VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS MARCH - 2020 An ISO 9001 : 2015 Institution | Providing Excellence Since 2011 Head Office Old No.52, New No.1, 9th Street, F Block, 1st Avenue Main Road, (Near Istha siddhi Vinayakar Temple), Anna Nagar East – 600102. Phone: 044-2626 5326 | 98844 72636 | 98844 21666 | 98844 32666 Branches SALEM KOVAI No.189/1, Meyanoor Road, Near ARRS Multiplex, (Near Salem New No.347, D.S.Complex (3rd floor), Nehru Street,Near Gandhipuram bus Stand), Opp. Venkateshwara Complex, Salem - 636004. Central Bus Stand, Ramnagar, Kovai - 9 0427-2330307 | 95001 22022 75021 65390 Educarreerr Location Vivekanandha Educational Institutions for Women, Elayampalayam, Tiruchengode - TK Namakkal District - 637 205. 04288 - 234670 | 91 94437 34670 Patrician College of Arts and Science, 3, Canal Bank Rd, Gandhi Nagar, Opposite to Kotturpuram Railway Station, Adyar, Chennai - 600020. 044 - 24401362 | 044 - 24426913 Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College Palani Road, Thippampatti, Pollachi - 642 107 73737 66550 | 94432 66008 | 90951 66009 www.vetriias.com My Dear Aspirants, Greetings to all of you! “What we think we become” Gautama Buddha. We all have dreams. To make dreams come into reality it takes a lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and continuous effort. We at VETRII IAS Study Circle are committed to provide the right guidance, quality coaching and help every aspirants to achieve his or her life’s cherished goal of becoming a civil servant. The class room coaching at VETRII IAS Study Circle is meticulously planned to equip the aspirants with all the relevant facts and fundamentals of the subjects. Further the VETRII IAS Study Circle Study materials aim to support the candidate by providing the most relevant study material in a comprehensive manner. Wishing You All The Very Best !! DIRECTOR (M.Shunmugam) Vetrii IAS Study Circle. Published by VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE F Block New No. 1, 9th Street, 1st Avenue main Road, Chinthamani, Anna Nagar (E), Chennai – 102. Phone: 044 – 26265326 / 9600124042 / 9840097666 www.vetriias.com E-Mail: [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected] Feedback: [email protected] © All rights reserved with the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmit- ted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, will be responsible for the loss and may be punished for compensation under copyright act. INDEX 01 01 - 10 HISTORY . Important Days . Defence National Security and Terrorism . World Organisations – Pacts and Summits . Eminent Persons . Sports and Games . Books & Authors . Awards & Honours . Cultural Panaroma . India & its Neighbours . Appointments – Who is who? 11 - 13 POLITICAL SCIENCE 11 .India’s Foreign Policy .Latest Court Verdicts .Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility 14 -15 GEOGRAPHY 14 .Policy on Environment and Ecology .Natural Disasters – Safeguard Measures 16-21 ECONOMICS 16 .New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector .Current Socio - Economic Problems 22 22 - 28 SCIENCE .Latest Inventions in Science & Technology . Latest Discoveries on Health Science . Mass Media & Communication 29 29 NATIONAL – DIARY OF EVENTS 38 38 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 39 TAMIL NADU AFFAIRS 39 VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, MARCH - 2020 Important Days History 1.1 Important Days Date Day Theme / Remark “Recycling Heroes” as the theme for third March 18 Global Recycling Day Global Recycling Day. To raise the awareness about sparrows and other common birds affected by the March 20 World Sparrow Day environment which are on the verge of extinction. Theme of the year 2020: “Forests and March 21 International Day of Forests Biodiversity”. Every year since 1993, World Water Day is being celebrated on March 22. It is being celebrated to spread the importance of fresh water. The day is celebrated by March 22 Water Day United Nations as well along with various other organizations all over the world. The theme of World Water Day is Theme: Water and Climate Change. The theme of World TB Day 2020 is ‘It’s March 24 World Tuberculosis Day time’. 4,000 years old Red Cross painting at Junjipalli rock in Krishnagiri district Krishnagiri Government Museum archivist Govindaraj studied the 4,000-year-old Red Cross dance below the Jinjipalli Glacier. This entire painting is a white Red Cross painting. The group dances to a length of 7 meters and is bent. The rock has fallen in many places and the series is gone. VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE 1 Defence, National Security and Terrorism VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, MARCH - 2020 Telugu new year day “Ugadi” being celebrated Telugu New Year day ‘Ugadi’ being celebrated today. The festival is being celebrated across the two Telugu states, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to mark the beginning of the Hindu Lunar calendar. Though the nation-wide lockdown due to coronavirus dampens the traditional fervour and gaiety, people are observing the customary festivities. 