Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of 3rd week March 2020. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk and other competitive exams can make use of it.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
World Consumer Rights Day
- It is observed on 15 March every year for raising global awareness about consumer rights and needs.
- The theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2020, will be ‘The Sustainable Consumer‘
National Vaccination Day
- National Vaccination Day is observed every year on 16th march in India which is also known as National Immunisation Day (IMD).
- This year the theme promoted is “Vaccines Work for All
Ordnance Factories Day
- Ordnance Factories Day is observed every year on March 18th all over India.
Global Recycling Day
- Global Recycling Day is observed every year on March 18th.
- The theme for the third Global Recycling Day is Recycling Heroes.
International Day of Happiness
- International Day of Happiness is observed every year on 20 March
- Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated this day to recognise the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.The theme of 2020 is ‘Happiness for all’
World Sparrow Day
- World Sparrow Day is a day designated to raise awareness of the house sparrow and then other common birds to urban environments, and of threats to their populations, observed on 20 March.
- The theme for World Sparrow Day is “I LOVE Sparrows“.
The World Day of Theatre for Children and young people
- The World Day of Theatre for Children and young people is an ASSITEJ campaign, promoted and celebrated through the message ‘Take a Child to the Theatre Today’.
- It is celebrated every year on 20th of March
World Oral Health Day
- World Oral Health Day is celebrated globally every year on March 20.
- It is organized by FDI World Dental Federation and is the largest global awareness campaign on oral health.
- The theme of World Oral Health day 2020 is “Unite for Mouth Health”.
World Forestry Day
- World Forestry Day was decided to celebrate the annual event on 21st March by the United Nations for Agriculture and Food Organization.
- This year, the theme for International Day of Forests is ‘Biodiversity’
World Down Syndrome Day
- World Down Syndrome Day is marked each year on March 21, beginning in 2006.
- Down Syndrome International focuses on the theme “We Decide”: all people with Down syndrome should have full participation in decision making about matters relating to, or affecting, their lives.
World Poetry Day
- World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO in 1999.
- It is a day to encourage people to read, write, teach, and publish poetry and to recognise the great cultural contribution poetry makes to human society
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Union Government implementing POSHAN Abhiyaan to address problem of malnutrition across the country
- Union Government is implementing POSHAN Abhiyaan across the country to address the problem of malnutrition. The programme was launched on 8th March in 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jhunjhunu. The Abhiyaan aims to reduce malnutrition in the country in a phased manner through a life cycle approach
India pledged $10 million toward a Covid-19 emergency fund
- Government of India pledged $10 million toward a Covid-19 emergency fund. India also planned to put together a rapid response team of doctors and specialists for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations
SC grants permanent commission to women in Indian Navy
- A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud pronounced the judgment, directing the Centre to grant permanent commission to serving women officers in the Navy in three months with increments
Prez Kovind nominates former CJI Ranjan Gogoi to Rajya Sabha
- President Ram Nath Kovind has nominated Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha
- Mr Gogoi served as the 46th Chief Justice of India from 3rd October 2018 till 17th November last year. President of India nominates twelve persons to the Rajya Sabha
HRD Minister says govt providing support to States and UTs through Samagra Shiksha Yojana
- Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhrial Nishank has stated that Central Government is providing support to the States and UTs through Samagra Shiksha Yojana for implementing the various provisions of the RTE Act, including opening or strengthening of schools.
Shri Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates ROPAX Service from Bhaucha Dhakka to Mandwa in Maharashtra
- Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) inaugurated ROPAX service from Bhaucha Dhakka, Mumbai to Mandwa, Alibag in Maharashtra. Shri Mandaviya visited ROPAX terminal and inspected the facilities created for the passengers.
Financial benefit under PM- Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana released to 8,69,79,391 beneficiaries: Agriculture Minister
- Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed the Lok Sabha that financial benefit under the PM- Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana has been released to 8 Crore 69 lakh 79 thousand 391 beneficiaries in the country.
- The Minister also informed that under PM-KISAN Scheme, funds are not released State-wise but transferred directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries identified by the State Governments.
Rajya Sabha passes National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill 2019
- Rajya Sabha passed both the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill 2019 and the National Commission for Homoeopathy Medicine Bill 2019 . Both the bills were passed by voice vote.
- Union minister for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik stated, the two bills aim at providing a quality and affordable medical education system ensuring high quality medical professionals in Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy, in all parts of the country.
Govt creates WhatsApp Chatbot for queries on Novel Coronavirus
- The government has created WhatsApp Chatbot for queries on Novel Coronavirus COVID-19. National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority, NPPA stated, the WhatsApp Chatbot is called MyGov Corona Helpdesk
- It stated people can just save the number 9013151515 on WhatsApp and get an automated response on queries related to Corona
Indian Railways to electrify all broad gauge routes by December 2023, bets on renewable energy
- Indian Railways to electrify all broad gauge routes by December 2023, bets on renewable energy.
- In the year 2023-2024 (till the month of December 2023), a target of electrifying 4,310 km of broad gauge route has been planned Hence, Indian Railways has planned to electrify a total of 28,810 km of broad gauge route.
Government says Rs 6.16 lakh crore investment approved under PMAY(U)
- An 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, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated
Defence Minister releases Draft Defence Procurement Procedure 2020
- Defence Minister Rajnath singh released Draft Defence Procurement Procedure(DPP), 2020 at a function in New Delhi
- The policy is aligned with the vision of the government to empower the private industry through the Make in India initiative with the ultimate of turning India into a global manufacturing hub. The government has introduced leasing as another category to get defence equipment at affordable rates.
Indian Institutes of Information Technology to get ‘importance’ tag after Lok Sabha nod
- The Lok Sabha passed a bill which seeks to confer the status of Institution of National Importance (INI) on five more Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs). The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020, proposes to bring the five institutions under the IIIT (Public-private Partnership) Act, 2017, similar to the other 15 IIITs established under the scheme in Public-private Partnership (PPP) mode.
Finance Commission Constitutes Committee To Review Fiscal Consolidation Roadmap Of General Government
- The Chairman of the Fifteenth Finance Commission has constituted a Committee to review the fiscal consolidation roadmap of the general government.
