Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2020

Notes:
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister of India has recently approved financial assistance to the Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC2.0) Scheme.
The scheme aims at developing world class infrastructure along with common facilities and amenities through Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs). The scheme seeks to set up Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs) and Common Facility Centers (CFCs). The total outlay of the EMC 2.0 Scheme is Rs. 3,762.25 crore.

Notes:
Senior leader of the Bharathiya Janata Party, Shivraj Singh Chauhan recently took oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for the fourth time.
The leader had ruled the state for nearly thirteen years, before Kamal Nath won in the assembly elections in December 2018. Now Kamal Nath has resigned after 22 rebel MLAs who were the supporters of Jyotiraditya Scindia, who recently joined BJP, resigned.

Notes:
One of the founders of bacteriology, German physician Robert Koch, discovered the anthrax disease cycle and the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis and cholera. He received the Nobel Prize for Physiology in 1905 for his research on tuberculosis. To commemorate the day of his discovery, World Tuberculosis day is being celebrated on March 24.
Government of India has committed to eliminate prevalence of TB by 2025, by formulating National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Tuberculosis Elimination (2017-2025) and campaigns like “TB Harega Desh Jeetega”.

Notes:
Amid the coronavirus pandemic scare, the Government of India recently allowed states and Union Territories to lift food-grains for three months in advance from Food Corporation of India (FCI) for distribution through ration shops.
There are about 75 crore beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India. According to a recent government data, our country has surplus food-grains of 435 lakh tonnes, with 272.19 lakh tonnes of rice and 162.79 lakh tonnes of wheat

Notes:
Tamil Nadu-based Karur Vysya Bank has launched a pre-paid card called ‘Enkasu’, which can be used both online and offline, in Karur district of the state.
The card aims to reduce the usage of cash in the district of Karur. The cardholder can make tap & go payments for all small purchases to merchants for a minimum of Re. 1/-. The card can be recharged through their mobile App ‘DLite’, UPI, NEFT or through any of their branches. The cards are given to both customers and non-customers after KYC verification.

Notes:
The Technical Advisory Committee of the National Supercomputing Mission (MSM-TAC) has approved the installation of a Supercomputing facility with 650 TFLOPS, at IIT Guwahati, Assam.
The installation of the supercomputing system has been started under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM). It is co-ordinated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The mission is being implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

Notes:
The King of Saudi Arabia Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is set to chair an emergency virtual summit of G20 leaders, to accelerate the response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
At present, Saudi Arabia holds the G20 presidency and it called for the Virtual Leaders’ summit to be held on March 26. This is the first meeting of the G20 leaders after the world has been affected by the outbreak of coronavirus.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation implements the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme.
As per the ministry’s latest notification, the Members of Parliament can use the funds allotted to them under the MPLAD scheme to buy testing kits and other medical equipment needed to fight coronavirus pandemic. ₹5 crore is given to every member of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, per year under the MPLAD scheme to use for developing the community.

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.

Notes:
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is observed on March 25 every year, across the world. The day honours those who suffered and died due to brutal slavery system. It also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice.
The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is also observed on March 25. It marks the anniversary of the abduction of a former journalist named Alec Collett, who worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).