April 2020 What’s What

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A M O N T H L Y C U R R E N T - A F F A I R S U P D A T EApril2020

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A monthly current-affairs update

magazine

April 2020

1 March

Two trains of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) collide, resulting in the death of three people in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh.

One of the trains was carrying coal from NCL mines to an NTPC plant in Uttar Pradesh when it collided with a train coming from the opposite direction.

The death toll in the clashes between tribal and non-tribal people in Meghalaya rises to three. The curfew in Shillong and in the East Khasi Hills district area is extended until further notice.

Tribal organisations in Meghalaya have been demanding the inner-line permit (ILP) system which restricts the entry of outsiders into the state. The ILP is already applicable in four other north-eastern states.

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Allawi withdraws his candidacy for the post after being appointed by President Barham Salih a month ago.

Allawi accused political parties of obstructing him, thus deepening a domestic crisis as Iraq attempts to recover from years of war.

Ten people are killed in two separate road accidents in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.

A car carrying six persons fell 30 feet into Kondaveeti Vaagu while a lorry laden with chilli fell

into a 70-ft-deep quarry in another incident. Eight others suffer grievous injuries in the accidents.

This Day, That Year

1872: The Yellowstone National Park was established by the U.S. Congress and is located partly in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho states. It is the first national park in the U.S. and is also widely considered to be the first national park in the world.

World Civil Defence Day is celebrated every year on March 1. It was incorporated by the International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO) in 1990. The day marks the entry into force of the ICDO Constitution as an inter-governmental organisation in 1972.

The ICDO’s main objectives are the awareness in prevention and self-protection measures in the event of accidents and disasters.

2 March

Israel goes to the polls for the third time in less than a year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking re-election. The two elections

in the last year were inconclusive.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa dissolves the Parliament ahead of schedule and sets new elections for April.

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He aims to win the elections with a strong majority in the hopes of bringing about constitutional changes to increase presidential powers.

A Delhi court defers the hanging of the Nirbhaya case convicts for the third time. The four condemned men were to be hanged on 3rd March.

Two more cases of COVID-19 are reported in the country taking the final toll in the nation to five.

A case each – in Delhi and Telangana – has been confirmed.

The Delhi Police arrests 40 people after the force receives over 2,000 distress calls in connection with rumours that riots has broken out again in different parts of the city.

The rumours spread like wildfire and were fuelled by news of certain metro stations being shut down.

This Day, That Year

1978: Czech national Vladimir Remek became the first astronaut from a country other than the erstwhile Soviet Union’ or the United States to

enter space.With Czech Republic’s entry into the European

Union, Remek is considered to be the first astronaut from the European Union.

3 March

Two private schools in Noida are shut down after a student’s parent tests positive for the COVID-19.

Information that the infected man hosted a birthday party for the child last week has also triggered fears that others, including several young children, could be at risk now.

The Taliban carries out dozens of attacks on Afghan Army bases thus ending a partial truce between

Kabul and the insurgents and casting a shadow on the ongoing peace talks between the two parties.

Tornadoes hit Tennessee in the United States killing at least 24 people and destroying over 140 buildings across the state.

A man and his daughter are arrested from Hakripora in Pulwama for allegedly sheltering the local suicide bomber who attacked a CRPF convoy last year in Pulwama.

40 CRPF jawans had lost their lives in the attack.

As panic surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak continues to build, Indian Premier League Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel rules out any threats to the IPL series which is set to begin from March 29.

Meanwhile Japan’s Olympic minister raises concerns that the Tokyo 2020 Games – scheduled to start in July – may be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

This Day, That Year

1986: The Australia Act formally comes into force, separating all legal ties between Australia and the United Kingdom and declaring Australia ‘a sovereign, independent and federal nation’.

World Hearing Day is held on 3 March each year to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the world. The theme for World Hearing Day 2020 is ‘Hearing for Life, Don’t Let Hearing Loss Limit You.

4 March

With fifteen Italian tourists testing positive for COVID-19, the total number of cases in the country climbs to 29.

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As a measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus the Rashtrapati Bhawan announces a suspension of the traditional Holi gatherings which were scheduled to be held on March 10th.

President Ram Nath Kovind rejects the mercy petition of Pawan Gupta, one of the four convicts in the December 16 Nirbhaya rape and

murder case who are facing the death penalty.The mercy petitions of the other three were

rejected earlier.

In a dramatic series of events the Congress ‘rescues’ a group of Madhya Pradesh MLAs from a hotel in Manesar.

They were allegedly being held captive by the BJP in a bid to topple the Kamal Nath government.

Following the January 25th government order restoring 2G internet connectivity in the Kashmir Valley, users are once again able to access social media platforms nearly seven months after the privilege was revoked.

The Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill is passed by the Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to expedite the resolution of pending tax disputes.

