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Current Affairs Today – 5th March 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- Janaushadhi week is celebrated in India from 1-7 March 2020.
- The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the consolidation of ten Public Sector Banks (PSBs) into four.
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has infused Rs.1.46 lakh crore in the rural banking system during the current fiscal.
- Google to open the cloud region in Delhi.
- The National Water Mission organized the inaugural session of the workshop on “Increasing Water Use Efficiency in Industries”.
- The Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) held under the Chairpersonship of Union Food Processing Industries Minister Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal approved ten projects in New Delhi.
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 23 development projects worth Rs 2,821 crore at Gautam Buddh Nagar in Noida on 3rd March 2020.
- The state government of Uttarakhand has announced that “Gairsain” will be the summer capital of Uttarakhand. Gairsain is a tehsil located in Chamoli district.
- Jammu and Kashmir government has launched Student Health Card scheme in Jammu on 5 March.
- Luxembourg, the 7th smallest country in Europe, has been made public transport free to reduce traffic pressure on the road.
- The 20th Session of the senior officials’ meeting (SoM) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 3 March 2020.
- Mumbai will be hosting the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) session in 2023.
- Pragyan Conclave 2020 commenced on 4 March 2020 at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.
- Workshop on “Increasing Water Use Efficiency in Industries” was inaugurated by the Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (WR, RD & GR) U.P. Singh.
- Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed MoUs with specialized institutions namely the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA), SGT University, Pearl Academy, and Quality Council of India (QCI) Delhi, on 4 March 2020.
- The Union Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India and the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene of Cote d’Ivoire.
- Government of India appointed the current Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new Finance Secretary. Pandey replaces current Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar.
- The Ministry of External Affairs announced Senior diplomat Sanjay Kumar Panda has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to Turkey.
- Former Indian cricketer Sunil Joshi becomes the new chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) in Mumbai.
- KPIT announced the winners of KPIT Sparkle 2020 on 4 March.
- The Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced that ISRO’s Chandrayaan-III would be launched in the first half of 2021.
- ISRO launch of earth observation satellite GISAT-1 has been postponed due to technical reasons.
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
Janaushadhi week is celebrated from 1-7 March
- Janaushadhi week is celebrated in India from 1-7 March 2020.
- During this occasion, various activities like health checkup Camp, Jan Aushadhi Paricharcha, Jan Aushadhi ka sath are being undertaken.
Highlights:
♦ Campaigns for blood pressure checkups, sugar level checkups, free doctor consultation, and free medicine distribution are hosted at various Jan Aushadhi Kendras. People who visited these health camps were also informed and educated about the price benefits and quality of the medicines being sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
♦ CME Programme with important doctors was conducted on a pan India basis where detailed discussions on Jan Aushadhi medicines were held.
♦ Jan Aushadhi doctors were requested to take the lead and convince others and prescribe Jan Aushadhi medicines.
Extra Shots:
Janaushadhi Pari yojana:
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana is an initiative launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Government of India. It aims to provide quality medicines at an affordable price. The number of Kendras has grown to more than 6200, and 700 districts are covered under the scheme at present. The total sales in the financial year 2019-20 have crossed Rs.383 crore, which led to total savings of approximately Rs.2200 crore of common citizens as these medicines are cheaper by 50 to 90% of the average market price.
BANKING AND FINANCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Cabinet approved amalgamation of PSBs with effect from 1 April
- The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the consolidation of ten Public Sector Banks (PSBs) into four.
- The amalgamation of the PSBs will be effective from 1 April 2020.
The banks include:
- amalgamation of Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and United Bank of India into Punjab National Bank (PNB)
- amalgamation of Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank
- amalgamation of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank into Union Bank of India
- amalgamation of Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank
Highlights:
♦ The amalgamation is aimed to create seven large PSBs with scale and national reach, with each amalgamated entity having a business of over Rs.8 lakh crore. The move is expected to help create banks with a scale that can be compared to global banks and capable to compete effectively in India and globally.
