Current Affairs Today 13th May 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 13th May 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

1. American multinational investment bank, Morgan Stanley has projected India’s GDP growth for 2020 at 0% and for 2021 at 7.7%.
2. Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati (IIIT-Guwahati) recently organized a Poster Making Competition under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) Campaign.
3. Government of India announced a Rs.20 lakh crore stimulus package, equivalent to about 10% of India’s Gross domestic product (GDP).
4. Jammu and Kashmir announced that it will provide a tap water connection to all rural households by December 2022 under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
5. The Gujarat government has mandated the digital payment for all home delivery services in Ahmedabad.
6. The Sohrai Khovar painting of Jharkhand and Telia Rumal of Telangana have received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry.
7. Postal department in Uttar Pradesh has made a record of reaching maximum number of persons in a single day to provide cash at their doorstep.
8. Haryana is geared to provide tap water connection to all rural households by December, 2022. The State provided 1.05 lakh tap connections during 2019-20 under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
9. Jammu & Kashmir Government has launched a web portal http://jkmonitoring.nic.in/ to facilitate its residents stranded in other parts of the country.
10. Gujarat-based Macpower unveiled indigenous hot air seam sealing machines for PPE kits.
11. Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan transferred a sum of Rs. 44 crore 60 lakh 77 thousand to the bank accounts of 2 lakh 26 thousand 362 women belonging to Sahria, Baiga and Bharia primitive tribes from Mantralay
12. Delhi Police launched Thermal Corona Combat Gear (TCCH) through which police personnel will be able to detect the temperature of a large number of people from a distance of 10-15 metres.
13. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced $3.6 million to assist the Indian government’s fight against COVID-19.
14. The Shanghai-based New Development Bank of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries have fully disbursed $1 billion emergency assistance loan to India to help it contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce human, social and economic losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
15. China successfully launched two satellites into orbit on 12 May 2020, to test the space-based Internet of Things (IoT) communications technology.
16. Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda held a video conference with States/UTs on “Tribal livelihoods and safety” in New Delhi on 13 May.
17. The Ministry of Tourism organized the 18th Dekho Apna Desh webinar series on 12 May 2020.
18. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has organised the Indo-Bangladesh “Virtual Conference”.
19. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries on 13 May.
20. Two scientific papers of India on child survival by the State-Level Disease Burden Initiative stated that the under-5 Mortality Rate in India has dropped by 49% since 2000.
21. World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Nursing Now has released the first “The State of the World’s Nursing 2020” report amid COVID19 pandemic.
22. Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-Guwahati) and the Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore have partnered and used data science models to analyze and predict the total number of infected people for different States in India in the next 30 days.
23. Odisha cadre IAS, Manoj Ahuja has been appointed the new chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
24. The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup has been rescheduled between 17 February and 7 March 2021.
25. French cyclist Remy Di Gregorio has been banned for 4 years by the International Cycling Union (UCI) for using a form of banned blood-boosting hormone EPO (Erythropoietin).
26. China has won the first edition of FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup against USA.
27. Anunta received the VMware 2020 Regional Partner of the Year Award for the Services Excellence category.
28. Indian journalist Siddharth Varadarajan is among the 17 recipients of the 2020 Freedom of Speech Award presented by German public news outlet Deutsche Welle on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day on 3rd May 2020.
29. Indian tennis player Sania Mirza becomes 1st Indian to win Fed Cup Heart Award 2020 for Asia/Oceania zone.
30. Actor Shafique Ansari, best-known for his appearance in TV series ‘Crime Patrol’, has passed away of cancer.
31. Former national table tennis champion Manmeet Singh Walia passed away at the age of 58 years.
32. US comedian Jerry Stiller passed away recently.

NEWS IN DETAILS

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Morgan Stanley projects India GDP growth for 2020 at 0%; For 2021 at 7.7%

• American multinational investment bank, Morgan Stanley has projected India’s GDP growth for 2020 at 0% and for 2021 at 7.7%.
• For the global GDP growth, Morgan Stanley has made a projection of -3% in 2020 and 5.9% in 2021.

