Daily Current Affairs and GK | 25 March 2020

1. Relaxation for filing income tax returns for the financial year 2018-19

• Recently, the last date for filing income tax returns for the financial year 2018-19 by Finance Minister Sitaraman has been extended till 30 June 2020.
• This decision has been taken with the aim of giving relief to the citizens and the business world due to Coronavirus infection in the country.
• Also, the interest rate for the delay in paying income tax has been reduced from 12% to 9%.
• Apart from this, the duration of adding the PAN card and Aadhaar card has also been extended till 30 June.
• Those who want to take advantage of this scheme will no longer have to pay an additional 10%.

2. Tokyo Olympics 2020 postponed for one year

• The recent Tokyo Olympics 2020 has been postponed for a year.
• This decision has been taken due to infection of the global pandemic Covid-19.
• The decision has been delivered by Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, and head of the International Olympic Committee.
• International Olympic Committee:
  • The International Olympic Committee is a non-governmental sports organization.
  • It hosts the modern Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
  • Its headquarters are located in Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • It was established in the year 1894.

3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Nowruz greetings to President of Afghanistan

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanges Nowruz greetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the telephone.
• Nowruz symbolizes the shared cultural heritage of the two countries.
• Nowruz:
  • It is the Iranian New Year, celebrated by various ethno-linguistic groups worldwide.
  • Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • It was included in UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage in 2016.

4. Mayiladuthurai will be the 38^th district of Tamil Nadu

• Recently Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswamy has announced the creation of a new district called Mayiladuthurai.
• The new district is being created after the division of Nagapattinam district.
• Tamil Nadu:
  • It is a state of South India. Its capital is Chennai.
  • Tamil Nadu is famous for its Dravidian-style Hindu temples. In Madurai, Meenakshi Amman Temple and Ramanathaswamy Temple on Pamban Island is a pilgrimage site.
  • The city of Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India, is the site of the sunrise ritual.

5. Violaters of lockdown will be booked under section 188 of IPC

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared a 21-day lockdown across the country due to the infection of Covid-19.
• Violation of this lockdown will be taken under section 188 of the IPC.
• The orders issued to stop the spread of coronaviruses have been prepared under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
• There is a provision of punishment under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 for violating such orders.

6. Measures to modernize the defence industry by the government

• The government has taken some important measures to modernize the defence industry.
• These steps are as follows-
  • The Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) has been amended in 2016 with specific provisions to encourage the development of the domestic defence industry.
  • The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy has been revised, allowing up to 49% FDI through automatic route and over 49% FDI through government route.
  • Simultaneously, artificial intelligence is also being included in the defence sector.
  • Not only this, the Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti was launched in 2018-19 with the objective of creating more intellectual property in the defence production ecosystem.

7. More than 900 Yakshagana scripts were digitized

• Recently, over 900 Yakshagana scripts were digitized by a trust named Yakshavahini.
• This digital form is being made available online for free.
• Yakshagana:
  • Yakshagana is a type of traditional theatre in Karnataka.
  • This folk art originated somewhere between the 10^th and 16^th centuries.
  • Yakshagana is strongly influenced by the Vaishnava Bhakti movement and mythological stories and Puranas are depicted.

Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs)

1. What is the last date to file income tax returns for FY 2018-19?

A. 30 June 2020

B. 30 May 2020

C. 30 April 2020

D. 30 July 2020

2. Where is the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee located?

A. Switzerland

B. USA

C. India

D. Russia

3. In which year Nowruz was included in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage?

A. 2014

B. 2016

C. 2019

D. 2013

4. Mayiladuthurai is the 38^th district of which state?

A. Gujarat

B. Tamil Nadu

C. Uttarakhand

D. Madhya Pradesh

5. In which year was the Epidemic Diseases Act introduced in India?

A. 1997

B. 1897

C. 1857

D. 1957

6. Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti is related to which field?

A. Education

B. Defence

C. Foreign

D. Society

7. Yakshagana is the traditional theatre of which of the following state?

A. Kerala

B. Tamil Nadu

C. Andhra Pradesh

D. Karnataka

Solution

1. A

2. A

3. B

4, B

5. B

6. B

7. D