Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 March 2020

1. International Yoga Day 2020 main event to be held in Ladakh

• The main event of International Yoga Day will be held in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, on 21 June 2020.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also participate in this program and will do yoga with 15 to 20 thousand people.
• Yoga:
  • Yoga is an ancient physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in India.
  • On 11 December 2014, the United Nations declared 21 June as International Yoga Day by resolution 69/131.
  • In 2016, Yoga was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of India by UNESCO.

2. Covid-19 declared as a pandemic by WHO

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the condition caused by the new corona virus as a pandemic.
• The WHO is concerned about the action taken to combat the spread and outbreak of the virus.
• The number of its patients and death is expected to increase in the coming days and weeks.
• World Health Organization (WHO):
  • It is a specialized agency of the United Nations related to public health.
  • It was established on 7 April 1948 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Chief- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

3. 'Joy Bangla' will be the national slogan of Bangladesh

• 'Joy Bangla' will be the national slogan of Bangladesh as per the orders issued by the High court of Bangladesh.
• The High Court has said in an order that all those sitting in constitutional posts and state officials should use Joy Bangla after their speeches on National Day and other appropriate occasions.
• 'Joy Bangla' slogan is significant as it was the main slogan during the Bangladesh Liberation War fought against Pakistan in 1971.
• The first President of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, also used 'Joy Bangla' in his speeches.

4. Amazon rain forest will be destroyed in no time if it reaches the critical point

• A study published in the journal Nature Communications states that large-scale ecosystems, such as the Amazon rain forest, may disappear rapidly after reaching a critical point.
• Recently, researchers at the University of London in the UK discovered the speed of disappearance of various ecosystems, which reached a critical point and turned into an alternative habitat.
• The study states that once the "point of no return" is reached, the Amazon rain forest can transform into a savanna-type ecosystem with a mixture of trees and grasses within 50 years.
• The Amazon rain forests are spread over Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname.

5. According to a study music can reduce delirium

• According to a study published in the American Journal of Critical Care, music can effectively reduce delirium (a form of acute brain failure without any effective treatment).
• The study was performed on patients lying on ventilators in the intensive care unit (ICU).
• According to the researchers, music helps to protect the patients' brains, and they experience less stress when they are seriously ill.

6. Integrated Project for Source Sustainability and Climate Resilient Rain-fed Agriculture in Himachal Pradesh

• Integrated Project for Source Sustainability and Climate Resilient Rain-fed Agriculture will be launched in Himachal Pradesh.
• The Government of India, the World Bank and government of Himachal Pradesh have signed a US $ 80 million loan agreement to improve water management practices and increase agricultural productivity in selected gram panchayats (village councils) in Himachal Pradesh.
• In Himachal Pradesh, the project will be implemented in 428 Gram Panchayats in 10 districts, benefiting more than 4,00,000 small farmers, women and rural communities.

7. Supreme Court order on sexual harassment at workplace

• Recently a Supreme Court order has come on the sexual harassment case at the workplace.
• This court order came on the complaint of a bank official.
• The Supreme Court has said that sexual harassment of women at the workplace is a violation of their fundamental right to equality.
• Sexual harassment at the workplace is a violation of the right to equality to women under Articles 14 and 15 provided by the Constitution of India and the right to live with dignity under Article 21.

8. Inclusive Internet Index 2020 released

• Recently the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released the 'Inclusive Internet Index 2020'.
• The index includes 100 countries of the world that represent 96% of global GDP and 91% of the global population.
• The index has been released based on categories, availability, affordability, relevance and readiness.
• Sweden has the highest rank in this list, while Burundi has the lowest rank.
• India has got 46^th rank in this index.

9. Traditional 'Fagli' festival in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh started

• The traditional 'Fagli' festival in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh started with a ceremony.
• This festival is celebrated to mark the end of winter or the beginning of spring.
• This festival is celebrated all over the valley on the moonlight night or Amavasya.
• The festival is held to observe the "victory of good over evil".
• The festival will continue in the district for the next few days.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. In which year Yoga was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of India by UNESCO?

A. 2014

B. 2015

C. 2016

D. 2017

2. Where is the headquarters of the World Health Organization located?

A. New York

B. Geneva

C. The Hague

D. New Delhi

3. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first President of which country?

A. Bangladesh

B. Pakistan

C. Afghanistan

D. Kuwait

4. The Amazon rain forest does not extend to which of the following countries?

A. Colombia

B. Venezuela

C. Chile

D. Ecuador

5. What is the acute brain failure called?

A. cerebellum

B. Delirium

C. Beryllium

D. Filarium

6. Integrated project for source sustainability and climate resilient rain-fed agriculture in Himachal Pradesh is being launched with the help of which organization?

A. New Development Bank

B. World Bank

C. Asian Bank

D. International Monetary Fund

7. Which of the following fundamental rights of women are violated as per the Supreme Court order on sexual harassment at the workplace?

A. Article 14

B. Article 15

C. Article 21

D. All of the above

 8. What is the rank of India in the Inclusive Internet Index 2020?

A. 26^th

B. 36^th

C. 46^th

D. 56^th

9. In which state is the traditional Fagli festival celebrated?

A. Madhya Pradesh

B. Himachal Pradesh

C. Kerala

D. Karnataka

Solution:

1. C

2. C

3. B

4. A

5. A

6. B

7. D

8. B

9. B