Current Affairs 30th June 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

International Day of the Tropics

• International Day of the Tropics, which is marked on June 29 every year.
• As per the United Nations, the Tropics is home to nearly 95 per cent of the world’s mangrove forests by area and 99 per cent of mangrove species. The Tropics have just over half of the world’s renewable water resources (54 per cent), and biodiversity is also much greater at 80 per cent.

World Allergy Week

• The World Allergy Organization is proud to announce thatWorld Allergy Week 2020 will occur 28 June – 4 July 2020 and will focus on the theme of “Allergy care does not stop with COVID-19.”
• Each year, the World Allergy Organization (WAO) addresses a different topic that has a need for greater awareness.

About WAO

• Headquarters location: United States

World Asteroid Day

• World Asteroid Day or International Asteroid Dayis celebrated in the remembrance of the Tunguska impact over Siberia, Russia. It took place on 30 June, 1908.
• It is said that it was the Earth’s largest asteroid impact ever recorded so far.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

India inks pact with Bhutan for 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project

• India signed a concession agreement with Bhutan for the 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project in the virtual presence of external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
• The 600 MW run-of-the-river project is located on the lower course of the Kholongchhu River in Trashiyangtse district in Eastern Bhutan.
• The project envisages an underground powerhouse of four 150 MW turbines with water impounded by a concrete gravity dam of 95 meters height.
• It will be implemented by Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited, a Joint Venture launched between Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) of Bhutan and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) of India.
• The concession agreement will lead to commencement of construction and other works of this first Joint Venture Hydroelectric Project between India and Bhutan.
• The project is expected to be completed in the second half of
• The 720 MW Mangdechhu hydroelectric project was jointly inaugurated earlier in August, 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutan counterpart Lotay Tshering.

About Bhutan

• Capital: Thimphu
• Capital: Bhutan Ngultrum
• Prime minister: Lotay Tshering

India plans incentives to double auto exports in next five years

• India is drawing up an incentive scheme for the autos sector aimed at doubling exports of vehicles and components in the next five years.
• The incentives would be based on the sales value of vehicles or components and eligiblecompanies would need to meet certain conditions, including a minimum revenue and profit threshold and presence in at least 10 countries.
• The move is part of India’s effort to create ‘champion’ sectors to attract investment, generate jobs and boost manufacturing.
• India wants to promote exports and has identified some sectors, including autos and textiles, for which incentive plans are being designed.
• The initial scheme has been designed to incentivise large companies and in turn benefit smaller players in the supply chain, making the auto sector more competitive overall.

Govt launches PM FME scheme to help micro food processing enterprises

• The Government launched a Rs 10,000 crore scheme for micro enterprises which offers 50% subsidy for storage and transportation to prevent distress sale by farmers.
• The scheme, called Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (PM FME) launched by Food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, aims to bring in new technology, apart from affordable credit to help small entrepreneurs penetrate new markets.
• The scheme will be implemented for five years until 2024-25. It will generate investment of Rs 35,000 core, generate 900,000 jobs and help 800,000 units.
• Operation Greens Scheme, which has been extended from tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops to other notifiedhorticulture crops for providing subsidy for their transportation and storage from surplus production area to major consumption centres, will prevent post-harvest losses and distress sale by farmers when prices fall.
• Under the PM FME scheme, micro enterprises will get 35% subsidy on project cost, with a ceiling of Rs 10 lakh. The beneficiaries will have to contribute at least 10% of the project cost while the balance will come from loans. Nearly 200,000 micro enterprises will get credit-linked subsidy support.
• Under the scheme, meant for the unorganised sector, the expenditure will be shared by the central and state governments in the ratio of 60:40.
• The ministry will provide the 50% subsidy for “transportation of eligible crops from surplus production clusters to consumption centres or hiring of appropriate storage facilities for eligible crops for a maximum period of three months”.
• The maximum subsidy amount per applicant will be Rs 1 crore during a six-month period.

About MoFPI

• Minister of Food Processing Industries: Harsimrat Kaur Badal
• Constituency: Bathinda, Punjab.

