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Current Affairs Weekly PDF – March 2020 4th Week (22-31)

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
New draft defence procurement Procedure 2020 unveiled, aims to boost indigenization;
introduced ‘leasing’ category
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh proposed a new Draft “Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)
2020” featuring promotion of indigenous manufacturing. The proposed DPP 2020 comes into effect
from April 1, 2020 and remain in force till March 31, 2025. The draft for DPP 2020 has been finalized by
a high-level committee headed by Apurva Chandra, Director General (DG) Acquisition, Ministry of
Defence that was set up in August 2019. DPP 2020 will replace DPP 2016.
Read Full Details Here: New draft defence procurement Procedure 2020 unveiled, aims to boost
indigenization; introduced ‘leasing’ category
PM Modi announces to observe “Janata Curfew” from 7 am to 9 pm on March 22, 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared ‘Janata Curfew’ or ‘Citizen Curfew’ on Sunday i.e. on March
22, 2020 in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in India. In this regard, Indian Nationals must stay at
home from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm on Sunday.
TRIFED launches ‘Tech For Tribals’ program to bring technology to tribal entrepreneurs
A 30- day long capacity building program called “Tech for Tribal” has been launched by the Tribal
Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), which works under Ministry of
Tribal Affairs in association with IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Roorkee, IIM Indore, Kalinga Institute of Social
Science, Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) and SRIJAN, Jaipur to provide entrepreneurship skills to the tribal
people. The Programme is supported by MSME ministry.
Gujarat Police becomes first in India to introduce taser guns

The Gujarat Police is equipped with taser guns as an alternative for ineffective lathis and deadly guns to
ensure safety and security of the public. By introducing the taser guns as part of police weapons,
Gujarat becomes the first state in India. The taser guns were used in agencies such as the UK
Metropolitan Police, the Los Angeles Police Department and the New York Police Department.
101 Special Economic Zones denotified: Government

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal informed on Lok Sabha that The Board of Approval on
Special Economic Zones (SEZs) has approved 101 cases of de-notification between April 1, 2008 &
February 29, 2020 on the request of SEZ private developers which include poor market response, lack
of space demand & a change in the fiscal regime for SEZs. The Government has formed a committee
under the chairmanship of Baba Kalyani, Chairman of Bharat Forge in July 2018 to study SEZ policy,
most of the recommendations are implemented already.
Cabinet Approval on March 21, 2020

Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the following approvals on
March 21, 2020.
 Cabinet approves inclusion of 12,500 AYUSH Health-Wellness Centres in National Ayushman
Mission
 Cabinet approved Rs 3,762.25 crore Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0)
Scheme
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 Cabinet approves Rs 3,420 crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and Rs 400 crore
Promotion of Medical Device Parks Scheme
 Cabinet approves Rs 3,000 cr Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks Scheme; Rs 6,940 crore PLI scheme
approved for (KSMs)/Drug Intermediates
 Cabinet approves Rs 40,995 crore Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Large Scale
Electronics Manufacturing
 Cabinet approves Rs 3,285 crore Scheme for Promotion of manufacturing of Electronic
Components and Semiconductors
 Cabinet approves expenditure for reimbursing the losses under MSP operations for cotton
during the cotton years (October to September) 2014-15 to 2018-19
 Prices of alcohols used in making hand sanitizers capped under Essential Commodities Act
Read Full Details Here: Cabinet Approval on March 21, 2020
Cabinet approved the extradition treaty between India and Belgium

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on March 21, 2020 announced has
approved to sign & ratify the extradition treaty between India and Belgium, which will enable the
countries to surrender any person found in its territory who is accused of or convicted in an
extraditable offence (It means an offence punishable by 1 year or more in accordance with the laws of
both parties) in the territory of the other party.
Gujarat Government signs an MoU with Dutch Flying car-maker, PAL-V

A Dutch Flying car-maker, PAL-V (Personal Air Land Vehicle) signs a MoU with Gujarat Government to
set up a manufacturing plant in Gujarat. It is the 1st time the Dutch company setting up its plant in India
and it has set a target of commencing production by 2021. The 1st commercial flying car made by PAL-V
is named as the PAL-V liberty.
UK becomes 1st co-chair of India-led global climate initiative ‘CDRI’

The Government of United Kingdom has become the 1st co-chair of the governing council of global
climate initiative ‘‘Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)’ led by India. The initiative was
created by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on September 23, 2019 during the UN (United
Nations) Climate Summit in New York, US (United States). The secretariat of the Coalition will be in New
Delhi.
Coronavirus outbreak: India’s 1st AI summit ‘RAISE 2020’ postponed to October

The Indian government announced the postponement of the country’s 1st summit on Artificial
Intelligence (AI), ‘RAISE 2020– Responsible Artificial intelligence (AI) for Social Empowerment’ to
October 5-6, 2020 due to COVID-19. It was priorly announced to be conducted between April 11 & 12,
2020 in New Delhi by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Bridge constructed by BRO over Teesta River in North Sikkim opened for traffic
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) opened a 360 feet long bailey suspension bridge for traffic over
Teesta River in Munshithang near Chungthang town, North Sikkim. The bridge constructed will be
useful for the people residing in Lahen town, North Sikkim. Under the Project Swastik, the 86 Road
Construction Company (RCC) of 758 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF), commenced the construction of
the bridge in October 2019 & completed in January 2020.
ICMR recommended hydroxychloroquine for caregivers of COVID-19 patients

The National Task Force for the novel coronavirus constituted by Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) has recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for healthcare workers or persons staying
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with and caring for positive COVID-19 patients. This protocol has been approved by the Drug Controller
General of India (DGCI), Dr. V. G. Somani. The protocol has mandated that hydroxychloroquine is to be
taken only for prophylaxis or prevention. Its use is restricted for emergency situations and it is not
advised for children below age 15.
Read Full Details Here: ICMR recommended hydroxychloroquine for caregivers of COVID-19 patients
IIT-Madras to organize India’s 1st Global Hyperloop Pod Competition

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will organize India’s 1st Global Hyperloop Pod Competition
named as ‘Indian Hyperloop Pod Competition’, to increase the awareness & enthusiasm about
Hyperloop in India. Hyperloop is the 5th transportation mode, a high-speed train that travels in a
vacuum tube. It can reach speeds up to 1000 km/hr.
PM Modi declared 21-day (Mar 25-April 14, 2020) lockdown to break COVID-19 infection
chain; Rs 15,000 cr allotted for healthcare by Centre
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared a 21-day lockdown for the whole nation starting from
March 25, 2020 till April 14, 2020 as an only way to break the chain of COVID-19 infection. The Centre
has allocated 15,000 crores for the purchase of personal protection equipment for healthcare workers,
increasing the number of beds, testing kits, setting up testing laboratories and quarantine centres, and
training of professionals to combat the disease.
COVID-19 outbreak: Labour ministry directs state govt/UTs to pay 3.5 cr construction workers
from Rs 52,000 cr fund
Santosh Kumar Gangwar, the Union Minister of State (Mos) for Labour and Employment, has issued an
advisory to all states and UT (Union Territory) governments that, under Section 60 of the Building and
Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Act, 1996 to provide financial aid to nearly 3.5 crore construction
workers from Rs 52,000-crore construction cess collected by the Labour Welfare Boards. As per BOCW
1996 act there will be a collection of cess at such rate not exceeding 2 %, but not less than 1 % of the
cost of construction and these cess will be used for the welfare of the employees working in the
construction sector.
COVID-19 will be tested and treated under Ayushman Bharat scheme

The National Health Authority (NHA) nodal agency for the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat-
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has bring the cost of testing and treatment of
coronavirus infection under the AB-PMJAY scheme. All the beneficiaries of the scheme will be able to
get the treatment at government-designated testing centres and public hospitals for symptoms of
COVID-19.
IRSDC is developing 1st of its kind “Form-Based Codes”: Railway land

The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC) with support from Shakti
Sustainable Energy Foundation is developing a 1st of its kind “Form Based Codes” for the development
of railway land. The code is being designed & approved for layout plans, building plans for station areas
which will ensure a compact, pedestrian-friendly, market responsive, transit oriented & sustainable
development.
Goa becomes the 1st Indian state to launch assessment tool for COVID-19
The Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane has launched “Test Yourself Goa”, a self-assessment tool for
COVID-19. It helps people to identify if they are infected (or not) by the virus without visiting a doctor
or hospital. Goa has partnered with Innovaccer Inc, a United States (US)-based healthcare data analytics
company, to launch this tool.
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Coronavirus-outbreak: Punjab becomes the 1st state to impose curfew after lockdown fails
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered an indefinite curfew across the state
after the lockdown became ineffective. With this, it becomes the 1st state in the country to take drastic
measure to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). After Punjab, the Chandigarh Union Territory
(UT) Administration has also imposed curfew in the city to cease the spread of virus.
Cabinet approvals on March 25, 2020

Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the following approvals on
March 25, 2020.
 Cabinet approves extension of RoSCTL scheme for export of garments, made-ups from April 1,
2020
 Cabinet continued recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks with CRAR of less than 9% till FY20-
21; Rs1,340 cr approved
 Cabinet increases subsidised foodgrains supply by 2Kg to 7Kg via ration shops during the
lockdown
 Cabinet approves construction of Rs. 1285 crore Aligarh-Harduaganj flyover
Read More Details Here: Cabinet approvals on March 25, 2020
Union Cabinet approves MoU between India & Germany: Railway sector
The Union Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi approves Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) signed in February 2020 between Ministry of Railways with DB Engineering and
Consulting GmbH of Germany for technological cooperation in railways.
Indore becomes the 1st city in India to use drones to sanitize the city: COVID-19
India’s cleanest city Indore (Madhya Pradesh) becomes the 1st city in India to use drones to sanitize the
city against COVID-19 scare. Indore Municipal Corporation has hired 2 drones from a private company
to sprinkle chemicals with sodium hypochlorite and bio-clean in crowded areas like vegetable markets,
streets. The spray is not harmful for citizens.
National Book Trust of MHRD Launches #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks

The National Book Trust (NBT) of Human Resource Development HRD Ministry launches initiative
named #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks to encourage people to read books while at home during the curfew.
Maharashtra overtakes Tamil Nadu &Telangana in organ donation, transplants for 2019
For the year 2019, the state of Maharashtra has donated the highest number of organs which resulted
beneficial for 449 patients. The state overtook Tamil Nadu and Telangana in the field of organ donation.
During the 10th Indian Organ Donation Day on 30th November 2019, the National Organ and Tissue
Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) presented the best state award to Maharashtra in the field of
deceased organ donation.
FinMin provided Rs 1.70 Lakh Cr relief package under PMGaribKalyanYojana for the poor to
tackle Corona Virus
Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26, 2020 announced the
Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) in New Delhi.
The motive behind this is to aid and support the Poverty-stricken people to fight a battle against
Coronavirus. One important among the schemes announced is providing Insurance cover of Rs. 50 Lakh
for the healthcare workers who fights COVID-19 in Government Hospitals and Health centres.
Read More Details Here: FinMin provided Rs 1.70 Lakh Cr relief package under PMGaribKalyanYojana
for the poor to tackle Corona Virus
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PM Modi participated in Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit to develop action plan against COVID-19;
over USD 5 trillion to be injected
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in an extraordinary “Virtual Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’
Summit” which was hosted by Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud through
video conference. It was held to discuss the challenges created by the COVID-19 and to develop an
action plan for global coordinated response against it.
Read More Details Here: PM Modi participated in Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit to develop action plan
against COVID-19; over USD 5 trillion to be injected
Health ministry categorises hydroxychloroquine as schedule H1 drug

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in exercise of the powers conferred under Section
26B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940), has declared hydroxychloroquine (HCQS) drug
as a schedule H1 drug– which means it can’t be sold without the prescription of a registered medical
practitioner (to maintain the availability of the drug). The reason behind this is recently the Indian
Council for Medical Research (ICMR) suggested that HCQS can be used in high risk cases of coronavirus
(COVID-19).
DST sets up COVID-19 Task Force to map technologies by start ups

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) under Ministry of Science and Technology has set up
COVID-19 Task Force for mapping technologies to fund nearly market-ready solutions in diagnostics,
testing, health care delivery solutions & equipment supplies. The technologies are mapped from
Research and Development (R&D) labs, academic institutions, start-ups & Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME).
India and France conduct joint patrols for the first time
India & France conducted joint patrol for the 1st time from the Reunion Island in February 2020 by P-8I
aircraft with French Navy personnel to maintain the security of international maritime routes for trade
and communications. Till now India carried CORPAT only with neighbouring countries also India
rejected the offer of US to conduct similar joint patrol.
Odisha to set up the largest COVID-19 hospital in the country

The Odisha Government announced that it is readying to set up the largest Covid-19 hospital in India
due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the country. The state-level hospitals will have 1000 beds in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha and will be functional in a fortnight. The State Government signed 2 tripartite
agreements with KIMS (Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences) and SUM Medical Colleges of Odisha to set
up 500-bed hospitals each exclusively for Coronavirus treatment.
Government approves Rs 5,751.27 crores as additional assistance to 8 disaster-hit states

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 (Bihar. Kerala, Nagaland, Odisha. Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal & Karnataka) which was
affected by floods, landslides, cyclones ‘Bulbul’ & drought during 2019.
Indian Army launches Operation Namaste: COVID-19

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane launched ‘Operation Namaste’ initiative to protect
1.3 million strong forces from coronavirus and provide all possible assistance to the government to
control the pandemic.
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JICA signs agreement worth Rs 15,295 crore with India: Rail Infrastructure
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japanese government agency signed an agreement
worth Rs 15,295 crore with India to provide an Official Development Assistance (ODA – long term loan
with less interest) for 3 rail infrastructure projects as follows, 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).
Read More Details Here: JICA signs agreement worth Rs 15,295 crore with India: Rail Infrastructure
Ministry of DoNER grants Rs 25-crore to combat the coronavirus in north eastern states
The Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Ministry (Union Minister – Jitendra Singh) 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). The ministry has also decided to
arrange dedicated cargo flights to the northeast and other hill states to carry essential goods.
Centre releases Rs 4,431 crore to clear pending wages under MGNREGA

The Centre released Rs 4,431 crores to clear pending wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) & will also pay all dues (Rs 11,499 crores) by April 10,
2020. The Union Finance Minister recently announced the increase in wages, the national average wage
under MGNREGA will rise from Rs 182 to Rs 202 per day. Till now totally there are 13.62 crore job
cardholders under the MGNREGA, out of which 8.17 crores are active job cardholders.
PM Narendra Modi formulated PM-CARES fund to fight coronavirus outbreak

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created emergency relief fund named Prime Minister’s Citizen
Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) where people can contribute and help the
government in its fight against coronavirus. This newly created public charitable trust has PM Narendra
Modi as the chairman and defence minister (Rajnath Singh), home minister (Amit Shah) and the finance
minister (Nirmala Sitaraman) as its members. People can make contributions in http://pmindia.gov.in/.
State Bank of India (SBI) is the banking partner of PM-CARES.
Centre approves medical insurance scheme for health workers dealing with COVID-19
The centre has approved a medical insurance scheme of Rs 50 lakh for 90 days to 22.12 lakh public
health care workers who are dealing with coronavirus pandemic. The approval made is a part of
measures under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package of Rs 1.70 lakhs announced by finance minister
Nirmala Sitharaman. The scheme will be funded by the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)
budget which is operated by the Home ministry for this purpose.
Read More Details Here: Centre approves medical insurance scheme for health workers dealing with
COVID-19
Government set up 11 different empowered groups: Lockdown

The government has set up 11 different empowered groups under Disaster Management Act, 2005 to
suggest measures to improve health, restore the economy, & ease the suffering of people after a 21-day
lockdown which is imposed for the control of the COVID-19 outbreak. Each group consists of about 6
members including a senior representative from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Cabinet
Secretariat to ensure seamless coordination.
Read Full Details Here: Government set up 11 different empowered groups: Lockdown
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EPF (Amendment) scheme, 2020 comes into force; withdrawal of non-refundable advance
allowed
The amendment made by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Employees Provident Fund
(Amendment) scheme, 2020, has come into force from March 28, 2020. The amendment was made in
Employees’ Provident Funds (EPF) Scheme 1952, sub-para (3) under para 68L has been added in the
EPF scheme, 1952.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches National Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC)

Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched COVID-19 National
Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC), a Telemedicine Hub in New Delhi to connect the Doctors across the
country to AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in real time for treatment of the COVID-19
patients. This Centre conceptualised by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has been implemented
by the AIIMS, New Delhi with 24X7 facilities.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India Ranks 144th, Finland tops: UN’s World Happiness Report 2020
The United Nations (UN) released the 8th edition of World Happiness Report 2020 to measure the
happiness of people of 156 countries where India (3.573) ranks in 144th position & Finland (7.809)
tops the 3rd time & Afghanistan is at 153rd place. This is the 1st time the report ranks cities around the
world, where Delhi- India (4.011) is positioned in 180th position (one among bottom 10), whereas,
Helsinki-Finland (7.828) tops the report & Kabul -Afghanistan (3.236) is at bottom place with 186th
position.
Rank Country
1 Finland (top)
144 India
153 Afghanistan (bottom)
India ranks 120th, Singapore tops: Economic Freedom Index 2020

The 26th annual edition of Economic Freedom Index 2020 Created by the Heritage Foundation and The
Wall Street Journal measures the level of economic freedom in 186 countries. In the Index India (56.5)
ranks in 120th position & Singapore (89.4) tops the index for the 1st time edging Hong Kong (2nd rank -
89.1) which for the 1st since publication in 1995 missed the top spot. Due to lack of reliable statistics
following 6 countries Iraq, Libya, Liechtenstein, Somalia, Syria, Yemen are not ranked.
Rank Table
Rank Country
1 Singapore (top)
120 India
180 North Korea (bottom)
Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan jointly contribute $3.5 mn to SAARC corona emergency fund
The Governments of Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan have pledged to contribute $1.5 million, $1
million and $1 million respectively to the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)
Corona Emergency Fund which was proposed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on March 15,
2020 with an initial grant of $10 million from India to deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
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pandemic. Earlier, the governments of Maldives and Bhutan also pledged to provide $200,000 and
100,000 respectively.
Singapore rescheduled World Cities Summit 2020 to 20 – 24 June 2021 due to COVID-19
Singapore has rescheduled the 7th World Cities Summit (WCS) 2020 to 20 – 24 June 2021 due to the
outbreak of COVID-19 which includes, Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) and CleanEnviro
Summit Singapore (CESG). The summit is organized by Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities and the
Urban Redevelopment Authority. The theme of WCS is Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Adapting to a
Disrupted World
Sri Lanka contributes $5 mn to SAARC corona emergency fund

The Government of Sri Lanka has pledged to contribute $5 million to the SAARC (South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation) Corona Emergency Fund proposed by Prime Minister (PM)
Narendra Modi on March 15, 2020 with an initial grant of $10 million from India to deal with the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Members of SAARC (8)– Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Protecting peatlands can help attain climate goals: FAO-UN report

As per the United Nations’ (UN) arm Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) report, Peatlands are
facing degradation and need to be urgently monitored. The report authored by 35 experts comprised
information as well as recommendations to countries on restoring and managing peatland. Peatlands
are wetlands with a thick layer of organic soil. Peatlands cover only 3% of the global land area, but they
store 30% of the world’s soil carbon.
Read Full Details Here: Protecting peatlands can help attain climate goals: FAO-UN report
WHO initiated mega trial “Solidarity” of 4 promising drugs to cure Covid-19

As per the Science Magazine report released on March 24, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO)
has started a mega trial namely “Solidarity” of four most promising drugs that may cure the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19). The trial consists of study, testing, and development of antidote against
coronavirus through four most promising therapies which are as follows: Remdesivir, Chloroquine and
hydroxychloroquine, Combination of lopinavir and ritonavir, Ritonavir/lopinavir plus interferon-beta.
ITU launches “Global Network Resiliency Platform”: COVID-19

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) launched a “Global Network Resiliency Platform” to
help global networks remain “safer, stronger and more connected” during the COVID-19 crisis. The
platform will assist the government & private sector to ensure that networks are kept flexible and all
telecommunication services are available to all.
25 worshippers killed by ISIS suicide bombers attacking Gurudwara in Kabul, Afghanistan

25 worshippers were killed and eight were injured during the attack by heavily armed four suicide
bombers attack at Dharamshala, a Sikh worship place (Gurudwara) located in Kabul, Afghanistan. The
responsibility of this deadliest attack is taken by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist
group. The attack comes after a day when the United States declared USD 1 billion reductions in aid to
the Afghanistan government.
Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri named in FIFA campaign against Coronavirus
Indian Football Captain Sunil Chhetri was selected among 28 members for FIFA (Fédération
Internationale de Football Association) video campaign against Coronavirus. FIFA and WHO (World
Health Organization) have teamed up to combat the coronavirus by launching ‘Pass the message to kick
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out coronavirus’ (promotes 5 key steps such as hand washing, coughing etiquette, not touching your
face, physical distance and staying home if feeling unwell and these steps protect the people’s health
according to WHO guidance.) led by world-renowned footballers.
Report ‘Boom & Bust 2020’: 4 New Coal projects added in India while coal capacity declined to
66GW
According to report titled “Boom and Bust 2020: Tracking the Global Plant Pipeline” released by Global
Energy Monitor, Greenpeace International, the Sierra Club, and Centre for Research on Energy and
Clean Air (CREA), In India, 47.4 GW coal fired power projects at different stages were cancelled in 2019
which reduced total under development coal capacity of the country to 66 GW. The report is the fifth
annual survey of the coal plant pipeline.
Read More Details Here: Report ‘Boom & Bust 2020’: 4 New Coal projects added in India while coal
capacity declined to 66GW
North Macedonia officially joins NATO as its 30th member

The Republic of North Macedonia has inducted officially as the 30th and newest member of North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This membership comes after North Macedonia’s 2017 deal with
Greece (Regarding dispute over name Macedonia which is one of province in Greece). After the name
change (Macedonia to North Macedonia in February 2019) Greece dropped its objections in NATO and
European Union (EU) membership. North Macedonia was granted a protocol on accession to NATO
membership in February 2019.
US announced $174 mn aid to 64 countries including $2.9 mn to India to tackle COVID-19

The United States of America (USA) will provide an additional USD 174 million financial assistance to
64 most at-risk countries which include USD 2.9 million to India as support for combating the
coronavirus pandemic. In February 2020, the USA provided 100 million aid for the same purpose.
IMF launches Government Policy Tracker: COVID-19

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has launched a policy tracker to track the policies of the
governments to share knowledge about COVID-19 which helps to tackle the crisis. The policy tracker
helps the countries to learn more about the experiences of others in combating the pandemic and adapt
their policies and procedures to their unique circumstances and needs.
BANKING & FINANCE
Star health unveils ‘Star novel coronavirus policy’ for corona victims
Star Health and Allied Insurance Co Ltd. has launched ‘Star Novel Coronavirus Insurance Policy’ that
provides coverage for hospitalized patients who test positive for the current pandemic COVID-19. The
company has set a premium of Rs 459 plus GST for a sum insured of Rs. 21,000 and a premium of Rs
918 plus GST for a sum insured of Rs 42,000. People who aged between 18-65 yrs can avail this policy.
RBI outlined Business Continuity Plan for smooth functioning national payment systems
The RBI for the first time, shared its Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to ensure zero disruptions in the
national payments systems (NPS) due to the coronavirus outbreak. The NPS includes National
Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), e-Kuber for government
transactions, etc. BCP is basically a recovery plan or process to prepare for anticipated disruptions,
ensure smooth flow of operations and staffing, and form crisis management groups. The current BCP is
also focused on keeping the banking staff insulated from exposure to the virus.
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Read Full Details Here: RBI outlined Business Continuity Plan for smooth functioning national
payment systems
In a first, Karur Vysya Bank introduces pre-paid card ‘Enkasu’ in Karur, TN

In a bid to promote digital India initiative of the central Government, Karur Vysya Bank (KVB), a
Scheduled Commercial Bank in India, has launched India’s 1st prepaid wallet card ‘Enkasu’ (My cash in
Tamil) in Karur, Tamil Nadu (TN) under its Quit cash movement. The Card works in Near Field
Technology (NFT) in closed loop. Also, the card can be accepted both in ‘offline’ and ‘online’ mode.
RBI extends regulatory restrictions on PMC Bank for 3 more months till June 22, 2020
The RBI has extended the 6-month regulatory restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative
(PMC) bank which was posed on September 23, 2019 due to financial irregularities, hiding and
misreporting of loans given to HDIL (Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited). Now, the
restriction is extended for three more months i.e. from March 23, 2020 to June 22, 2020 to work out a
revival scheme. The restriction has been imposed under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949 on withdrawal and lending. RBI also take over the board and the management of PMC bank and
appointed an ex-RBI official JB Bhoria as the administrator at the bank.
Covid-19: SBI becomes the 1st bank to launch emergency credit facility
The Indian Public Sector Bank, State Bank of India (SBI) has became the 1st bank to launch COVID 19
emergency credit line (CECL) to provide funds to businesses affected by the coronavirus. Under this
emergency credit line, loan will be given at a fixed interest rate of 7.25 % for a period of 12 months.
Maximum loan amount of up to Rs 200 crore or 10 % of the existing fund-based working capital limits
(FBWC) will be provided and such facility will be available by 30 June 2020.
RBI to inject Rs 30k cr into market for financial stability amid Covid-19
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is all set to inject liquidity of Rs 30,000 crore through open market
operations (OMOs) on March 24 and March 30, 2020 to maintain financial stability and liquidity in all
markets segments during coronavirus outbreak The RBI will purchase government securities under
OMOs in two tranches of Rs 15,000 crore each. OMO is the sale and purchase of government securities
and treasury bills by the central bank of the country.
RBI: On lending by banks to NBFCs is classified as a priority sector in FY21

