Current Affairs - March 3, 2020 Current Affairs

The Indian Air Force (IAF) entered into an academic collaboration and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Savitribai Phule Pune University. The MoU aimed to establish a 'Chair of Excellence' at the Department of Defence & Strategic Studies.

Khelo India University Games Odisha concluded in Bhubaneswar on March 1. The University games concluded with a grand celebration. Panjab University and Savitribai Phule Pune University finished with 17 gold medals each. The former won 46 medals (19 silver, 10 bronze) as against the Pune contingent's 37 (11 silver, 9 bronze) to be crowned champions.

Silver Bears for best actor went to Italy's Elio Germano for Giorgio Diritti's "Hidden Away," a portrait of artist Antonio Ligabue.

Noted Konkani writer and theater personality Richard John Pais died on March 1 after a brief illness, family sources said. He was 51. He is survived by wife and two children.

Silver Bears for best actress went to Germany's Paula Beer for her role in Christian Petzold's Berlin-set love story "Undine" and Italy's Elio Germano for Giorgio Diritti's "Hidden Away," a portrait of artist Antonio Ligabue.

The Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) celebrated March 1 as the 44th "Civil Accounts Day". Since its inception, the ICAS has steadily grown in stature and now plays an important role in the management of public finances of the Union Government.

Hong Sang Soo snagged the Silver Bear for Best Director at this year's Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). The director attended the prestigious award ceremony together with actresses Kim Min Hee and Seo Young Hwa, the stars of his new film "The Woman Who Ran."

Khelo India University Games Odisha concluded in Bhubaneswar on March 1. The University games concluded with a grand celebration. Panjab University took home the champions trophy and Savitribai Phule Pune University bagged second position.

Ministry of Tourism revamped the multilingual Incredible India website design to provide more information about India's tourist destinations, attractions, experiences, and where the value lies.

Mharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's wife Rashmi Thackeray has been named as the new editor of Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamana. Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut continues to be the executive editor of the mouthpiece. Udhav Thackeray had resigned from the post of editor after becoming the CM. The change appeared in today's edition of Saamana.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to provide a total of $4 million (Rs.29 crore) to the Asia-Pacific countries. The bank aims to help developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to fight the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). ADB has also approved a further $2 million to help developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak. The bank also asked to improve resilience to COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.

The 70th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 20 February to 1 March 2020. It was the first under the leadership of new Berlin Film Festival heads, business administration director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian.

Shri Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), inaugurated the 'Pension Adalat' in Jammu. The Programme was organized by the Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, GoI. Pension Adalat was conducted outside Delhi for the first time.

The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2020 on 1 March. The fair aimed at calling talent in Agriculture.

Sharad Bobde on March 1 inaugurated a camp for distribution of artificial limbs to specially-abled persons. The seven-day camp has been organised by Mahaveer International Services, Nagpur and National Legal Services Authority. In his brief speech, CJI Bobde termed the event as an "occasion to celebrate humanity".

India won a $40 million defence deal to supply 4 indigenously-built weapons locating radars to Armenia in Europe. India won the deal by overtaking Russia and Poland. The move by GoI is to boost the defence sector of the country. The deal is a major achievement for the 'Make in India' programme in the defence sector.

Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India (SPMCIL) funded a sum of Rs.1 crore towards the National Sports Development Fund under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). The fund will be given for the top Indian athletes who are selected for the Tokyo Olympics and beyond. The company funded under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of the Company.

Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurated the "Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, Awareness, Marketing (EKAM) Fest". The fest is being held from 28 February to 6 March in New Delhi.

Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah inaugurated the National Security Guard (NSG) Regional Hub campus at Kolkata, West Bengal. It aims to provide adequate facilities to the brave NSG jawans. He also various welfare projects for NSG, amounting to over Rs. 245 crores, across Kolkata, Manesar, Chennai, and Mumbai. It will ensure to boost the capabilities of the force and raising the morale of the jawans.

Mohammed Rasoulof's Iranian drama There Is No Evil, a powerful rebuke to the brutal and repressive regime in Tehran, won the Golden Bear for best film at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.