Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2020

Notes:
National Science Day is celebrated across the country on February 28 each year, to commemorate the discovery of the great Indian physician C V Raman -the Raman’s effect. Raman had received the Nobel prize for the effect, which he discovered in 1928.
This year, the theme of the National Science Days is ‘Women in Science’. The government also gives National Science Popularization awards on the day.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently laid foundation stone for the Bundelkhand Expressway at Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh.
This proposed expressway is expected to connect the backward region to the national capital region and it will also support the Bundelakhnd Defence industrial corridor. Last year, the State Cabinet of Uttar Pradesh had approved the Bundelkhand Expressway project which would cost around Rs 10,000 crore.

Notes:
Rare Disease Day is observed across the world on the last day of February each year. This year it is observed on February 29, 2020.
The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on the lives of patients. It is estimated that more than 300 million people are living with rare diseases.

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:
Former Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who was also the Finance Minister of India, has presented 10 Union budgets, which is the highest as of 2020. P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee have presented 9 and 8 budgets respectively.
Recently, the 124th birth anniversary of Morarji Desai was observed on February 29, 2020. Several national leaders paid tribute to the former Prime Minister.

Notes:
Veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee Joginder Singh Saini recently passed away at the age of 90.
He had served as the Chief national athletics coach for several years between 1970 and 1990. He had also been the chief coach of the then Amateur Athletics Federation of India. Saini received the prestigious Dronacharya Award in 1997 for his contribution to Indian athletics.

Notes:
China-based consumer electronics firm and smartphone manufacturer OPPO recently announced its mutual fund platform named ‘KASH’.
The ‘OPPO Kash’ service, which will be pre-installed in all OPPO smartphones, will offer users to invest in mutual funds. The platform will also provide free credit reports, personal loans up to two lakh, business loans up to ₹2 crore and screen insurance.

Notes:
World Wildlife Day is celebrated every year on March 3, across the world. On 20 December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim March 3 as World Wildlife Day. The day is observed to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora.
On the same day, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted in 1973. The theme of World Wildlife Day 2020, “Sustaining all life on Earth”.

Notes:
International agency OECD recently lowered India’s GDP growth forecast to 5.1 per cent from the earlier projection of 6.2 per cent for 2020-21. For the financial year ending March 2019, OECD has projected a growth rate of 4.9%.
The main reason for the cut in rates was the concerns about the impact of coronavirus on the domestic and the global economy. However, the economy of India is to improve to 5.6 per cent in the following year (2021-22).

Notes:
The Punjab government recently scrapped the policy of granting optional extension in service to the state government employees after retirement.
This decision is taken with an aim to generate employment for the youth of the state. The state government had earlier allowed service extension to all employees up to the age of 60 or 62. Recently, the state made the retiring age of the employees to 58 from 60.