Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 26th May 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 – 26th May 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- The World Thyroid Day is celebrated every year on May 25.
- Airtel Payments Bank (APBL), India’s first Payments Bank, has partnered with Mastercard, leading technology company in the global payments industry.
- The Private sector ICICI bank has introduced a special fixed deposit (FD) scheme for senior citizens called ‘ICICI Bank Golden Years FD’ which offers an interest rate of 6.55% per annum(p.a) for deposits up to Rs 2 crores with a tenure of more than 5 years(5 years and 1 day ) to 10 years.
- Bollywood actor Salman Khan has announced the launch of his own grooming and personal care brand named FRSH.
- Uber India on Tuesday announced to lay off around 600 full time employees due to impact of the coronavirus crisis.
- Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries has launched an online extension of its grocery business under JioMart brand across 200 cities.
- Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari today inaugurated the 440 metre-long tunnel, constructed below the busy town of Chamba as part of the Chardham Connectivity Project.
- Government of India directed the Jal Shakti Ministry and NITI Aayog to study the feasibility of drinking water project for Udayagiri in Andhra Pradesh.
- The State Government of Uttar Pradesh has decided to set up a Migration Commission for the welfare of migrant labourers returning to UP from different corners of the country.
- In Maharashtra, Jagjivan Ram Hospital (JRH) at Mumbai Central, a 361-bedded tertiary care hospital of the Western Railways has been converted into 172-bed COVID Hospital
- In Uttar Pradesh, the government is giving relaxation in some industrial and economic activities.
- Delhi government has directed private hospitals and nursing homes with a capacity of 50 beds or more to reserve 20 per cent of their total bed strength for COVID-19 patients.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have teamed up to fight the battle against Covid-19 and have signed an agreement to work together to promote health through sport and physical activity.
- Japan has completely lifted nationwide emergency imposed following Corona Virus pandemic.
- China’s first unmanned helicopter drone, AR500C unmanned helicopter, made its maiden flight at an AVIC base in Poyang in East China’s Jiangxi Province.
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) E-conclave was chaired by the Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh.
- India’s unemployment rate was a tad higher at 24.3% for the week ended May 24 compared to 24% in the preceding week
- India-based Fintech startup Zaggle has partnered with payments technology major Visa to launch innovative payment solutions for SMEs and startups in the country.
- The Department of Posts, Government of India and Department of Horticulture, Government of Bihar has partnered to supply ”Shahi Litchi” of Muzaffarpur & “Zardalu Mango” of Bhagalpur at the doorstep of people.
- The Power Finance Corporation through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, REC Foundation, has partnered with TajSATS to distribute nutritious meal packets for medical staff in Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.
- Indian Navy made “NavRakshak” PPE kit made with innovative breathable fabric material, to provide comfort to healthcare workers working against COVID-19 pandemic wearing multi-layered coverall PPE treating patients in the hot and humid condition for more than 12 hours.
- The Indian Association Uganda (IAU) and Indian Military Advisory and Training Team for Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) have jointly set up military war game centre called ‘INDIA’ at the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College in Kimaka in Jinja
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) is to operationalize its No.18 Squadron at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on 27 May. IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria is expected to operationalize the squadron “Flying Bullets” at the Sulur Air Force Station near Coimbatore, TN.
- Italy has won UEFA eEURO 2020, beating Serbia in the final to clinch the inaugural virtual European Championship.
- American tennis player and former world number 24 Jamie Hampton has officially announced her retirement from professional tennis, bringing a sudden halt to her career.
- The Research Centre Imarat (RCI), DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization) laboratory, Hyderabad, Telangana, developed an AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based Attendance application (AINA) which allows non-contact based personnel verification, using facial features of the person in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras Researchers working with the University of North Texas and U.S. Army Research Laboratory have developed an engineered magnesium alloy with significantly improved properties, which can replace steel and aluminium alloys in automotive and aerospace components.
- The Indian short video-sharing app ‘Mitron’ has reportedly gained the Number Two spot on the Google Play Store within a month of its release.
