Exambazaar Current Affairs Mar 2020

www.exambazaar.com/current-affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRSCURRENT AFFAIRSMARCH 2020MARCH 2020

Important Current Affairs for IAS, SSC, Bank, RRB and Other

Government Exams

WITH SYNOPSISWITH SYNOPSIS

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https://www.exambazaar.com/current-affairs

Current Affairs Digest Mar 2020


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APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

01 Mar SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi gets 6-month extension

01 Mar Malaysia’s king appoints Muhyiddin Yassin as the new Prime Minister

03 Mar S C Garg appointed advisor to Andhra CM Jagan for resource mobilisation

04 Mar Former GAIL chairman BC Tripathi joins Essar Oil UK as board member

04 Mar Government designates Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new Finance Secretary

04 Mar Sridhar Venkatesh appointed as new MD and VP for GSK India

05 Mar SBI Life re-appoints Sanjeev Nautiyal as MD, CEO

05 Mar Kishore Biyani redesignated as non-executive VC at Future Lifestyle

06 Mar RBI Deputy Governor Vishwanathan to quit by Mar 31 over health issues

06 Mar Senator Elizabeth Warren dropping out of Democratic presidential race

07 Mar Anurag Srivastava to replace Raveesh Kumar as MEA spokesperson

07 Mar Prashant Kumar takes charge as Yes Bank administrator

08 Mar Puneeth Rajkumar named brand ambassador for Chamarajanagar District

11 Mar Jyotiraditya Scindia set to begin new innings with BJP, bids bitter bye to Congress

12 Mar ITBP chief to head BSF temporarily, Johri to take over as Madhya Pradesh DGP

14 Mar Seven investors join SBI to put over Rs 12,000 cr into Yes Bank

15 Mar Putin approves law that could keep him in power until 2036

15 Mar Bill Gates exits Microsoft board

16 Mar NCP’s Narhari Zirwal elected deputy speaker

16 Mar Baseer Ahmad Khan, IAS, appointed as Jammu and Kashmir adviser

17 Mar Lifestyle International appoints former Flipkart top executive Rishi Vasudev as CEO

17 Mar DXC Technology appoints Nachiket Sukhtankar as MD

18 Mar Lockheed Martin names James Taiclet as new CEO

18 Mar Ex-Governor Zurfi named new Iraqi PM

19 Mar All 5 Rajya Sabha candidates in West Bengal elected unopposed

20 Mar Janani, Vrinda named in International Panel of ICC Development Umpires

20 Mar Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi takes oath as Rajya Sabha member

21 Mar Nikki Haley resigns from Boeing board over company’s bailout pursuit

21 Mar Kamal Nath resigns as Madhya Pradesh CM ahead of floor test

21 Mar RBI appoints R.Gandhi and Narayan in Yes Bank board




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22 Mar GoAir appoints aviation sector veteran Sanjiv Kapoor as its advisor

24 Mar Shivraj Singh Chouhan sworn-in as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh

25 Mar IndusInd Bank appoints Sumant Kathpalia as Managing Director and CEO

25 Mar Shivraj Singh Chouhan govt. wins trust vote in MP Assembly

25 Mar Anand Mamani elected as Karnataka Deputy Speaker

28 Mar Vedanta appoints Duggal as interim CEO

28 Mar RBI Deputy Governor gets extension

30 Mar Anil Agarwal replaces brother, for 1st time takes board position on Vedanta

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

03 Mar Sports International Archer Jyothi Surekha creates new records

06 Mar National Maharaja Ranjit Singh named greatest world leader in BBC Poll

06 Mar National Indira Gandhi, Amrit Kaur named by TIME among '100 Women of the Year'

09 Mar Sports India's Fed Cup team wins over Indonesia

09 Mar Sports Manpreet Singh and Rani Rampal players of the year

10 Mar Defence IAF's first women fighter pilots get 'Nari Shakti Puraskar'

10 Mar Sports PV Sindhu wins 'BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year' award

10 Mar National Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) gets best airport ASQ survey award

11 Mar Sports Vikas Krishan and Simranjit Kaur enter finals of Asian Qualifiers

11 Mar People Visually impaired student creates history

13 Mar National Delhi's IGI airport ranked world's best in over 40 MPPA category

13 Mar Sports Woods to be inducted into Golf’s Hall of Fame

16 Mar People Viktor Axelsen wins All England men’s singles title

20 Mar People Barry John honored with META, Lifetime Achievement Award

IMPORTANT DATES

12 Mar National India shuts doors for outsiders, under self-imposed quarantine till April 15th

19 Mar National CBSE postpones board exams till March 31 in view of Covid-19 outbreak










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1. National

GOVERNMENT POLICIES & SCHEMESGOVERNMENT POLICIES & SCHEMES

04 Mar Unio n To urism Minister Shr i Prahlad S ingh Patel launches m ult i l ingual IncredibleUnio n To urism Minister Shr i Prahlad S ingh Patel launches m ult i l ingual Incredible

India website in New DelhiIndia website in New Delhi

The Minister of State (IC) for Tourism & Culture, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched the multilingual

Incredible India website in New Delhi. The website is currently hosted in English and Hindi is now

launched in Chinese, Arabic, and Spanish to attract tourists from these regions.

P O INTS TO NO TEP O INTS TO NO TE

The Incredible India website and mobile app, a digital initiative launched by the Ministry of Tourism, aims to showcase

India as a popular tourist destination worldwide.

The objective is to showcase various tourism products of India on a global platform and increase tourism awareness,

attractions and opportunities by providing tourists with personalised and contextual digital experiences.

Incredible India 2.0 website aims towards showcasing the varied tourism products of India at a global arena by

providing visitors with relevant, personalized and contextual digital experience escalating tourism awareness,

attraction and opportunities.

The website now comprises of a plethora of information around 165 destinations, 2700+ pages, 28 States + 9 UTs

along with multiple attractions.

04 Mar Land acq uis it io n flawed witho ut actual receipt o f co m pensat io n, said Suprem eLand acq uis it io n flawed witho ut actual receipt o f co m pensat io n, said Suprem e

Co urtCo urt

The Supreme Court ruled the process of land acquisition would be flawed in the absence of actual

receipt of compensation, noting that even though right to property is no more fundamental right, it

still remains a constitutional right.


The top court said the burden was on the state to prove that the process as envisaged under the said Act was

followed and cited ample primary and secondary evidence on non-compensation.

The land acquisition matter was heard to decide whether the due process of law was followed under Section 5(1) of

the Sikkim Land (Requisition and Acquisition) Act, 1977, which is similar to the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

The final judgment will be pronounced on 7th March 2020. The judgment will be pronounced by a Constitution bench

of five judges - justices Arun Mishra, Indira Banerjee, Vineet Saran, MR Shah, and Ravindra Bhat.










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04 Mar Disco v ery o f Ink to Curb Fake Pr int ing o f Passpo rts and Co unterfeit ing o f CurrencyDisco v ery o f Ink to Curb Fake Pr int ing o f Passpo rts and Co unterfeit ing o f Currency

No tesNo tes

CSIR-National Physical Laboratory has developed a bi-luminescent security ink which glows in red and

green colours when illuminated by two different excitation sources at 254 nano meters (nm) and 365

nm, respectively.


The ink was prepared in a batch of 1kg and given to Bank Note Press (BNP), Dewas, a unit of Security Printing Minting

Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL), New Delhi.

The ink is found comparable to the standards that are in use. The formulation can be used to check the authenticity of

passports, Government documents, tamper evident labels, identity cards, etc.

05 Mar Pradhan Mantr i Jan Dhan Yo jana helps raise wo m en’ s o wnership o f bank acco untsPradhan Mantr i Jan Dhan Yo jana helps raise wo m en’ s o wnership o f bank acco unts

to 77% in 2017, says repo rtto 77% in 2017, says repo rt

Consulting firm MicroSave Consulting (MSC) in a report titled 'The real story of women's financial

inclusion in India' said the country has succeeded in reducing the gender gap in financial inclusion by

14 percentage points in three years (2014-17).


Neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan, are far behind with just 36 per cent and 7 per cent share in

account ownership by women, respectively.

PMJDY, launched on August 27, 2014, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was aimed at providing financial services to

the poor.

These included opening bank accounts for the poor, giving them electronic means of payment (via RuPay cards), and

placing them in a position to avail themselves of credit and insurance.

05 Mar COVID-19: 24-ho ur co ntro l ro o m o penedCOVID-19: 24-ho ur co ntro l ro o m o pened

The people coming from COVID-19-hit areas should contact the 24-hour control room at 0487-

2320466, 9400408120, 9400410720 at earliest for further control.


The Health Department has opened a control room in the district of Thrissur for attending the people who are back

from a foreign visit to the affected area.

Currently, there are eight persons under observation at hospitals. In all, 60 persons are under home quarantine.

COVID 19 or the NOVEL Cornavirus is originated from China and has taken 3042 lives in China alone.










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07 Mar G o v t reco nst itutes Nat io nal Platfo rm fo r Disaster R isk Reduct io n with Am it ShahG o v t reco nst itutes Nat io nal Platfo rm fo r Disaster R isk Reduct io n with Am it Shah

as headas head

The govt has reconstituted the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) with Union

Home Minister Amit Shah as its chairperson and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance

Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, among others, as its members.


The home ministry said the functions of the NPDRR will be to review the progress made in the field of disaster

management from time to time, appraise the extent and manner in which the disaster management policy has been

implemented by the central and state governments, and other agencies concerned, and advise on coordination

between the central and state governments.

The minister of state in-charge of disaster management in the home ministry and the vice-chairman of the National

Disaster Management Authority.

13 Mar Fo rcible dispo ssessio n o f a perso n’ s pr iv ate pro perty a hum an r ight v io lat io n:Fo rcible dispo ssessio n o f a perso n’ s pr iv ate pro perty a hum an r ight v io lat io n:

Suprem e Co urtSuprem e Co urt

In a recent judgment by a Bench led by Justice S.K. Kaul, the court stressed, quoting from its

judgments, that right to property is both a human right and a constitutional right- the latter under

Article 300A of the Constitution.


The verdict came on the acquisition of a few acres in Sikkim by the State’s Agriculture department in 1980 for building

the Progeny Orchard Regional Centre.

The judgment found that the appellant could not have been forcibly dispossessed of her property without any legal

sanction, and without following due process of law, and depriving her payment of just compensation.

The land was recorded in two names — 1.29 acres in the name of the Maharaja of Sikkim and 7.07 acres in the name of

Man Bahadur Basnett, who was the father of the original appellant in this case.










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13 Mar Parl iam ent passes am endm ents to Inso lv ency and Bankruptcy Co de Bi l l , 2020Parl iam ent passes am endm ents to Inso lv ency and Bankruptcy Co de Bi l l , 2020

The amendment was passed by voice vote in Rajya Sabha and approved by Lok Sabha on March 6.

The bill seeks to remove bottlenecks and streamline the corporate insolvency resolution process. It

aims to provide protection to new owners of a loan defaulter company against prosecution for

misdeeds of previous owners.


The IBC, which came into force in 2016, has already been amended thrice.

The government is taking care of the interest of home buyers and the requirement of a minimum number of

homebuyers in the IBC has been included to avoid litigations.

The latest changes pertain to various sections of the IBC as well as the introduction of a new section.








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13 Mar Parl iam ent Passes The Mineral Laws (Am endm ent) Bi l l , 2020Parl iam ent Passes The Mineral Laws (Am endm ent) Bi l l , 2020

The bill was passed for amendments in Mines & Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 and

The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. It will transform the mining sector in the country

boosting coal production and reducing dependence on imports.


The Bill also allows prospecting licence-cum-mining lease (PL-cum-ML) for coal/lignite which increases the availability

of coal & lignite blocks, and coal blocks of varying grades in a wide geographical distribution will be available for

allocation.

With the amendments, environment and forest clearances along with other approvals and clearances shall

automatically get transferred to the new owners of mineral blocks for a period of two years from the date of grant of

the new lease. This will allow new owners to continue with hassle-free mining operations.

The new provisions will also augment the exploration of the deep-seated minerals and minerals of national interest

by allowing Non-Exclusive Reconnaissance Permit (NERP) holders to apply for composite licence or Mining Lease (PL-

cum-ML).

Various repetitive and redundant provisions of MMDR Act and CMSP Act have also been omitted for Ease of Doing

Business.

14 Mar COVID-19: Indian Em bassy in US set up helpl ines fo r q ueries o n go v t t rav el adv iso ryCOVID-19: Indian Em bassy in US set up helpl ines fo r q ueries o n go v t t rav el adv iso ry

The Indian Embassy in the US on Thursday (local time) issued two 24x7 helplines to address concerns

and queries regarding the recent travel advisory issued by New Delhi which suspended all visas with

some exceptions in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.


India suspended all visas with some exceptions including diplomatic and official travel as coronavirus cases continue

to proliferate around the world. The Indian Embassy in the US issued an advisory on travel to India.

The visa-free travel facility granted to Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cardholders is kept in abeyance till April 15.

International traffic through land borders will be restricted to designated check posts with robust screening facilities.

The Ministry of Home Affairs will separately notify these check posts.










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14 Mar Launch o f Custo m er Paym ent Po rtal by HIL (India) Lim itedLaunch o f Custo m er Paym ent Po rtal by HIL (India) Lim ited

Keeping pace with Govt. of India’s vision of ‘Digital India’, HIL (India) Limited, a CPSE under the

Ministry of Chemical & Fertilizers, Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, in association with

Union Bank of India, has launched Customer Payment Portal to collect the payment from its

customers through various online modes for faster and smoother collection of dues.


The Portal was launched in New Delhi by Dr S PMohanty, Shri Anjan Banerjee and Shri R K Jaglan, Shri G K Sudhakar

Rao of Union Bank of India.

This portal will help the customers of HIL to pay their dues in a quick and convenient manner by any Debit Card,

Credit Card, Net Banking, UPI or online wallets from their homes or offices.

This new initiative will provide one-step platform facilitating online payment, data maintenance, customized MIS

report and seamless reconciliation of financial records.

14 Mar Am idst Co ro nav irus o utbreak , the SC restr icts hearings to urgent cases o nlyAm idst Co ro nav irus o utbreak , the SC restr icts hearings to urgent cases o nly

The notification says the functioning of the court on reopening on March 16 will be restricted to

urgent matters and entry to courtrooms will be limited to lawyers who are representing a case and

the litigant concerned.


The court was scheduled to reopen on March 16 after the Holi break.

Supreme Court Secretary General Sanjeev S. Kalgaonkar on Friday issued the notification after meetings held by Chief

Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde with fellow judges, Health and Law Ministry officials and advocates' bodies.

The notification does not specify for how long the restrictions would continue.

14 Mar Skil l Dev elo pm ent Centres in ev ery dist r ictSk i l l Dev elo pm ent Centres in ev ery dist r ict

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship promotes the establishment of a model and

aspirational skill centers known as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) in every district in the

country for imparting skill training in the districts.


Under guidelines of PMKVY 2016-20, there are provisions for involvement/consultation of public representatives

including MLAs/MPs for skill activities such as Kaushal Melas, Rozgar Melas, RPL’s camp inauguration, etc.

An online portal for Rozgar Melas has been established for disseminating the details to all stakeholders including

public representatives. Moreover, the scheme is being monitored under DISHA meeting which is chaired by Member of

Parliament.










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14 Mar Masks, sanit izers declared essent ial co m m o dit ies under the Essent ial Co m m o dit iesMasks, sanit izers declared essent ial co m m o dit ies under the Essent ial Co m m o dit ies

Act , 1955Act , 1955

The Centre has issued an order under the Act to declare 2 ply and 3 ply surgical masks, N95 masks,

and hand sanitizers as essential commodities till June 30, 2020.


States can now notify the Central order in their own official gazettes and ask manufacturers to enhance production

capacity of these products.

The decision would also empower the State and Central governments to regulate the production, quality, distribution,

and sales of these items and carry out operations against those involved in speculation, overpricing and black

marketing.

It has been noted that these products are “either not available with most of the vendors in the market or are available

with great difficulty at exorbitant prices”, so Consumers can register complaints in this regard with the National

Consumer Helpline 1800-11-4000 or at consumerhelpline.gov.in.

It has also issued an advisory under the Legal Metrology Act so that States can ensure these items are not sold for

more than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP).

14 Mar Im pro v em ent o f am enit ies under Sugam ya Bharat Abhiyan in Rai lway Secto rIm pro v em ent o f am enit ies under Sugam ya Bharat Abhiyan in Rai lway Secto r

Indian Railways is committed to make its railway stations and trains accessible for Persons with

Disabilities (Divyangjan) as part of the “Sugamya Bharat Mission” or Accessible India Campaign of

Government of India.


Indian Railways endeavor to provide comprehensive facilities and services to Divyangjan which inter-alia include easy

use of information system, accessible infrastructure, various concessions to passengers traveling on Divyangjan

concession tickets, Human Assistance, Wheel Chairs, Signages, etc.

Railways also aim to make the railway coaches and stations accessible by retrofitting the existing infrastructure as well

as the integration of accessibility in new infrastructure for planning at design stage itself.

In order to facilitate easy movement of elderly, sick and differently-abled passengers (Divyangjan) and for smooth

access to platforms of major railway stations and for ease of movement, lifts are being provided as part of ‘Sugamya

Bharat Abhiyaan’.

So far, 567 lifts at 243 stations have been provided over Indian Railways.










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14 Mar Wings India 2020 launched in HyderabadWings India 2020 launched in Hyderabad

Wings India 2020, the biennial civil aviation and aerospace event was launched today at Begumpet

Airport in Hyderabad. The event is being organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation along with Airports

Authority of India and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry).


More than 100 exhibitors, over 20 states and over 500 delegates are participating in the flagship event of Civil Aviation.

Under the UDAN scheme, 48 new airports operationalized; 100 more to be added in the next 5 years UDAN 4.0+

knowledge paper on the changing landscape of the Indian aviation sector under regional connectivity scheme

released.

The theme of ‘Wings India 2020’ was ‘Flying For All’.

Smt. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, said that India is poised to become the epicenter of

growth for this sector.











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15 Mar India declares Co v id-19 a ‘ No t ified Disaster ’India declares Co v id-19 a ‘ No t ified Disaster ’

This would enable it to provide assistance and spend more funds to fight the pandemic. The Centre

has also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to families of those who die of coronavirus.


The health ministry said that more than 4,000 people who had contact with the confirmed cases are under

surveillance.

Out of 84 cases registered 10 have recovered and the number of casualty is 2.

Spain has decided to follow Italy in declaring a nationwide lockdown to slow the accelerating spread of the

coronavirus epidemic.

Denmark closed all its borders to travellers.

Russia has also said that its land borders with Norway will be closed to foreigners.

Out of 54 Africans countries, 19 countries have now registered virus cases.

17 Mar Health m inist ry act iv ates new to l l -free num ber 1075 fo r q ueries o n Co v id-19Health m inist ry act iv ates new to l l -free num ber 1075 fo r q ueries o n Co v id-19

The previous helpline number, 011-239 78046, will also remain operational. Besides the toll-free

numbers, the ministry also issued a helpline email ID [email protected].


Health Minister reviewed the status of actions taken by states and union territories for prevention and containment of

the disease and directed officials to scale up the capacity of the round-the-clock control room helpline in view of an

increased volume of queries.

The government has also suspended movement of all types of passengers through international border points with

Pakistan from 00:00 hours of March 16 in view of the threat

The government has also suspended all visas, barring a few categories like diplomatic and employment, in an attempt

to prevent the spread of coronavirus.










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17 Mar Lo k Sabha passes Appro priat io n Bi l l 2020-21Lo k Sabha passes Appro priat io n Bi l l 2020-21

The Lok Sabha passed the Appropriation Bill 2020-21 that empowers the government to draw over

₹110 lakh crore from the Consolidated Fund of India for its working, as well as for the implementation

of its programs and schemes.


With the Appropriation Bill, two-thirds of the exercise for the approval of the 2020-21 Budget has been completed as

both Houses had debated Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget proposals in the first half of the current

session.

The Appropriation Bill envisages spending of ₹110.4 lakh crore during the Financial Year 2020-21.

The Loksabha Speaker Om Birla applied “guillotine” the Parliamentary tool to club all other pending subjects for

discussion after the discussion on the demand for grants to the Ministry of Tourism was completed.

18 Mar Bil l seeeking ex tensio n in upper l im it fo r perm it t ing abo rt io ns gets LS no dBil l seeeking ex tensio n in upper l im it fo r perm it t ing abo rt io ns gets LS no d

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which seeks to amend the Medical

Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 was passed by a voice vote.


The Lok Sabha passed the Bill to extend the upper limit for permitting abortions from the present 20 weeks to 24

weeks for “special categories of women”, including rape survivors, victims of incest, differently-abled and minors.

The Bill was approved by Cabinet and Law ministry subsequently before being placed in the House for passage.

A committee of Group of Minister was formed by PM that was headed by Nitin Gadkari to look into the Bill.










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21 Mar Prices o f Alco ho l used in m anufactur ing hand sanit izers capped under the Essent ialPr ices o f Alco ho l used in m anufactur ing hand sanit izers capped under the Essent ial

Co m m o dit ies Act , 1955Co m m o dit ies Act , 1955

The government has notified order under the Act to declare price cap prevailing on the above

alcohols up to 30th June. It has also notified that the raw materials used in the manufacture of

essential commodities are also essential commodities under the E.C Act.


The decision would empower the Central Government and States/UTs to regulate prices, production, sale, distribution,

transport, movement, storage, information etc. of alcohols used in manufacturing the hand sanitizer as a preventive

measure to avoid infection from COVID-19, and to smoothen the sale and availability of these items and carry out

operations against hoarders, speculators, profiteers, black marketeers etc. and those involved in a contravention of

the orders of Central Government and States/UTs in respect of the above alcohols.

This will help the manufacturers of hand sanitizers to keep prices of their and product at reasonable and within the

reach of the common people.

The States have also been advised that the existing manufacturing units of alcohol-based sanitizer be encouraged to

increase their capacity. Ministry of Environment has allowed an increase in capacity by 50% without further

environment clearances.

21 Mar Parl iam ent passes Central Sanskrit Univ ers it ies bi l lPar l iam ent passes Central Sanskrit Univ ers it ies bi l l

The Bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha in December last year, was again take up for passage as it

was amended by the upper house and passed with a voice vote on 21st March 2020.


The three deemed universities of Sanskrit which would be upgraded to central universities are Rashtriya Sanskrit

Sansthan, Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, and Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth Tirupati

respectively.

Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had said the Modi government is committed to

strengthening all Indian languages.










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22 Mar Cabinet appro v es inclusio n o f the AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres in Nat io nalCabinet appro v es inclusio n o f the AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres in Nat io nal

AYUSH Missio nAYUSH Missio n

Ministry of AYUSH will operationalize 10% of the total sub-health Centres as Health and Wellness

Centres i.e. 12,500 under Ayushman Bharat. The proposal entails an expenditure of Rs. 3399.35

Crore for operationalization of AYUSH HWCs.


The proposal entails an expenditure of Rs. 3399.35 Crore (Rs.2209.58 Crore as Central Share and Rs. 1189.77 crore as

State share) for operationalization of AYUSH HWCs within a period of five years that is from financial years 2019-20 to

2023-24.

To establish a holistic wellness model based on AYUSH principles and practices focusing on preventive promotive,

curative, rehabilitative and palliative healthcare by integration with the existing public health care system.

To provide informed choice to the needy public by making the AYUSH services available.

The AYUSH services include community awareness about lifestyle, diet, Yoga, medicinal plants and provision of

medicines for selected conditions as per the strength of AYUSH systems.

22 Mar Cabinet appro v es s igning and rat ifying o f the Ex tradit io n T reaty between India andCabinet appro v es s igning and rat ifying o f the Ex tradit io n T reaty between India and

BelgiumBelgium

The Treaty would provide a legal framework for seeking the extradition of terrorists, economic

offenders, and other criminals from and to Belgium.


Each Party agrees to extradite to the other any person found in its territory, who is accused or convicted of an

extraditable offence in the territory of the other Party.

The Treaty would provide a legal framework for seeking the extradition of terrorists, economic offenders, and other

criminals from and to Belgium. After ratification, the Treaty will enter into force from the date of exchange of

instruments of ratification between India and Belgium.

The new Extradition Treaty will replace the pre-Independence Extradition Treaty between Great Britain and Belgium of

1901 that was made applicable to India through the exchange of Letters in 1958 and is currently in force between the

Republic of India and the Kingdom of Belgium.










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22 Mar Cabinet appro v es pro m o t io n o f do m est ic m anufactur ing o f cr it ical Key S tart ingCabinet appro v es pro m o t io n o f do m est ic m anufactur ing o f cr it ical Key S tart ing

Mater ials/Drug Interm ediates and Act iv e Pharm aceut ical Ingredients in the co untryMater ials/Drug Interm ediates and Act iv e Pharm aceut ical Ingredients in the co untry

The Union Cabinet approved the scheme on Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks and a Production Linked

Incentive Scheme with financial implication of Rs. 3,000 crore and Rs. 6940 crore respectively.


The scheme will be implemented by State Implementing Agencies (SIA) to be set up by the respective State

Governments and the target is to set up 3 mega Bulk Drug Parks.

The scheme will be implemented through a Project Management Agency (PMA) to be nominated by the Department of

Pharmaceuticals. The Scheme will be applicable only for the manufacturing of 53 identified critical bulk drugs

(KSMs/Drug Intermediates and APIs).

Common infrastructure facilities would be created with the financial assistance under the sub-scheme in 03 Bulk Drug

Parks.

It is expected to reduce manufacturing cost and dependency on other countries of Bulk Drug in the country.








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22 Mar Cabinet appro v es pro m o t io n o f the Do m est ic Manufactur ing o f Medical Dev ices inCabinet appro v es pro m o t io n o f the Do m est ic Manufactur ing o f Medical Dev ices in

co untryco untry

The Union Cabinet approved the scheme on the Promotion of Medical Device Parks and Production

Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme with financial implications of Rs. 400 crore and Rs. 3420 crore

respectively.


The Scheme for Promotion of Medical Device Parks will be implemented by a State Implementing Agency(SIA). The PLI

Scheme for promoting domestic manufacturing will be implemented by a Project Management Agency(PMA) to be

nominated by the Department of Pharmaceuticals. The target is to provide financial assistance for Common

Infrastructure Facilities for 04 Medical Device parks.

The target for PLI Scheme is to provide assistance to about 25-30 manufacturers under the following categories of

medical devices: -

Cancer care/Radiotherapy medical devices,

Radiology & Imaging medical devices (both ionizing & non-ionizing radiation products) and Nuclear Imaging Devices,

Anaesthetics & Cardio-Respiratory medical devices including Catheters of Cardio-Respiratory Category & Renal Care

Medical Devices and

AII Implants including implantable electronic devices like Cochlear Implants and Pacemakers.

22 Mar Cabinet o kays ₹48, 000-cr. plan fo r electro nics m anufactur ingCabinet o kays ₹48, 000-cr. plan fo r electro nics m anufactur ing

The three schemes together will enable large-scale electronics manufacturing, a domestic supply

chain ecosystem of components and a state-of-the-art infrastructure and common facilities for large

anchor units and their supply chain partners to help create over 20 lakh jobs.


The schemes are expected to attract new investments worth at least ₹50,000 crores in the sector while generating more

than five lakh direct and 15 lakh indirect jobs.

The production-linked incentive scheme aims to attract large investments in mobile phone manufacturing and

specified electronic components, including assembly, testing, marking and packaging (ATMP) units, at a budgetary

outlay of ₹40,995 crores for five years.

The scheme will offer an incentive of 4-6% on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India and is expected to

create a total of 8 lakh jobs.










18



22 Mar Co ro nav irus test sho uld no t co st m o re than Rs 4, 500, G o v ernm ent to pr iv ate labsCo ro nav irus test sho uld no t co st m o re than Rs 4, 500, G o v ernm ent to pr iv ate labs

In an apparent move to increase testing centers and broaden the existing structure, the government

allowed NABL-accredited private laboratories to start testing COVID-19 samples. It has issued

guidelines capping the cost of sample testing by private labs at Rs 4,500.


Appropriate biosafety and biosecurity precautions need to be taken during the testing and while collecting the

respiratory samples.

As a preference, the home collection of samples may be done by private testing laboratories. This will avoid

transmission of the virus.

The guidelines recommended only real-time PCR-based assays for COVID-19 testing. They added conventional PCR,

in-house real-time PCR and antibody/antigen tests are not recommended.

The authorised private laboratories will be sending all COVID-19 positive samples to NIV, Pune under suitable

biosafety and biosecurity precautions laid down by ICMR.

23 Mar After t rains , interstate bus serv ices suspended t i l l 31st MarchAfter t rains , interstate bus serv ices suspended t i l l 31st March

"In view of the need to contain the spread of COVID 19, it was agreed that there is urgent need to

extend the restrictions on the movement of non-essential passenger transport including inter-state

transport buses till 31st March 2020," said a press release issued by the Center.


The State Governments were advised by the Central to issue appropriate orders to allow only essential services to

operate in the 75 districts which have reported confirmed cases or casualties relating to COVID 19.

The State Governments will also have to expand the list depending on their assessment of the situation.

Around 9,000 goods trains are run by the national transporter each day.

The move comes amid demand by the opposition for a lockdown in view of the rising cases of coronavirus in India.

23 Mar G o v t decides to shutdo wn 75 co ro nav irus-hit dist r icts acro ss the co untryG o v t decides to shutdo wn 75 co ro nav irus-hit dist r icts acro ss the co untry

The decisions have been taken at a high level meeting attended by chief secretaries of all States and

the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.


It has also been decided to suspend the interstate bus services till March 31,

State governments will issue orders allowing only essential services to operate in about 75 districts with confirmed

COVID-19 cases or casualties

The districts where lockdown was announced are from states that include Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab,

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.










19



23 Mar Metro t rains al l o v er the co untry shut do wn t i l l 31st March 2020Metro t rains al l o v er the co untry shut do wn t i l l 31st March 2020

In view of current global pandemic of the Corona Virus, for containing its further spread through

inter-personal proximity, it has been decided to close down metro rail services on all operational

networks across the country till 31st March, 2020.


This was being done in continuation of the closing down of metro services today ie 22nd March 2020 on the day of

Janta Curfew.

This will help in breaking the chain of further infection of COVID-19.

All MD’s have been urged by the centre to inform the public through Print/ Electronic/ Social Media and the websites

extensively to avoid inconvenience.

24 Mar Lo k Sabha passes Finance Bi l l by v o ice v o te witho ut discussio nLo k Sabha passes Finance Bi l l by v o ice v o te witho ut discussio n

The Lok Sabha also adjourned sine die on Monday, earlier than scheduled in view of the coronavirus

scare. Originally, it supposed to have been in session until 3 April.


Many political parties, including the Trinamool Congress, did not attend the session on Monday due to the

coronavirus scare amid lockdowns announced by many states

The important amendments included was one enabling the government to raise additional excise duty on petrol by

up to Rs 18 per litre and diesel by up to Rs 12 per litre when required.

The amendments also include provisions for levying TDS of 1 per cent on e-commerce transactions. The Bill was

passed by the Lok Sabha with all the amendments moved by the government.











20



24 Mar Do m est ic fl ights to be suspended as India st rengthens co ro nav irus lo ckdo wnDo m est ic fl ights to be suspended as India st rengthens co ro nav irus lo ckdo wn

Airlines will have to land domestic passenger flights at destinations by 11.59 pm on Tuesday, said a

spokesperson for the aviation ministry on Monday, adding that the restrictions would not apply to

cargo flights.


The country banned international flights for a week on March 20.

India is planning a rescue package worth as much as $1.6 billion for the aviation sector, which has been battered after

the coronavirus outbreak forced countries to close borders and brought air travel to a near-halt.

India has reported 415 coronavirus cases and 7 deaths in India till now.

24 Mar AIIMS to shut do wn OPD fro m March 24 t i l l further no t ice: OrderAIIMS to shut do wn OPD fro m March 24 t i l l further no t ice: Order

AIIMS had issued a circular postponing all non-essential elective procedures and surgeries and

directed for only emergency life-saving surgeries with effect from March 21.


The premier institute had earlier decided to temporarily suspend routine walk-in OPD registration of patients from

March 23 as it redirects its resources to control the coronavirus.

The Union Health Ministry has asked hospitals and medical education institutes to procure sufficient number of

ventilators and high-flow oxygen masks and advised them to decrease gatherings on their respective premises.

