Current Affairs Today 11th April 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

WADA celebrates ‘Play Safe on Play True Day 2020’

• On 9th April, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) celebrates Play True Day with athletes, National and Regional Anti-Doping Organizations, Sports Federations, Major Event Organizers and other anti-doping stakeholders from the global Clean Sport community.
• Since 2014, in April, WADA and the anti-doping community worldwide have celebrated ‘Play True Day’ — a day that is dedicated to Clean Sport and is intended to raise awareness among athletes, the sporting public and others about the importance of protecting Clean Sport.
• Theme – Play Safe on Play True Day 2020.
• WADA HQ- Montreal, Canada

National Safe Motherhood Day

• National Safe Motherhood Day (NSMD) is observed annually on 11 April to raise awareness about the proper healthcare of women and maternity facilities to pregnant and lactating women.
• This day also focus on reducing anaemia among women, institutional delivery, for better pre and post natal health care etc. which are necessary for mothers.

National Pet Day

• Celebrated annually on April 11th, National Pet Day is a day to commemorate everything that our pets do for us on a daily basis.
• National Pet Day was founded by Colleen Paige – an Animal Welfare Advocate and Pet Lifestyle Expert – in 2006 to celebrate pets and the joy they bring into our homes.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Union HRD Minister launches ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ campaign to invite ideas to improve online education ecosystem

• The Union Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal launched a week long ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ campaign for crowd sourcing of ideas for improving online education ecosystem of India.
• This campaign aims to invite all the best brains in the country to share suggestions/solutions directly with HRD Ministry to overcome constraints of online education.
• Ideas can be shared on mhrd@gmail.com and on twitter by using #BharatPadheOnline till 16th April 2020.
• The schools, colleges and all academic institutions have been closed for the period and several schools have started taking classes online so as to ensure that students do not suffer.

About Human Resource Development ministry :

• The Ministry of Human Resource Development, formerly Ministry of Education, is responsible for the development of human resources in India
• Officeholder: Ramesh Pokhriyal (Union Minister)
• Headquarters: New Delhi

NCW launches WhatsApp number to report cases of domestic violence

• The National Commission for Women, NCW launched a WhatsApp number 7217735372 to report cases of domestic violence, which have seen a rise during the lockdown period.
• The Commission urged people to report such cases through messages on the number so that the agency can provide support and assistance to women in distress or experiencing domestic violence.
• The number has only been launched for the period of COVID-19 lockdown till normal offices resume.
• National Commission of Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma recently stated domestic violence complaints have been increasing by the day since the nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25, with 69 complaints received just through email.

About National Commission for Women:

• Formed : 1992
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Rekha Sharma, Chairperson

Centre, TN Govt launch Aarogya Setu IVRS

• The Central and Tamil Nadu governments launched the Aarogya Setu Interactive Voice Response System service which is aimed at guiding people, speed up preventing virus spread, detection, tracking and treatment measures.
• The service, a joint initiative of the State information technology and health and the Centre’s telecommunications departments and the IIT Madras offers people the facility to converse in their mother tongue.
• Union Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami together launched the service through video-conference.
• Prasad stated Aarogya Sethu mobile app has been already launched and crores of people have downloaded it, but that was only confined to smart phones.
• This initiative, is also available for non-smart phones, he stated adding there were nearly 120 crore plus mobile phones in the country and reaching the common people and give them a helping hand is the idea behind the initiative.
• The IVRS initiative will support timely detection, assistance and guidance which would be a a big emotional support, he stated.
• People can give a missed call or send an SMS to 9499912345 and the system calls them back and asks simple questions and based on the reply provided by them, it gives them the right advice on coronavirus.
• The public could convey their health status and conditions like hypertension, inform government about virus related inputs if any (like people with symptoms that may have gone unnoticed earlier) from their localities which will be shared with authorities including the caller’s location for follow up action, the government stated.
• Based on the information people provide they will be classified into low, medium and high risk categories for COVID-19 and in case of high risk, the District level emergency control room will initiate action as per protocol.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

ICICI Bank deploys mobile ATM vans in Delhi NCR and Chennai

• In a bid to enable customers to overcome any kind of cash crisis during Coronavirus lockdown, the ICICI Bank has started deploying mobile ATM vans. Initially, ICICI Bank has introduced mobile ATM vans in NCR and Chennai and soon it is going to introduce the mobile ATM van service in Mumbai, Noida and some districts in UP as well.
• This enables citizens to withdraw cash, conveniently and safely at their doorstep and without having to venture out far from their premises during the COVID-19 outbreak.