- Skootr, India’s only ‘premium managed office space’ provider has announced the launch of its new app, SkootrOne for Android mobile devices, soon available on iOS as well.
- Former Inter Milan coach, Gigi Simoni, who led a Ronaldo-inspired team to UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Cup glory in 1998, passed away.
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
World Thyroid Day observed on 25 May
- The World Thyroid Day is celebrated every year on May 25.
- The World Thyroid Day was established in 2008 by the European Thyroid Association and the American Thyroid Association.
Aim:
- to promote awareness and understanding of thyroid health and the advances made in treating thyroid diseases.
BANKING & FINANCE
Airtel Payments Bank and Mastercard to develop customized financial products for farmers and SMEs in India
- Airtel Payments Bank (APBL), India’s first Payments Bank, has partnered with Mastercard, leading technology company in the global payments industry.
Aim:
- To develop customized products catering to customers across the underbanked spectrum including farmers, small and medium enterprises and retail customers.
Highlights:
- As part of the Government’s vision of Digital India and Banking for every Indian, both entities have been working towards driving adoption of formal banking and digital payments in the country.
- The collaboration will bring together Mastercard’s global and local experience in developing advanced financial solutions and Airtel Payments Bank’s strong distribution network to reach the last mile and its large customer base.
- The collaboration aims at building a digital platform which provides farmers with knowledge about advanced farming techniques and connection to marketplaces, while simultaneously enabling them to receive payments directly in their Airtel Payments Bank account.
- Combined with 500,000 banking points of Airtel Payments Bank, the platform will provide farmers with access to neighborhood banking, earnings stability and income growth.
- This will be a significant move towards building a cashless economy.
Extra Shots:
Airtel Payment Bank
- CEO: Anubrata Biswas
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- Parent organization: Bharti Airtel
- Founded: January 2017
- Subsidiary: YTS Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
MasterCard
- CEO: Ajaypal Singh Banga
- Headquarters: Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States
- Founded: 16 December 1966, United States
- Founders: Wells Fargo, Crocker National Bank, First Interstate Bancorp, Bank of California
ICICI introduced ‘ICICI Bank Golden Years FD’
- The Private sector ICICI bank has introduced a special fixed deposit (FD) scheme for senior citizens called ‘ICICI Bank Golden Years FD’ which offers an interest rate of 6.55% per annum(p.a) for deposits up to Rs 2 crores with a tenure of more than 5 years(5 years and 1 day ) to 10 years.
- It is applicable for resident Indians & is available from May 20 to September 30, 2020.
- The scheme offers 80 basis points (bps) more than what is applicable to the general public (non-senior citizens) for the same deposit amount and tenor.
- It is 30 bps more than the previous rates offered by the Bank.
Highlights of the scheme
- For new and old FDs– Resident senior citizens can also avail the benefit of the scheme for new FDs as well as renewal of old FDs.
- Loan against FD– The customers can avail a loan against their FD up to 90% of principal and accrued interest
- Credit card against FD– The customers can apply for a credit card against their FD from the Bank.
Extra Shots:
ICICI:
- Corporate Office: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Registered Office: Vadodara, Gujarat
- Managing Director & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
- Chairman: Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Salman Khan Launches his new Grooming & Personal Care Brand FRSH!
- Bollywood actor Salman Khan has announced the launch of his own grooming and personal care brand named FRSH.
Highlights:
- The brand has been co-created by Scentials Beauty Care and Wellness Pvt. Ltd, a beauty brand co-founded by former tennis professional Mahesh Bhupathi.
- The first product launched under the brand is a sanitiser, considering the importance of hygiene and sanitisation during the coronavirus pandemic. Other products like deodorants, body wipes and perfumes will also be launched soon.
- These products can be purchased from http://frshworld.com.
- They will also be available at various stores across the country once the supply begins.
- It must be noted that the 54-year-old actor already owns an apparel brand under Being Human – The Salman Khan Foundation.