- The Committee shall review the current status of deficit and debt at different levels. The Committee will be chaired by Chairman N K Singh
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PMAY:
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is an initiative by Government of India in which affordable housing will be provided to the urban poor with a target of building 20 million affordable houses by 31 March 2022.
- Launch year: 2015
- Launched by (prime minister): Narendra Modi
- Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
- Minister : Hardeep Singh Puri
SAARC:
- SAARC founded: 8 December 1985
- Headquarters of SAARC: Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Member countries of SAARC: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Rajya Sabha:
- The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. It currently has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories
- Deputy Leader of the House: Piyush Goyal, BJP
- Deputy Chairman: Harivansh Narayan Singh, JDU
- Chairperson: Venkaiah Naidu
- Seats: 245 (233 Elected + 12 Nominated)
- Leader of the Opposition: Ghulam Nabi Azad, INC
- Term limits: 6 years
PM-KISAN:
- Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a Central Sector scheme with 100% funding from Government of India.The Scheme is effective from 12.2018.
- Under the Scheme an income support of 6000/- per year is provided to all farmer families across the country in three equal installments of Rs.2000/- each every four months
Ministry of Human Resource Development:
- Union minister: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
- Constituency: Haridwar, Uttarakhand
- Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State
Indian Railways:
- Founded: 8 May 1845
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
- Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways)
- Suresh Angadi (Minister of State for Railways)
- Vinod Kumar Yadav (Chairman, Railway Board)
Defence Ministry:
- Minister of Defence: Rajnath Singh
- Minister of State for Defence : Shripad Yesso Naik
- Ministry executives :Ajay Kumar, IAS, Defence Secretary
Fifteenth Finance Commission:
- The Fifteenth Finance Commission is an Indian Finance Commission constituted in November 2017 and is to give recommendations for devolution of taxes and other fiscal matters for five fiscal years, commencing 1 April 2020.
- Founder: Ram Nath Kovind
- Founded: 27 November 2017
- Minister responsible: Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance
- Deputy Minister responsible: Anurag Thakur, Minister of State for Finance
- K. Singh, IAS, Chairman; Ajay Narayan Jha, IAS, Member; Prof. Anoop Singh, Member; Dr. Ashok Lahiri, Member; Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member (part-time); Arvind Mehta, IAS, Secretary
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Bangladesh celebrates birth Centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
- Bangladesh is celebrating the birth centenary of its founder President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina marked the day by paying floral tributes to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his residence in Dhanmondi area of Dhaka.
- The day marks the beginning of the year long celebration of the birth centenary named ‘Mujib Barsho’ in Bangladesh and across the world.
India to provide 107.01 million Nepali Rupees for three new school buildings in Nepal
- The Government of India will provide 01 million Nepali Rupees for three new school buildings in Nepal. The schools will be constructed in Darchula, Dhanusha and Kapilvastu districts
US Federal Reserve slashes key interest rate to almost zero in wake of economic impact of COVID-19
- The US Federal Reserve slashed the key interest rate to virtually zero in response to the growing economic impact of the new coronavirus.
- The Fed made its second emergency rate cut in less than two weeks, cutting the benchmark borrowing rate to a range of 0-0.25 percent
World Bank increases COVID-19 response funding to 14 bln USD
- World Bank has announced 14 billion US Dollars to assist companies and countries in their efforts to respond to the rapid spread of COVID-19. It has added 2 billion dollars to the initial package.
US Africa Command cancels annual military exercise African LionT
- The annual African Lion military exercise became the latest casualty of the global novel coronavirus pandemic with this year’s event being canceled.
- The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) stated , the decision to cancel the exercise was made based on international travel restrictions associated with the novel coronavirus and to minimize the risk of exposure to US and partner nation service members.
Sri Lanka gets USD 500 million loan from China as financial aid
- China has provided USD 500 million loan to Sri Lanka from its development bank to help the country’s economy.
- The Central Bank has felt the urgent need to support economic activity with the rapid global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and its possible further spread in Sri Lanka, a statement stated
UAE suspends all types of labour permits
- The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has suspended the issuance of all types of labour permits, including for drivers and domestic workers, effective from e 19th March 2020, until further notice
India gets $1-million materials requests from SAARC nations
- The Ministry of External Affairs stated that requests for material assistance received by India from the SAARC nations in the forms of masks, gloves and disinfectants have crossed $1 million, in the wake of the outbreak of Covid-19. While materials have already been sent to Bhutan and the Maldives, deliveries to other nations will start soon
Maldives pledges USD 200,000 to COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund
- Maldives government has committed two lakh US dollars for COVID -19 emergency relief fund created for SAARC nations
- Foreign minister Abdulla Shahid stated in a message that Maldives welcome PM Narendra Modi’s initiative to create the fund and pledge the amount to address issues emanating from COVID-19
World Bank, ADB give USD 588 million to Pakistan to fight coronavirus pandemic
The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have committed to providing USD 588 million to Pakistan for its emergency response to fight the coronavirus and to address the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic
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Srilanka:
- Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
- Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
- President: Gotabaya Rajapaksa
- Prime minister: Mahinda Rajapaksa
US Africa command:
- The United States Africa Command, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Armed Forces, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U.S. military operations, including fighting regional conflicts and maintaining military relations with 53 African nations
World Bank:
- Head quarters: Washington, D.C., U.S
- President :David Malpass
- MD and CFO : Anshula Kant
- Chief Economist : Penny Goldberg
UAE:
- Capital: Abu Dhabi
- Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
- President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
SAARC:
- The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- Founded: 8 December 1985, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Headquarters: Kathmandu, Nepal
- Secretary-General: Esala Weerakoon
Maldives :
- Capital: Malé
- Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
- President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Pakistan :
- Capital: Islamabad
- Currency: Pakistani rupee
- Prime minister: Imran Khan
- President: Arif Alvi
Bangladesh:
- Capital: Dhaka
- Currency: Bangladeshi taka
- Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
US federal bank:
- Chairperson: Jerome Powell
- Founded: 23 December 1913
- Headquarters location: Washington, D.C., United States
- Central bank of: United States
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY
IDFC First Bank to invest Rs250 cr in Yes Bank
- IDFC First Bank will make an equity investment of RS 250 crore in beleaguered Yes Bank to acquire 25 crore equity shares. Federal Bank had committed to investing RS300 crore in Yes Bank for subscription of its 30 crore shares.