Defence Minister launches web portal for issuing NOCs for projects in Indian waters

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a web portal for issuing no objection certificates (NOCs) to entities that are undertaking power projects and activities related to research, survey, exploration and exploitation in the Indian territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
• The online system will establish an effective, speedy and transparent mechanism to process these proposals.
• Singh, along with Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, launched the web portal in the presence of Army Chief General M M Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, and Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria.
• The  newly developed web portal will facilitate the applicants in submitting their proposals online for seeking Security Clearance from the Defence Ministry  for undertaking Power Projects and RSEE activities.
• The web portal has been developed with the assistance of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG) and National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Current Affairs 28th & 29th June 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

National Statistics Day

• National Statistics Day is observed on June 29 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Professor PC Mahalanobis.
• This year the day will be marked virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic and people still are being advised to stay indoors.
• The theme of the day this year is Sustainable Development Goals -3 (Ensure healthy lie and promote well-being for all at all ages) and Sustainable Development Goals-5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

BRO rebuilds bridge on Munsyari Milam Road near Indo -China Border in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand

• In Uttarakhand , a crucial bridge on the Munsyari Milam Road near the Indo -China Border in Pithoragarh has been rebuilt by the Border Road Organisation(BRO) in a record time of five days.
• The 100 feet long bridge with a capacity of carrying weight of around 30 tonnes, is the only route for movement of Army and ITBP personnel to the higher Himalayan posts along the china border.
• The old bridge collapsed because of overloaded trailer carrying an excavator tried to cross it despite several warnings from the BRO.
• This bridge is very important for supplying ration to the army and the ITBP men near the Indo-China border in Uttarakhand.

About BRO

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director General: Lt. Gen.Harpal Singh

Govt Approves Additional Rs 1,691 Crore for Highway Works in J&K, Uttarakhand for 2020-21

• The government has approved an additional Rs 1,691 crore for highway works by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand for 2020-21.
• Of this, Rs 1,351.10 crore has been sanctioned to BRO for road works in Jammu & Kashmir.
• A total of Rs 340 crore ceiling has been approved for Uttarakhand for national highways.
• In addition, it has also given nod for additional sanction of Rs 71 crore for highway works by the state’s Public Works Department in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu,
• Besides, it has also enhanced the total ceiling to Rs 1,955 crore for highways work for Nagaland under Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) from the existing Rs 1,081 crore.

Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda launches TRIFED Digital Platforms through video conference

• Tribal Affairs Ministry has taken several immediate initiatives to re-energise the lagging economic activity for sustaining the livelihood development of tribals to ease the burden of the tribal artisans arising out of COVID pandemic.
• The TRIFED Digital Platforms, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda stated that the team of “TRIFED Warriors” will take Tribal Commerce based on forest products, handlooms and handicrafts to a new high for transforming tribal lives and livelihoods.
• He stated that with more and more people going online to meet their various needs, an important strategic push has been to adopt an all-encompassing digitisation drive to map and link its village based tribal producers to the national and international markets. This was the key focus area of a webinar organised by TRIFED.
• It was attended by over 200 participants. The main highlight was the launch of the TRIBES India products on the Government e-Marketplace and TRIFED’s new website.
• Mr Munda opined that TRIFED plays a major role in connecting the tribals to the mainstream and congratulated the team for their initiatives being launched.
• He urged them to focus on extracting and utilising the wealth of information and knowledge that the tribal communities have, especially with regard to the jungle, and how that can be used to not just benefit their community but can also be of greater help to the country and people in these troubled times.

About Ministry of Tribal Affairs:

• Arjun Munda, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency: Khunti
• Renuka Singh Saruta, Minister of State

Union Minister Shripad Naik Inaugurates Defence Conclave 2020 Gujarat

• Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik inaugurated two-day Defence Conclave 2020 Gujarat via video conferencing and stated that strong defence capabilities would help the nation safeguarding the prosperity “generated in the last few decades“.
• The minister stated that the huge opportunity and clear vision of the Centre for the defence sector “have attracted the attention of not only a few large players but also a large number of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
• Naik stated that the slowing down/saturation of markets in other sectors has also been responsible for directing their interest towards the unexplored defence sector which promises sustained business opportunities.
• Naik stated that the state has emerged as an excellent infrastructure facility and can offer both forward and backward supply chain linkages to the defence and aerospace manufacturing sector.
• The growth drivers for Gujarat include its vast coastline of 1,600 kilometres with well-connected ports, the MSME engineering companies providing entire supply chain for the defence sector, premier educational institutes in management, engineering, design, research and development, infrastructure planning and world-class shipbuilding and repairing facility, he stated.

