Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2020

Notes:
Spanish football coach Francisco Garcia has recently passed away after contracting coronavirus, at the age of 21. He is also the youngest victim of the illness in the region.
Garcia was serving as the manager of Atletico Portada Alta’s youth team and he was tested positive for COVID-19 last week. During his treatment, it was found out that he was also suffering from leukaemia. All major football competitions like have been suspended due to coronavirus outbreak.

Notes:
The first Indian-origin Finance Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak unveiled a 330-Billion Pound Rescue Package, which aims to help the businesses of the country to survive the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The £330 billion of loan guarantees will help them meet their day to day needs during the lock-down. He also extended a business rates holiday and cash grant to all businesses in the retail and hospitality sector for 12 months.

Notes:
Centre for Media Studies (CMS) in partnership with World Health Organization (WHO) is implementing a media fellowship programme on road safety, called WHO Road Safety Media Fellowship.
Recently it was offered to 12 journalists based in Delhi and Karnataka from print, broadcast and online media of Hindi, English and Kannada languages. The fellowship is aimed at improving the capacities of journalists in coverage of news related to road safety.

Notes:
Facebook-owned WhatsApp has recently announced the global launch of “WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub” in partnership with the World Health Organization, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Development Program.
It has also contributed $1m to the Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), to enhance the fact-checking network to curb fake news and rumours around coronavirus.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his public address, announced the setting up of a COVID-19 economic response task force.
The task force is to be headed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, to measure the economic impact of the pandemic and take appropriate steps. The Finance Minister is set to meet the Ministers of animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries, civil aviation, tourism and MSME, for getting feedback and assessing the economic impact of COVID-19.

Notes:
The Defence Ministry has recently signed an 880-crore contract with Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) for procurement of 16,479 light machine guns (LMGs).
According to the contract which was signed with the Israel-based arms industry company, it would provide Negev 7.62 x 51 mm light machine guns to the Indian armed forces. This type of LMG is a combat proven weapon and used by several countries around the globe at present.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu K Palaniswami announced in the Assembly that 64,583 sanitary personnel employed by urban and rural civic bodies in the State shall be called ‘cleanliness workers’.
This announcement was made to honour their work in maintaining public health. The state government is already implementing several welfare measures for the workers including building residences, periodic health check-ups, employment camps and skill development for their children.

Notes:
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) has launched an initiative called ‘Tech for Tribals’ in partnership with Institutes of National Importance (INIs) to promote entrepreneurship among tribal people.
The initiative, which is supported by Ministry of MSME, aims to impart entrepreneurship skills to tribal forest produce gatherers who are enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri VanDhan Yojana (PMVDY). The programme will be conducted for 30 days.

Notes:
On the World Water Day, which falls on March 22, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that between 3.5 and 4.4 billion people in the world will live with limited access to water.
He also announced that out of the people with limited access, more than 1 billion of them would be in major cities. He revealed that the world’s water resources are under threat and 2.2 billion people and 4.2 billion people lack safe drinking water and sanitation facilities respectively.

Notes:
The birth anniversary of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, was recently observed on March 23. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to the leader.
Ram Manohar Lohia was born on 23 March 1910 and was one of the founders of the Congress Socialist Party. He was also the editor of the Congress Socialist journal. He had also as the secretary of the Foreign Department of the All India Congress Committee (A.I.C.C)