Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 20 March 2014
- World Sparrow Day observed across the world. Theme of this day for the year 2014 is Rise for the Sparrow. It was observed to create awareness about the House sparrow and other common birds and need for their Protection. For the first time this day was observed in 2010.
- The renowned author and journalist Khushwant Singh died on 20 March 2014 at the age of 99 in Delhi. He was mainly famous as the best storyteller. He was one of India’s best known satirists and former editor of Hindustan Times. His body was consigned to flames today in New Delhi in the presence of family members, close friends and admirers. Union Ministers Salman Khurshid and Kapil Sibal as well as BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani were among those who paid their last respects to the beloved writer.
- Sri Lankan Navy arrests 75 Indian fishermen in two separate incidents.
- India beat England by 20 runs in their final warm-up match of the ICC Twenty-20 Cricket World Cup at Mirpur in Bangladesh.
- Ukraine plans to withdraw its soldiers and their families from Crimea.
- Scientists discovered new molecule HSP90 that can kill the malaria parasite.
- SEBI inaugurated its local office at Ranchi, Jharkhand. R.S. Sharma, Chief Secretary of Jharkhand Government inaugurated local office of SEBI at Ranchi.
- Pro-Russian forces seized Ukraine