Current Affair of March 2020

National

1. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs recently commissioned a study about Community Forest resource Rights. According to the study, broad guidelines are needed to implement Community Forest Rights.

2. In Indian big cities, the peak hour pollution in the morning and evening flattened due to the lock down. The lock down imposed in the country to contain the spread of COVID-19 has brought down particulate matter of sizes less than 2.5 microns greatly.

3. On March 31, 2020, the Maharashtra and Telangana State Governments announced major salary cuts. The Maharashtra Government had cut 60% of salary from the Chief Minister and other members of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council and other representatives of the local governing bodies. The Class A and Class B employees of the government are to take 50% of cut. There will be no salary cuts for Class D employees that includes office assistants and peons.

4. Around 280 SEZ (Special Economic Zones) that are involved in manufacturing essential goods such as pharmaceuticals, drugs and hospital equipment are operational amidst Lock Down. These economic zones contribute 18% of the exports of the country.

5. The Indian Railways until 31 March, 2020 has modified 20,000 coaches to accommodate 3.2 lakh people. It is still working with 5,000 more coaches to add 80,000 more beds.

6. On March 31, 2020, the Ministry of Tourism had launched “Stranded in India”, a portal aimed to support foreign tourists.

7. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) made a new analysis under the title “The COVID-19 Shock to Developing Countries”.

8. The Seals need ice to keep themselves safe from predators such as wolves and foxes. However, the declining ice in the Baltic sea has disrupted their survivals.

9. Since 2007, every year million participate in the campaign called “Earth Hour” on March 28. The event is organized by the World wide Fund.

10. Every year, Rajasthan celebrates its Statehood Day on March 30. Popularly known as “Land of the Kings”, it is the largest Indian state in area. The day is also called “Rajasthan Day”.

11. On March 30, 2020, the Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit allocated 1 crore rupees to PM Cares Fund and another 1 crore towards the Tamil Nadu CM Public Relief Fund (CMPRF). The funds were released from the Governor’s Discretionary Grant.

12. On March 29, 2020, the Mahavir Chakra recipient Air Vice Marshall Chandan Singh Rathore died at his Jodhpur residence. His services during the 1962 war and 1971 war were impeccable.

13. With the COVID-19 spreading at faster rate in the country, GoI had extended the statutory permits of mines for smooth transition. In spite of this, several mines in Odisha are facing delays of resumption.

14. The Agricultural Produce Market committee has issued guidelines to prevent crowding in markets in Mumbai. The committee has come up with the move as the vegetable traders have stopped working to protect themselves from the virus. This has increased the rush in markets. Similar issues has been faced by markets in other parts of the country as well.

15. On March 29, 2020 the Prime Minister Office constituted a high-level panel to restore normalcy after 21 days of normalcy. The high-level committee is to suggest measures to improve health-care, reduce miseries and put the economy back on track.

16. The “Mo Jeeban Programme” was launched by the Odisha Government to contain the spread of COVID-19. The programme was launched by the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

17. On March 27, 2020, the Odisha Government announced that it is to set up two COVID-19 dedicated hospitals under PPP (Public Private Partnership) model.

18. With the Nation-wide Lock Down to contain the spread of Coronavirus, the Supreme Court extended transition from BS IV to BS VI by 10 more days. Initially the deadline was March 31, 2020. However, the order does not apply to the National Capital Region.

19. On March 28, 2020, ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) announced that India is to participate in trials of WHO (World Health Organization). The trials are to identify potential cures for the outbreak of COVID-19.

20. On March 28, 2020, Prime Minister Modi announced PM-CARES Fund. The fund is being raised to deal with the distress or emergency as that of COVID-19 pandemic.

21. On March 28, 2020, the Ministry of HRD (Human Resources Department) announced that the access to the National Online Education Platform called the SWAYAM has tripled since Lock Down.

22. On March 28, 2020, the Ministry of Power approved major relief measures to provide power supply 24/7 to all the consumers. In order to achieve this the generation, transmission and distribution operations are to run continuously round the clock.

23. On March 28, 2020, the Union Agriculture Minister announced that agriculture and farming related activities have been exempted from Lock Down. This was introduced in the second addendum introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

24. On March 28, 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced new rules under the State Disaster Response Fund. Under the rules, the funds are to be used to facilitate availability of temporary accommodation and food for the migrant workers.

25. The Border Road Organization (BRO) is working in full swing to completely replace the Daporijo bridge. The bridge is the only line of communication to 451 villages located in the China border. Also, the BRO is engaged in snow clearance of Manali-Leh axis to provide relief to Ladakh and Lahaul valley.

26. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman recently instructed the state governments to use DMF (District Mineral Foundation) funds to fight against COVID-19. This is being done to supplement medical facilities that will help fight against Coronavirus.

27. India is all set to begin antibody tests to confirm if a person was previously infected with the virus. This will help understand the epidemiology of Covid-19.

28. On March 27, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare declared the Hydroxycholoroquine as a Schedule H1 drug. With this GOI has brought upon restrictions on sales and distribution of the drug.

29. According to a survey, in 2019, the global coal power plant development declined for the fourth consecutive year. A total of 13 GW of capacity construction delayed due to Coronavirus.

30. The Election Commission recently allowed the use of Election ink for stamping “home quarantined” on infected or symptomatic patients. The Coronavirus infected patients are to be stamped on hands. The ink is also called indelible ink, election ink, phosphoric ink, electoral ink.

31. The Confederation of Indian Industries has set up funds to assist rehabilitation of micro, small and medium enterprises. The fund is to be raised from the members of the confederation.

32. On March 25, 2020, the National Book Trust functioning under Ministry of Human Resources and Development launched Stay Home India with Books initiative. Under the initiative more than 100 books can be downloaded from the NBT website.

33. The GoI had planned to conduct Census 2021 in two phases. The first phase was scheduled between April-September 2020 and the second phase was scheduled in February 2021. Also, the updation of NPR has also been postponed due to the spread of Coronavirus.

