International Day of Forests celebrated on21 March7

21 March 2020
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International Day of Forests celebrated on21 March7

International Day of Forests is celebrated every year on 21 March. The day is being celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On this day, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees. These activities includes tree planting campaigns.

The International Day of Forests is being organized by the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with Governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other relevant organizations in the field.

Every year, a theme is decided by the by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. The theme for International Day of Forests 2020: Forests and Biodiversity.

Ajay Kumar becomes India’s next High Commissioner to Republic of Ugandaa

19 March 2020
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A. Ajay Kumar becomes India’s next High Commissioner to Republic of Ugandaa

A. Ajay Kumar has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Uganda. A. Ajay Kumar is currently posted as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. Ajay Kumar is a 2001 batch IFS officer.

Uganda is among the poorest countries on the African continent. One-third of the population here is forced to live below the international poverty line.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Union Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
• President of Uganda: Yoweri Museveni.
• Capital of Uganda: Kampala.
• Currency of Uganda: Ugandan shilling.

Oil India signs COSA agreement with Numaligarh Refinery

17 March 2020
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Oil India signs COSA agreement with Numaligarh Refinery

India’s second-largest national oil explorer, Oil India Limited (OIL) has inked the Crude Oil Sales Agreement (COSA) with Numaligarh Refinery. The agreement has been signed by the two entities for sale and purchase of crude oil. The COSA agreement is expected to streamline sale and purchase transactions of crude oil which has been produced from fields in the North East India. The COSA agreement will be effective for a term of five years, i.e. from 1 April, 2020 to 31 March 2025.

Flipkart ties up with Aegon to sell life insurance policies

17 March 2020
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Flipkart ties up with Aegon to sell life insurance policies

Indian E-commerce company Flipkart has tied up with Aegon Life Insurance to sell comprehensive insurance solutions for customers. The tie up targets those customers who are seeking instant digital policies with a sum assured of up to Rs 10 lakh. These life insurance policies do not need medical tests or paperwork as it is an instant life insurance cover, with digital policy as its core value proposition.

The tie-up aims to change the notion of customers regarding life insurance policies as customers think that it is expensive and cumbersome to buy including long and rigid tenures and mis-selling. The tie-up will give a new vision to this by making life insurance available to customers at the click of a button in a convenient and transparent manner.

About the policy:

The life insurance policies to be offered will be having varied offerings with sums assured ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. It will also include premiums starting from Rs 129 for Rs 1 lakh sum insured. The availability of the policy is confined to the existing customers of Flipkart between the age of 18 and 65 years.

India pledged $10 million toward a Covid-19 emergency fund

16 March 2020
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India pledged $10 million toward a Covid-19 emergency fund

Government of India pledged $10 million toward a Covid-19 emergency fund. India also planned to put together a rapid response team of doctors and specialists for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) nations. India suggested Integrated Disease Surveillance Portal (IDSP) that is currently being used to detect infected patients and contact tracing. The leaders proposed that health secretaries and experts from all SAARC member nations should coordinate to monitor and curb the spread of Covid-19.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• SAARC founded: 8 December 1985
• Headquarters of SAARC: Kathmandu, Nepal.
• Members country of SAARC: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Microsoft launches website to track COVID-19

16 March 2020
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Microsoft launches website to track COVID-19

Microsoft has launched a web portal to track the spread of COVID-19 worldwide. The web portal has been launched by Microsoft's Bingteam. The portal aims to track the spread of novel coronavirus in the world. The website is accessible at "bing.com/covid" and provides up-to-date infection statistics for each country. A user can click on the country on an interactive map to see the specific number of cases of novel coronavirus infections in the country.

The web portal displays the information by aggregating data from sources like the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft: Satya Nadella.
• Microsoft Founded: April 4, 1975; Headquarters of Microsoft: Washington, United States.

Prashant Kumar becomes new MD & CEO of YES Bank

16 March 2020
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Prashant Kumar becomes new MD & CEO of YES Bank

Prashant Kumar has been appointed as Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Yes Bank. Kumar was earlier appointed as the YES Bank administrator. Sunil Mehta, former non-executive chairman of Punjab National Bank, has been appointed as non-executive chairman of YES Bank.

