Latest Current Affairs: 31 March 2020

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Current
Affairs: 31st March 2020
PM-CARES Fund: Fund to fight COVID-19 Outbreak formulated by PM Modi

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
    formulated fund named Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and relief in
    Emergency Situation Fund (PM-CARES) where people can contribute and help
    government‘s fight against COVID-19.
  • This emergency fund has PM Modi as
    the chairman and defence minister Rajnath singh, home minister Amit Shah and
    the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman as its member. State Bank of India is
    the banking partner of PM-CARES.
  • Anyone can visit pmindia.gov.in to
    make contributions using debit card, credit card, UPI and net banking.

Medical
Insurance Scheme for health workers dealing with COVID-19 approved by centre.
  • The centre has approved Rs.50 lakh
    medical insurance scheme for healthcare workers who are dealing with
    coronavirus pandemic.
  • The approval made is a part of
    measures under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package of Rs. 1.7 lakhs
    announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
  • It provides insurance cover for 90 days
    to around 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers, Accredited Social Health
    Activist (ASHA) workers & community health workers who will have to be in
    direct contact with the affected patients & who may be at risk of being
    impacted & lose their lives.
  • Due to the unprecedented situation,
    the insurance scheme will also cover private hospital staff, retirees,
    volunteers, contract workers, daily wagers and outsourced staff hired by the
    central, state governments and autonomous hospitals of Central, States, Union
    territories (UT), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) &
    hospitals of Central Ministries and the cases reported will be subject to the
    numbers indicated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  • The scheme will be funded by the
    National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) budget which is operated by the ministry
    for this purpose.

Employees Provident Fund Scheme,
2020 comes into force
  • The Employees Provident Fund
    (Amendment) scheme, 2020, has come into force by amending Employees’ Provident
    Funds (EPF) Scheme 1952.A sub-paragraph (3) under paragraph 68L has been added
    in the EPF scheme, 1952. This amendment has been made by the Ministry of Labor
    and Employment.
  • This amendment allows the withdrawal
    of non-refundable advance by EPF members in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic in
    the country.
  • This non-refundable withdrawal
    should not exceed the basic wages and dearness allowance (DA) for three months
    or up to 75% of the amounts standing to the credit of their EPF account,
    whichever is less.

RBI
merge 10 state banks in to 4 banks from 1st April

  • The mega bank consolidation plan is
    all set to come into force from April 1, 2020. 
    The branches of merging banks will operate as of the banks in which
    these have been amalgamated. Also, the customers of merging banks will be
    treated as customers of the banks in which these banks have been merged with
    effect from April 1, 2020.
  • As per the scheme, Oriental Bank of
    Commerce and United Bank of India will be merged into Punjab National Bank;
    Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank; Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank; and Andhra
    Bank and Corporation Bank into Union Bank of India.

RBI:
Reserve Bank of India
Established: 1st April, 1935
Act: Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
Currency: Indian rupee
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor: Shaktikanta Das
DRDO developed N99 masks, Ventilator
and hand sanitizer to fight against COVID-19 

  • Defence Research and Development Organization made 4000
    liter hand sanitizer and N99 masks having 5 layers. DRDO manufacture 10,000
    masks per day, one of 70 rupee.

DRDO: Defence Research and Development
Formed: 1958
Headquarters: New Delhi
Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
Agency Executive: Dr. G. Satheesh
Reddy
Motto: Balasya Mulam Vignyanam
Short Notes
  • 30 March: State
    formation of Rajsthan.
  • India
    extends ban on international flights till 14 April.
  • Chennai
    Port Trust has acquired from the Centre 67% stake in Kamarajar Port Ltd for INR
    2,383 crore making the latter its wholly-owned subsidiary.
  • Navin
    Chikara has been named for four years for failing a dope test who is associated
    with Shot Putt.
  • Indian
    Cricketer Mayank Agarwal appointed as a Brand Ambassador of Aeronutrix’s Fast &
    Up.
  • Mirza
    Waheed and Santanu Das win The Hindu Prize 2019.
  • COVID-19:
    IIT Bombay develops two apps “Corontine” and “Safe” to track violations by
    those in quarantine.

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