Sreedhar’s CCE CURRENT AFFAIRS CAPSULE MARCH-2020

CURRENT AFFAIRS CAPSULE – MARCH- 2020

BANKING
 State Bank of India (SBI) has switched to “Cash Budget Based Assessment (CBBA)” from
“Projected Balance Sheet (PBS)” method of Fund Based Working Capital (FBWC) limits
for assessment of the working capital requirement for corporates or large advances.
 Food delivery app Zomato ties up with RBL Bank tie for co-branded credit cards; to offer
benefits to customers.
 World Bank Group Announces Up to $12 Billion Immediate Support for COVID-19
Country Response.
 Nabard pumps Rs 1.46 lakh crore into rural banking system.
 Merger of 10 state-owned banks into 4 entities will take effect on 1 April.
 SEBI launches mobile app for investors to lodge grievances.
 Modi Government’s flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has helped in
raising women’s ownership of bank accounts from 43 per cent in 2014 to 77 per cent in
2017, according to a report.
 Tata AIA Life Insurance's 'Bachhpan Ka Rakshakaran' initiative offers football coaching
to under-privileged girls.
 Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) & the World Bank organized a
discussion programme on the topic “The Future of Work: Women in India’s Workforce”
at New Delhi.
 FICCI-IBA survey Says Proportion Of Banks Reporting Rise In NPA Levels Increases From
26% To 28% In July to December 2019.
 SBI will buy Yes Bank shares worth Rs 7250 crore.
 SBI removes minimum balance charges from all savings bank accounts.
 iSelect+ Term Plan launched by Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life
Insurance.
 World Bank to provide USD 80 million to an integrated project in Himachal Pradesh.
 SBI Board approved Rs 7,250 cr fund infusion into Yes Bank.
 The Reserve Bank of India has revised the single borrower and group exposure limit for
Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs).
 RBI issues guidelines for Ind AS implementation by NBFCs, ARCs.
 India’s growth forecast lowered to 5.2% by S&P for FY 2020.
 Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) has partnered with Visa to issue Visa debit cards
 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new guidelines for the payment aggregators
(PAs) to provide an ease for payments industry players with effect from April 1, 2020.
 RBI opens dollar-swap window along with infusion of Rs 1,00,000 crore through LTRO.
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the validity of authorisation issued to
Vakrangee Ltd to set up, own and operate white label automated teller machines
(ATMs) in India.
 Paytm Bank to issue 10 mn Visa virtual debit cards to customers by 2020-21.
 DBS Bank, Bharti AXA join hands for insurance plan covering Covid-19.

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 Star Health, ICICI Lombard launch policies to cover Covid-19 patients.

 SBI opens emergency credit line for borrowers till June 30.
 RBI extends regulatory restriction on PMC Bank by another 3 months.
 Karur Vysya Bank launches pre-paid card Enkasu in Karur .
 In the housing sector, the limit has been enhanced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh per
borrower for classification of the loan as priority sector lending.
 RBI advances its Rs 25000 cr repo auction to March 26, 2020 from March 30,2020.
 Jana Small Finance Bank (SFB) ,a leading digitized bank in partnership with National
Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), has launched a UPI QR-based loan installment
payment facility to its existing 40 lakh plus customers & 5crore micro finance agencies.
 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Seventh Bi-monthly Monetary Policy
Statement, 2019-20 Resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
 Jana Small Finance Bank has rolled out a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) QR-
based loan installment payment facility along with National Payment Corporation of
India (NPCI) for its customers.
 YES Bank reconstituted its Board of Directors(BOD) with 8 members as per ‘Yes Bank
Limited Reconstruction Scheme, 2020′ notified by the Ministry of Finance, Government
of India.
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) increased the March 26, 2020, variable rate term repo
auction amount to Rs 50,000 crore from Rs 25,000 crore due to the disruptive impact of
Covid-19 for the financial sector.
 The Punjab National Bank has launched a new logo ahead of its merger with the
Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank of India.
 ICICI Bank launches banking services on WhatsApp.
 RBI announces liquidity boost of Rs 3.74 lakh crore amid coronavirus outbreak.
 SFBs can provide risk-free simple financial services without seeking RBI’s nod.
SEMINARS AND MEETINGS
SEMINARS AND MEETINGS PLACE THEME/TAGLINE
Indian Army’s International New Delhi 1st session:“Evolving Warfare: An
Seminar “Pragyan Conclave Insight into the Changing Realm”
2020” 2nd session:“The Technological
Revolution: A Seminal Challenge”.
International Conference New Delhi
and Exhibition on Smart
Energy and Water for
Smarter Cities India
6th edition of Economic New Delhi ‘Collaborate to Create:
Times Global business Sustainable Growth in a Fractured
summit 2020 World’
“National Conference on New Delhi Cyber Stalking and Bullying of
Women in Police and CAPFs Women: Steps for Protection”
(Central Armed Police and ‘Challenges faced by CAPF
Forces)” Women in Operational Areas”
United Nations Global New Delhi
Compact Network India
(UNGCNI) organizes 3rd
Gender equality summit
2020

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“Wings India 2020” Hyderabad, Telangana ‘Flying For All’

108th Indian Science Pune, Maharshtra 'Science and Technology for
Congress annual session in Sustainable Development with
2021 Women Empowerment'
5th edition of India Pharma Gandhinagar, Gujarat “India Pharma: Meeting
& India Medical Device 2020 Challenges of Affordable and
Conference Quality Healthcare and India
Medical Device: Promoting
Affordable responsible and
Quality Medical Device for
Universal Health Care”
International Conference on Kolkata, West Bengal
Nano Science and
Technology 2020 (ICONSAT)
Workshop-cum-Awareness Kulgam, Jammu &
Programme on Skill Kashmir
Development
Indian Coast Guard conducts Goa ‘Harmonization of Maritime and
9th edition of rescue Aeronautical Search and Rescue
exercise ‘SAREX-2020’ (HAMSAR)’
UN (United Nations) summit Kunming, China
on biodiversity (also known
as Convention on Biological
Diversity-COP15)
5th BIMSTEC Summit 2020 Colombo, Sri Lanka
3rd edition of WION (World Dubai,UAE “Navigating and negotiating
Is One News) Global Summit global imperatives”
2020
7th World Cities Summit Singapore “Livable and Sustainable Cities:
(WCS) Adapting to a Disrupted World”
Virtual Summit of G20 Chaired by Saudi Arabia
leaders
US & UAE troops launch Abu Dhabi
biennial exercise “Native
Fury”
SPECIAL DAYS
DATE SPECIAL DAY THEME
01 March Zero Discrimination Day ZERO DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS
World Civil Defence Day “Civil Defence and a first
aider in every home”
03 March World wildlife day Sustaining all life on Earth
World Hearing Day Hearing for life: Don’t let
hearing loss limit you
04 March 49th National Safety Day “Enhance Health & Safety
Performance by Use of
Advanced Technology“

