Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs Today 2nd 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 – 2nd May 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- World Tune Day is observed globally on 2nd May every year.
- Traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced to launch a national e-commerce marketplace ‘bharatmarket’ soon for all retail traders in collaboration with several technology partners.
- 200 new mandis were added to the e-NAM platform from 7 States.
- The Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan approved the integration of 5 States and Union Territories (UTs) with the National Cluster under the “One Nation One Ration Card” plan.
- CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi developed Kisan Sabha App to connect farmers to supply chain and freight transportation management systems.
- The 12th session of Dekho Apna Desh of Tourism Ministry was held on 30 April 2020.
- One of the largest and most awarded private radio networks in India, 93.5 RED FM has joined hands with Music Plus to launch a first of its kind initiative ‘RISE INDIA Awards’ to recognize the selfless efforts of the COVID crusaders.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister of Thailand H.E. Gen (ret) Prayut Chan-o-cha.
- Ministry of Shipping has revamped its website and launched its new version on 30 April 2020.
- The second installment of Rs. 500 is being transferred directly into the accounts of women beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna is being released by the Centre.
- Nation celebrates birth centenary of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray today. Ray was born on this day in 1921 . He directed 36 films in his lifetime.
- The Smart City Operations Centre (COC) of Visakhapatnam operates 24×7 in three shifts to manage COVID-19
- Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to conduct Biennial Election to the Maharashtra Legislative Councils (MLCs) by the members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on 21 May 2020.
- The State Anand Sansthan has decided to hold 5-Day Alp-Viram session through online conferencing. Individuals interested in taking part in this programme can apply on the website of the sansthan
- Chief Minister Shri Jai Ram Thakur launching Madhuyastiadi Kashay (Kada), Ayurvedic medicine prepared by the State Aryuveda Department at Shimla on 1 May 2020.
- The Minister for Public Health, Family Welfare and Home Dr. Narottam Mishra launched Corona Helpline and Corona E-Paramarsh Seva to tackle Corona pandemic at Mantralaya today.
- Post-Lockdown the state government had been preparing the database of close to one million migrant labourers of Jharkhand who were stuck in different parts of the country.
- Karnataka state Government has launched an online application system for workers desiring to leave or return to Karnataka.
- Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to provide mid-day meal ration.
- Tripura government has announced the launch of an agro-based entrepreneurship facilitation desk in a bid to boost primary sectors, such as agriculture, after nationwide lockdown restrictions.
- Professor Shobhana Narasimhan from the Theoretical Sciences Unit (TSU) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) has been elected as an International Honorary Member to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- The US space agency NASA has partnered with SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics to build lunar landing systems that can carry astronauts to the moon by 2024.
- World Bank Group President David Malpass today announced the appointment of Mouhamadou Diagne as Vice President of Integrity (INT) at the World Bank Group.
- Shri Arvind Kumar Sharma (IAS) assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
- Giridhar Aramane assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- The President of India appointed advocate Bollampalli Vijaysen Reddy as the judge of Telangana High Court.
- India lost the top spot in the ICC Test rankings to Australia on 1 May. It lost the rank because of the 2016-17 record was eliminated from the annual update as per rules.
- The Indian Navy will hold a salutation ceremony in Mumbai and Goa on Sunday to honour the efforts of coronavirus warriors in curbing the spread of COVID-19.
- Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel launched an e-book titled “Prof. B.B. Lal: India Rediscovered”.
- A 17-year-old Indian-origin girl Vaneeza Rupani has been earned the honour of naming the NASA’s first Mars helicopter, after she submitted her essay into NASA’s “Name the Rover” contest.
- Scientists at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) developed a generalized one-dimensional fluid simulation code capable of studying a wide spectrum of coherent electric field structures in near-earth plasma environment or earth’s magnetosphere.
- Students from Jadavpur University, Kolkata have developed an intelligent device that will analyze if a coughing person is a COVID-19 carrier.
- Veteran South African anti-apartheid activist Denis Goldberg passed away.
- Eminent historian, author and columnist Ronald Vivian Smith, who is best known for his writings on Delhi, passed away due to age-related ailments.
- Assam born renowned freedom fighter and Padma Shri awardee Hema Bharali passed away in Guwahati suffering from prolonged illness.
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
World Tune Day observed globally on 2 May
- World Tune Day is observed globally on 2nd May every year.