Extra Shots:

Morgan Stanley

• CEO: James P. Gorman
• Headquarters: New York, United States

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

IIT-Guwahati organized Poster Making Competition under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Campaign

• Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati (IIIT-Guwahati) recently organized a Poster Making Competition under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) Campaign.
• The Ministry for Human Resource Development (HRD) is the nodal ministry for EBSB campaign which is run along with several other partner ministries and states.
• Students participated from their homes for the competition held online due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Highlights:

• IIITG is committed to conducting the events under the banner of EBSB to promote knowledge on the paired state Rajasthan among the students.
• The topic of the competition was “RAJASTHAN TOURISM AND TRAVELS”.
• The poster making event was held in two categories- Digital and Handmade category.
• A total of 14 participants, of which 9 in the digital category and 5 in the handmade category.

Extra Shots:

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat:

• Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October, 2015. It was launched on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The campaign aims to promote the knowledge of the culture, traditions, and practices of different States & Union Territories (UT) will lead to an enhanced understanding and bonding between the States. It aims to strengthen the unity and integrity of India. The campaign also focuses on creating an environment that promotes learning between States by sharing best practices and experiences.

GoI extends lockdown with economic package of Rs.20 lakh crores

• Government of India announced a Rs.20 lakh crore stimulus package, equivalent to about 10% of India’s Gross domestic product (GDP).
• It aimed at making the country self-reliant and reviving the stalled economy.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan or Details of the plan will be unveiled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• The announcement comes after the Government of India extended the lockdown from 18 May (Lockdown 4.0).
• The reforms announced by PM Narendra Modi include supply chain reforms for agriculture, rational tax system, simple and clear laws, capable human resources and a strong financial system.

5 Pillars:

The 5 pillars announced by the PM are:

1. Infrastructures that will become symbol of modern India.
2. The Economical changes that will not only bring incremental change but help in quantum jump.
3. Technology-driven system will help fulfill the dreams of the 21st century.
4. The demography of India is the source and strength of self-reliant India.
5. The supply cycle and demand will be focused to make sure the country harnesses its complete potential.

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Jammu and Kashmir to provide tap water to every household by 2022 December

• Jammu and Kashmir announced that it will provide a tap water connection to all rural households by December 2022 under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
• In the year 2020, the State is planning for 100% coverage of all 5,000 villages of 3 districts namely Gandharbal, Srinagar, and Raisi.

Highlights:

• Action plan for the move was submitted to the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation.
• There are 18.17 lakh households in the Union Territory (UT), out of which 5.75 lakhs are already provided with Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs). Out of the remaining households, J&K plans to provide 1.76 lakh households by 2020-21.
• The UT is likely to get Rs.680 crore as the Central government’s share under JJM for the current financial year. The Union Territory is eligible for additional allocation based on physical and financial performance.
• The UT Administration is planning 100% coverage by December 2022 ahead of the national goal by 2024-25.
• Out of 98 water testing laboratories, the UT plans NABL accreditation of 10 labs during 2020. Field Testing Kits will be provided at the community level for testing water quality for taking corrective measures.
• Village Action Plans have been carried out for villages, based on which the action plan has been finalized. The aim is to mobilize the community to inculcate a sense of ownership.

Extra Shots:

Jammu & Kashmir:

• Capitals- Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
• Lt Governor- Girish Chandra Murmu
• National Parks: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Baltal-Thajwas WLS, Changthang Cold Desert WLS, Gulmarg WLS, Jasrota WLS, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS etc

Gujarat mandates digital payment for home delivery in Ahmedabad

• The Gujarat government has mandated the digital payment for all home delivery services in Ahmedabad.
• This step has been taken by the state government in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through currency notes.
• Therefore, the payment of all the home delivery services in the city would be cashless i.e. via digital mode of payment.
• Hence the Cash On delivery (COD) option will not be available to the customers.
• Apart from making the home delivery services cashless, the state government has also issued a protocol which must be abide by all the delivery persons.
• The protocol involves the use of hand gloves, sanitation cap as well as sanitizer.
• The delivery persons are also required to follow the social distancing norms. They must be having Aarogya Setu app downloaded on their mobile phone.

