Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of 2nd week March 2020. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2020 and other competitive exams can make use of it.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
International Women’s Day
- This day is observed globally every year on 8 March to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.It is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights.
- Thetheme for IWD 2020 is Each for Equal, recognising all of the actions we can take as individuals to challenge stereotypes, fight prejudice and celebrate women’s The year 2020 is an important one for gender equality
CISF Raising Day
- The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Raising Day is observed every year on 10 March. The CISF was set up in 1969 under an act of the Parliament of India.
- It works under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and it’s headquarter is in New Delhi
World Kidney Day 2020
- According to the National Health Portal of India, about one in 10 people suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) globally. This year, on March 12, 2020 the World Kidney Day will be observed On the second Thursday of March every year, World Kidney Day is celebrated across the globe
World Sleep day
- World Sleep Day is organised by the World Sleep Society every year on the Friday before Spring Vernal Equinox – which is March 13 this year
- Theme 2020 is ‘BetterSleep, Better Life, Better Planet’
International Pi Day
- Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi).
- Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π
The International Day of Action for Rivers
- International Day of Action for Rivers is observed every year on 14th March to raise voice to protect rivers and demand for improving the policies for Rivers.
- The International Day of Action for Rivers 2020 theme is “Women, Water, and Climate Change”
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
MSDE launches Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme in Bengaluru
- The Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mahendra Nath Pandey launched the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme in the Indian Institute of Management in Bengaluru
- The Fellowship is launched as part of the SANKALP programme of the ministry to provide skilled manpower for District Skill Committees to prepare the District Skill Development plan
2nd anniversary of Poshan Abhiyaan ‘Poshan Pakhwada’ being celebrated
- The second anniversary of the Poshan Abhiyaan Poshan Pakhwada is being celebrated on 8th March.
- The focus area of the two-week-long Poshan Pakhwada 2020 will be – Men for Nutrition – increasing male engagement in Poshan Abhiyaan – to improve Nutritional Indicators
Third all-Women Post Office opens in NewDelhi
- Department of Posts, Delhi Circle has opened the third all-Women Post Office in the national capital.
- The post office was inaugurated under New Delhi South West Division to commemorate the International Women’s Day celebrations
Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel to inaugurate an exhibition titled Jallianwala Bagh in New Delhi on 11th March
- Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel will inaugurate an exhibition titled Jallianwala Bagh in New Delhi on the occasion of 130th Foundation Day of National Archives of India, NAI.
- The exhibition will be held at the NAI premises. The exhibition is an endeavour to commemorate the centenary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre covering a period from 1915 to 1950
Govt proposes to create 75 lakh Self Help Groups in two years to support women to earn livelihood
- Government is planning to create a total of 75 lakh Self Help Groups by 2022 to enable more women to get livelihood. Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar stated this while addressing a programme on Women’s Empowerment to mark International Women’s Day in New Delhi
Govt to make sanitary napkin disposal bags mandatory from January 2021
- Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has stated that Sanitary napkin makers will be asked to supply a biodegradable bag with each napkin from January 2021. Mr. Javadekar interacted with the members of the women garbage collectors organization in Pune
Govt Sets up a committee on Kisan Rail
- The Government has set up a committee to work out modalities of Kisan Rail. It comprises of representatives of Agriculture and Railway ministries.
- Railway Minister Piyush Goyal stated, the committee will also look into cold supply chain for perishables by starting the express and freight trains with refrigerated coaches
Govt suspends e-visa and existing visa’s for France, Germany, Spain in wake of Novel Corona virus
- The government has asked people to refrain from travelling to China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan, France, Spain and Germany. Issuing additional travel advisory in view of the Novel Corona virus
LPG Scheme Closed, But Only 3 States Have Gone Kerosene-Free
- As per a report of the Parliamentary committee on Petroleum, only three States and five Union Territories have become kerosene free given the target of eight crore LPG connections under PM Ujjwala Yojana was completed last September
Main national event for International Day of Yoga to be held at Leh
- The main national event for the International Day of Yoga will be held at Leh, the capital of Ladakh this year. The event, which is held on the 21st of June every year, will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Crime Multi Agency Centre for sharing info on heinous crime launched
- Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai has launched the Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC) for sharing of information on heinous crime and other issues related to inter-state coordination. Mr Rai launched the Centre at a function organised on the occasion of 35th Inception Day of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)
Parliament passes Mineral Law (Amendment) Bill
- Parliament gave its approval to the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 with the Rajya Sabha adopting the same. The bill envisages curtailing time lag in operationalization of the coal blocks even after their allocation. The bill was passed in a division of votes with 83 members favouring and 12 opposing it. It was passed by the Lok Sabha
Nitin Gadkari requests Lok Sabha members to spread information about “Udyam Sakhi” portal
- Minister of micro, small and medium enterprises, Nitin Gadkari requested the Lok Sabha members to spread the information about “Udyam Sakhi” Portal for awareness about government schemes and to facilitate the networking of women start ups, entrepreneurs, investors, incubators, mentors, students and enterprise facilitators
Home Ministry constitutes two special committees to fasten CAPF works
- The Union Home Ministry has constituted two special committees to specifically deal with issues and approvals related to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) that render a variety of internal security duties in the country, including border guarding
Census India-2021 to be conducted in two phasesIC
- The Census India-2021 will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will begin from the 1st of next month and will continue until the 30th of September of this year.
- The second phase is Population Enumeration which will be conducted from 9th February to 28th February next year throughout the country simultaneously
Union Cabinet approves construction of 780 kilometer of green highways in four states
- Union Cabinet has approved a proposal for the construction of 780 kilometer of green highways at a cost of 7,660 crore rupees.
- Union Minister Prakash Javadekar stated the project pertains to rehabilitation and upgradation of various National Highways in four states, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh
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Ministry of Mines:
- The Ministry of Mines, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to mines in India.