The Hindu Editorial with Vocabulary – Day 127

1)  Disgruntle (verb) – असंतुष्ट करना

Meaning: To cause to feel discontented or disgruntled

Synonyms: estrange, alienate, discontent, displease

Antonyms: encourage, compose, flatter

Usage:  There aren’t any foreign language soundtracks available on the disc, which

could disgruntle some.

 

2) Machiavellian (noun) – षड्यंत्रकारी

Meaning: Attempting to achieve one’s goals by unscrupulous scheming; someone who

secretly makes plans to do something illegal or harmful.

Synonyms: perfidious, conniving, cutthroat, devious, plotter, conspirator

Antonyms: virtuous, conscientious, honourable, good, respectable

Usage: Reuther’s political success cannot be read solely in terms

of Machiavellian politics.

Current Affairs 27th June 2020| Current Affairs News

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World MSME Day

• Every Year on June 27th is observed as World MSME day.
• Theday was established in 2017 by the United Nations to put Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the spotlight for their contribution to inclusive and sustainable development both locally and globally.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

NS Tomar launches web portal of Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

• Minister for Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar launched the web portal of the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan through video conferencing from New Delhi. The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is the massive employment generation-cum-rural infrastructure creation programme of the Government of India which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi . Its objective is to provide employment to returnee migrant workers at their native places for next four months, because of the situation arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Mr Tomar expressed happiness at the launch of the portal which will provide information to the public about the various district-wise and scheme-wise components of the Abhiyaan.
• It will also help to monitor the progress of completion of the works being undertaken with a fund outlay of 50 thousand crore rupees in 116 districts of 6 states, where there are more than 25000 returnee migrant workers per district.
• He stated, Ministry of Rural Development is the nodal Ministry for Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan and it is working in close coordination with 12 other Ministries for the 25 categories of works which are to be completed in the identified districts in 125 days. Mr Tomar stated that these ongoing works which were progressing at a normal pace as per schedule, have now been fast-tracked to transform the challenge presented by the pandemic into an opportunity to create infrastructure in rural areas in a short duration.
• The launch of the web portal was followed by a workshop for the Central Nodal Officers of the 116 identified districts.

About Ministry of Rural Development:          

• Narendra Singh Tomar, Cabinet Minister
• Constituency: Morena, Madhya Pradesh
• Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State

‘Surakshit Dada-Dadi, Nana-Nani Abhiyan’ launched to ensure well-being of Senior Citizens amid COVID-19 pandemic

• Surakshit Dada-Dadi, Nana-Nani Abhiyan is a collaborative effort between NITI Aayog, Piramal Foundation, and 25 Aspirational Districts to ensure the well-being of 9 million Senior Citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. NITI Aayog has launched this campaign following the appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take care of senior citizens.
• Piramal foundation with the help of social welfare department and district administration is implementing this campaign in Surendranagar district. More than 150 volunteers are engaged in this campaign. They are contacting about 25000 senior citizens of the district through phone calls by taking the contact details from the district administration.
• They inquired about the health of old persons and gave them information on Coronavirus. They also helped them to fulfill their essential requirements like medicines, ration or work related to ration cards.

About Piramal:

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairperson :Ajay Piramal

About Niti Aayog

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Narendra Modi, (Chairperson)
• Rajiv Kumar, (Vice Chairperson)
• Amitabh Kant, (CEO)

Centre to set up taskforce for ‘Golden Hour’ accident claims, insurance pool proposed

Current Affairs 26th June 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

International Day of the Seafarer

• The Day of the Seafarer is celebrated each year on June 25. On this day, people pay respect to Seafarers and sailors who help the entire world function by conducting sea transport.
• Day of the Seafarer celebration was first started in 2010 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
• 2020 campaign– Seafarers are Key Workers

World Vitiligo Day

• The World Vitiligo Day, observed on June 25, is an initiative aimed to build global awareness about vitiligo.
• Vitiligo occurs in 1-2% of the population worldwide; a loss of color in the skin creating a variety of patterns on the skin from loss of pigment.
• The day was created by the non-profit organizationsVR Foundation of USA and VITSAF of Nigeria and the first World Vitiligo Day was held in 2011.