- This day is established by the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness about the importance of tuna fish.
- It is observed for the first time in 2017.
- According to the UN, an outsized number of nations worldwide depend upon tuna for both food security and nutrition.
- At the same time, more than 96 countries have tuna fisheries, and their capacity is constantly growing.
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.
- Secretary general: António Guterres Trending
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
- Founded: 24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United States
- Official languages: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
CAIT to launch national e-commerce marketplace ‘bharatmarket’ for retail traders
- Traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced to launch a national e-commerce marketplace ‘bharatmarket’ soon for all retail traders in collaboration with several technology partners.
- The marketplace will integrate capabilities of various technology companies to provide end-to-end services in the logistics and supply chains from manufacturers to end consumers, including deliveries at home.
- The e-commerce portal will include a nationwide participation by retailers and aims to bring 95 per cent of retail traders onboard the platform, who would exclusively run the portal.
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Two hundred new mandis were added to the e-NAM platform from 7 States
- 200 new mandis were added to the e-NAM platform from 7 States.
- The function was headed by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar.
- Centre aims to add 1,000 Mandis to the e-NAM platform for marketing of Agricultural produce.
- It is expected that the Prime minister’s vision of using technology for the benefit of farmers will soon be realized.
Highlights:
- e-NAM aims to reach the last mile farmer and transform the way they sell their Agri produce. e-NAM has gained more strength by reaching out to more farmers & traders of these new mandis. Already 585 mandis in 16 States and 2 Union Territories (UT) have been integrated and are working.
- The newly added 200 markets that are integrated with the e-NAM platform are as follows: Andhra Pradesh (11 mandis), Gujarat (25 mandis), Odisha (16 mandis), Rajasthan (94 mandis), Tamil Nadu (27 mandis), Uttar Pradesh (25 mandis) & Karnataka (2 mandis).
- With this, the total e-NAM mandis in the country are 785. This is the first milestone achieved in the path of integrating 415 new markets across the country.
- It is for the first time that Karnataka State has been added to the list of e-NAM States.
Extra Shots:
e-NAM: National Agriculture Market or eNAM is an online trading platform for agricultural commodities in India. The market facilitate farmers, traders and buyers with online trading in commodities. The market is helping in better price discovery and provide facilities for smooth marketing of their produce.
- Founded: 14 April 2016
- Location: India
- Owner: Ministry of Agriculture; Government of India
- Key people: Narendra Singh Tomar; Union Agriculture Minister
Five more States, UTs added under One Nation One Ration Card platform
- The Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan approved the integration of 5 States and Union Territories (UTs) with the National Cluster under the “One Nation One Ration Card” plan.
- The 5 states/UTs include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
Highlights:
- Already 12 states are under the One Nation One Ration Card plan.
- The 12 are Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Tripura.
- With this, the facility of national and inter-State portability will be available for nearly 60 crore National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries of 17 States/UT.
- The beneficiaries may lift their entitled quota of foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice, anywhere in these 17 States/UT by using their same or existing ration card under the One Nation One Ration Card plan.
- The Department has shared the necessary guidelines for the implementation of national portability as it also imparted the requisite orientation training to the officers/technical teams of these 5 States/UTs.
- Also, the required web-services for inter-State transactions and the central dashboards have been activated with immediate effect.
- All the 17 States/UTs will formally commence seamless inter-State/national portability operations in a single cluster.
CRRI developed Kisan Sabha App to connect farmers
- CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi developed Kisan Sabha App to connect farmers to supply chain and freight transportation management systems.
- The app was remotely launched on 1 May by DG, ICAR, and Secretary DARE, Dr.Trilochan Mohapatra.
- The portal aims to act as a one-stop solution for farmers, transporters, and other entities engaged in the agriculture Industry.
Aim:
- Kisan Sabha aims to provide the most economical and timely logistics support to the farmers and increase their profit margins by minimizing the interference of middlemen and directly connecting with the institutional buyers.
- It will provide the best market rates of crops by comparing the nearest mandis, booking freight vehicles at the cheapest cost thereby giving maximum benefit to the farmers.
Kisan Sabha App:
- Kisan Sabha provides a platform for people who want to buy directly from the farmers.
- The portal connects the farmers, transporters, Service providers including pesticides and fertilizer dealers, cold store and warehouse owner, mandi dealers, customers, and other related entities for timely and effective solutions.
