Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 29th 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 – 29th May 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- International Day of Action for Women’s Health is observed globally on May 28 every year since 1987.
- The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is observed on May 29 annually to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication, and courage and to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.
- Every year, the World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) is observed on 29 May.
- The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has reduced interest rates on retail term deposits by up to 40 basis points (bps) across all tenors.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has officially launched the facility of instant PAN through Aadhaar based e-KYC on 28 May.
- Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal on May 28 stated that the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India has grown by 18% to reach 73 billion in FY 2019-20.
- The Indian government lifted the ban imposed on the export of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of paracetamol with immediate effect.
- The Madhya Pradesh Government is preparing a database under the Swamitva scheme launched on a pilot basis by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24th April.
- In a major breakthrough in the ongoing process of Employment generation for migrant workers in Uttar Pradesh, stage is now set for employment of 10 lakh workers.
- Ladakh’s Director of Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Mohammad Raza inaugurated the 1st Solar Lift Irrigation Plant of Kargil with five kilowatt(KW) Solar Plant and 3 Horsepower(HP) Submersible Pump(installed by Kargil Renewable Energy Agency- KREDA) at Yak Breeding Farm, Bodh Kharboo.
- The Leaders of Group of the seven wealthiest countries in the world had set up Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence.
- The Delimitation Commission held a meeting to review the progress of directions that were provided during its meet in April, 2020.
- Vakrangee Limited (VL), a technology company based in Mumbai (Maharashtra), has entered into the Corporate Agency (Registration Code CA0249) partnership with Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) .
- South African HIV researcher, Quarraisha Abdool Karim, who found that a topical gel could stop many women catching the virus has been awarded Christophe Merieux Prize.
- Wipro has announced that it has appointed Thierry Delaporte as a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of the company, effectively from July 6, 2020.
- R Sreelekha will be the first woman Director General of Police in Kerala. Senior IAS officer Vishwas Mehta appointed as new Chief Secretary of Kerala
- Deepinder Goyal, Founder and (CEO) Chief Executive Officer of food ordering platform Zomato has virtually- appointed Mohit Gupta, the CEO- of its food delivery business as one of its co-founder.
- Leo Puri, the former Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of UTI Mutual Fund, will take charge as the chairman of JP Morgan, South and Southeast Asia after Kalpana Morparia(70 years old) retirement in 2021.
- Aiman Ezzat has become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of French technology major Capgemini Group.
- Bjorn Ulvaeus has been appointed President of CISAC, the global confederation of authors’ societies and the largest network of creators worldwide.
- Foundation Stone for a Missile Park ” AGNEEPRASTHA” was laid at INS Kalinga by Cmde Rajesh Debnath, Commanding Officer, in the presence of Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, FOC-in-C (East) on 28 May 20.
- Cricket Australia has announced the dates for India’s tour to Australia starting October this year for an assignment comprising four Tests, ODIs as well as T20 Internationals.
- The 36th National Games, planned for October-November in Goa, was deferred indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra has been designated as a member from the Olympic Channel Commission.
- First Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi passes away
- A new fresh water fish called Punitus Sanctus was found in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu.
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
International Day of Action for Women’s Health observed on May 28
- International Day of Action for Women’s Health is observed globally on May 28 every year since 1987.
- The main purpose of this day is to promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of all women all over the world.
- May 28th, International Day of Action for Women’s Health is being coordinated by the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR).
- Every woman has a right to sexual and reproductive health and rights, no matter which part of the world she hails from, what age she is, or what her ethnicity or religion is.
Extra Shots:
WGNRR: Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights
- Headquarters location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Type of business: Non-Governmental Organization
- Founded: 1984
International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers observed on 29 May
- The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is observed on May 29 annually to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication, and courage and to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.
- The day was designated by United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2002 and first celebrated in 2003.
- The 2020 Theme: Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace.
Extra Shots:
UN:
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
- Founded: 24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United States
- Official languages: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish;
- Secretary general: António Guterres
World Digestive Health Day observed on May 29
- Every year, the World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) is observed on 29 May.
- It is organised by the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) in collaboration with the WGO Foundation (WGOF).
- Each year the day focuses upon a particular digestive disease and/or disorder in order to increase general public awareness of prevention, prevalence, diagnosis, management and treatment of the disease and/or disorder.