To boost credit disbursement in the targeted segment like agriculture, Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises (MSME) and housing sector, RBI has extended the priority sector classification for bank
loans to Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) for on-lending for Fiscal year 2020-21. As per the
revised norms, on-lending by NBFCs for ‘term lending’ component under agriculture will be allowed up
to Rs 10 lakh per borrower, for MSME sector the limit is upto 20 Lakh per borrower & for housing
sector the limit is enhanced from 10 Lakh to 20 Lakh per borrower.
RBI opens Rs 59000cr emergency credit line for Yes Bank; a move after 16 years
Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) after its reconstruction plan for Yes Bank, has resumed its standard
operations. Now, to keep the liquidity of the bank for paying back to its depositors stable, it has opened
an emergency line of credit of Rs 59,000 crore. This liquidity support to Yes Bank is an additional
liquidity arsenal provided under Section 17 (4) of the RBI Act, 1934 as the bank has no solvency
problem or any other issue except liquidity. 16 years before a similar credit line was opened for Global
Trust Bank in 2004 but later the bank was merged with Oriental Bank of Commerce.
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NABARD provides Rs 42,313 crore for building rural infrastructure

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) provides financial support of Rs
42,313 crore in the Financial Year (FY) 2019-20 for building rural infrastructure - Rs 20,869 crore for
irrigation related projects, Rs 5,686 crore for rural connectivity, Rs 10,935 crore for Pradhan Mantri
Aawas Yojana Gramin (PMAYG) to provide “housing for all by 2022” & remaining for Swachh Bharat
Mission to provide clean water and sanitation facilities.
RBI advances its Rs 25000 cr repo auction to March 26, 2020; SPDs to participate in auction
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has advanced its first of the two Rs 25,000 crore variable rate repo auctions
to March 26, 2020 from March 30. It will provide flexibility to the banking system in year-end liquidity
management. It should be noted that RBI was going to make two such auctions of Rs 25,000 crore each
on March 30 and March 31 to address the additional demand for liquidity. There is no change in the
auction scheduled for March 31, 2020. Apart from eligible participants. RBI now has also allowed
standalone primary dealers (SPDs) to participate in this auction.
Jana SFB along with NPCI launches UPI QR-based loan installment payment facility
Jana Small Finance Bank (SFB) 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 & 5
crore micro finance agencies. The UPI QR-based payment mode is available for P2P (person to person)
and P2M (person to merchant) payments.
Indian Bank launched 5 special emergency loans for COVID 19-affected customers
Indian Bank launched five special emergency loans for large corporates, medium enterprises, MSMEs,
salaried and pensioners as a support to its customers affected through economic slump and lockdown
because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Special emergency loans are IND- COVID Emergency Credit
Line (IBCECL), IND- MSE COVID Emergency Loan (INDMSE-CEL), SHG-COVID – SAHAYA LOAN, IND-
COVID Emergency Salary Loan, IND COVID- Emergency Pension Loan.
Read More Details Here: Indian Bank launched 5 special emergency loans for COVID 19-affected
customers
YES Bank reconstitutes its BOD with 8 members

The 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 8-member
board comprise of Prashant Kumar- Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sunil Mehta-
Non-Executive Chairman, Mahesh Krishnamurti & Atul Bheda (Non-Executive Directors), R Gandhi &
Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan - Additional Directors appointed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI),
Partha Pratim Sengupta & Swaminathan Janakiraman - Directors nominated by State Bank of India
(SBI).
Highlights of Seventh Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement -2019-20; EMIs on hold for three
months
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Seventh Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2019-20
Resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), RBI under which MPC has decided rate changes
with immediate effect due to the current and evolving macroeconomic situation impacted by COVID-19.
Policy rate New Rate Previous Rate Change in Basis points (bps)
Policy Repo Rate 4.40 % 5.15% 75
Reverse Repo Rate 4% 4.90% 90
Marginal Standing Facility Rate 4.65% 5.40% 75
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Bank Rate 4.65% 5.40% 75

CRR 3% 4% 100
SLR 18.25% 18.25% -
Read More Details Here: Highlights of Seventh Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement -2019-20; EMIs
on hold for three months
RBI increased March 26, 2020 repo auction amount to Rs 50,000 cr from Rs 25,000 cr
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. Also, the nation has locked down for 21 days and to keep the liquidity in the market stable this
decision has been taken.
RBI announces liquidity boost of Rs 3.74 lakh crore amid coronavirus outbreak
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) declared an infusion of Rs 3.74 lakh crore into the banking system through
three measures viz. targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO – auctions conducted for term repos
upto 3yrs amounting to 1 lakh crore), Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR – reduced from 4% to 3% 1st time after
Feb 2013, which could release liquidity of 1.37 lakh crore) and marginal standing facility (MSF - limit
under MSF increased to 3 % from 2% which can add an additional Rs 1.37 lakh core of liquidity.). RBI
has already injected liquidity of Rs 2.8 lakh crore in the financial markets through various instruments,
which equal to 1.4% of GDP.
ADB commits $ 100 million in Indian infrastructure sector through NIIF

Multilateral Institution Asian Development Bank (ADB) will invest $100 million into the National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India Fund of Funds (FoF). With this, the FoF has now
received a total of $700 million in commitments. FoF of NIIF was created in 2018 with the aim to invest
in a variety of sectors and strategies through third-party managed funds. Till now, it has secured
commitments to 3 Funds totalling to over Rs. 2,600 crore ($350 million).
SFBs can provide risk-free simple financial services without seeking RBI’s nod
The Reserve Bank has allowed Small Finance Banks (SFBs) to carry out simple financial activities
without seeking a prior approval from it. This will be applicable to those SFBs who have completed
three years of operations. The Central Bank has also allowed for general permission to all existing SFBs
to open banking outlets subject to adherence to Unbanked Rural Centre norms.
Merger of 10 state-run banks into 4 to come into force from April 1: RBI
The amalgamation plan ( 10 PSBs to 4 PSBs) of banks is all set to come into force from April 1, 2020.
The branches of merging banks will operate as of the banks in which these have been amalgamated &
the customers of merging banks will be treated as customers of the banks in which these banks have
been merged with effect from April 1, 2020. As per the scheme, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United
Bank of India amalgamated into Punjab National Bank; Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank; Allahabad
Bank into Indian Bank; and Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank into Union Bank of India.
PNB releases new logo ahead of merger with UBI & OBC on April 1, 2020
The Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a new logo before the merger of the bank with the
United Bank of India (UBI) and the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) which comes into force from April
1, 2020. The new logo will have signages of all the 3 banks. With the merger, PNB will be the 2nd largest
bank in the country with a total business and size of Rs 17.94 lakh crore only behind State Bank of India
(SBI) (largest bank if India) whose total business is about 52 lakh crore rupees.
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ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Crisil lowers FY21 growth to 5.2% from 5.7%