About ICICI

• CEO-Sandeep Bakhshi
• Headquarters- Mumbai

IOB nominated for collection of PM Cares Fund

• Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has been nominated by the Centre for the collection of funds for the Coronavirus outbreak. The funds will be assigned to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM Cares) Fund.
• IOB stated the contributions can be made by RTGS, NEFT, IMPS, Cheques and Demand Drafts drawn in favour of “PM CARES FUND”. Contributions can also be sent directly by Electronic Clearing System (ECS) to the designated Savings Bank Account of PM Cares Fund to Indian Overseas Bank.
• All such contributions will be entitled to 100 per cent Income Tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act and donors can download a formal contribution receipt from the PM Cares portal after 15 to 20 days of the donation.

About Indian Overseas Bank (IOB)

• Headquarters: Chennai
• CEO: Shri Karnam Sekar
• Tagline :Good people to grow with

RBI urges bank customers to adopt digital payment modes, launches Twitter campaign

• Reserve Bank of India urged bank customers to adopt digital modes of payment that are convenient and safe.
• The usage of digital modes to make transactions has become all the more important as the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown, imposed to maintain social distancing to contain the spread of the coronavirus, has restricted the movement of people.
• The RBI emphasised on transacting digitally as it gives the convenience of making payments anytime and anywhere.
• The face of the campaign is Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.
• The RBI, through the campaign, reiterated the multiple digital payment options such as NEFT, IMPS, UPI and BBPS that are available 24*7.

About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):

• Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Formation– 1 April 1935
• Governor– Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy Governors– 3 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael DebabrataPatra)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Goa to be the first state to integrate allopathy with Ayurveda to treat COVID-19 patients

• Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant declared that Goa would be the first state to treat COVID-19 positive patients with allopathy and Ayurveda to boost their immunity, as per media reports.
• The CM informed that the state government is planning to integrate allopathy and Ayurveda and Goa will be the first state to use both these streams of medicine.
• He added that although Ayurveda cannot cure COVID-19, it will certainly boost patients’ immunity.
• The treatment will be administered in consultation with doctors who are dealing with COVID-19 patients

About Goa:

• Capital: Panaji
• Chief minister: Pramod Sawant
• Governor: Satya Pal Malik

Jammu and Kashmir government releases Rs 183 crore to workers under MGNREGA

• The Jammu and Kashmir Government has released 183 crore to benefit the underprivileged, wage-seeking households under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), according to media reports.
• The amount has been transferred electronically to workers. Around 12 lakh transactions have been made, depositing the amount directly into the accounts of beneficiaries within a period of 5-6 days by the officials of Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Jammu & Kashmir, the report stated.
• The direct transfer has been made through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) via digitally signed Fund Transfer Orders.
• The release of the wages is significant as the 21-day nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak has majorly impacted the livelihood of daily wage workers across the country including in J&K.
• There are approximately 50 lakh active workers under MGNREGA in Jammu and Kashmir.

About Jammu and Kashmir:

• Capitals: Jammu Cantonment (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
• Lieutenant Governor : Girish Chandra Murmu

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Flipkart, Tata Consumer Products partner to provide essential commodities for consumers

• E-commerce marketplace Flipkart and Tata Consumer Products stated they are coming together amid COVID-19 global pandemic and subsequent lockdown enabling Indian consumers access to essential food and beverage products.
• Tata Consumer Products distributors will list as marketplace sellers on the Flipkart platform. Consumers can use the Flipkart platform to buy different combo packs of essential products such as beverages (tea and coffee) and foods (spices, pulses and nutri mixes).
• The partnership leverages combined strengths of both companies to solve consumer needs for access to essential commodities as they stay indoors and practice social distancing.
• The tie-up is already operational in Bengaluru and both companies plan to expand these facilities in Mumbai and New Delhi in the coming week and tier two towns in the future.

About Flipkart Private Limited:

• Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
• CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy

About Tata Consumer Products:

• CEO: Ajoy Kumar Misra
• Headquarters: Kolkata

Flipkart, ICICI Lombard, Go Digit to offer COVID-19 focused health insurance

• E-commerce marketplace Flipkart, in partnership with ICICI Lombard and Go Digit General Insurance, has launched health insurance policies on its platform that distinctly cover COVID-19.
• Enabling health cover for consumers combating the global pandemic, the two health insurance policies come with instant claim benefits and do not require any medical tests at the time of purchase.
• According to industry estimates, about 56 per cent of the Indian population is not covered under any health insurance policy.
• The COVID-19 Protection Cover by ICICI Lombard provides an instant 25,000 benefit plan paid to the customer on positive diagnosis of COVID-19. It is priced at an annual premium of Rs.159.
• Additionally, the policy provides health assistance benefit, virtual and teleconsultation benefit, and ambulance assistance. It allows Flipkart’s customers to submit digital copies of the claim document to the insurer for processing.
• The Digit Illness Group Insurance offered by Digit Insurance allows consumers to avail a hospitalisation cover up to a sum assured of 1 lakh with an annual premium of Rs.511.
• Further, there is no limit on room rent or intensive care unit. The policy covers 30 days pre-hospitalisation and 60 days post-hospitalisation fee. Policyholders can also avail one per cent of the sum assured for ambulance services.

