Current Affairs Today 23rd May 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 23rd May 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

1. International Day to End Obstetric Fistula (IDEOF) is observed on 23 May. The day is celebrated by the United Nations.
2. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India(IRDAI) has approved the proposal of the state owned lender Union Bank of India-UBI(which holds 25.1% stake in Star Union Dai-Chi Life) to continue with its 30% holding in IndiaFirst Life Insurance.
3. In a bid to boost digital transactions and move towards a less-cash economy, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), a statutory authority functioning under the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance
4. Tata Power announced that its subsidiary Tata Power International Pte Ltd(TPIPL) has acquired a 10% stake in Adjaristsqali Netherlands BV(ABV) from the International Finance Corporation(IFC) for USD 150,000 (about Rs 1.13 crore).
5. The Competition Commission of India has approved 100% acquisition of the total issued and paid-up share capital of Emami Cement Limited(ECL)on a fully diluted basis, by Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited(NVCL) for an enterprise value of Rs 5,500 crore.
6. Seven services hosted on website of Indian Metrological Department, IMD have been onboarded to UMANG application.
7. The Indian Council of Medical Research has revised its advisory on the use of HCQ (Hydroxychloroquine).
8. Government of India launched five key initiatives towards conservation of biodiversity during the occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity 2020.
9. Gujarat State Government announced some more relaxations in order to normalize the public life during the lockdown 4.
10. On the first day of resumption of intra-district bus service in Maharashtra yesterday, only 11,151 passengers traveled by the buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).
11. Sikkim government has decided to reopen schools for classes IX to XIIth and colleges from 15th June.
12. Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation has started operation of buses today on 55 important routes of state, providing great relief to the people.
13. The 1345th Birth Anniversary of Mannar Perumpidigu Mutharaiyar is being celebrated on behalf of the Tamil nadu government in Trichy
14. Arunachal Pradesh government is in the process of reviving the tourism industry in the state which is one of the most affected sectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
15. In Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Zoo celebrated ‘World Turtle Day’ to encourage the international humanitarian action to conserve and protect the Oldest Creatures on Earth – turtles.
16. United Arab Emirates yesterday sent an aid plane carrying seven metric tons of medical supplies to Afghanistan.
17. The World Bank announced emergency operations worth USD (United States Dollar) 160 billion to 100 developing countries over a 15-month period to fight the deadly Coronavirus.
18. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participates in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) E-conclave, “Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) MSME Conclave 2020“, jointly organised by SIDM, Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) and Department of Defence Production.
19. The United Nations listed the KHUDOL initiative of Manipur as one of the top 10 global initiatives to fight against COVID-19.
20. State-owned Ircon International Limited (IRCON) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RZD International L.L.C. (Limited Liability Company), a subsidiary of government-owned Russian Railways Company, to explore opportunities for joint development of railways and other infrastructure projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
21. Indian economist Abhas Jha has been appointed by the World Bank to a key position on climate change and disaster management in South Asia
22. Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, developed an electrochemical sensing platform.
23. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced that it is to replace hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) with Kangra tea to improve immunity and possibly reduce viral replication, in the revised protocol.
24. Indian Institute of Madras (IIT-M) developed ‘Parabolic Trough Collector’, a new trough collector equipped with enhanced energy to serve industries.
25. Researchers at Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore developed a cup-shaped design mask that helps to create enough space in front of the mouth while speaking to tackle COVID-19.
26. Renowned vocalist Shyamala G Bhave, who had an equal command over Hindustani and Carnatic style of music, has passed away.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

International Day to End Obstetric Fistula is observed on 23 May

• International Day to End Obstetric Fistula (IDEOF) is observed on 23 May. The day is celebrated by the United Nations.
• In 2003, the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), formerly known as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and its partners had launched a global campaign to End Obstetric Fistula.

Theme:

• The theme for 2020 IDEOF is “End gender inequality! End health inequities! End Fistula now!”.
• The theme urges universal access to quality maternal health care, preventive measures.
• It also aims to increase the attention to affected women and prioritize girls and their health.

Obstetric fistula:

• An obstetric fistula is a hole between the birth canal and rectum (bladder) that is caused by prolonged obstructed labor, leaving a woman incontinent of urine or feces or both. The injury occurs during childbirth. It leaves women incontinent, and as a result they are often shunned by their communities.
• Obstetric fistula can be preventable. It can be avoided by delaying the age of first pregnancy, the cessation of harmful traditional practices, and timely access to obstetric care.

