Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2020

Notes:
The Kerala state government announced a ₹20,000 crore economic package to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.
This package includes funds to clear dues which the government owes individuals and institutions, providing consumer loans, disbursing welfare pension of two months in advance and a health package. The Chief Minister also announced free ration for all of this month, where everyone in the state will be given free food grain up to 10kg through ration shops.

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:
World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21 every year across the world. During the UNESCO’s session held in Paris, in 1999, it was decided that 21 March shall be celebrated as World Poetry Day.
One of the prime objectives of the Poetry Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetry and to provide opportunity to the endangered languages to be heard within their communities. The Day also encourages oral tradition of poetry recitals and teaching of poetry.

Notes:
The Border Roads Organisation opened a 360 feet long suspension bridge over the Teesta river near Chungthang town in North Sikkim.
Under Project Swastik the project of construction of the bridge commenced in October 2019 and completed it in January 2020. The bridge is expected to promote tourism in the state. It also enables the movement of logistics for the Armed Forces easier.

Notes:
As per the Lok Sabha’s Rules of Procedure, A Finance Bill is a bill introduced every year to give effect to the financial proposals of the Government for the following financial year. It also includes a bill to give effect to supplementary financial proposals for any period. Recently the Lok Sabha has passed the Finance Bill by voice vote without discussion.
An important type of Finance Bill is called Money Bill, which is defined by the Article 110 of Indian constitution. They are certified by the speaker.

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)

Notes:
The national task force for COVID-19 constituted by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended hydroxy-chloroquine as a preventive drug for high-risk cases, who are infected by coronavirus.
The medication should be given to the asymptomatic healthcare workers, who are under high risk by serving the infected patients. It is also recommended to asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases. The protocol recommended by the National Task Force is approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) for use in emergency situations.

Notes:
Debut novelist Ruchika Tomar has been selected as the winner of the 2020 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel ‘A Prayer for Travelers’.
PEN America was founded in 1922, in New York City. The prize is backed by the Hemingway family and the Ernest Hemingway Foundation. The PEN/Hemingway Award includes a $25,000 prize, which is proposed to allow significant time and resources to pursue a subsequent work of fiction.

Notes:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced various relief measures amid lock-down of the country due to coronavirus scare.
As per the measures, the deadline for filing belated income tax return (ITR) for the financial year 2018-19 and for filing goods and services tax (GST) returns for March, April and May has been extended to June 30, 2020. She also announced waiver of minimum balance maintenance charge and ATM withdrawal charge for next 3 months. Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme has been extended from April 1 to June 30.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the construction of 22 km-long railway flyover between Aligarh-Harduaganj in Uttar Pradesh.
The project entails an estimated cost of ₹1,285 crore to remove traffic jam in the area. This project is expected to curb the delays and detention of trains at Aligarh junction. The flyover project is expected to be completed by 2024-25.