ONE LINER OF THE DAY 27th MARCH 2020

1.Government announced a package of Rs 1.7 lakh Cr for the poor who need immediate help in the wake of COVID-19 like migrant workers & poor. Insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person for 3 months for COVID-19 warriors who are exposing themselves to the virus.Gareeb Kalyan scheme will help the migrant and poor people.

2.UN launched a $2-b global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in the world's poorest countries. UN Secretary General Antonio Gueterres warned that the pandemic is threatening the entire human race. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator- Mark Lowcock.UN Headquarters: New York, Formed On: 24 October 1945.

3.Department of S&T has set up a COVID-19 Task Force for mapping of technologies from Research and Development labs, academic institutions, start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to identify the most promising start-ups that are close to scale up.Union Minister for Science & Technology- Harsh Vardhan.

4.IITGN launched Project Isaac to engage students in creative projects to enhance their critical skills while they are confined to their homes due to COVID-19. It is inspired by Isaac Newton, who was similarly sent home due to the Great Plague of London.Four different competitions are being organized by IITGN.

5.All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi has set up a Task Force to build a management protocol for COVID-19. It has also constituted several committees to respond to challenges of rising number of the infections which may emerge in the coming days.AIIMS is under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

6.Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) has teamed up with two public sector undertakings (PSUs) to work with an existing manufacturer of high spec ventilators to help simplify design and scale up capacity, in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak in the country.M&M did not disclose the name of the manufacturer.

7.The International Monetary Fund projected a contraction of global output in 2020 and recovery in 2021 as it asked the leaders of the G-20 countries to back a doubling of its USD 50 billion emergency financing capacity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.Of this, $10-b: Zero interest aid for the poorest members.

8.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 500 per month for the next three months to all the women Jan Dhan account holders to run their households. Around 20 crore such women account holders will be covered under this scheme.Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana was launched on 28 August 2014.

9.India proposed setting up of a common e-platform for all SAARC nations to share expertise in jointly combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. SAARC is a regional grouping comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka.SAARC was established on 8 December 1985.

10.Government will supply over the next 3 months extra 2 kg subsidised food grains under the Public Distribution System, taking the total monthly quota to 7 kg/ person. Under NFSA, 5 kg of food grains/ month is given to over 80 Cr people at subsidised price.Wheat is supplied at Rs 2/kg under National Food Security Act.

11.To provide relief to farmers affected due to the lockdown, government would transfer in the first week of April the first instalment of Rs 2,000 to each of 8.69 crore beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN scheme. Farmers receive Rs 6,000 annual from PM-KISAN.PM-KISAN Scheme is effective from 1 December 2018.

12.2 domestic research agencies, CRISIL and ICRA sharply lowered their GDP growth forecast for FY21. While CRISIL has lowered growth projection by 170 basis points, ICRA’s cut is in the range of 50-100 bps. CRISIL slashed forecast for FY21 to 3.5% from 5.2%.ICRA: GDP growth to ease from 4.4% in FY20 to 4.2% in FY21.

13.As the COVID-19 epidemic force, a 3-week countrywide lockdown disrupting travel, government resorted to ‘virtual signing’ to conclude strategic sales in Kamarajar Port, THDC India & NEEPCO. The Centre will receive Rs 13,500 crore from the three deals.Chennai Port Trust will acquire 67% stake in Kamarajar Port.

14.An Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit was arranged to discuss the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to forge a global coordinated response. Earlier, PM had telephonic conversation with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on this subject.Saudi Arabia assumed the G20 2020 Presidency on 2019.

15.The Centre has kept the maximum sale price of genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton seeds unchanged at Rs 730 per packet for the next fiscal but scrapped the royalty to US-based technology provider Monsanto, now controlled by the global agri major Bayer.The seed value is Rs 730 and trait value zero.

16.FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Centre is considering increasing wages under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MNREGA) by Rs 2,000 per worker. Each person will get 5 kg of rice or wheat over & above the existing 5 kg being given.The wage will benefit five crore families.

17.COVID-19 will impact India's economic growth ‘severely’, as the lockdown is causing major disruption across multiple sectors, including manufacturing, oil, among others, says D&B report. It expects the IIP to remain subdued by 4-4.5% during February 2020.IIP- Index of Industrial Production.

18.The SIDBI Assistance to Facilitate Emergency (SAFE) response against coronavirus scheme will offer loans to MSEs at a fixed interest rate of 5 percent and with a maximum loan repayment tenure of five years for fighting the novel coronavirus COVID-19.Loans are collateral-free & will be sanctioned within 48 hours.

19.RBI said that all banking institutions can offer 3-month moratorium on all loans for a period of 3 months. The RBI has also allowed banks to restructure the working capital cycle for companies without worrying that these will have to be classified as NPA.So far, the RBI has infused Rs 280,000 crore.

20.Financial services company Moody's Investors slashed its estimate of India's GDP growth during 2020 calendar year to 2.5 percent, from an earlier estimate of 5.3 percent & said the coronavirus pandemic will cause unprecedented shock to the global economy.The estimate for 2020 compares to 5% economic growth in 2019.

21.RBI announced substantial liquidity measures saying it will conduct up to 3-year tenure for an amount of up to Rs 100,000 Cr at a floating rate linked to policy repo rate. Liquidity must be deployed in investment grade corporate bonds & commercial papers.RBI has also cut CRR heavily by 100 bps to 3% of NDTL.

22.Reserve Bank of India offered Rs 11,772 Cr to banks through a 12-day variable rate repo auction. Before the auction, the RBI enhanced the amount of auction to Rs 50,000 crore from Rs 25,000 crore, announced earlier. RBI received Rs 11,772 crore of bids.Next variable term repo auction of Rs 25,000 Cr is on March 31.

23.The number of coal-fired power plants under development worldwide fell last year (2019), as climate concerns and competitive renewable energy projects chipped away at coal's viability, a study by four non-governmental organisations showed.Capacity under construction fell 16% last year compared with 201

24.In the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is setting up a fund- CII COVID Rehabilitation & Relief Fund (CRR)- to assist rehabilitation of small enterprises and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).President of CII- Vikram Kirloskar.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 26th MARCH 2020

1.Union Cabinet approved continuation of the process of recapitalization of RRBs by providing minimum regulatory capital up to 2020-21 for those RRBs which are unable to maintain minimum CRAR of 9%, as per the regulatory norms prescribed by the Reserve Bank.Rs.670 Cr will be used for the RRBs Recapitalization scheme.