Normal proceedings in both Houses of the Parliament remains paralysed as the Opposition continues its demand for an immediate discussion on the Delhi riots.

This Day, That Year

1965: Afghan-American novelist Khaled Hosseini was born. Hosseini worked in California initially as a doctor. His debut novel The Kite Runner (2003) brought him much success and critical acclaim.

Soon he retired from medicine and authored two more novels A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) and And the Mountains Echoed (2013).

National Safety Day is observed every year on March 4 to highlight the importance of safety in all spheres of life so as to prevent mishaps and accidents resulting out of neglect or lack of awareness.

The day is specifically observed to commemorate the establishment of National Safety Council on 4th March 1966. The theme of National Safety Day 2020 is ‘Enhance Health & Safety Performance by Use of Advanced Technology’.

5 March

Private sector lender Yes Bank is placed under moratorium till April 3 by the government

owing to the severe deterioration of its financial position.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) supersedes the board of the bank and appoints Prashant Kumar – chief financial officer of the State Bank of India (SBI) – as the administrator.

The death toll due to COVID-19 in Iran rises to 107 after fifteen new deaths are reported. The country has announced that its schools and universities will remain closed until early April.

Suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain is arrested by the police in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma during the recent Delhi riots.

The Calcutta High Court intervenes and stays a ‘leave India’ notice issued to a Polish student by the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Kolkata.


The student was asked to leave last month after he allegedly participated in a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

This Day, That Year

1953: Georgian revolutionary and a Soviet politician Joseph Stalin passed away. He served as the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s and grew to become a de facto dictator by the 1930s.

His tyrannical government was criticised for carrying out mass repressions, ethnic cleansing, deportations which killed millions.

6 March

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announces a draft reconstruction scheme for the beleaguered Yes Bank. The scheme aims to protect depositors’ funds while also bringing in the State Bank of India (SBI) as an investor.

The SBI which was exploring an investment in Yes Bank will pick up a 49% stake according to the scheme.

Information Commissioner Bimal Julka is sworn in as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). The Central Information Commission has been

functioning without a chief since Sudhir Bhargava retired in January this year.

One person is killed and another seriously injured in a blast in a firecracker manufacturing unit in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.

The Lok Sabha passes the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill and the Mines and Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill.

The IBC Bill protects successful bidders of insolvent companies from risk of criminal

proceedings for offences committed by previous promoters of the concerned companies.

The MLL Bill opens up the coal sector fully for commercial mining by national and global companies.

This Day, That Year

1927: Colombian novelist, short-story writer and journalist Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century and one of the best in the Spanish language.

Some of his notable works are One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), Love in the Time of Cholera (1985) and The Autumn of the Patriarch (1975). He was awarded the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1972 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982.

7 March

Kalyanasundaram Anbazhagan, the General Secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for 43 years, passed away at the age of 97.

He served as the finance minister and education minister of Tamil Nadu under the M. Karunanidhi government.

The European Union (EU) extends the Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status for Pakistan till 2022.

The GSP allows developing countries to pay fewer or no duties on exports to EU, allowing them access to the EU market and contributing to their growth.

The first Khelo India Winter Games begin in north Kashmir. This is the first mega sports event to be held in the Valley since the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status last year.


Almost 900 sportspersons from twenty states will participate in 30 events. The sporting event has however come under criticism for being held even in the midst of the global COVID -19 scare.

Wasim Jaffer announces his retirement from all forms of cricket. He is currently the highest run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Trophy.

This Day, That Year

1975: The Russian philosopher, literary critic and scholar Mikhail Bakhtin passed away. Bakhtin worked extensively on literary theory, ethics

and the philosophy of language.He was also active in the debates that took place

on aesthetics and literature in the erstwhile Soviet Union in the 1920s.

8 March

Australia outclasses India by 85 runs in the final at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. This is the Australian team’s fifth T20 World Cup triumph.

Former Governor of Karnataka and Union Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj passes away in Delhi. A Congressman and a long-term loyalist of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Bhardwaj was one of the longest serving Law Ministers of the country.

The Allahabad High Court pulls up the Uttar Pradesh government for controversial hoardings put up by the Lucknow administration of individuals accused – not convicted and out on bail – in the violence during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Following his announcement last week that he was considering giving up his social media

accounts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked International Women’s Day by handing over control of his social media accounts to seven women achievers.

The seven women – all Nari Shakti Puraskar winners – took the opportunity to speak about issues and causes close to their hearts.

As the coronavirus outbreak makes its global impacts known Italy quarantines its northern regions restricting the movement of nearly sixteen million people.

This Day, That Year

1910: Raymonde de Laroche became the world’s first female licensed pilot. She received her aeroplane pilot’s license from the Aeroclub de France

which is also the world’s first organisation to issue pilot licences.

9 March

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok survives an assassination attempt after an explosion goes off near his convoy in the capital city of Khartoum.