Extra Shots:

Gujarat:

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• State formed on: 1 May 1960
• Literacy Rate: 79.31%
• National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP, Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch

Jharkhand’s Sohrai Khovar painting & Telangana’s Telia Rumal gets GI-Tag

• The Sohrai Khovar painting of Jharkhand and Telia Rumal of Telangana have received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry.
• For the Sohrai Khovar painting of Jharkhand, application of GI-tag was made by Sohrai Kala Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Limited.
• For the Telia Rumal of Telangana, application of GI-tag was made by Consortium of Puttapaka Handloom Cluster-IHDS.

Sohrai Khovar painting:

• Local tribal women of Jharkhand practices the Sohrai Khovar painting which is a traditional and ritualistic mural art. It is primarily practised only in the district of Hazaribagh during local harvest and marriage seasons. It involves the use of local and naturally available soils of different colours in the area of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand.

Telia Rumal:

• Telia Rumal cloth involves complex handmade work with cotton loom which can be only created by using the traditional handloom process and and not by any other mechanical means. The teila rumal exhibits a variety of designs and motifs in three particular colours namely red, black and white.

Extra Shots:

Jharkhand

• Capital: Ranchi
• Chief Minister: Hemant Soren
• Governor: Draupadi Murmu

Telangana

• Capital: Hyderabad
• Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
• Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan

UP Postal department creates a record of reaching maximum number of persons in a single day to provide cash at doorstep

• Postal department in Uttar Pradesh has made a record of reaching maximum number of persons in a single day to provide cash at their doorstep.
• Yesterday the UP circle of Postal department made transaction of 30 crore rupees to 2.74 persons in state through Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS).
• This is the cash transaction for highest number of persons in a day.
• a mega drive to provide money to the needy persons at their doorstep was launched by UP circle of postal department.
• Total 2.74 lakh persons in state benefited from it which was highest number of beneficiaries in a single day in country.
• Working like a corona warrior postal employees are reaching at the doorstep of needs persons and anyone can withdraw a maximum of 10 thousand rupees from their Aadhaar linked bank account from the micro ATMs available with the postman.

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

Haryana gears up to provide tap connections to all rural households by December, 2022

• Haryana is geared to provide tap water connection to all rural households by December, 2022. The State provided 1.05 lakh tap connections during 2019-20 under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
• Now the State Government is planning 100% coverage by December, 2022, ahead of the national goal by 2024-25.
• By doing so, Haryana will be among the leading states to accomplish the ambitious target of providing tap connection to each rural household.
• There are 28.94 lakh households in Haryana, out of which 18.83 lakh are already provided with Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTCs).
• Out of the remaining 10.11 lakh households, Haryana plans to provide tap connections in 7 lakh households by 2020-21.

Extra Shots:

Haryana:

• Capital: Chandigarh
• Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
• Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya
• National Park: Sultanpur National Park, Kalesar National Park

http://jkmonitoring.nic.in/ launched for J&K people stranded in other parts of country

• Jammu & Kashmir Government has launched a web portal http://jkmonitoring.nic.in/ to facilitate its residents stranded in other parts of the country.
• The portal enables giving s to those registered and also allows a person to check his application status.
• All those who have registered online using the links opened by the J&K Government earlier need not register again.
• The web portal has already been d with the details of the persons who have already registered through www.jktpo.in.
• All those who have registered can track the progress of their application.

Extra Shots:

Jammu & Kashmir:

• Capitals- Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
• Lt Governor- Girish Chandra Murmu
• National Parks: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Baltal-Thajwas WLS, Changthang Cold Desert WLS, Gulmarg WLS, Jasrota WLS, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS etc

Gujarat CM launches the country’s first hot air seam sealing machine through video conference

• Gujarat-based Macpower unveiled indigenous hot air seam sealing machines for PPE kits.
• This is India’s first indigenous hot air seam sealing machine.
• It can be used to manufacture PPE kits at half the price of the imported ones.
• The machine was unveiled by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Highlights:

• The device can be used to seal the seam of the personal protection equipment (PPE) kits so that viruses cannot penetrate from the small pores and infect the person. The PPE kits will become 100% secure when they are completely sealed.
• So far, the machine was being imported at a higher cost, and it takes 3-4 months to get the delivery.
• The cost of the machine developed by Macpower is 50% less than those imported from abroad.
• In Phase I, the company will manufacture 200 units of the machine at Rs.4 lakh.

