Current Affairs of 18 March 2016

1. Amar Abrol appointed as CEO of AirAsia India 
1. AirAsia India  announced the appointment of Amar Abrol as its chief executive officer with effect from 1 April 2016.
2. Abrol will succeed Mittu Chandilya, who led AirAsia India from 1 June 2013 and ends his contract on 31 March 2016.
3. AirAsia India also announced the appointments of Ankur Khanna as the Chief Financial Officer and Kiran Jain as the Head of Commercial.
4. He was graduated from Delhi University and is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
5. He has over 20 years of experience, was most recently the CEO of Tune Money, a start-up that aims to deliver low-cost financial products in South East Asia.

2. Goa government classified its country liquor, Feni as Heritage Spirit of Goa 
1. Goa government  classified the country liquor, Feni as Heritage Spirit of Goa.  Feni is the form of spirit produced exclusively in the coastal state.
2. Feni is the first liquor product in the country to obtain such status and got its Geographical Indication (GI) certification in 2000.
3. It used in various cultural traditions, cuisines and is well known for its medicinal value also.
4.The Government opined not categorise it as country liquor as it is presently defined under the Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964 and proposed to bring an amendment to the Act.
5. Feni is a brew made from coconut or cashew fruits and is synonymous with the Goan ethos and identity.

3. Vijay Mallya resigned as Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited
1. The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)  intimated Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Vijay Mallya had resigned from his post as the Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL).
2. An official from the RCB, Russell Adams was named as the new Director of RCSPL and also assumes the role of being the vice-president of Commercial Operations and Cricket Academy at RCB. The intimation was was followed the BCCI's insistence on clarity regarding the ownership of RCB.

4. Bangkok to imposed curfew during Songkran festival, the world’s biggest water festival 
1. Songkran festival, often referred to as the world's biggest water fight festival, was in news in the third week of March 2016.
2. The festival came in news after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration decided to impose a curfew during the festival season that will be celebrated in April 2016.
3. The Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 15 April.
4. The word "Songkran" comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti literally "astrological passage", meaning transformation or change.

5. India, WB signed USD 35 Million loan agreement for MP Citizen Access to Responsive Services Project
1. India signed loan agreement of 35 Million dollars with the World Bank for Madhya Pradesh Citizen Access to Responsive Services Project. The objective of the project is to improve access and quality of public services in the state.
Objective of the Project
1.To improve access and quality of public services in Madhya Pradesh through implementation of the 2010 Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act.
2.To deliver key results in terms of improving access to services and citizen outreach, simplification of Government services, performance management and strengthening the capacity of implementing agencies.

6. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched FCI’s Depot Online System
1. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan  launched the Online Depot System in New Delhi to automate all the operations of Food Corporation of India (FCI) depots.
2. The key objective of the Depot Online System is to align with Digital India vision for transformation of food distribution supply chain in India.
3. The system, which efficiently captures data online on a real time basis, will bring total transparency in the working of FCI. Besides, it will also help in better monitoring and supervision to reduce leakages and losses.

7. Famous magician Paul Daniels passed away
1.Famous magician Paul Daniels passed away  due to brain tumour. He was 77.
2.Daniels was best known for his BBC TV series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran from 1979 to 1994.
3. Daniels was born in 1938 in South Bank, Middlesbrough, where he began his career as a magician and entertainer.
4. A major turning point in Daniels' career came in 1969 when he was offered a summer season at Newquay.
5.He made his television debut on the long-running talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1970.
1. Amar Abrol appointed as CEO of AirAsia India 
1. AirAsia India  announced the appointment of Amar Abrol as its chief executive officer with effect from 1 April 2016.
2. Abrol will succeed Mittu Chandilya, who led AirAsia India from 1 June 2013 and ends his contract on 31 March 2016.
3. AirAsia India also announced the appointments of Ankur Khanna as the Chief Financial Officer and Kiran Jain as the Head of Commercial.
4. He was graduated from Delhi University and is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
5. He has over 20 years of experience, was most recently the CEO of Tune Money, a start-up that aims to deliver low-cost financial products in South East Asia.

2. Goa government classified its country liquor, Feni as Heritage Spirit of Goa 
1. Goa government  classified the country liquor, Feni as Heritage Spirit of Goa.  Feni is the form of spirit produced exclusively in the coastal state.
2. Feni is the first liquor product in the country to obtain such status and got its Geographical Indication (GI) certification in 2000.
3. It used in various cultural traditions, cuisines and is well known for its medicinal value also.
4.The Government opined not categorise it as country liquor as it is presently defined under the Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964 and proposed to bring an amendment to the Act.
5. Feni is a brew made from coconut or cashew fruits and is synonymous with the Goan ethos and identity.

3. Vijay Mallya resigned as Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited
1. The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)  intimated Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Vijay Mallya had resigned from his post as the Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL).
2. An official from the RCB, Russell Adams was named as the new Director of RCSPL and also assumes the role of being the vice-president of Commercial Operations and Cricket Academy at RCB. The intimation was was followed the BCCI's insistence on clarity regarding the ownership of RCB.

4. Bangkok to imposed curfew during Songkran festival, the world’s biggest water festival 
1. Songkran festival, often referred to as the world's biggest water fight festival, was in news in the third week of March 2016.
2. The festival came in news after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration decided to impose a curfew during the festival season that will be celebrated in April 2016.
3. The Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 15 April.
4. The word "Songkran" comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti literally "astrological passage", meaning transformation or change.

5. India, WB signed USD 35 Million loan agreement for MP Citizen Access to Responsive Services Project
1. India signed loan agreement of 35 Million dollars with the World Bank for Madhya Pradesh Citizen Access to Responsive Services Project. The objective of the project is to improve access and quality of public services in the state.
Objective of the Project
1.To improve access and quality of public services in Madhya Pradesh through implementation of the 2010 Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act.
2.To deliver key results in terms of improving access to services and citizen outreach, simplification of Government services, performance management and strengthening the capacity of implementing agencies.

6. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched FCI’s Depot Online System
1. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan  launched the Online Depot System in New Delhi to automate all the operations of Food Corporation of India (FCI) depots.
2. The key objective of the Depot Online System is to align with Digital India vision for transformation of food distribution supply chain in India.
3. The system, which efficiently captures data online on a real time basis, will bring total transparency in the working of FCI. Besides, it will also help in better monitoring and supervision to reduce leakages and losses.

7. Famous magician Paul Daniels passed away
1.Famous magician Paul Daniels passed away  due to brain tumour. He was 77.
2.Daniels was best known for his BBC TV series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran from 1979 to 1994.
3. Daniels was born in 1938 in South Bank, Middlesbrough, where he began his career as a magician and entertainer.
4. A major turning point in Daniels' career came in 1969 when he was offered a summer season at Newquay.
5.He made his television debut on the long-running talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1970.