20 March 2019 Current Affairs
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K M Mammen elected Chairman of ATMA
K.M. Mammen, CMD, MRF and Anshuman Singhania, whole-time director of JK Tyre and Industries have been unanimously elected as chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA). ATMA acts as a key link between tyre makers and the Centre, and assists in policy formulation on the sector.
Kazakhstan President Resigns After Nearly 30 Years in Power
Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev has announced his resignation after nearly 30 years in power. The 78-year old leader had ruled the country since it emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The Chairman of the Kazakh Senate would take over.
Japanese Olympic chief quits amid corruption allegations scandal
Tsunekazu Takeda, the head of Japan’s Olympic Committee (JOC), is stepping down over corruption allegations relating to the awarding of the 2020 Games to Tokyo. Takeda is being investigated by French prosecutors who are looking into claims that a €2 million (£1.7 million) bribe was paid to secure Tokyo’s winning bid for the Olympic Games.
GST Council Approves Transition Plan For New GST Rates
GST council approved a transition plan for new goods and services tax rates on residential properties under which developers of under-construction buildings may either opt to shift to the revised lower rates without input tax credit or stick to the previous rates.
Karen Uhlenbeck becomes 1st woman to win prestigious Abel Prize
Mathematician Karen Uhlenbeck (76-year-old) has become the first woman to win the Abel prize, sometimes called the Nobel prize of mathematics, for the impact of her work on ‘analysis, geometry and mathematical physics’. She is also an advocate for gender equality in science and mathematics. About Abel Prize: It is named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel and directly modeled after the Nobel Prizes.
20 March: International Day of Happiness
International Day of Happiness is celebrated every year on March 20. The theme for IDH 2019 is ‘Happier Together’, focusing on what we have in common, rather than what divides us. Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognize the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.
Sai Praneeth Finishes with Silver at Swiss Open Badminton Tournament
Indian shuttler Sai Praneeth won the silver medal at the Swiss Open after losing the men’s singles final to world number two and top-seeded Chinese shuttler Shi Yuqi in Basel, Switzerland. The 2019 Swiss Open, officially the YONEX Swiss Open 2019, was a badminton tournament which took place at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland.
Famed Economist Alan Krueger Passes Away
Former White House economist and Princeton University professor Alan Krueger passed away. He was 58. Krueger served as chief economist at the Department of Labor under President Bill Clinton and chair of the Council of Economic Advisers from 2011 to 2013 under former President Barack Obama.