Extra Shots:

Gujarat:

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• State formed on: 1 May 1960
• Literacy Rate: 79.31%
• National Park: Vansda NP, Blackbuck NP, Gir Forest NP, Marine NP, Gulf of Kutch

Madhya Pradesh: Rs. 44.60 Crore Credited to Accounts of 2.26 Lakh Women

• Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan transferred a sum of Rs. 44 crore 60 lakh 77 thousand to the bank accounts of 2 lakh 26 thousand 362 women belonging to Sahria, Baiga and Bharia primitive tribes from Mantralay

Amount under Ahar Anudan Yojana

• The Chief Minister held discussions with these women through videoconferencing.
• He informed that Ahar Anudan Yojana is being implemented in 15 districts of the state including Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Datia, Shahdol, Umaria, Anuppur, Chhindwara, Mandla, Balaghat and Dindori for primitive tribes Saharia, Bharia and Baiga.
• Under this, a sum of Rs. one thousand is given to them every month.
• Today the amount was transferred to their accounts for the months of April and May.

Extra Shots:

Madhya Pradesh:

• Capital: Bhopal
• Chief Minister: Kamal Nath
• Governor: Lalji Tandon
• National Park: Bandhavgarh NP, Fossil NP, Kanha NP, Madhav NP, Panna NP, Pench NP, Sanjay NP, Satpura NP

Delhi Police launched Thermal Corona Combat Headgear to enhance social distancing

• Delhi Police launched Thermal Corona Combat Gear (TCCH) through which police personnel will be able to detect the temperature of a large number of people from a distance of 10-15 metres.
• The initiative was launched by the police in collaboration with Indian Robotics Solution (IRS).

Highlights:

• The first of its kind of equipment will ensure the safety of the frontline warriors and enforce social distancing.
• The wearer of the headgear will be able to scan the elevated body temperature-EBT. It will help in thermally scanning individuals from a safe distance of 10m to 15m.
• With the help of this equipment, live imagery can be sent to a centralized control centre. Frontline workers can scan people without coming in close contact with them in public areas such as hospitals, supermarkets, and crowded areas.

Thermal Corona Combat Drone-(TCCD):

• The Delhi Police has also launched a ‘Thermal Corona Combat Drone-(TCCD)’ in tow with the same startup.
• The drone is fitted with a day-vision camera that can see the real image of the personnel, a disinfectant tank to sanitize an area when a suspected person is taken away for further tests, a spotlight with a night utility camera, a loudspeaker for giving instructions and a medical box to carry essentials like medicines or portable coronavirus testing kits.

Extra Shots:

Delhi Police:

• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Jurisdiction: Delhi
• Founded: 1861, New Delhi
• Stations: 187
• Commissioner: S. N. Shrivastava

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

US CDC announces USD 3.6 mn to assist Indias fight against coronavirus pandemic

• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced $3.6 million to assist the Indian government’s fight against COVID-19.
• The fund aims to support prevention, preparedness, and response activities in India.

Highlights:

• The CDC announced that it is to work with local partners to help India to strengthen its public health workforce.
• The initial tranche of funding aims to further strengthen and support the efforts taken by the Indian government to increase laboratory capacity for SARS-COV-2 testing, including molecular diagnostics and serology.
• The funds will be used to support the development of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) centers of excellence. It is expected to improve the ability of hospital networks to detect COVID-19 and strengthen local health systems through enhanced surveillance and monitoring systems.
• The support includes planning for health emergency operations centers to further strengthen public health emergency management capacities.
• The CDC India program will provide technical assistance for the government of India’s ongoing crisis emergency and risk communication efforts.

Extra Shots:

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the leading, national public health institute of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

• Director: Robert R. Redfield (Incumbent)
• Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
• Founder: Joseph Walter Mountin
• Founded: 1 July 1946, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
• Parent organization: United States Department of Health and Human Services

NDB provides USD 1 billion loan to India to fight COVID-19 pandemic

• The Shanghai-based New Development Bank of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries have fully disbursed $1 billion emergency assistance loan to India to help it contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce human, social and economic losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The ‘Emergency Assistance Program Loan’ to India was approved by the NDB Board of Directors on 30 April.

