20th March 2020 Current affairs

1. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath resigned from his position on March 22, 2020 ahead of the scheduled floor test. His resignation amidst his party’s reduced majority in the 230-member state assembly.  

2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged all citizens to follow a ‘Janata Curfew’ on March 22, 2020 to stop the spread of novel coronavirus. On the occasion, citizens have been requested to stay at home and avoid stepping out.  

3. Swavalamban Express has been launched by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). It will start its journey on June 5 this year for new entrepreneurs. This train will run from Lucknow and cover 11 major cities. 

4. The Union Energy Ministry recently informed about the ranking of the International Energy Agency in Parliament. According to this ranking, India is the third largest producer of electricity in the world.

5. The International Day of Happiness is observed every year on March 20. The theme of this year’s International Day of Happiness is ‘Happiness for All, Together’.

6. Former SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya has been appointed as the CEO of Sales force India. She will take over this post in April 2020. 

7. Baby doll-fame Bollywood singer, Kanika Kapoor tested positive for COVID-19 virus on March 20, 2020. She had a travel history to London. 

8. The Union Defence Ministry has signed a capital acquisition contract with Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) worth Rs 880 crore to procure 16,479 light machine guns.

9. The central government has created a WhatsApp chatbot to respond to coronavirus queries in the nation. This was shared by the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA). 

10. According to a study, Greenland is losing its ice sheet six times faster than 1990. This information was released by the team of Ice Sheet Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise (IMBIE).