Current Affairs Today 7th May 2020-Download in PDF

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Current Affairs Today – 7th May 2020

NEWS AT A GLANCE

1. International No Diet Day is observed on May 6, and its symbol is a light blue ribbon.
2. ‘Vesak’, the Day of the Full Moon is observed in the month of May by the United Nations on 7 May 2020.
3. World Athletics Day is celebrated on 7 May.
4. Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has decided on a 10 per cent pay cut for the employees earning above Rs 25 lakh per annum, in a business sustainability move amid the COVID-19 pandemic
5. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has extended the last date for filing annual GST return for financial year 2018-19 by three months till September 2020.
6. AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will jointly launch three AYUSH based studies related to COVID-19 situation at New Delhi on 7 May.
7. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has announced the setting up of integrated soil nutrient management a farmers’ movement.
8. Aarogya Setu Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) the feature has been implemented in the Aarogya Setu mobile application.
9. The Ministry of Tourism launched the ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ logo design contest on the MyGov platform.
10. NITI Aayog has virtually launched a campaign in association with Piramal Foundation to protect senior citizens during COVID-19.
11. In its attempt to take some burden off Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), the Karnataka government on Wednesday waived monthly fixed electricity charges for two months.
12. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has started to include Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad in its meteorological sub-division of Jammu & Kashmir.
13. The Government of India has launched its biggest ever evacuation exercises named the Vande Bharat Mission, to bring home nearly 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdown.
14. Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ today announced that, to boost research in the country various amendments have been carried out in Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme.
15. In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched a mobile app CMAPP (Comprehensive Monitoring of Agriculture, Price, and Procurement) to monitor the agriculture needs of farmers.
16. The Andaman & Nicobar Administration has provided three months quota of rice and pulses to the poor and needy persons under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana amid COVID-19 out break.
17. In Tripura, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has launched an online portal scholarships.gov.in under ‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana’ at the state secretariat on Wednesday.
18. In Mizoram, all private schools have decided to reduce the school fees from the students by 50% during the lockdown period.
19. A new initiative for supplying hygienic masks, using machines similar to the popular ATMs has been started in the Thuthukudi Municipal Corporation of Tamilnadu.
20. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated the biggest 250 bedded Corona Care Centre in the State at Indian Institute of Management, Umsawli, Shillong
21. The Iranian Parliament has announced the decision to replace its currency “Rial” with another basic unit of currency called the “Toman.”
22. Iraq’s Parliament chose an American-backed former Intelligence Chief, Mustafa al-Kadhimi as the new Prime Minister.
23. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan held discussion with Minister of Energy of Russia, Alexander Novak through video conferencing on Wednesday.
24. Coronavirus Global Response International pledging conference was held virtually on 5 May. The conference began on 4 May and expected to end on 23 May.
25. UNICEF released a report titled “Lost At Home” on 5 May.
26. Punjab National Bank Housing Finance Limited(PNBHFL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Delhi to support the research and development of a unique prototype material to be used in the manufacture of washable and reusable Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) surgical gowns and masks by using Jacquard knitting technology(machine knitting with a jacquard attachment that makes patterns by the use of colored yarns).
27. Coir Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, to establish a “Centre of Excellence (CoE) for the application of Coir exclusively or in combination with other natural fibres”.
28. D P S Negi, a 1985 batch IES (Indian Economic Services) officer has assumed charge as Director General (DG) of Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment by replacing B N Nanda.
29. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the proposal of Engineer-in-Chief of Military Engineering Services (MES) for optimisation of more than 9,300 posts in the basic and industrial workforce. It is in line with the recommendations of the Committee of Experts, headed by Lt General Shekatkar, which had recommended measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure of the Armed Forces
30. The biography of Captain Vijayant Thapar, a fourth-generation army officer, who was martyred in the Kargil war in 1999 at the age of just 22, is soon to be released on 15 May 2020.
31. Three researchers Joseph J Landsberg (Australia), Richard H Waring (USA) and Nicholas C Coops (Canada), has won the 2020 Marcus Wallenberg Prize, presented annually for contribution in the field of forestry and forest industries.
32. A team from INSPIRE, under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, develops nanomaterials based supercapacitors to achieve high energy density and power density of supercapacitors.
33. Mumbai has become the first city in the country to get a unique ‘Covid-19 Test Bus’ that will move around the city to collect test samples for rapid testing.
34. An IIT Delhi startup “Nanosafe Solutions” has launched an antimicrobial and washable face mask “NSafe”, which is reusable up to 50 launderings, thus greatly cutting down the cost of use.

