Important Day

• World Sparrow Day – 20 March.

Defence

• The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has an elite VVIP security wing under its command called the – Special Security Group (SSG).

Economy

• To review the fiscal consolidation road map of the both state and central governments, the Finance Commission has constituted an 8-member panel, headed by – N K Singh (15th Finance Commission Chairman).
• To decide on relief package for sectors hit by the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister announced setting up of a ‘Covid-19 Economic Response Task Force’, to be headed by – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

International

• According to the UN’s World Happiness Report, world’s happiest nation – Finland (for the third year running).

National

• Number of missions for the fiscal year 2020-21 that planned by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) – 36.
• Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani has proposed a pilot shopping festival at – Bengaluru.
• Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) have jointly developed a Comprehensive School Health Programme (SHP) under – Ayushman Bharat.
• Total number of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) being set up upto the year 2022 is – 740.
• India is the ____ largest producer of electricity in the world and it ranks 106th in terms of per capita consumption in 2017 – 3rd.
• The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 will grant _____ status to five IIITs in Public Private Partnership mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur and declare them as Institutions of National Importance – Statutory.
• Unique project aimed to transform 5 crore Tribal Entrepreneurs, launched by TRIFED – “Tech for Tribal”.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced for a Janata Curfew on – 22 March 2020.

Persons in News

• Newly appointed additional directors to the board of Yes Bank – R Gandhi and Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan.
• New Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court – Justice Bhushan Pradyumna Dharmadhikari.
• Legendary Indian footballer who died on 20 March 2020 in Kolkata – P K Banerjee (1962 Asian Games gold-medallist).

State Current Affairs

• This UT government approved implementation of a scheme for dairy cooperative societies with the support of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) – Jammu and Kashmir.
• Kamal Nath resigned from the post of Chief Minister of – Madhya Pradesh.
• New commission of Jammu and Kashmir Government to examine the social and educational backwardness of various backward classes people, including dalits, in the Union Territory – “J&K Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission”.
• The Jammu and Kashmir administration approved merger of Handicrafts Department and – Handloom Development Department.

General Knowledge

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been setting up Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) since – 1998-99.
• The initiative Annual Refresher Programme In Teaching (ARPIT) was launched in – 2018.
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was set up on – 10 March 1969.
• The First Finance Commission of India was appointed in – 1951 (for the period 1952-57; chaired by K. C. Neogy).
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) – Founded: 15 August 1969; Headquarters: Bengaluru.
• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) was established in – 1987.