- Agency executive: Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Mines
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Constituency: Dharwad, Karnataka
Nitin gadkari:
- Nitin Jairam Gadkari is an Indian politician and businessman from Maharashtra who is the current Minister for Road Transport & Highways of India and Shipping Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the Government of India
- Constituency: Nagpur, Maharashtra
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB):
- The National Crime Records Bureau, abbreviated to NCRB, is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code and Special and Local Laws. NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
- Founded: 11 March 1986
- Agency executive: Ramphal Pawar, IPS, Director;
- Motto: Empowering Indian Police with Information Technology
PM Ujjwala Yojana
- It is a scheme of theMinistry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for providing LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
- Launched in the year 2016
- Under the scheme, five crore LPG connections are to be provided to BPL households.
Ministry of Home Affairs
- The Ministry of Home Affairs or Home Ministry is a ministry of the Government of India. As the interior ministry of India, it is mainly responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy. The Home Ministry is headed by Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah.
- Ministry executive: Ajay Kumar Bhalla, IAS, Home Secretary
- Headquarters: New Delhi
Railway Ministry:
- Minister of Railways : Piyush Goyal
- Minister of State: Suresh Angadi
- Chairman: Vinod Kumar Yadav
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
United Nations adopts political declaration on women’s rights
- United Nations has adopted a stripped-down political declaration on women’s rights that seeks to preserve gains under threat but does not advocate new ways to ensure progress toward equality.
- The declaration was adopted during the 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which has been drastically reduced from a two-week affair to a single hours-long meeting because of the global coronavirus outbreak
Two new land ports to be added as entry points for Bangladeshis: High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das
- Bangladeshi citizens travelling to India will have the option of two more land port entry points on their visas.The Bangladeshi visitors to India will be able to enter India from Bhomra and Akhaura side of Bangladesh connecting Gojadanga and Agartala respectively on Indian side
UN Security Council unanimously approves US Taliban peace agreement
- United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved a United States’ resolution on the recent deal between the US and the Afghan Taliban, a rare endorsement of an agreement with a militant group. The US military has begun withdrawing troops as part of the pullout agreed in the February 29 pact with the Taliban
World Health Organization declares Covid-19 as a pandemic
- World Health Organization (WHO) has characterised the new coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva that he is alarmed by the spread and severity of the outbreak, along with a lack of action taken to combat it
Bank of England cuts rates to 0.25 per cent
- The Bank of England unexpectedly cut interest rates by half a per cent in a shock move to bolster Britain’s economy against disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
- Members of the BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to cut Bank Rate for the first time since August 2016, to 25 per cent from 0.75 per cent, the central bank stated in a statement
Iran seeks financial assistance from IMF for the first time since 1962 to counter coronavirus pandemic
- For the first time since 1962, the Islamic Republic of Iran is seeking financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund.
- IMF’s KGeorgieva has stated that countries affected by #COVID19 will be supported via Rapid Financial Instrument. Central Bank requested access to this facility immediately.
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Bank of England:
- Head quarters: London , united kingdom
- Governor : Mark Carney
- Central bank of united kingdom
WHO:
- Head: Tedros Adhanom
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Founded: 7 April 1948
Iran:
- President: Hassan Rouhani
- Capital: Tehran
- Supreme leader: Ali Khamenei
- Currency: Iranian rial
IMF:
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
- Managing Director :Kristalina Georgieva
- Chief Economist :Gita Gopinath
United Nations Security Council
- The United Nations Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending that the General Assembly accept new members to the United Nations, and approving any changes to its charter.
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- Founded: 24 October 1945
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, San Francisco, California, United States
- Secretary general: António Guterres
Bangladesh:
- Capital: Dhaka
- Currency: Bangladeshi taka
- Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
EPFO lowers interest rate on deposits to 8.5 pc for 2019-20
- Retirement fund body, Employees’ Provident Fund Organization, (EPFO) lowered the interest rate on provident fund deposits to 5 per cent for the current financial year.Earlier it was 8.65 percent
PhonePe switches to ICICI for UPI, @ybl handles to continue working
- As the Yes Bank fiasco hit UPI-based transactions , PhonePe that was solely using Yes Bank’s services worked overnight with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and ICICI bank to ensure all its services were up and running within a day.
- PhonePe, with close to 20 crore users, saw an extended service outage, which started immediately after the RBI moratorium on Yes Bank on March 5, lasting for nearly 24 hours.
FICCI-IBA survey Says Proportion of Banks Reporting Rise in NPA Levels Increases From 26% To 28% In July to December 2019
- The tenth round of the FICCI-IBA survey was carried out for the period July to December 2019. A total of 18 banks consisting of public sector, private sector and foreign banks participated in the survey. These banks together represent about 50% of the banking industry, as classified by asset size
FDI inflows recorded highest ever for fiscal year 2018-19
- The total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow was over 318 billion US dollars between 2014 and September 2019 representing nearly 50 percent of the cumulative FDI in India since April 2000.
- In 2018-19, the FDI inflow stood at a record 62 billion US dollars, highest ever recorded for a fiscal year
SBI cuts marginal cost of lending rate by up to 15 points across tenors
- The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) stated it has reduced its marginal cost of fund-based lending rate (MCLR) by up to 15 basis points across various tenors, effective March 10.
- SBI stated that the bank has reduced its one-year MCLR by 10 basis points to 75 per cent from 7.85 per cent earlier. This is 10th consecutive cut in MCLR by the bank in the current fiscal
India Post to launch free digital locker service
- For the first time in India, the Department of Posts is introducing a free digital parcel locker service in the city to enable customers collect their consignment from specified post offices at their convenience. The facility will be available in two post offices — the Nabadiganta IT Post Office in Sector 5 of Salt Lake City and another in New Town
State Bank of India to buy shares worth 7,250 crore rupees of cash-strapped Yes Bank
- The State Bank of India stated that it will buy shares worth 7,250 crore rupees of the cash-strapped Yes Bank in accordance with the draft reconstruction scheme envisaged by the Reserve Bank of India.
- SBI’s shareholding in Yes Bank will remain within 49 percent of the paid-up capital
RBI announces US dollar sell/buy swap to provide liquidity to foreign exchange market
- Observing mismatch in US dollar liquidity across the world, the Reserve Bank has announced a six month US dollar sell/buy swap to provide liquidity to the foreign exchange market. RBI stated, the first swap worth two billion US dollars will be conducted
SBI scraps minimum monthly balance requirement
- State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to do away with the maintenance of Average Monthly Balance (AMB) for all savings bank (SB) accounts and cut the interest rate on these accounts to 3 per cent from 25 per cent. Further, it has waived SMS charges levied on a quarterly basis.