- The theme of WDHD 2020 is “Gut Microbiome – A Global Perspective”
Extra Shots:
WGO: World Gastroenterology Organisation
- Headquarters location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
- Founded: 1958
- Type of business: Non-governmental organization
BANKING & FINANCE
SBI reduces interest rates on fixed deposits by 40 bps
- The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has reduced interest rates on retail term deposits by up to 40 basis points (bps) across all tenors.
- This is the second reduction in fixed deposits interest rates by the lender in May.
- It had reduced its deposit rates on May 12.
Highlights:
- The new rates of interest, effective from 3rd June, shall be made applicable to fresh deposits and renewals of maturing deposits.
- For deposits maturing in seven days to 45 days, the lender is offering an interest rate of 2.90 per cent as against 3.30 per cent earlier.
- The revised rate for 180 days to 210 days bracket is 4.40 per cent compared to 4.80 per cent.
- FDs maturing in one year to less than two years will now fetch an interest rate of 5.10 per cent as against 5.50per cent.
- Interest rate on deposits in the five years to up to 10 years tenor will be 5.40 per cent compared to 5.70 per cent.
- For senior citizens also, interest rates on retail term deposits across all tenors have been cut by up to 40 basis points.
- The lender has also slashed interest rates on bulk deposits (2 crore rupees and above) by up 50 basis points.
Extra Shots:
SBI:
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Chairman: Rajnish Kumar
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Finance Minister launches facility of Instant PAN through Aadhaar based e-KYC
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has officially launched the facility of instant PAN through Aadhaar based e-KYC on 28 May.
- The facility is in line with the announcement made in the Union Budget.
- The new facility is now available for those PAN applicants who possess a valid Aadhaar number and have a mobile number registered with Aadhaar.
- The electronic PAN (e-PAN) is issued to the applicants free of cost.
Aim:
- Instant PAN facility will further ease the process of allotment of PAN.
- It shall be instantly allotted online on the basis of Aadhaar without any requirement for filling up of detailed application form.
Highlights:
- The facility of instant PAN through Aadhaar based e-KYC’s ‘Beta version’ on a trial basis was started on 12 February 2020 on the e-filing website of the Income Tax Department.
- During its trial, 6,77,680 instant PANs have been allotted till 25 May 2020
- Over 50.52 crore PANs have been allotted to the taxpayer, so far. Around 49.39 crore is allotted to the individuals and more than 32.17 crore are seeded with Aadhaar.
- The instant PAN applicant is required to access the e-filing website of the IT Department to provide the individual’s valid Aadhaar number and then submit the OTP received on her/his Aadhaar registered mobile number.
- Upon successful completion, a 15-digit acknowledgment number is generated.
- The status of the application can be checked anytime by providing her/his valid Aadhaar number and on the successful allotment, can download the e-PAN.
- The e-PAN will be sent to the applicant on her/his email id if it is registered with Aadhaar.
- The launch of the Instant PAN facility will help the Income Tax (IT) Department towards Digital India.
- It will create further ease of compliance with the taxpayers.
FDI in India rises up by 18 per cent to reach USD 73 billion in 2019-20
- Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal on May 28 stated that the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India has grown by 18% to reach 73 billion in FY 2019-20.
- He further asserted that this long- term investment will help in job creation.
- As per the data released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), this jump in the investment has been the highest in four years.
- The Union minister further added that the total FDI has doubled up from 2013-14 when it was only USD 36 billion.
Sectors in India that attracted the highest foreign inflows during the Financial Year 2019-20 included:
- Services ($7.85 billion)
- Telecommunications ($4.44 billion)
- Computer Software and Hardware ($7.67 billion)
- Trading ($4.57 billion)
- Automobiles ($2.82 billion)
- Apart from this, the investment in construction, services, and chemicals has been lower than the previous financial year.
Extra Shots:
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry administers two departments, the Department of Commerce and the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade. The head of the Ministry is a Minister of Cabinet rank.
- Departments: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Jurisdiction: India
- Officeholders: C.R.Chaudhary (Minister of State), Piyush Goyal (Minister)
DPIIT: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- Founded: 1995
- Parent organization: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
India lifts ban on export of paracetamol APIs
- The Indian government lifted the ban imposed on the export of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of paracetamol with immediate effect.
