1. Snapdeal and HDFC Bank tie up to launch co-branded credit card
i. Jasper Infotech, which owns and operates online marketplace Snapdeal, has entered into a three-year partnership with the country's largest private sector lender, HDFC Bank, to launch a co-branded credit card.
ii. The Snapdeal-HDFC deal could have significant benefits for the New Delhi-based e-commerce company, which sees a significant portion of its $3 billion annual gross merchandise sales generated from tier-III and IV towns and cities across the country.
iii. The credit cards that the online marketplace and the financial institution will launch, will target buyers in smaller towns and cities.
2. Union Government releases digital gender atlas for advancing girl education
ii. It was unveiled by the Department of School Education and Literacy in the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) in New Delhi.
iii. The web based tool has been developed with the support of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to identify low performing geographical pockets for girls on specific gender related education indicators.
iv. It will also help in identifying and ensuring equitable education with a focus on vulnerable girls. It includes girls with disabilities.
3. All England Badminton Championship: Saina Nehwal loses to Carolina Marin
ii. The World No. 3 Indian let go of a huge opportunity to script history as she squandered an opening game lead to go down 21-16 14-21 7-21 to the reigning world champion in the women’s singles final.
iii. Olympic bronze medallist, Saina, thus, failed to emulate her long-time coach Pullella Gopichand (2001) and legendary Prakash Padukone (1980), who had won the prestigious title in the past.
4. 'Aapki Beti Humari Beti' scheme launched in Haryana
i. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday launched a scheme for girl child - 'Aapki Beti Humari Beti' - with an aim to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio in the state.
ii. 'Aapki Beti Humari Beti' will be implemented in both rural and urban areas of the state covering first-born girl child of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and all second girl child born on or after January 22, 2015 of all families.
iii. Under this scheme, the first girl child born on or after January 22, 2015, in SC and BPL families will be eligible to receive Rs 21,000. Similarly, all second girl child born on or after January 22, 2015 of all families will get Rs 21,000.
iv. He also announced to increase the amount of Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Award from Rs one lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh, Behan Shanno Devi Award from Rs 51,000 to Rs one lakh, Life Time Achievement Award from Rs 21,000 to Rs 51,000 and other women achiever award from Rs 5100 to Rs 21,000.
5. Railways sanctions implementation of high speed dedicated freight corridors
i. Ministry of Railways has sanctioned implementation of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor
(EDFC) and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) with freight train speeds of maximum 100 kmph.
ii. Apart from EDFC & WDFC, Preliminary Engineering Cum Traffic Surveys (PETS) have been taken up for the following DFCs:-
East-West Corridor (Kolkata-Mumbai) - It will traverse through West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
North-South Corridor (Delhi-Chennai): - It will traverse through Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
East Coast Corridor (Kharagpur-Vijaywada): - It will traverse through West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Southern Corridor (Chennai-Goa): - It will traverse through Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa.
6. Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014
i. President of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee on 8 March 2015, awarded Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014 to six illustrious women on International Women’s Day for their distinguished services for the upliftment of women.
ii. The award was given in six categories named after eminent women personalities in the Indian history.
iii. It's main objective is to recognize the spirit of courage of women in difficult circumstances, who has established this spirit of courage in her personal or professional life.
Awardees of Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014 are
Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award: Sister Mariola (Rajasthan).
Rani Lakshmibai Award: Seema Prakash (Madhya Pradesh).
Rani Rudramma Devi Award: Astha Sansthan- NGO (Rajasthan).
Mata Jijabai Award: Chandraprabha Bokey (Maharashtra).
Kannagi Award: P. Bhanumati (Kerala).
Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Award: Anay Rahit Zindagi- NGO (Goa).