2.The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister; Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of a MoU signed between Ministry of Railways of Government of India with DB Engineering & Consulting GMBH of Germany for technological cooperation in the Railway Sector.The MoU was signed in February 2020.

3.In the wake of preventive measures of the central government to contain the spread of Covid-19, the National Book Trust of HRD Ministry is providing its select and best-selling titles for FREE Download as part of its initiative of #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks.The 100+ books, in PDF format, can be downloaded.

4.NTPC has increased total installed capacity to 58,816 MW with the commissioning of 2nd unit of 660 MW at Khargone Super Thermal Power Project, Madhya Pradesh. NTPC now has 55 power stations, including 24 coal-based & 7 combined cycle gas/liquid fuel.Others: 2 hydro, 1 wind, 11 solar & 10 joint venture stations.

5.Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has given its approval for continuation of Rebate of State & Central Taxes & Levies (RoSCTL) from 1st April 2020 onward until such time that the scheme is merged with Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP).RoSCTL comes under the Ministry of Textiles.

6.State-run banks have stepped up with emergency funds to help companies continue operations & pay employee salaries, as corporates seek help to tide over the crisis caused by Covid-19. SBI’s credit line is up to ₹200 Cr & Indian Bank’s is up to ₹100 Cr.BoB sanctioned an ad hoc limit of ₹200 Cr, UBI- Up to 50 Cr.

7.The National Health Authority (NHA) has decided to cover Covid-19 treatment of the poorest of the poor in private hospitals under Ayushman Bharat- the central government’s health insurance scheme for the deprived, launched on September 2018.NHA expects to cover cost under viral infection packages.

8.Indian Railways focuses on world-class stations. The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited is developing a first-of-its-kind ‘Form Based Codes’ for the development of railway land with support from Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation.PDA is also a nodal agency for the station development.

9.International Advanced Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials, a R&D Centre of Department of Science & Technology, has developed ultrafast laser surface texturing technology, which can improve the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines.Created textures were tested in an engine test rig.

10.Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, Maharashtra an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, have developed a biofortified durum wheat variety MACS 4028, which shows high protein content.

11.Uttar Pradesh government has decided to launch massive campaign for identification of those person who have recently returned from abroad and calling over 10,000 village heads to ensure that such persons remain in quarantine. CM helpline service is 1076.

12.Election Commission has decided to allow usage of indelible ink on persons for stamping for home quarantine by health authorities in view of COVID-19. Health Ministry may standardise the mark and the location on the body where the mark has to be applied.Chief Election Commissioner of India- Sunil Arora.

13.If the 21-day long national lockdown leads to 80% production loss, the economy will take a hit of ₹35,000-40,000 Cr daily, shaving off ₹6.3-7.2 lakh Cr cumulatively, says Care Ratings. The assessment is based on the FY20 real GDP of ₹140-150 lakh Cr.

14.Former India midfielder Abdul Latif, who was also a key member of bronze medal winning team at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games died in Guwahati. / Albert Uderzo, co-creator and illustrator of the ‘Asterix’ comic book series, has died at the age of 92.

15.International Telecommunications Union is launching a ‘Global Network Resiliency Platform’ to help protect telecoms networks during the COVID-19 crisis. The platform will assist the government & private sector to ensure that networks are kept flexible.ITU Secretary General, Hulin Zhao.

16.Jana Small Finance Bank along with NPCI launched a UPI QR-based loan instalment payment facility for its customers. The move comes at a time when banks are advising their customers to operate maximum banking services from the safe confines of their home.Payment mode is available for P2P & P2M payments.

17.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has introduced an AI bot called ‘Clara’ to help people assess potential symptoms of COVID-19The CDC has partnered up with CDC Foundation and Microsoft Azure’s Healthcare Bot service to create Clara.Bot is currently only available in the US on the CDC website.

18.Hours after the state announced total lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched Mo Jeeban programme & urged people to take a pledge to stay indoors. The objective of the programme is to keep everyone safe in the state.Odisha Governor- Ganeshi Lal, Capital- Bhubaneshwar.

19.Iqbal Singh Bains was appointed as Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Secretary by the newly sworn Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the state. He was the successor of CS M Gopal Reddy. This was the 1st appointment made by the new CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.Madhya Pradesh Governor- Lalji Tandon.

20.Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri was picked among 28 past and present stars for world governing body FIFA's campaign to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. FIFA and WHO have teamed up to combat the coronavirus by launching a new COVID-19 awareness campaign.Campaign: ‘Pass the message to kick out coronavirus’.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 25th MARCH 2020

1.In Tamil Nadu, a new district is going to be formed after bifurcating the Nagappattinam district. The new district will be headquartered at Mayiladuthurai. CM Edappadi Palaniswamy made the announcement saying, it would be the 38th district in the state.Its main water source comes from the Kollidam River.

2.First Made in India Test Kit to diagnose COVID-19 got the commercial approval by the CDSCO. It would cost 1/4th of the current procurement cost and is faster as it screens and detects the infection within 2.5 hours as compared with over 7 hours by others.CDSCO- Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.

3.World Health Organization has initiated a global mega trial of the 4 most promising drugs that may cure the novel coronavirus. The mega trial is called Solidarity, under which the study, testing & development of antidote against coronavirus will be made.Drugs: Remdesivir, HIV drug, interferon-beta & malaria medicine.

4.Reliance Industries in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has set up India's first COVID-19 dedicated hospital in Mumbai that includes a negative pressure room that helps in preventing cross-contamination and helps control infection.It is a 100-bedded hospital.

5.US regulators have lifted import restrictions on Ipca Laboratories in an effort to increase supplies of a malaria drug touted by Trump as a potential coronavirus treatment. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine were 1st approved in the U.S. decades ago.Ipca: International pharmaceutical company based in Mumbai.