The Credit rating agency Crisil has downgraded India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) forecast for FY
2021 to 5.2% from 5.7% due to the coronavirus pandemic. As per Crisil, if the COVID 19 if not tackled
by April-June 2020 globally then it may lead to a severe slowdown.
IOC becomes 1st company to begin the supply of BS-VI fuel across country
The India’s biggest oil firm, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has began the supply of the world’s cleanest
petrol and diesel across the country. All 28,000 petrol stations of IOC’s across the country are
dispensing BS-VI (Bharat Stage- VI) ultra-low sulphur grade fuel to reduce the pollution from vehicles
in the air. The deadline set by government for the supply of BS-VI is April 1, 2020. The BS-VI (Euro VI
equivalent) has a low sulphur content of 10 ppm (parts per million) & emission standards are as good
as CNG (Compressed Natural Gas).
S&P slashes India’s GDP growth estimate for FY21 to 5.2 % from 6.5%
The world’s largest independent credit rating agency, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings, has
lowered India’s economic growth forecast to 5.2 % from 6.5 % estimated earlier for fiscal year-FY 21
(April 2020 to March 2021) due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). It has also reduced the
growth forecast for 2021-22 to 6.9% from 7% & predicted GDP growth could remain at 7% percent in
the financial year 2022-23 and 2023-24.
India’s first dedicated COVID-19 Centre set up by Reliance in Mumbai, Maharashtra; to produce
1,00,000 face-masks per day
The Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC), has set up India’s first 100 bedded centre at Seven Hills Hospital, Mumbai,
Maharashtra for positive COVID 19 patients. The Centre was fully funded by Reliance Foundation which
includes a negative pressure room that helps in preventing cross contamination and helps control
infection, among necessary infrastructure and bio-medical equipment. RIL enhances its production
capacities to produce 1,00,000 face-masks per day and large no. of personal protective equipment
(PPE). RIL also donated Rs. 5Cr to Maharashtra’s CM relief fund.
Make in India: Pune-based Mylab becomes the 1st Indian firm to make diagnostic test kits for
coronavirus
The National Institute of Virology (NIV) has given its nod to Pune based Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt
Ltd to make diagnostic test kits (Called as Mylab PathoDetect COVID-19 Qualitative PCR kit – it can
detect infection within 2.5hrs) for novel coronavirus (COVID-19). With this, it becomes the 1st Indian
company to develop the first made-in-India test kit for the COVID-19 within the span of 6- weeks. In
addition to that the Germany-based Altona Diagnostics has also received the approval for its test kit.
FinMin declared relief measures for financial sectors amid COVID-19 outbreak; Extension for
return filing till June 30, 2020
The Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has briefed the relief measures on
March 24, 2020 for statutory and regulatory compliance matters related to Income Tax, GST, Customs &
Central Excise, Corporate Affairs, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) Fisheries, Banking Sector and
Commerce. One important announcement is the threshold of defeault is raised from 1 Lakh to 1 Crore
under Section 4 of IBC to protect MSME.
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Read Full Details Here: FinMin declared relief measures for financial sectors amid COVID-19 outbreak;
Extension for return filing till June 30, 2020
COVID- 19: Invest India Business Immunity Platform launched

Invest India, India’s national Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency, under the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has launched “The Invest India Business Immunity Platform” to
minimise the impacts & crisis in business due to COVID-19. The platform was hosted on the Invest India
website, providing the latest initiative of the State and Central Governments. Invest India joins
partnership with SIDBI to respond and solve queries for MSMEs.
CRISIL trims India’s GDP growth estimate for FY 21 to 3.5 % from 5.2%
CRISIL (formerly Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited), a global analytical company
providing ratings, has reduced India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth by 170 bps (basis points)
to 3.5% for fiscal year-FY 2020-21 from 5.2 % estimated earlier (due to COVID-19 crisis).
Moody’s again slashes India GDP growth to 2.5% from 5.3% in 2020: COVID-19
In accordance with Moody’s Global Macro Outlook 2020-21, Moody has slashed India’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) to 2.5% from earlier estimate of 5.3% in 2020 due to rising economic cost of COVID-19 &
also due to the lockdown in India. It has also lowered China’s growth forecast 3.3% in 2020 from 4.8%.
Another worrying data is Moody’s anticipate the global economy to shrink 0.5% of real GDP by 2020,
then rise to 3.2% by 2021.
India’s GDP growth rate may fall sharply to 2.6 % in 2020-21: SBI’s Ecowrap
According to a report titled “EcoWrap” released by the economic research team from SBI (State Bank of
India), India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth is expected to decline sharply to 2.6 % in the next
financial year 2020-21 amid the 21-day lockdown Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.
India’s GDP to grow 2% in 2020-21: ICRA

The 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.
IMF declared recession in World due to COVID-19 impact

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has declared a global
recession driven by the COVID-19 pandemic that could be worse than the 2008-09 global financial
crisis. The estimated overall financial needs of emerging markets is 2.5 trillion dollars as 81 emergency
financing requests, including 50 from lower-income countries, have been received by IMF.
Read More Details Here: IMF declared recession in World due to COVID-19 impact
Fitch slashes India’s GDP growth estimate for FY21 to 4.6% from 5.4 %
American credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings Inc, has lowered India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
growth forecast to 4.6% for the fiscal year FY21 from the previous estimate of 5.4%. It has lowered
India’s GDP growth forecast to 4.9% for the FY20 (ending in March 31, 2020)
Ind-Ra trims India’s GDP forecast to 3.6% from 5.5% for FY21
India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra), the Indian subsidiary of Fitch group, has lowered India’s gross
domestic product (GDP) growth estimates for the financial year 2020-21 (FY21) to 3.6 % from 5.5%
due to concerns over the coronavirus (COVID- 19).
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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Hillel Furstenberg & Gregory Margulis won Abel Prize Laureates 2020
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters named Israeli-American Hillel Furstenberg from
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and Russian-American Gregory Margulis from Yale University,
USA as winners of the Abel Prize (recognises extraordinary contributions to the field of mathematics)
2020. They share the prize & the amount of Norwegian Krone (NOK) 7.5 Million (USD 8.3400). They are
awarded for their “pioneering use of methods from probability & dynamics in group theory, number
theory and combinatorics”.
Author Ruchika Tomar wins PEN/Hemingway Award 2020

Ruchika Tomar, the Indian-origin American author has been named as the winner of the annual
PEN/Hemingway Award 2020 for her debut novel” A Prayer for Travelers”. She hails from California &
is currently working as a lecturer at Stanford University. The award includes a prize of USD 25,000 &
also a 1-month residency fellowship worth USD 10,000 at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming.
Zoya Akhter honoured with IIFTC Tourism Impact Award 2020 held in Mumbai, Maharashtra
Bollywood female director, Zoya Akhter has been honoured with IIFTC Tourism Impact Award 2020
during the 8th India International Film Tourism Conclave (IIFTC) held in Mumbai, Maharashtra on
March 2020. The award was recognition of her outstanding contribution to the world tourism through
her cinema. She has promoted tourism through her films like ‘Zindagi Na MilegiDobara’ which was shot
in Spain, and comedy-drama ‘DilDhadakne Do’ shot in Turkey. Tamil Director, KS Ravikumar, also
awarded during the event.
Mirza Waheed and Santanu Das win The Hindu Prize 2019
The winners of The Hindu Prize 2019 Fiction and Non-Fiction are Mirza Waheed (Tell Her Everything –
Fiction) and Santanu Das (India, Empire, and First World War Culture: Writings, Images and Songs –
Non-Fiction) respectively. Prize was founded in 2010 to honor writers who have spent the rest of their
lives mining the human spirit with their words & ideas.
Winners of Critics’ Choice Film Awards 2020 announced

On March 28, 2020 the winners of 2nd edition of Critics’ Choice Film (annual) Awards 2020 were
announced digitally to honour Best Film, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Best Director and Best
Writing across 8 languages namely: Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Gujarati and
Kannada. It was presented by the Film Critics’ Guild and Motion Content Group, in collaboration with
Vistas Media Capital. Read More Details Here: Winners of Critics’ Choice Film Awards 2020 announced
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath resigns

Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister (CM) Kamal Nath of Indian National Congress (INC) party has
submitted his resignation letter to MP Governor Lalji Tandon at Raj Bhawan, Bhopal, MP, ahead of the
scheduled floor test ordered by the Supreme Court (SC) in the State Assembly. He will continue as
caretaker CM till new one took charge.
IRDAI sets up 16-member panel on governance at insurers headed by Pravin Kutumbe

The Insurance Regulation and Development Authority (IRDAI) instituted a 16-member committee
headed by Pravin Kutumbe to strengthen its guidelines on corporate governance. The committee
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consists of a head, six members from the insurance regulator besides members from the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) along with other industry
participants.
Govt. set up a committee under Dr V K Paul to prevent & control COVID-19

The government set up a 21-member high-level technical committee of public health experts to guide
the people in preventive & control activities of COVID-19. The committee is headed by NITI Aayog
member V K Paul & is co-chaired by Union Health Secretary- Preeti Sudan, Director General Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR)- Balram Bhargava.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan becomes the CM of MP