NEWS IN DETAILS

IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES

International No Diet Day observed on 06 May

• International No Diet Day is observed on May 6, and its symbol is a light blue ribbon.
• It is an annual celebration of body acceptance, including fat acceptance and body shape diversity.
• It means recognising that your body is beautiful exactly as it is and worry less about your weight, body shape and more about being healthy and active.
• The day is dedicated to promoting a healthy life style with a focus on health at any size and in raising awareness of the potential dangers of dieting and the unlikelihood of success.

Vesak day is observed on 7 May

• ‘Vesak’, the Day of the Full Moon is observed in the month of May by the United Nations on 7 May 2020.
• The day commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and Death of Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, all of which is said to have taken place on the same day.

Gautam Buddha:

• The birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha is celebrated as Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti across the world. According to the Hindu calendar, the day falls on a full moon day in the month of Vaisakh (April/May). In 2020, the Buddha Purnima is celebrated on 7 May.

World Athletics Day is celebrated on 7 May

• World Athletics Day is celebrated on 7 May. The date of observation is subjected to change as International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) decides the date every year, but the month remains the same which is May.
• The day aims to boost participation in athletics among youngsters.

Aim:

• World Athletics Day falls under the social responsibility project of IAAF ‘Athletics for a Better World.’
• The day is observed to make people aware of the various health issues and to promote physical fitness.
• The day also aims to establish a link between the youth, sport, and environmental conservation.

History:

• World Athletics Day was celebrated for the first time in the year 1996. The observation of the day was initiated by Primo Nebiolo, the then-president of IAAF. Several competitions take place on the day with the most common types are track and field, road running, race walking and cross country running, etc.

Extra Shots:

IAAF: World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations, is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, covering track and field, cross country running, road running, racewalking, mountain running and ultrarunning.

• Headquarters: Monaco
• Founded: 17 July 1912, Stockholm, Sweden
• Leader: Sebastian Coe
• Type of business: Sports federation
• Nominations: Shorty Industry Award for Best Use of Emojis

BANKING AND FINANCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Kotak Mahindra Bank declares 10 per cent pay cut for staff with over Rs 25 lakh annual salary

• Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has decided on a 10 per cent pay cut for the employees earning above Rs 25 lakh per annum, in a business sustainability move amid the COVID-19 pandemic
• The move comes weeks after the top management voluntarily surrendered 15 per cent of their payments for 2020-21
• The group and Kotak himself had earlier announced donations to the PM-CARES Fund and also the Maharashtra chief minister’s relief fund.

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Kotak Mahindra Bank is an Indian private sector bank headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. In February 2003, the Reserve Bank of India issued a banking licence to Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd., the group’s flagship company.

• CEO: Uday Kotak
• Headquarters: Mumbai

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Centre Extends Deadline for Filing Annual GST Return for FY19 until September 2020

• The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has extended the last date for filing annual GST return for financial year 2018-19 by three months till September 2020.
• CBDT has also extended the validity of e-way bills, generated on or before March 24, and had expiry between March 20 and April 15, 2020.
• The validity of e-way bills has now been extended till May 31.
• All these measures have been taken in wake of extension of lockdown, making it difficult for the industry to meet the timeline.

Extra Shots:

GST: Goods and Services Tax is an indirect tax used in India on the supply of goods and services. It is a comprehensive, multistage, destination-based tax: comprehensive because it has subsumed almost all the indirect taxes except a few state taxes.

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Ministry of AYUSH to formally launch studies on AYUSH interventions for COVID-19 situation

• AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will jointly launch three AYUSH based studies related to COVID-19 situation at New Delhi on 7 May.

Highlights:

• The initiatives are taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic problem in the country through clinical studies including prophylactic and add-on interventions, of AYUSH systems.
• The AYUSH Ministry also studies the impacts of AYUSH based prophylactic interventions in a high-risk population and AYUSH advocacies and AYUSH measures for prevention of COVID 19.
• Ministry of AYUSH has set up an Interdisciplinary Ayush R&D Task Force with a group of experts under the chairmanship of Dr. Bhushan Patvardhan, Vice-Chairman, University Grant Commission (UGC) to formulate and develop strategies for this initiative.

The studies include:

• Clinical research studies on Ayurveda interventions as prophylaxis and as an add-on to standard care to COVID-19
• Population-based interventional studies on the impact of AYUSH based prophylactic interventions
• Ayush Sanjivani application-based study for impact assessment of acceptance and usage of AYUSH advisories in its role in the prevention of COVID-19.

