norway
3. Iceland
4. Hong Kong (part of China)
5. Denmark
6. Sweden
7. Germany
8. Ireland
9. Singapore
10. Australia
11. Netherlands
(Note: Countries with the same HDI score are given the same rank.)
Rank of neighboring countries:
– China (75)
– Sri Lanka (78)
– Bhutan (125)
– Bangladesh (129)
– Nepal (146) below India
– Pakistan (164) below India
Economically powerful countries:
– Germany (7)
– United Kingdom (15)
– USA (20)
– Japan (24)
– France (28)
– Russia (56)
– China (75)
– Brazil (89)
UNDP
– Headquarters: New York, United States of America
Chief: Achim Steiner
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5. Maharashtra Cabinet approved changing the names of eight railway stations of which city in March 2024?
a. Nagpur
b. Satara
c. Pune
d. Mumbai
Answer: d. Mumbai
– The Maharashtra Cabinet decided to change the names of eight railway stations in Mumbai on March 13, 2024.
– The Maharashtra Cabinet has sent the proposal to the Centre for final approval.
– The names of these eight railway stations date back to the British colonial era.
Which railway stations will be renamed?
Old Name: New Name
– Mumbai Central: Paropkari Jagannath Shankar Seth
– Curry Road: Lalbaug
– Sandhurst Road: Dongri
– Marine Lines: Mumba Devi
– Charni Road: Girgaon
– Cotton Green: Black Chowki
– Kings Circle: Tirthankar Parshwanath
– Dockyard Road: Majgaon
Maharashtra
CM – Eknath Shinde
Governor – Ramesh Bais
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6. In March 2024, the Maharashtra government approved renaming Ahmednagar to what new name?
a. Shivaji Nagar
b. Ahilya Nagar
c. Rajendra Nagar
d. Malwa Nagar
Answer: b. Ahilya Nagar
– The Maharashtra government officially approved changing the name of Ahmednagar district to ‘Ahilya Nagar’ in honor of the Maratha queen of the 18th century, Ahilyabai Holkar, on March 13, 2024.
– Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had made this announcement in May 2023 on the occasion of the 298th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar.
About Ahmednagar:
– This district is located in western Maharashtra.
– Ahmednagar will now be named after Malwa queen Ahilyabai Holkar from the 18th century.
– Ahmednagar was founded in 1494 by Ahmed Nizam Shah.
Who was Ahilyabai Holkar:
– Ahilyabai Holkar was born in 1725 in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.
– Later, she became the queen of Malwa (from 1767 until her death).
– She was married to Khanderao at a young age.
– They got married in 1733, and Khanderao attained martyrdom during the Battle of Khanderao in 1754.
– Ahilyabai Holkar was later entrusted with the reins of the empire.
– Ahilyabai Holkar is considered one of the greatest queens in Indian history.
– Ahilyabai Holkar is credited with building several dharmashalas (resting places) across different parts of the country. She breathed her last on August 13, 1795.
In Maharashtra, the names of these places have already been changed:
– Aurangabad and Osmanabad were renamed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Dhara Shiv respectively.
Maharashtra:
CM – Eknath Shinde
Governor – Ramesh Bais
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#Sahitya Akademi Award 2023#
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7. Who received the Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 for Hindi language?
a. Badri Narayan
b. Hrishikesh Mallik
c. Arjun Chawla
d. Sanjeev
Answer: d. Sanjeev
– This award was meant for 2023, but it was presented by Madhav Kaushik, the President of the National Academy of Letters, on March 12, 2024.
– This award ceremony was celebrated along with the literary festival ‘Sahityotsav’ to mark the 70th anniversary of the National Academy of Letters (March 12).
– It was established on March 12, 1954.
Sanjeev:
– He received this award for his novel ‘Mujhe Pahchano’.
– He hails from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
– He has written around 150 stories and 14 novels so far.
Note:
– The Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 24 languages on December 20, 2023, and this award was presented by President Madhav Kaushik on March 12, 2024.
– The awards in 24 languages include nine poetry books, six novels, five short stories, three essays, and one literary study.
Sahitya Akademi:
– According to the board, the winner of the main Sahitya Akademi Award receives a plaque, shawl, and a prize amount of one lakh rupees.
– It is a national literary institution and an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture.
– Established on: March 12, 1954.
– Headquarters: New Delhi
– President: Madhav Kaushik
– Secretary: K. Srinivasarao
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8. Who received the Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 for English Language?
a. Niranjan Hansda
b. Anuradha Roy
c. Neelam Saran Gaur
d. Khalid Hussain
Answer: c. Neelam Saran Gaur
– They received this award for their English novel ‘Rikvims in Rag Janaki’.
– They hail from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
– Neelam Saran Gaur is an Indian English novelist.
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9. Complete list of Sahitya Akademi Awards 2023 in 24 languages
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10. When is the International Day to Combat Islamophobia observed?
a. 13 March
b. 14 March
c. 15 March
d. 16 March
Answer: c. 15 March
– Islamophobia is a prejudice or aversion towards Muslims and illogical fear or hatred against them.
– The United Nations established International Day to combat Islamophobia.
– March 15 was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque massacre, in which 51 people were killed.
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