Current Affairs Monthly Capsule March 2020 - English - 1586155474 PDF

Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2020
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March 2020
Table of Contents
Awards & Honours ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Mergers & Events .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................... 5
MOU & Agreements .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Appointments ................................................................................................................................................. 11
Obituaries ....................................................................................................................................................... 17
International Affairs ........................................................................................................................................ 22
Personalities in News ...................................................................................................................................... 32
Government Policies and Schemes .................................................................................................................. 35
Science and Technology .................................................................................................................................. 38
Business and Economy .................................................................................................................................... 43
Sports.............................................................................................................................................................. 55
Defence........................................................................................................................................................... 61
Books & Authors ............................................................................................................................................. 63
Committees and Recommendations................................................................................................................ 63
National Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 64
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March 2020
Awards & Honours

Zoya Akhtar honoured with an Award
• 8th India International Film Tourism Conclave (IIFTC) honoured filmmaker - Zoya Akhtar with IIFTC Tourism
Impact Award 2020.
• She was awarded for her outstanding contribution to world tourism through her cinema.
• Another winner at the event was, Tamil Director, K. S. Ravikumar, who has directed 43 films with starring
mega stars including Sarath Kumar, Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth.
The Abel Prize Laureates 2020 announced
• The Abel Prize 2020 has been awarded to Hillel Furstenberg and Gregory Margulis "for pioneering the use
of methods from probability and dynamics in group theory, number theory and combinatorics".
• The prize is one of the highest honours in maths and carries a prize money of around $400,000.
• The Prize recognises extraordinary contributions to the sector of mathematics.
Chameli Devi Jain Award conferred
• The Chameli Devi Jain Award for an Outstanding Woman Journalist was awarded jointly to Arfa Khanum
Sherwani, senior editor, The Wire and Rohini Mohan, a Bengaluru-based independent journalist.
• Rukmini S., an independent data-journalist from Chennai, received an Honourable Mention.
• The Media Foundation instituted the Award in 1980, named after Chameli Devi Jain, a legendary freedom
fighter.
Rajesh Chaplot honoured
• Distinguished NRI businessman, Mr. Rajesh Chaplot was honoured with the Highest Civilian Award (Golden
Jubilee Medal-Civilians) of Uganda.
• The award was presented by President of Uganda, Mr Yoweri Museveni in a ceremony in Kampala.
• The accolade was bestowed upon him for his excellence in the field of Business & Commerce, Social Service
and for fostering better India – Uganda ties.
V Praveen Rao won MS Swaminathan Award
• V Praveen Rao, Vice-Chancellor of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU),
has won the seventh Dr MS Swaminathan Award for the period 2017-2019.
• He has been recognised for his contributions in the fields of agricultural research, teaching, extension and
administration.
• The award will be conferred on him in June 2020.
Nari Shakti Puraskar conferred
• President Ram Nath Kovind gave away the Nari Shakti Puraskar to 15 women in Rashtrapati Bhawan on the
occasion of International Women's Day on 8 March 2020.
• The Award is given annually to individuals, or groups in recognition of their exceptional work towards the
cause of women empowerment.
• Some of the awardees include 103-year-old athlete Mann Kaur, and Environmentalist Chami Murmu.
WTI Awards to be conferred on 8 March
• NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform is organising the 4th edition of the Women Transforming
India (WTI) awards on International Women’s Day, 8 March.
• The WTI awards will recognize 30 finalists and 15 winners will be felicitated.
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• On this occasion, the Women Entrepreneurship Platform also completes two years since its inception.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be the Chief Guest.
Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2019
• World champion shuttler PV Sindhu was named Sportsperson of the Year at the fourth Times of India Sports
Awards (TOISA) 2019 in New Delhi on 5 March 2020.
• She also bagged the Unbreakable Spirit of Sports award.
• Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia was given the Lifetime Achievement award.
• National badminton coach Pulella Gopichand won the Mentor of the Year award.
Jadav Payeng won an Award
• Environmental activist Jadav Payeng, popularly called the 'Forest Man', was named as the 128th
Commonwealth Points of Light Award winner.
• Queen Elizabeth II has honoured Payeng for his exceptional voluntary service to environmental
conservation.
• The Points of Light Award recognises people across the 53 Commonwealth nations for the difference they
are making in their communities and beyond.
Lalit Kala Akademi's awards conferred
• Lalit Kala Akademi's 61st annual awards were conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind to 15 artistes at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan on 4 March 2020.
• Lalit Kala Akademi awards are given to recognise the outstanding work in the field of art.
• The awardees will be honoured with a plaque, a shawl and prize money of 1 lakh rupees during the
felicitation ceremony.
Mergers & Events
Merger of 10 state-run banks into 4
• The merger of 10 state-run banks into four will come into force from April 1, 2020.
• As per the scheme, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will be merged into Punjab
National Bank; Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank; Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank; and Andhra and
Corporation banks into Union Bank of India.
Ashok Leyland to acquire 19% stake in HLFL
• Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland Ltd has announced plans to acquire upto 19% of additional equity
shares in Hinduja Leyland Finance Ltd (HLFL) for a consideration of up to Rs 1,200 crore.
• Ashok Leyland had entered into a Supplemental Share Purchase Agreement with Everfin Holdings, an arm
of Everstone Group, to acquire the latter's seven per cent stake in HLFL.
Merger of two departments approved
• J&K Administrative Council accorded approval to the merger of Handicrafts Department and Handloom
Development Department into J&K Handicrafts and Handloom Department.
• Besides, J&K Handicraft Corporation and J&K Handloom Development Corporation were also merged into
J&K Handloom and Handicrafts Marketing Corporation and transfer of showrooms of J&K industries to the
new corporation.
Airtel buys 10% in Spectacom
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• Bharti Airtel has acquired a stake in digital content company Spectacom Global under the Airtel Start-up
Accelerator Programme.
• The move will help Airtel beef up its offerings in health and fitness training.
• The telco is believed to have picked up a 10% stake in Spectacom Global.
• It will help Spectacom deliver exclusive digital content through its platforms Airtel Xstream and Wynk
Music.
Japanese company Hakuhodo acquired AdGlobal360
• Hakuhodo Inc, Japan’s 2nd largest advertising company has acquired AdGlobal360 for an undisclosed sum.
• Adglobal360 was ranked as the fastest growing MarTech Company in 2019 by Deloitte.
• AdGlobal360 is Hakuhodo’s first acquisition in India as it seeks to enhance its technology and digital
footprint.
• It is headquartered in Gurgaon with employee strength of over 460.
Central public procurement portal to be merged
• India plans to integrate its central public procurement portal (CPPP) with the Government e-Marketplace
(GeM).
• It will further improve buying and selling process for ministries, departments and other agencies.
• A unified procurement system will consolidate the entire govt procurement into a single platform leading to
economies of scale, better price discovery and sharing of best practices.
Merger of 10 public sector banks into 4
• Merger of 10 public sector banks will come into effect from April 1, 2020.
• Union Cabinet has approved the merger.
• United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce will be merged with Punjab National Bank; Syndicate
Bank will be merged with Canara Bank; Allahabad Bank will be amalgamated with Indian Bank; and Andhra
Bank and Corporation Bank will be consolidated with Union Bank of India.
ONGC & HPCL acquired stake in Petronet MHB
• Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and its subsidiary Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) have bought out
lenders in Petronet MHB Ltd, for about Rs 371 crore.
• The acquisition will open up possible opportunities for synergy, better cost economics and revenue
maximisation.
• The acquisition is expected to be completed by March 31, 2020.
Days & Events
World Theatre Day observed on 27 March
• World Theatre Day is observed globally on 27 March every year.
• It was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), France.
• It is celebrated to generate awareness about the importance of theatre arts.
• It is also celebrated to showcase the important role artists play in the field of entertainment.
• It also talks about the changes theatre brings in people's lives.
International Day for the Right to the Truth
• International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of
Victims is observed annually on 24th March every year.
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• This day is observed to pay tribute to Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero as he was murdered on 24 March
1980.
• He was actively engaged in criticizing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable individuals in El
Salvador.
Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery
• International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is observed
annually on 25th March every year.
• This day offers the opportunity to honour and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the
brutal slavery system.
• The day also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today.
International Day of Solidarity
• The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is observed annually on 25
March by the UN.
• The day is marked each year on the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett.
• He was a former journalist who was working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) when he was abducted by armed gunman in 1985.
Ugaadi being celebrated today
• Telugu speaking people across the world are celebrating their Telugu New Year day, Ugaadi on 25 March
2020.
• The festival is being celebrated across the two Telugu states, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to mark the
beginning of the Hindu Lunar calendar.
• People savour special Ugadi chutney comprising Neem flower, jaggery, salt, sugar cane, tamarind and
mango to indicate six basic tastes.
World Tuberculosis Day: 24 March
• Each year, World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed on March 24 to raise public awareness about the
devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB
epidemic.
• The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that
causes TB.
• The theme of World TB Day 2020 is ‘It’s time’.
India celebrates “Shaheed Diwas” on 23 March
• March 23 is marked as Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day to remember the day when three brave freedom
fighters were hanged by the British.
• Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar were inspirational youngsters, and their sacrifice
remained etched in the Indian conscience.
• Amongst them, Bhagat Singh stood out for his bravery, clarity of thought and exceptional patriotism.
World Water Day: 22 March
• World Water Day is observed globally on 22nd March every year.
• World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, focuses on the importance of freshwater.
• The theme for World Water Day 2020 is “Water and Climate Change”.
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• The day is a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the
sustainable management of freshwater resources.
World Meteorological Day: 23 March
• World Meteorological Day takes place every year on 23 March.
• The day commemorates the coming into force on 23 March 1950 of the Convention establishing the World
Meteorological Organization.
• It showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety
and wellbeing of society.
• The theme for the year 2020 is Climate and Water.
World Puppetry Day: March 21
• World Puppetry Day is observed on March 21 every year.
• The idea of celebrating this day came in the mind of its founder, Iran’s puppet theatre Artist Javad
Zolfaghari.
• In 2000 at the XVIII Congress of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette, (UNIMA), he made the
proposal for discussion.
• Two years later, the date of the celebration was identified.
MOU & Agreements
IIT Madras collaborate with industry partners
• IIT Madras will collaborate with 2 industry partners for research in AI and magnetic nanoparticles-based
products.
• The Institute has joined hands with MagGenome Technologies to develop magnetic nanoparticles-based
products.
• The institute has also collaborated with BUDDI Healthcare Technologies to develop AI-based software
products for the Healthcare industry.
JICA signed agreement with India
• Japanese government funding agency JICA has signed agreements totalling Rs 15,295 crore with the Indian
government for three mega rail infrastructure projects.
• Under these agreements, JICA has granted Rs 8,553 crore for phase-1 of the Dedicated Freight Corridor; Rs
4,262 crore for Mumbai Trans Harbour Link Project (II) and Rs 2,480 crore for the Mumbai Metro Line 3
Project (III).
MoU between India and Germany approved
• The Union Cabinet approved a MoU between India and Germany which was signed between the two
countries to extend technological cooperation in the railway sector.
• The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Railways and the DB Engineering and Consulting GMBH of
Germany in Feb 2020.
• The agreement would help the Indian Railways develop into a modern, competitive railway organization.
Extradition Treaty between India and Belgium
• The Union Cabinet has approved the signing and ratification of an extradition treaty between India and
Belgium.
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• It will enable the two countries to repatriate from each other any person who is accused of or convicted in
an extraditable offence.
• An extraditable offence means an offence punishable under the laws of both the countries with
imprisonment for a period of one year or more.
DBS Bank, Bharti AXA joined hands
• DBS Bank India has tied-up with Bharti AXA to roll out a complimentary insurance plan covering all medical
conditions, including Covid-19.
• The plan would cover all medical conditions, including Covid-19, and up to 10 days of hospitalisation, with a
cover of Rs 5,000 per day, for a 30-day period.
• It is also offering an Emergency Global Medical Assist Program.
Defence Ministry signed contract with IWI
• The Defence Ministry has signed a capital acquisition contract with Israel Weapons Industries, IWI for
procurement of 16,479 light machine guns, LMGs at a cost of 880 crore rupees.
• IWI would be providing Negev 7.62*51 mm LMGs to the Indian armed forces under the contract.
• The contracted Negev 7.62X51 mm LMG is a combat-proven weapon and currently used by several
countries around the globe.
L&T Services and IIT-Kanpur collaborate
• IIT Kanpur and L&T Technology Services (LTTS) have collaborated to carry out joint research in industrial
and infrastructure cyber security.
• A multi-year MoU has been signed by LTTS CEO and managing director Keshab Panda and IIT Kanpur deputy
director Prof Manindra Agarwal in Kanpur to this effect.
• They will jointly set up a Center of Excellence (CoE) at the IIT Kanpur campus.
Flipkart teamed up with Aegon
• Flipkart has entered into a partnership with Aegon Life Insurance to sell paperless life insurance policies on
its platform.
• Now, Flipkart customers, aged between 18 and 65 years, can buy an instant digital policy with a sum
assured of upto 10 lakh.
• With this product, Flipkart and Aegon Life aim to make life insurance available to customers at the click of a
button in a convenient manner.
Oil India signed an agreement
• Oil India Ltd (OIL) announced it has signed an agreement with Numaligarh Refinery for sale and purchase of
crude oil.
• The Crude Oil Sales Agreement (COSA) will come in effect from 1 April, 2020 to 31 March 2025, that is, for a
term of 5 years.
• The agreement is expected to streamline sale and purchase transactions of crude oil produced from fields in
the North East India.
Swiggy and PhonePe partnered
• India's leading digital payments platform PhonePe has integrated food delivery major Swiggy on its Switch
platform.
• With this partnership, PhonePe's 200 million registered users can now access the Swiggy app and order
their favourite food from within the PhonePe app itself.
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• The service will be available across all 520 cities where Swiggy delivers food in India.
CRPF inked MoU with an NGO
• The CRPF has inked a deal with a disability support NGO in order to train its troops, who lost their limbs in
operations, in various skills including cyber operations, artificial intelligence and para-sports.
• A MoU was formalised between the force and the Aditya Mehta Foundation.
• A total of 189 CRPF personnel lost their limbs in the last ten years while they were in the line of duty.
signed MoU with The Gambia
• Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIS) has signed a MoU with The Gambia for its participation in
the eVBAB Network Project for tele-education and tele-medicine in Africa.
• The Gambia is the 16th country to participate in the e-Network Project thus far.
• The MoU was signed by High Commissioner of the Gambia to New Delhi, Jainaba Jagne, and Director-
Technical at the TCIL Kamendra Kumar.
SpiceJet inked pact with GHASL
• SpiceJet has announced signing of a pact with GMR Hyderabad Aviation SEZ Limited (GHASL) for setting up a
warehousing, distribution and trading facility in the airport operator's aerospace and industrial park.
• GAHSL is a fully-owned subsidiary of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL).
• The facility will come up within the Free Trade Warehousing Zone.
Infosys partnered with Qualcomm
• Infosys has joined the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program to offer end-to-end solutions for smart
stadiums, smart venues and smart event management.
• This program is designed to connect cities, municipalities, and government agencies with Qualcomm
Technologies' ecosystem.
• It will help deliver greater efficiencies, cost savings, and broad access to solutions for smart cities' problems.
Paytm, Hyderabad Metro tie up
• Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd has launched Paytm’s QR-code-based metro ticketing system.
• The new service will enable commuters to travel seamlessly and avoid queues to buy tokens at the metro
stations.
• They can now simply purchase a QR ticket on their Paytm app, which can be displayed at the Automatic
Fare Collection (AFC) gates to proceed for the journey.
ICICI Prudential inked pact with Saraswat bank
• ICICI Prudential AMC has tied up with Saraswat Co-operative Bank, the largest in the urban co-operative
banking space in India, to distribute its products with the bank’s customers.
• The tie-up Saraswat Co-operative Bank will offer investment products of ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund to its
customers, through its 280 branches, spread across six States.
APEDA inked MoUs with various organisations
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has signed MoUs with
various organizations.
• Some of these are Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) and Quality Council of India (QCI).
• The MoUs have been signed to utilise their expertise by mutually working together to synergize the
activities in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors.
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Marelli, Transphorm joined hands

• The global automotive supplier Marelli has announced a strategic partnership with US-based Transphorm, a
semiconductor company.
• This partnership will enable Marelli to gain valuable access and insights into cutting-edge technologies for
the development of electric vehicles (EV).
• For joint development and co-working of engineers, Transphorm will exclusively cooperate with Marelli for
2 years.
India and US signed Rs 1200 crore deal
• India has signed a Rs 1,200 crore deal with the US for buying protection suites to protect the two new
Boeing VVIP planes from missile attacks.
• These will be used to ferry the President and the Prime Minister.
• The self-protection suites for the Indian planes include infrared and electronic warfare countermeasures
suites, countermeasure dispensing systems, and missile warning sensors.
DAY-NULM signed MoU with Amazon
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) signed MoU with Amazon
on 5 March 2020.
• The MoU was signed for e-marketing of products made by Self Help Groups (SHGs) across the country in
urban areas.
• It aims to provide access to a wider customer base for products made by SHGs and strengthening the
mission of creating sustainable livelihoods in urban areas.
MoU between India and Cote dlvoire
• The Union Cabinet has approved a MoU between India and Republic of Cote d'Ivoire on cooperation in the
field of health.
• The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Health and
Public Hygiene of the Republic of Cote d'lvoire.
• It covers the exchange and training of medical doctors and health professionals in the field of advanced
medical technology.
IIT Mandi signed deal with NABARD
• IIT Mandi & Enabling Women of Kamand (EWOK) Society has inked a tripartite deal with National Bank For
Agriculture and Rural Development.
• The deal has been signed for setting up 3 Farmer Producer Organization in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.
• NABARD has sanctioned an amount of Rs 35 lakhs to EWOK Society and IIT Mandi for 3 FPOs to be
established in the next 3 years.
India signed defence deal with Armenia
• India has secured a deal in Armenia to supply four weapon locating radars beating the competing bids from
Russia and Poland.
• The contract worth over USD 40 million to supply four Swathi weapon locating radars has been signed with
Armenia and supplies have also started.
• Swathi weapon locating radars provide fast, automatic and accurate location of enemy weapons like
mortars in a 50 km range.
RBL Bank, Zomato and Mastercard partnered
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• Zomato, on 2 March 2020, announced the launch of a co-branded credit card along with RBL, and Master
Card.
• It will help the online food delivery platform further cement its position in India's dining market by offering
benefits such as Zomato credits on purchases.
• In the first 24 months, RBL, and Zomato are aiming to issue 1 million credit cards to Zomato’s users in India.
MoU between IAF and Savitribai University
• Indian Air Force and Savitribai Phule Pune University signed a MoU to establish a 'Chair of Excellence' at
Dept of Defence & Strategic Studies, on 29 Feb 2020.
• The IAF has named it as "Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Chair of Excellence".
• The Chair will enable IAF officers to pursue Doctoral Research and higher studies in Defence & Strategic
Studies and allied fields.
Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela-2020
• The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Pusa Krishi
Vigyan Mela-2020 on 1 March 2020.
• An MoU was signed between the ICAR and Patanjali Bio Research Institute, Haridwar in the presence of the
3 Ministers.
• It will promote Organic Farming with the R&D expertise of ICAR and the indigenization efforts of Patanjali in
a wide range of products.
Tripura Govt and AAI signed MoU
• Tripura State Govt and Airport Authority of India has signed a MoU.
• It has been signed for the construction of six equipment hiring centers in Manu Block under the Dhalai
District of Tripura.
• The project has been taken as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility scheme.
• In the equipment hiring centers, equipment related to agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries will be
kept.
Appointments
Anil Agarwal took board position: Vedanta Ltd
• Anil Agarwal has for the first time taken a board position on his flagship Indian firm, Vedanta Ltd, replacing
his brother Navin.
• He had so far headed the board of London-headquartered Vedanta Resources.
• He replaces his brother Navin, who will now be the Executive Vice Chairman of the Board.
• Vedanta Ltd houses its oil and gas, aluminium, power, iron ore, steel and copper business.
KM Prasad and SK Gupta: CBDT board members
• The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of 2 IRS officers as members of the
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
• Krishan Mohan Prasad and Satish Kumar Gupta were appointed as CBDT members.
• Presently, Prasad is piloting the Faceless e-Assessment Scheme as Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-
tax, while Gupta is Principal Chief Commissioner Mumbai.
YES Bank reconstituted with 8 members
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• Yes Bank board was reconstituted with immediate effect on 27 March 2020 with the appointment of 8
members.
• Sunil Mehta has been appointed as Executive Chairman, Mahesh Krishnamurti and Atul Bheda as Non-
Executive Director.
• R Gandhi and Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan are Additional Directors.
• Partha Pratim Sengupta and Swaminathan Janakiraman are Directors and Prashant Kumar as MD and CEO.
Sameer Aggarwal: CEO of Walmart India
• Sameer Aggarwal has been appointed as CEO of Walmart India.
• He will report to Dirk Van Den Berghe, Executive Vice-President and Regional CEO of Asia and Global
Sourcing, Walmart.
• Aggarwal's appointment comes into effect from April 1, 2020.
• He succeeds Krish Iyer, who is set to retire and assume the role of advisor to Best Price, Walmart India.
Shivraj Singh Chauhan took oath as CM of MP
• In Madhya Pradesh, senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chauhan has become Chief Minister of the state for the
fourth time.
• Governor Lalji Tandon administered him the oath of office and secrecy at a simple ceremony held at Raj
Bhavan.
• Mr Shivraj Singh took oath alone due to the outbreak of Coronavirus.
• Mr Kamal Nath had resigned as CM on 20 March 2020 after a stint of nearly 15 months.
Additional directors appointed for Yes Bank
• The RBI appointed R Gandhi and Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan as additional directors to the board of YES
Bank for a period of two years.
• This will be R Gandhi’s second stint as an additional director on the YES Bank board.
• Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan was previously Standard Chartered Bank's regional head of financial
markets for ASEAN and South Asia.
India’s new High Commissioner to Uganda
• A. Ajay Kumar has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Uganda.
• A. Ajay Kumar is currently posted as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Ajay Kumar is a 2001 batch IFS officer.
• He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Bajaj Auto reappointed Rajiv Bajaj as its MD
• Bajaj Auto has approved the re-appointment of Rajiv Bajaj as Managing Director and CEO of the company.
• The approval was given in board meeting held on 17 March 2020.
• The board also approved the appointment of Gita Piramal as independent director of the company, whose
five-year term as independent director expires on March 31, 2020, as per the filing.
Iraq: Adnan al-Zurfi as new PM-designate
• Iraqi President Barham Salih has appointed Adnan al-Zurfi as the country's new PM-designate in the latest
bid to resolve a months-long political crisis.
• Al-Zurfi has 30 days to form his cabinet which he must then put to a vote of confidence in Iraq's fractious
Parliament.
• Al-Zurfi, the former governor of Najaf heads the Nasr parliamentary grouping of former PM Haider al-Abadi.
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DXC Technology appointed new HR leader

• DXC Technology has brought on board Lokendra Sethi as its vice-president of HR.
• He comes to DXC from AECOM where he led the global HR talent services organisation and supported the
establishment of its global delivery services network.
• Previously, he was at Accenture as managing director of HR service delivery for its India operations.
New MD appointed for Google Cloud
• Google has appointed long-time industry veteran Karan Bajwa as Managing Director of Google Cloud in
India.
• Bajwa will be responsible for driving all revenue and go-to-market operations for Google Cloud's extensive
solution portfolio that includes Google Cloud Platform and G Suite in the country.
• He recently served as Managing Director for India and South Asia for IBM.
M Gopal Reddy: Chief Secretary of MP
• MP govt has appointed senior IAS officer M Gopal Reddy as the new chief secretary of the state.
• He took charge of the office on 17 March 2020.
• He was working as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) prior to his appointment as chief secretary.
• He will replace current chief secretary S R Mohanty, who has been appointed as director general of RCPV
Academy of Administration.
Ravinder Singh Dhillon appointed as CMD of PFC
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has cleared the appointment of Ravinder Singh Dhillon as
CMD of Power Finance Corporation (PFC).
• ACC has also approved the appointment of 1997-batch Indian Foreign Service Officer Somnath Ghosh as
officer on special duty in the Department of Defence for an overall period of three years up to September
11, 2022 or until further orders.
Hirdesh Kumar: Chief Electoral Officer of J&K
• The Election Commission of India has appointed Hirdesh Kumar as the new Chief Electoral Officer of the
Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• He will replace Shailendra Kumar with effect from the date he assumes charge.
• Hridesh Kumar, a 1999 batch IAS officer is presently serving as Commissioner Secretary in the School
Education Department of J&K.
Ranjan Gogoi nominated to Rajya Sabha
• President Ram Nath Kovind has nominated Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha.
• A notification to this effect was issued by the Centre on 16 March 2020.
• Mr Gogoi served as the 46th Chief Justice of India from 3rd October 2018 till 17th November 2019.
• President of India nominates twelve persons to the Rajya Sabha.
Bansi Lal Bhat: Chairperson of NCLAT
• The government has appointed Justice Bansi Lal Bhat as the officiating chairperson of the National
Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
• NCLAT Chairperson Justice Sudhansu Jyoti Mukhopadhaya retired on 13 March 2020.
• The appointment of Justice Bhat is for a period of three months with effect from 15 March 2020 or until a
regular Chairperson is appointed or until further orders.
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Prashant Kumar appointed MD & CEO of Yes Bank