- The portal acts as a single stop for every entity related to agriculture, be they a farmer who needs better price for the crops or mandi dealer who wants to connect to more farmers or truckers who invariably go empty from the mandis.
- Kisan Sabha also works for people in the agriculture services sector such as dealers of fertilizers and pesticides, who can reach out to more farmers for their services.
- It would also prove to be useful for those associated with cold stores or godowns.
- Kisan Sabha has 6 major modules taking care of Farmers, Mandi, Dealers, Mandi Board Members, Service Providers, and Consumers.
Ministry of Tourism organized 12th webinar of Dekho Apna Desh series
- The 12th session of Dekho Apna Desh of Tourism Ministry was held on 30 April 2020.
- It was titled as ‘Celebrating the Incredible Indian Women in Responsible Tourism’.
- It presented some powerful and personal stories of a few incredible women in India, who offer an alternative imagination of travel.
Aim:
- The webinar series aims to create awareness about and promote various tourism destinations of India including the lesser-known destinations and lesser-known facets of popular destinations.
Highlights:
- The webinar explained how individuals can create change in their life and the communities they live in through tourism.
- It taught how to use local resources, staying in homestays, supporting undocumented new lesser know enterprises eating at a small family-owned restaurant, all make a huge difference to the locals and thus helps in growing the areas which benefit from tourism.
- The webinar presented ten inspiring stories namely Stanzin Dolkar from Maan village; Sunita Marawi from Bandha Tolavillage near Kanha, Phejin Konyak from Shiyong village in Mon district Nagaland; Laxmi a hospitality expert and masseuse from Delhi NCR;
- Rekha Rautela from Sarmoli village in Munsiari; Raksha Patekar from Dehene village in Maharashtra, a rural tourism expert, and master trainer; Sajna Shaji a drummer and travel guide from Mothakkara, Wayanad in Kerala; Pabitra Maya Khawas, home chef and entrepreneur from Chuikhim, north Bengal; Sumitra Biswas from Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Extra Shots:
The Ministry of Tourism, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to the development and promotion of tourism in India.
- Officeholder: Prahlad Singh Patel (MOS independent charge)
- Founded: 1967
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Jurisdiction: India
RED FM and Music Plus launches ‘RISE INDIA Awards’ to recognize the COVID crusaders
- One of the largest and most awarded private radio networks in India, 93.5 RED FM has joined hands with Music Plus to launch a first of its kind initiative ‘RISE INDIA Awards’ to recognize the selfless efforts of the COVID crusaders.
- There are doctors, nurses, frontline sanitization staff, industrialists, brands, celebrities, influencers, journalists, social media personalities and even an ordinary person with extraordinary will to wage a war against this pandemic.
- The virtual awards ‘RISE INDIA Awards’ is an initiative to celebrate and recognize the commitment of these crusaders.
- ‘RISE INDIA Awards’ is a four-week long initiative that will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube of RED FM every Friday, starting from 8th May.
Extra Shots:
Red FM is an Indian FM radio network headquartered in Delhi/NCR and owned by Chennai-based Sun Group. The network broadcasts content in various Indian languages including likes of Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. On 14 August 2009, Suryan FM was re-branded into RED FM across 64 cities in India.
- Owner: SUN Group
- Frequency: 93.5 (in most cities)
- Slogan: Bajate Raho! (In Hindi, and equivalent in other languages)
- Broadcast area: India
PM Narendra Modi held talk with PM of Thailand
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister of Thailand H.E. Gen (ret) Prayut Chan-o-cha.
- The two leaders shared information on the steps being taken in their respective countries to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights:
- Prime Minister Modi discussed the importance of regional and global cooperation to effectively fight the pandemic.
- India assured its commitment to support the pharmaceutical requirements of Thailand.
- The leaders agreed on the desirability of greater collaboration between researchers, scientists, and innovators of the two countries.
- Both the countries agreed to support each other in the time of crisis.
India-Thailand ties:
- Thailand is a valued maritime partner in India’s extended neighbourhood, with ethnic and ancient cultural links. The Prime Minister visited Bangkok in November 2019 to attend ASEAN and Related Summits. During his visit, he conveyed his greetings to the members of the Royal Family of Thailand and the Thai people.
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Thailand (Capital/Currency): Bangkok/ Thai baht
- Prime Minister: Prayut Chan-o-cha
Ministry of Shipping launched new website
- Ministry of Shipping has revamped its website and launched its new version on 30 April 2020.
