DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: March 13, 2020

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Daily Current Affairs (March 13, 2020) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

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Important days

World Sleep Day-March 13

• World Sleep Day is an annual event organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society, formerly World Association of Sleep Medicine, since 2008.

• This year’s World Sleep Day theme was “Better Sleep, Better Life, Better Planet”

National News

Assam govt to construct 33 stadiums in the state under Uttran scheme:

• Assam government to construct 33 stadiums in the state under Uttaran scheme. 
• Principal Secretary of Sports Avinash Joshi and Joint Director Kamaljit Talukdar said that 300 crore rupees will be spent to build the stadiums across the state.
• Joshi said that 500 playgrounds are being developed at the state to encourage rural talents.

Assam

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi

India Post to Launch Free Digital Locker Service in Kolkata:

• For the first time in India, the Department of Posts is introducing a free digital parcel locker service in the city to enable customers to collect their consignment from specified post offices at their convenience.
• The facility will be available in two post offices in Kolkata— the Nabadiganta IT Post Office in Sector 5 of Salt Lake City and another in New Town.

West Bengal

• Capital: Kolkata
• Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee
• Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar

Mumbai Central Terminus to be renamed as Nana Shankarseth Terminus:

• The state cabinet government-approved renaming Mumbai Central Terminus station as Nana Shankarseth Terminus Station or Jagannath Sunkersett. 
• He was one of the first directors of India’s first railway company. The approval will now go to the Minister and Ministry of Railways as a proposal on which they will further take a call.

Maharashtra

• Capital: Mumbai
• Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Karnataka government launches ‘Namaste over Handshake’ campaign to tackle spread of COVID-19:

• Karnataka government on Wednesday started a campaign called ‘Namaste over Handshake’ that encourages people to greet in the traditional Indian style, to tackle the spread of coronavirus. 
• The campaign also includes health advice on how people can protect themselves from the infection by adopting hygiene practices such as regularly washing hands to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Karnataka

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Chief Minister: B. S. Yeddyurappa
• Governor: Vajubhai Vala

Wings India 2020 begins in Hyderabad, Telangana:

• The three -day civil aviation business exhibition and air show, Wings India 2020 has begun in Hyderabad. 
• Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will join the event at a round table conference on Connecting the World-Ministerial Plenary.
• The biennial event being organized by Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India along with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Telangana

• Capital: Hyderabad
• Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
• Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
• National Parks (NP): Kasu Brahmananda Reddy NP, Mahaveer Harina NP, Mrugavani NP.

NAIs exhibition on Jallianwala Bagh was inaugurated by Shri P.L. Sahu:

• National Archives of India’s (NAI) exhibition on Jallianwala Bagh was inaugurated by the Joint Secretary of Ministry of Culture Shri P.L. Sahu during the 130th Foundation Day of NAI at the premises of National Archives, New Delhi.
• NAI’s exhibition will remain open for public viewing until 30 April 2020.

Eleventh Bengaluru INDIA Nano conference and exhibition held at Bengaluru:

• Eleventh Bengaluru INDIA Nano conference and exhibition showcased technologies and products developed by academia and companies in nanotechnology.
• The three-day event was organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of Karnataka, and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), in association with other Govt Institutions and corporate companies.

Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 introduced in Lok Sabha:

• Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 was introduced in the Lok Sabha. It seeks to provide for regulation, operation and planning of Major Ports and to vest the administration, control and management of such ports upon the Boards of Major Port Authorities.
• Bill will replace Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.

Thermal Power plants to have 2,43,034 MW capacity by 2021-22:

• Minister of State for Power, New & Renewable Energy R.K. Singh informed that as per the extant National Electricity Plan, installed capacity of thermal power plants, comprising of Coal based and Gas & diesel plants, is likely to be 243,037 MW in 2021-22.
• Plant Load Factor of Coal based capacity in 2021-22 is 56.5%.

Uttar Pradesh 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.
• 3 Schemes- Kaushal Satrang, Yuva Hub & Apprenticeship Scheme.

Uttar Pradesh

• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Governor: Anandiben Patel

DST sanctions Rs 7.25 Cr to IIT Mandi for Technology Innovation Hub:

• Department of Science and Technology (DST) sanctioned Rs 7.25 crore to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh to set up a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at the institute under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).

Hola Mohalla festival was celebrated at Anandpur Sahib Punjab:

• Hola Mohalla festival was celebrated at Anandpur Sahib Punjab from 10-12 March 2020. Hola Mohalla is a Sikh festival celebrated in the month of Phalguna, a day after Holi.
• The three-day festival will host mock battles, poetry, and music competitions.
• Nihang Singhs will carry the martial tradition with mock battles and displays of swordsmanship and horse riding.

Punjab

• Capital: Chandigarh
• Chief Minister: Captain Amarinder Singh
• Governor: V P Singh Badnore

International News

Byju Raveendran, Zomato’s Gaurav Gupta make it to WEF’s Young Global Leaders list:

• World Economic Forum (WEF) announced its new list of 115 Young Global Leaders (YGL), where 5 Indians Byju Raveendran, Gaurav Gupta, Swapan Mehra, Vinati Mutreja & Tara Singh Vachani are named in the list.
• The other three Indians on the list are Tara Singh Vachani (CEO of Antara Senior Living), Vinati Mutreja (Managing Director and CEO, Vinati Organics Limited), and Swapan Mehra (CEO, Iora Ecological Solutions).

India delivers 600 tonnes of rice to flood-hit Madagascar:

• Indian Ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar has handed over 600 tonnes of rice on behalf of the Government of India to the
• Madagascar Foreign Minister Tehindrazanarivelo Djacoba Liva for quick relief to the flood victims. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Shardul arrived in Madagascar at Port Antsiranana on 10th of this month carrying rice for the people of Madagascar.