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01-07 March Janaushadhi Week ‘Suvidha Se Sammaan’

03-07 March India Smart Utility Week 2020
(ISUW)
07 March Jan Aushadhi Diwas
08 March International Women’s Day I am Generation Equality:
Realizing Women’s Rights
10 March 51st Central Industrial Security
Force (CISF) Raising Day
12 March World Kidney Day “Kidney Health for Everyone
Everywhere–from Prevention
to Detection and Equitable
Access to Care.”
National Crime Records Bureau
celebrated its 35th Inception Day

13 March World Sleep Day “Better Sleep, Better Life,

Better Planet”
14 March Pi (π) Day

15 March World Consumer Rights Day “The Sustainable Consumer”

16 March National Vaccination/
Immunization Day
18 March Ordnance Factories’ Day

Global Recycling Day “Recycling Heroes”

20 March International Day of Happiness ‘Happiness For All, Together’

World Day of Theatre for Children

and Young People
World Sparrow Day I LOVE Sparrows

21 March International Nowruz Day

World Poetry Day

World Down Syndrome Day “We Decide”

International Day for the
Elimination of Racial
Discrimination
International Day of Forests Forests and Biodiversity
World puppetry day
22 March World Water Day “Water and Climate Change”
23 March India celebrates “Shaheed Diwas

World Meteorological Day “Water and Climate Change”

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24 March World Tuberculosis (TB) Day It’s time’

International Day for the Right to
the Truth Concerning Gross
Human Rights Violations and for
the Dignity of Victims
International Day for Achievers
25 March International Day of Solidarity
with Detained and Missing Staff
Members
International Day of “Confronting Slavery’s Legacy
Remembrance of the Victims of of Racism Together”
Slavery and the Transatlantic
Slave Trade
27 March World Theatre Day “Theatre and a Culture of
Peace”.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 The Swarajya Awards for the year 2020, presented in association with India Foundation
and Indic Academy, have been announced.
 Winners list:
Awardee Category Field
Bharatbala Ustad Bismillah Khan Award Culture
K Parasaran Sree Narayana Guru Award Social Work
Sarbananda Sonowal Dr S P Mukherjee Award Politics
N K Singh Dr B R Shenoy Award Economics
th
 The 70 edition of Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) 2020 was held in Berlin,
Germany. Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s ‘There Is No Evil’,a film about the
death penalty in Iran, has clicnched the Golden Bear prize 2020 for the best picture at
the Festival.
o Winner List: https://www.indiewire.com/2020/02/berlinale-2020-award-
winners-1202214586/
 Jadav Payeng, an environmental activist of Assam also known as the “Forest man of
India” named as 128th winner of Commonwealth Points of Light Award.
 Chairman of The Hyatt Foundation Tom Pritzker announced Yvonne Farrell (69)
and Shelley McNamara (68) as the winners of Pritzker Architecture prize 2020. It is the
1st time an Irish citizen & a female combination won the prize.
 President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the 61st annual awards of the National Lalit Kala
Akademi to 15 artists at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The awardees were
honoured with a shawl, plaque and cash prize worth Rs 1 lakh.
o list of winners of 61st annual National Lalit Kala Akademi Awards:
Award Winner State
Anoop Kumar Manzukhi Gopi Thrissoor, Kerala
David Malakar Kolkata, West Bengal
Devendra Kumar Khare Vadodara, Gujarat
Dinesh Pandya Mumbai, Maharashtra
Faruque Ahmed Halder Kolkata, West Bengal

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Hari Ram Kumbhawat Jaipur, Rajasthan

Keshari Nandan Prasad Jaipur, Rajasthan
Mohan Kumar T Bengaluru, Karnataka
Ratan Krishna Saha Mumbai, Maharashtra
Sagar Vasant Kamble Mumbai, Maharashtra
Satwinder Kaur New Delhi
Sunil Thiruvayur Ernakulam, Kerala
Tejaswi Narayan Sonawane Solapur, Maharashtra
Yashpal Singh Delhi
Yashwant Singh Delhi

 Former Indian PM Indira Gandhi and freedom fighter Amrit Kaur was named by the
TIME magazine among the world's 100 powerful women in the last century. TIME has
named Kaur as 'Women of the Year' for the year 1947 and Indira Gandhi for the year
1976.
 Professor Sabu Thomas, Vice Chancellor (VC), Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam,
Kerala was conferred with National Research Award in Nano Science & Technology for
his contribution in the field of nano science.
 Dr. Saurabh Lodha, IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Bombay and Dr. Vivek
Polshettowar, TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), Mumbai was conferred
with Young Research Awards in Nano Science & Technology.
 The 4th edition of TOISA (Times of India Sports Awards) awards honoured the best
Indian in 2019 sports in New Delhi, India. The event was powered by BHIM-UPI (Bharat
Interface for Money- Unified Payments Interface).
o Complete list of winners of Times of India Awards 2019:

Award Award Winner

Sports person of the Year P.V. Sindhu
Cricketer of the year Rohit Sharma
Team of the year Indian men’s Hockey Team
Coach of the year Jaspal Rana
Inspiration of the year Rani Rampal
Mentor of the year Pullela Gopichand
Change agent of the year Odisha
Corporate supporter of the year Reliance Foundation
Unbreakable Spirit of Sports P.V. Sindu
Youth Icon of the year Vijendra Singh
Lifetime Achievement Bhaichung Bhutia
Icon of the year Balbir Singh

 President Ram Nath Kovind honoured 15 Women with ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’ for 2019-
“National award for women”.