25 Mar G o v ernm ent expenditure system declared as essent ial serv iceG o v ernm ent expenditure system declared as essent ial serv ice

Department of Expenditure said that the absence of staff should not be a reason for any delay or

non-functioning of the payment and accounting systems, thereby ordering all offices connected with

the payment functions to remain open on working hours.


This measure will ensure that in these challenging times, the expenditure system functions quickly to cope with any

emergent needs

According to extant rules, up to 10% of the Budget could be spent in March.

The Finance Ministry is headed by Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka.

She is the former Defence Minister of India under Modi Cabinet 1.0










21



25 Mar G o v t bans expo rt o f sanit izers , face m asks with im m ediate effectG o v t bans expo rt o f sanit izers , face m asks with im m ediate effect

This decision was taken as amid the coronavirus outbreak people resorted to panic buying in the

market. The DGFT has also banned exports of all types of ventilators, including any artificial

respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or any other breathing appliance or device.


It had banned export of certain ventilators, surgical and disposable masks and textile raw material used for making

masks.

There is a shortage of hand sanitizer and face masks in the market amid the coronavirus outbreak as people resorted

to panic buying.

25 Mar India to be under co m plete lo ckdo wn fo r 21 days start ing m idnight , PM Mo diIndia to be under co m plete lo ckdo wn fo r 21 days start ing m idnight , PM Mo di

PM Modi explained that it was the only way of breaking the Covid-19 infection cycle. All other

lockdown conditions, such as the availability of essential commodities, remain the same.


He told people to stay inside their homes for 21 days, warning that if they didn’t do so the country would be set back

21 years and families would be destroyed.

The government also issued a notification that said all essential services will remain open, as before, and all essential

commodities and medicines would be available. Banks, ATMs, petrol pumps, hospitals and grocery shops will

continue to function.

The PM’s move extended a lockdown that had been imposed until March 31 by most states to April 14 and across the

entire nation as India’s Covid-19 infection count rose to 536 on Tuesday from 471.










22



25 Mar FM's key anno uncem ents to suppo rt the eco no m y am id COVID-19FM's key anno uncem ents to suppo rt the eco no m y am id COVID-19

The government deferred deadlines for filing tax returns, extended a tax amnesty program and

unveiled other relief steps while promising more measures to support the economy amid the

coronavirus pandemic.


India, Asia’s third-largest economy, is under pressure to boost spending to fight the economic fallout of the pandemic

that’s infected close to 400,000 people globally and brought normal life to a halt.

Last date for filing March, April and May 2020 GST returns extended to June 30, 2020. The due date for any compliance

and documentation by taxpayers, including for investment instruments, extended to June 30, 2020.

Companies with less than Rs 5 cr turnover, no interest or late fee or penalty will be charged for late filing of GST

return. For bigger companies, the penalty will be charged at a reduced rate.

The date for Aadhaar-PAN linking and Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme has also been extended till June 30, with no

additional 10 per cent payment. Sabka Vishwas scheme's extended deadline of March 31, 2020, further extended to

June 30, 2020.

26 Mar Panchayat Raj Bi l l passedPanchayat Raj Bi l l passed

The Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2020, was passed in the

Legislative Assembly, which aims to reduce the tenure of presidents and vice-presidents of gram,

taluk, and Zilla panchayats from five years to 30 months.


BJP members expressed reservation on some of the provisions of the Bill on Tuesday, Rural Development and

Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa stressed on the necessity of passing the Bill.

The Panchayat Elections of Karnataka are due in May 2020.

In wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S Yediyurappa announced the lockdown in the entire

state till March 31.










23



26 Mar Cabinet no d fo r supply o f ex t ra subsidised fo o dgrains v ia rat io n sho psCabinet no d fo r supply o f ex t ra subsidised fo o dgrains v ia rat io n sho ps

To ensure sufficient supply during the lockdown, the government has decided to increase the

monthly quota of subsidized foodgrains by 2 kg to 7kg per person through ration shops for 80 crores

beneficiaries.


The cost of wheat is Rs 27/kg, which will be provided at a subsidised rate of Rs 2 kg, while the cost of rice is about Rs

32/kg but will be supplied at Rs 3/kg through ration shops, he said.

Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80

crore people at a highly subsidised price.

The decision to allocate additional foodgrains through the PDS has been taken as state-run Food Corporation of India

(FCI) is saddled with wheat and rice stock.

27 Mar Renewable energy po wer generat io n classified as essent ial serv icesRenewable energy po wer generat io n classified as essent ial serv ices

The ministry asked all states to exempt renewable energy generating stations from Section 144,

nationwide lockdown, curfew and any restrictions in the movement of necessary staff and products.


Renewable energy generating stations generate electricity and supply to the grid when conventional power plants

may not be running at optimal levels due to fuel supply concerns.

The letter was addressed to chief secretaries, all district magistrates, police commissioners, urban local bodies and

municipal corporations of all states.








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27 Mar Elect io n Co m m issio n al lo ws use o f indel ible ink fo r stam ping ‘ ho m e q uarant ined’Elect io n Co m m issio n al lo ws use o f indel ible ink fo r stam ping ‘ ho m e q uarant ined’

The Election Commission has allowed usage by health authorities for stamping ‘home quarantined’

on the hands of those suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, easing its policy of using

the ink only for voting purposes.


The EC’s sou-moto decision was communicated to the secretary, health ministry, all chief electoral officers across

states, and to the sole manufacturer of the indelible ink

It also suggested the health ministry may standardise the mark and the location on the body where the ink is to be

applied. The indelible ink mark normally stays for three days when applied on the skin directly.

27 Mar G o v ernm ent to pay em plo yer , em plo yee’ s PF co ntr ibut io n fo r 3 m o nthsG o v ernm ent to pay em plo yer , em plo yee’ s PF co ntr ibut io n fo r 3 m o nths

The government will pay the (EPF) contribution, 12% each for the next three months. The move will

benefit over 4.8 crore employees in the organized sector.


The government has also announced a ₹1.70 lakh crore economic package for a host of beneficiaries in the wake of

Covid-19 spread that has crippled economic activity and wages across sectors.

This will be applicable to all those establishments having employed up to 100 employees and about 90% of which

earn ₹15,000 per month.

27 Mar G riev ance redressal cel l set up to reso lv e pro blem s o f fo o d pro cessing industryG riev ance redressal cel l set up to reso lv e pro blem s o f fo o d pro cessing industry

during COVID-19 lo ckdo wnduring COVID-19 lo ckdo wn

Smt.HarsimratKaur Badal said, that industry members facing any problem in operations and

distribution of food products could send their queries to [email protected].


TheGovernment is committed to ensure the continuity of agro-food business, for which a Business Immunity Platform

www.investindia.gov.in/bip has been designed as a comprehensive resource to help business and investors get real-

time support to ensure hassle free operations.

That availability of raw materials, packaging materials, movement of trucks carrying them, functioning of their

warehouses and cold storages and ability of workers to come and work in the factories and warehouses needs to be

ensured for maintaining food supply chain for the general population.










25



27 Mar Finance Minister anno unces Rs 1.70 Lakh Cro re rel ief package under Pradhan Mantr iFinance Minister anno unces Rs 1.70 Lakh Cro re rel ief package under Pradhan Mantr i

G arib Kalyan Yo janaG arib Kalyan Yo jana

Sitharaman announced, these measures are intended at reaching out to the poorest of the poor, with

food and money in hands, so that they do not face difficulties in buying essential supplies and

meeting essential needs.


The State Government will be asked to utilise the funds available under District Mineral Fund (DMF) for supplementing

and augmenting facilities of medical testing, screening and other requirements in connection with preventing the

spread of CoVID-19 pandemic as well as treating the patients affected with this pandemic.

State Governments will be given directions to utilise this fund to provide assistance and support to these workers to

protect them against economic disruptions.

27 Mar Suprem e Co urt to hear urgent cases v ia v ideoSuprem e Co urt to hear urgent cases v ia v ideo

SC would continue to hear cases of “extreme urgency” through videoconferencing during the

lockdown, keeping in mind physical distancing norms. The lawyer can present cases via

videoconferencing at an allotted time.


A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, recently used its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to lift

the limitation period for all cases until further notice.

An earlier circular issued by the Supreme Court before the announcement of the 21-day lockdown had explained that

cases would be heard through an app called ‘Vidyo’.

28 Mar Hydro xychlo ro q uine no w a schedule H1 drugHydro xychlo ro q uine no w a schedule H1 drug

The sale of the drug from now on should be in accordance with the conditions for the sale of drugs

specified in Schedule H1 to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.


According to a gazette notification issued by the Union Health Ministry, the sale of the drug from now on should be in

accordance with the conditions for the sale of drugs specified in Schedule H1 to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.

It is necessary and expedient to regulate and restrict the sale and distribution of the drug ‘Hydroxychloroquine’ and

preparation based thereon for preventing their misuse,










26



28 Mar Defaulters m ust set t le dues within 15 days under Viv aad Se Vishwas schem eDefaulters m ust set t le dues within 15 days under Viv aad Se Vishwas schem e

India’s direct taxes body has clarified that defaulters need to settle their tax dues within 15 days from

the time the disputed amount is mutually agreed upon, under its dispute settlement mechanism that

has now been extended till June 30.


After they are issued what is known as Form 3 for payment of arrears, taxpayers will also have to inform tax

authorities that they have paid up

The Vivaad Se Vishwas scheme is a no-interest - no penalty window that was supposed to end on March 31 but has

since been extended in light of lockdowns and disruptions due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The direct taxes body has also clarified that taxpayers can settle the disputed amount even before filing what is

known as Form 1.








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29 Mar Perio d fro m 22 March to 14 Apri l shal l be t reated under “Fo rce Majeure”, IndianPerio d fro m 22 March to 14 Apri l shal l be t reated under “Fo rce Majeure”, Indian

RailwaysRailways

During this period no demurrage, wharfage, stacking, stabling, detention, and ground usage charge

shall be leviable. Zonal Railways have been advised to coordinate with State Government authorities

to ensure logistics support in order to keep up the essential goods transportation.


Zonal Railways have been advised to coordinate with State Government authorities to ensure logistics support in

order to keep up the essential goods transportation.

Earlier on 23 March 2020, the Railway Board had issued instructions that no haulage charge would be levied for

movement of empty containers/empty flat wagons from 24.03.2020 to 30.04.2020

29 Mar Indian Rai lways to giv e ful l refund fo r al l t ickets fo r jo urney per io d fro m 21st MarchIndian Rai lways to giv e ful l refund fo r al l t ickets fo r jo urney per io d fro m 21st March

- 14th Apri l 2020- 14th Apri l 2020

This is due to the cancellation of trains and ticket booking facility till 14th April 2020 to contain the

spread of COVID-19. The procedure for grant of refund shall be applicable on Counter booked PRS

Tickets and E-tickets.


Railways shall provide a utility through which the passenger can avail refund of balance amount so deducted during

cancellation of such tickets. Tickets cancelled prior to 27-03-2020:

The balance refund amount shall be credited to the account of the passenger from which tickets was booked. IRCTC

shall prepare a utility for providing the balance refund amount.

Tickets cancelled after 27-03-2020: Full refund shall be payable in respect of all such cancellations for which provisions

have already been made.

rd










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30 Mar EPF schem e m em bers can no w withdraw no n-refundable adv anceEPF schem e m em bers can no w withdraw no n-refundable adv ance

The notification permits withdrawal not exceeding the basic wages and dearness allowance for three

months or up to 75% of the amount standing to member’s credit in the EPF account.COVID-19 had

been declared a pandemic for the entire country, all employees of establishments and factories in

India who are members of the EPF scheme would be eligible for the amended scheme.EPFO has

issued directions to its field offices for promptly processing any applications received from EPF

members to help them fight the situation.


COVID-19 had been declared a pandemic for the entire country, all employees of establishments and factories in India

who are members of the EPF scheme would be eligible for the amended scheme.

EPFO has issued directions to its field offices for promptly processing any applications received from EPF members to

help them fight the situation.

30 Mar Health Minist ry issues SOP to guide am bulance staff in t ranspo rt ing COVID-19Health Minist ry issues SOP to guide am bulance staff in t ranspo rt ing COVID-19

casescases

The standard operating procedure (SOP) is meant to guide and train ambulance drivers and

technicians for attending to or transporting suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases.


Currently, there are two types of ambulances — ALS (with ventilators) and BLS (without ventilators). States may

empanel other ambulances having basic equipment like that of BLS and use it for COVID patients.

The ministry also provided a sample questionnaire to identify COVID-19 cases in its SOP. It said only identified and

designated ambulances should be used for transportation and all health functionaries should be made aware to use

such ambulance services for COVID patients through toll-free numb

MOU'S / AGREEMENTSMOU'S / AGREEMENTS










29



07 Mar Intel jo ins CBSE to em po wer 1 lakh Indian students in Art ific ial Intel l igenceIntel jo ins CBSE to em po wer 1 lakh Indian students in Art ific ial Intel l igence

Initiatives include the roll-out of an Artificial Intelligence curriculum framework for grades VIII, IX and

X for 22,000 schools, with the aim to empower 1 lakh students within 2020, Intel said


The curriculum is based on ‘Intel AI For Youth’, which is an immersive, hands-on learning programme using

experiential methodologies covering both social and technological skills.

The MoU also stated that Intel along with CBSE will soon be launching a ‘National AI Olympiad’ to motivate young

students to showcase their meaningful social impact solutions as evidence of achievement.

The curriculum was piloted with eight schools, training youth to create AI projects focused on social impact in 2019,

with the aim of empowering 1,00,000 students with AI-readiness skills in 2020.

17 Mar Manikaran Po wer beco m es the first m em ber o f Indian G as ExchangeManikaran Po wer beco m es the first m em ber o f Indian G as Exchange

The gas trading platform of the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has found its first member in

Manikaran Power Ltd (MPL), called the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX). It will be India’s first gas trading

platform.


IGX would offer spot and forward contracts at Dahej, Hazira and Kakinada.

Petronet operates an LNG terminal at Dahej, Shell operates another one at Hazira. Kakinada is the landfall point for

natural gas being produced from the Krishna Godavari basin.

MPL provides an electronic platform for trading of power at IEX and PXIL, documentation and assistance in bilateral

trading of power, REC trading and group captive. Its website states that it has close to 2,000 clients in both power

trading and RECs.

OTHERSOTHERS










30



01 Mar SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi gets 6-m o nth ex tensio nSEBI chief Ajay Tyagi gets 6-m o nth ex tensio n

The government has given a six-month extension to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

chairman Ajay Tyagi whose term at the helm was ending


Mr Tyagi is an Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) of the Himachal Pradesh cadre.

During his tenure at the helm, he dealt with high profile investigation cases related to the National Stock Exchange

(NSE), IL&FS, Price Waterhouse, and Reliance Industries among others.

In terms of the regulatory framework, he oversaw reviews and amendments of important regulations related to insider

trading, public issue process, corporate governance, mutual funds and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).

Further, he laid down stringent disclosure norms that made it mandatory for companies to disclose debt default.

04 Mar 82 Div yang Art isans and Entrepreneurs fro m 17 S tates/UTs Displaying their82 Div yang Art isans and Entrepreneurs fro m 17 S tates/UTs Displaying their

Pro ducts and Sk i l ls at ‘ Ekam Fest ’Pro ducts and Sk i l ls at ‘ Ekam Fest ’

Around 82 Divyang artisans and entrepreneurs coming from 17 States/ UTs are showcasing their

products at the week-long Exhibition-cum-Fair organized by National Handicapped Finance

Development Corporation (NHFDC) under M/o Social Justice and Empowerment.


In the Ekam Fest, Divyang Entrepreneur and Artisans from all over the country have been invited with representation

from J&K to Puducherry and from Nagaland to Gujarat.

The Fest presents vibrant products of from J&K and NE with products ranging from handicraft, handloom, Embroidery

work and dry fruits.

During the Fair, around 82 Divyang Entrepreneur/Artisan and organizations from 17 States/UTs are displaying their

skills represented through their beautiful products, services and demonstration of skills.

NHFDC is providing financial assistance to the Divyangjan (Persons with Disabilities) for their economic rehabilitation

and provides number of skill development programmes to empower them to grow & sustain their enterprises. To

empower the Divyang and marginalized groups of the society more closely, it has taken a step forward and

established NHFDC Foundation.










31



06 Mar Bo m bay and Delhi IITs am o ng wo rld’ s to p 50 tech inst itut io nsBo m bay and Delhi IITs am o ng wo rld’ s to p 50 tech inst itut io ns

JNU is India’s best in the arts and humanities category. F ive IITs — including Kharagpur, Madras, and

Kanpur made it into the top 100 list in the category of the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World

University Ranking by Subject for 2020.


The Indian Institutes of Technology, Bombay and Delhi, have both broken into the world’s top 50 engineering and

technology institutions.

In the natural sciences category, three Indian institutions made it to the top 200: IIT-Bombay at 108th rank, closely

followed by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, at the 111th position, while IIT-Madras scraped in at the 195th

rank.

Jawaharlal Nehru University remained the country’s top institution in the arts and humanities category, with a global

ranking of 162, followed at a distance by Delhi University (DU) at 231. However, DU topped the social sciences and

management category, with a global ranking of 160, followed by IIT-Delhi at 183.

06 Mar Co ro nav irus do es no t spread thro ugh chicken, m utto n, seafo o d: FSSAI chief G SGCo ro nav irus do es no t spread thro ugh chicken, m utto n, seafo o d: FSSAI chief G SG

AyyangarAyyangar

Ayyangar also said that it is a matter of time that vaccine for coronavirus will be developed as India

has a good track of handling viruses.


According to FSSAI chief GSG Ayyangar, There is no scientific evidence to show that coronavirus spreads through

eating chicken, mutton and seafood.

There are at least 29 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in India.

The poultry breeders demanded a relief package from the government claiming that the sector has incurred heavy

losses of around Rs 1,750 crore in a month.










32



06 Mar Maharaja Ranj it S ingh nam ed greatest wo rld leader in BBC Po llMaharaja Ranj it S ingh nam ed greatest wo rld leader in BBC Po ll

>The 19th-century ruler of the Sikh Empire in India has beaten competition from around the world to

be named the "Greatest Leader of All Time" in a poll. Singh was praised for creating a new tolerant

empire.


Over 5,000 readers voted in the poll. Polling more than 38 per cent of the vote, Singh was praised for creating a new

tolerant empire.

In second place, with 25 per cent of the vote, is African Independence Fighter Amílcar Cabral, who united more than 1

million Guineans to free themselves from Portuguese occupation and in turn propelled many other colonised African

countries to rise and fight for independence.

Britain's war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill is at number three with 7 per cent of the vote for his quick

decision and sharp political manoeuvring that kept Britain in the war.

06 Mar Indira G andhi , Am rit Kaur nam ed by T IME am o ng '100 Wo m en o f the Year 'Indira G andhi , Am rit Kaur nam ed by T IME am o ng '100 Wo m en o f the Year '

>They have been named by the TIME magazine among world's 100 powerful women who defined the

last century in a new project that "spotlights influential women who were often overshadowed."


Indira Gandhi was honoured for 1976 in special covers recreated by the publication.

The profile in TIME said that in 1976, Gandhi, "'Empress of India' had become India's great authoritarian."

Kaur's profile said that the young princess returned to India in 1918 after studying at Oxford and soon became

fascinated by Mahatma Gandhi's teachings.

Born into the royal family of Kapurthala, Rajkumari Kaur "decided her life's mission was to help India break free from

its colonial ties and oppressive societal norms."

08 Mar As co ro nav irus cases r ise, 52 labs are being set -up acro ss India fo r test ingAs co ro nav irus cases r ise, 52 labs are being set -up acro ss India fo r test ing

sam ples by the Departm ent o f Health Research/ ICMRsam ples by the Departm ent o f Health Research/ ICMR

As on March 6, a total of 4,058 samples from 3,404 individuals have been tested by the network. This

includes testing of 1,308 samples from 654 individuals evacuated from Wuhan, China and

quarantined at ITBP and Manesar Camp.


The Union health ministry has made 52 laboratories functional for testing samples while 57 labs have been designated

for helping in sample collection for COVID-19 to enhance capacity for diagnosis and detection of the disease.

Till now India has 31 confirmed cases of the infection, which includes 16 Italians, and rest Indians. Also, nearly 29,000

people have been put under observation in different parts of the country.










33



08 Mar COVID-19: Haj Ho use to beco m e 500-bed iso lat io n centreCOVID-19: Haj Ho use to beco m e 500-bed iso lat io n centre

The Ghaziabad district administration will set up a 500-bed isolation centre at Ala Hazrat Haj House

in Arthala here to combat the coronavirus, officials said.


The suspected cases of coronavirus would be kept here in isolation to prevent the spreading of the infection. They will

be attended by a force of district hospital doctors.

Coronavirus originated from China, Wuhan City being its epicentre has engulfed around 3000+ people all over the

world till now.

The Health Ministry has issued important instructions and advisory to all the citizens to be safe from this epidemic.

08 Mar Assam to co m e up with 140 MW so lar po wer pro ject at Dim a Hasao dist r ict and atAssam to co m e up with 140 MW so lar po wer pro ject at Dim a Hasao dist r ict and at

Am guri in S iv asagarAm guri in S iv asagar

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal administered the agreement signing for two solar power

projects of 70 MW each at Dima Hasao district and at Amguri in Sivasagar district.


According to CM Sonowa;, this agreement will enable the state to generate clean and efficient fuel.

Three agreements were signed between Assam Power Distribution Company Limited and NC Hills Autonomous

Council for 70 MW Solar Power Project to be installed at Dima Hasao. The second power purchase agreement between

APDCL and Jackson Power Private Limited. And the third being land lease and implementation support agreement

between APDCL and Jackson Power Private Limited for the 70 MW Solar Power Project at Amguri Solar Park in

Sivasagar.











34



08 Mar Puneeth Rajkum ar nam ed brand am bassado r fo r Cham arajanagar Dist r ictPuneeth Rajkum ar nam ed brand am bassado r fo r Cham arajanagar Dist r ict

Actor accepts request from new DC to highlight development efforts and plans for the

comprehensive development of the region besides taking steps for conservation of natural

resources, environment and wildlife, and beautification of towns and urban areas.


The proposal was made by the new Chamarajanagar Deputy Commissioner M.R. Ravi.

The actor was also felicitated with a shawl and Mysuru headgear (Pettah) on the occasion.

The Chamarajanagar district is rich in culture and tradition besides folk arts and natural beauty,

The district and its people took pride in the fact that Kannada thespian Dr.Rajkumar was a native of Chamarajanagar.

09 Mar Ex -J&K m inister Altaf Bukhari f lo ats new po l it ical o utfit JK Apni Party in S r inagarEx -J&K m inister Altaf Bukhari f lo ats new po l it ical o utfit JK Apni Party in S r inagar

Flanked by political leaders, including former MLAs, former finance minister Bukhari announced that

the new party was an outfit "of the commoners, by the commoners and for the commoners".He

called it a platform for the common people, rejecting the idea of dynastic politics.


The new political party which comprises a cluster of politicians who have resigned or were fired from different political

parties, including the People’s Democratic Party and Congress

The newly formed party aims at addressing people’s aspirations and not just selling dreams to people.

The political parties in Kashmir have reacted sharply to the emergence of a new platform, saying this initiative was

aimed to blunt the true representative voices of J&K.

09 Mar HAL plans lo gist ics bases in Malaysia, Vietnam , Indo nesia and S r i LankaHAL plans lo gist ics bases in Malaysia, Vietnam , Indo nesia and S r i Lanka

State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aerospace Ltd (HAL) Chairman said the company is

seriously focusing on boosting exports in sync with the government's priority to sell key platforms like

Tejas, attack helicopter Rudra


HAL is considering to build logistics bases in the four countries as they use a number of Russian-origin military aircraft

and choppers whose serviceability is "very poor".

HAL is looking at setting up maintenance facilities in these four countries as having logistics bases is key to sell the

products and ensure after-sales services.

The Tejas has been Developed by Aeronautical Development Agency and the HAL. The lifespan of the jet would be a

minimum of 30 years just like any other frontline combat aircraft.










35



09 Mar PM hands o v er Twit ter handle to wo m en achiev ersPM hands o v er Twit ter handle to wo m en achiev ers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that women achievers from across India will share their life

stories and journey through his social media accounts on the occasion of International Women's

Day.


The campaign kicked off with # She Inspires us.

The 7 women achievers who were handed over the Twitter account were as follows:

Sneha Mohandoss- Hunger Activist and Founder of NGO Food Bank

Malvika Iyer- Disability Activist

Arifa Jaan- Srinagar based Entrepreneur

Kalpana Ramesh- Water Warrior

Vijaya Pawar- Founder, Banjara Garment SFURTI Cluster, Artisan from Banjara community, rural Maharashtra

Kalavati Devi- Open Defecation free volunteer

Veena Devi- Munger village Sarpanch

International Women's Day is celebrated across the world to convey respect, love and appreciation towards every

woman.

09 Mar Deptt . o f Po sts , Delhi Circle o pens 3rd al l -Wo m en Po st Office in the nat io nalDeptt . o f Po sts , Delhi Circle o pens 3rd al l -Wo m en Po st Office in the nat io nal

capitalcapital

The third all-Women Sub Post Office Nanak Pura, was inaugurated on 6th March under New Delhi

South West Division to commemorate the International Women’s Day celebrations.


Ms Nisha Rani is holding the charge of the SPM in this Post Office along with one Postal Assistant, one MTS and one

GDS.

A felicitation ceremony was also organized to award the best women workers of New Delhi South West Division for

the year 2019 in different categories. CPMG and PMG (O) congratulated the awardees and motivated all the staff for

the betterment of Division.










36



09 Mar Ex -law m inister and senio r Co ngress leader HR Bhardwaj dies o f cardiac arrestEx -law m inister and senio r Co ngress leader HR Bhardwaj dies o f cardiac arrest

Hansraj Bhardwaj breathed his last at the Max Hospital, Saket, where he was admitted since

Wednesday due to Kidney-related issues, It was during Bhardwaj's tenure as law minister that

Bofors-accused Ottavio Quattrocchi was given a clean chit by then UPA government.


He was born in Garhi Sampla village in Rohtak district of Haryana, Bhardwaj was a Rajya Sabha member for five terms

from April 1982 to June 2009.

He was the law minister for 14 years and served under the prime ministership of Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao and

Manmohan Singh. He was appointed the governor of Karnataka in 2009.

He is remembered the leader as an "encyclopedia" on the Indian judicial system.

09 Mar DG P declares al l po l icestat io ns wo m en-fr iendlyDG P declares al l po l icestat io ns wo m en-fr iendly

In a first of its kind initiative by the Police Department to break the mental barrier that prevents

women from going to police stations, DGP D. Gautam Sawang, made the declaration which was was

viewed by the thousands of women and children gathered at different stations via video link.


Mr Sawang urged the personnel to encourage women to feel free to walk into police stations to lodge a complaint or

seek help when needed.

Mr Sawang also interacted with the women on the occasion in which many women said it was their first visit to police

stations even though their kin have been working there since long.

The State police devised 19 parameters which are divided into institutional, structural, environmental, behavioural

and action-based, and all police stations will work towards fulfilling the parameters with special focus on gender-

sensitive behaviour.










37



10 Mar COVID-19: Telco s use cal ler tune to spread awarenessCOVID-19: Telco s use cal ler tune to spread awareness

Department of Telecom (DoT) has asked telecom operators to put coronavirus awareness messages

as a caller tune instead of the regular ringtone to make citizens aware of the disease in India. >

BSNL, Airtel and Jio have implemented the pre-call awareness caller tune for their customers. It has

also sought a direction to telcos “to send bulk SMS/PUSH notification on the simple dos and don’ts to

all the clients”.


This is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

ordered superseding of the phone ringing tone that one hears on dialling a number, with the 30-second information

clip.

They also released a direction to telcos to send bulk SMS/PUSH notification on the simple dos and don’ts to all the

clients

The telecom secretary’s personal monitoring to ensure mechanisms are in place for successful dissemination of the

message.











38



10 Mar Mangaluru Internat io nal Airpo rt (MIA) gets best airpo rt ASQ surv ey awardMangaluru Internat io nal Airpo rt (MIA) gets best airpo rt ASQ surv ey award

(MIA) was adjudged the best airport by size and region in the category of 2-5 million passengers per

year in Asia-Pacific Region at the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) awards. 34 key performance

indicators under eight major categories were assessed during the survey.


A report of Airports Authority of India (AAI) states that authority’s continuous thrust on enhanced passenger

convenience has been yielding results year after year.

Besides Mangaluru, Chandigarh, Thiruvananthapuram, and Lucknow airports of AAI were selected for the awards. In

all, they received 10 awards for 2019.

ASQ survey is the world-renowned and internationally established global benchmarking programme measuring

passengers’ satisfaction, whilst they travel through an airport conducted by the Airports Council International (ACI).

ASQ Awards recognise those airports around the world that deliver the best customer experience in the opinion of

their own passengers.

10 Mar Prahlad S ingh Patel to inaugurate an exhibit io n t i t led- “Jal l ianwala Bagh”o n 11thPrahlad S ingh Patel to inaugurate an exhibit io n t i t led- “Jal l ianwala Bagh”o n 11th

March.March.

On the occasion of 130th Foundation Day of National Archives of India (NAI), Union Minister of State

for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh will inaugurate the exhibition which is an endeavour to

commemorate the centenary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre covering a period from 1915 to 1950 at

the premises of National Archives, New Delhi.


The present exhibition is primarily presented with the help of original and digital copies of archival documents

relating to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre available in National Archives of India. This is an earnest attempt to portray

the relentless struggle of the Indian people against the British tyranny through our record holdings.

The National Archives of India is an Attached Office under the Ministry of Culture.










39



11 Mar Jyo t iraditya Scindia set to begin new innings with BJP, bids bit ter bye Jyo t iraditya Scindia set to begin new innings with BJP, bids bit ter bye to Co ngressto Co ngress

Within hours of Scindia's exit, more than 20 party MLAs close to him submitted their resignation from

the assembly putting the Congress in an apparent minority in Madhya Pradesh. This was known after

a meeting of the BJP's Central Election Committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


The timing is symbolic - all this happened on the 75th birth anniversary of his father, the late Madhavrao Scindia, who

was a union minister in the Congress governments led by Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao.

After Scindia's exit, more than 20 party MLAs close to him submitted their resignation from the assembly making the

Congress in an apparent minority in Madhya Pradesh.

Scindia is reportedly eyeing an RS nomination and a cabinet berth in return for crossing over to the BJP.

12 Mar India shuts do o rs fo r o uts iders , under self-im po sed q uarant ine t i l l Apr i l 15thIndia shuts do o rs fo r o uts iders , under self-im po sed q uarant ine t i l l Apr i l 15th

India imposed stringent travel curbs to the country as the WHO declared the Covid-19 outbreak a

pandemic with more than 118,000 confirmed cases and 4,291 deaths in 114 countries.


WHO has classified COVID-19 outbreak as a global public health emergency on January 30 and had been reluctant to

call it a pandemic over concerns that it would create unnecessary panic.

The government late on Wednesday suspended “all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international

organisations, employment, project visas” until April 15.

The visa-free travel facility for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) holders has been suspended until the same date.

The curbs will be effective at from March 13 at the port of departure.

13 Mar Delhi 's IG I airpo rt ranked wo rld's best in o v er 40 MPPA catego ryDelhi 's IG I airpo rt ranked wo rld's best in o v er 40 MPPA catego ry

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), which is undergoing a major expansion, has emerged

as the best airport in the over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) category in Asia-Pacific by

the Airports Council International's Airport Service Quality Programme (ASQ) 2019 rankings.


The IGIA had retained the world's second-best airport position for three consecutive years till 2013.

IGI airport has been adjudged as the world's best airport in the highest category of more than 40 million passengers

per annum consecutively in 2017 and 2018.










40



14 Mar Odisha CM Nav een Patnaik declares v irus pandem ic a "state disaster"Odisha CM Nav een Patnaik declares v irus pandem ic a "state disaster"

The state cabinet met on Friday morning and declared, the Covid-19 pandemic, a “state disaster”

under the Disaster Management Provision Act 2005.


All educational institutions, unless conducting exams, are to be shut till 31 Mar, as are swimming pools and movie

halls, seminars and workshops.

Officials of the health and family welfare departments, collectors and municipal commissioners are authorised to

make emergency procurements of drugs, consumables and equipment necessary to contain the spread of the virus.

There will be restrictions on large assemblies, whether social a marriage or a religious function, or official conferences,

and the public has been encouraged to cooperate.

