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Friday, March 20, 2020

Daily Current Affairs, 20th March 2020

19:04





1) International Day of Happiness observed globally on 20 March
•International Day of Happiness is celebrated globally on 20th March every year. The 2020 International Day of Happiness campaign theme is ‘Happiness For All, Together’. International Day of Happiness campaign theme is a call on all 7.8 billion members of the global human family, and all 206 nations and territories of planet earth, to unite in solidarity, and steadfast resolve, in fighting back against the COVID 19 Coronavirus.

 •Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognize the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.

2) Prime Minister’s address to the nation on combating COVID-19
As the whole world is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi addressed his countrymen and made an appeal to all Indians to stay indoors as much as possible to stop the outspread of COVID-19 in India. Here are some key takeaways from his speech:

 •He stated a mantra ‘Hum Swasth, toh Jag Swasth’ that is the world will be healthy, if we stay healthy. He appealed to the people of India to stay away from crowds and gatherings, to avoid leaving our homes. This is called as ‘Social Distancing’ which can play a critical role in these times of the global corona pandemic.

 •He requested all the Indians to not step-out of our homes for the next few weeks, until and unless it is absolutely necessary.

 •He also stated a term during his address to the nation i.e. “People’s curfew” which means a curfew imposed for the people, by the people, on the people themselves. The “People’s curfew” will be imposed on 22nd March 2020. He also requested the youth of India and the organizations like NCC, NSS, civil society to spread awareness about this people’s curfew over the next 2 days.

 •He also announced that the government of India has decided to set up a COVID-19 Economic Response Task Force, to be headed by the Finance Minister of India. Formation of Economic Response Task Force will ensure that all measures are being taken to reduce the economic difficulties and are effectively implemented.

3) PM Modi appeals for ‘Janta Curfew’ on 22nd March
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appeals “Janta Curfew” on Sunday (22nd March) within the wake of COVID 19 outbreak. It’ll be self-imposed and self-regulated and can be effective from 7 within the morning till 9 within the evening. The Prime Minister was addressing the state last evening in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

4) Four convicts of Nirbhaya gang-rape hanged at Delhi’s Tihar Jail




•Four convicts in Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case were hanged to death at Tihar jail in Delhi early this morning. The four convicts are Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Kumar and Mukesh Kumar. Delhi High Court and Supreme Court dismissed a last-minute plea by the convicts, paving the way for the execution. This is for the first time that four men were hanged together in Tihar Jail.

 •Director-General of Tihar jail Sandeep Goel has confirmed that the four convicts were hanged together at 5.30 a.m. A doctor has examined and declared all four dead.

5) GoI approves setting up of National Technical Textile Mission
•The Government of India has approved the proposal of setting up of National Technical Textiles Mission with an outlay of Rs. 1480 crores. The National Technical Textiles Mission would be set up for a period of 4 years from 2020-21 to 2023-24.

6) Indian Railways to electrify all broad gauge routes by December 2023
•Indian Railways has planned to electrify a total of 28,810 km of broad gauge route by December 2023. As part of its solar mission, it plans to source approximately 1000 megawatt (MW) of solar power & to source around 200 MV of wind power, based on the techno-commercial assessment.

 •Out of this power, about 204.82 MW (101.42 MW of solar & 103.4 MW of wind power) is already set up on the network. Solar and wind power are renewable energy resources, which is being utilized by the Indian Railways network.

7) Greece hands over Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020
•The Olympic Flame was handed over to Tokyo 2020 organizers after the Greece leg of torch relay suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the virus outbreak, the Greek leg of the torch relay was suspended a day after the Flame was lit at a ritual ceremony held on March 12 at ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games 25 centuries ago, in western Greece. The ceremony, which happened at Athens’ iconic Panathenaic stadium, didn’t include the planned cultural ceremonies from Greece or Japan.

 •Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos handed the torch over to the Tokyo Organising committee represented by Naoko Imoto, who lit the lantern and left with it. The Tokyo Olympic games are slated to be held from July 24 to August 9. However, many athletes raised concern over the quadrennial event happening despite the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

8) Defence Ministry signs contract with Israeli firm for LMG
•The Ministry of Defence has signed the capital acquisition contract with Israel Weapons Industries for the procurement of Light Machine Gun (LMGs). The Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence has signed the capital acquisition contract of worth Rs 880 crore for the procurement of 16,479 Light Machine Gun (LMGs). The Light Machine Guns were the long-standing requirement of Indian Armed Forces.