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o This award is an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child

Development(MWCD) to acknowledge the achievements of women for the
nation & recognize their contributions towards society
o Awardees List:

Name Accomplishment State

Bina Devi or ‘Mushroom
Popularizing mushroom Munger , Bihar
Mahila’ cultivation
Padala Bhudevi Working for Srikakulam, Andhra
development of Tribal Pradesh
People Through a CAVS
(Chinnai Adhivasi Vikas
Society), established in
1996
Arifa Jan Restored the culture and Srinagar, Jammu and
heritage of Jammu and Kashmir
Kashmir- Numdha
handicrafts
Chami Murmu or ‘Lady Planted trees & Rajnagar,
Tarzan’ of Jharkhand protected local wildlife SaraikelaKharsawan,
Jharkhand
Nilza Wangmo First one to serve Ladhak Leh ,Ladakh
cuisines in her Alchi
Kitchen Restaurant &
represented Ladakhi
recipes in 5-star hotels in
India
Rashmi Urdhwardeshe Development of Pune, Maharashtra
automobile technologies
Sardarni Mann Kaur or Achievements in Patiala, Punjab
‘Miracle from athletics
Chandigarh' (103)
Kalavati Devi- ‘lady Built toilets & created Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
mason’ awareness regarding the
ills of open defecation
Tashi and Nungshi Malik First female twins to Dehradun, Uttarakhand
scale Mount Everest in
2013
Kaushiki Chakroborty Khayal and Thumri Kolkata, West Bengal
exponent
Bhageerathi Amma (105) Cleared the fourth Kollam, Alappuzha, Kerala
standard equivalency
examination & became
the oldest equivalency
course student of Kerala.

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Karthyayini Amma (96) Topped “Akshara Kollam, Alappuzha, Kerala

Laksham” in 2018
scoring 98/100 marks

Avani Chaturvedi First Indian Women

Pilots to take a solo flight Rewa, Madhya Pradesh
in MIG-21 in 2018

Bhawna Kanth Darbhanga, Bihar

Agra, Uttar Pradesh

Mohana Singh Jitarwal

Kaushiki Chakroborty Khayal and Thumri Kolkata, West Bengal

exponent.
 On the occasion of International Women’s Day i.e. on March 8, 2020, NITI (National
Institution for Transforming India) Aayog in collaboration with United Nations (UN) in
India has organized the 4th Edition of the Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards
2019 in New Delhi. The theme for WTI awards 2019 was “Women and
Entrepreneurship”. The awards were conferred by Defence Minister of India (or Raksha
Mantri), Rajnath Singh who was the chief guest of an event.

o Winners List:
Awardee Work Done by Awardee
Dr Praveen Nair Founder Trustee of Salaam Baalak Trust that has worked in
(Jury Award) rehabilitating over 81,000 destitute and homeless children. She
received the Special Jury Award.
Ramya Founder of Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA), which has
Venkataraman created a certification framework that allows for assessing of
teachers’ skills and competency
Shilpi Kapoor Founder of BarrierBreak, a company focused on the accessibility of
technology for differently-abled persons.
Rinka Banerjee Founder of Thinking Forks, a company with expertise in the food
and nutrition industry which has allowed them to create products
to combat acute malnutrition
Kalpana Sankar Through her organization Hand in Hand, she is empowering the
impoverished women in India through capacity building and
training.
Khushboo Jain She has created ImpactGuru which is a crowdfunding platform
that empowers individuals, NGOs and social enterprises, by
helping them raise funds for healthcare, social, and personal
needs, from family, friends as well as strangers.
Nidhi Pant Head of Science for Society team, a food technology company
selling dehydrated vegetable snacks.

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Anupriya Balikai Head of Spookfish Innovations, which has created a standard for
products and ensure quality control for food packaging.
Sneha Sundaram She has developed Kutuki mobile app focuses on bridging the
learning gap that exists in Indian pre-schools.
Jayanti Pradhan She is agro-processor and farmer from Odisha who has been
educating women in her community and equipping them with the
tools and knowledge of mushroom farming.
Jugnu Jain Founder and CSO, of Sapien Biosciences which is addressing the
need for tissue-banks in India by successfully using medical waste
to create medical innovations.
Pratyusha She has started NemoCare which aims to combat infant mortality
Pareddy and promote neonatal care.
Poonam Bir Founder of Daily Dump which is building products and services for
Kasturi decentralised waste management in homes, community offices
and public spaces.
Ruchi Jain She has launched Taru Naturals which focuses on sustainable
agriculture and striving to empower a network of small-scale
farmers.
Sujata Sahu Her 17000 ft Foundation is a social enterprise focused on
providing education and exposure to the communities in the most
rural and isolated regions of Ladakh.
Dr. Priyanka Co-founder of Vaayu Home Appliances which provides
Mokshmar economically affordable and environmentally feasible alternatives
to traditional AC units across India

 Hockey India, the governing body with mandate to conduct all activities for both men
and women’s hockey, has organized its 3rd Annual Awards 2019 in New Delhi.
 Winners list:

Winners Category
Harbinder Singh Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime
Achievement Award 2019
Manpreet Singh Hockey India Dhruv Batra Player of the Year 2019
(Male)
Rani Rampal Hockey India Dhruv Batra Player of the Year 2019
(Female)
Vivek Sagar Prasad Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player
of the Year 2019 (Men – Under 21)
Lalremsiami Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player
of the Year 2019 (Women – Under 21)
Mandeep Singh Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the
Year 2019
Neha Goyal Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the
Year 2019
Harmanpreet Singh Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the
Year 2019
Krishan B. Pathak Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the
Year 2019

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Sports Authority of India Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable
Contribution 2019
Department of Sports & Hockey India President’s Award for Outstanding
Youth Services, Government Achievement 2019
of Odisha

 List of Awards for felicitating the players for Individual Achievements during
2019:

Winner Category
Rani Rampal The World Games Athlete of the Year
2019
Manpreet Singh FIH Men’s Player of the Year 2019
Vivek Sagar Prasad FIH Men’s Rising Star of the Year
Lalremsiami FIH Women’s Rising Star of the Year
Deep Grace Ekka, Kothajit Singh 200 International Caps
Khadangbam, Savita
Harmanpreet Singh, Lalit Kumar 100 International Caps
Upadhyay, Nikki Pradhan

 Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu conferred 3rd edition of BusinessLine Changemaker

Awards 2020 in New Delhi
Awardee Category
Shanti Raghavan Changemaker (Social Transformation)
Government e-Marketplace Changemaker -(Digital Transformation)
(GeM)
India Stack Changemaker – (Financial Transformation)
Pradeep Mewada Young Changemaker
Rashid k; Vimal Govind; Arun Young Changemakers
George and Nikhil P
Arunachalam Iconic Changemaker
Muruganandam
Dutee Chand Changemaker of the Year
ISRO Changemaker of the year

 UNGCNI (United Nations Global Compact Network India), organized the 3rd edition of
its Gender Equality Summit 2020 at The Park in New Delhi. The summit saw the
presentation of top Best Innovative Practices Awards ‘Women at Work – Place’.
Award Name Won by
Public Sector ONGC(Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation)
Private Sector Nestle
NGO (Non-Governmental Bharti Foundation
Organization) Sector
Academic Sector Salipur School
Special Jury Recognition Award First Steps Babywear Pvt Ltd