6.Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation issued a circular granting one-time dispensation for utilizing funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) to address the challenges in the fight against Coronavirus.It will be used for purchase of equipment’s for govt hospitals.

7.FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced that last date for filing of income tax return for the financial year 2018-19 has been extended till 30th June of this year. She said, interest on delayed payment of income tax reduced to 9 per cent from the 12 per cent.PAN-Aadhar linking have also been extended till 30th June.

8.Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami said that, to attract new investments into the state, an EV park will be set up at Manalur SIPCOT Industrial Estate near Chennai at an expected cost of Rs 148 Cr. A NABARD-assisted Rs 2,934 Cr plan is also announced.This fund will create modern infrastructure in the parks.

9.Invest India- India’s national Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency- under the Commerce ministry has launched the Invest India Business Immunity Platform to help businesses and investors get real-time updates on India’s active response to COVID-19.Invest India has also announced a partnership with SIDBI.

10.Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced the creation of a WhatsApp chatbox-912026127394- to enable citizens to get coronavirus-related information. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of COVID- 19 cases (107) among states so far.Maharshtra Governor- Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

11.The Reserve Bank, which has been snapping up greenbacks in the past two years, has also been lapping up US treasury bills and the holdings touched a record high in January. The holdings rose by more than $2 billion between December 2019 and January 2020.RBI follow Safety, Liquidity & Return (SLR) principle.

12.The government may consider suspending section 7, 9 and 10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code for 6 months if the present situation doesn't improve beyond April 30. Threshold for default under IBC was being raised to Rs 1 crore from Rs 1 lakh earlier.IBC gives time-bound process to resolve insolvency among firms.

13.Cognizant Technology Solutions has entered into an agreement to acquire Lev. Lev helps businesses simplify & modernise their marketing campaigns using Salesforce Marketing Cloud to provide data-driven insight & personalisation across the customer journey.Lev is a privately held, digital marketing consultancy in US.

14.Adani Transmission Ltd said that it has bought back non-convertible debentures (NCDs) worth Rs 125 Cr. Adani Transmission- an Adani group company- is the country's largest private transmission firm with a cumulative network of more than 14,800 circuit km.Moody's assigned Baa2 to Adani's $400 mn senior secured bonds.

15.PM Modi announced allocation of Rs 15000 crore to strengthen healthcare infrastructure to fight coronavirus in India. This includes testing facilities, personal protection, isolation beds, ICU beds, ventilators and training medical and paramedical staff.He also announced complete lock down of the country for 21 days.

16.World economy is facing severe economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic that could be even more costly than in 2009 & will require an unprecedented response, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said. IMF is ready to deploy all $1 trillion lending capacity.Global economy contracted by 0.6% in 2009 due to 2008 crisis.

17.A man in Yunnan Province of China died shortly after he was tested positive for Hanta virus. The symptoms of Hanta Virus are similar to that of COVID-19. The Hanta Virus, also called the Orthohanta virus spreads through rats. It causes haemorrhagic fever.Hanta also causes renal syndrome.

18.In a first major step for the unorganised sector to tide over the COVID-19 during lockdown period, the central government directed states to transfer cash into the bank accounts of construction workers from the unutilised welfare funds earmarked for them.Labour Ministry directed the states to transfer Rs 52,000 Cr.

19.The Japan leg of the Tokyo Olympic torch relay has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, Yoshiro Mori said. The move comes after PM Shinzo Abe & International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach agreed to postpone the games by roughly 1 year.Yoshiro Mori: President of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.

20.RBI said bank credit to registered NBFCs towards agriculture, MSEs & housing sector up to prescribed limits will be treated as priority sector loans during the next FY starting April. The move will help boost credit disbursement in the targeted segments.PSL for bank loans to NBFCs for on-lending for 2020-21 extended.

21.Kotak Mahindra Group has launched Kotak Silk Loans -with attractive rates and special offers across a range of loan categories especially for women borrowers. Kotak Silk Savings Programme is to empower women in their journey towards financial independence.Uday Kotak- Managing Director & CEO, Kotak Mahindra.

22.International Day of Solidarity with Detained & Missing Staff Members is observed on 25 March remember the fallen personnel who served for the cause of peace in the world. In 2018, 16 UN staff members were kidnapped or abducted, and one thus far in 2019.United Nations was formed on 1945.

23.Every year on 25 March, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade honours and remember those who suffered & died at the hands of the brutal slavery system & raise awareness about of racism & prejudice.A memorial has been erected at UN Headquarters in New York.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 24th MARCH 2020

1.In Madhya Pradesh, senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chauhan has become Chief Minister of the state for the fourth time. Governor Lalji Tandon administered him the oath of office & secrecy at a simple ceremony held at Raj Bhavan. He will succeed Kamal Nath.Chouhan worked as the CM of the state for almost 13 years.

2.Parliament passed the Finance Bill, 2020. In the Union Budget 2020, the government proposed to spend Rs 30,42,230 Cr in the next FY, 12.7% higher than the revised estimate of 2019-20. By passing the Bill, these financial proposals have been given effect.Government expects that receipts will increase by 16.3%..

3.Goldman Sachs expects the global real Gross Domestic Product to contract by 1% in 2020, a sharper economic decline than in the year following the 2008 global financial crisis. It sees the real GDP in advanced economies contracting ‘very sharply’ in Q2.24% drop in the United States for Q2 is predicted.

4.The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdowns led UBS to sharply cut India's growth forecast for the next financial year starting April 1, to 4% from the 5.1% estimated earlier. UBS Securities said it expects India to clock a 4.8% growth in FY20.RBI is most likely to cut rates at the April 3 review meet.

5.S&P cut its estimate for India's GDP growth in the fiscal starting April 1 to 5.2% from its earlier estimate of 6.5%, as it saw the outbreak of COVID-19 costing economies around the globe. Total and permanent income loss for Asia-Pacific will be $620-b.Standard & Poor's is the provider of the popular S&P 500 Index.

6.RBI has preponed the second tranche of purchase of Rs 15,000 crore of government securities under open market operations (OMOs) to March 26. The OMO purchase auction was earlier scheduled for March 30. RBI will buy four government bonds in the auction.