• Prashant Kumar has been appointed as the new MD and CEO of Yes bank.
• In addition, former chairman of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) Sunil Mehta has been appointed as the
non-executive chairman.
• Mahesh Krishnamurthy and Atul Bheda will be the two independent directors.
• As on Sept 2019, Yes Bank had total assets of Rs 3,46,575 cr which includes an advance book of Rs 2,24,505
cr.
Deswal got additional charge of BSF DG
• Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Haryana cadre Surjit Singh Deswal took over the additional charge of
Director General (DG) of Border Security Force (BSF).
• Deswal, a 1984-batch IPS officer, is currently the Director-General of Indo-Tibet Border Police.
• He has succeeded Director-General Vivek Johri, who has been appointed Director-General of Madhya
Pradesh Police.
Amitabh Bachchan: Brand ambassador IDFC FIRST
• IDFC FIRST Bank has announced the signing of Amitabh Bachchan, as its first ever brand ambassador.
• Mr. Bachchan is a winner of countless prestigious national awards, an all-time favourite of the masses, and
the country’s most celebrated actor.
• IDFC FIRST Bank was founded as a new entity by the merger of IDFC Bank and Capital First on December 18,
2018.
Nupur Kulshrestha: 1st woman DIG of ICG
• Nupur Kulshrestha becomes the first woman to be promoted as DIG of Indian Coast Guard.
• She joined the service in 1999 and became the first woman to be promoted to this level.
• The Indian Coast Guard was formally established on 18 August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of
the Parliament of India as an independent Armed force of India.
Chalasani Nageswar: CFO of SBI
• Chalasani Venkat Nageswar has been given additional charge of deputy managing director and chief
financial officer (CFO) of SBI.
• State Bank of India is one of the largest lenders of the country.
• It is the largest bank in India with a 23% market share in assets, besides a share of one-fourth of the total
loan and deposits market.
• The bank is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Lt Gen KJS Dhillon to take charge as DG of DIA
• Lt Gen KJS Dhillon will take over the post of Director General Defence Intelligence Agency and Deputy Chief
of Integrated Defence Staff (Intelligence).
• It is a department that comes under the Chief of Defence Staff in the newly created Department of Military
Affairs.
• He is from the 1983 batch of the Indian Military Academy and recently handed over the charge of XV Corps
to Lt Gen B S Raju.
Ashraf Ghani sworn in for 2nd term
• Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani was sworn in for a second term on 9 March 2020.
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• Rival Abdullah Abdullah held a parallel inauguration that could plunge the country deeper into crisis ahead
of peace talks with the Taliban.
• Ghani was declared as the winner of the election held in Sept 2019, but Abdullah Abdullah, who disputed
the vote, held a parallel ceremony surrounded by supporters.
Denys Shmygal becomes new PM of Ukraine
• Ukraine's Parliament approved Denis Shmygal as the new PM after accepting the resignation of Oleksiy
Honcharuk.
• Shmygal is Ukraine's third Prime Minister in just over six months, and is a national politics newcomer.
• He served as the governor of Ivano-Frankovsk region and before that was the head of DTEK Burshtynskaya
TPP, a coal power plant in the region.
SBI Life re-appointed Sanjeev Nautiyal as MD
• SBI Life Insurance has re-appointed Sanjeev Nautiyal as MD and CEO of the company.
• The Board of Directors of SBI Life Insurance Company Limited at their meeting held on March 4, 2020, has
approved the re-appointment with effect from March 10, 2020.
• The re-appointment is subject to approval of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI) and members of the company.
Janez Jansa becomes new PM of Slovenia
• Janez Jansa, President of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), became the Prime Minister of the 14th
Government of the Republic of Slovenia.
• Janša will lead the country for the third time.
• Three parties, the SMC, New Slovenia and DeSUS have agreed to form a coalition.
• The appointment follows the resignation of Marjan Sarec who stepped down as the PM in January 2020.
Bimal Julka: Chief Information Commissioner
• Former secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry Bimal Julka was sworn in as Chief
Information Commissioner on 6 March 2020.
• The President administered the oath of office to Julka as CIC in the Central Information Commission at a
ceremony.
• Julka, who was serving as Information Commissioner, fills in the vacancy created by incumbent Sudhir
Bhargava who retired earlier in 2020.
Kareena Kapoor: Brand ambassador of Puma
• Puma has signed Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan as its new brand ambassador.
• She will be the face for Puma’s soon-to-be-launched Studio Collection – a low-intensity training apparel
collection for yoga, barre and pilates workouts.
• The company sells its products in more than 120 countries and employs more than 13,000 people
worldwide.
Anurag Mehrotra: CEO Mahindra-Ford venture
• Anurag Mehrotra, a key architect of Ford India's alliance with Mahindra & Mahindra, is set to take over as
the CEO of their joint venture on April 1, 2020.
• He will join Mahindra that owns a 51% stake in Mahindra Ford Automotive before formally taking over the
as the JV's CEO.
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• Already, Ford India's sourcing head, Raghu Veeraraghavan, has joined Mahindra as the head of strategic
sourcing.
Shafali Verma: Brand ambassador Pepsi
• Beverage maker Pepsi-Co has signed Shafali Verma as one of its youngest ever brand endorsers.
• She has been ranked top T20I woman player by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the youngest Indian
to head any ICC list.
• She has been signed on for a year.
• Pepsi will be Verma’s first outing as the face of a brand.
Mindtree hired Dayapatra Nevatia as COO
• Mindtree has hired former Accenture executive Dayapatra Nevatia as its Chief Operating Officer(COO).
• In the new role, Nevatia will lead the IT firm in its next phase of growth as an industry veteran.
• Larsen and Toubro (L&T) acquired controlling stake (60.1 per cent) in Mindtree in July 2019 from its co-
founder promoters and executives.
Ajay Bhushan Pandey: New Finance Secretary
• Government has appointed the current Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new Finance
Secretary.
• Pandey replaces current Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar.
• Pandey, a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Maharashtra cadre, had earlier worked as
chief executive officer of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the organization behind the
Aadhaar.
Sanjay Kumar: India’s Ambassador to Turkey
• Senior diplomat Sanjay Kumar Panda has been appointed as India's Ambassador to Turkey.
• Panda, a 1991 Indian Foreign Service officer, is presently Consul General, Consulate General of India, San
Francisco.
• Panda's appointment to the post comes at a time when India-Turkey relations are under strain.
Sunil Joshi: BCCI selection committee chairman
• Former India spinner Sunil Joshi was named chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI's Cricket
Advisory Committee (CAC) in Mumbai on 4 March 2020.
• The CAC also picked ex-pacer Harvinder Singh for a place in the five-member group.
• The CAC will review the panel's performance after one year and make recommendations accordingly.
Abhishek Ganguly: General Manager Puma
• Puma has elevated current India MD, Abhishek Ganguly, to general manager-Southeast Asia & India.
• Ganguly will take on additional responsibility of overseeing 11 key markets in Southeast Asia including
Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Philippines.
• This move makes Ganguly the first India-based manager to get a large global portfolio.
Subhash Chandra appointed advisor to Andhra CM
• The Andhra Pradesh govt has appointed retired former Union finance secretary, Subhash Chandra Garg, as
advisor to CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
• Garg has been given the rank of a cabinet minister in the state government and a tenure of two years.
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• A 1983-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, Garg took voluntary retirement from his service in October
2019.
Sudhanshu Pandey: CMD of MMTC Ltd
• Additional Secretary at the Department of Commerce Sudhanshu Pandey has assumed additional charge as
Chairman and Managing Director of MMTC Ltd.
• His predecessor Ved Prakash superannuated February 2020.
• Pandey is from Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and has experience of over 32 years in different senior
positions in state governments, the Centre and the Indian embassy in Germany.
Seema: Key member of coronavirus task force
• Leading Indian-American health policy consultant Seema Verma has been appointed as one of the key
members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force constituted by US President Donald Trump.
• The task force has been constituted to combat the deadly disease that has claimed six lives in the country
and infected over 90 others.
• The force is led by Secretary, Health and Human Services Alex Azar.
Mindtree appointed Nevatia as new COO
• Mindtree Ltd has appointed Dayapatra Nevatia as its chief operating officer (COO).
• The development comes after a spate of top-level exits at Mindtree, since its hostile takeover by Larsen &
Toubro Ltd (L&T) in June 2019.
• The position was vacant for six months since co-founder Parthasarathy N.S. left the company in July 2019.
Unny Radhakrishnan: Digitas India CEO
• Publicis Groupe India has announced the appointment of Unny Radhakrishnan as chief executive of its
digital agency Digitas India.
• He will take over the role from Amaresh Godbole who is joining Google.
• He started his career as a programmer in Bengaluru and was also part of one of the country’s first digital
agencies, BOTW (Bridge Over Troubled Waters).
SN Shrivastava: Delhi Police Commissioner
• Senior IPS officer SN Shrivastava on 29 February 2020 took the additional charge of the Delhi Police
Commissioner.
• He took the charge from Amulya Patnaik who retired on 29 February 2020.
• A 1985 batch IPS officer, Srivastava is serving as Special Commissioner, Law and Order, in Delhi Police.
• He said his first priority is to bring back peace and communal harmony in the city.
Muhyiddin Yassin: Malaysia's new PM
• In Malaysia, newly appointed Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin took the oath of office on 1 March 2020.
• The swearing-in ceremony was held at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur.
• After taking his oath, Mr Muhyiddin signed the instruments of appointment, witnessed by Chief Justice
Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali.
Obituaries
Japanese comedian Ken Shimura passed away
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March 2020
• Veteran Japanese comic Ken Shimura, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, passed away in March
2020.
• The actor was hospitalised in Tokyo on March 20 after developing a fever and being diagnosed with severe
pneumonia.
• Shimura tested positive for COVID-19 on March 23, 2020.
• Shimura was the first prominent entertainment world figure in Japan to test positive for the virus.
Tamil actress Paravai Muniyamma passed away
• Tamil actress and folk singer Paravai Muniyamma passed away in March 2020.
• Muniyamma made her acting debut at the age of 66 with the 2003 film Dhool.
• She featured in over 50 films with stars like Ajith Kumar, Dhanush, Vishal, Sivakarthikeyan among others.
• She was awarded the Kalaimamani by the government of Tamil Nadu in 2009.
Joseph Lowery passed away
• Joseph Lowery, a veteran US civil rights leader, passed away in March 2020.
• He helped Martin Luther King Jr find the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and fought
against racial discrimination in the United States.
• He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honour.
IAF veteran Chandan Singh Rathore passed away
• Air Vice Marshal (retd) Chandan Singh Rathore passed away in Jodhpur in March 2020.
• He had distinguished himself as a young air warrior during the Sino-India 1962 war and the 1971 Indo-Pak
war.
• During the war with Pakistan, Rathore was at the forefront of air operations conducted for the liberation of
Bangladesh.
Renowned Chef Floyd Cardoz passed away
• Renowned chef Floyd Cardoz, who ran the successful 'Bombay Canteen', 'O Pedro' and 'Bombay Sweet
Shop' in Mumbai passed away in March 2020 due to complications from the coronavirus.
• He tested positive for Covid-19 in the USA on March 18, 2020 and was being treated at the Mountainside
Medical Centre in New Jersey.
• He was the co-founder of Hunger Inc. Hospitality.
Satish Gujral passed away
• Acclaimed artist, architect, sculptor and writer Satish Gujral passed away in March 2020.
• He was the brother of the late Prime Minister I.K. Gujral and was awarded India’s second-highest civilian
honour, the Padma Vibhushan, in 1999.
• He held exhibitions across the world and later also became a famous architect, designing the Belgium
Embassy in New Delhi.
Beni Prasad Verma passed away
• Former Union Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Beni Prasad Verma passed away in Lucknow in March
2020.
• He was a founding member of the Samajwadi Party.
• In 1996, Verma became the Independent Minister of State for Communications.
• He was also given the charge of Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.
• Verma was a Lok Sabha member from 1996 to 2014.
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Brahmakumaris chief Dadi Janki no more

• Rajyogini Dadi Janki, the chief of Brahmakumaris Sansthan, the world's largest spiritual organisation run by
women, passed away at the age of 104 in March 2020.
• She had set up 'Seva Kendras' in 140 countries around the world.
• She was appointed the brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) by the
government for her work in the field of maintaining cleanliness.
Albert Uderzo passed away
• Albert Uderzo, the co-creator and illustrator of the “Asterix and Obelix” comics that delighted legions of
children and adults over the past six decades, passed away in March 2020.
• Uderzo created Asterix in 1959 with the fellow Frenchman and writer Rene Goscinny.
• “Asterix the Gaul” was the first Asterix book that was launched in 1961 and became an overnight
sensation.
Nemai Ghosh passed away
• Veteran photographer Nemai Ghosh, who had a long association with director Satyajit Ray, passed away in
March 2020.
• Nemai Ghosh debuted with "Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne" (1969) and was with Satyajit Ray till his last film
"Agantuk" (1991).
• A Padma Shri recipient, Nemai Ghosh had also penned books such as "Manik Da: Memoirs of Satyajit Ray".
Veteran bollywood actress Nimmi passed away
• Veteran actress Nimmi passed away in March 2020.
• The actress, who appeared in films through 1950s and 60s, was born Nawab Banoo.
• Raj Kapoor gave her her screen name: Nimmi.
• Nimmi first lit up the screen in the film Barsaat, in 1949.
• Her portrayal of an innocent mountain girl struck a chord with the audience and catapulted her to fame.
Former footballer Abdul Latif passed away
• Former India midfielder Abdul Latif, who was also a key member of bronze medal winning team at the 1970
Bangkok Asian Games died in Guwahati in March 2020.
• He also represented India in Asia Cup Qualifier in 1968 in Myanmar and Merdeka Cup in 1969 in Kuala
Lumpur.
• Latif represented Mohammedan Sporting from 1963-1967 and later took over as coach.
M.R. Viswanathan passed away
• Veteran stage actor and multifaceted television and film personality Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy
Viswanathan passed away in March 2020.
• He was popularly known as Visu.
• His evergreen hit, 'Samsaram Adhu Minsaram' (1986) was the first Tamil film to win the National Award for
Best popular film providing wholesome entertainment.
Kenny Rogers passed away
• Country music icon Kenny Rogers, whose hits included "Lucille," "Lady" and "The Gambler," passed away in
March 2020.
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• The Houston-born country star had 20 No.-1 hits and three Grammys and performed for some 60 years
before retiring from touring in 2017 at age 79.
• Rogers was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, in 2013.
Roger Mayweather passed away
• Roger Mayweather, a former world champion boxer who also trained his nephew Floyd Mayweather Jr.,
passed away in March 2020.
• Mayweather, whose nickname was the “Black Mamba,” held titles at 130 and 140 pounds in a pro career
that spanned 72 fights.
• He captured the world title in World Boxing Association junior lightweight and earned the World Boxing
Council junior welterweight title in 1987.
P K Banerjee passed away
• Legendary Indian footballer PK Banerjee passed away in March 2020 in Kolkata after battling prolonged
illness.
• The 1962 Asian Games gold-medallist was conferred with Arjun award and Padmashree.
• Banerjee's contribution to Indian football was duly recognised by the world governing body FIFA that
awarded him the Centennial Order of Merit in 2004.
Bollywood actor Imtiaz Khan passed away
• Veteran actor-filmmaker Imtiaz Khan passed away in Mumbai in March 2020.
• He was the brother of late actor Amjad Khan and son of yesteryear actor Jayant.
• Imtiaz Khan was known for his performances in films like Yaadon Ki Baarat, Dharmatma and Noor Jahan to
name a few.
• His wife Krutika Desai, is a popular film and television actress.
Marathi actor Jairam Kulkarni passed away
• Noted Marathi actor Jairam Kulkarni passed away in Pune in March 2020.
• Born in Barshi tehsil in Solapur district, Kulkarni had acted in more than 150 films, including 'Chal Re Laxya
Mumbaila', 'Ashi Hi Banwabanwi', 'Thartharat', 'Rangat Sangat' to name a few.
• His last movie 'Khel Aayushyacha' was released recently.
• Before embarking on a career in acting, Kulkarni had worked in Akashwani.
Veteran poet Puthussery Ramachandran died
• Veteran poet and Malayalam scholar Puthussery Ramachandran passed away in March 2020.
• His very first poem ‘Onnanthyakkuttam’ was published in 1944.
• Puthussery has won many prestigious awards including the Ezhuthachchan Puraskaaram in 2015 among
others.
• It was due to Puthussery’s tireless efforts that Malayalam was finally recognised as a Classical Language by
the Union Government in 2013.
Veteran journalist Patil Puttappa died
• Veteran journalist and former Rajya Sabha member Patil Puttappa passed away in March 2020.
• Puttappa represented Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha for two terms.
• He was also the first president of the Kannada Watchdog Committee and was also the founder-president of
the Border Advisory Committee.
• He was the founder-editor of weekly "Prapancha" and also edited "Navayuga".
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Dana Zatopkova passed away

• Dana Zatopkova, the 1952 Olympic javelin champion and wife of four-time Olympic champion Emil Zatopek,
passed away in March 2020.
• Besides the gold from the Helsinki Olympics, Zatopkova won the Olympic silver in Rome in 1960.
• In 1958, she set the world record of 55.73mat the age of 35.
• She became the European champion in 1954 and 1958.
Santu Mukhopadhyay passed away
• Veteran Bengali actor Santu Mukhopadhyay who was known for his works in films such as 'Sansar Simante'
and 'Bhalobasa Bhalobasa' passed away in March 2020.
• His other memorable works spanning a period of over four decades included 'Hemanter Pakhi', 'Dadamoni',
and 'Baikunther Will'.
• He was also a familiar face on small screen. He worked in soaps like 'Isthi Kutum', and 'Jol Nupur'.
Swedish actor Max von Sydow passed away
• Oscar-nominated Swedish actor Max Von Sydow has died at the age of 90, in March 2020.
• He was known for his roles in films in the “Exorcist” as the devil-evicting priest and “The Seventh Seal.”
• Von Sydow starred in close to 200 film and TV productions, remaining active well into his 80s.
• More recently, he had roles in “Game of Thrones” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
Yanagundi Matha Manikeshwari passed away
• Sri Mahayogini Matha Manikeshwari passed away in March 2020.
• Mathaji has established a total of 108 ashramas across Karnataka and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana.
• Sri Matha Manikeshwari was born to Buggappa and Ashamma at Mallabad village in Sedam taluk of
Kalaburagi district on July 27, 1934.
• She left home soon after her marriage as she was deeply involved in spiritual life.
Former Law minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj died
• Former Law Minister and senior Congress leader Hans Raj Bhardwaj passed away in March 2020.
• Bhardwaj was a Rajya Sabha member for five terms from April 1982 to June 2009.
• He was the Law Minister for 14 years and served under the Prime Ministership of Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha
Rao and Manmohan Singh.
• He was appointed the governor of Karnataka in 2009.
Veteran DMK leader K Anbazhagan passed away
• Veteran DMK leader K Anbazhagan passed away in March 2020.
• A nine-time MLA, Anbazhagan was the party's general secretary for 43 years.
• Known as "Perasiriyar" (professor) in the DMK circles, Anbazhagan had served as the Tamil Nadu finance
minister and minister of public welfare.
• He had been staying away from active politics for some time due to his illness.
Former UN chief Javier Perez de Cuellar died
• Former UN chief Javier Perez de Cuellar passed away in March 2020.
• He was known for his peace-making efforts including brokering a ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq war.
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March 2020
• Perez de Cuellar served as UN secretary general from 1981 to 1991, when he was often described as a
"pacifist by vocation and nature."
• He was president of the UN Security Council from 1973 to 1974.
Suddhananda Mahathero passed away
• The head of the Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha, Sanghanayaka Suddhananda Mahathero passed
away in Dhaka in March 2020.
• He is known for running many social service activities particularly the orphanage at Dharmarajika Buddhist
Monastery which takes care of more than 350 children.
• Government of Bangladesh awarded the Ekushey Award to him in 2012.
Jack Welch, General Electric CEO passed away
• Jack Welch, who built General Electric into a global industrial flagship and became one of America's best-
known businessmen, passed away in March 2020.
• He was dubbed the "manager of the century," by Fortune magazine in 1999.
• The company's market capitalization grew from $12 billion when he took over in 1981 to $410 billion on his
departure.
Balbir Singh Kullar passed away
• Former India hockey player Balbir Singh Kullar, who was a part of the 1968 Olympics bronze-winning team,
passed away in Feb 2020.
• Kullar made his India debut in 1963 in Lyon in France.
• He was also a member of the Indian team that won the Asian Games gold in 1966 at Bangkok and the
Olympic Bronze in 1968 in Mexico.
Joginder Singh Saini passed away
• Veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee Joginder Singh Saini passed away in March 2020.
• He remained the chief national athletics coach for many years from the 1970s to 90s.
• Saini received the Dronacharya Award in 1997 for his contribution to Indian athletics.
• He was the chief coach of the Indian athletics team which won 18 medals, including eight golds, at the 1978
Asian Games.
Historian S Settar passed away
• Renowned historian Prof Shadakshari Settar (S Settar) passed away in February 2020.
• He had conducted research in the fields of Indian archaeology, art history, history of religions, philosophy
and classical literature.
• He also penned more than 25 books in Kannada and English.
• He was honoured with a number of awards for his work that helped to reinvent Indian history.
International Affairs
Trump administration renewed four restrictions
• The Trump administration has decided to renew four restrictions on Iran's nuclear program for the next 60
days making it harder for Tehran to develop further nuclear weapons.
• It will closely monitor developments in Iran's nuclear program and can adjust these restrictions at any time.
• The restrictions are designed to make the Iranian nuclear program less capable of producing weapons.
Trump invoked Defense Production Act
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March 2020
• President Donald Trump invoked the rarely used Defense Production Act on 27 March 2020.
• This was done to order the Department of Health and Human Services to compel General Motors to
manufacture ventilators.
• He also appointed trade advisor Peter Navarro to coordinate the government's efforts to purchase and
distribute emergency medical supplies, including ventilators.
Apple launched app for COVID-19 information
• In a bid to provide accurate and credible information to users about the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple has
released a new dedicated app and website for users across the US.
• The new COVID-19 app and website provide the latest information and guidance from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• The users can also use the new tools to answer questions around risk factors and symptoms.
WHO launched a global megatrial
• World Health Organization (WHO) has initiated a global mega trial of the four most promising drugs that
may cure the novel coronavirus.
• The mega trial is called Solidarity, under which the study, testing, and development of antidote against
coronavirus will be made, as per the Science Magazine report.
Pakistan's Babur-2 missile crashed
• Pakistan's Babur-2 missile crashed within two minutes of its launch.
• The test of Babur-2 missile from Sonmiani range of Balochistan on March 14, 2020 has completely failed.
• The missile could only cover 14 kilometers before hitting the ground in a few minutes.
• This is the second failed attempt of Pakistan's subsonic Babur-2 missile.
US launched advanced high frequency satellite
• The United States Space Force has launched an Advanced Extremely High-Frequency satellite (AEHF-6) for
its military communications.
• With the launch of the satellite, the United States has begun its first National Security Mission.
• The Lock Heed Martin AEHF-6 (Advanced Extremely High Frequency) satellite was launched on the Atlas
V551 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
World Entered Recession: IMF
• International Monetary Fund, IMF, has said that the world is in the face of a devastating impact due to the
Coronavirus pandemic and has clearly entered a recession.
• However, it projected recovery in 2021.
• The current recession is as bad or worse than in 2009.
• Recovery in 2021 will only be possible if the international community succeeds in containing the virus
everywhere.
US developing new guidelines for Covid-19 risk
• Federal officials in the US are developing guidelines to rate countries by risk of virus spread.
• The new guidelines are meant to enable state and local leaders to make decisions about maintaining,
increasing, or relaxing social distancing and other measures they have put in place.
• States and municipalities would still retain authority to set whatever restrictions seem necessary.
IMF launched Tracker of Govt. Policies
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March 2020
• The International Monetary Fund has launched a policy tracker to track the policy responses by different
governments to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The IMF policy tracker will help member countries become more aware of the experience of other
countries in tackling coronavirus spread.
• The IMF policy tracker summarises the key economic responses by governments across the globe.
Microsoft, US CDC tie-up to create ‘Clara’
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has introduced an AI bot called ‘Clara’ to help people
assess potential symptoms of COVID-19.
• The CDC has partnered up with CDC Foundation and Microsoft Azure’s Healthcare Bot service to create
Clara, the “coronavirus self-checker.”
• The bot is currently only available in the US on the CDC website.
US & UAE troops launched exercise Native Fury
• U.S. Marines and Emirati forces held a major military exercise on 23 Mar 20.
• The biennial exercise, called Native Fury, shows the close ties between American forces and the United
Arab Emirates.
• The exercise saw 4,000 U.S. troops from the Army, Marines and Navy position armoured vehicles and other
equipment from Kuwait and the island of Diego Garcia in al-Hamra using a portable pier system.
Hantavirus killed a man in China
• A man from China's Yunnan province died from Hantavirus while on a bus to the Shandong province
recently.
• The hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents.
• Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, chills and abdominal problems.
• The virus was named as Hantaan virus, after the name of the river Hantan.
Germany’s Kurzarbeit scheme
• Kurzarbeit, Germany’s existing scheme has been in the news.
• It means “short-work”.
• The policy provides for a short-time work allowance, called kurzarbeitgeld, which partially compensates for
lost earnings during uncertain economic situations.
• The policy was rolled out during the 2008 economic crisis while its origins date back as far as the early 20th
century, before and after World War I.
Afghan govt, Taliban held 1st discussion
• The Afghan government and the Taliban held their first discussion on arranging possible prisoner exchanges
on 22 March 2020.
• US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said that the US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan
government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing.
US President Trump signed an executive order
• In the US, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to prevent hoarding of vital medical
supplies and personal protective equipment.
• The order was issued as the country registered over 130 deaths in a day due to coronavirus for the first
time.
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March 2020
• He also announced that clinical trials for existing drugs that may prove effective against the virus will begin
in New York.
Netflix creates $100 million fund
• Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) has established a $100 million fund to assist workers on film and television productions
that have been shut down due to the global coronavirus outbreak.
• Hundreds of thousands of cast and crew around the world have lost work amid the crisis.
• That includes electricians, carpenters, drivers and other hourly workers.
Canada withdrew from Tokyo Olympics 2020
• The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee announced they would not send
athletes to the 2020 Summer Olympics due to the health risk of the global coronavirus pandemic.
• Canada becomes the first country to withdraw its athletes from the Games.
• Apart from Canada, North Korea and Indonesia have withdrawn from the game.
US FDA approved a coronavirus test
• The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a coronavirus diagnostic test.
• It can be conducted entirely at the point-of-care and can deliver results in 45 minutes.
• The test will be able to provide results within hours, rather than days like the existing tests.
• Point-of-care testing means results are delivered to patients in hospitals instead of samples being sent to a
laboratory.
Bangladesh contributes $1.5mn to COVID 19 fund
• Bangladesh announced that it will contribute $1.5 million to the proposed Corona emergency fund for the
prevention and combat of COVID-19 pandemic in the SAARC region.
• The idea of an emergency fund to fight COVID-19 outbreak in the region was mooted by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on 15th March 2020.
• He had announced on 8th March 2020 that India will contribute dollar 10 million to the fund.
SAARC launched a website
• The SAARC Disaster Management Centre has launched a website for information related to the COVID-19
pandemic in the region.
• The website shows the number of coronavirus cases in the member states while updating the numbers
regularly.
• The website is www.covid19-sdmc.org.
• Earlier, PM Narendra Modi had proposed it during the recent video conference with leaders of the member
states.
SpaceX plans 1st manned flight in May
• SpaceX will send astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time in May 2020.
• The company will launch a Falcon 9 rocket to transport NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in a
first for the space agency as it looks to cut costs.
• In March 2020, Dragon capsule made a round trip to the ISS, which is in orbit more than 250 miles above
Earth, with a mannequin on board.
WhatsApp launched Information Hub
• WhatsApp has announced two initiatives to support the global fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
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• It has launched WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub in partnership with the World Health Organization
(WHO), UNICEF, and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• It has made a donation of $1 million to the Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).
Cannes film festival not to take place in May
• The Cannes film festival will not take place in May 2020 because of COVID-19.
• The world's biggest film festival was due to take place between May 12 and 23, 2020.
• But its board said that they are now looking at rescheduling it to the end of June-beginning of July.
• Several other film festivals, including Tribeca, SXSW and Edinburgh have already been cancelled or
rescheduled.
Italy: Country with most deaths
• Italy announced 427 more fatalities from COVID-19 on 19 Mar 2020 as it becomes the country with the
most deaths due to the outbreak.
• The total death toll in the European nation at more than 3,400 has crossed China's death toll of 3,245.
• The total number of infections in Italy has crossed 41000.
• Italy is imposing a 206 euro fine on anyone found wandering the streets without a valid reason.
Maldives pledged USD 200,000 to COVID-19 fund
• Maldives has pledged 200,000 US dollars to the COVID - 19 Emergency Relief Fund, created by PM Narendra
Modi to combat the infection in SAARC countries.
• The Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid welcomed Mr. Modi's initiative and India's pledge of 10
million US dollars to the fund.
• The fund is based on voluntary contributions and can be used by any partner country.
North Korea fired two 'ballistic missiles'
• North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan, on 21 March 2020.
• South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the launch originated from North Pyongyang province.
• The country would convey the development to its parliament on April 10, 2020.
• Pyongyang is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its weapons programmes.
Greece handed over Olympic flame to Tokyo
• Greece has handed over the Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020 organisers.
• The ceremony, which took place at Athens' iconic Panathenaic stadium, did not include the planned cultural
ceremonies from Greece or Japan.
• Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos handed the torch over to the Tokyo Organising
committee represented by Naoko Imoto.
US Prez signed multi-billion aid package
• US President Donald Trump has signed a multi-billion emergency aid package to help Americans mitigate
the adverse economic impact of coronavirus.
• The bill, called the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, includes provisions offering paid sick leave for
impacted workers and free COVID-19 testing.
• It also boosts unemployment insurance, food assistance and federal funding.
World Cities Summit to be held in Singapore
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• The 7th World Cities Summit will be held from 5 to 9 July 2020, in conjunction with the 9th Singapore
International Water Week and 5th CleanEnviro Summit Singapore, in Singapore.
• It will be organized by Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
• The theme for WCS 2020 will be ”Livable and Sustainable Cities: Adapting to a Disrupted World”.
Saudi Arabia to convene virtual G-20 Summit
• Saudi Arabia, which is presently in chair, has proposed to convene a virtual G-20 Leaders’ Summit in the 4th
week of March 2020.
• It will be done to advance a coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic
implications.
• The G20 will act, alongside international organizations, in any way deemed necessary to alleviate the
impact of the pandemic.
Protest against Danube-Oder-Elbe Canal
• Environmental organisations from Germany, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria have
addressed a joint letter to the EU Commissioners for Environment calling for plans for the Danube-Oder-
Elbe Canal to be halted.
• This project, costing at least 23 billion euros, fundamentally violates EU environmental and nature
conservation directives and must not be allowed to become a reality.
African Lion military exercise cancelled
• The annual African Lion military exercise became the latest casualty of the global novel coronavirus
pandemic with this year's event being cancelled.
• African Lion had been scheduled to take place from March 23 to April 4, 2020, in Morocco, Tunisia and
Senegal.
• Nearly 4,000 US service members and about 5,000 troops from Morocco were to participate in it.
New leader of Islamic State group on blacklist
• United States has placed the new leader of the Islamic State group on its blacklist of terrorists, naming him
as Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli.
• Al-Mawli was named leader of the ultra-violent group after an October 2019 raid by US commandos killed
its chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
• The organization had earlier named Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi as its new head.
World Bank increased funding to 14 bln USD
• World Bank has announced 14 billion US Dollars to assist companies and countries in their efforts to
respond to the rapid spread of COVID-19.
• It has added 2 billion dollars to the initial package.
• The package will strengthen national systems for public health preparedness, including for disease
containment, diagnosis and treatment, and support the private sector.
Philippines: 1st to suspend financial markets
• The Philippine Stock Exchange closed indefinitely on 17 March 2020, the first market shutdowns worldwide
in response to the coronavirus, with authorities citing risks to the safety of traders.
• The shutdown comes after some bourses around the world closed trading floors or paused trade after
withering falls in market value.
• In Malaysia, a similar lockdown will come into force on 18 Mar 2020.
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Twitter, Facebook, Google joined hands

• Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter and YouTube have come together to help fight the
fake news and misinformation related to COVID-19 on their platforms.
• Facebook and Instagram have already announced to ban ads and commerce listings selling medical face
masks on their platforms to stop people from exploiting the coronavirus emergency.
Microsoft launched coronavirus tracker
• As the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) spreads like wildfire across countries, Microsoft's Bing team has
launched a web portal to track its progress worldwide.
• The website provides up-to-date infection statistics for each country.
• An interactive map allows users to click on the country to see the specific number of cases and related
articles from a variety of publishers.
1st human trial to evaluate a vaccine
• The first human trial to evaluate a candidate vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 has begun in Seattle.
• The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) said in a statement that the open-label trial will enroll 45 healthy
adult volunteers ages 18 to 55 years over approximately 6 weeks.
• The first participant received the investigational vaccine on 16 March 2020.
Niue: World’s first ‘Dark Sky nation’
• The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has announced that the tiny island nation of Niue will become
the world’s first Dark Sky Nation.
• At just 101 square miles, Niue has received certification as both a dark sky sanctuary and a dark sky
community.
• Niue is a small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean.
• It has a population of just 1600 people.
S. Africa announced National State of Disaster
• South Africa has announced a National State of Disaster over the coronavirus crisis as the number of
infected people in the country has risen to 61.
• The number of infections in South Africa doubled over the weekend with 37 new cases, taking the total to
61.
• This makes it the country with the second-highest number of cases in Africa after Egypt, which has reported
110 so far.
US Federal Reserve slashed key interest rate
• The US Federal Reserve slashed the key interest rate to virtually zero in response to the growing economic
impact of the New Coronavirus.
• The Fed made its second emergency rate cut in less than two weeks, cutting the benchmark borrowing rate
to a range of 0-0.25 percent.
• The rate was previously at this level during the 2008 global financial crisis.
WEF launched COVID action platform
• The World Economic Forum launched a new platform with the support of WHO to convene the global
business community for a collective action on the COVID-19 response.
• This is the first initiative of its kind that aims to convene the business community for collective action.
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• The COVID Action Platform is open to all businesses and industry groups, and other stakeholders including
the govts.
USD 1.3M for fast virus test development
• The Trump administration is awarding USD 1.3 million to two companies trying to develop rapid COVID-19
tests that could detect whether a person is positive for the new coronavirus within an hour.
• It is awarding USD 679,000 to DiaSorin Molecular, of Cypress, California, and USD 598,000 to QIAGEN, of
Germantown, Maryland, to accelerate the development of their tests.
ADB to allocate USD 200 mn to combat COVID-19
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide USD 200 million to companies manufacturing and
distributing medicines, and other items needed to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
• The funds will be made available through ADB's Supply Chain Finance Program and provided to selected
companies within weeks.
• The support will target companies in the supply chain.
US President Trump signed a bill
• The US President Donald Trump signed a bill on 13 March 2020 that provides 1 billion US Dollar to help
small telecom providers replace equipment made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE.
• The legislation creates a reimbursement program that small telecom providers can use when removing and
replacing equipment manufactured by entities deemed to pose national security risks.
Worlds only female white Giraffe killed
• The only female white giraffe in the world and her calf have been killed by poachers in northeastern Kenya.
• A third white giraffe - a lone male borne by the same slaughtered female - is believed to be the only
remaining one in the world.
• Their white appearance is due to a rare condition called leucism, which causes skin cells to have no
pigmentation.
COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator fund
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome and Mastercard announced a new initiative to accelerate
technologies designed to identify, assess, develop and scale treatments to the COVID-19 epidemic.
• The COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator will evaluate new and repurposed drugs and biologics to treat
patients with COVID-19 in the immediate term, and other viral pathogens in the future.
‘Joy Bangla’: National slogan of Bangladesh
• The High Court of Bangladesh has ordered that ‘Joy Bangla’ will be the national slogan of Bangladesh.
• ‘Joy Bangla’ was the main slogan during the liberation war of Bangladesh fought against Pakistan in 1971.
• The first President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman also used ‘Joy Bangla’ in his speeches and
specially during his historic 7th March speech in 1971.
WHO declared Covid-19 as a pandemic
• World Health Organization (WHO) has characterised the new coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic.
• The number of cases and deaths are likely to rise in the coming days and weeks.
• WHO has never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus.
• UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged world governments to urgently scale up their response to the novel
coronavirus.
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Mars 2020 rover named as “Perseverance”

• NASA's next Mars rover, a life-hunting, sample-caching robot scheduled to launch this summer is officially
called Perseverance.
• Previously the rover was known by its codename as Mars 2020.
• The name was suggested by Alexander Mather, a 7th standard student and was announced by Nasa’s
director of science, Thomas Zurbuchen at an event in Burke, Virginia.
Ashraf Ghani sworn in for 2nd term
• Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani was sworn in for a second term on 9 March 2020.
• Rival Abdullah Abdullah held a parallel inauguration that could plunge the country deeper into crisis ahead
of peace talks with the Taliban.
• Ghani was declared as the winner of the election held in Sept 2019, but Abdullah Abdullah, who disputed
the vote, held a parallel ceremony surrounded by supporters.
Iran announced 43 new deaths from coronavirus
• Iran has announced 43 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the overall toll to 237 dead.
• Its health ministry said 595 new cases across the country have been confirmed.
• This brings the overall number of confirmed cases to 7,161 till 9 March 2020.
• The rate of new infections was slowing but it was still too early to judge when the outbreak could be
brought under control.
United Nations adopted a political declaration
• United Nations has adopted a political declaration on women's rights that seeks to preserve gains under
threat but does not advocate new ways to ensure progress toward equality.
• The declaration was adopted during the 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
• The adopted text follows the main lines of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995.
Italy records second-highest Corona virus toll
• Italy has recorded the second-highest Corona virus toll in the world, after reporting a sharp jump in deaths
and overtaking South Korea on infections.
• The number of fatalities nearly tripled, rising from 133 to 366, according to the civil protection agency.
• The country now has the most deaths of any country outside China and the second-most COVID-19
infections in the world.
BIMSTEC Summit 2020 to be held in Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka will host the next Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) summit in early September 2020.
• Sri Lanka is the Chair of BIMSTEC from 2018 to 2020.
• Though Sri Lanka has already hosted three Working Committee meetings, this will be the first one under
the new Administration.
Genetic sequencing tests on a pet dog
• In Hong Kong, genetic sequencing tests are being carried out on the pet dog of a confirmed Coronavirus
patient in Hong Kong.
• This could reveal if the virus has mutated or not.
• Coronavirus is what is known as an RNA virus which eventually mutates.
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• International experts agreed that the dog has a low level of infection, despite its blood tests not being ready
yet.
BRAC: Top NGO of the world for 5th year
• Bangladesh-based international development organization BRAC has retained its position as the top NGO of
the world for the 5th consecutive year.
• The rankings for 2020 were announced by the Geneva-based organization NGO Adviser which publishes the
rankings every year based on publicly available data for the top 500 global NGOs.
• BRAC was founded by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed in 1972.
US President signed USD 8.3 bn bill
• US President Donald Trump has signed an 8.3 billion US Dollars measure to help tackle the coronavirus
outbreak.
• The outbreak has killed 12 people in the US and infected more than 200.
• The legislation provides federal public health agencies with money for vaccines, tests and potential
treatments and helps state and local governments prepare and respond to the threat.
Luxembourg: 1st to make public transport free
• Luxembourg has abolished fares for trains, trams and buses in a bid to tackle road congestion and pollution,
as well as supporting low earners.
• All standard-class journeys on public transport in the country are now free of charge, compared to an
annual pass worth 440 euros ($485) before.
• Travellers can still pay for first-class, at a cost of 660 euros a year.
North Korea launched two short-range missiles
• North Korea launched two short-range missiles into its eastern sea on 2 March 2020.
• The projectiles were fired from an area near the coastal town of Wonsan and flew about 240 kilometers, or
149 miles, northeast while reaching a height of about 35 kilometers, or 22 miles.
• The launches took place in quick succession, with just 20 seconds between them.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu claimed victory
• Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in the general elections held on 2 March 2020.
• The election, Israel's 3rd in less than a year, was called after inconclusive votes in April and Sept 2019
plunged it into a political stalemate.
• The surveys conducted by three Israeli networks gave Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party between 36 and
37 seats in Israel's 120-member parliament.
WHO confirmed over 90,000 cases of COVID-19
• WHO confirmed over 90,000 COVID-19 cases and 3,056 deaths reported globally in 67 countries.
• The Novel Coronavirus death toll in China climbed to 2,943 with 31 more deaths.
• 125 new confirmed cases were reported, the lowest since the virus outbreak in the country.
• The infection spreads from person to person mainly through the droplets produced when an infected
person speaks, or coughs.
World Bank announced 12 bn aid package
• World Bank has unveiled a 12 billion dollar aid package that will provide fast-track funds to help countries
combat the coronavirus outbreak.
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• The goal is to provide fast, effective action that responds to country needs.
• The funds, some of which are targeted to the world's poorest nations, can be used for medical equipment
or health services and will include expertise and policy advice.
China assumed presidency of UN SC
• China has taken over as President of the UN Security Council for March 2020, pledging to promote solidarity
and cooperation in this capacity.
• The Security Council was established by the UN Charter.
• Its primary responsibility is to work to maintain international peace and security.
• The council has 15 members: the five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members elected for
two-year terms.
Drugs to treat COVID to be available by summer
• Drugs to treat the novel coronavirus could be available by this summer.
• The vaccine may not be available until late 2020 or early 2021, but the therapeutics to give relief to the
people who contract the coronavirus could be available by summer.
• The Gilead drug remdesivir has already been used to treat one infected patient in the US as part of a trial.
Coronavirus: UN releases $15 million
• The UN has released $15 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help fund global
efforts to contain COVID-19.
• The UN funding has been released to the WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
• It will fund essential activities including monitoring the spread of the virus, investigating cases, and the
operation of national laboratories.
Personalities in News
Indian shot putter Navin Chikara banned
• Indian shot putter Navin Chikara has been suspended for 4 years by IAAF Athletics Integrity Unit for failing
an out-of-competition dope test in 2018.
• He was banned for the presence and use of a prohibited substance and his 4-year suspension starts from 27
July 2018.
• In Nov 2018, a provisional suspension was imposed on Chikara, who later waived his right to have the B
sample analysed.
Shilpa Shetty partnered with Fit India
• Fit India, has partnered with Bollywood actor and fitness icon Shilpa Shetty Kundra to provide her premium
21-Day Weight Loss Programme.
• It would be given free of cost on the Shilpa Shetty App (SS App), during the 21-day lockdown owing to Covid
19.
• The Sports Minister launched the programme through his social media handles and shared the link to the
App that everyone can access.
Sachin Tendulkar donated Rs 50 lakh
• Sachin Tendulkar has donated 50 lakh rupees to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Earlier, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly also pledged to donate rice worth 50 lakh rupees for the
underprivileged.
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• Among other prominent cricketers, the Pathan brothers Irfan and Yusuf donated 4000 face masks to Baroda
police and health department while Mahendra Singh Dhoni made a contribution of one lakh rupees.
Sunil Chhetri selected for FIFA campaign
• Sunil Chhetri has been picked by FIFA along with 28 past and present stars for world governing body’s
awareness campaign to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
• FIFA and the World Health Organization (WHO) have teamed up to combat the coronavirus by launching a
new awareness campaign.
• The 28 players include some of the best known players like Lionel Messi and World Cup winners like Philip
Lahm.
Satyarup entered Limca Book of Records
• Satyarup Siddhanta has been nominated for the coveted Limca Book of World Records.
• He has been nominated for his extra-ordinary achievement to be the first Indian to climb the highest
volcanoes of each of the 7 continents.
• He already holds a Guinness Book of World Records.
• He climbed the highest volcano of Antarctica - Mt Sidley to complete his 7 summits and Volcanic 7 summits.
2 Indians in Panel of ICC Development Umpires
• 2 Indian women, Janani Narayanan and Vrinda Rathi were named in the International Panel of ICC
Development Umpires.
• This made the number of women match officials increase up to 12 across different ICC panels.
• The announcement was made after the launch of '100% Cricket'.
• It is a 12-month campaign which has been launched to build on the momentum of the ICC Women’s T20
World Cup 2020.
Kamal Nath resigned as CM of MP
• MP CM Kamal Nath on 20 March 2020 announced his resignation just a couple of hours ahead of a crucial
floor test in the assembly.
• The floor test was called on the orders of the Supreme Court after resignations by 22 MLAs pulled the ruling
Congress well below the halfway mark in the state assembly.
• BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a three-time Chief Minister, is likely to return to power.
Arundhati Bhattacharya resigned from Crisil
• Arundhati Bhattacharya has submitted her resignation from Crisil board.
• She was serving as the independent director of the Crisil.
• Her resignation will be effective on April 15, 2020.
• She has submitted her resignation as she will be joining as a Chairperson and CEO for the India operations
of Salesforce, USA.
Bill Gates resigned from Microsoft’s board
• Bill Gates is stepping down from the board of Microsoft Corp.,
• He co-founded the company in 1975 and built it into the world’s largest software maker.
• He served as CEO of Microsoft until 2000, and was chairman of the company until February 2014.
• Gates will also exit the board of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the company run by his longtime friend Warren
Buffett.
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Tiger Woods to be in World Golf Hall of Fame

• American golfer Tiger Woods will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021.
• Woods was among 10 finalists named in March as candidates for 2021.
• His 93 worldwide victories include a record-tying 82 US PGA Tour titles.
• He won his 15th major title at the Masters last April, ending an 11-year major drought after career-
threatening injuries.
Byju Raveendran on WEF's list
• Byju Classes' founder Byju Raveendran and Zomato's co-founder Gaurav Gupta are among the five Indians
named by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its new list of 115 Young Global Leaders.
• The other three Indians on the list are Tara Singh Vachani (CEO of Antara Senior Living), Vinati Mutreja (MD
and CEO, Vinati Organics Limited), and Swapan Mehra (CEO, Iora Ecological Solutions).
Ambani lost Asia's richest crown to Jack Ma
• Mukesh Ambani is no longer Asia’s richest man, relinquishing the title to Jack Ma after oil prices collapsed
along with global stocks.
• He was dropped to No. 2 on the list of Asia’s richest people, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
• Ma, the Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. founder who relinquished the No. 1 ranking in mid-2018, is back on top
with a $44.5 billion fortune.
Wasim Jaffer announced his retirement
• Former India opener Wasim Jaffer announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in Mumbai on 7
March 2020.
• He is the only batsman to score 12,000 runs in Ranji Trophy and he also has the highest number of first-
class hundreds to his name.
• Internationally, Jaffer played 31 Tests, scoring 1,944 runs at an average of 34.11.
• He has 11 fifties in the highest format of the game.
RBI Deputy Governor N.S. Vishwanathan resigned
• Reserve Bank of India deputy governor NS Vishwanathan has quit three months ahead of his retirement in
June 2020 due to health reasons.
• Vishwanathan would end his nearly four-decade career by March 31, 2020, when the central bank would
relieve him of his duties.
• Vishwanathan had been RBI’s face for the past few years at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
Seema: Key member of coronavirus task force
• Leading Indian-American health policy consultant Seema Verma has been appointed as one of the key
members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force constituted by US President Donald Trump.
• The task force has been constituted to combat the deadly disease that has claimed six lives in the country
and infected over 90 others.
• The force is led by Secretary, Health and Human Services Alex Azar.
1st Indian to get Saudi Arabia’s green card
• Abu Dhabi-based Indian retail tycoon M A Yusuff Ali has become the first Indian to receive Saudi Arabia's
premium residency.
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• Yusuff Ali is the chairman of the LuLu Group, who was ranked the richest expat in the UAE by the Forbes
magazine in 2019.
• The permit grants expatriates the right to live, work and own business and property in the Kingdom without
need for a sponsor.
Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri to step down
• Nokia’s President and CEO Rajeev Suri will step down from his current position on August 31, 2020.
• Suri, however, will continue to serve as an advisor to the Nokia Board until January 1, 2021.
• Pekka Lundmark will succeed Suri and is expected to start on September 1, 2020.
• Lundmark is currently President and CEO of Fortum, a leading energy company based in Espoo, Finland.
SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi got 6-month extension
• SEBI chairman Ajay Tyagi was given a six-month extension on 28 Feb 2020.
• Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, Tyagi’s three-year tenure was to end
on 29 Feb 2020.
• With his tenure now extended, Tyagi will be able to continue with his development agenda, as well as his
mission to go after market manipulators.
Government Policies and Schemes

Companies Fresh Start Scheme 2020
• The Corporate Affairs Ministry (MCA) has come up with the ‘Companies Fresh Start Scheme 2020’.
• It will enable companies to make good of any filing-related defaults, irrespective of the duration of default,
and make a fresh start as a fully compliant entity.
• To provide a similar facility to Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), the MCA has also revised the ‘LLP
Settlement Scheme, 2020’.
EPF Scheme 1952 amended
• Ministry of Labour and Employment has amended the EPF Scheme 1952 and issued a notification in this
regard.
• It allows withdrawal of non-refundable advance by EPF members in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic in the
country.
• The notification permits withdrawal not exceeding the basic wages and dearness allowance for three
months or upto 75 per cent.
Odisha govt launched “Mo Jeeban” programme
• Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has launched Mo Jeeban programme and urged people to take a pledge to stay
indoors.
• The “Mo Jeeban” programme was launched for the containment of COVID-19 pandemic.
• He also urged the people of Odisha to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds before entering their house.
Ayushman Bharat to be implemented in Delhi
• The Delhi government would implement the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in Delhi
from fiscal 2020-21.
• The scheme will provide health insurance cover up to Rs 5 lakh per family every year.
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March 2020
• It is the largest health assurance scheme in the world which aims at providing a health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs
per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
Union government approved 4 schemes
• The Union government has approved a package comprising four schemes with a total outlay of Rs 13,760
crore.
• It will boost the domestic production of bulk drugs and medical devices and exports.
• The Union Cabinet approved outlay of Rs 9,940 cr and Rs 3,820 cr for bulk drugs and medical devices,
respectively.
• A sum of Rs 6,940 cr has been approved for the Production Linked Incentive scheme.
Cabinet approved Production Incentive Scheme
• The government has approved Production Incentive Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing.
• The scheme proposes production linked incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large
investments in mobile phone manufacturing and specified electronic components.
• The government will emphasize on mobile and component manufacturing in India.
Dairy Cooperative scheme to be implemented
• J&K Administrative Council has accorded sanction to the implementation of Dairy Cooperative scheme for
Dairy Cooperative Societies in J&K.
• Under the scheme, the govt shall provide 50% of the loan and 20% of the share capital to the beneficiary
cooperative societies.
• While a subsidy to the tune of 25% will also be provided to the beneficiaries.
IGMPY extended to 4 districts of Rajasthan
• Rajasthan has decided to extend the benefits of the Indira Gandhi Matritva Poshan Yojana (IGMPY) in four
tribal districts to pregnant women expecting their second child In the pilot phase.
• The scheme would be rolled out in four districts - Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh and Udaipur.
• The state would be providing Rs. 6000 to the pregnant women expecting their second child.
J&K: Free of cost health cover for residents
• J&K Administration has sanctioned the J&K Health Scheme to provide free of cost Universal Health
Coverage to all residents of the UT in convergence with Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY.
• At present, 5.95 lakh families are eligible for benefits under the scheme.
• Under this Universal Health Coverage, the beneficiaries shall be entitled to free health insurance cover of 5
lakh rupees per family per year.
Govt proposed to restructure a scheme
• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has proposed to restructure and formulate a scheme for
Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Beggars.
• It will be a comprehensive scheme for persons engaged in the act of begging.
• The scheme will cover identification, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, education,
skill development with the support of State Governments.
Manipur CM announced a scheme
• Manipur CM N. Biren Singh announced the biggest ever scheme for the welfare of sportspersons and artists
of the State.
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March 2020
• ‘Chief Minister’s Akhannaba Sanaroising gi Tengbang (CMAST)’ and Chief Minister Artist Sing gi Tengbang
(CMAT)’ are the schemes.
• Under the CMAST, employment in govt services will be provided to sportspersons, who have won medals in
selected International Sports events.
Reconstruction scheme for Yes Bank
• The Union Cabinet has approved a reconstruction scheme for Yes Bank as proposed by the Reserve Bank of
India.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that SBI will invest 49 percent equity in Yes Bank with other
investors also being invited.
• The scheme has been approved with the objective of protecting the interest of depositors and providing
stability to Yes Bank.
UP govt launched three schemes
• Uttar Pradesh govt has launched three ambitious schemes for skill development and employment
generation for youths in the state.
• The govt also announced to depute ''Arogya Mitras'' at all primary health centres to inform people about
govt health schemes.
• The three schemes Kaushal Satrang, Yuva Hub and apprenticeship scheme were launched in Lucknow on 12
March 2020 by CM Yogi Adityanath.
TIFAC launched Vigyan Jyoti scheme
• On March 8, 2020, TIFAC operating under Ministry of Science and Technology launched Vigyan Jyoti.
• The Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) launched Vigyan Jyoti in order to
encourage women to take science as their career.
• Under the scheme, selected qualified women from more than 500 women are to be provided opportunities
to attend science camps at NITs and IITs.
Student Health Card scheme launched in J&K
• In Jammu and Kashmir, Lt. Governor G.C. Murmu on 5 March 2020 launched Student Health Card scheme in
Jammu.
• Student Health card scheme will prove to be very beneficial because it will ensure regular checkup of
school-going children.
• The aim of this scheme is to ensure good health of school-going children.
Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana
• National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation is implementing Adivasi Mahila
Sashaktikaran Yojana for tribal women.
• Under the scheme, Scheduled Tribes women can undertake any income generation activity.
• Loans upto 90 per cent for scheme costing upto 1 lakh rupees are provided at a concessional rate of interest
of 4 per cent per annum.
Awareness Programme on Skill Development
• A 2-day Workshop-cum-Awareness Programme on the Skill Development for unorganized workers
concluded at Kulgam on 5 March 2020.
• It was organized under Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PMSYM) Scheme.
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• The unorganized workers whose monthly income is 15,000 rupees or less and who belong to the age group
of 18-40 years can register under the PM-SYM Pension Scheme.
Rs. 4,807 cr deposited in farmers accounts
• Rs. 4,807 crore have been deposited into the bank accounts of 7.65 lakh farmers under the Mahatma Phule
farm loan waiver scheme.
• Over 35 lakh farmers have uploaded their information on a special portal created for the scheme.
• Loans of farmers whose accounts are linked with Aadhar will be waived off, and farmers don’t have to stand
in a queue to get the waiver.
'Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan' launched in Kota
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla launched the 'Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan' in his constituency Kota on 29 Feb 2020.
• Keeping newborn and pregnant women healthy is the main objective of the 'Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan '.
• For the first time, more than 9 thousand crores have been allocated for the nutrition campaign in the
country.
Science and Technology
Abbott Labs launched 5-minute coronavirus test
• Abbott Laboratories is unveiling a coronavirus test that can tell if someone is infected in as little as five
minutes.
• It is so small and portable that it can be used in almost any health-care setting.
• The molecular test looks for fragments of the coronavirus genome, which can quickly be detected when
present at high levels.
US launched advanced high frequency satellite
• The United States Space Force has launched an Advanced Extremely High-Frequency satellite (AEHF-6) for
its military communications.
• With the launch of the satellite, the United States has begun its first National Security Mission.
• The Lock Heed Martin AEHF-6 (Advanced Extremely High Frequency) satellite was launched on the Atlas
V551 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Biofortified wheat variety developed
• Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, have developed a biofortified durum wheat variety
MACS 4028.
• The wheat variety shows high protein content of about 14.7%, better nutritional quality having zinc 40.3
ppm, and iron content of 40.3ppm and 46.1ppm respectively, good milling quality and overall acceptability.
• It is a semi-dwarf variety, which matures in 102 days.
First 'Made in India' COVID19 Test Kit
• First Made in India Test Kit to diagnose COVID-19 has got the commercial approval by the Central Drugs
Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
• According to the developers, it would cost nearly one-fourth of the current procurement cost.
• It is faster as it screens and detects the infection within 2.5 hours as compared with over 7 hours by others.
Hydroxy Chloroquine effective for coronavirus
• A group of Scientists have analysed reports from Wuhan Institute of Virology and published a research
paper in latest edition of the “The Nature” magazine.
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• They have reported that Hydroxy Chloroquine, is effective in stopping the growth of Novel Corona Virus
infection in laboratory conditions.
• According to this study, Hydroxy Chloroquine has a good potential to combat COVID-19.
Canadian researchers launched a study
• Canadian researchers launched a study into the use of a powerful anti-inflammatory drug to reduce the
risks of pulmonary complications and death related to Coronavirus.
• Several COVID-19 patients have had severe complications from a surge of activated immune cells in the
lungs -- known as a cytokine storm.
• In a cytokine storm, the immune system overreacts and damages lung tissue.
A key cellular mechanism in Huntington Disease
• A team of scientists from the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune unravelled a key cellular
mechanism in Huntington Disease.
• Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive genetic disorder affecting the brain that causes uncontrolled
movements, impaired coordination of balance and movement, a decline in cognitive abilities, difficulty in
concentrating, mood swings and personality changes.
Origins of the human hand revealed
• Inside the stout fins of a fish that prowled the shallow waters of an estuary about 380 million years ago,
scientists have found what they call the evolutionary origins of the human hand.
• The researchers examined a remarkably complete fossil of a fish called Elpistostege watsoni that represents
a pivotal stage of the transition of fish to land vertebrates.
Oldest bird fossil discovered
• The oldest fossil of a modern bird, dating from the age of dinosaurs, has been discovered, a new study
reports.
• The tiny fossil, nicknamed the "wonderchicken," includes a nearly complete skull hidden inside nondescript
pieces of rock, and dates to more than 66 million years ago.
• The seagull-size shorebird had features of both ducks and chickens as well as turkeys.
4 asteroids approaching the earth
• NASA’s automated asteroid tracking system has detected 4 near-Earth objects that are expected to
approach the planet.
• As per the agency, the biggest asteroid in the group is about as big as the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
• The 1st asteroid that will approach Earth during the third-week end of March 2020 has been identified by
NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) as 2020 FK.
SpaceX plans 1st manned flight in May
• SpaceX will send astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time in May 2020.
• The company will launch a Falcon 9 rocket to transport NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in a
first for the space agency as it looks to cut costs.
• In March 2020, Dragon capsule made a round trip to the ISS, which is in orbit more than 250 miles above
Earth, with a mannequin on board.
Scientists developed new hand-sanitizer
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• The scientists of CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Himachal Pradesh have developed a
new hand-sanitizer.
• The natural flavours, active tea constituents and alcohol content in this hand-sanitizer have been used as
per the guidelines of the World Health Organization.
• Chemicals like parabens, triclosan, synthetic fragrance and phthalates have not been used in this product.
INST develops starch-based ‘hemostat’ material
• Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) have developed a starch-based
‘hemostat’ material.
• It concentrates the natural clotting factors in blood by physically absorbing excess fluid.
• The biodegradable microparticles that combine to form a gel on a wound offer significant improvements
over existing alternatives.
Coronavirus can survive on surfaces for hours
• The novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces or in the air for several hours, according to a US-government
funded study.
• Scientists found that the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease had similar levels of viability outside the
body to its predecessor that caused SARS.
• The new paper was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on 17 March 2020.
Plastic particles may be prevalent in water
• Ultra small particles of the most commonly used plastics tend to move through the water supply, especially
in fresh water, settle out in wastewater treatment plants, or end up as sludge in landfills.
• This study was published in the journal Water Research.
• Every day about eight trillion pieces of micro plastics go through wastewater treatment plants and end up
in the aquatic environment.
Communication network in plants discovered
• Researchers in the US have discovered a communication network in plants that helps them respond to a
hormone involved in pest resistance.
• This may help develop crops that can withstand insect attacks.
• The study, published in the journal 'Nature Plants', observed that the hormone called jasmonic acid is
particularly important for a plant's defense response against fungi and insects.
ARCI developed cost-effective solar technology
• Scientists from the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials
(ARCI), Hyderabad, have developed a cost-effective solar receiver tube technology for industrial process
heat applications.
• The receiver tube technology efficiently absorbs solar radiation and converts it into heat for the targeted
applications.
• It exhibits high corrosion resistance.
Google launched a tool
• Google has launched a new Chrome tool that allows developers to mimic visual impairments like color
blindness to help them fix accessibility issues on their sites.
• Developers can use this feature by launching Google Chrome and heading to the browser’s developer tools.
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• There’s a new section titled “emulate vision deficiencies,” which features a drop-down menu of vision
limitations.
Newly discovered treehopper species
• A newly identified species of treehopper has been named after Lady Gaga.
• The insect has been named Kaikaia gaga.
• With a pair of devilish horns on its head, the insect is not like any other species in the forest.
• The new species, which appears to be impressive, is a little-known insect and can be found mostly in any
forest of the world.
Astronomers found Iron raining exoplanet
• Scientists have discovered an extremely brutal exoplanet where the atmosphere is so rich in iron that it
literally rains down from the sky.
• Named WASP-76b, it is 640 light-years away in the Pisces constellation.
• It has such bizarre temperatures and chemistry, that ultrahot days actually vaporize the planet’s iron — and
at night it cools, condenses, and falls back down as metallic rain.
GOKADDAL launched in India
• GOKADDAL, world's first Digital Solutions Exchange in the cloud has been launched in India.
• www.gokaddal.com is a one of its kind solutions aggregator, marketplace and cloud delivery platform with a
focus on four A's: Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Analytics and Augmentative Technologies.
• It is created to help solution seekers realize their digital transformation vision.
ARI developed a hybrid variety of grapes
• Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), have developed a hybrid variety of grapes which is
resistant to fungal diseases.
• It is also suitable for preparation of juice, raisin, jam and red wine.
• The hybrid variety ARI-516 has been developed by interbreeding of two species from the same genus --
Catawba variety of Vitis labrusca and Beauty seedless variety of Vitis vinifera.
Amazon rainforest may collapse: Study
• Large ecosystems, such as the Amazon rain forest, may collapse and disappear alarmingly quickly, once a
critical point in their destruction is reached, according to a study.
• The study was published in the journal Nature Communications that calls for improved conservation efforts
to protect these habitats.
• Amazon rainforest could shift to a savannah-type ecosystem within 50 years.
Music may decrease delirium: Study
• Music may decrease delirium, a form of acute brain failure with no effective treatment, according to a study
published in American Journal of Critical Care.
• It especially affects patients on ventilators in the ICU.
• The study noted that critically ill individuals who listened to slow-tempo, relaxing music with 60 to 80 beats
per minute had decreased need for sedatives.
CRISPR technology used to cure blindness
• For the first time, doctors have attempted to cure blindness by gene-hacking a patient with CRISPR
technology.
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• A team from Oregon Health & Science Institute injected three droplets of fluid that delivered the CRISPR
DNA fragments directly into a patient's eyeball.
• It will take about a month for doctors to know whether this first experiment worked.
IIT Madras team developed AI-powered drone
• Researchers at IIT Madras have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drone that can counter
‘Rogue Drones.’
• This system can help law enforcement agencies, security services and armed forces secure airspace over
critical civilian and military installations from surveillance by rogue drones.
• The drone can track down rogue drones visually and hack into their GPS navigation system.
New test devised for fairness of ‘qubit’
• Researchers from Raman Research Institute (RRI), have devised a new test for fairness of quantum coin or
‘qubit’ (the basic unit of information in a quantum computer) using entanglement theory.
• Entanglement is a special type of correlation that exists in the quantum world with no classical counterpart.
• This is a significant contribution to quantum state discrimination.
ARCI developed Fuel Cell Technology
• Scientists at International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI),
Hyderabad, have developed Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC).
• PEMFC, in its entireness, have an advantage of operational capability at low-temperatures with applications
in decentralised power generation systems.
• ARCI has developed PEMFC systems in the power range of 1 to 20 kiloWatt.
Bacteria that can replace fertilizers
• Researchers at Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology have found significant plant-growth-
promoting and antifungal activities of endophytic actinobacteria associated with Tea plant.
• Application of endophytic actinobacteria could reduce chemical inputs in Tea plantation.
• The research confirmed that the bacteria have the potential to exhibit multiple growth-promoting traits.
SCTIMST developed flow diverter stent
• The research team of Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Science and Technology has developed
an intracranial flow diverter stent.
• It will help in the treatment of aneurysms (enlargement of an artery caused by weakness in the arterial
wall) of the blood vessels of the brain.
• Flow diverters stents divert blood flow away from the aneurysm, thus reducing the chances of its rupture.
NASA robotic lander confirmed quakes on Mars
• The InSight lander, which touched down on the surface of Mars in Nov 2018, has since detected around 450
marsquakes.
• The Martian seismic activity recorded by the lander’s seismometer was found to be greater than that of the
moon.
• It generally arises from the planet’s long-term cooling from its molten beginnings in the formation of the
solar system roughly 4.5 billion years ago.
Oldest green plant fossil
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• Scientists have spotted in rocks from northern China what may be the oldest fossils of a green plant ever
found.
• The plant, called Proterocladus antiquus, was about the size of a rice grain and boasted numerous thin
branches.
• It may seem small, but Proterocladus - a form of green algae - was one of the largest organisms of its time,
sharing the seas mainly with bacteria and other microbes.
New explosive detection device unveiled
• RaIDer-X, a new explosive detection device, was unveiled at the National Workshop on Explosive Detection
(NWED-2020) in Pune on 1 March 2020.
• RaIDer-X has the capability to detect explosives from a stand-off distance.
• It has been co-developed by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Pune and Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore.
Astronomers detect biggest explosion
• Scientists have discovered the biggest explosion seen in the universe since the Big Bang, a new study
reports.
• The explosion took place at the center of a galaxy that's about 390 million light years from Earth.
• The explosion happened very slowly, taking place over hundreds of millions of years.
• It also released five times more energy than the previous record holder.
An Astronomer discovered 17 new planets
• University of British Columbia astronomy student Michelle Kunimoto has discovered 17 new planets,
including a potentially habitable, Earth-sized world.
• The new findings, published in The Astronomical Journal, include one such particularly rare planet.
• Officially named KIC-7340288 b, the planet discovered by Kunimoto is just 1 ½ times the size of Earth - small
enough to be considered rocky.
Animal that can survive without oxygen
• A tiny parasite called Henneguya salminicola is the first known multicellular animal that can survive without
oxygen.
• This was mentioned in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by
researchers at Tel Aviv University.
• This parasite, in fact, couldn't breathe oxygen even if it wanted to — it gave up the process as it evolved.
Business and Economy
Punjab National Bank unveiled new logo
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) has unveiled a new logo as it merges United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of
Commerce with it, with effect from April 1, 2020
• The new logo will bear distinct signages of all the three public sector lenders.
• With this, PNB is set to become the second-largest lender in the country.
Lockdown period not counted in IBC timeline
• Lockdown period will not be counted towards the timeline for any activity under the corporate insolvency
resolution process.
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• IBBI has issued a fresh regulation to amend the IBBI (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons)
Regulations, 2016.
• Corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) in a case under IBC needs to be completed in 330 days
including time taken for litigation.
S&P slashed India growth forecast to 3.5%
• S&P Global Ratings has cut its estimate for India's GDP growth for the fiscal starting 1 April to 3.5% from its
earlier forecast of 5.2%.
• It expects the hit to output from the covid-19 outbreak for the Asia-Pacific region to be as large as the
financial crisis in Asia during 1997-1998.
• Moody’s Investors Service earlier slashed India’s economic growth projection for 2020 to 2.5% from 5.3%.
Bank of India reduced lending rate by 75bps
• Bank of India has reduced the lending rate linked to external benchmark by 75 basis points, to 7.25%,
effective Apr 1, 2020.
• The lender's external benchmark lending rate is linked to the RBI's repo rate, which was reduced by 75 basis
points, to 4.40%, on March 27.
• It has also cut benchmark marginal cost of funds based lending rate by 25 basis points across tenors from
one year to one month.
Govt raised Rs 11,500 cr from sale of THDC
• The government has raised Rs 11,500 crore through strategic sale of two state-run power companies, THDC
and NEEPCO, to NTPC.
• The government has sold 74.49% stake in THDC for Rs 7,500 crore and 100% in NEEPCO for Rs 4,000 crore.
• With this, the total disinvestment proceeds in the current financial year stands at over Rs 46,500 crore.
GDP growth rate may fall: SBI’s Ecowrap
• The country's economic growth is likely to fall sharply to 2.6 per cent in 2020-21 due to lockdown amid the
coronavirus pandemic, as per a research report.
• According to a report by SBI Research's Ecowrap, GDP growth for 2019-20 could also see a downward
revision from 5 per cent to 4.5%, with growth in the fourth quarter of the current financial year at 2.5 per
cent.
Jana SFB launched instalment payment facility
• Jana Small Finance Bank, along with National Payment Corporation of India, has launched a UPI QR-based
loan installment payment facility for its customers.
• The facility is currently available for the over 40 lakh Jana SFB customers.
• It enables its 40 lakh plus customers to generate UPI QR code for their loan account and make instalment
payments instantly using any of the UPI applications.
Moody’s slashed India GDP growth to 2.5 %
• Moody's Investors Service on 27 March 2020 slashed its estimate of India's GDP growth during 2020
calendar year to 2.5%, from an earlier estimate of 5.3%.
• It said Coronavirus pandemic will cause unprecedented shock to the global economy.
• Moody's now expects real GDP in the global economy to contract by 0.5 per cent in 2020, followed by a
pickup to 3.2 per cent in 2021.
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SBI to cut repo rate by 75 basis points

