Daily Current Affairs and GK | 01 and 02 March 2020

1. Government launched a special campaign to promote the empowerment of girls and women

• The government has launched a special campaign to promote the empowerment of girls and women through education.
• International Women's Day will be celebrated on March 8 in schools and colleges across the country. The campaign has already started and the campaign will run throughout the year.
• In this direction, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao program has been very successful due to which the enrollment of girls in the courses has increased in comparison to children at higher levels in education.
• Also, to ensure the safety of the girl child, self-defense training is imparted to girls of classes 6 to 12 in government schools.
• On the lines of the Yoga Olympiad, self-defense olympiad will be organized for girls at the school level.

2. The President of Afghanistan has rejected the agreement between the US and the Taliban

• Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has rejected an important condition related to the agreement between the US and the Taliban regarding the release of rebel prisoners.
• He also said that efforts would be made to reduce violence to reach the goal of a full ceasefire.
• The historic agreement between the US and the Taliban in Qatar called for the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the release of 1000 government prisoners by 10 March.
• Afghanistan:

• It is a landlocked country located in Asia.
• Its capital is Kabul, and the currency is Afghan Afghani.
• Afghanistan borders Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north and China to the northeast.

3. Greece has prevented about 10,000 refugees from crossing Turkey's border

• Greece has stopped about 10,000 refugees attempting to cross Turkey's border.
• The security forces of Greece are also patrolling along the river Evros, which is a major cross-border place. Here loudspeakers are used to warn against entering the Greek border.
• Meanwhile, the European Union's border protection agency Frontex has said that keeping in mind the efforts of thousands of refugees to enter Europe via Turkey, the borders of countries in Europe bordering Turkey have been increased.
• Greece:
  • Greece is a country in Southeast Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas.
  • Its capital is Athens, and the currency is the Euro.
• Turkey:
  • Turkey is a country located in Eurasia.
  • Its capital is Ankara and the currency is Turkish lira.
  • President-Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

4. First Khelo India University game ended in Bhubaneswar, Odisha

• The first Khelo India University game concluded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• Punjab University, Chandigarh, won the Champions Trophy by winning 46 medals, including 17 gold, 19 silver, and 10 bronze.
• Savitri Bai Phule University secured the second position and Punjabi University, Patiala stood third.
• Savitri Bai Phule University won 37 medals, including 17 gold, 11 silver, and 9 bronze.
• Punjabi University, Patiala won 33 medals including 13 gold, 6 silver, and 14 bronze.
• A total of 113 universities participated in these games.
• Dutee Chand, India's fastest female runner representing the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology on the last day of the Games, took the gold in the 200m final, taking a time of 23.66 seconds.

5. Dronacharya Awardee Joginder Singh Saini died in Patiala

• 90-year-old veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee Joginder Singh Saini passed away in Patiala due to age-related problems.
• Saini had been the chief national athletics coach for many years from the 1970s to the 1990s.
• He became the head coach of the then Amateur Athletics Federation of India in 1970.
• Saini received the Dronacharya Award in 1997 for his contribution to Indian athletics.
• He was the head coach of the Indian athletics team which won 18 medals, including eight golds at the Asian Games in 1978.

6. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla started 'Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan' in Kota

• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has launched 'Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan' in Kota, Rajasthan.
• Keeping the newborn and pregnant women healthy is the main objective of the 'Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan'.
• The scheme will provide nutritional support to pregnant women and adolescent girls.
• Initially, the scheme will cover 1,000 pregnant women.
• Under this campaign, 1,000 women will be given food items for a month.
• In the first phase of the campaign, 1,000 pregnant women were provided with 1,000 kits of 17 kg balanced diet.

7. Government of Tripura and the Airport Authority of India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)

• The Government of Tripura and the Airports Authority of India have signed an MoU to build six centers to house agricultural equipment in the Manu block of Dhalai district in the state.
• The project has been started under the Corporate Social Responsibility Scheme.
• Equipment related to agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries will be kept in these equipment centers.
• These equipments will be given to farmers, self-help groups and other needy at minimum rent.
• The project would benefit at least 6,000 families.

8. Putanahalli lake threatened by untreated sewage

• Putanahalli lake is under threat from untreated sewage.
• Raw sewage from two parts of the surrounding areas has started entering the lake since last year.
• Putanahalli Lake, is a small, freshwater lake located in Karnataka.
• Putanahalli Bird Sanctuary is also located here.

9. New changes were made to the wildlife list by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)

• With the new change in the list of wildlife by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), scientists say the total number of migratory animals in India is up to 457 species. The figure comprises 83% (380 species) of birds, which is the highest in the wildlife list.
• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) prepared a list of India's migratory species under the CMS Appendix for the first time. Before the recently held conference (COP 13) in Gujarat, the number of species in it was put at 451.
• Six new species, the Asian elephant, the great Indian bustard, the Bengal florican, the ocean white-tip shark, the urial, and the smooth hammerhead shark, were later added.

10. Central Government is planning to review the list of monuments under ASI

• The Union government's conservation minister Prahlad Singh Patel has said that the number of monuments under the protection of the central government may increase as the Archaeological Survey of India plans to review the list of monuments.
• The list of monuments protected by the Center has not seen a substantial increase over many years, and important sites currently under state governments can be added to the list.
• On the other hand, some monuments can be removed from the Central list and placed under the State Governments list.
• Currently, 3,691 monuments are protected by the ASI across the country, with the highest number being 745 in Uttar Pradesh.
• The list of centrally protected monuments can go up to 10,000. In Tamil Nadu alone, there are around 7,000 temples, many of which are hundreds of years old.
• It is known that the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, protects monuments and sites that are more than 100 years old.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. International Women's Day is celebrated on which day every year?

A. 8 February

B. 8 March

C. 8 April

D. 8 May

2. Ashraf Ghani is the President of which of the following country?

A. Qatar

B. Egypt

C. Afghanistan

D. Syria

3. In which country does the Evros river flow?

A. Britain

B. Poland

C. Greece

D. Russia

4. Female runner Dutee Chand has won which medal in the Khelo India University Games?

A. Gold

B. Silver

C. Bronze

D. None of the above

5. Recently Joginder Singh Saini passed away; he belongs to which of the following field?

A. Sports

B. Acting

C. Writing

D. Politics

6. Recently which campaign has been started to keep the newborn and pregnant women healthy?

A. Suposhit Maa Abhiyan

B. Suposhit Navjat Abhiyan

C. Suposhit Vatavaran Abhiyan

D. Suposhit Ghar Abhiyan

7. The Airport Authority of India has signed an MoU with which state to build six centers to house agricultural equipment?

A. Assam

B. Uttar Pradesh

C. Bihar

D. Tripura

8. Putanahalli lake is located in which state?

A. Kerala

B. Karnataka

C. Tamil Nadu

D. Andhra Pradesh

9. According to the new list of wildlife prepared by the Convention on Migratory Species, which of the following has the highest percentage among the migratory species in India?

A. Bird

B. Reptiles

C. Mammals

D. fish

10. Which state has the highest number of monuments protected by ASI in India?

A. Uttar Pradesh

B. Tamilnadu

C. Madhya Pradesh

D. Rajasthan

Solution:

1. B

2. C

3. C

4. A

5. A

6. A

7. D

8. B

9. A

10. A