RBI Governor Shakitikanta Das says, swift action has been taken for restructuring of Yes Bank
- Reserve Bank of India Governor Shakitikanta Das stated that swift action has been taken by the RBI in coordination with Govt of India for the restructuring of Yes Bank
- The RBI Governor stated that as per the new scheme, Yes Bank moratorium will be lifted and the new board will assume the charge on 26th March. Mr. Das also stated that the credible and sustainable plan of the revival of the yes bank also ensured that the identity of the bank will remain the same
Centre to borrow Rs 51,000 crore more from RBI in March 2020
- After reviewing the cash position of the Centre, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in consultation with the government raised the borrowing target from short-term securities by Rs 51,000 crore during the month.
- This is in line with the Revised Estimate announced by the government in the Budget 2020-21. According to the earlier calendar, the government was to borrow Rs 24,000 crore through treasury bills of various tenure
S&P lowers India’s growth forecast to 5.2 percent
- S&P Global Ratings lowered India’s economic growth forecast to 2 per cent for 2020, saying the global economy is entering a recession amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- The agency had earlier projected a growth rate of 7 per cent during the 2020 calendar.
RBI to regulate activities of payment aggregators
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)stated it will regulate in entirety the activities of payment aggregators (PAs) and provide baseline technology-related recommendations to payment gateways (PGs) in view of the important functions of these intermediaries in the online payments space as also their role vis-à-vis handling funds
DBS Bank, Bharti AXA join hands for insurance plan covering coronavirus
- DBS Bank India stated it has tied-up with Bharti AXA to roll out a complimentary insurance plan covering all medical conditions, including COVID-19. The plan would cover all medical conditions, including COVID-19, and up to 10 days of hospitalisation, with a cover of Rs 5,000 per day, for a 30-day period
Indian Bank board approves share swap for Allahabad Bank merger
- Indian Bank will issue 115 shares for every 1,000 shares of Allahabad Bank for merging the latter with itself.
- In a separate filing, Union Bank stated it has set March 23, 2020, as the record date for issuing and allotting equity shares of Union Bank of India to the shareholders of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank
ECB launches €750 billion ‘pandemic emergency’ bond-buying scheme
- The European Central Bank announced a surprise 750-billion-euro scheme to purchase government and corporate bonds, as it joined other central banks in stepping up efforts to contain the economic damage from the coronavirus.
- The so-called Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme comes just six days after the ECB unveiled a big-bank stimulus package that failed to calm nervous markets, piling pressure on the bank to open the financial floodgates
Nabard pegs Karnataka’s credit potential at Rs2.44 lakh cr for fiscal 2020-21
- The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has projected a credit potential of Rs 2,44,56,428.64 crore for financial year 2020-21 for Karnataka.
- In the State Focus Paper (SFP), submitted to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa , it has pegged the total credit potential at Rs 1,45,79,750.50 crore for agriculture
ADB announces $6.5 bn package for developing member countries
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced a $6.5 billion package for its developing member countries to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
- The initial package has been announced to address the immediate needs of developing member countries (DMCs) as they respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, ADB stated in a statement.
RBI to infuse Rs10,000-cr liquidity via OM Opurchase, says financial conditions tightening
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), stated it will conduct open-market operations (OMO) entailing purchase of four government securities (G-Secs) aggregating Rs10,000 crore on March 20 to infuse liquidity in the banking system in the wake of tightening financial conditions and hardening yields
YES Bank gets Rs 60k-cr line of credit from RBI to resume operations
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended a credit line of Rs 60,000 crore to YES Bank to ensure that the bank is able to meet its obligations to depositors as it resumed its full-service operations, according to sources familiar with the development.
Fitch cuts India’s GDP growth forecast as coronavirus strikes
- Fitch Ratings cut India’s growth forecast to 1 per cent for FY 2020-21, saying the coronavirus outbreak is likely to hit business investment and exports.
- Fitch had in December 2019 projected India’s growth at 6 per cent for 2020-21 and 6.5 per cent in the following year
ICICI Lombard launches a dedicated insurance cover for coronavirus
- Private sector non-life insurance company ICICI Lombard has launched a focused policy for coronavirus (COVID-19), which will pay the entire sum insured irrespective of hospitalisation expenses
- The health cover comes with a premium of 149 and provides a sum insured of Rs.25,000
Bank of America joins S&P, in cutting India GDP forecasts
- Bank of America Securities became the latest global financial agency to slash India’s GDP growth estimates for the next financial year 2020-21, pointing out that a global recession was now almost certain.
- BofA Securities’ forecast cut comes just two days after it had made a similar move. While the agency had slashed India GDP growth estimates to just 1 per cent for FY21
RBI to inject Rs 30,000 cr liquidity into market by @AIR
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will inject liquidity of Rs 30,000 crore through open market operations to maintain financial stability in the system in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
- The Central Bank stated that it will conduct the operation in two tranches of Rs 15,000 crore each in March
SIDBI to start Swavalamban Express on Jun 5 for budding entrepreneurs
- The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) on stated it will start Swavalamban Express on June 5 this year for budding entrepreneurs.
- The principal financial institution engaged in promotion, financing and development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) stated the decision to start the train was taken based on the feedback received from various stakeholders.