- The new website is based on open source technology and is deployed on NIC cloud Meghraj.
Shipping Ministry Website:
- The website of the Shipping Ministry is http://shipmin.gov.in/
- The website has been designed as per Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) issued by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India.
- The new website has a well designed and dynamic Homepage.
- Social Media Integration with a better video uploading facility is a new feature on this website
Extra Shots:
The Ministry of Shipping, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to shipping, headed by Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya. Maritime transport is a critical infrastructure for the social and economic development of a country.
- Departments: Directorate General of Shipping
- Headquarters: Parivahan Bhavan, 1, Parliament Street, New Delhi – 110 001
- Jurisdiction: India
- Minister responsible: Mansukh L. Mandaviya, Minister of State (Independent Charge)
- Annual budget: 1,881.83 crores INR (2018-19 est.)
- Officeholders: Pon Radhakrishnan (Minister of State), Mansukh L. Mandaviya (MOS independent charge)
Govt to transfer 2nd installment of Rs. 500 into accounts of women beneficiaries under PMGKY
- The second installment of Rs. 500 is being transferred directly into the accounts of women beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna is being released by the Centre.
- Under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana every women beneficiary has to be provided three installments of Rs. 500 starting from last month.
- The second installment has been released to a large number of banks which will now credit the amount into the accounts of the beneficiaries.
- Around 20 crore women beneficiaries received the first installment for last month in its first week.
- Government has also announced a date plan for beneficiaries to visit the bank in order to dispense the money so that adequate precaution of social distancing can be ensured.
- Beneficiaries with account numbers ending with zero and one are advised to visit the bank branch on 4th May.
Nation celebrates birth centenary of filmmaker Satyajit Ray today
- Nation celebrates birth centenary of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray today. Ray was born on this day in 1921 . He directed 36 films in his lifetime.
- Ray got Oscar award in 1991 besides he was recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke , Bharat Ratna and many other international awards.
- Pather Panchali directed by him acclaimed International appreciations.
- Satyajit Ray created a seperate style in film making in the country.
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Visakhapatnam Smart COC functions round the clock for COVID-19 management
- The Smart City Operations Centre (COC) of Visakhapatnam operates 24×7 in three shifts to manage COVID-19.
- Covid Helpdesk or the Contact center at COC traces and monitors foreign returned citizens in coordination with CMOH & DMOH on a day to day basis.
Highlights of COC:
- The centre announces cautionary measures and information related to COVID-19 through Public Announcements Systems installed across 90 locations in the city.
- It passes COVID-19 information disseminated through digital sign boards that are installed at 10 key locations across the city.
- The surveillance system, 500 cameras installed across the city, monitors important areas and key junctions.
- The helpdesk/contact center is functional 24×7 to coordinate with line departments like public health, city and district level officers from time to time. A toll-free number set-up at COC to answer emergency calls and follows up with line departments accordingly.
- A mobile application developed to trace and map all foreign returnees.
- Based on the information received through the mobile application, cluster mapping and high-risk colour coding map was digitized wherein category wise clusters were formed, that is, 0-14, 15- 28, and above 28 days were identified using GIS in COC.
- The 20 Rapid Response Teams (RRT) formed in Visakhapatnam and these teams are being tracked through the Mobile tabs fixed in respective team Ambulances.
- 4 Mobile teams were formed for sample collection for symptomatic citizens.
- The teams are being monitored through COC through mobile Tab based tracking. Further, the concerned doctors submit details of the citizens through mobile applications on a real-time basis.
- Door to Door survey by Volunteers is monitored and reports placed before concerned committee in-charges regularly.
- A mobile application being developed to monitor activities like bleaching and other sanitation activities in containment areas by the public health wing.
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Andhra Pradesh:
- Capital: Amravati
- Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
- Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
- State Formed in: 1 November 1956
- Literacy Rate: 67.4 %
- National Park: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Sri Venkateswara National Park, Papikonda National Park
ECI decides to conduct Biennial Election to the Maharashtra Legislative Councils MLAs
- Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to conduct Biennial Election to the Maharashtra Legislative Councils (MLCs) by the members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on 21 May 2020.
Highlights:
- Maharashtra assured that various measures have been taken to control pandemic and that in the State Government’s assessment, elections to the nine seats of MLC by MLAs could be held in a safe environment.
