Category: All Current Affairs

23rd March observed as Shaheed Diwas

March 23, 2020

• India observes Shaheed Diwas or Martyr’s Day on March 23 in remembrance of three freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev who devoted their lives to the goal of achieving independence for the country.
• Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were hanged till death on March 23, 1931, in Lahore jail during British rule.

UBS lowers India’s FY21 real GDP growth forecast from 5.1% to 4%

March 23, 2020

• With over 400 positive Covid-19 cases in India resulting in lockdowns on 23^rd March led UBS Securities to lower India’s growth forecast for the next financial year starting April 1, to 4 percent from the 5.1 percent estimated earlier.

Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan vow $3.5 mn to SAARC COVID-19 Fund

March 23, 2020

• Bangladesh and Nepal pledged to donate $1.5 million and $1 million respectively to the SAARC Corona Emergency Fund proposed by PM Narendra Modi with an opening offer of $10 million from India to tackle COVID-19 pandemic in the region.
• India first declared to contribute $10 million to the fund and subsequently Nepal and Afghanistan promised $1 million each and the Maldives and Bhutan committed $200,000 and 100,000 respectively.

Sri Lanka vows 5 Million US dollars to COVID-19 SAARC emergency fund

March 23, 2020

• Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has vowed 5 Million US dollars to the COVID-19 emergency fund, set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his video conferencing with SAARC leaders to fight COVID-19.
• This is a fund for the SAARC countries to draw from to deal with problems related to COVID-19.

“Inevitable” to delay Tokyo Olympics: PM Abe

March 23, 2020

• Shinzo Abe announced that the 2020 Games may not open as scheduled on July 24, as the coronavirus marches across the globe causing unprecedented chaos.
• Australia’s Olympic committee declared athletes to prepare for a Tokyo Olympics in the northern-hemisphere summer of 2021.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan takes oath as MP CM

March 23, 2020

• The BJP Legislative Party meeting is scheduled to be held on 23^rd March at 6 pm at the party in Bhopal. Shivraj Singh Chouhan will take oath as the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
• Congress leader and former CM Kamal Nath had on March 20 presented his resignation to Governor Lalji Tandon following the resignation of 22 Congress.

Jammu and Kashmir administrative council to implement the dairy cooperative scheme

March 22, 2020

• Jammu & Kashmir administrative council confirmed the implementation of the Dairy cooperative scheme for dairy cooperative society with the support & sponsorship of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
• The scheme targets to boost milk production in J&K by empowering dairy cooperatives with easy financial support.

Country music icon & 3 times grammy winner Kenny Rogers passed away at 81

March 22, 2020

• Kenneth Ray Rogers, longtime star of country music, passed away at the age of 81 in Colbert, Georgia, US (United States).
• He was born on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas, US.

UK scientists discover fossil of the world’s oldest known modern bird, name ‘Wonderchicken’

March 22, 2020

• Scientists at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom (UK) have found a fossil of the world’s oldest known modern bird skull dating to about 66.8m – 66.7m years ago- means the birds lived alongside dinosaurs for around a million years before the latter vanished out.
• Scientists named the creature ‘Wonderchicken‘, which is thought to be a common ancestor of modern chickens and ducks.

NASA’s CNEOS identifies 4 asteroids approaching the earth

March 22, 2020

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) recognizes 4 asteroids i.e, 2020 FK, 2020 FS, 2020 DP4 & 2020 FF1 approaching the earth which follows Earth-intersecting orbits.