Shivraj Singh Chouhan (61) sworn as Chief Minister (CM) of Madhya Pradesh (MP) for the 4th time. He
will succeed Kamal Nath who was in power for 15 months. He was the CM of MP for 13 years from 2005
to 2018 (December). He is popularly known as ‘Mamaji’ among his followers
IndusInd Bank MD & CEO Romesh Sobti retires

Private sector lender IndusInd Bank Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ramesh
Sobti, 70 years old, retired. He will be replaced by Sumant Kathpalia as the MD and CEO of IndusInd
bank for the period of 3 years.
IRS officers KM Prasad and SK Gupta appointed CBDT board members

The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of two Indian
Revenue Service (IRS) officers Krishan Mohan Prasad and Satish Kumar Gupta as members of the
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Walmart promotes Sameer Aggarwal as CEO of Best Price, Walmart India

Sameer Aggarwal has been promoted as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Best Price, Walmart India
which in effect from April 1, 2020. He succeeds Krish Iyer as announced by Walmart.
B.P. Kanungo reappointed as Deputy Governor of RBI for a period of one year
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, has
approved the extension of the tenure of RBI (Reserve Bank of India) Deputy Governor, Bibhu Prasad
Kanungo (BP Kanungo) for a period of one year up to April 3, 2021. His tenure is going to end on April
2, 2020. He was appointed as Deputy Governor of RBI on April 3, 2017.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
NTPC acquires Govt’s stake in THDC, NEEPCO for a total of Rs 11,500 Crore
NTPC (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), India’s largest energy
conglomerate, has inked a share purchase agreement (SPAs) worth of Rs 11,500 crore with the central
government. Under the deal NTPC acquired the latter’s 74.496 % equity stake in THDC India Ltd
(THDCIL) for Rs 7,500 crore & its 100% equity in North-Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited
(NEEPCO) for Rs 4,000 crore respectively.
Chennai Port acquires centre’s 67% stake in Kamarajar Port for 2,383 crores
The Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) has acquired 67% stake held by the Central government in Kamarajar
Port Ltd (KPL) for an amount of Rs 2,383 crore. However, both the ports will function as separate
entities representing KPL as corporate firm & ChPT as trust, while deriving benefits in terms of
investments and operations.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NASA’s CNEOS detects 4 asteroids approaching the earth

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies
(CNEOS) identifies 4 asteroids namely, 2020 FK, 2020 FS, 2020 DP4 & 2020 FF1 approaching the earth
which follows Earth-intersecting orbits.
UK scientists discover fossil of the world’s oldest known modern bird, call it ‘Wonderchicken’
Scientists at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom (UK) have discovered a fossil of the
world’s known modern bird skull dating to about 66.8m – 66.7m years ago- means the birds lived
alongside dinosaurs for around a million years before the latter died out. Scientists dubbed the creature
as ‘Wonderchicken’, which is thought to be a common ancestor of modern chickens and ducks. The
findings were published in the journal Nature.
Fins of prehistoric fish “Elpistostege watsoni” revealed origins of the human hand
A study led by paleontologist Richard Cloutier of Universite du Quebec a Rimouski in Canada has
revealed revealed the origins of the human hand after examining the 380-million-year-old complete
fossil of an ancient fish called Elpistostege watsoni which had finger bones in its front fins. The team has
examined the specimen using the high-energy computed tomography. The study is published in the
journal Nature.
SAARC Disaster Management Centre launches website for information related to COVID- 19
The SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Disaster Management Centre launched
a website [www.covid19-sdmc.org] for information related to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in the region
as announced by the Indian Prime Minister (PM) Shri Narendra Modi during the recent video
conference with SAARC leaders.
US successfully tested its first nuclear-capable hypersonic missile

The United States (US) Navy and Army has successfully tested its common hypersonic glide body (C-
HGB), a first unarmed prototype of a hypersonic missile which can carry nuclear warheads. The test
was carried out at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii and was monitored by Missile
Defense Agency (MDA) of US Department of Defence i.e. The Pentagon. C-HGB flew at five times the
speed of sound (Mach 5) to a designated impact point. Russia’s “Avangard hypersonic missile” is
world’s 1st hypersonic missile.
After Covid-19 pandemic “Hantavirus” death reported in China

China’s Yunnan province has reported a death due to Hantavirus infection (which spreads from
rodents), this is just few days after spread of deadly Coronavirus around the world. Rodents are a type
of small mammal with sharp front teeth which include mouse, squirrel, or beaver, hamster etc.
Hantavirus is not a new virus and it does not spread from person to person. As per United States’ (US)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hantavirusis spread mainly by rodents and can
cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) to
the infected person.
Microsoft & US CDC ties-up to create a COVID-19 self-screening bot, “Clara”

The 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” [the coronavirus self-checker]. The bot is currently available in the US on the CDS website. In
India, Apollo hospitals have introduced a similar self-assessment test based on advice from the World
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Health Organisation (WHO) & the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare India for the users to
know the risk level of getting the infection.
Pune based ARI scientists develop biofortified high-protein wheat variety ‘MACS 4028’
A team of Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) in Pune, Maharashtra, have developed
‘MACS 4028’, a biofortified wheat variety, which shows high-protein content of around 14.7% good
nutritional quality having zinc 40.3 ppm, and iron content of 40.3 ppm and 46.1ppm (parts per million)
respectively. The development done by the scientist has been published in the Indian Journal of
Genetics and Plant Breeding.
ARCI, Hyderabad develops ‘ultrafast laser surface texturing technology’ to improve the fuel
efficiency of IC engines
International Advanced Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad (Telangana),
which functions as a grants-in-aid institution of the Government of India’s Department of Science &
Technology (DST), has developed ‘ultrafast laser surface texturing technology’, which can enhance the
efficiency of fuel in internal combustion (IC) engines by reducing friction.
US launches advanced satellite for communication: AEHF-6

The United States (US) Space Force launched its 1st national security mission on March 26, 2020 by
sending an ultra-secure military communication satellite into orbit called Advanced Extremely High
Frequency (AEHF)-6 (developed by Lockheed martin) from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the Atlas V551
rocket.
COVID-19: IIT Bombay develops two apps “Corontine” and “Safe” to track violations by those in
quarantine
IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)-Bombay (Department of CSE) developed 2 mobile applications
called “Corontine” and “Safe”, that can track violations by people supposed to be in quarantine. The
proposals of both apps have been sent to officials in the Ministry of Human Resource and Department,
Niti Aayog, the Maharashtra government and the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation).
Read More Details Here: COVID-19: IIT Bombay develops two apps “Corontine” and “Safe” to track
violations by those in quarantine
SPORTS
Canada becomes 1st country to back out of Tokyo Olympics 2020

The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees jointly announced that it would not send any of its
athletes to participate in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 which is scheduled on July 24, 2020 in Japan, due to
the spread of Coronavirus disease rapidly across the world. Thus, Canada becomes the first country to
back out of Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Covid-19 pandemic: Tokyo 2020 Olympics postponed to 2021; First time in 124 years
Japan ‘s Prime Minister (PM) Shinzo Abe and the President of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) Thomas Bach have agreed to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which was scheduled on
July 24 – August 9, 2020 to the year 2021 (dates will be announced later). This is the first time in the
Olympics’ 124-year history that it has been postponed due to virus, Earlier the Olympic Games have
been cancelled because of global conflicts (in Berlin 1916, Tokyo 1940 and London 1944).
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IAAF suspends Indian shot putter Navin chikara for 4 years for doping violation
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 (he was
suspeneded in November 2018).
OBITUARY
Country music icon & 3 times grammy winner Kenny Rogers passed away at 81
Kenneth Ray Rogers, longtime star of country music, passed away at the age of 81 in Colbert, Georgia,
US (United States). He was born on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas, US. He was inducted to the
Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013, for his “distinctive & husky voice”. He was a six-times Country
Music Awards (CMA) winner and 3 times Grammy award winner.
Famous Actor and Director M. R. Viswanathan passed away at 75

Famous actor, director and stage artiste from Tamil Nadu Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy
Viswanathan, popularly known as Visu passed away at the age of 75 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN). His
film “Neenga Nalla Irukkanum” won the National award for the Best Film on social issues in 1992.
Asterix’ co-creator Albert Uderzo passed away at 92

French comic book artist, scriptwriter, the co-creator and illustrator of the “Asterix and Obelix” comics
Alberto Aleandro Uderzo was passed away at the age of 92 in France. He was born on April 25, 1927 in
Fismes, France. Albert Uderzo created Asterix in 1959 with the fellow Frenchman and writer Rene
Goscinny, who gave life to the French-Belgian comics magazine Pilote. They both were considered as
founding fathers of modern comics.
Former Indian Footballer Abdul Latif passed away at 73