- ECI has decided that the Union Home Secretary, who is Chairperson of National Executive Committee in ex-officio capacity under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, should depute an officer of suitable seniority to ensure that the preventive measures are put in place in keeping with the provisions of the said Act for the smooth conduct of the electoral process for the said election.
- Commission has also directed the Chief Secretary to depute an officer from the State to ensure that the extant instructions regarding COVID-19 are complied with while making arrangements for conducting the elections.
- Commission has appointed Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra as Observer for this election.
Extra Shots:
Maharashtra:
- Capital: Mumbai
- Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
- Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
- State Formed in: 1 May 1960
- Litracy Rate: 82.34%
- 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.
Madhya Pradesh: State Anand Sansthan decides to hold 5-Day Online Alp-Viram session
- The State Anand Sansthan has decided to hold 5-Day Alp-Viram session through online conferencing. Individuals interested in taking part in this programme can apply on the website of the sansthan .
- The 5-day Alp-Viram programme will have daily sessions from 10 a.m. to 11.30 p.m.
- Prior to this, from 7 to 8 in the morning, all the participants will have to take a Alp-Viram (Break) for one hour with diary, pen and questions.
- On the basis of “First come-first serve” formula, 40 participants will be given admission in this programmme.
- More information regarding the programme can be obtained from mobile number -7723929667.
- A WhatsApp group will be created for communication based on the mobile numbers of the applicants who will be admitted to the Alp-Viram programme. All participants will get acquainted with each other on the WhatsApp group.
- Every day from 10 am to 11.30 a.m., the login ID and user password of the session will be given on WhatsApp group.
- You can sit in any quiet place in your house with diary and pen for the session.
Topics of Sessions
- Discourse on the topic ‘Self Awareness (Awareness towards society, family and self)’ will be held on the first day of the session. Similarly, the second, third, fourth and fifth day will have discourses on ‘Chinta ka Dayara- Prabhav ka Dayara, (How to convert anxiety into contemplation and move towards a solution)’, ‘Jeevan ka Lekha Jokha (Gratitude, Forgiveness)’, ‘Sampark, Sudhar evam Disha (Connecting with Inner Power in Quiet Time)’ and ‘Sambandh evam Jeevan Ka Uddeshya’ respectively.
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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
Himachal Pradesh CM launches Madhuyastiadi, Ayurvedic medicine prepared by Ayurveda department
- Chief Minister Shri Jai Ram Thakur launching Madhuyastiadi Kashay (Kada), Ayurvedic medicine prepared by the State Aryuveda Department at Shimla on 1 May 2020.
- Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched Madhuyastiadi Kashay (Kada), a proprietary Ayurvedic medicine prepared by the State Aryuveda Department to enhance immunity of the people in the wake of corona pandemic.
- The Ayurvedic product would help in boosting immunity and added that it would be provided free of cost to all the corona warriors like doctors, paramedical staff, police, senior citizens and all corona survivors of the State.
- This ayurvedic medicine would also be provided free of cost to all the senior citizens of the State.
Extra Shots:
Himachal Pradesh:
- State formed on: 25 January 1971
- Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
- Chief Justice: Lingappa Narayana Swamy
- Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
- Official language: Hindi
Corona Helpline & Corona E-Paramarsh Seva launched in MP
- The Minister for Public Health, Family Welfare and Home Dr. Narottam Mishra launched Corona Helpline and Corona E-Paramarsh Seva to tackle Corona pandemic at Mantralaya today.
- He said that both the services have been strated with an objective of Bahujan Hitaay-Bahujan Sukhay (Welfare and happiness of all).
- the public will get free consultation from doctors on the Corona Helpline number 104.
- Mishra said that these doctors will address the Corona related apprehensions of all the people of Madhya Pradesh.
- This project has been named ‘Step One’.
- While inaugurating the Corona E-Paramarsh Seva, Dr. Mishra appealed to the doctors to render their services from home through Corona E-Paramarsh.
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
Jharkhand prepares database of around one million migrant labourers stranded in other states amid lockdown
- Post-Lockdown the state government had been preparing the database of close to one million migrant labourers of Jharkhand who were stuck in different parts of the country.
- With the collective efforts of the central and state government, Jharkhand has been able to bring back its stranded labourers from Telangana.
- Labourers while de-boarding the train were seen with shining faces upon reaching to their native place.