9) Two Indians named in International Panel of ICC Development Umpires
•Vrinda Rathi and Janani Narayanan have been named in the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires. The announcement was made after the launch of 100% Cricket. 100% Cricket is a 12-month campaign which has been launched to build on the momentum of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.

 •Tamil Nadu’s Janani Narayanan is a software engineer and she wrote her umpiring exams in 2015 before officiating in the TNCA league. She has been umpiring in Indian domestic tournaments since 2018. While, Vrinda Rathi of Mumbai is a former varsity player who has been umpiring in Indian domestic cricket from 2018.
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The HINDU Notes – 20th March 2020

11:54




📰 New definition of MSMEs soon: Gadkari

Govts, PSUs owecrores to the sector: Minister

•Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Nitin Gadkari told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the government would come out with a new definition of MSMEs, which are currently defined on the basis of investment in plant and machinery, by the end of the ongoing session.

•Concluding the discussion on the working of his Ministry that started on Wednesday, Mr. Gadkari said the government was working on the new definition.

•Congress member Jairam Ramesh had suggested that MSME units should be defined on the basis of turnover as it would increase compatibility with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system.

•Responding to concerns raised by several MPs, Mr. Gadkari admitted that “there are problems” but asserted that the government was trying to convert those hurdles into opportunities. It had accepted 39 suggestions by the U.K. Sinha committee appointed by the Reserve Bank of India, including the setting up a “fund of funds” for the sector. The MSME sector currently contributed 24% of the GDP growth and 48% of exports, with an annual turnover of Rs. 1 lakh crore this year. A target of Rs. 5 lakh crore in five years had been set, he said.

•Among the hurdles before the sector was the pending payments by governments and public sector undertakings, which Mr. Gadkari estimated were Rs. 5.5 lakh crore to Rs. 6 lakh crore. These dues needed to be cleared in order to boost the sector.

•He said he had made recommendations to help the sector in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had called a meeting to discuss the same on Friday.

📰 Will Modi’s COVID-19 fund initiative revive SAARC?
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Forum IAS Prelims 2020 CSAT Test 04 With Solution PDF

07:40

Forum IAS Prelims 2020 CSAT Test 02 With Solution PDF






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Insight IAS Prelims 2020 SUBJECT WISE Test 20 With Solution PDF

07:36




Insight IAS Prelims 2020 SUBJECT WISE Test 20 With Solution PDF
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Insight IAS Prelims 2020 SUBJECT WISE Test 19 With Solution PDF

07:33




Insight IAS Prelims 2020 SUBJECT WISE Test 19 With Solution PDF
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THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 20.03.2020

07:23
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Thursday, March 19, 2020

Important notice - CHSL (Tier-I) Examination, 2019 and JE Examination (Paper-I), 2019

18:26
 Important notice - CHSL (Tier-I) Examination, 2019 and JE Examination (Paper-I), 2019



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Daily Current Affairs, 20th March 2020

18:14





1) Global Recycling Day observed globally on 18th March
•Global Recycling Day is observed globally on 18th March every year. This day was first observed on March 18, 2018, by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) and celebrated globally every year to raise awareness of the importance of recycling. The Global Recycling Foundation announces “Recycling Heroes” as the theme for third Global Recycling Day. The main aim of the day is to turn ‘waste’ into a valuable resource.

 The mission of Global Recycling Day as set out by the Global Recycling Foundation:

 •To tell world leaders that recycling is simply too important not to be a global issue and that a common, joined-up approach to recycling is urgently needed.

 •To ask people across the planet to think resource, not waste, when it comes to the goods around us – until this happens, we simply won’t award recycled goods the true value and repurpose they deserve.

2) SC clears permanent commission for women in Indian Navy
•The Supreme court of India cleared permanent commission for women officers in the Indian Navy. The apex court asked the Centre to complete the modalities within three months. A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud said, there cannot be any excuses for not granting gender equality in the armed forces.

 •The bench, also comprising Justice Ajay Rastogi, rejected the Centre’s stand that sea sailing duties cannot be granted to SSC (Short Service Commission) women officers in the Navy as its Russian vessels do not have washrooms for them. The court was contrary to the Centre’s policy of 1991 and 1998 which lifted the statutory bar on the induction of women officers in the Navy. The bench quashed the prospective effect of the policy barring women officers inducted before 2008 from being granted permanent commission in the Navy. It also granted pension benefits to women officers who have retired and were not granted permanent commission.