Extra Shots:

The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy is purposed with developing education, research and propagation of indigenous alternative medicine systems in India. The Ministry is headed by a Minister of State, which is currently held by Shripad Yesso Naik.

• Officeholder: Shripad Naik (MOS independent charge)
• Founded: 9 November 2014, India
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Jurisdiction: India

Centre to set up farmers movement on integrated soil nutrient management based on Soil Health Card

• Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has announced the setting up of integrated soil nutrient management a farmers’ movement.
• The announcement was announced by the Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.
• During 2020-21, the major focus of the Soil Health Programme would be on a mass awareness programme for farmers in over 1 lakh villages covering all districts of the country.

Highlights:

• The mission mode awareness of the Soil Health Programme to increase the use of bio and organic fertilizers and reducing chemical fertilizers strictly based on recommendations of Soil Health Card.
• The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation, and Farmers’ Welfare is to launch a comprehensive campaign on soil test based rational application of fertilizers.
• It also promotes organic farming including Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP) for safe nutritious food in association with the Departments of Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation.
• Under the SHC scheme, Soil Health Cards are provided to all farmers at an interval of 2 years.
• Soil Health Card will provide two sets of fertilizer recommendations for 6 crops including recommendations of organic manures.
• Farmers will be given recommendations for additional crops on demand. They can also print the card as their own from the SHC portal.
• SHC portal has a farmers database of both the cycles. It is available in 21 languages for the benefit of the farmers.

Aarogya Setu Interactive Voice Response System implemented

• Aarogya Setu Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) the feature has been implemented in the Aarogya Setu mobile application.
• The new feature of the app aims to include the citizens with feature phones and landlines under the protection of Aarogya Setu.
• The service is available across the country.

Aarogya Setu IVRS:

• Aarogya Setu IVRS is a toll-free service. The citizens are asked to give a missed call to the number 1921 and they will get a call back requesting for inputs regarding their health.
• The questions asked will be aligned with the Aarogya Setu App, and based on the responses given, citizens will also get an SMS indicating their health status and also will get further alerts for their health moving forward.
• So far, the service is implemented in 11 regional languages similar to the mobile application.
• The input provided by the user or citizen will be made part of the Aarogya Setu database. The information will be processed to send alerts to the citizen on the action to be taken to ensure their safety.
• Visit: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/. to get the authentic information.
• Technical queries related to COVID-19 may be emailed at technicalquery.covid19@gov.in and other queries on ncov2019@gov.in and via tweets to @CovidIndiaSeva.
• Also, call at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare helpline no.: 11-23978046 or 1075 (Toll-free).

Ministry of Tourism launched DekhoApnaDesh logo design contest

• The Ministry of Tourism launched the ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ logo design contest on the MyGov platform.
• The objective of this contest is to have a logo for the DekhoApnaDesh campaign coming out of the creative ideas of the citizens of the country.

DekhoApnaDesh:

• DekhoApnaDesh is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism which was launched by Union Minister for Tourism (IC) Prahlad Singh Patel at Konark, Odisha on 24 January 2020.
• The initiative of the Ministry of Tourism is in line with the appeal of the Prime Minister who asked every citizen to visit at least 15 destinations by the year 2022.
• The aim of the campaign is to promote domestic tourism in India which is intended to enhance tourist footfalls in places of tourist interest so as to help develop the local economy.
• During the lockdown, the Ministry of Tourism launched a web series on the overall theme of ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ with the objective to create awareness about and promote various tourism destinations of India, including the lesser-known destinations and lesser-known facets of popular destinations.
• DekhoApnaDesh Logo design Contest activity is live on My Gov, and the link is: https://www.mygov.in/task/dekho-apna-desh-logo-design-contest/
• Also, the winner of the DekhoApnaDesh Logo contest will get 5 nights 6 days all expenses covered holiday package for 2 to any destination in India from their residence in India. The contest terms and conditions are available on MyGov.in

Extra Shots:

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

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

NITI Aayog launches ‘Surakshit Dada-Dadi & Nana-Nani Abhiyan’

• NITI Aayog has virtually launched a campaign in association with Piramal Foundation to protect senior citizens during COVID-19.
• The campaign has been titled as “Surakshit Dada-Dadi & Nana-Nani Abhiyan”.
• This newly launched campaign aims to ensure the well-being of senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The well-being of senior citizens will be ensured by creating awareness about various aspects such as senior citizens’ health and lifestyle, along with preventive measures as well as requisite behavioral changes in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The “Surakshit Dada-Dadi & Nana-Nani Abhiyan” targets to cover 2.9 million senior citizens in 25 #AspirationalDistricts across various states such as Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh.

