Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2020

Notes:
The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) recently collaborated with NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) based module for Indian school students.
The AI-Base Module is to be implemented in nearly 5,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) and is expected to reach as many as 2.5 million students. The module with activities and videos on AI concepts is to be introduced from 27 February.

Notes:
Delimitation literally means the process of fixing limits of territorial constituencies in a country with a legislative body.
The government recently cancelled its earlier notifications which postponed delimitation in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh due to security issues. The exercise to re-adjust the division of each state into territorial constituencies for the purpose of Lok Sabha and state assembly elections on the basis of 2001 census figures, is to be carried out in the four states.

Notes:
Indian Railways recently launched its first ‘Restaurant on Wheels’ at Asansol Railway station, located in the state of West Bengal.
The restaurant, which is to serve both the passengers and general public, is developed by refurbishing two over aged MEMU coaches. This addition in infrastructure is expected to generate non-fare revenue earnings of approximately Rs 50 lakhs in the next five years.

Notes:
Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela-2020 is being organised in New Delhi by ICAR-IARI (Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Agricultural Research Institute) from March 1 to 3. The event is being conducted at the ICAR-IARI Mela Grounds, New Delhi.
Bharat Bhushan, a 42-year-old farmer from Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, has been selected for the ‘Innovative Farmer Award’ by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. Innovative farmers are felicitated during the event.

Notes:
The chairman of the LuLu Group, M A Yusuff Ali recently became the first Indian to receive Saudi Arabia’s premium residency. Abu Dhabi-based Indian retail business-person was also ranked the richest expatriate in the UAE by the Forbes magazine last year.
The permit also known as Saudi Green Card, grants expatriates the right to live, work and own business and property in the country without the requirement of a sponsor.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath recently announced that the government has decided to provide a financial assistance of Rs 900 per month to those farmers who are ready to keep stray cattle at their houses and provide a shelter to them.
The state government of Uttar Pradesh also announced that it has decided to build shelters for stray cattle in the state.

Notes:
US-based think tank Global Financial Integrity (GFI) recently released a report titled “Trade-related Illicit Financial Flows in 135 Developing Countries: 2008-2017”.
As per the report, five countries with the largest gaps were China (457.7 billion), followed by Mexico, India, Russia and Poland. India has the third-highest trade-related illicit financial flow escaping the government’s tax net, with 83.5 billion (Rs 6.14 trillion), equivalent to 3.05 per cent of GDP).

Notes:
Scientists at the Australian National University announced that they are designing the country’s first satellite to predict the bushfire danger zones.
Australia has witnessed devastating bushfires across the country especially in South Wales. The proposed bushfires measure forest cover and moisture levels using infrared detectors. The resultant data would be used to determine where bushfires will probably start and where they would be difficult to control.

Notes:
The government has formed a committee under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to work out the operational modalities of ‘Kisan Rail’.
In the recent budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to set up a ‘Kisan Rail’ through the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode to transport perishable goods. The proposed committee also includes representatives of the Indian Railways and some representatives from Ministry of Railways also.

Notes:
The Direct Tax Vivaad Se Vishwas Bill 2020 has been recently passed by the Lok Sabha. The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on February 5, 2020.
The Bill provides a mechanism for resolution of pending tax disputes in direct tax including income tax and corporation tax. It seeks that taxpayers can settle disputes by paying their due taxes with waiver of interest and penalty by March 31, 2020.