Uber India lays off around 600 employees amid COVID-19 crisisUber India lays off around 600 employees amid COVID-19 crisis
- Uber India on Tuesday announced to lay off around 600 full time employees due to impact of the coronavirus crisis.
Highlights:
- The affected employees would be from across driver and rider support among other functions
- The impact of COVID-19 and the unpredictable nature of the recovery has left Uber India with no choice but to reduce the size of its workforce
- According to the company, the employees would be paid around 10 weeks of salary, along with medical insurance coverage for the next six months and outplacement support. So far, Uber has globally laid off over 6,700 employees.
- The development comes just days after the OLA announced to lay off 1,400 employees as revenues fell 95 per cent in two months.
Extra Shots:
Uber
- CEO: Dara Khosrowshahi
- Founded: March 2009, San Francisco, California, United States
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
- Founders: Travis Kalanick, Garrett Camp
- President for Uber’s India and South Asia businesses: Pradeep Parameswaran
Reliance Industries launches JioMart
- Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries has launched an online extension of its grocery business under JioMart brand across 200 cities.
Highlights:
- The service is being offered in all leading metros (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata), and even in smaller towns like Mysuru, Bhatinda and Dehradun.
- JioMart is now delivering in more than 200 cities. JioMart last month started a pilot project serving users in three neighbourhoods surrounding Mumbai.
- As of now, the website will only use Reliance’s offline grocery supply chain as its backbone and deliver to homes
- Users can order from a full suite of grocery items by visiting the JioMart website. Products include fruits and vegetables, dairy and baked goods, staples, snacks and branded foods, beverages, and personal and home care.
- Reliance’s private labels also featured prominently.
- Recent partnerships with Facebook-owned WhatsApp for JioMart will only help in increasing monetisation opportunities by increasing the convenience and reach of consumers.
- JioMart has seen a 4x rise in online orders from a low base.
Extra Shots:
Reliance Industries Limited
- CEO: Mukesh Ambani
- Founder: Dhirubhai Ambani
- Founded: 8 May 1973, Maharashtra
- Owner: Mukesh Ambani (47.35%)
- Subsidiaries: Jio, Radisys, Reliance Petroleum, Reliance Retail, etc
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Nitin Gadkari inaugurates 440 metre-long tunnel under Chardham Pariyojana in Chamba
- Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari today inaugurated the 440 metre-long tunnel, constructed below the busy town of Chamba as part of the Chardham Connectivity Project.
Highlights:
- The tunnel will significantly reduce the time taken by travellers on the Rishikesh-Dharasu and Gangotri stretch of the Chardham Highway.
- It will also avoid congestion in the city of Chamba and open up avenues of socio-economic development in the region.
- the project is likely to be completed by October this year which will be three months ahead of it’s schedule.
- Under the Chardham Project costing around 12 thousand crore rupees approximately 889 Kilometres of Highway Construction is to be done.
- BRO has been entrusted for construction of 250 Kilometre-stretch leading to holy shrine Gangotri and Badrinath.
Extra Shots:
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- Jurisdiction: India
- Founded: July 1942
- Headquarters: Parivahan Bhavan, 1, Parliament Street, New Delhi
- Annual budget: 91,823 crores INR (US$13 billion, 2020-21 est.)
- Ministry executives: Sanjeev Ranjan, IAS, Secretary; I.K. Pandey, Director General (Road Development) and Special Secretory to Government of India
- Officeholders: Mansukh L. Mandaviya (Minister of State), Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister)
BRO: Border Roads Organisation
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Director General: Lt. Gen.Harpal Singh
- Motto: Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam; (everything is achievable through hardwork)
- Founder: Jawaharlal Nehru
- Founded: 7 May 1960
Centre directs Jal Shakti Ministry, NITI Aayog to study the feasibility of drinking water project for Udayagiri in AP
- Government of India directed the Jal Shakti Ministry and NITI Aayog to study the feasibility of drinking water project for Udayagiri in Andhra Pradesh.
