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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Government approves Rs 5,751.27 crores as additional assistance to 8 disaster-hit states
On March 27, 2020, The High-Level Committee (HLC) under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit
Shah approved Rs 5,751.27 crores as additional Central assistance under National Disaster Response Fund
(NDRF) to 8 States affected by floods, landslides, cyclones ‘Bulbul’ & drought during 2019.
Key Points
i.The states which got additional assistance are Bihar(Rs 953.17 crores, where Rs. 400 crores already released
‘on account basis’), Kerala(Rs 460.77 crores), Nagaland(Rs. 177.37 crores), Odisha(Rs 179.64 crores),
Maharashtra(Rs 1758.18 crores), Rajasthan (Rs. 1109.98 crores) & West Bengal (Rs. 1090.68 crores) &
Karnataka received Rs. 11.48 crore for drought (rabi) of 2018-19.
ii.Rs 10937.62 crores have already been released by the centre to 29 States as Central share from State Disaster
Response Fund (SDRF) & additional assistance of Rs. 14108.58 crores to 8 States under NDRF from 2019-2020
till now.
Key Points
i.He urged all military personnel to take recommended precautions against the virus & also assured the
soldiers and officers stationed at the border with Pakistan and China that special care is being taken for their
families amid the virus.
ii.Under ‘Operation Namaste’, the army has issued a series of directives to all its bases to protect the force from
the coronavirus & the army headquarters issued a number of suggestions to deal with the situation over the
past few weeks.
JICA signs agreement worth Rs 15,295 crore with India: Rail Infrastructure
On March 27, 2020 Japanese government funding agency (JICA) signs an agreement worth Rs 15,295
crore with India to provide an Official Development Assistance (ODA) for 3 rail infrastructure projects.
Key Points:
Japanese ODA loans are long-term low-interest rate loans advanced to the developing countries.
JICA granted Rs 8,553 crore for Dedicated Freight Corridor(phase-1); Rs 4,262 crore for Mumbai Trans
Harbour Link Project(II) and Rs 2,480 crore for the Mumbai Metro Line 3 Project(III).
Dedicated Freight Corridor
i.The project aims to cope up the increasing demand for freight transport in India by setting up a new dedicated
freight railway line between Delhi and Mumbai so that to promote comprehensive regional economic
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growth on the freight corridor as the backbone of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) Development
plan.
ii.A new 950-km freight line (Rewari to Vadodara) connecting the major cities in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and
Haryana states has been constructed.
iii.The project will help India to create the largest industrial belt in the DMIC region by merging the industrial
parks and harbours of the states between Delhi & Mumbai to promote foreign exports and direct investment.
iv.The executing agency of the project is Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL)
Mumbai Trans Harbour Link Project
i.The Construction of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link(MTHL) project will connect Mumbai with Navi Mumbai.
It aims to mitigate traffic congestion & promote economic development.
ii.This loan agreement is the 2nd allotment & 1st was signed on March 31, 2017, for Rs 7,912 crore.
Mumbai Metro Line 3 Project
i.The objective of the project is to cope with the increase in traffic demand in the city by expanding the mass
rapid transportation system, so as to promote regional economic growth & improve urban environment
by reducing traffic jams & motor pollution.
ii.The line-3 connects the area Colaba-Bandra- Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ) covers a
total of 33.7 km & entails 26 stations.
iii.It plans to connect southern Mumbai with the major activity areas like the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC),
Airport (Domestic and International), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area, SEEPZ
(Industrial Hub) and area along the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR).
iv.The project is to be completed by 2021.
About Japan
Capital– Tokyo
Prime Minister (PM)– Shinzo Abe
Ministry of DoNER grants Rs 25-crore to combat the coronavirus in north eastern states
On March 27,2020, The Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Ministry and the North Eastern
Council (NEC) will provide a financial assistance of Rs 25 crore to the States in the Northeast for gap funding
to combat novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Key Points:
i.The announcement has been made by the Union Minister of State (Mos) for DoNER, Dr Jitendra Singh during a
review meeting attended by officials of the ministry and of NEC in Shillong, Meghalaya via video conference.
ii.The released fund will be used on any operations relating to COVID-19 pandemic, and not covered under
current central packages.
iii.The ministry has also decided to arrange dedicated cargo flights to the northeast and other hill states to
carry essential goods.
iv.Till now, 2 states in the Northeast-i.e Manipur & Mizoram have registered one COVID-19 positive case each.