7.Fitch Ratings said that the outlook of Tata Chemical’s (TCL) long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating (IDR) was stable at ‘BB+’ following reduced energy costs, which will support a healthy margin. TCL has global presence in US, the UK and Kenya.TCL is the world's third-largest soda ash producer.

8.IRDAI asked life insurers to provide customers an additional window of up to 1 month for paying renewal premiums in view of troubles caused by lockdowns after the COVID-19 outbreak. Board meetings due till June 30 could be held through videoconferencing.IRDAI Chairman- Subhash Chandra Khuntia.

9.UN will create a fund to prevent the spread of COVID-19 & support the treatment of patients globally. Purpose of the fund is to assist developing countries with weak health systems in addressing the crisis as well as to tackle the long-term consequences.Norway suggested to create the global coronavirus fund.

10.Amazon.com Inc is teaming up with a research program funded by Bill Gates to pick up and deliver coronavirus test kits in Seattle. The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network is collecting nasal swabs from a sample of people across King County.Seattle: Group of medical, health & research organizations.

11.Automotive manufacturer Toyota Motor Corp and Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp will form a capital tie-up to work together in smart-city development, making large investments in each other, Japan’s only public broadcaster NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyokai) stated.NTT is a Japanese telecommunications company.

12.The 2020 Olympic & Paralympic Games in Tokyo have been thrown into further doubt after Canada became the first major country to withdraw due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Japan's PM Shinzo Abe has admitted for the 1st time that the games could be postponed.The games are currently due to begin on 24th July 2020.

13.World Tuberculosis Day, falling on 24 March each year, commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. 2020 World TB Day Theme: It's Time.Aim: To raise public awareness about TB epidemic.

14.The Union cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved signing of an extradition treaty between India & Belgium. The treaty would provide a legal framework for seeking extradition of terrorists, economic offenders and other criminals from and to Belgium.Belgium Capital- Brussels, Currency- Euro.

15.In a major relief to the residents of Lachen in northern Sikkim, the BRO opened a 360-feet long bailey suspension bridge over the Teesta river for traffic in Munshithang near Chungthang town. The roads approaching the bridge have also been constructed.BRO- Border Roads Organisation.

16.Singapore overtook Hong Kong as the world's freest economy for the first time since 1995 in the latest Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom. The Index was first published in 1995 and Hong Kong has topped the charts ever since; that is until 2020.India is at the 120th place among the 186 countries.

17.Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has launched Enkasu, a pre-paid card in Karur. In response to the digital initiative of the Government of India, the bank undertook a Quit Cash Movement in Karur - a movement to reduce the usage of cash in the district of Karur.Enkasu works on Near Field Communication Technology.

18.Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) began the supply of the world’s cleanest petrol & diesel across the country. All 28,000 petrol stations of IOC’s across India are dispensing BS-VI ultra-low sulphur grade fuel to reduce the pollution from vehicles in the air.April 1, 2020 is the deadline for starting supply of Euro- VI.

19.The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has awarded the Abel Prize for 2020 to Hillel Furstenberg, Hebrew University of Jerusalem & Gregory Margulis, Yale University, USA. Due to the corona pandemic there will not be a physical Laureate ceremony.Honouring of the Abel Prize Laureates will be announced later.

20.International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims is observed on 24 March to honour those who have devoted their lives to & lost their lives in the struggle to protect human rights for all.UN proclaimed the day on 21 December 2010.

21.International Day for Achievers is observed annually on March 24, to honour the achievers who have shown determination and confidence on their journey. On this day achievers from different fields are honoured for motivating people to achieve their goals.The achievers can be Scientist, Teacher, Social worker etc.,

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 23rd MARCH 2020

1.RBI decided to infuse additional liquidity with a second tranche of bond purchase worth ₹30,000 crores amid the Covid-19 pandemic. RBI will conduct purchase of government securities under Open Market Operations in 2 tranches of Rs 15,000 Cr each in March.RBI Governor- Shaktikanta Das, RBI HQ- Mumbai.

2.The SAARC Disaster Management Centre has launched a website for information related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. The website ‘www.covid19-sdmc.org’ shows the number of coronavirus cases in the member states while updating the numbers regularly.Headquarters of SAARC Secretariat is in Kathmandu, Nepal.

3.Fitch Ratings cut India's growth forecast to 5.1% for FY 2020-21, saying the coronavirus outbreak is likely to hit business investment and exports. Fitch in December 2019 projected India's growth at 5.6% for 2020-21 and 6.5 percent in the following year.For 2021-22, Fitch projected India's growth to be 6.4%.

4.Covid-19 pandemic will leave the economy crippled next FY pulling down the growth to a low of 5.2%, says CRISIL that had earlier forecasted the GDP in a 5.7% expansion. Bank of America Securities India lowered India growth forecast to 4.1% for FY2021.COVID-19 hit more than 155 nations.

5.Govt issued draft Defence Procurement Procedure 2020, wherein it introduced ‘leasing’ as another category to get defence equipment at affordable rates. Indigenous content stipulated in various categories of purchasing was enhanced to support Make in India.Category that gets the highest priority: Buy (Indian-IDDM).

6.Country’s insurance regulator has set up a 16-member committee headed by Pravin Kutumbe to find ways to improve corporate governance systems of insurers, primarily on making key functions such as risk management & internal audits independent of each other.It has been asked to submit the report to IRDAI in 3 months.

7.National Health Mission TN has launched a web portal - http://stopcoronatn.in/ to provide updates on Covid-19 & has a link to global cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, which monitors the Covid-19 cases.Johns Hopkins is the America's first research university.

8.International Data Corporation (IDC) announced the appointment of Vasant Rao as MD for IDC India and South Asia, effective March 18, 2020. He will be based out of IDC’s Bengaluru office and will be reporting to Eva Au-Managing Director, IDC Asia/Pacific.IDC of the United States provides market research services.

9.GoAir has appointed Sanjiv Kapoor as Advisor. He was at Vistara as its Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer. His career spanned for over 2 decades with airlines in Asia, Europe, and the US as investment advisor, portfolio manager & management consultant.Chief Executive Officer of GoAir- Vinay Dube.