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Bank of America:
- The Bank of America Corporation is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Charlotte, with central hubs in New York City, London, Hong Kong, Minneapolis, and Toronto
- CEO: Brian Moynihan
- Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
ICICI Lombard:
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta
Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
- Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Formation– 1 April 1935
- Governor– Shaktikanta Das
- Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, N S Vishwanathan (will retire on March 31, 2020), Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra)
DBS bank:
- CEO: Piyush Gupta
Headquarters: Singapore
Bharti AXA life insurance:
- CEO: Sanjeev Srinivasan
- Headquarters location: Mumbai
Indian bank:
- Headquarters: Chennai
- CEO: Padmaja Chunduru
- Tagline :Your Own Bank
Allahabad bank :
- CEO: S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao
- Headquarters: Kolkata
- Tagline :tradition of trust
Nabard:
- Founded: 12 July 1982
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Agency executive: Harsh Kumar Bhanwala (Chairperson)
ADB:
- Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
- President: Masatsugu Asakawa
- Membership: 68 countries
- Founded: 19 December 1966
European Central Bank:
- The European Central Bank is the central bank for the euro and administers monetary policy within the Eurozone, which comprises 19 member states of the European Union and is one of the largest monetary areas in the world.
- Headquarters: Frankfurt, Germany
- President: Christine Lagarde
Yes bank :
- Founder : Rana kapoor
- Head quarters : Mumbai Maharashtra
- Prashant Kumar (Administrator – Yes Bank; Appointed by the Reserve Bank of India)
Fitch ratings:
- Fitch Ratings Inc. is an American credit rating agency and is one of the “Big Three credit rating agencies”, the other two being Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. It is one of the three nationally recognized statistical rating organizations designated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 1975
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- CEO: Paul Taylor
Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (S&P) :
- Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC is an American financial services company. It is a division of S&P Global that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks, bonds, and commodities
- Headquarters: New York, United States
SIDBI:
- Headquarters location: Lucknow
- Founded: 2 April 1990
- Agency executive: : Mohammad Mustafa, (Chairman and Managing Director)
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Manikaran Power becomes first member of India’s gas trading platform
- The gas trading platform of Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has found its first member in Manikaran Power Ltd (MPL). Called the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX), it will be India’s first gas trading platform.
- IGX would offer spot and forward contracts at Dahej, Hazira and Kakinada. While Petronet LNG Ltd (PLL) operates a LNG terminal at Dahej, Shell operates another one at Hazira. Kakinada is the landfall point for natural gas being produced from the Krishna Godavari basin
Moody’s lowers India’s GDP growth forecast to 5.3 per cent in 2020
- Moody’s Investors Service lowered India’s GDP growth forecast for 2020 calendar year to 3 per cent, on coronavirus implications on the economy. Moody’s had in February projected a 5.4 per cent real GDP growth for India in 2020.
- This too was a downgrade from 6 per cent earlier forecast. The 5.3 per cent real GDP growth forecast for 2020 compares to 5.3 per cent growth estimate for 2019 and 7.4 per cent achieved in 2018.
Oil India signs crude sales agreement with Numaligarh Refinery
- Oil India Ltd (OIL), the country’s second-largest national oil explorer, announced it has signed an agreement with Numaligarh Refinery for sale and purchase of crude oil.
- The Crude Oil Sales Agreement (COSA) will come in effect from 1 April, 2020 to 31 March 2025, that is, for a term of five years, OIL stated in a statement. The pact was signed by the finance directors of the two companies
Microsoft India, NASSCOM Foundation Launch Initiative To Empower People With Disabilities
- Microsoft India and NASSCOM Foundation launched the Innovate for Accessible India campaign aimed at empowering people with disabilities with the technology and tools required for better integration into society and access to equal opportunities
India to seek $70 million from World Bank for waterway connectivity grid in East
- The World Bank may provide a grant to develop India’s under-utilised network of rivers and canals as an alternative mode of transport
- The Shipping Ministry has stated it will seek a technical assistance grant of $70 million from the World Bank to build a transport connectivity grid linking waterways in the eastern region with its South Asian neighbours
Crypto exchange Binance, WazirX set up USD 50 million Indian blockchain fund
- global cryptocurrency exchange, Binance announced a $50 million blockchain fund for India along with WazirX, a homegrown crypto start-up, which it acquired last year
AI chat bot ‘Maya’, a handy tool for Clix customers
- At a time of social distancing due to the outbreak of coronavirus, Clix Capital Services, a digital lender, has come up with ‘Maya’, an AI-enabled chat bot to enhance customer experience.
- This chat bot is expected to help customers engage with Clix for a variety of activities, including EMI-related queries, and avail cross-sell offers besides servicing.
TCS again overtakes Reliance Industries to become most valued firm by market capitilisation
- Tata Consultancy Services went past Reliance Industries Limited yet again to become the most valued Indian firm by market valuation.
- RIL and TCS have in the past also competed with each other for the number one position in terms of market capitalisation. At close of trade , the market capitalisation chart was topped by TCS followed by RIL, HDFC Bank, HUL and HDFC. The m-cap figure of companies changes daily with the movement in their stock prices
Paytm Payments Bank to now issue Visa debit cards
- Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) announced that it will now start issuing Visa debit cards to its customers. With this partnership, Paytm is targeting to issue over 10 million new digital debit cards in FY 20-21. The bank, known for introducing neo-banking in the country, is already the largest issuer of RuPay Debit Cards and has the fastest growing bank account base
Cashfree launches digital payments solution for businesses
- Digital payments platform, Cashfree, has launched UPI Stack for Businesses, allowing businesses to collect and disburse UPI payments.
- The product will be available through every UPI app, across both web and mobile (Android & iOS) platforms.
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Cashfree:
- Founded: 2015
- Headquarters location: Bengaluru
- Founder : Akash Sinha
Tata Consultancy Services
- CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founders: Faquir Chand Kohli, J. R. D. Tata, Tata Sons
Paytm Payments bank:
- Headquarters : Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma (CEO) and (President)
- Ajay Shekhar Sharma (Vice president)
Cryptocurrency:
- A cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses strong cryptography to secure financial transactions, control the creation of additional units, and verify the transfer of assets
World Bank:
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S
- President :David Malpass
- MD and CFO : Anshula Kant
- Chief Economist : Penny Goldberg
Microsoft India Private Limited:
- Headquarters– Hyderabad,Telangana
- President– Anant Maheshwari
NASSCOM Foundation:
- Headquarters– New Delhi
- CEO– Ashok Pamidi
Oil India:
- Oil India Limited is the second largest hydrocarbon exploration and production Indian public sector company with its operational headquarters in Duliajan, Assam, India
- Chairman & MD :Mr Sushil chandra Mishra
Moody’s investor service:
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- CEO: Raymond W. McDaniel Jr.