• SBI has decided to pass on the entire 75 basis points repo rate cut announced by the RBI.
• The new rates, to be effective from 1 April 2020, will be applicable for borrowers availing loans based on
External Benchmark-linked lending rate, EBR and Repo-Linked Lending Rate, RLLR.
• Equated-monthly installments, linked to EBR or RLLR will get cheaper by around Rs 52 per Rs 1 lakh on a 30-
year loan.
RBI cuts repo rate by 75 bps to 4.40%
• The RBI cut repo rate by 75 basis points cut, bringing it down to 4.4 per cent.
• The repo rate has thus fallen to the lowest ever.
• Before this, it had hit the lowest point of 4.74% in April 2009 in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis.
• It also cut the cash reserve ratio or CRR by 100 basis points to 3 per cent with effect from March 28, 2020.
Cabinet approved recapitalization of RRBs
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for continuation of the process of
recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
• Minimum regulatory capital has been provided to RRBs for another year beyond 2019-20, that is, up to
2020-21 for those RRBs which are unable to maintain minimum Capital to Risk weighted Assets Ratio
(CRAR) of 9%.
RBI offered Rs 11,722 cr to banks
• The RBI has offered Rs 11,772 crore to banks through a 12-day variable rate repo auction.
• Before the auction, the RBI enhanced the amount of auction to Rs 50,000 crore from Rs 25,000 crore,
announced earlier.
• In the auction, the central bank received Rs 11,772 crore of bids and allocated the entire amount at a cut-
off rate of 5.16 per cent.
Indian Bank announced a funding facility
• Indian Bank has announced an additional funding facility for large corporates, MSME, retail customers,
pensioners and self-help groups (SHGs) in the wake of COVID 19.
• IND-COVID Emergency Credit Line will provide additional funding of up to 10 per cent of the working capital
limits.
• The loan tenor will be for 36 months with an initial moratorium of up to six months.
Charges for ATM cash withdrawal waived
• Charges for cash withdrawal from other bank ATMs and penalties for non-maintenance of minimum
balance amount in bank savings accounts have been waived for 3 months.
• This was announced by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• Banks are offering only essential services namely cash deposit and withdrawal, cheque clearing, remittances
and government transactions from March 23, 2020.
Finance Minister announced several measures
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced several measures to provide relief to the people and
business communities in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
• She announced relaxing compliance and regulatory norms.
• Last date for filing of income tax return for the financial year 2018-19 has been extended till 30th June.
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• Interest on delayed payment of income tax reduced to 9% from 12%.

Karur Vysya Bank launched prepaid card Enkasu
• Karur Vysya Bank has launched Enkasu, a pre-paid card in Karur.
• Enkasu works on Near Field Communication Technology in a semi closed loop.
• The cardholder can make tap & go payments for even small purchases to merchants - as little as Re. 1/-.
• Doing away with the need for cash and small change, the Enkasu card will be beneficial to both merchants
and customers alike.
Delhi Govt made a provision of Rs 50 crore
• Delhi Govt on 23 March 2020 made a provision of Rs 50 crore in its annual budget to provide adequate
quarantine facilities, in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak.
• In the Rs 65,000 crore budget for the 2020-21 financial year, Delhi Assembly laid emphasis on education,
health and transport sectors.
• Per capita income of Delhi had increased by 44 per cent over the last five years.
RBI to inject additional Rs 30,000 crore
• RBI has decided to infuse additional liquidity with a second tranche of bond purchase worth ₹30,000 crores
amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
• It has decided to ensure that all markets segments function normally with adequate liquidity and turnover.
• It will conduct purchase of government securities under open market operations (OMOs) for an aggregate
amount of Rs 30,000 crore in two tranches.
SBI opens emergency credit line
• State Bank of India has opened an emergency credit line to meet any liquidity mismatch for its borrowers.
• The additional liquidity facility Covid-19 Emergency Credit Line (CECL), will provide funds up to Rs 200
crore and will be available till June 30, 2020.
• The loan will be offered at an interest rate of 7.25 per cent with a tenure of 12 months.
RBI extends authorization issued to Vakrangee
• The RBI has provided the Renewal of Authorization for Vakrangee.
• RBI has extended the validity of Authorization issued to Vakrangee to setup, own and operate the White
Label ATMs (WLA) in India.
• The validity has been extended till 31 March 2021.
• RBI has assigned a target of minimum 1,000 ATMS to be deployed by Vakrangee for every calendar year
starting 2020 for an initial period of 3 years.
ICICI Lombard launched a protection cover
• ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company announced that they have rolled out a focused COVID-19
Protection Cover.
• The company said that amid the contagious pandemic, this policy on diagnosis of COVID-19 (+ve) will pay
100% of the sum insured irrespective of hospitalization expenses.
• The launched insurance policy is in group insurance mode.
Star Health launched a policy
• Star Health and Allied Insurance launched a benefit policy to cover all those who test positive for novel
coronavirus and require hospitalisation.
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• The 'Star Novel Coronavirus' policy will provide a lump sum payment to any insured between age 18 to 65
years, who is declared positive.
• The policy is available under two sum insured options of Rs 21,000 and Rs 42,000.
RBI to inject Rs 30,000 cr liquidity in market
• The RBI will inject liquidity of Rs 30,000 cr through open market operations to maintain financial stability in
the system in the wake of the COVID-19.
• It will conduct the operation in two tranches of Rs 15,000 cr each in March 2020.
• It said that the auctions would be conducted on March 24 and March 30.
• It had already infused Rs 10,000 crore through open market operations on 20 March 2020.
Fitch lowers India GDP growth to 5.1% in FY21
• Fitch Ratings has cut India's growth forecast to 5.1% for FY 2020-21, saying the coronavirus outbreak is
likely to hit business investment and exports.
• Fitch had in December 2019 projected India's growth at 5.6% for 2020-21 and 6.5% in the following year.
• In its Global Economic Outlook 2020, Fitch said the number of people affected by coronavirus will keep
rising in the coming weeks.
Import restriction eased for certain chemicals
• The government has removed import restrictions on certain chemicals including zinc dross, light, heavy and
full range naphtha.
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, DGFT in a notification said, it has also allowed flying clubs to
freely import aviation gasoline with certain conditions.
• For other users, import of aviation gasoline is permitted through state trading enterprises.
Meghalaya CM presented deficit budget
• Meghalaya CM, Conrad K Sangma on 19 March 2020 presented the budget amounting to 17,375 crore
rupees for the year 2020-21 with a fiscal deficit of 1,532 crore rupees.
• On the expenditure side, the total expenditure was estimated at 17,432 crore rupees, of which the revenue
expenditure is estimated at 14, 428 crore rupees and capital expenditure at 3,004 crore rupees.
Facebook to give $1,000 bonus to employees
• Facebook is giving $1,000 as bonus to each of its 45,000 employees to support them with liquid cash amid
the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that all employees will earn at least their full bonuses for
their six-month review.
• It also announced it is offering $100 million in cash grants and credits for up to 30,000 eligible small
businesses in over 30 countries.
Paytm Payments Bank to issue Visa debit cards
• Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) announced that it will now start issuing Visa debit cards to its customers.
• With this partnership, Paytm is targeting to issue over 10 million new digital debit cards in FY 20-21.
• The bank, known for introducing neo-banking in the country, is already the largest issuer of RuPay Debit
Cards and has the fastest growing bank account base.
Indian vendors share in defence contracts grew
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• The share of Indian companies in contracts awarded by the Union Defence Ministry for procurement of
defence equipments increased from 39.06% in 2015-16 to 75.03% in 2019-20.
• In the last five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20 (upto January, 2020), 158 contracts were signed with Indian
vendors against 100 with foreign vendors for capital procurement of defence equipment for the armed
forces.
Patanjali Ayurved to deposit ₹75 crore
• The National Anti-profiteering Authority has asked Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. to deposit ₹75 cr.
• The company allegedly profiteered by not passing on to consumers the benefit of a cut in GST rates
announced in November 2017.
• It has been asked to deposit the amount, along with an 18% interest from the date the amount was
collected, in specified consumer welfare funds within 3 months.
The 39th GST Council meeting held
• The 39th GST Council meeting was held in Delhi on March 14, 2020.
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the meeting at Vigyan Bhawan.
• GST Council discussed operational glitches on the GST Network portal.
• They also discussed different ways to increase revenue collection and to avoid tax evasion.
• A better GSTN system should be ensured by Infosys by July 2020.
Yes Bank reported Rs 18,564 crore loss
• YES Bank has reported a staggering Rs 18,654-cr loss for the December quarter due to higher recognition of
dead assets on the books, and an erosion of capital buffers to the brink.
• The gross non-performing assets shot-up to Rs 40,709 cr or 18.87 percent of assets as of December 31,
2019,
• There had been an over Rs 44,000-crore dip in its deposits between Sept and Dec 2019 to Rs 1,65,000 cr.
US Federal Reserve slashed key interest rate
• The US Federal Reserve slashed the key interest rate to virtually zero in response to the growing economic
impact of the New Coronavirus.
• The Fed made its second emergency rate cut in less than two weeks, cutting the benchmark borrowing rate
to a range of 0-0.25 percent.
• The rate was previously at this level during the 2008 global financial crisis.
GST rates on mobile phones to increase
• The Goods and Services Tax Council has decided to increase GST rates on mobile phones to 18 per cent
from 12 per cent with effect from 1 April 2020.
• The Council also decided to slash GST on maintenance, repair and overhaul services for aircraft to 5 per
cent from 12 per cent.
• The tax rate on handmade and machine-made matchsticks has been rationalized to 12 per cent.
RBI revised exposure limits for UCBs
• The RBI revised exposure limits for urban cooperative banks (UCBs) to a single borrower and a group of
borrowers to 15 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, of tier-1 capital.
• The RBI had earlier permitted UCBs to have exposures up to 15 per cent and 40 per cent of their capital
funds to a single borrower and a group of borrowers, respectively.
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March 2020
Cabinet approved MSP for Copra for 2020 season

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs)
for copra for 2020 season.
• The MSP for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of milling copra has been increased to Rs 9960 per quintal for 2020
season from Rs 9521 per quintal in 2019.
• The MSP for ball copra has been increased to Rs 10300 per quintal for 2020 season from Rs 9920 per quintal
in 2019.
iSelect+ Term Plan launched
• Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Company Limited announced the launch of iSelect+
Term Plan to provide enhanced protection cover at an affordable premium.
• It is available online.
• With the help of it, subscribers can design their own financial safety net to protect their family’s future and
ensure that they lead their lives comfortably without any financial worries.
India’s account deficit narrows to $ 1.4 bn
• India' s current account deficit (CAD) narrowed further in the Oct-Dec 2019 quarter on the back of a
contraction in the trade deficit and rise in net services receipts.
• The CAD declined to 0.2% of GDP in the three months, the third quarter of the 2019/20 fiscal year, from
2.7% in the same period a year before.
• On a quarterly basis, it shrank from 0.9% of GDP in the second quarter.
Rs 1.83 lakh crore spent on MNREGA
• Expenditure under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) almost doubled
to Rs 1.83 lakh crore during 2017-18 to 2019-20 as compared to 2011-12 to 2013-14 period,
• The government has spent Rs 1,83,000 crore in the financial years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 which is
double the amount of Rs 92,483 crore spent in 2011- 12, 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Bandhan Bank to invest ₹300 crore in Yes Bank
• Bandhan Bank will invest ₹300 crore in Yes Bank under the bank’s reconstruction scheme, taking the total
investment proposal to ₹10,650 crore.
• It will acquire 30 crore equity shares of ₹2 each at a premium of ₹8 per equity share, constituting less than
5% of the new issued and paid-up equity share capital of Yes Bank.
• 75% of the total investment of the bank would be locked in for 3 years.
Reconstruction scheme for Yes Bank
• The Union Cabinet has approved a reconstruction scheme for Yes Bank as proposed by the Reserve Bank of
India.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that SBI will invest 49 percent equity in Yes Bank with other
investors also being invited.
• The scheme has been approved with the objective of protecting the interest of depositors and providing
stability to Yes Bank.
India's forex reserves rose to 487.23 bn
• India's foreign exchange swelled by 5.69 billion US dollars to reach an all-time high of 487.23 billion dollars
in the week ended 6th March 2020.
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• Foreign currency assets, a major part of the overall reserves rose by 5.311 billion dollars to 451.135 billion
dollars.
• Gold reserves also increased by 320 million dollars to 31 billion dollars.
UBS cuts India GDP growth forecast to 5.1%
• Swiss brokerage UBS has sharply cut its 2020-21 GDP growth forecast for India to 5.1% on fears around the
coronavirus outbreak and also weak credit growth domestically.
• The brokerage also cut its FY20 growth estimate marginally to 4.8%.
• The GDP growth is set to slip to a decadal low of 5% for FY20 as per official estimates and hopes of a revival
are being pinned on the next fiscal.
SBI removed minimum balance charges
• The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced to waive charges on maintenance of average monthly balance
(AMB) for all savings accounts.
• Essentially, account holders will now have the option to maintain zero balance in their accounts without
having to shell out a penalty.
• This major initiative by the country’s largest bank will benefit its 44.51 crore account holders.
RBI announced US dollar sell/buy swap
• RBI has announced a six month US dollar sell/buy swap to provide liquidity to the foreign exchange market.
• RBI has said that financial markets are facing intense selling pressures due to coronavirus infection.
• Volatility in global markets has been spiked by a slump in international crude prices and a decline in bond
yields in advanced economies.
SBI to buy shares of Yes Bank
• SBI will buy shares worth 7,250 crore rupees of the cash-strapped Yes Bank in accordance with the draft
reconstruction scheme envisaged by the RBI.
• Its board has permitted the purchase of Yes Bank's shares at a price of 10 rupees per share subject to all
regulatory approvals.
• SBI’s shareholding in Yes Bank will remain within 49 percent of the paid-up capital.
SBI cuts MCLR by up to 15 basis points
• SBI has reduced its marginal cost of fund-based lending rate (MCLR) by up to 15 basis points across various
tenors, effective March 10, 2020.
• The bank has reduced its one-year MCLR by 10 basis points to 7.75 per cent from 7.85 per cent earlier.
• This is 10th consecutive cut in MCLR by the bank in the current fiscal.
• Three-month MCLR has been revised to 7.50 per cent from 7.65 per cent.
India 2019 thermal coal imports rise 12.6%
• India's thermal coal imports rose 12.6% to nearly 200 million tonnes in 2019, government data reviewed by
Reuters showed.
• Coal is among the top five commodities imported by India, the world's largest consumer, importer and
producer of the fuel.
• India imported 51.33 million tonnes of coking coal in 2019, down from 51.63 million tonnes in 2018, the
data showed.
FDI inflows recorded highest ever
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• The total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow was over 318 billion US dollars between 2014 and
September 2019 representing nearly 50% of the cumulative FDI in India since April 2000.
• In 2018-19, the FDI inflow stood at a record 62 billion US dollars, highest ever recorded for a fiscal year.
• This information was given by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
Global corporate earnings to drop 10% in 2020
• Earnings of major global companies could fall 10% in 2020, as per Citigroup analysts.
• The risk remains to the downside, with a 15-20% EPS contraction potentially likely.
• That would be consistent with a 1.5% global GDP growth outcome.
• Buckland had predicted that global EPS could contract around 10% if the coronavirus slows global economic
growth to 2% in 2020.
Moody’s cuts G-20 growth outlook to 2.1%
• Moody’s Investors Service said G-20 countries, as a group, are expected to grow by 2.1 per cent in 2020, 0.3
percentage points lower than its previous forecast.
• It cautioned that global recession risks have risen.
• The G-20 grouping includes advanced economies such as the US, Euro area, Japan, Germany and the UK,
and emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, Russia and Mexico.
Telangana's annual budget proposals presented
• Telangana State Finance Minister, T Harish Rao presented the annual budget proposals for the year 2020-
21, with an expenditure of 1 lakh 82 thousand 914.42 crore (1,82,914.42 Crore rupees) in the state
Assembly, on 8 Mar 2020.
• This includes over 1.38 lakh crore rupees of revenue expenditure and 22,061.18 crore rupees of capital
expenditure.
• He projected 33,191 crore rupees of fiscal deficit.
UN economists forecast drop in FDI
• The rapid spread of the deadly Novel Coronavirus is expected to take a serious toll on foreign direct
investments worldwide, with UN economists forecasting a drop of up to 15%.
• A fresh report from the United Nations Conference on Trade, Investment and Development (UNCTAD)
warned that regardless of how quickly the COVID-19 outbreak lasted, it would significantly drag down
global FDI.
RBI announced draft revival plan for Yes Bank
• The RBI placed in public domain a draft scheme of reconstruction for Yes Bank on 6 March 2020, a day after
it superseded the board of Yes Bank with immediate effect.
• SBI has expressed its willingness to make investment in Yes Bank and participate in its reconstruction
scheme.
• The draft plan proposes that the investor bank will invest in the reconstructed bank for up to 49% stake.
Arogya Sanjeevani Policy: Guidelines modified
• Arogya Sanjeevani Policy is set to be cheaper for policyholders.
• IRDAI has allowed insurers to issue the policy contract of it in the electronic or digital format to the
policyholders.
• This move by The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) will help insurance
companies to keep the cost of servicing such policies low so as to pass on the benefit to the policyholders.
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Assam Finance Minister tabled budget

