NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
AIIB approves USD 500 million loan to support India’s fight against COVID-19: The Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a loan worth USD 500 million
to support India’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic The project is funded
by AIIB’s COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility, having an initial size of USD 5 to
USD 10 billion. The assistance will help India to scale up efforts to restrict
the transmission of instances, strengthen the public health system to broaden
its response capability and to improve preparedness to handle future outbreaks.
Beijing-based AIIB has created the fund as part of the coordinated
international response to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, to support its
members’ urgent economic, financial and public health pressures and quick
recovery from the coronavirus crisis.
Note: Headquarters of AIIB: Beijing, China;
Membership of AIIB: 78 Members; President of AIIB: Jin Liqun.
2. UP
govt launches 'Pravasi Rahat Mitra' App for migrant workers of state: Uttar Pradesh
Government has launched the 'Pravasi Rahat Mitra' App for migrant workers of
state who are returning from different parts of the country amidst lockdown.
The app, developed in coordination with the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) to keep a watch on the migrants’ health, will also connect
them to government schemes and collect their data to help them get a job in
accordance with their skills. . In this, app, details of more than 65 types of
skills will also be collected.
Note: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Yogi
Adityanath; Governor of Uttar Pradesh: Anandiben Patel.
3.
Jharkhand Bans 11 Pan Masala Brands for One Year: Jharkhand
government has banned manufacture, sale and storage of 11 brands of pan masala
for a year saying these products contain a chemical which is harmful to the
heart and can cause various diseases. The order was passed by the Commissioner
of Food Safety in the state, Nitin Kulkarni. The state had collected 41 samples
of Pan Masala belonging to different brands from different districts to test
and analyse during the year 2019-20. Jharkhand becomes the third state after
Maharashtra and Bihar to impose a ban on pan masala. According to Jharkhand
health minister Banna Gupta, the ban would also help contain the spread of
Covid-19 in Jharkhand.
Note: Chief Minister of Jharkhand: Hemant
Soren; Governor of Jharkhand: Droupadi Murmu.; Capital: Ranchi
4.
Delhi Top State in Internet Penetration Followed by Kerala: IAMAI Report:
Delhi has emerged as the top most state with the highest Internet penetration
rate among all the other states of India, according to a study titled ‘Digital
in India’ by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). The study has
been curated by Nielsen and based on IRS data. Delhi is followed by Kerala at
second position in terms of internet penetration, means the number of internet
users.
In terms of cities, Mumbai has registered
highest number of Internet users, which is estimated to be 13 million. Delhi is
ranked second with 11.3 million, followed by Bengaluru (6.6 million), Kolkata
(6.3 million) and Chennai (6 million) respectively.
5.
TRIFED sings MoU with AOL for promoting tribal enterprises: Tribal Cooperative
Marketing Development Federation of India, TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal
Affairs and Art Of Living, AOL Foundation have signed Memorandum of
Understanding to collaborate in programmes of each organisation for promoting
Tribal Enterprises. AOL has agreed to provide Free Ration Kits to Tribal
Artisans. TRIFED Regional Offices have compiled the list of 9,409 needy tribal
artisans for distribution of ration kits under I Stand with Humanity campaign.
Note: Minister of Tribal Affairs: Arjun
Munda; Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs: Renuka Singh
Saruta.
Founder of Art of Living: Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar; Art of Living Founded: 1981; Art of Living Headquarters: Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
6. ICMR ties up
with Indian Post to deliver COVID-19 testing kits: India Post has entered a
tie-up with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the delivery of
Covid-19 testing kits across the country. The tie-up assumes crucial significance
to carry out around 1 lakh tests across the country per day. India Post is
making special arrangements with ICMR to deliver the kits that are packed in
dry ice delivered from 16 depots (located in 14 postal circles/states) to 200
labs located across the country even in remote areas.
Note:
Director-General of ICMR: Balram Bhargava; Headquarters of ICMR: New Delhi.
Indian Post
Founded: 1 April 1854; Headquarters of Indian post: New Delhi.
7. Defence Ministry
signs pact with Tata Power to modernize 37 Airfields: Defence Ministry has
signed ₹1,200 crore deal with Tata Power SED to modernize infrastructure of 37
airfields for Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, and Indian Coast Guard. The
project will boost over 250 MSMEs under phase II. Earlier, 30 airfields were
upgraded under Phase I. The project is a turnkey project that includes
installation and commissioning of modern airfield equipment like Cat-II
Instrument Landing System and Air Field Lightning System (AFLS) etc. The total
cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 1,200 crore.
