Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 13th June 2020. These are important for the upcoming Exams. Candidates who were preparing for the examination can use these current affairs and also you can download the same as PDF.
Current Affairs Today – 13th June 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- International Albinism Awareness Day is observed on 13th June every year.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted an internal working group to review the rules on ownership and corporate structure for private sector banks.
- The RBI has proposed an upper age limit of 70 years for CEOs and whole-time directors of banks and a maximum term of 10 years for those belonging to the promoter group, as part of the exercise to improve governance in the banking sector.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred Kanpur-based People’s Co-operative Bank from granting fresh loans or accepting deposits for a period of six months, due to its weak financial position.
- India’s forex reserves have now crossed the $ 500 billion mark, according to the data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- Sahakar Mitra Scheme on Internship Programme (SIP) was launched by Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.
- Three months after banning foreigners from entering India due to coronavirus situation, the Centre lifted curbs on entry of five categories of foreign nationals to India–those who wish to come to the country on account of family emergencies and could not come due to the lockdown imposed to curb COVID-19.
- The Indian Railways has created a world record by commissioning the first high rise Over Head Equipment (OHE) and successfully running double-stack containers train, in the electrified sections of the Western Railway zone.
- Centre has directed all the 8 North Eastern States to set up e-office in a stipulated timeframe.
- Hyderabad City Police along with Hyderabad City Security Council (HCSC) has launched a programme called “She Triumphs through Respect, Equality, and Empowerment” (STREE) to support and empower women victims of domestic violence and abuse.
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has launched ‘Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana’ to educate child labourers in the state.
- The Uttar Pradesh Government is to make the TrueNat Machines available in all 75 districts to test COVID-19.
- Madhya Pradesh government gives ‘corona warriors’ status to Divyang Anganwadi workers. These divyang Anganwadi workers are playing an important role in the state during the ongoing Corona crisis.
- In Uttar Pradesh, the State Government has decided to adopt the scheme of Flatted Factory Model which will ensure easy availability of land for industries, and in turn, generate employment also.
- Odisha became the first State in India to receive prestigious ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001:2015 certification for its 44 tribal hostels of Keonjhar (32 hostels) and Sambalpur (12 hostels) districts improving their overall infrastructure and standards under Mission Suvidya.
- Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has extended a line of credit (LOC) worth $215.68 million to the Malawi government for drinking water supply schemes and other development projects.
- Pakistan’s government said on Friday it expected a fiscal deficit of 7 percent of gross domestic product in the 2020-21 financial year as it announced its annual budget amid a fast-growing coronavirus outbreak.
- Second Lieutenant Anmol Narang will create history by becoming the first observant Sikh to graduate from the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point
- The United Kingdom’s economy shrank by record 20.4 percent in April, amid strict lockdown to combat COVID-19, revealed official data on June 12, 2020.
- Facebook has joined hands with Microsoft, Google, Twitter and 14 other tech giants for a new initiative called ‘Project Protect’ to help combat child sexual abuse and exploitation online.
- The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal has formed an Expert Advisory Committee to advise the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
- Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, AVSM, YSM, VSM assumed the charge as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Visakhapatnam on 12 June 2020.
- India football team retained its 108th spot in the latest FIFA rankings.
- India’s Gomathi Marimuthu will be stripped off her 2019 Asian Athletics Championships gold medal after she was handed a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit for testing positive for a banned substance.
- The Defence Research and Development Organization has developed ‘GermiKlean’. GermiKlean is a sanitising chamber that can be used to sanitise uniforms of security and police personnel.
- The Researchers of IIT Kharagpur have developed an Artificial Intelligence based cyber-physical system to monitor social distancing in public places.
- iFLOWS- Mumbai, a state-of-the-art Integrated Flood Warning System for Mumbai was launched jointly by Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, and Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 12 June through video conference.
- Writer and Columnist Shobhaa De’s new collection of stories titled “Lockdown Liaisons” a book reflecting the impacts of COVID-19 on human lives published by Simon & Schuster India and released on May 30, 2020.
- Veteran Urdu poet, Anand Mohan Zutshi Gulzar Dehlvi passed away.
- Former Tamil Nadu footballer A Balasamy, who later turned into a football administrator, passed away at a city hospital due to old-age illness and diabetes.