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The NITI Aayog is a policy think tank of the Government of India, established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals with cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments of India in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.

• 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

Two-month waiver on fixed electricity charges for MSMEs

• In its attempt to take some burden off Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), the Karnataka government on Wednesday waived monthly fixed electricity charges for two months. It also announced that payment of fixed charges in the electricity bills of the large industries would be deferred without penalty and interest for a period of two months.
• The monthly ‘fixed charges’ of electricity bills for MSMEs will be waived for two months

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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 of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
• Officeholders: Giriraj Singh (MOS independent charge), Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister)

IMD subtly includes PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan in its weather forecasts

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has started to include Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad in its meteorological sub-division of Jammu & Kashmir.
• The daily region-wise forecasts are for the entire sub-division, and not for any specific areas within.
• The first such forecast for Gilgit was uploaded on 6 May.

Highlights:

• The move by IMD reflects the changed status of Ladakh as a separate Union Territory (UT).
• The shift can be perceived as subtle diplomacy in claiming India’s rights over Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

India protest against Pakistan court’s order:

• The IMD’s move comes just days after Pakistan’s Supreme Court allowed that country’s government to conduct elections in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. In response, India told Pakistan that it has no locus standi in Gilgit-Baltistan and asked Islamabad to vacate PoK, which is an integral part of India. It was clearly conveyed that the entire UT of J&K and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of India by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession.

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

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

Government Launches Biggest Ever Evacuation Exercise ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ to bring Indians Stranded Abroad

• The Government of India has launched its biggest ever evacuation exercises named the Vande Bharat Mission, to bring home nearly 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Highlights:

• Under the mission, to be undertaken in phased manner, the government will operate 64 flights from 07 May till May 13, 2020, to repatriate its citizens from 12 countries.
• The 64 flights will include: 10 flights from the UAE, 2 from Qatar, 5 from Saudi Arabia, 7 from UK, 5 from Singapore, 7 from United States, 5 from Philippines, 7 from Bangladesh, 2 from Bahrain, 7 from Malaysia, 5 from Kuwait and 2 flights from Oman.
• Of the total flights, 15 would bring back people to Kerala, 11 each to Delhi and Tamil Nadu, 7 each to Maharashtra and Telangana, and the rest to Gujarat, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.

HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announces modifications in PMRF Scheme to boost research in the country

• Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ today announced that, to boost research in the country various amendments have been carried out in Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme.
• The Minister also informed that now there will be two channels of entries, one direct entry and lateral entry.
• In lateral entry, the students, who are pursuing PhD in PMRF granting institutions (completed 12 months or 24 months as per certain requirements) can also apply to become fellow under the scheme as per new guidelines.
• Shri Pokhriyal further highlighted that NITs, which appear in top 25 institutions as per NIRF Ranking (overall) can also become PMRF Granting institution.
• The Minister hoped that the modifications will enable more students to avail of the benefit under the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme.
• To boost research a dedicated Division is being created in the ministry with the name of “Research and Innovation Division”.
• This division will be headed by a director who will be coordinating research work of various institutions coming under MHRD.

Extra Shots:

The Ministry of Human Resource Development, formerly Ministry of Education, is responsible for the development of human resources in India.

• Founded: 26 September 1985
• Officeholder: Ramesh Pokhriyal (Union Minister)
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Jurisdiction: India
• Annual budget: 99,312 crores INR (US$14 billion, 2020-21 est.)
• Departments: Department of Higher Education, Department of School Education and Literacy

STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Andhra Pradesh Unveils Mobile App CMAPP to Monitor agriculture needs of farmers

• In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched a mobile app CMAPP (Comprehensive Monitoring of Agriculture, Price, and Procurement) to monitor the agriculture needs of farmers.
• The CMAPP app will display data regarding cost, procurement, and marketing facilities of the farmers for their agriculture produce.
• The state government has assigned a joint collector in each district to oversee the farming-related issues.

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Andhra Pradesh:

• Capital: Amravati
• Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Literacy rate: 67.4%
• National Park: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Sri Venkateswara National Park, Papikonda National Park

Andaman & Nicobar administration provides three months quota of rice & pulses to poor people under PMGKAY

• The Andaman & Nicobar Administration has provided three months quota of rice and pulses to the poor and needy persons under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana amid COVID-19 out break.
• In a video conference held by the secretary Ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution to review the progress of the scheme, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have become the first among the states and the Union Territories to cover 99% beneficiaries under the 3 month quota of rice and dal in time.
• The Ministry has expressed happiness and satisfaction on the achievement made by the UT Administration in implementing the scheme.