- This has made the export of the pharmaceutical ingredients that can be used in COVID-19 treatment free.
- The centre’s notification has been amended to remove the restriction on the export of paracetamol APIs, making them export ‘free’ with immediate effect.
- The ban on the export of Hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol was also lifted after India ensured that an ample supply of the anti-malarial drug was available for local use in India and the drugs were exported in appropriate quantities to around 87 countries across the globe including the United States.
- The Government had imposed export restrictions on 26 pharma ingredients and medicines, including Paracetamol and Hydroxychloroquine on March 3, 2020 to secure supplies for local use after the coronavirus outbreak disrupted the industry’s supply chain globally
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
MP Govt is preparing database under ‘Swamitva’ scheme
- The Madhya Pradesh Government is preparing a database under the Swamitva scheme launched on a pilot basis by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24th April.
Highlights:
- The scheme aims to provide land ownership rights to people in rural areas.
- The main goal of the Rural Population Survey Scheme is to prepare the land right records of village properties and to provide ownership to each property owner.
- On the basis of the database prepared under this scheme, land rights records and property registers of rural settlements will also be prepared at the panchayat level. the survey work will be done by the Survey of India through the Panchayat and Rural Development and Revenue Department.
- Under the scheme, 10 districts of the state have been selected as pilot projects in the first year. The survey of the remaining 42 districts will be conducted in the second and third years.
- 10, 553 revenue villages of these 10 districts have been included in the first phase in this survey.
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
UP govt to sign MoUs with industry associations to create 10 lakh jobs for migrant workers
- In a major breakthrough in the ongoing process of Employment generation for migrant workers in Uttar Pradesh, stage is now set for employment of 10 lakh workers.
- Many industries associations will sign MoUs with state government today in this regard which will give a boost to the MSME sector in state.
- MSME department of state will sign MOUs with Industries and Business Chambers for providing 9.5 lakhs skilled and semi skilled manpower.
- This agreement the dream of many migrant labourers will be fulfilled due to the vision of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
- Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has started the mission for migrant workers with the motto of Har Hath Ho kam, Har Ghar Mein Rojgar means work to every hand and Employment to every house.
- Special software is being prepared for the generation of employment according to the skill of migrant workers and the need of industrial units.
- Industries sector is also energized with the initiatives of Chief Minister and offering every help to provide employment to the migrant labours.
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
Ladakh inaugurates the 1st Solar Lift Irrigation Plant of Kargil
- Ladakh’s Director of Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Mohammad Raza inaugurated the 1st Solar Lift Irrigation Plant of Kargil with five kilowatt(KW) Solar Plant and 3 Horsepower(HP) Submersible Pump(installed by Kargil Renewable Energy Agency- KREDA) at Yak Breeding Farm, Bodh Kharboo.
Highlights
- The prototype will help to solve the shortage of water to irrigate, especially those lands which are at the banks of rivers & the drinking water issue. This Solar Irrigation Pump will help in proper utilization of this fund in the Farm.
- The pump discharges 45,000 litres of water per day, a major achievement in the industry.
- This step is to fulfil the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Make Ladakh a Carbon Neutral Entity and will also help the Yak Farm spread at a 360 Canal Land to be self-sufficient in Fodder Development.
Extra Shots:
KREDA:
- Headquarters: Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir
- Project Director/CEO: Kacho Ahmed Khan
Ladakh:
- Lieutenant Governor: Radha Krishna Mathur
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
US joins G7 partnership on Artificial Intelligence
- The Leaders of Group of the seven wealthiest countries in the world had set up Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence.
- The United States was not a part of the partnership initially.
- However, US is now joining the group to counter Chinese dominance in shaping international standards on surveillance and facial recognition at the at the United Nations.
- The initiative to launch a global group on Artificial Intelligence was initiated by France and Canada.
- It is important for the US to join the partnership as there are several tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and Apple that contribute significant amount to the GDP of US.
- Also, the international standards set will affect these companies greatly.
Extra Shots:
G7:
- Founded: 1975
- Members: United States, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France
USA (Capital/Currency): Washington, D.C./ United States Dollar
- President: Donald Trump
- Official languages: English
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES
Delimitation Commission holds meeting
- The Delimitation Commission held a meeting to review the progress of directions that were provided during its meet in April, 2020.