19 Mar CBSE po stpo nes bo ard exam s t i l l March 31 in v iew o f Co v id-19 o utbreakCBSE po stpo nes bo ard exam s t i l l March 31 in v iew o f Co v id-19 o utbreak

"While maintenance of academic calendar and exam schedule is important, equally important is

safety and security of students who are appearing in various examinations as also of their teachers

and parents," HRD secretary Amit Khare said in an official communication.


CBSE's official handle put out a circular stating that all ongoing board exams for classes X and XII have been

postponed, both in India and abroad.

Re-examinations for Northeast candidates will also be rescheduled.

Ongoing evaluation of board exam papers have also been postponed. Supervisers can reschedule the evaluation to

April 1 onwards, unless otherwise informed by the board.










41



20 Mar PM Mo di 's COVID-19 Plan - Janata curfew, eco no m ic task fo rcePM Mo di 's COVID-19 Plan - Janata curfew, eco no m ic task fo rce

The PM appealed people to practice social distancing, avoid public spaces and, as a test case,

observe a 'Janata Curfew', a self-imposed curfew "of, for and by the people" on Sunday, 22nd March

2020.


Modi asked people not to resort to “panic buying” of eatables, adding that it would be ensured there was no scarcity

of milk, eatables, and medicines

Modi said the pandemic had already deeply hurt the economic interests of the middle class, the lower middle class,

and the poor. He asked those running businesses, and also those in high-income groups, to protect the interests of

people who provided them with services, and not cut their wages and salaries even if they did not come to work.











42



20 Mar Addit io nal Adv iso ry fo r No v el Co ro nav irus Disease (Co v id-19)Addit io nal Adv iso ry fo r No v el Co ro nav irus Disease (Co v id-19)

No scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft shall be allowed to land in India from

March 22, 2020 for one week.


State Governments shall issue appropriate directions so that all citizens above 65(other than for medical assistance) except for public representatives/govt.servants/medical professionals are advised to remain at home.Similarly, all children below 10 should be advised to stay at home and not to ventureout.Railways and civil aviation shall suspend all concessional travel except for students,patients and divyang category.States are being requested to enforce work for home for Pvt. Sector employeesexcept those working in emergency/essential services.To reduce crowding all Group B and C Central govt. employees will be asked toattend offices on the alternate week and staggered timings for all employees.

21 Mar Kam al Nath resigns as Madhya Pradesh CM ahead o f flo o r testKam al Nath resigns as Madhya Pradesh CM ahead o f flo o r test

Ending 18 days of political drama, Kamal Nath submitted his resignation to Governor Lalji Tandon,

ahead of the Supreme Court-mandated floor test. M.P. Assembly Speaker N.P. Prajapati also

accepted the resignation of 16 rebel Congress MLAs.


The strength of the Congress in the 231-member House was down to 92.

BJP MLA Sharad Kol, who in the past had cross voted with the Congress, also quit. With the resignations, the strength

of the Assembly stands at 205, with the simple majority mark at 103.

The BJP with 104 MLAs has a clear majority.

The Kamalnath led MP government was shattered after Jyotiraditya Scindia along with 16 MLAs resign from the

Congress party and shifted to BJP party.










43



21 Mar BSNL o ffers free bro adband fo r a m o nth to suppo rt wo rk fro m ho m eBSNL o ffers free bro adband fo r a m o nth to suppo rt wo rk fro m ho m e

Broadband service is being offered free of charge for one month to all citizens across the country,

who have BSNL landline and do not have any broadband, so that they can use this service and

minimise the need to move outdoor.


BSNL notified that new customers opting for copper cable bases connections to not have pay installation charges but

will need to buy a modem.

The scheme is also applicable for new customers and after a month of usage, all the subscribers will be moved to paid

plans. The office said installation charge will be applicable for customers opting for optical fibre connectivity.

23 Mar G o v ernm ents anno unce a s lew o f m easures to al lev iate co ro nav irus painG o v ernm ents anno unce a s lew o f m easures to al lev iate co ro nav irus pain

Govt caps maximum retail price of 200 ml hand sanitizer at Rs 100 till June, NCLAT to only hear

"urgent matters", Chhattisgarh govt orders all offices to remain shut till March 31 and more.


Railways relax refund rules for travel between March 21 and April 15

215 people at ITBP quarantine facility asymptomatic after a week

CBSE launches toll-free helpline for students, parents on safeguarding from Coronavirus

Air India has sent an aircraft to bring back Indians stranded in Rome

Environment ministry suspends meetings of its green panel till March 31

24 Mar Reliance sets up India’ s fi rst dedicated COVID-19 ho spitalRel iance sets up India’ s fi rst dedicated COVID-19 ho spital

The company is enhancing its production capacities to produce 1,00,000 face-masks per day and a

large number of personal protective equipment.


The hospital also includes setting up India’s first dedicated COVID-19 hospital, special quarantine facilities, importing

additional test kits.

Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital has also offered to set up special medical facilities to quarantine travellers from

notified countries and suspected cases identified through contact tracing.

RIL has also built a fully-equipped isolation facility in Lodhivali, Maharashtra and handed it over to the district

authorities.










44



27 Mar Call 1906 fo r LPG em ergency, says IOCCall 1906 fo r LPG em ergency, says IOC

The Indian Oil Corporation has rearranged its refining operations in keeping with the market situation

and the refining operations would move in tandem with the withdrawal of the lockdown. All

arrangements are in place to meet any rise in demand for LPG.


There was a dip in demand for petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel after the closure of airports.

The oil company has also made arrangements to ensure the safety of workers at its oil outlets.

The company has also made arrangements are also in place to ensure the movement of fuel lorries and the customers

need not worry about any shortage.

28 Mar Do o rdarshan br ings back fam ed Ram ayanDo o rdarshan br ings back fam ed Ram ayan

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Prasar Bharti has decided to telecast Ramanand

Sagar’s Ramayan from Saturday, 28th March 2020. The telecast will take place in 2 slots every day,

from 9 AM to 10 AM and 9 PM to 10 PM.


The decision has been taken keeping in view the immense interest of people in the series and public demand for its

re-telecast.

Sh Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO, Prasar Bharti congratulated the team from Doordarshan that worked on war footing

to make this happen. Sh Vempati also thanked the Sagar family for making content available to Doordarshan.








https://www.exambazaar.com/exam-eligibility



45



29 Mar Marut i team s up with AgVa to scale up v ent i lato r pro duct io nMarut i team s up with AgVa to scale up v ent i lato r pro duct io n

The company would work with AgVa Healthcare to rapidly scale up production of ventilators with

intention of reaching a volume of 10,000 units per month.


AgVa Healthcare will be responsible for the technology, performance and related matters for all the ventilators

produced and sold by them.

MSI would also help, to the required extent to arrange to finance, and obtain all permissions and approvals required

to enable the higher production.

The company would provide these services free of cost to AgVa Healthcare, it added. Besides, Krishna Maruti Limited,

a joint venture of MSI with Ashok Kapur, will be manufacturing 3-ply masks for supply to Haryana and the central

government.










46



2. International


01 Mar US , Tal iban s ign histo r ic peace deal fo r inclusiv e Afghanistan dev elo pm entUS , Tal iban s ign histo r ic peace deal fo r inclusiv e Afghanistan dev elo pm ent

The U.S. is poised to sign a peace agreement with Taliban militants aimed at bringing an end to 18

years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and allowing U.S. troops to return home.


Under the agreement, the U.S. would draw its forces down to 8,600 from 13,000 in the next 3-4 months, with the

remaining U.S. forces withdrawing in 14 months. The complete pullout, however, would depend on the Taliban

meeting their commitments to prevent terrorism.

Under the agreement, the Taliban promise not to let extremists use the country as a staging ground for attacking the

U.S. or its allies. But U.S. officials are loath to trust the Taliban to fulfil their obligations.

COMMITTEES & MEETSCOMMITTEES & MEETS

04 Mar U.S Federal Reserv e cuts key interest rate due to COVID-19 v irus r iskU.S Federal Reserv e cuts key interest rate due to COVID-19 v irus r isk

In a unanimous decision, the Fed’s policy-setting committee cut its key interest rate by a half-point to

a range of 1.0-1.25 for the year 2020.


While U.S. economic fundamentals remain strong, the coronavirus poses evolving risks to economic activity according

to the Federal Open Market Committee.

The central bank is closely monitoring developments and their implications for the economic outlook and will use its

tools and act as appropriate to support the economy.

Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the emergency interest rate cut will provide a meaningful boost to the

economy in the face of the coronavirus epidemic.










47



05 Mar Wo rld Bank do les o ut $12 bn in em ergency aid to co m bat co ro nav irusWo rld Bank do les o ut $12 bn in em ergency aid to co m bat co ro nav irus

'The goal of World Bank is to provide fast, effective action that responds to country needs,' World

Bank President David Malpass told reporters


According to President, this is done to recognize the extra burden on poor countries" least equipped in the struggle to

prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The funds, some of which are targeted to the world's poorest nations, can be used for medical equipment or health

services and will include expertise and policy advice

The virus that erupted in central China in December has killed more than 3,000 worldwide and infected over 90,000

people.

13 Mar Indian-o r igin no npro fit o rganisat io n act iv ates helpl ine fo r co ro nav irus respo nse inIndian-o r igin no npro fit o rganisat io n act iv ates helpl ine fo r co ro nav irus respo nse in

USUS

Sewa International, a n Indian-American nonprofit organization has activated a helpline in the US in

response to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 4,500 lives, including 37 in America.

This is after the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the COVID-19 outbreak as a

"pandemic."


A task force was set up to come up with a comprehensive approach to the pandemic after plugging into resources

offered by different government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), various

departments of county and city.

Based on the recommendations of the task force, the organisation is activating a helpline for non-medical advice in

midwest, Northeast, and Western United States.

The organisation is also conducting regular webinars and distributing flyers with concise information from various

authentic sources and experts on matters such as the difference between flu and COVID-19, preventive measures, and

techniques to reduce anxiety.

OTHERSOTHERS










48



01 Mar US po stpo nes ASEAN regio nal sum m it due to co ro nav irusUS po stpo nes ASEAN regio nal sum m it due to co ro nav irus

"As the international community works together to defeat the novel coronavirus, the United States, in

consultation with ASEAN partners, has made the difficult decision to postpone the ASEAN leaders

meeting," said a US official.


Leaders from the Association of South-East Asian Nations had been due to be hosted by President Donald Trump on

March 14.

The regional ASEAN summit was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas.

The move came after years of US efforts to show that the United States is committed to Asia in the face of a rising

China.

01 Mar Malaysia’ s k ing appo ints Muhyiddin Yassin as the new Prim e MinisterMalaysia’ s k ing appo ints Muhyiddin Yassin as the new Prim e Minister

The appointment of Muhyiddin, who heads Mahathir’s Bersatu party, will ironically bring back to

power the United Malays National Organization, which was ousted by Mahathir’s ruling alliance in

2018 elections.


He was appointed by Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.

The palace announced that King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah believed that Muhyiddin has the support of a

majority of lawmakers,

The former PM resigned to object to Bersatu’s plan to work with UMNO.

02 Mar US im po ses internat io nal t rav el rest r ict io ns after fi rst co ro nav irus deathUS im po ses internat io nal t rav el rest r ict io ns after fi rst co ro nav irus death

The United States also advised its citizens not to travel to parts of South Korea and Italy, from where

reports of coronavirus have appeared.


The US President announced restrictions on travel from Iran and advised fellow citizens not to travel to certain areas

of South Korea and Italy.

According to the Center for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield, 22 cases of coronavirus have been reported in

the US so far.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said there was an outbreak of a respiratory disease caused by the novel

coronavirus that was first detected in the Wuhan city of China's Hubei province and has now been detected in 50

locations internationally, including cases in the US.










49



02 Mar Pakistan's Peshawar 's Sunehri Masj id o pens do o rs fo r wo m en after 25 lo ng yearsPakistan's Peshawar 's Sunehri Masj id o pens do o rs fo r wo m en after 25 lo ng years

The Sunehri Masjid has seen a dozen terrorist attacks which took place near the mosque which led to

its closure for women almost 25 years ago.


This is due to the law and order situation in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has improved significantly following

the launch of successful military operations.

Until the mid-1990s, women would offer Friday prayers in congregation at Sunehri Masjid (Golden Mosque) situated in

the Peshawar cantonment.

The authorities have also put up a banner outside the mosque carrying message "that women are now welcomed to

offer Friday prayer at Sunheri Masjid".

04 Mar Sri Lankan President G o tabaya Rajapaksa disso lv es Parl iam entS ri Lankan President G o tabaya Rajapaksa disso lv es Parl iam ent

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa set new elections for April 25, in which he aims to secure a strong

majority that will enable him to push for constitutional changes to increase presidential powers.


The dissolution comes six months before the parliamentary term was scheduled to end.

The election campaign period will include the first anniversary of a series of Islamic State-inspired suicide bombings

that killed more than 250 people in churches and tourist hotels on Easter Sunday.

He appointed his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as the interim prime minister of the island nation.

Mr. Rajapaksa needs two-thirds parliamentary support to pass changes to the constitution.

06 Mar US Ho use o f Representat iv es passes $8.3 bn em ergency funding bi l l to co m batUS Ho use o f Representat iv es passes $8.3 bn em ergency funding bi l l to co m bat

co ro nav irusco ro nav irus

The bill includes $3 billion to develop vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for coronavirus; $2.2

billion for public health response efforts; $1 billion for medical supplies and other health care

preparedness efforts.


The bill includes low-interest loans to help small businesses survive the economic damages brought on by the crisis. It

also includes $1.25 billion to help in overseas efforts to contain the outbreak.

Eleven people have died from the novel coronavirus in the United States and more than 100 people have been

confirmed infected.

More than 90,000 people have been infected with the virus worldwide and more than 3,100 have died from

complications associated with the infection.










50



06 Mar Internat io nal Mo netary Fund m akes av ai lable $50 bn to help lo w inco m e andInternat io nal Mo netary Fund m akes av ai lable $50 bn to help lo w inco m e and

em erging m arket co untr ies co m bat Co ro nav irusem erging m arket co untr ies co m bat Co ro nav irus

Out of this, 10 billion dollars is available at zero interest for the poorest members of the International

Monetary Fund through the rapid credit facility.


The global growth in 2020 will drop below last year's level according to Kristalina Georgieva.

She also said that this is particularly challenging for countries with weaker health systems and response capacity --

calling for a global coordination mechanism to accelerate the recovery of demand and supply.

Also, adequate liquidity will also be needed to offset financial stability risks.

06 Mar Fo rm er UN chief Jav ier Perez de Cuel lar dies at 100Fo rm er UN chief Jav ier Perez de Cuel lar dies at 100

Lauded by his countrymen as one of the most illustrious Peruvians of his era, Perez de Cuellar served

as UN secretary-general from 1981 to 1991, when he was often described as a "pacifist by vocation

and nature."


Perez de Cuellar served as UN secretary-general from 1981 to 1991 when he was often described as a pacifist by

vocation and nature.

He considered the 1990 independence of Namibia, one of the last colonial enclaves on the African continent, his

greatest accomplishment as secretary-general.

Perez de Cuellar was known for his efforts to reconcile warring parties.

A lawyer by education, Perez de Cuellar received honorary doctorates from nearly 40 universities around the world.










51



06 Mar Senato r El izabeth Warren dro pping o ut o f Dem o crat ic president ial raceSenato r El izabeth Warren dro pping o ut o f Dem o crat ic president ial race

Warren, who is from the party's left-wing, was going to announce her withdrawal after faring poorly

in the primaries - the intra-party elections - to select the candidate to confront President Donald

Trump in the November elections.


Three moderate candidates - Senator Amy Klobuchar, former small-town Mayor Pete Buttigieg and billionaire

businessman Michael Bloomberg - have quit the race and endorsed Biden after a poor performance in the party polls.

Of those who have shown up nationally, an only Hindu American member of the House of Representatives Tulsi

Gabbard remains in the race.

The quest for Democratic nomination is now confined to two septuagenarian white men, Biden, 77, and Sanders, 78,

all the women, except Gabbard, and non-whites having left the race.











52



09 Mar McCo y Tyner , ico nic and influent ial jazz pianist , diesMcCo y Tyner , ico nic and influent ial jazz pianist , dies

McCoy Tyner, the groundbreaking and influential jazz pianist and the last surviving member of the

John Coltrane Quartet, has died at 81. In 2002, he was named a Jazz Master by the National

Endowment for the Arts.


Tyner eventually found success apart from the John Coltrane Quartet, releasing more than 70 albums. He also won

five Grammy Awards.

In 2002, he was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.

His album “My Favorite Things,” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

09 Mar Saudi Arabia s lashes pr ices , reignit ing a m arket share batt le am o ng key pro ducersSaudi Arabia s lashes pr ices , reignit ing a m arket share batt le am o ng key pro ducers

The battle ended when the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and World's

No. 2 oil producer Russia struck a deal to deepen production cuts aimed at shoring up prices.


The world's top producers including Saudi Arabia, Russia and other Middle East producers were last locked in a market

share war between 2014 and 2016 for offering more supplies to Asia.

Global price marker Brent dived more than 9% on Friday to $45.27 a barrel, its biggest single-day loss in 11 years.

Price cuts for key growth market Asia were as deep as $4-$6 a barrel, likely the biggest price reduction ever, and three

times more than expectations of $2 a barrel cut for flagship Arab Light grade.

10 Mar Co ro nav irus: Qatar bans entry o f peo ple fro m India, 13 o ther co untr iesCo ro nav irus: Qatar bans entry o f peo ple fro m India, 13 o ther co untr ies

The temporary ban would also be applicable on people coming from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iran,

Iraq, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria and Thailand.


This decision comes as a preventive measure due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide.

According to the statement, the temporary suspension of entry would affect all individuals intending to enter from

these countries, including visas upon arrival, those with residence or work permit, and temporary visitors.

Qatar Airways had announced the temporary suspension of flights to and from Italy, one of the countries worst

affected by the coronavirus outbreak.










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11 Mar Ital ian prem ier lo cks do wn ent ire co untry to sto p co ro nav irusItal ian prem ier lo cks do wn ent ire co untry to sto p co ro nav irus

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has taken strict measures to combat the coronavirus, banning all but

the most important travel and putting the final kibosh on social gatherings after Italians failed to take

previous warnings to heart amid skyrocketing infections.


The only travel allowed will be for proven work reasons, for health conditions or other cases of necessity.

The nationwide restrictions will continue until April 3 and include extending the closures of schools and universities

and closing pubs, eateries and cafes at dusk.

Italy registered 1,807 more confirmed cases as of Monday evening, for a national total of 9,172. The number of dead in

Italy also increased by 97 to 463 most of them elderly with previous ailments.

The civil protection agency has emphasized that commercial freight is not affected by the crackdown.

11 Mar Saudi Arabia increases o i l o utput to a reco rd high o f 12.3 m bpdSaudi Arabia increases o i l o utput to a reco rd high o f 12.3 m bpd

The clash of oil titans Saudi Arabia and Russia sparked a 25% slump in crude prices on Monday,

triggering panic selling and heavy losses on Wall Street’s main stock indexes, already hit badly by the

coronavirus outbreak.


Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco, said the oil giant would increase supply to 12.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in

April for customers inside the kingdom and abroad.

Saudi Arabia has also agreed with Kuwait to resume output from jointly operated oilfields in the so-called Neutral

Zone, production which is not accounted for under Aramco’s output capacity of 12 mbpd.

Saudi Arabia's financial reserves and its sovereign wealth fund provided a buffer but that there was not "infinite

leeway" in the country's A (stable) rating, Fitch analyst Jan Friederich told Reuters.

12 Mar 168 die in Italy fro m COVID-19, highest s ingle-day to l l168 die in Italy fro m COVID-19, highest s ingle-day to l l

The number of intensive care patients rose by 144 to 877 nationwide. Overall in Italy, 631 people

have died from the disease and 10,149 have been infected in just over two weeks.


Health officials warned over hospitals in the Lombardy region around Milan where three-fourths of the deaths have

occurred were running out of beds.

The number of intensive care patients rose by 144 to 877 nationwide.

The overwhelming majority of the fatalities and infections were still being recorded in the north, with poorer southern

regions largely spared.

The Italian government has imposed a nationwide ban on public gathering and travel restrictions until April 3.










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12 Mar Pepsi to buy energy dr ink m aker Ro ckstar fo r $3.85 blnPepsi to buy energy dr ink m aker Ro ckstar fo r $3.85 bln

It is the soda giant's biggest push into the energy drinks market, where rival Coca-Cola Co has been

rapidly expanding. The deal was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.


Pepsi will add Rockstar's drinks to its own lineup, which already include Mountain Dew's Kickstart and Game Fuel

brands.

This acquisition gives Pepsi a viable contender in the fast-growing energy drink market, with sales estimated at $12.4

billion in 2018. This is small compared with the more than $30 billion soda market, but it is growing, whereas soda had

nominal growth

12 Mar WHO cal ls Co ro nav irus a pandem ic, UK and Italy anno unce war chestsWHO cal ls Co ro nav irus a pandem ic, UK and Italy anno unce war chests

A pandemic is an epidemic on a far greater geographic scale that affects a much large number of

people. Britain and Italy announced multi-billion-dollar war chests to fight the disease and the United

States said it was considering new steps.


Bank of England has halved a percentage point and announced support for bank lending.

The US also slashed its interest rates so that the customers could get tax relief, to combat the virus that could put

hundreds of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy.

Money markets are fully pricing in a further 10 basis-point cut by the European Central Bank.

Iran has had 9,000 cases and 354 deaths. The United States has 975 cases and 30 deaths.

Italy has had 10,149 cases and 631 deaths due to COVID-19.











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15 Mar Saudi Arabia ex tends t rav el ban to Euro pean Unio n and 12 nat io ns including IndiaSaudi Arabia ex tends t rav el ban to Euro pean Unio n and 12 nat io ns including India

The government will also be suspending the entry to those coming from the aforementioned

countries and entry to those who were in those countries within a time period of 14 days.


The government's decision grants Saudi nationals and citizens of those countries with valid Saudi residency visas 72

hours to return to the Kingdom before the travel suspension comes into effect.

The ministries of interior and health would coordinate while dealing with humanitarian and exceptional cases,

without prejudice to the necessary precautionary and preventive measures.

The travel ban excludes Indian and Filipino medical practitioners working in the Kingdom, taking into account the

necessary and required precautions

15 Mar Put in appro v es law that co uld keep him in po wer unt i l 2036Put in appro v es law that co uld keep him in po wer unt i l 2036

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law on constitutional changes that could keep him in

power for another 16 years, a step that must still be approved in a nationwide vote. It must be

approved by the country's Constitutional Court and in a referendum set for April 22.


Under current law, Putin would not be able to run for president again in 2024 because of term limits, but the new

measure would reset his term count, allowing him to run for two more six-year terms.

Other changes include strengthening the presidency and emphasize the priority of Russian law over international

norms, a provision reflecting the Kremlin's irritation with the European Court of Human Rights and other international

bodies that have often issued verdicts against Russia.

15 Mar Apple to clo se al l i ts sto res o uts ide ChinaApple to clo se al l i ts sto res o uts ide China

Apple is closing all of its stores outside China until March 27 in a bid to slow the spread of the COVID-

19 outbreak, CEO Tim Cook said and the firm had learned from steps taken in China, where the

company has just reopened its retail stores.


Apple’s online store would remain open but office staff outside China would be working remotely if possible,

The California-based firm has about 500 stores in 24 countries.

Despite the closures, Mr Cook said hourly workers would continue to be paid as normal.










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17 Mar Clinical t r ial fo r co ro nav irus v accine begins in USClinical t r ial fo r co ro nav irus v accine begins in US

Public health officials say it will take a year to 18 months to fully validate any potential vaccine. The

National Institutes of Health is funding the trial, which is taking place at the Kaiser Permanente

Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle.


Testing will begin with 45 young, healthy volunteers with different doses of shots co-developed by NIH and Moderna

Inc.

Some researchers even aim for temporary vaccines, such as shots that might guard people's health a month or two at

a time while longer-lasting protection is developed.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with

more severe illness may take three weeks to six weeks to recover.

17 Mar Nike, Under Arm o ur to clo se al l US sto res due to co ro nav irusNike, Under Arm o ur to clo se al l US sto res due to co ro nav irus

Under Armour will shutter all of its stores in North America for about two weeks, while Wisconsin-

based apparel retailer Lands End Inc said it is closing all retail stores in the United States through

March 29.


Nike-owned stores in South Korea, Japan, most of China and in many other countries are currently open and will

continue their normal operations.

Nike had temporarily closed its European headquarters in the Netherlands after an employee was infected with the

coronavirus.

It will also shut it stores in Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand will be closed from March 16 to 27.

18 Mar Phil ippines first co untry to suspend al l f inancial m arkets as co ro nav irus spreadsPhil ippines first co untry to suspend al l f inancial m arkets as co ro nav irus spreads

The Philippine Stock Exchange closed indefinitely while currency and bond trading was suspended,

the first market shutdowns worldwide in response to the coronavirus, with authorities citing risks to

the safety of traders.


The Philippine Stock Exchange informed that trade was suspended until further notice to ensure the safety of

employees and traders.

Global markets are in meltdown as the pandemic spreads, with roughly $14 trillion in shareholder value erased and

even safe assets such as gold have been sold to cover losses.

National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon cited the lockdown as the reason for the suspension of fixed income trade.

The shutdown comes after some bourses around the world closed trading floors or paused trade after withering falls

in market value, but it is the first blanket market halt.










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18 Mar US begins first hum an t r ial o f COVID-19 v accineUS begins first hum an t r ial o f COVID-19 v accine

The vaccine is called mRNA-1273 and was developed by the NIAID scientists and their collaborators

at the biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.


The NIH said that infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can cause a mild to severe respiratory

illness and include symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath.

The investigational vaccine directs the body's cells to express a virus protein that, it is hoped, will elicit a robust

immune response.

The mRNA-1273 vaccine has shown promise in animal models, and this is the first trial to examine it in humans.

The number of deaths due to coronavirus has passed 7,000 worldwide. More than 175,530 cases have been recorded

in 145 countries.

18 Mar Spain nat io nal ises al l ho spitals as i t scram bles to curb co ro nav irusSpain nat io nal ises al l ho spitals as i t scram bles to curb co ro nav irus

The step was announced by Salvador Illa, Spain's health minister, that all private healthcare

infrastructure will now be under public control as the country scrambles to prevent the coronavirus

crisis from worsening.


According to media reports, the fourth-year medical students will now be required to help the country’s health service.

The moves also come on the heels of the government directing the closure of schools and other public places after

declaring a national emergency.

Spain has till now reported 309 deaths and 9,191 confirmed cases.

Spain is among the worst affected regions outside China.











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18 Mar China giv es go -ahead fo r hum an t r ials o f COVID-19 v accineChina giv es go -ahead fo r hum an t r ials o f COVID-19 v accine

Researchers will do tests on 108 healthy persons. Researchers at China’s Academy of Military

Medical Sciences, affiliated to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), received approval to

launch early-stage clinical trials of the potential vaccine.


Chen Wei, the leader of the research team assured that all preparations have been made keeping in mind the safety

protocols, controlled quality and mass production.

Earlier Chen’s team has also conducted researched on safe pharmacology and their former successful work includes

developing a vaccine for Ebola.

Worldwide the coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 198,000 people and killed more than 7,900.

19 Mar UK Finance Minister R ishi Sunak unv ei ls G BP 330 bi l l io n rescue package inUK Finance Minister R ishi Sunak unv ei ls G BP 330 bi l l io n rescue package in

co ro nav irus fightco ro nav irus fight

As part of his bailout package, Sunak extended a business rates holiday to all businesses in the retail

and hospitality sector for 12 months as well as a cash grant to help them survive.


An agreed facility with the Bank of England will help support liquidity amongst larger firms and for smaller firms, the

business interruption loan scheme will be extended to offer loans of up to 5 million pounds.

Mortgage lenders will give a three-month mortgage holiday to people who need help and there will also be special

help for airlines, hit particularly hard as a result of travel restrictions around the world.

The new financial package announced by Sunak builds on the 12 billion pounds he had set out last week in his first

Budget in the House of Commons, when he suspended business rates for many firms in England, put in an emergency

temporary loan facility in place, extended statutory sick pay for workers, set up a "hardship fund" for local authorities

and boosted NHS funding.










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19 Mar Austral ia declares em ergency, warns co ro nav irus cr is is co uld last s ix m o nthsAustral ia declares em ergency, warns co ro nav irus cr is is co uld last s ix m o nths

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday declared a "human biosecurity emergency"

and said the country's citizens should abandon all overseas travel because of the coronavirus

epidemic that he warned could last at least six months.


The formal declaration gives the government the power to close off cities or regions, impose curfews and order people

to quarantine, if deemed necessary to contain the spread of the virus.

Australia has recorded more than 500 coronavirus infections and six deaths, a relatively small number compared to

other countries, but officials are growing increasingly concerned about the prospect of an exponential rise in cases.

Economists are predicting the country will slip into its first recession in nearly three decades in the first half of 2020,

prompting a rapid jump in unemployment.

20 Mar Chile declares 90-day state o f catastro pheChile declares 90-day state o f catastro phe

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera declared a 90-day state of catastrophe as cases of COVID-19

mounted in the nation, giving the government extraordinary powers to restrict freedom of movement

and assure food supply and basic services.


A military official will oversee the 90-day measure, which is set to take effect 20th March morning. More restrictive

actions would be implemented progressively, as dictated by the advance of the virus.

There were 238 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Chile but no deaths. The country has closed schools, shut down its

borders and limited public gatherings as the number of cases have multiplied.

The order would also assure more security for hospitals, protect supply chains for medicines and allow the

government to enforce quarantines and isolation measures.

20 Mar Euro pean Central Bank to pr int 1 t rn euro to stem Co v id-19 ro utEuro pean Central Bank to pr int 1 t rn euro to stem Co v id-19 ro ut

The Bank launched new bond purchases worth 750 billion euros at an emergency meeting in a bid to

stop a pandemic-induced financial rout shredding the euro zone's economy.


With much of Europe in lockdown amid the coronavirus outbreak, economic activity has come to a near standstill and

markets have been in a tailspin, foreshadowing a deep recession on par with the 2008 global financial crisis and

raising questions about the euro zone's cohesion at times of stress.

The euro rebounded after the announcement and was last up 0.16% at $1.0929 and Asian stock markets stabilised.

Although it will still buy government bonds according to each country's shareholding in the bank, the so-called capital

key, the ECB said it would be flexible and may deviate from this rule.

The purchases will also include for the first time debt from Greece, which has been shut out of ECB buys because of its

low credit rating.










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20 Mar Trum p signs em ergency co ro nav irus rel ief bi l l into lawTrum p signs em ergency co ro nav irus rel ief bi l l into law

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was passed by a vote of 90-8 in the US Senate,

provides for free testing of COVID-19, insurance, paid leave for those diagnosed with or caring for

someone affected by the virus.


The [Families First Coronavirus Response Act] makes emergency supplemental appropriations and other changes to

the law to help the Nation respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

This is the second such legislative passed by the US Congress to address the COVID-19 outbreak. Earlier, it had passed

a USD 8.3 billion package of relief measures to fund free COVID-19 tests, meals for children who would normally

receive food at now-shuttered schools, accelerated vaccine research, expanded unemployment benefits and aid for

health departments in individual US states.

The death toll due to the virus has crossed 100 in the US with the total number of confirmed cases over 7000.

20 Mar China repo rts no new do m est ic co ro nav irus cases fo r fi rst t im e: Nat io nal HealthChina repo rts no new do m est ic co ro nav irus cases fo r fi rst t im e: Nat io nal Health

Co m m issio nCo m m issio n

China's National Health Commission (NHC) in its daily report said that no new domestically

transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus disease were reported on the Chinese mainland on 18

Mar.


However, a total of 34 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland, all of which were from those

arriving from abroad, marking a sharp increase.

The NHC said the number of imported cases in China rose to 189 with 34 confirmed cases from the people arriving

from abroad.

Of the 34 newly imported cases, 21 were reported in Beijing, nine in Guangdong Province, two in Shanghai, one in

Heilongjiang Province and one in Zhejiang Province










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20 Mar US freezes al l v isa serv ices wo rldwide to halt co ro nav irus spreadUS freezes al l v isa serv ices wo rldwide to halt co ro nav irus spread

The United States is suspending all routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa services in most

countries worldwide due to coronavirus outbreak.