- Founder: John Moody
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES
Phool Dei Festival Uttarakhand
- Phool Dei is the harvest festival of the state
- The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month, Chaitra.
Kerala govt orders poultry culling after bird flu in Parappanangadi
- Kerala government ordered the poultry culling in Parappanangadi in the backdrop of bird flu.
- Special squads have been deployed to cull all poultry within a one-kilometre radius of the epicenter.
- Two avian influenza incidents were reported at Kodiathoor and Vengeri villages in the state.
Manipur CM announces scheme for welfare of sports persons and artists
- Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh has announced the biggest ever scheme for the welfare of sports persons and artists of the State.
- The announcement was made during third-anniversary celebrations of the BJP led government in Manipur at Imphal
Karnataka is the first state to invoke provisions of Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897
- Karnataka has become the first state in the country to notify ‘Karnataka Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020’ under the Epidemic Diseases Act , 1897, Karnataka.
- The regulation will be in effect for a period of one year starting from March 11, 2020 to prevent the outbreak and spread of the novel coronavirus
India’s first flying car factory to come up in Gujarat
- PAL-V stands for Personal Air Land Vehicle and the company will set-up a new manufacturing facility in Gujarat .
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the state’s Principal Secretary MK Das and Carlo Maasbommel, Vice-President, International Business Development Division, PAL-V
West Bengal to have Rs 200 crore fund to tackle coronavirus, says Mamata Banerjee
- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the State government will create a Rs200 crore fund to tackle the coronavirus outbreak . She also announced that all educational institutions will be closed till April 15
Maharashtra to stamp people in home quarantine
- In an unprecedented move, the Maharashtra government decided to ‘stamp‘ all those people who have been sent to 100 per cent ‘home quarantine’ in view of the coronavirus pandemic
- Accordingly, the left hand of all persons shunted to 100 per cent home quarantine will be stamped to identify them easily if they mingle with the general public.
Haryana’s Amin village is now Abhimanyupur
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given its approval to a proposal of the Haryana Government to rename Amin villagein Kurukshetra district to
- The MHA gives its approval to the change of name of any place after taking no-objections from the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts and Survey of India
Odisha cancels annual Chaitra Jatra festival
- The famous annual Chaitra Jatra festival scheduled to be held at Odisha’s Tara Tarini hill shrine was cancelled as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 infection.
GMR Hyderabad International Airport goes Single-Use Plastic-free
- MR Hyderabad International Airport has declared itself as a Single-Use Plastic (SUP)-free airport from March 1, 2020, and zero tolerance on use of such material has been imposed across the airport.
- This includes all concessionaires and service providers operating at the airport. This initiative is in line with the government’s campaign to phase out SUP by 2022
Dehradun Railway Station introduces signage in Braille
- Dehradun Railway Station has become friendly for visually challenged persons with the introduction of signages and maps in Braille. The CSR funds of a private company funded this project
J&K announces Rs 5L free health insurance for residents
- In a major relief to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, the LG Girish Chander Murmu accorded sanction to roll out the Jammu & Kashmir Health Scheme to provide free of cost Universal Health Coverage to all residents of the Union Territory in convergence with Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY
Uttarakhand Government Abolishes Quota In Promotion For Govt Employees
- Uttarakhand government abolished reservation in promotion in the state government jobs.
- The Trivendra Rawat government took the major decision on completion of three years of its tenure
Goa govt launches chatbot to create awareness about coronavirus
- Goa Health Minister Vishwajit P Rane has launched a chatbot Cobot-19 to create awareness about coronavirus among the citizens
- The Chatbot has been developed in association with Portea Medical and Verloop
J&K govt constitutes commission for welfare of socially, educationally backward classes
- Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a commission for socially and educationally backward classes in the union territory. It will look into the issues of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the J&K.
- Justice GD Sharma has been appointed as chairperson, and former IFS Rup Lal Bharti and IPS officer Munir Ahmed Khan as members of the commission
TN CM declares sanitary personnel as ”cleanliness workers”
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced that 64,583 sanitary personnel employed by urban and rural civic bodies in the State will from now on be called ”cleanliness workers” to honour their work.
- To honour the work of these personnel and in deference to their long-time demand, all sanitary workers will from now be called as cleanliness workers (Thooimai paniyalargal in Tamil)”
Himachal govt launches Police Station Visitor Survey System and e-Night Beat Checking System
- Himachal Pradesh State government launched Police Station Visitor Survey System and e-Night Beat Checking System for Himachal police in
- These systems would help the Police Department in doing self-evaluation and improve the working of Police
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Tamil Nadu:
- Capital– Chennai
- Governor– Banwarilal Purohit
- National Parks-Guindy NP,Gulf of Mannar Marine NP, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP, Mudumalai NP, Mukurthi NP.
Himachal Pradesh:
- Capital- Shimla (summer) and Dharamshala (winter).
- CM- Jai Ram Thakur
- Governor- Bandaru Dattatreya.
Goa:
- Capital– Panaji
- Chief Minister–Pramod Sawant
- Governor– Satya Pal Malik
Uttarakhand:
- Capital– Dehradun
- Chief Minister– Trivendra Singh Rawat
- Governor– Baby Rani Maurya
Jammu & Kashmir (J&K):
- Capital- Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter).
- Leiutenant Governor- Girish Chander Murmu
West Bengal:
- Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
- Capital: Kolkata
- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
Uttarakhand:
- Capital- Dehradun (Winter capital), Gairsain (Summer capital).
- Chief Minister-Trivendra Singh Rawat
- Governor- Baby Rani Maurya.
Kerala:
- Capital- Trivandrum
- CM- Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor- Arif Mohammed Khan
Manipur:
- Capital- Imphal
- CM- Biren Singh
- Governor-Najma Heptulla
Maharashtra :
- Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
- Capital: Mumbai
- Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray
Haryana:
- Capital– Chandigarh.
- Chief Minister (CM)– Manohar Lal Khattar.