10.Project aimed to transform 5 Crore Tribal Entrepreneurs under the name ‘Tech for Tribal’ has been launched. It was launched by TRIFED & IIT-Kanpur along with IIT-Roorkee, IIM Indore, Kalinga Institute of Social Science, Bhubaneshwar & SRIJAN, Jaipur.It is supported by the Ministry of MSME.

11.India (3.573) ranked 144th position & Finland (7.809) topped for the 3rd time in the UN World Happiness Report released in accordance with International Day of Happiness. WHR is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries.Survey grades using Gallup World Poll & six other factors.

12.The 1st asteroid that approached Earth has been identified by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) as 2020 FK. As indicated in CNEOS’ database, this asteroid has a diameter of about 43 feet, which makes it the smallest in the group of 4.Trailing behind 2020 FK was an asteroid known as 2020 FS.

13.SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket to transport NASA astronauts Bob Behnken & Doug Hurley in a 1st for the space agency as it looks to cut costs. Since the last US space shuttle mission in 2011 only the Russians have been going back & forth to ISS.Construction began on the ISS in 1998.

14.Indian Institute of Technology Madras organised India’s 1st Global Hyperloop Pod Competition to increase awareness & enthusiasm about Hyperloop in India. Competition is open globally & the final round will take place in the IIT Madras campus in July 2020.Hyperloop is the 5th mode of transportation.

15.World Meteorological Day is observed on 23 March & remembers the coming into force on 23 March 1950 of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization. The themes chosen for the Day reflect topical weather, climate/ water-related issues.World Meteorological Day 2020 Theme: Climate and Water.

16.Britain confirmed as the 1st co-chair of the Governing Council on the India-led CDRI- a international grouping, linking govts, UN agencies, banks, private sector groups & academia to develop the spirit of infrastructure systems to climate & disaster risks.CDRI- Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

17.Government decided to postpone the nation's first summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI)- ‘RAISE 2020 (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020)’- that was scheduled to be held in the Capital in October amid the growing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.The summit aims to create a data-rich environment.

18.Cabinet has approved the inclusion of AYUSH Health and Wellness Centre component of Ayushman Bharat in National AYUSH Mission. 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.Operationalization of AYUSH HWCs is within a period of 5 years.

19.Union government has give 1-year extension to Legislative Secretary G Narayana Raju.The Legislative Department is mandated with drafting of legislations for the central government. Sumeet Jerath has been appointed as Secretary, Dept. of Official Languages.Ravi Shankar Prasad is the current Minister of Law and Justice.

20.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 22nd MARCH 2020

1.India’s foreign-exchange reserves plunged the most in about eight years as the central bank stepped in to defend the rupee.The reserves fell by $5.35 billion to $481.9 billion in the week,That’s the most since November 2011 when the hoard dropped $5.7 bn.RBI Governor: Shaktikanta Das.

2.SEBI lowered the limit of positions that can be taken in the futures & options market, increased margin requirements and capped derivatives exposure. SEBI’s measures are largely to curb extreme volatility in individual stocks and index derivatives segment.Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI),Headquarters:Mumbai.

3.The Reserve Bank has opened an emergency line of credit of around ₹60,000 crore to Yes Bank to meet any liquidity crisis in paying back its depositors.The move comes after 16 years when a similar credit line was opened for Global Trust Bank in 2004.Additional liquidity, under Section 17 (4) of the RBI Act.

4.IndusInd Bank CEO Romesh Sobti will move into a full-time advisory role at the bank after his retirement on March 24.Sobti took over as IndusInd Bank CEO at the end of 2007 after serving as the head of ABN Amro in India.Sumant Kathpalia newly appointed CEO of IndusInd Bank.

5.Cabinet approved 3 schemes to enable large scale electronics manufacturing & attract fresh investments worth at least ₹50,000 cr. in the sector. Funds allocated are to be used over 5 yrs. Scheme has the potential of creating 8,00,00 direct & indirect jobs.Electronics & information technology min.- Ravi Shankar Prasad.

6.Reserve bank of India extended the regulatory restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC) Bank by another three months.The validity of directive dated 23 September, 2019, stands modified from 23 March, 2020 to 22 June, 2020.J B Bhoria, administrator.of PMC Bank.

7.Government launched an official chatbot on popular instant messaging application WhatsApp. The person in need is only required to save the number - 9013151515 in their contact list and send a message to the MyGov Corona Helpdesk.

8.Govt. announced a production-linked incentive scheme to promote domestic manufacturing of critical key starting materials (KSMs), drug intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).PLI scheme would have a financial implication of ₹6,940 crore.China supplies, 2/3rd of India’s pharmaceutical raw materials.

9.Administrative Council headed by Lt Governor accorded approval to the adoption of J-K IT/ITeS policy.The policy provides for creation and up-gradation of IT infrastructure to meet existing & future needs of the Union Territory in e-governance among others.Jammu and Kashmir, Lt Governor-G C Murmu.

10.Centre approved the land use change for execution of its Central Vista redevelopment project in Lutyens’ Delhi.The redevelopment project of Central Vista-the nation's power corridor-envisages a triangular Parliament building next to the existing one.Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry issued notification.

11.World Water Day, on 22 March is about focusing attention on the importance of water.This year’s theme, ‘Water and Climate Change’, explores how water & climate change are inextricably linked.Water is our most precious resource-we must use more responsibly.For first time World water day held on 22 March 1993.

12.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that without further efforts, between 3.5 & 4.4-bn people in the world will live with limited access to water, with more than 1-bn of them in major cities. World’s water resources are under exceptional threat.2.2 billion people lack safe drinking water today.

13.Reserve Bank of India has put in place a contingency plan & shared its BCP to ensure that key Information Technology (IT) services for the delivery of digital banking, treasury services and cheque clearance are not disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.BCP- Business Continuity Plan.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 21st MARCH 2020

1.Reserve Bank of India has appointed R Gandhi and Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan as additional directors to the board of private sector lender YES Bank for a period of two years. Prashant Kumar was earlier appointed as CEO & MD of Yes Bank.SBI is biggest investor in YES Bank via reconstruction scheme.