Tense conditions prevail almost a year after pro-democracy protesters forced the military to remove autocratic President Omar al-Bashir and replaced him with a joint military-civilian government.

Seventeen Congress Ministers – and supporters of Jyotiraditya Scindia – submit their resignations in a major threat to the Kamal Nath-led

government in Madhya Pradesh.

In spite of grim surveillance measures in Kerala, thousands of women gather to offer Pongala at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.


Even as the state reported six cases of coronavirus over the last two days female devotees gather for the ritual which is often described as ‘Women’s Sabarimala’.

Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants are killed in an operation by security forces in Shopian, Kashmir.

Afghanistan is further embroiled in political crisis as the country’s two rival leaders Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah swore themselves in as President at simultaneous ceremonies.

The delayed results of the election polls held in September last year were announced in February this year restoring incumbent President Ashraf Ghani for a second term.

Ghani’s rival Abdullah had refused to accept the poll results and had vowed to form his own parallel government.

This Day, That Year

1956: Indian politician, writer and international diplomat Shashi Tharoor was born. He was formerly Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and currently serves as Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

10 March

The Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 Globemaster aircraft returns to India with Indians evacuated from COVID-19-hit Iran. The 58 evacuees will be quarantined at the Hindan air base itself.

Meanwhile Italy and Iran record 168 and 54 deaths respectively from COVID-19. This is the highest single-day toll so far in both the countries.

Former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia quits the Congress party and is set to join the BJP.

As 22 Congress MLAs also follow suit, the Kamal Nath government appears to be on the verge of a collapse.

A boiler bursts in a tyre manufacturing unit in Raichur injuring eight workers severely. Four of these are in a critical condition having suffered over 60% burns.

The Assembly of Experts – a legislative body of Iran – issues a statement calling upon India to stop violence against Muslims in the country.

This Day, That Year

1897: Indian social reformer, philanthropist and prolific Marathi writer Savitribai Phule passed away.

She is considered to be the first female teacher in India and worked extensively with her husband Jyotirao Phule to improve women’s rights in India.

11 March

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declares COVID-19 as a pandemic. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhonam Ghebreyesus also cautions against using the word pandemic to cause unnecessary panic and concern.

The WHO notes that while 1,18,000 positive cases have been recognised globally across 114 countries, nearly 81 countries have reported no cases at all and 57 countries have only reported less than ten cases.

Meanwhile a former British government Minister called for Parliament to be suspended after Nadine Dorries, Junior Health

Minister, tested positive for COVID-19.


The main library of the Jamia Millia Islamia University which was vandalised on December 15th 2019 reopens after renovation.

The library was vandalised after the police entered it following anti-CAA protests last year.

Health Secretary Preeti Sudan announces that a meeting of a high-level Group of Ministers has decided to ask all States/ Union Territories to invoke Section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act 1897 so that all advisories issued by the Ministry/ State/ UT are enforceable.

Jyotiraditya Scindia joins the BJP while renouncing the Congress as a party unable to serve the country anymore.

Owing to the coronavirus outbreak the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) postpones the World XI versus Asia XI matches which were to be held on March 21 and 22.

The matches would have marked the birth centenary celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

This Day, That Year

1990: The Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania or the Act of March 11 was adopted. This independence declaration restored the country’s independence from the dissolving Soviet Union.

Lithuania thus became the first country to separate itself from the Soviet Union.

12 March

Former U.S. Army soldier and WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning is released from prison after being jailed since May 2019 for refusing to testify

in an ongoing U.S. investigation of WikiLeaks.

The Karnataka government confirms that a 76-year-old man died in Kalaburagi, marking India’s first

fatality due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Currently the number of confirmed cases in the country has risen to 74.

Meanwhile the Delhi government announces COVID-19 an epidemic and orders schools and cinema theatres to be shut down until March 31st.

Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson enter isolation in an Australian hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.

The Olympic flame for the Tokyo 2020 Games is lit in ancient Olympia amid a health lockdown as Greece registered its first death from the coronavirus.

The lighting of the flame marks the beginning of a week-long torch relay in Greece before the flame is handed to Tokyo organisers on March 19.

This Day, That Year

1928: Critically acclaimed American playwright Edward Albee was born. His works reflect an Americanisation of the Theatre of the Absurd.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962), The Sandbox (1960) and Three Tall Women (1991) are some of his most famous works.

13 March

A special court sentences BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar to 10 years imprisonment in two cases linked to the death of the Unnao rape victim’s father in 2018.

In December 2019 the court had sentenced Sengar to life imprisonment for raping the girl in 2017.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration releases Dr Farooq Abdullah – National Conference (NC) president and Member of Parliament


from Srinagar – who had been in detention for over seven months.

Dr Abdullah had been detained immediately after the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August last year.

India records its second fatality from the coronavirus outbreak. The country goes into a containment mode lockdown cancelling public events and closing schools, colleges and theatres.