History:

• The United Nations first observed the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula in 2013. The day aims to raise awareness of this issue and mobilize support around the globe.

BANKING AND FINANCE

IRDAI approves Union Bank to continue with its 30% holding in India First Life Insurance

• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India(IRDAI) has approved the proposal of the state owned lender Union Bank of India-UBI(which holds 25.1% stake in Star Union Dai-Chi Life) to continue with its 30% holding in IndiaFirst Life Insurance.

Highlights:

• The authority will permit UBI and insurers promoted by it a period of one year to hold existing shares of the Andhra Bank in IndiaFirst Life Insurance for a period of 12 months following the merger(merger of UBI, Corporation bank & Andhra bank) and reorganize the arrangements to remove conflict of interest issues which have arisen from the merger.
• As per IRDAI’s guidelines, there is a restriction that a lender must not own more than 10% stake in two insurance companies & cannot exercise management control in IndiaFirst and have the same directors for insurers promoted by the bank. The bank was expected to remove the entire stake or a considerable part of  IndiaFirst Life Insurance as per IRDAI’s guidelines
• The bank received a promoter stake in IndiaFirst Life Insurance in April, which was previously held by Andhra Bank following its ‘mega’ merger on April 1 with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank.

Extra Shots:

UBI:

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman & Part time Non-Official Director: Kewal Handa
• Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Rajkiran Rai G.

IRDAI:

• Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana
• Chairman: Subhash Chandra Khuntia

IndiaFirst Life Insurance:

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO: RM Vishakha

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Finance ministry exempts B2B firms from using only BHIM, RuPay for accepting payments

• In a bid to boost digital transactions and move towards a less-cash economy, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), a statutory authority functioning under the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance, has exempted firms with a turnover of over Rs 50 crore & engaged in business-to-business (B2B) transactions, from the requirement of accepting payments only by e-payments facilities using debit cards powered by RuPay or BHIM-UPI (Bharat Interface for Money- Unified Payments Interface).

Highlights:

• As per the CBDT, the relaxation has been notified for B2B companies only if at least 95% of aggregate of all amounts received during 2019, including amount received for sales, turnover or gross receipts, are by any mode other than cash.
• The move comes after the representations stating that requirement of mandatory digital payment facilities for payments through the prescribed electronic modes should be applicable in B2C businesses that directly deal with consumers.
• In addition, it also underscored that the prescribed electronic modes had a maximum payments limit per transaction or per day, which made them less relevant for the B2B ecommerce sector where the value of transactions is higher.
• With this move, the firms which had little or no retail customer or B2C (business to consumer)transactions mandated to install e-payment facilities or pay penalty of Rs 5,000 per day as per provision namely Section 269SU was inserted in the Income-tax Act, 1961, will get exempted.

Extra Shots:

CBDT: The Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes is the senior-most IRS civil servant in the Government of India. The Chairperson of CBDT is the ex officio Special Secretary to the Government of India and also cadre controlling authority of the Indian Revenue Service.

• Formation: 1944
• Residence: North Block, Secretariat Building, New Delhi
• Inaugural holder: Jamuna Prasad Singh
• Term length: No fixed tenure is imposed on the office but term can be extended

Tata Power International Pte Ltd acquires 10% stake in Adjaristsqali Netherlands BV

• Tata Power announced that its subsidiary Tata Power International Pte Ltd(TPIPL) has acquired a 10% stake in Adjaristsqali Netherlands BV(ABV) from the International Finance Corporation(IFC) for USD 150,000 (about Rs 1.13 crore).

Highlights:

• The increase in stake has increased TPIPL’s shareholding in ABV to 50%.
• The agreement is signed among TPIPL, ABV, and the IFC. The acquisition is done as per the provisions of the shareholder agreement.
• ABV owns 100% stake in Adjaristsqali Georgia Limited Liability Company-LLC (AGL), which has developed a 187-megawatt (MW) hydro project in Georgia at a cost of around USD 500 million(Rs 37.5 billion). As of March 2020 it has commissioned 178 Mega Watt(MW) of the total capacity.
• Tata Power has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Khopoli completed the sale of the company’s entire stake in  Cennergi Private Limited to Exxaro Resources Limited for ZAR 1,550 million (~USD 84.25 million) and normal working capital and other adjustments in April 2020.

