Current Affairs March 2019 - Reports
1 - PNB Ranks 1st In Implementation Of ‘Reforms Agenda’
According to BCG-IBA Report - EASE Reforms for Public Sector Banks, released by Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Punjab National Bank (PNB) secured the top spot among all public sector banks in the implementation of ‘Reforms agenda’.
PNB which topped the list with a score of 78.4 out of 100 in the EASE-index was followed by BoB (77.8), SBI (74.6), and Oriental Bank of Commerce (69).
2 - Assam’s Hailakandi Became The Top Aspirational District
According to the Delta ranking report released by NITI Aayog, Assam’s Hailakandi has become the top aspirational district among the 112 aspirational districts of the country.
Hailakandi in Assam has made a giant leap from 52nd position to 1st position on the basis of its performance during November-December 2018 and January 2019. For securing the first rank as an aspirational district, Hailakandi will be given an allocation of Rs. 10 crore.
3 - India Now 2nd Largest Arms Importer In The World; Saudi On Top: SIPRI Report
India is the second largest importer of weapons in the world, as per the annual report ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers-2018’ released by the think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Saudi Arabia is now the world’s largest weapons importer.
After maintaining its position of world’s largest arms importer for about 8 years, India dropped down to be the second largest importer of weapons during 2014-18. India accounted for 9.5% of the global total imports during 2014-18, while Saudi Arabia accounted for 12% of the total imports during that period.
4 - India Ranks 11th In Gold Holding: WGC Report
India, which is the world’s largest consumer of gold, has the 11th largest gold reserve, with the current holding pegged at 607 tonnes, as per the latest report by the World Gold Council (WGC).
India’s overall position in terms of total gold holding would have been tenth had the list included only countries. The top spot is occupied by the US with gold reserves of 8,133.5tonnes, followed by Germany with 3,369.7 tonnes.
5 - India Ranks 16th In Terms Of Highest Number Of Impacted Species In Hotspots
A recent study published in PLOS Biology found that human impacts on species occur across 84% of the earth’s surface and India ranks 16th in such impacts, with 35 species impacted on an average. Malaysia ranks 1st among the countries with the highest number of impacted species (125).
Southeast Asian tropical forests, including those in India’s Western Ghats, Himalaya, and north-east, are among the ‘hotspots’ of threatened species.
6 - UN Releases Global Environment Outlook 2019 Report
The United Nation Environment Program (UNEP) has released the sixth edition of the Global Environment Outlook (2019) titled, ‘Healthy Planet, Healthy People’.
The report calls on the decision makers to take immediate action to address pressing environmental issues to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals as well as other internationally agreed environment goals, such as the Paris Agreement.
7 - Vienna Topped The Mercer’s Quality Of Living Survey 2019
The human resource consulting firm, Mercer’s Annual Quality of Living Survey 2019 has placed Austria’s capital city Vienna at the number 1 spot, making it the 10th year in a row. The cities outside Europe which topped the list are: Vancouver, Canada, and Auckland, New Zealand.
The Economist Intelligence Unit had also given Vienna the top spot in its ranking of the world’s most liveable cities in 2018. Hyderabad and Pune, at a rank of 143, continue to be the most liveable cities in India for expatriates.
8 - Mukesh Ambani Tops Forbes' List of World's Richest Sports Team Owners
Reliance Industries CMD, Mukesh Ambani leads Forbes' list of richest sports team owners with a net worth of around $50 billion. Ambani purchased the IPL team Mumbai Indians through a RIL subsidiary in 2008 for just over $100 million.
Steve Ballmer (Net worth: $41.2 billion), the American Businessman and Dietrich Mateschitz (Net worth: $18.9 billion) were at 2nd and 3rd positions, respectively.
9 - Tata, Reliance and Airtel Emerge Best Indian Brands of 2019
Tata, Reliance, and Airtel emerged as the top three Indian brands of 2019, according to a report published by Interbrand, part of the Omnicom Media Group.
Tata continued to hold the top position in the best Indian Brands ranking as its brand value grew by 6%, mainly due to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Knocking Airtel off from the 2nd spot, Reliance's brand value grew by 12%, bolstered by the success of Jio. Airtel stood at number 3.
10 - World Happiness Report Released, India Ranks 140th
The World Happiness Report was released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations on March 20, the International Day of Happiness. India is ranked 140 out of 156 nations. India shows a 7 spot decline this year.
For the second consecutive year, Finland topped the list. Denmark ranked second followed by Norway. Pakistan ranked 67th, Bhutan 95th, China 93rd, Bangladesh 125th, and Sri Lanka 130th while South Sudan ranked last in the World Happiness Report.
11 - 7 Indians Marked In “World’s 100 Most Influential People in Climate Policy for 2019”
The “100 Most Influential People in Climate Policy” list is comprised of seven Indian names including Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Dr. Harsh Vardhan, who took important measures to combat climate change.
The list is prepared by Apolitical, a peer to peer learning platform for governments. The list has been topped by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Congresswoman, US Congress).
The other 5 names from India are:
Mukta Tilak: Mayor of Pune.
Jyoti Kirit Parikh: Executive Director of Integrated Research and Action for Development.
Sunita Narain: Director of the Centre for Science and the Environment.
Vandana Shiva: Founder of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Natural Resource Policy.
Upendra Tripathy: Director General of the International Solar Alliance.
12 - Skytrax World Airport Awards: Singapore's Changi Tops, India's IGI Ranks 59th
Singapore's Changi Airport has been crowned the world's best aviation hub for the seventh time in a row, while New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport featured at number 59, according to the Skytrax World Airport Awards.
The list has been compiled by the UK-based Skytrax, a consultancy firm which runs an airline and airport review and ranking site, featuring 100 airports. New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport is India's Best Airport.