Highlights:

• The move aims to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries and other emerging economies and developing nations, complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development.
• It is aimed to support the Indian government to contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce human, social and economic losses caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
• The programme includes Healthcare Sector Emergency Response and Strengthening Social Safety Net for expenditures already incurred since 1 January 2020.
• It aims to prevent, detect, and respond to the threat posed by the COVID-19, funding critical healthcare expenditure that will enhance healthcare capacity in India and strengthen national health systems preparedness and provide immediate economic assistance to the vulnerable and affected groups. It will facilitate economic and social recovery.

Extra Shots:

New Development Bank:

• Formation: July 2014 (Treaty signed), July 2015 (Treaty in force)
• Headquarters: Shanghai, China
• Membership: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa
• Official language: English
• President: K.V. Kamath

China Launches Two Satellites to Test Space-based Communications Technology

• China successfully launched two satellites into orbit on 12 May 2020, to test the space-based Internet of Things (IoT) communications technology.
• The satellites, Xingyun-2 01 and 02, were launched by a Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
• The satellites will be useful to conduct tests on technologies including space-based IoT communications, inter-satellite laser communications and a low-cost commercial satellite platform.

Extra Shots:

China (Capital/Currency): Beijing/Renminbi

• President: Xi Jinping

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

Tribal Affairs Minister held video conference on Tribal livelihoods and safety

• Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda held a video conference with States/UTs on “Tribal livelihoods and safety” in New Delhi on 13 May.
• The conference was attended by Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, State Ministers for Tribal Affairs, and state ministers for Forests from more than 20 states/UTs along with senior State officials.

Highlights:

• The Union Minister reviewed the working of Prime Minister’s Vandhan Yojana in the States.
• It is expected that boosting the Minor Forest Produce along with value addition and marketing through Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) and fair support price will prove to be a boon to generate additional livelihoods for the migrants who are returning home amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
• The conference recommended the setting up of small scale units at the village level to employ the tribal returnees from different States and on the need for taking advantage of inherent traditional knowledge among the tribals.
• It also highlighted the need to develop a Market chain to take the rural products of Organic nature to National and International markets.
• So far, 1205 VDVKs have been set up across states. IT has benefitted 3.75 lakh beneficiaries through 18075 Self-help Groups. Nearly Rs.166 crore has been sanctioned for setting up the VDVKs to date.

Extra Shots:

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, a branch of Government of India, looks after the affairs of the tribal communities in India. Wikipedia

• Officeholder: Jasvantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor (Minister of State)
• Founded: October 1999
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Jurisdiction: India
• Annual budget: 6,000 crores INR (2018-19 est., US$870 million)

Ministry of Tourism organized 18th webinar titled Odisha-Indias Best kept secret under Dekho Apna Desh series

• The Ministry of Tourism organized the 18th Dekho Apna Desh webinar series on 12 May 2020.
• It was titled ‘Odisha-India’s Best kept secret’ and took the participants on a virtual journey into Odisha.

Highlights:

• The webinar gave a brief introduction to the State of Odisha and highlighting on the key selling proposition of Odisha such as its ancient civilization, famous temples with Kalinga style of architecture, long coastline endowed with beautiful beaches, arts and handicrafts, culture, popular dance forms such as Odissi, Gotipua, forests.
• The state’s initiative in promoting Eco-Tourism sites was highlighted.
• The 18th session of the Ministry of Tourism webinar series highlighted Odisha’s bouquet of wonderful offerings which are unique in characters such as ancient ruins and legendary shrines; Indigenous tribes and traditions, Buddhist heritage; Royal Heritage, wilderness; Adventure activities; Coastal breaks and seafronts; picture-perfect campsites, culture, handicrafts, fair and festivals.
• The virtual journey showcased places like Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, Udaipur Beach, Manglajodi-unique wetland, Satpada, Chilika lake known for sighing of unique Irrawaddy dolphins, Simlipal National Park, Debrigarh National Park-Ecotourism site at Hirakud reservoir, waterfall, Silent Valley-Gorge, Daringbadi nature Camp, Mahanadi Gorge, Bhetnoi, Beach Locations, Tribal heritage, arts and crafts, textiles, dance forms, festivals and cuisine.

