6th MARCH CURRENT AFFAIRS

1. Bengaluru’s first helitaxi service takes off

App-based taxi service took on a whole new meaning when Bengaluru’s first helitaxi service took off, ferrying passengers from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to Electronics City in 15 minutes.

• The helitaxi, touted to be the first such service in the country.
• The service is being offered by KIA in partnership with Thumby Aviation Pvt Ltd, in an effort to reduce the time taken to travel to the city from the international airport.

2. Threat of new malware looms over cyberspace

After Mirai and Reaper, cybersecurity agencies have detected a new malware called Saposhi, which is capable of taking over electronic devices and turning them into ‘bots’, which can be then used for any purpose, including a Distributed Denial Of Service attack which, with enough firepower, can cripple entire industries.

• “Saposhi is similar in its intensity to Reaper, which was taking over millions of devices at the rate of 10,000 devices per day.

 3. Over Rs. 5600 crore sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan Scheme by Tourism Ministry

A total amount of Rs. 5638.87 crore was sanctioned with release of Rs. 2148.17 crore since 2014-15 till date under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.

• Under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, thirteen thematic circuits have been identified, for development namely: North-East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit.

4. RBI slaps Rs 3 cr penalty on Axis Bank, 2 cr on IOB

The Reserve Bank said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 3 crore on Axis Bank for violation of NPA classification norms, and Rs 2 crore on Indian Overseas Bank for not complying with the KYC regulations.

• The RBI has imposed, a monetary penalty of Rs 3 crore on Axis Bank Limited for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms,” it said.
• Regarding the state-owned Indian Overseas Bank, the regulator said in a separate release that a "fraud was detected" in one of the branches of the bank.

5. British Indian man wins bravery award in Barcelona terror attack

• An Indian-origin Birmingham man, Harry Athwal who risked his life to help a fatally injured young boy in the last year's Barcelona terror attack, has been selected for this year's 'Pride of Birmingham' award.

6. ‘The Shape of Water’ Wins Best Picture as Oscars Project Diversity

The 90th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

• The Shape of Water won a leading four awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Guillermo del Toro.

The Complete List of Winners

• Best Picture: “The Shape of Water”
• Director: Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water”
• Actor: Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
• Actress: Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
• Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
• Supporting Actress: Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
• Original Screenplay: “Get Out”
• Adapted Screenplay: “Call Me by Your Name”
• Foreign Language Film: “A Fantastic Woman”
• Animated Feature: “Coco”
• Visual Effects: “Blade Runner 2049”
• Film Editing: “Dunkirk”
• Animated Short: “Dear Basketball”
• Live Action Short: “The Silent Child”
• Documentary Short: “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405”
• Score: “The Shape of Water”
• Song: “Remember Me” from “Coco”
• Production Design: “The Shape of Water”
• Cinematography: “Blade Runner 2049”
• Costume Design: “Phantom Thread”
• Makeup and Hairstyling: “Darkest Hour”
• Documentary Feature: “Icarus”
• Sound Editing: “Dunkirk”

7. Viswanathan Anand wins Rapid event at Tal Memorial

Viswanathan Anand won the rapid event at the 11th Tal Memorial chess in Moscow.

• The World rapid champion finished the event with 6 points while Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (with 5 points) came second.
• The event is a 10-player single round-robin competition where players have 25 minutes to make all of their moves, and receive a 10-second increment from move 1.

8. Bhaker shoots gold, bronze for Ravi Kumar

Young Manu Bhaker clinched a gold medal while Ravi Kumar bagged a bronze in the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico.

• Bhaker beat the host country’s Alejandra Zavala, a two-time World Cup Finals winner, with a 10.8 in the last shot of the 24 shot final, to come out on top with a score of 237.5.