- The details of State Election Commissioner were received from the states of Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Assam.
- The Census data has also been received from the Registrar General.
Delimitation
- Delimitation is the act of redrawing the boundaries of state assembly and Lok Sabha seats with respect to the changes in population. The main objective of delimitation is to provide equal representatives in the legislative assembly and parliament to equal segments of population. The Delimitation is conducted by the Delimitation Commission.
Delimitation Commission
- The Delimitation Act is brought about by the Parliament after every census under Article 82. The commission is made of Supreme Court Judge, Chief Election Commissioner and also state election commissioners of respective states. The Delimitation exercise has been done four times. They were implemented in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002. The Last delimitation exercise was begun in 2001 census.
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
Tech firm Vakrangee joins hands with LIC to distribute micro insurance products
- Vakrangee Limited (VL), a technology company based in Mumbai (Maharashtra), has entered into the Corporate Agency (Registration Code CA0249) partnership with Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
Purpose:
- To distribute latter’s micro insurance products in unserved and underserved areas through its Nextgen Vakrangee Kendra network spread across India. Vakrangee kendras will also act as a renewal premium collection point for all micro insurance policies of LIC irrespective of whether these policies have been procured at the kendra or not.
- In addition, Follow up for Collection and remittance of renewal premium of LIC’s micro insurance policies will be enabled at the kendras.
Benefit:
- With this tie-up, Citizens across the country will be able to access Micro Insurance products and services offered by LIC through the23,000 kendras (10,000 operational and 13,000 under on-boarding process),which spread acroos 30 states and union territories (UTs).
Extra Shots:
Vakrangee Limited:
- Managing Director & CEO: Mr. Dinesh Nandwana
LIC:
- Chairman:M R Kumar
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Owner: Government of India (100%)
- Founder: Government of India
- Founded: 1 September 1956
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
South Africa’s Quarraisha Abdool Karim wins Christophe Merieux Prize
- South African HIV researcher, Quarraisha Abdool Karim, who found that a topical gel could stop many women catching the virus has been awarded Christophe Merieux Prize.
- Christophe Merieux Prize is one of France’s top science prizes.
- She won the half a million-euro ($551,000) Prize for her work for the Durban-based Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), which she heads.
Extra Shots:
South Africa (Capital/Currency): Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein/ South African rand
- President: Cyril Ramaphosa
- Official Languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu (South Africa has 11 Official Languages)
APPOINTMENT IN NEWS
Thierry Delaporte becomes new Wipro CEO and MD
- Wipro has announced that it has appointed Thierry Delaporte as a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of the company, effectively from July 6, 2020.
- Thierry Delaporte was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Capgemini group.
- In January 2020, Wipro had informed that Abidali Z Neemuchwala had decided to step down as the CEO and MD of the IT company.
- As per the statement by Wipro, Abidali Neemuchwala will hand over his position as the CEO and MD on June 1 and Rishad Premji, Chairman of Wipro will oversee the day to day operations of the company till July 5, 2020.
Extra Shots:
Wipro:
- MD & CEO: Thierry Delaporte
- Owner: Azim Premji
- Founded: 29 December 1945, India
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
- Founders: M.H. Hasham Premji, Sudipto Halder
R Sreerekha to become Kerala’s first woman DGP
- R Sreelekha will be the first woman Director General of Police in Kerala.
- The Kerala government appointed her as Fire and Rescue Services DGP.
- She is a 1987 batch officer, she is also the first woman IPS officer of Kerala. Presently an Additional Director General of Police, she currently heads the Prisons and Correctional Services Department.
- Senior IAS officer Vishwas Mehta appointed as new Chief Secretary of Kerala
- The State Cabinet of Kerala appointed Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Vishwas Mehta as Chief Secretary (CS) of Kerala and will continue to hold the office till February 28, 2021.
- He will be the successor of Tom Jose, who retires on May 31, 2020.