Extra Shots:

Tata Power: Tata Power is one of India’s largest integrated power companies, and together with its subsidiaries, has a total installed capacity of 10,763 MW.

• Registered Office: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• CEO & Managing Director: Praveer Sinha

ABV:

It is a subsidiary of Clean Energy Invest, a Norwegian hydro-power generating company. The company builds, owns, and operates hydro projects on the Adjaristsqali River and its tributaries in Adjara in Georgia.

• Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Chairman: Kyrre Olaf Johansen

CCI approves 100% acquisition of Emami Cement by Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited

• The Competition Commission of India has approved 100% acquisition of the total issued and paid-up share capital of Emami Cement Limited(ECL)on a fully diluted basis, by Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited(NVCL) for an enterprise value of Rs 5,500 crore.
• ECL is a part of the Emami group & NVCL is a Nirma promoter group company.

Highlights

• This acquisition is Nirma’s 2nd cement acquisition in east India. In 2016, it acquired Lafarge India’s cement assets at an enterprise value of USD 1.4 billion.
• Lafarge India operated three cement plants and two grinding stations with a total capacity of around 11million tonnes per annum(mtpa)
• The sale of the cement business is part of Emami group’s plan to become debt-free. In 2019 the group’s founders sold 20% in their flagship household goods company, Emami Ltd, for Rs 2,830 crore as part of the plan.
• The Emami cement acquisition will bring NVCL’s total cement capacity in eastern, northern and western India to 23.5mtpa, including an ongoing capacity expansion project at its Jojobera plant and over 60 ready-mix plants.

Extra shots:

Emami:

• Registered Office: Kolkata, West Bengal
• Founder & Executive Chairman: R S Agarwal

Nirma:

• Corporate office: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
• Chairman: K. K. Patel

ECL:

• Registered Office: Kolkata, West Bengal
• Whole-time Director and Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Vivek Chawla

NVCL:

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman: Hiren Patel

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

IMD launches weather services in UMANG app

• Seven services hosted on website of Indian Metrological Department, IMD have been onboarded to UMANG application.
• These services are Current Weather, Nowcast, City Forecast, Rainfall Information, Tourism Forecast, Warnings, Cyclone. The Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance, UMANG, is a unified, multi-channel, multi-platform, multi-lingual, multi-service mobile app.
• The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched the UMANG App in 2017 to bring all government services on a single mobile App with a larger goal to make the government accessible on the mobile phone of our citizens.

Extra Shots:

IMD: The India Meteorological Department is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.

• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Founder: Government of India
• Founded: 1875
• Agency executive: Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology
• Jurisdiction: India
• Parent organization: Ministry of Earth Sciences

Advisory on use of Hydroxychloroquine revised

• The Indian Council of Medical Research has revised its advisory on the use of HCQ (Hydroxychloroquine).

Highlights:

• Under the new advisory guidelines, the HCQ should be given only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner.
• The advisory was issued after the Joint Monitoring Group held its meeting.
• The meeting was attended by ICMR, NCDC (National Centre for Disease Control), WHO (World Health Organization) and National Disaster Management Authority.

New Advisory

• The advisory has included three new categories to whom HCQ shall be prescribed as prophylactic treatment.

They are as follows:

• Asymptomatic Health care workers working in non-COVID hospitals
• Asymptomatic frontline workers that include workers employed in containment zones
• Paramilitary and police personnel
• The In-Vitro testing of HCQ has showed reduction of infectivity of COVID-19.
• The drug is not prescribed for children under 15 years of age.
• The use of HCQ on high risk population has also been revised.
• The drug has to be provided only through prescription of a medical practitioner. Initially the use of the drug was allowed in asymptomatic patients without prescriptions.

GoI launched five key initiatives to conserve biodiversity

• Government of India launched five key initiatives towards conservation of biodiversity during the occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity 2020.
• The initiatives were launched by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar.

The five initiatives are:

• One of the initiatives is the Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Programme. It was launched by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The programme proposes to engage 20 students with postgraduate degrees for a period of one year through an open, transparent, online competitive process.
• The World Wildlife Fund Model Conference of Parties (COP), including the younger generation, was launched. It will engage them towards the imprint of humanity towards the imprint of humanity towards biodiversity.
• UNEP Campaign on Illegal Trafficking of Endangered Species: Not all Animals Migrate by Choice initiative was launched.
• The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau campaign called Not All Animals Migrate by Choice was launched.
• A Webinar series titled “Biodiversity Conservation and Biological Diversity Act, 2002” was launched.