All the missions abroad will continue to provide emergency visa services "as resources allow," and that the services to

US citizens will remain available. Missions will resume routine visa services as soon as possible, the spokeswoman

said, without giving a date.

The spokeswoman did not mention which or how many countries are halting services.

More than 300 people in the United States have now died from coronavirus, as the illness tightens its grip on the

country.

21 Mar US appro v es ant i -m alar ial drug to t reat COVID-19US appro v es ant i -m alar ial drug to t reat COVID-19

The US has approved the Anti-malarial drug Chloroquine for use as a treatment against the new

coronavirus,but the FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn later indicated that, while the drug has not yet

been formally approved, access to it was being expanded so that authorities could gather more data.


The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), which maintains a list of drugs in shortage independent of

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list, added the generic malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to its list

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said that several approaches are under testing, including chloroquine, and

antibodies sourced from the blood of Covid-19 patients after they recover.

Trump said the US Food and Drug Administration has "approved" the drug for use in coronavirus cases and that early

results have been very encouraging.











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21 Mar Nikk i Haley resigns fro m Bo eing bo ard o v er co m pany’ s bai lo ut pursuitNikk i Haley resigns fro m Bo eing bo ard o v er co m pany’ s bai lo ut pursuit

Two-term Governor of South Carolina and former US Ambassador to the UN, Haley resigned from

the board on March 16, over the major airline manufacturer’s pursuit of federal assistance to

mitigate its financial crisis due to the coronavirus.


In her resignation letter, Ms Haley said the board and its executive team are going in a direction which she cannot

support.

Haley informed the company that, as a matter of philosophical principle, she does not believe that the company

should seek support from the federal government, and therefore decided to resign from the board.

She showed dissatisfaction over the move to lean on the federal government for a stimulus or bailout that prioritises

our company over others and relies on taxpayers to guarantee our financial position.

21 Mar Russia starts test ing co ro nav irus v accine pro to types o n anim alsRussia starts test ing co ro nav irus v accine pro to types o n anim als

Russian scientists have begun testing prototypes of potential vaccines against the new coronavirus

on animals in a laboratory in Siberia, Russia's consumer health regulator said. Russia has reported

199 coronavirus cases so far.


The reported cases of Russia is less than in many other European countries, but the figure has risen sharply in recent

days.

Russia has reported only one casualty among these cases.

Scientists around the world have warned that the vaccine will take a long time to be developed fully might only yield

something for broader use in the next 12-18 months.

22 Mar Ola suspends shared r ides , Uber co ntem plates m o v e o v er co ro nav irus pandem icOla suspends shared r ides , Uber co ntem plates m o v e o v er co ro nav irus pandem ic

Ola is temporarily suspending the ‘Ola Share’ category until further notice, and Uber has suspended

its Uber Pool services in some geographies, including the US and Canada and is contemplating

similar measures for other countries it operates in.


This means users will no longer be able the book the ‘Ola Share’ and ‘Uber Pool’ on the mobility platforms.

For the drivers diagnosed with the disease or asked to self-isolate by a public health authority, and will receive

financial assistance for up to 14 days while their account is on hold.

Ola also announced coverage of up to Rs 30,000 for driver-partners and their spouses affected by COVID-19, which

they can receive as a compensation of Rs 1,000 per day for a maximum of 21 days.

The sum includes hospital and home quarantine prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner. ride-hailing platform

also announced free online doctor consultations for driver-partners and their families in partnership with Mfine.










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22 Mar Maldiv es pledges $200, 000 to SAARC Co ro nav irus Em ergency FundMaldiv es pledges $200, 000 to SAARC Co ro nav irus Em ergency Fund

Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said the country will join the initiative to tackle the

challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic with an initial offer of $10 million from India to help

combat the fast-spreading pandemic in the region.


Nepal and Bhutan on Friday pledged nearly $1 million and $100,000 respectively to the SAARC Corona Emergency

Fund.

Government of Maldives joins the initiative and pledge USD 200,000 to address issues emanating from COVID-19.

The video conference initiated by Modi “created a platform for the leaders to share experiences on combatting the

pandemic in respective countries and chart out a collective strategy to combat the threat of COVID-19“.

24 Mar Lo st sense o f sm ell m ay be pecul iar c lue to co ro nav irus infect io nLo st sense o f sm ell m ay be pecul iar c lue to co ro nav irus infect io n

Several patients who have had symptoms consistent with the coronavirus, but who have not been

tested or are still awaiting test results, described losing their senses of smell and taste, even though

their noses were clear and they were not congested.


The British physicians cited reports from other countries indicating that significant numbers of coronavirus patients

experienced anosmia, saying that in South Korea, where testing has been widespread, 30% of 2,000 patients who

tested positively experienced anosmia as their major presenting symptom.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology reported that mounting anecdotal evidence indicates that lost or reduced

sense of smell and loss of taste are significant symptoms associated with COVID-19 and that they have been seen in

patients who ultimately tested positive with no other symptoms.

The organization has reminded its members that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged all

clinicians to prioritize urgent and emergency visits for the next several weeks and to reschedule elective and routine

procedures.










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25 Mar Am azo n team s up with Bi l l G ates-backed research gro up to del iv er COVID-19 testAm azo n team s up with Bi l l G ates-backed research gro up to del iv er COVID-19 test

k itsk its

The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network, a group of medical, public health and research

organizations, is collecting nasal swabs from a sample of people across King County and Seattle to

learn how the infection is spreading in the areas.


The e-commerce giant's arm that provides medical care to employees, along with other delivery partners will provide

infrastructure and logistics services to the effort, according to SCAN's website.

United Parcel Unit and FedEx have arms that specialize in such shipments, which require special handling including

temperature controls.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 33,453 cases of coronavirus in the country, an

increase of 18,185 cases from its previous count, and said the death toll had risen by 199 to 400.











65



26 Mar Pakistan bans do m est ic passenger fl ights due to COVID-19Pakistan bans do m est ic passenger fl ights due to COVID-19

Pakistan has banned all domestic passenger flights to stop the spread of the COVID-19 after

reporting nearly 1,000 cases in the country, just as Libya became the latest at-risk Mideast nation to

report its first infection.


The announcement by Libya’s U.N.-backed government leaves just war-torn Yemen as the last country in the Mideast

to not have a reported case of the new virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes.

In Pakistan, the domestic flight ban will begin on Thursday, civil aviation as told by spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar.

The health officials have warned of the danger of the virus spread in the Arab world’s poorest country, whose health

care system has collapsed amid its yearslong war.

26 Mar U.S . Senate, White Ho use agree o n $2 t r i l l io n Co ro nav irus rescue planU.S . Senate, White Ho use agree o n $2 t r i l l io n Co ro nav irus rescue plan

The leaders of both parties announced an agreement on unprecedented emergency legislation to

rush sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the pandemic and

would give direct payments to most Americans and expand unemployment benefits.


The unprecedented economic rescue package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment

benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to

stay home.

The unprecedented economic rescue package would give direct a one-time payment of $1,200 per adult and $500 per

child directly to the public.

It ensures that all workers are protected whether they work for businesses small, medium or large, along with self-

employed and workers in the gig economy,

26 Mar Spain’ s COVID-19 to l l surpasses that o f ChinaSpain’ s COVID-19 to l l surpasses that o f China

Spain's death toll overtook that of China, rising to 3,434 after 738 people died over the past 24 hours.

COVID-19 epidemic has now infected 47,610 people, the health ministry said.


Despite the national lockdown imposed on March 14, which is to be extended until April 11, both deaths and

infections have continued to mount.

The Madrid region has suffered the brunt of the epidemic with 14,597 infections just under a third of the total and

1,825 deaths, or 53% of the national figure.

Italy now has a higher death toll than that of Spain also more than China where the virus emerged late last year, 3,281

people have died.










66



27 Mar U.S . Senate unanim o usly passes $2.2 t r i l l io n co ro nav irus rescue packageU.S . Senate unanim o usly passes $2.2 t r i l l io n co ro nav irus rescue package

The U.S. Senate passed an unparalleled economic rescue package steering aid to businesses,

workers and health care systems engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic.


The package is intended as a relief for an economy spiralling into recession or worse and a nation facing a grim toll

from an infection that’s killed nearly 20,000 people worldwide.

The drive-by leaders to speed the bill through the Senate was slowed as four conservative Republican senators from

states whose economies are dominated by low-wage jobs demanded changes,

The package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367

billion programme for small businesses to keep making payroll.

27 Mar US Senate o ffers $58 bn aid to air l ines as they st ruggle to stay aflo atUS Senate o ffers $58 bn aid to air l ines as they st ruggle to stay aflo at

The US Senate offered struggling airlines unprecedented aid that will help cover their staff wages, as

carriers around the world seek state support and turn passenger planes into cargo liners in their

desperate bid for revenues.>


The crisis has ravaged the travel industry and grounded many of the world's planes, prompting governments to take

previously unthinkable steps to prevent bankruptcies.

Travel restrictions and evaporating demand mean that, aside from cargo, there is almost no passenger business.

The US Senate passed an industry aid package, half in the form of grants to cover some 750,000 employees' paychecks.

Companies receiving funds cannot lay off employees before Sept. 30 or change collective bargaining agreements.

28 Mar 300 Iranians dead after dr ink ing industr ial alco ho l to cure co ro nav irus based o n300 Iranians dead after dr ink ing industr ial alco ho l to cure co ro nav irus based o n

so cial m edia fo rwardsso cial m edia fo rwards

Iranian media reports more than 1,000 sickened so far by ingesting methanol across the Islamic

Republic, where drinking alcohol is banned and where those who do rely on bootleggers.


The poisonings come as fake remedies spread across social media in Iran.

The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including

pneumonia, or death.

The Islamic Republic has reported over 29,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,200 deaths from the virus, the highest

toll of any country in the Middle East.










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28 Mar Italy reco rds alm o st 1, 000 v irus deaths in o ne-day reco rdItaly reco rds alm o st 1, 000 v irus deaths in o ne-day reco rd

The infection rate, however, continued its downward trend, with the civil protection agency reporting

nearly 86,500 confirmed cases in Italy, a 7.4 percent increase, down from around 8.0 percent in

previous days.


The global number, meanwhile, has passed half a million mark, according to the latest figures on the Johns Hopkins

University global dashboard. Cases stand at 510,108 and deaths at 22,993.

Presently, 66414 people in the country are infected with COVID-19 which marks an increase of 4401 cases from 10,950

people, however, have recovered.

29 Mar China to share co ro nav irus data with US , Do nald T rum pChina to share co ro nav irus data with US , Do nald T rum p

Xi assured full support to Trump in fighting the coronavirus as America emerged as the next major

epicentre of the pandemic, but underlined that infectious diseases did not recognize any border or

race.


Trump said that his Chinese counterpart had developed his own viewpoint on the escalating COVID-19 crisis.

The new coronavirus cases surged by nearly one lakh in a single day to reach almost six lakh COVID-19 positive

patients globally, with the US on the top of the list with nearly one lakh cases alone.











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29 Mar Alphabet to do nate $800 m n in respo nse to co ro nav irus o utbreakAlphabet to do nate $800 m n in respo nse to co ro nav irus o utbreak

The company will provide $340 million in Google ad credits to small and medium businesses active

on its platform and $250 million in ad grants.


The company is working with Magid Glove and Safety to produce 2 million to 3 million face masks, and will financially

support efforts to boost the production capacity for lifesaving medical devices and personal protective equipment.

The rapid outbreak, which has killed nearly 25,000 people globally, has strained healthcare systems around the world.

29 Mar China's co ro nav irus epicentre Hubei resum es do m est ic fl ightsChina's co ro nav irus epicentre Hubei resum es do m est ic fl ights

Domestic operations in the province except in Wuhan Tianhe International Airport will be resumed

from 29th March, China's Civil Aviation Regulator (CAAC) said. Local bus and train services have

already resumed in Wuhan and Hubei province.


No new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease were reported in Wuhan, though the city reported three new

fatalities, taking the total death toll in China to 3,295.

The Central Hubei province has so far reported a total of 67,801 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 50,006 in Wuhan.

Local bus and train services have already resumed in Wuhan and Hubei province. Wuhan and the province with over

56 million people was kept under lockdown from January 23 as part of aggressive measures to bring down the corona.

29 Mar Co v id-19 im pact , Mo o dy's cuts So uth Afr ica's credit rat ing to junk statusCo v id-19 im pact , Mo o dy's cuts So uth Afr ica's credit rat ing to junk status

The key driver behind the rating downgrade to Ba1 is the continuing deterioration in fiscal strength

and structurally very weak growth, Moody's said.


Last investment-grade rating will see the country being excluded from the FTSE World Government Bond Index

(WGBI).

Two other major International rating agencies Fitch and S&P had cut the credit rating of Africa's most developed

Economy to sub-investment level in 2017.

It blamed unreliable electricity supply, persistent weak business confidence and investment as well as long-standing

structural labour market rigidities.










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30 Mar Wuhan shr im p sel ler ident ified as co ro nav irus 'pat ient zero 'Wuhan shr im p sel ler ident ified as co ro nav irus 'pat ient zero '

Wei Guixian, as identified by The Wall Street Journal, was selling shrimps at the Huanan Seafood

Market on December 10 when she developed a cold.


The COVID-19 'patient zero' believes she got the disease from a toilet she shared with meat sellers in the market. She

said several vendors trading close to her also contracted the killer disease.

A study in Lancet medical journal claims the first person diagnosed with COVID-19 was identified in December.

The total number of deaths from the novel coronavirus stood at 27,989 on Saturday.

30 Mar Jack Ma, Al ibaba fo undat io ns do nate m asks, COVID-19 test k its to IndiaJack Ma, Al ibaba fo undat io ns do nate m asks, COVID-19 test k its to India

Both the foundations have donated essential medical supplies to India along with six more countries-

Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.


Collectively, these seven countries will receive a total of 1.7 million face masks, 1,65,000 test kits as well as protective

clothing and medical equipment such as ventilators, forehead thermometers.

With this announcement, the two foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries,

totalling 7.4 million masks, 4,85,000 test kits along with other medical equipment.

31 Mar Jo hnso n and Jo hnso n expects hum an t r ial o f i ts Co v id-19 v accine by Septem berJo hnso n and Jo hnso n expects hum an t r ial o f i ts Co v id-19 v accine by Septem ber

Through a partnership, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and

Johnson & Johnson together have committed more than $1 billion of investment to co-fund vaccine

research


J&J's lead vaccine candidate will enter a phase one human clinical study by September, the company said, and clinical

data on its effects is expected before the end of the year. If the vaccine works well,it could be available for emergency

use in early 2021.

The additional capacity will assist in the rapid production of a vaccine and will enable the supply of more than one

billion doses of a safe and effective vaccine globally.










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3. Regional and State


03 Mar Delhi Assem bly panel to launch num ber , em ail ID fo r hate m essage co m plaintsDelhi Assem bly panel to launch num ber , em ail ID fo r hate m essage co m plaints

AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj said after scrutiny of complaints, the committee will send them to the

police for criminal prosecutions. A hate message forwarded on WhatsApp or fake news on social

media can lead to three years of imprisonment.


The panel has also proposed that the people who have helped others and saved several lives during the riots in

northeast Delhi be rewarded.

The committee will cross-check the complaints using its team of legal experts and if we find that the content can

potentially cause hatred, disturbance or enmity between two communities or groups then we will recommend

criminal prosecutions to the law enforcement agencies for necessary action.

04 Mar Mo bile-based app m ade m andato ry fo r dr iv ers o f water supply tankers in KarnatakaMo bile-based app m ade m andato ry fo r dr iv ers o f water supply tankers in Karnataka

The districts that face the drinking water crisis during summer are largely dependent on tankers.

Though the process is considered as the best option to prevent the misuse of funds and ensure that

water reaches the people.


The State government has got a special mobile-based app designed which has been made mandatory for all tanker

drivers to use if they want to offer service.

The government has made it mandatory for all water tanker drivers to use the app; else they will not get any contract

to supply water,

Since the application works off-line, the driver need not have internet connection every time.

The new system will bring in greater transparency in the functioning of water tankers. Now, water will reach only the

earmarked areas for a stipulated number of trips and it would also help save public money










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16 Mar NCLAT to hav e a bench at ChennaiNCLAT to hav e a bench at Chennai

A bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) is being constituted in Chennai to

handle matters arising from Southern states- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh,

Telangana, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.


It is also appellate tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by NCLT under the Insolvency and

Bankruptcy Code.

The government informed to appoint Justice Anant Bijay Singh as a judicial member and Shreesha Merla and Alok

Srivastava as technical members of the appellate tribunal.

16 Mar Delhi go v t no t ifies Mo to r Vehicles ActDelhi go v t no t ifies Mo to r Vehicles Act

The Kejriwal led government becomes the eighth state in the country to adopt the law. The move will

allow the traffic police cops to issue spot fines on violation of the norms.


Under the new rules, jumping a traffic signal will levy a fine of Rs 5,000 or a year in prison or both.

For dangerous driving, the driver could be handed up to one year in jail or a fine of Rs 5,000 for the first offence.

For subsequent offences, the act proposes a fine up to Rs 10,000 and/or up to two years in jail.

For drunk driving, the first offence will invite up to 6 months in jail and/or Rs 10,000 fine, and for repeat offences,

people will have to pay up to Rs 15,000 and go to jail for two years.

17 Mar West Bengal inv o kes Epidem ic Diseases Act , 1897West Bengal inv o kes Epidem ic Diseases Act , 1897

The Centre has advised States and Union Territories to invoke provisions of Section 2 of the Epidemic

Diseases Act, 1897 so that all advisories being issued from time to time are enforceable. The West

Bengal Government also extended the closure of educational institutions from March 31 to April 15.


The WB State government had created a separate fund of ₹200 crores for fighting the coronavirus.

The fund will be used for purchasing masks, protective gear for medical staff, and upgrading infrastructure at health

facilities.

The state also extended the closure of the educational institutions from March 31 to April 15.

The CM advised all auditoria and cinema halls to remain closed and said all steps should be taken to restrict public

gatherings except the malls and stores.










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18 Mar Co ro nav irus suspects under ho m e q uarant ine to hav e their left hand stam ped,Co ro nav irus suspects under ho m e q uarant ine to hav e their left hand stam ped,

MaharashtraMaharashtra

Greater Mumbai's Municipal Commissioner Pravin Pardeshi has issued an order to all officials at

hospitals and the airport, asking them to 'stamp' behind the left palm of the home quarantined

person concerned, the dates of isolation, with ink that would last for 14 days.


As per protocol, people arriving from coronavirus-affected regions are being put under home quarantine as a

precautionary measure while their samples are sent for tests.

This will identify them easily in case they mingle with the general public.

The state government has also made it a punishable offense if any person attempts to evade the compulsory

quarantine, or breaks 'home quarantine' and would forcibly move such person to a government isolation facility.

Chief Minister also appealed that those who have been advised home quarantine must voluntarily refrain from

stepping out in public to prevent any risk to others.

18 Mar Karnataka Assem bly passes Lo kayukta (Am endm ent) Bi l l , 2020Karnataka Assem bly passes Lo kayukta (Am endm ent) Bi l l , 2020

With this amendment, the Lokayukta can delegate cases to any Upalokayukta if he does not want to

hear or consider, or in any manner, deal with or dispose of, certain cases or complaints or matters,

for reasons to be recorded in writing.


The Legislative Assembly also passed the Karnataka Regulation of Pay and Pension of Teacher in Higher Educational

Institutions Bill, 2020 to provide pension to all teachers of higher educational institutions on a par with State

government employees.

Former Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar said that there was a need to make Lokayukta stronger to check corruption and

lapses in administration.

He also suggested that the government bring out a comprehensive law to make the Lokayukta more effective.










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22 Mar Cabinet appro v es expenditure fo r reim bursing the lo sses under MSP o perat io nsCabinet appro v es expenditure fo r reim bursing the lo sses under MSP o perat io ns

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its ex-post facto approval for engaging

Maharashtra State Cooperative Cotton Growers Marketing Federation Ltd. (MSCCGMFL) to

undertake Minimum Support Price (MSP)operations in the state of Maharashtra as Sub-agent of

Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Limited during the cotton years 2017-18 and 2018-19.


The approval will help in price support operations of cotton which helps in stabilizing cotton prices and is primarily

aimed to safeguard the interests of the farmers and controlling any distress sale.

The CCEA has also approved to incur an expenditure of Rs 312.93 cr under Revenue Head for reimbursing the losses to

CCI and MSCCGMFL on the sale of cotton procured under MSP.

22 Mar Kerala pro hibits publ ic gather ings due to COVID-19Kerala pro hibits publ ic gather ings due to COVID-19

Kerala has issued stringent regulations under the Epidemic Disease Control Act of 1897 to restrict

public gatherings. All religious and cultural events, tournaments and group matches are prohibited.


All medical institutions, medical colleges and hospitals have to inform the number of hospital rooms, hostel rooms,

corona inspection equipment available, ICU beds, ventilators and other necessary information regarding COVID-19

related supplies to the COVID Control Room of the State Disaster Response Authority

Those who do not comply with the directives of the decree shall be treated as offenders under Section 188 of the

Indian Penal Code. The proposals will go into effect on, March 22,











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22 Mar G ehlo t o rders lo ckdo wn in Rajasthan t i l l Mar 31, exem pts essent ial serv icesG ehlo t o rders lo ckdo wn in Rajasthan t i l l Mar 31, exem pts essent ial serv ices

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot took the decision at a high-level meeting with the top officials. All

government offices, malls, factories, public transport, etc. will remain shut during the period.


There will be a "complete lockdown", barring essential and medical services, in the state from March 22-March 31 to

contain the spread of novel coronavirus and keep people safe

Till now 25 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state and report of 40 others are awaited.

The roads in Jaipur and all big towns, including Jodhpur, Ajmer, Kota and Udaipur, wore a deserted look as the public

transport and even the private taxis did not run.

25 Mar St ickers to be pasted at ho m es o f fo reign returnees in Ram anathapuramSt ickers to be pasted at ho m es o f fo reign returnees in Ram anathapuram

Collectors in southern districts have put in place a monitoring mechanism to keep a close watch on

those who have returned from overseas in the last 15 to 30 days.


The list is taken by getting details from airports, the ports of entry in India. The persons have to remain within their

homes for the next 14 to 28 days. It is mandatory and that they should not be seen or step out in public places as it is

against the laws.

Government hospitals and primary health centres would function round-the-clock and persons with symptoms of

fever, cough and cold may approach them for early diagnosis. The government had provided a sufficient quantity of

masks.

The isolation ward in Ramanathapuram GH with 100 beds would be manned by a team of trained doctors and para-

medical staff.

25 Mar Karnataka go v ernm ent m akes U-turn, no free fo o d at Indira CanteenKarnataka go v ernm ent m akes U-turn, no free fo o d at Indira Canteen

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said all Indira canteens will remain closed during the

COVID-19 lockdown period to avoid gathering of a large number of people to avoid the rush near the

canteen as it may lead to problems.


The government had announced that Indira Canteens would provide food free of cost for the benefit of daily wage

workers and poor people in the wake of a complete lockdown.

The Chief Minister reiterated that people can order food online and take away food is allowed from hotel kitchen. He

instructed the police not to disturb the supply of newspapers, milk, medicines and other essential goods.










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25 Mar Nagapatt inam to be bifurcated to create Mayi laduthurai dist r ict , Tam il Nadu CMNagapatt inam to be bifurcated to create Mayi laduthurai dist r ict , Tam il Nadu CM

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on March 24 said Nagapattinam district will be bifurcated

and a new district formed with Mayiladuthurai as its headquarters. The announcement was made at

the Legislative Assembly on the same day.


Mayiladuthurai will be the 38th district in Tamil Nadu.

The other districts that were created in recent months are Chengalpattu, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Tenkasi and Kallakurichi.

He also said that the hospitals at Mayiladuthurai and Sirkazhi would be upgraded with more facilities.

Mayiladuthurai, located at a distance of 281 kilometres from Chennai, is home to several temples dating back to the

medieval Chola era.

26 Mar E-co m m erce del iv ery serv ices excluded fro m curfew restr ict io ns in MaharashtraE-co m m erce del iv ery serv ices excluded fro m curfew restr ict io ns in Maharashtra

E-commerce delivery of essential and necessary goods including food, pharmaceutical, and medical

equipment shall be excluded from the restriction, Maharashtra Government.


Online and offline retailers across the country faced severe disruptions affecting the supply of essential goods as

authorities cracked down by closing warehouses and stores in a bid to curtail the virulent spread of Covid-19.

To facilitate easy and smooth movement of such services and those exempted under the notification Mumbai Traffic

Police has started a Corona traffic helpline.

27 Mar 11, 000 pr iso ners in Maharashtra to be released o n paro le11, 000 pr iso ners in Maharashtra to be released o n paro le

Prisoners in Maharashtra, whose sentence period is less than seven years, will be released on

parole, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said.


Around 11,000 prisoners or accused people whose sentence period is less than seven years, can be released on parole.

There are some 60 prisons in the state, where this decision will be implemented, said the home minister.

This move came due to the outbreak of coronavirus, and prisoner are vulnerable to the epidemic.










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28 Mar Suprem e Co urt ex tends t im e fo r sale o f unso ld inv ento ry o f BS -IV v ehicles barr ingSuprem e Co urt ex tends t im e fo r sale o f unso ld inv ento ry o f BS -IV v ehicles barr ing

Delhi -NCRDelhi -NCR

A Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta divided the inventory of these vehicles into two

categories- vehicles that were sold before March 31 and not registered and those that remain unsold

with the dealers.


The court said the first category of vehicles could be registered after the lockdown was withdrawn. As for the unsold

vehicles, dealers could sell 10% of the stock after the lockdown was lifted. However, dealers in Delhi-NCR have been

denied relief owing to the high levels of pollution in the national capital.

The order comes as a relief for buyers because non-registration of their vehicles had seen them run from pillar to post.

29 Mar UP go v t arranges 1, 000 buses to ferry st randed m igrant labo urersUP go v t arranges 1, 000 buses to ferry st randed m igrant labo urers

Officials of the Transport Department, bus drivers and conductors were contacted on March 27 to

help the people who were stranded in Noida, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, and Aligarh, among other

places, he said.


The buses later left for Kanpur, Ballia, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Faizabad, Basti, Pratapgarh, Sultanpur, Amethi,

Rae Bareli, Gonda, Etawah, Bahraich and Shravasti.

State's DGP Hitesh Chandra Awasthi and Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujit Kumar Pande were personally present at

the bus station to monitor the arrangements.











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30 Mar 28-day paid leav e fo r COVID-19 pat ients , No ida adm inist rat io n28-day paid leav e fo r COVID-19 pat ients , No ida adm inist rat io n

All such shops, commercial facilities, and factories, which have been closed temporarily because of

the order of the state government or the district administration, will provide paid leave to their

workers and laborers for the duration of the closure.


The order has come amid reports of thousands of daily wage earners leaving for their homes, towns and villages due

to a 21-day countrywide lockdown called by the Centre.

The arrangement should be made by such establishments to dole out the payments to their workers and labourers on

March 30 and 31 or April 3 and 4, depending on their situation to make the payment.

30 Mar Madhya Pradesh go v t to pro m o te students sans exam sMadhya Pradesh go v t to pro m o te students sans exam s

The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to promote students of all classes, except standards

10th and 12th, of the state schools without exams in view of the coronavirus outbreak. The 10th and

12th board examinations will be carried forward and general promotions will be given to students of

all other classes. Chouhan has also decided to provide ration free of cost to the poor, irrespective of

whether they have ration cards or not, for the next three months.


The 10th and 12th board examinations will be carried forward and general promotions will be given to students of all

other classes.

Chouhan has also decided to provide ration free of cost to the poor, irrespective of whether they have ration cards or

not, for the next three months.

31 Mar Delhi go v ernm ent to pro m o te students t i l l c lass 8 witho ut exam sDelhi go v ernm ent to pro m o te students t i l l c lass 8 witho ut exam s

In a joint digital press conference with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia said

the students of government schools will be promoted under the 'no detention policy'.


The government has also decided to start online classes for the students of class 12.

The students of government schools will be promoted under the 'no-detention policy'.

Sisodia, who is also the education minister, said exams up to Class 8 could not be held due to the recent violence in

northeast Delhi which was followed by the coronavirus outbreak.

OTHERSOTHERS










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01 Mar Prim e Minister lays fo undat io n sto ne fo r the Bundelkhand ExpresswayPrim e Minister lays fo undat io n sto ne fo r the Bundelkhand Expressway

To supplement the nodes of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor, announced in February

2018, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the 296-

kilometres long Bundelkhand Expressway at Chitrakoot.


The event also marked the launch of 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations all over the country at Chitrakoot today.

He also launched a saturation drive for distribution of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to all the beneficiaries under the PM-

KISAN Scheme.

To increase the income of the farmers of the country and empower them, Prime Minister launched a scheme to create

10,000 FPOs i.e. Farmer Producer Organizations.

The Prime Minister announced that a 16 point program has been created to increase farmer's income.He also added

that beneficiaries of PM Kisan Yojana are also being linked to PM Jeevan Jyoti Insurance and PM Jeevan Suraksha

Insurance Scheme.

03 Mar In Tam il Nadu, pr im ary health centres hav e no w been t ransfo rm ed into Ayushm anIn Tam il Nadu, pr im ary health centres hav e no w been t ransfo rm ed into Ayushm an

Bharat health and wellness centresBharat health and wellness centres

A total of 1,384 existing PHC and 460 urban PHCs across Tamil Nadu have been transformed and will

now screen for diabetes, hypertension and cancer and also provide trauma care.


The objective of transforming existing primary healthcare facilities into health and wellness centres was to provide

comprehensive primary healthcare to people.

The focus of it is primarily on screening for Non- Communicable Diseases. Screening for diabetes, hypertension,

cancers of the cervix, breast and oral cancer.

The centres will provide medications for diabetes and hypertension, and refer those diagnosed with cancer to higher

centres for further treatment/management.

13 Mar India's fi rst Co ro nav irus death in TelanganaIndia's fi rst Co ro nav irus death in Telangana

A 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi who recently returned from Dubai was down with fever and took

treatment at a private hospital. State Health Minister B Sriramulu in a tweet said the necessary

contact tracing, isolation and other measures as per protocol were being taken.


The state government has issued a notification with temporary regulations regarding COVID-19 and to take special

measures to be observed by the public to prevent the outbreak of the disease.

It would be called 'The Karnataka Epidemic Diseases, Covid-19 regulations 2020.' The state government has also

decided to postpone all international conferences in the state with immediate effect until further notice.










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15 Mar Reso lut io n passed to renam e Aurangabad airpo rt and Mum bai Central stat io nReso lut io n passed to renam e Aurangabad airpo rt and Mum bai Central stat io n

The Assembly on Friday passed a resolution to the Centre that the Aurangabad airport in

Marathwada be renamed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport and to rename Mumbai Central

railway station after the philanthropist Nana Shankarsheth,


Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab also presented a resolution to rename Mumbai Central railway station after

the philanthropist, Nana Shankarsheth, who played an important role in infrastructure development of the city.

It also claimed that the proposal to rename Mumbai Central station after Shankarshet had been introduced in the

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation more than a decade ago but the then government did not put it before the

legislature.

26 Mar Brit ish nat io nal giv en HIV ant iret ro v iral drugs to t reat COVID-19 no w tests negat iv eBrit ish nat io nal giv en HIV ant iret ro v iral drugs to t reat COVID-19 no w tests negat iv e

The patient, who had earlier tested positive for COVID-19, responded well to the drugs combination

of Ritonavir and Lopinavir, and his latest test results showed he has recovered, doctors at the

Ernakulam Medical College Hospital, Kerala said.


The doctors said the treatment was effective on the patient who was given the drugs for seven days. The result of the

test of his samples conducted three days after giving him the drugs returned negative

The drug combination was already used to treat patients in a hospital in Jaipur after the Indian Council of Medical

Research had given permission to use it.

The treatment was headed by a team of doctors. It was led by the medical college's principal Thomas Mathew.

27 Mar Tho usands o f m igrant wo rkers leav e G ujarat ’ s cit ies o n fo o t o r m o to rcyclesTho usands o f m igrant wo rkers leav e G ujarat ’ s cit ies o n fo o t o r m o to rcycles

Facing lockdown and no work, major cities of Gujarat, are witnessing an exodus of migrant workers

leaving in the thousands, either walking or on motorbikes, with a complete shutdown of

transportation services.


Thousands of migrant workers and daily wagers from the tribal belt of Gujarat and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh and

Rajasthan are leaving Ahmedabad.