Extra Shots:

Andaman & Nicobar

• Capital: Andaman & Nicobar
• Governor: Devendra Kumar Joshi
• Literacy Rate: 86.63%

Tripura CM launches online portal scholarships.gov.in

• In Tripura, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has launched an online portal scholarships.gov.in under ‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana’ at the state secretariat on Wednesday.
• Deb while launching the online portal said under the Yojana, the state government will provide Rs. 5,000 to 14,608 youths who are in final year in colleges or Universities as a grant for Smart Phones.
• He hoped that the students will be benefited by the scheme and students will use the smartphones in positive ways.
• The submission of online application for the scheme has started and will continue till 6th June.

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Tripura

• Capital: Agartala
• Chief Minister: Biplab Kumar Deb
• Governor: Ramesh Bais
• National Park: Rajbari National Park, Clouded Leopard National Park

Private schools in Mizoram to reduce fees by 50% during lockdown period

• In Mizoram, all private schools have decided to reduce the school fees from the students by 50% during the lockdown period.
• This is also resolved that those schools, which have already taken full monthly fees from the students for April, will not charge fees for the month of May.
• This was decided jointly by the education department officials and representatives from student bodies and Independent School Association at a meeting chaired by the state education Minister Lalchhandama Ralte.

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Mizoram:

• State formed on: 20 February 1987
• Governor: P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
• Chief Minister: Zoramthanga
• Deputy Chief Minister: Tawnluia
• Capital: Aizawl
• Literacy rate: 91.58%
• Shares borders: Assam, Manipur, and Tripura

Hygienic masks now availabe via ATM like vending machine in Tamilnadu

• A new initiative for supplying hygienic masks, using machines similar to the popular ATMs has been started in the Thuthukudi Municipal Corporation of Tamilnadu.

Highlights:

• Under the initiative, five automatic vending machines for supplying masks have been installed in various busy points of the town.
• Hygienic masks can be purchased from the machines on payment of Rs Five for each mask.
• Each machine has the capacity of storing upto 120 masks at a time.
• The vending machines have been outsourced from Coimbatore, where they have been designed and manufactured under the Make In India initiative of the Government of India.
• The vending machines have been installed in busy places like the Muncipality office, Amma canteen etc where foot falls are on the higher side on all working days.
• Arrangements have been made to periodically sanitize the number pad and other parts of the machine that are invariably touched by the public.
• The machines lower the need for public to public contact for the purchase of masks, thus lessening the possibility of more infections
• Municipality sources have confirmed that the vending machines have been generally welcomed by the public.

Extra Shots:

Tamilnadu

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

Meghalaya CM inaugurates 250 bedded Corona Care Centre in Shillong

• Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated the biggest 250 bedded Corona Care Centre in the State at Indian Institute of Management, Umsawli, Shillong
• The Government intends to put mild positive patient belonging to the Category A and B in this facility.
• The centre includes separate floors for staffs, suspected cases, positive patients if any. There are individual rooms with toilets attached to it.
• A medical team comprising of four doctors, 12 nurses, three lab technicians, pharmacists and X-Ray technicians are posted at the centre along with a support team.

Extra Shots:

Meghalaya

• Capital: Shillong
• Chief Minister: Conrad Kongkal Sangma
• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Literacy Rate: 74.43%

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

Irans parliament introduces new currency, Toman, to tackle inflation

• The Iranian Parliament has announced the decision to replace its currency “Rial” with another basic unit of currency called the “Toman.”
• Each toman will be worth 10,000 rials under the new system.
• The move aims to ease the psychological impact of soaring consumer prices on a population that has endured high inflation for decades and grappled the number of zeros in government figures.
• The move by the Iranian government aims to simplify financial transactions.
• Once the law is ratified, the Central Bank of Iran will have two years to implement the change.
• The rial and the new currency is expected to overlap for between two to five years in the market.
• The new system was authorized to manage high inflation in the country.

Extra Shots:

Iran (Capital/Currency): Tehran/ Iranian rial

• President: Hassan Rouhani

Iraqi Parliament choses Mustafa Al Kadhimi as new Prime Minister

• Iraq’s Parliament chose an American-backed former Intelligence Chief, Mustafa al-Kadhimi as the new Prime Minister.
• Al-Kadhimi assumes the premiership as Iraq faces oil revenues that will likely prompt austerity measures, a rising daily tally of coronavirus cases, and other issues.