Extra Shots:

UNDP: The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations’ global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves.

• Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
• Head: Achim Steiner
• Founded: 22 November 1965, United States
• Parent organization: United Nations Economic and Social Council
• Awards: Shorty Social Good Award for Best in Live Events
• Nominations: Latin American Green Award: Human Development

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Gujarat govt announces some more relaxations in order to normalize public life

• Gujarat State Government announced some more relaxations in order to normalize the public life during the lockdown 4.
• The odd-even formula for the opening of shops in non-containment zones will not be effective on shops providing essential services, Petrol pumps on the highways can operate round the clock in the state.
• The government also allowed dairy collection and dairy processing sector to operate from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. in the evening.

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

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation resumes intra-district bus service

• On the first day of resumption of intra-district bus service in Maharashtra yesterday, only 11,151 passengers traveled by the buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).
• The state-run corporation operated 2,007 bus services.
• According to MSRTC, on average six passengers traveled on each bus. MSRTC resumed operations after a gap of two months since lockdown came into force.
• Intra-district bus operations restarted across the state excluding the Red Zones.

Extra Shots:

Maharashtra:

• Capital: Mumbai
• Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amba Barwa WLS, Bor WLS, Great Indian Bustard WLS,Lonar WLS, Melghat WLS, Gangewadi New Great Indian Bustard WLS, etc.

Sikkim govt to reopen schools from 15th June

• Sikkim government has decided to reopen schools for classes IX to XIIth and colleges from 15th June.
• All junior classes will remain suspended till further orders.
• Sikkim education department has listed guidelines to be followed while educational institutions are reopened from mid-June.
• These include mandatory wearing of masks by teachers and students, social distancing, restrictions on all gatherings, and conducting classes in shifts.
• All holidays have been curtailed and educational institutions will remain open on Saturdays to compensate for lost time. For students from outside Sikkim studying in the state, the education department has requested parents to make arrangements for their wards’ stay within the state after completing quarantine as prescribed by the health department.

Extra Shots:

Sikkim:

• Capital: Gangtok
• Chief Minister: Pawan Kumar Chamling
• Governor: Ganga Prasad
• Literacy Rate: 81.42%

Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation starts bus operation on important routes

• Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation has started operation of buses today on 55 important routes of state, providing great relief to the people.
• Thermal screening of the passengers is being done before boarding on the bus.
• It is mandatory for all travelers to wear masks during onboard.
• Necessary equipment have been provided to the drivers and the Conductors of the buses.

Extra Shots:

Rajasthan

• Capital:Jaipur
• Chief Minister:Ashok Ghelot
• Governor: Kalraj Mishra

1345th Birth Anniversary of Mannar Perumpidigu Mutharaiyar being celebrated in Trichy, Tamil Nadu

• The 1345th Birth Anniversary of Mannar Perumpidigu Mutharaiyar is being celebrated on behalf of the Tamil nadu government in Trichy today.
• Floral tributes were paid at the statue of Mannar Mutharaiyar in Bharathidasan Salai Trichy by Shri S Sivarasu, District Collector.
• Trichy Corporation Commissioner Shri Sivasubramanian and others took part in the function.
• Mannar Perumpidigu Mutharaiyar had ruled the area covering the present day Tiruvarur district to Perambalur district, including Trichy, during the period 705 AD to 745 AD.

Extra Shots:

Tamilnadu

• Capital: Chennai
• Chief Minister: Edappadi K.Palanisamy
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief Justice of Madras High Court: Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani
• National Park: Guindy NP,Gulf of Mannar Marine NP, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP,             Mudumalai NP, Mukurthi NP.

Arunachal Pradesh govt aims at reviving tourism industry in state

• Arunachal Pradesh government is in the process of reviving the tourism industry in the state which is one of the most affected sectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
• The department is working on a package which is aimed at providing relief to the affected entrepreneurs associated with this sector, like hoteliers, home stays etc.
• She said that fine tuning of the same is under process. Arunachal Tourism department will focus on Niche Tourism, Spiritual and Adventure tourism
• The state tourism department will be more aggressive in the marketing and promotion of this mode of tourism.
• The Tourism secretary said that keeping in view the SOPs for social distancing, encouragement will be given to those activities where there will be less interaction with the community, like trekking, birding, angling, nature trail and rafting etc.