1.2 Defence, National Security Indian Army launches Operation and Terrorism Namaste: COVID-19 Army Chief of Indian Army General Approval for 83 LCA Tejas Mk-1A Manoj Mukund Naravane launched ‘Operation Namaste’ initiative to protect The Defence 1.3 million strong forces from coronavirus Acquisition Council and provide all possible assistance to the (DAC) chaired by government to control the pandemic. Defence Minister Key Points Rajnath Singh Under ‘Operation Namaste’, the army accorded approval for the procurement has issued a series of directives to all of 83 indigenous Light Combat Aircraft its bases to protect the force from the (LCA) Tejas Mk-1A from the Hindustan coronavirus & the army headquarters Aeronautics Limited (HAL) by “finalising issued a number of suggestions to deal the contractual and other issues”. The with the situation over the past few deal is expected to cost around `39,000 weeks. crore. Defence Ministry places order for 1.3 World Organisations – 16,479 LMG Pacts and Summits The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a `880-crore contract with the Israeli World Cities Summit 2020 to be held Weapon Industries (IWI) for 16,479 Light in Singapore from July 5 to 9 Machine Guns (LMG). The 7th World Cities Summit (WCS) is to “The Acquisition Wing of MoD has be held from July 5 to 9, 2020 at Sands signed the capital acquisition contract Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay with Israel Weapons Industries for Sands, in Singapore. It is organized by procurement of 16,479 LMGs at a cost of Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities `880 crore with the approval of Defence and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Minister Rajnath Singh. The theme for WCS 2020 is ”Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Adapting to a Disrupted World”. 2 VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, MARCH - 2020 World Organisations – Pacts and Summits The WCS 2020 is held in conjunction with challenges posed by the outbreak of the Singapore International Water Week the COVID-19 pandemic and to forge a (SIWW) and the CleanEnviro Summit global coordinated response. Earlier, PM Singapore (CESG). had a telephonic conversation with the Singapore Government invited Uttar Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath The extraordinary G20 Summit was a to the WCS-2020 culmination of the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting and Saudi Arabia accepts India’s Proposal G20 Sherpas Meeting on the COVID-19 For Virtual G20 Summit pandemic. Saudi Arabia has accepted India’s proposal to hold a virtual conference WHO initiated mega trial “Solidarity” of G20 member nations to figure out of 4 promising drugs to cure Covid-19 a coordinated response to tackle the In accordance with the Science Magazine economic implications of COVID-19 report the World Health Organization during a telephone conversation between (WHO) has started a mega trial namely Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi “Solidarity” of four most promising drugs Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman and that may cure the novel coronavirus Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. (COVID-19). The trial consists of study, testing, and development of antidote th India ranks 120 , Singapore tops: against coronavirus through four most Economic Freedom Index 2020 promising therapies which are as follows: The Heritage Foundation published its Remdesivir– This experimental antiviral 26th annual edition of Economic Freedom compound was widely used to combat Index 2020 to measure the level of Ebola and other dangerous viruses in the economic freedom in 186 countries. India past. (56.5) ranks in 120th position & Singapore Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine: (89.4) tops the index for the 1st time. This is used to treat patients suffering from malaria. Indian Council for Medical Key Highlights Research (ICMR) has also recommended Hong Kong (89.1) for the 1st time secured this for healthcare workers and caregivers 2nd rank since the 1st publication in 1995. looking after positive COVID-19 patients. India secures 28th rank among 42 Combination of lopinavir and ritonavir: countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This drug combination is used for treating WHO Director-General calls on G20 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This combination slows down the process to Fight, Unite, and Ignite against of deterioration of organs.In India, it was COVID-19 used to treat the first case of coronavirus An Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ who were a couple from Italy. Summit was convened to discuss the VETRII IAS STUDY CIRCLE 3 Places in News VETRII'S CURRENT AFFAIRS, MARCH - 2020 Ritonavir/lopinavir plus interferon- 1.4 Places in News beta: This combination is used to treat Middle-East respiratory syndrome Niue declared as world’s first ‘Dark coronavirus (MERS) patients in Saudi Sky Nation’ Arabia.Interferon-beta is immune system The International Dark-Sky Association messengers that can help cripple viruses. (IDA) has recognised Niue as a ‘Dark North Macedonia officially joins NATO Sky Place’. With this, Niue has become as its 30th member the world’s first whole country to be recognised as a ‘Dark Sky Place’.