♦ It will lead to cost benefits, which should enable the PSBs to enhance their competitiveness and positively impact the Indian banking system.
♦ The consolidation will provide impetus to amalgamated entities by increasing their ability to support larger lending and greater financial capacity.
♦ It will also enable the banks to improve their cost efficiency and risk management, and thus, boosting the goal of financial inclusion through wider reach.
♦ It will lead to adopting technologies across the amalgamating banks, access to a wider talent pool, and a larger database.
NABARD infused Rs 1.46 lakh crore in the rural banking system
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has infused Rs.1.46 lakh crore in the rural banking system during the current fiscal.
- The bank stated that it had given Rs.66,397 crore in short-term credit and Rs.6,704 crore in long-term credit to rural cooperative banks.
- Regional rural banks (RRB) have availed Rs.14,141 crore in short-term credit and Rs.8,417 crore in long-term credit.
- Also, other small finance banks have obtained long-term refinance of Rs.37,895 crore.
- Short-term refinance is essentially production credit, and long-term refinance aimed at supporting sectors like dairy, poultry, fishery, farm mechanization, irrigation, and non-farm sectors, etc.
Extra Shots:
NABARD: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development is an Apex Development Financial Institution in India. The Bank has been entrusted with “matters concerning Policy Planning and Operations in the field of credit for Agriculture and other Economic activities in Rural areas in India”.
- Founded: 12 July 1982
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Agency executive: Harsh Kumar Bhanwala (Chairperson)
- Purpose: Development assistance; Poverty Reduction
- Formation: July 12, 1982; 37 years ago
- Subsidiaries: Nabcons, NABVENTURES Ltd., Nabkisan Finance Ltd., NABSAMRUDDHI Finance Limited
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Google to open its cloud region in Delhi
- Google to open the cloud region in Delhi.
- It will be made operational by 2021.
- This will be Google’s second cloud region in India. The first one was in Mumbai that was launched in 2017.
Open cloud region:
♦ The new cloud region will expand Google’s existing network, which stands at eight regions in the Asia Pacific and 22 regions globally.
♦ Google cloud regions bring Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services to global organizations in industries like media and entertainment, retail, and manufacturing.
♦ Google continues to advance and invest in its cloud infrastructure in India to help regulated industries such as healthcare and financial services, and public sector organizations across India.
Extra Shots:
Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. It is considered one of the Big Four technology companies, alongside Amazon, Apple, and Facebook.
- CEO: Sundar Pichai
- Founded: 4 September 1998, Menlo Park, California, United States
- Parent organization: Alphabet Inc. (2015–)
- Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
- Subsidiaries: YouTube, Google.org, Google Nest, YouTube TV, MORE
- Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
New Delhi hosts workshop on efficient use of water by industries
- The National Water Mission organized the inaugural session of the workshop on “Increasing Water Use Efficiency in Industries”.
- The workshop on “Increasing Water Use Efficiency in Industries” was held in New Delhi.
- The National Water Mission organized the workshop under the initiative “HarKaamDeshkeNaam”.
- During the workshop, U.P. Singh, the Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation emphasized on the adoption of the Corporate Water Responsibility (CWR) as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provisions.
Centre approves ten projects worth Rs.301.54 crores for the food processing sector
- The Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) held under the Chairpersonship of Union Food Processing Industries Minister Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal approved ten projects in New Delhi.
- The cost of the project worth Rs.301.54 crore and a total grant-in-aid of Rs.67.29 crore has been sanctioned.
Highlights:
♦ The projects were sanctioned under the Agro Processing Cluster Scheme of Kisan Sampada Yojana of MoFPI.
♦ These projects will generate employment for 10,000 people and benefit nearly 40,000 farmers.
♦ MoFPI has facilitated investments worth Rs.707 crore.
♦ The Government is making all efforts to encourage investments in the business.
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurates projects worth Rs 2821 cr in Noida
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 23 development projects worth Rs 2,821 crore at Gautam Buddh Nagar in Noida on 3rd March 2020.
