Daily Current Affairs: March 20, 2021

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Important Days

World Sleep Day – 19 March

• World Sleep Day is observed globally on 19 March. The day was organised by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society.
• This day is aimed to reduce sleep problems through better prevention and management of sleep disorders.
• The slogan for the 14^th annual World Sleep Day is ‘Regular Sleep, Healthy Future.’

International Day of Happiness – 20 March

• International Day of Happiness is observed every year on 20 March by the United Nations (UN) to acknowledge the significance of happiness in the lives of people around the world. The day is being celebrated since 2013 by the UN.
• 2021 Theme: “Keep Calm. Stay Wise. Be Kind”

World Sparrow Day – 20 March

• World Sparrow Day is celebrated every year on 20 March. The day is celebrated to raise awareness and protect the common house sparrows and other common birds, which are not so commonly seen now due to increasing noise pollution.
• The day is an initiative started by the Nature Forever Society of India along with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation of France.
• 2021 Theme: “I LOVE Sparrows” 

World Oral Health Day – 20 March

• World Oral Health Day is observed annually on 20 March to raise global awareness of the issues around oral health and the importance of oral hygiene so that governments, health associations and the public can work together to achieve healthier mouths and happier lives.
• The theme for the next three-years (2021 – 2023): “Be Proud of Your Mouth”

World Frog Day – 20 March

• World Frog Day is observed globally on 20 March. The day is to raise awareness about the tailless amphibian frogs found on both land and water. The day was created in 2009 to save many different species of frogs from going extinct.

World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People – 20 March

• World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People is annually observed on 20 March since 2001. The main purpose of the day is to attract the attention of a wider public to the art of theatre for children and young people.

National News

India’s forest cover increased to 24.56 per cent of the geographical area

• Union Minister of Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar stated India’s total forest and tree cover stood at 73 million hectares, which is 24.56 per cent of the geographical area of the country.
• In the previous 2017 assessment, it was 54 per cent.

Jammu and Kashmir Government to spend Rs. 200 crores for employment & upliftment of youth in the next financial year

• The Jammu and Kashmir Government will spend 200 crores through Mission Youth for the employment and upliftment of youth during the next financial year.
• An amount of 200 crores have been kept for the youth engagement in J&K Union Territory’s budget by the Central Government.
• The ‘Mission Youth’ was set-up for engaging and channelizing the youth of J&K through systematic livelihood generation programmes.

Jammu and Kashmir

• Capital: Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (winter)
• Lt. Governor: Manoj Sinha
• National Parks: Hemis National Park, City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Kishtwar National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary, Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary, Baltal-Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary
• Lakes: Mansar Lake, Nagin Lake, Wular Lake, Surinsar Lake, Dal Lake

Union Power Minister RK Singh launched the GRAM UJALA in Bihar

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy RK Singh launched the GRAM UJALA programme in Arrah, Bihar.
• Under the GRAM UJALA programme, CESL will distribute high-quality LED bulbs at an affordable cost of 10 rupees per bulb in rural areas.
• Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a PSU under the Union Ministry of Power. The programme will provide clean energy access and make a significant contribution towards mitigating climate change and achieving a sustainable future.

Bihar

• Capital: Patna
• Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar
• Deputy CM: Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi
• Governor: Phagu Chauhan

International News

Singapore to build one of the world’s largest floating solar farms to fight climate change

• Singapore is building one of the world’s largest floating solar farms off the coast to support the efforts against climate change.
• The 60-megawatt peak floating solar system, which occupies an area of about 45 football fields, is vital to the Southeast Asian country, where scarcity of land makes it difficult to invest in other types of renewable energy projects, such as wind turbines and hydro-power plant.
• Singapore is one of the biggest per-capita emitters of greenhouse gases in Asia as it has the second greatest population density in the world.

Singapore:

• Capital: Singapore City
• Currency: Singapore Dollar
• President: Halimah Yacob
• Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong
• Deputy Prime Minister: Heng Swee Keat

Indian Navy undertook the Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Royal Bahrain Naval Force

• Indian Navy undertook the Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Royal Bahrain Naval Force Corvette Al Muharraq in the Persian Gulf under Operation “Sankalp”.
• The naval exercise aims at promoting interoperability between the two navies. It also reflects the commitments of both Bahrain and India to build cooperative partnerships in meeting the emerging maritime challenges.
• PASSEX’s are conducted regularly by the Indian Navy with units of friendly foreign navies.

6th India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Women’s Forum Meeting held virtually

• The Sixth India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Women’s Forum meeting was held virtually. The event was chaired by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, led by Smriti Zubin Irani.
• The India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Trilateral Cooperation Forum is a unique platform that brings together India, Brazil, and South Africa three large democracies and major economies from three different continents.
• All three partners are developing pluralistic, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multi-religious

UNDP launched the ‘Sahi Disha’ campaign to celebrate women’s livelihoods in rural India

• The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) had launched the ‘Sahi Disha’ campaign to celebrate women’s livelihoods and entrepreneurship in rural India.
• The campaign highlights issues and hurdles that impact the opportunities for women in rural India to access jobs and livelihoods and establish enterprises that can help them become more self-reliant.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):

• Headquarters: New York
• Administrator: Achim Steiner

Google launched a short video platform for workspaces called ‘Threadit’

• Google had launched a new tool called Threadit to help make remote work more efficient. The tool is like TikTok for workspaces. It lets users share short video recordings to share their work and connect with your team.
• Threadit is launched both as a Google Chrome extension and a standalone website and it had been developed by Area 120 that is Google’s in-house incubator.