- Global hospitality major Marriott International on Friday said its home delivery service will now be available in more cities through an agreement with food aggregator Zomato.
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
International Albinism Awareness Day observed on 13 June
- International Albinism Awareness Day is observed on 13th June every year.
- The day is celebrated annually to bring about awareness among the people about albinism and the human rights of people with albinism.
- Each year events are held to educate people and celebrate people with albinism who continue to suffer all types of human rights violations.
- The theme of International Albinism Awareness Day 2020: ‘Made To Shine’.
BANKING & FINANCE
RBI to review rules on ownership structure of private banks
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted an internal working group to review the rules on ownership and corporate structure for private sector banks.
- The internal working group will examine and review the extant licensing and regulatory guidelines relating to ownership and control, promoters’ holding, requirement of dilution, control and voting rights, etc
- The working group comprises Prasanna Kumar Mohanty, Director, Central Board of RBI, Sachin Chaturvedi, Director Central Board of RBI, Lily Vadera, Executive Director, RBI, SC Murmu, Executive Director, RBI, Shrimohan Yadav, Chief General Manager.
- The Committee will submit its report by 30th September 2020.
Purpose:
- The committee will look at the licensing guidelines and regulations relating to ownership and control in Indian private sector banks and suggest appropriate norms, review the eligibility criteria for individuals/ entities to apply for banking license and make recommendations on all related issues among other things.
- It will also examine and review the norms for promoter shareholding at the initial/licensing stage and subsequently, along with the timelines for dilution of the shareholding.
Extra Shots:
RBI:
- Governor: Shaktikanta Das
- Deputy Governor: NS Vishwanathan, BP Kanungo, MK Jain and Michael Debabrata Patra
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founder: British Raj
- Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata
RBI proposes upper age limit of 70 years for CEOs, whole-time directors of banks
- The RBI has proposed an upper age limit of 70 years for CEOs and whole-time directors of banks and a maximum term of 10 years for those belonging to the promoter group, as part of the exercise to improve governance in the banking sector.
Highlights:
- The upper age limit for CEO/WTDs of banks is 70 years. Beyond this nobody can continue in the post.
- Within the overall limit of 70 years, individual bank’s board can prescribe, as an internal policy, a lower age limit for CEO/WTDs
- 10 years is an adequate time limit for a promoter/ major shareholder of a bank as WTD or CEO of the bank to stabilise its operations and to transition the managerial leadership to a professional management.
- This will not only help in achieving the separation of ownership from management but also reinforce a culture of professional management”.
- A management functionary “who is not a promoter/major shareholder can be a WTD or CEO of a bank for 15 consecutive years”, the individual could be eligible for re-appointment as WTD or CEO only after the expiration of three years.
- During this three-year period, the individual shall not be appointed or associated with the bank in any capacity, either directly or indirectly, advisory or otherwise.
Extra Shots:
RBI:
- Governor: Shaktikanta Das
- Deputy Governor: NS Vishwanathan, BP Kanungo, MK Jain and Michael Debabrata Patra
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founder: British Raj
- Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata
RBI bars People’s Co-operative Bank from granting loans, accepting deposits for 6 months
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred Kanpur-based People’s Co-operative Bank from granting fresh loans or accepting deposits for a period of six months, due to its weak financial position.
- The RBI also said that no amount of the total balance across all savings bank or current accounts or any other account of a depositor may be allowed to be withdrawn.
- These directions will remain in force for a period of six months from the close of business on June 10, 2020 and are subject to review.
- As per the restrictions, the bank shall not, without prior approval of RBI in writing grant or renew any loans and advances, make any investment, incur any liability including borrowal of funds and acceptance of fresh deposits, disburse or agree to disburse any payment whether in discharge of its liabilities and obligations or otherwise.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
India’s forex reserves cross $500 billion-mark’
- India’s forex reserves have now crossed the $ 500 billion mark, according to the data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- The reserves rose to $ 501.7 billion, marking an increase of $ 8.22 billion in a week. Reserves had surged $3.43 billion to a fresh all-time high of $493.48 billion in the week-ended May 29.
Components of forex reserves:
- Forex reserves consist of foreign currency assets, gold reserves, special drawing rights and reserves in IMF. Of these, foreign currency assets are the biggest component followed by gold.
