Daily Current Affairs and GK | 21 March 2020

1. Karnataka State Wildlife Board approved the railway line

• Karnataka State Wildlife Board approved the disputed Hubballi-Ankola railway line project in Bengaluru.
• The project was announced in 1997.
• It was rejected by the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court, Ministry of Environment and Forests, National Tiger Conservation Authority, etc. due to damage to the environment.
• The Hubballi-Ankola railway line passes through Kali and Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.

2. Trump will address the G-7 via videoconference

• U.S. President Donald Trump will address the G-7 via videoconference.
• The G-7 summit was to be held at Camp David near Washington in April – May this year.
• The G-7 group has taken this decision due to the world pandemic coronavirus.
• G-7:
  • It is the political organization of seven advanced economies of the world.
  • This includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
  • It was founded in 1975.

3. R. Gandhi and Ananth Narayan join YES Bank Reconstruction Board

• Recently R. Gandhi and Ananth Narayan have been included in the Board of Reconstruction of Yes Bank.
• R. Gandhi and Ananth Narayan have been appointed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the reconstruction board of private sector lender Yes Bank as Additional Directors.
• R. Gandhi is a former deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
• Ananth Narayan is an Associate Professor at the S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research.
• Both have been appointed to the board for two years from March 26, 2020.

4. Defence Minister released the Defence Procurement Draft 2020

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the Defence Procurement Draft 2020 in New Delhi.
• This draft will come into effect from April 1, 2020, and will replace DPP, 2016.
• This new DPP will remain in force till March 31, 2025.
• The objective of this policy is to make India a major global centre of defence manufacturing by involving the private sector in manufacturing activities under the 'Make in India' initiative.
• The government has also introduced the system of procuring defence equipment at affordable rates in various categories under the lease process.

5. Supreme Court said that courts can order passports surrender in contempt cases

• Recently, the Supreme Court has said that the courts can order the surrender of passports in contempt of court cases.
• The court has ruled this so as to ensure the presence of the parties in contempt proceedings.
• The decision has been taken by a bench led by Justice R. Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna.
• The Court has given this ruling during the hearing of a contempt case in connection with a civil suit over the division of a disputed property in Delhi.
• The apex court made it clear that the contemnors will only submit their passports to the Court.

6. Lok Sabha passes bill to give the status of Institutes of National Importance (INI) to five more IIITs

• Recently, the Lok Sabha has passed a bill to give the status of Institutes of National Importance (INI) to five more Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT).
• The five institutions located in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala, and Raichur will be given this status similar to that given to 15 other IIITs under the Indian Institute of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017.
• Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said that such institutes register 100% placements and follow the reservation policy.

7. March 21: International Day of Forests

• International Day of Forests is observed every year on March 21.
• This day raises awareness about the importance of all types of forests.
• The theme of International Forest Day 2020 is "Forest and Biodiversity".
• On March 21, 2012, the United Nations General Assembly declared International Day of Forests.
• Local, national, and international efforts are encouraged to conduct activities such as tree planting campaigns on this day.

8. Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission stated no objection to the distribution of pattas

• Recently, the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission stated that there is no objection to the distribution of pattas under the housing programme scheme.
• Since the implementation of the code of conduct in the state from March 7, the government's plan to give houses to the poor and providing house-site pattas were prohibited.
• The SEC decision was challenged in the Supreme Court, which ordered the removal of code of conduct and asked to reinstate it four weeks before the elections.
• Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission to regulate political parties and candidates before elections.
• The State Election Commission is a constitutional body.

Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs)

1. Hubballi-Ankola railway line passes through which tiger reserve?

A. Kali

B. Sahyadri

C. Both A and B

D. None of the above

2. Which of the following countries is not a member of the G-7 group?

A. Germany

B. Italy

C. Japan

D. India

3. Recently R. Gandhi and Ananth Narayan have been included in the reconstruction board of which bank?

A. Yes Bank

B. Punjab National Bank

C. State Bank of India

D. Canara Bank

4. The Defence Procurement Draft Policy 2020 will continue till _________.

A. 2022

B. 2024

C. 2025

D. 2026

5. What has the Supreme Court ordered to be seized in contempt of court cases?

A. Passport

B. Voter ID Card

C. PAN Card

D. Aadhar Card

6. The Lok Sabha has recently passed a bill to give the status of institutes of national importance to the Indian Institutes of Information Technology. The IIITs located at which of the following places are included in this list?

A. Surat

B. Bhopal

C. Bhagalpur

D. All of the above

7. On which day is International Day of Forests celebrated?

A. March 21

B. April 22

C. May 24

D. June 26

8. What type of body is the State Election Commission?

A. Statutory

B. Constitutional

C. Non-Constitutional

D. Non-statutory

Solution

1. C

2. D

3. A

4. C

5.  A

6. D

7. A

8. B