- Every single person was medically screened and by maintaining Social distancing taken to the respective buses for onward journey to their villages.
Extra Shots:
Jharkhand
- Capital: Ranchi
- Chief Minister: Hemant Soren
- Governor: Draupadi Murmu
State Govt launches online application system for workers desiring to leave or return to Karnataka
- Karnataka state Government has launched an online application system for workers desiring to leave or return to Karnataka.
- The workers can either upload the application through sevasindhu.karnataka.gov.in or visit Bangaloreone customer service centres and Bengaluru Mahanagara palike ward offices across Bengaluru.
- Indian Railways has made arrangements to transport migrant labourers of Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan.
- The application received will be segregated according to the destination and submitted to the railways.
- The health department is making arrangements to screen all the labourers who will be boarding these trains.
- The Karnataka state transport Corporation has sanitised its buses to transport labourers to the railway station
Extra Shots:
Karnataka:
- Capital: Bengaluru
- Chief Minister: B. S. Yediyurappa
- Governor: Vajubhai Vala
- National Park: Anshi NP, Bandipur NP, Bannerghatta NP, Kudremukh NP, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) NP.
MP becomes first state in country to provide mid-day meal ration
- Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to provide mid-day meal ration.
- Additional Chief Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Manoj Shrivastava informed that this information has been given in the review meeting conducted by the Central Government.
- the Central Government has also appreciated the successful efforts and innovation in the implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Madhya Pradesh.
- To provide mid-day meal to school children in the corona outbreak an amount of Rs 117 crore has been transferred online in the bank account of the parents of 66 lakh 27 thousand students of primary and secondary school by the state government.
- In addition, under door-to-door mid-day meal scheme, ration has also been provided to 56 lakh 87 thousand children.
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
Tripura govt to launch agri entrepreneur facilitation desk to boost economy
- Tripura government has announced the launch of an agro-based entrepreneurship facilitation desk in a bid to boost primary sectors, such as agriculture, after nationwide lockdown restrictions.
- The desk will help entrepreneurs linked to agro-based businesses.
- The state cabinet has approved the setting up of the desk, which will operate from the Directorate of Horticulture and Soil Conservation in the state capital, Agartala.
- The state government also plans to inspire youth to engage in processing and marketing of fruits such as pineapple, lemon, jackfruit, and also vegetables that are grown in abundance in Tripura in a bid to increase farmers’ income.
- The government is aiming to tap around 2,000 youth, who can become an integral part of the agro-based business within a year
Extra Shots:
Tripura
- Capital: Agartala
- Chief Minister: Biplab Kumar Deb
- Governor: Ramesh Bais
- National Park: Rajbari National Park, Clouded Leopard National Park
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Prof Shobhana Narasimhan elected as International Honorary Member to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Professor Shobhana Narasimhan from the Theoretical Sciences Unit (TSU) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) has been elected as an International Honorary Member to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Professor Shobhana Narasimhan:
- Prof Narasimhan heads the Computational Nanoscience group at JNCASR. She has done significant work on the rational design of nanomaterials, examining how the lowering of dimensionality and reduction of size affect material properties. Her work is relevant for a number of different applications, such as nanocatalysts for clean energy applications, and magnetic materials for memory storage.
Extra Shots:
- The American Academy of Arts and Sciences honours scholars and leaders have distinguished themselves in the sciences, arts, humanities, and public life.
- The list of previous International Honorary Members includes Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and Nelson Mandela.
NASA partners with private companies for Moon-to-Mars campaign
- The US space agency NASA has partnered with SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics to build lunar landing systems that can carry astronauts to the moon by 2024.
- The mission is accelerated under the space agency’s Moon-to-Mars campaign.
Moon-to-Mars campaign:
- NASA is planning for a long-term presence on Moon so that it will eventually enable humans to reach Mars.
- For this campaign, NASA is leaning heavily on private companies built around shared visions for space exploration.
- In 2019, Jeff Bezos unveiled Blue Origin’s design for the lunar lander, Blue Moon.
- SpaceX is on the verge of launching its first manned mission for NASA in June 2020.
- The company also plans to develop its Starship landing system to send a crew and up to 100 pounds of cargo to the moon.
- For this project, the three companies will share $967 million from NASA.