- Among the 23 projects, 13 projects were inaugurated at the total worth of Rs 1,452 crore, while foundation stones were laid for 10 projects worth Rs 1,369 crore.
Extra Shots:
Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- State formed in: 24 January 1950
- Literacy Rate: 67.68%
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
Uttarakhand Govt announces Gairsain to be its summer capital
- The state government of Uttarakhand has announced that “Gairsain” will be the summer capital of Uttarakhand. Gairsain is a tehsil located in Chamoli district.
- The historic announcement was made by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat on the conclusion of his budget speech during the assembly session held in Gairsain.
- The state Assembly of Uttarakhand is located in Dehradun while assembly sessions are also held in Gairsain.
- Uttarakhand was formed on the 9th November 2000 when it was carved out as a separate state from Uttar Pradesh.
- It became the 27th State of India. After the formation of the state, Dehradun was stated as the provisional capital of Uttarakhand. Garsain was always demanded by the statehood activists as the permanent capital of the state.
Extra Shots:
Uttarkhand
- Capital- Dehradun
- Governor- Baby Rani maurya
- CM-Trivendra Singh Rawat
- National Park -Jim Corbett NP, Gangotri NP, Nanda Devi NP, Rajaji NP
JK government launched Student Health Card scheme for school children
- Jammu and Kashmir government has launched Student Health Card scheme in Jammu on 5 March.
- It was launched by Lt. Governor G.C. Murmu at a programme organized by Directorate of Mid Day Meal, School Education Department in association with National Health Mission at Teachers Bhavan Jammu.
Student Health Card scheme:
♦ The scheme will ensure regular checkups of school-going children.
♦ It is expected that regular health checkup facilities at the school level will ensure the good health of students.
♦ The aim of the scheme will ensure the good health of every school-going children and parents who should be made aware of the benefits of this scheme.
♦ Previously, the government has launched MidDay meal for the needy school-going children so that malnutrition can be prevented.
Extra Shots:
Jammu & Kashmir:
- Capitals- Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
- Lt Governor- Girish Chandra Murmu
- National Parks: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Baltal-Thajwas WLS, Changthang Cold Desert WLS, Gulmarg WLS, Jasrota WLS, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS etc
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Luxembourg becomes 1st country to make public transport free
- Luxembourg, the 7th smallest country in Europe, has been made public transport free to reduce traffic pressure on the road.
- It becomes the 1st country in the world to make public transport free.
- It abolished fares for trains, trams and buses.
- The main reason is to have a better quality of mobility, and then the side reason is clearly also environmental issues.
Extra Shots:
Luxembourg (Capital/Currency): Luxembourg City/Euro
- Prime Minister of Luxembourg: Xavier Bettel.
Sri Lanka will lead science, technology and innovation sector in BIMSTEC
- The 20th Session of the senior officials’ meeting (SoM) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 3 March 2020.
- The meeting was chaired by Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha.
Highlights:
♦ In the meeting, it was decided that Sri Lanka will lead the science, technology, and innovation sector in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
♦ It was also decided that a facility for technology transfer is planned to be opened in the future.
♦ Sri Lanka also appointed a Director to the BIMSTEC secretariat in June.
♦ The country is keen to cooperate with the member countries in the fields of trade, investment, technology, tourism, and connectivity, ahead of the summit.
Extra Shots:
Sri Lanka(Capital/Currency): Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte/ Sri Lankan rupee
- President: Gotabaya Rajapaksa
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
Mumbai to host 2023 IOC session
- Mumbai will be hosting the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) session in 2023.
- The announcement was passed by IOC president Thomas Bach.
Highlights:
♦ The committee chose India to encourage and support the National Olympic Committee of India and all the National Federations to promote and strengthen Olympic sport in the country.
♦ The decision by IOC committee is yet to be ratified at the 136th IOC session in Tokyo in July 2020.
♦ Also, the year 2023 will be a significant year for India as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of Indian independence.
♦ India last hosted an IOC session in 1983 in New Delhi.
