Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2020

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:
Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is the nodal ministry for implementing the ‘e-Vidhan’ project in all 31 states and Union Territories of the country.
The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) creates a massive data depository and aims to bring all the legislatures of the country on a single platform. Recently the assembly of Arunachal Pradesh implemented the e-Vidhan project under which data can be accessed anywhere at any time by the legislators.

Notes:
Janaushadhi Week is being celebrated across the country from March 1 to March 7 2020 and Jan Aushadi Diwas on March 7. During this week, several activities like health check-up Camp, free doctor consultation, free medicine distribution were organised at various Janaushadhi Kendras.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana is an initiative by Department of Pharmaceuticals, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. The scheme aims to provide quality medicines at an affordable price to all people.

Notes:
Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is released by the data analytics firm IHS Markit. As per the survey, services sector of the country rose for the fifth consecutive month to 57.5 in February after 55.5 in January.
A figure more than 50 signifies expansion, while below-50 figure identifies contraction. The service sector dipped to a 19-month low in September 2019.

Notes:
The Supreme Court of India recently ruled the restriction on cryptocurrency trade in India. The recent order also lifted the ban on trading in virtual currency, cryptocurrency and bitcoins.
The Reserve Bank of India had banned crypto-currency trading in India through its circular issued on April 6, 2018. The central bank directed that all regulated entities shall not deal in virtual currencies or provide services to deal with the virtual currencies.

Notes:
The Rajasthan Municipality (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was recently passed by the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly to declare the entire Walled City area in Jaipur as a ‘no construction zone’.
Under the new Act, the state government will get the right to declare a particular area of the urban bodies of the state as No-construction zone to promote tourism and preserve heritage. UNESCO had mandated to declare the Heritage site-Walled Area of Jaipur city as a no-construction zone.

Notes:
Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Thursday lowered the interest rate on deposits to 8.50 per cent for the current financial year 2019-20.
The interest rate, which is the lowest rate fixed in seven years, was reduced from the previous rate of 8.65 per cent in 2018-19. The Central Board of Trustees, which is the apex decision-making body of the EPFO, fixes the interest rate.

Notes:
Researchers at Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) Guwahati have found that the endophytic Actinobacteria have antifungal growth-promoting activities. They have also discovered that application of endophytic Actinobacteria could reduce chemical inputs in Tea plantation crop.
IASST is an autonomous institute under Department of Science & Technology. This discovery would help decrease the pesticide content and increase our exports to many countries.

Notes:
Wassim Jaffer, former India Opener is the first Indian cricketer to play in 150 Ranji Trophy matches. He is also the highest run-scorer in the history of Ranji Trophy.
Jaffer was in news recently, as he has announced his retirement from all forms of the game. He has totally scored 19,410 runs with an average of 50.67. In his first-class cricket career, Jaffer scored 57 centuries and 91 half-centuries with his highest score of 314.

Notes:
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has recently updated the ‘Inclusive Internet Index 2020’ list, which includes 100 countries of the world.
As per the updated list, Sweden topped the 2020 index followed by New Zealand and the United States. India’s rank in the list is 46 this year, which is a rank higher than last year’s rank of 47. In the readiness pillar, India is ranked 12th in the list. But it has a poor performance in the pillar of ‘Ensuring female access to the Internet’. India is also the top ranker among South Asian countries.