2.15th FC has constituted a committee to review the fiscal consolidation roadmap of the general government. The committee, to be headed by chairman of the FC, NK Singh, will recommend a debt & fiscal consolidation roadmap for FY 2021-25 for the government.Debt is the accumulation of years of deficit.

3.India, within days of Modi’s announcement of creation of $10 million SAARC Emergency Fund to fight Covid-19, has supplied various medical supplies, testing equipment and other items to Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.MEA has a team of 75 officials working in HQ for Covid cell.

4.SBI to provide emergency loans to existing borrowers whose operations are impacted by COVID 19. Loans to be granted at 7.25% p.a. fixed rate. The ad-hoc loan facility named - COVID 19 Emergency Credit Line is aimed at meeting temporary liquidity mismatch.Maximum loan that could be availed under it is Rs 200 crores.

5.Textiles minister Smriti Irani said that a pilot shopping festival at Bengaluru is to be organized in 2020-21, which will subsequently be organized in other cities focusing on various sectors including gems & jewellery, textiles and Ayurvedic products.GoI allotted Rs 1,480 Cr to National Technical Textiles Mission.

6.French Language Day is observed on 20th March every year. Established in 2010 by the United Nations’ Department of Public Information, the UN’s goal was to honour multilingualism, cultural diversity, & supports equal usage of its 6 official languages.Approximately 45% of English words have a French origin.

7.In a move to fight against whiteflies National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow has developed a pest-resistant variety of cotton and is going to start field trials from 2020 April- October in Faridkot Center of Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.Bt cotton is resistant to two pests only.

8.An investment of Rs 6.16 lakh Cr has been approved so far under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) & the committed central assistance is Rs 1.65 lakh Cr, Hardeep Singh Puri said. PMAY(U) provides houses to economically weaker sections in urban areas.He is the Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs & Civil Aviation.

9.The number of women match officials across different ICC panels has gone up to 12 as Janani Narayanan and Vrinda Rathi of India were named in the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires. Announcement comes soon after the launch of 100% Cricket.It is a 12-month campaign ahead of Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.

10.CRISIL said Arundhati Bhattacharya, the past chairman of State Bank of India, has submitted her resignation as an independent director of the company effective April 15. She was the first woman to lead the more than 2 centuries-old State Bank of India.She became the CEO of Salesforce recently.

11.In a major relief to the people of J&K, Administrative Council which met under the chairmanship of LG Girish Chander Murmu sanctioned to roll out the J&K Health Scheme to provide free of cost Health Coverage to all residents under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY.1.25 crore residents of J&K will be provided the same benefits.

12.According to the Union Minister of State (I/C) for tourism & culture, Prahlad Singh Patel, the central government has included grand Konark Sun Temple, the UNESCO world heritage site in Odisha & Statue of Unity in Gujarat in the Iconic Tourist Sites list.Union MoS (I/C) Tourism: Prahlad SIngh Patel.

13.The World Cities Summit (WCS) is an exclusive platform held biennially in Singapore and brings together government leaders and industry experts from around the world. Theme of WCS- 2020 is ‘Livable and Sustainable Cities: Adapting to a Disrupted World’.UP CM Yogi Adityanath has been invited for the WCS.

14.The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. The theme for 2020 is Forests and Biodiversity.Today, forests cover more than 30% of the world's land.

15.The word Nowruz (Novruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, Nauryz), means new day; its spelling & pronunciation may vary by country.Nowruz marks the first day of spring & is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on 21 March.

16.This year, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is focused on the midterm review of the International Decade for People of African Descent undertaken by the Human Rights Council in Geneva as part of its 43rd session.

17.In celebrating World Poetry Day, March 21, UNESCO recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind. A decision to proclaim 21 March as World Poetry Day was adopted during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999.Geoffrey Chaucer is called the Father of English poetry.

18.Down syndrome occurs when an individual has an extra partial (or whole) copy of chromosome 21. In December 2011, the General Assembly declared 21 March as World Down Syndrome Day.2020 Down Syndrome International focuses on the theme"We Decide"

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 20th MARCH 2020

1.Indian Armed Forces operating under Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the Israel Weapons Industry. According to the agreement, India is to procure 16, 479 LMG (Light Machine Guns) for Rs 880 crores. The LMG are used as squad automatic weapons.The LMG were first used in Second World War.

2.DBS Bank India has tied-up with Bharti AXA to roll out a complimentary insurance plan covering all medical conditions, including Covid-19. Plan will cover all medical conditions- up to 10 days hospitalisation, with a cover of Rs 5,000 per day, for 30-days.Emergency Global Medical Assist Program is also launched.

3.RBI will buy Rs 10,000 Cr of bonds from the secondary market to keep the market liquid, even as it infused Rs 25,000 Cr of liquidity through Long Term Repo Operations. The RBI has already infused Rs 1 trillion of liquidity through LTRO since February.The bonds are mature between February 2022 and May 2025.

4.RBI provided the Renewal of Authorization for Vakrangee. The validity has been extended till 31 March 2021.RBI also assigned a target of minimum 1,000 ATMS to be deployed by Vakrangee for every calendar year starting 2020 for an initial period of 3 years.ATMs deployed Ratio, Metro & Urban, Semi-Urban & Rural- 1:2:3.

5.WhatsApp announced the global launch of the WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNDP, besides a $1 million donation to the Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).Director of IFCN- Baybars Orsek.

6.Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the premium subsidy sharing pattern between Centre & NE States has been changed from 50: 50 to 90:10 for PM- Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS).For remaining States, subsidy sharing pattern- 50: 50.

7.Minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal informed that IR Ministry plans to electrify all Broad Gauge (BG) routes by December 2023. Railway Ministry has planned to source around 1000 MW of solar power as part of its solar mission.Out of this 101.42 MW of solar power, has already been set up.

8.Roger Mayweather, a former two-division world champion, accomplished trainer and has died at age 58.

9.The International Day of Happiness is observed on March 20th. It was founded by Illien Global CEO Jayme Illien & adopted by the UN in 2012. Day of Happiness is organised by the United Nations to promote the idea that happiness is a fundamental human goal.2020 Theme: ‘Happiness for all’.