About Flipkart Private Limited:

• Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
• CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy

About ICICI Lombard:

• Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO– Bhargav Dasgupta

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

AU Small Finance Bank appoints R V Verma as Part-time chairman

• Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Raj Vikash Verma as Part-time Chairman of the AU Small Finance Bank for a period of one year.
• Verma was inducted as an Independent Director with the AU Bank in January 2018.
• The RBI has also approved reappointment of Sanjay Agarwal as managing director and CEO of the bank. Agarwal, who has been associated with this institution since its inception in 1996 (erstwhile AU Financiers (India) Limited.

About AU Small Finance Bank

• Headquarters– Jaipur, Rajasthan.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Biofortified carrot variety developed by farmer scientist benefits local farmers

• Madhuban Gajar, a biofortified carrot variety with high β-carotene and iron content developed by Shri Vallabhhai Vasrambhai Marvaniya, a farmer scientist from Junagadh district, Gujarat is benefitting more than 150 local farmers in the area.
• It is being planted in an area of over 200 hectares in Junagadh, and the average yield, which is 40-50 t/ha, has become the main source of income to the local farmers. The variety is being cultivated in more than 1000 hectares of land in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh during the last three years.
• The Madhuvan Gajar is a highly nutritious carrot variety developed through the selection methodwith higher β-carotene content (277.75 mg/kg) and iron content (276.7 mg/kg) dry basis and is used for various value-added products like carrot chips, juices, and pickles. Among all the varieties tested, beta-carotene and iron content were found to be superior.
• National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology,Govt. of India conducted validation trials for this variety at Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute (RARI), Jaipur, between 2016 and 2017.
• Shri VallabhaiVasrambhai Marvaniya was conferred with a National Award by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi during Festival of Innovation (FOIN) – 2017. He was conferred with Padma Shri in the year 2019for his extraordinary work.

About Biofortification

• Biofortification is the idea of breeding crops to increase their nutritional value. This can be done either through conventional selective breeding, or through genetic engineering.

IIT Kanpur develops low cost Personal Protective Equipment

• Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur has developed a very low cost personal protective equipment, PPE which can be produced for less than 100 rupees.
• Spread of COVID-19 has resulted in a huge demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers in essential services who are exposed to high-risk environments. As standard PPE kits become scarce there is urgent need for low-cost and mass producible alternatives that provide protection for the entire body.
• A team of IIT Kanpur researchers and industry partners has designed the Kit based on thin cylindrical rolls of polythene, which is commonly used in the industry for packaging and making plastic-bags.
• These PPE kits can be mass produced for less than 100 rupees. The design and the production process of the PIPES Kit is open-source which means any small or medium-scale factory anywhere in the country can start manufacturing them in large quantities within a few days.

NIPER-Guwahati designs innovative 3D products to fight COVID-19

• Researchers at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research – Guwahati (NIPER-G) have come out with two products that promise to be of great help in the fight against the current pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 infection in the world.
• The first product is a 3D-printed hands-free object that could be used to help open or close doors, windows, drawers (both vertical and horizontal), and refrigerator handle, or press elevator buttons, and laptop/desktop keyboards, including turning the switch buttons on/off.
• The second product is a 3D-printed antimicrobial face-shield to control the spread of novel coronavirus. It was designed after a thorough study to understand how the virus spread through oral, ophthalmic, olfactory and other body cavities.
• The face shield is also easy to design and it is possible to have rapid development of prototypes. It is also low cost, easy to wear, has good chemical stability, non-fragile and is easy to clean with the existing sanitizers or any alcoholic disinfectant.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

India retains 108th spot at FIFA’s latest ranking

• India football team retained its 108th spot in the latest FIFA rankings.
• Belgium and France retained their first and second positions respectively in the latest rankings. Brazil is on the third place followed by England.
• In the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic, qualifier tournaments have been postponed for the FIFA World Cup and other major games at the international level. Not only this, due to Corona, the Olympic football tournament, CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) Copa America and UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) EURO also had to cancel famous events.

About FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association)

• Headquarters– Zurich, Switzerland
• President– Gianni Infantino

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

2020 USA Fencing National Championships postponed due to coronavirus pandemic

• As the world grapples with the coronavirus crisis, the USA fencing decided to postpone the 2020 USA Fencing National Championships to late July or early August (2020) in order to protect the health of coaches, tournament staff and spectators.
• The decision on the tournament which was originally scheduled for June 28 – July 7 will be made in keeping with guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control as well as local, state and federal regulations.
• Due to the postponement of qualifying tournaments for the National Championships and July Challenge, qualifying paths also are currently being reassessed, the USA fencing stated.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Padma Shri classical singer Shanti Hiranand passes away

• Renowned Hindustani classical singer and Padma Shri awardee Shanti Hiranand Chawla passed away.
• The singer was trained in thumri, dadra and ghazal singing by Begum Akhtar, and was world renowned for keeping the legendary ghazal singer’s style alive in her performances, which she staged all across the world, including Lahore, Islamabad, Toronto, Boston, New York, and Washington.

Former South Africa Test cricketer Jackie du Preez passes away

• Former South Africa spinner and Zimbabwe selector, John Harcourt du Preez has passed away at the age of 77 after prolonged illness.
• He was one of the many Zimbabweans to play for South Africa under the banner of the South African Cricket Association in his country’s pre-independence days.
• In later years he served as a national selector of Zimbabwe Cricket.

Filmmaker Obayashi, who portrayed war’s horrors, dead at 82

• Nobuhiko Obayashi, one of Japan’s most prolific filmmakers who devoted his works to depicting war’s horrors and singing the eternal power of movies, has died. He was 82.
• Obayashi was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2016, and was told he had just a few months. But he continued working, appearing frail and often in a wheelchair.
• His other popular films include his 1977 House, a horror comedy about youngsters who amble into a haunted house, and Hanagatami, released in 2017, another take on his perennial themes of young love and the injustices of war that unfolds in iridescent hues.

DAILY CA 10th  Apr

• World Homeopathy Day- 10th apr
• Govt sanctions Rs 15000 cr for COVID-19 Emergency response
• Indian Railways Develops mobile doctor booth for zero-contact check-ups
• African Development Bank Group unveils $10 billion Response Facility to curb COVID-19
• DBS revises India’s GDP estimate to 5% for FY21
• ADB assures $2.2 billion support package to India
• Jana Small Finance Bank rolls out digital banking platform
• A 24X7 Health Channel dedicated to COVID-19 introduced for localites in Nicobar district
• Ahmedabad railway station gets sanitizing tunnel
• Ladakh LG launches IT based applications to combat COVID-19
• Delhi government launches operation ‘SHIELD’ in identified hotspots
• Centre launches online training portal on MHRD’s DIKSHA platform for frontline COVID-19 warriors
• MoHUA Launches Revised Version of Swachhata App to Handle Queries Specific to COVID 19
• Newly launched ‘SafeSeniors’ app to monitor senior citizens amid Covid-19 crisis
• Anamika Roy Rashtrawar appointed MD & CEO of IFFCO Tokio
• Prize-winning reporter Mary Jordan writes book on Melania Trump
• TRIFED to launch a digital campaign in collaboration with UNICEF for self help groups to ensure Tribal Gatherers carry on their work safely
• Forbes Billionaires List 2020
• Senior Congress leader Hazarilal Raghuwanshi passes away at 93

DAILY CA 11th  Apr

• WADA celebrates ‘Play Safe on Play True Day 2020’
• National Safe Motherhood Day- 11th april
• National Pet Day -11th april
• Union HRD Minister launches ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ campaign to invite ideas to improve online education ecosystem
• NCW launches WhatsApp number to report cases of domestic violence
• Centre, TN Govt launch Aarogya Setu IVRS
• ICICI Bank deploys mobile ATM vans in Delhi NCR and Chennai 

• IOB nominated for collection of PM Cares Fund
• RBI urges bank customers to adopt digital payment modes, launches Twitter campaign
• Goa to be the first state to integrate allopathy with Ayurveda to treat COVID-19 patients
• Jammu and Kashmir government releases Rs 183 crore to workers under MGNREGA
• Flipkart, Tata Consumer Products partner to provide essential commodities for consumers
• Flipkart, ICICI Lombard, Go Digit to offer COVID-19 focused health insurance
• AU Small Finance Bank appoints R V Verma as chairman
• Biofortified carrot variety developed by farmer scientist benefits local farmers
• IIT Kanpur develops low cost Personal Protective Equipment
• NIPER-Guwahati designs innovative 3D products to fight COVID-19
• India retains 108th slot at FIFA’s latest ranking
• 2020 USA Fencing National Championships postponed due to coronavirus pandemic
• Padma Shri classical singer Shanti Hiranand passes away
• Former South Africa Test cricketer Jackie du Preez passes away
• Filmmaker Obayashi, who portrayed war’s horrors, dead at 82