NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Android version of Aarogya Setu App Becomes Open Source: The Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has made the Android version of
the Aarogya Setu app as an open source on 26 May 2020. Opening the source to
the developer community means that the developers and privacy & security
experts will now be able to inspect the source code of the app and modify for
changes. With this, Aarogya Setu becomes the first government product in the
world to be made open source, as no other government product anywhere in the
world has been open sourced at this scale. As per the Government data, 11.5
crore people have downloaded the app so far and 8 lakh people have done their
self-assessment. The process of supporting the open-source development will be
managed by National Informatics Centre (NIC). The source code of Aarogya Setu’s
Android app has been published on GitHub. All developers and researchers can
visit the following link to participate in review and collaboration programme:
https://github.com/nic-delhi/AarogyaSetu_Android.git
2.
SEBI imposes penalty of Rs 7 lakh on NHAI: The National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI) has been penalised with amount of Rs 7 lakh by the Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI). SEBI has imposed the penalty on NHAI for delay
in disclosing half yearly financial results between FY16 and FY19. The penalty
has been imposed on the basis of SEBI’s listing obligation and disclosure norms
(LODR) according to which half yearly results have to be filed within 45 days
from the end of the half year.
Note: Chairman of Securities and Exchange
Board of India: Ajay Tyagi; Headquarter: Mumbai.
Chairman of National Highways Authority of
India: Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
3.
Flipkart Tie-up with Karnataka Mango Board to help farmers sell produce online:
India’s
leading E-commerce marketplace Flipkart has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Karnataka State Mango Department and Marketing
Corporation, to enable mango farmers to sell their produce online through the
Flipkart platform. The partnership will provide farmers with the much-needed
market access to consumers and create a potential revenue stream. With this
partnership, Flipkart is foraying into the Farmer Producer Organisation’s
community further contributing to supporting the livelihood of mango growers
and the farmer community in this difficult time of fighting with coronavirus.
Consumers can place orders on Flipkart’s platform for several varieties of
mangoes in batches of 3 kg. The varieties include Alphonso, Badami, Apoos,
Banganpalli, Kesar, Neelam, Himam Pasand, Sendur and Mallika. Along with the
Mango Board, Indian Post Offices would function as the last- mile delivery operation
partners in this mango season.
Note: Flipkart established: October 2007;
Headquarter of Flipkart: Bengaluru; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Flipkart:
Kalyan Krishnamurthy.
4.
IIT Madras develops light-weight Magnesium Alloy to replace steel & aluminium
in Automobile Industry: A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of
Technology Madras (IITM), along with the University of North Texas and US Army
Research Laboratory, have developed a magnesium alloy with significantly
improved properties, that can replace steel and aluminium in automotive and
aerospace components to make vehicles more fuel efficient. This Magnesium alloy
is lightweight, which helps lower the carbon footprint of vehicles. Lightweight
vehicles need lesser fuel to run and are therefore more fuel-efficient.
Note: IIT Madras Director: Bhaskar
Ramamurthi; IIT Madras Established: 1959.
5.
Indian start-up VAMS Global makes world’s first contactless visitor management
software: A
Mumbai based startup, VAMS Global, has come up with the world’s first
contactless Visitor Management Software, having various features such as
temperature scanner and mask detection, without coming in contact. The
software, called VAMS SafeGuard, follows no touch no queue visitors entry and
can scan body temperature, detect mask on faces among other things, while
following social distancing on the premises. It uses AI to allow entry of only
those visitors who are complying to all the COVID protection measures. It
reads, scans and record one person at a time from a distance of 18 inch in less
than 3-5 seconds.
6.
NCSTC launches COVID Katha in Hindi: National Council for Science &
Technology Communication (NCSTC) along with Anamika Ray Memorial Trust has
brought out the Hindi version of COVID Katha. COVID Katha is the Popular
Multimedia Guide for Mass Awareness that carries information on A-to-Z of
COVID-19 having Do’s & Don’ts, Scientoons, daily information, etc. It was
already being released in English. The COVID Katha is being translated in the
Khasi (Meghalaya), Tamil, Bengali and Assamese version.