Extra Shots:
NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
- Preceding agency: NACA (1915–1958);
- Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Founded: 29 July 1958, United States
- Administered by: Jim Bridenstine
Mouhamadou Diagne Appointed Vice President of Integrity at the World Bank Group
- World Bank Group President David Malpass today announced the appointment of Mouhamadou Diagne as Vice President of Integrity (INT) at the World Bank Group.
- Mouhamadou Diagne has a deep track record in protecting institutions against fraud and corruption and a strong leadership record in ensuring accountability, most recently at the Global Fund
Extra Shots:
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of poorer countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the International Development Association.
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
- Parent organization: World Bank Group
- Membership: 189 countries (IBRD); 173 countries (IDA)
- Founded: 1944
- Founders: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White
APPOINTMENT
Arvind Kumar Sharma Assumes Charge as Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
- Shri Arvind Kumar Sharma (IAS) assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
- Shri Sharma has emphasized that MSME sector is very crucial for the society and the economy
- Prior to this appointment, Shri Sharma was serving as Additional Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
- He is 1988 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.
- Shri Sharma has also worked in the Government of Gujarat at various positions including field and policy level and has extensive experience of handling the portfolios of regulatory and developmental administration, disaster management, Corporate Management, industrial/investment promotion and infrastructure development.
Extra Shots:
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
- Jurisdiction: India
- Departments: National Small Industries Corporation, National Institute of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
- Officeholders: Giriraj Singh (MOS independent charge), Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister)
Giridhar Aramane assumes charge as Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- Giridhar Aramane assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- Shri Aramane emphasised that Transport and Highways sector is the backbone of Indian economy.
- Shri Aramane was earlier serving as Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. He has also been a Jt Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas during 2012-14.
- He is 1988 batch IAS officer of AP cadre. An M Tech in Civil Egg from IIT Madras, he also holds a Masters Degree in Economics.
- He has undergone training in finance and banking matters at Singapore and France, apart from the IIM Bangalore, IIFT New Delhi and Tata Mgt Trg Centre, Pune.
- Shri Aramane has also worked in the Government of Andhra Pradesh at various positions including field and policy level and has vast experience in organisational and finance matters.
Extra Shots:
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is a ministry of the Government of India, that is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to road transport, transport research and in also to increase the mobility and efficiency of the road transport system in India.
- Jurisdiction: India
- Founded: July 1942
- Headquarters:New Delhi
- 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)
Vijaysen Reddy appointed Telangana High Court judge
- The President of India appointed advocate Bollampalli Vijaysen Reddy as the judge of Telangana High Court.
- Vijaysen Reddy was born in Hyderabad on August 22, 1970. His father, late Justice B Subhashan Reddy, was the judge of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh High Court and had also served as the Chief Justice of Madras and Kerala High Courts before his retirement on March 2, 2005.
Extra Shots:
Telangana
- Capital: Hyderabad
- Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
- Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
India lost top spot in the ICC Test rankings to Australia
- India lost the top spot in the ICC Test rankings to Australia on 1 May. It lost the rank because of the 2016-17 record was eliminated from the annual update as per rules.
Highlights:
- India dropped in the ladder largely because the record of 12 Tests victories and just one Test defeat in 2016-17 was removed in the latest chart.
- Australia, the top-ranking country, now has 116 points. It is followed by New Zealand with 115 points and India with 114 points.
- India yielded the top spot in Test rankings for the first time since October 2016. It continues to lead the ICC World Test Championship.
Extra Shots:
ICC: The International Cricket Council is the world governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England and South Africa. It was renamed as the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.
- Chairperson: Shashank Manohar
- Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- CEO: Manu Sawhney
- Founded: 15 June 1909
- Motto: Cricket for good.
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Indian Navy to hold salutation ceremony to honour COVID-19 warriors
- The Indian Navy will hold a salutation ceremony in Mumbai and Goa on Sunday to honour the efforts of coronavirus warriors in curbing the spread of COVID-19.
- about 15 Navy ships have planned illumination to salute the frontline workers. They will display prominent banners saying ‘India Salutes Corona Warriors’. They also will sound the ship’s siren and fire flares at 7:30 pm at Anchorage in Mumbai.
- The Naval Air stations at Goa will be displaying human chain messages on the runways to honour the COVID-19 warriors
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
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Union Culture Minister launches e-book “Prof. B.B. Lal: India Rediscovered”
- Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel launched an e-book titled “Prof. B.B. Lal: India Rediscovered”.