- Governor– Satyadev Narayan Arya
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
CRPF inks MoU to re-skill specially-abled troops in cyberspace ops, AI
- The CRPF inked a deal with a disability support NGO in order to train its troops, who lost their limbs in operations, in various skills including cyber operations, artificial intelligence and para-sports.
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formalised between the force and the Aditya Mehta Foundation here in presence of CRPF Director General (DG) A P Maheshwari
Flipkart partners with Aegon to sell quick-access life insurance policies
- E-commerce marketplace Flipkart and Aegon Life Insurance joined hands to sell comprehensive insurance solutions for customers looking for instant digital policies with a sum assured of up to Rs 10 lakh
IIT-Kanpur, L&T Technology Services Sign MoU For Research In Cyber Security Programs
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur or IITK and L&T Technology Systems (LTTS) have signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently to co-operate in areas of research in industrial and infrastructure cyber security
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CRPF
- Headquarters- New Delhi
- Director General (DG)- A P Maheshwari.
Aegon Life Insurance
- Headquarters– Mumbai, India
- Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Vineet Arora
Flipkart
- Headquarters– Bengaluru, India
- CEO– Kalyan Krishnamurthy
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION
Justice (Retd) Bansi Lal Bhat appointed NCLAT officiating Chairperson
- Justice (Retd) Bansi Lal Bhat, Member (Judicial) of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, was appointed NCLAT’s officiating Chairperson following the completion of the term of Justice (Retd) S J Mukhopadhaya.
Jammu and Kashmir: Baseer Khan appointed as advisor to Lt Governor
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) accorded sanction to the appointment of Division Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, as Advisor to Lt. Governor.
- The Advisor, according to communication from MHA, shall assist the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Girish Chandra Murmu, in effective discharge of his functions.
Ravinder Singh Dhillon appointed PFC CMD
- Ravinder Singh Dhillon, was appointed as a Chairman and Managing Director of Power Finance Corporation (PFC).The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Iraqi President Salih appoints Adnan al-Zurfi as new PM-designate
- Iraqi President Barham Salih has appointed Adnan al-Zurfi as the country’s new prime minister-designate in the latest bid to resolve a months-long political crisis.
- Al-Zurfi would replace caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who quit in December following widespread mass demonstrations against a government
Bajaj Auto board approves re-appointment of Rajiv Bajaj as MD, CEO
- Bajaj Auto board has approved the re-appointment of Rajiv Bajaj as Managing Director and CEO of the company.
- Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director and CEO of the company, whose five-year term expires on March 31, 2020, has been re-appointed for a further period of five years with effect from April 1, 2020
HSBC appoints Noel Quinn permanent chief executive
- HSBC has appointed Noel Quinn as its permanent chief executive.
- Quinn had been serving as interim CEO since August 2019, after the unexpected resignation of John Flint from the post
Google Cloud appoints Karan Bajwa as India MD
- Google has appointed former IBM executive, Karan Bajwa as Managing Director of Google Cloud in India.
- He will be responsible for driving all revenue and go-to-market operations for Google Cloud’s portfolio that includes Google Cloud Platform and G Suite
Former Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani Appointed Chairman of AP Tourism Development Corporation
- The Andhra Pradesh government appointed former CMD of Air India Ashwani Lohani as the Chairman of the AP Tourism Development Corporation
- The appointment is for a period of one year, Lohani had previously served as CMD of India Tourism Development Corporation and also Chairman of Railway Board.
Former SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya resigns from Crisil board
- Arundhati Bhattacharya, the past chairman of State Bank of India, has submitted her resignation as independent director of the Crisileffective April 15.
Indian umpires Janani Narayanan, Vrinda Rathi named in ICC panel
- Indian umpires Janani Narayanan and Vrinda Rathi were inducted into the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires, taking the count of women match officials across different ICC panels up to 12
RBI appoints R Gandhi, Ananth Gopalakrishnan as additional directors on Yes Bank’s new board
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed R Gandhi and Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan as Additional Directors on the board of Yes Bank Ltd for a period of two years.
- Gandhi is former RBI Deputy Governor and Gopalakrishnan is Associate Professor at S P Jain Institute of Management and Research
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International Cricket Council (ICC)
- Headquarters- Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- Chairman- Shashank Manohar.
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Manu Sawhney
CRISIL
- Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- CEO– Ashu Suyash
HSBC
- HQ- London, United Kingdom
Iraq
- Capital– Baghdad
- Currency– Iraqi dinar
Power Finance Corporation
- Headquarters- New Delhi
- Established – 1986
National Company Law Tribunal
- Founded- 1 June 2016
- Headquarters- New Delhi
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE
World Cities Summit
- The 7th World Cities Summit will be held from 5 to 9 July 2020, in conjunction with the 9th Singapore International Water Week and 5th Clean Enviro Summit Singapore, at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, in Singapore.
- The theme for WCS 2020 is ”Livable and Sustainable Cities: Adapting to a Disrupted World”
Saudi Arabia to Convene Virtual G20 Leaders Summit
- Saudi Arabia would convene a virtual summit bringing together the leaders from the Group of 20 major economies (G20) to address the coronavirus pandemic.
- G20 leaders will put forward a coordinated set of policies to protect people and safeguard the global economy
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Singapore
- Capital– Singapore
- Currency-Singapore dollar
- President– Halimah Yacob
Saudi Arabia
- Capital- Riyadh
- Currency- Saudi riyal
- The king and prime minister of Saudi Arabia- Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Rohini Mohan and Arfa Khanum Sherwani win the Chameli Devi Jain Award for outstanding woman journalists
- The 2019 Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Media person for the year has been awarded to independent journalist Rohini Mohan and The Wire’s Arfa Khanum Sherwani.
- First given in the 1980s, the award is instituted by the Media Foundation. Last year’s recipient was Priyanka Dubey of the BBC
Awards for reporting on road safety
- Prachi Salve of India Spend and Pradeep Dwivedi of Dainik Jagran have been jointly awarded the top prize for their contribution towards reporting on road safety by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS)
- CMS, a not-for-profit research think tank, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) India, conducted a three-month fellowship programme for journalists to work on road safety and related issues in 2019
Konark Sun Temple To Be Included In ‘Iconic Sites’ List
- The famous Black Pagoda, the Sun temple in Konark in Puri district of Odisha is to be included to the ‘Iconic Sites’ list of 19 monuments, informed Union Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel
- The Statue of Unity in Gujarat and the Sun templein Odisha will be included to the list as the total number of monuments in the list is to be raised from 17 to 19.