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 V Praveen Rao, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Professor JayaShankar Telangana State

Agricultural University (PJTSAU), won the 7th edition of Dr MS Swaminathan Award for
the period 2017- 2019.
 PV Sindhu named as BBC Indian Sportswoman of the year 2019 and PT Usha won
Lifetime Achievement Award
 2019 Airport Service Quality awards:
 Annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards recognize and reward the best airports in
the world according to ACI’s ‘ASQ Departure Survey’ and the ‘ASQ Arrivals Survey’. The
award is given by the Airports Council International (ACI). The ACI-ASQ survey is
conducted in 356 airports and the survey is monitored by AERA, NITI Aayog and MoCA
 In the ASQ Departure Survey, Indian Airports has won 19 Awards under 4 main
categories in Asia-Pacific Region. They are:
 2019 Awards for Best Airport by Size and Region (Asia-Pacific):

AIRPORT NAME CATEGORY

Chandigarh International Airport
(Chandigarh, India)
Mangalore International Airport Between 2 and 5 million
(Mangalore, India) passengers
Trivandrum International Airport
(Thiruvananthapuram, India)
Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport (Lucknow,
India) Between 5 and 15 million
Cochin International Airport (Cochin, India) passengers

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Between 15 and 25 million

(Hyderabad, India) passengers
Kempegowda International Airport Between 25 and 40 million
(Bangalore, India) passengers
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport
(Mumbai, India) Over 40 million passengers
Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi,
India)

 2019 Awards for Best Environment and Ambience by Size (Asia-Pacific):

AIRPORT NAME CATEGORY

Chandigarh International Airport Between 2 and 5 million passengers
(Chandigarh, India)
Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport (Lucknow, Between 5 and 15 million
India) passengers
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Between 15 and 25 million
(Hyderabad, India) passengers
Kempegowda International Airport Between 25 and 40 million
(Bangalore, India) passengers

 2019 Awards for Best Infrastructure and Facilitation by Size(Asia-Pacific):

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AIRPORT NAME CATEGORY

Chandigarh International Airport Between 2 and 5 million passengers
(Chandigarh, India)
Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport Between 5 and 15 million passengers
(Lucknow, India)
Kempegowda International Airport Between 25 and 40 million passengers
(Bangalore, India)

 2019 Awards for Best Customer Service by Size(Asia-Pacific):

AIRPORT NAME CATEGORY

Chandigarh International Airport Between 2 and 5 million passengers
(Chandigarh, India)
Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport Between 5 and 15 million passengers
(Lucknow, India)
Kempegowda International Airport Between 25 and 40 million passengers
(Bangalore, India)

 2019 ASQ Arrivals Award: Kempegowda International Airport (Bangalore, India)

was adjudged as the Best Airport.

 Dr Jaimanti Bakshi, Professor and Unit Head II, Department of Otolaryngology and Head
Neck surgery at PGIMER was awarded the "Best Citizens of India Gold medal Award".
 Welcom group Graduate School of Hotel Management (WGSHA) of Manipal Academy
of Higher Education entered the Limca Book of Records for establishing 'India's First
Living Culinary Arts Museum' at WGSHA.
 Nita Ambani named alongside Serena Williams & Simone Biles in World's 10 Most
Influential Women in Sports list.
 Independent journalist Rohini Mohan and The Wire’s Arfa Khanum Sherwani were
awarded the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediaperson for the
year 2019.
 Prachi Salve of IndiaSpend and Pradeep Dwivedi of Dainik Jagran have been jointly
awarded the First prize for their contribution towards reporting on road safety by the
Centre for Media Studies (CMS).
Prize Journalist Name Media
First Prize Prachi Salve Indiaspend
Pradeep Dwivedi Dainik Jagran
Second Prize B. Raveendra Shetty Vijay Karnataka
Purnima Singh Times Now Hindi
Third Prize Kishor Dwivedi Press Trust of India
Sangamesh Menasinakai The Times of India
 Hillel Furstenberg & Gregory Margulis won Abel Prize Laureates 2020
 The Indian-origin American author Ruchika Tomar's “A Prayer for Travelers” has won
the PEN/Hemingway Award for best debut novel, an honour previously given to
Marilynne Robinson, Tommy Orange and Yiyun Li among others.

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 Zoya Akhter honoured with IIFTC Tourism Impact Award 2020 held in Mumbai,
Maharashtra
SPORTS
st
 The 1 edition of the 2020 Khelo India University Games (KIUG) was held from February
22 – March 1, 2020 at KIIT University (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
University) in Bhubaneswar,Odisha. Panjab University (PB) emerged as the winner of
Khelo India University Games 2020 with 45 medals (17 Gold,18 Silver,10 Bronze).
 Mexican Open Tennis Tournament 2020
 Winners list:
Category Winner
Men’s Singles Rafael Nadal Parera (Spain)
Women’s Singles Heather Miriam Watson (United
Kingdom)
Men’s Doubles Łukasz Kubot (Poland) & Marcelo
Pinheiro Davi de Melo (Brazil)
Women’s Doubles Desirae Marie Krawczyk (America)
& Giuliana Marion Olmos Dick
(Mexico)
 Fédération Internationale de Hockey or International Hockey Federation (FIH) World
Rankings 2020, ranks Indian Hockey men’s team ranks 4th with 2064.14 points for the
1st time & Women’s team is ranked 9th with 1543 points.
 Ross Taylor became the 1st New Zealand male cricketer to play 100 matches in all three
formats of cricket. Taylor made his Test debut in 2007.
 International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I (Twenty-twenty International) rankings
2020 for Women players, the 16-year-old Indian opener Shafali Verma climbed 19
places to reach the top with 761 points. She replaced New Zealand’s Suzie Bates down a
notch, who now has 750 points.
 Badminton Asia confirmed that Badminton world federation (BWF) has shifted the
Badminton Asia Championships 2020 to Manila, Philippines from Wuhan, China. It will
be conducted in Manila from April 21 to 26, 2020.
 Mumbai will host the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session 2023 as
recommended by IOC Executive Board and the decision will be approved at the 136th
IOC session in Tokyo in July 2020.
 Saurashtra won their maiden Ranji Trophy title after earning a 44-run lead in the first
innings against Bengal which eventually ended in a draw in the final in Rajkot, Gujarat.
 All England Open: Viktor Axelsen lifts men's singles title, Tai Tzu Ying crowned
champion 3rd time
Category Winner
Men’s Singles Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Women’s Singles Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei)
Men’s Doubles Hiroyuki Endo (Japan)
Yuta Watanabe (Japan)
Women’s Doubles Yuki Fukushima(Japan)
Sayaka Hirota (Japan)
Mixed Doubles Praveen Jordan (Indonesia)
Melati Daeva Oktavianti (Indonesia)

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 Ace Indian paddler of Table Tennis, Achanta Sharath Kamal wins the ITTF Challenger
Plus Oman Open men’s singles title. He beat top-seeded Marcos Freitas of Portugal 4-2
in the final played in Muscat.
 Atlético de Kolkata (ATK) made history became 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.
 The French Open tennis tournament has been postponed by the French Tennis
Federation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 Vrinda Rathi and Janani Narayanan have been named in the International Panel of ICC
Development Umpires.
 The Olympic Flame was handed over to Tokyo 2020 organizers after the Greece leg of
torch relay suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Tokyo Olympics officially postponed until 2021
 Indian shot putter Navin Chikara was suspended for four years by global athletics
body's (IAAF) Athletics Integrity Unit for failing an out-of-competition dope test in 2018.