Use of forex reserves for RBI:
- RBI, from time to time, intervenes in forex markets to balance the volatility in currency markets. It either buys dollars to release rupee into the market or sell dollars to support rupee.
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launches Sahakar Mitra
- Sahakar Mitra Scheme on Internship Programme (SIP) was launched by Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.
Highlights:
- The unique cooperative sector development finance organization, National Cooperative Development Corporation, NCDC has embarked upon a series of initiatives in the cooperative sector entrepreneurship development ecosystem through capacity development, paid internship to youth and assured project loans on liberalized terms to young cooperators on start-up mode.
- NCDC has been proactive in delivering innovative solutions for the cooperative sector.
- In the series of initiatives by NCDC, the new scheme called Sahakar Mitra Scheme on Internship Programme (SIP) will provide the young professionals an opportunity of practical exposure and learning from the working of NCDC and cooperatives as a paid intern.
- NCDC has also introduced a complementary scheme to promote start-up cooperative ventures.
- Sahakar Mitra would also provide an opportunity to professionals from academic institutions to develop leadership and entrepreneurial roles through cooperatives as Farmers Producers Organizations (FPO).
- NCDC has earmarked funds for Sahakar Mitra paid internship program under which each intern will get financial support over a 4 monthsinternship period.
- Online application portal for internship application available on NCDC website, was also launched by the Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Minister.
- Sahakar Mitra scheme is expected to assist cooperative institutions access new and innovative ideas of young professionals while the interns gain experience of working in the field giving confidence to be self-reliant.
- It is expected to be a win-win situation both for cooperatives as well as for the young professionals.
Who are Eligible:
- Under the scheme, professional graduates in disciplines such as Agriculture and allied areas,IT etc. will be eligible for internship. Professionals who are pursuing or have completed their MBA degrees in Agri-business, Cooperation, Finance, International Trade, Forestry, Rural Development, Project Management etc. will also be eligible.
Extra Shots:
NCDC: The National Cooperative Development Corporation is a statutory Corporation set up under an Act of Indian Parliament on 13 March 1963.
- Founded: 13 March 1963
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Minister responsible: Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
- Agency executive: Sundeep Kumar Nayak, Managing Director
- Parent department: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare
- Jurisdiction: India
MHA allows five categories of foreigners to enter India
- Three months after banning foreigners from entering India due to coronavirus situation, the Centre lifted curbs on entry of five categories of foreign nationals to India–those who wish to come to the country on account of family emergencies and could not come due to the lockdown imposed to curb COVID-19.
- Foreigners who are minor children and have at least one parent who is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder, foreigners married to Indian citizens, foreigners who are single parents of minor children holding Indian passports or OCI cards, students who are foreign nationals where at least one of their parents is an Indian citizen or an OCI cardholder are now allowed to come to the country.
- The Union Ministry of Home Affairs also permitted another category of foreign nationals to visit India–dependent family members of foreign diplomats and official/service passport holding service staff accredited to foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices or accredited international organisations in India.
Extra Shots:
The Ministry of Home Affairs or Home Ministry is a ministry of the Government of India. As the interior ministry of India, it is mainly responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy. The Home Ministry is headed by Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah.
- Ministry executive: Ajay Kumar Bhalla, IAS, Home Secretary
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Founded: 15 August 1947
- Jurisdiction: India
- Officeholders: Rajnath Singh (Minister), Amit Shah (Minister), etc
- Departments: Intelligence Bureau, Department of Home, etc
Indian Railways sets World Record to run first Double-stack Container Train in High Rise OHE electrified section of Western Railways
- The Indian Railways has created a world record by commissioning the first high rise Over Head Equipment (OHE) and successfully running double-stack containers train, in the electrified sections of the Western Railway zone.
- The feat was achieved when the double-stack train commenced from Palanpur to Botad stations in Gujarat on 10 June 2020.
- In December 2019, Indian Railways conducted the trial run of the double-decker freight trains at the newly-built Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur district.
- This achievement has made Indian Railways as the first Railways in the world to run double-stack container train with high reach pantograph in high rise OHE territory.
- The high rise OHE has a contact wire height of 7.57 metre.
Extra Shots:
Indian Railways:
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Founded: 16 April 1853, India
Centre directs all 8 North Eastern States to set-up e-office
- Centre has directed all the 8 North Eastern States to set up e-office in a stipulated timeframe.