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Report ‘Boom & Bust 2020’: 4 New Coal projects added in India while coal capacity declined to
66GW
In accordance with a report titled “Boom and Bust 2020:Tracking the Global Plant Pipeline” 47.4 GW coal
fired power projects at different stages were cancelled in India in 2019 which reduced total under development
coal capacity to 66 GW. The report was prepared jointly by Global Energy Monitor, Greenpeace International,
the Sierra Club, and Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The report is the fifth annual survey
of the coal plant pipeline.
In terms of Pre-construction, Construction, All Active Development, Shelved, Operating, and Cancelled (2010–
2019), China has topped the list followed by India.
Global front:
On the Global front, there is a16% year-on-yeardrop in capacity under construction and in pre-construction
development, and a 66% drop since 2015 globally.
Global coal power plant development declined for the fourth year running in 2019. A total of 13 gigawatts (GW)
of capacity construction has been delayed in 2020 due to the coronavirus.
Globally, the amount of power generated from coal in 2019 declined by 3% compared with 2018.
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Key Points:
Pre Contruction Developments: The pre-construction development continued to shrink. It has dropped
globally from 1,152.5 GW in 2015 to 299.6 GW in 2019, an 82% decline. In India it fell by half from 60.2 GW in
2018 to 29.3 GW in 2019.
Coal power generation: It fell 3% globally compared to 2018, with maximum fall in the EU (–24%) while India
saw a decline of 3%. The global average utilization of coal power plants fell to 51%.
Growth in Construction: In 2019, 4 new coal plants were constructed in India which produced8.8GW of new
coal power capacity as a whole. The new plants areAdani
Godda (Jharkhand),Patratu(Jharkhand),Udangudi (Tamil Nadu), and Yadadri(Telangana) which received
substantial financing from the Power Finance Corporation (PFC) or the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC),
both of which fall under Ministry of Power and are set to merge in 2020.
Growth in coal fleet: Despite the decline in development, the coal fleet grew by 34.1 gigawatts (GW) globally
in 2019. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the newly commissioned capacity was in China (43.8 GW) and 12% in
India (8.1 GW). In total, 17 countries commissioned new coal power in 2019.
Retired coal power capacity: The amount of retired capacity globally in 2019 fell slightly below 2018, due to a
drop in retired capacity in China as well as in India.
Capacity under construction: It fell globally 16% from 237.5 GW in 2018 to 199.6 GW in 2019, and by 37%
since 2015, when construction was 315.4 GW. About half of capacity currently under construction is in China
(99.7 GW), followed by 18% in India (37 GW).
About NATO:
NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military
means. Headquarter of NATO –Brussels, Belgium
Members– 30
Secretary General– Jens Stoltenberg
About North Macedonia:
Capital– Skopje
Currency– Macedonian denar
President– StevoPendarovski
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The assistance is part of a larger American global response package across multiple departments and agencies,
including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It should be noted that US is the world leader
in global health.
Key Points:
-The $2.9 million aid will help the India government in preparing laboratory systems, activate case finding and
event-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness, etc.
-In South Asia, the US State Department is providing $1 million in health funding. It is providing USD 1.3
million to Sri Lanka, USD 1.8 million to Nepal, USD 3.4 million to Bangladesh and USD 5 million to Afghanistan
to help them fight the pandemic.
About United States:
Capital– Washington, D.C.
Currency– United States Dollar
President– Donald John Trump
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monetary policy and forecasting department in addition to his regular portfolio currency management after the
exit of Viral Acharya.
ii.He served in various areas of the banks such as foreign exchange management, banking & non-banking
Supervision, currency management, government and bank accounts etc.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Formation– 1 April 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– 4 (BP Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra) & N S Vishwanathan ,who
is due to retire on July 3,2020, has resigned on March 5,2020.
