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:
Larsen & Toubro ship building company recently handed over the offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS Varad to the country. The ship has been commissioned into the Indian Coast Guard at L&T Kattupalli shipyard, near Chennai.
This is the fifth in the series of the seven patrol vessels built by L&T, contracted by the Defence Ministry. ICGS Varad is also the first major defence ship to clear all sea acceptance trials in a single sea sortie.

Notes:
India’s first commercial Liquified Compressed natural gas (LNG) bus, which was developed by Petronet, was recently launched in the city of Kochi, Kerala.
It is claimed that the bus will be able to travel up to 900 km in a single filling. Petronet also has plans to open 28 LNG dispensing stations in India and four stations in Kerala. LNG is both environment friendly and cost efficient compared to diesel.

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:
The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar recently inaugurated the 11th National Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Conference -2020 in New Delhi.
The first KVK was established in 1974 at Puducherry under the administrative control of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore on a pilot basis. At present there are more than 700 KVKs across the country.

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:
Leading Telecom and consumer electronics company Nokia announced that its board of directors has appointed Pekka Lundmark as the next President and CEO to succeed Rajeev Suri.
Rajeev Suri is to step down from his current role on August 31, 2020 and remain as an advisor to the Nokia board till January 1, 2021. Pekka Lundmark is set to take charge from September 2020 and will be based in Espoo, Finland.

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.

Notes:
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has announced that it has acquired Bhander power plant at Hazira in Gujarat.
The natural gas-based thermal plant was purchased by AM/NS India under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest (SARFAESI) Act.

Notes:
Former India hockey player Balbir Singh Kullar, who was a part of the Olympics bronze-winning team, recently passed away at the age of 77.
The Punjab-based player was a recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri and Arjuna award for his contribution towards Hockey. Balbir Singh was also part of the gold medal winning Indian team in 1966 Bangkok Asian Games.