According to Gujarat Congress spokesman, the Rajasthan government has made arrangements for migrant workers

and hired buses to take them back.










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28 Mar Ro bo t to serv e co ro nav irus pat ients in SMS ho spitalRo bo t to serv e co ro nav irus pat ients in SMS ho spital

A private firm has provided the robot to the SMS Hospital on a voluntary basis to provide food and

medicines to the Covid-19 patients and to help the nursing staff and doctors to maintain distance

from the patients.


The work of providing medicines and food, which is done by nursing staff and doctors at the hospital, will be done by

a robot for Covid-19 patients.

The robot is designed in such a way that it has a tray which is useful for carrying food and medicine from one place to

another. Nursing staff were happy to see the robot moving on its own and carrying objects along with it.

28 Mar G ujarat launches co ro nav irus app to t rack ho m e-q uarant ined perso nsG ujarat launches co ro nav irus app to t rack ho m e-q uarant ined perso ns

Apart from GIS mapping, the app is equipped with 'Geo Fencing' to alert the authorities if the person

moves away from a specific area. It will help us track the movements of around 20,000 persons who

are under home quarantine.


The Municipality of Surat already using the application to keep track of 3,600 home-quarantined people in the city

Around 3,600 home-quarantined persons in Surat have been asked to install "SMC COVID-19 Tracker" on their

smartphones.

After installing the app, the user is required to declare his or her current location and travel history.

The users also have to fill up a simple form twice a day, giving information about symptoms such as fever, cough and

difficulty in breathing.











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29 Mar Practo m akes bo o king av ai lable fo r Co v id-19 tests , partners with Thyro carePracto m akes bo o king av ai lable fo r Co v id-19 tests , partners with Thyro care

Practo has partnered with Thyrocare, a chain of diagnostic and preventive care laboratories, to

conduct the Covid-19 detection test, which has been authorized by the government and ICMR.


The test has been made available for Mumbai residents, it will be expanded to the rest of the country.

Widespread testing is critical to track the scale and prevent the transmission of Covid-19 to ensure that everyone can

get tested, the government is constantly working on expanding the list of labs and centres.

30 Mar Mo bile v egetable sho p serv ices launched in Tam il NaduMo bile v egetable sho p serv ices launched in Tam il Nadu

Run by Tamil Nadu Horticulture Development Agency (TANHODA) through 180 vehicles, the mobile

shops are meant mostly for parts of the State other than Chennai.


For serving the purpose of demonstration, the TANHODA is running retail outlets in Aminjikarai near Anna,

Madhavaram Thiruvanmiyur, near Marundeeswarar temple.

The Agency’s retail outlets in other districts too are also selling vegetables, the official says that the dissemination of

information regarding the mobile vegetable shop services is being done through District Collectors.

30 Mar Do cto rs to o ffer free teleco nsultat io n in Tam il NaduDo cto rs to o ffer free teleco nsultat io n in Tam il Nadu

K. Ganapathy, past president, Telemedicine Society of India (TSI), said teleconsultation would not only

be a boon for patients who are in need of a consultation but also prevent many of them from making

unnecessary hospital visits.


Teleconsultation will help with a tele-triage, based on which people can be identified who needs to visit a hospital

and who need not visit.

Dr Ganapathy said the plan was to reach out to at least 50,000 doctors through the training. He said that patients

could access TSI-TN’s website to know contact details of hospitals and doctors available for teleconsultation.

Telemedicine Society of India (TSI), said teleconsultation would not only be a boon for patients who are in need of

consultation but also prevent many of them from making unnecessary hospital visits.










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4. Business and Economy


05 Mar Cabinet appro v es pro po sal fo r o v erseas l ist ing o f Indian co m paniesCabinet appro v es pro po sal fo r o v erseas l ist ing o f Indian co m panies

Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas said the Act would have an enabling provision for listed as

well as unlisted companies in India to list their shares abroad.


Union minister Prakash Javadekar said that a proposal allowing the listing of Indian companies abroad has been

approved by the Cabinet.

Apart from providing an additional fund raising avenue for the corporates looking to expand and boost their business

activities, overseas listing of shares would also help in bringing more capital into the country.

Currently, only a few Indian companies have American Depository Receipts (ADRs) that are traded in the US. Some

other corporates have their Global Depository Receipts (GDRs).

06 Mar Viv aad Se Vishwas schem e: Wealth tax , STT , CTT disputes kept o ut o f am nestyViv aad Se Vishwas schem e: Wealth tax , STT , CTT disputes kept o ut o f am nesty

schem eschem e

Issuing a detailed FAQ, the Income Tax department has clarified that the declarant has to deposit the

disputed tax amount within 15 days after the determination of the tax liability by a designated

authority under the scheme.


Disputes relating to wealth, securities transaction, commodity transaction taxes and equalisation levy will not be

covered under ‘Vivad Se Vishwas’ amnesty scheme.

Under the proposed scheme, taxpayers willing to settle disputes will be allowed a complete waiver of interest and

penalty if they pay the entire amount of tax in dispute by March 31 this year, following which a 10 per cent additional

disputed tax will have to be paid over and above the tax liability.










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07 Mar EPFO cuts rate o n em plo yee pro v ident fund to 7-year lo w o f 8.5% fo r FY20EPFO cuts rate o n em plo yee pro v ident fund to 7-year lo w o f 8.5% fo r FY20

The Employers Provident Fund Organisation had given an interest rate of 8.65% in the previous

financial year to roughly 170 million subscribers


The decision was mainly because of two reasons: EPFO getting a lower rate of return on its investments in

government securities and the body’s view to keep a higher surplus owing to economic uncertainties.

The decision was taken at the EPFO’s central board of trustees (CBT) meeting chaired by Labour and Employment

Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

By agreeing to give an interest rate of 8.5 per cent, the EPFO will be left with a surplus of around Rs 700 crore.

The new rate of interest is higher than the return on investment in small saving schemes and that of provident fund

schemes for government employees.

15 Mar G o v t raises excise duty o n petro l and dieselG o v t raises excise duty o n petro l and diesel

Excise duty on petrol and diesel has been hiked by ₹3 per liter as the government looked to mop up

gains arising from fall in international oil prices.


Special excise duty on petrol was hiked by ₹2 to ₹8 per litre and ₹4 in the case of diesel,

The increase in excise duty would in normal course result in a hike in petrol and diesel prices but most of it would be

adjusted against the fall in rates that would have necessitated because of the slump in international oil prices.

The increases in excise duty will result in an annual increase in government revenues by about ₹39,000 crores. The

gains during the remaining three weeks of the current fiscal would be less than ₹2,000 crores.

15 Mar G ST o n m o bile pho nes hiked to 18%G ST o n m o bile pho nes hiked to 18%

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the decision was taken not to increase the prices

but to correct the inverted structure of duty on some products wherein the rate of tax paid on inputs

purchased is more than the rate of tax on finished products on outward supplies.


Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman at India Cellular & Electronics Association has criticised the decision calling it detrimental

and bizarre for the Digital India Abhiyaan.

On the calibration of rates for other items where similar problems arise, such as footwear, textiles and fertilizers,

The GST rate on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services in respect of aircraft has been reduced from 18% to

5% with a full input tax credit.

The GST council meeting was held at New Delhi.










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20 Mar Sett ing Up o f Nat io nal Technical Tex t i le M issio nSett ing Up o f Nat io nal Technical Tex t i le M issio n

The focus of the Mission is for developing on usage of technical textiles in various flagship missions,

programmes of the country including strategic sectors.


The use of geotextiles in highways, railways and ports will result in robust infrastructure, reduced maintenance cost

and higher life cycle of the infrastructure assets.

Promotion of innovation amongst young engineering /technology/ science standards and graduates is proposed to be

taken up by the Mission along with the creation of innovation and incubation centres and promotion of start-up and

Ventures. The research output will be reposited with a Trust with the Government for the easy and assessable

proliferation of the knowledge thus gained through research innovation and development activities.

The mission will work for the holistic development of the entire technical textile sector on the pan-India basis and

aims to generate 2 lakh jobs in organized/ unorganized sector in the country.

22 Mar G o v t caps MRP o f 200m l hand sanit iser at Rs 100 t i l l JuneG o v t caps MRP o f 200m l hand sanit iser at Rs 100 t i l l June

The price of a 2 ply (surgical) mask has been capped at Rs 8 and that of 3 ply (surgical) mask at Rs 10

till June 30, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a statement.


The price cap has been imposed taking into account the sharp increase in prices of raw materials used in making of

face masks and hand sanitizer.

The government had declared sanitizers and masks essential commodities" to prevent hoarding and price

manipulation of such goods.

The government had placed price limits on alcohols used in making hand sanitizer.

The Consumer Affairs Minister of India is Ram Vilas Paswan.

24 Mar G o v t am ends law to get po wers to raise excise duty o n petro l , diesel by Rs 8/L inG o v t am ends law to get po wers to raise excise duty o n petro l , diesel by Rs 8/L in

futurefuture

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moved an amendment to the Finance Bill, 2020, to raise the

limit up to which the government can raise special excise duty on petrol and diesel to Rs 18 per litre

and Rs 12, respectively.


The government had on March 14 raised excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre each to raise an additional

Rs 39,000 crore in revenue annually.

This duty hike included Rs 2 a litre increase in special additional excise duty and Re 1 in road and infrastructure cess.

This hike took the special additional excise duty to maximum permissible in law Rs 10 in case of petrol and Rs 4 in

case of diesel.










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30 Mar Co ntr ibut io n by fi rm s to PM-CARES Fund to q ual ify as CSR spendingCo ntr ibut io n by fi rm s to PM-CARES Fund to q ual ify as CSR spending

Under the companies law, certain classes of profitable entities have to shell out at least 2 percent of

their three-year annual average net profit towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in

a particular fiscal.


The corporate affairs ministry, which is implementing the companies law, has issued a memorandum clarifying that

money donated by corporates to the fund would be considered as CSR expenditure.

The PM-CARES Fund has been set up to provide relief to those affected by any kind of emergency or distress situation.

Accordingly, it is clarified that any kind of contribution made to the PM-CARES Fund shall qualify as CSR expenditure

under the Companies Act, 2013.

CSR funds could be utilised for various activities related to COVID-19, including those relating to preventive healthcare

and sanitation.











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31 Mar G o v t ex tends im plem entat io n o f unifo rm stam p duty fo r capital m arket inst rum entsG o v t ex tends im plem entat io n o f unifo rm stam p duty fo r capital m arket inst rum ents

to July 1to July 1

The finance ministry also clarified that there is no change in the financial year. "There is no extension

of the Financial Year," said a finance ministry statement, clarifying that the notification issued by the

department of revenue pertained to amendments in the Indian Stamp Act.


It pertains to putting in place an efficient mechanism for collection of stamp duty on security market instruments

transactions through stock exchanges or clearing corporation authorized by stock exchanges depositories

Due to the prevailing situation, it has been decided that the date of implementation will now be postponed to July 1,

2020. The government had introduced changes to the Stamp Duty Act last year by introducing a uniform rate of stamp

duty on the trading of shares and commodities which was being charged at different rates by different states.


05 Mar Public secto r bank m ergers get appro v al by cabinetPublic secto r bank m ergers get appro v al by cabinet

The merger of public sector banks (PSBs) will become effective from April 1, 2020, with the Cabinet

giving nod to the proposal on Wednesday.The consol


The merger of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India into Punjab National Bank, the amalgamation of

Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank, the merger of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank into Union Bank of India, and the

amalgamation of Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank.

The banks are on course to complete the amalgamation without affecting any of their core banking functions.

In 2019 3 major Banks Bank of Baroda,Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank were also merged to make one entity.










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17 Mar Pho nePe integrates Swiggy o n its 'Switch' plat fo rmPho nePe integrates Swiggy o n its 'Switch' plat fo rm

With this partnership, PhonePe's 200 million registered users can now access the Swiggy app and

order the food from within the PhonePe app itself. The service will be available across all 520 cities

where Swiggy delivers food in India.


PhonePe Switch allows customers to seamlessly switch between PhonePe and their preferred apps in categories such

as food, grocery, health and fitness, shopping and travel and entertainment, within the PhonePe app itself.

The Users can log in to these apps without downloading them, with a single tap.

It enables merchant partners to integrate their existing PWAs or mobile sites to the platform, and instantly reach out

to the vast PhonePe user base.

27 Mar G 20 nat io ns pledge $5 t rn to bo o st wo rld eco no m y stung by co ro nav irusG 20 nat io ns pledge $5 t rn to bo o st wo rld eco no m y stung by co ro nav irus

> G20 nations pledged a "united front" in the fight against coronavirus, and said they were injecting

$5 trillion into the global economy to counter the pandemic amid forecasts of a deep recession.


US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the emergency videoconference chaired by

Saudi Arabia's King Salman.

The conference was called for coordinated action while facing pressure to end an oil price war between Riyadh and

Moscow that has roiled energy markets.

The world's 20 most industrialised countries are scrambling to defend their virus-wracked economies amid forecasts

they will likely plunge into a recession.

OTHERSOTHERS










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01 Mar Facebo o k , Twit ter , and G o o gle threaten to suspend serv ices in Pakistan o v erFacebo o k , Twit ter , and G o o gle threaten to suspend serv ices in Pakistan o v er

Internet lawInternet law

The new set of regulations makes it compulsory for social media companies to open offices in

Islamabad, build data servers to store information and take down content upon identification by

authorities.


A coalition comprising digital media giants Facebook, Google and Twitter (among others) have spoken out against the

new regulations approved by the Pakistani government for social media, threatening to suspend services in the

country if the rules were not revised, it was reported.

In a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier this month, the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) called on his government

to revise the new sets of rules and regulations for social media.

03 Mar RBI receiv es Rs 1.71 t rn in third LTRO co nducted fo r Rs 25, 000 cro reRBI receiv es Rs 1.71 t rn in third LTRO co nducted fo r Rs 25, 000 cro re

The central bank received 66 bids in the three-year tenor LTRO, which has reversal date on March 1,

2023. The total bids that were received amounted to Rs 1,71,965 crore, implying a bid to cover ratio

of 6.9


RBI allotted an amount of Rs 25,028 crore, with a pro-rata allotment percentage to 14.54 per cent.

The RBI will conduct another LTRO for three-year tenor worth Rs 25,000 crore on March 9.

It has already conducted two LTROs for Rs 25,000 crore each on February 17 and February 24.

In the February 17 LTRO for three-year tenor, it received bids amounting to Rs 1.944 trillion.

In the second LTRO for one-year tenor conducted on February 24, the RBI got 52 bids amounting to Rs 1.23 trillion.

LTROs are aimed at helping banks to reduce their lending rates, thereby quickening the monetary policy transmission.

03 Mar G o v t al lo ws o nio n expo rts fro m March 15, rem o v es MEP as pr ices fal lG o v t al lo ws o nio n expo rts fro m March 15, rem o v es MEP as pr ices fal l

The government last week decided to lift the ban on the export of onions in view of projected sharp

fall in prices due to bumper rabi crop this year.


The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) also announced removing the minimum export price (MEP) for

outward shipments of the commodity.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that the decision will help boost the income of farmers.

Expected monthly harvest in March is over 40 lakh MT compared to 28.4 lakh MT in 2019.










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04 Mar RBL, Zo m ato and Mastercard to launch new co -branded credit cardsRBL, Zo m ato and Mastercard to launch new co -branded credit cards

The 'Edition Cards' will offer a host of benefits for cardholders every time they use Zomato or spend

online and offline on food or any other thing.


The co-branded card, which comes in two variants- Edition and Edition Classic, will offer benefits such as Zomato Gold

membership, cashback as well as airport lounge access.

RBL and Zomato will tie up to produce a co-branded credit card powered by Mastercard.

Mastercard is an American financial service provider.

04 Mar NBCC gets NCLT no d to acq uire Jaypee Infratech thro ugh inso lv ency pro cessNBCC gets NCLT no d to acq uire Jaypee Infratech thro ugh inso lv ency pro cess

In its hearing on Tuesday, the Principal bench of NCLT,headed by Acting President B S V Prakash

Kumar, gave a go-ahead to the resolution plan of NBCC


State-owned NBCC on Tuesday got approval from the NCLT to acquire debt-laden Jaypee Infratech through an

insolvency process and complete around 20,000 pending flats over the next three and half years.

It will help NBCC in faster completion of stuck projects of Jaypee Group, the tribunal ordered that the Rs 750 crore

deposited by Jaypee Infratech's parent firm Jaiprakash Associates.

NBCC's proposal was approved by the lenders in the third round of bidding process to find a buyer for Jaypee

Infratech.

05 Mar SBI bo ard accepts a reso lut io n plan fo r the sale o f RCo m and subsidiar iesSBI bo ard accepts a reso lut io n plan fo r the sale o f RCo m and subsidiar ies

The committee of creditors (CoC), led by State Bank of India, on Wednesday voted unanimously (100

per cent) in favour of selling RCom and its two subsidiaries, and the panel’s resolution involved selling

tower assets to Reliance Jio (Jio).


With this move, Jio and Canadian PE fund Brookfield together will become the country’s largest tower operator with

Jio as its anchor tenant.

The JIO-Brookfield will now have control of over 175,000 towers against the 165,000 towers of the proposed entity. It

will also give a big push to Jio in its fibre capacity, which would go up from 450,000 km to 600,000 km after the deal.

The resolution professional is expected to file the resolution in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on March 6

2020.










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05 Mar Cabinet al lo ws NRIs to o wn 100% stake in Air IndiaCabinet al lo ws NRIs to o wn 100% stake in Air India

NRI investments would be treated as domestic investments. The government is in the process of

selling the national carrier, have invited preliminary bids recently.


At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the cabinet has had decided to increase the maximum stake

for NRIs from 49% to 100%.

The FDI (foreign direct investment) policy would be amended to allow NRIs who are Indian nationals to own up to

100% of Air India under the automatic route. The amendment was meant to liberalise and simplify the FDI policy to

provide ease of doing business in the country.

The committee formed to sell Air India is headed by Home Minister Amit Shah.

06 Mar EPFO cuts interest rate o n depo sits to 7-year lo w o f 8.5% fo r 2019-20EPFO cuts interest rate o n depo sits to 7-year lo w o f 8.5% fo r 2019-20

Salaried employees are set to get 0.15% less in interest on provident fund deposits for 2019-2020,

with the Central Board of Trustees of the Employees’ Provident Fund.


The meeting of the Board was chaired by Union Minister for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

It also approved a proposal to empanel the Jammu and Kashmir Bank as one of the banks for the collection of EPF

dues in J&K.

The Board also ratified the restoration of normal pension after 15 years from the date of commutation a move that

will benefit about 6.3 lakh pensioners who had opted for commutation on or before September 25, 2008.











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06 Mar India to integrate central publ ic pro curem ent po rtal with go v ernm ent e-m arketplaceIndia to integrate central publ ic pro curem ent po rtal with go v ernm ent e-m arketplace

As per GeM Chief Executive Officer Talleen Kumar, a unified procurement system will consolidate the

entire government procurement into a single platform leading to economies of scale, better price

discovery and sharing of best practices.


The plan is to add over 100 new features in the existing portal to make it more transparent as part of GeM 4.0.

The commerce and industry ministry launched GeM in 2016, in place of the Directorate General of Supplies and

Disposal with the objective of creating an open and transparent procurement platform of commonly used goods and

services for government departments, ministries and agencies.

It aims to streamline procurement by the Central and state governments, which put together, is estimated at Rs 5-7

lakh crore each year.

The actual purchase on GeM so far in 2019-20 is about Rs 23,000 crore.

07 Mar Lo k Sabha passes Inso lv ency and Bankruptcy Co de Bi l l am id no isy pro testsLo k Sabha passes Inso lv ency and Bankruptcy Co de Bi l l am id no isy pro tests

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman sought the cooperation of the members of Lok Sabha to pass

the Bill in the House.The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, which came into force in 2016, has already

been amended thrice.


The bill seeks to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) so that successful bidders of insolvent companies

are ring-fenced from any risk of criminal proceedings for offences committed by previous promoters of the companies

concerned.

The amendments in the law seek to remove bottlenecks and streamline the corporate insolvency resolution process,

wherein successful bidders will be ring-fenced from any risk of criminal proceedings for offences committed by

previous promoters of companies concerned.

07 Mar Pho nePe, o ther digital t ransact io n apps affected with Yes Bank 's m o rato r iumPho nePe, o ther digital t ransact io n apps affected with Yes Bank 's m o rato r ium

Yes Bank handles UPI transactions for third-party apps such as PhonePe and BharatPe while the

private lender is the sole payments service providev for key businesses such as Cleartrip and Airtel.


Unified Payments Interface (UPI) based transactions, a major service point for digital payment services came to a halt,

and PhonePe which is the largest payments partner of the bank was among the worst affected.

According to the National Payments Corporation of India, 14 of 31 third-party merchants offering UPI as a payment

option exclusively use Yes Bank’s gateway.

Yes Bank has been among the leading banks handling transactions on the unified payments interface (UPI).

Other than PhonePe, other major merchants using Yes Bank’s UPI platform include Flipkart, Myntra, Cleartrip, Angel

Broking, Hungerbox, among others.










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10 Mar Market m ayhem : Sensex , Nifty lo g steepest ev er o ne-day fal l o n recessio n fearsMarket m ayhem : Sensex , Nifty lo g steepest ev er o ne-day fal l o n recessio n fears

The benchmark Sensex lost a whopping 1,941.67 points or 5.27% to close at 35,634.95- a 52-week

low for the barometer- with all its 30 constituents ending the day with huge losses.


The broader Nifty plunged 538 points or 4.90% to close at 10,451.45

The Crude oil has also registered the biggest drop since the Gulf War in 1991.

The fall in crude prices was primarily on account of the all-out price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. In the

Sensex pack, the ONGC was the worst performer of the day, shedding over 16%.

The two major reasons of this plunge is reduction in the Crude oil price and the outbreak of COVID-19.

11 Mar Hero chairm an Pawan Munjal to pum p USD 950, 000 into O la Electr icHero chairm an Pawan Munjal to pum p USD 950, 000 into O la Electr ic

Munjal is investing in India’s only Electric Vehicle (EV) unicorn, Ola Electric under the entity name

Pawan Munjal Family Trust, the regulatory filing sourced from financial data platform, paper.vc,

indicated and Ola E. is likely to receive investment in Series-B funding in a bid to consolidate its fast-

growing EV business.


His investment in EV two-wheeler manufacturing firm Ather Energy and bike-sharing platform Vogo earlier essentially

implies that Munjal is interested in funding future mobility start-ups

The auto industry veteran’s investment will be the second such funding in Ola Electric following a USD 1.2 million

fundraisers from Ratan Tata in Series-A round.

OEM has announced its mission to bring one million EVs on roads by 2022. The government has also cut down on the

registration fees for EVs to promote them

11 Mar Mukesh Am bani lo st Asia wealth cro wn to Jack Ma in $5.8-bi l l io n ro utMukesh Am bani lo st Asia wealth cro wn to Jack Ma in $5.8-bi l l io n ro ut

Jack Ma, the Alibaba Group Holding founder, who ceded the No. 1 ranking in mid-2018, is back on top

with a $44.5 billion fortune, about $2.6 billion more than Ambani. This was after oil prices collapsed

along with global stocks.


Oil plunged the most in 29 years on 9th March as Saudi Arabia and Russia vowed to pump more in a struggle for

market share. The slump comes just as the coronavirus is spurring the first decline in demand in more than a decade.

The S&P 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average each plunged more than 7.5%, the most since the 2008 financial

crisis, threatening to end the longest bull market in history. Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates lost more than $5 billion each in

the rout.










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13 Mar Retai l inflat io n fal ls to 6.58% in February as fo o d pr ices co o l do wnRetai l inflat io n fal ls to 6.58% in February as fo o d pr ices co o l do wn

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) eased to 6.58 percent in February, from a 68-month high of 7.59

percent in January, primarily on the back of lower prices of fruits and vegetables.


The government hopes a cut will inject some confidence into the system and boost growth during the time of a global

coronavirus pandemic and crashing crude prices, and troubles in the financial sector at home.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, consumer food price

inflation for February was recorded at 10.8 per cent, down from 13.63 per cent in January.

13 Mar India’ s current acco unt deficit narro ws sharply to USD 1.4 bi l l io n in Q3India’ s current acco unt deficit narro ws sharply to USD 1.4 bi l l io n in Q3

The deficit had stood at 2.7 percent in the corresponding quarter a year ago and 0.9 percent in the

previous quarter. The sharp contraction in the deficit was mainly due to a lower trade deficit of USD

34.6 billion, and a rise in net services receipts, the central bank said.


The CAD is a critical indicator of macroeconomic health, represents the gap between the overall foreign exchange

expended and received in the economy.

For the first nine months of the financial year, the CAD has narrowed to 1 per cent.

There was an accretion of USD 21.6 billion to the foreign exchange reserves on a balance of payment basis as against a

depletion of USD 4.3 billion in the third quarter











94



13 Mar RBI o pens s ix -m o nth do l lar sel l -buy swap windo w to pum p l iq uidity in the fo reignRBI o pens s ix -m o nth do l lar sel l -buy swap windo w to pum p l iq uidity in the fo reign

exchange m arketexchange m arket

The central bank will conduct U.S. dollar-rupee sell-buy swaps worth $2 billion on March 16, to begin

with, in its effort to fight market volatility.


The swaps would be conducted through the auction route in multiple tranches and the auctions would be multiple

price-based, that is, successful bids will be accepted at their respective quoted premiums.

The financial markets worldwide are facing intense selling pressures on extreme risk aversion due to the spread of

COVID-19 infections, compounded by the slump in international crude prices and a decline in bond yields in

advanced economies.

13 Mar BSNL, SBI partner to launch Bharat InstaPay - UPI-based paym ent platfo rmBSNL, SBI partner to launch Bharat InstaPay - UPI-based paym ent platfo rm

According to BSNL officials, the new payment facility developed by the company will enable its

partners, especially prepaid sellers, to buy service immediately for sale. Bharat InstaPay will help its

partners do digital transactions on a real-time basis.


This digital payment platform is an initiative of BSNL powered by SBI, which shall enable all types of channel partners

of BSNL for doing all their payment transactions digitally on a 24-by-7 basis.

A one-time online verification process has been introduced, which is to be done by the partners themselves by

visiting the newly designed Bharat InstaPay portal. All transactions, then, can be carried out without any human

intervention on a 24-by-7 basis.

17 Mar Who lesale inflat io n co o ls to 2.26% o n fo o d art ic lesWho lesale inflat io n co o ls to 2.26% o n fo o d art ic les

India’s wholesale inflation eased to 2.26% in February, on the back of lower inflation in food articles

especially onion and vegetables, data released by the commerce and industry ministry.


Wholesale price inflation was 3.1% in January 2020.

The protein-rich items showed a rise in inflation at 4.48% in milk and 6.88% in eggs, meat and fish compared to 3.7%

and 6.73%, respectively in January.

In manufactured products, which have a 64.23% weight in the index, the inflation was 0.42% and in fuel and power, it

was 3.38%.










95



17 Mar France hits Apple with reco rd $1.2 bn fine fo r ant i -co m pet it iv e pract icesFrance hits Apple with reco rd $1.2 bn fine fo r ant i -co m pet it iv e pract ices

The authority said it found that Apple acted to prevent independent retailers in France from

competing on price and abused its economic power over them


The authority one of Apple's independent premium resellers complained about uncompetitive practices that included

squeezing-off supplies in favour of its own stores.

The Apple authority found three areas of anti-competitive behaviour.

To rule this out Apple imposed unfair economic conditions on them that were worse than those for its integrated

network of retailers.

20 Mar IndiG o anno unces pay cut fo r senio r em plo yees, CEO takes 25 percent cutIndiG o anno unces pay cut fo r senio r em plo yees, CEO takes 25 percent cut

With the precipitous drop in revenues, the very survival of the airline industry is now at stake,

therefore we are instituting pay cuts for all employees, excluding Bands A and B, starting April 1,

2020, CEO Ronojoy Dutta said in his email to the employees.


Band A and B are the lowest brackets in salary class, of most of the employees.

The senior vice president will take 25% cut, 20% in Vice President and 15% in Assistant Vice President post.

The CEO said how hard it was for families to take a cut in "take-home pay".

20 Mar Rupee breaches 75 to a do l lar , hits reco rd lo wRupee breaches 75 to a do l lar , hits reco rd lo w

The rupee tumbled past the 75-to-a-dollar mark for the first time ever as foreign investors continued

to pull out of emerging market economies following the spread of COVID-19 that has put global

economic growth at risk.


The rupee opened weak at 74.96 to a dollar compared with the previous close of 74.26 and went on to hit 75.31 a

dollar.

The rupee remains under tremendous pressure given the fallout of COVID-19Similarly, various emerging market

currencies are bearing the brunt of foreign capital outflows from equity and debt markets.

The weakness in the currency market spilled over to the bond market with the yield on the 10-year government bond

jumping 11 bps to 6.41%.










96



24 Mar Sensex hits lo wer circuit l im it , halts t rading fo r 45 m inutesSensex hits lo wer circuit l im it , halts t rading fo r 45 m inutes

BSE flagship plunged 2991.85 points, or 10 per cent, at 26,924.11 levels. The Nifty fell below the

8,000-mark, down 834.10 points, or 9.54 per cent.


The Indian equity markets witnessed heavy sell-off in tandem with their Asian peers, as the entire world struggles to

fight the fast-spreading of coronavirus.

According to reports, about 8 lakh crore eroded from the market as the total market cap of BSE-listed firms slid to Rs

1,08,29,258.45 crore.

25 Mar Facebo o k , Instagram reduce v ideo q ual ity to deal with internet o v er lo adFacebo o k , Instagram reduce v ideo q ual ity to deal with internet o v er lo ad

To deal with this load on internet infrastructure and to conserve bandwidth, Facebook has announced

that they will be reducing bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in India, Europe, and Latin

America over this peak period.


The company announced that this step is being taken to help users and community handle bandwidth constraints

and keep in touch.

This will help alleviates any potential network congestion, we will temporarily reduce bit rates for videos on Facebook

and Instagram in India.

They will be working with their partners to manage any bandwidth constraints during this period of heavy demand,

while also ensuring people are able to remain connected using Facebook apps and services during the COVID-19

pandemic











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27 Mar US jo bless claim s hit 3.3 m il l io n, q uadruple prev io us reco rdUS jo bless claim s hit 3.3 m il l io n, q uadruple prev io us reco rd

Nearly 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week - more than quadruple the

previous record set in 1982 - amid a widespread economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus.


As job losses mount, some economists say the nation's unemployment rate could approach 13% by May in

comparison, to the highest jobless rate during the Great Recession, which ended in 2009, was 10%.

Some economists say the nation's unemployment rate could approach 13% by May. By comparison, the highest

jobless rate during the Great Recession, which ended in 2009, was 10%.

28 Mar Mo o dy's s lashes India G DP gro wth in 2020 to 2.5%Mo o dy's s lashes India G DP gro wth in 2020 to 2.5%

Moody’s Investors Service sharply cut India’s growth forecast for calendar 2020 to 2.5% from 5.3%

estimated barely 10 days ago after the government ordered a nationwide lockdown to curb the

spread of the coronavirus.


According to the Global Macro Outlook 2020-21, the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

would result in a sharp loss in incomes and further weigh on domestic demand and the pace of recovery.

Moody’s expects a sharp rebound in India’s growth in calendar 2021 to 5.8%.

China is forecast to grow by 3.3% in 2020 against 6.1% in the previous year.

28 Mar Reliance to sel l so m e Apri l -lo ading crude cargo es in a rare m o v eReliance to sel l so m e Apri l -lo ading crude cargo es in a rare m o v e

Mukesh Ambani's Reliance has offered various grades of Middle East crude for sale in Asia's spot

market, including grades such as Abu Dhabi's Murban crude and Qatar's al-Shaheen crude.


The move comes as refiners across the world are considering deeper run cuts as their plants witness heavy losses,

mostly because of the measures taken by governments to prevent the virus from spreading have slashed fuel

consumption.

Reliance has offered various grades of Middle East crude for sale in Asia's spot market, including grades such as Abu

Dhabi's Murban crude and Qatar's al-Shaheen crude.










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28 Mar India’ s fo rex reserv es fal l by a who pping $12 bi l l io nIndia’ s fo rex reserv es fal l by a who pping $12 bi l l io n

The rupee hit an all-time low of Rs 76.15 against the US dollar on March 23 as foreign investors

continued to withdraw money from domestic equity and debt market amid uncertainties due to the

fast-spreading coronavirus.