Extra Shots:
International Olympic Committee (IOC):
- Formed on: 23 June 1894
- Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
- Honorary President: Jacques Rogge
- President: Thomas Bach
- Vice Presidents: Juan Antonio Samaranch, Uğur Erdener, Anita DeFrantz, Yu Zaiqing
- Director-General: Christophe De Kepper
- Official language: French (reference language), English
Pragyan Conclave 2020 commenced in New Delhi
- Pragyan Conclave 2020 commenced on 4 March 2020 at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.
- It will be held on 4-5 March. The two-day Indian Army International Seminar is being organized by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).
- Aim: The event aims to bring together a cross-domain national and international experts to deliberate on the complex subject of Changing Characteristics of Land Warfare and its Impact on the Military.
Extra Shots:
Delhi:
- Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal.
- Deputy CM: Manish Sisodia.
- Governor: Anil Baijal.
Workshop on Increasing Water Use Efficiency in Industries held in New Delhi
- Workshop on “Increasing Water Use Efficiency in Industries” was inaugurated by the Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (WR, RD & GR) U.P. Singh.
- The workshop was organized by the National Water Mission (NWM) in Delhi as a part of the “HarKaamDeshkeNaam” initiative.
Highlights:
♦ The workshop aimed to urge the Industry to adopt the Corporate Water Responsibility (CWR) as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provisions.
♦ It directed the industries to compare to the global standards in using the water efficiently. There is a need for a baseline study in various industries on the use of water in order to reduce water consumption.
♦ It should be noted that the Indian Industries draw 2.5 times more groundwater than what percolates down under to maintain the water table level.
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
APEDA signed MoUs with various organizations to implement Agri Export Policy
- Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed MoUs with specialized institutions namely the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA), SGT University, Pearl Academy, and Quality Council of India (QCI) Delhi, on 4 March 2020.
- The MoU aims to utilize its expertise to work together to boost the activities in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors to bring better value to the stakeholders.
Cabinet approved MoU between India and Cote dlvoire for cooperation in the field of health
- The Union Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India and the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene of Cote d’Ivoire.
- The MoU was aimed to enhance cooperation in the field of health.
MoU Provision:
♦ The MoU will regulate drugs and pharmaceutical products.
♦ It covers various areas of cooperation, including the exchange & training of medical doctors, officials, other health professionals, and experts in the field of advanced medical technology, nuclear medicine, renal transplantation, cardiac surgery, nephrology, hemodialysis, and medical research.
♦ Both the countries will provide assistance in the development of human resources, setting up of health care facilities, Medical, and health research development.
♦ As per the MoU, the countries will work together to Procure generic and essential drugs and assistance in sourcing of drug supplies
♦ The MoU provides provision for collaboration and research in the field of HIV/AIDS, development and improvement of the techniques and strategies for epidemiological surveillance, exchange of best practices in the field of primary health care and sharing of know-how on the management of hospitals and community healthcare centers.
♦ It will promote public health and share experiences in medical waste management
♦ Both the countries will cooperate to promote health, prevent Non-Communicable Diseases, occupational and environmental health, and enhance Medical Research.
Extra Shots:
Cote d’ivoire (Ivory Coast) (Capital/Currency): Yamoussoukro (Political), Abidjan (economic)/ West African CFA franc (XOF)
- President: Alassane Ouattara
- Prime Minister: Amadou Gon Coulibaly
APPOINTMENT
Ajay Bhushan Pandey becomes new Finance Secretary
- Government of India appointed the current Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new Finance Secretary. Pandey replaces current Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment.
- He had earlier worked as chief executive officer of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the organization behind the Aadhaar.
- The senior-most bureaucrat among all secretaries in the Finance Ministry is designated as the finance secretary.
Sanjay Kumar Panda becomes India’s next Ambassador to Turkey
- The Ministry of External Affairs announced Senior diplomat Sanjay Kumar Panda has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to Turkey.
- He will succeed Sanjay Bhattacharya.
- He is a 1991 Indian Foreign Service officer, is presently Consul General, Consulate General of India, San Francisco.
