The Daily Brief – 14th March, 2017

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• The Pakistan government is set to conduct its first national census in 19 yearsfrom March 15, 2017 for proper allocation of funds and resources. Islamabad last conducted a census in 1998, which recorded a national population of approximately 180 million.
• Jatiya Sangsad, the Parliament of Bangladesh unanimously adopted a resolution on March 11, 2017 to declare March 25 as Genocide Dayin remembrance of the brutality carried out by the Pakistani Army in the “Black Night” of March 25, 1971. Pakistani Army carried out history’s most cruel genocide on Bengali people on the night of March 25, 1971 as their leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed Bangladesh’s independence to free the nation from Pakistani subjugation. Codenamed ‘Operation Searchlight’, Pakistani Troops carried out genocide in the first hours of that night in Dhaka.
• Parliament has passed the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016 with the Lok Sabha approving the amendments made to the Bill today. The Bill will replace the ordinance promulgated by the government. It guards against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China after wars.
• The Footwear Design and Development Institute Bill, 2017 was introduced by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha The bill seeks to declare the Footwear Design and Development Institute, an institution of national importance for the promotion and development of quality and excellence in education, research and training in all disciplines relating to footwear and leather products design.
• The Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley was given the additional charge of the Defence Ministry on March 13, 2017 after Manohar Parrikar resigned to take on the new role of Goa Chief Minister. Parrikar will be sworn in as the chief minister of Goa on March 14, 2017
• Chinese smartphone company OnePlus has roped in Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan as its new brand ambassador for India on March 6, 2017. According to the OnePlus team, Bachchan has been considered since he better represents ‘OnePlus’ motto ‘Never Settle’. With this, Amitabh Bachchan has now joined the first-ever “OnePlus Star” which is a select group of distinguished OnePlus users.
• In US, Senate confirmed President Donald Trump‘s choice to appoint an Indian-American woman to run the government health program for the elderly, poor and disabled.  The Senate yesterday voted 55-43 to approve Seema Verma to run the 1 trillion dollars Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

  

• Top seeded Lee Chong Wei won his fourth All England Championship in men’s singles event by beating Shi Yuqi from China21-12, 21-10 at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, England on March 12, 2017.
• Punjab defeated Railways by a 2-1 in a Group B final round league match of the 71st Santosh Trophy football tournament on March 13, 2017 in Goa.
• Hockey India has roped in four scientific advisors from abroad to work with the fitness aspects of the senior and junior national teams. While Australia’s Scott Conway has taken charge as the new scientific advisor of the senior men’s team at the national camp that started in SAI Bengaluru today, South African Robin Anthony Webster Arkell will take over as the scientific advisor for the junior men’s team.  Md Mushtaque Ahmad, secretary general of Hockey India said, with their vast experience and knowledge in their domain, these scientific advisors will help Indian boys and girls to achieve their goals in the lead up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the senior World Cups.
• Well known Malayalam film director Diphan passed away on March 13, 2017 in Kochi after suffering from liver ailment. He was 45.