Extra Shots:

The Ministry of Tourism, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to the development and promotion of tourism in India.

• Officeholder: Prahlad Singh Patel (MOS independent charge)
• Founded: 1967
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Jurisdiction: India
• Annual budget: 2,150 crores INR (2018–19 est., US$300 million)

ASSOCHAM organises Indo-Bangladesh “Virtual Conference”

• Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has organised the Indo-Bangladesh “Virtual Conference”.
• Union DoNER Minister of State (I/C) Dr Jitendra Singh addressed the virtual conference.
• The conference featured the participation of Minister of Commerce Bangladesh Tipu Munshi, Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma and Riva Ganguli Das High commissioner to Bangladesh.
• While addressing the conference, Dr Jitendra Singh emphasized on the critical role that North Eastern Region can play to boost trade and business between the two countries.
• He also urged the participants to make some effort for the promotion of several items such as coal, ginger, citrus-fruit, etc. for export while cement, plastic, PVC pipes etc for import, in order to enhance trade between the two countries.

Extra Shots:

ASSOCHAM : The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India is one of the apex trade associations of India. The organisation represents the interests of trade and commerce in India, and acts as an interface between issues and initiatives.

• President: Niranjan Hiranandani
• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Founder: Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani
• Founded: 1920
• Members: 450,000
• Type of business: Trade Association

EAM S Jaishankar participated in the virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of SCO

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries on 13 May.
• The foreign ministers and diplomats from eight different countries attended the meeting.

Highlights:

• The Meeting aimed to discuss the cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Discussion on the global challenges, preparedness, and response to the coronavirus crisis was held.
• It focused on developing cooperation within the SCO, tropical regional and global issues, and particularly the spread of the novel coronavirus.
• They discussed the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Victory in WWII and the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
• They also discussed the SCO summit in St Petersburg and other events as part of Russia’s SCO Presidency that is scheduled to be held on 9-10 June.
• The conference was held under the chairmanship of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Extra Shots:

SCO: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Member: Uzbekistan, China
• Founded: 26 April 1996
• Type of business: Mutual security, political, economic organisation
• Founders: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

RANKS AND INDICES

Study states that Indias under-5 mortality rate since 2000 dropped by 49 percent

• Two scientific papers of India on child survival by the State-Level Disease Burden Initiative stated that the under-5 Mortality Rate in India has dropped by 49% since 2000.
• Also, there is a six-fold variation in the rate between states and an 11-fold variation between various districts.

Highlights:

• The study highlighted that there were 1.04 million under-5 deaths in 2017, down from 2.24 million in 2000. Neonatal deaths were reduced from 1.02 million in 2000 to 0.57 million in 2017.
• Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) was reduced by 38% since 2000. There is a 5-fold variation in the rate between the states and 8-fold variation between the districts of India.
• It also highlighted the child mortality and child growth failure indicators have improved substantially across India from 2000 to 2017. Also, inequality between districts has increased.
• It highlighted that over 68% of under-5 deaths in India are attributable to the child and maternal malnutrition.
• It also reported the largest contributors within this risk factor are low birth weight and short gestation of 46% and child growth failure of 21%.
• 11% of under-5 deaths are attributable to unsafe water and sanitation and 9% to air pollution. Meanwhile, 83% of the neonatal deaths are attributable to low birth weight and shorter gestation.
• The study stated that leading causes of under-5 deaths in India are lower respiratory infections of 17.9%, preterm birth of 15.6%, diarrhoeal diseases of 9.9%, and birth asphyxia and trauma of 8.1%. The death rate for all the major causes decreased between 2000 and 2017.

WHO released first “State of the World’s Nursing Report – 2020” stating a global shortfall of 5.9 mn nurses

• World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Nursing Now has released the first “The State of the World’s Nursing 2020” report amid COVID19 pandemic.

