1) UNAIDS observes Zero Discrimination Day
•Theme 2020: ZERO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS
•A butterfly is the symbol of the Zero Discrimination Day and it is widely used by people to share their stories and photos as a way to end discrimination and work towards positive transformation.
•Zero Discrimination Day is celebrated to promote and celebrate everyone’s right, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, skin colour, etc. Zero Discrimination Day aims to raise the voice for the right to live life with dignity, despite one’s choices, beliefs, profession, education, disability or even illness. Zero Discrimination Day was first celebrated on March 1, 2014, and was launched by UNAIDS Executive Director at Beijing after UNAIDS launched its Zero Discrimination Campaign on World AIDS Day in December 2013.
2) Union Minister inaugurates ‘Pension Adalat’ in Jammu
•This is the first time that Pension Adalat is being conducted outside Delhi as the government wants to reach out to every part of society and every part of the country to get the grievances redressed in the real-time as aspired by the Prime Minister. The Pension Adalats will help in on-the-spot redressal of pensioners’ grievances which has given the right of ‘Ease of Living’ to the pensioners. The Minister also launched ‘Do You Know’ Twitter Series on Family Pension, along with a booklet highlighting case studies with the interpretation of Pension Rules.
3) Om Birla launches ‘Suposhit Maa Abhiyaan’ in Kota
•Om Birla appealed to every section of the society to cooperate in the malnutrition-free India campaign. Under this Abhiyan, 1,000 pregnant women would be given food items for one month. At the same time, the health of the child, including medical examination, blood tests, medicines, delivery, would be covered. It is a campaign to preserve and maintain the health of our future generations.
4) Madhya Pradesh: Chilli Festival begins in Khargone district
•Chilli-based cuisine stalls will also be set up on the occasion. Thousands of farmers from many districts of the state are participating in this festival being held in Kasrawad in Khargone district. State Agriculture Minister Sachin Yadav has said that the festival aims to promote the Nimari brand of chillies.
•Nimar and Malwa regions are the highest chilli producing regions of the state. The red chillies of these regions are exported to China, Pakistan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. This year too, 5 lakh 41 thousand 740 MT of green chillies and more than 63 thousand MT of red chillies have been produced in Dhar district.
5) Indian Railways launches its 1st ”Restaurant On Wheels”
•This unique effort will not only improve the facilities at Asansol station but will also generate non-fare revenue earnings approximately Rs 50 lakh in the next five years. Union Minister and Asansol MP Babul Supriyo inaugurated the restaurant. He also inaugurated two new air-conditioned Retiring Rooms and Electronic Reservation Chart Display System and a battery-operated car at Asansol station.
6) Muhyiddin Yassin becomes new Prime Minister of Malaysia
•The decision on February 29 by the monarch to pick Muhyiddin was greeted with shock as Mahathir’s allies claimed he had enough support to return as leader, and sparked widespread anger that the democratically elected government was being abruptly ejected. The king appoints the country’s prime minister, who must show he has the support of most MPs.
7) AAI & Tripura Govt sign MoU for construction of equipment hiring centers
•The project has been taken by the Airport Authority as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility scheme. The equipment hiring centres, equipment related to agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries will be kept. The types of equipment will be rented out to the needy farmers, Self Help Groups and to any other needy at a minimal cost. The project will be benefited to 6000 families.
8) New explosive detection device “RaIDer-X” unveiled at NWED-2020
About “RaIDer–X“:
•RaIDer-X has been jointly developed by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune. HEMRL Pune is a premier laboratory of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). The explosive detection device “RaIDer-X” is capable of detecting the explosives from a stand-off distance. The capability of the device can be enhanced by building a data library, to detect a number of explosives in pure form as well as with the contaminants. The device has also the capability of detecting bulk explosives in concealed conditions.
9) IAF & Savitribai Phule Pune University to establish ‘Chair of Excellence’
About the “Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Chair of Excellence”:
•The Chair of Excellence will enable the Air Force officers to pursue Doctoral Research and higher studies in Defence & Strategic Studies as well as in allied fields. It will also enable the research and higher studies in the domain of National Defence and allied fields of Air Force officers along with inculcating a strategic outlook and building a pool of strategic thinkers.
10) Rafael Nadal wins Mexican Open title 2020
•In the women’s final, seventh-seeded Heather Watson captured her first WTA title in three years by grinding out a 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 win over Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez.