Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2020

Notes:
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) celebrated its 35th Inception Day on March 12, 2020. The Chief Guest of the occasion, Union Minister of State for Home Shri Nityanand Rai launched Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC).
It is a centre for sharing information on dreadful crime and other issues related to inter-state coordination. The Minister also launched National Cybercrime Training Centre (NCTC) for professional e-Learning services on cybercrime investigation.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) the single borrower and group exposure limit for Urban cooperative banks (UCBs) to 15% and 25% of tier I capital, respectively.
This reduction in limit is to mitigate concentration risks arising out of large loans. Existing norms allowed 15% for single borrowers and 40% to group exposures of a bank’s total capital (tier I and tier II capital). The banks will have to bring their existing exposures to the new limits by 31 March 2023.

Notes:
The co-founder of Microsoft and the world’s second richest person Bill Gates has stepped down from the boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway.
Bill Gates recently announced that he steps down from the public boards to focus on the philanthropic work of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation run by him and his wife Melinda Gates. Microsoft is now led by Satya Nadella as its CEO and is among the world’s most valuable companies.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has recently approved the proposal of Department of fertilizers to remove ambiguities in the Modified New Pricing Scheme -III (NPS-III) in determining the fixed costs for the urea units.
The Modified NPS-III was notified on 2nd April, 2014 but it has not been implemented. This approval will result in providing a grant of additional fixed cost of Rs 350 per tonne to 30 urea manufacturing units and will reduce import dependency.

Notes:
According to the findings of the Gender Social Norms Index report, released recently by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), no country in the world has achieved gender equality.
The report also revealed that the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030 and it would take 257 years to close the gender gap in economic opportunity. Pakistan tops a list of countries of people holding biased views against women.

Notes:
A passenger ferry service called ‘Ropax’ was launched between Mumbai and Mandwa of Maharashtra by the Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya.
The vessel which can carry as many as 200 cars and 1,000 passengers was built in Greece. The Ropax jetty and terminal at Mandwa has been built by Maharashtra Maritime Board while the jetty facilities at Mumbai were set up by Mumbai Port Trust.

Notes:
A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud pronounced the landmark judgment, which ordered the government to grant permanent commission to female officers in Indian Navy.
After Indian Army, the female officers of Indian Navy are also to be granted permanent commission, which will let them serve for 14 years against the Short Service Commission (SSC), in which they retire in 10 years.

Notes:
Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, have developed a material called ‘Hemostat’.
It is a starch-based ‘hemostat’ developed to stop rapid blood loss during accidents, as it physically absorbs excess fluid and concentrates the natural clotting factors in blood. The product possesses increased absorption capacity, improved absorption, inexpensive and biodegradable.

Notes:
‘World Cities Summit’ is a global biennial conference hosted by Singapore. This year, World Cities Summit (WCS) 2020 is scheduled to be held from July 5 to 9.
The theme of this year’s summit as announced by the Singapore government is ‘Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Adapting to a Disrupted World’. Leaders from several governments and industry experts discuss on challenges in climate change, social shifts and technological disruptions.

Notes:
The scientists at Himachal Pradesh based Council of Scientific & Industrial Research -Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) have developed a chemical-free hand sanitiser in India.
Due to the increasing demand for sanitisers amid the corona virus scare, many companies manufacture fake products. Hence the Scientists have developed this product with the natural constituents and alcohol content as per the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Another firm is to commercially produce this sanitiser as per a new agreement.