Extra Shots:

Arunachal Pradesh:

• Statehood day: 20 February 1987
• Governor: Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd.)
• Chief Minister: Pema Khandu
• Capital: Itanagar
• Districts: 25
• Official languages: English
• Literacy: 66.95%

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Abu Dhabi: Al Ain Zoo celebrates ‘World Turtle Day’

• In Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Zoo celebrated ‘World Turtle Day’ to encourage the international humanitarian action to conserve and protect the Oldest Creatures on Earth – turtles.
• World Turtle Day is an annual event that has been taking place since the year 2000 and was founded by American Tortoise Rescue.
• The purpose of World Turtle Day is to educate people about how to protect turtle and tortoise habitats.
• Despite the prevailing belief that turtles are slow, while they can indeed only crawl between 0.21 and 0.48 kilometre per hour, they can swim in water at speeds of up to 35 kilometres per hour.
• The Al Ain Zoo includes ten types of turtles, including Aldabra Giant, African Stirred tortoise, Red Ear Slider and Indian Star tortoise.

Extra Shots:

UAE (Capital/Currency): Abu Dhabi/Dirham

• President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

UAE sends aid plane carrying medical supplies to Afghanistan

• United Arab Emirates yesterday sent an aid plane carrying seven metric tons of medical supplies to Afghanistan.

Highlights:

• Emirates News Agency announced, the aid will assist approximately 7,000 medical professionals as they work to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
• UAE is committed to ensuring that the medical professionals of Afghanistan are equipped with the appropriate protective equipment to enhance their health and safety as they bravely combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The UAE dispatched an urgent medical aid shipment to Afghanistan containing 20,000 testing units and equipment to examine thousands of people. Till date, the UAE has sent over 641 metric tons of aid to 54 countries, supporting more than 641,000 medical professionals in the process.

Extra Shots:

UAE (Capital/Currency): Abu Dhabi/Dirham

• President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Afganistan (Capital/Currency): Kabul/ Afghan afghani

• President: Ashraf Ghani

World Bank announces $160 billion assistance to 100 countries

• The World Bank announced emergency operations worth USD (United States Dollar) 160 billion to 100 developing countries over a 15-month period to fight the deadly Coronavirus.

Highlights:

• The coronavirus pandemic and shutdown is expected to put over 60 million into extreme poverty globally.
• Since March 2020, the Bank Group has rapidly delivered record levels of support in order to help countries protect the poor and vulnerable, reinforce health systems, maintain the private sector, and bolster economic recovery.
• Of the 100 developing countries, nearly 70% are home to the world’s population, 39 are in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Nearly one-third of the total projects are in fragile and conflict-affected situations, such as Afghanistan, Chad, Haiti and Niger.
• The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) have also fast-tracked support to businesses in developing countries, including trade finance and working capital to maintain private sectors, jobs and livelihoods.
• The Bank Group’s support through grants, loans and equity investments will be supplemented by the suspension of bilateral debt service, as endorsed by the Bank’s governors.
• IDA (International Development Association), eligible countries can request forbearance on their official bilateral debt payments to have more financial resources and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, fund critical, lifesaving emergency responses.
• The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries.

Extra Shots:

World Bank:

• Headquarters: Washington D.C., United States (US).
• Motto: Working for a World Free of Poverty.
• President:David Malpass

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

Rajnath Singh participates in MSMEs E-conclave “SIDM MSME Conclave 2020”

• Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participates in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) E-conclave, “Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) MSME Conclave 2020“, jointly organised by SIDM, Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) and Department of Defence Production.
• The Theme of the E-conclave is ‘Business Continuity for MSMEs in Defence & Aerospace Sector’ in which more than 800 Defence MSMEs participated.
• SIDM has accelerated the manufacturing of DRDO [Defence Research and Development Organisation] designed PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) kits, masks, and ventilator parts in the field of defence industry by efficient coordination and channelization.
• To tackle the challenges due to lockdown, the Ministry of Defence(MoD) has taken several steps for industries & MSMEs, such as extension of response dates of Request For Information (RFI) or Request For Proposal(RFP)and early clearance of pending payments among others.
• Has assured that the ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’(self-reliant) campaign, inspired by Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi will provide many opportunities to Indian industry and will help to restore millions of jobs as per PM’s call for being ‘vocal for local’.
• Advised MSMEs to make India(swadeshi) ‘Aatma Nirbhar’ in defence technology and products & called to make ‘Local’ Focal in daily lives to achieve self-reliance.
• MSMEs have a very important role in the goal of indigenous manufacturing, and in the goal of self-reliant India.