Extra Shots:

Iraq (Capital/Currency): Baghdad/ Iraqi dinar

• Prime Minister: Mustafa al-Kadhimi

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan holds discussion with Russia’s Minister of Energy

• Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan held discussion with Minister of Energy of Russia, Alexander Novak through video conferencing on Wednesday.
• The discussion was centred around on global oil and gas scenario and review of bilateral cooperation in the field of oil, gas and coking coal.
• Russian Minister briefed the Indian Minister on the recently signed OPEC plus agreement.

Extra Shots:

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is a ministry of the Government of India that is mainly responsible for research and development, intellectual property protection, and international cooperation, promotion, and coordination in renewable energy sources such as wind power, small hydro, biogas, and solar power.

• Departments: Solar Energy Corporation of India
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founder: Government of India
• Founded: 1992
• Officeholder: R. K. Singh (MOS independent charge)
• Jurisdiction: India

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

EU hosted online Coronavirus Global Response International pledging conference

• Coronavirus Global Response International pledging conference was held virtually on 5 May. The conference began on 4 May and expected to end on 23 May.
• Around 40 countries participated in the online summit.
• The conference was hosted by the European Union (EU) and its partners.
• Aim: The conference aimed to raise €7.5 billion in initial funding in global cooperation.

Highlights:

• The conference highlighted the requirement of global responsibility for the global coronavirus pandemic.
• The need to develop and deploy effective diagnostics, treatments, and a vaccine against COVID-19 pandemic was stressed.
• Countries and organizations around the world ensured the development of the life-saving vaccine.
• Several world leaders and organizations pledged $8 billion (around Rs.60,000 crore) to manufacture a vaccine to combat COVID-19, the diseases caused by the novel coronavirus.
• The fund will be used to fund laboratories across the world that have promising leads to research and develop a vaccine.
• Romania contributed $200,000, Canada contributed $850 million. Other top donors were Japan, the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, France, and Saudi Arabia.

Extra Shots:

EU: The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.

• Area: 4.476 million km²
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• Founded: 1 November 1993, Maastricht, Netherlands
• Government: Intergovernmental and supranational
• Founders: Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg

RANKS AND INDICES

“Lost At Home” report of UNICEF says largest number of children displaced in 2019 yr

• UNICEF released a report titled “Lost At Home” on 5 May.
• The report highlighted the risks and challenges of internally displaced children and the need to protect them.

Highlights:

• The report highlighted that 19 million children were living in displacement within their own countries due to conflict and violence in 2019.
• In 2019, an estimated 46 million people were internally displaced by conflict and violence.
• It also stated that there were around 12 million new displacements of children in the 2019, out of which 3.8 million of them were caused by conflict and violence, and 8.2 million by disasters related to weather-related events like flooding and storms.
• UNICEF also called on governments to take concrete action and investment that will help provide protection and equitable access to services for all internally displaced children and their families.

Extra Shots:

UNICEF: The United Nations Children’s Fund is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.

• Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
• Head: Henrietta H. Fore
• Founded: 11 December 1946, New York, New York, United States
• Parent organizations: United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Economic and Social Council
• Founders: United Nations General Assembly, Ludwik Rajchman

AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED

PNB Housing Finance Limited signs MoU with IIT Delhi to develop reusable PPE kits

• Punjab National Bank Housing Finance Limited(PNBHFL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Delhi to support the  research and development of a unique prototype material to be used in the manufacture of washable and reusable Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) surgical gowns and masks by using Jacquard knitting technology(machine knitting with a jacquard attachment that makes patterns by the use of colored yarns).

Highlights

• By this MoU, the PNBHFL will support the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, IIT Delhi in fast-tracked R&D of high-quality PPE material.
• The cloth technology developed under this initiative will help in producing affordable, sustainable and reusable PPEs. The prototype will be tested at government-accredited labs & will be supplied to notable government hospitals.
• The knit construction for the mask is optimized for a secure 3D-fit around the face with a layer of melt-blown, non-woven material in between to ensure efficient filtration and barrier protection with good breathability.
• As for the gown, the fabric and lamination process can be engineered in achieving a stretchable, non-permeable gown adhering to international standards.

Significance of PPE

• In managing patients with highly contagious COVID-19, healthcare professionals rely heavily on PPEs to protect themselves or others from being infected or infecting others.
• But the lack of PPEs poses a risk of infection for armed doctors, nurses and other frontline workers to the risk of infection while caring for COVID-19 patients.

