Ans.1.(d)Exp.The United Nations (UN) on 21st March released its World Happiness Report and India was at a dismal 144 rank of a total 156 nations surveyed.

Ans.2.(e)Exp.On top of the charts is Finland rated as high as 7.809 points for the third consecutive year with Denmark (7.646) and Switzerland (7.560) at the no 2 and 3 spots, respectively. Followed by Iceland (7.504) and Norway (7.488), completing the top five positions in the ranking.

Ans.3.(b)Exp.The country’s insurance regulator IRDAI has set up a 16-member committee to find ways to improve corporate governance systems of insurers, primarily on making key functions such as risk management and internal audits independent of each other.

Ans.4.(c)Exp.The committee will be headed by Pravin Kutumbe, member-finance and investment at IRDAI and has six other members from the insurance regulator besides members from the Reserve Bank of India and the Securities and Exchange Board of India along with other industry participants. It has been asked to submit the report to IRDAI in three months.

Ans.5.(e)Exp.Indian umpires Janani Narayanan and Vrinda Rathi were inducted into the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires, taking the count of women match officials across different ICC panels up to 12.

Ans.6.(d)Exp.World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999, “with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard”.

Ans.7.(d)Exp.The Coronavirus pandemic has taught us the importance of nature. Forests work as one of the important chains of the ecosystem. To celebrate these natural sources of environment, March 21 is observed as International Day of Forests around the globe.

Ans.8.(c)Exp.It is an initiative taken around the world since 2012 and observed every year on 21^st March. Down Syndrome International linked up with several national charities across the world to generate activities and events to spread awareness and provide support to the patients suffering from Down syndrome. It also makes people understand the reason behind the disease, symptoms and treatment.

Ans.9.(b)Exp.Theme 2020: We Decide.

Ans.10.(c)Exp.21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to be commemorated annually. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid “pass laws”. Proclaiming the Day in 1966 which signifies the struggle to end the policy of apartheid in South Africa, the General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

Ans.11.(a)Exp.Theme 2020: Forests and Biodiversity.

Ans.12.(b)Exp.Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy Viswanthan, popularly known as Visu in the Tamil film industry, passed away due to kidney failure on March 22. He was 74. The actor-director was a prominent figure in Kollywood in the 80s and 90s. He began his career working as an assistant under legendary filmmaker K Balachander. Visu’s first movie was Pattina Pravesam (1977). He got his first break with hit comedy movie Thillu Mullu, which starred Rajinikanth.