Important Current Affairs 11th March 2020

NATIONAL NEWS

“COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator” fund launched:

• A new fund named as “COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator” has been launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome and Mastercard. The $125 Million fund has been launched to accelerate technologies to fight against the COVID-19 epidemic.

• “COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator” fund has been designed to identify, assess, develop and scale treatments to the COVID-19 disease outbreak.

 Govt to launch Mahua-based alcoholic drink:

•Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) and National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) recently signed a memorandum for manufacturing of Mahua Nutribeverage.

• Mahua Nutribeverage will have high nutritional values with low alcohol (about 5 percent). It will be developed by Delhi-IIT and TRIFED. According to the reports, it will be available within next few months in various flavours.

• TRIFED and NRDC will manufacture mahua-based alcoholic beverage ‘Mahua Nutribeverage’ in the market within next months. According to the media reports, this beverage will be available in six fruit-based flavours. It will be available at price of Rs. 700 for a 750 ml. It is for the first time when Tribal Affairs Ministry is going to manufacture alcoholic beverages.

Odisha Government to Launch Separate dept for SHGs “Mission Shakti” dedicated to women:

• The government of Odisha under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced that the state will launch an exclusive department for Self Help Group (SHGs) called “Mission Shakti” which will be dedicated to all women of the state.

• This will make Odisha, first state of the country to have a separate department dedicated to SHGs.

New Delhi to host an exhibition titled “Jallianwala Bagh”:

An exhibition titled “Jallianwala Bagh” is scheduled to be held in New Delhi. “Jallianwala Bagh” exhibition will be inaugurated by Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel on the occasion of 130th Foundation Day of National Archives of India (NAI).

National Conference on Women in Police and CAPFs held in New Delhi:

• Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated the “National Conference on Women in Police and CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces)” in New Delhi.

• The Conference was organized by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR & D). Smriti Irani also released a hand-out- ‘BPR & D Mirror- Gender Bender’ and also the book titled “To Greater Heights”.

GoI constitutes committee to decide modalities of Kisan Rail:

• The Union Government of India has constituted a committee to decide modalities of Kisan Rail. This committee has been formed under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare along with representatives of the Indian Railways.

• “Kisan Rail” is planned to be set up through the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode and will facilitate a cold supply chain to transport the perishable goods.

• Initiative of “Kisan Rail” was proposed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her budget speech of 2020-21 to set up a seamless National Cold Supply Chain for perishables like fish, milk and meat.

AWARDS AND RECONGNITION

Nupur Kulshrestha becomes 1st woman DIG of Indian Coast Guard:

• Nupur Kulshrestha becomes the first woman to be promoted as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Indian Coast Guard. She joined Indian Coast Guard in 1999.

• The Indian Coast Guard is a multi-mission organization, conducting round-the-year real-life operations at sea.

• The Indian Coast Guard was formally established on 18 August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India as an independent Armed force of India.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Bi-luminescent security ink to curb fake printing of currency notes:

• A team of Indian scientists recently developed a Bi-luminescent security ink to help curb the printing of fake currency notes, passports and even packing of fake medicines.

• The ink has been developed by scientists of National Physical Laboratory (NPL), CSIR and the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research.

RANKING

Mukesh Ambani losses as Asia's richest person to Jack Ma:

• RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani lost to Ali Baba’s founder Jack Ma as the richest person of Asia.

• Jack Ma is Asia’s richest man with a total worth of USD 44.5 billion; while Ambani comes to the second position with a net worth of USD 41.8 billion.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Naveen Patnaik released book “The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat”:

• The chief minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik released a comic book titled “The Adventures of the Daredevil Democrat’.

• This book is released on the occasion of the 104th birth anniversary of former Odisha CM Late Biju Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The book deals about the life and works of legendary leader and Naveen Patnaik’s father Biju Patnaik.

• The book aims to inspire and encourage young minds to serve the motherland. The comic book, prepared by Kalinga Foundation Trust