Extra Shots:

PNBHFL:

• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
• Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Sanjaya Gupta

IIT Delhi:

• Director: V. Ramgopal Rao

Coir Board signs MoU with IIT-Madras for setting up Centre of Excellence for coir applications

• Coir Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, to establish a “Centre of Excellence (CoE) for the application of Coir exclusively or in combination with other natural fibres”.

Highlights:

• The Institute has also recommended the use of CGT in the low volume rural roads as a re-enforcement material.
• The Centre of Excellence (CoE) aims at furthering the research work so far done in the coir sector with the support of IIT Madras team of experts.
• It will also support the development of relevant technology and evolve standards for production and processing through specific projects and monitor research projects and mentor of Coir Board’s research institutes/laboratories.
• The Centre of Excellence will also assist in generating the Intellectual Property Rights and technology transfer.
• Coir Board will provide a financial assistance of Rs.5 crores initially for a period of two years for the establishment and running of Centre of Excellence.
• 27 areas of R&D needs of the Coir industry have been identified, to be taken up by this Centre of Excellence, in addition to 10 in-house projects of IITM, in machinery development and road projects.

Extra Shots:

IIT Madras:

• Director: Bhaskar Ramamurthy

APPOINTMENT

IES Officer Negi assumes charge as Director General of Labour Bureau

• D P S Negi, a 1985 batch IES (Indian Economic Services) officer has assumed charge as Director General (DG) of Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment by replacing B N Nanda.
• In addition, he also takes charge as Senior Labour & Employment Advisor of the ministry.
• It is for the first time a dual duty has been given to an IES officer.
• Prior to this appointment, Negi worked as Advisor of Finance, MSME(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises)ministry.
• He also served as Director of Social Security In Ministry of Labour and Employment & Chief Executive Officer (Director and Head of Department) in the National Buildings Organization, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MHUA) from 2006-2014.
• He played a key role in taking reforms and amendments in five Social Security Legislations and Acts, including EPF & MP Act, 1952 & got his credit for housing for all projects worth Rs 1,20,000 crore.

Extra Shots:

The Ministry of Labour & Employment is one of the oldest and most important Ministries of the Government of India.

• Officeholder: Santosh Gangwar (MOS independent charge)
• Headquarters: Rafi Marg, New Delhi
• Jurisdiction: India
• Annual budget: 7,700 crores INR (2018–19 est., US$1.1 billion)

DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Defene Minister Rajnath Singh approves abolition of 9,304 posts in Military Engineering Service

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the proposal of Engineer-in-Chief of Military Engineering Services (MES) for optimisation of more than 9,300 posts in the basic and industrial workforce. It is in line with the recommendations of the Committee of Experts, headed by Lt General Shekatkar, which had recommended measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure of the Armed Forces
• The proposal of abolition of 9,304 posts in MES out of the total 13,157 vacancies of the Basic and Industrial staff has been approved by Raksha Mantri.
• The recommendation was aimed at making MES an effective organisation with a leaner workforce, well equipped to handle complex issues in the emerging scenario in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Extra Shots:

MES: Military Engineer Services is one of the oldest and largest government defense infrastructure development agency in India.

• Engineer-In-Chief: Lt. Gen. Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava
• Founded: 26 September 1923
• Director General (Personnel): Shri Devendra Kumar, IDSE
• Location: New Delhi
• Type of business: Government

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Biography of Captain Vijayant Thapar Titled ‘Vijyant at Kargil: The Life of a Kargil Hero’ to be Released on May 15

• The biography of Captain Vijayant Thapar, a fourth-generation army officer, who was martyred in the Kargil war in 1999 at the age of just 22, is soon to be released on 15 May 2020.
• The e-book titled “Vijyant at Kargil: The Life of a Kargil Hero” has been penned by Vijyant’s father Colonel VN Thapar and writer Neha Dwivedi, a martyr’s daughter herself.
• The book has been published by Penguin Random House.
• It gives an insight about the story of a young 22 year old hero, Captain Vijyant Thapar, who not only grew up with the ingrained ethos of service before self, but went on to put his countrymen, his unit and lastly his friends before his own life.

AWARDS

Joseph J. Landsberg, Richard H. Waring and Nicholas C. Coops Jointly Wins 2020 Marcus Wallenberg Prize

• Three researchers Joseph J Landsberg (Australia), Richard H Waring (USA) and Nicholas C Coops (Canada), has won the 2020 Marcus Wallenberg Prize, presented annually for contribution in the field of forestry and forest industries.
• The trio has been awarded for their Physiological Principles Predicting Growth (3PG) model, developed to predict forest growth under changing environmental conditions.