APPOINTMENTS
NAME OF THE PERSON NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION/COUNTRY
Sanjeev Nautiyal MD & CEO of SBI Life Insurance Company
Denys Shmygal Prime Minister of Ukraine
Ashraf Ghani Afghanistan President
Daren Tang Director General of World Intellectual Property
Organisation (WIPO)
Anurag Mehrotra CEO of Mahindra-Ford venture
Bimal Julka Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of India.
Injeti Srinivas Headed by 12 member panel to prepare
investigation manual for serious fraud
investigation office (SFIO)
Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon Director General Defence Intelligence Agency
and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff
Surjeet Singh Deswal Additional charge of the DG Border Security
Force (BSF)
Prashant Kumar CEO and MD of Yes Bank
Sunil Mehta Non-executive chairman of Yes Bank
Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Atul Bheda Non-executive directors of Yes Bank
Bansi Lal Bhat Officiating chairperson of the National
Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)
Hirdesh Kumar Chief Electoral Officer of the Union Territory of
Jammu and Kashmir
Ravinder Singh Dhillon Chairman and Managing Director of Power
Finance Corporation
Karan Bajwa Managing Director of Google Cloud in India
Adnan Al-Zurfi Iraqi new prime minister
R Gandhi and Ananth Narayan Additional directors of YES Bank
Gopalakrishnan
Bhushan P Dharmadhikari Chief Justice of the Bombay High
Sameer Aggarwal CEO of Walmart India

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Shivraj Singh Chouhan Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh

Iqbal Singh Bains Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh
Krishan Mohan Prasad and Satish Kumar CBDT board members.
Gupta
B P Kanungo RBI Deputy Governor (Tenure extended by one
year)

INTERNATIONAL
 The annual festival of St Antony’s Shrine begins in Katchatheevu Island of Sri Lanka. The
festival began with the traditional flag hoisting ceremonies.
 Freedom in the world 2020 report: India ranked 83rd among least free
democracies; Finland tops
 In accordance with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) India study: Indian
female labour-force participation dropped from 34% in 2006 to 24.8% in 2020
 India has joined Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as its 5th observer state to strengthen
its Indo-Pacific vision and also to boost strategic partnership with France, and Vanilla
Islands.
 A new fund named as "COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator" has been launched by the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome and Mastercard. The $125 Million fund
has been launched to accelerate technologies to fight against the COVID-19 epidemic.
 Pakistan tops a list of countries of people holding prejudiced views against women,
According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
 World Health Organisation has classified coronavirus a pandemic. Meanwhile, India
invoked Section 2 of Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 to deal with coronavirus.
 WEF launches the ''COVID Action Platform'' with the support of the WHO and is open to
all businesses and industry groups, as well as other stakeholders including the
governments, aiming to integrate their efforts for a joint action.
 Navigating and Negotiating Global Imperatives, The third edition of World Is One News
(WION) Global Summit held in Dubai.
 Bangladesh has announced a $ 1.5 million contribution to the COVID-19 Emergency
Fund while Afghanistan has contributed $ 1 million.
 Nepal has pledged to contribute $1 million to the SAARC Corona Emergency Fund
proposed by India.
 Prime Minister Modi on March 15 proposed the emergency fund with an initial offer of
$10 million from India
 Peatlands, which play an crucial role in regulating global climate by acting as carbon
sinks, are facing degradation and need to be urgently monitored, according to a Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations report.
 The 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.
 A staggering 47.4 GW coal fired power projects at different stages were cancelled in
India in 2019 reducing total under development coal capacity to 66 GW.
 The data was compiled in a report 'Boom & Bust 2020' jointly compiled by Global Energy
Monitor, Greenpeace International, the Sierra Club, and Centre for Research on Energy
and Clean Air (CREA).
 North Macedonia officially joined NATO, becoming the 30th member of the alliance
after resolving a long-running name row with Greece.

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 The United States has announced $174 million financial assistance to 64 countries
including $2.9 million to India to help them fight the coronavirus pandemic.
 Multilateral institution Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced a USD 100
million funding for the Indian infrastructure sector through the government-promoted
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).
NATIONAL
 The second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), which has a total outlay of
Rs 1,40,881 crore, was launched by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat
 Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
inks MoUs with various organisations for Implementation of Agri Export Policy
 Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), the retirement fund body has
lowered the interest rate from 8.65% to 8.50% on provident fund deposits for the
financial year 2019-20.
 E-commerce giant Amazon has partnered with the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-
National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) under Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs.
 The Govt has approved Companies (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019 with 72 changes to
Companies Act 2013.
 10 projects worth Rs 301.54 crores sanctioned for food processing sector in IMAC
meeting chaired by Smt.Harsimrat Kaur Badal
 Government reconstructs The National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR),
appoints Amit Shah as chairman
 Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dr. Mahendra Nath
Pandey has initiated Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme (MGNF) in
the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bengaluru in Karnataka.
 The government invited bids for sale of its entire 52.98 per cent stake in India's second
biggest oil refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL).
 ‘Hola Mohalla' festival celebrations underway at Sri Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.
 Union Government plans to have at least one Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi
Pariyojana (PMBJP) Kendra in each block of the country by end of 2020.
 The bill seeks to include Parivara and Talawara tribal communities of Karnataka in ST
category to ensure they get the reservation and other benefits provided by the
government.
 Facebook launches ‘Pragati’ to boost women entrepreneurship in India.
 The Union Cabinet has given the approval for the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for
copra for 2020 season.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed creation of a COVID-19 emergency fund for
SAARC countries with a 10 million dollar commitment from India.
 The Government of India will provide 107.01 million Nepali Rupees (NPR) for three new
school buildings in Nepal, the schools will be constructed in Darchula, Dhanusha and
Kapilvastu districts in Nepal
 The gas trading platform of Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has found its first member in
Manikaran Power Ltd (MPL).
 Ministry of Railways has planned to electrify balance Broad Gauge (BG) Routes of
Indian Railways by December, 2023.