Report Highlights:

• In accordance with the report there are 28 million nurses worldwide but still there is global shortfall of 5.9 million.
• Countries facing greatest shortfall of nurses are in Africa, South East Asia and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region as well as some parts of Latin America.
• Globally, there are roughly 36.9 nurses per 10,000 people, with variations within and across regions.
• For example, America has 10 times more nurses than African region. There are 83.4 nurses per 10,000 population in the former, there are 8.7 nurses per 10,000 population in the latter.
• Between 2013 and 2018, nursing numbers increased by 4.7 million.
• More than 80% of the world’s nurses work in countries that are home to half of the world’s population.
• About 90% of all nurses are female, yet few nurses are found in senior health leadership positions, which are held by men.

State of Nursing in India:

• As of 2018, there were over 1.56 million nurses in India and 772,575 nursing associates. Out of this, the share of professional nurses is 67% with 322,827 graduating every year with a minimum training period of four years. Within the health workforce, nurses comprise 47% of the medical staff, followed by doctors (23.3 per cent), dentists (5.5 per cent) and pharmacists (24.1 per cent).

Extra Shots:

WHO: The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.

• Director General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded: 7 April 1948
• Parent organization: United Nations Economic and Social Council
• Heads: Tedros Adhanom, Soumya Swaminathan, Jane Ellison, Peter Salama

ICN: The International Council of Nurses is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations.

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• President: Annette Kennedy
• Founded: 1899
• Key person: Annette Kennedy
• Office location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Members: 135
• Founders: Agnes Karll, Ethel Gordon Fenwick, Lavinia Dock

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

IIT-G, Duke-NUS carry out data-driven assessment of COVID-19 situation in India

• Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-Guwahati) and the Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore have partnered and used data science models to analyze and predict the total number of infected people for different States in India in the next 30 days.

Highlights:

• The researchers used the Susceptible Infectious Susceptible (SIS) models, along with the model-free daily infection-rate and analyzed factors in the exponential, the logistic model.
• The report is based on the growth of recent active cases, along with the daily infection-rate (DIR) values for each State.
• A state is labelled as ‘severe’ if there is a non-decreasing trend in DIR values over the last two weeks along with a near exponential growth in active infected cases.
• A state is labelled ‘moderate’ if an almost decreasing trend in DIR values is observed over the last two weeks along with neither increasing nor decreasing growth in active infected cases.
• A state is labelled ‘controlled’ if a decreasing trend in the last two weeks’ DIR values is observed along with a decreasing growth in active infected cases.
• The researchers recommended that this composite prediction will be used for assessment purposes for each State. States that are in a severe category are expected to take serious preventive measures immediately to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Extra Shots:

Duke-NUS Medical School

• Dean: Thomas M. Coffman
• Founded: April 2005, Singapore
• Parent institutions: Duke University, National University of Singapore

APPOINTMENT

Manoj Ahuja becomes new chairman of CBSE

• Odisha cadre IAS, Manoj Ahuja has been appointed the new chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• He is currently served as Special Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Department of Personnel and Training.
• He will replace Anita Karwal as the chairman of the CBSE.

Extra Shots:

CBSE:  Central Board of Secondary Education

• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Founded: 1962
• Chairman: Manoj Ahuja

SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS

FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup in India to begin in 2021 February

• The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup has been rescheduled between 17 February and 7 March 2021.
• The recommendations were made by the FIFA-Confederations COVID-19 Working Group, the Bureau of the FIFA Council.

Highlights:

• FIFA announced that the tournament will keep original eligibility criteria which are the players born on or after 1 January 2003 and on or before 31 December 2005 despite the postponement.
• The U-17 Women’s World Cup was originally scheduled to be played across five host cities Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Bhubaneswar.
• Also, it announced that the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica/Panama 2020 has been rescheduled between 20 January and 6 February 2021. The tournament will keep original eligibility criteria for players born on or after 1 January 2000 and on or before 31 December 2004.
• FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2020 has been rescheduled to be held between 12 September and 3 October 2021.

Extra Shots:

FIFA: International Federation of Association Football

• 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

French cyclist Remy Di Gregorio banned by UCI for 4 years

• French cyclist Remy Di Gregorio has been banned for 4 years by the International Cycling Union (UCI) for using a form of banned blood-boosting hormone EPO (Erythropoietin).
• Remy Di Gregorio had tested positive for the hormone during a long-distance trip from Paris to Nice during a doping test on March 8, 2018.
• His suspension starts from the date of the test so he is going to be suspended until 7 March 2022.