Mahesh Krishnamurthy will serve as a non-executive director of the bank, while Atul Bheda as a non-executive director. The investor bank, State Bank of India, will nominate two officers as directors.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Headquarters of Yes Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Yes Bank established: 2004.

India ranked 12th globally in 'Women On Board 2020' study

16 March 2020
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India ranked 12th globally in 'Women On Board 2020' study

India has been ranked 12th in the world as per study titled 'Women On Board 2020'. The list was topped by Norway with 40.72% women on board. A study on 'Women On Board 2020' has been done jointly by global recruitment tendering platforms MyHiringClub and Sarkari-Naukri. The 7824 listed companies across 36 countries were considered for the study. From India, 628 listed companies participated in an online study. The study was based on the presence of women in companies' board globally.

Key results of study on 'Women On Board 2020':

• Norway topped the list with 40.72% women on board
• Around 54% of employees in Asia and 39% in India are women
• India ranked 12th in the world in women member presence on board
• Among 628 listed companies from India, 55% companies were having women directors

GoI nominated Debasish Panda as director on RBI central board

16 March 2020
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GoI nominated Debasish Panda as director on RBI central board

The Central Government has nominated Debasish Panda as a Director on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India. He is a Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, New Delhi. The nomination of Debasish Panda is effective from March 11, 2020, and until further orders. There are two government nominated Directors on the board of RBI. The other one is  Atanu Chakraborty.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

16 March 2020
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Traditional "Phool Dei" festival begins in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat celebrated the traditional harvest festival “Phool Dei”. The festival also showcases the inner bonding between the communities who all are residing in the hills.

Phool Dei is celebrated on the first day of Chaitra or in mid-March (according to Gregorian calendar). On this day young girls carry out most of the rituals and they are the most eager participants. On this traditional festival young girls pluck the first flowers of the season to decorate their houses with flowers and the term ‘Dei’ refers to ceremonial pudding which is the key food in the festival that is made from jaggery, Whiteflour & curd, are offered to everyone.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.
• Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India and was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Bengal tiger. It is located in Nainital district of Uttarakhand.

National Vaccination Day: 16th March

16 March 2020
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National Vaccination Day: 16th March

India observes National Vaccination Day every year on 16th March. The day is also known as National Immunization Day. The Government of India celebrates National Vaccination Day every year to convey the importance of vaccination to the people of the country. In the year 1995, the first dose of an oral vaccine against polio was given in India. India has been observing the Pulse Polio Programme since 1995. The prime purpose behind the celebration of National Vaccination Day is to make all people aware of arming against polio and eradicating it completely from the world.

Highlights 

On 27 March 2014, India was certified as a polio-free country along with 11 other countries of the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organisation (WHO). These countries were Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Thailand. In India, the last case of polio patients was reported on 13 January 2011.

What is Vaccination?

Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing highly infectious diseases. Extensive immunity due to vaccination is mostly responsible for the worldwide eradication of smallpox and the restraint of diseases such as polio, measles, and tetanus from a large amount of the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) informs that licensed vaccines are currently available to prevent or add to the prevention and control of twenty-five preventable infections.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• World Immunization Week 2020 celebrated in the last week of April (24 to 30 April).
• The theme of World Immunization Week 2020: VaccinesWork for All.

Bill Gates resigns from Microsoft's board

14 March 2020
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Bill Gates resigns from Microsoft's board

Microsoft founder Bill Gates stepping down from Microsoft's board of directors. He wants to dedicate more time to his philanthropic priorities including global health, development, education, and his increasing engagement in tackling climate change. He also stepped down from the board of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, where he had served since 2004. However, he will continue to serve as a tech adviser to CEO Satya Nadella and other company leaders. Gates had stepped down from his role in Microsoft in 2008.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft: Satya Nadella.
• Microsoft Founded: April 4, 1975; Headquarters of Microsoft: Washington, United States(US).

