Current Affairs Today 28th April 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Day For Safety And Health At Work

• The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally.
• 28 April is also the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers organized worldwide by the trade union movement since 1996.
• The World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2020 will focus on addressing the outbreak of infectious diseases at work, in particular, on the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The theme for 2020 is Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Shri Narendra Singh Tomar issues guidelines regarding the SVAMITVA scheme

• Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Shri Narendra Singh Tomar issued guidelines regarding the SVAMITVA scheme, a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
• This scheme will help in streamlining planning and revenue collection in rural areas and ensuring clarity on property rights; the scheme will also enable creation of better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plans engaging Drone Surveying technology.
• Shri Narendra Singh Tomar also released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) regarding e-Gram Swaraj.

About SVAMITVA scheme

• SVAMITVA scheme, a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India, aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India, engaging the latest Drone Surveying technology, for demarcating the inhabitant (Aabadi) land in rural areas.
• The program is currently being implemented in six states – Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Under this, mapping of rural housing land can be done using the latest survey methods and drones.
• In Punjab and Rajasthan, 101 Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) will be set up during this year which will set the stage for undertaking actual survey and mapping of inhabited areas of villages next year.

About Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj

• Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare ,Rural Development & Panchayati Raj- Shri Narendra Singh Tomar
• Constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Axis Bank, Max Financial Services sign JV pact for Max Life Insurance

• Axis Bank Limited and Max Financial Services Limited (MFS) announced the signing of definitive agreements to become joint venture partners in Max Life Insurance Company Limited (Max Life).
• Axis Bank will hold 30 per cent stake in Max Life post transaction closure.
• The development will result in a mutually beneficial and enduring relationship between Axis Bank and Max Life and bring the stability of a long term partnership to India’s fourth largest private life insurance franchise, Axis Bank stated in a statement, adding that the joint venture arrangement will significantly improve Max Life’s competitive position vis a vis its competitors, including the other large bank owned private life insurers.
• The Boards of Axis Bank, MFS and Max Life approved the transaction late on April 27.
• This development follows discussions after the three companies had signed a confidentiality and exclusivity arrangement on February 20 this year to explore the possibility of a long-term

About Axis Bank:

• CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Tagline : Badhti Ka naam Zindagi.

About Max Life Insurance Company Limited (Max Life).

• Chairman: Analjit Singh
• Headquarters  : New Delhi.

Indian Overseas Bank launches special scheme for self help groups

• Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) stated it has introduced a special borrowing programme for self help groups to help them tide over the challenges inflicted by COVID-19.
• The maximum loan amount is Rs 5,000 per member of a self help group (SHG) with a cap of Rs 1 lakh for the group.
• The bank stated SHGs with a good track record and a history of minimum two loans from IOB will be eligible for this loan facility, which can be availed till June 30, 2020.
• As per the bank’s rule, only those SHGs whose existing loans are standard and performing as on March 1, 2020 are eligible to avail loan under this special scheme.
• The state-owned lender stated interested borrowers can apply through branches directly or through business correspondents. IOB stated the loans would be sanctioned and disbursed within six working days.
• The loans are to be repaid in 30 EMIs after initial moratorium of six months, it stated, adding the rate of interest for these loans is 9.4 per cent.
• The bank stated it will not charge any processing fee or pre-payment fee for this loan scheme.
• Also these loans will have no correlation with the corpus of the SHG. Moreover, to encourage this segment of borrowers no additional security will be required from the group.

About Indian Overseas Bank (IOB):

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS:  BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

DROR partners with MobiKwik to launch first-ever ‘Social Distancing Contest’

• In a bid to encourage people to practice social distancing to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, DROR, India’s personal safety app that keeps track of ‘social distancing score’. It has launched a first of its kind ‘Social Distancing Contest’, in association with MobiKwik.
• The company stated that the upcoming contest aims at spreading awareness on the importance of social distancing to contain the spread of Covid-19 in India.
• Through the created platform, users will now be able to share their social distancing score and drive forward the message through this thought-led community-driven initiative that is playing a vital role in flattening the curve, DROR mentioned.

About Defence Research and Development Organisation:

• Headquarters -New Delhi
• Chairman- Dr G. Satheesh Reddy

About Mobikwik:

• Headquarters : Gurugram
• CEO: Bipin Preet Singh

CRISIL pegs India’s FY21 economic growth rate at 1.8% from 3.5%

• Domestic rating agency CRISIL cut its projections for India’s economic growth rate to 1.8 per cent, from 3.5 per cent it had earlier predicted for 2020-21.
• Its parent Standard & Poor’s has (S&P) forecast the world economy to contract 2.4 per cent, against its earlier estimates of 0.4 per cent growth.
• CRISIL had a gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimate of 6 per cent for 2020-21 (FY21), which was revised to 3.5 per cent in late March.
• Among the major economies, India and China are the only exception to the declining economic activities in 2020 or FY21 in India’s case. The agency projected total losses of Rs 10 trillion or Rs 7,000 per person due to the “disastrous” lockdowns to control the Covid-19 pandemic.