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

• This day was observed on 26 June every year to make people aware of the harmful effects of drugs and to determine a society free of drug abuse.
• It was established by the United Nations General Assembly to strengthen global action and cooperation.
• The theme for the 2020 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking “Better Knowledge for Better Care”

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

• The UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June marks the moment in 1987 when the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, one of the key instruments in fighting torture, came into effect.
• The Convention has been ratified by 162 countries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Health minister Harsh Vardhan launches mobile app ‘eBloodServices’ to order blood

• Union health minister Harsh Vardhan launched the ‘eBloodServices’ App in partnership with the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), for easy access to blood in this critical time of coronavirus pandemic.
• The app is developed by the ERaktkosh team and will bring ‘transparency’ in the blood donation program.
• Through this app, the availability of blood will be visible right in your phone. Once an order has been placed then the blood bank will keep the request active for 12 hours. The app has the facility of placing an order for up to four units of blood in one go.

About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:

• Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Earth Sciences: Dr. Harsh Vardhan
• Constituency: Chandni chowk, New Delhi

About Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS):

• Headquarters: New Delhi

Current Affairs 25th June 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Govt approves Rs 15K-cr animal husbandry infra fund to generate employment

• The government announced a Rs 15,000 crore infrastructure development fund with an interest subsidy scheme to promote investment by private players and MSMEs in dairy, meat processing and animal feed plants, a move which is expected to create 3.5 million jobs.
• The fund is part of the Rs 20 trillion stimulus package announced in May to help people affected by the lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
• An interest subvention of 3-4 per cent will be provided to farmer producer organisations, MSMEs and private players for setting up of dairy, meat processing and animal feed plants.
• The government had earlier approved the Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) worth Rs 10,000 crore for incentivizing investment by the cooperative sector for development of dairy infrastructure.
• Besides, the Centre would also set up a Credit Guarantee Fund of Rs 750 crore to be managed by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) which would provide credit guarantee to the projects which are covered under the MSME defined ceilings. The guarantee coverage would be upto 25 per cent of the credit facility of the borrower

About MoAHDF

• Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries- Giriraj Singh
• Constituency- Nawada, Bihar.

Gadkari launches scheme to provide Rs 20,000 cr guarantee cover to MSMEs

• Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Sub-ordinate Debt to provide Rs 20,000 crore of guarantee cover to two lakh micro, small and medium enterprises.
• The funding scheme to help the distressed MSME sector entails a sub-debt facility to the promoters of those operational MSMEs that are distressed or non-performing assets (NPAs). It is also called the ”Distressed Assets Fund ” Sub-ordinate Debt for MSMEs”.
• Promoters of the MSMEs will be given credit equal to 15 percent of their stake (equity plus debt) or Rs 75 lakh, whichever is lower.
• Ninety per cent guarantee coverage for this sub-debt will be given under the scheme, whereas the remaining 10 per cent would come from the promoters concerned.
• There will be a moratorium of seven years on payment of principal amount, whereas maximum tenure for repayment will be 10 years.
• Promoters of MSMEs meeting the eligibility criteria may approach any scheduled commercial banks to avail benefit under the scheme. The scheme will be operationalised through Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for MSEs

About MSME Ministry

• Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Minister of Shipping and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises- Nitin Jairam Gadkari
• Constituency- Nagpur,Maharashtra

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates Devika and Puneja Bridges in Udhampur & Doda Districts 

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated two important Bridges Devika and Puneja in Udhampur and Doda districts respectively in Jammu and Kashmir through virtual platform.
• The 10-meter-long Devika Bridge at a cost of 75 lakhs was constructed in about one-year time span by Border Roads Organisation.
• 50-meter-long Puneja Bridge constructed by BRO at a cost of Rs 4 Crore at Bhaderwah in Doda District. Basoli-Bani-Bhaderwah road is a vital alternate link to the Doda, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah and Kashmir valley from Pathankot (Punjab) region without passing Jammu and Udhampur.