- The announcement was made by Union Minister of State for Personnel, PG and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh. The e-office project will be a cardinal pillar of Digital India.
Highlights:
- The e-office project is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”.
- The e-office will ensure ease of administration, transparency, and citizen-centric delivery mechanism.
- So far, 55 Ministries in the Government of India have implemented the e-office.
- GoI also assured that all technical and financial support to achieve the e-office mission to be implemented right from Civil Secretariat to the District level in all the States.
- The implementation of e-Office will creation a paperless State Secretariats in a time-bound manner where officers would be empowered with virtual private networks, digital signature certificates, and promote less contact governance.
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Hyderabad police launches ‘STREE’ programme for women
- Hyderabad City Police along with Hyderabad City Security Council (HCSC) has launched a programme called “She Triumphs through Respect, Equality, and Empowerment” (STREE) to support and empower women victims of domestic violence and abuse.
STREE programme:
- This programme starts to promote a common platform for all women to join together and work with police to deal with issues related to women’s safety and security.
- The objective of the programme is to raise awareness among the women on their rights, entitlements, laws and support systems & also to build a network of partners to ensure women’s safety, equality and empowerment.
- The local police will engage women from different sections of the society & will set up an STREE group at the police station as part of the programme.
- A proactive woman will be selected as a volunteer from each group to form as SABALA Shakti.
- The members of the group consisting of representatives from Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs) or from the Department of Women and Child Development, an advocate and the local Station House Officer (SHO).
Extra Shots:
Telangana
- Capital: Hyderabad
- Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
- Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
UP govt starts “Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana” to educate child labourers
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has launched ‘Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana’ to educate child labourers in the state.
- This scheme has launched, on the occasion of the International Child Labour Prohibition Day.
- The government will give monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,200 to selected boys and girls, respectively.
- If these children pass classes 8, 9 and 10, they will be given an additional amount of Rs 6,000 for clearing each standard.
- A total of 2,000 children from 57 districts of the state will benefit from the first phase of the ”Bal Shram Vidya Yojana”.
- The families of these children will also get the benefits of all the schemes of the central and state government.
Extra Shots:
Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- State formed in: 24 January 1950
- Literacy Rate: 67.68%
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
Uttar Pradesh introducd TrueNat machines to test COVID-19 in 75 districts
- The Uttar Pradesh Government is to make the TrueNat Machines available in all 75 districts to test COVID-19.
- The ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) had approved the machines to conduct COVID-19 tests earlier.
- The UP Government is to make the machines available in all of its districts for speedy testing of COVID-19 cases.
- The state has set a target of 15,000 tests per day.
- The target is to be achieved by the middle of June, 2020.
- The aim is to increase the target to 20,000 by June end.
- The TrueNat machines will provide results in an hour or two. Hence, the machines will help in faster diagnosis. .
TrueNat Machines
- The TrueNat machines can run up to 32 to 48 samples. Also, they are capable of running samples for multiple diseases such as HIV, TB, COVID-19, etc. India has around 800 TrueNat machines. A four-way machine can run up to 32 to 48 samples of multiple diseases. A two-way machine can run up to 16-24 samples. The cost of a TrueNat machine is between Rs 1000 and Rs 1500.
Extra Shots:
Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- State formed in: 24 January 1950
- Literacy Rate: 67.68%
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
MP govt gives ‘corona warriors’ status to Divyang Anganwadi workers
- Madhya Pradesh government gives ‘corona warriors’ status to Divyang Anganwadi workers. These divyang Anganwadi workers are playing an important role in the state during the ongoing Corona crisis.
- They are distributing nutritious food from house to house of the beneficiaries.
- They are also advising people to avoid corona infection.
- Anganwadi workers advise that stay at home and follow the mantra of social distancing in remote areas.
Extra Shots:
Madhya Pradesh:
- Capital: Bhopal
- Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
- Governor: Lalji Tandon
- National Park: Bandhavgarh NP, Fossil NP, Kanha NP, Madhav NP, Panna NP, Pench NP, Sanjay NP, Satpura NP
Uttar Pradesh govt decides to adopt scheme of Flatted Factory Model
- In Uttar Pradesh, the State Government has decided to adopt the scheme of Flatted Factory Model which will ensure easy availability of land for industries, and in turn, generate employment also.
