Current Affairs 14th March 2020

1. SBI to buy shares worth Rs 7,250 Cr of cash-strapped Yes Bank

• SBI’s shareholding in Yes Bank will remain within 49 percent of the paid-up capital.
• Per share price is 10 Rs.
• Growth rate will continue to be under potential in FY22.

2. DFS secretary Debasish Panda nominated on central board of RBI

• The nomination of Panda is effective from March 11, 2020 and until further orders.
• RBI can have a maximum of four deputy governors.

3. NCRB launches Crime Multi Agency Centre & National Cybercrime Training Centre

• National Crime Records Bureau celebrated its 35th Inception Day, on March 12.
• Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai launched Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC) for sharing of information on heinous crime & issues related to inter-state coordination.
• NCTC- For quality eLearning services on cybercrime analysis.

4. Thermal Power plants to have 2,43,034 MW capacity by 2021-22

• Minister of State for Power, New & Renewable Energy = R.K. Singh informed it.
• Plant Load Factor of Coal based capacity in 2021-22 is 56.5%.

5. Parliament passes amendments to IBC

• Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2020
• That will help ring-fence successful bidders of insolvent companies from risk of criminal proceedings for offences committed by previous promoters.
• IBC, which came into force in 2016, has already amended thrice.

6. GOKADDAL: World’s First Digital Solutions Exchange Cloud Launched in India

• It is a one of its kind Solutions Aggregator, Marketplace & Cloud delivery platform
• Focus on 4A’s: Automation, AI, Analytics and Augmentative Technologies.
• GOKADDAL Technologies is a Dubai based Technology company.

7. Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 introduced in Lok Sabha

• It seeks to provide for regulation, operation and planning of Major Ports and to vest the administration, control and management of such ports upon the Boards of Major Port Authorities.
• Bill will replace Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.

8. India shares 2nd position with China as most promising source of disruptive technologies: KPMG

• Which includes responses from more than 800 global leaders in the technology industry.
• Bengaluru entered in the top 10 rankings of the list.
• Singapore leaped to the top of this year’s global rankings.

9. WGSHA enters Limca Book of Records for Indias first Living Culinary Arts Museum

• Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Management of Manipal Academy of Higher Education entered the Limca Book of Records for establishing ‘India’s 1st Living Culinary Arts Museum’ at WGSHA.
• Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna is the Founder & curator of Museum.
• Did you Know
• The culinary arts academic block in WGSHA was opened in 2018.

10. India may invoke 123-year-old law to counter coronavirus

• Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897.
• It was enacted to tackle bubonic plague in the then Bombay state, is meant to contain dangerous epidemic diseases.
• Disobeying any regulation is punishable under IPC section 188.

11. India ranks better in Animal Protection Index 2020, but still needs improvements

• India has attained a C ranking in the index.

12. Parliament passes Mineral Law (Amendment) Bill

• Parliament approved Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
• The bill envisages curtailing time lag in operationalization of the coal blocks
• even after their allocation & was needed to ensure uninterrupted coal supplies to thermal plants and other industries.
• Minister of Coal and Mines- Pralhad Joshi.

13. UP govt launches schemes for skill development & employment generation for youths

• Name of the scheme is ‘Arogya Mitras’ at all primary health centres to inform people about govt health schemes.
• 3 Schemes- Kaushal Satrang, Yuva Hub & Apprenticeship Scheme.

14. Assam govt to construct 33 stadiums in state under Uttran scheme

• Rs 300 Cr will be spent to build the stadiums across the state.
• 500 playgrounds are being developed at the state to encourage rural talents.
• State of the art sports facilities are also being set up.
• Rs 50,000 will be given to 1000 players & 2500 clubs.

15. Union Ministry of Minority Affairs implements schemes for the 6 centrally notified minority communities in J&K

• Minority communities are = 1) Buddhists, 2) Christians, 3) Jains, 4) Muslims, 5) Parsis & 6) Sikhs.
• USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) was launched in May 2015.
• Hamari Dharohar- To preserve heritage of minority communities.

16. Mumbai Central Station to be Renamed After Nana Shankarsheth

• Name will be as ‘Nana Shankarsheth Mumbai Central Railway Station’.
• Jagannath “Nana” Shankarsheth (1803-1865) was a Maharashtrian philanthropist and educationist.
• He is famous for his contribution to Mumbai’s development.

17. Hola Mohalla festival was celebrated at Anandpur Sahib Punjab

• Hola Mahalla is an important Indian Sikh festival
• Unlike festival of Holi, when people playfully throw coloured powders,
• Hola Mahalla is an occasion for the Sikhs to demonstrate martial skills.
• The fair is also known for community service.

18. Wings India 2020 began in Hyderabad

• Wings India 2020 is an International conference and exhibition on the Civil Aviation sector,
• Has begun on 12 March in Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India organize the biennial event along with FICCI.
• Theme = ‘Flying for all’.

19. Tamil Nadu hosted Divya Kala Shakti for the first time

• Witnessing the abilities in disabilities a unique cultural’ event at Chennai on 12 March 2020.
• National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities hosted the event.
• Dept of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities partnered.

20. ADB to give $200 mn to companies manufacturing products to combat coronavirus

• $200 million (about Rs 1,480 crore)
• Through its Supply Chain Finance Program.
• ADB had given a total of $4 million in February.

21. Rajesh Chaplot honoured with the Highest Civilian Award of Uganda

• Rajesh Chaplot  is a Distinguished NRI businessman.
• for his excellence in the field of Business and Commerce, Social Service and for fostering better India- Uganda ties.
• He was the recipient of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.

22. Tiger Woods to be inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021 class

• The hall of fame is located in St. Augustine, Florida.
• Woods was among 10 finalists named in March as candidates.
• Woods is a three-time winner of the career Grand Slam.