34. The Scientists of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun conducted a study and have found that glaciers in Sikkim region are melting at faster rates as compared to other Himalayan regions.

35. On March 25, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved MoU signed between India and Germany. The MoU was signed between Ministry of Railways and DB Engineering and Consulting GMBH of Germany. The Memorandum was signed in February 2020 and will facilitate technological cooperation in Railway sector.

36. The scientists of Agharkar Research Institute (Pune), operating under Department of Science and Technology (DST) have developed biofortified high quality wheat. The new variety is MACS 4028

37. Thermal Screening are being used at airports to check COVID-19 virus. The numbers infected in India has reached 500 and India has entered into complete lock down for 21 days to contain the disease.

38. A Pune based testing services MyLab has become the first Indian company to get an commercial approval from CDSCO for the sales of COVID-19 testing kits sale.

39. On March 24, 2020, Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah was released from detention after 7 months. He was booked under Public Safety Act and was kept under detention since August, 2020.

40. On March 23, 2020, Reliance had set up the first hospital of India that will operate exclusively to treat Coronavirus patients.

41. On March 24, 2020, PM Modi announced that Government of India has allocated Rs 15,000 crores to fight against Coronavirus. The Fund is to be used to increase health infrastructure in the country. This includes testing kits, beds and training professionals to combat the disease.

42. With COVID-19 spreading in India, GoI has ruled curfew in some areas, Section-144 in some other areas and lock down in many other areas. These measures are being done to contain the spread of the virus.

43. On World Water Day, the United Nations warned that 3.5 to 4.4 billion people are to live with limited access to water by 2050. Of these more than 1 billion are to live in major cities.

44. Every year, March 24 is marked as the World Tuberculosis Day. The idea was proposed by International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD). The day is also marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).

45. Every year, March 23rd is celebrated as Shaheed Diwas or Martyr’s Day. The Day is observed to commemorate the courage and heroism of three great young leaders Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru.

46. Every year on March 23, World Meteorological Day is celebrated. It was established in 1950. The Day is being observed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and also by the United Nations.

47. The Indian Council of Medical Research had constituted a National Task Force to fight against COVID-19. The task force has recommended the use of Hydroxychloroquine to treat Coronavirus.

48. Every year, March 18 is celebrated as Global Recycling Day. The Recyclables are called the “Seventh Resource”. They help to save 700 million tonnes of Carbon-Dioxide every year according to the United Nations. The Global Recycling Day is being organized by Global Recycling Foundation. This year, it operates under the theme.

49. The World Cities Summit was recently postponed due to the threat of Coronavirus. The summit that is to be held in Singapore has been postponed to June 20, 2021. The Summit is an international conference that brings together policy makers to identify innovative solutions to cities that are facing challenges.

50. On March 21, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved Ayush Health and Wellness Centre under Ayushman Bharat Mission

51. Every year since 1993, World Water Day is being celebrated on March 22. It is being celebrated to spread the importance of fresh water. The day is celebrated by United Nations as well along with various other organizations all over the world. The theme of World Water Day is "Water and Climate Change".

52. The Food and Agriculture Organization operating under United Nations released a report recently on Peatlands. The report says that though Peatlands cover only 3% of the earth’s surface, they trigger the carbon that were locked in a few decades.

53. The GoI has postponed the first artificial intelligence summit of the country called RAISE to October 2020.

54. Every year, the United Nations celebrate International Day of Forest on March 21. The Day is being celebrated since 2012. It aims to increase awareness and importance of forests. The day also focuses on the significance of trees outside the forests. Also, the day is celebrated to save forests.

55. Every year March 20 is celebrated as International Day of Happiness. The day is observed by the United Nations. This year the day was celebrated under the Theme: Happiness for All, Together

56. The Indian Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta has entered ‘Limca Book of Records’. He has set the record of becoming the first Indian to climb the highest volcanoes in the world of all the 7 continents.

57. On March 21, 2020, the Borders Road Organization opened a 360 feet long bridge across Teesta river. The bridge was constructed by BRO under Project Swastik.

58. On March 20, 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research issued new guidelines to test COVID-19.

59. On March 20, 2020, the Ministry of Heath informed Lok Sabha that ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has received several complaints on misuse of stem cell therapy.

60. On March 20, 2020, the Parliamentary Standing Committee that was set up under the leadership of the Lok Sabha Member Kanimozhi Karunanidhi submitted its report. The Committee was set up to check whether genuine farmers are getting fertilizer subsidy.

61. On March 20, 2020 United Nations released the World Happiness Report on the International Day of Happiness, 2020. Finland ranked first in the report and India ranked 144. Around 156 countries were assessed under the ranking. This is the eighth World Happiness Report prepared by the organization.

62. On March 19, 2020, the Ministry of Railways presented the details of Greenco System in the country in Lok Sabha. As on 2018, 42 Railway Production units have implemented Greenco Rating.

63. On March 19, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on combating Coronavirus. The PM introduced People’s Curfew during his speech. He also said that Economic Task Force is to be implemented under the Finance Minister.

64. The NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) recently launched the “Innovate for Accessible India” campaign along with Microsoft India. The other partners of the initiative include Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

65. On March 19, 2020, the Ministry of Power quoted International Energy Agency ranking in the Parliament. According to the ranking, India is the third largest producer of electricity in the world. Also, it is ranked 106th in terms of per capital consumption.

66. On March 19, 2020, the former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi took oath as the Member of Parliament of Rajya Sabha.

67. The US Government recently allocated 100 billion USD to fight Coronavirus. Following the US, UK had announced 400 billion USD to be allocated for Coronavirus.

68. On March 18, 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research announced that India is in Phase 2 of spread of COVID-19 and that community transmissions have not begun in India.

69. The Danube-Oder-Elbe canal intends to connect the three rivers Danube, Oder and Elbe. This is to provide an alternate route of navigation from Black sea to Baltic and North seas. However, several concerns are being raised by the environmental organizations against the construction of the canal.