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SPORTS
IAAF suspends Indian shot putter Navin chikara for 4 years for doping violation
On March 28, 2020,The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of international Athletics’s governing body -World
Athletics’s (formerly known as International Association of Athletics Federations-IAAF), has suspended Indian
shot putter Navin Chikara (23) for 4- years for failing an out-of-competition dope test in 2018.
Key Points:
i.Chikara is suspended for use of a banned substance GHRP-6 (Growth hormone-releasing peptide). This 4-year
suspension will be considered effective from July 27, 2018.
ii.Chikara won the silver medal in the 2018 Federation Cup. At the same year, he was runner up in the Inter
State Championship. In November 2018, a suspension was imposed on him.
About World Athletics:
Headquarters– Monaco
President– Sebastian Coe
OBITUARY
Brahmakumaris chief Dadi Janki passed away at 104
On March 27, 2020, Rajyogini Dadi Janki, the chief of Brahmakumaris Sansthan (world’s largest spiritual
organization run by women) passed away at the age of 104 in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. She was born on January
1, 1916 in Hyderabad city located in Sindh province now in Pakistan.
Key Points:
i.About Rajyogini Dadi Janki: In the 1970s, she moved to western countries to establish Indian Philosophy,
Raj Yoga and human values.
ii.She was also served as the brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) by the
government for her work in the field of maintaining cleanliness.
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iii.She has set up ‘Seva Kendras’ in 140 countries around the world & women are chief administrators of 8000
centers.
SP founding member & former Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma passed away at 79
On March 27, 2020, Beni Prasad Verma, a founding member of the Samajwadi Party (SP) & former Union
Minister passed away at the age of 79 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP). He was born on February 11, 1941, in
Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Key Points:
i.About Beni Prasad Verma: He was considered close to party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.
ii.Verma served as the telecom minister between 1996-1998 in then Prime Minister (PM) H D Deva Gowda’s
Cabinet and was the steel minister Congress- led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government.
Key Points:
i.Awards: Joseph Lowery was awarded the “Presidential Medal of Freedom”, the nation’s highest civilian
honour, by former President Barack Obama in 2009.
ii.About Joseph Lowery: Lowery was the co-founder of SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) and
often called the “dean” of the civil rights movement.
iii.He served as the President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for more than 2 decades,
leading protests for civil rights in South Africa & peace in the Middle East. He also served as an American
minister in the United Methodist Church.
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STATE NEWS
UP CM Yogi Adityanath sets up ‘Team-11’ to beat Coronavirus
On March 27, 2020, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath has set up “Team-11” consisting
of inter-departmental committees with over 2 dozen senior officials to fight the coronavirus spread. Each of the
committees will be headed by a senior bureaucrat of the state while the CM will be the head of the Team-11.
Key Points:
i.First Committee: The committee, headed by the state’s chief secretary, to coordinate union & various state
governments on various crucial issues.
ii.Second Committee: The committee, headed by the Infrastructure and Industrial Development
Commissioner and provides solutions to various problems related to the government and district levels.
iii.Third Committee: The committee headed by the Agricultural Production Commissioner will coordinate the
districts to provide essential commodities at a reasonable price. It also resolves the problems encountered in
interdistrict & intra-district transport.
iv.Fourth Committee: The Committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home, Information and Public
Relations) will review actions of lockdown & provide accurate information to the media.
v.Fifth Committee: The Committee will be headed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) will work to set
up control rooms at state and district levels.
vi.Sixth Committee: The Committee headed by Principal Secretary (Health), will coordinate with the Union
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It also ensures the provision of drinking water, sanitation and
sanitization in all urban & rural areas of the state.
vii.Besides, there will be a committee headed by Principal Secretary (Animal Husbandry) to ensure the
arrangement of animal fodder & supply of essential medicines.
viii.The other committee will be headed by director- general of police to ensure cleanliness in all the jails,
training centres and PAC (Pradeshik Armed Constabulary) battalions of UP.
ix.There will also be a committee to study the impact on the economy due to the epidemic & to prepare a future
strategy to help farmers.
About Uttar Pradesh (UP):
Capital– Lucknow.
Governor– Anandiben Patel.
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