Karnataka (Mysore) born Abdul Latif, former India football player and 1970 Asian games bronze
medallist passed away at the age of 73 in Guwahati, Assam. He also represented India in Asia Cup
Qualifier in 1968 in Myanmar and Merdeka Cup in 1969 in Kuala Lumpur. He played for the two famous
Kolkata clubs Mohammedan Sporting Club and Mohun Bagan.
Famous Bollywood actress Nimmi passed away at 87

Nawab Banoo, famous Bollywood actress passed away at the age of 87 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She
was also known as Nimmi, who was popular in the early 1950s & 1960s of Hindi films (debuted in Raj
Kapoor’s “Barsaat” in 1949). She was born on February 18, 1933 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Veteran photographer & Padma Shri awardee Nemai Ghosh passed away at 86
Veteran photographer & Padma Shri (2010) awardee, Nemai Ghosh passed away at 86 because of age-
related ailments at his birthplace Kolkata. He worked with director Satyajit Ray as a still photographer
who captured the director, framing actors over 2 decades. He is the author of the book, “Dramatic
Moments: Photographs and Memories of Calcutta Theatre from the Sixties to the Nineties” & “Manik Da:
Memoirs of Satyajit Ray”.
Padma Vibhushan awardee Satish Gujral passed away at 94

Artist and Architect Satish Gujral passed away at the age of 94 in New Delhi, India. He was born on
December 25, 1925, in Jhelum, Punjab and studied art in Mumbai and Lahore. He received the second-
highest civilian award of India “Padma Vibhushan” in 1999 for his contributions to art. Gujral wrote his
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autobiography “A Brush with Life”. His other famous works are ‘Mourning en masse’, ‘Resurrection’,
‘Meera Bai’, ‘Prophet’, ‘Village’, ‘Femme assises’, ‘Days of Glory’, ‘Tree of Life’, ‘Raising of Lazarus’, etc.
Brahmakumaris chief Dadi Janki passed away at 104

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. In the 1970s, she moved to western
countries to establish Indian Philosophy, Raj Yoga and human values. She was also served as the brand
ambassador of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by the government for her work in the field of maintaining
cleanliness.
SP founding member & former Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma passed away at 79
Beni Prasad Verma, a founding member of the Samajwadi Party (SP) & former Union Minister (Telecom
minister between 1996-1998 in then Prime Minister (PM) H D Deva Gowda’s Cabinet & the steel
minister Congress- led UPA government) passed away at the age of 79 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
He was born on February 11, 1941, in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
America’s civil rights leader Joseph Lowery passed away at 98

America’s civil rights leader Joseph Echols Lowery passed away at the age of 98 in Atlanta, Georgia, US
(United States). He was the key ally of Martin Luther King in the US civil rights movement of the 1960s.
He was born on October 6, 1921 in Huntsville, Alabama, US. He was awarded the “Presidential Medal of
Freedom”, the nation’s highest civilian honour, by former President Barack Obama in 2009.
Air Vice Marshal (retd) & Maha Vir Chakra recipient Chandan Singh Rathore passed away at 95
Air Vice Marshal (AVM) retired, Maha Vir Chakra (MVR) recipient (1971) & Group Captain Chandan
Singh Rathore passed away at 95 at his Jodhpur residence, Rajasthan. Awards received are- Ati Vishisht
Seva Medal (1961), Vir Chakra (1962). Biography of Chandan Singh Rathore - “A Cavalier in the Sky” to
be released soon.
German Minister Thomas Schaefer passed away at 54

Thomas Schaefer, Finance Minister of Hesse (Germany), 54 years old, has committed suicide apparently
after becoming “deeply worried” over how to cope with the economic fallout from the Coronavirus. He
was born on February 22, 1966, in Hemer, North Rhine- Westphalia, West Germany.
Tamil folk singer, actress Paravai Muniyamma passed away at 83

Tamil Folk singer and actress Paravai Muniyamma passed away at the age of 83 Madurai, Tamil Nadu
(TN). She was born on June 26, 1937 in Paravai, Madurai, Tamil Nadu (TN). She was honoured with the
Kalaimamani title by the Tamil Nadu government.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Chander Suta Dogra authored a book titled- “Missing in Action: The Prisoners Who Never Came
Back”
Senior Journalist Chander Suta Dogra launched her 2nd book during an event hosted by United Service
Institution of India (USI)- “Missing in Action: The Prisoners Who Never Came Back” relies on de-
classified records of the Ministry of External Affairs & other sources. It is published by Harpercollins.
Her 1st book, “Manoj & Babli: A hate story” (True story) explores a tough & rough road to justice for
victims of honor killings.
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Savita Chhabra authored her first book titled “Legacy Of Learning”

Savita Chhabra, Chairperson of HRIPL (Hygienic Research Institute Private Limited) and an award-
winning businesswoman, has authored & launched her first book titled “Legacy Of Learning” (selected
verses from Srimad Bhagavad Gita).
National Book Trust, India of MHRD to launch ‘Corona Studies Series’ books
National Book Trust (NBT), India, the national body for book publishing and book promotion under the
Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), is launching a publishing series titled ‘Corona
Studies Series’ to document and to provide relevant reading materials for all age-groups for the post-
corona readership needs. MHRD also set-up a Study Group comprising some experienced & young
psychologists/ counsellors to prepare books on the sub-series ‘Psycho-Social Impact of Corona
Pandemic and the Ways to Cope’.
A book titled The Death of Jesus authored by JM Coetzee

South African born Nobel Laureate (2003 – Literature) John Maxwell Coetzee, who authored the book
“The Death of Jesus”, completed his Jesus trilogy (a group of 3 related novels) with the final book. The
book explores the meaning of a world empty of memory but brimming with questions. The book
comprises 3 novels: The Childhood of Jesus, The Schooldays of Jesus and the Death of Jesus - books were
Published by Penguin Random House.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Poetry Day 2020: March 21

The World Poetry Day (WPD) is observed annually on March 21 to encourage people to read, write,
teach, publish poetry & also to recognize poetry’s unique ability which captures the creative spirit of the
human mind. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has declared
March 21 as WPD in its 30th General council meet held at Paris in 1999.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2020: March 21

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on March 21 to
raise awareness about the negative consequences of racial discrimination. The UN (United Nations)
General Assembly proclaimed the day as a UN Day of observance in 1966.
International Day of Forests 2020: March 21

The International Day of Forests (IDF) is observed annually on March 21 to raise awareness of the
importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests. The UNGA proclaimed the day in 2012
and it is celebrated since 2013. Theme of the year 2020: “Forests and Biodiversity”.
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) observed on March 21, 2020

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) has been observed annually on March 21 which aims to raise
awareness and provide support to the patients suffering from Down syndrome, a congenital disorder
caused by having an extra 21st chromosome. The Day is observed since 2012 (1st recognized by World
Health Organisation (WHO)). The Theme for the WDSD 2020: “We Decide”.
World puppetry day celebrated on March 21, 2020

World Puppetry Day has been celebrated every year on March 21 across the world with the aim to raise
interest and encourage the kids and youngsters towards the comic-art-entertainment form. The day is
celebrated since 2003.
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International Day of Nowruz 2020: March 21

The International Day of Nowruz was celebrated on March 21, 2020. The word Nowruz (new day) is the
name of the Iranian new year or Persian new year which is celebrated worldwide by various
ethnolinguistic groups. The UN (United Nations) general assembly recognized March 21 as
International Day of Nowruz in 2010.
World Meteorological Day 2020: March 23

The World Meteorological Day (WMD 2020) is observed every year on March 23 organized by the
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) since the year 1950. The theme of WMD 2020 is “Climate
and Water”.
World Water Day 2020: March 22

The World Water Day is observed globally on March 22 every year, to highlight the importance of
freshwater. Theme of the year 2020: “Water and Climate Change”. The day is observed since 1993.
World Water Day celebrates water & raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to
safe water and the main purpose of the day is to achieve Sustainable Development Goal which includes
water and sanitation for all by 2030.
World Tuberculosis Day 2020: March 24

World Tuberculosis Day is being observed annually on March 24 to raise awareness about Tuberculosis
(TB) disease and the efforts made to eliminate the disease. The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr
Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium (named “Mycobacterium Tuberculosis”)
that causes TB. World TB Day is one of the 8 official global health campaigns marked by the World
Health Organization (WHO). India is committed to eliminate the prevalence of TB by 2025.
Theme of the year 2020: ‘It’s time’.
International Day for Achievers 2020: March 24