Naveen Patnaik released book “ The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat

11 March 2020
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Naveen Patnaik released book “ The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat”

The chief minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaikreleased a comic book titled “The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat’. This book is released on the occasion of the 104th birth anniversary of former Odisha CM Late Biju Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The book deals about the life and works of legendary leader and Naveen Patnaik’s father Biju Patnaik. The book aims to inspire and encourage young minds to serve the motherland. The comic book, prepared by Kalinga Foundation Trust and published by New Delhi- based the Creative workshop.

Bhawna Dehariya climbs Australia's Mount Kosciuszko

13 March 2020
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Bhawna Dehariya climbs Australia's Mount Kosciuszko

Indian mountaineer Bhawna Dehariya has successfully scaled Mount Kosciuszko (2,228-metres), the highest mountain peak in Australia on the occasion of Holi. Dehariya had scaled Mount Kilimanjaro (5, 895 meters), the highest mountain peak in Tanzania on the occasion of Diwali in the year 2019 and also felt fortunate that she had celebrated 2 biggest festivals of India at the mountain peaks.

Naveen Patnaik released book “ The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat”

11 March 2020
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Naveen Patnaik released book “ The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat”

The chief minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaikreleased a comic book titled “The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat’. This book is released on the occasion of the 104th birth anniversary of former Odisha CM Late Biju Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The book deals about the life and works of legendary leader and Naveen Patnaik’s father Biju Patnaik. The book aims to inspire and encourage young minds to serve the motherland. The comic book, prepared by Kalinga Foundation Trust and published by New Delhi- based the Creative workshop.

‘COVA Punjab’ mobile app launched by Punjab Govt.

10 March 2020
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‘COVA Punjab’ mobile app launched by Punjab Govt.

Chief Secretary of Punjab, Karan Avtar Singh has launched a mobile application, COVA Punjab. COVA stands for Corona Virus Alert. This app has been developed by the Department of Government Reforms and Public Grievances in consultation with the Health and Family Welfare Department to spread awareness by sharing various travel and preventive care advisories.

The app would inform people to check out for symptoms as provided by the government from time to time and follow the advisory given thereafter. The app also suggests the nearest hospital and nodal officer of the district where the patient can reach in case he/she is symptomatic. The app was available at Android Playstore and iOS app store with name COVA Punjab.

Most Important Takeaways for Upcoming Competitive Exams:

• Captain Amarinder Singh is Chief Minister of Punjab.
• VP Singh Badnore is Governor of Punjab.

India plans to launch Chandrayaan-3 by first half of 2021

10 March 2020
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India plans to launch Chandrayaan-3 by first half of 2021

According to the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh, a possible schedule for the launch of Chandrayaan-3 is planned to be implemented in the first half of 2021. The preparation of Chandrayaan-3 has been done by taking lessons from the previously launched Chandrayaan-2, a Moon mission which was launched in 2019, in which the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Vikram Lander lost contact following a hard landing on the Moon’s surface.

Chandrayaan-3 will be designed to increase design, capacity with a cost of around Rs 610 crore, including Rs 360 crore for the launch rocket. ISRO also decided to launch in the same area where Chandrayaan-2 launched, and would have a lander, rover and propulsion module like its predecessor.

Jiendra Singh also mentioned India’s manned space mission Gaganyaan project,where 4 biological and 2 physical science experiments related to microgravity have been done.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Headquarters of ISRO: Bengaluru,Karnataka.
• Chairman of ISRO: K. Sivan.
• ISRO established: 15 August 1969.

GoI targets to replace All level crossings on NH by Over/under Bridges

07 March 2020
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GoI targets to replace All level crossings on NH by Over/under Bridges

The Union Government of India is envisaging to replace all level crossings on National Highways by Over/under Bridges. The replacement of all the level crossings on National Highways by Road Over Bridges or Road Under Bridges will be executed under the Setu Bharatam scheme. GoI aims to ensure safe and smooth flow of traffic and to decrease the road fatalities by 50% by 2020 with the replacement of All level crossings on NH by Over/under Bridges. The whole replacement work will be executed by Road Transport and Highways Ministry.