- India’s largest bank seems to have done a fine balancing act in waiving AMB and SMS charges and at the same time cutting the SB interest rate. This move by SBI will prompt other banks to follow suit
BSNL, SBI partner to launch UPI-based payment platform Bharat InstaPay
- State-owned BSNL in partnership with State Bank of India launched a UPI-based payment platform, Bharat InstaPay.
- This digital payment platform is an initiative of BSNL powered by SBI, which shall enable all types of channel partners of BSNL for doing all their payment transactions digitally on a 24-by-7 basis
Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance launches iSelect+ Term Plan
- Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Company Limited announced the launch of iSelect+ Term Plan to provide enhanced protection cover at an affordable premium. The plan is available online.
- With the help of iSelect+ Term Plan, subscribers can design their own financial safety net to protect their family’s future and ensure that they lead their lives comfortably without any financial worries
ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra, Axis join SBI for YES Bank stake.
- Meanwhile, in separate filings with the bourses, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank stated they would be investing in YES Bank. While ICICI Bank will pump in Rs.1,000 crore by picking up 100 crore shares at Rs.10 each, Axis Bank proposes to invest Rs. 600 crore (60 crore shares of Rs. 2 each at a premium of ₹8).
- Kotak Mahindra Bank will invest Rs. 500 crore by acquiring 50 crore equity shares at Rs. 10 per share. On its part, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) will infuse Rs. 1,000 crore
RBI to infuse Rs. 4.05 lakh crore rupee liquidity
- To counterbalance possible domestic liquidity effects of the $2 billion sell-buy swap operation that it will conduct on March 16, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to provide rupee liquidity for seven days aggregating Rs. 25,000 crore to the financial system . This is in addition to the already announced provision of 14-day rupee liquidity aggregating Rs. 3.80 lakh crore
RBI cuts UCB exposure limits to group of connected borrowers; give one more year to meet enhanced PSL norms
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cut the prudential exposure limits for urban co-operative banks (UCBs) to a group of connected borrowers. It also gave these banks one more year to meet the enhanced priority sector lending (PSL) norms.
- The RBI stated henceforth, the prudential exposure limits for UCBs to a group of connected borrowers/parties will be 25 per cent (40 per cent), respectively, of their tier-I capital
UBS cuts India GDP growth forecast to 5.1 per cent for FY21
- Swiss brokerage UBS sharply cut its 2020-21 GDP growth forecast for India to 1 per cent on fears around the coronavirus outbreak and also weak credit growth domestically. The brokerage also cut its FY20 growth estimate marginally to 4.8 per cent. The GDP growth is set to slip to a decadal low of 5 per cent for FY20 as per official estimates and hopes of a revival are being pinned on the next fiscal
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Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance:
- Head quarters : Gurgaon, Haryana
- Anuj Mathur (MD & CEO)
- A. Sankara Narayanan (Chairman)
Urban cooperative banks
- The term Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs), though not formally defined, refers to primary cooperative banks located in urban and semi-urban areas. These banks were traditionally centred around communities, localities work place groups. They essentially lent to small borrowers and businesses.
UBS:
- CEO: Sergio Ermotti
- Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland
BSNL:
- CEO: Pravin Kumar Purwar
- Headquarters: New Delhi
IBA:
- Establishment– 1946
- Chairman– Rajnish Kumar
- Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
FICCI:
- Establishment– 1927
- President– Sangita Reddy
- Secretary General– Dilip Chenoy
- Headquarters– New Delhi
FDI:
- A foreign direct investment is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country. It is thus distinguished from a foreign portfolio investment by a notion of direct control.
MCLR:
- The marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) refers to the minimum interest rate of a bank below which it cannot lend, except in some cases allowed by the RBI. It is an internal benchmark or reference rate for the bank.
SBI:
- Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Managing director: Anshula Kant
- Founded: 1 July 1955
India post:
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Founded: 1 April 1854
- Department executives: : Pradipta Kumar Bisoi, Secretary; Shri Salim Haque, Director General;
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Govt approves TCS, DLF proposals to set up SEZs for IT in Haryana, UP
- The government has approved the proposals of software firm TCS and realty major DLF to set up special economic zones (SEZs) for IT sector in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
- TCS has proposed to set up an IT/ITeS SEZ in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, on 19.9 hectares land. The total proposed investment for the project is Rs 2,433.72 crore.
Google India Launches Skill Development Programme For Women
- Google India introduced DigiPivot, a skilling programme designed for women who are looking to return to their corporate careers after a break or simply planning to make mid-career shifts to digital marketing.
Moody’s cuts India growth forecast to 5.3 per cent for 2020 on dampened domestic demand
- Moody’s Investors Service cut its growth forecast for India to 3 per cent for 2020 from 5.4 per cent estimated earlier, as it expects the coronavirus outbreak to dampen domestic demand globally.
CoinDCX launches crypto-referral initiative in India
- CoinDCX, a cryptocurrency trading platform has launched its crypto-referral initiative in India.
- This initiative is aimed at providing an incentive for crypto adoption by rewarding Rs 500 for every new referral in addition to Rs 500 worth of bitcoin for every new user
Rolls-Royce partners with IIT-Madras for joint research programmes
- Industrial technology giant Rolls-Royce has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) to promote joint research programmes.
- Rolls Royce will promote upskilling and professional development of its engineering talent, and facilitate higher education and research
Facebook launches ‘Pragati’ to boost women entrepreneurship in India
- Facebook India called for applications for its CSR initiative, Facebook Pragati, powered by N/Core (The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation).
- The initiative will incubate and accelerate early-stage women-led non-profits that are working to drive women entrepreneurship and to spread awareness and adoption of technology among women in India
Zomato enters fintech space, launches co-branded credit card with RBL, Master Card
- Gurugram-based food delivery giant Zomato has inked a strategic partnership with Master Card and RBL to launch a co-branded credit card. Joining the likes of Amazon, Ola and Flipkart in the fintech space, the online food delivery platform will offer a host of benefits to the cardholders
Amul to help J&K dairies scale up their operations
- Amul has extended support to dairy cooperatives in Jammu and Kashmir to help the region achieve self-sufficiency in dairy products.