Balram Bhargava, Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), says that India is in the second stage of transmission and has a 30-day window to halt the beginning of community transmission.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls for a videoconference of leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to discuss a common strategy to tackle COVID-19.

Saurashtra clinches its maiden Ranji Trophy title after having made it to the finals four times in the last eight seasons. The team won on the basis of gaining the first innings lead against Bengal.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspends the Indian Premier League’s 13th edition till April 15 owing to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Pro-democracy protestors take to the streets in Bangkok to raise their voices against the state of Thailand under an Army-aligned government.

The peaceful protest named the ‘Black Friday’ rally is the first street protest in years and expressed dissatisfaction with administration led by ex-Army chief Chan-O-Cha.

This Day, That Year

1914: American naval aviator Edward Henry O’ Hare was born. He was a naval aviator with the United States Navy and became the first flying ace

when he single-handedly attacked a formation of nine heavy bombers approaching his aircraft.

He managed to shoot down five of the enemy bombers with the limited ammunition he had at hand and became the first naval recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II.

World Sleep Day is an annual event intended to celebrate sleep and a call to action on important sleep-related issues. Organised by the World Sleep Society this year’s slogan for World Sleep Day is ‘Better Sleep, Better Life, Better Planet’.

14 March

Mridanga maestro T. A. S. Mani passes away at the age of 83 in Bengaluru. The artiste founded the Karnataka College of Percussion and had consistently performed for over 25 years at the Madras Music Academy.

The government increases the excise duty on petrol and diesel by `3 a litre each to garner `39,000 crore in additional revenue.

The retail prices of petrol and diesel will not be impacted by the increase as the state-owned oil firms adjusted them against the recent fall in oil prices.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council decides to increase the rate on mobile phones and specific parts to 18% from the current 12% from April 1.

Europe emerges as the new hotspot for the COVID-19 outbreak as Spain records over 1500 cases in the last 24 hours.

An increasing number of countries announce stringent travel restrictions.

ATK beat Chennaiyin FC 3–1 in the finals to take home the Indian Super League trophy. Only a select few could witness the match which was held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus scare.


This Day, That Year

1931: India’s first sound film Alam Ara was released. Directed by Ardeshir Irani, it debuted at the Majestic Cinema in Mumbai. It was so popular that the police had to be called in to control the crowds.

15 March

The Union Health Ministry releases the total count of positive COVID-19 cases in India so far which stands at 110. As of now ten people have been discharged after treatment.

Concerns have been raised that the true extent of transmission has not been gauged due to inadequate testing measures.

The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) defers the local body elections by six weeks owing to the threat of COVID-19.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy reacts strongly to the SEC’s decision accusing the State Election Commissioner – appointed by former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu – of using the coronavirus scare as a pretext to put off the elections indefinitely.

The driver of a pickup truck loses control of the vehicle ramming it into a wall killing four people in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu. Seven others have sustained injuries in the accident.

Three militants associated to Lashkar-e-Taiba and one with links to Hizbul Mujahideen are killed by security forces in an encounter in Anantnag.

This Day, That Year

1877: The first-ever cricket test match was played between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. The match took place on the English team’s tour of Australia and New Zealand.

16 March

Hundreds of inmates escape from four prisons in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil after local officials cancelled their temporary exits because of the fear that the inmates would contract the deadly coronavirus.

While the Brazilian media reports that more than 1000 inmates could be on the loose, the prison authorities claim that 174 inmates have already been recaptured.

India decides to ban the entry of travellers from the European Union, European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom from March 18.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath approaches Governor Lalji Tandon claiming that since his government continues to hold a majority a floor test in the Assembly could be avoided.

The Governor however directed the Congress government to hold a floor test on Tuesday.

The Mysuru District Collector confirms three cases of bird flu in the State. He said the authorities would begin the process of culling of domestic birds within a 1-km radius from where the infected birds were found.

China announces its plan for an orderly withdrawal of medical staff deployed in Wuhan. Top medical experts are of the opinion that the outbreak has almost seen its end in the province though they will hold off from making any major decisions for another month.

This Day, That Year

2014: The Crimean status referendum was signed. enabling Crimea to secede from Ukraine to join Russia.

The vote taken by the legislature of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the local


government of Sevastapol overwhelmingly voted for Crimea to secede from Ukraine to join Russia.

17 March

India reports its third death from the COVID-19 pandemic. The deceased person had a history of travel to Dubai and was undergoing treatment in Mumbai.

The Union Health Ministry claims that the total number of confirmed cases in the country currently is 137.

The Lok Sabha passes a Bill to extend the upper limit for permitting abortions from 20 weeks to 24 weeks for women in special categories.

The COVID-19 pandemic claims its biggest sporting casualty yet as the Euro 2020 football championship is postponed for a year.