- The decision was made in a meeting held by the Vice President of India Venkiah Naidu with Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog and Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary, Drinking Water & Sanitation, and Shri U.P. Singh, Secretary, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
Highlights:
- The officials discussed various possible ways to meet the drinking water and irrigation needs of the drought-prone Udayagiri area, Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh.
- The officials of Jal Shakti Ministry and NITI Aayog have been directed to explore various options in consultation with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and look for the most feasible option.
- The Vice President advised Secretary, Water Resources to discuss with Central Water Commission and find out about the technical feasibility.
- GoI suggested that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the various ongoing efforts of the State Government to mitigate the water crisis including through the Water Grid project could be studied.
- The officials will visit the area and interact with the concerned stakeholders to understand the ground reality and suggest a way forward.
Extra Shots:
Jal Shakti Ministry
- Founded: September 1985
- Headquarters: Shram Shakti Bhavan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi
- Jurisdiction: India
- Annual budget: 24.31 crores USD
- Superseding agency: Ministry of Jal Shakti (2019–)
- Officeholders: Sanjeev Balyan (Minister of State), Vijay Goel (Minister of State), Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Minister)
NITI Aayog
- Website: niti.gov.in
- Formed: 1 January 2015
- Objectives: Foster involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process by the State Governments of India
- Jurisdiction: Government of India
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairperson: Narendra Modi
- CEO: Amitabh Kant
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Uttar Pradesh Govt to set up Migration Commission to ensure job & social security
- The State Government of Uttar Pradesh has decided to set up a Migration Commission for the welfare of migrant labourers returning to UP from different corners of the country.
- The Commission would identify the skills of returning migrant workers and provide employment to them to ensure jobs and social security.
- With the return of large number of migrants, Uttar Pradesh is now enriched with plenty of skilled labour.
- In near future, if any state, facing the paucity of workforce, would want to hire the labourers from Uttar Pradesh, they would have to come through this Migrant Commission, by seeking the permission from the state government.
- Any state hiring them would have to do insurance in their favour to ensure social security to them.
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
Western Railways converts Jagjivan Ram Hospital at Mumbai into COVID Hospital
- In Maharashtra, Jagjivan Ram Hospital (JRH) at Mumbai Central, a 361-bedded tertiary care hospital of the Western Railways has been converted into 172-bed COVID Hospital
- The role of Reserved Police Force (RPF) has been exceptional in screening of staff and passengers, patrolling, train escorting, food distribution, other managing arrangements at the hospital and station for Shramik Special Trains.
- The RPF was instrumental in procuring and distributing adequate number of PPE, masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, liquid soap etc. among the staff.
- Besides this, since the JRH has been taken over by the State Government for treating COVID patients necessary arrangements have been done for accommodation and mess facilities for staff and Railway paramedics performing duties at the hospital.
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.
UP govt relaxes some industrial, economic activities; Allows offices to work with 50% staff strength
- In Uttar Pradesh, the government is giving relaxation in some industrial and economic activities.
- The government has decided to permit offices to work with 50 percent employees, an increase from the earlier limit of 33 percent workers.
- People have been instructed to work with proper social distancing and according lock down directives.
- The shops will be permitted to open on decided days from 7 AM to 7 PM.
- Entry to persons above the age of 65 years, children below 10 years and pregnant women should not be allowed in shopping places.
- There should be thermal scanners and sanitisers at the entrance of every shopping complex.
- Staff of every shop which is open must wear gloves and masks, and details of every visitor should be noted down.
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
Delhi govt directs private hospitals with 50 beds to reserve 20 pct for COVID-19 patients
- Delhi government has directed private hospitals and nursing homes with a capacity of 50 beds or more to reserve 20 per cent of their total bed strength for COVID-19 patients.
- Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said, the Delhi government felt an imperative need to increase the number of beds, dedicated to COVID19 patients.
- There is a need to increase the number of beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients in the private hospitals in the city.
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
WHO and IOC team up to improve health through sport amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
- The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have teamed up to fight the battle against Covid-19 and have signed an agreement to work together to promote health through sport and physical activity.