70. The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers recently reported at the Parliament that the DPCO, 2013 (Drugs Prices Control Order, 2013) has helped to save Rs 12, 447 crores per annum.

71. On March 18, 2020 the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced in the parliament that New Industrial Policy and National E-Commerce Policy are to be released soon. The policies are to be framed by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

72. On March 18, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has included Ayushman Bharat or the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to fight against Coronavirus. So far India has recorded 168 confirmed cases of Coronavirus. OF these, India has cured 14 and three have so far died because of the virus.

73. The National Botanical Research Institute developed pest resistant cotton variety. The cotton variety is to be field tested at the Center of Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.

74. The Scientists at the CSIR-IHBT (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology) has developed a new sanitizer without using chemicals.

75. The Government of India has opened testing of Coronavirus to private sector. The price of testing is to range between Rs 9,000 and Rs 12,000.

76. As the outbreak of Coronavirus has hit revenue collection, the Government of India has dropped three crucial policies.

77. On March 17, 2020, Bangladesh celebrated 100th birth anniversary of “Jatir Pita” Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. PM Modi participated in the celebrations through video conferencing.

78. On March 17, 2020, the Supreme Court of India issued notice to the Madhya Pradesh State Government to conduct a floor test. A bench headed by Justice Chandrachud issued the notice.

79. On March 17, 2020, the veteran journalist and Rajya Sabha member Patil Puttappa passed away at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). He died due to age related ailments.

80. On March 17, 2020, the draft National Policy for rare diseases has been shared in the website of ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The draft has been opened for comments from the states and Union territories and also from General public.

81. On March 16, 2020, India has announced that it is to stop entry of people from European Union and United Kingdom till the end of March 2020. This is being done with the increasing threats of Coronavirus.

82. On March 16, 2020, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti Shri Rattan Lal Kataria announced in the parliament that ground water is contaminated with Uranium at 30 micro-grams per litre in the country.

83. On March 16, 2020, the Uttar Pradesh Government passed ordinance, “Recovery of Damages to public and private property ordinance, 2020”. The ordinance aims to deal with violent acts and control its persistence. It will also provide recovery of public and private property damages.

84. On March 16, 2020, the Minister of Transport Nithin Gadkari informed Rajya Sabha that there has been 10% decrease in road accidents since the passage of Motors Vehicles Act.

85. The major banana growing regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were severely hit. This was mainly because the importing countries have gone for lockdown, especially Iran.

86. On March 16, 2020, the Odisha Government cancelled the famous Chaitra Jatra festival due to the threat of Coronavirus.

87. On March 15, 2020, at a political delegation Home Minister Amit Shah announced that statehood of Jammu and Kashmir is to be restored.

88. With more than 80 confirmed COVID-19 cases, India has declared “notified Disaster”. With this, the SDRF funds are to be temporarily used for supply of food, medical care and water for patients in quarantine camps.

89. On March 14, 2020, the Kerala Government ordered poultry culling. Parappanagadi has been identified as the Epicenter of bird flu. The Government of Kerala is to cull poultry within one-kilometer radius.

90. On March 15, 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research developed COVID-19 testing strategy for people infected with the virus. The Council has given a detailed explanation about the methodology to test the people.

91. On March 14, 2020, the National Mission for Clean Ganga organized “Ganga Amantran Abhiyan” (GAA). The GAA is an open-water rafting and kayaking expedition in Ganga river.

92. The Government of India recently brought hand sanitizers and masks under Essential Commodities Act. Till 30th June, 2020, these products are to remain under Essential Commodities Act. The GoI has brought these commodities under the act by amending Schedule of Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

93. On March 14, 2020, the GST Council met for the 39th time in New Delhi. The Council was headed by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman.

94. On March 13, 2020, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways claimed that “Bhoomi Rashi Portal” provides transparent and error free land acquisition.

95. On March 12, 2020, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved the proposal to rename Mumbai Central Station to Nana Shankarseth. The approved proposal is to be sent to Ministry of Railways. It is the Central Railways operating under Ministry of Railways that has the final say in the name change.

96. On March 12, 2020, Global Animal Protection Index 2020 was released by World Animal Protection, an international animal welfare charity. India was ranked second in the index.

97. The Major national event for the 6th International Day of Yoga is to be held in Leh, the capital of Ladakh on 21st June, 2020. The event is to be led by PM Modi.

98. Every year, the Central Industrial Security Force Raising Day is celebrated on March 10. The CISF works under Ministry of Home Affairs. It was set up in 1969 under the CISF act, 1968 passed in Parliament of India.

99. India for the first time used Lopinavir and Ritonavir combination to treat Italian patients in India infected with COVID-19. The couple were on a tour to India and are currently being treated in Jaipur

100. Gujarat has topped solar roof top plants across the country. The state government has taken up dedicated schemes in order to achieve renewable power goals.

101. On March 8, 2020, the Union Environment Minister Prakash Javedekar announced that sanitary napkin disposal bags are to be made mandatory.

102. A Delimitation Commission was formed under former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.

103. With the number of infections raising in India to 34, the Ministry of Home Affairs recently stopped issuing Protected Area Permits (PAPs) in Arunachal Pradesh.

104. A Parliamentary panel set up on education submitted its report to Rajya Sabha on 2020-21 demand for grants. The report said that shortfalls in budget funds has led to critical infrastructure gaps.

105. On March 8, 2020, Minister of Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar announced that more than 17 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) are to be developed by 2022. Currently, there are more than 60 lakh self help groups in the country mobilizing 6 crore women.

106. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently released the Gender Social Norms Index. It measures the social beliefs that obstruct Gender Equality.

107. On March 6, 2020, the Comptroller and Auditor General tabled the report for the year that ended on 31st March 2018 (2017-18). The report was tabled in the assembly. According to the report, between 2014 and 2016, 40% of environmental crimes in India were from Rajasthan.

108. Every year, March 8th is marked as International Women’s Day. It was first proposed by the Socialist Party of America in 1909. However, it was pertained to New York City. The first International Women’s Day was marked first in 1909.