3) Indian Navy installs Quarantine Facility at Visakhapatnam
•Indian Navy has established a Quarantine Camp at INS Vishwakarma in Eastern Naval Command (ENC). The Quarantine Camp has been set up for Indian nationals being evacuated from COVID-19 affected countries. This is an effort of Indian Navy to augment India’s fight against the spread of COVID-19. The Quarantine Camp has the capacity to accommodate nearly 200 personnel with all appropriate facilities.

•Indian nationals being evacuated from COVID-19 affected countries will be closely monitored by a team of naval personnel and medical professionals of ENC. The monitoring of evacuated persons will be done in accordance with the protocols laid down by the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

4) $100 Billion coronavirus relief package signed by Donald Trump
•To ensure sick leave to Americans workers who fall ill from the new coronavirus, President of the United States, Donald Trump has signed a $100-billion emergency aid package. The $100 Billion coronavirus relief package aims to strengthen the protective measures against the pandemic caused by COVID-19.

•In the United States, the service sector have been hit hard after the closure of hotels, travel and entertainment sectors and the restrictions on restaurants and malls. The relief package will facilitate free coronavirus testing for those who need it, sick pay and paid family leave. The relief package will also bolster unemployment insurance for millions of Americans. It also includes the medical benefits and food aid for those affected by the pandemic.

5) Iraqi President appoints Adnan al-Zurfi as new PM-designate
•Iraqi President Barham Salih has appointed Adnan al-Zurfi as the country’s new prime minister. Al-Zurfi has 30 days to form his cabinet which he must then put to a vote of confidence in Iraq’s fractious Parliament. He will succeed Mohammed Allawi, the 1st politician named by the president as PM-designate who withdrew his candidacy for the post. Al-Zurfi was a former governor of the holy Shia city of Najaf & heads the Nasr parliamentary group of former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.





•Adel Abdul Mahdi was an interim PM who withdrew his candidature in December 2019 after heavy protest where 40 people were killed by security forces.

6) 7th World Cities Summit to be held in Singapore
•The 7th World Cities Summit (WCS) will be held from 5 to 9 July 2020 in Singapore. It is organized by Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The theme for WCS 2020 is ”Livable and Sustainable Cities: Adapting to a Disrupted World”. The WCS 2020 is held in conjunction with the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) and the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG).

•Singapore Government invited Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to the WCS-2020. The WCS was inaugurated in the year 2008 and conducted once in 2 years. This platform brings Government leaders, Industrial experts to forge new partnerships and address liveable and sustainable city challenges, sharing integrated urban solutions and there will be discussions about how cities can cope with climate change, social shifts and technological disruptions with confidence.

7) A. Ajay Kumar becomes India’s next High Commissioner to Republic of Uganda
•Ajay Kumar has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Uganda. A. Ajay Kumar is currently posted as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. Ajay Kumar is a 2001 batch IFS officer.

•Uganda is among the poorest countries on the African continent. One-third of the population here is forced to live below the international poverty line.

8) DAC approves procurement of Tejas fighter aircraft for IAF
•The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the procurement of indigenous Tejas fighter aircraft for Indian Air Force. 83 indigenous Tejas fighter aircrafts will be procured for the Indian Air Force. The new procurement order is expected to provide a major boost to Make in India as the aircraft is indigenously designed. The Tejas aircraft is expected to become the back bone of the IAF’s fleet in the coming future.

•The Defence Acquisition Council has also approved the acquisition of indigenous defence equipments worth Rs 1,300 crore.

About “Tejas“:

•“Tejas” is an indigenously-designed Light Combat Aircraft. Tejas has been designed by Aircraft Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Light Combat Aircraft has been manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This is the new advanced Mk1A version of the Tejas aircraft which was ordered earlier.

9) Nitin Gadkari presents ‘Invincible – A Tribute to Manohar Parrikar’ to President
•Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari presented a copy of the book ‘Invincible – A Tribute to Manohar Parrikar’ to President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on the first death anniversary of Manohar Parrikar.

•The “Invincible – A Tribute to Manohar Parrikar” was authored by Tarun Vijay and released by defence minister Rajnath Singh on 16th March 2020. Manohar Parrikar is a former Chief Minister of Goa and also as a Defence Minister of India who passed away on 17th March 2019.

10) “My Encounters in Parliament” authored by Bhalchandra Mungekar released
•The book titled “My Encounters in Parliament” authored by Bhalchandra Mungekar was released. Bhalchandra Mungekar is an Indian economist, a former member of Rajya Sabha. The book released in the presence of former Vice President- Hamid Ansari, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja and CPI (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.
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