France moves into a near-lockdown situation over COVID-19 fears. French President Emmanuel Macron described the battle against the virus – which has currently claimed 7,000 victims worldwide – as a ‘war’.

Even as the coronavirus outbreak makes its way around the globe, the President of the United States engages in an online verbal spat with the Chinese administration. U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the virus as the ‘Chinese Virus’ in a tweet.

Professional boxer and two-time world champion turned trainer Roger Mayweather passes away aged 58. He was Floyd Mayweather Junior’s uncle

and trained him from 2000 to 2012.

This Day, That Year

1853: Austrian mathematician and physicist Christian Doppler passed away. He was most celebrated for his principle known as the Doppler effect.

The Doppler effect states that the observed frequency of a wave depends on the relative speed of the source and the observer.

18 March

Confirmed number of COVID-19 cases within the country rose to 158, including 25 foreign nationals. Moreover 276 Indians abroad have tested positive for the virus.

As precautionary measures tighten across the country, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray issues order to ensure only 50% attendance in government offices. Restrictions have also been imposed on buses, local trains and metro.

The Supreme Court exercises its constitutional powers to strip Manipur Cabinet Minister T. Shyamkumar of his office and bans him from entering the Assembly with immediate effect.

The Minister has been facing disqualification proceedings for defection of his office.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) steered by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approves the acquisition of 83 Light Combat Aircrafts (LCAs) Tejas Mk-1A from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

The Ministry of Human Resource Development directs the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and other educational institutions to postpone the ongoing Board examinations until March 31 in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.

This Day, That Year

2015: Kenyan author, nurse, politician and journalist Grace Ogot passed away. She was one of the first Anglophone Kenyan woman writers

to be published.She was one of the first Kenyan members of

parliament who became an assistant minister.


19 March

Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi takes the oath as a Rajya Sabha MP.

In the past, Gogoi had claimed that ‘post retirement appointments of judges in tribunals was a scar on the independence of the judiciary’.

Four persons including two children are injured after a mini truck carrying industrial gas cylinders catches fire in Hosur.

The Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri is shut down for devotees until April 1st. The 12th century temple has been shut down rarely in its hundreds of years of history.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation to announce an action plan to tackle COVID-19. He announces the setting up of a task force under Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to mitigate some of the economic hardships brought on by the pandemic.

The PM also announces a ‘Janta’ curfew – a voluntary People’s Curfew – on 22nd March from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

He exhorts the nation to clang steel utensils or to clap their hands in their balconies at 5 p.m. on the 22nd of March as a sign of encouragement for the medical forces and other essential service providers who are at the frontlines of the war against the global pandemic.

In connection with the investigations against the Yes Bank, Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani appears before the Mumbai office of the Enforcement Directorate.

Ambani’s company is among the biggest borrowers and non-performing assets (NPAs) of the bank with dues over `12,800 crores.

This Day, That Year

1962: American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan released his debut studio album Bob Dylan. Dylan has since been a popular culture icon winning

a special citation by the Pulitzer Prize Board in 2008 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016.

20 March

The four convicts in the 2012 Delhi gang rape case are hanged to death in Tihar jail after their sentence was deferred twice in the last two months. It was the first time that four men were hanged together in the jail.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) condemned the execution stating it was an ‘affront to the rule of law’.

An earthquake of 5.9 magnitude hits the remote Himalayan region of Tibet near Nepal. While the epicentre was located at Quilling in Tibet, tremors were also felt in Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu.

In Kathmandu the earthquake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath submits his resignation to Governor Lalji Tandon ahead of the floor test. The Governor accepts the resignation and requests Kamal Nath to continue as caretaker Chief Minister.

Indian legendary footballer P.K. Bannerjee passes away after a prolonged illness. The 1962-Asian Games gold medallist was a brilliant

striker during Indian football’s golden era.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) produces former Yes Bank MD and CEO Rana Kapoor before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court. He is remanded in judicial custody till April 2.


Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor’s announcement that she has tested positive for COVID-19 triggers fears among several top politicians who attended a series of events with the singer recently.

An explosion at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Chippiparai kills eight workers and critically injures nine others.

Prolific singer and country music artiste Kenny Rogers passes away aged 81. He sold over 100 million records in a career spanning over seven decades.

Rogers paved the way for other country artistes such as Garth Brooks and Shania Twain in the 1990s.

This Day, That Year

1904: American psychologist, behaviourist and social philosopher B. F. Skinner was born. He was the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University.

Skinner worked extensively on the principles of reinforcement and used operant conditioning to strengthen behaviour. As a pioneer of

modern behaviourism, Skinner invented the operant conditioning box also known as the Skinner Box.

21 March

An increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are reported across India. While no traces of community transmission have been detected as yet, it remains an ominous possibility.

In the face of the pandemic anxious civilians indulge in panic buying in several places leading to shortage of products and inflated prices on everyday commodities such as vegetables and groceries.

