1. Punjab and Haryana High court bars stating of caste in Preceeding

• The Punjab and Haryana High Court has instructed Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh not to mention the caste of the accused, victims or witnesses in proceedings before the court.
• The court has directed the Secretaries (Home) of the governments to issue instructions to all investigating officers not to mention the caste of the accused, victims or witnesses in recovery memos.
• A Bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Kuldip Singh, while passing a ruling in a murder case where the Haryana police had mentioned the caste of the accused, witnesses and the victim during the proceedings, noted that the caste system was profoundly illogical and was also against the basic tenets of the Constitution.

2. Govt leaves interest rate on small-saving schemes unchanged

• The finance minister decided to keep the interest rate unchanged on small savings schemes for the three-month period beginning April 1.
• The announcement covers small-saving schemes such as the Post Office Saving Accounts, Post Office Time Deposits, the National Saving Certificates (NSC), the Public Provident Fund (PPF), the Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and Sukanya Samriddhi.
• The unchanged interest rate means the NSC (5 years) and the PPF (15 years) will fetch 8 per cent interest, while money deposited in KVP will double in little over nine years.

3. GAIL, BHEL sign pact for development of solar power projects

• State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltdhas signed an agreement with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) for cooperation in the development of solar power projects.
• BHEL shall also provide operation and maintenance services during the initial period upon becoming successful bidder.
• BHEL is one of the few companies in the world, and only company in India, having the capability to manufacture the entire range of power plant equipment.

4. Dr Rajendra Kumar Joshi Conferred With Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in Switzerland

• Dr Rajendra Kumar Joshi, has been awarded with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for his contributions in the field of science, education and medicine, promoting the honour and prestige of India.
• Dr Joshi, who belongs to Rajasthan, is a scientist of Indian origin and is based in Switzerland.
• The theme of 2019 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention was 'Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India.'

 5. Four Indigenous 'Dhanush' Howitzers Inducted Into Indian Army

• In a major fire-power boost for the country, four indigenous 'Dhanush' Howitzer guns were inducted to the Indian Armyat a ceremony held the Ordnance factory in Jabalpur.
• The Dhanush guns have been tested to withstand extreme conditions like rainfall and snow, and have also been built for use in multiple terrains, from plains, to sand and especially in hilly areas.
• The Dhanush gun system is based on designs of the Bofors howitzer which was inducted in the Army in 1980s and would be the third type of artillery gun to be inducted into the force after the K-9 Vajra and the M-777 ultra-light.

 6. ISRO's PSLV C45 places DRDO defence satellite EMISAT along with 28 nano satellites in orbit

• ISRO's PSLV C45 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, carrying India's EMISAT defence satellite along with 28 nano satellites of global customers.
• As the 27-hour countdown concluded, the nearly 50-metre tall rocket, a new variant of ISRO's trusted work horse PSLV-QL, blasted off from the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota at 9:27 am.
• The mission marks several firsts to the credit of the space agency as it would manoeuvre satellites in various orbits and orbital experiments, including on maritime satellite applications.

7. The Eu Approved  a  ban on Single-Use Plastics

• The European parliament votedto support plans for the elimination of most uses of single-use plastic, ranging from cutlery and straws to coffee stirrers and plastic plates.
• It’s a significant step that could encourage other governments around the globe to also commit to reducing the amount of plastics that end up in landfills, waterways, and oceans.