Highlights:
- The virus particularly affects people with Diabetes, heart and lung disease so the idea is to create awareness about how sport and physical activity can be a major factor in promoting good health.
- The collaboration is to work with host countries to ensure Health of athletes, supporters and workers at the games. The two institutions will also work to ensure that the games leave a healthy legacy in host countries through enhanced awareness of the value of sport.
- The IOC calls on the governments of the world to include sport in their post-crisis support programmes because of the important role of sport in the prevention of NCDs (Non Communicable Diseases), but also of communicable diseases.
- This new partnership will bring together the sports & health sectors at international, regional and national levels to reach the global goal of increasing physical activity by 15%, as set out in the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity.
Extra Shots:
WHO: World Health Organization
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
- Director-General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
- Founded: 7 April 1948
- Parent organization: United Nations Economic and Social Council
IOC: International Olympic Committee
- Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
- President: Thomas Bach
- Honorary President: Jacques Rogge
- Director General: Christophe De Kepper
- Founded: 23 June 1894, Paris, France
- Founders: Pierre de Coubertin, Demetrios Vikelas
Japan completely lifts nationwide emergency
- Japan has completely lifted nationwide emergency imposed following Corona Virus pandemic.
- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced yesterday that the emergency will be lifted in the remaining five prefectures including Tokyo.
- He warned that state of emergency can be re-imposed if the infection starts spreading rapidly again.
- Japanese government had declared the state of emergency for Tokyo and six neighbouring prefectures in early April and later expanded it to cover the entire country.
Extra Shots:
Japan (Capital/Currency): Tokyo/ Japanese yen
- Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
- Official Languages: Japanese
China successfully tests its first unmanned helicopter drone
- China’s first unmanned helicopter drone, AR500C unmanned helicopter, made its maiden flight at an AVIC base in Poyang in East China’s Jiangxi Province.
- The drone was developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
AR500C unmanned helicopter:
- The helicopter has been designed in plateau areas and capable of firing and conducting reconnaissance from a high altitude.
- It could be deployed along the country’s borders with India.
- China’s first unmanned helicopter can take off at an elevation of 5,000 metres and has a ceiling of 6,700 metres.
- The drone has an endurance of 5 hours, a maximum speed of 170 km an hour, and a maximum take-off weight of 500 kg.
- The helicopter has the ability to relay communication from a high altitude.
- The helicopter will help safeguard China’s southwestern borders with India in Tibet.
Extra Shots:
China (Capital/Currency): Beijing/Renminbi
- President: Xi Jinping
- Official Languages: Mandarin
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh chairs SIDM MSMEs E-conclave
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) E-conclave was chaired by the Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh.
Highlights:
- The virtual conference of MSMEs E-conclave was organised jointly by the Department of Defence Production, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).
- The E-conclave was held with the theme ‘Business Continuity for MSMEs in Defence & Aerospace Sector’. The conclave featured the participation of more than 800 Defence MSMEs units.
- During the conclave, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh emphasized and applauded the role played by Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and other Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India’s fight against global COVID-19 pandemic.
Extra Shots:
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex executive body for the formulation and administration of rules, regulations and laws relating to micro, small and medium enterprises in India.
- Founded: 2007
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Jurisdiction: India
- Annual budget: 6,552.61 crores INR (2018-19 est., US$920 million)
- Departments: National Small Industries Corporation, National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
- Officeholders: Giriraj Singh (MOS independent charge), Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister)
RANKS , INDICES AND REPORTS
India’s unemployment rate continues to hover above 24%
- India’s unemployment rate was a tad higher at 24.3% for the week ended May 24 compared to 24% in the preceding week
- The unemployment rate stood at 8.8% in March.
- The average unemployment rate of 24.2% in the past eight weeks of the lockdown.
- However, the labour participation rate fell marginally to 38.7% in the week ended May 24 as against 38.8% recorded in the preceding week after increasing for three consecutive weeks
- A stable unemployment rate and a rising labour participation rate imply an increase in the employment rate
- According to CMIE, the employment rate in the country has increased from an average of 27% through most of April to 29% through most of May.