A former Jharkhand Minister Anosh Ekka is convicted by a special court in Ranchi in connection

with a money-laundering case. Ekka was the former Minister of Rural Development from March 2005 to December 2008.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) quiz Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra in connection to the investigations against Yes Bank. Chandra’s company owes `8,400 crores to the bank in unpaid exposures.

Violence erupts inside the Dum Dum Central Correctional Home in Kolkata after prison authorities announce that inmates’ family members will not be allowed to meet them until March 31 in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

An Air Asia flight helps in evacuating 186 Malaysian nationals who had been stranded in Tiruchi following the cancellation of international flights.

Seventeen members of a police patrol are killed by Maoist forces in Sukma, Chhattisgarh. Around 350 Maoists opened fire on a police patrol consisting of 100 personnel.

This Day, That Year

2006: American microblogging and social networking platform Twitter was founded by Noah Glass, Biz Stone, Evan Williams and Jack Dorsey. The service rapidly gained popularity and is often described as ‘the SMS of the internet’.

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.

The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected specifically to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. The theme for World Down Syndrome Day 2020 is ‘We Decide’.


22 March

Mumbai records its second fatality from the coronavirus taking the nationwide toll to seven. Amid mounting COVID-19 cases, India observes the People’s Curfew with public transport being suspended for the day.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends isolation as the best weapon against the pandemic.

Delhi and Telangana enforce lockdowns in the state to implement social distancing and isolation measures to fight COVID-19. Train, metro and inter-State transport services are restricted in the country till March 31.

Two low intensity blasts are reported near the Shaheen Bagh protest site. The blasts took place after two persons on a bike threw a bottle filled with explosive substances.

The Pilibhit administration triggers a controversy when a video surfaces of the district police chief and magistrate taking out a march blowing conch shells and clanging steel plates flouting social distancing norms.

The march was in response to PM Narendra Modi’s call to express appreciation and gratitude to those providing essential services during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This Day, That Year

1923: French actor and mime artist Marcel Marceau was born. He performed professionally for over 60 years and is best known for his

performance as Bip the Clown.He secretly worked with the French Resistance

during World War II and gave his first major performance to the French troops after the liberation of Paris in 1944.

23 March

BJP vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan takes oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for a fourth term.

With more than 3,41,000 people infected worldwide, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says the pandemic is clearly accelerating. However, the WHO also said it was still possible to change the trajectory of the outbreak.

The Rajya Sabha passes six bills including the Finance Bill, 2020 before adjourning ahead of schedule owing to the lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The Delhi High Court issues a circular declaring that all courts – the High Court and district courts – will suspend all operations until April 4.

This Day, That Year

1909: American editorial cartoonist Charles Werner was born. He worked with Indianapolis Star for 47 years. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1939.

U.S. Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Harry Truman took special interest in Werner’s works and requested dozens of cartoons for their personal collections.

Martyrs’ Day on 23rd March celebrates the death anniversaries of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivram Rajguru in 1931 in Lahore. The three were captured and hanged by the British administration for their dramatic acts of violence in protest of British rule in India.


The observance of Martyrs’ Day on the 23rd of March is one among six other days observed in memory of other Indian martyrs.

24 March

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces a 21-day nationwide lockdown as the death toll in India touches ten. The lockdown will be in effect till April 14.

The PM reassured citizens of both availability and access to everyday necessities such as groceries, fruits and vegetables, access to banks and ATMs, petrol pumps and power and electricity services during the lockdown.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro dismisses quarantine policies as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus outbreak, claiming such measures severely impact the economy.

Former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah is released after being detained on August 5 last year. Abdullah’s arrest came ahead of the Centre’s decision to revoke the Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

He was later booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA). On his release, Abdullah calls for the release of other detained persons.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are postponed until 2021 over the coronavirus scare. This is the first such delay in the history of the international sporting event.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces the extension of deadlines for filing income tax and GST returns to June 30.

Albert Uderzo, co-creator of the beloved comic book series Asterix and Obelix, passes away aged 92.

Uderzo illustrated the comics along with writer Rene Goscinny and took over the writing duties after Goscinny’s death in 1977.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government secures the support of 112 MLAs and moves the confidence motion which is unanimously passed during the trust vote in the Assembly.

Later, Chouhan said his government’s focus would be on tackling the coronavirus.

This Day, That Year

1977: Morarji Desai became the 4th Prime Minister of India. He was the first Prime Minister to not belong to the Congress Party. He is also the oldest person to have held the office of Prime Minister at the age of 84 in the history of Indian politics.

He was an active leader in the Janata Party and was renowned for his peace activism. He received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor.

25 March

An Islamic State gunman rampages through a gurdwara in Kabul, Afghanistan killing 25 worshippers and injuring eight others. Around 150 worshippers were inside the building during the attack and several were held hostage for hours.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) releases a statement postponing the first phase of Census 2021 and updating the National Population Register (NPR) which was to begin on April 1. The step has been taken in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.

