Top 5 Current Affairs: 29 March 2018

Cricket Australia bans Steve Smith, David Warner for a year

The latest Australian ball-tampering scandal has incited heavy punishment with Cricket Australia slapping a one-year international ban on Australian skipper Steve Smith and Vice-captain David Warner on March 28, 2018.

Players will, however, be permitted to play club cricket to maintain links with the cricket community.

Steve Smith was charged with ‘the knowledge of a potential plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball’ and failure to take steps to seek to prevent the development and implementation of the plan.

SEBI accepts most of recommendations of Uday Kotak Committee on Corporate Governance

The Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) on March 28, 2018 accepted 40 out of 80 recommendations suggested by the Uday Kotak Committee on Corporate Governance.

One of the major recommendations of the committee was to separate the post of CEO or MD and Chairperson of the listed companies.

Since this recommendation has been accepted by SEBI, the separation of posts would come into effect from April 1, 2020. Initially, it will be applicable only for the top 500 listed firms in terms of market capitalisation.

NITI Aayog releases baseline ranking of Aspirational Districts

The NITI Aayog on March 28, 2018 launched the baseline ranking for 101 aspirational districts based on 49 indicators across several sectors including health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion, skill development and basic infrastructure.

The ranking was released by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, who stated that a few more districts will be added to the list taking the total to around 115.  Speaking on the same, Amitabh Kant said that the initiative is aimed at creating competition at the state, district and even the block level.

The chosen districts for the Aspirational Districts programme will be ranked on their incremental progress, exemplifying and encouraging the spirit of competitive federalism.

Union Cabinet approves official amendments to National Medical Commission Bill

The Union Cabinet on March 28, 2017 approved the official amendments to the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill.

Earlier, the Lok Sabha referred the NMC Bill to the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee (DRPSC) for proposing amendments to it.

The Standing Committee suggested few amendments in its report that was tabled in the parliament on March 20, 2018.

Shekhara Kapur to head central panel for 65th National Film Awards

Veteran director Shekhar Kapur was on March 28, 2018 appointed as the chairman of the central panel of the 65th National Film Awards.

The central panel comprises a chairperson and 10 other members, including five regional chairpersons who head the respective regional panels.

The 65th National Film Awards ceremony is an upcoming event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals will present the annual National Film Awards to honour the best Indian films of 2017.