The country’s foreign exchange reserves fell by USD 5.346 billion to USD 481.89 billion. This was the first decline in the

country’s reserve in almost six months.

The reserves had touched a life-time high of USD 487.23 billion in the week to March 6, after it rose by USD 5.69

billion.

The foreign currency assets (FCA), a major component of the overall reserves, declined by USD 10.256 billion to USD

437.102 billion.

29 Mar Tata So ns co m m its ₹1000 cro re to fight co ro nav irusTata So ns co m m its ₹1000 cro re to fight co ro nav irus

Tata Sons, the principal holding company of Tata Group, has announced funding over and above

₹500 crores which will be used for setting up modular treatment facilities for infected patients,

knowledge management and training of health workers and the general public.


TATA sons will work together with the Tata Trusts and Chairman Emeritus Mr Tata and would be fully supporting their

initiatives, and work in a collaborative manner to bring the full expertise of the group.

In addition to the initiatives articulated by Tata Trusts, they will also be bringing in the ventilators necessary and are

gearing up to also manufacture the same soon in India.

31 Mar China unexpectedly cuts rev erse repo rate by m o st in 5 yrs to suppo rt v irus-hitChina unexpectedly cuts rev erse repo rate by m o st in 5 yrs to suppo rt v irus-hit

eco no m yeco no m y

The country has so far reported 3,304 deaths from 81,470 infections. Ma Jun, a central bank adviser

told state media that China still has ample room for monetary policy adjustment.


The People’s of Bank of China announced on its website that it was lowering the 7-day reverse repo rate to 2.20%

from 2.40%.

The central bank adviser told state media that China still has ample room for monetary policy adjustment. The rate

decision took into consideration the return of Chinese companies to work, the global virus situation and a

deterioration in the external economic environment.










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31 Mar RBI ex tends t im ings fo r dai ly rev erse repo , MSF windo w fo r o ne m o nthRBI ex tends t im ings fo r dai ly rev erse repo , MSF windo w fo r o ne m o nth

After the revision, the operations can be conducted by participants throughout the day rather than

the earlier focus on making the window open after the banking hours in the evening.


The fixed-rate reverse repo operation when a player parks excess funds with the RBI for overnight interest - will be

available for accessing between 9 am and 2359 hrs in the evening between March 31 and April 30.

The MSF window will also be open for operation for the same timing.

RBI had worked towards disincentivising players from parking their money in such instruments and lend the same for

productive purposes.










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5. Banking Awareness


05 Mar Lo k Sabha passes Direct Tax Viv aad Se Vishwas Bi l lLo k Sabha passes Direct Tax Viv aad Se Vishwas Bi l l

A bill to provide an opportunity to taxpayers to settle their tax disputes by paying just due taxes with

complete waiver of interest and penalty by March 31 was approved by Lok Sabha on Wednesday.


Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had introduced the bill on February 5 and moved significant amendments on

March 2 to the scheme to make it more attractive to taxpayers.

In this only half of the disputed amount will have to be paid in cases where the income-tax department has filed an

appeal or has lost a case.

The scheme is aimed at releasing about Rs 9.32 lakh crore stuck in 483,000 cases across various fora including at the

Commissioner (Appeals), Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), high courts, Supreme Court and debt recovery

tribunals, besides reducing needless litigation and associated expenses.

07 Mar With Aadhaar-enabled system , no w av ai l banking serv ices at yo ur do o rstepWith Aadhaar-enabled system , no w av ai l banking serv ices at yo ur do o rstep

People living in areas without banks or ATMs will no longer have to walk long distances to avail such

services. The Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS) will come in handy for such residents in rural

areas, especially for those in the hilly terrains.


To demonstrate the various benefits of AePS services to the general public, a special awareness drive was organised at

the Vellore Head Post Office.

The AePS payment method allows Aadhaar cardholders to make financial transactions through Aadhaar-based

authentication.

The system facilitates disbursement of government entitlements, social security pensions and old age pension, among

others, of State and Central government bodies, using Aadhaar authentication, as supported by the Unique

Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).










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24 Mar RBI ex tends pr io r ity secto r classificat io n fo r bank lo ans to NBFCsRBI ex tends pr io r ity secto r classificat io n fo r bank lo ans to NBFCs

This is part of steps to provide support for financial sector entities by Reserve bank of India to deal

with slowdown and aftermath of COVID-19


Existing loans disbursed under the on-lending model will continue to be classified under priority sector till the date of

repayment/maturity.

The credit to NBFCs, other than micro-finance institutions and housing finance companies, for on-lending will be

allowed Banks up to an overall limit of five per cent of the bank’s total priority sector banks will compute the eligible

portfolio under on-lending mechanism by averaging across four quarters, to determine adherence to the prescribed

cap.

26 Mar CCEA appro v es recapital isat io n o f RRBsCCEA appro v es recapital isat io n o f RRBs

The government has approved capital infusion to the tune of Rs 1,340 crore for Regional Rural Banks

(RRBs). The Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar said that the recapitalization of

RRBs will improve their Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio.


The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs to help these banks maintain the Reserve Bank

mandated 9% capital adequacy ratio (CAR) or the ratio of a bank’s capital to its risk.

The reason for the infusion was to ensure financially stronger and robust RRBs with improved CAR to enable them to

meet the credit requirement in the rural areas.

While the Centre contributed 50% towards their initial capital, certain public sector banks or sponsor banks put in 35%

and state governments provided the remaining 15% to start up the RRBs.

30 Mar All bank branches to be o perat io nal fro m 30 MarchAll bank branches to be o perat io nal fro m 30 March

Cash deposit and withdrawal, clearing of cheques, remittance services, government transactions,

and ATM services as listed as essential banking services.>


The department of financial services (DFS) told banks to keep all banking channels open and ensure branches and

business correspondents function throughout the lockdown period so that people do not face any hassle in their

financial transactions.

DFS advisory will also aim that servicing rural customers who are likely to be benefited under the government's Rs 1.7

lakh crore financial assistance package amid coronavirus.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONSMERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS








https://www.business-standard.com/finance



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15 Mar Mo rato r ium o n Yes Bank to be l i fted o n March 18Mo rato r ium o n Yes Bank to be l i fted o n March 18

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the reconstruction scheme for the bank as proposed by RBI,

under which SBI will acquire a 49% stake in the ailing bank and current administrator Prashant Kumar

has been appointed Managing Director and CEO.


Under the scheme, Mr Kumar has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Bank,

with Sunil Mehta, former Non-Executive Chairman of Punjab National Bank as Non-Executive Chairman, and Mahesh

Krishnamurthy and Atul Bheda as Non-Executive Director.

The new board will be formed within seven days from cessation of the moratorium.

Additionally, SBI will nominate two officers as Directors and the RBI may also appoint one or more persons as

additional directors.

It also adds that existing shareholders holding over 100 shares in Yes Bank are subject to a three-year ‘lock-in’ for 75%

of their investment.

31 Mar PNB unv ei ls new lo go as m erger with United Bank , OBC m akes it India’ s 2nd largestPNB unv ei ls new lo go as m erger with United Bank , OBC m akes it India’ s 2nd largest

bankbank

Assuaging concerns regarding the merged entity, PNB also said there is no reason to worry as the

three banks are coming together to be better, bigger and stronger.


The new logo will bear distinct signages of all the three public sector lenders. With this, PNB is set to become the

second largest lender in the country.

PNB also appealed to its customers to stay indoors due to the coronavirus outbreak and access its services through

net banking and PNBONE app.

OTHERSOTHERS










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01 Mar SBI Cards al lo ts shares wo rth nearly Rs 2, 800 cro re to ancho r inv esto rsSBI Cards al lo ts shares wo rth nearly Rs 2, 800 cro re to ancho r inv esto rs

A total of 36.7 million shares of SBI Cards have been allotted to 75 anchor investors at Rs 755 per

share. The SBI Cards IPO is being considered as a test for investor appetite, which has been battered

by the coronavirus outbreak.


Shares allotted to anchor investors are subject to a 90-day lock-in period.

The IPO will comprise Rs 500 crore worth of fresh equity issuance, which will be used to strengthen the country’s

second-largest credit card company’s capital base. The bulk of the IPO will be a secondary share sale by parent SBI and

private equity major Carlyle.

The largest public sector bank is offloading a 4 per cent stake in the IPO, while Carlyle will sell a 10 per cent stake.After

the issue, SBI’s stake will drop from 74 per cent at present to 70 per cent, while Carlyle's holding will be 26 per cent to

16 per cent.

01 Mar Pro po sed 3-day bank st r ike fro m March 11 deferredPro po sed 3-day bank st r ike fro m March 11 deferred

The strike had been called by the constituents of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), the umbrella

body of the trade unions in the banking sector.


The proposed three-day bank strike in the country has been deferred following ‘positive’ developments at the

bipartite meeting held in Mumbai.

The bipartite meeting was held between the unions and the Indian Banks Association (IBA), discussions were held in

respect of offer of increase in pay slip cost to 15 per cent, demand for five-day banking among others.

06 Mar RBI Deputy G o v erno r Vishwanathan to q uit by Mar 31 o v er health issuesRBI Deputy G o v erno r Vishwanathan to q uit by Mar 31 o v er health issues

While the Reserve Bank has accepted his request to be relieved by March 31, the same has to be

accepted by the Cabinet as well, which is likely to happen any day given his health condition


His one-year extension was to end on July 3.

He has been in-charge of the key supervisory and regulatory functions at the Mint Road and it was this powerful

position that led the government to offer him an extension given the mess in the banking system.

Before RBI he was an executive director of the central bank.

He was on a three-year deputation to the Bank of Mauritius, the central bank of Mauritius, as director of supervision.










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06 Mar RBI supersedes bo ard o f Yes Bank , caps withdrawals at Rs 50, 000RBI supersedes bo ard o f Yes Bank , caps withdrawals at Rs 50, 000

The RBI has also superseded the Board of Directors of Yes Bank Ltd for a period of 30 days and

assures the depositors of the bank that their interests will be fully protected. The RBI action follows

the lender’s inability to raise funds that would have helped it provide against loan losses.


The Reserve Bank assures the depositors of the bank that their interests will be fully protected and there is no need to

panic.

Depositors will be restricted to a maximum withdrawal of Rs 50,000 even if they have multiple accounts. RBI will relax

the withdrawal limit in the event of medical emergencies, higher education fees or marriage expenses — up to a cap of

Rs 5 lakh.

The Reserve Bank will explore and draw up a scheme in the next few days for the bank’s reconstruction or

amalgamation and with the approval of the central government.

06 Mar SBI Cards IPO subscribed 26 t im es despite to ugh m arket co ndit io nsSBI Cards IPO subscribed 26 t im es despite to ugh m arket co ndit io ns

The 100-million share offering generated close to 2.7 billion bids. The high networth individual (HNI)

portion of the IPO was subscribed 44x, with the retail portion being subscribed 2.5x.


SBI Cards and Payment Services’ initial public offering (IPO) has managed to attract bids worth Rs 2 trillion, in spite of

challenging market conditions.

The employee segment registered 4.7x subscription, while the shareholder category was subscribed 25x — making it a

rare instance in which the employee and shareholder segments garnered higher subscription than the retail segment.

Good profitability, high return ratios, and strong growth potential were other key factors of this model.










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07 Mar Yes Bank cr is is ’ so lut io n fo und- RBI unv ei ls reco nstruct io n plan, SBI m ay inv est RsYes Bank cr is is ’ so lut io n fo und- RBI unv ei ls reco nstruct io n plan, SBI m ay inv est Rs

2, 450 cro re2, 450 cro re

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday announced a reconstruction plan for troubled private lender Yes

Bank, just a day after a moratorium and curb on withdrawals created widespread panic among

depositors and investors.


The RBI announced that the State Bank of India will invest in the reconstructed bank for up to 49% stake. SBI will buy

new equity in the bank at a minimum of Rs 10 per share, including Rs 8 per share premium.

SBI will invest about Rs 2,450 crore of equity capital into Yes Bank. Yes, Bank has a paid-up share capital of over 255

crore shares of Rs 2 face value each. 49% of post-issue share base would be at about 245 crore shares of face value Rs

2, plus a premium of Rs 8 each.

In its proposed resolution plan, the RBI has altered Yes Bank’s Authorised Capital to Rs 5,000 crore; and the number of

equity shares to 2,400 crores of Rs 2 each.

Further, it has proposed SBI cannot reduce its holding below 26% before the completion of 3 years from the date of

capital infusion. However, the reconstruction plan is a draft and RBI has sought comments on the same latest by 9

March 2020.

08 Mar ED expands YES Bank pro be, searches ho m es o f Rana Kapo o r 's three daughtersED expands YES Bank pro be, searches ho m es o f Rana Kapo o r 's three daughters

The source said the searches are being carried out at the residential premises of all three daughters

-- Rakhee Kapoor Tandon, Roshni Kapoor and Radha Kapoor


The action comes in the wake of the Yes Bank when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) superseded the Yes Bank board for

30 days and appointed an administrator while putting a cap of Rs 50,000 on withdrawal by account holders for a

month.

Following the crisis, the ED registered a case of money laundering against Kapoor and others. The ED had filed a

money laundering case against Kapoor and raided his residence, apart from issuing a look-out circular so that he does

not flee the country.

The ED registered a money laundering case against Kapoor as a continuation of its probe against the DHFL when it

alleged that Rs 12,500 crore was diverted to 80 shell companies using one lakh fake borrowers. The transactions with

these shell companies are said to date back to 2015.










106



08 Mar Special l iq uidity windo w: The Reserv e Bank o f India wil l thro w an im m ediate l i fel ineSpecial l iq uidity windo w: The Reserv e Bank o f India wil l thro w an im m ediate l i fel ine

by o ffer ing Yes Bank Rs 10, 000-cro re lo an against i ts go v ernm ent securit iesby o ffer ing Yes Bank Rs 10, 000-cro re lo an against i ts go v ernm ent securit ies

The 90-day RBI credit will be provided at an interest rate of 8.4% to enable the bank to cater for

immediate liquidity requirements, on the condition that the bank can’t use this special liquidity to

invest in non-SLR securities.


RBI will throw an immediate lifeline to the Yes Bank by offering it a loan of Rs 10,000 crore under a special liquidity

facility against its government securities.

RBI has already released the restructuring plan for YES Bank under which SBI is expected to buy up to 49% in the

country’s fourth-largest private lender.

The RBI has also taken over the Yes Bank’s board for 30 days on the ground of a “serious deterioration” in its financial

position and the absence of a viable revival plan.

The RBI credit will be provided for a period of 90 days at an interest rate of 8.4% to enable the bank to cater for

immediate liquidity requirements, The Central Bank has only put a condition that the bank can’t use this special

liquidity to invest in non-SLR securities.











107



09 Mar Yes Bank custo m ers can no w withdraw cash fro m o ther bank ATMsYes Bank custo m ers can no w withdraw cash fro m o ther bank ATMs

After the moratorium was imposed on the bank on Thursday, the customers of Yes Bank were unable

to withdraw cash from other bank's ATM because the limits were not re-calibrated.


Customers can now make withdrawals using your YES BANK Debit Card both at YES BANK and other bank ATMs

RBI put the bank under restriction after the Bank Board failed to keep the bad loans at check

After this, any person with any number of accounts can only withdraw Rs 50,000 in total

09 Mar ED arrests Yes Bank fo under Rana Kapo o r under PMLAED arrests Yes Bank fo under Rana Kapo o r under PMLA

Rana was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate sleuths for over 20 hours after the central

agency raided his residence on Friday night. They said Kapoor was placed under arrest around 3 am

under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not

cooperating in the probe.


Rana Kapoor was arrested under the PMLA Act or Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

RBI has put restrictions on the withdrawal limits of accounts from Yes Bank to Rs 50,000 for 1 month.

The RBI intervened after the Board failed up to cope with the increasing NPA in the Bank books,

10 Mar Pho nePe partners with ICICI Bank , to co nt inue al l iance with Yes BankPho nePe partners with ICICI Bank , to co nt inue al l iance with Yes Bank

PhonePe is engaged in dialogue with State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and RBL Bank. It had

seen a service outage for nearly 24 hours, which started immediately after the RBI placed Yes Bank

on moratorium on March 5.


Its team worked overnight with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and new UPI partner, ICICI bank, to

ensure all its services are up within a day.

After the restrictions on Yes bank are removed PhonePe users will have a choice of two handles from two different

banks to work with.

PhonePe is the fastest-growing digital payments platform in India with over 200 million registered users. Its platform

saw 570 million transactions in February with the number of monthly average users at about 75 million.










108



10 Mar Do w slum ps 2, 000 po ints after o i l sho ckDo w slum ps 2, 000 po ints after o i l sho ck

Wall Street suffered its biggest one-day loss since the 2008 financial crisis on Monday and recession

worries loomed large as tumbling oil prices and ongoing coronavirus fears prompted investor panic

on the anniversary of the U.S. stock market's longest-ever bull run.


The benchmarks S&P 500 fell 7% to its lowest since June 2019, triggering an automatic 15-minute cut-out put in place

after the 2008-2009 financial crisis.

The energy index slumped 15.3% to its lowest level since August 2004 and crude prices were on track for their worst

day in three decades as Saudi Arabia moved to significantly raise oil production after OPEC’s supply cut agreement

with Russia collapsed.

The S&P index recorded 211 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 867 new lows.

12 Mar SBI lo wers lending rate by up to 15 bps, 10th cut in current fiscalSBI lo wers lending rate by up to 15 bps, 10th cut in current fiscal

Overnight and one-month MCLRs (Marginal cost of funds-based Lending Rates) have been reduced

by 15 basis points to 7.45 percent each. Three-month MCLR has been revised to 7.50 percent from

7.65 percent. The new two-year and three-year MCLRs stand reduced by 10 basis points to 7.95

percent and 8.05 percent


Fixed deposits (FDs) maturing between 7 days to 45 days will offer an interest rate of 4.50 per cent as against 4 per

cent earlier.

Interest rates on FDs maturing in one-year and above have been reduced by 10 basis points.

One-year to less than two-year tenor FD will earn an interest rate of 5.90 per cent against 6 per cent earlier.FD for

similar tenor will fetch an interest rate of 6.40 per cent instead of 6.50 per cent for senior citizens.

The bank has also reduced interest rates on bulk term deposits (Rs 2 crore and above) by 15 basis points for 180 days

and above tenors.

The changed rates will become effective from March 10.










109



12 Mar SBI do es away with m inim um balance req uirem ent in sav ings acco untsSBI do es away with m inim um balance req uirem ent in sav ings acco unts

SBI announced it will not ask customers to maintain a minimum balance in savings accounts. The

state-owned bank rationalized interest rate on savings bank accounts to a flat 3 percent annum. It

also waived off SMS charges.


The bank used to levy a penalty of Rs 5 to Rs 15 plus taxes for not maintaining the minimum balance.

It also lashed its Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR) by 10-15 basis points across all tenors from March

10, 2020, moving to make home and auto loans cheaper.

Till now the SBI asked all its customer to maintain an average monthly balance of Rs 3,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000 in

metro, semi-urban and rural areas

12 Mar Yes Bank users can no w m ake o v er Rs 2 lakh paym ents to wards lo ans, credit cardsYes Bank users can no w m ake o v er Rs 2 lakh paym ents to wards lo ans, credit cards

Current accounts can be also debited for more than Rs 50,000 towards salaries in accounts

maintained with Yes Bank. RTGS services have been enabled to allow customers to make payments

towards their credit card dues and loan obligations from other bank accounts.


RTGS is used for payments of over Rs 2 lakh, while payments below this amount can be made using NEFT. Besides,

loan and credit cards repayments to the bank

Yes Bank has also informed that services such as online remittances, clearing of cheques and demand drafts as well as

outward payment of EMIs will continue to remain under restriction during the moratorium period.

Besides, within the limit of Rs 50,000, the Mumbai-headquartered lender has also allowed its customers to withdraw

money from its own as well as other bank ATMs.

The bank also allowed inward IMPS and NEFT services to enable its customers to make payments towards Yes Bank

credit card EMIs and loans through other bank accounts.

12 Mar Bandhan Bank o pens 125 branches in 15 statesBandhan Bank o pens 125 branches in 15 states

The central bank had earlier barred Bandhan Bank from opening new branches in September 2018

for not being able to bring down the promoter holding to 40% in three years from the date of

commencement of the ‘universal’ banking business.


Out of the 125 new banking outlets, 42 have been opened in Uttar Pradesh, 29 in Rajasthan, 12 in MP, 7 each in AP

and Telangana, 6 in Bihar, 5 in Chhattisgarh, 4 in Odisha, 3 in Tamil Nadu, 2 each in Uttarakhand, Karnataka,

Maharashtra, and Assam, and 1 each in Delhi and West Bengal.

The bank has its presence across 34 of the 36 states and union territories in India.

This move came after RBI lifted the restriction on the opening of new branches.










110



13 Mar Bandhan Bank to replace Yes Bank in Nifty50 index fro m March 27Bandhan Bank to replace Yes Bank in Nifty50 index fro m March 27

The replacement has been done on account of non-availability of future and options contracts in Yes

Bank shares, NSE Indices said in a statement.


Apart from the banking index, changes have also been made in several indices, including Nifty Alpha 50, Nifty High

Beta 50, Nifty 500, Nifty Small-cap 250 and Nifty Midsmallcap 400.

Gayatri Projects would be excluded from Nifty 500, Nifty Smallcap 250 and Nifty Smallcap 400 indices. Shilpa Medicare

would be added in its place in these indices.

NSE Indices' Index Maintenance Sub-Committee has decided to make the replacement of stocks in various indices as

part of its periodic review.

14 Mar Sev en inv esto rs jo in SBI to put o v er Rs 12, 000 cr into Yes BankSev en inv esto rs jo in SBI to put o v er Rs 12, 000 cr into Yes Bank

Prashant Kumar proposed as the new CEO. Government-owned State Bank of India will be joined by

private lenders ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank as well as investors

Radhakishan Damani, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and the Azim Premji Trust in the rescue plan for Yes

Bank.


SBI had said it will invest Rs 7,250 crore in Yes Bank for a 49% stake, in line with a rescue plan drawn up by the Reserve

Bank of India (RBI).

SBI has also recommended appointing Yes Bank administrator Prashant Kumar as the new CEO of the bank.

SBI had said it will invest Rs 7,250 crore in Yes Bank for a 49% stake, in line with a rescue plan drawn up by the Reserve

Bank of India (RBI).











111



17 Mar Mo o dy's upgrades YES Bank 's rat ingsMo o dy's upgrades YES Bank 's rat ings

Global rating agency Moody's has upgraded YES Bank's long-term foreign currency rating from

"Caa3" to "Caa1" on bail-out package involving fresh equity capital infusion. It has confirmed the

bank's long-term foreign and local currency bank deposit ratings at Caa1.


The rating outlook is positive. Moody's has confirmed the bank's long-term foreign and local currency bank deposit

ratings at Caa1.

The rating action concludes the review with direction uncertain that was initiated on Yes Bank's ratings on 06 March

2020. Ailing private sector bank was placed under moratorium on March 5, 2020.

Yes Bank's solvency has improved on the raising of new capital and write down of the AT1 securities.

The change in outlook to positive reflects expectation that the bank's financial fundamentals can improve due to the

extraordinary support provided by the Indian authorities.

20 Mar RBI ex tends Rs 60, 000-cro re credit l ine to Yes BankRBI ex tends Rs 60, 000-cro re credit l ine to Yes Bank

As per Section 17 of RBI Act 1934, the central bank can provide liquidity support to any lender in the

form of loans and advances against collateral in which a trustee is authorised to invest trust money

by an Act of Parliament.


The additional liquidity arsenal is in line with Section 17 (4) of the RBI Act and also is a reaffirmation of the governor's

statement that the central bank was ready to provide all the necessary liquidity support to Yes Bank.

According to central bank sources, the RBI's assessment found Yes Bank had liquidity issues but no solvency problem

or any other issue.

The line of credit of about Rs 60,000 crore, however, comes with a caveat -- the first such exercise by the central bank

But strong backing by SBI and seven other private lenders could see the bank coming out of the ICU and resuming full

operations this morning after the RBI had withdrawn the withdrawal limits last evening.










112



20 Mar Bank o f Baro da waiv es digital t ransact io n charges fo r 3 m o nthsBank o f Baro da waiv es digital t ransact io n charges fo r 3 m o nths

This assumes significance at a time when people across the globe are resorting to social distancing,

have adopted to work from home and minimised non-discretionary activities amid the coronavirus

outbreak. The bank has rolled out a range of digital products such as Debit Cards, Baroda M Connect

Plus, Baroda Connect and Baroda FASTag under the umbrella campaign.


Bank of Baroda has rolled out the 'Stay Safe..Bank Safe..' initiative to encourage more customers to avail banking

services digitally, without visiting branches.

Bank of Baroda announces zero charges on digital transactions for three months, to provide enhanced and

uninterrupted banking experience to its customers

Bank of Baroda has assured its customers of enhanced banking experience, as they avail the bank's services from

remote locations

21 Mar RBI to inject Rs 30, 000 cro re l iq uidity into the m arketRBI to inject Rs 30, 000 cro re l iq uidity into the m arket

It said that the auctions would be conducted on March 24 and March 30 and has decided to conduct

purchase of government securities under open market operations.


The RBI has decided to conduct the purchase of government securities under open market operations (OMOs) for an

aggregate amount in two tranches of Rs 15,000 crore each in March

The Reserve Bank reserves the right to decide on the quantum of purchase of individual securities, accept offers for

less than or higher than the aggregate amount of Rs 15,000 crore (including due to rounding off) and also to accept or

reject any overall the offers either wholly or partially without assigning any reason.

21 Mar RBI appo ints R.G andhi and Narayan RBI appo ints R.G andhi and Narayan in Yes Bank bo ardin Yes Bank bo ard

Mr. Gandhi is a former RBI Deputy Governor and Ananth Narayan is an associate professor. Both of

them have been appointed for a period of two years from March 26, when the new board would take

charge.


State Bank of India, the largest shareholder of the bank, has appointed two of its deputy managing directors on the

board of Yes Bank Partha Pratim Sengupta and J. Swaminathan.

Prashant Kumar, who was the deputy managing director of SBI, and currently the RBI-appointed administrator, will

take over as the MD and CEO of the bank.

Sunil Mehta, former non-executive chairman of Punjab National Bank, has been appointed as the non-executive

chairman of Yes Bank. The other two board members are Mahesh Krishnamurti and Atul Bheda.










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22 Mar ICICI Lo m bard ro l ls o ut insurance co v er fo r COVID-19ICICI Lo m bard ro l ls o ut insurance co v er fo r COVID-19

This policy will pay 100% of the sum insured to a policyholder diagnosed as COVID-19 positive,

irrespective of the hospitalization expenses.


The health cover is priced at a premium of ₹149 and provides a sum insured of ₹25,000, including value-added

benefits such as health assistance, teleconsultation and ambulance assistance, as part of the offering.

The policy covers holders in the age group of 18-75 years, covering the elderly population that is said to be majorly

impacted by the virus.

If a policyholder tests positive for COVID-19 at any of the government-authorised centres, the company will pay out

the entire sum insured, in a lump sum in the event of the first diagnosis of COVID-19 during the policy period, subject

to an initial waiting period of 14 days.

23 Mar Co ro nav irus scare: SBI o pens em ergency credit l ine fo r bo rro wersCo ro nav irus scare: SBI o pens em ergency credit l ine fo r bo rro wers

The Union Cabinet, which met on Saturday, also cleared packages worth nearly Rs 55,000 crore to be

spent over five to eight years. Analysts expect more public and private sector banks to introduce

similar measures next week.


The schemes, which have been in the works for some time, seem to have been rushed through the cabinet now as

supplies of these products from China have stopped in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

More than opening up the credit taps, companies expect the SBI’s emergency credit line to lead to a relaxation in NPA

recognition norms that will allow them to remain as a standard account in the event of delay in repayments.

Some sectors, including poultry and aviation, the first to get hit, are seeking an extension of the NPA recognition

norms to 180 days.











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24 Mar Co ro nav irus: Ax is Bank anno unces Rs 100 cr fund to fight pandem icCo ro nav irus: Ax is Bank anno unces Rs 100 cr fund to fight pandem ic

Private lender Axis Bank on Monday said it will set aside Rs. 100 crore to support its customers,

employees, vendors and government agencies towards curbing the spread of coronavirus.


The bank is also waiving off charges for Savings Account, Current Account and Prepaid Card customers towards online

payments and ATM transactions. This leeway will be valid until March 31.

Banks will also be suspending all non-essential services available at their branches and urged customers to bank

digitally to prevent overcrowding at branches to slow the spread of Covid-19.

27 Mar Yes Bank bo ard o kays fund rais ing o f Rs 5, 000 cro reYes Bank bo ard o kays fund rais ing o f Rs 5, 000 cro re

The board at its meeting has approved subject to receipt of requisite approvals, raising of funds by

way of a share sale, including qualified institutions and rights issue.


The fund may be raised in one or more tranches by way of issuance of securities but not limited to through a qualified

institutions placement/ public issue, rights issue, global depository receipts.

The Reserve Bank sacked Yes Bank management and placed it under an administrator in the evening of 5 March with a

30-day moratorium.

SBI shield the banking sector from a widespread crisis by injecting Rs 10,000 crore into the bank with SBI alone

infusing Rs 6,050 crore.

28 Mar RBI reduces repo rates by 75 bps to 4.4%RBI reduces repo rates by 75 bps to 4.4%

The central bank advanced its monetary policy committee meeting and voted for a sizable reduction

for the policy rate, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said in a press conference in Mumbai.


RBI reduces the policy repo rate by 75 bps to 4.4%.

RBI conducts long term repo operation (LTRO) auction of Rs. 1 lakh crore of three years maturity.

The CRR has been cut by 100 bps for one year. It will now be 3%.

The marginal standing facility (MSF) has also been reduced.

The LTRO and MSF cut is expected to infuse Rs. 3.74 lakh crore.

The CRR cut will release Rs 1.37 lakh crore liquidity.










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28 Mar RBI to infuse Rs 3.74 lakh cr l iq uidity into financial systemRBI to infuse Rs 3.74 lakh cr l iq uidity into financial system

RBI slashed the cash reserve rate (CRR) by 100 basis points to 3% of bank deposits, straight away

unleashing Rs 1.37 lakh crore into the banking system for the next one year.


Banks have also been given an option to borrow three-year funds up to Rs 1 lakh crore through the so-called targeted

long-term repos, the first of which was conducted for Rs 25,000 crore

Liquidity availed under the scheme by banks has to be deployed in investment-grade corporate bonds, commercial

papers, and non-convertible debentures over and above the outstanding level of their investments in these bonds

The overnight call money rate was traded at 4.40% after the announcement with the weighted average rate (WAR)

falling to 5.23% in the afternoon trade. WAR was at about 5.5%.

29 Mar RBI perm its Indian banks o perat ing IBUs to part ic ipate in NDF m arketRBI perm its Indian banks o perat ing IBUs to part ic ipate in NDF m arket

Banks may participate through their branches in India, their foreign branches or through their IBUs

from June 1. NDF markets enable trading of the non-convertible currency, like a rupee, outside the

influence of the domestic authorities.


Till now, Indian banks were not permitted to participate in this market, although the benefits of their participation in

the NDF market have been widely recognised.

Market experts are of the view that participation by Indian banks in NDF market will help increase arbitrage trades,

thereby reducing the spread between the onshore rupee forwards as well as the NDF.

30 Mar Indian Bank launches m o bile ATM to help publ ic deal with Co v id-19 cr is isIndian Bank launches m o bile ATM to help publ ic deal with Co v id-19 cr is is

It has plans to cover five stops for 30-40 minutes each in a day between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The

service is available in Chennai currently. Customers of the Indian Bank and other banks can use the

services of these ATMs.


A mobile van carrying ATM will be moving around Chennai city and will remain in each place for a specific period since

the outbreak and spread of the disease is disrupting normal and routine life.

The Customers of Indian Bank and other banks can use the services of these ATMs.










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30 Mar Uday Ko tak , Ko tak Mahindra Bank do nate Rs 60 cro re in fight against Co v id-19Uday Ko tak , Ko tak Mahindra Bank do nate Rs 60 cro re in fight against Co v id-19

The bank will be donating Rs 25 crore to the “PM Cares Fund” and Rs 10 crore to Maharashtra Chief

Minister’s Relief Fund for COVID-19 to help fight the virus threat in India.


