Current Affairs March 2020 - Places in NEWS
1 - Niue becomes the first dark sky nation
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has announced the tiny island nation of Niue as the world’s first Dark Sky Nation. Niue has received certification as both a dark sky sanctuary and a dark sky community.
International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a conservation non-profit charged with preserving the naturally dark night-time environment, defending it from the intrusive disturbances of artificial light pollution. The harmful proliferation of electric light is so bad that it's estimated one-third of humanity can no longer see the Milky Way.
2 - Mumbai Central station to be renamed after Nana Shankarsheth
The Maharashtra cabinet approved a proposal to rename Mumbai Central station in the city as "Nana Shankarsheth Mumbai Central Railway Station". Jagannath "Nana" Shankarsheth (1803-1865) was a Maharashtrian philanthropist and educationist famous for his contribution to Mumbai's development.
The proposal to rename the station has been sent to the Railway Ministry. Mumbai Central, formerly Bombay Central, was designed by British architect Claude Batley. It serves as a major stop for both local and inter-city/express trains with separate platforms for them.
3 - Fourth Global Ayurveda Festival to be held at Kochi
The Fourth Global Ayurveda Festival, GAF will be held at Kochi in Kerala from 16th to 20th May. The theme for the five-day event is “Ayurveda Medical Tourism: Actualising India's credibility”. It will be the largest Ayurvedic event ever to be held anywhere across the world and will witness the largest gathering of experts, stakeholders and business explorers from the field of Ayurveda.
More than 500 stalls, the participation of over 5,000 international delegates, ethnic food carnivals, exhibition of rich medicinal plants and workshops on Panchkarma will be the key highlights of GAF-2020.
4 - “Ekam Fest” held to promote craftsmanship of divyang artisans
The week long Exhibition-cum-Fair “EKAM Fest” was organised by National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation (NHFDC) in New Delhi. More than 82 Divyangjan coming from 17 States/ UTs showcased their products at fest. Various stalls of textile, home décor, toys and gifts were displayed.
EKAM Fest (Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, Awareness, Marketing) is an effort for promoting entrepreneurship and knowledge among Divyangjan community, generating awareness among society about potentialities of PwDs. NHFDC is an Apex corporation under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan).
5 - Pragyan Conclave 2020 held in Delhi
A two-day Indian Army International Seminar, “PRAGYAN CONCLAVE 2020”, was held at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. It was organised by Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). The event brings together a cross-domain national and international experts to deliberate on the complex subject of ‘Changing Characteristics of Land Warfare and its Impact on the Military’.
The themes were “Evolving Warfare: An Insight into the Changing Realm” and “The Technological Revolution – A Seminal Challenge”.
6 - Competition Commission of India organised national conference on economics of competition law
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) organised the Fifth National Conference on Economics of Competition Law at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The Conference included two technical sessions where researchers presented papers on economic issues in competition enforcement and competition issues in digital markets, a Plenary session on ‘Competition for the Market’.
Competition Commission of India is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 and prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
7 - 19th World Productivity Congress 2020 to be held in Bengaluru
The 19th edition of World Productivity Congress (WPC) will be held in the Bangalore from May 6 to May 8, 2020. World Productivity Congress is the world’s largest convention for productivity development that shape future productivity growth. The theme of 19th World Productivity Congress is “Industry 4.0: Innovation and Productivity”.
This 19th World Productivity Congress will bring together industry and academia from India and abroad as well as representatives from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. It will provide a platform for exploring economic and productivity development in India.
8 - Antar Rashtriya Yog Mahotsav held in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Antar Rashtriya Yog Mahotsav was inaugurated in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Yoga teachers and practitioners from eleven countries participated in event. Yoga was primarily developed as a medium to attain harmony of body, mind and soul.
The ‘Yog Mahotsav’ is held in Rishikesh every year from March 1 to March 7. Rishikesh is considered as the birthplace of yoga and Yoga Capital of the World. The annual International Yoga Festival is organised by Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh.
9 - Wings India 2020 held in Hyderabad
The three-day civil aviation business exhibition and air show, Wings India 2020 was held in Hyderabad. The biennial event was organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India along with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Wings 2020 featured a Global Aviation Summit, Global CEOs Forum, CEOs of airlines and airports.
Over the next 20 years, Indian companies are estimated to acquire 2,100 new aircraft worth the US $ 290 billion. By 2022, the Indian aviation market will be third largest globally, after the United States and China.
10 - Leh to host International Yoga Day’s main event
Leh, the capital of Union Territory of Ladakh, has been selected as the venue for the main event for International Yoga Day on June 21. PM Narendra Modi will attend the event along with 15,000 to 20,000 people. Last year the event was held in Ranchi.
The AYUSH ministry, which is the nodal body to oversee the annual celebrations, has organised several programmes since the inception of International Yoga Day in 2015.
11 - National Conference on Women in Police and CAPFs held in New Delhi
The National Conference on Women in Police and CAPFs was organised in New Delhi by the Bureau of Police Research and Development. The main objective of the National Conference was to discuss and deliberate on the following two themes −
The Government of India established the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), under the Ministry of Home Affairs in the 1970s.
12 - IIT Madras to host Global Hyperloop Pod Competition
Indian Institute of Technology Madras is organising India’s first Global Hyperloop Pod Competition in July 2020. The objective of the 'Indian Hyperloop Pod Competition' is to increase awareness and enthusiasm about Hyperloop in India.
This competition is open to all the engineering colleges across the world, to ideate, design and implement their ideas for the Hyperloop Pods. Hyperloop is the 5th mode of transportation, a high-speed train that travels in a near-vacuum tube.