About Setu Bharatam Scheme:

The Setu Bharatam Scheme was launched by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4th March in 2016. The scheme aims to build rail over-bridges or underpasses for safe and seamless travel on National Highways and to make all National Highways free of railway level crossings in order to prevent the frequent accidents and loss of lives at level crossings.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways: Nitin Jairam Gadkari.

Indian Army organizes Self Defence Training for Women

07 March 2020
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Indian Army organizes Self Defence Training for Women

A unit of Indian Army has organized a Self Defence Training demonstration for Women with a theme of “Stronger You Stronger Society”. The Self Defence Training event was organized for the local womenfolk in Nalbari district of Assam. The training demonstration was held with an objective of addressing fear and to empower the girls morally, mentally and physically to defend themselves in any set of circumstances.

Ramesh Karki, an international taekwondo player of Indian Army conducted the demonstration along with two local players of International repute. The demonstration also featured the participation of around 250 girl students and staffs from various academic institutions of the Nalbari district.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• 28th Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
• Chief Minister of Assam: Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

DAY-NULM partners with Amazon for e-marketing of products

Dtd - 7th March 2020.

DAY-NULM partners with Amazon for e-marketing of products

E-commerce giant Amazon has partnered with the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The partnership aims to facilitate e-marketing of products which are made by Self Help Groups (SHGs) across the nation in urban areas. It also aims to provide access of the products made by SHGs to the wider customer base. It will also strengthen the mission of creating sustainable livelihoods in urban areas. The partnership is also having an underlying narrative of women empowerment which will be instrumental in unleashing the natural entrepreneurial capability of urban women.

The collaboration will also help in documenting and preserving the unique traditional art and crafts of different states. This kind of partnership was also done by DAY-NULM with Flipkart in the past.

About Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM):

DAY-NULM was launched under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households. This programme enable the urban poor households to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities. This accessibility to self-employment results in an appreciable improvement in their livelihoods on a sustainable basis.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Ministers of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.
• Chief Executive Officer of Amazon: Jeff Bezos.

With the hard labour of Kr.Deepak Sagar Sir.

7th March celebrated as Jan Aushadhi Diwas

7th March celebrated as Jan Aushadhi Diwas

India celebrates 7th of March every year as Jan Aushadhi Diwas. The days aims to create awareness and providing thrust to the use of generic medicines. On the occasion of Jan Aushadhi Diwas, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have an interaction event with seven Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendras through the video conferencing. The message of the Prime Minister will also be telecasted at every Jan Aushadhi outlet.

Janaushadhi Kendras is the world's biggest retail pharma chain having around 6,200 outlets in 700 districts of the country. It also provides a good source of self-employment with sustainable and regular earnings. The first Jan Aushadhi Diwas was celebrated on 7th of March 2019.

Important points from above-mentioned article;

1. 7th March - Jan Aushadhi Diwas

2. Aim : Create awareness and providing thrust upon generic medicines.

4th Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2019

4th Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2019

The fourth edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2019 will be organised on the occasion of International Women’s Day i.e. on 8 March 2020. The Women Transforming India Awards 2019 will be organised by the Women Entrepreneurship Platform of the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India). The WTI awards will be conferred by the Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh to the exceptional women change makers from across India.

About the Women Transforming India Awards:

To recognize and celebrate stories of exceptional women change makers, NITI Aayog instituted the Women Transforming India Awards four years ago. The WTI recognizes the inspiring stories of women entrepreneurs who are breaking the glass ceiling.

About the Women Entrepreneurship Platform:

The Women Entrepreneurship Platform aims to transform the entrepreneurial ecosystem for women in India. It unites the stakeholders to provide information and services which can resolve the existing information asymmetry. It was framed on three pillars namely: Iccha Shakti, Gyan Shakti and Karma Shakti. It provides incubator support, mentorship, funding avenues, compliance and taxation support and peer learning to established as well as aspiring women entrepreneurs.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• CEO of NITI Aayog : Amitabh Kant.
• Full form of NITI Aayog : National Institution for Transforming India Aayog
• 8th March - women's Day