International Day for Achievers (IDA) is observed every year on March 24, to honour the achievers who
have shown determination and confidence on their journey. On this day the achievers from different
fields are honoured for motivating people to achieve their goals.
International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for
the Dignity of Victims 2020: March 24
International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the
Dignity of Victims is observed every year on March 24 to honour those who have dedicated & lost their
lives in struggle to promote & protect human rights for all. The day is to pay tribute to Archbishop Óscar
Arnulfo Romero (Human rights activist), who was murdered on March 24, 1980.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
2020: March 25
The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade was
observed every year on March 25 to honour and remember those who suffered & died at the hands of
brutal slavery system. The Theme for 2020 is “Confronting Slavery’s Legacy of Racism Together”. The
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) designated March 25 as the day on December 17, 2007.
International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members 2020: March 25
The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is observed every year on
March 25 by the United Nations (UN). The day commemorates the anniversary of the abduction of Alec
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Collett, a former journalist who works for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for
Palestine Refugees (was kidnapped and killed).
World Theatre Day 2020: March 27

World Theatre Day (WTD) is celebrated every year on 27th March by ITI (International Theatre
Institute) centres and International Theatre Community. The day promotes the values of arts and its
forms across the world. The day was initiated by ITI in 1961. The messages given by renowned theatre
artists focus on the theme of “Theatre and a Culture of Peace”. Shahid Nadeem, Pakistani playwright
was selected as the author of the message of WTD for the year 2020.
STATE NEWS
Jammu & Kashmir administrative council to implement the dairy cooperative scheme
Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) administrative council approved the implementation of Dairy cooperative
scheme for dairy cooperative society with the support & sponsorship of the National Cooperative
Development Corporation (NCDC) to boost milk production in the Union territory by empowering dairy
cooperative societies with easy financial assistance. The administrative council is headed by Lieutenant
Governor Girish Chandra Murmu.
Justice Bhushan P Dharmadhikari as Chief Justice of Bombay High Court

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has appointed Justice Bhushan P Dharmadhikari as the
Chief Justice of Bombay High Court. He will succeed Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog.
Mayiladuthurai to become Tamil Nadu’s 38th district: CM

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (CM) Edappadi Palaniswamy announced at the Legislative Assembly that
Nagapattinam district will be bifurcated and a new district (38th) will be formed with its headquarters
at Mayiladuthurai. Out of 37, 5 districts were formed during 2019. He also announced hike in pension
for village temple priests from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 3000 & establishment of new Electrical vehicle and data
park centres in the state.
Read More Details Here: Mayiladuthurai to become Tamil Nadu’s 38th district: CM
Coronavirus: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched “Mo Jeeban Programme”

Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik launched “Mo Jeeban (My Life) Programme” and urged
people to take a pledge to stay indoors. The programme was launched due to the Coronavirus (COVID-
19) outbreak. The objective of the programme is to keep everyone safe in the state due to the dangerous
spread of the virus.
Iqbal Singh Bains appointed as Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary

The 1985 Batch IAS officer, Iqbal Singh Bains was appointed as Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Secretary
by the newly-sworn Chief Minister (CM) Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the state. He was the successor of CS
M Gopal Reddy.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath sets up ‘Team-11’ to beat Coronavirus

Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has set up “Team-11” consists 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.
Read Full Details Here: UP CM Yogi Adityanath sets up ‘Team-11’ to beat Coronavirus
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Maharashtra Chief Secretary gets another 3-month extension: COVID-19

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). He is the 1st bureaucrat in the state to get an extension beyond 6 months.
AC GAZE
SBI commits 0.25% of annual profit for FY 2019-20: COVID-19

State Bank of India (SBI),the country’s largest lender has announced to provide 0.25% of its annual
profit for Fiscal Year(FY)2019-20 to fight Covid-19 pandemic in India, which will be spent from
corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds after the notification of Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)
which states that under the companies law 2013, companies have to shell out at least 2% of their three-
year annual net profit towards CSR activities in a particular financial year to fight against Covid-19
pandemic.
Pakistan: 750 km range cruise missile Babur II crashes

Pakistan’s efforts have suffered a set-back of launching 750 km range ground cruise missile Babur II
with the delivery platform crashing to the ground after two minutes or 14 kilometres(km) in flight from
the launch point at Sonmiani test range in Balochistan.
Rajasthan police launched a mobile app named “RajCop citizens app”

Rajasthan police launched a mobile app called “RajCop citizens app” to enable individuals and company
employees in the state take permission for venturing out in necessary conditions which was developed
by Data Ingenious GLobal Limited.
Saudi Arabia assures uninterrupted LPG supply to India

Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has announced that Saudi Arabia assured
India to get uninterrupted Liquefied petroleum Gas (LPG) supply during the discussion on global oil
market developments with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Aramco’s Chief
Executive Amin Nasser via video conference.
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• GA Questions Asked in IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2020 – 90% Questions Covered by AC
• GA Questions asked in SBI PO 2019 Main Exam
• GA Questions asked in SBI Clerk Main Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS PO Main Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in RBI Grade B Prelims Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS RRB PO Mains Exam 2019
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Current Affairs Weekly PDF – March 2020 4th Week (22-31)

PM Modi announces to observe “Janata Curfew” from 7 am to 9 pm on March 22, 2020

Gujarat Police becomes first in India to introduce taser guns

101 Special Economic Zones denotified: Government

Cabinet Approval on March 21, 2020

Cabinet approved the extradition treaty between India and Belgium

Gujarat Government signs an MoU with Dutch Flying car-maker, PAL-V

UK becomes 1st co-chair of India-led global climate initiative ‘CDRI’

Coronavirus outbreak: India’s 1st AI summit ‘RAISE 2020’ postponed to October

ICMR recommended hydroxychloroquine for caregivers of COVID-19 patients

IIT-Madras to organize India’s 1st Global Hyperloop Pod Competition

COVID-19 will be tested and treated under Ayushman Bharat scheme

IRSDC is developing 1st of its kind “Form-Based Codes”: Railway land

Cabinet approvals on March 25, 2020

National Book Trust of MHRD Launches #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks

Health ministry categorises hydroxychloroquine as schedule H1 drug

DST sets up COVID-19 Task Force to map technologies by start ups

Odisha to set up the largest COVID-19 hospital in the country

Government approves Rs 5,751.27 crores as additional assistance to 8 disaster-hit states

Indian Army launches Operation Namaste: COVID-19

Centre releases Rs 4,431 crore to clear pending wages under MGNREGA

PM Narendra Modi formulated PM-CARES fund to fight coronavirus outbreak

Government set up 11 different empowered groups: Lockdown

Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches National Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC)

India ranks 120th, Singapore tops: Economic Freedom Index 2020

Sri Lanka contributes $5 mn to SAARC corona emergency fund

Protecting peatlands can help attain climate goals: FAO-UN report

WHO initiated mega trial “Solidarity” of 4 promising drugs to cure Covid-19

ITU launches “Global Network Resiliency Platform”: COVID-19

25 worshippers killed by ISIS suicide bombers attacking Gurudwara in Kabul, Afghanistan

North Macedonia officially joins NATO as its 30th member

US announced $174 mn aid to 64 countries including $2.9 mn to India to tackle COVID-19

IMF launches Government Policy Tracker: COVID-19

BANKING & FINANCE

In a first, Karur Vysya Bank introduces pre-paid card ‘Enkasu’ in Karur, TN

RBI: On lending by banks to NBFCs is classified as a priority sector in FY21

NABARD provides Rs 42,313 crore for building rural infrastructure

YES Bank reconstitutes its BOD with 8 members

Bank Rate 4.65% 5.40% 75

ADB commits $ 100 million in Indian infrastructure sector through NIIF

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Crisil lowers FY21 growth to 5.2% from 5.7%

COVID- 19: Invest India Business Immunity Platform launched

India’s GDP to grow 2% in 2020-21: ICRA

IMF declared recession in World due to COVID-19 impact

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Author Ruchika Tomar wins PEN/Hemingway Award 2020

Winners of Critics’ Choice Film Awards 2020 announced

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath resigns

IRDAI sets up 16-member panel on governance at insurers headed by Pravin Kutumbe

Govt. set up a committee under Dr V K Paul to prevent & control COVID-19

Shivraj Singh Chouhan becomes the CM of MP

IndusInd Bank MD & CEO Romesh Sobti retires