• In Assam, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tabled budget for the year 2020-21 with a slew of welfare
measures.
• It proposed to provide free and dedicated bus services for women and senior citizens in Guwahati under
the Bhraman Sarathi scheme.
• An amount of Rs 2800 cr is earmarked for the Orunodoi scheme under which annually Rs 10,000 to be given
to 27 lakh poor households through DBT.
Maharashtra Budget tabled
• Maharashtra Finance Minister and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar tabled the first budget of Maha Vikas Aghadi
Government in the state for the year 2020-21 on 6 March 2020.
• The budget includes the total expenditure of 3,56,967 crore rupees and the revenue deficit of 9,510 crore
rupees.
• Provision of 10,000 crore rupees has been made to complete the pending irrigation projects.
Sebi launched “Sebi SCORES” mobile app
• SEBI has launched a mobile application for the convenience of investors to lodge grievances in Sebi
Complaints Redress System (SCORES).
• The app, 'Sebi SCORES', is available on both iOS and Android platforms.
• 'SCORES' mobile app will make it easier for investors to lodge their grievances with Sebi, as they can now
access SCORES at their convenience of a smartphone.
EPFO lowered interest rate on deposits
• Retirement fund body, Employees' Provident Fund Organization, (EPFO) on 5 March 2020 lowered the
interest rate on provident fund deposits to 8.5 per cent for the current financial year.
• Earlier it was 8.65 percent.
• Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar made this announcement in New Delhi after the meeting of the EPFO
apex decision making body - the Central Board of Trustee.
Withdrawal limit for depositors of Yes Bank
• The government has imposed a withdrawal limit of 50,000 rupees for depositors of Yes Bank for one month.
• The cap will stay in effect till 3rd of April 2020.
• The limit on withdrawal comes with a few exemptions, in cases like medical emergency, higher education,
marriage and unavoidable emergency.
• Yes Bank's board has also been superseded for a period of 30 days.
Cabinet approved FDI policy on civil aviation
• The Cabinet approved Foreign Direct Investment, FDI policy on civil aviation on 4 March 2020.
• FDI policy was amended to permit foreign investment in Air India.
• Non Resident Indians can acquire up to 100 per cent equity in Air India under automatic route.
• Earlier only 49 per cent were available for sale to NRIs but now they can purchase 100 per cent.
Paytm arm got IRDAI brokerage licence
• Paytm is set to make a foray into the business of selling insurance products with subsidiary Paytm Insurance
Broking securing a brokerage license from Insurance Regulatory and Authority of India (IRDAI).
• The company plans to offer insurance products across four categories including auto, health, and life.
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• Customers will also be able to claim settlement services at select merchant points.
Ryan opened 2nd tax services facility in India
• U.S. headquartered Ryan, a global tax services and software provider announced the opening of its second
facility in Hyderabad.
• Ryan has invested around USD 3 million over the last few years to expand its operation in the city.
• Ryan's India business operations provide global support with data processing, market research, asset
recovery, software development, human resource analytics, etc.
NABARD infused Rs1.46 lakh cr in rural banking
• NABARD has infused 1.46 lakh crore rupees in the rural banking system during the current fiscal.
• 66,397 crore rupees have been given in short-term credit and 6,704 crore rupees in long-term credit to
rural cooperative banks.
• Regional rural banks have availed 14,141 crore rupees in short-term credit and 8,417 crore rupees in long-
term credit.
Chhattisgarh CM presented state budget
• Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel on 3 March 2020, presented his government's budget for the financial
year 2020-2021.
• With an outlay of about 95,000 crore rupees, the budget focuses on health, education and rural
development.
• Improvement of School education is on the top priority of the government with about 16 per cent of total
budget provision.
OECD lowered India's FY21 GDP growth to 5.1%
• Global agency OECD has lowered its India's GDP growth forecast to 5.1% from the earlier projection of
6.2% for 2020.
• This has been done on concerns of impact of deadly coronavirus on the domestic as well as the global
economy.
• The latest projection for 2020-21 is 1.1 percentage point lower than the November 2019 forecast.
VC industry saw record $10 bn investment
• The Indian venture capital industry invested record $10 billion in 2019, driven by increased deal volume and
larger average deal sizes.
• The amount was 55 per cent higher than the money invested by the industry in 2018, the report by Bain &
Company's India Venture Capital Report 2020 said.
• There has been a 30 per cent increase in deal volume and 20 per cent rise in average deal size in 2019.
Samsung fined over ₹37 lakh
• India’s National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) has slapped a penalty of ₹37.85 lakh on Samsung.
• Samsung was fined for not reducing the selling price of 32-inch LED TV 32FH4003 despite a cut in GST rates
to 18% from 28% on television sets.
• An additional fine of ₹29,736 was also imposed on the company for not reducing price of power banks,
taking the total amount of fine to ₹37,85,342.
Oppo launched 'Kash' mutual fund platform
• OPPO on 2 March 2020 announced its foray into financial services with 'OPPO Kash'.
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• It offers users to invest in mutual funds, along with free credit reports, personal loans up to two lakh,
business loans up to ₹2 crore and screen insurance.
• Coming pre-installed in all OPPO smartphones, five products have been launched in the beta release with
Freedom SIP as a unique offer.
RBI received ₹1.71 trillion in LTRO
• The RBI has received ₹1.71 trillion in the third long-term repo operation (LTRO) conducted for an amount of
₹25,000 crore.
• The central bank received 66 bids in the three-year tenor LTRO, which has reversal date on March 1, 2023.
• The total bids that were received amounted to ₹1,71,965 cr, implying a bid to cover ratio (i e., the amount
of bids received relative to the notified amount) of 6.9.
Coca-Cola to double India volumes in 5 years
• India will soon become one of the top three markets by volume for The Coca-Cola Co., the company’s CEO
and chairman James Quincey informed.
• India is the fifth-largest market by volume for Coca-Cola, which sold 1 billion unit cases in the country in
2019.
• The Atlanta-based company wishes to double this number in the next five years.
SBI Cards & Payment Services raise Rs 2,769 cr
• SBI Cards and Payment Services raised Rs 2,769 crore from 74 anchor investors, ahead of its initial share
sale.
• Anchor investors are institutional investors, who are offered shares in an initial public offering, ahead of its
opening.
• Singapore government, Monetary Authority of Singapore, HDFC Mutual Fund, Government Pension Fund
Global and Birla Mutual Fund, are among the anchor investors.
India's Feb unemployment rate rises to 7.78%
• India's unemployment rate rose to 7.78% in February 2020, the highest since October 2019, and up from
7.16% in January.
• This was given in a data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).
• India's economy expanded at its slowest pace in more than six years in the last three months of 2019.
• In rural areas, the unemployment rate increased to 7.37% in Feb 2020.
Second part of budget session began
• The second part of the Budget Session of Parliament began on 2 March 2020
• It will continue till 3 April 2020.
• The Budget Session of Parliament had begun on 31st January 2020.
• During the second part of the Budget session, demand for grants of various Ministries including Railways,
Social Justice and Empowerment, Tourism and Health will be discussed.
Punjab govt presented Rs 1.54 lakh cr budget
• The Punjab govt on 28 Feb 2020 presented a Rs 1.54 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2020-21 in the
state assembly.
• Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal announced debt waiver to landless farm labourers and
added that a sum of Rs 520 cr has been set aside for the same.
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• The budget also earmarked Rs 13,092 crore for the education sector and Rs 4,675 crore for the health
sector.
Fiscal deficit touched 128.5%
• India's fiscal deficit touched 128.5 per cent of the whole year budget target at January-end (2020).
• The deficit during the same period during 2018-19 was 121.5% of that year's Revised Budget Estimate (RE).
• In actual terms, the fiscal deficit or gap between the expenditure and revenue stood at Rs 9,85,472 crore.
Sports
ITTF suspended events till June 30
• The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has suspended all planned events till June 30, 2020.
• It has also frozen the world rankings due to the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The ITTF Executive Committee met on 29 March 2020 to discuss the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak on
the international table tennis events schedule.
Indian shot putter Navin Chikara banned
• Indian shot putter Navin Chikara has been suspended for 4 years by IAAF Athletics Integrity Unit for failing
an out-of-competition dope test in 2018.
• He was banned for the presence and use of a prohibited substance and his 4-year suspension starts from 27
July 2018.
• In Nov 2018, a provisional suspension was imposed on Chikara, who later waived his right to have the B
sample analysed.
Tokyo Olympics postponed to 2021
• The Tokyo 2020 Games have been postponed by a year, as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic.
• Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the head of the International Olympic Committee agreed to the
decision on 24 March 2020.
• The Olympics would be the highest-profile event affected by the virus that has killed thousands and closed
sports competitions worldwide.
Federation Cup Senior C'ships postponed
• The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on 23 March 2020 officially announced the postponement of the
Federation Cup National Senior Championships to be held in April 2020 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Federation Cup, which was to serve as a qualifying event of the Tokyo Olympics, was scheduled to be
held from 10th to 13th of April 2020 in Patiala.
Canada withdrew from Tokyo Olympics 2020
• The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee announced they would not send
athletes to the 2020 Summer Olympics due to the health risk of the global coronavirus pandemic.
• Canada becomes the first country to withdraw its athletes from the Games.
• Apart from Canada, North Korea and Indonesia have withdrawn from the game.
Olympic flame reached Japan
• The Olympic flame arrived in Japan on 20 March 2020.
• The flame, enclosed in a special lantern, landed on a charter flight at Matsushima airbase.
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• Amidst speculation that the COVID 19 pandemic would lead to postponement of games, the chairman of
the International Olympics Committee has said different scenarios were under consideration and the games
were 4 and a half months away.
Athletics Federation cancelled Grand Prix
• The Athletics Federation of India cancelled the Indian Grand Prix hours before it was to begin on 19 March
2020, in view of the COVID 19 outbreak.
• The event was scheduled to be held at National Institute of Sports, Patiala.
• Federation Cup National Senior Championships scheduled from April 10-13, 2020, a qualifying event for the
Tokyo Olympics, has also been postponed to a later date.
Greece handed over Olympic flame to Tokyo
• Greece has handed over the Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020 organisers.
• The ceremony, which took place at Athens' iconic Panathenaic stadium, did not include the planned cultural
ceremonies from Greece or Japan.
• Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos handed the torch over to the Tokyo Organising
committee represented by Naoko Imoto.
French Open delayed due to COVID-19
• The French Open has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will take place from September
20 to October 4, 2020.
• The Grand Slam event was to have taken place from May 24 to June 7, 2020.
• The WTA Tour is also suspending the women's season until May 2, 2020 having already called off events in
Bogota, Guadalajara and Charleston.
Saurabh Chaudhary topped air pistol event
• Saurabh Chaudhary and Aishwary Pratap topped the 10 meters air pistol and 50 meters rifle 3 positions
events respectively in the Olympic team selection trials qualification in New Delhi on 18 March 2020.
• Chaudhary, who has booked an Olympic quota place, shot a total of 588.
• Manu Bhaker and Yashaswini Singh Deswal, both Olympic quota place holders, were eighth and last
respectively.
ATK won record third ISL title
• ATK has become the first club to win three Indian Super League (ISL) titles as it beat Chennaiyin FC 3-1 in
the final of ISL 2019-20 at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa.
• Under Antonio Habas, ATK has now won two trophies (2014, 2019-20), making him the first manager in the
league's short history to win two titles with the same club.
• Jose Molina led ATK to its title glory in 2016.
Olympic flame handover without spectators
• The Olympic flame handover ceremony for the Tokyo Games will take place without spectators in an effort
to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
• The accreditation cards that had been issued for the ceremony on 19 March 2020 at the stadium in Athens
where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896 would not be valid.
• The body's headquarters will also remain closed until further notice.
Achanta Kamal clinched men's singles title
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• Achanta Sharath Kamal won the ITTF Challenger Plus Oman Open.
• He beat top-seeded Marcos Freitas of Portugal 4-2 in the final played in Muscat on 15 March 2020.
• Earlier, in the semi-final, fourth-seeded Achanta pulled off a stunning seven-set victory against Russia's Kirill
Skachkov, 11-13, 11-13, 13-11, 11-9, 13-11, 8-11, 11-7.
Tai Tzu Ying won 3rd women's singles title
• In Badminton, Taiwan's shuttler Tai Tzu Ying clinched her third women's singles title of the All England
Championships at Birmingham in United Kingdom on 15 March 2020.
• Ying beat China's Chen Yufei in two straight games 21-19, 21-15 in 44 minutes.
• Earlier in the men's singles, Denmark's Victor Axelsen outclassed Taiwan's Chou Tien-Chen in two straight
games 21-13, 21-14.
World Athletics fined Russia USD 10 million
• The World Athletics Council fined the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) USD 10 million for breaching the
sport's anti-doping rules.
• World Athletics has capped at 10, the number of Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA) allowed to compete in
the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
• The ANA process will be suspended if USD five million of the USD 10m fine is not paid by 1 July 2020.
Saurashtra lifted their maiden Ranji Trophy
• Saurashtra led by Jaydev Unadkat lifted their maiden Ranji Trophy beating Bengal on the basis of the first-
innings lead at Rajkot on 13 March 2020.
• At the start of the day, Bengal needed 72 runs for the first-innings lead with four wickets in hands.
• Jaydev Unadkat ended as the season's leading wicket-taker with 67 scalps at a staggering average of 13.23,
one short of an all-time record.
BCCI postponed 13th edition of IPL
• BCCI has postponed the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) till April 15, 2020, as a
precautionary measure amid Coronavirus situation.
• The IPL 2020 was scheduled to start on March 29, 2020.
• The two remaining ODIs between India and South Africa in Lucknow and Kolkata were also called off on 13
March 2020 due to the COVID-19 threat.
Assam govt to construct 33 stadiums
• The Assam government will construct 33 stadiums in the state under Uttaran scheme.
• 300 crore rupees will be spent to build the stadiums across the state.
• Joshi said that 500 playgrounds are being developed at the state to encourage rural talents.
Tiger Woods to be in World Golf Hall of Fame
• American golfer Tiger Woods will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021.
• Woods was among 10 finalists named in March as candidates for 2021.
• His 93 worldwide victories include a record-tying 82 US PGA Tour titles.
• He won his 15th major title at the Masters last April, ending an 11-year major drought after career-
threatening injuries.
Manish: 9th boxer to qualify for Olympics
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• Manish Kaushik in 63kg category on 11 March 2020 became the 9th Indian boxer to qualify for Tokyo
Olympics after a win at the Asian Qualifiers in Amman, Jordan.
• He beat Harrison Garside of Australia, 4-1.
• The other Indians to have qualified for the Olympics are MC Mary Kom, Simranjit Kaur, Lovlina Borgohain,
Pooja Rani, Amit Panghal, Ashish Kumar and Satish Kumar.
Hockey India joins World Masters Hockey
• Hockey India (HI) has joined 38 other national associations as a member of the World Masters Hockey
(WMH).
• HI has appointed former India captain R.P. Singh as the convener of Hockey India Masters Committee and
Harbinder Singh as the chairman of the committee.
• B.P. Govinda, Jagbir Singh, A.B. Subbaiah, Surinder Kaur and M. Renuka Lakshmi have been appointed as
members of the committee.
CFC forward Schembri to retire
• Maltese forward Andre Schembri announced he will retire from professional football after the Hero Indian
Super League final against ATK FC in Goa on March 14, 2020.
• It was Schembri who scored CFC's first goal of the 2019-20 season under dramatic circumstances against
Hyderabad FC.
• Schembri is also the first Maltese player to score in the proper rounds of the UEFA competition.
Mohun Bagan: Hero I-League Champions
• Indian football heavyweights Mohun Bagan clinched their second I-League title with a 1-0 win over Aizawl
FC at Kalyani, West Bengal on 10 March 2020.
• Their first I-League title came in 2014-15 season.
• Senegalese striker Baba Diawara scored the all-important goal for Mohun Bagan in the 80th minute.
• With this win, Mohun Bagan have 39 points from 16 matches.
Australia won Women’s T20 World Cup title
• Australia cricket team won its record fifth ICC Women's T20 World Cup title, outclassing India cricket team
by 85 runs in the summit clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 8 Mar 2020.
• India, featuring in its maiden final of the tournament were bundled out for 99 in 19.1 overs.
• Taniya Bhatia retired hurt in the 2nd over after getting hit on her helmet.
Amit Panghal qualified for Tokyo Olympics
• Amit Panghal in 52kg category has qualified for his maiden Olympic Games.
• World silver-medallist Panghal edged out Carlo Paalam of Philippines in a 4-1 split quarterfinal verdict.
• Former junior world champion Sakshi Chaudhary in 57kg category failed to secure an Olympic berth after
going down to Korea's Im Aeji in the quarterfinals.
Wasim Jaffer announced his retirement
• Former India opener Wasim Jaffer announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in Mumbai on 7
March 2020.
• He is the only batsman to score 12,000 runs in Ranji Trophy and he also has the highest number of first-
class hundreds to his name.
• Internationally, Jaffer played 31 Tests, scoring 1,944 runs at an average of 34.11.
• He has 11 fifties in the highest format of the game.
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Pooja Rani: 1st boxer to qualify for Olympics

• Asian champion Pooja Rani in the 75kg category and Vikas Krishan in 69kg category became the first set of
Indian boxers to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2020, on 8 March 2020.
• Both boxers advanced to the semifinals of the continental qualifiers at Amman in Jordan.
• Rani notched up an easy 5-0 win over Thailand's Pornnipa Chutee.
Kieron Pollard: 1st cricketer to play 500 T20s
• West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard on 4 March 2020 became the first player in the history of T20 cricket to
feature in 500 matches when he took the field against Sri Lanka for the first T20I here.
• Dwayne Bravo is second in the list with 453 matches under his belt so far.
• Chris Gayle is at the third spot in the list as he has featured in 404 T20 matches.
Indian runner Prachi provisionally suspended
• Indian runner (400m) Prachi has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for the presence of a
steroid Oxandrolone, the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) informed.
• The provisional suspension comes into effect from February 20, 2020.
• As per the NADA list, Oxandrolone is a prohibited substance, which is a non-specified substance-Anabolic
Androgenic Steroid.
Philippines to host the Badminton Asia C'ship
• The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has shifted the Asia Championships 2020 from Wuhan, China to
Manila, in the Philippines.
• The decision was confirmed by Badminton Asia and the event will now be held from April 21-26, 2020.
• The championships fall within the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualification window and is one of the last
opportunities for athletes to qualify for the Olympics Games.
First ever Khelo India Winter Games began
• The first ever Khelo India Winter Games began on 7 March 2020 at Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Around 900 participants will take part in the 5-day event.
• Organised by Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council in collaboration Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and
Sports, the Games will be held in various sports disciplines.
Mumbai set to host IOC session in 2023
• Mumbai is set to host the 2023 International Olympic Committee's session after the IOC Executive Board
recommended the Indian city for the annual conference.
• The decision is to be ratified at the 136th IOC session in Tokyo in July 2020.
• After ratification, this will be the second-ever IOC session to be held in India after a long gap of 37 years.
• India last hosted it in 1983 in New Delhi.
Khelo India Women's Hockey League Under-21
• Sports Authority of India, in association with Hockey India has announced the first edition of the Khelo India
Women's Hockey League Under-21.
• It will be organized by Hockey India at three different venues in three phases between March to November
2020.
• Phase one will be held from 23-29 March 2020, while the final one will be held in Bhubaneswar from 22nd
to 29th November 2020.
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Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2019

• World champion shuttler PV Sindhu was named Sportsperson of the Year at the fourth Times of India Sports
Awards (TOISA) 2019 in New Delhi on 5 March 2020.
• She also bagged the Unbreakable Spirit of Sports award.
• Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia was given the Lifetime Achievement award.
• National badminton coach Pulella Gopichand won the Mentor of the Year award.
Shafali Verma at top in women's T20I rankings
• Shafali Verma has gained the top spot in the ICC women's T20 International rankings.
• She has become only the second India batter after Mithali Raj to top the women's T20 International
rankings.
• Shafali has replaced New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who had been at the top of batting charts since October
2018.
• Among the Indian bowlers, Poonam Yadav moved up to 8th rank.
Tasnim Mir, Mansi Singh won bronze medal
• Tasnim Mir and Mansi Singh won a bronze medal each in the girls' singles Badminton event at the Yonex
Dutch Junior International 2020 in Haarlem, Netherlands.
• It was the first time India won two bronze medals in girls' singles at this BWF Junior International Grand Prix
tournament.
• Mir was defeated by So Yul Lee of Korea 19-21, 10-22 in the semifinal to settle for Bronze on 1 March 2020.
ICC Test rankings: India retained No.1 spot
• India has retained its number one spot and captain Virat Kohli remained static at second in the ICC rankings
despite a dismal Test series against New Zealand.
• India has 116 rating points, six more than New Zealand with third-placed Australia accumulating 108 points.
• Australia's Steve Smith retained his top spot.
• Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult returned to the top 10.
All India Police Athletic Championship began
• 68th All India Police Athletic Championship-2019 began at Bhanu in Panchkula District of Haryana on 3
March 2020.
• Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju declared the meet open at Basic Training
Centre of ITBP.
• His address was followed by stunts on motorbikes by the Janbaaz team of ITBP, demonstrations of dog
show, and Karate.
FIH rankings: Indian men's hockey team at 4th
• The Indian men's hockey team has climbed to the 4th position, their highest since the inception of the FIH
world rankings in 2003, in the recently released chart.
• India's excellent form in the first three rounds of the second edition of FIH Hockey Pro-League has seen
them move from fifth to the fourth position.
• World champions Belgium remains in top position, while Australia 2nd.
Rafael Nadal won Mexican Open title
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• In Tennis, World Number 2 Rafael Nadal captured his first title of 2020, defeating Taylor Fritz in straight
sets, 6-3, 6-2, in the final of the ATP Mexico Open on 29 Feb 2020.
• In the women's final, seventh-seeded Heather Watson captured her first WTA title in three years by
grinding out a 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 win over Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez.
Dutee Chand won her 2nd gold in 200 m race
• In the final day of the Khelo India University Games in Odisha, Dutee Chand won her second gold in the 200
meters final in Bhubaneswar on 1 March 2020.
• She represented Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology.
• Kirti Vijay Bhoite from the University of Mumbai settled for silver with a timing of 24.98 sec while Deepali
Mahapatra from Utkal University won the bronze, clocking 25.19 seconds.
Khelo India University Games concluded
• The Khelo India University Games concluded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on 1 March 2020.
• Panjab University, Chandigarh took home the champions trophy-winning 46 medals including 17 gold, 19
silver, and 10 bronze.
• Savitribai Phule Pune University claimed the second position and Punjabi University, Patiala declared as the
second runners up.
• Savitribai Phule Pune University won 37 medals.
Defence
Indian Army started ‘Operation Namaste’
• To defeat the Coronavirus, the Indian Army has launched Operation Namaste.
• The army has successfully carried out all the operations of the past and will also successfully carry out
Operation Namaste.
• A helpline number has also been issued by the army.
• The army has set up a total of eight quarantine centres to fight the coronavirus in the country.
India, France conduct joint patrols
• India and France, for the first time, have conducted joint patrols from the Reunion Island.
• India has so far carried out Coordinated Patrols only with maritime neighbours and had rejected a similar
offer by the US.
• The Indian Navy conducted a joint patrol with the French Navy in Feb 2020 from the Reunion Island
• The patrol was conducted by a P-8I aircraft with French Navy personnel onboard.
Draft Defence Procurement Procedure 2020
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 20 March 2020 released Draft Defence Procurement Procedure(DPP),
2020 in New Delhi.
• The policy is aligned with the vision of the government to empower the private industry through the Make
in India initiative.
• The government has introduced leasing as another category to get defence equipment at affordable rates.
Indian Navy installed Quarantine Facility
• In an effort to augment Nation’s fight against the spread of CoViD-19, Indian Navy has set up a Quarantine
Camp.
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• It has been installed at INS Vishwakarma in Eastern Naval Command (ENC) for Indian nationals being
evacuated from CoViD 19 affected countries.
• The Quarantine Camp is fully equipped to accommodate nearly 200 personnel with all suitable facilities and
other arrangements.
Procurement of 83 Tejas aircraft for IAF
• Defence Acquisition Council approved procurement of 83 indigenous Tejas fighter aircraft for Indian Air
Force on 18 March 2020.
• The Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is going to be the backbone of Indian Air Force in future.
• The Defence Acquisition Council also accorded approval for acquisition of indigenous Defence equipment
for about 1,300 crore rupees.
Nupur Kulshrestha: 1st woman DIG of ICG
• Nupur Kulshrestha becomes the first woman to be promoted as DIG of Indian Coast Guard.
• She joined the service in 1999 and became the first woman to be promoted to this level.
• The Indian Coast Guard was formally established on 18 August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of
the Parliament of India as an independent Armed force of India.
Lt Gen KJS Dhillon to take charge as DG of DIA
• Lt Gen KJS Dhillon will take over the post of Director General Defence Intelligence Agency and Deputy Chief
of Integrated Defence Staff (Intelligence).
• It is a department that comes under the Chief of Defence Staff in the newly created Department of Military
Affairs.
• He is from the 1983 batch of the Indian Military Academy and recently handed over the charge of XV Corps
to Lt Gen B S Raju.
Indian Coast Guards conducts SAREX-2020 in Goa
• Final exercise of the National level Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2020) was conducted by the Indian
Coast Guard in the sea at Vasco, South Goa district.
• The exercise was carried out on 6 March 2020 and rehearsals for SAREX were conducted on March 4, 2020
• It was observed by observers from 19 countries.
Indian Army conducted Self Defence Training
• A unit of Indian Army organized a demonstration on Self Defence themed “Stronger You Stronger Society”
for the local womenfolk at Dhamdhama Anchlik College in Nalbari District, as a prelude to the upcoming
International Women's Day.
• A senior lady officer from the Indian Army and Smt Juppi Bordoloi, DSP from Nalbari Police were felicitated
as women achievers of our nation.
Pragyan Conclave 2020 began
• Pragyan Conclave 2020, a 2-day Indian Army International Seminar, commenced on 4 March 2020 in New
Delhi.
• It is being organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).
• The event brings together cross-domain national and international experts to deliberate on the complex
subject of 'Changing Characteristics of Land Warfare and its Impact on the Military'.
Indian Navy postponed MILAN 2020
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• The Indian Navy on 3 March 2020 postponed a multi-nation mega naval exercise ''MILAN 2020'' as part of
precautionary measures against the coronavirus outbreak.
• A biennial, multilateral naval exercise which started in 1995, MILAN was conducted at the Andaman and
Nicobar Command until 2018.
• Over 40 countries were expected to participate in the exercise for the year 2020.
Yard 45006 VAJRA launched in Chennai
• The sixth offshore patrol vessel 'Yard 45006 VAJRA' was formally launched on 27 Feb 2020 in Chennai.
• The vessel, built by Larsen and Toubro under the Centre's 'Make in India' campaign, would be used for day
and night patrolling.
• The vessel is 98 metres long and 15 metres wide with a gross tonnage of 2,100 tonnes.
• It is equipped with two diesel driven engines.
Books & Authors

A book on the life of Manohar Parrikar
• A book on the life of bureaucrat-turned-politician Manohar Parrikar, who served as the defence minister
and Goa chief minister, will hit the stands in April 2020.
• This was announced by publishing house Penguin Random House India on 16 March 2020.
• The book titled 'An Extraordinary Life: A biography of Manohar Parrikar' is written by veteran journalists
Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar.
Naveen Patnaik released a book
• Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik released the comic book titled “The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat” on
the occasion of the 104th birth anniversary of former Odisha CM Late Biju Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• The book deals about the life and works of legendary leader and Naveen Patnaik’s father Biju Patnaik.
• The comic book is prepared by Kalinga Foundation Trust.
Tahira Kashyap to launch a new Book
• On the occasion of International Women's Day Tahira Kashyap Khurrana announced that she is coming up
with her new book, titled 'The 12 Commandments of Being A Woman'.
• The 12 commandments of Being A Woman will be published by Juggernaut Books later in 2020.
• Tahira is a writer and a filmmaker and is the wife of actor Ayushmann Khurrana.
Smriti Irani released a book
• Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani on 5 March 2020 released a book
titled Chronicles of Change Champions in New Delhi.
• The book is a compilation of 25 innovative initiatives taken at the state and district levels under the Prime
Minister’s flagship scheme of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.
• The scheme was launched by PM Narendra Modi on 22 Jan 2015 in Haryana.
Committees and Recommendations

Govt constituted high level committee
• The government has constituted a high-level technical committee of Public Health Experts for COVID-19 to
guide the prevention and control activities in the country.
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• The 21 member committee will be headed by NITI Aayog member Dr V K Paul.

• Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Director General Indian Council of Medical Research are the Co-
chairs.
MHA constituted two special committees
• The Union Home Ministry has constituted 2 special committees to specifically deal with issues and
approvals related to the CAPFs.
• The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are also known as paramilitary forces and comprise the Central
Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police
and Sashastra Seema Bal.
Govt sets up a committee
• The Government has set up a committee to work out modalities of Kisan Rail.
• The committee will look into cold supply chain for perishables by starting the express and freight trains with
refrigerated coaches.
• Railways is also planning for installation of solar panels on un-utilized railway land for meeting its energy
needs for both traction and non-traction purposes.
National Affairs
Validity of vehicle permits extended
• The Centre extended till June 30, 2020 the validity of documents like driving licenses, permits and
registration that expired since February 1, 2020.
• This has been in a move to ensure hassle-free transportation of cargo amid the lockdown over the novel
coronavirus pandemic.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has asked them to treat such documents as valid till June 30,
2020.
IIT Guwahati developed drones
• A group of students at IIT Guwahati has developed a drone with an automated sprayer to sanitise large
areas including roads, parks to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
• In Tamil Nadu too, student from Agni College of Technology and professionals from startup Garuda
Aerospace fitted drones with disinfectant spraying mechanisms, which are now being used by the Chennai
Corporation.
Telcos to extend prepaid validity
• TRAI has asked telecom operators to extend the validity period of prepaid users to ensure that subscribers
get uninterrupted services during the 21-day nationwide lockdown.
• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has also sought details of the steps being taken to ensure
availability of uninterrupted telecom services to such customers on a “priority basis”.
ICICI Bank rolled out services on WhatsApp
• ICICI Bank has launched banking services on WhatsApp, enabling customers to undertake a slew of financial
transactions during the national lockdown.
• Retail customers can check their savings account balance, credit card limit, get details of pre-approved
instant loan offers and block/unblock credit and debit cards.
• They can also get details of the nearest 3 ICICI Bank ATMs and branches.
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GoI launched app “Corona Kavach”

• The Government of India has launched a coronavirus risk-tracking app called ‘Corona Kavach.’
• The app is jointly developed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Union
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The app uses a person’s location to assess whether they are in the high-risk geographical zone or not.
Punjab National Bank unveiled new logo
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) has unveiled a new logo as it merges United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of
Commerce with it, with effect from April 1, 2020
• The new logo will bear distinct signages of all the three public sector lenders.
• With this, PNB is set to become the second-largest lender in the country.
66 years of National Gallery of Modern Art
• National Gallery of Modern Art has celebrated 66 years by launching virtual tour of its permanent collection
amid lockdown.
• The Gallery launched virtual tour of its permanent collection for the visitors to enjoy without having to
physically visit the Museum during these days.
• It is for the first time that National Gallery of Modern Art has provided the facility of virtual tour.
Govt extended PLI, RPLI Premium payment period
• The government has extended the Premium payment period for Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life
Insurance upto 30 April 2020 without charging any penalty.
• Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life customers are facing difficulty in approaching post offices for
payment of premium.
• The decision is likely to benefit approximately 13 lakh policyholders.
Govt extended crop loan interest benefits
• The Government has extended the benefit of 2% Interest Subvention to Banks and 35 Prompt Repayment
Incentive to all farmers upto 31st of May 2020.
• The interest subsidy has been extended to all crop loans upto Rs 3 lakh given by banks which have become
due or are becoming due between 1st of March to 31st May, 2020.
Jharkhand govt launched PRAGYAAM app
• The Jharkhand Govt has launched a mobile app PRAGYAAM to issue e-passes to everyone associated with
delivery of essential services during the national lockdown to combat COVID-19.
• The app and has been designed locally.
• District Transport Officers have been given authority to issue e-passes to vehicles through online mode
after verification of the documents uploaded through the app.
Andhra P. govt set Mobile Hand-wash facilities
• Andhra Pradesh State government has set up Mobile Hand-wash facilities for the benefit of Slum Dwellers
amidst lockdown in the state.
• The mobile Hand Wash facility has become handy for both the state authorities and slum dwellers to access
facility of hands cleaning.
• The facility is plying in slum areas in Nandyal town of Kurnool district to ensure people have access to
preventive measures.
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Tamil Nadu: 'Modi Kitchen' began in Kovai

• A 'Modi Kitchen' with a capacity to serve 500 meals every day has started functioning in Kovai (Coimbatore)
from 30 March 2020.
• The kitchen has made arrangements to deliver food parcels within a radius of 10 kms.
• The dishes are prepared under advice from nutrition experts.
• The functionaries of the Common Service Centre plan to provide the service till April 14th, 2020.
Delhi: Students till class 8 to be promoted
• All the students from nursery to class 8th in Delhi will be promoted to next class under the right to
education.
• Delhi government will begin online classes for two subjects for class 12 from April 2020.
• All students have to register themselves on internet platform for online classes.
• Teachers will be in touch with them through phone and guide them through the process.
Assam govt: Rs 1000 to construction workers
• The Assam govt has decided to provide Rs 1000 each to 2.78 lakh construction workers who had to suffer
due to lockdown.
• This was decided in a meeting held in Guwahati on 30 March 2020 in the presence of Chief Minister
Sarbanand Sonowal and other ministers.
• The meeting also decided to give free rice to around 58 lakh BPL households from 1st of April 2020.
3.34 lakh PPE cover available with hospitals
• 3.34 lakh Personal Protective Equipment, PPE coveralls are available with hospitals in the country.
• Another three lakh donated coveralls are being received from abroad by 4th of April 2020.
• A total of 11 domestic producers of PPE coveralls have qualified so far and orders for 21 lakh have been
placed on them.
OMCs announced Ex-Gratia of Rs 5 Lakh
• Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have announced an Ex-Gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for delivery boys and
others working in LPG supply chain.
• The decision was taken by Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum.
• This one-time special measure has been made in the unfortunate case of demise of personnel like show-
room staff, attending duty in the LPG distributorship chain during COVID-19.
Health Ministry issued an advisory
• In the wake of growing COVID-19 cases in the country, the Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued an
advisory for the senior citizens in this regard.
• The people who are above 60 years of age are required to take more care as they are at a higher risk for
severe illness from Coronavirus.
• Such persons should be regularly monitored for symptoms of cough, fever or difficulty in breathing.
DD channels to be mandatorily carried by MSOs
• Information and Broadcasting Ministry has notified 25 Doordarshan channels as well as Lok Sabha and Rajya
Sabha channels which are to be mandatorily carried by the Multiple System Operators - MSOs and cable
operators on their cable TV network.
• Non-carriage of these notified channels are liable for action.
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• All MSOs and cable operators are directed to mandatorily carry these channels.
AIIMS: Trauma Centre into coronavirus hospital
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has decided to convert its sprawling Trauma Centre
building into a COVID-19 hospital.
• Preparations are underway to convert the facility, which provides treatment mostly to victims of road
accidents, into a dedicated COVID-19 hospital.
• Initially, it will have around 260 beds.
National Teleconsultation Centre launched
• The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched the National
Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC).
• The project CoNTeC, an acronym for COVID-19 National Teleconsultation Centre, has been conceptualised
by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and has been implemented by the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences, New Delhi.
UP CM constitutes 'Team-11' to beat corona
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath has set up "Team-11" comprising of as many inter-departmental committees to
fight the coronavirus spread.
• Each of the committees will be headed by a senior bureaucrat of the state while the CM himself will be the
head of the Team 11.
• He has formed 11 inter-departmental committees with over 2 dozen senior govt officials working at crucial
levels under his supervision.
NGO VOICE installed hand washing point
• VOICE, an NGO of Namchi installed a handwashing point to wash hands for the people.
• The handwashing point is installed in the premises of local taxi stand located within the parking plaza in
Namchi, South Sikkim.
• The installation of handwashing point is also to make people aware of the importance of washing their
hands while providing them with the facility outside their houses.
EPCH cancelled 49th Delhi Fair Spring-2020
• The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, EPCH has cancelled the 49th edition of Delhi Fair Spring-2020
in view of the present status of COVID-19.
• Earlier, the fair was scheduled to be held from 15 to 19th of April 2020.
• The Textile Ministry said that the fair could be organized in June or July 2020.
Dept. of Disaster Management as Nodal dept.
• In wake of Corona virus outbreak the Department of Disaster Management has been designated as Nodal
department for COVID-19 related procurement in the A&N Islands.
• The department is taking various steps to ensure procurement of medical equipment considering the
nationwide lockdown.
• Two lakh three-ply masks and 5,000 N-95 masks have been delivered at Hindon Airbase, Gaziabad.
Assam: Mid day meal being served to students
• In Assam, mid day meal is being served to over 40 lakh school students by the Education department.
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• The Assam government has instructed Deputy Commissioners to provide necessary helps to migrant
labourers.
• All DCs have been instructed to provide shelter and relief materials to them.
• Currently there are around 1 thousand migrant labourers in Assam.
Gujarat Education dept introduce home learning
• Gujarat Education Department has decided to introduce home learning process for students following the
lockdown.
• The students from class III to class VIII will be provided - weekly learning material - by using various social
media platforms, including WhatsApp.
• Every Saturday, students will be provided study material via social media platforms for the next four to five
weeks.
UP govt to transfer Rs 611 crore
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will transfer 611 crore rupees in the accounts of 27.15 lakh
MNREGA labourers on 30 March 2020.
• The amount will be transferred electronically to help the labourers in the situation of Lockdown due to
Corona Virus.
• State Government has said that there are no signs of community spread of the virus in the state.
Prakash Javadekar released Rs 1 crore
• Information and Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar has released Rs 1 cr from his MPLAD fund to the
Central Relief Fund to support the fight against COVID-19.
• He also sanctioned Rs1 crore from his MPLAD fund to the hospitals in Pune to buy equipment to fight the
novel coronavirus outbreak.
• The amount is for various medical equipment like ventilators, monitors, ECG machines, etc.
Corona Studies Series books to be launched
• National Book Trust (NBT) will launch Corona Studies Series books to provide relevant reading materials for
all age-groups for the post-Corona readership needs.
• The ‘Corona Studies Series’ will bring out affordable books in various Indian languages in the identified
subject areas.
• It will also provide suitable platform to authors and researchers willing to contribute in this genre.
Govt approved a Insurance Scheme
• Government has approved Insurance Scheme announced under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package for
health workers who are fighting to contain COVID-19.
• The scheme will provide an insurance cover of 50 lakh rupees for ninety days to around 22.12 lakh public
healthcare providers.
• The scheme will also include accidental loss of life on account of contracting COVID-19.
Government formed 11 empowered groups
• Government has constituted 11 different Empowered groups.
• They will suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce the misery of
people as quickly as possible post 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the Coronavirus pandemic.
• Each group has a senior representative from PMO and the Cabinet Secretariat to ensure seamless
coordination.
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BCCI to contribute Rs 51 cr to PM-CARES Fund

• Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will contribute Rs 51 crore to PM-CARES Fund.
• This will strengthen the nation's disaster management capacities and encourage research to combat COVID-
19.
• COVID-19 is first and foremost public health emergency and the BCCI has a firm resolve that the nation gets
all possible help to cope with the testing times.
Andhra Pradesh to set up a drone ecosystem
• The Andhra Pradesh Drones Corp will set up a drone ecosystem in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh.
• The aim of this initiative is to establish a laboratory for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones.
• The main objective of the drone ecosystem is to cater to the need of the UAV/drone industry, including
manufacturing, assembling, research, product design, rapid prototyping, etc.
India to begin antibody tests
• India is set to start antibody tests for the coronavirus to confirm whether a person had previously been
infected with the virus.
• The move will help understand the epidemiology of Covid-19 in the country.
• Known as a serological test, which looks for antibodies in the blood, it is different from the current,
diagnostic tests that determine active infection through nasal or throat swabs.
GeM took initiatives to procure goods
• Government e-Marketplace (GeM), has taken a number of initiatives in the fight against COVID-19
Pandemic.
• It has taken steps to enable quick, efficient, transparent and cost-effective purchases in this hour of need.
• Presently more than 7400 products in about 150 product categories and hiring of transport service are
available on GeM portal.
Nagaland CM launched an App
• Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio launched the Self Declaration COVID19 Nagaland App at Kohima on 28 March
2020.
• The app will be mandatory for any person who entered Nagaland after March 6, 2020.
• The app is crucial for tracking and surveillance of high-risk cases.
• It can be downloaded from the website nagalandhealthproject.org.
GOI set up PM-CARES fund
• A public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency
Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’ has been set up.
• Prime Minister is the Chairman of this trust and its Members include Defence Minister, Home Minister and
Finance Minister.
• This fund will enable micro-donations as a result of which a large number of people will be able to
contribute.
Punjab: 1st state to impose curfew
• The Punjab government imposed a curfew on 23 March 2020 to stop the spread of coronavirus, making it
the first state to take the drastic measure.
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• Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced the curfew as people were defying the lockdown imposed in the
state.
• After reviewing the situation with the Chief Secretary and the DGP, the CM has announced a full curfew
with no relaxations.
Goa:1st to launch assessment tool for COVID-19
• Goa has become the first state in India to adopt an automated technological solution for the citizens to
carry out a self-assessment test for COVID19.
• In addition, the app provides information on Self Quarantine, Helpline numbers to reach out to, and other
such information.
• The Government of Goa has partnered with Innovaccer Inc, a healthcare data activation platform company
firm for it.
ARCI developed a technology
• International Advanced Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI) has developed ultrafast laser
surface texturing technology.
• It can improve the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines.
• Laser surface micro-texturing, which offers precise control of the size, shape and density of micro-surface
texture features has gained momentum as a way to control friction and wear.
Odisha to set up the largest COVID-19 hospital
• Odisha Government will set up the largest COVID-19 hospital in the country that will have a 1000 bed
capacity.
• The state government has signed two tripartite agreements with SUM and KIMS Medical Colleges to set up
the 1,000-bed state level hospitals in Bhubaneswar.
• The Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) will provide the CSR
fundings for the project.
Hydroxychloroquine: Schedule H1 drug
• The Ministry of Health through a special amendment has categorised hydroxychloroquine (HCQS) drug as a
schedule H1 drug.
• This means it cannot be sold over the counter.
• The drug is prescribed as a chronic therapy for patients suffering from Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, an
auto immune disease.
CII set up a Relief Fund
• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has announced setting up of a CII COVID Rehabilitation and Relief
Fund (CRR) to assist small enterprises or MSME in rehabilitation.
• This decision was taken by a CII Forum on Covid-19.
• It has been further proposed by CII that the Govt should draw up contingency plans for three periods-till 31
March; till 31 May and then till 31 July 2020.
Shilpa Shetty partnered with Fit India
• Fit India, has partnered with Bollywood actor and fitness icon Shilpa Shetty Kundra to provide her premium
21-Day Weight Loss Programme.
• It would be given free of cost on the Shilpa Shetty App (SS App), during the 21-day lockdown owing to Covid
19.
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• The Sports Minister launched the programme through his social media handles and shared the link to the
App that everyone can access.
Jaipur’s hospital tested serving robot
• The Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Government Hospital in Jaipur is conducting a series of trials on a humanoid
robot.
• It was done to check if could be pressed into service for delivering medicines and food to the COVID-19
patients admitted there.
• This will help to keep the doctors and nursing staff at a safe distance to protect them against the dreaded
coronavirus.
Mizoram govt converts ZMC as isolation centre
• Mizoram govt has converted the Zoram Medical College and hospital (ZMC) in Aizawl as the treatment and
isolation centre for novel Coronavirus infected patients.
• All OPDs in the ZMC hospital have been closed, 7 bedded ICU is vacated and admitted patients in this
hospital are being shifted to Aizawl Civil hospital and private hospitals for the purpose.
Nagpur Municipal corp developed Covid-19 App
• In Maharashtra, Nagpur Municipal corporation with the support of HLL Lifecare has developed Covid-19
App.
• It has been developed for the benefit of the symptomatic citizens having problem of cough, fever and
difficulty in breathing.
• Through this app, Citizens can fill the information about their symptoms on this application.
Speedy trial against black marketing: Bihar
• Bihar Government has said that speedy trial will be conducted against those who will be found in black
marketing of essential commodities during the lockdown in the state.
• Director-General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey said raids are being carried out throughout the state to
check black marketing.
• Price Monitoring Cell has been set up in each district to supervise the price of commodities.
Sikkim govt announced an economic package
• In Sikkim, Chief Minister P S Tamang announced an economic package to provide immediate relief to
economically weaker sections of society.
• This includes the provision of rice, pulses, cooking oil, salt, potatoes and onions to families without a
government job and a daily wage of 300 rupees for labourers working in all pharma companies operating in
Sikkim during lockdown.
Sachin Tendulkar donated Rs 50 lakh
• Sachin Tendulkar has donated 50 lakh rupees to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Earlier, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly also pledged to donate rice worth 50 lakh rupees for the
underprivileged.
• Among other prominent cricketers, the Pathan brothers Irfan and Yusuf donated 4000 face masks to Baroda
police and health department while Mahendra Singh Dhoni made a contribution of one lakh rupees.
PESO to ensure uninterrupted supply of Oxygen
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• Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization, PESO has taken various measures to ensure uninterrupted
supply of Oxygen to hospitals and health care facilities.
• This has been done due to nationwide lockdown for containment of COVID-19 pandemic.
• instructions have been issued by PESO to all its offices to ensure grant of licences for storage and transport
of medical oxygen on urgent basis.
Piyush Goyal held a video conference
• The Minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal held a video conference on 27 March
2020 with stakeholders from e-Commerce and Logistics industry.
• The conference was held to discuss the issues faced by them due to COVID19 lockdown and measures to
resolve them.
• The meeting was attended by representatives of e-Commerce Companies like Snapdeal, Shopclues, Flipkart,
Zomato, etc.
SC allowed sale of BS-IV vehicles
• The Supreme Court on 27 March 2020 allowed the sale of BS-IV compliant vehicles for 10 days, except in
Delhi-NCR, after the ongoing countrywide lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic is lifted.
• It passed the order on a plea by the Federation of Automobile Dealers' Association (FADA).
• No BS-IV vehicles will be allowed to be sold in Delhi-NCR from April 1, 2020.
DRDO developing body suits for medical staff
• The DRDO has produced a range of products, including multi-layered advanced masks and bodysuit to deal
effectively with the outbreak of coronavirus.
• The N99 masks are five-layer masks with two layers of nano mesh.
• The suit is washable and has passed the ASTM standards.
• The suit is widely tested by the DRDO and other agencies and found suitable for the cause.
Rs. 5,751 cr to 8 States approved
• The High Level Committee under the Chairmanship of Home Minister Amit Shah has approved additional
Central assistance of over Rs 5,751 cr.
• It has been approved under National Disaster Response Fund, NDRF to eight States, which were affected by
floods, landslides, cyclone, drought in 2018.
• During 2019-20, till date, Centre has already released over Rs 10,937 crore to 29 States.
VP contributed to PM’s National Relief Fund
• Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on 27 March 2020 contributed a sum equivalent to a month’s salary to
the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
• He contributed to strengthen the government’s efforts in combating COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
• Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank have also donated their one month
salaries to the Fund.
Govt extended ban on international flights
• All international commercial passenger flights will remain suspended till April 14, 2020.
• This was announced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) amid a nationwide lockdown to
prevent the spread of the Covid-19.
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• However, this restriction will not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved
by the DGCA.
DRDO helps with ventilator design
• DRDO is now working with the private sector to mass produce ventilators, provide high grade protective
material for use by researchers and healthcare professionals.
• It will provide vital enzymes that are needed to make test kits for the virus.
• To start with, they have made the sanitiser formulation that is a simple thing but very vital and in high
demand.
Giveindia launched a mission
• GiveIndia has started a mission to support families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
• GiveIndia has partnered with the most credible non-profits to help families in need and prevent the spread
of the coronavirus in India.
• Under the mission, GiveIndia has launched two initiatives to help the disadvantaged and support families.
Biofortified wheat variety developed
• Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, have developed a biofortified durum wheat variety
MACS 4028.
• The wheat variety shows high protein content of about 14.7%, better nutritional quality having zinc 40.3
ppm, and iron content of 40.3ppm and 46.1ppm respectively, good milling quality and overall acceptability.
• It is a semi-dwarf variety, which matures in 102 days.
Odisha govt launched “Mo Jeeban” programme
• Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has launched Mo Jeeban programme and urged people to take a pledge to stay
indoors.
• The “Mo Jeeban” programme was launched for the containment of COVID-19 pandemic.
• He also urged the people of Odisha to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds before entering their house.
Invest India launched a Platform
• Invest India, India’s national Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency, under the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry has launched The Invest India Business Immunity Platform.
• The platform is hosted on the Invest India website.
• It is designed as a comprehensive resource to help businesses and investors get real-time updates on India’s
active response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
IIT Gandhinagar launched Project 'Isaac'
• IIT Gandhinagar has launched Project Isaac to engage its students in creative projects to enhance their
critical skills while they are confined to their homes because of Coronavirus.
• The project is inspired by Sir Isaac Newton, who was similarly sent home by Trinity College, Cambridge,
because of the Great Plague of London in 1665.
• 4 competitions are being organized as part of the project.
Home quarantine centre in Assam
• Assam government has started construction of a home quarantine centre at Guwahati with around 1000
bed facilities.
• The work of the centre will be completed within 3 to 4 days at Sarusajai stadium.
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• If anyone found Covid-19 positive, his or her family members would be shifted in this centre and state
government would take care of them.
• As of now, no positive case has been found in Assam.
Chhattisgarh govt acquired a hospital
• Chhattisgarh govt has acquired hospital Raipur Institute of Medical Sciences under the Epidemic Diseases
Act for providing treatment facility to Coronavirus patients.
• This is for the first time that a private hospital is being acquired by the state ever since CoVID-19 infection
began spreading in many states.
Grievance Redressal Cell established
• Ministry of Food Processing Industries has established a Grievance Redressal Cell.
• It will ensure that problems faced by food processors, amid the nationwide lockdown are resolved at the
earliest.
• Industry members facing any problem in operations and distribution of food products can send their
queries to covidgrievance-mofpi@gov.in.
Govt issued Standard Operating Procedure
• The Centre has issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for maintaining supply of Essential goods.
• All facilities in the supply chain of essential goods whether involved in manufacturing, wholesale or retail of
such goods should be allowed to operate ensuring social distancing.
• The retail end of the supply chain shall operate only in essential goods as specified in the order.
AIIMS set up Task Force
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi has set up a Task Force to develop a management
protocol for COVID-19.
• It has also constituted several committees to respond to challenges of rising number of the infections which
may emerge in the coming days.
• The committees have been constituted for coordination of various activities related to management of
patients.
Relief package worth Rs 1.7 lakh cr announced
• Union Govt has announced a package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore for the poor who need immediate help in the
wake of COVID-19 like migrant workers and urban and rural poor.
• The govt has come up with Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan scheme to help the migrant and poor people.
• Insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh will also be provided for 3 months for COVID-19 warriors who are exposing
themselves to the virus.
DST set up COVID-19 Task Force
• Department of Science and Technology (DST) has set up a COVID-19 Task Force.
• It has been set up for mapping of technologies from Research and Development labs, academic institutions,
start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
• It also aims at funding nearly market-ready solutions in the area of diagnostics, testing, health care delivery
solutions and equipment supplies.
Aligarh-Harduaganj flyover to be constructed
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• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for taking up construction of Aligarh-
Harduaganj flyover by Ministry of Railways.
• The total length of the railway flyover will be 22 km.
• Flyover at Aligarh going over the existing Delhi-Howrah main line is an operational necessity and is
essentially required to remove the bottleneck to traffic movement.
YouTube cuts video streaming quality in India
• YouTube has decided to limit the streaming quality of videos on its platform to Standard Definition (SD) to
ease internet traffic during the COVID-19, pandemic.
• As a part of its pre-emptive measures, YouTube will load videos in SD for a month.
• However, users can still opt to watch content in High Definition (HD) by manually selecting the option in
settings.
EC allows use of indelible ink
• The Election Commission of India allowed use of indelible ink to stamp home quarantine tags on people
following a surge in cases of Covid-19 in the country.
• The Commission took a “suo-moto" decision to allow health authorities the use of the ink.
• The indelible ink serves the purpose of marking those who have voted in elections.
NBT launched an initiative
• The National Book Trust (NBT) is providing its select and best-selling titles for free download to encourage
reading during the lockdown period.
• As part of the #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks initiative, over 100 books are available for download from the
NBT website.
• In addition, there are books by Tagore, by Premchand, and books on Mahatma Gandhi.
MPLADS funds to be utilized for COVID-19
• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has taken several preventive measures
against Covid-19.
• It issued a circular granting one-time dispensation for utilizing funds under the Members of Parliament
Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) to address the challenges in the fight against COVID-19.
• The MPLADS is a Plan Scheme fully funded by Government of India.
AIIMS to start Tele-Consultation facility
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi is going to start a tele-consultation facility for its follow-up
patients in a day or two.
• Several patients whose appointments are now cancelled due to lockdown and chronic patients can consult
doctors through this facility.
• Every department will have some doctors who will resolve the health related issues through telephone.
HD content streaming to SD
• All companies from digital industry have decided upon temporarily defaulting HD & ultra-HD streaming to
SD content or offering only SD content, at bitrates no higher than 480p on cellular networks until 14th April.
• The decision was taken at a meeting organised on 24 March 2020 by Uday Shankar, Chairman, Star &
Disney India, and attended by senior leaders from digital industry.
UP governmnet to launch a massive campaign
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• UP govt has decided to launch a massive campaign for identification of those people who have recently
returned from abroad.
• An additional Rs 50 crore for state health department has been announced in the wake of COVID-19.
• The govt will start a community kitchen service and will distribute packaged cooked food to the persons in
need.
Government issued an advisory
• Ministry of Labour and Employment has issued an advisory to States and UTs and advised to transfer funds
in the accounts of construction workers through DBT mode from cess fund.
• The fund is collected by Labour Welfare Boards under Building and Other Construction Workers' Cess Act.
• About Rs 52,000 crore is available as cess fund.
285 beds designated for isolation wards
• Ordnance Factory Board, OFB, has designated 285 beds for isolation wards in handling COVID-19 cases.
• 40 beds have been earmarked in hospitals at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, 30 beds each at Metal and Steel
Factory Ishapore, Gun and Shell Factory Cossipore, Ammunition Factory Khadki, Ordnance Factory Kanpur,
Ordnance Factory Khamaria, Ordnance Factory Ambajhari.
29 private lab chains approved
• A total number of 29 private laboratory chains have been given approval for testing of coronavirus.
• These private labs have 16 thousand collection centers across the country.
• In addition, 118 government laboratories have been given permission for testing which have a capacity to
test 12 thousand samples per day.
Home Ministry issues fresh guidelines
• Home Ministry issued fresh guidelines on 26 March 2020 covering additional people and services who will
be exempted from the 21-day lockdown.
• RBI and its regulated financial markets, pay and accounts officers and field officers of the CAG, petroleum
products and supply chain and forest staff are exempted.
• People handling cargo operations in airports and railway stations are also exempted.
Over 900 Yakshagana scripts go digital
• More than 900 Yakshagana scripts, including the ones printed in 1905 and 1907, have now been digitised
and made available online for free.
• The teamwork by about 100 professionals, including software engineers, has resulted in conservation of
934 scripts in the digital form in less than a year of launching the project.
• The ‘Prahlada Charitre’ printed in 1905 is among the ones digitised.
Section 188 IPC invoked by State Governments
• The lockdown has been imposed by various state govts under the Epidemic Diseases Act, which is a colonial
law enacted in 1897.
• The violation of any rule or regulation under it is punishable as per Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code
(IPC).
• Section 188 of the IPC states that any person who disobeys an order given by a public servant will be
punished with imprisonment upto 1 month.
IOC: 1st company to supply of BS-VI fuel
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• Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has begun the supply of the world's cleanest petrol and diesel across the country with
all its 28,000 petrol pumps dispensing ultra-low sulphur fuel.
• Other fuel retailers, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) are also
progressively supplying BS-VI grade fuel and the entire country will switch to the cleanest fuel from last
week of March 2020.
Government bans export of all ventilators
• In its efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Government has prohibited the export of all ventilators,
including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or any other breathing device.
• Government has also prohibited the export of all Sanitizers.
• The Ventilators were put in the prohibited category on 19th of March 2020 itself.
J&K announced advance ration for 2 months
• Jammu and Kashmir Administration has announced advance ration for two months April and May 2020 to
all eligible consumers in wake of Corona epidemic.
• Besides, one month’s ration for Mid-Day Meals would also be given in advance to all parents of eligible
children.
• The interstate borders with Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh UT have been fully sealed.
4 medical facilities as quarantine centres: TN
• Tamil Nadu Govt has converted four medical facilities in the state as quarantine centres for treating
patients infected with Covid-19, SARS, avian flu or swine flu.
• The Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine at Tambaram will be the state level quarantine centre.
• The King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research in Chennai will be upgraded as a Bio-Safety Level-
Three laboratory.
Uttarakhand to reserve 4 medical colleges
• Uttarakhand cabinet has decided to reserve 4 state medical colleges in Dehradun, Haldwani, Srinagar-
Garhwal and Almora for treating Corona patients.
• Cabinet has also approved Indian Institute of Petroleum and AIIMS for testing Covid 19 samples besides
medical colleges.
• The cabinet has also decided to give Rs3 cr each to Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, Nainital and Dehradun
District Magistrates.
38th district to be formed in Tamil Nadu
• In Tamil Nadu, a new district is going to be formed after bifurcating the Nagappattinam district.
• The new district will be headquartered at Mayiladuthurai, in the heart of the Delta region.
• State Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy made the announcement saying, it would be the 38th district in
the state.
500 bottles of hand sanitizers made
• The Chemistry Dept of Manipur University has made 500 bottles of ethyl alcohol-based hand sanitizers in
the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.
• The sanitizers were distributed among the varsity community.
• The bottles will be distributed among local people if they approach the university.
• The university is in a position to make another 1,000 bottles.
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Gujarat: Ministers to donate 1 month’s salary

