current affairs 18 March 2022

India’s First-of-its kind "World Peace Center" to be established in Gurugram.

• India’s first World Peace Center is soon to come up in Gurugram, Haryana, for the establishment of peace and harmony in the world by mental, emotional and character development of the people.
• The new Centre will be set up by the New Delhi-based Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti Organisation, established by eminent Jainacharya and Ambassador of Peace, Dr Lokeshji.
• The new World Peace Center will come up in Sector 39 of Gurugram opposite Medanta Hospital and adjacent to Delhi-Jaipur Highway.

Gen Bipin Rawat Memorial Chair of Excellence instituted at the United Service Institution of India (USI).

• The Indian Army has dedicated a Chair of Excellence in the memory of late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat at the United Service Institution of India (USI), on the occasion of his 65th birthday anniversary.
• The purpose of Gen Bipin Rawat Memorial Chair of Excellence at USI will be to conduct research on strategic issues related to the armed forces, with focus on the field of Jointness and Integration.
• The Chair will be open to Veterans of three Services and civilians having expertise in the field of National Security.
• The topic for 2022 research will be Jointness and Integration in the Context of Land Warfare in India.
• Gen MM Naravane, Chief of Army Staff handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakhs to Director, USI, Maj Gen BK Sharma (retd), which will be paid as honourarium to the nominated Chair of Excellence.

Mahanadi Coalfields Limited in Odisha becomes largest coal producing company in India.

• The Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), in Sambalpur, Odisha has become the leading coal producing company in India.
• MCL achieved this feat after its overall coal production crossed 157 million tonne (MT) in the financial year of 2021-22.
• Additionally, MCL produced 7.62 lakh tonne of dry fuel on March 12, 2022, which is the highest production in a single day during the current financial year.

Sahitya Akademi publishes book-length poem "Monsoon" by Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K.

• On the occasion of its 68th anniversary, the Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, published a book-length poem titled Monsoon, written by Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K.
• Sahitya Akademi was established on March 12 in 1954.
• The first President of Sahitya Akademi was Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.
• The first book published by the Academy was Bhagwan Buddha by D.D. Koshambi in 1956.

2022 FIDE Chess Olympiad will be held in Chennai.

• India has been picked as the host nation for the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022.
• The 44th edition of the Olympiad is scheduled to be held in Chennai from 26th July 2022 to 8th August 2022.
• This is the 1st time that India will host the FIDE Chess Olympiad since its inception in 1927.
• The event was originally scheduled to be held in Russia, but FIDE pulled out from there following the Ukraine invasion.