Extra Shots:
Kerala:
- Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
- Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan
- Festivals: Onam, Vishu, Thrissur Pooram, Nehru Trophy Boat Race
- National Parks: Anamudi Shola National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Periyar National Park,Silent Valley National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Aralam WLS, Chimmony WLS, Idukki WLS, Periyar WLS, Wayanad WLS, Peppara WLS, Neyyar WLS, Kurinjimala WLS, Malabar WLS etc
Zomato elevates food-delivery CEO Mohit Gupta as co-founder
- Deepinder Goyal, Founder and (CEO) Chief Executive Officer of food ordering platform Zomato has virtually- appointed Mohit Gupta, the CEO- of its food delivery business as one of its co-founder.
Mohit Gupta:
- He had joined Zomato in 2018, from online travel portal MakeMyTrip where he was serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Extra Shots:
Zomato:
- Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana.
- Founders: Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah
Leo Puri, appointed as as the chairman of JP Morgan, South and Southeast Asia
- Leo Puri, the former Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of UTI Mutual Fund, will take charge as the chairman of JP Morgan, South and Southeast Asia after Kalpana Morparia(70 years old) retirement in 2021.
- She will stay in the company till Q1 of 2021.
- Leo Puri will report to Filippo Gori, CEO, Asia-Pacific.
- Puri had joined the asset management company (AMC) in 2013 from Warburg Pincus India, where he was the managing director. He stepped down from the AMC in 2018
Other Appointments:
- Murli Maiya who has 26 years of experience at JPMorgan, will become the new CEO for South and SouthEast Asia in the 1st quarter of 2021 & will report to CEO, Asia-Pacific. Recently, he was the co-head of Investment Banking Coverage for the Asia-Pacific region.
- Madhav Kalyan, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, India, will become senior country officer for India from Q1 2021, subject to necessary regulatory approvals and will report to Maiya.
Extra Shots:
JPMorgan Chase
- CEO: Jamie Dimon
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
- Founders: J. P. Morgan, Aaron Burr (Bank of the Manhattan Company)
- Chairman,South and Southeast Asia: Leo Puri
- CEO, South and SouthEast Asia: Murli Maiya
- CEO, Asia-Pacific: Filippo Gori
- CEO, JPMorgan Chase, India: Madhav Kalyan
Aiman Ezzat becomes new CEO of Capgemini Group
- Aiman Ezzat has become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of French technology major Capgemini Group.
- He has replaced the presently serving Paul Hermelin who will continue to serve as the Chairman of the Board.
- The appointment of Aiman Ezzat was made at the close of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.
- Aiman Ezzat was earlier serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Capgemini Group and has also served as the Chief Financial Officer of the company in the past.
- He was also named as the “Best European CFO” for the technology and software category of Institutional Investor magazine’s annual ‘All European Executive Team’ ranking.
Extra Shots:
Capgemini
- CEO: Aiman Ezzat
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Founder: Serge Kampf
Bjorn Ulvaeus elected as the next President of CISAC
- Bjorn Ulvaeus has been appointed President of CISAC, the global confederation of authors’ societies and the largest network of creators worldwide.
- Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson are one of the most successful songwriting duos of all time.
- Ulvaeus, co-founder of ABBA and prolific writer of over 150 hit songs and shows, has created music that has inspired the world and spanned the globe.
- He is also a vocal campaigner for the rights of creators.
- He brings a deep understanding of the creative industries and the systems that help authors get fair payment for their works.
Extra Shots:
CISAC
The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers is an international non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation that aims to protect the rights and promote the interests of creators worldwide. It advocates for strong legal protection of copyright and authors’ rights.
- Founded: 1926, Paris, France
- Subsidiary: Artists Rights Society
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Missile Park ‘Agneeprastha’ to be set up at INS Kalinga
- Foundation Stone for a Missile Park ” AGNEEPRASTHA” was laid at INS Kalinga by Cmde Rajesh Debnath, Commanding Officer, in the presence of Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, FOC-in-C (East) on 28 May 20.
- The Missile Park “AGNEEPRASTHA” once completed will be dedicated to all the Officers, Sailors and Support Staff of INS Kalinga, who have served in this premier op-support Base of the ENC since its establishment in 1981.
- The Park also commemorates the award of the prestigious Unit Citation to INS Kalinga for the year 2018-19.
Highlights:
- ‘AGNEEPRASTHA ‘ aims to capture glimpses of Missile History of INS Kalinga since 1981 till date.
- The Missile Park has been set up with a replica of missiles and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) that showcase the evolution of missiles handled by the unit.
