Daily GK Update 29th and 30th March 2020: Read Daily GK-Current Affairs Update

Table of Contents

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about the banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 29th and 30th March 2020 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

National News

1. GoI forms 11 empowered groups to deal with coronavirus

The Government of India has formed 11 empowered groups to deal with COVID-19. These 11 empowered groups have been have been set up by the GoI under the Disaster Management Act and tasked to ensure a comprehensive and integrated response to COVID-19. These groups constitute a senior representative from PMO and the Cabinet Secretariat to ensure smooth coordination.

2. CMerger of 10 PSBs to be effective from new financial year

The Reserve Bank of India has notified that the mega merger of 10 PSBs will be effective from the start of new financial year i.e. 1st April 2020. As per the scheme of amalgamation, 10 public sector banks are to be merged into 4 banks. Post amalgamation, the total number of Public Sector Banks in the country will come down to 12 banks.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

3. Northern Railways creates 1st prototype of hospital isolation coach

The Northern Railways has successfully created first prototype of hospital isolation coach in order to fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. There are 10 isolation wards in each isolation coach. The Northern Railways has removed the middle berth from one side of the coach while all three berths have been removed in front of the patient berth to build an isolation cabin prototype.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Union Minister of Railways: Piyush Goyal.

4. 24×7 National Teleconsultation Centre launched by Harsh Vardhan

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan launched the 24×7 National Teleconsultation Centre. The centre has been launched to answer COVID-19 related queries. Through the centre, expert doctors from various clinical domains will be available 24×7 to answer questions related to COVID-19. This centre is being integrated with the National Medical College Network. The modes of communication constitutes simple mobile telephony as well as two-way video communications using platforms like WhatsApp, Skype and Google Duo.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Ashwini Kumar Choubey.

5. “Corona Studies Series” to be launched by National Book Trust

‘Corona Studies Series’ will be launched by the National Book Trust to document and provide relevant reading materials for all age-groups for the post-Corona readership needs.

Books for the following segments will be prepared by the Study Group:

1. Corona Virus (Covid 19) Affected Families
2. Elderly People
3. Parents with Special Focus on Mothers/Women
4. Children and Adolescents
5. Professionals and Workers
6. Corona Warriors: Medical and Essential Services Providers
7. Differently-abled, Special Needs and Mentally Challenged Population

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Chairman of National Book Trust, India: Govind Prasad Sharma.
The National Book Trust, India was established in 1957.

6. GoI launches app “Corona Kavach” to track coronavirus

A coronavirus risk-tracking app called ‘Corona Kavach’ has been launched by the Government of India. The ‘Corona Kavach’ app has been jointly developed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. ‘Corona Kavach’ app uses a person’s location to assess whether they are in the high-risk geographical zone or not.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare: Harsh Vardhan.
Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology: Ravi Shankar Prasad.

State News

7. UP government constitutes ‘Team-11’ to beat corona

The state government of Uttar Pradesh has set up “Team-11” which constitutes of as many inter-departmental committees to fight the coronavirus spread. 11 inter-departmental committees have been formed with over 2 dozen senior government officials working at crucial levels under the CM’s supervision. The Team-11 would be headed by the Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath while each of the 11-committees will be headed by a senior bureaucrat of the state.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Anandiben Patel is the current Governor of Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state.

8. Nagaland CM launches Self Declaration COVID-19 Nagaland App

Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio has launched the Self Declaration COVID19 Nagaland App which will be mandatory for any person who has entered into Nagaland after 6th March 2020. The app is crucial for tracking and surveillance of high-risk cases and can be downloaded from the following website “nagalandhealthproject.org.”

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio; Governor of Nagaland: R. N. Ravi.

Banking News

9. New logo has been revealed by PNB ahead of merger

The Punjab National Bank has launched a new logo ahead of its merger with the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank of India. This new logo bears the distinct signages of all the three PSU banks namely the Punjab National Bank, the United Bank of India and the Oriental Bank of Commerce. In the process of amalgamation, the Punjab National Bank will be the transferee while the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank of India will be the transferor banks.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

MD & CEO Of Punjab National Bank: S.S. Mallikarjuna Rao.

10. ICICI Bank launches banking services on WhatsApp

ICICI Bank has rolled out the banking services on WhatsApp which will enable the banks’ retail customers to undertake a slew of banking requirements from their home amid lockdown in the country due to COVID-19 pandemic. To avail the services on Whatsapp, customers have to message ‘Hi’ from their registered mobile number to the Bank’s verified profile number in order to start instantly.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Managing Director & CEO of ICICI Bank: Sandeep Bakhshi.

Sports News

11. IAAF bans Indian shot putter Navin Chikara for 4 years

Indian shot-putter Navin Chikara has been suspended by the World athletics body’s (formerly known as International Association of Athletics Federations-IAAF), Athletics Integrity Unit for four years. He has been suspended for for using a prohibited substance and his four-year suspension starts from July 27, 2018.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

The headquarters of IAAF is located in Monaco.
President of IAAF: Sebastian Coe.

Science and Technology

12. Elon Musk’s SpaceX wins NASA award for planned lunar space station

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has picked up a new space capsule from SpaceX to ferry cargo and supplies to the agency’s planned lunar space station. Therefore with a $7 billion NASA contract, SpaceX will use its biggest rocket, Falcon Heavy to send spacecraft named as “Dragon XL” to the Lunar Gateway. The Dragon XL spacecraft will be tasked to carry out research supplies to help future astronauts on the surface of the moon in collecting lunar samples.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): Jim Bridenstine.
Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.

Obituaries News

13. Retired Air Vice Marshal Chandan Singh Rathore passes away

The recipient of Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and retired Air Vice Marshal Chandan Singh Rathore passed away. He gave major contributions as a valorous young air warrior during the Sino-India 1962 war and the 1971 Indo-Pak war and contributed towards a stronger and safer India.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

14. SP founding member Beni Prasad Verma passes away

Former Union Minister and a founding member of the Samajwadi Party, Beni Prasad Verma passed away. He served as the telecom minister, steel minister and was also a Lok Sabha member from 1996 to 2014. He also served as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs during is career.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Aditya Nath.
Governor of Uttar Pradesh: Anandiben Patel.

15. Veteran US civil rights leader Joseph Lowery passes away

Veteran US civil rights leader Joseph Lowery who helped in establishing the Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Conference, passed away. The Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an African-American civil rights organisation was set up to promote racial equality. He was born on October 6, 1921, in Huntsville, Alabama, US and was awarded the “Presidential Medal of Freedom”, the nation’s highest civilian honour, by former President Barack Obama in 2009.