10.Every year March 20 is observed as World Sparrow Day to raise awareness about the bird. Need for marking this day was felt due to the tremendous decrease in its population. The initiative was started by Nature Forever Society founded by Mohammed Dilawar.Theme- 'I Love Sparrows'.

11.French Language Day observed on 20 March, was established in 2010 by the United Nations’ Department of Public Information. The UN’s goal was to honour multilingualism, cultural diversity, and supports equal usage of its six official languages.Approximately 45% of English words have a French origin.

12.For the 1st time in India, the Dept. of Posts introduced a free digital parcel locker service in the city.The facility will be available in two post offices in Kolkata- the Nabadiganta IT Post Office in Sector 5 of Salt Lake City and another in New Town.India Post comes under Ministry of Communication & Technology.

13.Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced a $6.5 billion package for its developing member countries to fight the coronavirus pandemic. ADB stands ready to provide further financial assistance and policy advice down the road whenever the situation warrants.ADB headquartered- Manila ; ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa.

14.ICICI Lombard has rolled out a dedicated Covid-19 group insurance cover.The insurance policy will pay 100% of the entire sum insured on the policyholder’s first Covid-19 diagnosis during the policy period.The health cover is priced at a premium of ₹149.ICICI Lombard CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta .

15.Legendary India footballer PK Banerjee,83 passed away. He represented India in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics & led India in the 1960 Rome Olympics

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 19th MARCH 2020

1.TN has topped in disbursement of agriculture credit by giving away loans worth Rs 1,63,289 Cr out of a total of Rs 10,33,183 Cr distributed across India till December 31 this fiscal. Andhra Pradesh & UP were 2nd & 3rd in agricultural credit disbursals.Kerala, which is not a major agricultural State, came fourth.

2.To bridge a temporary cash flow mismatch, the Government, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to mobilise Rs 51,000 crore more through auction of Treasury-Bills (T-Bills) during the remaining period of quarter ending March 2020.Earlier estimated cost of borrowing via T-Bills- Rs 24,000 Cr.

3.To bring in better synergy in the activities, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has signed a MoU with Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC). The MoU is aimed at addressing the obstacles faced by FPOs.APEDA is under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

4.Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank chaired a meeting on Research in Indian Traditional Knowledge Systems in New Delhi. Objective of the meeting was to ensure the development of the society by coordinating the ancient & modern genres of knowledge.He cited the example of Yoga as an Indian Knowledge System.

5.A Tabletop Exercise between the IAF & the Myanmar Air Force was conducted at Prayagraj on the theme of HADR. The objectives of the exercise include planning of HADR operation in each scenario, learn best practices & executing mission during HADR disasters.20-member team of IAF participated in the exercise.

6.Honourable Finance Minister in his Budget Speech on 1st February 2018 had announced setting up of two Defence Industrial Corridors in the country. In pursuance to the said announcement, it has been decided to develop one such corridor in Uttar Pradesh.The investment of Rs. 3700 crores were announced for this.

7.One contract and two Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs) have been concluded with the US side for procurement of Helicopters and Self Protection Suite. Countries such as US, Russia, France, Germany, Israel, UK are leading exporters of defence equipment.The delivery of the helicopters will commence from May 2021.

8.Department of Social Justice & Empowerment launched a scheme namely ‘Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana’ on 1 April 2017 with the objective to provide the senior citizens, living BPL & suffering from any of age-related disability with such assisted living devices.The Scheme is implemented through ALIMCO.

9.RBI has received Rs 27,096 Cr worth of bids in the fifth long-term repo operations conducted for an amount of Rs 25,000 Cr with a tenure of 3 years. Earlier this week, RBI had announced to conduct additional LTROs for up to a total amount of Rs 1 lakh Cr.Bid to cover ratio is 1.1.

10.A rampaging ATK claimed an unprecedented 3rd Indian Super League title triumph with a 3-1 victory over arch-rival Chennaiyin FC. ISL is a football league in India. For sponsorship reasons, the competition is officially known as Hero Indian Super League.Final held without spectators owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

11.Ordnance Factories are observing their 219th foundation day on 18th of March. The first Ordnance Factory, now known as the Gun and Shell Factory in Kolkata was established on 1801. Ordnance Factories are a conglomerate of 41 ordnance factories under OFB.Ordnance Factory Board Headquarters- Kolkata.

12.India and Saudi Arabia agreed that an exercise at level of G-20 similar to SAARC efforts on March 15 will be useful to address Covid-19 pandemic. PM Modi had a telephone conversation with the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman.Saudi Arabia currently holds G-20 Presidency.

13.L&T Technology Services Limited, a pure-play engineering services company, signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to collaborate on research in industrial and infrastructure cybersecurity.They will together set-up a Center of Excellence in the campus.

14.Google has appointed former IBM executive, Karan Bajwa as Managing Director of Google Cloud in India. He will be responsible for driving all revenue and go-to-market operations for Google Cloud's portfolio that includes Google Cloud Platform and G Suite.Bajwa will also work with Global System Integrators (GSIs).

15.Journalists Prachi Salve of Indiaspend & Pradeep Dwivedi of Dainik Jagran has been selected for the 1st prize in the Road Safety Media Fellowship 2019. B. Raveendra Shetty of Vijaya Karnataka along with Purnima Singh of Times Now Hindi are at 2nd place.The fellowship is given by Centre for Media Studies, New Delhi.

16.Iraqi President Barham Salih has appointed Adnan al-Zurfi as the country's new prime minister-designate in the latest bid to resolve a months-long political crisis. Al-Zurfi has 30 days to form his cabinet which he must then put to a vote of confidence.Al-Zurfi will replace caretaker PM- Adel Abdul Mahdi.

17.SBI has entered into an agreement to acquire 6.825% stake in Zero Mass. As part of the deal, the Bank has sold its entire stake in A Little World to the Zero Mass. ZERO Mass Pvt. Ltd. was founded by Anurag Gupta, Founder and Director on 20 March 2007.The deal is to be completed by March 31, 2020.