- Jammu and Kashmir is estimated to have high consumption of dairy products worth 700-800 crore, sourced from different parts of the country
Asian Development Bank to give USD 200 million to companies manufacturing products to combat coronavirus
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated it will provide USD 200 million (about Rs 1,480 crore) to companies manufacturing and distributing medicines, and other items needed to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
India’s current account deficit narrows to $1.4 bn in December quarter
- The country’s current account deficit (CAD) narrowed sharply to $1.4 billion, or 2 per cent of GDP, for the December 2019 quarter, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated . The deficit had stood at 2.7 per cent in the corresponding quarter a year ago and 0.9 per cent in the previous quarter
World Bank to provide USD 80 mn to improve water management in HP
- The World Bank will provide USD 80 million (about Rs 600 crore) loan to improve water management practices and increase agricultural productivity in selected gram panchayats or village councils in Himachal Pradesh
GOKADDAL – World’s first Digital Solutions Exchange Cloud launched in India
- GOKADDAL, world’s first Digital Solutions Exchange in the cloud has been launched in India.
- gokaddal.com is a one of its kind solutions aggregator, marketplace and cloud delivery platform with focus on four A’s: Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Analytics and Augmentative Technologies
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World Bank:
- Head quarters: Washington, D.C., U.S
- President :David Malpass
- MD and CFO : Anshula Kant
- Chief Economist : Penny Goldberg
ADB:
- Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
- President: Masatsugu Asakawa
- Membership: 68 countries
- Founded: 19 December 1966
Amul:
- Amul is an Indian cooperative dairy company, based at Anand in the state of Gujarat. Formed in 1946, it is a cooperative brand managed by a cooperative body, the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd., which is jointly owned by 3.6 million milk producers in Gujarat.
- CEO: R.S. Sodhi
- Headquarters: Anand, Gujarat
Zomato:
- Founder: Deepinder Goyal
- Founded: July 2008
- Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India
RBL:
- Head quarters: Mumbai ,Maharastra
- MD & CEO: Mr Vishwavir Ahuja
Facebook :
- CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
- Founded: February 2004,
- Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
Coindcx:
- CoinDCX is an Indian cryptocurrency exchange which operates exclusively as a crypto-to-crypto trading platform offering more than 30 crypto trading pairs.The exchange allows Indian residents to legally trade more than 30 crypto trading pairs at a low trading fee. CoinDCX is not available to traders outside of India.
Moody’s:
- Moody’s Corporation, often referred to as Moody’s, is an American business and financial services company. It is the holding company for Moody’s Investors Service, an American credit rating agency, and Moody’s Analytics, an American provider of financial analysis software and services.
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- CEO: Raymond W. McDaniel Jr
TCS (Tata Consultancy Services Limited)
- Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Chairman– Chandrasekaran
DLF (Delhi Land and Finance Limited)
- Headquarters– Gurgaon, Haryana
- Chairman– Kushal Pal Singh
Rolls Royce:
- Founded: 15 March 1906, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Headquarters: Derby, United Kingdom
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES
J&K Lt Governor Launches ‘Student Health Card’ Scheme for over 12 lakh students
- In a move aimed at improving the health and overall well being of over 12 lakh students of government schools in Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu launched the Student Health Card scheme
Kerala to launch digital literacy drive ‘I am also digital’
- Kerala is all set to launch a massive total digital literacy campaign to ensure that the benefits of the state’s surge as an inclusive knowledge-based society reaches the grass roots level.
- The drive, powered by the Kerala State IT Mission under the Department of Information Technology and Kerala Literacy Mission, is titled as ‘I am also digital.’
Delhi Metro to conduct online Customer satisfaction survey
- The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is going to conduct an online ‘Customer Satisfaction Survey’ through its official website – www.delhimetrorailrail.com from 28th April to 25th May, 2014 to get feedback from the commuters on various aspects related to metro functioning.
Uttarakhand first state in country to measure Gross Environment Product
- Uttarakhand state is going to become the first state of the country to measure Gross Environment Product (GEP) for quantifying ecological growth measurement. A five-member committee in this regard has already been formed which is headed by the principal secretary of forests,
‘NIGHA’ app launched to curb poll irregularities in Andhra Pradesh
- Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the NIGHA App through which citizens can lodge complaints against leaders who are resorting to Model Code of Conduct violations.
- The app was developed by the Panchayat Raj department, in a bid to crackdown on electoral malpractices.
COVA Punjab App Launched To Spread Awareness
- Multiple coronavirus cases in India have been confirmed, causing alarm among the people.
- Punjab Government launched COVA Punjab App to Spread awareness and provide tips.
- A new app dubbed COVA Punjab has appeared on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store
Traditional ‘Fagli’ festival celebrated in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur
- The traditional ‘Fagli’ festival was celebrated in Yangpa village of Kinnaur districtHimachal Pradesh. The festival is organised to observe the “victory of good over evil“
Odisha to have separate dept for SHGs dedicated to women “Mission Shakti”
- Odisha will be the first state to have an exclusive department for Self Help Group (SHGs) called “Mission Shakti” and it will be dedicated to all women of the state, announced Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar
32 lakh saplings planted so far under “Green J&K” program
- Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department, under the “Green J&K” program, from its given target of one crore saplings, has so far planted 32 lakh saplings of various varieties across the Union Territory. The drive was part of national initiative for enhancing the green cover across the country
Devotees celebrate ‘ Hola Mohalla’ at Golden Temple, Amristar
- Hola Mahalla or simply Hola is a Sikh festival that takes place on the first of the lunar month of Chet which usually falls in March at Sri Anandpur Sahib,
- This, by a tradition established by Guru Gobind Singh, follows the Hindu festival of Holi by one day; Hola is the masculine form of the feminine sounding Holi
Karnataka government launches ‘Namaste over Handshake’ campaign to tackle spread of COVID-19
- The Karnataka government started a campaign called ‘Namaste over Handshake’ that encourages people to greet in the traditional Indian style, to tackle the spread of coronavirus
Jewar airport gets international recognition for strategic infrastructure
- In a major achievement for Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath government, the first phase of Jewar airport has been included in the world’s 100 strategic global infrastructure projects for the year 2020.