About CRISIL Rating Agency:

• CEO: Ashu Suyash
• Headquarters: Mumbai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

King George Medical University in Lucknow becomes 1st govt hospital in country to successfully launch Plasma Therapy Treatment for COVID-19

• The King George Medical University in Uttar Pradesh has become the first government hospital in the country to successfully launch the plasma therapy treatment for the COVID-19 patients.
• Vice Chancellor of the KGMU Prof MLB Bhatt termed it a proud moment for university and stated that we were preparing for the Plasma Therapy right from the approval from Indian Council of Medical Research. The plasma was already secured from the three recovered COVID-19 patients who were treated at KGMU itself.
• Assistant Professor of the medicine department Dr. D Himashu stated that COVID-19 patient who was on ventilator has shown signs of recovery and second dose of the plasma transfusion therapy can be given. If this patient recovers successfully then it will be a great step in treating the serious patients with the help of plasma transfusion therapy.

Plasma therapy 

• In this therapy, plasma- a blood component, from a cured COVID-19 patient is transfused to a critically ill coronavirus patient.
• The blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 develops antibodies to battle against the virus.
• The antibodies from the blood of a cured coronavirus patient is then used to treat another critical patient.

About Uttar Pradesh:

• Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• Capital: Lucknow

Assam government announces Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for journalists

• The Assam government announced life insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs each for all journalists in the state who are reporting during the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.
• Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal made the announcement and stated journalists are covering the outbreak by braving infection.
• The Assam Chief Minister also stated that in the battle against Covid-19, journalists are working with the state departments to create awareness.
• While wishing journalists good health, Sonowal urged them to continue to report on the outbreak in the days to come for the good of the society.

About Assam:

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
• Governor :Jagdish Mukhi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

RBI extends Madhavan Menon’s term as part-time Chairman of CSB Bank

• Reserve Bank of India has extended the term of appointment of Madhavan Menon as the part-time Chairman of the Catholic Syrian Bank till July 21, 2020.
• The extension is in terms of Section 10B (1A)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• Menon was appointed as part-time Chairman of CSB Bank for a period of one year with effect from April 22, 2019.
• He has been holding the position of Non-Executive Director of the Bank since September 3, 2018.
• Menon is a nominee director of FIH- Mauritius Investments Ltd., which held 49.73 per cent stake in the Bank as at March-end 2020.

About Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB)

• Headquarters– Thrissur, Kerala.
• Tagline– Support All the Way.
• CEO & MD– Rajendran Chinna Veerappan.

US President Donald Trump nominates Indian-American as US envoy to OECD

• US President Donald Trump has nominated senior Indian-American diplomat Manisha Singh as America’s next envoy to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD.
• Manisha Singh is currently Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs at the State Department. Headquartered in Paris, France, the OECD is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 36 member countries to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
• She previously served as the Acting Under Secretary of Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs at the State Department.

About Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD:

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Secretary-General : José Ángel Gurría

About United States:

• Capital: Washington, D.C.
• President: Donald Trump
• Currency : United States dollar (USD)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Pakistan Navy successfully test-fires anti-ship missiles in Arabian Sea

• The Pakistan Navy successfully test-fired a series of anti-ship missiles in the North Arabian Sea.
• The missiles were fired from surface ships, fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.
• The announcement was made by Pakistan Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Arshid Javed and didn’t reveal the details of the drill.
• After the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by the Indian government,the relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated further, which in turn ended diplomatic relations with India.

About Pakistan

• Capital– Islamabad
• Currency– Pakistani rupee
• Prime minister– Imran Khan
• President– Arif Alvi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

Australia cancels premier multilateral air combat training exercise

• Australia has informed India that their premier multilateral air combat training exercise Pitch Black 2020 scheduled from July 27 to August 14 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation, defence sources stated.
• This was conveyed by Air Marshal Meg Hupfeld, Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), in a letter to Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, in mid-April.
• The exercise is also an opportunity to interact with forces from across the globe, a second defence source stated. The next edition of Pitch Black is scheduled in
• In the last edition of Pitch Black in 2018, the IAF for the first time deployed fighter aircraft which it had stated would “provide a unique opportunity for exchange of knowledge and experience with these nations in a dynamic warfare environment”.
• The contingent consisted of 145 personnel, four Su-30MKI fighters, one C-130 and one C-17 transport aircraft which went to Australia via Indonesia and during the transit had constructive engagements with Indonesian and Malaysian Air Forces as well.