Uday Kotak, the wealthiest banker in the country, will be donating Rs 25 crore to the “PM Cares Fund

Over 975 people have been infected by the virus and 25 people have died because of it.

The country is under a three-week lockdown till April 14 to contain the spread of the virus and staring at a massive

economic impact.











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6. Science, Technology and Environment

OTHERSOTHERS

02 Mar SpaceX pro to type spacecraft S tartship blo ws up during pressure testSpaceX pro to type spacecraft S tartship blo ws up during pressure test

Starship SN1 is a test article for SpaceX's planned Starship and Super Heavy megarocket, designed

to fly deep-space missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.


This happened during a pressurization test was placed on the pad before liquid nitrogen was pumped into its tank to

test if its improved steel structure can withstand cryogenic fuels.

The prototype failed to contain the liquid nitrogen, sending the cylinder flying off its stand and crashing to leave

behind a mangled pile of stainless steely.

Additionally, NASA has recently selected SpaceX to provide launch services for the agency's Psyche mission that would

journey to a unique metal-rich asteroid, also named Psyche, which orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

The Psyche mission currently is targeted to launch in July 2022 on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

05 Mar ISRO to launched earth o bserv at io n satel l i te G ISAT-1 o n March 5ISRO to launched earth o bserv at io n satel l i te G ISAT-1 o n March 5

This satellite will constantly look over the Indian subcontinent from a perch 36,000 km above, adding

a new edge to national security, apart from routine uses of earth imaging.


The launch of GISAT-1 onboard GSLV-F10 whose launch was planned for March 05, 2020, has been postponed due to

technical reasons.

Revised dates will be announced in due course.

GISAT-1 is short for Geo-Imaging Satellite and is the first of two earth imagers planned in a geostationary orbit.

Once GISAT-1 establishes itself in its orbit and starts working over the next few weeks, it will provide “quick

monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events and any short-term events.










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05 Mar New test with q uantum co ins & co m puters fo r q uantum sensingNew test with q uantum co ins & co m puters fo r q uantum sensing

Researchers from Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institution under the Department

of Science & Technology, have devised a new test for fairness of quantum coin or ‘qubit’ (the basic

unit of information in a quantum computer) using entanglement theory.


The new test uses entanglement to test the fairness of the quantum coin.

The researchers from RRI made use of this quantum resource to arrive at a test for fairness of a quantum coin (a

qubit). Their strategy, which makes use of entanglement, enables better discrimination between quantum states.

This strategy is demonstrated in the simulation facility of IBM quantum computers.

The domain of Quantum Information and Quantum Computing Technology is a growing area of research which is

expected to influence Data Processing, which in turn, plays a central role in our lives in this Information Age.

12 Mar Ro lls -Ro yce partners with IIT -Madras fo r jo int research pro gram m esRo lls -Ro yce partners with IIT -Madras fo r jo int research pro gram m es

Rolls Royce will promote the upskilling and professional development of its engineering talent, and

facilitate higher education and research. The company will also sponsor select employees keen to

pursue Masters and Ph.D. level studies, in partnership with IIT Madras.


For selection, the Employees must first clear IIT-M’s selection process, and their topic should be aligned with Rolls-

Royce strategic research priorities and capabilities. Rolls-Royce will also roll out a Technical Higher Study Framework to

facilitate higher education for its engineers, in partnership with IIT-Madras.

13 Mar 139 new m ino r planets fo und at edge o f so lar system139 new m ino r planets fo und at edge o f so lar system

Astronomers have discovered 139 new trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs)- minor planets located in the

far reaches of the solar system. The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement

Series, also describes a new approach for finding similar types of objects.


The researchers looked for nearby pairs or triplets of detected objects to help determine where the object would

appear on subsequent nights.

With the 7 billion dots whittled down to a list of around 400 candidates that were seen over at least six nights of

observation, the researchers then verified their results.

Bernardinelli developed a way to stack multiple images to create a sharper view, which helped confirm whether a

detected object was a real TNO.

After many months of method-development and analysis, the researchers found 316 TNOs, including 245 discoveries

made by DES and 139 new objects.










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14 Mar Nat io nal Bio pharm a Missio n launchedNat io nal Bio pharm a Missio n launched

The National Biopharma Mission (NBM) is an industry-Academia Collaborative Mission for

accelerating biopharmaceutical development in the country. Under this Mission the Government has

launched Innovate in India (i3) programme to create an enabling ecosystem to promote

entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the sector.


The mission will be implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

It is managed through a dedicated Program Management Unit (PMU) at BIRAC. Together with National and

International experts, the most promising projects are selected in response to open Request for Applications issued by

the PMU.

The motive of the mission activities is provided by the inter-ministerial Steering Committee chaired by the Secretary-

DBT. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) provides approval and reviews the scientific progress of its components.

The program is promoting entrepreneurship by supporting small and medium enterprises for indigenous product

development and through establishment of shared facilities and Technology Transfer Offices.

14 Mar New appro ach to speed up red blo o d cel ls generat io n in the labNew appro ach to speed up red blo o d cel ls generat io n in the lab

Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) is a life-saving treatment for numerous conditions such as

severe anaemia, injury-related trauma, supportive care in cardiovascular surgery, transplant

surgery, pregnancy-related complications, solid malignancies and blood-related cancers.


A team of researchers led by Dr. L. S. Limaye, ex-scientist at the Department of Biotechnology’s National Centre for Cell

Science (NCCS) at Pune have found a way to tackle the issue.

They have found that the process can be speeded up by adding a very low concentration of a small protein molecule

called `transforming growth factor β1’ (TGF-β1), along with a hormone called `erythropoietin’ (EPO), to the growth

medium. This could cut down the process time by three days.

The researchers have published a report on their work in the journal, `Stem Cell Research and Therapy’. (India Science

Wire)










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14 Mar ARCI’ s co st -effect iv e techno lo gy can co nv ert so lar energy to industr ial pro cessARCI’ s co st -effect iv e techno lo gy can co nv ert so lar energy to industr ial pro cess

heatheat

Scientists from the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New

Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and

Technology (DST), have developed a cost-effective solar receiver tube technology for industrial

process heat applications.


The receiver tube technology developed by the ARCI team efficiently absorbs solar radiation and converts it into heat

for the targeted applications, especially in industries.

It exhibits high corrosion resistance suitable for Indian weather conditions.

Two patent applications have been filed for this technology, and an MoU has been signed with M/s. Greenera Energy

India Private Limited for technology transfer, which plans to mass-produce the solar receiver tube for wider market

absorption.

15 Mar Trial sho ws success in t reat ing drug-resistant TBTrial sho ws success in t reat ing drug-resistant TB

A small trial (Nix-TB) undertaken at three sites in South Africa to test the safety and efficacy of three

oral drugs — bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid in 109 patients showed a treatment success rate

of 90%.


The treatment using the three oral drugs lasted for 26 weeks and was followed-up for six months after the end of the

treatment.

Patients received the treatment daily for 26 weeks. The trial of 109 patients included 71 who had XDR-TB and 38 with

MDR-TB.

The treatment success rate was 89% (63 of 71) for XDR-TB and 92% (35 of 38). The MDR-TB patients included in the trial

were either not responsive to standard treatment or had discontinued treatment due to side effects.











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19 Mar CSIR scient ists dev elo pe hand-sanit iser witho ut harm ful chem icalsCS IR scient ists dev elo pe hand-sanit iser witho ut harm ful chem icals

Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Director of IHBT stated that “The natural flavours, active tea constituents and

alcohol content in this hand-sanitizer have been used as per the guidelines of the World Health

Organization (WHO).


The technology has been transferred to Palampur based company M/s A.B. Scientific Solutions for the commercial

production of this newly developed hand-sanitiser.

An agreement has been signed between CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) and the

company.

The company will also market these hand-sanitisers and other disinfectants in all major cities across the country.

19 Mar Real T im e Train Info rm at io n System fo r Indian Rai lwaysReal T im e Train Info rm at io n System fo r Indian Rai lways

A Real-Time Information System (RTIS), developed in collaboration with Indian Space Research

Organisation (ISRO), is being installed on the locomotives for automatic acquisition of train

movement timings at the stations, including that of arrival & departure or run-through.


RTIS gives mid-section updates with a periodicity of 30 seconds. The Train Controllers can now track the location and

speed of RTIS enabled locomotives/train more closely, without any manual intervention, which helps in improving the

efficiency of train control.

This real time data of RTIS is also linked with the National Train Enquiry System (NTES). Now more accurate train

running information is being passed to the passengers, which helps them to conveniently plan their arrival at the

stations.

25 Mar Why COVID-19 is m o re sev ere in o lder peo ple than yo ung deco dedWhy COVID-19 is m o re sev ere in o lder peo ple than yo ung deco ded

Scientists in the US have found a possible explanation for the severe lung complications seen in

some people diagnosed with COVID-19, pointing out the role of medications recommended for

patients with heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease.


The SARS beta coronaviruses, such as the new SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, binds to angiotensin-converting

enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in the lower respiratory tracts of infected patients to gain entry into the lungs.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are highly recommended

medications for patients with cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes and

chronic kidney disease.










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26 Mar Liv e, interact iv e m aps t rack glo bal COVID-19 cases in real t im eLiv e, interact iv e m aps t rack glo bal COVID-19 cases in real t im e

One such website, covidvisualizer.com, developed in the US, provides users the option of clicking on a

country or territory of their interest to see the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths, and recoveries in

the place.


The aim of the website, developed by Navid Mamoon and Gabriel Rasskin from Carnegie Mellon University, is to

provide a simple, interactive way to visualise the impact of COVID-19.

The map uses data from real-time updates on Worldometre, a platform that provides counters and real-time statistics

for diverse topics, utilising reliable sources from around the world.

A chart on the map indicates the number of confirmed cases for specific countries, states and cities. The data also

shows how many people have recovered after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

26 Mar Scient ists o f ARI, Pune dev elo p bio fo rt ified, high pro tein wheat v ar ietyScient ists o f ARI, Pune dev elo p bio fo rt ified, high pro tein wheat v ar iety

Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), have developed MACS 4028, which shows high

protein content and superior and stable yielding ability. It is resistant to stem rust, leaf rust, foliar

aphids, root aphids, and brown wheat mite.


The wheat variety developed by the ARI scientists group on Wheat improvement, shown high protein content of

about 14.7%, better nutritional quality having zinc 40.3 ppm, and iron content of 40.3ppm and 46.1ppm respectively,

good milling quality and overall acceptability.

The MACS 4028 variety is also included by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) programme for United Nations Children's

Fund (UNICEF) to alleviate malnutrition in a sustainable way and can boost the Vision 2022 “Kuposhan Mukt Bharat”,

the National Nutrition Strategy.

It is resistant to stem rust, leaf rust, foliar aphids, root aphids, and brown wheat mite.










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27 Mar New po rtable COVID-19 test can giv e results in 50 m inutes , UK researchersNew po rtable COVID-19 test can giv e results in 50 m inutes , UK researchers

Researchers have designed a portable smartphone-based testing kit which they say can provide

results for COVD-19 in just 50 minutes after taking a throat swab. The new molecular test could be

used to process 16 samples at a time or up to 384 samples if using a lab-based detection machine.


The test kit aims to help self-isolating medical staff return to work as quickly as possible ensuring that those at work

are not spreading the virus.

The idea behind this is that we need to test NHS staff more quickly, so they can stay at work if they are well, or go

home if they're a risk to potentially very vulnerable patients.

The kit works by sequencing the genetic material (RNA) from a throat swab sample using a rapid three minute RNA

extraction in order to detect the presence of COVID-19.

27 Mar Warm , hum id cl im ate l inked to s lo wer COVID-19 t ransm issio n, MIT S tudyWarm , hum id cl im ate l inked to s lo wer COVID-19 t ransm issio n, MIT S tudy

The scientists, including Qasim Bukhari from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the

US, assessed data on the number of COVID-19 infections in different parts of the world and

compared it with two parameters of weather from all the regions - temperature and humidity.


The findings, in SSRN repository, show that 90 per cent of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, transmissions until

March 22, 2020, have occurred in regions with a temperature between 3 and 17 degrees Celsius.

They added that these regions also had between 4 to 9 gram per cubic metre (g/m3) of absolute humidity a measure of

the amount of water vapour per cubic metre of atmosphere.

According to MIT scientists, the total number of cases in countries with a mean temperature greater than 18 C.










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28 Mar IIT Delhi m akes ant i -infect io n fabr ic to curb ho spital infect io nsIIT Delhi m akes ant i -infect io n fabr ic to curb ho spital infect io ns

The development by "Fabiosys Innovations", a start-up incubated at IIT-Delhi, has developed an

affordable, novel textile-processing technology, which converts regular cotton fabric into an infection-

proof fabric.


According to official statistics from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, for every 100 hospitalised patients in

developing countries.

The team claims to have developed an affordable, novel textile-processing technology, which converts regular cotton

fabric into the infection-proof fabric.

This fabric can be stitched into various articles such as bedsheets, the uniforms for patients, doctors and nurses and

even curtains.

29 Mar Oxfo rd Univ ers ity’ s co ro nav irus v accine o pens fo r cl inical t r ial o n hum ansOxfo rd Univ ers ity’ s co ro nav irus v accine o pens fo r cl inical t r ial o n hum ans

ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford, is based on an adenovirus vaccine

vector and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Researchers have started screening healthy volunteers

(aged 18-55) for their upcoming trial in England’s Thames Valley.


The University of Oxford stated that its researchers working in an unprecedented vaccine development effort to

prevent COVID-19 have started screening healthy volunteers (aged 18-55) for their upcoming ChAdOx1 nCoV-19

vaccine trial in England’s Thames Valley.

The works on the vaccine is being conducted in collaboration with several partners including Rocky Mountain

Laboratories (NIH/NIAID), and the ‘CSIROxbridge Consortium’ led by Indian origin Principal Investigator Professor S.S.

Vasan of Australia’s science agency CSIRO.











125



29 Mar Abbo tt wins U.S . appro v al fo r test that can detect COVID-19 in fiv e m inutesAbbo tt wins U.S . appro v al fo r test that can detect COVID-19 in fiv e m inutes

Abbott Laboratories won U.S. marketing approval for a diagnostic test for the COVID-19 that can

deliver results within minutes and be used in physicians' offices and urgent care clinics, as well as

hospitals.>


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the approval under its Emergency Use Authorization.

Abbott said in a statement that it plans to begin distributing the test next week and will ramp up manufacturing to

50,000 tests per day.

The portable test will run on Abbott's ID NOW platform. It is the second test to be approved by the FDA that can be

used directly in physicians' offices and other community healthcare settings and promptly provide results to patients.

30 Mar Ho usto n ho spital f i rst in US to t ry co ro nav irus blo o d t ransfusio n therapyHo usto n ho spital f i rst in US to t ry co ro nav irus blo o d t ransfusio n therapy

The hospital has infused the blood of a patient, who has recovered from Covid-19, into a critically ill

patient, becoming the first medical facility in the country to try the experimental therapy.


The treatment was fast-tracked to the bedside over the weekend as the death toll in the pandemic caused by the

COVID-19soared to more than 2,000 people in the United States, including 34 in Texas.

The hope is that transfusing such plasma into a patient still fighting the virus may transfer the power of the antibodies

into healing, possibly life-saving therapy.










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7. Defence

01 Mar Turkey says i t destro yed ‘ chem ical warfare faci l i ty’ in Syr iaTurkey says i t destro yed ‘ chem ical warfare faci l i ty’ in Syr ia

Thirty-three Turkish soldiers were killed in an air strike by Russian-backed Syrian regime forces in the

Idlib region, the biggest Turkish military loss on the battlefield in recent years.


However, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on sources inside the war-torn country

Turkey instead hit a military airport in eastern Aleppo, where the monitoring group says there are no chemical

weapons.

As part of the agreement, Ankara set up 12 observation posts in the province but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s

forces backed by Russian airpower have pressed on with a relentless campaign to take back the region.

Turkey, which backs several rebel groups in Syria, and key regime ally Russia are trying to find a political solution to

the Syria conflict.

10 Mar IAF's fi rst wo m en fighter pi lo ts get 'Nari Shakt i Puraskar 'IAF's fi rst wo m en fighter pi lo ts get 'Nari Shakt i Puraskar '

The trio - Mohana Jitarwal, Avani Chaturvedi and Bhawana Kanth -was inducted into the IAF's fighter

squadron after the government decided to open fighter stream in the force for women on an

experimental basis. The three were first to be inducted into the squadron and conduct a solo flight in

MIG-21 in 2018.


The three were first to be inducted into the squadron and conduct a solo flight in MIG-21 in 2018. The three expressed

their desire to serve the nation and hoped to achieve more laurels in the forthcoming years.

Avani Chaturvedi completed her training in Hyderabad Air Force Academy. She has been posted to No. 23 Squadron

(Panthers), Suratgarh in Rajasthan and was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant in 2018.

Avani has earned an honorary Doctorate in 2018 conferred by Banasthali Vidyapeeth.

Bhawana Kanth, born in Bihar's Darbhanga, has completed her BE (Medical Electronics) from BMS College of

Engineering in Bengaluru.

She has been posted to No 3 Squadron (Cobras), Ambala in Haryana. She completed her fighter pilot training and got

commissioned in 2016.










127



10 Mar Lt G en KJS Dhil lo n to take charge as DG DIA, DCIDSLt G en KJS Dhil lo n to take charge as DG DIA, DCIDS

The 57-year-old Lt Gen Dhillon, who is from the 1983 batch of the Indian Military Academy, recently

handed over the charge of XV Corps to Lt Gen B S Raju. It is a department that comes under the Chief

of Defence Staff in the newly created Department of Military Affairs.


He will take charge as DG DIA and DCIDS, an organisation which is responsible for collating technical as well as human

intelligence for the three armed forces

The DIA is a nodal agency for all defence-related intelligence which collects information technically as well as through

satellites to safeguard the interest of the country.

The DIA was created in 2002 on recommendations of a Group of Ministers which looked into lapses leading to the

Kargil intrusion in 1999.

The DIA also forms part of the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), an umbrella of organisations which looks into the

infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

10 Mar In a fi rst , India figures o n arm s expo rters l istIn a fi rst , India figures o n arm s expo rters l ist

The latest data on global arms transfer by SIPRI shows that Indian arms imports have come down

significantly (by 32%) since 2015, indicating that the ‘Make in India’ initiative is gaining ground but the

country is still ranked as the world’s second biggest weapons buyers, just behind Saudi Arabia.>


Imports from the US have taken a huge dip in the past five years, with the data showing that Russia now accounts for

56% of arms supplies. In fact, the US no longer figures among the top three suppliers of arms to India.

After Russia, Israel at 14% and France at 12% are the major sources of weapons for India.

India’s biggest clients are Myanmar, which accounts for 46% of exports, Sri Lanka at 25% and Mauritius at 14%.

12 Mar ITBP chief to head BSF tem po rar i ly, Jo hri to take o v er as Madhya Pradesh DG PITBP chief to head BSF tem po rar i ly, Jo hri to take o v er as Madhya Pradesh DG P

ITBP Director General S S Deswal has been appointed the temporary head of the BSF, an order

issued by the Union Home Ministry. The Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh

had issued an order appointing Johri, a 1984-batch IPS officer, the new Director General of Police.


The MP government has also shifted incumbent DGP V K Singh to the Sports and Youth Welfare Department as its

director.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had issued an order on

approving the proposal of the home ministry for repatriation of Johri to his parent cadre with an immediate effect.










128



21 Mar US successful ly tests nuclear-capable hyperso nic m issi leUS successful ly tests nuclear-capable hyperso nic m issi le

The US announced, it has successfully tested an unarmed prototype of a hypersonic missile, a

nuclear-capable weapon that could accelerate the arms race between superpowers. The Pentagon

said a test missile flew at hypersonic speeds -more than five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5, to

a designated impact point.


Hypersonic weapons can take missile warfare, particularly nuclear warfare, to a new and, for many, frightening level.

They can travel much faster than current nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles at low altitudes, can switch

direction in flight and do not follow a predictable arc like conventional missiles, making them much harder to track

and intercept. The joint Army-Navy test was carried out on March 19 from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai,

Hawaii.

The test was for the military's common-hypersonic glide body, or C-HGB weapon, designed to be launched from a

rocket that could be land-air- or sea-based.










129



8. Sports

01 Mar Djo ko v ic wins against Tsits ipas to claim fifth Dubai t i t leDjo ko v ic wins against Tsits ipas to claim fifth Dubai t i t le

Both players looked solid on serve early in the opening set before Djokovic turned the screw to break

in the eighth game with a searing crosscourt backhand winner


Novak Djokovic eased past Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-4 in the Dubai Tennis Championships title.

Djokovic has now won 21 straight matches, including 18 this season, having already lifted the inaugural ATP Cup with

Serbia and a record-extending eighth Australian Open title.

He also won the Dubai titles in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013respectively.

Novak Djokovic hails from Serbia.

02 Mar Khelo India Univ ers ity G am es | Panjab edges Pune, wins o v eral l t i t leKhelo India Univ ers ity G am es | Panjab edges Pune, wins o v eral l t i t le

While a bunch of records were broken, swimmers Siddhant Sejwal of Panjab and Pune’s Sadhvi, who

won five gold medals each, were adjudged the best.


Swimmers Siddhant Sejwal of Panjab and Pune’s Sadhvi, who won five gold medals each, were adjudged the best.

The other top performers included Harmila Bains, who completed the 800-1500m double, and long-distance runner

Narendra Pratap, winner of the long-distances double (5,000m & 10,000m).

Weightlifter Sanket Mahadev Sargar was also impressive as he broke the National Record in the men's 55kg with a total

lift of 244 while winning gold.

Olympian Dutee Chand, the biggest name at the Games here, set a new National University record on way to the 100m

crown and followed it up with a top finish in the 200m.










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03 Mar Internat io nal Archer Jyo thi Surekha creates new reco rdsInternat io nal Archer Jyo thi Surekha creates new reco rds

By scoring 709 out of 720 points, she created a new national record in the world cup selection trials.

The archer has been selected for participation in the Archery World Cup Stage 2 to be conducted in

May at Antalya of Turkey.


The world cup selection trials were conducted in Haryana.

In the selection trials held at Sonepat of Haryana for the World Cup, Ms Surekha secured 12 out of 12 points and was

ranked 1.

She also scored 1,411 against 1,440 in the double fifty round and secured the world’s second-highest score after 1412

by Toja Ellison of the U.S.

09 Mar India's Fed Cup team wins o v er Indo nesiaIndia's Fed Cup team wins o v er Indo nesia

The Indian Fed Cup team created history on Saturday night by progressing to the playoffs for the first

time ever with Ankita Raina leading the side to a 2-1 win over Indonesia in Dubai. The Indian women’s

tennis team had entered a territory never explored by its predecessors-a place in the Fed Cup

playoffs.


She recorded a win against talented Aldila Sutjiadi to lock the tie 1-1 after Rutuja Bhosale suffered a crushing defeat to

an unranked Priska Madelyn Nugroho.

She then combined with Sania Mirza to beat Sutziyadi and Nugroho 7-6(4), 6-0 to seal India's place in the play-offs

where they will take on either Latvia or the Netherlands.

09 Mar Jo hnny Brav o claim s G uindy G rand PrixJo hnny Brav o claim s G uindy G rand Prix

The Neil Darashah-trained Jonny Brovo looked good among six contenders in the Guindy Grand Prix

(Grace-3) 1600 metres, a term for horses 3-years-old only and the feature event of the races held at

Mumbai Race Course on Sunday.


The other winners in the same match were as follows:

BOURBON PLATE-EPISTOIARY trained by P. Krishna.

BOURBON KING PLATE- PROTEA trained by P. Krishna.

ECLIPSE PLATE- AGNES trained by Mandanna.

TUDOR JET PLATE - MAGNIFICENT STAR trained by Sebastian.

M. CT. M. CHIDAMBARAM CHETTIAR MEMORIAL CUP - KING T’CHALA trained by Fazal-Ul-Rehman.

T. NAGAR PLATE - ACTIVE trained by Raza Shehzad.










131



09 Mar Manpreet S ingh and Rani Ram pal players o f the yearManpreet S ingh and Rani Ram pal players o f the year

The captains capped an eventful 2019 as Hockey India Player of the Year and Harbinder Singh was

honoured for his lifetime contribution to the game at the 3rd annual Hockey India Awards.


The upcoming players of the year Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami got ₹10 lakh each while individual award

winners got ₹5 lakh each.

Players of the year received a cash prize of ₹25 lakh each, certificate and a trophy, Harbinder was handed a cheque for

₹30 lakh.

Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award- Harbinder Singh World Games Athlete of the Year- Rani Rampal FIH

Men’s Player of the Year- Manpreet Singh FIH Men’s Rising Star of the Year- Vivek sagar FIH Women’s Rising Star of the

Year- Lalremsiami.

10 Mar Asian O lym pic Qualifiers : S im aranj it , Mary Ko m , Am it Panghal earns O lym pic q uo taAsian O lym pic Qualifiers : S im aranj it , Mary Ko m , Am it Panghal earns O lym pic q uo ta

In 2020, India equalled their highest boxing quota tally of eight in Asian Olympic Qualifiers. They had

also achieved a tally of 8 in 2012 for the London Olympics.


MC Mary Kom qualified for the Tokyo Olympics beating Irish Magno of Philippines in a unanimous 5-0 verdict at the

Asia/Oceania Olympic qualifier in Amman, Jordan

The six-time world champion, who failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Games, has moved up from her favourite 48kg to

51kg for Tokyo.

Men’s 52kg boxer Amit Panghal qualified for his maiden Olympics.

Simranjit Kaur (60 kg) defeated Namuun Monkhor of Mongolia 5-0 in the quarters to book her Tokyo spot.

10 Mar PV S indhu wins 'BBC Indian Spo rtswo m an o f the Year ' awardPV S indhu wins 'BBC Indian Spo rtswo m an o f the Year ' award

Sindhu competed with four other strong nominees, namely Mary Kom (boxing), Vinesh Phogat

(wrestling), Dutee Chand (athletics) and Manasi Joshi (para-badminton). PT Usha gets lifetime

achievement award.


On the occasion of International Women’s Day, legendary athlete P.T. Usha has bestowed the Lifetime Achievement

Award.

The BBC award ceremony was held in New Delhi and was attended by several sportspersons, influencers and

sportswriters.

Sindhu is the first Indian badminton player (singles) to win an Olympic silver medal. Sindhu was 17 when she entered

the top 20 of the world rankings in 2012.










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11 Mar Vikas Kr ishan and S im ranj it Kaur enter finals o f Asian QualifiersVikas Kr ishan and S im ranj it Kaur enter finals o f Asian Qualifiers

M C Mary Kom and Amit Panghal, Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani signed off with bronze medals at

the Qualifiers in Amman. All the six boxers have already secured their tickets to the Olympic Games

by making the semifinals but Krishan and Kaur will come back with at least silver medals after

entering the finals.


The 28-year-old Krishan will face feisty Jordanian Eishaih Hussein, who sent Asian gold-medallist and top seed Bobo-

Usmon Baturov packing in a split decision.

Sachin Kumar (81kg) remained in the hunt for an Olympic berth by defeating Manh Cuong Nguyen of Vietnam 4-1 in

the first box-off.

Eight Indian boxers have qualified for the Tokyo Games at the ongoing event so far, making India the most successful

team here along with traditional powerhouse Kazakhstan.

12 Mar Jav el in thro wer Shiv pal q ual ifies fo r To kyo O lym pics , jo ins Neeraj Cho praJav el in thro wer Shiv pal q ual ifies fo r To kyo O lym pics , jo ins Neeraj Cho pra

Shivpal Singh crossed the qualifying standard of 85m by hurling the spear to a distance of 85.47m in

his fifth attempt to win gold in the Athletics Central North West League meet at Potchefstroom, South

Africa. The throw helped the 24year-old to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.


He is the second Indian javelin thrower to make the cut. Neeraj Chopra, the World No. 4 and the Commonwealth

Games and Asian Games champion, had qualified with an 87.86m effort in another ACNW League meet, also at

Potchefstroom, in late January. The entry standard for Tokyo is 85m.

National record holder Annu Rani, also an Asian silver-medallist who finished eighth in the Doha Worlds last year,

won the women’s event in the meet with a 61.15m effort.











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13 Mar Wo o ds to be inducted into G o lf’ s Hal l o f Fam eWo o ds to be inducted into G o lf’ s Hal l o f Fam e

The 44-year-old will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in December after the age of entry was lowered

from 50 to 45. Woods has bagged 15 Majors and has a joint record 82 titles on the PGA Tour.


Tiger Woods will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in its class of 2021.

He won the Zozo Championship last year by three shots to make golfing history after he saw off favourite Hideki

Matsuyama.

He won the Masters at Augusta last April for his 15th major, but first since winning the US Open in 2008.

15 Mar 2020 Lo ndo n Maratho n po stpo ned2020 Lo ndo n Maratho n po stpo ned

This year’s London Marathon, which was supposed to take place on April 24, has been postponed to

October 4 due to the global outbreak of coronavirus.


Runners may also choose to defer their entry to the 2021 race, which is scheduled for April 25 next year, on payment

of the entry fee for 2021

The organizers have said that every runner with a place will be able to use their place in the rescheduled event

without any further payment.

20 Mar Janani , Vr inda nam ed in Internat io nal Panel o f ICC Dev elo pm ent Um piresJanani , Vr inda nam ed in Internat io nal Panel o f ICC Dev elo pm ent Um pires

Tamil Nadu's Janani Narayanan and Vrinda Rathi of Mumbai are named in the international panel.

The announcement comes soon after the launch of 100% Cricket, a 12-month campaign to build on

the momentum of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.


A software engineer, Janani wrote her umpiring exams in 2015 before officiating in the TNCA league.

Vrinda, 31, is a former varsity player who has kept scores in international matches, has also been umpiring in Indian

domestic cricket from 2018. She was inspired to take up umpiring after watching retired woman umpire Kathy Cross of

New Zealand at the Women’s World Cup 2013.










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21 Mar PK Banerjee, Indian fo o tbal l legend, passes away at 83PK Banerjee, Indian fo o tbal l legend, passes away at 83

A revered figure in Indian football, Banerjee passed away in Kolkata. He captained the national team

and has won the gold medal in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.


He turned out for Railways as a player, he had successful coaching stints with the top clubs of Indian football

including Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

Also, Banerjee led India in the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he scored the equaliser against a formidable French team

in a 1-1 draw.

His contribution to Indian football was duly recognised by the world governing body FIFA that awarded him the

Centennial Order of Merit in 2004.

He also had an underlying history of Parkinson’s disease, dementia and heart problem.

25 Mar Olym pics po stpo ned, to be held latest by 2021 sum m erOlym pics po stpo ned, to be held latest by 2021 sum m er

The Games were scheduled for July 24-August 9, but after discussions between IOC president

Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a historic joint decision was taken for the first

postponement of an Olympics in peacetime.


A member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has claimed that the Olympic Games scheduled to be held in

the middle of this year have been postponed.

A senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dick Pound, claimed that the Tokyo Olympics have

been postponed and now a decision has to be taken to hold the Games' next year (in 2021).

It happened only thrice in the history of the Olympics when its actual schedule have had changed.










135



9. People

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONSAPPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

03 Mar S C G arg appo inted adv iso r to Andhra CM Jagan fo r reso urce m o bil isat io nS C G arg appo inted adv iso r to Andhra CM Jagan fo r reso urce m o bil isat io n

Garg has been assigned the rank of a Cabinet minister, according to an order issued by Principal

Secretary (Political) Praveen Prakash and will hold the post for two years.


The state government also appointed 2009-batch IAS officer Kartikeya Misra as special secretary for resource

mobilisation and institutional finance in the Finance Department. He will be in charge of new revenue-generating

projects taken up by various departments.

04 Mar Fo rm er G AIL chairm an BC Tr ipathi jo ins Essar O i l UK as bo ard m em berFo rm er G AIL chairm an BC Tr ipathi jo ins Essar O i l UK as bo ard m em ber

Essar in its statement said that Tripathi will drive the investment strategy and play a key role in

providing the strategic direction to EGFL.


GAIL chairman BC Tripathi has been appointed as chairman for Essar Exploration and Production Mauritius. The

executive will also hold a board member position in Essar Oil UK.

EEPLM, through its subsidiary Essar Oil & Gas Exploration & Production (EOGEPL), is India’s largest operator of

unconventional hydrocarbon acreages

EEPLM and EOUKL are key energy assets in ECL’s investment portfolio, together accounting for a substantial part of

EGFL’s energy exposure.