Satyarup Siddhanta becomes first Indian to complete volcanic Seven Summit, enters ‘Limca Book of Records’
- Siddhanta has been nominated for the coveted Limca Book of World Records for his extra-ordinary achievement to be the first Indian to climb the highest volcanoes of each of the 7 continents.
- After Guinness Book of World Records, the Bengaluru-based 37-years-old techie mountaineer is now shining on the prestigious index of ‘Limca Book of records’.
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Ministry of Tourism
- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Culture Tourism- Prahlad Singh Patel.
- Constituency-LS Madhya Pradesh
CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING
India ranked 12th globally in ‘Women On Board 2020’ study
- 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. A study on ‘Women On Board 2020’ has been done jointly by global recruitment tendering platforms My Hiring Club and Sarkari-Naukri
India ranks second in probes on foreign bribery, enforcement drags globally
- Enforcement actions globally slowed down in 2019 against trans-national bribery cases, but India is at the second place after Brazil in terms of the number of investigations concerning alleged bribery of domestic officials by foreign firms, a report stated.
- China showed the highest prevalence of alleged bribery by foreign firms, followed by Iraq, Brazil, Nigeria and India, as per the 10th Annual Global Enforcement Report of TRACE International, a non-profit business association that tracks trends in global anti-bribery investigations and enforcement.
Finland world’s happiest country, India ranked 144: UN
- Finland has been named the world’s happiest country, according to the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s World Happiness Report 2020.
- It’s followed by Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway, while India is ranked 144 on the list.
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United nations:
- The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations.
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- Founded: 24 October 1945,
- Secretary general: António Guterres
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS
BhoomiRashi portal significantly expedited land acquisition for National Highways
- The ‘BhoomiRashi’ Portal launched in March 2018 has significantly expedited the process of land acquisition for National Highways.
- The ministry claims that the portal has made the process error-free and more transparent with notifications at every stage being processed on a real-time basis
Microsoft launches website to track COVID-19
- Microsoft has launched a web portal to track the spread of COVID-19 worldwide. The web portal has been launched by Microsoft’s Bing team.
- The portal aims to track the spread of novel coronavirus in the world. The website is accessible at “com/covid” and provides up-to-date infection statistics for each country.
R K Singh Launched New Website of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
- The Minister of State (I/C) for Power and New and Renewable Energy and Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri R K Singh launched the new website of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
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Microsoft
- Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft : Satya Nadella.
- Microsoft Founded :April 4, 1975;
- Headquarters : Washington, United States.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
- The Minister of State (I/C) for Power and New and Renewable Energy and Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship –Shri R K Singh
- Constituency- Arrah, Bihar
Ministry of National Highways
- Minister for Road Transport & Highways of India and Shipping Ministry of MSME- Nitin Jairam Gadkari
- Constituency- Nagpur, Maharashtra
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ARCI develops cost-effective solar technology for industrial process heat
- Scientists from the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed a cost-effective solar receiver tube technology for industrial process heat applications
Microsoft launches interactive map to provide COVID-19 global updates
- Microsoft has launched a new interactive map on its search engine Bing to help users track the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in various regions.
- The map provides information regarding the number of ‘currently active,’ ‘recovered’ and ‘fatal’ coronavirus cases in countries across the globe
App developed to track Covid-19 cases district-wise
- The students of Mahindra Ecole Centrale College of Engineering, promoted by Tech Mahindra, have developed a district-wise tracking app to help locate COVID-19 cases in the country. This will help people avoid the virus-prone areas or take precautionary measures.
IHBT scientists develop new hand-sanitizer
- A new hand-sanitizer has been developed by the scientists of CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) based in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh.
WhatsApp launches COVID-19 information hub with WHO; grants $1mn to IFCN for fact-checking
- WhatsApp announced the launch of two initiatives in support of the global fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. The first initiative is the global launch of the “WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub” in partnership with the World Health Organization, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Development Program
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Microsoft :
- CEO: Satya Nadella
- Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States
- Founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen
WHO:
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Head: Tedros Adhanom
- Founded: 7 April 1948
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS
An Extraordinary Life’: Book on the late Goa CM Manohar Parrikar to hit the shelves in April
- The book titled ‘An Extraordinary Life: A biography of Manohar Parrikar’ is written by veteran journalists Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar.
- Parrikar who died after battling pancreatic cancer for over a year. He was 63.
Bhalchandra Mungekar’s book “My Encounters in Parliament”
- The book “My Encounters in Parliament” by Bhalchandra Mungekaran Indian economist, former member of Rajya Sabha, was released in the presence of former Vice President- Hamid Ansari.
Gadkari presents ‘Invincible – A Tribute to Manohar Parrikar’ to President
- Union Minister Nitin Gadkari presented a copy of the book — ‘Invincible – A Tribute to Manohar Parrikar’ — to President Ram Nath Kovind, was authored by Tarun Vijay
Messiah Modi: A Tale of Great Expectations by Tavleen Singh
- A ‘Messiah Modi: A Great Tale of Expectations’ written by senior journalist & author Tavleen Singh
- Book talks about helpless dissatisfaction with Narendra Modi the Prime Minister (PM), his cabinet, the story of his first term as a journey from lynchings to demonetization up to Article 370, the most controversial law CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) & the promises he made in his first term.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE
Indian Navy sets up Quarantine Facility at Visakhapatnam
- In an effort to augment Nation’s fight against the spread of CoViD-19, Indian Navy has set up a Quarantine Camp at INS Vishwakarma in Eastern Naval Command (ENC) for Indian nationals being evacuated from CoViD 19 affected countries
DAC approves procurement of 83 indigenous Tejas fighter aircraft for Indian Air Force
- Defence Acquisition Council approved procurement of 83 indigenous Tejas fighter aircraft for Indian Air Force. The Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is going to be the backbone of Indian Air Force in future.
