Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 March 2020

1. Shivraj Singh Chouhan was sworn in as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for the fourth time

• BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan has sworn in as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for the fourth time.
• Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon administered him the oath of office and secrecy.
• Madhya Pradesh:
  • Madhya Pradesh ranks second in terms of area in the country after Rajasthan.
  • The state animal of the state is Barasingha.
  • The state bird of Madhya Pradesh is Asian Paradise Flycatcher (Dudhraj).
  • The state flower of MP is White Lily.
  • The state is famous for Sanchi Stupa and Bhimabetka Caves.

2. Parliament passes Finance Bill 2020

• Recently, the Parliament has passed the Finance Bill 2020 without any discussion.
• With this, the budgetary process has been completed.
• Finance Bill:
  • Finance bills are those bills which deal with money.
  • There are three financial bills mentioned in the Indian constitution which are described under Articles 110, 117 (1) and 117 (3).
  • The money bill under Article 110 is also a type of financial bill.

3. Rashtriya Raksha University Bill, 2020 introduced in Lok Sabha

• Rashtriya Raksha University Bill, 2020 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Home Affairs.
• The bill is intended to provide police and security services to educational institutions with the necessary academic knowledge, professional skills and community orientation.
• By this bill, the Defence Power University established under the state government, Gandhinagar, Gujarat is proposed to be upgraded as National Defence University, i.e. an institution of national importance.
• With this, the National Forensic Science University Bill, 2020 was also introduced in the Lok Sabha. A National Forensics University will be set up with a status of institution of national importance.

4. March 24: World Tuberculosis Day

• World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on 24 March.
• World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is celebrated to raise public awareness regarding the consequences of TB on health, society and economy.
•  On this day in 1882, Dr. Robert Koch discovered the bacteria that causes TB, which opened the way for diagnosing and treating the disease.
• This year's theme is "It’s time" - to work on the commitments made by global leaders.
• India has set a target to end TB by 2025 in the country.

5. Canada, first country to come out of Tokyo Olympics 2020

• Canada has become the first country to come out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which were to begin from 24 July.
• The International Olympic committee will decide the fate of the Games in the next four weeks.
• International Olympic Committee:
  • Is a non-governmental sports organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • It was established in the year 1894.

6. IND-SAT for foreign students for higher education in India will be held in mid-May

• The Indian Scholastic Assessment (IND-SAT) exam under the Study in India (SII) scheme for foreign students will be conducted in mid-May.
• It is an online examination of multiple choice questions to assess students in verbal, quantitative and logical reasoning. Students applying for the exam will be allotted examination centers in Bangladesh.
• The scheme was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Budget 2020-21.
• The scheme aims to provide scholarships to meritorious students from 13 Asian and African countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Tanzania.

7. Priority sector classification will also be done for NBFCs

• The Reserve Bank of India will extend the priority sector classification for bank lending to NBFCs for the financial year 2020-21.
• NBFCs and Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) will be allowed to lend up to 5% of the total bank credit to the priority sector.
• NBFC:
  • Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956.
  • It is engaged in the acquisition of loans and advances, shares / bonds / debentures / securities issued by the government or local authority.

8. The Painkuni festival of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple has been postponed

• The 10-day Painkuni festival of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple has been postponed.
• The festival has been postponed following the guidelines issued for Covid-19 by the central and state governments.
• The festival was scheduled to begin on 30 March.
• Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple:
  • Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state.
  • The temple is built by a mixture of the Chera and Dravidian styles of architecture.
  • The main deity of this temple is Lord Vishnu.

9. Three more supercomputers to be installed under the National Supercomputing Mission

• Three more supercomputers will be installed in the country under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
• Three more supercomputers are being planned to be installed by April 2020 at IIT-Kanpur, JN Center for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru and IIT-Hyderabad.
• National Supercomputing Mission:
  • This mission was announced in the year 2015.
  • It is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, C-DAC, Ministry of Science and Technology and IISc, Bengaluru.
  • It aims to empower national academic and R&D institutions spread across the country by establishing a huge supercomputing grid with over 70 high performance computing facilities.
  • The first computer under this scheme was installed in Varanasi BHU.

10. ICMR suggested use of hydroxychloroquine for medical practitioners dealing with corona infection cases

• Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has asked for the use of hydroxychloroquine for the medical personnel treating patients with corona infection.
• This decision has also been confirmed by the Drug Controller General of India.
• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR):
  • It is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies in the world.
  • It is the apex body in India for the creation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • It was established in the year 1911.

Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs)

1. In which state are the famous Bhimbetka caves located?

A. Rajasthan

B. Maharashtra

C. Madhya Pradesh

D. Uttar Pradesh

2. Which of the following articles is related to Financial Bill?

A. Article 110

B. Article 117 (1)

C. Article 117 (3)

D. All of the above

3. In which state is the Defence Power University proposed to be given the status of an institution of national importance by the Rashtriya Raksha University Bill, 2020?

A. Gujarat

B. Jharkhand

C. Uttarakhand

D. Punjab

4. On which day is World Tuberculosis Day celebrated?

A. 21 March

B. 22 March

C. 24 March

D. 16 March

5. Which is the first country to come out of Tokyo Olympics 2020?

A. India

B. Canada

C. USA

D. Italy

6. The new scheme IND-SAT launched by the Government of India is related to which field?

A. Education

B. Space

C. Business

D. Child welfare

7. Under which act are Non-Banking Financial Companies registered?

A. Companies Act 1956

B. Companies Act 1950

C. Companies Act 1965

D. Companies Act 1962

8. Padmanabhaswamy Temple is built in which architectural style?

A. Chera style

B. Dravidian Style

C. Both A and B

D. none of the above

9. In which year was the National Supercomputing Mission announced?

A. 2016

B. 2015

C. 2019

D. 2020

10. Where is the headquarters of Indian Council of Medical Research located?

A. Bengaluru

B. Pune

C. New Delhi

D. Hyderabad

Solution

1. C

2. D

3. A

4. C

5. B

6. A

7. A

8. C

9. B

10. C