7.
Ladakh’s first solar lift irrigation plant inaugurated: Director of
Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Mohammad Raza has inaugurated the 1st
Solar Lift Irrigation Plant of Kargil, Ladakh at Yak Breeding Farm. It has 5 KW
Solar Plant and 3 HP Submersible Pump. This plant will solve the shortage of
water to irrigate lands, drinking water issue making it carbon neutral and
self-sufficient. The Pump is discharging 45,000 Litre water per day from Dawn
to Desk and soon more such projects will be proposed.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen takes Oath for Her Second Four-year Term: Taiwan President
Tsai Ing-wen has won the country’s 2020 Presidential election for the second
straight year. The 63-year-old President Tsai took the oath for her second
four-year term. She is from the Democratic Progressive Party. Tsai won the
election with majority vote of 74.9%, the highest among nationwide elections
since 2008 as well as the highest vote share won by a DPP candidate in
presidential elections ever.
Note: Currency: New Taiwan dollar; Capital
of Taiwan: Taipei.
2.
Saudi Arabia extends tourist visas for 3 months: Saudi Arabia has
announced the extension of tourist visas, which expired during the lockdown,
for a period of three months. The extension will be done automatically through
the system without the need for the visa holder to visit the passport
department. The service will be free of charge. Saudi Arabia has also announced
relaxation in lockdown within a month.
Note: Currency of Saudi Arabia: Saudi
riyal; Capital of Saudi Arabia: Riyadh
3.
World Hunger Day: 28th May: World Hunger Day is observed globally on 28 May every
year to raise awareness about more than 820 million people living in chronic
hunger worldwide. The day was started in 2011 by The Hunger Project to raise
awareness about the people living in chronic hunger worldwide and celebrate
sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty and to inspire everyone to be a
part of the solution. The Hunger Project is US based organization committed to
the sustainable end of world hunger.
Note: Global Hunger Index 2019: India at
102 out of 117 countries, falls behind Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan.
4.
International Day of Action for Women’s Health: 28th May: International Day
of Action for Women’s Health is observed globally on May 28 every year every
year since 1987 to promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
of all women all over the world. The day is being coordinated by the Women’s
Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR). Every woman has a right to
sexual and reproductive health and rights, no matter which part of the world
she hails from, what age she is, or what her ethnicity or religion is.
Note: WGNRR Headquarters location:
Amsterdam, Netherlands; WGNRR Founded: 1984.
5. JK
Rowling releases her new work ‘The Ickabog’ online for free for Children during
COVID-19: The
“Harry Potter” author, J.K. Rowling has released her new children’s story “The
Ickabog” which will be published online for free, for the children during this
lockdown period. The Ickabog’ is a story about truth and the abuse of power.
The first two chapters of “The Ickabog” was released on a new website on 26 May
2020. The author will post the chapters (two or three at a time) every weekend
over the next seven weeks. Rowling has pledged to donate all royalties when the
book is published to “groups who’ve been particularly impacted by the
pandemic.” The whole book format will be made available in November 2020. The
book is an original fairy tale and is available at
http://theickabog.com/read-the-story.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Sri Lanka fast bowler Shehan Madushankar suspended: Fast bowler of Sri
Lanka Shehan Madushanka has been suspended from all forms of cricket with
immediate effect. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) took the decision of suspension after
he was arrested for possessing heroin. Madushankar was the first contracted
player of Srilanka who was remanded over a drug charge. He was caught with 2
grams of heroin in Pannala town.