Exercises of the Indian Air Force:

• Aviaindra: Russia & India
• Cope India: United States & India
• Shinyuu Maitri – Bi-Lateral Exercise: Japan & India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Middle-distance runner Jhuma Khatun banned for four years by AIU after testing positive for banned substance

• Middle distance runner Jhuma Khatun has been banned for four years by the Athletics Integrity Unit of the world governing body for testing positive for a banned substance in a nearly two-year-old doping case which the NDTL had failed to detect.
• The 31-year-old Khatun’s dope sample collected during the National Inter-State Championships in June 2018 in Guwahati returned negative when it was tested by the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL).
• Khatun had won a bronze each in 1500m and 5000m in that Guwahati meet.
• The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) then decided to test the sample of Khatun at its Montreal Laboratory in Canada and it returned positive for dehydrochloromethyl testosterone.
• Khatun, who was also a part of the 2011 Asian Championships 4x400m relay race silver-winning quarter.

Former Pakistan skipper Sana Mir announces retirement from international cricket

• Former Pakistan women’s skipper Sana Mir announced her retirement from international cricket, ending a 15 year long illustrious career.
• Mir featured in 226 international matches for Pakistan, including 137 as captain from 2009 to 2017.
• The right-handed batter made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Karachi in December 2005, while her last ODI was against Bangladesh in Lahore in November 2019.
• With 151 ODI wickets in 120 ODIs, she shares the fourth position on the all-time list with Anisa Mohammed of the West Indies.
• She is one of the nine women cricketers to have taken 100 wickets and scored 1,000 runs in ODIs.
• The 34-year-old cricketer is currently ranked 9th and 41st in the ICC’s ODI and T20I bowlers’ lists, respectively.

Olympic Medallist Mathias Boe Announces Retirement from International Badminton

• Denmark’s ace doubles exponent Mathias Boe, a silver medallist at the 2012 London Olympics and 2013 World Championships announced his retirement from international badminton.
• In his career spanning two decades, the 39-year-old Danish shuttler has partnered the likes of Michael Jensen, Thomas Hovgaard and Michael Lamp, before striking up a successful long-term combination with Carsten Mogensen.
• Mathias was also part of the team that won the Thomas Cup in 2016. They were frequently on the podium at the Superseries events and also won the coveted All England (2011, 2015) twice apart from three straight World Superseries Finals (2010, 2011, 2012) titles.
• The partnership split in March 2019, after which Mathias combined with Mads-Conrad Petersen.

PCB bans Umar Akmal for 3 years

• Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batsman Umar Akmal was banned for three years for failing to ‘report corrupt approaches’ ahead of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020.
• The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated the ban was imposed by its Disciplinary Panel Chairman Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, who held a hearing.
• The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had suspended the 29-year-old in February pending an anti-corruption investigation by its disciplinary panel.
• The PCB charged him for two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of its Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents in February this year ahead of the Pakistan Super League — a T20 event also featuring international cricketers.

French Grand Prix becomes 10th race to get cancelled over coronavirus

• The organisers of the French Grand Prix confirmed that the event will not go ahead in 2020, in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
• The race was scheduled to take place at Circuit Paul Ricard at the end of June, but officials announced that the decision of the French government to ban all major events until at least the middle of July, coupled with the travel restrictions in place to help contain the spread of coronavirus, meant it will be impossible for the Grand Prix to go ahead as planned, the Formula 1’s official website stated.
• It becomes the 10th race of the 2020 season to have been cancelled or postponed in light of the current health crisis.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

India third largest military spender in world, after US and China

• India has become the third largest military spender in the world, after the US and China, according to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
• This is the first time that India and China are among the top three military spenders.
• India’s military spending grew by 6.8 percent to $71.1 billion in 2019, according to the SIPRO report on “Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2019”. This was the highest military spending in South Asia.
• Military spending by the US, which is the highest, grew by 5.3 per cent to a total of $732 billion in 2019 and accounted for 38 per cent of global military spending.
• In 2018, India was the fourth largest military spender, a spot below Saudi Arabia. India had spent $66.5 billion in 2018.
• In 2019, Saudi Arabia’s decrease and the increase in Russia’s spending (4.5 per cent) led to Russia moving to fourth position from fifth, while Saudi Arabia fell from third to fifth.