- Uttar Pradesh (India) and Yugoslavia have been chosen in the field of aviation all over the world. It has been recognised in the CG LA Infrastructure list
Mumbai Central station is about to get a new name Nana Shankarseth Terminus Station
- Two Mumbai icons are getting new names. Dadar’s Shivaji Park ground has been renamed the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park in deference to the Maratha warrior king, while the Mumbai Central train station will be likely called Nana Shankarseth Terminus Station
Maharashtra govt approves implementation of “happy hour” for autorickshaws
- Maharashtra government has approved the implementation of “happy hour” for autorickshaws as recommended by Khatua panel.
- The fares will be slashed by 15 percent between 12 noon and 4 pm. The decision will however not be applicable to local taxis and app based taxis
UP govt launches schemes for skill development & employment generation for youths
- Uttar Pradesh government has launched three ambitious schemes for skill development and employment generation for youths in the state and also announced to depute ”Arogya Mitras” at all primary health centres to inform people about govt health schemes
Assam govt to construct 33 stadiums in state under Uttran scheme
- The Assam government to construct 33 stadiums in the state under Uttaran scheme.
- 300 crore rupees will be spent to build the stadiums across the state.
- 500 playgrounds are being developed at the state to encourage rural talents
Meghalaya to invest Rs 450 crore for development of sports
- Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has stated that his government will invest Rs 450 crore for development of sports infrastructure in the state.
- He stated the government has already taken the initiative to upgrade the PA Sangma stadium in Tura into an integrated sports complex. It will be a state of the art facility dedicated exclusively to football.
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| States | Capitals | Chief minister | Governor |
| ladakh | Leh, Kargil | | Lieutenant Governor :R. K. Mathur |
| Assam | Dispur | Sarbananda Sonowal | Jagdish Mukhi |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai | Uddhav Bal Thackeray | Bhagat Singh Koshyari |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru | B S Yediyurappa | Vajubhai Vala |
| UP | Prayagraj | Yogi Adityanath | Anandiben Patel |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla( Summer) Dharamshala( Winter) | Jai Ram Thakur | Shri Bandaru Dattatraya |
| Jammu & Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar(Summer), Jammu(Winter) | | Girish Chandra Murmu |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | Pinarayi Vijayan | Arif Mohammad Khan |
| Delhi | | Arvind Kejriwal | Anil Baijal |
| Punjab | Chandigarh | Captain Amarinder Singh | V P Singh Badnore |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
Paytm, Hyderabad Metro tie up for QR-based tickets
- Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd has launched Paytm’s QR-code-based metro ticketing system.
- The new service will enable commuters to travel seamlessly and avoid queues to buy tokens at the metro stations. They can now simply purchase a QR ticket on their Paytm app, which can be displayed at the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) gates to proceed for the journey
MOU between DAY-NULM and AMAZON
- An MoU between National Urban Livelihood Mission, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs with AMAZON for e marketing of products made by Self Help Groups (SHGs) across the country in urban areas, in New Delhi.
- The Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra witnessing the signing ceremony
Intel and CBSE join hands to digitally empower 1 lakh students with AI
- Tech giant Intel and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to digitally empower nearly one lakh students with Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration in India’s education system. Initiatives include the roll-out of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) curriculum framework for grades VIII, IX and X for 22,000 schools, with the aim to empower one lakh students within 2020
IIT Bombay, DST, Intel India announce third edition of startup accelerator programme Plugin
- The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, Intel India, and Society for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (SINE)-IIT Bombay have announced the third edition of Plugin, a one-year collaborative accelerator programme for hardware and systems software startups
HAL inks pact with Blue Ray Aviation for supply of two Dornier Do-228 multi-role aircraft
- Blue Ray Aviation Pvt Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Transport Aircraft Division, a division of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, for deployment of two HAL made Dornier Do-228 aircraft.
- Transport Aircraft Division of HAL based in Kanpur produces Dornier Do-228, a 19-seater multi-role utility aircraft for various applications, including commuter, reconnaissance, surveillance and utility operations
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HAL
- Head Quarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Chairman and Managing director- R Madhavan
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION
Anurag Mehrotra to take charge of Mahindra-Ford JV as CEO
- Anurag Mehrotra, a key architect of Ford India’s alliance with Mahindra & Mahindra, is set to take over as the chief executive of their joint venture on April 1.
- Mahindra also stated its chief of powertrain engineering and business development, Pankaj Sonalkar, would become the chief operating officer of the JV
Nupur Kulshrestha becomes Indian Coast Guard’s first woman DIG
- Nupur Kulshrestha becomes the first woman to be promoted as DIG of Indian Coast Guard.
- She joined the service in 1999 and became the first woman to be promoted to this level
Ashraf Ghani sworn in as Afghanistan President for second term
- Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani was sworn in for a second term.
- But President Ashraf Ghani, who was declared the winner of last September’s election, and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who charged fraud in the vote along with the elections complaints commission, have refused to settle their differences
Chalasani Venkat Nageswar gets additional charge of deputy MD, CFO of SBI
- State Bank of India on stated Chalasani Venkat Nageswar has been given additional charge of deputy managing director and chief financial officer (CFO) of the bank
Lt Gen KJS Dhillon to take charge as DG DIA, DCIDS
- After serving at strategic XV Corps of Army last year, Lt Gen KJS Dhillon will take over the post of Director General Defence Intelligence Agency and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Intelligence). It is a department that comes under the Chief of Defence Staff in the newly created Department of Military Affairs
IDFC ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as the face of the brand
- IDFC FIRST Bank appointed bollywood celebrity, Amitabh Bachchan as its first ever brand ambassador.
- IDFC First Bank raised up to Rs 2,000 crore in February 2020 debt capital through bonds to strengthen capital base, boost reserves and support business growth
DFS secretary Debasish Panda nominated on central board of RBI
- The Central Government has nominated Shri Debasish Panda, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, New Delhi as a Director on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India.
Sunil Mehta to be Non-Executive Chairman, Prashant Kumar to be MD & CEO of YES Bank
- The Government has constituted new board of directors for Yes Bank. It will be led by former Punjab National Bank Managing Director Sunil Mehta.