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 According to the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, the investment of Rs
6.16 lakh crore has been approved so far under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
(Urban) and the committed central assistance is Rs 1.65 lakh crore.
 It will offer to buy four set of sovereign paper maturing between February 2022 and
2025.
 Modi announced ‘Janata Curfew’ from 7 am to 9pm Sunday on 22 March, under janatha
curfew no one will go out of their house to stop the spread of coronavirus.
 The Union Cabinet has approved the signing and ratifying of the Extradition Treaty
between the Republic of India and the Kingdom of Belgium.
 "The Border Roads Organisation opened for traffic 360 feet long bailey suspension
bridge over Teesta River in Munshithang near Chungthang town, in Nort District of
Sikkim".
 The 86 Road Construction Company (RCC) of 758 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF),
under Swastik project, commenced the construction of the bridge in October 2019 and
completed it in January 2020.
 Indian Oil Corp (IOC) became the first company to begin supply of BS-VI fuel across
country.
 Punjab has imposed a curfew to combat coronavirus, making it the first state to take the
drastic action after finding that many people were ignoring the lockdown ordered by it.
 Amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, the government banned export of anti-malarial
drug hydroxycloroquine, with immediate effect to ensure sufficient availability of the
medicine in the domestic market.
 According to Defence Ministry, The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has designated a
total of 285 beds for isolation wards to handle novel coronavirus cases.
 The Election Commission has allowed the use of indelible ink by health authorities to
stamp individuals for home quarantine.
 Northern Railways has successfully made the first prototype of hospital isolation coach.
There are 10 isolation wards in each coach.
 PM Narendra Modi announced PM-CARES fund to fight against coronavirus outbreak.
 Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has readied all National
Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) to be used as quarantine centres for COVID-19.

PERSONS IN NEWS
 Nupur Kulshrestha becomes the 1st woman to be promoted as Deputy Inspector
General (DIG) of Indian Coast Guard.
 Wasim Jaffer (42) a former Indian opening batsman and a domestic cricket giant has
announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
 Ashraf Ghani Sworn in for Second Term as Afghanistan President
 German sportswear brand Puma has signed a two-year deal with Indian film actress
Kareena Kapoor Khan to be its brand ambassador.
 Indian mountaineer Bhawna Dehariya has successfully scaled Mount Kosciuszko, the
highest mountain peak in Australia, she hails from Madyapradesh.
 Badminton world champion P.V. Sindhu has been appointed the brand ambassador for
Andhra Pradesh government’s anti-graft helpline.
 Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder and ruler of Sikh empire during the early 19th
century, has defeated Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln to be voted as the
greatest leader of all times, the a poll conducted by BBC World Histories magazine.

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 IDFC FIRST Bank appointed bollywood celebrity, Amitabh Bachchan as its first ever
brand ambassador.
 Fast-moving consumer goods firm CavinKare Pvt Ltd has announced the appointment of
Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar and Ileana D’Cruz as the brand ambassadors for its hair
colour brand Indica.
 PepsiCo India has roped in actor Akshay Kumar as the new brand ambassador for its
snacks brand Kurkure.
 Smartphone brand Realme has been appointed Bollywood actor Salman Khan as its
brand ambassador.
 Bill Gates steps down from the board of Microsoft Corp., the company he co-founded in
1975 and built into the world’s largest software maker, to devote more time to
philanthropy.
 Tata Power has signed Indian cricket team’s fast bowler Shardul Thakur as their brand
ambassador.
 Chennaiyin FC's Maltese forward Andre Schembri announced that he retired from
professional football.
 Crisil has been announced Arundhati Bhattacharya, the Ex-chairman of State Bank of
India, has submitted her resignation as independent director of the company effective
April 15, 2020.
 A. Ajay Kumar, presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next
High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Uganda.
 President Ram Nath Kovind has nominated former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi
to the Rajya Sabha, as a member of eminence, Under Article 80 of the Constitution.
 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has resigned.
 Priyanka Chopra collaborates with WHO to spread awareness over COVID-19
 Satyarup Siddhanta became first Indian to complete volcanic Seven Summit, enters
'Limca Book of Records'.
 Private sector lender IndusInd Bank has announced that its Managing Director and
Chief Executive Romesh Sobti has retired.
 FIFA and the World Health Organization (WHO) have teamed up to combat the
coronavirus by launching an awareness campaign led by world-renowned footballers.
 Talismanic India football captain 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.
 Maharashtra Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta has been given three months extension in
view of the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state. Mehta, who was set to complete his
tenure on March 31, has been given extension till June 30.

ECONOMY
 Fitch lowers India’s economic growth forecast for FY20 to 4.9% from 5.1 %.
 OECD lowers India's FY21 GDP growth to 5.1% from 6.2% earlier on coronavirus
concerns on domestic, global economy.
 NMDC, IIT Hyderabad sign pact to support deep-tech start-ups.
 Zomato acquires UberEats India for $206 million.
 ICICI Prudential AMC inks pact with Saraswat co-op bank to tap rural market.
 Bitcoin, the most valued cryptocurrency in the world, was down 0.39 per cent at $8,815.
The market cap of the currency stood at $161 billion.

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 Commerce ministry clears TCS, DLF proposals to set up SEZs for IT sector in Haryana and
UP.
 AdGlobal360 acquired by Japanese company Hakuhodo.
 The World’s first Digital Solutions Exchange in the cloud “GOKADDAL” has been
launched in India.
 Bharti Airtel took 10% stake in fitness start-up Spectacom Global ltd.
 Flipkart ties up with Aegon to sell life insurance policies.
 Microsoft India & NASSCOM Foundation launches ‘Innovate for accessible India
campaign’ to empower people with disabilities.
 S&P slashes India’s growth rate for 2020 to 5.2% from 5.7%.
 SBI acquired 6.825% stake of Zero Mass Private Limited.
 Ashok Leyland to acquire additional 19% stake in Hinduja Leyland Finance.
 Fitch Cuts Growth Forecast To 5.1% For FY21.
 Crisil lowers FY21 growth by 50 bps to 5.2%.
 RBI To Conduct Variable Rate Term Repos Of Rs. 1,00,000 Crores.
 RBI chalks out contingency plan for smooth functioning of services.
 NABARD gives financial support of Rs 42,313 cr in FY''20 for rural infra.
 S&P cuts India GDP growth forecast for FY21 to 5.2 per cent.
 Moody’s cuts India’s GDP growth to 2.5% in 2020.
 CRISIL cuts India’s GDP growth forecast to 3.5% for FY2021.
 Domestic rating agency ICRA notified that India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) is
expected to contract by 4.5% in the April-June 2020 quarter & will rise 2% in 2020-21
due to the impact of coronavirus.
 Chennai Port acquires centre’s 67% stake in Kamarajar Port for 2,383 crore.
 Fitch slashes India’s GDP growth estimate for FY21 to 4.6% from 5.4 %.
 India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) trims India’s GDP forecast to 3.6% from 5.5% for FY21.