Note: Headquarters
of TATA Power SED: New Delhi, India; TATA Power president: Natarajan
Chandrasekaran.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. UN
appeals for USD 6.7 billion to fight corona virus pandemic in poor count: The United Nations
called on governments, companies and billionaires to contribute to a USD 6.7
billion fund for immediate needs in fighting the coronavirus pandemic in
vulnerable countries. The UN's initial USD 2 billion appeals unveiled on March
25 was being increased because there is already evidence of incomes plummeting
and jobs disappearing, food supplies falling and prices soaring, and children
missing vaccinations and meals.
2.
India, Russia signs MoU on coking coal: India and Russia signed memorandum of understanding
(MoU) to import coking coal to meet requirements of the Indian steel industry.
Coal India signed MOUs with two Russian entities within the areas of coking
coal mining within the Russian Far East and therefore the Arctic Region. The
first MOUs was signed with Far Eastern Agency for Attracting Investments and
Supporting Exports (FEAAISE), Russia and the second MoU was signed with Eastern
Mining Company (FEMC) of Russian Federation for exploring, identifying,
sourcing, negotiating and consummating interdependent investment opportunities
within the mining sector within the Russian Far East . India is expected to
play a key role in the resurgence of demand which will be pivotal in global
economic revival after the COVID-19 crisis.
Note: Headquarters of Coal India: Kolkata;
CEO of Coal India: Anil Kumar Jha.
3.
World Migratory Bird Day 2020: 9th May: The World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is
observed on Second Saturday in the month of May to raise awareness of migratory
birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. In 2020, the
day is being held on 9 May 2020. The theme of 2020 World Migratory Bird Day is
“Birds Connect Our World”. Officially, the World Migratory Bird Day is observed
twice in a year, once on second Saturday in May and the other on Second
Saturday in October. The Day was officially declared by the United Nations in
2006. It is organized by a collaborative partnership among two UN treaties
namely the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the African-Eurasian
Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Colorado-based non-profit
organization, Environment for the Americas (EFTA).
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Kumar Sangakkara set to serve second term as MCC president: Former Sri Lanka
skipper Kumar Sangakkara tenure to serve as the President of Marylebone Cricket
Club (MCC) is set to be extended by one more year, due to the unusual halt in
all the activities of the club in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The recommendation
for Kumar Sangakkara’s extension for second term will be sent to the club
members at the club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 24, 2020. Sangakkara
became the first non-British President of MCC, after assuming the office on
October 1 2019. The tenure of MCC Presidents is generally 12 months.
Note: Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)
Founded: 1787; Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Headquarters: London, United
Kingdom.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
India's foreign exchange reserves up by 1.622 million dollars: According to an RBI
press release, India's foreign exchange reserves has increased by 1.622 million
dollars to reach 481.078 billion dollars in the week ended 1st May. A major
part of the overall reserves rose by 1.752 billion dollars to 479.455 billion
dollars. Gold reserves depleted by 623 million dollars to end at 32.277 billion
dollars. India's special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund
went up by 5 million dollars to 1.426 billion dollars.
2.
Nabard disburses ₹12,767 cr to State Co-op Banks, RRBs: The National Bank
for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has disbursed ₹12,767 crore to
State Co-operative Banks (StCBs) and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) across the
country to augment their resources for extending credit to farmers during the
ongoing lockdown. There are 33 StCBs and 45 RRBs in the country, and they are
important intermediaries in the rural credit structure. Nabard has extended the
refinance (May 4 and May 5)to these rural banks in 15 States so far, including
Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya
Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Moody’s Projects India’s GDP Growth at 0% for FY21: oody’s Investors
Service has projected India’s growth at 0 percent for the current fiscal
2020-21. This is lower than 4.8 percent estimated in 2019-20. For the fiscal
year 2021-22, the growth is expected to rebound to 6.6 percent. The country’s
sovereign rating has also been downgraded from stable to negative, due to lower
economic growth. The negative outlook reflects increasing risks that economic
growth will remain significantly lower than in the past.
Note: Headquarters of Moody’s: New York,
United States; President & CEO of Moody’s: Raymond W. McDaniel, Jr.
OBITUARIES
1.
KFH Tournament founder Pandanda Kuttappa passes away: Founder of Kodava
Family Hockey Tournament, Pandanda Kuttappa passed away. Kuttappa conceived the
idea of Kodava family hockey festival in 1997. He was a former State Bank of
India employee and an ex-first division hockey referee, Pandanda Kuttappa has
bestowed the Karnataka Rajyothsava award in 2015. Kuttappa used to oversee the
tournament for the last 22 years. Kodava Family Hockey Tournament held every
year in Karnataka.
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