- The new board of director will have Mehta as Non-Executive Chairman while Prashant Kumar, former Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Managing Director of State Bank of India, will be Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
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Afghanistan
- Capital- Kabul
- Currency-Afghan Afghani
IDFC FIRST Bank
- Founded : 2015
- headquarters Mumbai
SBI:
- Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Managing director: Anshula Kant
ICG
- Headquarters– New Delhi, India
- Director General– Krishnaswamy Natrajan
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
15 outstanding women honoured with Nari Shakti Puraskar by Prez on International Women’s Day
- President Ram Nath Kovind gave away the Nari Shakti Puraskar to 15 women in Rashtrapati Bhawan on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
The awardees are 103 year old athlete Mann Kaur, Indian Air Force’s first women fighter pilots Mohana Singh, Bhawana Kanth and Avani Chaturvedi, Farmers Padala Bhudevi and Bina Devi, Artisan Arifa Jaan
BusinessLine Changemaker Awards 2020
- Vice-President of India,M Venkaiah Naidu honoured the winners of BusinessLine Changemaker Awards 2020 at New Delhi.
- Changemaker (Social Transformation) – Shanti Raghavan
- Changemaker -(Digital Transformation)- Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
- Changemaker – (Financial Transformation)- India Stack
- Young Changemaker-Pradeep Mewada
- Young Changemakers- Rashid k; Vimal Govind; Arun George and Nikhil P
- Iconic Changemaker- Arunachalam Muruganandam
- Changemaker of the Year- Dutee Chand
- Changemaker of the year- ISRO
Telangana agri varsity VC Praveen Rao wins Swaminathan Award
- V Praveen Rao, Vice-Chancellor of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), has won the seventh Dr MS Swaminathan Award for the period 2017-2019 for his contributions in the fields of agricultural research, teaching, extension and administration
Smart Incubator of the Year’ Award for Maker Village
- Maker Village Kochi won the ISGF (India Smart Grid Forum) Award for the best incubator in recognition of its efforts to boost the country’s startup ecosystem and encourage innovation.
- Prasad Balakrishnan Nair, CEO of Maker Village, received the ISGF ‘Smart Incubator of the Year’ award from Indian Angel Network co-founder Padmaja Ruparel. The award was presented at the just-concluded India Smart Utility Week (ISUW) in New Delhi
Mangaluru International Airport named ‘best airport by size and region’
- Mangaluru International Airport, which is managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), has been adjudged the ‘best airport by size and region’ in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey for 2019, in the ‘2-5 million passengers per year in Asia-Pacific region category’
Indian Mountaineer Bhawna Dehariya Scales Australia’s Highest Mountain Peak
- Indian mountaineer Bhawna Dehariya has successfully scaled Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 meters, the highest mountain peak in Australia.
- Ms Dehariya, who last year scaled Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro. She hails from Madhya Pradesh
National award for PGI Professor Jaimanti Baksh for services to people suffering from ENT diseases
- Dr Jaimanti Bakshi, Professor and Unit Head II, Department of Otolaryngology and Head Neck surgery at PGIMER was awarded the “Best Citizens of India Gold medal Award“.
- She was awarded for her individual achievements and her contribution towards the national development through her tremendous services to the people suffering from many ENT diseases and head and neck cancer
Women scientists receive international exposure through Indo-U.S. Fellowship for WISTEMM
- The Indo-U.S. Fellowship for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (WISTEMM) program of Department of Science and Technology (DST) in association with Indo-U.S. Science & Technology Forum (IUSSTF) have provided international exposure to several women scientists
Nita Ambani features in 10 most influential women in sports
- Nita Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians cricket team franchise, has been named in the list of 10 most influential women in sports for 2020 alongside likes of tennis superstar Serena Williams and gymnast Simone Biles
Hyderabad boy Amgoth Tukaram scales highest Oz peak
- Amgoth Tukaram has scaled new heights. The 22-year-old from Hyderabad conquered Kosciuszko, the highest peak in Australia.
- Tukaram is the youngest mountaineer from India who has scaled five of the seven toughest and highest peaks in the world — Mt. Killimanjaro (19,308 ft) in Africa on July 4, 2018; Mt. Everest (29,029 ft) in Nepal on May 22, 2019; Mt. Elbrus (18,510 ft) in Russia on July 27, 2019; Mt. Aconcagua (22,837 ft) in South America on January 26, 2020 and Mt Kosciusko in Australia on March 10,2020.
India’s first culinary arts museum at WGSHA enters Limca Book of Records, founded by chef Vikas Khanna
- Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Management (WGSHA) of Manipal Academy of Higher Education entered the Limca Book of Records for establishing ‘India’s First Living Culinary Arts Museum’ at WGSHA
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Airports Authority of India (AAI):
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Founded: 1 April 1995
- Parent organization: Directorate General of Civil Aviation
- Key people: Arvind Singh (Chairman), B.S. Bhullar, DGCA (Ex-Officio)
Limca Book of Records
- Limca Book of Records (LBR) is a catalogue of achievements made by Indians, at home and abroad in diverse fields of human endeavour.
- LBR is a celebration of exemplary exploits and recognizes accomplishments such as firsts, inventions, discoveries, honours, awards and the truly extraordinary
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE
WCD Minister inaugurates Seminar on the Future of Work: Women in India’s Workforce
- Ministry of Women and Child Development and the World Bank organized a discussion programme on the “The Future of Work: Women in India’s Workforce” in New Delhi.
- This discussion programme is part of series of events to observe International Women’s Day 2020 to celebrate the achievements of women in business, women enablers and public, private and civil society organizations
Mrs Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurates a National Conference on Women in Police and CAPFs in New Delhi
- National Conference on Women in Police and CAPFs organized by the Bureau of Police Research and Development in New Delhi.
- The main objective of the National Conference was to discuss and deliberate on the following 2 (two) themes
- Cyber Stalking and Bullying of Women : Steps for Protection
- Challenges faced by CAPF Women in Operational Areas
- To commemorate this event, the Hon’ble Minister released a hand-out – “BPR&D Mirror – Gender Bender”
Abilities in disabilities ‘Divya Kala Shakti’ event in Chennai
- It was filled with dance, music and some daredevil gymnastics, as children and youth with disabilities took the stage for ‘Divya Kala Shakti’ in Chennai, a cultural programme focussed on witnessing abilities in disabilities
‘Wings India 2020’ aviation exhibition kicks off in Hyderabad
- The four-day civil aviation business exhibition and air show, Wings India 2020 started in Hyderabad.
