1) CCEA approved closing of CHBL and ICBL
•The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved closure/winding up of CREDA HPCL Biofuel Ltd (CHBL) and IndianOil - Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) Biofuels Limited (ICBL).
•Joint Ventures between CREDA HPCL Biofuel Ltd (CHBL) and IndianOil-CREDA Biofuels Limited (ICBL) were formed for carrying out energy crop (Jatropha) plantation and production of bio-diesel in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
2) GIC may be first PSU general insurer to launch IPO
•General Insurance Corporation (GIC Re) is likely to be the first PSU insurer to tap the capital market as the Finance Ministry has started scouting for merchant bankers to manage its Initial Public Offering (IPO), yet not officially released.
•Union Cabinet gave a go ahead to the listing of five general insurance companies, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has set the ball rolling for listing of GIC Re.
•The government holds 100 per cent stake in GIC Re, which provides reinsurance support to 54 general and life insurance companies, both public and private, in the Indian market.
3) World Theatre Day- 27th March
•World Theatre Day is observed globally on 27th March every year.
•World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), France. It is celebrated annually on the 27th March by ITI Centres and the international theater community. The first World Theatre Day Message was written by Jean Cocteau in 1962.
4) Conference on 'Make in India' held in Houston
•A first-ever Houston India conference on 'Make in India' was held in Houston, the USA, for bringing together various constituencies that have an interest in doing business in India and discussing the latest developments.
•The two-day Houston India Conference was hosted by Asia Society Texas Center which began on 25th March 2017. The theme of the Conference is 'Make in India -The Inside Story'.
5) New rules under the Finance Bill
•The Finance Bill 2017, which has been passed by the Lok Sabha, comes with a number of amendments, including imposing a limit of ₹2 lakh on cash transactions. The Bill also makes Aadhaar mandatory for filing Income Tax returns and for getting a PAN. Further, the Bill enables Income Tax officers to raid homes without providing any reason.
6) U-17 World Cup: FIFA lauds Navi Mumbai venue
•A FIFA delegation expressed happiness at the preparedness of the facilities at D Y Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai for the Under-17 Football World Cup. It said, the stadium should be treated as benchmark for other venues in the country.
•After inspecting the D Y Patil Stadium yesterday, the delegation led by FIFA Head of Events Jamie Yarza said, it is a fantastic stadium and and all the logistical organisational aspects of the World Cup have been completed. Javier Ceppi, Tournament Director of the LOC FIFA U-17 World Cup, informed that the Prime Minister’s Office was watching the preparations for the event. The FIFA delegation will now head for Guwahati and Kolkata.