Extra Shots:

CII:

• Corporate Office: New Delhi, India
• President: Vikram S. Kirloskar

RANKS AND INDICES

United Nations: India’s KHUDOL declared one of Top 10 Global Initiatives to fight COVID-19

• The United Nations listed the KHUDOL initiative of Manipur as one of the top 10 global initiatives to fight against COVID-19.
• KHUDOL is an initiative of a NGO called Ya_All. Under the initiative, the NGO provides food, hygiene and health of LGBTQ community, daily wage workers, people with AIDS.
• The organization mobilized network of 100 volunteers.
• Through the volunteers the organization distributed 1000 health kits, 1500 condoms and 6500 sanitary pads.
• Manipur has been creating inclusive safe space for the transgender community.
• The state has been taking extra care towards the transgenders as compared to other states. Separate rooms and toilets were established for the transgender community.

Extra Shots:

UN: The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations. Wikipedia

• Secretary General: António Guterres Trending
• Headquarters: New York, New York, United State
• Founded: 24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United States
• Official languages: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

Ircon signs MoU with RZD International for joint development of railways

• State-owned Ircon International Limited (IRCON) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RZD International L.L.C. (Limited Liability Company), a subsidiary of government-owned Russian Railways Company, to explore opportunities for joint development of railways and other infrastructure projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Highlights:

• The MoU was signed by Mr. Parag Verma, Chief General Manager (Business Development), Ircon International Limited and Mr. Sergey Stolyarov, Provisional Director General of RZD International LLC.
• According to the MoU, both parties have agreed to form a joint Indo-Russian working group.
• K. Chaudhary, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), Ircon, added that Ircon has been constantly looking to establish a strong partnership with the companies for mutual benefit and this MOU is a step towards building a long term business relationship which will help them to enhance their presence in different geographies.
• This MoU will develop a strong partnership to coordinate, plan and subsequently implement projects in the field of railways and other infrastructure, not only in India but also in countries of mutual interest.

Extra Shots:

Ircon:  Ircon International Limited, formerly Indian Railway Construction Limited (IRCON), is an engineering and construction organisation, specialized in transport infrastructure.

• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Chairman and Managing Director (CMD): K. Chaudhary

RZD International LLC:

• Headquarters: Moscow, Russia.
• Director-General: Sergey Stolyarov

APPOINTMENT

Abhas Jha appointed by World Bank to Key position on Climate Change, Disaster Management in South Asia

• Indian economist Abhas Jha has been appointed by the World Bank to a key position on climate change and disaster management in South Asia.
• Jha’s appointment comes during the time when Cyclone Amphan has badly hit West Bengal, Orissa in India, and Bangladesh.

Roles and Duties:

• Jha will help the South Asia region (SAR) Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change team to connect and collaborate across Global Practice boundaries.
• He will also guide the World Bank to conceive and deliver innovative and high-quality development solutions to respond to client demands and strengthen disaster risk management and climate action in the region.
• He will work with other Global Leads, Practice Managers, and Global Solutions Groups to incubate, pilot and scale-up innovative and high-quality development solutions, and to promote the generation and flow of global knowledge to serve the affected countries.

Extra Shots:

Abhas Jha:

• Abhas Jha joined the Bank in 2001 in the office of the Executive Director (ED) for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Sri Lanka. Since then, he has worked in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, and East Asia and the Pacific regions.
• Prior to his appointment, he served as a Practice Manager for Urban Development and Disaster Risk Management in East Asia and the Pacific region. His area of jurisdiction includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IASST develops electrochemical sensing platform for detecting carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds in food

• Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, developed an electrochemical sensing platform.
• It will detect carcinogenic or mutagenic compound N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA) that are found in food items like cured meat, bacon, some cheese, and low-fat milk. It was achieved by developing a modified electrode by immobilizing carbon nanomaterials (carbon dots) in Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Highlights:

• People are exposed to harmful chemicals belonging to Nitrosamine family in cured meats, bacon, some cheese, low-fat dry milk, and fish.
• Such chemicals include carcinogenic ones like NDMA and NDEA, which may also alter the chemical composition of DNA. Hence it is important to develop detection techniques to detect them.
• The detection limit was determined to be 9.9×10-9 M and 9.6×10-9 M for NDMA and NDEA, respectively.
• The electrochemical sensor, the electrode was developed by depositing carbon dots (carbon nanoparticles) and then immobilizing bacterial DNA on them.
• The new electrode system measures the current peak. Both NDMA and NDEA alters the chemical structure of DNA present in the electrode, making it more conducting. This will result in an increased current peak.
• In the presence of NDMA, guanine is modified to 6-Omethylguanine or 7-methyl guanine and with NDEA guanine changes to 8-oxoguanine to form DNA adducts.
• The DNA adducts thus formed remain electrochemically active. This leads to an increase in peak current in electrochemical set-up, helping in the detection of the chemicals.

ICMR to use Kangra Tea to lower coronavirus activity better than HCQ

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced that it is to replace hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) with Kangra tea to improve immunity and possibly reduce viral replication, in the revised protocol.

Highlights:

• The chemicals in Kangra tea will be effective in boosting immunity as they can block coronavirus activity better than anti-HIV drugs.
• Using computer-based models, the scientists have screened 65 bioactive chemicals or polyphenols that could bind to a specific viral protein more efficiently than commercially available anti-HIV drugs approved for treating COVID-19 patients.
• These chemicals might block the activity of the viral protein that helps the virus to thrive inside human cells.
• The Chemicals in Kangra tea is believed to be effective in boosting immunity as they can block coronavirus activity better than anti-HIV drugs.
• Apart from this, IHBT, CSIR has developed herbal soap with tea extract, natural saponins, and without SLES (sodium laureth sulphate), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and mineral oil.

Extra Shots:

ICMR: The Indian Council of Medical Research, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies in the world.

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Secretary & Director General: Dr. Balram Bhargava
• Founder: Government of India
• Founded: 1911
• Leader: Balram Bhargava
• Formation: 1911 (as IRFA); 1949 (renamed to ICMR)

IIT-M developed Parabolic Trough Collector to help manufacturers in solar energy devices

• Indian Institute of Madras (IIT-M) developed ‘Parabolic Trough Collector’, a new trough collector equipped with enhanced energy to serve industries.
• The discovery is expected to pave the way for sustainable energy solutions in agriculture and industrial process heat sectors.
• It has been designed in a way to help manufacturers in solar energy devices.

Parabolic Trough Collector:

• The Collector is a lightweight and low-cost system with high energy efficiency and can operate under the country’s varied climatic conditions.
• Trough Collector will focus on sunlight on a small area where it is absorbed. It is then utilized for heating and subsequently into energy generation.
• The system can help to develop solar energy devices with higher efficiency.
• This is in line with the Centre’s National Solar Mission which has set a target of providing 20,000 MW solar power by 2022.
• As solar energy remains a higher priority in the energy domain, the concentrated solar power technology will meet thermal and electrical energy demands due to its high dispatchability and reliability.

CeNS develops up-shaped design mask to tackle COVID-19 spread

• Researchers at Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore developed a cup-shaped design mask that helps to create enough space in front of the mouth while speaking to tackle COVID-19.
• It has been transferred to a Bangalore based company for mass production.

Highlights:

• The newly developed snug fit mask causes no speech distortion, no fogging on glasses, and indeed, packs well all around. It is designed in a way that the mask leaves practically no room for leakage while breathing.
• The high breathability feature of the mask allows one to wear it without any discomfort.
• The researchers have chosen the fabric layers such that there is a possibility of deactivating pathogens sheerly by the electric charges that may prevail under mild friction due to the triboelectric nature of the fabric.
• Also, it uses an ergonomic design for the COVID-19 protection mask, which is essential for its ease of use for long hours.
• The company has planned to produce and sell around one lakh mask per day through different distribution channels throughout India.

OBITUARIES

Renowned vocalist Shyamala G Bhave passes away at 79

• Renowned vocalist Shyamala G Bhave, who had an equal command over Hindustani and Carnatic style of music, has passed away.
• She was 79.
• She was bestowed with the title of “Ubhaya Gaana Vidushi (expert in both styles)” by Sir M Visvesvaraya, the 19th Diwan of Mysore.

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