109. A dedicated monitoring cell was opened under Mission Bhagiratha to invite grievances and issues of supply of drinking water.

110. On March 7, 2020, India officially shared two SARS-CoV-2 with the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID).

111. On March 7, 2020, India officially shared two SARS-CoV-2 with the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID).

112. On January 7, 2020, Jan Aushadi Diwas is to be celebrated. The day is being celebrated to commemorate the achievements of Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadi Pariyojana. PM Modi is to interact with seven Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendras as a part of celebration of the day.

113. On March 6, 2020, the Jammu airport security was taken over by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). With this there are 63 airports under CISF at present.

114. The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs recently constituted a committee under NC Saxena, former member of Planning Commission of India. The Committee will examine and recommend Community Forest Resources (CFR) Guidelines. The Committee has been constituted under Forest Rights Act, 2006.

115. On March 3, 2020, on the sidelines of the World Wildlife Day celebrations, Global Coalition for Biodiversity was launched. The initiative was launched by the European commission. The coalition was named “United for Biodiversity”.

116. On March 3, 2020, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that his government will pay Rs 900 per month to farmers willing to keep stray cattle.

117. On March 4, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Narendra Modi had approved mega consolidation of 10 Public Sector Banks.

118. On March 4, 2020, the Union Cabinet under PM Modi cleared the Foreign Direct Investment Policy on Civil Aviation. According to the policy, 100% FDI is permitted in the air transport services. Earlier only 49% was available for sale to NRIs

119. The Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) has signed Memorandum of Understandings with IIT Delhi, Quality Council of India (QCI) and Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA).

120. On March 2, 2020, a Rajya Sabha Member of the ruling party replied about the financial assistance being provided to the Kaziranga National Park, Assam.

121. On March 2, 2020, the Government of India declared National Chambal Sanctuary as Eco-Sensitive Zone. The Sanctuary is home to Gangetic Dolphins and critically endangered Gharials.

122. A week-long festival called “EKAM FEST” was organized to promote the products of Divyang artisans and entrepreneurs. More than 80 Divyang entrepreneurs and artisans participated in the event.

123. The Government of India recently permitted the airlines operating in the country to provide in-flight WiFi Services to its passengers. This technology allows the passengers to use laptop, tablet, smart watches, smartphones and a point of sale device in flight mode.

124. On March 2, 2020, the eighth foundation day of the Land Port Authority of India was celebrated. The event discussed various aspects of land ports such as cargo operations at Integrated Check Ports and other border infrastructure.

125. On March 2, 2020, in its 19th foundation day, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) operating under Ministry of Power launched star rating programme for Light Commercial Air Conditioners (LCAC) and Deep Freezers.

126. In September 2019, GoI had banned the export of onions in order to bring down its prices in the country. The prices of the key cooking ingredient had soared due to supply disruptions and floods in the major onion producing states Haryana and Maharashtra.

127. The Indian Meteorological Department has announced that months of March, April and May are to be warmer than normal. The heat waves are to prevail over the heat wave zones of India.

128. The 2020 year was earlier announced as “BioDiversity Super Year”. Therefore, several events are being conducted based on biodiversity. It includes World Wildlife Day as well. This year the World Wildlife Day is being celebrated under the Theme: Sustaining all Life on Earth.

129. The GoI is taking several steps to double farmers income by 2022. In order to help achieve the target, Krishi Vigyan Mela and Krishi Vigyan Kendra Conference were inaugurated by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.

130. On March 1, 2020, Zero Discrimination Day was observed globally. The day was observed to challenge discrimination and inequality faced by women and girls. It aims to protect rights of women and promote their empowerment and gender equality. This year the day was observed under the Theme: Zero Discrimination against Women and Girls

131. On February 29, 2020, the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered that the red panda species are actually two separate species. Earlier, both the Himalayan red pandas and the Chinese red Pandas were together considered as red panda species. However, the DNA analysis says that they are two separate species.

International

1. On March 30, 2020, the World Health Organization condemned countries including India for not taking actions to address the concerns of daily workers and migrant workers.

2. On March 29, 2020, the Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that Saudi Arabia has assured India on uninterrupted LPG supply amidst growing threat of COVID-19.

3. On March 29, 2020, the Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that Saudi Arabia has assured India on uninterrupted LPG supply amidst growing threat of COVID-19.

4. US President Donald Trump invoked the Defence Production Act recently. The act has been invoked in order to direct General Motors, a Multinational Corporation to manufacture ventilators needed to fight COVID-19.

5. On March 27, 2020, the JICA (Japanese International Cooperation Agency), a funding agency of the Japanese Government signed an agreement with GoI for 3 mega rail infrastructure projects. The project cost has been estimated as Rs 15,295 crores.

6. On March 26, 2020, the United Nations Space Force launched a hyper-secure satellite for its military communications. With the launch of the satellite the United States has begun its first National Security Mission.

7. The United Nations has estimated that around 25 million jobs are to be lost due to the COVID-19 impacts.

8. On March 27, 2020, the G20 video summit was chaired by the Saudi king Salman. As a member of G20, India was represented by PM Modi. At the summit, the leaders pledged to infuse 5 trillion USD into the global economy.

9. The International Monetary Fund recently launched the “IMF Policy Tracker”. The platform will provide all the key economic responses launched by Governments all over the world to fight against Coronavirus.

10. On March 25, 2020, the United Nations launched Global Humanitarian Response Plan to fight against COVID-19. The organization has allocated 2 billion USD to implement the plan. The plan has been launched in 51 countries of Africa, South America, Middle East and also Asia.

11. On March 25, 2020, 11 people were killed in a terror attack that targeted a “Dharmashala” in Kabul. The Dharamshala is reported to have sizeable number of Hindu and Sikh minorities. The Islamic State Organization has claimed to take responsibility to the attack.

12. The Saudi Arabian King Salman is to chair the G20 summit on Coronavirus through a video conference. The Summit is to be held on March 26, 2020. The summit becomes significant as several international organizations are to participate in the summit.