- While orders of 40 Tejas aircraft had been placed with HAL in initial configurations, DAC paved the way for the procurement of another 83 of the more advanced version of the aircraft from HAL
Defence Ministry signs contract with Israeli firm IWI to acquire 16,479 light machine guns
- The Defence Ministry has signed a capital acquisition contract with Israel Weapons Industries, IWI for procurement of 16,479 light machine guns, LMGs at a cost of 880 crore rupees. IWI, which is based out of Ramat HaSharon city in Israel, would be providing Negev 7.62*51 mm LMGs to the Indian armed forces under the contract
Bridge constructed by Border Roads Organisation over Teesta River in North Sikkim opened for traffic
- In a relief to the residents of Lachen in North Sikkim, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) opened for traffic 360 feet long bailey suspension bridge over Teesta River in Munshithang near Chungthang town. The 86 Road Construction Company (RCC) of 758 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF), under Project Swastik, commenced the construction of the bridge in October 2019 and completed it in January 2020.
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Defence ministry:
- Minister of Defence: Rajnath Singh
- Minister of State for Defence : Shripad Yesso Naik
- Ministry executives :Ajay Kumar, IAS, Defence Secretary
Defence Acquisition Council:
- The Defence Acquisition Council is the highest decision-making body in the Defence Ministry for deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions for the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Indian Coast Guard.
- The Minister of Defence is the Chairman of the Council.
- It was formed, after the Group of Ministers recommendations on ‘Reforming the National Security System’, in 2001, post Kargil War (1999)
Indian Navy:
- The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy.
- Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS): Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, AVSM, VSM
- Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM
- Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS): Vice Admiral M. S. Pawar, AVSM, VSM
Border roads organization:
- The Border Roads Organisation develops and maintains road networks in India’s border areas and friendly neighboring countries. Officers from the Border Roads Engineering Service and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force form the parent cadre of the Border Roads Organisation.
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Director General: Lt. Gen.Harpal Singh
- Motto: everything is achievable through hardwork…, ‘Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam’
- Founder: Jawaharlal Nehru
- Founded: 7 May 1960
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS
Rampaging ATK grab historic third ISL title
- A rampaging ATK claimed an unprecedented third Indian Super League (ISL) title triumph with a 3-1 victory over arch-rival Chennaiyin FC in a summit showdown that was played behind closed doors.
Achanta Sharath Kamal wins men’s singles title in Oman Open
- 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.
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying clinches her third women’s singles title of All England Championships
- In Badminton, Taiwan’s shuttler Tai Tzu Ying clinched her third women’s singles title of the All England Championships at Birmingham in United Kingdom
- Ying beat China’s Chen Yufei in two straight games 21-19, 21-15 in 44 minutes.
- Earlier in the men’s singles, Denmark’s Victor Axelsen outclassed Taiwan’s Chou Tien-Chen in two straight games 21-13, 21-14 in the summit clash that lasted for about 46 minutes
UEFA puts all competitions ‘on hold’, Euro 2020 postponed
- Champions League and Europa League matches are also halted
- UEFA has put all club and national team competitions for men and women “on hold until further notice”, European football’s governing body stated in a statement, after deciding to postpone Euro 2020 for a year due to the coronavirus outbreak
Sachin Tendulkar joins WHO’s Safe Hands Challenge amid coronavirus pandemic
- Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar joined WHO’s #SafeHandsChallenge to promote the importance of washing hands amid the coronavirus outbreak.
French Open tennis tournament postponed till September
- The French Open Tennis has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will take place from 20th September to 4th October. Organisers stated, the Grand Slam event was to have taken place from 24th May to 7th June.
Tokyo 2020 Games organisers receive Olympic flame
- Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games received the Olympic flame in a scaled-down handover ceremony in the Greek capital , amid the coronavirus spread that has cast doubt on the July 24-August 9 global multi-billion dollar event
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UEFA:
- The Union of European Football Associations is the administrative body for association football, futsal and beach soccer in Europe, although several member states are primarily or entirely located in Asia. It is one of six continental confederations of world football’s governing body FIFA.
- President: Aleksander Čeferin
- General secretary: Theodore Theodoridis
- Headquarters: Nyon, Switzerland
Oman
- Oman Capital: Muscat
- Currency: Omani rial
- King of OMAN- Haitham bin Tariq Al Said
CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY
Veteran journalist Patil Puttappa dies at 99
- Veteran journalist and former Rajya Sabha member Patil Puttappa passed away due to age-related ailments at a hospital in Karnataka’s Hubballi. He was 99.
- Puttappa represented Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha for two terms. He was also the first president of the Kannada Watchdog Committee and was also the founder-president of the Border Advisory Committee.
Puthussery Ramachandran passes away
- Malayalam poet, scholar and teacher Puthussery Ramachandran passed away after a brief illness. He was 92.
- A scholar of Dravidian linguistics and a professor of Malayalam for more than 30 years, Dr. Ramachandran was a recipient of several awards.
Noted Marathi Actor Jairam Kulkarni Passes Away Aged 88
- Noted Marathi actor Jairam Kulkarni passed away due to old-age related ailments, he was 88.
- His last movie Khel Aayushyacha was released recently
Imtiaz Khan, Actor and Brother of Amjad Khan, Passes Away
- Bollywood actor and theatre personality, Imtiaz Khan has passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was 77. Apart from his wife TV actress Krutika Desai, the late actor and director is also survived by his daughter Ayesha Khan.
Roger Mayweather, legendary boxing figure passed away
- Roger Mayweather, the former legendary trainer and uncle of Floyd Mayweather Jr., has passed away at the age of 58.
- Mayweather was a world champion boxer himself, holding the WBA and lineal super featherweight titles from 1983-1984 and the WBC light welterweight title from 1987-1989
Indian football legend PK Banerjee passed away
- Legendary India footballer PK Banerjee passed away after battling a prolonged illness. He was 83.
- The 1962 Asian Games gold-medallist. Besides winning the gold medal at the Jakarta Asian Games in 1992, Banerjee led India in the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he scored the equalizer against a formidable French team in a 1-1 draw
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