India Ranks Second Best in a New Farm Animal Cruelty Index:

• Global Animal Protection Index 2020 was released by World Animal Protection, an international animal welfare charity. India was ranked second in the index. 
• The Animal Protection Index ranks countries from A to G. India was ranked along with Spain, Mexico, France and New Zealand. In other words, these countries were ranked equally to India.

Saudi African & Arab-African summits postponed due to Coronavirus:

• Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the postponement of the Saudi African & Arab-African summits, scheduled to be hosted by the Kingdom in the first quarter of 2020. Postponement was done as a precaution in view of the spread of COVID-19.

Saudi Arabia 

• Capital- Riyadh 
• Currency- Riyal.
• Prime Minister-Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

India climbs to second position in disruptive technologies development rankings: KPMG report:

• According to KPMG’s “2020 Global Technology Industry Innovation Survey” report, India shared the second position with China as the most promising source of disruptive technology in the world. Bengaluru entered in the top 10 rankings of the list.
• Singapore leaped to the top of this year’s global rankings.

ADB allocates USD 200 million to support supply chains in the fight against Coronavirus:

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to make available $200 million through its Supply Chain Finance Program for several companies that manufacture and distribute medicines and other items needed to combat the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Asian Development Bank:

• Founded- 19 December 1966
• Headquarters- Mandaluyong, Philippines.
• President- Masatsugu Asakawa.

3rd edition of WION Global Summit to be held in Dubai:

• WION Global Summit is a platform for global leaders to engage in dialogue on a common global agenda to be held in Dubai.
• The summit intends to highlight the critical challenges of climate change, global governance, economic slowdown, and global crisis that threatens to become the new normal.
• Theme: “Navigating and Negotiating Global Imperatives”.

United Arab Emirates

• Capital: Abu Dhabi

• Currency: dirham
• President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Banking and Technology

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 designed to provide death benefit, terminal illness, & has additional options of accidental death benefit, accidental total, permanent disability benefit & child support benefit.

World’s first Digital Solutions Exchange Cloud launched in India:

• GOKADDAL, the World’s first Digital Solutions Exchange in Cloud, was launched in India. www.gokaddal.com, a cloud-based solution exchange platform mainly focuses on 4A’s – Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Analytics and Augmentative Technologies.
• GOKADDAL – It is a Business to Business (B2B), Business to Government (B2G), Business to Consumer (B2C) solution platform which connects solution providers to solution seekers and an innovative platform for Startups and SME companies.

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. 
• The 1st swap worth 2 billion US dollars will be conducted on March 16th.
• Indian Forex reserves stood at $487.24 billion as of 6th March.

UBS cuts India GDP growth forecast to 5.1% for FY21:

• Swiss brokerage UBS sharply cut its 2020-21 GDP growth forecast for India to 5.1 percent on fears around the coronavirus outbreak and also the weak credit growth domestically. 
• The brokerage also cut its FY20 growth estimate marginally to 4.8 percent.

Appointments

DFS secretary Debasish Panda nominated on central board of RBI:

• Reserve Bank of India said that the Central Government has nominated Department of Financial Services Secretary Debasish Panda as a Director on the RBI central board.
• RBI can have a maximum of four deputy governors. Currently there are 3 deputy governors after N. S. Viswanathan retired.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI):

• Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Formation– 1 April 1935
• Governor– Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy Governors–  (BP Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra.

Awards and Recognition

Mr. Rajesh Chaplot honored with the Highest Civilian Award of Uganda:

• Distinguished Non-Resident Indian (NRI) businessman, Mr. Rajesh Chaplot was honoured with the Highest Civilian Award (Golden Jubilee Medal-Civilians) of Uganda. 
• The award was presented by Hon’ble President of Uganda, Mr Yoweri Museveni in a ceremony in Kampala, Uganda.
• The accolade was bestowed upon Mr. Chaplot for his excellence in the field of Business & Commerce, Social Service and for fostering better India – Uganda ties.
• Mr. Chaplot who hails from Udaipur in Rajasthan has been also a proud recipient of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the highest award for overseas Indians.

Uganda:

• Capital: Kampala
• Currency: Shilling
• President: Mr Yoweri Museveni

WGSHA enters Limca Book of Records for Indias first Living Culinary Arts Museum:

• The culinary museum in Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), Karnataka, has been listed in Limca Book of Records as India’s First Living Culinary Arts Museum. 
• The process for making WGSHA’s culinary museum to enter into the popular Limca Book of Records (LBR) started in 2019.

Limca Book of Records (LBR):

• LBR is a book of achievements made by Indians in India and abroad in many fields of human endeavour.

Obituary News

Veteran Bengali actor Santu Mukhopadhyay passed away at 69:

• Veteran Bengali actor Santu Mukhopadhyay or Santu Mukherjee, 69 a widower passed away at his south Kolkata residence due to cardiac arrest. 
• He is known for his films ‘Sansar Simante’ & ‘Bhalobasa Bhalobasa’. He hails from Kolkata.

Sports News

UAE General Authority of Sports suspends activities for sportspersons aged 18 years and below:

• UAE General Authority of Sports has directed all its partners in the public and private sectors to suspend until further notice all trainings and competitions for sports persons aged 18 years old and below.

• Across all clubs, academies and public places nationwide, as part of the precautionary measures against the proliferation of coronavirus, Covid-19.

Tiger Woods to be inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021 class:

• American golfer Tiger Woods will be inducted into the male competitor category of World Golf Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021. 
• The hall of fame is located in St. Augustine, Florida. Woods was among 10 finalists named in March as candidates.
• Tiger Woods is a three-time winner of the career Grand Slam.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz – March 13, 2020

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