- The biennial event being organized by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) along with Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India will be on till March 15 at the Begumpet airport
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World Bank
- Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States
- President– David R. Malpass
Ministry of Women and Child Development
- MOWCD- Smrithi Zubin Irani
- Constituency- Amethi, UP
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Smriti Irani releases book titled Chronicles of Change Champions
- Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani released a book titled Chronicles of Change Champions in New Delhi.
- The book is a compilation of 25 innovative initiatives taken at the state and district levels under the Prime Minister’s flagship scheme of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
Book on Biju babu ‘The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat’ to inspire kids
- Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched ‘The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat’, a comic book, based on the life and works of legendary leader Biju Patnaik.
- Kalinga Foundation Trust and Creative Warehouse have published the book
Bollywood writer, filmmaker Tahira Kashyap to launch her book ‘The 12 commandments of Being A Woman’
- On the occasion of International Women’s Day, writer-filmmaker Tahira Kashyap announced that she is coming up with her new book, titled “The 12 commandments of Being A Woman”.
- “The 12 commandments of Being A Woman” will be published by Juggernaut Books later this year.
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Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme
- The Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22nd January 2015 at Panipat, Haryana as a comprehensive programme to address the declining Child Sex Ratio and the related issues of empowerment of women over a life-cycle continuum.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING
India ranks 12th in ultra-high net worth individuals
- The world witnessed an increase of 31,000 ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) in 2019. This translates into a 4 per cent jump over 2018.
- According to Knight Frank, India ranks 12th and had 5,986 such individuals in 2019, which is likely to reach 10,354 by 2024. The number of billionaires in India, on the other hand, is likely to reach 113 by 2024, up from 104 in 2019. Topped by US
BRAC retains its position as the top NGO of the world for the 5th consecutive year
- Bangladesh-based international development organization BRAC has retained its position as the top NGO of the world for the 5th consecutive year.
- The rankings for 2020 were announced by the Geneva-based organization NGO Adviser which publishes the rankings every year based on publicly available data for the top 500 global NGOs
Tamil Nadu tops in Poshan Abhiyan’s participants list
- Tamil Nadu tops the list of the states in terms of the number of participants in the flagship programme Poshan Abhiyan.
- Poshan Abhiyan for improving the nutritional status of Indian citizens. It helps children, adolescents, pregnant women and lactating mothers by leveraging technology, a targeted approach and convergence
Gujarat tops in domestic solar rooftop installations
- To achieve renewable power generation goals, Gujarat has topped the list in the installations of solar rooftop plants across the country with about 50,915 systems being fixed on domestic rooftops in the State as on March 2, 2020. Maharashtra follows with 5,513 installations as on the same date Of 79,950 systems installed across the country
India was world’s second-largest arms importer in 2015-19: Report
- India remained the world’s second largest arms importer during the period 2015-19, with Russia being the largest supplier though Moscow’s share of the Indian weapons market declined from 72% to 56%, a leading think tank that tracks arms transfers stated in its annual report .
- In its annual “Trends in international arms transfers 2019″ report, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) listed the world’s top five arms importers during the five-year period as Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and China
Andhra Pradesh ranked 1st in country for overall implementation of Poshan Abhiyan
- Andhra Pradesh ranked 1st in the country for overall implementation of Poshan Abhiyan as per the recent report shared by NITI Aayog.
- As part of the programme the State has trained all Angan Wadi Workers on modules created based on lifecycle approach, i.e first 1000 days of life, with the support of incremental learning Approach (ILA)
India shares second position with China as most promising source of disruptive technologies
- India surged back to tie the second position with China in KPMG’s 2020 global technology industry innovation survey which includes responses from more than 800 global leaders in the technology industry. United States (US) topped the survey
Delhi’s IGI airport ranked world’s best in over 40 MPPA category
- The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), which is undergoing a major expansion, has emerged as the best airport in the over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) category in Asia-Pacific by the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality Programme (ASQ) 2019 rankings.
Byju Raveendran, Zomato’s Gaurav Gupta on WEF’s Young Global Leaders list
- Byju Classes’ founder Byju Raveendran and Zomato’s co-founder Gaurav Gupta are among the five Indians named by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its new list of 115 Young Global Leaders
- Announcing the list, Geneva-based WEF stated these ‘change-makers’ from as many as 52 countries are working in areas ranging from revamping of health systems to investigating corruption while using their power of the under 40s to change the world
EIU’s Inclusive Internet Index 2020
- Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released the 4th iteration of the Inclusive Internet Index 2020 for 100 countries where India is overall ranked in 46th place & Sweden in 1st
Animal Protection Index 2020
- India has scored ‘C’ ranking in the Animal Protection Index 2020. Some other countries like Spain, New Zealand, France, and Mexico also attained ‘C’ ranking in the index.
- Animal Protection Index 2020 released by World Animal Protection highlighted that India is improving in the area of animal protection. The objective of the Animal Protection Index (API) is to showcase what and how countries across the world are treating animals
Taylor Swift tops Google’s 2020 list of most-searched woman in music
- Singer Taylor Swift has been named as Google’s most-searched for woman in music of 2020.
- According to Google, Swift topped the list of searches among women in music, while tennis player Serena Williams was the most-searched for female athlete
Alibaba’s Jack Ma Overtakes Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani As Asia’s Richest Man
- The fear of coronavirus outbreak, coupled with the collapse in oil prices and market breakdown has hurt Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani’s net worth. India’s richest man slipped to the second spot in the Asia rankings, after losing close to $5.8 Bn from his net worth
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World Animal Protection:
- Headquarters– London, United Kingdom
- CEO– Steve McIvor
SIPRI:
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute is an international institute based in Sweden, dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
- Founder: Government of Sweden
- Founded: 6 May 1966
- Headquarters: Solna Municipality, Stockholm, Sweden
Poshan Abhiyan:
- Government is implementing Poshan Abhiyan earlier known as National Nutrition Mission, since 18th December, 2017 to address the problem of malnutrition in the country.
