Daily Current Affairs 16 March 2020: We have collected the latest current affairs for 16 March 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. Improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs. You can also read the daily current affairs on our mobile app.
Current Affairs 16 March 2020
Centre invokes ‘Epidemic Act 1897’ and ‘Disaster Management Act’ to prevent spread of Coronavirus; Karnataka becomes first state to invoke provisions of 1987 Act
- Following the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, the Government of India has made it mandatory for all states and UTs to invoke provisions of Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
- The Centre has also announced that the powers held by the home ministry under the Disaster Management Act shall be “delegated” to the health ministry so as to prepare India against the outbreak.
- The law is meant for prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases by providing special powers that are required for the implementation of containment measures to control the spread of the disease.
Karnataka is the first state to invoke provisions of Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897
- Karnataka has become the first state in the country to notify ‘Karnataka Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020’ under the Epidemic Diseases Act , 1897, Karnataka.
- The regulation will be in effect for a period of one year starting from March 11, 2020 to prevent the outbreak and spread of the novel coronavirus.
Mumbai Central Station to be renamed as Nana Shankarseth Mumbai Central Railway Station
- The Maharashtra cabinet has approved a proposal to rename Mumbai Central station as “Nana Shankarsheth Mumbai Central Railway Station”.
- Jagannath “Nana” Shankarsheth (1803-1865) was a Maharashtra based philanthropist and educationist who is known for his contribution to Mumbai’s development.
GST Rate on Mobile Phones to be hiked from 12% to 18% w.e.f 01 April
- The 39th GST (Goods and Services Tax) Council meeting under the Chairmanship of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was held in New Delhi on 14 March 2020.
- The Council has announced certain changes in the GST rates of the following items:
- Increase in GST rates on the Mobile phones from the present 12 percent to 18 percent.
- Slash the GST rate on Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services of aircraft from 18 percent to 5 percent
- Rationalise the GST rates on handmade and machine-made matchsticks to 12 percent. Earlier this rate was 5 percent for Hand-made matches and 18 percent for machine-made ones.
- These new GST rates will be applicable with effect from 1st April 2020.
- Other important decisions
- The dates for implementation of e-invoicing and QR Code will be extended to 01 October 2020.
- The time to finalize e-Wallet scheme has been extended up to 31 March 2021.
Shri Debasish Panda, nominated on RBI Central Board
- The Central Government has nominated Shri Debasish Panda as a Director on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India.
- He is a Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, New Delhi.
- The nomination of Shri Debasish Panda is effective from March 11, 2020 and until further orders.
- There are two government nominated Directors on the board of RBI. The other one is Shri Atanu Chakraborty.
Newly discovered treehopper species named after Lady Gaga as Kaikaia gaga
- A newly discovered treehopper species, discovered in Nicaragua, has been named after American pop star Lady Gaga.
- The new treehopper species has been named as “Kaikaia gaga”.
- Brendan Morris, a PhD candidate in entomology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has named the species keeping in mind Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes, that can be compared to the unique features of new species.
World Consumer Rights Day: 15 March
- The World Consumer Rights Day is observed every year on 15 March 2020 to raise global awareness about consumer rights and needs and protect consumers across the globe against market abuses.
- The theme for 2020 World Consumer Rights Day: “The Sustainable Consumer”.