Current Affairs Daily Digest – March 21 2020
1. International Nowruz Day celebrated on March 21
International Nowruz Day celebrated globally on 21 March every year. International Nowruz Day to celebrate Nowruz which is an ancestral festivity and marks the first day of spring as well as the renewal of nature. The values of peace and solidarity among generations and within families hence contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples as well as in different communities.
2. International Day of Forests observed on 21 March
The aim is to increase awareness and importance of forests. March 21 has chosen to mark the international day of forests as it is the Vernal Equinox in the northern hemisphere and autumnal equinox. The organizers are the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other relevant organizations in the field.
Theme:
Forests and Biodiversity
3. UN Report: “Peatland” protection will help attain climate goals
The Food and Agriculture Organization operating under United Nations released a report recently on Peatlands. The report says that though Peatlands cover only 3% of the earth’s surface, they trigger the carbon that were locked in a few decades.
4. United Nations launches World Happiness Report, 2020: India ranks 144
2020 United Nations released the World Happiness Report on the International Day of Happiness, 2020. Finland ranked first in the report and India ranked 144. Around 156 countries were assessed under the ranking. This is the eighth World Happiness Report prepared by the organization.
This year the report has given a special role for environments and has linked people’s happiness to their environment. Apart from environment, the report also considers urban, social and other natural factors in framing the index for a country.
5. Fossil links human hands to fins for the first time in Human Evolution
The Paleontologists of Canada have linked human hands to the fins of fish. The researchers examined a fossil of “Elpistostege”. The Elpistostege represents the pivotal stage of transition of fish into land vertebrates. The transition was supported by the front fins of the fish called the pectoral fins.
6. Indian umpires Janani Narayanan and Vrinda Rathi named in ICC panel
The number of women match officials across different International Cricket Council panels has gone up to 12 as Janani Narayanan and Vrinda Rathi of India were on Wednesday named in the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires.
7. RBI names R Gandhi, Ananth Gopalkrishnan addl directors on YES Bank Board
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday appointed R Gandhi and Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan as additional directors to the board of private sector lender YES Bank for a period of two years.
This will be R Gandhi’s second stint as an additional director on the YES Bank board. Gandhi, a former deputy governor of RBI, was previously appointed to the YES Bank board as an additional director by the RBI in May 2019 for a period of two years. His term was to expire in May 2021 but earlier this month the central bank superseded the previous board of YES Bank.
8. Odisha’s Konark sun temple & Statue of Unity in Gujarat finds place in iconic tourism sites list
According to the Union Minister of State (Independent) for tourism and culture, Prahlad Singh Patel, the central government has included grand Konark Sun Temple, the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) world heritage site in Odisha & Statue of Unity in Gujarat in the Iconic Tourist Sites list, taking the total number of such places from 17 to 19.
9. World Cities Summit 2020 to be held in Singapore
‘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.
