Current Affairs Daily Digest – March 17 2020
1. India to provide 107.01 million Nepali Rupees for three new school buildings in Nepal
Indian government will provide 107.01 million Nepali Rupees for three new school buildings in Nepal. Embassy of India and Nepal’s Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with Mahakali Municipality, Darchula, and Mukhiyapatti Musharniya Rural Municipality, Dhanusha in Kathmandu today for the construction of two new school buildings.
2. Paramananda Majumder was conferred the Moghai Ojah award
Eminent researcher and writer Dr.Paramananda Majumder was presented the 10th Moghai Ojah Award at a function held at the auditorium of Jorhat Science Centre and Planetarium on 15 March. He was awarded for his significant role in raising issues of public interest and society’s betterment.
Majumder compiled the first book on the life and works of folk musician Moghai Ojah. The award recognized his invaluable contribution in bringing dhol maestro Moghai Ojah and his magnificent skill of playing the dhol back to the public domain by compiling a book on him.
3. First human trial of a vaccine to protect against COVID-19 began in the US
The first human trial of a vaccine against coronavirus (COVID-19) began at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) in Seattle, the US.
The vaccine is called mRNA-1273. The vaccine has shown promise in animal models. It was developed by NIAID scientists and their collaborators at the biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A 43-year-old woman from Seattle received the first dose. The vaccine contains a harmless genetic code copied from the virus that causes the disease. It cannot cause COVID-19. The trial will enroll 45 healthy adult volunteers over approximately six weeks.
4. Ranjan Gogoi, the former Chief Justice of India nominated to Rajya Sabha by the President
The President of India Ramnath Kovind nominated the former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to Rajya Sabha. The former chief justice retired in November, 2019. Rajya Sabha is called the council of states. The Council of states of defined by Article 80 of the constitution. The council of states consists of 12 members that are nominated by the President of India.
5. India to provide 107.01 million Nepali rupees for construction of schools in Nepal
India signed Memorandum of Understanding with Nepal for construction of new schools in the country. Under the MoU, India is to provide 107.01 million nepali rupees. India as an initial step of the agreement handed over a cheque of 8 lakh rupees (INR). The India-Nepal Development Partnership Programme is to construct the schools.
6. Former Rajya Sabha member and veteran journalist Patil Puttappa passes away
The veteran journalist and Rajya Sabha member Patil Puttappa passed away at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). He died due to age related ailments.
7. Ravinder Singh Dhillon appointed PFC CMD
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cleared the appointment of Ravinder Singh Dhillon as Chairman and Managing Director of Power Finance Corporation (PFC), according to an order on Monday.
Dhillon, posted as Director (Projects), has been cleared for appointment as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) in PFC with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post on or after June 1 till the date of his superannuation on May 31, 2023, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, it said.
8. Five months since new Motor Vehicles Act, road accidents come down by 10%
Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Chandigarh have seen around 12-14% decrease in road accidents, five months since the new Motor Vehicles Act was implemented, Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari informed the Parliament on Monday.
Gadkari revealed data from 12 states and union territories in the Rajya Sabha, comparing the rate of accidents with that five months before September 2019, when manifold increase in penalties on violation of traffic rules provided by the Act, was enforced.
9. Indian Culture Portal to showcase rich cultural heritage of India
Indian Culture Portal, an online portal of the Ministry of Culture, showcases the information about the rich cultural heritage of India across the globe.
Indian Culture Portal was launched on 10 December 2019. The portal is available in 2 languages, namely Hindi and English. The portal aims to create awareness about the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of India.
10. ‘An Extraordinary Life’: Book on the late Goa CM Manohar Parrikar to hit the shelves in April
A book on the life and times of bureaucrat-turned-politician Manohar Parrikar, who served as the defence minister and Goa chief minister, will hit the stands in April, announced publishing house Penguin Random House India on Monday.
The book titled ‘An Extraordinary Life: A biography of Manohar Parrikar’ is written by veteran journalists Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar. Tuesday marks the first death anniversary of Parrikar who died after battling pancreatic cancer for over a year. He was 63.
11. Rohini Mohan and Arfa Khanum Sherwani win the Chameli Devi Jain Award for outstanding woman journalists
The 2019 Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediaperson for the year has been awarded to independent journalist Rohini Mohan and The Wire’s Arfa Khanum Sherwani.
First given in the 1980s, the award is instituted by the Media Foundation. Last year’s recipient was Priyanka Dubey of the BBC.