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04 Mar G o v ernm ent designates Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new Finance SecretaryG o v ernm ent designates Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new Finance Secretary

Pandey, a senior IAS officer with a BTech from IIT Kanpur and an MS and PhD in Computer Science

from University of Minnesota, spent more than nine years building Aadhaar.


Revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey has been designated as the new finance secretary, according to a Personnel

Ministry order.

He has been at the helm of significant taxation reforms, bringing in the simplification of taxation processes and

transparency through technology.

He succeeded Rajiv Kumar whose retirement was scheduled.

04 Mar Sridhar Venkatesh appo inted as new MD and VP fo r G SK IndiaSridhar Venkatesh appo inted as new MD and VP fo r G SK India

Sridhar Venkatesh is a senior business leader with more than 24 years of diverse experience in

pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Sridhar Venkatesh has been appointed as managing director and

VP of GSK India effective April 1.


He has been appointed as managing director and VP of GSK India effective April 1.

He will succeed Annaswamy Vaidheesh, who is set to retire from the company effective March 31, 2020.

He is a registered pharmacist with a master's in pharmacy.

GSK stands for GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals.

05 Mar SBI Life re-appo ints Sanjeev Naut iyal as MD, CEOSBI Life re-appo ints Sanjeev Naut iyal as MD, CEO

The re-appointment is subject to the approval of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of

India (IRDAI) and members of the company.


Currently, he holds the grade of Deputy Managing Director at State Bank of India and is deputed as Managing Director

and Chief Executive Officer of the SBI Life since March 10, 2018.

The re-appointment is subject to the approval of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)

and members of the company.

The SBI Life is headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra.










137



05 Mar Kisho re Biyani redesignated as no n-execut iv e VC at Future LifestyleKisho re Biyani redesignated as no n-execut iv e VC at Future Lifestyle

The re-designation of Kishore Biyanion Future group is based on the recommendations of the

nomination and the remuneration committee, the company said.


The Board, at its meeting, appointed him based on the recommendations of the Nomination and Remuneration

Committee, has inter-alia considered and approved the re-designation of Kishore Biyani, Managing Director of the

Company, as Non-Executive Vice Chairperson of the Company,

Since he has been appointed as Executive Chairman in Future Retail Limited and in view of applicable provisions of

the Companies Act, 2013, he would not be able to hold a position as Managing Director of the Company.

07 Mar Anurag S r iv astav a to replace Rav eesh Kum ar as MEA spo kesperso nAnurag S r iv astav a to replace Rav eesh Kum ar as MEA spo kesperso n

Anurag Srivastava is currently serving as the Indian ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union. A

formal announcement of his succession is expected to be made soon.


He is from the 1999 batch of the Indian Foreign Service.

Raveesh Kumar is expected to be India’s new ambassador to Croatia.

Subramanyam Jaishankar is the Minister of External Affairs.

Shri Harsh Vardhan Singha is the secretary of Minister of External Affairs.

07 Mar Prashant Kum ar takes charge as Yes Bank adm inist rato rPrashant Kum ar takes charge as Yes Bank adm inist rato r

The private sector lender was on Thursday placed under a moratorium, with the RBI capping deposit

withdrawals at Rs 50,000 per account for a month and superseding its board.


Department of Financial Services and the RBI directed Prashant Kumar to take charge as the Yes Bank administrator.

He has been appointed as the Administrator by the Reserve Bank of India under Section 36ACA(2) of the Banking

Regulation Act, 1949, has taken charge with effect from today.

Prashant Kumar has worked as the CFO of State Bank Of India.










138



15 Mar Bil l G ates ex its M icro so ft bo ardBil l G ates ex its M icro so ft bo ard

Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates stepped down from the board on Friday to focus on

philanthropic work related to global health, education and climate change.


Mr Gates quit his full-time executive role at Microsoft in 2008 and remained as chairman of the board till 2014.

Bill Gates and his wife Melinda run one of the world’s largest charities, the Gates Foundation, which has billions in

assets and funds global health programmes to combat disease and poverty.

Bill Gates is the founder of Microsoft and was the richest person in the world.

16 Mar NCP’ s Narhari Z irwal elected deputy speakerNCP’ s Narhari Z irwal elected deputy speaker

Three-time NCP MLA, Zirwal was elected unopposed as Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

> He represents the tribal constituency of Dindori in the Nashik district.


Known to have a good grasp of agricultural and tribal issues, he is said to be a close confidant of Deputy Chief

Minister Ajit Pawar.

He was one of the NCP MLAs who had accompanied Mr. Ajit Pawar when the latter switched sides and joined hands

with Devendra Fadnavis to be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.

He was elected unopposed in the elections.











139



16 Mar Baseer Ahm ad Khan, IAS , appo inted as Jam m u and Kashm ir adv iserBaseer Ahm ad Khan, IAS , appo inted as Jam m u and Kashm ir adv iser

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) accorded sanction to the appointment of Khan, serving as a

divisional commissioner Kashmir, as an adviser to Lt. Governor G.C Murmu. He would assist the

Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of J&K in the effective discharge of his functions.


Mr Khan, who was given an extension in 2019, proved an effective officer for the Centre during the run-up to the

revocation of J&K’s special status in August 2019.

He will be the fourth advisor to the Jammu Kashmir lieutant on the orders of the governor G C Murmu.

This order was passed by the Deputy Secretary of Home Affairs Anandi Venkateswaran.

17 Mar Lifestyle Internat io nal appo ints fo rm er Fl ipkart to p execut iv e R ishi Vasudev as CEOLifestyle Internat io nal appo ints fo rm er Fl ipkart to p execut iv e R ishi Vasudev as CEO

Lifestyle International Pvt. Ltd, part of Dubai-based hospitality conglomerate Landmark Group

appoints Vasudev as the chief executive officer for Lifestyle and Home Centre.


Vasudev comes with expertise and experience in managing large businesses and will drive the brands’ business

success through a people-first lens, in-line with the company’s ambitious growth plans in the coming years.

He will succeed Vasanth Kumar towards ensuring a seamless leadership transition. Kumar is transitioning from his full-

time role as Managing Director, effective June 30, 2020.

Lifestyle said he also has expertise in mentoring high profile teams, leveraging technology and innovation, whilst

transforming challenges into opportunities.

Vasudev will drive the brands’ business success through a people-first lens, in-line with the company’s ambitious

growth plans in the coming years.

Vasudev has served as the CEO of Calvin Klein and the Senior Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer for Arrow, Gant

and Izod at Arvind Brands.

17 Mar DXC Techno lo gy appo ints Nachiket Sukhtankar as MDDXC Techno lo gy appo ints Nachiket Sukhtankar as MD

He will be handling the company’s business operations in India with immediate effect and will report

to Vinod Bagal, executive vice president, Global Transformation, at DXC.


He has 25 years of experience in business strategy, management and leadership at both the regional and global levels.

He has worked in the technology and IT services sector with TCS, Infosys and, most recently, Accenture.

DXC Technology is an American multinational corporation that provides B2B IT services.

He will work to improve DXC’s business leadership and competitive position in India and help define and implement

the company’s global delivery and innovation center strategy, in support of DXC’s focus on the enterprise technology

stack.










140



18 Mar Lo ckheed Mart in nam es Jam es Taiclet as new CEOLo ckheed Mart in nam es Jam es Taiclet as new CEO

Taiclet (59), a board member at Lockheed since 2018, has most recently led the real estate

investment trust American Tower, previously working as Honeywell. He will replace Marillyn

Hewson.


He will begin to resume his role as the CEO on June 15, 2020.

Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technologies company

with worldwide interests.

Under Hewson's leadership, Lockheed stock has gained more than three-fold. The growing demand for the F-35

fighter jet program and other military contracts that grew due to increased U.S. defense spending under President

Donald Trump.

Hewson will serve as executive chairman, subject to her reelection at the upcoming annual meeting.

18 Mar Ex -G o v erno r Zurfi nam ed new Iraq i PMEx -G o v erno r Zurfi nam ed new Iraq i PM

Mr. Zurfi, who served as Governor of the predominantly Shi’ite Najaf province during the U.S.

occupation after the fall of Saddam Hussein, is head of the small Nasr parliamentary group of former

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a U.S. ally.


Mr. Zurfi, who lived in the U.S. as a refugee in the 1990s after fleeing Saddam, is seen as a comparatively secular figure

in a country long dominated by sectarian parties.

He is tasked with forming a government within 30 days.

He is the second politician Mr. Salih has tapped to try to form a government since Adel Mahdi announced his

resignation.

President Barham Salih had named Mr. Zurfi after rival Shi’ite political parties failed to decide on a successor to Adel

Abdul Mahdi, who resigned in November 2019.

19 Mar All 5 Rajya Sabha candidates in West Bengal elected uno ppo sedAll 5 Rajya Sabha candidates in West Bengal elected uno ppo sed

Trinamool Congress candidates Arpita Ghosh, Dinesh Trivedi, Subrata Bakshi, and Mausam Noor,

and CPI(M)'s Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, backed by the Congress, was declared elected.


After TMC-backed Independent candidate, Dinesh Bajaj's nomination was canceled due to technical reasons on a

revoting was conducted.

Elections were necessitated as the seats were falling vacant next month.

Secretary of West Bengal Assembly and Returning Officer for the Rajya Sabha Elections of West Bengal, Avijit Som

announced this after the expiry of timing for withdrawal of nominations.










141



20 Mar Fo rm er CJI Ranjan G o go i takes o ath as Rajya Sabha m em berFo rm er CJI Ranjan G o go i takes o ath as Rajya Sabha m em ber

Gogoi was nominated by President Ram Nath Kovind to the Upper House on March 16. The vacancy

had arisen after KTS Tulsi completed his term.


Gogoi is the first chief justice to become a nominated member of the House. Justice (retd) Ranganath Mishra was

elected to the Upper House as a Congress member.

The nomination of the former chief justice, who retired four months ago on November 17, 2019, has stirred

controversy as the opposition has alleged that this appeared to be a quid pro quo for some of his judgements.

This is the first time that the opposition has protested against any member taking oath in Parliament.

22 Mar G o Air appo ints av iat io n secto r v eteran Sanj iv Kapo o r as i ts adv iso rG o Air appo ints av iat io n secto r v eteran Sanj iv Kapo o r as i ts adv iso r

Kapoor will advise GoAir on important business and government matters. Kapur has also been

associated in the past with SpiceJet, as their COO and Vistara Airlines as their chief strategy and

commercial officer.


GoAir's current chief executive officer Vinay Dube too had initially been roped in as an advisor by the budget carrier,

which keeps witnessing exit from the top deck at frequent intervals.

The industry veteran had completed his stint in Vistara in December 2019. His stint of four years was when the joint

venture airline between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines airline grew aggressively, both its fleet and network. Vistara

also launched its international operations.











142



24 Mar Shiv raj S ingh Cho uhan swo rn-in as Chief M inister o f Madhya PradeshShiv raj S ingh Cho uhan swo rn-in as Chief M inister o f Madhya Pradesh

The oath was administered by Governor Lalji Tandon at 9 p.m. Shivraj Singh Chouhan warns workers

against celebrations, says priority to contain coronavirus outbreak.


Kamal Nath, who resigned as the Chief Minister on March 20, met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi and

briefed her on the political turmoil in the State.

Mr Chouhan was elected unopposed as the leader of the BJP Legislative Party paving the way for his appointment as

Chief Minister.

He resumed his office as Chief-Minister, he has been serving as the CM of MP from past 15 years.

25 Mar IndusInd Bank appo ints Sum ant Kathpal ia as Managing Directo r and CEOIndusInd Bank appo ints Sum ant Kathpal ia as Managing Directo r and CEO

Kathpalia Iis appointed as the MD and CEO with effect from March 24 for a period of three years. The

appointment was announced as Romesh Sobti retired as the MD & CEO of the Bank on Monday after

a 12-year stint.


Sumant Kathpalia's appointment as Managing Director & CEO shall be placed for approval of the shareholders at the

ensuing Annual General Meeting

Kathpalia is a career banker with over three decades of experience in large multi-national banks such as Citibank,

Bank of America and ABN AMRO, including his stint as Head - Consumer Banking in Indusind Bank. He has experience

across diverse functions, including business strategy, sales and distribution, operations, systems, risk and credit

management, and financial management. Sumant Kathpalia is a Chartered Accountant, and a commerce graduate

from Hindu College, Delhi University

25 Mar Shiv raj S ingh Cho uhan go v t . wins t rust v o te in MP Assem blyShiv raj S ingh Cho uhan go v t . wins t rust v o te in MP Assem bly

The Shivraj Singh government in Madhya Pradesh secured the trust of 112 MLAs, including the

legislators of the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and two Independents, in the

Vidhan Sabha on March 24 to pass the trust vote.


He moved a confidence motion in the House, which was unanimously passed. The 92 Congress MLAs were not

present at the session, which was adjourned to March 27 after the vote.

BSP MLAs Rambai Parihar and Sanjeev Kushwah, independents Surendra Singh Shera and Rana Vikram Singh and SP

MLA Rajesh Shukla, also voted in favour of Mr Chouhan.

Earlier Kamal Nath was the chief minister of MP who was ousted after 16 MLAs resigned.








https://www.business-standard.com/category/finance-news-banks-1030101.htm



143



25 Mar Anand Mam ani elected as Karnataka Deputy SpeakerAnand Mam ani elected as Karnataka Deputy Speaker

Mr. Mamani’s election took place following the resignation of Krishna Reddy of the Janata Dal (S) last

week. He holds a B.Com degree. and represents the Saudatti Legislative Assembly constituency in

Belagavi district.


Mr. Reddy resigned from office after the ruling BJP proposed to move a no-confidence motion against him.

Ramesh Kumar and Mr Reddy, who assumed office as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker soon after the H D

Kumaraswamy government formed in 2018.

The ruling BJP has its own elected members assume office - Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri as Speaker and Mr Mamani as

Deputy Speaker.

28 Mar Vedanta appo ints Duggal as inter im CEOVedanta appo ints Duggal as inter im CEO

Vedanta Ltd. has appointed Sunil Duggal, CEO, HZL as Interim CEO of the company as Srinivasan

Venkatakrishnan will be stepping down as CEO and director of the company with effect from April 5.


The board also welcomed and appointed Anil Agarwal as the non-executive chairman of Vedanta Limited. Navin

Agarwal will be the executive vice-chairman of the Board.

The company will be run by a management committee comprising CEO, CFO, CHRO and CCO who will take all key

decisions collectively under the guidance of chairman

28 Mar RBI Deputy G o v erno r gets ex tensio nRBI Deputy G o v erno r gets ex tensio n

B.P. Kanungo, Deputy Governor of RBI, is given a one-year extension of service by the Central

Government on 27th March 2020. His extension will be effective from April 2, 2020.


A notification was issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) after the Appointments Committee of

the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal for granting an extension of

service.

He joined the RBI in September 1982 and has worked in several functional areas of the bank including exchange

management, banking and non-banking supervision, currency management, government and bank accounts.










144



30 Mar Anil Agarwal replaces bro ther , fo r 1st t im e takes bo ard po sit io n o n VedantaAnil Agarwal replaces bro ther , fo r 1st t im e takes bo ard po sit io n o n Vedanta

Agarwal has been appointed "as the non-executive chairman of Vedanta Ltd. He replaces his brother

Navin, who will now be the Executive Vice Chairman of the Board.


The Indian flagship Vedanta Ltd houses its oil and gas, aluminium, power, iron ore, steel and copper business.

The changes followed chief executive officer S Venkatakrishnan resignation. He was replaced by Sunil Duggal, current

head of Vedanta unit Hindustan Zinc Ltd.

Agarwal took Vedanta Resources private after paying more than USD 1 billion for the one third of the metals firm that

he didn't already own.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONSAWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS











145



11 Mar Visual ly im paired student creates histo ryVisual ly im paired student creates histo ry

Haroon Kareem writes the SSLC exam on a computer at Mankada center without a scribe’s support.

He became the first student in Kerala to write the SSLC examination on the computer.


Haroon, his friends, family and teachers were on cloud nine as he surmounted many technical hurdles to write the

examination on the computer in spite of his total blindness.

He had studied at a blind school at Mankada until Class 7. From Class 8, he left Braille and strived to take notes and

write exams on the laptop.

His close friend Athira used to help him by drawing diagrams and pictures on his hand whenever the teacher drew

one on the blackboard.

16 Mar Vikto r Axelsen wins Al l England m en’ s s ingles t i t leVikto r Axelsen wins Al l England m en’ s s ingles t i t le

Viktor Axelsen got the better of Chou Tien Chen of 21-13, 21-14 to win the title. The 26-year-old

second seed, the first Danish man to win the prestigious tournament since Peter Gade in 1999.


Yuki Fukushima & Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) beat Du Yue & Li Yin Hui (Chn) by 21-13, 21-15 in Women's Mixed Doubles.

Praveen Jordan & Melati Daeva Oktavianti (Ina) beat Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) 21-15,

17-21, 21-8 in mixed doubles.

20 Mar Barry Jo hn ho no red with META, Lifet im e Achiev em ent AwardBarry Jo hn ho no red with META, Lifet im e Achiev em ent Award

Barry John will be remembered as the implacable boss of Massey, the eager-to-please babu, in the

film, Massey Sahib (1985), set in British India. He is awarded The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre

Award (META).


Barry John’s acting, or take the full measure of his contribution to the performing arts in India, you have to see him

not on film but on stage. In 1993, the British-born Indian theatre director and actor was honoured with the Sangeet

Natak Akademi Award.

In the Delhi of the 1970s, Barry found his groove and his milieu. You could say he built it, not an easy thing to do in a

city that since the 1960s had given itself over to the epic spectacles staged by the great Ebrahim Alkazi of the National

School of Drama (NSD) in the Indian tradition.

OBITUARYOBITUARY










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02 Mar Dro nacharya awardee athlet ics co ach Jo ginder S ingh Saini diesDro nacharya awardee athlet ics co ach Jo ginder S ingh Saini dies

He was the chief coach of the Indian athletics team which won 18 medals, including eight golds, at the

1978 Asian Games. He was some of India’s finest track and field stars till date.


Veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee Joginder Singh Saini, who groomed some of India’s finest track and

field stars.

Born on January 1, 1930 in Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, Saini was a science graduate and became an athletics coach

in 1954 after completing a diploma in physical education and a course in coaching at the NIS Patiala.

Saini received the Dronacharya Award in 1997 for his contribution to Indian athletics.

02 Mar Fo rm er India ho ckey player and O lym pic bro nze m edall ist Balbir S ingh Kul lar diesFo rm er India ho ckey player and O lym pic bro nze m edall ist Balbir S ingh Kul lar dies

He was also a member of the Indian team that won the Asian Games gold in 1966 (Bangkok) and the

Olympic bronze in 1968 (Mexico). Balbir was also part of the gold medal winning Indian team in 1966

Bangkok Asian Games.


Kullar made his India debut in 1963 in Lyon in France. He gained the reputation as an inside forward in the Indian

team and toured several countries like Belgium, England, the Netherlands, New Zealand and West Germany.

He also served as an Indian national team selector.

03 Mar Jack Welch, legendary fo rm er G E chairm an and CEO diesJack Welch, legendary fo rm er G E chairm an and CEO dies

Welch grew General Electric Co during the 1980s and 1990s into the most valuable public company in

the United States and saw great growth and expansion under Jack Welch's leadership.


Welch was also known as "Neutron Jack" for cutting thousands of jobs and sold scores of businesses, expanding the

industrial giant into financial services and consulting.

In 1999, Fortune named him the "Manager of the Century," and the Financial Times named him one of the three most

admired business leaders in the world.

He died at the age of 84 in the United States.










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08 Mar Veteran DMK leader K Anbazhagan passes awayVeteran DMK leader K Anbazhagan passes away

Anbazhagan was the party's general secretary for 43 years and was not keeping well for some time

due to age-related ailments and was admitted to the Apollo Hospitals on February 24 after his health

conditions deteriorated, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M K Stalin said.


All the DMK programmes were postponed for a week following his death. He died due to age-related ailments.

He was a close ally of the party founder Karunanidhi.

Anbazhagan has been MLA for 9 times and also he was the party's general secretary for 43 years.

Anbazhagan had also served as the Tamil Nadu finance minister and minister of public welfare.

17 Mar 21-year-o ld fo o tbal l co ach Francisco G arcia dies fro m Co ro nav irus21-year-o ld fo o tbal l co ach Francisco G arcia dies fro m Co ro nav irus

Francisco Garcia, who worked with Atletico Portada Alta, was suffering from leukemia which made

him vulnerable against the pandemic and he was taken to the hospital with severe coronavirus

symptoms.


Valencia CF’s defender Ezequiel Garay has become the first La Liga player to test positive for coronavirus.

Spanish football league La Liga has already been suspended for at least two weeks in an attempt to prevent further

spread of the virus.

There have been 309 deaths related to the coronavirus in Spain, which has been in a state of emergency since

Saturday night.

20 Mar Fo rm er wo rld cham pio n bo xer Ro ger Mayweather passes awayFo rm er wo rld cham pio n bo xer Ro ger Mayweather passes away

Mayweather, a two-time world champion turned trainer and uncle of unbeaten boxing great Floyd

Mayweather, has died at the age of 58. He had struggled with diabetes, won world titles in super

featherweight and super lightweight categories.


Roger Mayweather, who had struggled with diabetes, won world titles in super featherweight and super lightweight.

He was part of one of boxing's most famous families as the uncle of superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr., whom he trained

for much of his career, and the brother of former pro fighters and trainers Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Jeff Mayweather.

Roger Mayweather, a longtime Las Vegas resident originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, boxed professionally from

1981 to 1999 and won world titles as a junior lightweight and junior welterweight.










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23 Mar Fo rm er Real Madrid president dies after co ntract ing co ro nav irusFo rm er Real Madrid president dies after co ntract ing co ro nav irus

Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, who was hospitalised with coronavirus, died at the age

of 76, his son announced. Sanz was in charge of the Spanish giants from 1995-2000, overseeing two

Champions League titles.


Lorenzo Sanz claimed a place on the Real Madrid board in the mid-1980s when the president was Ramon Mendoza.

He replaced Ramon Mendoza as president in 1995.

Sanz was ousted as president by Florentino Perez, who opened a new era at the club, adding five more Champions

Leagues in two decades.

He had been admitted to a Madrid hospital after suffering the symptoms of the coronavirus which has killed more

than 1,320 people in Spain.

25 Mar Aster ix ’ co -creato r Albert Uderzo passes awayAster ix ’ co -creato r Albert Uderzo passes away

Uderzo created Asterix in 1959 with the fellow Frenchman and writer Rene Goscinny, who brought

them to life in the French-Belgian comics magazine Pilote.


He died in his sleep at his home in Neuilly, a commune west of Paris after being “extremely tired for the past several

weeks.

The series founded by Uderzo sold more than 370 million albums worldwide and has been translated into more than

100 languages.

Albert Uderzo, a French illustrator he was the creator of the beloved comic series ‘Adventures of Asterix’.











149



26 Mar Nem ai G ho sh, Satyaj i t Ray's 'pho to -bio grapher ', dies at 87Nem ai G ho sh, Satyaj i t Ray's 'pho to -bio grapher ', dies at 87

Ghosh, better known as Satyajit Ray’s favourite photographer is most known for chronicling the life

and works of Satyajit Ray through his lenses.


He is most known for chronicling the life and works of Satyajit Ray through his lenses.

Besides, he also worked with two other master auteur of Indian ‘new wave’ cinema Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen.

He also started working with Ray from the iconic film Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969) and worked with him until Ray’s

last film, Agantuk (1991).

He was 87 and has been awarded Padma Shri in 2010.

27 Mar Michel Hidalgo , who co ached France to Euro 1984 glo ry, diesMichel Hidalgo , who co ached France to Euro 1984 glo ry, dies

Hidalgo coached the national team from 1976-84 and led host France to its first major title at Euro

1984 with midfielder Michel Platini scoring nine goals.


Hidalgo coached France in 75 games, behind only Raymond Domenech and current coach Didier Deschamps.

During his playing days from 1952-66, Hidalgo was an attacking midfielder who scored regularly for Le Havre, Reims

and Monaco.

He won French titles and French Cups as a player and scored in the European Cup final when Reims lost to Real

Madrid 4-3 in 1956.

He put his club ahead 3-2 after the Spanish team rallied from a 2-0 deficit.

28 Mar Reno wned painter and architect , Sat ish G ujral passes away at 94Reno wned painter and architect , Sat ish G ujral passes away at 94

Gujral beat all odds of hearing impairment to garner international recognition for his creativity that

spanned painting, graphics, murals, sculpture, and architecture.


Gujral’s works traversed multiple modes and moorings and, over the decades, he drew inspiration from deities, the

edifice of tribal forms, the gravitas of geometrical projections, animals as well as humans, to create a repertoire that

entwined multiple references for his paintings as well as his sculptures.

One of his finest shows was Metamorphosis at the Lalit Kala Akademi in 2008. Other than his dulcet

drawings done on a straw-coloured archival paper, his sculptures were an odyssey of their own making.










150



28 Mar Brahm akum aris chief Dadi Janki passes awayBrahm akum aris chief Dadi Janki passes away

Rajyogini Dadi Janki, the chief of Brahmakumaris Sansthan, the world’s largest spiritual organization

run by women, passed away at the age of 104.


Her last rites will be performed on Friday at a ground located in Shanti Van campus of Brahmakumaris headquarters.

Rajyogini Dadi Janki was born on January 1, 1916, in Hyderabad city located in Sindh province now in Pakistan.

She had embraced the spiritual path at the age of 21. In the 1970s, she moved to western countries to establish Indian

philosophy, Raj Yoga and human values.

She had set up ‘Seva Kendras’ in 140 countries around the world. The chief administrators at 8,000 of such centres are

women.

28 Mar SP fo unding m em ber Beni Prasad Verm a diesSP fo unding m em ber Beni Prasad Verm a dies

The Rajya Sabha MP, Verma (79), was a founding member of the Samajwadi Party and former Union

minister who was considered close to party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.


The Rajya Sabha MP was not well for the past few days. He was admitted to a private hospital in Lucknow, where he

died around 7 pm.

Verma was the telecom minister between 1996-1998 in then prime minister H D Deve Gowda's cabinet and was the

steel minister in the Congress-led UPA government.

29 Mar Am erica’ s civ i l r ights leader Jo seph Lo wery (98) diesAm erica’ s civ i l r ights leader Jo seph Lo wery (98) dies

The Reverend Joseph Lowery, a key ally of Martin Luther King in the U.S. civil rights movement of the

1960s and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honour, by

President Barack Obama in 2009.>


Lowery was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honour, by President Barack

Obama in 2009, a few months after he had given the benediction at Obama's inauguration.

Lowery was a former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an Atlanta-based civil rights

organization formed in 1957 by Martin Luther King Jr.

Lowery served 20 years as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.










151



30 Mar Princess Maria Teresa o f Spain beco m es first ro yal to die fro m COVID-19Princess Maria Teresa o f Spain beco m es first ro yal to die fro m COVID-19

Princess Teresa's death comes weeks after King Felipe VI of Spain tested negative for the virus.

Prince Charles became the first British royal to be tested positive for the coronavirus.


According to People magazine, Born on July 28, 1933, Princess Maria Teresa studied in France and became a professor

at Paris' Sorbonne as well as a professor of Sociology at Madrid's Complutense University.

She was known for her outspoken views and activist work, which led to her nickname the Red Princess.

30 Mar G erm an Minister ends l i fe after ‘ v irus cr is is wo rr ies ’G erm an Minister ends l i fe after ‘ v irus cr is is wo rr ies ’

Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germany's Hesse state, has ended his life after becoming

“deeply worried” over how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus.>


Hesse is home to Germany's financial capital Frankfurt, where major lenders like Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank

have their headquarters.

The European Central Bank is also located in Frankfurt, Germany.Schaefer belonged to Merkel's centre-right CDU

party.











152



30 Mar Veteran academ ician, S .V. Chit t ibabu passes away at 100Veteran academ ician, S .V. Chit t ibabu passes away at 100

Mr Chittibabu headed the State government-constituted commission to prescribe fee structure and

minimum infrastructure facilities for private schools following the death of 96 children in a school fire

in Kumbakonam in 2004. >


He was the former Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University and Annamalai University had also served as Vice

Chairman of the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education.

Mr Chittibabu is also the founder of the Tamil Nadu History Congress.

Mr Chittibabu formed the congress in 1994 and for 10 years he held the post, said general secretary S. S. Sundaram.

30 Mar Arjun Dev , a legendary histo r ian passes awayArjun Dev , a legendary histo r ian passes away

Prof. Arjun spent his academic life working as a historian at the National Council of Educational

Research and Training (NCERT) and wrote a number of extremely popular textbooks for the NCERT

on Modern and Contemporary India and the World.


Prof. Arjun had collaborated in the effort to get some of the tallest professional historians India had produced since

Independence, to write textbooks for school-going children.

This was as an effort conceived since the late 1960s to create modern, scientific textbooks, to replace the ones that

had continued from colonial times with their colonial and communal bias.

After retiring from the NCERT, Prof. Arjun took up another major enterprise, the Towards Freedom Project of the

Indian Council of Historical Research.

31 Mar PM co ndo les dem ise o f Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Chandan S ingh Ratho rePM co ndo les dem ise o f Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Chandan S ingh Ratho re

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has condoled the demise of Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Chandan

Singh Rathore. “India will always remember the impeccable service of Air Vice Marshal (Retd.


During the war with Pakistan, he was in the forefront of the air operations conducted for the liberation of Bangladesh.

Group Captain Chandan Singh was also responsible for the planning and execution of the special helicopter

operations to airlift two companies of troops of the Sylhet area.

The leadership, drive and determination coupled with the bravery shown by Group Captain Chandan Singh over an

extended period of time, are in the highest traditions of the Air Force.










153



OTHERSOTHERS

16 Mar Ezeq uiel G aray beco m es first Liga player kno wn to hav e COVID-19Ezeq uiel G aray beco m es first Liga player kno wn to hav e COVID-19

Spain had recorded 6,391 cases and 196 deaths. Real Madrid's professional football and basketball

squads were placed in quarantine on Thursday after a player from the basketball team tested

positive for COVID-19.


Garay was in the stands on Tuesday for the Champions League round-of-16 second leg match behind closed doors at

the Mestalla where Valencia lost 4-3 to Atalanta.

Barcelona has suspended all activity until further notice.

La Liga has since suspended all league fixtures for two weeks while clubs have closed down their training grounds and

instructed players to train alone from home.

26 Mar Prince Charles tests po sit iv e fo r co ro nav irusPrince Charles tests po sit iv e fo r co ro nav irus

The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus, Clarence House said. The

Prince and his wife, Camilla, are self-isolating at home in Scotland.


Charles, the Prince of Wales is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth, is 71 years old.

The Duchess of Cornwall his wife has also been tested but does not have the virus.

It is still uncertain that from where the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried

out in his public role during recent weeks.

Prince Charles is the heir apparent to the throne of England.










154



26 Mar IIT Bo m bay INSPIRE fel lo w dev elo ping q uantum chem istry based so ftware useful fo rIIT Bo m bay INSPIRE fel lo w dev elo ping q uantum chem istry based so ftware useful fo r

radiat io n therapyradiat io n therapy

Kumar Dutta from IIT Bombay along with his research group is working to develop new methods for

quantum chemistry and implement them in an efficient and free software to study electron

attachment to aqueous DNA which has big implications in radiation therapy-based treatment of

cancer.


Dr Dutta’s research group in IIT Bombay is a collaboration of chemists, computer scientists, and engineers who are

united towards a common goal of development of efficient quantum chemistry methods and free software, which can

be routinely used by scientists all over the globe to solve their chemistry problems.

The efficiency of these newly developed quantum chemistry methods allows the research group to solve the

Schrodinger equation for the attachment of electrons to DNA in the presence of the bulk aqueous environment.

This study can help in the development of a new class of radio-sensitizers, which makes tumor cells more sensitive to

radiation therapy and thereby protects the normal cells.

28 Mar UK PM Bo ris Jo hnso n tests co ro nav irus po sit iv eUK PM Bo ris Jo hnso n tests co ro nav irus po sit iv e

Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus after experiencing mild symptoms and is now self-

isolating at 10 Downing Street in line with the medical advice.


Boris Johnson now self-isolating but will continue to lead the government's response via video-conference as we fight

this virus.

Johnson has described his symptoms as mild, is leading the government’s response to the crisis, chairing meetings by

video conference.

The health minister, Matt Hancock, has also tested positive and is working from home.

Britain has reported 17,089 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,019 deaths.










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