13. On March 25, 2020, 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit northern Pacific. The quake was 37 miles deep and stuck the eastern Kuril Islands of Russia.

14. On March 24, 2020, the International Monetary Fund announced that the recession to be caused due to Coronavirus is to be worse than the 2009. IMF has specifically warned the G20 nations that the current economic outlook is towards negative. The G20 nations are to hold a virtual summit in a week to come out with a global solution to combat Coronavirus.

15. The World Health Organization recently launched a mega trial of four most promising Coronavirus treatments. The organization focuses on repurpose drugs that have already been approved to be safe rather than finding new compounds from the scratch.

16. A man in Yunnan Province of China has tested positive for Hanta Virus. He died shortly after he was tested positive for the virus on March 23, 2020. The symptoms of Hanta Virus are similar to that of the Coronavirus.

17. The Disaster Management Centre of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation has launched a website related to COVID-19. The website shows number of Coronavirus Cases in member states.

18. The US President Donald Trump has cancelled an in-person G7 Summit and is to conduct the summit through video conferencing. This is being done due to the increasing threat of Coronavirus.

19. The United Kingdom is to co-chair India led CDRI (Global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure). The CDRI was established by PM Modi at the G20 meet held in 2017.

20. On March 20, 2020, the United States successfully tested nuclear capable hypersonic missiles. The test challenges Russia’s missile testing capabilities. Recently, Russia tested a hypersonic weapon in December 2019 and China has already showcased its DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicle.

21. The Paleontologists of Canada have linked human hands to the fins of fish. The researchers examined a fossil of “Elpistostege”.

22. On March 19, 2020, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that 1 million USD has been dispersed towards the Emergency COVID-19 funds. The fund was set up PM Modi during a video conference recently. Walking on the foot steps of India, Saudi Arabia had recently initiated similar conference among G20 countries to fight COVID-19.

23. On March 17, 2020, PM Modi interacted with the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Prime Minister shared about India’s preparedness to fight against Coronavirus. He also mooted the idea of SAARC like virtual conference among G20 nations.

24. On March 16, 2020, India signed Memorandum of Understanding with Nepal for construction of new schools in the country. Under the MoU, India is to provide 107.01 million Nepali rupees.

25. On March 16, 2020, the United States of America began the first human trial evaluating COVID-19 vaccine. The US National Institute of Health will enroll 45 healthy adult volunteers between age 18 and 55 for a period of 6 weeks in order to test the vaccine.

26. The United Kingdom Government under the PM Boris Johnson has adopted “Herd Immunity” strategy to contain Coronavirus. With India declaring COVID-19 as “notified disaster”, Italy, Spain and France locking down completely, UK is adopting herd immunity strategy. The United Kingdom recently gained wide criticism for adopting the strategy.

27. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development recently released a report on the effect of COVID-19 on global economy. According to the report, India was ranked 10th.

28. On February 16, 2020, the United States Reserve Bank announced that the key interest rates are to be slashed to 0% to 0.25%. This is being done in response to growing impact of Coronavirus.

29. On March 15, 2020, SAARC leaders participated in a video conference to frame a strategy in order to fight Coronavirus. PM Modi attended the video conference on behalf on India.

30. The President of United States of America Donald Trump has declared national emergency over the spread of Coronavirus. Also, the government has allocated 50 billion USD to fight against the disease.

31. For the first time since 1962, Iran is seeking the help of International Monetary Fund. Since Islamic Revolution Iran stopped getting help from IMF.

32. In 1918, the Spanish Flu caused global pandemic. It spread indiscriminately killing more than 50 million people. 10% of the patients infected with the virus died. It is considered as the deadliest pandemic in the world history.

33. Recently at the WION’s Global Summit held in Dubal, the Pakistan representative, Minister Kasturi recalled Sir Creeek Pact. The summit was organized under the Theme: Navigating and Negotiating Global Imperatives

34. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus as Global Pandemic as it is rapidly spreading across the world. Today there are more than 126,369 people infected with COVID-19 virus. The virus has so far killed 4,634 people.

35. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus as Global Pandemic as it is rapidly spreading across the world. Today there are more than 126,369 people infected with COVID-19 virus. The virus has so far killed 4,634 people.

36. On March 9, 2020, the prices of crude oil plunged by 20% after OPEC to failed to make a deal in making production cuts.

37. On March 6, 2020, India joined the Indian Ocean Commission as the fifth observer. The other four observers in the grouping are Malta, China, European Union and OIF (International Organization of La Francophonie).

38. On March 6, 2020, Ghojadanga of West Bengal and Agartala of Tripura were designated as land immigration check posts. They are located in Indo-Bangladesh border.

39. The United Nations Global Compact conducted a study recently and found that female labour participation has decreased from 34% in 2006 to 24.8% in 2020. The study also says that out of the 153 countries surveyed, India is the only country where economic gender gap is greater than political gap.

40. During India’s Smart Utility Week, India and European Union called upon Integrated Local Energy System. The countries are to work upon clean energy and climate. The collaboration will help to improvise clean energy supply.

41. Luxembourg in Europe has become the first country to make all forms of public transport free. It is the second smallest country in the European Union.

42. On March 2, 2020, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) reported that Nitrous Oxide pollution in China has declined greatly between January and February 2020.  According to the report, nitrous oxide pollution has declined by more than 100 tonnes of carbon-dioxide.

43. On March 3, 2020, the World Bank announced 12 billion USD to assist countries that are grappling with economic impacts of Coronavirus. The virus has reached 60 countries so far.

44. The Asian Development Bank is to provide 4 million USD to member countries in Asia and Pacific to contain COVID-19, the Coronavirus. The fund is being allocated for buying emergency supplies, assessing health systems, improve resilience and respond to animal human disease outbreaks.

45. The COVID-19 (Coronavirus), that began in China has now spread to more than 45 countries. Outside China, South Korea has the highest number of COVID-19 victims.

