Current Affairs - March 26, 2020 Current Affairs

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is observed on 25 March. The day is observed every year. The day provides an opportunity to honour and remember the people who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system.

The US (United States) Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with CDC Foundation and Microsoft's Azure healthcare bot service has introduced an AI (Artificial Intelligence) based bot named "Clara" [the coronavirus self-checker]. The bot is currently available in the US on the CDS website.

Albert Uderzo passed away on 24 March 2020. He died at the age of 92. He died due to a heart attack. He was the co-creator and illustrator behind the hugely popular of the Asterix comic books.

Scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun found that glaciers in Sikkim are melting at a higher magnitude as compared to other Himalayan regions.

The Government of Sri Lanka has pledged to contribute $5 million to the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Corona Emergency Fund proposed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on March 15, 2020 with an initial grant of $10 million from India to deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is observed on 25 March. The day is to remember the fallen personnel who served for the cause of peace in a violent world. Since the United Nations' founding, over 3,500 brave men and women have lost their lives in its service.

World Health Organization (WHO) has started a mega trial namely "Solidarity" of four most promising drugs that may cure the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister(CM) Edappadi Palaniswamy announced at the Legislative Assembly that Nagapattinam district will be bifurcated and a new district (38th) will be formed with its headquarters at Mayiladuthurai.

The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC) with support from Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation is developing a 1st of its kind "Form Based Codes" for the development of railway land.

Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt Ltd, a Pune-based molecular diagnostics company, has developed the first made-in-India test kit for COVID-19. The kit was developed in a record period of six weeks. Mylab PathoDetect COVID-19 Qualitative PCR kit received commercial approval from the Indian Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) launched a "Global Network Resiliency Platform" to help global networks remain "safer, stronger and more connected" during the COVID-19 crisis.

Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik launched "Mo Jeeban (My Life) Programme" and urged people to take a pledge to stay indoors.The programme was launched due to the Coronavirus (COVID- 19) outbreak.

Iqbal Singh Bains was appointed as Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Secretary by the newly-sworn Chief Minister (CM) Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the state. He was the successor of CS M Gopal Reddy.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved for continuation of Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) scheme from 1 April 2020. Until then, the scheme will be merged with the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP). It is expected to make the textile sector competitive by rebating all taxes and levies that are currently not being rebated under any other mechanism.

The Hindu New Year 2077 began on 25 March. It is officially known as Vikram Samvat 2077 or Nav Samvatsar 2077. In common language, it is also known as Hindu Panchang. The Vikram era is extremely ancient and completely scientific. As per the Hindu calendar, the new year of Vikram Samvat starts from Chaitra Shukla Pratipada Tithi.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has extended the last date for filing GST returns for March, April, and May to 30 June. The previous date for filing of GST returns was March 31, 2020. The deadline for composition returns on GST has been also been extended to 30 June 2020.

In a major development, the United States (US) Navy and Armyhas successfully tested its common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB), a first unarmed prototype of a hypersonic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The test was carried out at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii and was monitored by Missile Defense Agency (MDA) of US Department of Defence i.e. The Pentagon.

For quick set up health infrastructure to deal with the pandemic, Centre has allocated 15,000 crore for the purchase of personal protection equipment for healthcare workers, increasing the number of beds, testing kits, setting up testing laboratories and quarantine centres, and training of professionals to combat the disease.

Senior Journalist Chander Suta Dogra launched her 2nd book- "Missing in Action: The Prisoners Who Never Came Back" relies on de-classified records of the Ministry of External Affairs & other sources. It is published by Harpercollins.

Cameroon-born African saxophone legend Manu Dibango dies in Paris at the age of 86 after catching coronavirus.