Current Affairs - March 5, 2020 Current Affairs

Scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and IIT-Delhi received National Award for Young Women Showing Excellence through Application of Technology for Societal Benefits.

Luxembourg in Europe has become the first country to make all forms of public transport free. It is the second smallest country in the European Union.

Revenue Secretary Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey has been designated by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) as the Finance Secretary on March 3.An Electrical Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur, he joined the University of Minnesota in 1998 to obtain his MS and PhD in Computer Science and was later awarded Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals by the University of Minnesota for his outstanding leadership accomplishments in his professional career.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on March 3 said that his government has decided to pay Rs 900 per month to those farmers who will keep stray cattle at their houses.

The 35th edition of AAHAR-the Food and Hospitality fair began in New Delhi on 3 March. The fair will be held from 3-7 March 2020. The exhibition AAHAR will be open for business visitors from 10 am to 6 pm.

The government on March 4 approved a scheme for the amalgamation of 10 state-owned banks into four, putting to rest any doubts about a possible delay in the process. Effective from April 1, 2020, the balance sheets as well as stocks of these banks will be integrated, according to the scheme of amalgamation approved by the Union Cabinet.

Shri Sanjay Kumar Panda presently Consul General, Consulate General of India, San Francisco, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Turkey. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

Indian-American Seema Verma was appointed as a key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. It was constituted by US President Donald Trump. The appointment was of Seema Verma, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced by the US Vice President Mike Pence.

World Bank has unveiled a 12-billion-dollar aid package that will provide fast-track funds to help countries combat the coronavirus outbreak. World Bank President David Malpass told reporters that the goal is to provide fast, effective action that responds to country needs. 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.

India Pharma 2020 & India Medical Device 2020 Conference & Exhibition has been scheduled to be held at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat from 5-7 March 2020. The conference will be inaugurated by the Chemicals & Fertilizers Minister Shri Sadananda Gowda. The fifth edition is organized for the first time in Gujarat.

The Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched Phase II of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) (SBM(G)) at a National Dissemination and Consultation workshop on 4 March in New Delhi. The move comes after the approval of cabinet for the Phase II of the Mission is a great recognition to the signification achievements made under SBM (G) under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

India Pharma 2020 & India Medical Device 2020 Conference & Exhibition has been scheduled to be held at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat from 5-7 March 2020. The conference will be inaugurated by the Chemicals & Fertilizers Minister Shri Sadananda Gowda. The fifth edition is organized for the first time in Gujarat.

National Security Day or Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas is observed on 4 March every year in India. The day aims to appreciate the work of security forces as they play a major role in maintaining the peace and security of the people in the country. On this day, the leaders, officials, and people pay homage to the soldiers who died while saving the country. The day promotes the security forces that continuously work for the nation.

The European Commission's draft of the law mandates EU members to achieve "climate neutrality" -- net zero greenhouse emissions -- by 2050. It is seen in Brussels as the trigger to an economic revolution that will make Europe sustainable and meet the targets of the Paris climate accord.

Pragyan Conclave 2020 commenced on 4 March 2020 at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. It will be held on 4-5 March. The two-day Indian Army International Seminar is being organized by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). Aim: The event aims to bring together a cross-domain national and international experts to deliberate on the complex subject of Changing Characteristics of Land Warfare and its Impact on the Military.

The 68th All India Police Athletic Championship 2019-20 began at Bhanu in Panchkula District of Haryana on 3 March. The event was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju, who declared the meet open at the Basic Training Centre of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The Athletic Championship will be held from 3-7 March.

The famous Rangotsav celebration began on 3 March at Barsana in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The festival was inaugurated by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Andhra Pradesh govt. on March 4 cleared a proposal to develop the Bhogapuram International Airport near Visakhapatnam in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The Cabinet has decided to permit GMR Group to go ahead with the development of the airport.

Violence against women and girls is not only common, but widely accepted despite remarkable gains for them in education, a new UN report said, nearly 25 years after a key conference on advancing equal rights. The report by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), together with UN Women and the non-governmental organisation Plan International highlighted that in 2016, women and girls accounted for 70 per cent of detected trafficking victims globally, mostly involving sexual exploitation.

The Jharkhand government presented the Rs 85,000 crore budget for the financial year 2020-21.Presenting the budget, state finance minister Rameshwar Oraon announced Rs 5000 to Rs 7000 per annum assistance to unemployed graduate and post-graduate youth.

Former India spinner Sunil Joshi was named chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) in Mumbai A statement from BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said, the CAC also picked ex-pacer Harvinder Singh for a place in the five-member group.