Extra Shots:

UCI: International Cycling Union

• Headquarters: Aigle, Switzerland
• Founded: 14 April 1900, Paris, France
• Leader: David Lappartient
• Affiliation: International Olympic Committee
• Type of business: Sports federation
• Subsidiaries: UCI Professional Continental Tour, UCI Continental Circuits

China defeats USA to win FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup

• China has won the first edition of FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup against USA.
• In the finals, China faced the USA which ended in a draw with 2-2.
• China was adjudged the winner on the basis of its topping the points table in the round-robin stage.
• In this tournament, India finished at 5th rank.
• The Superfinal concluded six days of online competitive chess at the highest level between six international teams full of top grandmasters.
• These 6 teams are China, USA, Europe, Russia, India, Rest of the world.

Extra Shots:

FIDE: International Chess Federation.

• President: Arkady Dvorkovich
• Founded: 20 July 1924, Paris, France
• CEO: Geoffrey D. Borg
• Membership: 189 national associations
• Motto: Gens una sumus

AWARDS

Anunta won VMware 2020 Regional Partner of the Year Award

• Anunta received the VMware 2020 Regional Partner of the Year Award for the Services Excellence category.
• Anunta was recognized for its demonstrable achievements using its skills and services capabilities, including consulting, managed, and subscription services, to help customers maximize the value received from their VMware investments.

Highlights:

• Anunta was honoured under the Services Excellence category.
• Anunta’s innovative solutions work on the next generation users including cloud based-desktop services was recognized.
• The VMware Partner of the Year Awards various categories including Services Excellence, Partner Value, Partner Social Impact, Digital Transformation, Cloud Platform Transformation, Partner Trailblazer, and the Global Partner for Technology Innovation Award.

Indian Journalist Siddharth Varadarajan Conferred with Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award

• Indian journalist Siddharth Varadarajan is among the 17 recipients of the 2020 Freedom of Speech Award presented by German public news outlet Deutsche Welle on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day on 3rd May 2020.
• The award was presented to journalists worldwide who have disappeared or been arrested or threatened because of their reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 17 journalists from 14 countries have been given the award, on behalf of all media professionals around the world, for showing “outstanding commitment to human rights and freedom of expression in the media”.

Sania Mirza becomes 1st Indian to win Fed Cup Heart Award

• Indian tennis player Sania Mirza becomes 1st Indian to win Fed Cup Heart Award 2020 for Asia/Oceania zone.
• She beats Indonesia’s 16-year-old Priska Madelyn Nugroho for this category & received the award for her successful return to the court after becoming a mother.
• She  is one of 4 winners chosen by a public vote, alongside Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia (wins Qualifiers award), Estonian Anett Kontaveit (Europe/Africa I zone) and Mexico’s Fernanda Contreras Gomez (Americas I zone).

Extra Shots:

Fed cup:

• Fed cup is the world’s largest annual international team competition in women’s sport with 108 nations entered in 2019 was launched in 1963. Fed Cup Heart Award is an International Tennis Federation(ITF) initiative established in 2009 to recognise players representing their countries in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas.

OBITUARIES

‘Crime Patrol’ Fame Actor Shafique Ansari Passes Away at 52

• Actor Shafique Ansari, best-known for his appearance in TV series ‘Crime Patrol’, has passed away of cancer. He was 52.
• Ansari was battling with thoracic cancer for two years and some months ago, he was also diagnosed with a lung infection.

Former TT champion Manmeet Singh Walia passes away

• Former national table tennis champion Manmeet Singh Walia passed away at the age of 58 years.
• Manmeet was suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
• He had represented the country at multiple international events after making his debut at the Asian Championships in 1980.

US comedian Jerry Stiller passes away

• US comedian Jerry Stiller passed away recently.
• He was renowned for his recurring role as George Costanza’s father on TV’s Seinfeld for which he was also nominated for Emmy Awards in 1997.
• His other popular roles includes that of Arthur Spooner in TV sitcom “The King of Queens”.
• He received joint star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along with his wife Meara in year 2007.

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