- In a high level meeting, it was decided by Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) that flatted factories that means multi-storeyed buildings in which multiple non-polluting units can operate will be allowed.
- The new policy will allow the owner of an industrial land of at least five acres to develop one-fourth of it as flatted factory.
- All industrial development authorities were on board with the uniform policy.
- The model can be adopted only for non-polluting manufacturing unit permitted by industrial development authority like manufacturing of readymade garments, handicrafts.
- A minimum structure of four storeys, including ground floor, will be permitted.
- The state is trying to become self-reliant to minimize imports and sectors like IT, electronics, garment manufacturing could easily adopt the flatted factory model so that land for other space requiring industries like defence and automobiles could be provided easily.
Extra Shots:
Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- State formed in: 24 January 1950
- Literacy Rate: 67.68%
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
Odisha become the 1st state in India to receive ISO certification for tribal hostels
- Odisha became the first State in India to receive prestigious ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001:2015 certification for its 44 tribal hostels of Keonjhar (32 hostels) and Sambalpur (12 hostels) districts improving their overall infrastructure and standards under Mission Suvidya.
- The Odisha state’s department of ST & SC Development in association with Quality Control of India (QCI) has conducted a comprehensive assessment & evaluation of all hostels with the aim to improve the standard and quality of the hostels.
- The certification is an example of the transformation targets set under the state’s 5T(Technology, Transparency, Teamwork, Time and Transformation) framework that aims to bring in transformational, and institutional-level changes in state governance.
Extra Shots:
Odisha:
- Capital: Bhubaneswar
- Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
- National Park: Bhitarkanika NP, Simlipal NP
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Exim Bank extends $216 million credit line to Malawi govt
- Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has extended a line of credit (LOC) worth $215.68 million to the Malawi government for drinking water supply schemes and other development projects.
- With the signing of this agreement, Exim Bank, so far, has extended five LOCs to Malawi, on behalf of the Indian government, taking the total value of LOCs extended to $395.68 million.
- Projects covered under the LOCs extended to Malawi includes supply of irrigation network, tobacco threshing plant, cotton processing facilities, green belt initiative, sugar processing equipment, fuel storage facility and construction of a new water supply system from Likhubula river in Mulanje to Blantyre.
Extra Shots:
EXIM Bank:
- CEO: David Rasquinha
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founded: 1 January 1982
- Subsidiaries: Export Import Bank of India, London Branch, Export-Import Bank of India, Asset Management Arm
Malawi (Capital/Currency): Lilongwe/ Malawian kwacha
- President: Peter Mutharika
- Official Language: English
Pakistan forecasts fiscal deficit of 7% of GDP in FY21 as coronavirus bites
- Pakistan’s government said on Friday it expected a fiscal deficit of 7 percent of gross domestic product in the 2020-21 financial year as it announced its annual budget amid a fast-growing coronavirus outbreak.
- The government had set a GDP growth target of 2.1 percent for the next fiscal year as he presented the budget in parliament.
Extra Shots:
Pakistan (Capital/Currency): Islamabad/Pakistani Rupee
- Prime Minister: Imran Khan
- President: Arif Alvi
- Official Languages: Urdu,English
Anmol Narang becomes first observant Sikh to graduate from United States Military Academy
- Second Lieutenant Anmol Narang will create history by becoming the first observant Sikh to graduate from the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point on Saturday.
- US President Donald Trump will deliver remarks at the 2020 US Military Academy at West Point graduation ceremony.
- Narang will complete her Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma.
- Following the successful completion of BOLC, she will then head to her first posting in Okinawa, Japan, in January of 2021, according to the non-profit organisation Sikh Coalition.
Extra Shots:
USA (Capital/Currency): Washington, D.C./ United States Dollar
- President: Donald Trump
- Official languages: English
UK’s economy shrinks by record 20.4 percent in April
- The United Kingdom’s economy shrank by record 20.4 percent in April, amid strict lockdown to combat COVID-19, revealed official data on June 12, 2020.
- The record slump in the economy is likely to be the low point before a long and slow recovery, as Britain readies to open up its economy.
- The Office of National Statistics stated that the gross domestic product of Britain contracted by 10.4 percent in the three-month period till April in comparison to the previous three-month period.
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
Facebook partnerned with tech gains to Fight online against child sexual abuse
- Facebook has joined hands with Microsoft, Google, Twitter and 14 other tech giants for a new initiative called ‘Project Protect’ to help combat child sexual abuse and exploitation online.