Business, Economy & Banking

1. On March 30, 2020, the Asian Development Bank announced that it is to invest 100 million USD in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). The investment during an economic slow down is a great boost for the Indian Economy.

2. The Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India is to hold a meeting on March 31, 2020 to discuss about the first half borrowing plan for the year 2020-21. For the first time in Indian history, the meeting is to be held through video conferencing.

3. The Reserve Bank of India is to implement a merger plan of 10 state-run banks into 4 larger banks from April 1, 2020. The Amalgamation of the banks had been notified by the GoI earlier of March 2020.

4. On March 27, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India announced series of measures to counter economic slowdown caused due to COVID-19. The Central bank advanced its Monetary Policy Committee meet due to COVID-19 pandemic. This was the 7th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement of the RBI for the financial year 2019-20.
The RBI measures introduced is to inject Rs 3.74 lakh core into the Indian Economy according to the RBI Governor.

5. The Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of PM Modi on March 25, 2020, approved the recapitalization of regional rural banks (RRB) to improve the capital to risk weighted assets ratio.

6. The E-Commerce Giants Flipkart and Amazon has temporarily stopped their services in India following lock down in the country.

7. On March 24, 2020, the India’s National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency called the Invest India launched “The Invest India Business Immunity Platform”. The platform is to operate on the website of Invest India.

8. On March 24, 2020, the Ministry of Labour and Employment transferred funds to the account of construction workers in the backdrop of outbreak of COVID-19.

9. On March 24, 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced several key measures in the view of Coronavirus Pandemic. The minister also announced that the Economic Task Force is to announce Economic Relief Package to contain the spread of the disease.

10. On March 19, 2020, the Finance Commission Constituted a committee under Shri N K Singh in order to build a fiscal consolidation road map for the centre and the states.

11. On March 19, 2020, the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) announced Swavalamban Express.

12. On March 19, 2020, the Finance Commission announced that it will monitor situation of COVID-19 before releasing its second report.

13. On March 19, 2020, the University Grants Commission directed all the affiliated colleges and universities to postpone the ongoing examinations. The evaluation works have also been directed to be rescheduled.

14. On March 18, 2020, the Agricultural and Processed food product Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed Memorandum of Understanding with Small Farmers Agriculture-Business Consortium. The agreement aims to link the Farmer Producer Organization and farmer cooperatives with the export value chain.

15. The RBI Governor recently stated that the apex bank has several armoury of weapons and it will not hesitate to deploy them. Two of the measures suggested by the governor are Forex Swap and LTRO (Long Term Repo Operation). This is being suggested as the global economic growth is affected due to impact of COVID-19 and this in turn is affecting India as well.

16. On March 16, 2020, the National Mineral Development Corporation announced that the prices of iron ore is to be reduced by 1.5%. The Corporation is taking such measures predicting decline in iron ore demands due to the threats of Coronavirus.

17. On March 16, 2020, the Commerce Ministry reported that the gold imports for the period April to February (2019-20) has reduced by 8.86% as compared to the previous year.

18. On March 13, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India revised exposure limits of Urban Cooperative Banks. Earlier the RBI permitted 15% of its capital funds to single borrowers and 40% of its funds to group of borrowers. It has now revised the group of borrower fund limit to 25% of its funds.

19. The United Nations Conference on Trade, Investment and Development has warned that the Foreign Direct Investment flows all over the world will reduce by 15% due to Coronavirus. According to the organization, the outbreak could cost 2 trillion USD to the global economy.

20. Workers in Diamond Industry of India, especially in the parts of Surat have been facing job losses and pay cuts as Coronavirus has hit exports to China. China is the biggest market of precious stones and since February China is terribly affected with Coronavirus.

21. The Union Cabinet recently approved the proposal to set up major port at Vadhvan in Maharashtra. The GoI has sanctioned Rs 65,545 crores for the project.

22. On March 5, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India imposed a month-long moratorium. Also, the Apex Bank has imposed withdrawal restrictions of Rs 50,000 to the customers. However, in case of medical emergencies and higher education fees, the restriction has been increased to Rs 5 lakhs.

23. On March 5, 2020, the world’s largest oil production nations of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) have planned to cut production. This is the deepest oil production cuts since 2008 financial crisis.

24. On March 5, 2020, Google announced that it will open its next cloud region of India at Delhi by 2021. This is the second cloud region of Google after Mumbai, that was launched in 2017. Google owns 22 cloud regions in Asia Pacific.

Science & Technology

1. The Chinese Government has put on a list of medicines that shall be used to treat COVID-19. It includes both Chinese traditional medicines and western medicines as well. Among these, “Tan Re Qing” has been identified as best cure. This traditional medicine carries bear bile.

2. A new technology has been adopted by the Maharashtra hospitals in the fight of COVID-19 fight. The technology was developed by a Pune based Start Up.

3. On March 30, 2020, the Government of India clarified that it had no plans to extend the 21 day lock down that was begun on March 25, 2020. The announcement comes to clarify rumours and fake news about extension of 21 day lock down.

4. The Food and Drug Administration of the United States has approved the use of Convalescent plasma collected from patients recovered from COVID-19 to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients. The idea of the method is to inject plasma with antibodies into critically ill patients for them to gain immunity against the virus.

5. The DRDO (Defence Research Development Organization) has been tracking the spread of the COVID-19 virus since it began to spread in China. Now, the organization has developed four items to help India in its “War against Corona”.

6. According to a research published in the journal “Pathogen”, virus jumped to humans from Pangolins. Also, mutation was the main reason for the virus to target human cells so easily and hence leads to fast spread of the virus.

7. The International Advanced Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) operating under Department of Science and Technology, Government of India has developed a technology to improve fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines.

8. For the first time in India IIT Madras is to host Hyperloop pod competition in July 2020. India has taken a few steps in bringing the environment friendly Hyperloop pod transport in the country.

9. On March 20, 2020, the National Centre for Cell Science have found that the pathogenic protein called the Huntingtin Protein causes decrease in overall protein production.