- The main attraction is P-70 ‘Ametist’, an underwater launched anti-ship missile from the arsenal of the old ‘Chakra’ (Charlie-1 submarine) which was in service with IN during 1988-91.
- ‘AGNEEPRASTHA’ will also provide a one-stop arena for motivation and stimulation of inquisitive minds regarding the missiles and related technologies, from school children to Naval personnel and their families.
- It is also intended to encourage a feeling of ownership and pride in the role of the Unit, and highlight the necessity of contribution of all personnel irrespective of rank/trade towards the overarching objective of ordnance availability, reliability and delivery on target, each and every time.
Extra Shots:
INS Kalinga is an Indian Navy establishment reporting to the Eastern Naval Command. It is responsible for preparing, storing and delivering advanced missiles to ships of the Eastern Fleet. INS Kalinga was commissioned on 21 November 1985.
- Year built: 21 November 1985
- Controlled by: Indian Navy
SPORT CURRENT AFFAIRS
Cricket Australia announces dates for India’s tour to Australia starting October
- Cricket Australia has announced the dates for India’s tour to Australia starting October this year for an assignment comprising four Tests, ODIs as well as T20 Internationals.
- Virat Kohli’s men will tour the country for a T20 series first, which will begin on October 11 at Brisbane followed by matches on October 14 and 17.
- The Men in Blue will then return for a four-Test series, beginning on December 3 at Brisbane, and it will be followed by a three-match ODI series.
- The ODI series is scheduled to begin with a match on January 12 in Perth next year.
- The Indian women’s team will also travel to Australia for an ODI series with matches scheduled in Canberra in January next year.
36th National Games postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19
- The 36th National Games, planned for October-November in Goa, was deferred indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The National Games organising board has chosen to defer National Games due to COVID-19 pandemic.
- Committee to convey a social event in September end and decide on fixing dates for National Games. (Goa) Government to require guidance from Union Sports Ministry, need four months notification ahead of time to compose games.
- The last edition of the Games was held in 2015 in Kerala.
Extra Shots:
The National Games of India comprises various disciplines in which sportsmen from the different states of India participate against each other. The country’s first few Olympic Games, now renamed as National Games, were held in North India, Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay.
- First event: 1924
- Last event: 2015
- Occur every: uneven
- Motto: Get Set Play
- Headquarters: Olympic Bhawan, B-29, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi
- Abbreviation: NG
IOC appoints Narinder Batra as member of Olympic Channel Commission
- Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra has been designated as a member from the Olympic Channel Commission.
- Badra likewise heads the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
- The Olympic Channel Commission exhorts the IOC (International Olympic Committee) meeting, the IOC Executive Board, the IOC President and provides guidance throughout the launch and operation of the Olympic Channel. The commission advise the growth & development of the Olympic Channel from its initial launch phase through to its mature and established form.
Extra Shots:
Indian Olympic Association
- President: Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra
- Founded: 1927
- Secretary General: Rajeev Mehta
- Recognized: 1924
- Founders: Harry Buck, Arthur Noehren
OBITUARY
First Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi passes away
- The first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Ajit Jogi has passed away.
- A bureaucrat-turned politician, Ajit Jogi was a mass leader who dominated the state’s politics for long time.
- He was an MLA from Marwahi seat in the current assembly.
- Chhattisgarh came into existence in November 2000 and Ajit Jogi served as the first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh from November 2000 to November 2003.
MISCELLANEOUS
New Fresh water fish “Punitus Sanctus” found
- A new fresh water fish called Punitus Sanctus was found in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu.
- The fish was found in a small water body.
- Sanctus means ‘holy’ in Latin. Punitus is a species of fish that are commonly found in the drains of western and eastern ghats and also in Eastern Himalayas
Genus
- The Genus Punitus is locally known as Kende in Tamil Nadu and Paral in Kerala. The Punitus belongs to the family of Cyprindae. Cyprindae is a family of fresh water fish. They are collectively called Cyprinids. The family includes barbs, goldfish, bitterlings and carps.
Punitus sanctus
- The fish was silver in colour. It grows to a maximum length of 7 cm. It has an extended mouth and hence is different from other species of the Punitus. The new fish found has now been deposited in the Zoological Survey of India.