About SIPRI

• Headquarters– Stockholm, Sweden
• Chairman– Jan Eliasson

IIT-Kharagpur ranked top in India, 57th globally in THE Impact Rankings

• IIT-Kharagpur was ranked the most impactful Indian institute and 57th globally in Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2020 out of over 766 universities from 89 countries and regions.
• The index ranked higher educational institutes in terms of social and economic impact they make in society.
• University of Auckland topped the list followed by University of Sydney and Western Sydney University.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Former Governor and veteran politician Devanand Konwar passes away

• Veteran politician Devanand Konwar, who has served as Governor of several states including Bihar, West Bengal, Tripura, passed away. He was 77 years old.
• He had served as the Governor of West Bengal from December 14, 2009 to January 23, 2010, Governor of Bihar from June 29, 2009 to March 21, 2013 and Governor of Tripura from March 25, 2013 to June 29, 2014.
• He joined Indian National Congress in 1955 as a student leader and he had been cabinet minister in Hiteswar.

Noted playwright Bijay Mishra passes away

• Noted playwright and lyricist of Odisha Bijay Mishra passed away.
• Mishra was recipient of many awards at the State as well as national level. He won the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi award for his play ‘Vanaprastha’.
• Besides, he won Odisha Sahitya Akademi and other State-level awards. He also received the prestigious Jayadev Award for his lifetime contribution to Odia film industry at the 30th Odisha State Film Awards last year.

Ex-NASA administrator James Beggs passes away

• Former NASA administrator James M. Beggs,passed away.
• He led the agency during the early years of the space shuttle program and resigned after the Challenger disaster killed seven astronauts in 1986.
• Beggs was the sixth administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

About NASA

• Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States
• Current administrator – Jim Bridenstine

DAILY CA 26th & 27th  APR

• International Delegate’s Day- 25th april
• World Intellectual Property Day- 26th april

• World Immunization Week- 24-30 April
• eGov Foundation launches COVID e-pass platform for movement of essential goods and service providers
• NTPC Vindhyachal becomes India’s largest power plant to achieve 100 per cent Plant Load Factor
• Australia launches COVID-19 tracking app 

• Facebook rolls out new group calling feature- Messenger rooms
• RBI announces Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds of Rs 50,000 crore
• India Ratings lowers GDP growth rate further to 1.9%, a 29-year low
• APEC economy to reduce by 7 pc in 2020
• CARE Ratings predicts FY21 GDP growth at 1%
• Assam govt launches Dhanwantari scheme for home delivery of medicines
• Thuthukudi airport in Tamilnadu upgraded to level 3
• Madhya Pradesh govt launches Jivan Shakti Yojana for women
• Kerala (IIITM-K) Have Developed an AI-Based Search Engine For COVID-19 Research
• AP launches pharmacy app for surveillance on cold, fever patients
• HDFC acquires 6.43% stake in debt-trapped Reliance Capital
• Govt appoints new Secretaries in different Ministries and Departments
• Mukesh Ambani back on top as Asia’s richest man
• IIT Roorkee professor developed a software that detects Coronavirus in five seconds by using the patient’s X-ray scan
• Kerala government hospital deploys robot ”KARMI-Bot” to serve COVID-19 patients
• NASA develops high-pressure ventilator ‘ VITAL’ to fight COVID-19
• China names its Mars mission Tianwen-1
• Veteran photojournalist Ronny Roy passes away

DAILY CA 28th  APR

• World Day For Safety And Health At Work – 28th april
• Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Shri Narendra Singh Tomar issues guidelines regarding the SVAMITVA scheme
• Axis Bank, Max Financial Services sign JV pact for Max Life Insurance
• Indian Overseas Bank launches special scheme for self help groups
• DROR partners with MobiKwik to launch first-ever ‘Social Distancing Contest’
• CRISIL pegs India’s FY21 economic growth rate at 8% from 3.5%
• King George Medical University in Lucknow becomes 1st govt hospital in country to successfully launch Plasma Therapy Treatment for COVID-19 

• Assam government announces Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for journalists
• RBI extends Madhavan Menon’s term as part-time Chairman of CSB Bank

• US President Donald Trump nominates Indian-American as US envoy to OECD
• Pakistan Navy successfully test-fires anti-ship missiles in Arabian Sea
• Australia cancels premier multilateral air combat training exercise
• Middle-distance runner Jhuma Khatun banned for four years by AIU after testing positive for banned substance
• Former Pakistan skipper Sana Mir announces retirement from international cricket
• Olympic Medallist Mathias Boe Announces Retirement from International Badminton
• PCB bans Umar Akmal for 3 years
• French Grand Prix becomes 10th race to get cancelled over coronavirus
• India third largest military spender in world, after US and China
• IIT-Kharagpur ranked top in India, 57th globally in THE Impact Rankings
• Former Governor and veteran politician Devanand Konwar passes away
• Noted playwright Bijay Mishra passes away
• Ex-NASA administrator James Beggs passes away