PLACES IN NEWS
 Chilli Festival begins in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh.
 Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the campus of NSG Regional Hub at Kolkata.
 IIT Mandi inks pact with NABARD for setting up 3 FPOs in Himachal Pradesh.
 4th Global Ayurveda Festival to be held at Kochi.
 Lt Gen Milind Hemant Thakur unveils renovated Animal Memorial in Bengaluru.
 The traditional 'Fagli' festival was celebrated in Yangpa village of Kinnaur district.
 India post launches India’s 1st digital parcel locker service in Kolkata, West Bengal.
 First regional edition of “Divya Kala Shakti event” held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
 The Central Government approved renaming the Amin village as Abhimanyupur in
Kurukshetra district of Haryana as per the request of the State government.
 According to the Union Minister of State (Independent) for tourism and culture, Prahlad
Singh Patel, the central government has included grand Konark Sun Temple, the
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) world
heritage site in Odisha & Statue of Unity in Gujarat in the Iconic Tourist Sites list.
 Indore deploy drones to sanitize city against COVID-19 scare.
 The Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Government Hospital in Jaipur is conducting the series of
trials on a humanoid robot to provide services to the COVID-19 patients.
 Tata Power JV starts Shuakhevi HPP in Georgia.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 New explosive detection device “RaIDer-X” unveiled at NWED-2020 .
 According to the genetic study on the endangered species of mammals revealed
that Red pandas, the bushy-tailed and russet-furred bamboo munchers that exist in
Asian high forests, are actually 2 separate species.
 The multilingual version of "Incredible India" website and mobile app has been launched
by the Minister of State (IC) for Tourism & Culture, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in New Delhi.
 Flow Diverter Stent developed by SCTIMST for treatment of Aneurysms of brain.
 The International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI),
Hyderabad has developed a fuel cell technology called Polymer Electrolyte Membrane
fuel cells (PEMFC).
 Researchers at IIT Madras have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drone
that can counter ‘Rogue Drones.’
 Doctors uses CRISPR technology to cure blindness for the very first time.
 L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited in partnership with Paytm has launched a QR-based
ticket.
 Chandrayaan-3, India's third mission to the Moon, will be launched in the first half of
2021.
 ARCI develops Fuel Cell Technology for Disaster Management.
 The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi will establish a Technology Innovation
Hub (TIH) under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-
ICPS).
 Scientists at ARCI- Hyderabad develops ‘solar receiver tube technology’ for industrial
process heat.
 HIL (India) Limited, Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, in association with
Union Bank of India launched Customer Payment Portal in New Delhi.
 A starch-based ‘hemostat’ material has been developed by the Institute of Nano Science
and Technology (INST).
 Swiss scientists discover rain of molten iron on distant exoplanet ‘WASP-76b’.
 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the procurement of indigenous
Tejas fighter aircraft for Indian Air Force.
 NASA’s automated asteroid tracking system has detected four near-Earth objects that
are expected to approach the planet.
 SAARC Disaster Management Centre launches website for COVID-19.
 ICMR recommends use of hydroxy-chloroquine for critical COVID-19 cases.
 YouTube will temporarily default HD and ultra-HD streaming to SD content at bitrates
no higher than 480p on mobile networks, until March 31.
 After Covid-19 pandemic “Hantavirus” death reported in China.
 The US (United States) Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered
with CDC Foundation and Microsoft’s Azure healthcare bot service has introduced an AI
(Artificial Intelligence) based bot named “Clara” .
 Pune based ARI scientists develop biofortified high-protein wheat variety ‘MACS 4028’.
 ARCI, Hyderabad develops ‘ultrafast laser surface texturing technology’ to improve the
fuel efficiency of IC engines.
 Indian army Chief starts ‘Operation Namaste’ to combat COVID-19.
 Abbott Laboratories, United States is unveiling a coronavirus test which will tell if
someone is infected within 5 minutes.

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 US launches advanced satellite for communication: AEHF-6.

 United States (US) Space Force launched its 1st national security mission by sending an
ultra-secure military communication satellite into orbit called Advanced Extremely High
Frequency (AEHF)-6 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the Atlas V551 rocket.
 Elon Musk’s SpaceX wins NASA award for planned lunar space station.
 As the Coronavirus (COVID- 19) crisis spreads, IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)-
Bombay developed 2 mobile applications called “Corontine” and “Safe”, that can track
violations by people supposed to be in quarantine.
 Apple launches COVID-19 information app.

STATE
 Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has launched “Suposhit Maa Abhiyan” in his constituency
Kota, Rajasthan. This Abhiyan has been launched to provide nutritional support to
pregnant women and adolescent girls.
 Airport Authority of India & State Government of Tripura has signed a memorandum of
understanding for the construction of 6 equipment hiring centres.
 Punjab prohibits online supply of food from Food Business Operators.
 The historic City Chowk, which was a commercial center in Old Jammu, has been
renamed as ‘Bharat Mata Chowk’.
 Arunachal Assembly implements e-Vidhan project.
 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami launched the Rs 2,857 crore Tamil
Nadu Health System Reform Programme (TNHSRP), in Chennai.
 According to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, his government is
developing Gautam Buddh Nagar City NOIDA as a smart city and ideal model of
development and opportunities.
 Jharkhand government released Rs 86, 370 crore Budget for Financial year 2020-21.
 3 day Namaste Orchha festival begins in Madhya Pradesh.
 Baghel presents Rs 95,650-crore budget for Chhattisgarh.
 Jammu & Kashmir Lt Governor Girish Chandra Murmu Launches 'Student Health Card'
Scheme for over 12 lakh students.
 'COVA Punjab' mobile app launched to sensitise people about precautions.
 Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur presents Rs.49,131 crore budget for FY21.
 Odisha will be the first state to have an exclusive department for Self Help Group (SHGs)
called "Mission Shakti".
 Kerala to launch digital literacy drive named “I am also digital” in the
Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
 Telangana’s Finance minister Harish Rao presents 1.82 lakh crore budget for FY21.
 Ranchi University will launch its own Community Radio Station -- RADIO KHANCHI 90.4
FM Aap Sabka Radio on International Women's Day.
 Andhra Pradesh CM lauched NIGHA app to control electoral malpractices.
 Karnataka CM Yediyurappa presents state budget for the FY 2020-21.
 Maharashtra Govt approved auto-rickshaws “happy hours”, reducing 15% of fare prices
from 12 pm to 4 pm.
 Karnataka Government launched ‘Namaste over Handshake’ campaign to prevent from
COVID-19.