- Facebook will lead this initiative.
- These tech giants have been working together under Technology Coalition since past 14 years, since its formation way back in 2006.
- Project Protect is a renewed commitment from the Technology Coalition for the next 15 years to protect kids online and guide its work.
- Project Protect will focus on five key areas: tech innovation, collective action, independent research, information and knowledge sharing, and transparency and accountability.
Extra shots:
Facebook:
- Founded: February 2004, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
- Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
- CFO: David Wehner
- Founders: Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew McCollum, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes
RECENT COMMITTEES IN NEWS
Panel formed by Delhi LG to advise Delhi Disaster Management Authority
- The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal has formed an Expert Advisory Committee to advise the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
- The committee has been formed to address the challenges faced in Delhi and also ramp up medical infrastructure.
- The committee will also advice the DDMA to integrate measures of various agencies to effectively mitigate COVID-19.
- The Director General of ICMR, director of AIIMS are all part of the committee.
Disaster Management Authority:
- The National Disaster Management Authority lays down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities.
- The Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides detailed legal frameworks of the disaster management authority at national, state and district levels.
- The State Disaster Management Authority is headed by the Chief Minister of the state.
- The SDMA lays down plans for the disaster management in the state.
- The State Executive committee that operates under the Chief Secretary of the state coordinates and monitors implementation of national policy, national plan and state plan.
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta assumes charge as Chief of Staff of ENC
- Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, AVSM, YSM, VSM assumed the charge as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Visakhapatnam on 12 June 2020.
- Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta replaced Vice Admiral SN Ghormade, the outgoing Chief of Staff, has proceeded on transfer as Controller Personnel Services at Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy), New Delhi.
Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta:
- Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy. In 1985, he was commissioned into the Indian Navy. He is a specialist in Navigation and Direction. He has commanded 4 frontline ships including INS Nishank, INS Karmuk, INS Tabar, and INS Viraat.
Extra Shots:
Eastern Naval Command
- Headquarters : Visakhapatnam
- FOC Eastern Fleet: Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, NM
- FOC-in-C: Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, AVSM, VSM
- Founded: 1 March 1968
- Parent organization: Indian Navy
SPORT CURRENT AFFAIRS
FIFA’s latest ranking: India retains 108th slot
- India football team retained its 108th spot in the latest FIFA rankings.
- While Belgium ranked first and world champion France is in 2nd place and Brazil is at 3rd spot.
- In the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the qualifier tournaments have been postponed for the FIFA World Cup and other major games at the international level.
Top three countries:
- Belgium- 1765
- France – 1733
- Brazil- 1712
Extra shots:
FIFA:
- President: Gianni Infantino
- Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland
- Founded at: Paris, France
- Founded: 21 May 1904, Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, France
- Senior Vice-President: Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC)
- Subsidiaries: Confederation of African Football, United States Soccer Federation, Early Warning System GmbH
India’s 800m runner Gomathi Marimuthu handed four-year ban by AIU for doping
- India’s Gomathi Marimuthu will be stripped off her 2019 Asian Athletics Championships gold medal after she was handed a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit for testing positive for a banned substance.
- The ‘A’ sample of the 30-year-old runner from Tamil Nadu, who clocked 2 minutes and 2.70 seconds to win the gold medal on April 22 last year, had returned positive for a steroid in the test conducted during the Asian Championships in Doha.
- Now, Gomathi’s ‘B’ sample has also tested positive and she will need to serve out a ban till May 16, 2023. In addition, she will also need to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh to the AIU.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
‘GermiKlean’: Developed by DRDO to sanitise uniforms of police and security personnel
- The Defence Research and Development Organization has developed ‘GermiKlean’. GermiKlean is a sanitising chamber that can be used to sanitise uniforms of security and police personnel.
- The DRDO developed the sanitizing chamber after the Delhi Police raised their requirement of sanitizing their helmets, uniforms, cane shields, etc.
GermiKlean
- GermiKlean is capable of sanitizing 25 pairs of uniforms within 15 minutes using dry heat treatment. Dry heating of an article is accomplished by conduction. Heat is absorbed by the exterior surface of the article and passed inward. Dry heat kills micro organisms by causing denaturation of proteins. Denaturation is a process in which the nucleic acids lose the quaternary structure. This kills the micro organisms.