- The Abhiyan aims to reduce malnutrition in the country in a phased manner, through a life cycle approach, by adopting a synergized and result oriented approach.
KPMG:
- Headquarters– Amstelveen, Netherlands
- CEO– William B. Thomas
Gujarat:
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Helpline number for women being launched
- An helpline number has been launched for women students, researchers, entrepreneurs and scientists on international women’s day on March 8. The Helpline No. 011-2656 5285 would clear doubts cleared related to programs of Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).
- Now, this Helpline will provide handholding to women scientists in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and will be available during office hours (09:30 am to 05:30 pm) during working days
Indian Scientists develop Fuel Cell Technology for Disaster Management
- Scientists at International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST) have developed Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC)
Ranchi University to launch its own Community Radio Station
- Ranchi University will launch its own Community Radio Station — Aap Sabka Radio on International Women’s Day. Vice-chancellor of the University, Dr Ramesh Kumar Pandey has dedicated this Radio Station to all Women who have always remained the driving force behind every man
IIT Bombay makes glass substrates for 5G devices, consumer electronics
- Researchers in IIT Bombay have achieved a breakthrough in making glass substrates that have significant advantages over the conventional silicon substrates in applications such as 5G devices
CSIR-National Physical Laboratory develops Ink to Curb Fake Printing of Passports and Counterfeiting of Currency Notes
- CSIR-National Physical Laboratory has developed a bi-luminescent security ink which glows in red and green colours when illuminated by two different excitation sources at 254 nano meters (nm) and 365 nm, respectively.
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CSIR
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India, established in 1942, is an autonomous Society with the Prime Minister of India as its President.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE
Indian Coast Guards conducts SAREX-2020 in Goa
- Indian Coast Guard conducted a two-day National Maritime Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise-2020 (SAREX-20) in Goa which saw participation by 24 overseas partners from 19 countries.
- The workshop was inaugurated by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, and for the first time the three pillars of national SAR mechanism i.e. Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Defence, took part in the exercise which had the theme of Harmonisation of Maritime and Aeronautical Search and Rescue code named ‘HAMSAR’
‘She inspires Us’ Indian Army conducts Self Defence Training for Women
- For International Women’s Day, a unit of Indian Army organized a demonstration on Self Defence themed “Stronger You Stronger Society” for the local womenfolk at Dhamdhama Anchlik College in Nalbari District, Assam
HAL Mulls Setting Up Logistics Bases In Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia And Sri Lanka To Boost Defence Exports
- The state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is planning to set up logistics bases in four nations outside of India. The four nations where HAL plans to set up bases are Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
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HAL
- Head Quarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Chairman and Managing director- R Madhavan
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS
First ever Khelo India Winter Games begin at Gulmarg in Kashmir
- Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiuju inaugurated the five-day Khelo India Winter games at famous tourist destination Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir.
- During the event, the competitions in the sports disciplines like snow skiing, snow boarding, snow shoeing, ski mountaineering and snow baseball would be held
Australia Beat India by 85 Runs To Clinch 5th Title
- Australia defeated first-time finalists India in the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup final in Melbourne to clinch the title for a record-extending fifth time. This is Australia’s fifth title in the last six editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup
Shafali Verma Becomes Youngest Player to Appear in ICC Cricket World Cup Final
- India’s batting prodigy Shafali Verma claimed a slice of history when she became the youngest cricketer (male or female) to play in the final ICC Cricket World Cup.
- Shafali, who is 16 years and 40 days old, took the field for India in front of a packed crowd at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in their 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup final against Australia
Poonam Yadav lone Indian in team of tournament dominated by champions Australia
- Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav was the lone Indian to make the ICC Women’s T20 playing XI of the World Cup, which featured teenage sensation Shafali Verma as the 12th player and was dominated by champions Australia. Five players from Australia’s victorious team made the side of the tournament
Mohun Bagan are the Hero I-League Champions 2019-2020
- Indian football heavyweights Mohun Bagan clinched their second I-League title with a 1-0 win over Aizawl FC at Kalyani, West Bengal .Their first I-League title came in 2014-15 season
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix: Dronavalli Harika held to draw by Abdumalik in round 7
- Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika was held to a draw by Zhansaya Abdumalik of Kazakhstan in the seventh round of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix chess tournament in Lausanne, Switzerland. She remained on four points, half a point behind two Russians
CFC forward Schembri to retire from professional football
- Chennaiyin FC’s Maltese forward Andre Schembri announced his retirement from professional football after the Hero Indian Super League final against ATK FC in Goa on March 14
Tiger Woods to be inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021 class
- American golfer Tiger Woods will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021. The hall of fame, located in St. Augustine, Florida, released a saying Woods, winner of 15 major titles, will be inducted in the male competitor category
Jaydev Unadkat-led Saurashtra beat Bengal to clinch maiden Ranji Trophy title
- Saurashtra led by Jaydev Unadkat lifted their maiden Ranji Trophy beating Bengal on the basis of the first-innings lead at Rajkot
- Unadkat, who had single-handily taken Saurashtra into the final with a seven-wicket haul against Gujarat on the final day of their semifinal, rose to the occasion yet again to a historic victory.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY
Former Karnataka’s governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj passes away
- A senior Congress leader and former governor of Karnataka Hans Raj Bhardwaj passed away. He died at the age of 82 due to cardiac arrest. He has also served the nation as a union law minister
Vijayan Pillai, Kerala Legislator passed away
- Kerala legislator N Vijayan Pillai passed away. He was 65.
- Beginning his political career in 1979 as a Panchayat member, Pillai was elected as the member of the district Panchayat in 2000
Veteran Bengali Actor Santu Mukhopadhyay passes away
- Veteran Bengali actor Santu Mukhopadhyay who was known for his works in films such asSansar Simante and Bhalobasa Bhalobasa passed away
Former Czech Olympic javelin champion Dana Zatopkova dies at 97
- Dana Zatopkova, the 1952 Olympic javelin champion and wife of four-time Olympic champion Emil Zatopek, died at the age of 97 , the Czech Olympic Committee stated