A day after announcing a countrywide lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the aim is to win the war against the pandemic in 21 days.

Congress leader P. Chidambaram calls the nationwide lockdown a ‘watershed moment’ in the country’s fight against the coronavirus outbreak and sought the entire nation’s support and cooperation.


Amidst a nationwide lockdown Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participates in an event to shift the idol of an infant Lord Ram to a temporary structure in the Ram Janmabhoomi compound in Ayodhya until the construction of the Temple.

This Day, That Year

1867: Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini was born. He was one of the most celebrated musicians in the late 19th and 20th centuries. He received much acclaim for his intensity, his ear for orchestral detail and his eidetic memory.

He was appointed the first music director of the NBC Symphony Orchestra and became famous in the U.S. through radio and television broadcasts.

26 March

The G20 countries commit to inject more than $5 trillion into the global economy and to contribute to the COVID-19 solidarity response fund instituted by the WHO.

Keeping in mind the current social distancing norms, the Supreme Court issues a circular stating that it would hear cases of ‘extreme urgency’ through videoconferencing.

COVID-19 deaths cross the 1,000 mark in the United States while Spain’s death toll crosses 4,000.

Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) – the world chess governing body – calls off the Candidates chess tournament which was being held in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The remaining seven matches will be played later.

The decision comes in the wake of the Russian government’s decision to ground all international flights.

This Day, That Year

1973: American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur Larry Page was born. He co-founded Google with Sergey Brin.

Page was the chief executive officer of Alphabet Inc. until December 2019. He received the Marconi Prize in 2004 along with Brin.

27 March

U.S. Civil Rights leader Reverend Joseph Lowery passes away aged 98. He campaigned with Martin Luther King Jr and with him co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) civil rights group in 1957.

He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, the United States’ highest civilian award.

A man from Kasargod district in Kerala is said to be one of the three terrorists who attacked a gurdwara in Kabul on March 25. 25 worshippers were killed in the attack.

A 2016-batch IAS officer and Kollam sub-collector Anupam Mishra is suspended by the Kerala government for violating the COVID-19 quarantine norms.

Mishra reportedly left the State for his hometown in Uttar Pradesh after being asked to remain in home quarantine for 14 days after returning from Singapore.

Former Union Minister and a founding member of the Samajwadi Party Beni Prasad Verma passes away aged 79. He was the telecom minister

between 1996-1998 and the steel minister under the Congress-led UPA government.


British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for the coronavirus and goes into self-isolation.

This Day, That Year

1926: American poet, writer and art critic Frank O’Hara was born. Working as a curator at the Museum of Modern Art O’Hara became famous in New York art circles.

O’Hara’s poetry appealed to audiences for its personal tone and content. In 1972 his The Collected Works of Frank O’Hara, Selected Poems received the National Book of Awards for poetry.

28 March

Pakistani squash giant Azam Khan succumbs to COVID-19 and passes away in London.

Khan won the British Open title successively between 1959 and 1961 and is considered one of the best squash players in the world.

The Union Health Ministry announces a change in the strategy to tackle COVID-19 by shifting focus on high-disease burden hotspots across India.

Kerala reports its first COVID-19 related death. A considerable spike in cases has been reported from Kasargod district of Kerala and Bhilwara district in Rajasthan.

The Yamuna Expressway sees a sea of migrant workers wishing to return home amidst the lockdown to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi institutes the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM- CARES) Fund to

tackle the severe impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Inviting donations to the fund, the PM said that the fund could be used in the future in case of similar distressing situations.

This Day, That Year

1969: American army general and 34th President of the United States of America Dwight D. Eisenhower passed away. He served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and supervised the successful invasion of Normandy in 1944–5.

Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The event is held annually to encourage individuals across the world to turn off non-essential lights for one hour from 8:30 to 9:30 pm on a particular day towards the end of March.

In 2020, Earth Hour was observed on March 28 and focussed on ‘Climate Action and Sustainable Development’.

29 March

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Philip Anderson passes away aged 96. He contributed to the world’s understanding of magnetism and

superconductivity.During World War II he was drafted into the

Navy and worked at the U.S. Naval Research Lab.

A youth is beaten to death in the Sitamarhi district of Bihar for alerting local authorities about the return of two migrants from Mumbai. He had raised concerns that the two could be infected by the coronavirus.


A team of sanitisation workers spray migrants returning home to Bareilly with chemical disinfectants. The migrants were asked to squat and cover their faces while being sprayed by chemicals in a bid to sanitise them before allowing them entry into the city.

Videos of the incident went viral inviting public outrage on the dehumanising nature of the activity.

90 migrant workers are arrested in Surat after they clash with police forces.The large crowd of workers had gathered together to demand transportation services to return to their hometowns amid the countrywide lockdown.