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 Uttar Pradesh government has launched three ambitious schemes for skill development
and employment generation for youths in the state. The three schemes are Kaushal
Satrang, Yuva Hub and apprenticeship scheme in Lucknow.
 Uttarakhand celebrates the traditional harvest festival “Phool Dei”. Phool Dei is
celebrated on the first day of Chaitra or in mid-March (according to Gregorian calendar).
 Manipur CM announces CMAST & CMAT scheme to encourage athletes & artists.
 Mansukh Mandaviya launches ’Ropax’ ferry service in Maharashtra.
 ’Break the Chain’ campaign launched by Kerala govt to combat coronavirus.
 Flying car-maker PAL-V of The Netherlands will set up a manufacturing plant in Gujarat
and has set a target of commencing production by 2021. PAL-V stands for Personal Air
Land Vehicle.
 BJP-led Uttarakhand government abolishes quota in promotion for employees.
 J&K announces Rs 5L free health insurance for residents.
 Himachal Pradesh state government launches Police Station Visitor Survey System and
e-Night Beat Checking System.
 J&K Administrative Council accorded sanction to implementation of Dairy Cooperative
scheme with support of NCDC.
 Odisha government launches “Mo Jeeban” programme.
 Goa becomes the 1st Indian state to launch assessment tool for COVID-19.
 India’s largest COVID-19 hospitals to be set up in Odisha.
 Goa becomes the 1st state to launch assessment tool for COVID-19.
 Odisha to set up the largest COVID-19 hospital in the country.
 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has set up “Team-11” comprising of as
many inter-departmental committees to fight the coronavirus spread.
 Nagaland CM launches Self Declaration COVID-19 Nagaland App.
 Jharkhand government launches PRAGYAAM app to issue e-passes.
 Rajasthan Police launches a mobile app “RajCop citizens app”.
 Andhra Pradesh State government has set up “Mobile Hand-wash facilities” for the
benefit of Slum Dwellers amidst lockdown in the state.
 The centre has accepted the request from Maharashtra government for a further 3-
month extension to Ajoy Mehta as state Chief Secretary who will remain in the post till
June 30 due to state health emergency (coronavirus).

SURVEYS
 According to the US-based think tank Global Financial Integrity, the country has the third
highest trade-related illicit financial flow among 135 countries with Rs 6.08 lakh crore
escaping the tax net.
 BRAC, an international development organization has topped the list of top 500 Global
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
 According to the “Wealth Report 2020” released by Knight Frank LLP,a leading
International Property Consultant, India had 5,986 UHNWIs (Ultra high-net-worth
individuals) in 2019 and they expected to increase by 73% in the coming 5 years.

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 According to the UNICEF report “A New Era for Girls”, Girls still face violence and
discrimination, 70% trafficked in 2016.
 Andhra Pradesh ranked 1st in country for overall implementation of Poshan Abhiyan.
 Gujarat tops in domestic solar rooftop installations in 2020.
 Taylor Swift named as “Google’s most-searched women in music”.
 India ranks second in Global Animal Protection Index 2020.
 India has been ranked 12th in the world as per study titled ‘Women On Board 2020’.
The list was topped by Norway with 40.72% women on board.
 India ranks 144 in World Happiness Report.
 Singapore overtook Hong Kong as the world's freest economy for the first time since
1995 in the latest Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom published last week.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Name of the Book Author Speaks About
According to the Tahira Kashyap
The 12 Commandments Tahira Kashyap Khurrana, This book is a quirky
Of Being A Woman Khurrana take towards the experiences of
being and becoming a woman.
The book is drawn from her
personal experiences where she
talks about how women minimise
themselves, suffer from the
Lady, You’re the Boss! Apurva Purohit
imposter syndrome, & settle for
less than they are capable of,
because of feelings of inadequacy
& a desire to feel needed and
liked.

It is a book on the life of the

Sadguru Patil former defence minister and Goa
An Extraordinary Life: A & chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
biography of Manohar Mayabhushan
Parrikar Nagvenkar

The book addresses the missing

Indian soldiers during the mission
of 1965 & 1971 Indo- Pak wars &
Missing in Action: The also attempts to find out what
Chander Suta Dogra
Prisoners Who Never happened to them, hoping to
Came Back open up a debate on how
soldiers are often used as pawns
by governments.

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Sreedhar’s CCE CURRENT AFFAIRS CAPSULE MARCH-2020

OBITUARIES

Name of the Person Field/Importance

Balbir Singh Kullar Former India hockey player
Joginder Singh Saini Veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee
Jack Welch Former chairman and CEO of General Electric
Prachar Sangha Head of Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi
Sanghanayaka
Suddhananda Mahathero
Javier Perez de Cuellar Former UN Chief
K.Anbazhagan Indian Politician
Former Law Minister and former governor of
H. R. Bhardwaj Karnataka & Kerala

Vijayan Pillai Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA

Max Von Sydow Legendary Swedish Actor
Santu Mukhopadhyay Veteran Bengali actor
Dana Zatopkova Former Olympic javelin champion
Imtiaz Khan Bollywood actor
Patil Puttappa Veteran journalist
Puthussery Ramachandran Veteran poet
Jairam Kulkarni Noted Marathi actor
Roger Mayweather American professional boxer
Kenny Rogers American singer-songwriter
Visu Veteran Kollywood director
Albert Uderzo French comic book artist and scriptwriter
Nimmi Veteran bollywood actress
Abdul Latif Former India Footballer
Rajyogini Dadi Janki The chief of Brahmakumaris Sansthan
Satish Gujral Renowned Artist and architect
Floyd Cardoz Renowned chef
Nemai Ghosh Veteran photographer
Chandan Singh Rathore Retired Air Vice Marshal
Founding member of the Samajwadi Party (SP) &
Beni Prasad Verma former Union Minister
Joseph Lowery America’s civil rights leader
Paravai Muniyamma Tamil Folk singer and actress
Ken Shimura Veteran Japanese comedian
Thomas Schaefer Finance Minister of Hesse (Germany)

MARCH-2020 Page 24