current affairs 09 March 2022

Microsoft to set up India’s largest Data Center region in Hyderabad.

• Tech giant Microsoft has announced to set up its 4th data centre in India in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• The Hyderabad Data centre will be one of the largest data centers in India and will be operational by 2025.
• Microsoft already has data centre in three Indian regions across Pune, Mumbai, and Chennai.
• The new data centre will add to the growing demand for Microsoft’s cloud services from both the private enterprises as well as the government sector.
• To set up the data centre, Microsoft has signed a definitive agreement with Telangana state government with a total investment of Rs 15,000 crore.

9th India-Sri Lanka Bilateral Maritime Exercise SLINEX to be held at Visakhapatnam.

• The 9th edition of India – Sri Lanka Bilateral Maritime Exercise named SLINEX (Sri Lanka–India Naval Exercise) is scheduled at Visakhapatnam from 07 Mar to 10 Mar 2022.
• The exercise will be held in two phases; First is the Harbour Phase at Visakhapatnam on 07-08 Mar 22 followed by the second phase i.e. Sea Phase on 09-10 Mar 22 in the Bay of Bengal.
• Indian Navy will be represented by INS Kirch, a guided missile corvette while Sri Lanka Navy will be represented by SLNS Sayurala, an advanced offshore patrol vessel.

Team India bags Gold Medal in women’s 25m pistol team event at Cairo ISSF World Cup 2022.

• In Shooting, the Indian women’s trio of Rahi Sarnobat, Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan won the gold medal in women’s 25m pistol team event in the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World cup in Cairo, Egypt on March 06, 2022.
• Indian women’s team beat Singapore’s Shun Xie Teo, Xiu Hong Teh and Ling Chiao Nicole Tan, 17-13, to bag the medal.
• Meanwhile, the Indian men’s 25m pistol team of Anish Bhanwala, Gurpreet Singh and Bhavesh Shekhawat won silver in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Team event.
• They lost to Germany’s Christian Reitz, Oliver Geis and Florian Peter, 17-7.

MSME Ministry launches Special Entrepreneurship Promotion Drive for Women -"SAMARTH".

• Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises has launched a Special Entrepreneurship Promotion Drive for Women named –SAMARTH.
• The drive was launched by Union Minister for MSME, Shri Narayan Rane along with Minister of State for MSME, Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma in New Delhi.
• It aims to provide skill development and market development support to women in the financial year 2022-23 and to train more than 7500 women candidates from rural and sub-urban areas.

Labour Ministry launches "Donate-a-Pension" initiative under PM Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan scheme.

• Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the Donate-a-Pension campaign under Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) scheme, on March 07, 2022, from his residence and donated the same to his gardener.
• Under the new initiative citizens can contribute to the pension fund of their immediate support staff such as domestic workers, drivers, helpers etc, by donating the premium amount.
• The Donate-a-Pension program is part of various initiatives to be launched in the "Iconic Week" celebrations by the Labour Ministry from March 7 to 13, 2022.