- E-book was launched on the occasion of centenary year of great archaeologist Professor B. B. Lal.
- E-book titled “Prof. B.B. Lal: India Rediscovered” has been prepared by the Ministry of culture along with Prof B B Lal Centenary Celebration Committee.
- This book is a centenary special edition and a tribute from Ministry of culture for his enormous contribution to the discipline of archaeology.
AWARDS
Indian-Origin Girl Vaneeza Rupani Credied to Name NASA’s First Mars Helicopter as ‘Ingenuity’
- A 17-year-old Indian-origin girl Vaneeza Rupani has been earned the honour of naming the NASA’s first Mars helicopter, after she submitted her essay into NASA’s “Name the Rover” contest.
- Rupani, a high school junior from Northport, Alabama, has suggested the name ‘INGENUITY’ for the helicopter, which has been liked and accepted by NASA.
- Rupani’s entry was among 28,000 essays submitted by K-12 students from every US state and territory.
- In March 2020, NASA announced that its next rover to Mars, would be named Perseverance.
- Perseverance and Ingenuity are scheduled to launch in July 2020 and land in February 2021 at the Mars. Ingenuity will be the first aircraft to attempt powered flight on another planet.
Extra Shots:
NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
- Preceding agency: NACA (1915–1958);
- Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Founded: 29 July 1958, United States
- Administered by: Jim Bridenstine
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
IIG develops new simulation code to study electric field structure in Earths Magnetosphere
- Scientists at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) developed a generalized one-dimensional fluid simulation code capable of studying a wide spectrum of coherent electric field structures in near-earth plasma environment or earth’s magnetosphere.
New simulation code:
- The new simulation code can be useful in planning future space missions.
- It can also lead to precisely controlled fusion laboratory experiments for ever-expanding energy needs of humanity.
- The study was focused on the coherent electric field structures that are observed in the high-resolution electric field waveform data and can be seen as isolated pulses of various forms.
- The complex and nonlinear wave phenomena in the magnetosphere studied by the IIG team will help advance the knowledge of plasma waves, instabilities, and coherent effects.
Extra Shots:
IIG: The Indian Institute of Geomagnetism is an autonomous research institution established by the Government of India’s Department of Science and Technology. Wikipedia
- Director: Professor D.S Ramesh
- Founded: 1971
Jadavpur University students develop device that analyzes if a coughing person is a COVID-19 carrier
- Students from Jadavpur University, Kolkata have developed an intelligent device that will analyze if a coughing person is a COVID-19 carrier.
- The two undergraduate students are from the Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering of the University.
Highlights:
- The device can track a coughing person and analyze if the same person is a possible suspect of COVID-19.
- The device can be used in the first level of the screening system. It will identify the COVID-19 carrier with available data. It will help to contain the spread of the disease.
- The non-contact device has embedded images and sound sensors.
- The device will work even if the person is away from the device and can even identify multiple coughing persons at the same time.
- The device can be used in quarantine centres, office- spaces, classrooms, or built-up areas with gatherings for monitoring the people present there.
- The device can also be used in drones to identify COVID-19 suspects in public places in the open.
- The device received a positive response from the ICMR Kolkata.
OBITUARIES
Veteran anti-apartheid activist Denis Goldberg passes away
- Veteran South African anti-apartheid activist Denis Goldberg passed away.
- He was the ally of late South African President Nelson Mandela.
- He played a key role in South African liberation struggle.
- He was the only white member of the African National Congress’s military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK).
Delhi Historian RV Smith Passes Away at 81
- Eminent historian, author and columnist Ronald Vivian Smith, who is best known for his writings on Delhi, passed away due to age-related ailments.
- He was 81.
- Born in Agra in 1938, Smith made Delhi his second home and was recognised as the city’s greatest chronicler, for writing extensively in many leading publications on Delhi’s intricate histories
- He has authored a dozen books, mostly on the National Capital.
Padma Shri Freedom Fighter Hema Bharali from Assam, passes away at 101
- Assam born renowned freedom fighter and Padma Shri awardee Hema Bharali passed away in Guwahati suffering from prolonged illness.
- She was 101.
- Hema Bharali, who was born on 19 February 1919 was an Indian freedom activist, social worker, Sarvodaya leader and Gandhian known for her contributions for the empowerment of women and efforts towards the upliftment of the socially and financially challenged sections of the society.
- She had received the Padma Shri in 2005.