• In Gujarat, all the ministers will donate one month’s salary to CM relief fund for the fight against
coronavirus.
• The decision was taken as a goodwill gesture to express their solidarity with the people of the state in their
fight against coronavirus (COVID-19).
• Chief Secretary of the state Anil Mukim said OPD services shall remain open in all the government hospitals
in the state.
Complete nationwide lockdown for 21 days
• Govt has announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days to fight COVID-19.
• All road, rail and air services will remain suspended during the lockdown, which came into force from
25 March 2020.
• However, freight movement will continue to carry essential commodities across the country.
• Essential services like medical shops, grocery stores have been exempted from the lockdown.
Govt bans export of hydroxycloroquine
• Government has banned export of anti-malarial drug hydroxycloroquine, with immediate effect to ensure
sufficient availability of the medicine in the domestic market.
• However, it will allow export of the medicine on humanitarian grounds on case-to-case basis on the
Ministry of External Affairs' recommendation.
• India has also banned exports of a host of medical devices including sanitisers.
Finance Minister announced several measures
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced several measures to provide relief to the people and
business communities in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
• She announced relaxing compliance and regulatory norms.
• Last date for filing of income tax return for the financial year 2018-19 has been extended till 30th June.
• Interest on delayed payment of income tax reduced to 9% from 12%.
India’s 1st COVID-19 dedicated hospital
• Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has announced a slew of measures to fight the deadly coronavirus (COVID-
19).
• The measures include setting up India’s first dedicated COVID-19 hospital.
• This centre is fully funded by Reliance Foundation and includes a negative pressure room that helps in
preventing cross-contamination and helps control infection.
Karur Vysya Bank launched prepaid card Enkasu
• Karur Vysya Bank has launched Enkasu, a pre-paid card in Karur.
• Enkasu works on Near Field Communication Technology in a semi closed loop.
• The cardholder can make tap & go payments for even small purchases to merchants - as little as Re. 1/-.
• Doing away with the need for cash and small change, the Enkasu card will be beneficial to both merchants
and customers alike.
Gujarat Police: 1st to introduce taser guns
• The Gujarat Police is now equipped with taser guns as a part of their modernization drive to ensure public
safety and security.
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• Taser guns have been introduced to find an alternative between “ineffective lathis” and “deadly guns”.
• By introducing these as part of police arsenal, Gujarat becomes the first state in India to do so.
First 'Made in India' COVID19 Test Kit
• First Made in India Test Kit to diagnose COVID-19 has got the commercial approval by the Central Drugs
Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
• According to the developers, it would cost nearly one-fourth of the current procurement cost.
• It is faster as it screens and detects the infection within 2.5 hours as compared with over 7 hours by others.
3 supercomputers to be installed
• 3 supercomputers are to be installed by April 2020, one each at IIT-Kanpur, JN Centre for Advanced
Scientific Research, Bengaluru, and IIT-Hyderabad.
• This will ramp up the supercomputing facility to 6 Peta Flops (PF).
• 11 new systems are likely to be set up in different IITs, NITs, National Labs, and IISERs across India by
December 2020.
Bihar announced assistance package
• Bihar Government has announced an assistance package in view of lockdown which has been declared due
to Coronavirus outbreak.
• The government has decided to provide one month ration for whole cardholders in the state.
• 1,000 rupees will be given to each family of ration cardholders of all urban bodies and block headquarters
under lockdown areas.
Delhi Govt made a provision of Rs 50 crore
• Delhi Govt on 23 March 2020 made a provision of Rs 50 crore in its annual budget to provide adequate
quarantine facilities, in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak.
• In the Rs 65,000 crore budget for the 2020-21 financial year, Delhi Assembly laid emphasis on education,
health and transport sectors.
• Per capita income of Delhi had increased by 44 per cent over the last five years.
Zero hand touch wash basin in Ladakh
• In Ladakh, Tamchos Gurmet has designed a zero hand touch wash basin and he has named the innovation
as Infection-free tape.
• He donated the innovation to the SNM hospital for fighting with Coronavirus.
• Soap and water can be taken with just a press of peddle by foot and get the job done to wash your hands.
EPFO issued directions
• The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has issued directions for timely credit of monthly
Pension to Employees’ Pension Scheme pensioners.
• It came in the wake of lockdown declared in various parts of the country due to Coronavirus pandemic.
• The EPFO disburses monthly pension to over 65 Lakh pensioners every month under the Employees’
Pension Scheme.
CBSE announced new Helpline numbers
• The Central Board of Secondary Education has announced new Tele Helpline numbers on Corona Virus
Safeguards for Students.
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• The facility will be available from 10 A.M. to 1.30 P.M. and 2.00 P.M. to 5.00 P.M. from 24-31 March 2020
until further announcement.
• Students can contact on numbers 9899991274, 8826635511, 9717675196 and 9999814589 from 10 A.M. to
1.30 P.M.
SC directs States, UTs to set up a panel
• The Supreme Court has directed all states and Union Territories to set up high level committees.
• It will determine class of prisoners who could be released on parole for four to six weeks to avoid
overcrowding in jails so as to safeguard against the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
• The prisoners convicted of or charged with offences having jail term of up to seven years can be given
parole.
A key cellular mechanism in Huntington Disease
• A team of scientists from the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune unravelled a key cellular
mechanism in Huntington Disease.
• Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive genetic disorder affecting the brain that causes uncontrolled
movements, impaired coordination of balance and movement, a decline in cognitive abilities, difficulty in
concentrating, mood swings and personality changes.
UP: One month free food grains to poor
• Uttar Pradesh government has announced several actions and measures in its fight against coronavirus.
• CM Yogi Adityanath has announced to provide one month free food grains to poor people along with Rs
1,000 as compensation to daily wage workers who have been affected due to the outbreak.
• People under Divyang pension and widows and poor people pension will be given two months advance.
Uttarakhand abolished a quota
• Uttarakhand government has abolished reservation in promotion in the state government jobs.
• The state government also issued orders regarding departmental promotion committee (DPC).
• The government employees from General-OBC category in the state had been staging a protest, demanding
the implementation of the Supreme Court's decision on the issue.
Indore deployed drones to sanitize city areas
• In MP, Indore, India's cleanest city, has opted to deploy drones to sprinkle chemicals in a bid to sanitise it
against the coronavirus outbreak.
• Indore could be the first city in India to attempt to fight off the virus scare this way.
• The Indore Municipal Corporation has hired two drones for that purpose.
• The state has reported six cases till now, five in Jabalpur and one in Bhopal.
ICMR issues guidelines for private labs
• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued guidelines for private labs to conduct COVID-19 tests.
• The move is aimed at improving the testing facilities across the country.
• The private centres will work under the domain of the ICMR.
• As per the guidelines, the private labs should conduct tests only when prescribed by a qualified physician.
States declared lockdown
• Amid Coronavirus pandemic, several states in the country declared lockdown.
• The Delhi, Telangana, Bihar, J&K and Jharkhand Government have declared lockdown till 31st march 2020.
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• Arunachal Pradesh government has imposed Complete Safety Restrictions’ in the state till the midnight of
31st March 2020.
• Mizoram announced partial lockdown till 29th March 2020.
DST invited proposals for tech based solution
• Department of Science & Technology (DST) has invited proposals from Indian companies for technology-
based solution to fight COVID-19 pandemic.
• This was stated by DST Secretary Ashutosh Sharma in New Delhi on 22 March 2020.
• The proposal may include technologically innovative solutions like low-cost masks, cost-effective scanning
devices, technologies for sanitisation of large areas, etc.
1922 MW installed solar capacity in India
• The total installed rooftop solar energy capacity in India now stands at 1922 megawatt (MW).
• So far over Rs 1,874 crore has been released as central financial assistance (CFA) towards the installation of
these capacities in the sector.
• 1,922 MW have been installed in the country, of which 346 MW have been installed in the residential
sector.
Sanitary personnel now ‘cleanliness workers’
• Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami announced in the Assembly that 64,583 sanitary personnel employed by
urban and rural civic bodies in the State will from now on be called 'cleanliness workers' to honour their
work.
• As many as 64,583 sanitary workers are employed with 15 corporations, 121 municipalities, 528 town
panchayats and 12,525 village panchayats.
IRDAI sets up 16-member panel
• The country’s insurance regulator has set up a 16-member committee to find ways to improve corporate
governance systems of insurers.
• The Insurance Regulation and Development Authority (IRDAI) said that a peer review of its current
guidelines on corporate governance indicated that there is need to further strengthen the guidelines.
• The committee will be headed by Pravin Kutumbe.
TRIFED launched ‘Tech For Tribals’ program
• A unique project aimed to transform 5 crores, Tribal Entrepreneurs, under the name "Tech for Tribal" has
been launched by TRIFED.
• It was launched on 19 March 2020 by TRIFED and IIT-Kanpur.
• Tech for Tribals aims at capacity building and imparting entrepreneurship skills to tribal forest produce
gatherers enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY).
Covid-19 Economic Response Task Force
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of a COVID-19 Economic Response Task Force led
by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• It will be formed to deal with the situation arising out of novel coronavirus outbreak.
• This task force will also ensure that all steps are taken to reduce the economic difficulties and execute them
effectively.
Finance Commission sets up a panel
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• The 15th Finance Commission (FFC) has constituted a committee under chairman NK Singh.
• It will prescribe a new debt and fiscal consolidation road map for both the centre and states for five years
beginning 1 April 2021.
• The members of the Committee include A. N. Jha and Dr. Anoop Singh.
• Economists Sajjid Z. Chinoy and Prachi Mishra will also be part of the committee as outside members.
SIDBI to start Swavalamban Express
• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will start Swavalamban Express on June 5, 2020, for
budding entrepreneurs.
• The decision was taken based on the feedback received from various stakeholders.
• It will start from Lucknow and thereafter to Jammu, Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru,
Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata and finally to Varanasi in a span of 15 days.
UP govt seeks Central Grant of Rs.100 cr
• The UP Govt has sought a Central Grant of Rs.100 cr for Lucknow University and Kashi Vidyapeeth.
• The Deputy CM of UP Dr. Dinesh Sharma met Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in Delhi and
made the request.
• Both the educational institutions have completed 100 years of their establishment and there is a provision
of special grant of Rs 100 crores for these institutions.
Proposals for developing new antivirals
• Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has invited proposals for developing new antivirals,
vaccines, and affordable diagnostics to COVID-19 and related respiratory-related viral infections.
• SERB in a special call under the Intensification of Research in High Priority Area (IRHPA) scheme has invited
academic and research institutions to submit competitive proposals.
Govt fixed prices for face masks & sanitizers
• Government has fixed the prices for face masks and sanitizers in light of the COVID - 19 outbreak.
• Under the essential commodities act no extra charges can be levied on the fabric used for manufacturing of
face masks.
• The 2 and 3 layered mask would cost Rs 8 and 10 respectively while a 200 ml bottle of hand sanitiser is
priced at 100 rupees.
• The prices would remain same till 30 June 2020.
Pilot shopping festival planned in FY21
• A pilot shopping festival at Bengaluru is proposed to be organized in 2020-21.
• It will subsequently be organized in other cities focusing on various sectors including gems & jewellery,
textiles, handicrafts, and Yoga and Ayurvedic products.
• The products to be showcased will also include tribal products/handicrafts, products from Jammu &
Kashmir, North East States and other Hill States.
Himachal govt launched two systems
• Himachal Pradesh govt launched Police Station Visitor Survey System and e-Night Beat Checking System for
Himachal police in Shimla, on 19 March 2020.
• These systems would help the Police Department in doing self-evaluation and improve the working of
Police.
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• Police Station Visitor Survey System will be used for the surveillance of visitors visiting the Police Stations,
and Police Posts.
Meghalaya CM presented deficit budget
• Meghalaya CM, Conrad K Sangma on 19 March 2020 presented the budget amounting to 17,375 crore
rupees for the year 2020-21 with a fiscal deficit of 1,532 crore rupees.
• On the expenditure side, the total expenditure was estimated at 17,432 crore rupees, of which the revenue
expenditure is estimated at 14, 428 crore rupees and capital expenditure at 3,004 crore rupees.
J&K govt constituted a commission
• Jammu and Kashmir govt has constituted a commission for socially and educationally backward classes in
the UT.
• It will look into the issues of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes in the J&K.
• Justice GD Sharma has been appointed as chairperson, and former IFS Rup Lal Bharti and IPS officer Munir
Ahmed Khan as members of the commission.
One forensic laboratory in every state
• A parliamentary panel recommended the Ministry of Home Affairs to setup one forensic laboratory in every
state capital in the country within 2 years’ time.
• Parliamentary Standing committee on the HRD headed by Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya tabled its report in the
Parliament on 19 March 2020.
• Currently, the conviction rate is only 32% against the filing of charge sheets in 86.6% of rape cases.
Greenco Rating System
• GreenCo Rating, developed by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has been acknowledged in India's
Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) document.
• It has been submitted to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2015, as a
proactive voluntary action of Indian industry / private sector towards combating climate change.
SC removed Manipur minister from state Cabinet
• The Supreme Court on 18 March 2020 removed BJP MLA and Manipur Forest Minister Thounaojam
Shyamkumar Singh from the state cabinet with immediate effect.
• A bench of Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice S Ravindra Bhat invoked its plenary power under
Article 142 of the Constitution to remove the lawmaker.
• It also barred Shyamkumar from entering the state Assembly until further notice.
Government created WhatsApp Chatbot
• The government has created WhatsApp Chatbot for queries on Novel Coronavirus COVID-19.
• National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority, NPPA said, the WhatsApp Chatbot is called MyGov Corona
Helpdesk.
• It said people can just save the number 9013151515 on WhatsApp and get an automated response on
queries related to Corona.
PM Modi calls for Janata Curfew
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Janata Curfew on 22nd March 2020 in the wake of COVID 19
outbreak.
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• It will be self-imposed and self-regulated and will be effective from 7 in the morning till 9 in the evening.
• No one should step out of their homes during this period except those people in essential services.
• He announced this while addressing the nation on 19 March 2020.
World’s first commercial flying car
• PAL-V, a Dutch company is currently developing the first commercial flying car called the PAL-V Liberty.
• It is basically a compact two-person aircraft that can travel on public roads.
• The VP of PAL-V's international business development, Carlo Maasbommel signed a MoU with Gujarat’s
Industries Principal Secretary MK Das to set up a manufacturing facility in Gujarat.
Manikaran Power: 1st member to tie up with IGX
• The gas trading platform of Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has found its first member in Manikaran Power Ltd
(MPL).
• Called the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX), it will be India’s first gas trading platform.
• IGX would offer spot and forward contracts at Dahej, Hazira and Kakinada.
• Kakinada is the landfall point for natural gas being produced from the Krishna Godavari basin.
ODF+ and ODF++ under Swachh Bharat Mission
• The progress of work on Open Defecation-Free Plus (ODF+) and ODF++ under Phase 2 of the Swachh Bharat
Mission (Urban) has been slow.
• This was noted in a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Development.
• Out of 4,320 cities declared ODF, as low as 1,276 cities have been certified as ODF+.
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank chaired a meeting
• Union HRD Minister Mr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank chaired a meeting on Research in Indian Traditional
Knowledge Systems in New Delhi on 18 March 2020.
• The objective of the meeting was to ensure the development of society by coordinating the ancient and
modern genres of knowledge.
• He also reviewed the ongoing research works of different institutions on traditional knowledge system.
PM to address nation on COVID-19
• PM Narendra Modi will address the nation on 19 March 2020 at 8 P.M., during which he will talk about
issues relating to COVID-19 and the efforts to combat it.
• As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the number of active COVID-19 cases have reached 166
till now.
• The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued an advisory focusing on social distancing and hand
sanitation.
Kerala launched ‘break the chain’ campaign
• In a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 across the state, the Kerala govt has launched a mass
handwashing campaign named ''break the chain''.
• It aims to educate people about the importance of public and personal hygiene.
• Under this campaign, the government has installed water taps at public spots such as at the entry and exit
gates of the railway stations with hand wash bottles.
Assam under AFSPA for six months
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• The BJP-led Assam government has declared the state as a disturbed area under the Armed Forces (Special
Powers) Act, 1958, (AFSPA) for six months.
• The govt has said that armed outfits may attempt to exploit the law and order situation arising due to the
passing of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, by Parliament and lure misguided youths into their fold.
Road accidents come down by 10%
• Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Chandigarh have seen around 12-14% decrease in road
accidents, five months since the new Motor Vehicles Act was implemented.
• Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari revealed the data from 12 states and UTs.
• Delhi and Haryana showed a reduction of 1.8% and 1% accidents respectively between September 2019 till
January 2020.
Microsoft, NASSCOM launched an initiative
• Microsoft India and NASSCOM Foundation on 17 March 2020 launched the Innovate for Accessible India
campaign.
• It is aimed at empowering people with disabilities with the technology and tools required for better
integration into society and access to equal opportunities.
• The campaign will be an aggregator of workable technology solutions developed using Microsoft cloud and
AI.
Indian vendors share in defence contracts grew
• The share of Indian companies in contracts awarded by the Union Defence Ministry for procurement of
defence equipments increased from 39.06% in 2015-16 to 75.03% in 2019-20.
• In the last five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20 (upto January, 2020), 158 contracts were signed with Indian
vendors against 100 with foreign vendors for capital procurement of defence equipment for the armed
forces.
Bihar govt declared Coronavirus as epidemic
• Bihar government has declared Coronavirus as an epidemic.
• The move gives special powers to the government to deal with the situation.
• If a suspected case of COVID-19 refuses admission or isolation, the officers authorized will have powers to
forcefully admit or isolate such person for a period of 14 days.
Permanent commission for women in Indian Navy
• The Supreme Court on 17 March 2020 cleared permanent commission for women in the Navy and asked
the Centre to complete the modalities within three months.
• The bench rejected the Centre's stand that sea sailing duties cannot be granted to SSC (Short Service
Commission) women officers in the Navy as its Russian vessels do not have washrooms for them.
Centre deputes 30 Additional Secretaries
• Union Govt has deputed 30 Additional Secretaries and Joint Secretaries to assist the State Govts in effective
management of COVID-19.
• They will be deputed to the states and will work in close coordination with the state authorities for
coordinating the preparedness and response measures.
• An orientation meeting of all the officers was held on 18 March 2020.
1st-ever Indore-Kishangarh flight under UDAN
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• Under the UDAN scheme, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) flagged off the first-ever flight from Indore
(MP) to Kishangarh (Ajmer, Rajasthan), on 16 Mar 2020.
• Ministry of Civil Aviation awarded the Indore-Kishangarh route during the UDAN 3 bidding process to Star
Air.
• With the commencement of this route, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has operationalised 268 routes under
the UDAN scheme.
India pledged $10 mn towards Covid-19 fund
• India pledged $10 mn towards a Covid-19 emergency fund.
• India is also putting together a rapid response team of doctors and specialists for South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) nations as part of an initiative led by PM Narendra Modi.
• India suggested Integrated Disease Surveillance Portal that is currently being used to detect infected
patients and contact tracing.
Govt set up an ambitious target
• The govt has set an ambitious target to achieve sales of around 70 lakh hybrid and electric vehicles by the
end of 2020.
• Under the 2nd phase of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India, FAME
scheme, it is aimed to support through demand incentives about 7000 E-buses, 5 lakh E-3 wheelers, 55
thousand E-4 wheelers passenger cars and 10 lakh E-2 wheelers.
24x7 helplines for COVID-19
• Ministry of External Affairs has opened 24x7 helplines for COVID-19.
• The toll-free number of the Control Room is 1800118797.
• Other numbers are 91- 11- 23012113, 91- 11- 23014104 and 91- 11- 23017905.
• The fax number is 91- 011- 23018158.
• People can also mail on the email ID covid19@mea.gov.in.
Health Ministry issued toll-free number 1075
• The Health Ministry has issued a toll-free number 1075 for the public for inquiry about coronavirus.
• The total confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country rose to 114 with four new cases from Kerala,
Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
• The govt has expanded compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days for passengers coming
from or transiting through UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait.
Ranjan Gogoi nominated to Rajya Sabha
• President Ram Nath Kovind has nominated Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha.
• A notification to this effect was issued by the Centre on 16 March 2020.
• Mr Gogoi served as the 46th Chief Justice of India from 3rd October 2018 till 17th November 2019.
• President of India nominates twelve persons to the Rajya Sabha.
High level meeting of GoM held
• A high level meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 was held under the chairpersonship of
Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi on 16 March 2020.
• The GoM had detailed deliberation on prevention and management of COVID-19.
• Travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, Turkey and UK to India is prohibited
with effect from 18 March 2020.
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RK Singh launched a website

• Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship RK Singh launched the new website of the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• The key feature of the website includes optimized user interface, three-click interfaces, rubik's cube
structure, and improvised search options.
• It has additional portals such as 'Akshay Urja Portal' and 'India Renewable Idea Exchange' (IRIX).
Yes Bank to be excluded from Nifty 50
• Troubled private lender Yes Bank will be dropped from benchmark index Nifty 50, banking index Nifty bank
and other Nifty indices from March 19, 2020.
• Shree Cement will replace Yes Bank in Nifty 50 and in Nifty bank index, Bandhan Bank will find a place.
• Yes Bank will also be removed from Nifty 100 and Nifty 500.
Govt hikes excise duty on petrol, diesel
• Excise duty on petrol and diesel was hiked by Rs 3 per litre as the government looked to mop up gains
arising from fall in international oil prices.
• Special excise duty on petrol was hiked by Rs 2 to Rs 8 per litre in case of petrol and to Rs 4 in case of diesel.
• Additionally, road cess on petrol was raised by Rs 1 per litre each on petrol and diesel to Rs 10.
UT Admin in J&K starts lab testing facilities
• In J&K, the administration has started lab testing facilities at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences
(SKIMS), Soura, Srinagar and Government Medical College, Jammu, as part of its efforts to deal with the
Coronavirus situation.
• Surveillance teams have been constituted across all districts to meet any kind of eventuality.
• UT level Control Room has been established by NHM at Nagrota.
External Affairs Mnstry set up a special cell
• The Ministry of External Affairs has set up a special cell to coordinate the issues related to the coronavirus
that has claimed more than 5,000 lives worldwide.
• Dammu Ravi has been appointed as the point person coordinating the response to COVID-19.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla are also personally
monitoring the situation.
HIL India Limited launched a portal
• HIL (India) Ltd, with Union Bank of India has launched a customer payment portal to collect payment
through various online modes for faster and smoother collection of dues.
• This portal will help customers of HIL to pay dues in a quick and convenient manner.
• This new initiative will provide a one-step platform facilitating online payment, data maintenance,
customized MIS reports, etc.
5 projects inaugurated under JNPT
• Union Minister Mansukh Lal Mandaviya inaugurated five projects at Jawaharlal Nehru Port on 14 March
2020.
• He also inaugurated Ro-Pax Terminal & Ro-Pax Ferry Vessel on March 15, 2020, at Mandwa, Maharashtra.
• The projects include a flyover, a centralised parking plaza, X-Ray scanning facility, augmentation of
220/33KV master unit substation and Shiva Samarth Smarak Museum.
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'Namaste over Handshake' campaign launched

• The government of Karnataka has launched 'Namaste over Handshake' campaign in an attempt to contain
the spread of COVID-19.
• With this campaign, the government advises people to keep a safe distance from one another.
• The campaign asks people to greet each other by 'Namaste' instead of shaking hands in order to protect
themselves from others who might be infected with the COVID-19.
MHA constituted two special committees
• The Union Home Ministry has constituted 2 special committees to specifically deal with issues and
approvals related to the CAPFs.
• The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are also known as paramilitary forces and comprise the Central
Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police
and Sashastra Seema Bal.
Rs 365 cr sanctioned for Sabroom ICP
• The Centre has sanctioned Rs 365 crore for constructing a new Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Sabroom, the
southernmost town in South Tripura district.
• This will be the 2nd ICP along the Indo-Bangla border in the state after Akhaura ICP, which was set up in
2013.
• Tripura's 1st Special Economic Zone (SEZ), with an estimated investment of Rs 1550 cr will also come up at
Paschim Jalefa, Sabroom.
Renaming of Mumbai Central station
• Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed the proposal to rename Mumbai Central station as Nana
Shankarseth Terminus.
• Jagannath Shankarseth was an industrialist and educationist in the early 19th Century.
• He was one of the first directors of India's first railway company.
• Shiv Sena has been long demanding to change the name of Mumbai Central Terminus after Shankar.
Masks, hand santizers: Essential commodities
• The govt has declared masks, including N95, and hand sanitizers as 'essential commodities' in the wake of
the coronavirus scare.
• These items will remain under essential commodities segment till June-end.
• The govt has notified order under the Essential Commodities Act to declare masks (2 ply and 3 ply surgical
masks, N95 masks) and hand santizers as essential commodities up to June 30, 2020.
Removal of ambiguities in the Modified NPS-III
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval to the proposal of Department of
Fertilizers to remove ambiguities in the Modified New Pricing Scheme -III (NPS-III) for determination of fixed
costs for the urea units.
• Modified NPS-III was notified on 2 April 2014.
• However, due to ambiguous language of the notification, it could not be implemented.
NCRB celebrated its 35th Inception Day
• National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) celebrated its 35thInception Day, on March 12, 2020.
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• Union Minister of State for Home Shri Nityanand Rai graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and Shri V.S.K.
Kumudhi, DG, BPR&D, was the Guest of Honour on this occasion.
• On this occasion, the Minister launched Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC).
Construction of green highways approved
• Union Cabinet has approved a proposal for the construction of 780 km of green highways.
• The highways will be constructed at a cost of 7,660 crore rupees.
• The project pertains to rehabilitation and upgradation of various National Highways in four states, Himachal
Pradesh, Rajasthan, UP and Andhra Pradesh.
DA hiked by 4% from 1st January
• The Union Cabinet has approved a 4 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance - DA for 48 lakh Central
government employees and Dearness Relief to 65 lakh pensioners.
• It will be effective from 1st of January 2020.
• With this, the DA has gone up from 17 per cent to 21 per cent.
• The Govt will incur 14,595 crore additional expense due to DA hike.
Census India-2021 to be conducted in 2 phases
• The Census India-2021 will be conducted in two phases.
• The first phase will begin from the 1st of April 2020 and will continue until the 30th of September 2020.
• The second phase is Population Enumeration which will be conducted from 9th February to 28th February
2021 throughout the country simultaneously.
Free digital Locker Service in Kolkata
• For the first time in India, the Department of Posts has introduced a free digital parcel locker service in
Kolkata.
• It will enable customers to collect their consignment from specified post offices at their convenience.
• The facility will be available in two post offices in Kolkata.
• The facility will be limited to consignments received through registered post or speed post.
Only 3 states became kerosene-free
• A parliamentary committee has said only 3 States and five Union Territories have become kerosene-free.
• The government in September 2019 met the target of eight crore LPG connections under the Pradhan
Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
• The report of the Parliamentary Committee on Petroleum points to the gap between the continuing use of
kerosene and the claim of 97% LPG coverage nationwide.
Facebook launched ‘Pragati’
• Facebook India has called for applications for its CSR initiative, Facebook Pragati.
• The initiative will incubate and accelerate early-stage women-led non-profits that are working to drive
women entrepreneurship and to spread awareness and adoption of technology among women in India.
• Facebook Pragati will award four grants of up to ₹50 lakh for each non-profit to scale their work.
GOKADDAL launched in India
• GOKADDAL, world's first Digital Solutions Exchange in the cloud has been launched in India.
• www.gokaddal.com is a one of its kind solutions aggregator, marketplace and cloud delivery platform with a
focus on four A's: Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Analytics and Augmentative Technologies.
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• It is created to help solution seekers realize their digital transformation vision.