10. On March 19, 2020, the Indian Meteorological Department announced that the El Nino Weather Phenomenon is to remain neutral this year between May and July. This will bring in normal rains to India during South West Monsoon.

11. On March 17, 2020, the Department of Space reported at the Parliament that ISRO has designed NAVIC messaging system and receiver. The system is currently used by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information system (INCOIS).

12. Scientists at the INST (Institute of Nano Science and Technology), that operates under the Department of Science & Technology, have developed starch based ‘Hemostat’.

13. The Agharkar Research Institute of Pune has isolated 45 strains of methanotrophic bacteria. These bacteria are capable of reducing methane emissions in rice plants.

14. Scientists from ARCI-International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials operating under DST (Department of Science and Technology), Ministry of Science & Technology have developed cost effective solar receiver tube technology.

15. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research along with National Physical Laboratory recently discovered a bi-luminescent security ink. The ink shall be used to counterfeit currency notes. Also, it shows two colours when exposed to light.

16. The scientists of ARCI (Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials) recently developed PEMFC (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells). The technology is to be used to manage Natural Disasters.

17. On March 5, 2020, the Department of Science of Technology operating under Ministry of Science and Technology organized an International Conference on Nano-Science and Nano Technology (ICONSAT) at Kolkata. The Conference is to be held between March 5, 2020 and March 7, 2020.

18. The Gene Editing Tool called CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) has been used for the first time to treat blindness. However, doctors claimed that it will take a month to check if the vision of the patient has restored. This has been achieved at the Oregon University, Portland, USA.

19. The Department of Biotechnology operating under Ministry of Science and Technology has cleared Genome India Project. More than 20 leading institutions including IISc Bengaluru are to participate in the project.

Government Schemes

1. On March 29, 2020, the Government of India approved insurance scheme for health workers that are fighting against Coronavirus. The Scheme was announced under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package that was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on March 26, 2020.

2. On March 29, 2020, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has decided to convert National skill Training Institutes (NSTI) into quarantine isolation facilities.

3. On March 29, 2020, around 500 officials of TRIFED (The Tribal cooperative Marketing Development federation of India) operating under Ministry of Tribal Affairs unleashed the power of Webinars.

4. On March 28, 2020, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare launched CoNTec. CoNTeC is COVID-19 Telecommunication Centre. The platform aims to connect the doctors in the country with AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences).

5. On March 26, 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman launched Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana. The scheme is an economic help package for people in the country to fight against COVID-19 and its effects. Around 1.7 lakh crore has been allocated under the package.

6. On March 25, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved extra supply of food grains via rations shops. The monthly quota of subsidized food grains is to be increased from 2 kg to 7 kg. The step has been taken to help people during the lock down.

7. The National Super Computer Mission was launched by the GoI in 2015. Today India has 5 Super Computers that are ranked within top 500 list of Super Computers in the World.

8. On March 21, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Medical Device Park Scheme. The scheme is to be implemented for the next five years. The GoI has approved Rs 13,760 crores for the scheme. The amount is mainly to be used in medical devices and drugs production.

9. On March 21, 2020, the Union Cabinet under PM Modi approved the Production Incentive Scheme for large scale manufacturing of Electronics. The main aim of the incentivisation is to increase investments in mobile manufacturing.

10. On March 21, 2020, the union cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters Scheme 2.0 (EMC 2.0). The scheme aims at improving the growth of Electronics System Design and Manufacturing sector.

11. On March 19, 2020, TRIFED, the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India launched “Tech for Tribal” initiative. The initiative aims at providing entrepreneurship skills to the tribal people.

12. On March 20, 2020, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship presented the update on National Policy on Skill Development in Rajya Sabha.

13. On March 19, 2020, Govenrment of India has notified rules to avail full benefit of direct tax dispute resolution under the Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme.

14. On March 19, 2020, the Government of India announced that it will provide unemployment benefits to the section of unorganized workers. These workers include, persons who have lost their jobs due to the impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

15. On March 19, 2020, the Ministry Jal Shakti replied in Lok Sabha that out of 25 lakh square kilo metre of mappable area, plans for 11.8 lakh square km area have been developed.

16. On March 19, 2020, the Minister of Textiles Smt Smriti Irani presented the details of National Technical Textiles Mission at Rajya Sabha. The GoI has allocated Rs 1,480 crores for the mission.

17. The GoI approved the implementation of second phase of Swachh Bharat Mission in February 2020. The Mission is to focus two crore projects during its second phase. It includes Open Defecation Free Plus and solid and liquid waste management. During this phase, the primary focus is to be provided on gram panchayats.

18. The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi recently gave its nod to remove ambiguities in Modified New Pricing Scheme-III. This was done to determine the costs of urea units.

19. On March 13, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved to withdraw the MEIS (Merchandise Export from India) Scheme in phases. It is later to be replaced with RoDTEP (Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Product) scheme.

20. The Government of India recently formed a committee in order to make suggestions on Kisan Rail Scheme. The scheme was introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman in the Union Budget 2020-21.

21. On March 8, 2020, TIFAC operating under Ministry of Science and Technology launched Vigyan Jyoti. The scheme was announced to celebrate International Women’s Day.

22. On March 6, 2020, the Ministry of AYUSH released digital platform called AYUSH GRID. The grid provides facilities associated with AYUSH hospitals and laboratories and promote traditional health care.

23. On March 5, 2020, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) has signed MoU with Amazon to e-market products made by self help groups in India.

24. On March 1, 2020, the Lok Sabha speaker Shri Om Birla launched Suposhit Maa Abhiyan in Kota, Rajasthan. The Scheme aims to create malnutrition-free India. It mainly supports pregnant women and adolescent girls.

Awards & Honours

1. The Norwegian Academy of Science is to award the Abel Prize for the year 2020 to the two great mathematicians Hillel Frustenberg and Gregory Margulis. They are being honoured for their work towards probability and dynamics in number theory, combinatorics and Group Theory.

Defence

1. On March 29, 2020, Ministry of Defence approved the proposal to contribute one day salary of the employees to the PM-CARES fund. This will amount to Rs 500 crores.