- The DRDO has also designed sanitisation tunnel. It has come up with an idea of a mat that can be used to sanitise foot.
Extra shots:
DRDO:
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- Motto: बलस्य मूलं विज्ञानम्; “Strength’s Origin is in Science” (Sanskrit)
- Founded: 1958
- Subsidiaries: Defence Scientific Information & Documentation centre, Gas Turbine Research Establishment
IIT Kharagpur: AI Based Social-Distancing Monitor
- The Researchers of IIT Kharagpur have developed an Artificial Intelligence based cyber-physical system to monitor social distancing in public places.
- The device developed by the researchers will play a proximity alert whenever there is a violation of social distancing norms.
- The device captures field view and computes distances according to the criteria set by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- The researchers of the institute have designed the device using inexpensive and easily accessible hardware materials.
WEBPORTALS & APPS IN NEWS
State-of-the-art Flood Warning System launched in Mumbai
- iFLOWS- Mumbai, a state-of-the-art Integrated Flood Warning System for Mumbai was launched jointly by Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, and Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 12 June through video conference.
iFLOWS:
- The system will help make Mumbai become more resilient as it provides early warning for flooding, especially during high rainfall events and cyclones.
- Using this, the estimation of the flood inundation can be done possibly 3 days in advance, along with 3 hours – 6 hours Nowcast (immediate weather updates).
- The device will be very useful, especially if people need to be evacuated from low-lying areas as we will be able to forecast 12 hours in advance that a particular spot may get flooded.
- The system will also forecast the rainfall in each pocket.
Benefits of iFLOWS:
- Using this device, the floods can be estimated 3 days in advance, at ward-level.
- Decision Support System will enable smart decision-making and field action based on risk assessment
- iFLOWS flood warning system is developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
BOOKS & AUTHORS
“Lockdown Liaisons” Authored by Shobhaa De published by Simon & Schuster India
- Writer and Columnist Shobhaa De’s new collection of stories titled “Lockdown Liaisons” a book reflecting the impacts of COVID-19 on human lives published by Simon & Schuster India and released on May 30, 2020.
- They released the 1st ebook titled “Leaving and Other Stories” under Lockdown Liaisons on May 30, 2020.
- On the 2nd week they had released the ebook titled “No Love lost and Other Stories”.
- On the 3rd week they had released the ebook titled “Wedding Cancelled and Other Stories”.
- The book displays the shifting emotions of people during the pandemic and its effect on people and their struggle to adjust to the “new normal”.
OBITUARY
Veteran Urdu poet Gulzar Dehlvi passes away
- Veteran Urdu poet, Anand Mohan Zutshi Gulzar Dehlvi passed away.
- He was the editor of ‘Science ki Duniya’, the only science magazine published in Urdu by the government, which was launched in 1975.
- He is also credited with setting up Urdu schools across India.
- He was also associated with the freedom movement since the ’30s, when he was in school.
Former TN footballer Balasamy passes away
- Former Tamil Nadu footballer A Balasamy, who later turned into a football administrator, passed away at a city hospital due to old-age illness and diabetes.
- He was 82.
- Balasamy, a dedicated player, had started his career with Don Bosco Oratory (Broadway) in the 1950s in the Madras Football Association league.
- He later switched over to Binnys.
MISCELLANEOUS
Marriott enters into pact with Zomato to expand home delivery service
- Global hospitality major Marriott International on Friday said its home delivery service will now be available in more cities through an agreement with food aggregator Zomato.
- This association further expands and strengthens Marriott’s home delivery service across India, while making it a mutually beneficial tool that allows outreach and exposure to thousands of customers using the platform.
- The company’s home delivery service, ‘Marriott on Wheels’, has also branched out into providing corporate outdoor catering services and Bento Box meals
- The partnership will start with close to 30 hotels in cities Bengaluru, Gurugram, Delhi, Pune, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Raipur, Chennai, Kochi and Surat, Marriott International.
- This facility will extend to additional cities, as more hotels join the service provider.
Extra Shots:
Zomato:
- Headquarters: DLF Phase V, Gurugram, Haryana, India
- Founder(s): Deepinder Goyal, Pankaj Chaddah
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This post was last modified on June 17, 2020 9:15 am