WGSHA entered Limca Book of Records
• The culinary museum in Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA) has been listed in
Limca Book of Records as India's First Living Culinary Arts Museum.
• The culinary art academic block housing the museum was opened in April 2018.
• It is spread approximately over 25,000 sq ft and is shaped in the form of a giant pot very similar to the ones
found in Harappa.
Hyderabad hosts “Wings India 2020”
• The four-day civil aviation business exhibition and air show, Wings India 2020 began from 12 March 2020 in
Hyderabad.
• It is being organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) along with
Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India.
• It will be on till March 15, 2020, at Begumpet airport.
7.25 crore sanctioned to IIT Mandi
• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has sanctioned Rs. 7.25 crore to IIT Mandi to establish a
Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at the Institute.
• The major focus of the TIH in IIT Mandi will be on human-computer interaction (HCI) research.
• Also, the TIH will focus on human resource and skill development, entrepreneurship and collaboration with
other leading institutions.
Assam govt to construct 33 stadiums
• The Assam government will construct 33 stadiums in the state under Uttaran scheme.
• 300 crore rupees will be spent to build the stadiums across the state.
• Joshi said that 500 playgrounds are being developed at the state to encourage rural talents.
Crime Multi Agency Centre launched
• Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai has launched the Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC) for
sharing of information on heinous crime and other issues related to inter-state coordination.
• He also launched the National Cyber crime Training Centre (NCTC) for professional quality e-Learning
services on cyber crime investigation to police officers, judges, prosecutors and other stakeholders.
Delhi-Baghpat link gets green light
• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has got approval to construct the 1st phase of a new
highway that will connect east Delhi’s Akshardham to Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, a distance of almost 170km.
• The first phase will connect Akshardham with west Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat, a distance of 32km, by a six-
lane highway.
• It is expected to reduce travel time by at least 2 and-a-half hours.
Indo-Thai workshop on stellar variability
• Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital organized a one-day Indo-Thai
workshop on ‘Investigating the Stellar Variability and Star Formation’.
• The aim was to expand the Indo-Thai cooperation from stellar sources to other areas of astronomy and
astrophysics such as extra-galactic astronomy.
• The workshop deliberated on various topics such as stellar abundance.
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ARI developed a hybrid variety of grapes

• Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), have developed a hybrid variety of grapes which is
resistant to fungal diseases.
• It is also suitable for preparation of juice, raisin, jam and red wine.
• The hybrid variety ARI-516 has been developed by interbreeding of two species from the same genus --
Catawba variety of Vitis labrusca and Beauty seedless variety of Vitis vinifera.
National event for International Day of Yoga
• The national event for the 6th International Day of Yoga (IDY) will be held on June 21, 2020 at Leh in
Ladakh.
• The event will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• A 45-minute yoga drill based on Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) is the highlight of observation of IDY.
• The Prime Minister is expected to carry out 'yogasanas' based on along with an anticipated gathering of
15,000 to 20,000 people.
National Conference on Women in Police
• National Conference on Women in Police and CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) was held in New Delhi,
India.
• The Conference was organized by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR & D).
• Themes of the Conference 2020: ‘Cyber Stalking and Bullying of Women: Steps for Protection' and
‘Challenges faced by CAPF Women in Operational Areas'.
Poshan Pakhwada being celebrated in Nagaland
• To celebrate the second anniversary of POSHAN Abhiyaan, Poshan Pakhwada is being celebrated in
Nagaland from 08th -22nd March 2020.
• The focus area of Poshan Pakhwada 2020 is ‘Men for Nutrition - Increasing Male Engagement in POSHAN
Abhiyaan to Improve Nutritional Indicators’.
• Major activities during the two weeks Poshan Pakhwada include Panchayat meetings, Awareness
camps, POSHAN walk, etc.
Implementation of "happy hour" for autos
• Maharashtra government has approved the implementation of "happy hour" for autorickshaws as
recommended by Khatua panel.
• A government resolution states that fares will be slashed by 15 per cent between 12 noon and 4 pm.
• The decision will however not be applicable to local taxis and app based taxis.
• It will turn lean hours to happy hours, especially for housewives and senior citizens.
Bill on caste validity certificate
• Gram panchayats in Maharashtra will now allow its members to submit their caste validity certificates
within a year of winning elections.
• A bill in this regard was unanimously passed by the state assembly on 11 March 2020.
• At present, the rule states that a candidate will have to submit his/her caste validity certificate at the time
of filing of nominations.
Jyotiraditya Scindia joined BJP
• Former Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on 11 March 2020 joined BJP.
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• BJP President J P Nadda inducted him in New Delhi.

• He will work as a mainstream leader in the party.
• Scindia tendered his resignation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on 10 March 2020 saying it was time
for him to move on.
Odisha to open department for SHGs
• Odisha will be the first state to have an exclusive department for Self Help Group (SHGs) called "Mission
Shakti".
• It will be created for the development of women and will be dedicated to all the women of Odisha.
• This was announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on International Women's Day in Bhubaneswar.
Ranchi Univ launched Community Radio Station
• Ranchi University launched its own Community Radio Station -- RADIO KHANCHI 90.4 FM Aap Sabka Radio
on International Women's Day on 8 March 2020.
• Governor cum Chancellor Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the RADIO KHANCHI of Ranchi University.
• It is the first-ever University in the Eastern Zone to be gifted with a Community Radio Station by Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting.
Discovery of Ink to curb fake printing
• CSIR-National Physical Laboratory has developed a bi-luminescent security ink which glows in red and green
colours when illuminated.
• The ink was prepared in a batch of 1kg and given to Bank Note Press (BNP), Dewas.
• The formulation can be used to check the authenticity of passports, Government documents, tamper
evident labels, identity cards, etc.
32 lakh saplings planted under "Green J&K"
• Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department, under the "Green J&K" program has so far planted 32 lakh saplings
of various varieties across the Union Territory.
• The drive was part of national initiative for enhancing the green cover across the country.
• By the end of March 2020, the department will also ensure that 18 lakh more saplings are planted to take
the total number to 50 lakhs.
Mission Bhagiratha monitoring cell opened
• The Superintending Engineer of Mission Bhagiratha has opened a dedicated monitoring cell, inviting
grievances and issues in supply of the tapped drinking water.
• With an aim to prevent water scarcity and increase preparedness for summer, the cell will record
complaints and redress them in a time-bound manner.
• Consumers and local representatives can report issues, over the helpline 6309954407.
UAHS developed Sahyadri Megha
• As part of its initiative to prevent decline in the area under paddy cultivation, the University of Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences(UAHS), has developed ‘Sahyadri Megha’.
• It is a new red variety of paddy that is resistant to blast disease and rich in nutrients.
• The new variety has been approved by Seed Sub-Committee and it will be available for farmers from the
coming kharif season.
Centre constitutes delimitation panel for J-K
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• The union government has started the process of redrawing the Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies in
the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is being also done in the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.
• In 2002, the last delimitation was conducted across India but these states were left out due to various
reasons.
‘COVA Punjab’ app launched by Punjab Govt.
• In a bid to sensitise people how to deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Punjab Chief Secretary
Karan Avtar Singh launched 'COVA Punjab" mobile app.
• COVA stands for Corona Virus Alert and has been developed by the Department of Government Reforms
and Public Grievances.
• The application provides options to citizens to check out for symptoms as provided by the government.
Andhra Pradesh ranked 1st
• State of Andhra Pradesh ranked 1st in the country for overall implementation of Poshan Abhiyan as per the
recent report shared by NITI Aayog.
• As part of the programme, the State has trained all Angan Wadi Workers on modules created based on
lifecycle approach.
• The State Government has given smartphones to all 55,607 angan wadi workers to improve service
delivery.
Coronavirus diagnostic lab in Tamil Nadu
• In Tamil Nadu, an additional coronavirus diagnostic laboratory has started functioning at Theni on 9 Mar
2020.
• This is in addition to the one that is already operational in Chennai.
• The Centre has been asked to grant permission to establish 4 more such laboratories.
• There are also plans to establish quarantine centres on the outskirts of Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, and
Trichy.
Online platform for Divyang artisans
• The govt will provide an online platform for the Divyang artisans to sell their products.
• Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Pal Gurjar announced this while addressing
the closing ceremony of “EKAM Fest” in New Delhi on 9 March 2020.
• More than 82 Divyangjan from 17 States have showcased their products during the event that began on 2
March 2020.
Exhibition titled Jallianwala Bagh to be held
• Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel will inaugurate an exhibition titled Jallianwala Bagh in New Delhi on 11
March 2020 on the occasion of 130th Foundation Day of National Archives of India, NAI.
• The exhibition is an endeavour to commemorate the centenary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre covering a
period from 1915 to 1950.
Largest religious congregation of women
• The famous Attukal Pongala, one of the largest all-women religious congregations in the world was held on
9 March 2020 in Thiruvananthapuram.
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• The ritual sees thousands of women from all over the state congregating in the state capital to prepare
'Pongala' as part of the annual festival of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple here, which is popularly known as
the Women's Sabarimala.
Tamil Nadu tops in Poshan Abhiyan's list
• The Union Government is implementing the flagship programme Poshan Abhiyan for improving the
nutritional status of Indian citizens.
• It helps children, adolescents, pregnant women and lactating mothers by leveraging technology, a targeted
approach and convergence.
• Tamil Nadu has topped the list of the states in terms of the number of participants in the programme.
Sanitary napkin disposal bags to be mandatory
• Sanitary napkin makers will be asked to supply a biodegradable bag with each napkin from January 2021.
• Environment Ministry has taken the decision to ask sanitary napkin makers to provide these bags so that
napkins can be wrapped in them before being thrown.
• The sanitation norms for Corporations and municipalities will now be applied to villages with a population
of more than three thousand.
Dr Harsh Vardhan launched women helpline
• Union Minister for Science and Technology, and Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on 8 March
2020 launched a new Helpline no 011-26565285.
• It is for the use of women students, researchers, entrepreneurs and scientists to get their queries
answered related to programs of Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).
• At present this Helpline will provide handholding to women scientists.
Formation of Ram Van Gaman Path trust approved
• The MP cabinet gave its approval to constitute a trust under the chairmanship of CM Kamal Nath for the
project of constructing 'Ram Van Gaman Path', a route taken by Lord Ram during his 14-year exile.
• The 'Ram Van Gaman Path' project seeks to retrace the route believed to have been taken by Lord Ram on
his way to the exile.
• It is proposed to be constructed from Chitrakoot to Amarkantak.
WCD, World Bank held discussion
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development and the World Bank organized a discussion on the ‘The
Future of Work: Women in India’s Workforce’, in New Delhi on 6 March 2020.
• Smriti Zubin Irani, and Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Country Director India, World Bank, inaugurated the event.
• Three discussion sessions were held during the event.
National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction
• The government has reconstituted the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) with Union
Home Minister Amit Shah as its chairperson.
• The NPDRR is a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral decision making body on disaster management.
• The functions of the NPDRR will be to review the progress made in the field of disaster management from
time to time.
Agartala: Authorised land immigration post
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• Tripura capital Agartala and West Bengal's Ghojadanga have been designated by the government as
authorised land immigration check posts to enter or exit India.
• Both Agartala and Ghojadanga are located along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
• Senior immigration officers, under the Bureau of Immigration, have also been appointed for Agartala and
Ghojadanga with effect from March 2, 2020.
Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme
• The Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme was launched at IIM Bengaluru on 8 March 2020.
• The Fellowship is launched as part of the SANKALP programme to provide skilled manpower for District Skill
Committees to prepare the District Skill Development plan.
• Under the pilot project, IIMB will train 75 graduates for two years in preparing the District skill plan.
Govt to create 75 lakh Self Help Groups
• Government is planning to create a total of 75 lakh Self Help Groups by 2022 to enable more women to get
livelihood.
• Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed this while addressing a programme on
Women's Empowerment to mark International Women's Day in New Delhi.
• There are over 60 lakh SHGs across the country mobilizing more than six crore 73 lakh women.
Gairsain: Summer capital of Uttarakhand
• 20 years after Uttarakhand was granted statehood, an announcement was made in the state assembly to
make Gairsain its summer capital, on 4 Mar 2020.
• Immediately after finishing his budget speech in the assembly, CM Trivendra Singh Rawat made the
announcement.
• The historic decision has been taken in view of the strategic importance of the area and its vulnerability to
natural disasters.
SC allows cryptocurrency trading
• The Supreme Court has lifted the ban imposed by the RBI on virtual currency trading, including
cryptocurrencies.
• The circular issued by RBI in July 2018 said that entities regulated by RBI are prohibited from “providing any
service in relation to virtual currencies, including those of transfer or receipt of money in accounts relating
to the purchase or sale of virtual currencies".
Int Conference on Nano Science and Technology
• The International Conference on Nano Science and Technology 2020 (ICONSAT) was held at Biswa Bangla
Conventional Centre, Kolkata.
• The event was supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and organized by S.N. Bose
National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata.
• The conference was held from March 5 to 7, 2020.
Maharashtra Govt renamed Aurangabad Airport
• The Shiv Sena-ruled Maharashtra government gave its nod to rename Aurangabad Airport as Chhatrapati
Sambhaji Maharaj Airport.
• Sambhaji succeeded famous Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• The decision was taken at a meeting held on 5 Mar 2020 which was presided by Chief Minister Uddhav
Thackeray.
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March 2020
• The formal renaming will take place after the Union Civil Aviation Ministry approves it.
India Smart Utility Week 2020 (ISUW)
• The India Smart Grid Forum organized the India Smart Utility Week (ISUW) 2020 from 3rd March to 7th
March 2020 in New Delhi.
• This Utility Week is organized as an International Conference and Exhibition on Smart Utilities for Smarter
Cities.
• ISUW 2020 included plenaries, keynotes, interactive workshops, high-level roundtables and technical
sessions on a variety of topics.
SEA undertakes Mustard Mission
• The Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA) has undertaken a Mustard Mission along with Solidaridad.
• It will help increase India’s rapeseed production to 200 lakh tons by 2025.
• The association has developed 100 model farms in country’s top producing state Rajasthan, directly
involving 2,500 farmers in Kota and Bundi districts.
CCI held a National Conference
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) organised the 5th National Conference on Economics of
Competition Law at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on 6 March 2020.
• Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister was the keynote speaker at the
Conference.
• The Conference, in addition to the inaugural session, included two technical sessions as well.
J&K govt adopts nine pronged strategies
• The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has adopted a nine pronged strategy to realise the goal of doubling
farmers income by 2022.
• Some of these include Crop diversification and introduction of hybrid seeds and expansion of area under
vegetable cultivation.
• 70% of people are associated with the agriculture-related activities for their livelihood in J&K.
Maharashtra Budget tabled
• Maharashtra Finance Minister and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar tabled the first budget of Maha Vikas Aghadi
Government in the state for the year 2020-21 on 6 March 2020.
• The budget includes the total expenditure of 3,56,967 crore rupees and the revenue deficit of 9,510 crore
rupees.
• Provision of 10,000 crore rupees has been made to complete the pending irrigation projects.
IIFA Awards postponed amid COVID-19 outbreak
• The 21st edition of International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards has been postponed in light of the
coronavirus scare.
• One of the most popular award functions in the country IIFA was scheduled to be held from March 27 to 29,
2020 at Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
• A fresh date and plan for hosting IIFA in the state will be announced at the earliest.
Hike in payment of Anganwadi women
• Gujarat Government has announced the hike in payment of Anganwadi women.
• This was announced by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel in the state assembly on 6 March 2020.
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March 2020
• Anganwadi women will get Rs.7800, Tedagar women will get Rs.3,950 and mini Anganwadi women will get
Rs.4400 with effect from March 2019.
Change in weather will not impact COVID-19
• Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR), Director General Balram Bhargava has said that the change in
weather will not have any impact on the spread of novel coronavirus.
• The virus does not spread through the air but human contact.
• People have been advised to take care of themselves against cough and cold with the change in weather.
Google to open Delhi Cloud Region
• Google has announced its plans to open a Delhi Cloud Region.
• This will be the company's second cloud region in India since it launched one in Mumbai 3 years ago in
2017.
• The new cloud region will expand Google's existing network which stands at 8 regions in the Asia Pacific and
22 regions globally.
• It will be launched in 2021 and will have 3 zones to protect against service disruptions.
Rajnath Singh received Rs 100 cr cheque
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 5 March 2020 received a cheque of Rs 100 crore as the interim dividend
from Defence PSU, Bharat Dynamics Limited, BDL in New Delhi.
• Chairman and MD of BDL Commodore (Retd.) Siddharth Mishra presented the cheque to him.
• The Hyderabad-based PSU has declared an interim dividend of six rupees 25 paise per share of 10 rupees
each for the financial year 2019-20.
30 positive cases of Covid-19 in India
• A total of 30 positive cases of Covid-19 have been reported so far in India.
• A new travel advisory has been issued and passengers travelling from Italy and South Korea wishing to enter
India will need a certificate of having tested negative from the competent health authorities.
• It will be enforced from the 10th of this month and it is a temporary measure till cases of COVID-19 subside.
Fourth Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF)
• The Fourth Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF) will be held at Kochi in Kerala from 16th to 20th May 2020.
• A curtain raiser event was organized in New Delhi on 5 March 2020 in this regard.
• The theme for the five-day event is Ayurveda Medical Tourism: Actualizing India's credibility.
• It will be the largest Ayurvedic event ever to be held anywhere across the world.
Health Ministry organized a training workshop
• Health Ministry organized a national level training workshop on 6 March 2020 for all the states and
hospitals from other Ministries on COVID-19 management.
• It gave training on hospital preparedness and non-pharmaceutical interventions, infection prevention,
standard precautions, environmental cleaning, disinfection and biomedical waste management, and risk
communications.
Govt sanctioned projects worth over Rs 301 cr
• Union Govt has sanctioned 10 projects worth over 301 crore rupees in the food processing sector.
• These projects are likely to generate employment for ten thousand people and benefit nearly forty
thousand farmers.
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March 2020
• The projects were sanctioned under the Agro Processing Cluster Scheme of Kisan Sampada Yojana.
Export restrictions on 26 pharma ingredients
• The govt has put export restrictions on 26 pharma ingredients and medicines, including paracetamol,
vitamin B1 and B12, amid the coronavirus outbreak in China.
• With this, export of these active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations requires licence from
the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
• Earlier, there were no restrictions on outbound shipments of these products.
India Pharma 2020 being held
• The Dept of Pharmaceuticals is organising India Pharma 2020 & India Medical Device 2020 Conference &
Exhibition at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat from March 5-7, 2020.
• Theme of the event is “India Pharma: Meeting Challenges of Affordable and Quality Healthcare and India
Medical Device: Promoting Affordable responsible and Quality Medical Device for Universal Health Care”.
Pragyan Conclave 2020 began
• Pragyan Conclave 2020, a 2-day Indian Army International Seminar, commenced on 4 March 2020 in New
Delhi.
• It is being organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).
• The event brings together cross-domain national and international experts to deliberate on the complex
subject of 'Changing Characteristics of Land Warfare and its Impact on the Military'.
2nd phase of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)
• The Centre has launched the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)- SBM(G) Phase-II on 4
March 2020.
• It will be implemented from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025 in a mission mode with an outlay of 1,40,881 crore
rupees.
• It will ensure that effective solid and liquid waste management (SLWM) is instituted in every Gram
Panchayat of the country.
Cabinet approved FDI policy on civil aviation
• The Cabinet approved Foreign Direct Investment, FDI policy on civil aviation on 4 March 2020.
• FDI policy was amended to permit foreign investment in Air India.
• Non Resident Indians can acquire up to 100 per cent equity in Air India under automatic route.
• Earlier only 49 per cent were available for sale to NRIs but now they can purchase 100 per cent.
I-T Dept detects over Rs 3500 cr TDS default
• The Income Tax Department has detected the default of more than 3,500 crore rupees in the Tax Deducted
at Source (TDS) at a major oil company and a telecom operator in New Delhi.
• In the case of the oil firm, the TDS default of about 3,200 crore rupees was detected.
• The defaults included short deduction of tax and non-deduction of tax.
First women's travel company in Ladakh
• In Ladakh, Thinlas Chorol has setup the first women's travel company fully operated by women only, to
train the other women as trekking guide.
• Government of India has awarded her with Nari Shakti Puraskar and Women Transforming India recognizing
her pioneering works in transforming rural women through trekking and entrepreneuring.
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March 2020
Humsafar mobile app for diesel delivery

• Housing societies, hotels and hospitals in the NCR will soon be able to get diesel delivered at their
doorsteps, with the launch of mobile application 'Humsafar'.
• The major benefits of diesel delivery service are good quality and quantity of fuel delivered, live tracking of
the delivery vehicle, automated billing, delivery within 8 hours and no spillage and wastage of fuel.
UGC developed Jeevan Kaushal scheme
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has developed life skills (Jeevan Kaushal) curriculum for
undergraduate students at Universities and Colleges.
• It covers the courses on communication skills, professional skills, leadership & management skills and
universal human values.
• One of the objectives is to provide opportunity for realising one’s potential through practical experience.
Pune to host 108th Indian Science Congress
• Pune will host the 108th Indian Science Congress in January 2021, the Indian Science Congress Association
(ISCA) has announced.
• This will be the fourth time that the city will host the prestigious meet in the last 100 years.
• The event to be held between 3-7 Jan 2021, will be themed on ‘Science and Technology for Sustainable
Development with Women Empowerment’
35th edition of AAHAR fair began in New Delhi
• The 35th edition of AAHAR - the Food and Hospitality fair began in New Delhi on 3 March 2020.
• This five-day-long fair is being organized by India Trade Promotion Organisation, ITPO.
• The fair will feature a wide range of food products, machinery, hospitality, Food and Beverage Equipment
and Decoration items, and Confectionery items from over 750 participants from India and overseas.
Yoga Mahotsav began in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
• An international yoga festival began in Rishikesh on 1 March 2020 with yoga teachers and practitioners
from 11 countries taking part in the week-long event.
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the annual event known as "Antar Rashtriya Yog Mahotsav".
• The 'yog mahotsav' is held in Rishikesh every year from March 1 to March 7.
Arunachal P. assembly implemented e-Vidhan
• Arunachal Pradesh Assembly went paperless with the implementation of e-Vidhan, a project under the
Digital India program.
• With the implementation of the e-Vidhan project, MLAs can access every information regarding the
Assembly, see the list of business and read questions and other documents pertaining to House
proceedings through their laptops and tablet computers.
National Chambal Sanctuary: Eco-sensitive zone
• The Centre on 2 March 2020 declared the National Chambal Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, as an eco-
sensitive zone (ESZ).
• It is home to Gangetic dolphins and 75 per cent population of critically endangered species of gharial.
• Spread over 435 square kilometres, the National Chambal Sanctuary lies across Sheopur, Morena and Bhind
districts of Madhya Pradesh with a length of more than 400 km.
Multilingual “Incredible India” website
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March 2020
• The Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Prahlad Singh Patel launched the multilingual Incredible India
website in New Delhi on 2 March 2020.
• The website, currently hosted in English and Hindi, is now launched in Chinese, Arabic and Spanish to
attract tourists from these regions.
• The website and the mobile app aims to showcase India as a popular tourist destination worldwide.
UP CM launched projects worth Rs 2821 cr
• UP government is developing Gautam Buddh Nagar City NOIDA as a smart city and ideal model of
development and opportunities.
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath has launched the projects worth rupees 2821 crores including Country’s biggest
multi-level parking in the city.
• He inaugurated a total of 13 projects worth Rs 1,452 crore, while laid foundation stones for 10 projects
worth Rs 1,369 crore.
Facebook launched new campaign in India
• Social media company Facebook has launched a new consumer marketing campaign, called 'More
Together', in India.
• Focused on the Facebook app, the campaign shares stories that highlight the power of connections on the
platform.
• This is the first such campaign launched by Facebook in India.
• It comprises advertisements in eight languages to be aired across India over the next few weeks.
Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela-2020
• The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Pusa Krishi
Vigyan Mela-2020 on 1 March 2020.
• An MoU was signed between the ICAR and Patanjali Bio Research Institute, Haridwar in the presence of the
3 Ministers.
• It will promote Organic Farming with the R&D expertise of ICAR and the indigenization efforts of Patanjali in
a wide range of products.
Rakhigarhi to emerge as a tourist destination
• Rakhigarhi in Haryana will soon emerge as a major tourist destination on the map of India.
• The village is one of the most prominent and largest sites of the Harappan civilisation, popularly known as
the Indus Valley Civilisation.
• Rakhigarhi hit headlines after Finance Minister in her budget speech placed it among five archaeological
sites that the Centre proposes to develop as an iconic site
‘Pension Adalat’ inaugurated in Jammu
• Union Minister of State PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the
‘Pension Adalat’ and National Pension System (NPS) Awareness and Grievance Redressal Programme in
Jammu on 29 Feb 2020.
• This is the first time that Pension Adalat is being conducted outside Delhi as the government wants to reach
out to every part of society and every part of the country.
Centre launched a special campaign
• The government has launched a special campaign to take forward the momentum of empowerment of girls
and women through education.
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March 2020
• The week-long special theme-based campaign began from 1 March 2020 in the run-up to the International
Women's Day on 8th of March.
• A self-defence Olympiad will be organized for girls at school-level on the lines of Yoga Olympiad.
Mumbai to become single-use plastic-free
• Aiming to make Mumbai free of single-use plastic by May 1, 2020, the Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC) will take strict action against those using such plastic.
• Aaditya Thackeray had announced in the Legislative Council that the state will be made free of single-use
plastic items by May 1, 2020.
• The BMC had seized 86,000 kg plastic and recovered Rs 4.65 crore in fines since June 2018.
11 Chairs in the names of women scientists
• Eleven chairs in the names of women scientists, including renowned anthropologist Iravati Karve, will be
established at institutes across the country.
• This would be done to honour their contribution in the field of science.
• This was announced by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on the occasion of the National
Science Day.
19th World Productivity Congress to be held
• World Productivity Congress, the world’s largest convention for productivity development, is back in India
after a gap of 45 years.
• The 19th edition of World Productivity Congress (WPC) will be held on May 6-8 2020 in Bengaluru.
• The theme of 19th World Productivity Congress is “Industry 4.0 - Innovation and Productivity" which
represents the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Smart gram yojana to be named after R R Patil
• The Maharashtra government's "smart gram yojana" will be named after former Deputy Chief Minister the
late R R Patil.
• The scheme seeks to transform rural Maharashtra through development initiatives.
• Villages performing well in a range of areas, including cleanliness, health, education, environment, use of
infotech and renewable energy sources, rewarded by the state government.
Programme for Capacity Building
• Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda launched the "Programme for Capacity Building of Scheduled
Tribe Representatives in Local Self Governments" in Bhubaneswar on 27 Feb 2020.
• He also launched "1000 Spring Initiatives" and an online portal on GIS-based Spring Atlas with hydrological
and chemical properties of the Springs on the occasion.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I

Awards & Honours ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Awards & Honours

Marelli, Transphorm joined hands

DXC Technology appointed new HR leader

Prashant Kumar appointed MD & CEO of Yes Bank

Brahmakumaris chief Dadi Janki no more

Dana Zatopkova passed away

Twitter, Facebook, Google joined hands

Mars 2020 rover named as “Perseverance”

Tiger Woods to be in World Golf Hall of Fame

Government Policies and Schemes

SBI to cut repo rate by 75 basis points

• Interest on delayed payment of income tax reduced to 9% from 12%.

Cabinet approved MSP for Copra for 2020 season

Assam Finance Minister tabled budget

Pooja Rani: 1st boxer to qualify for Olympics

Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2019

Books & Authors

Committees and Recommendations

• The 21 member committee will be headed by NITI Aayog member Dr V K Paul.

GoI launched app “Corona Kavach”

Tamil Nadu: 'Modi Kitchen' began in Kovai

BCCI to contribute Rs 51 cr to PM-CARES Fund

Gujarat: Ministers to donate 1 month’s salary

RK Singh launched a website

'Namaste over Handshake' campaign launched

• It is created to help solution seekers realize their digital transformation vision.

ARI developed a hybrid variety of grapes

• BJP President J P Nadda inducted him in New Delhi.

Humsafar mobile app for diesel delivery

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