Note: President of Sri Lanka: Gotabaya
Rajapaksa; Prime Minister of Sri Lanka: Mahinda Rajapaksa; Capital of Sri
Lanka: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte; Currency of Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan rupee.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
NPCI Launches AI virtual assistant ‘PAi’ to create product awareness: The National
Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched an artificial intelligence
(AI) based chatbot called PAi, to create awareness around its products like
FASTag, RuPay, UPI, AePS on a real time basis. PAi is developed by Bengaluru
based startup CoRover Private Limited. The AI virtual assistant, PAi will be
available round the clock to provide accurate information on NPCI products.
Customers can ask queries in English and Hindi, via text or voice on the
websites of NPCI, RuPay, and UPI Chalega.
Note: Founder & CEO of CoRover: Ankush
Sabharwal.
MD & CEO of National Payments
Corporation of India: Dilip Asbe.
2.
Government to withdraw RBI Bond scheme 2018: The government has announced to
withdraw RBI bond or GoI Bonds scheme from 28th of May 2020 due to declining
interest rates. The scheme is also known as 7.75% Savings (Taxable) Bonds
scheme 2018 which is mostly subscribed by retail investors looking for safety
of principal and regular income. These bonds are not available for NRIs. They
are issued at par at ₹100 with min amount of ₹1,000. They are repayable at 7
yrs from the issue date with tax on the bond’s interest.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
RIL rolls out WhatsApp chatbot to address rights issue queries: Reliance Industries
Ltd (RIL) has launched a “WhatsApp chatbot” to address rights issue queries of
its 2.6 million shareholders on the offering. With a task of executing massive
Rs 53,125 crore rights issue amid a nationwide lockdown, RIL has turned to
WhatsApp Chatbot which has been developed by Jio Haptik Technologies.
Note: Chairman & Managing Director of
Reliance Industries Ltd: Mukesh D. Ambani.
2.
Ola Electric acquires Etergo, to launch electric two-wheeler in 2021: Ola Electric
Mobility Pvt Ltd, the electric vehicle arm of Ola, has acquired Amsterdam-based
Etergo BV, manufacturer of electric scooters.
With this acquisition, Ola Electric will enter the premium electric
two-wheeler market and look to manufacture these scooters. Still in the concept
stage, Ola plans to bring these electric-scooters on Indian roads by the start
of 2021, with manufacturing units set up in the country.
3.
Fitch Ratings Projects India’s GDP at -5% in FY21: American credit
rating agency Fitch ratings has drastically projects India’s economic growth
forecast to contract 5 percent in the current fiscal year 2020-21 due to a
prolonged lockdown. This means India’s GDP is estimated to be -5% in FY21.
Earlier it had predicted the same at 0.8%. In its Global Economic Outlook, the
rating agency has forecasted the GDP growth rate of the world and individual
countries.
4.
S&P forecasts Indian economy to contract 5% in FY21: S&P Global Ratings has slashed India’s GDP
growth rate to 5% in the Fiscal Year 2021. The reduction in the growth rates
has been made due to slump in the economic activities in the whole country amid
lockdown imposed to contain Covid-19 pandemic.
DEFENCE
1.
IAF inducts Tejas Mk-1 FOC aircraft in Squadron “Flying Bullets”: Tejas Mk-1 FOC
aircraft has been inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) into the recently
resurrected No 18 Squadron the “Flying Bullets” at Air Force Station Sulur. It
is built under indigenous fighter aircraft program boosting ‘Make In India’
initiative. Tejas Mk-1 FOC is a single engine, light weight, highly agile and
all weather multi role fighter aircraft. The aircraft is capable of air-to-air
refueling and hence makes the Squadron the first in the IAF to induct this
platform.
OBITUARIES
1.
Padma Shri awardee, Urdu Writer Mujtaba Hussain passes away: Renowned Urdu
satirist writer Mujtaba Hussain (87 years) passes away due to cardiac arrest.
He was known for humorous Urdu writings in books and newspaper. He was honored
with Padmashree in 2007. His work includes 'Japan Chalo Japan' and columns in
Siasat. He was known as the Mark Twain of Urdu. The entire collection of his
work can be accessed on www.mujtabahussain.com. He belongs to
Hyderabad.
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