Extra Shots:

Marcus Wallenberg Prize

• The purpose of the Marcus Wallenberg Prize is to recognize, encourage and stimulate path-breaking scientific achievements which contribute significantly to broadening knowledge and to technical development within the fields of importance to forestry and forest industries.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DST INSPIRE develops nanomaterials with energy storage application and optical sensors for water pollution control

• A team from INSPIRE, under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, develops nanomaterials based supercapacitors to achieve high energy density and power density of supercapacitors.

Feature of nanomaterials based supercapacitors:

• The supercapacitors will help meet the energy demand due to the growth of the human population and technological advancement that poses a great challenge for human society. The high energy density of supercapacitors suggests that constant current can be withdrawn for longer duration without recharging. With this feature, the automobiles can run longer distances without charging. Supercapacitors can be an alternative for such purposes.

Highlights:

• The team aims to develop novel nanostructures of carbon and metal dichalcogenides semiconductors for photodetection and Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).
• The carbon and metal dichalcogenides (MoS2, MoSe2, etc.) nanomaterials based supercapacitors have the ability to achieve high energy density and power density of supercapacitors.
• The development of energy and optoelectronics devices paves the way for the development of cost-effective and efficient devices, which can be used for energy storage applications.
• The SERS can help detect harmful molecules present in water at ultra-low concentrations.
• The novel nanostructures of carbon will make way for materials that can be used as advanced photodetectors and also be used as optical sensors for water pollution control.

Extra Shots:

DST: The Department of Science and Technology is a department within the Ministry of Science and Technology in India.

• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Founded: May 1971
• Subsidiary: National Innovation Foundation – India

IIT Alumni Council Launches India’s first Covid-19 test bus in Mumbai

• Mumbai has become the first city in the country to get a unique ‘Covid-19 Test Bus’ that will move around the city to collect test samples for rapid testing.
• Said to be the first vehicle of its kind in the world, the bus has the facility of onboard genetic testing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based teleradiology and contactless sample collection.
• The special COVID-19 test bus is based on indigenous Kodoy Technology Stack, which involves:
  • e-vehicles for sample selection and telemedicine,
  • algorithm-based pooled genetic testing and
  • indigenous megalabs capable of upto 5 million tests per month per lab.
• This test bus can reduce the cost of testing by over 80% without compromising on the testing capacity.
• It is capable of conducting 10 to 15 tests per hour.
• The bus is an initiative by the C19 task force of IIT alumni council, health department of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), and Krsnaa diagnostics.
• IIT alumni council is a global alumni body for all the twenty three IITs.

Extra Shots:

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, or Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation, also known as Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, is the governing civic body of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. It is India’s richest municipal corporation.

• Municipal Commissioner: Praveen Pardeshi IAS
• Deputy Mayor: Suhas Wadkar Shiv Sena
• Mayor: Kishori Pednekar Shivsena
• Headquarters location: Mumbai
• Founded: 1888, Mumbai
• Subsidiary: Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport

IIT Delhi startup launches ‘Reusable Antimicrobial Mask’

• An IIT Delhi startup “Nanosafe Solutions” has launched an antimicrobial and washable face mask “NSafe”, which is reusable up to 50 launderings, thus greatly cutting down the cost of use.
• The team consists of Dr. Anasuya Roy, an IIT Delhi Alumnus, Founder and CEO of Nanosafe Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and Prof. Mangala Joshi, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, IIT Delhi and also Founder and Director of the startup.

NSafe Mask:

• NSafe mask is a highly engineered triple-layered product consisting of – inner hydrophilic layer for comfort, middle layer having antimicrobial activity and outer most layer having water and oil repellent behaviour.
• NSafe mask has 99.2% bacterial filtration efficiency (at 3 microns) and complies with ASTM standards of breathability and splash resistance.
• The mask is extremely comfortable and breathable. Elastic band in the chin region and wire in the nose region provides adequate fit of the mask to the wearer.
• NSafe mask enhances protection to the wearer through three different mechanisms: mechanical filtration, antimicrobial decontamination and repulsion of aerosol droplets.
• NSafe masks are dry-cleaned before packaging and packaged under hygienic conditions. After each usage (approximately 8-9 hours), the mask has to be handwashed in cold water with mild detergent and dried thoroughly in the sunlight. After 50 usages, the mask has to be disposed in a sealed polyethylene bag and put in the recyclable waste bin.
• NSafe mask is a premium product that is likely to be available at MRP of Rs. 299 (Pack of 2) and Rs. 589 (Pack of 4). The startup has started manufacturing the masks.

Extra Shots:

IIT Delhi

• Director: V. Ramgopal Rao

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