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
Fintech startup Zaggle Joins Hand with Visa for innovative payments solutions for SMEs and Startups
- India-based Fintech startup Zaggle has partnered with payments technology major Visa to launch innovative payment solutions for SMEs and startups in the country.
- Under this partnership, both the companies will jointly create solutions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups to improve productivity, efficiency, automate processes, and reduce costs, access to faster credit through a unique card, which would have both inbuilt forex and prepaid.
- Zaggle will leverage Visa’s expertise in the payments space to co-create and build new solutions for SMEs.
- Visa will also support Zaggle for new technological innovations and ideas.
Extra Shots:
Zaggle
- Founded: 2011
- Headquarters location: Hyderabad
- Subsidiaries: SOFFICE Global Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Pennyful Online Pvt Ltd.
India Post & Bihar’s Horticulture dept. partnered to supply ”Shahi Litchi” & “Zardalu Mango” to the people at doorstep
- The Department of Posts, Government of India and Department of Horticulture, Government of Bihar has partnered to supply ”Shahi Litchi” of Muzaffarpur & “Zardalu Mango” of Bhagalpur at the doorstep of people.
Highlights:
- Bihar Postal Circle has made an agreement with the Bihar’s Horticulture department for its logistics & delivery. People can place orders on the website “horticulture.bihar.gov.in” online form May 25.
- The Litchi & Mangoes cultivators have been finding it difficult to carry/transport their fruits to the markets for sale due to lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.
- Initially this facility will be available to people of Muzaffarpur & Patna for Shahi Litchi and Patna & Bhagalpur for Zardalu Mango.
- Litchi will be booked minimum for 2 kgs and mangoes for 5 kgs. The postal department will ensure free delivery within 24 hours
Extra Shots:
Bihar
- Capital: Patna
- Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar
- Governor: Phagu Chauhan
- Literacy Rate: 63.82%
REC partnered with TajSATS to distribute nutritious meal packets to medical staff
- Central Public Sector Undertaking, REC Limited, is spearheading the mission to feed medical staff in key government hospitals as well as poor daily wage labourers across the nation.
Highlights:
- The Power Finance Corporation through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, REC Foundation, has partnered with TajSATS to distribute nutritious meal packets for medical staff in Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.
- Every day, 300 food packets are being delivered to the front line health care warriors of New Delhi.
- REC in collaboration with various district authorities, NGOs and Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMS) is also providing cooked meals and ration to the needy across the nation.
- This initiative was started when the country went under a nation-wide lockdown and will continue till the imposition of nationwide lockdown.
- The corporation has already distributed more than four lakh 50 thousand Kilograms of food grains, over one lakh 20 thousand meal packets, nine thousand 600 litres of sanitizers, three thousand 400 PPE kits and 83 thousand masks in the country.
Extra Shots:
REC Limited, formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, is a public Infrastructure Finance Company in India’s power sector.
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Owner: Power Finance Corp (52.63%)
- Founded: 25 July 1969
- Formerly: Rural Electrification Corporation Limited
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Indian Navy made breathable PPE kit “NavRakshak”
- Indian Navy made “NavRakshak” PPE kit made with innovative breathable fabric material, to provide comfort to healthcare workers working against COVID-19 pandemic wearing multi-layered coverall PPE treating patients in the hot and humid condition for more than 12 hours.
NavRakshak:
- NavRaksha means – “novel protector” has two factors, optimal protectiveness and optimal breathability. This uses advanced quality non woven fabric of specific Grams per Square Meter(GSM) with stitching technique.
- It took seven days for Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Arnab Ghosh from Naval Medical Specialist of Innovation Cell, Institute of Naval Medicine in Mumbai to make the NavRakshak after research and studies on medical garments like gloves, headgears etc.
- It was made with the understanding of the difficulties faced by the healthcare workers combating against COVID-19.
Extra Shots:
The Indian Navy, is the naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy.
- Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS): Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, AVSM, VSM
- Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS): Vice Admiral M. S. Pawar, AVSM, VSM
- Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS): Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM
- Headquarters: Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy)
- Founded: 5 September 1612
- Roles: Naval warfare, Power projection, Sealift, Massive retaliation
India sets up military war game centre called ‘INDIA’ for Ugandan Defence forces in Jinja
- The Indian Association Uganda (IAU) and Indian Military Advisory and Training Team for Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) have jointly set up military war game centre called ‘INDIA’ at the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College in Kimaka in Jinja District of Uganda with a cost of over 1 billion Ugandan shillings or $2,65,000.
- The centre was inaugurated by the Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
- The cost of the project was funded voluntarily by Ugandans of Indian origin that will help make the centre’s region a long-lasting symbol of the special bond that both the countries share.
- The center will not only help the college but also strongly support UPDF’s transformation. In addition to Uganda, the East African region will also get benefitted in training peacekeeping troops that would cross the continent and beyond.
- The IAU donated a vehicle and other equipment to the Uganda to help in medical services during the battle against coronavirus (COVID-19).
Extra Shots:
Uganda (Capital/Currency): Kampala/Ugandan shilling
- President: Yoweri Museveni
IAF to operationalize its No.18 Squadron at Coimbatore, TN
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) is to operationalize its No.18 Squadron at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on 27 May. IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria is expected to operationalize the squadron “Flying Bullets” at the Sulur Air Force Station near Coimbatore, TN.
Highlights:
- 18 Squadron is equipped with the fourth generation LCA Tejas FOC (final operation clearance) aircraft. It will be the second IAF Squadron to fly Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.
- LCA Tejas aircraft is equipped with a fly-by-wire flight control system, integrated digital avionics, multimode radar, and its structure is made of composite material.
- 18 Squadron was formed in 1965. The motto is “Teevra aur Nirbhaya” (meaning “Swift and Fearless”) was earlier flying MiG 27 aircraft.
Extra Shots:
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks fourth amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflict.
- Helicopter: Dhruv, Chetak, Cheetah, Mi-8, Mi-17, Rudra, Mi-26, Mi-25/35, Apache AH-64E, CH-47 Chinook
- Founded: 8 October 1932, India
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Role: Aerial warfare
- Attack: Jaguar, Harpy
- Fighters: Dassault Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Dassault Mirage 2000, Mikoyan MiG-29, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, HAL Tejas
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.
SPORT CURRENT AFFAIRS
Italy beat Serbia to win the inaugural UEFA eEURO 2020
- Italy has won UEFA eEURO 2020, beating Serbia in the final to clinch the inaugural virtual European Championship.
- Italy emerged triumphant by defeating Serbia 3-1 in the best-of-five series.
- The UEFA EURO 2020 eTournament was the biggest ever national team efootball competition, featuring all 55 UEFA national associations.
- The virtual tournament was played exclusively on Konami’s efootball PES 2020 on Playstation 4.
- The format of the tournament was similar to the template for UEFA EURO 2020, involving a qualification phase and culminating in the final tournament.
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The UEFA European Football Championship, commonly known as the UEFA European Championship and informally as the Euros, is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men’s national teams of the members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
- Current champion: Portugal national football team
- Number of teams: 24 (finals); 55 (eligible to enter qualification)
- Founded: 1958
- Headquarters location: Warsaw, Poland
- Venues: Stadio Olimpico, Lisbon
Italy (Capital/Currency): Rome/Euro
- President: Sergio Mattarella
- Prime Minister: Giuseppe Conte
- Official Languages: Italian
US Tennis Star Jamie Hampton Announces Retirement
- American tennis player and former world number 24 Jamie Hampton has officially announced her retirement from professional tennis, bringing a sudden halt to her career.
- She last played an official match six years ago.
- The 30-year-old has suffered numerous injuries and surgeries in the last 5 years, after reaching a career-high ranking of World No.24 in July 2013.