2. On March 27, 2020, the Indian Army launched “Operation Namaste” to contain the spread of Coronavirus in the country. Under the operation, the army will help the Government of India fight against the deadly disease.

3. On March 23, 2020, the Defence Ministry announced in the Parliament that it has acquired land from the State Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. As Land is state subject, it is important for the centre to acquire land from the state government for development projects.

4. In October 2019, India had put the Fleet Vessel Ship (FVS) Agreement on hold. The agreement was signed with Turkey to manufacture 45,000 tonne FSV at Vishakhapatnam.

5. On March 20, 2020, the Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched the draft of new Defence Procurement Procedure. The new procedure aims to increase the indigenous manufacturing.

6. On March 19, 2020, the Indian Armed Forces operating under Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the Israel Weapons Industry. According to the agreement, India is to procure 16, 479 LMG (Light Machine Guns) for Rs 880 crores.

7. On March 18, 2020, the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of indigenously built 83 Tejas fighter aircrafts for Indian Air Force. The proposal is to be placed under Cabinet Committee on Security. The proposal is considered as a major boost to Make in India.

8. On March 18, 2020, 219th Ordnance Factories Foundation Day was observed. Every year India observes March 18 as Ordnance Factory Day. The first Ordnance Factory was established in Kolkata in 1801. There are 41 ordnance factories in the country.

9. On March 18, 2020, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs replied in Rajya Sabha about the decline in Left Wing Extremism in the last five years. This has been possible mainly due to the implementation of “National Policy and Action Plan-2015”.

10. On March 16, 2020, the Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Naik submitted the outcomes of DefExpo-2020 at Rajya Sabha as a written reply. This year DefExpo-2020 was organized in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh under the Theme: Digital Transformation of Defence.

11. On March 14, 2020, Government of India ordered to suspend 18 of the 37 international borders from March 15, 2020. It includes borders across Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

12. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) recently released its report on “Trends in International arms transfers 2019”. According to the report, India is the second largest arms importer in the world.

13. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is to set up logistics bases in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. This is to entice them towards buying India’s military helicopters and Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.

14. On March 4, 2020, the Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas or National Security Day was celebrated throughout India. The Day is celebrated to honour the work of Indian Security Forces. This includes every security personnel, policemen, para military forces, guards, commandos, army officers, etc.

15. On March 1, 2020, India bagged a deal to supply 4 indigenously built radars (capable of locating weapons) to Armenia. The deal was worth 40 million USD.

16. On March 1, 2020, at the National Workshop on Explosive Detection, a new Explosive Detection device called RalDer-X was launched.

Constitution & Law

1. On March 23, 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman introduced the Finance Bill, 2020. The bill was introduced and passed in Lok Sabha without any discussion.

2. On March 20, 2020, four convicts of the Nirbhaya Gang Rape were hanged to death in Tihar Jail.

3. The ruling party (BJP) member of Rajya Sabha Shri Rakesh Sinha has issued a notice to the Chairman to permit to move a resolution. The resolution aims to drop the word “Socialist” in the Constitution.

4. On March 18, 2020, for the first time in its history, the Supreme Court removed the Manipur Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar Singh from the state cabinet. The apex court has also been restrained him from entering the Legislative assembly.

5. The Lok Sabha recently passed Aircraft (Amendment) bill, 2020. The bill was passed through voice vote in the lower house. The amendments are being made to fulfil the requirements of International Civil Aviation Organization.

6. On March 16, 2020, the Supreme Court of India rejected the curative petitions filed over Nirbhaya case.

7. On March 16, 2020, the President of India Ramnath Kovind nominated the former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to Rajya Sabha. The former chief justice retired in November, 2019.

8. On February 15, 2020, the Chief Justice of India Bobde announced that total shutdown of Supreme Court and other courts are not possible. The SC on the other hand is to launch virtual courts. The SC Court commences on March 16, 2020 after Holi holidays.

9. On March 14, 2020, Parliament passed the Direct Tax Vivad Se Viswas Bill, 2020. The bill aims to reduce the number of litigation that are associated with direct tax payments. The Direct Tax Vivad Se Viswas concept was introduced by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman during the Union Budget 2020-21.

10. On March 12, 2020, Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Amendment) bill, 2020 has been passed in the parliament. It was earlier passed by Lok Sabha and is now being passed by Rajya Sabha.

11. On March 11, 2020, the Group of Ministers formed by the Union Government to fight against Covid-19 in India invoked the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897.

12. On March 6, 2020, the Lok Sabha passed Mineral Laws (Amendment) bill, 2020. The bill aims to amend Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) act, 1957 and also Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.

13. On March 4, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved 72 changes to the Companies Act, 2013. The main aim of the amendment is to decriminalize the provisions in the act.

14. On March 3, 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman introduced bill in Parliament to amend banking regulation law to regulate cooperative banks. It aims to prevent frauds as that seen at Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Banks (PMC).

15. On March 3, 2020, the United Nation Human Rights Commission moved to Supreme Court on the matter of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The commission has filed a case challenging CAA.

16. On March 2, 2020, the HRD Minister introduced the Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha. It was introduced in Lok Sabha in December 2019 and was passed.

Sports

1. On March 30, 2020 the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced that it is suspending all the planned events till June 30, 2020. The decision was taken during the ITTF meeting that was held to discuss the effects of Novel Coronavirus.

2. The World Governing body FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association or International Federation of Association Football) has selected Indian Football Captain Sunil Chhetri among 28 other stars for its campaign. The campaign is to combat COVID-19.

3. Recently, Greece handed over the Olympic Flame to Japan. However, due to the increasing threats of Coronavirus, the International Olympics Committee is considering postponement of 2020 Olympics. The organization might postpone Olympics to 2021.

4. On the eve of Women’s Day, the final match of T20 (Twenty 20) was held at Melbourne, Australia. India lost the T20 world cup to Australia.

References:
gktoday.in
jagranjosh.com
business-standard.com

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