18.The book titled ‘My Encounters in Parliament’ authored by Bhalchandra Mungekar an Indian economist, former member of Rajya Sabha, was released in the presence of former Vice President- Hamid Ansari CPI General Secretary D Raja & NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

19.Bajaj Auto approved the re-appointment of Rajiv Bajaj as MD & CEO. He has worked with Baja Auto since 1991 in the areas of Manufacturing & Supply Chain.The board also approved the appointment of Gita Piramal as independent director of the company.Bajaj Auto's 1st launch was that of the Vespa 150 in the yr 1960.

20.

ONE LINER OF THE DAY 18th MARCH 2020

1.Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation appointed Noel Quinn as Chief Executive Officer, handing the insider & interim boss the reins of Europe's biggest bank & ending months of conjecture an external candidate could get the role. He joined HSBC in 1987.HSBC Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.

2.S&P Global Ratings lowered India's economic growth forecast to 5.2 percent for 2020, saying the global economy is entering a recession amid the coronavirus pandemic. The agency had earlier projected a growth rate of 5.7 percent during the 2020 calendar.

3.The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India & the Government of Brunei Darussalam for the exchange of information & assistance in collection with respect of taxes was signed in New Delhi. It will help to curb tax evasion & tax avoidance.Brunei Capital- Bandar Seri Begawan, Currency- Brunei dollar.

4.Salesforce names former SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya as India CEO. She was the 1st woman to lead the more than 200-year-old SBI. Move comes as the Salesforce becomes aggressive in India, a market that is gradually adopting digital technologies.Arundhati Bhattacharya retired from SBI in 2017.

5.Department of Space (DoS) has reported that ISRO has designed NavIC messaging system and developed a ‘NavIC receiver’. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information System (INCOIS) is using this messaging system to broadcast emergency warning messages.It also broadcasts information of Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ).

6.GMR Hyderabad International Airport has declared itself as a Single-Use Plastic free airport from 1 March 2020 and use of such material has been imposed across the airport. This initiative is in line with the government’s campaign to phase out SUP by 2022.They are also encouraging eco-friendly products like jute bags.

7.Aries International Maritime Research Institute (AIMRI) located in Sharjah, UAE has received accreditation from Emirates International Accreditation Centre as a Certification Body for Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2015) Audits and certification.EIAC- Emirates International Accreditation Centre.

8.As part of the Paris Accord on Climate Change, India has installed at least 40% of its total electricity generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. As on 29.2.2020, a cumulative renewable energy capacity of 132.15 GW had been installed.Minister of State for Power & New & Renewable Energy- RK Singh.

9.Rs 20,466.94 Crores of loans have been sanctioned under ‘Stand Up India Scheme’ to over 91,000 accounts up to 10.03.2020. The scheme facilitates bank loans between Rs. 10 lakh-Rs. 1 Crores to at least one SC/ ST borrower & at least one-woman borrower.Stand Up India Scheme was launched on 5th April 2016.

10.Council of Scientific & Industrial Research has announced Innovation Awards for School Children (CIASC) to support their scientific temperament and to encourage innovative spirit among them. Proposals can be submitted by a student or a group of students.Eligibility- Students of up to Class 12 & below 18 years of age.

11.Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, an autonomous institute under the Department of S&T, have developed a starch-based ‘hemostat material’ that helps the natural clotting factors in blood by physically absorbing excess fluid.The product has increased absorption capacity.

12.Bangladesh celebrated the birth centenary of its founder President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 17 March. The day marks the beginning of the yearlong celebration of the birth centenary named ‘Mujib Barsho’ . Sheikh Hasina is the current Bangladesh PM.He led the movement against the oppressive Pakistani rulers

13.Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has placed the Draft National Policy for Rare Diseases on its official website. A component of rare diseases has been included in the draft. Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi was established under Societies Registration Act, 1860.It was made effective from 1 January 2019.

14.Ministry of Culture has established Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies (CIHCS) at Dahung, Arunachal Pradesh. The main objective of CIHCS is to preserve ancient Buddhist manuscripts and to promote research in different aspects of Buddhism.Digitizing ancient Buddhist text is another aim.

15.Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers- DV Sadananda Gowda informed that fixation of prices has resulted in a total saving of Rs 12447 Cr/ annum after implementation of the DPCO, 2013. NPPA fixes the ceiling price of scheduled formulations adopted from NLEM. NLEM- National List of Essential Medicines.

16.Under Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), all villages were mapped by banks into 1.59 lakh Sub-Service Areas with one SSA catering to 1,000 to 1,500 households. This was stated by Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs.0.33 lakh SSAs have been covered with bank branches.

17.Justice DY Chandrachud directed to grant permanent commission to serving women officers in Navy within 3 months with increments. A permanent commission entitles an officer to serve in the Navy till he retires unlike SSC, which is currently for 10 years.Short Service Commission can be extended by four more years.

18.Microsoft India and NASSCOM Foundation launched the Innovate for Accessible India campaign aimed at empowering people with disabilities with the technology and tools required for better integration into society and admittance to equal opportunities.The winning innovations stand to win a grant of Rs 10 lakh.

19.RBI will regulate activities of payment aggregators (PAs) as they play a key role in facilitating payments in the online space. It also lowered the min. capital requirements for payment aggregators to Rs 15 crore at the time of application for the licence.Billdesk, CCAvenue, Firstdata ,Razorpay examples of PAs.

20.Securities and Exchange Board of India proposed to relax the mandatory requirement of a 6-month-gap between two successive issuances of shares to qualified institutional investors by listed companies requiring urgent funds if they meet certain conditions.SEBI chairman Ajay Tyagi ,recently got six-month extension.

21.The Andhra Pradesh government appointed former CMD of Air India Ashwani Lohani as the Chairman of the AP Tourism Development Corporation, assigning him the rank of a Cabinet minister.The appointment is for a period of one year.Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy,Andhra Pradesh CM.

22.ICICI Bank announced the launch of 'ICICIStack', a set of the country’s most comprehensive digital banking services and APIs (Application Programme Interface) to ensure uninterrupted banking experience to customers--retail and business.Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI).

23.Global Recycling Day observed on March 18, was created in 2018 to help recognize, and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet. It is a Day for the world to come together.Theme for third Global Recycling Day- ‘Recycling Heroes’.