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USA (Capital/Currency): Washington, D.C./ United States Dollar
- President: Donald Trump
- Official languages: English
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DRDO’s RCI develops ‘AINA’ AI-based Attendance Application
- The Research Centre Imarat (RCI), DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization) laboratory, Hyderabad, Telangana, developed an AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based Attendance application (AINA) which allows non-contact based personnel verification, using facial features of the person in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
AINA (AI eNabled Attendance):
- AINA can be deployed with minimal upgradation to the legacy attendance infrastructure with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) readers. AINA can be installed on a normal desktop computer with a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) based display adapter.
- Existing CCTV (Closed-circuit television) cameras can be utilised for capturing facial images. Facial features of several thousands of employees can be stored in the computer since for each employee the facial features are encoded in a small (less than 25 KB) file.
- The system is fully scalable since the time for identification and verification for each person remains constant even as the number of registered personnel increases. It is fully secure as it works as a standalone system & does not require any connection to the internet.
- AINA has a light-weight installation process. AINA comes with a very intuitive and user-friendly GUI (Graphical user Interface) with audio prompts which can be optionally disabled.
- AINA has been installed in ESIC (Employees State Insurance Corporation) Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana.
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RCI: Research Centre Imarat
- Director: BHVS Narayana Murthy.
DRDO:
- Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi.
- Founded: 1958
- Minister Responsible: Shri Rajnath Singh.
- Chairman: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
- Subsidiaries: Defence Scientific Information & Documentation centre, Gas Turbine Research Establishment
IIT Madras Researchers Develop High-Performance Magnesium Alloy That Can Replace Steel and Aluminium in Automobile Industry
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras Researchers working with the University of North Texas and U.S. Army Research Laboratory have developed an engineered magnesium alloy with significantly improved properties, which can replace steel and aluminium alloys in automotive and aerospace components.
- The current industrial application of wrought magnesium alloys in structural components is very limited due to their poor moderate/low strength, poor ductility, yield strength asymmetry and lack of high strain rate super plasticity despite their density being two-third of aluminium and one-quarter of steel.
- A major focus has been lowering the carbon footprint of vehicles by using light-weight material in their body. Light-weight vehicles take less energy (i.e. fuel) to run and are therefore one of the strategies to increase vehicle’s energy-efficiency.
WEBPORTALS & APPS IN NEWS
India’s TikTok rival app ‘Mitron’ clocks five million downloads within one month of launch
- The Indian short video-sharing app ‘Mitron’ has reportedly gained the Number Two spot on the Google Play Store within a month of its release.
Mitron:
- Mitron has, so far, been downloaded over 5 million times from the Google Play Store.
- The Indian video-sharing app has been getting over 5 lakh downloads per day on an average.
- A student of IIT Roorkee has developed the Mitron app and works exactly the same as its Chinese rival TikTok.
- It offers an easy user interface to create, edit, and share videos.
- Like TikTok, users can simply swipe up or down to browse through various videos available on the platform.
- The app has seen a significant surge in its downloads, it will be tough for the new app to maintain the growth.
Skootr Launches SkootrOne Mobile Application, Available on All Android Devices
- Skootr, India’s only ‘premium managed office space’ provider has announced the launch of its new app, SkootrOne for Android mobile devices, soon available on iOS as well.
- This intelligent addition to Skootr’s technology suite and IT solutions illustrates the company’s initiative in building the most advanced workspace experience for its clients, employees, and other important stakeholders.
- SkootrOne app offers our stakeholders an intelligent central office management platform with groundbreaking technology, making it easier to connect and share experiences & issues irrespective of geographical limitations.
OBITUARY
Former Inter coach Gigi Simoni passes away
- Former Inter Milan coach, Gigi Simoni, who led a Ronaldo-inspired team to UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Cup glory in 1998, passed away.
- He was an Italian football official, player & manager.
- He played as an attacking midfielder for Mantova, Napoli, Torino, Juventus, Brescia and Genoa. He won the Coppa Italia in 1961–62 with Napoli.
- He was awarded the Panchina d’Oro as the best Italian coach.