China was India’s top imports source worth $58.71 billion

• Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal stated that India imported goods worth $58.71 billion from China in 2020. The top five countries from where India imported goods during 2020 (January-December) are China with goods worth $58.71 billion, the US ($26.89 billion), United Arab Emirates ($23.96 billion), Saudi Arabia ($17.73 billion) and Iraq ($16.26 billion).

China:

• Capital: Beijing
• President: Xi Jinping
• Currency: Renminbi

Banking and Economy

Moody’s revised India’s GDP growth to 12% in 2021

• According to Moody’s Analytics, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow by 12% in 2021. In an earlier estimate last November, it had stated that India’s GDP would grow at 9% in the calendar year.
• For the calendar year 2020, the real GDP was projected to contract 7.1 per cent by Moody’s.

Moody’s Corporation:

• Headquarters: New York, the United States (US)
• President and CEO: Raymond Whitehead McDaniel

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimated India’s growth at 5% in 2021

• According to a UNCTAD report, India’s economy is estimated to contract by 6.9 per cent in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and forecast to record a “stronger recovery” in 2021 and grow by 5 per cent.
• The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a permanent intergovernmental body. UNCTAD is the part of the United Nations Secretariat dealing with trade, investment, and development issues.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):

•  Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Secretary-General: Mukhisa Kituyi
• Founded: 1964

Science and Technology

Union Defence Ministry inked a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for 4960 Anti-Tank Guided Missiles

• Union Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for the supply of 4960 MILAN-2T Anti-Tank Guided Missiles to the Indian Army. The Defence Public Sector Undertaking will supply the missiles for 1188 crores.
• The Milan-2T is a Tandem Warhead Anti-Tank Guided Missile with a range of 1850 metres. These missiles can be fired from the ground as well as vehicle-based launchers.
• They can be deployed in Anti-Tank Role for both offensive and defensive tasks. It is produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited under license from MBDA Missile Systems, France.

Labour Bureau signed a service level agreement with BECIL for conducting all India surveys on migrant workers

• Labour Bureau signed a service level agreement with the Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) for conducting all India surveys on migrant workers and All India Quarterly Establishment based employment survey.
• The agreement was signed between the Director-General of Labour Bureau, DPS Negi, and the CMD of BECIL George Kuruvilla, in the presence of Union Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

Appointments

Samia Suluhu Hassan became Tanzania’s first woman President

• Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as Tanzania’s first female President and sixth President of the country. She succeeded Magufuli, who passed away recently.
• The 61-year-old Hassan was Magufuli’s Vice President, first elected with him in 2015 and re-elected last year. She will serve out the remaining four years of the late Magufuli’s term, which will end in October 2025.

Tanzania

• Capital: Dodoma
• Currency: Tanzanian shilling
• President: Samia Suluhu Hassan

Bandhan Bank appointed Suhail Chander and Subrata Dutta Gupta as additional independent directors

• Bandhan Bank had appointed Suhail Chander and Subrata Dutta Gupta as new directors to its board. The two directors will join as Independent Directors for three years with effect from 19 March 2021.
• Suhail Chander was the head of Corporate and Institutional Banking at IndusInd Bank. Subrata Dutta Gupta had served as the Principal Financial Officer at the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Bandhan Bank

• Headquarters: Kolkata
• CEO: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh
• Tagline: “Aapka Bhala, Sabki Bhalai”

Rankings

India ranked 139 in the UN World Happiness Report 2021; Finland topped

• World Happiness Report is released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which ranks 149 countries based on gross domestic product per person, healthy life expectancy, and the opinions of residents.
• Finland was ranked as the happiest country in the world.
• The Nordic nation was followed by Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, and Norway. Afghanistan was declared the most unhappy country, followed by Zimbabwe (148), Rwanda (147), Botswana (146), and Lesotho (145).

Sports News

Junior Women’s and Sub-Junior Girls National Wrestling Championships was held in Karnataka

• The Junior Women’s and Cadet Girls National Wrestling Championships was held in Bellary, Karnataka. More than 500 wrestlers participated in the tournament that was held at the Inspire Institute of Sport.
• Grapplers competed in 20 weight categories across the three days of competition.
• JSW Group conglomerate, in collaboration with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) hosted the three-day-long tournament.

Avinash Sable set a new national record in Men’s 3000m steeplechase for the fifth time

• Indian athlete Avinash Sable set a new national record in the Men’s 3000m steeplechase event in Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships in Patiala, Punjab.
• The 26-year-old from Maharashtra recorded a timing of 8:20.20, broke his own record of 8:21.37 set in 2019. He broke the national record for the fifth time in his career.

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