- He is appointed to the post when India- Turkey relations are under strain.
Extra Shots:
Turkey (Capital/Currency): Ankara/ Turkish lira
- President: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Sunil Joshi becomes new chairman of BCCI’s selection committee
- Former Indian cricketer Sunil Joshi becomes the new chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) in Mumbai.
- The CAC also select former Indian cricketer Harvinder Singh for a place in the five-member group.
- The CAC, comprising Madan Lal, RP Singh and Sulakshana Naik, select the two selectors with Joshi replacing South Zone representative MSK Prasad.
- Harvinder Singh was chosen from the railway zone and replaces Gagan Khoda in the 5 member panel.
- The CAC will review the panel’s performance after one year and make recommendations accordingly.
Extra Shots:
BCCI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the national governing body for cricket in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act.
- Secretary: Jay Shah
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- CEO: Rahul Johri
- Vice president(s): Mahim Verma
- Founded: December 1928
- Presidents: C.K. Khanna, Sourav Ganguly
AWARDS
KPIT Sparkle 2020 winners awarded
- KPIT announced the winners of KPIT Sparkle 2020 on 4 March.
- The 30 select teams who presented their ideas on transformative solutions in mobility and energy were awarded.
Winners:
- Army Institute of Technology, Pune, was awarded gold and a cash prize of Rs.5 Lakhs
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru jointly won silver awards of Rs.2.5 Lakhs.
KPIT Sparkle 2020:
♦ The event was associated with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under Ministry of Science and Technology, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), India Design Council, National Institute of Design, and ONGC Energy Centre as its knowledge partners.
♦ KPIT Sparkle 2020 emphasized the role of the Department of Science and Technology to encourage Science Technology and Innovation.
♦ The event provided an innovative platform that nurtures, mentors, and supports aspiring entrepreneurs and connects them with incubators in the ecosystem to transform their inventive ideas into viable products.
♦ The event inspired students from the Science, technology, engineering, management (STEM) streams to identify and solve real-life problems in sustainability by designing new technology-enabled solutions.
♦ It encouraged and facilitated students to secure intellectual property for their solutions.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Chandrayaan-III mission to be launched in first half of 2021
- The Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced that ISRO’s Chandrayaan-III would be launched in the first half of 2021.
- A slight delay might happen in the launching of the third moon mission.
Chandrayaan-III mission:
♦ Chandrayaan-III mission was configured based on the lessons learnt from Chandrayaan-II.
♦ The revised configuration is expected to take care of the robustness in design, capacity enhancement for mission flexibility.
♦ It retains the heritage of Chandrayaan-II.
♦ In 2019, Chandrayaan-II spacecraft hard-landed on the lunar surface. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had then resolved to launch the project.
ISRO postpones the launch of GISAT-1 satellite
- ISRO launch of earth observation satellite GISAT-1 has been postponed due to technical reasons.
- Earlier, it was planned to launch the earth observation satellite on 5 March.
- ISRO has revised the launch date, and it will be informed in due course.
- The satellite was one of the key launches planned by the country’s space agency for 2020.
GISAT-1:
♦ The satellite has the capability to perform real-time and constant watch of the Indian subcontinent.
♦ The satellite weighs 2,275 kg.
♦ GISAT is an earth observation satellite that will be placed in a geosynchronous transfer orbit at 36,000km altitude.
♦ GISAT-1 will facilitate near real-time observation of the Indian subcontinent, under cloud-free conditions, at frequent intervals.
♦ The satellite will do the full rotation of the Earth and come to the same point after every 2 hours.
♦ It will fast image the Earth and can perform constant and rapid surveillance. The satellite can observe a point for a longer duration if needed.
Extra Shots:
ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organisation is the space agency of the Government of India and has its headquarters in the city of Bengaluru. Its vision is to “harness space technology for national development while pursuing space science research & planetary exploration”.
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
- Founder: Vikram Sarabhai
- Founded: 15 August 1969
- Parent organisation: Department of Space
- Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan
- Subsidiary: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