This Day, That Year

1974: NASA’s robot space probe Mariner 10 becomes the first space probe to fly by the planet Mercury. The space probe was launched in November 1973 and was the first to fly by multiple planets.

The Mariner 10 also flew by planet Venus in February 1974.

30 March

Greek resistance hero Manolis Glezos passes away at the age of 97. He became the European Parliament’s oldest deputy at the age of 91.

During the Second World War Glezos had torn the Nazi swastika flag from the Acropolis and remained an activist even in his old age.

The Union Health Ministry says that India’s precautionary lockdown has been a step in the right direction as the coronavirus outbreak continues to be in the local transmission stage.

However, the number of confirmed cases has seen a steep rise from 100 cases to 1000 in the last 12 days.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba rejects rumours that the three-week lockdown in place will be extended any further. The present lockdown is scheduled to end on April 14.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a video conference with the heads of India’s diplomatic missions. He urged them to assist Indians stranded in various countries that are severely affected by COVID-19.

This Day, That Year

1867: U.S. Secretary of State William Seward and Russian minister Eduard de Stoeckl agreed to a treaty – the Alaska Purchase. The treaty paved the way for the United States’ acquisition of Alaska from the Russian Empire.

Alaska was formally transferred to the United States on October 18, 1867 for the cost of $7.2 million.

31 March

Star Wars actor and dialect coach Andrew Jack passes away after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 76.

World-renowned virologist Gita Ramjee passes away from COVID-19 related complications. She was a vaccine scientist and a HIV prevention research leader.

She received the Outstanding Female Scientist Award in 2018 by the European Development Clinical Trials Partnerships (EDCTP).

The Delhi police register a case against Maulana Saad and other organisers from the Tablighi Jamaat under Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act for violation of government directions in respect of restricting gatherings.


Spain records the highest-single day death count from COVID-19. 849 people passed away in a single day due to the pandemic.

Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle step back from their duties and titles as members of the British royal family and post a farewell message to mark the same on Instagram. In January, the couple took the world by surprise when they announced their decision to renounce their royal roles.

From 1st April the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be able to pursue separate careers and spend their time in America.

This Day, That Year

1855: English novelist and poet Charlotte Bronte passed away. She was the oldest of the Bronte sisters, all three of whom were novelists and

authors of some English classics.

Of all her works, Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre was the most widely-popular. She wrote under the pen name Currer Bell.

International Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event spearheaded by U.S. based youth advocacy organisation Trans Student Educational Resources to celebrate transgender people and raise awareness about the discrimination faced by them worldwide.

As opposed to the Transgender Day of Remembrance which mourns the murders of transgender people, the International Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates living members of the transgender community.

Nari Shakti Puraskar 2019- Government of India

1. Padala Bhudevi – Social activist working for women empowerment in Andhra Pradesh

2. Bina Devi – Known as ‘Mushroom mahila’ for popularising mushroom cultivation

3. Arifa Jan – Businesswoman who is reviving ‘Namda’ art in Jammu and Kashmir

4. Chami Murmu – Green warrior from Jharkhand who planted 25 lakh saplings

5. Nilza Wangmo – Owner of Alchi Kitchen which brings Ladakhi cuisine to the world

6. Rashmi Urdhwareshe – Director of Automotive Research Association of India

7. Sardarni Mann Kaur – 104-year old Indian track and field athlete who holds the world records in the over-100 years old categories for a variety of events

8. Kalavati Devi – Lady mason who built over 4000 toilets in her hometown of Kanpur

9. Tashi and Nungshi Malik – First female twins to scale Mount Everest

10. Kaushiki Chakraborty – A classical vocalist and a khayal and thumri exponent

11. Karthyayini Amma and Bhageerathi Amma – Two women from Kerala who cleared the 4th standard equivalency exam under the Kerala Literacy Mission’s Aksharalaksham scheme

12. Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh – the Indian Air Force’s first women fighter pilots

AWARDS MARCH 2020


National Lalit Kala Akademi Awards 2020

1. Anoop Manzukhi Gopi (Kerala)

2. David Malaker (West Bengal)

3. Devendra Kumar Khare (Gujarat)

4. Faruque Ahmed Halder (West Bengal)

5. Dinesh Pandya (Maharashtra)

6. Krishna Saha (Maharashtra)

7. Tejaswi Narayan Sonawane (Maharashtra)

8. Sagar Vasant Kamble (Masharashtra)

9. Sunil Thiruvayur (Kerala)

10. Hari Ram Kumbhawat (Rajasthan)

11. Keshari Nandan Prasad (Rajasthan)

12. Mohan Kumar T (Karnataka)

13. Satwinder Kaur (Delhi)

14. Yashpal Singh (Delhi)

15. Yashwant Singh (Delhi)

Documents

April 2020 What’s What