About BRO

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director General: Lt. Gen.Harpal Singh

Govt to provide 2% interest subsidy to ‘Shishu’ borrowers under Mudra Yojna

• The government decided to provide 2 per cent interest subvention to borrowers under the ‘Shishu’ category of the flagship Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), for a period of 12 months to eligible borrowers.
• Under the Shishu category, collateral free loans of up to50,000 are given to beneficiaries.
• The PMMY was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 8, 2015 for providing loans up to 10 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.
• These loans are classified as MUDRA loans under PMMY. These loans are given by commercial banks, RRBs, small finance banks, MFIs and NBFCs.

Current Affairs 24th June 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Smriti Irani launches FICCI-FLO initiative ‘Empowering the Greater 50%’

• Ms Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development and Minister of Textiles, Govt of India launched a special campaign ‘Empowering the Greater 50%’, a FICCI and FLO initiative spearheaded by Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI.
• Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi has announced a stimulus package of Rs 20 lakh crore which will also empower women and provide financial assistance to the women associated with self-help groups, FICCI-FLO can look at this as an opportunity to collaborate.
• With this backdrop, FICCI and FLO has launched the initiative ‘Empowering the Greater 50%‘ which targets to impact the lives of 1,00,000 women in India over the next three years. As a first step, this initiative aims to build a network of visionaries and influencers who could pledge their time and resources to support this campaign.
• The program is designed to enhance entrepreneurial and decision-making skills through engagements such as mentorship programs, access to finance, business accelerators, training women to get into boards, special guidance to marginalized women on a business framework and financial models.
• Recently, Jahnabi Phookan appointed as the National President of FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO)

About MoWCD

• Minister of Women and Child Development and Minister of Textiles: Smriti Irani
• Constituency: Amethi, UP

India pledges USD 10 million to UNRWA over next two years

• India has announced contributing 10 million US dollar to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) over the coming two years.
• Addressing an Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for UNRWA, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan stated that capacity enhancement through training and building durable institutions is a major plank of our developmental assistance to Palestine.
• Asserting that UNRWA needs continued support, Mr Muraleedharan stated when certain countries withdrew funding, India had stepped up its annual pledge from  1.25 million US dollar to 5 million US dollar in 2018. He stated, for this year, India has  already disbursed  two million dollar  and will soon be remitting the balance three million dollar.
• He stated, India provides 250 annual scholarships to Palestinian youth and officials, apart from regular customised training programmes, and our current project grant is around 72 million dollar.

About UNRWA:

• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is an UN agency created in December 1949 to support the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. The UNRWA definition of “refugee” covers Palestinian who fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Palestine War.
• Headquarters: Amman, Jordan and Gaza, Palestinian Authority
• Commissioner-General: Christian Saunders (acting)

Current Affairs 23rd June 2020| Current Affairs News

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International Olympic Day

• The International Olympic Day is celebrated on 23rd June every year to make people aware of the importance of games in life.
• The entire Olympic Movement has been mobilised to join the online activities on 23rd of June. The International Olympic Committee and its partners, including Olympic Games Organising Committees for Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, Paris 2024, Los Angeles 2028 and Milano-Cortina 2026, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Federations (IFs), Worldwide Olympic Partners and rights-holding broadcasters, will be among those encouraging fans to join the virtual workouts.

United Nations Public Service Day 

• The United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated on June 23 of every year.
• UN Public Service Day celebrates the value and virtue of public service to the community; highlights the contribution of public service in the development process; recognizes the work of public servants, and encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector.

International Widows Day

• International Widow’s Day is celebrated worldwide on June 23.
• International Widow’s Day mainly aims to target the poor conditions of widow’s in underdeveloped or developing countries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Centre sanctions Rs 190 cr for augmentation of healthcare facilities in North Eastern States

• Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh has reviewed the COVID status and healthcare facility in Aspirational districts with special focus on North East.
• The Minister also disclosed that in the wake of COVID pandemic, The Ministry of DoNER has decided to sanction 190 crore rupees for augmentation of healthcare facilities in the eight North Eastern States, particularly for developing infrastructure for management of infectious diseases.
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh stated, the concept of Aspirational District was based on 49 key indicators, of which the status of healthcare was an important component. The Minister stated that an important experience from the COVID pandemic is that in future, pre-emptive preparedness for epidemic and infection was imperative for optimum healthcare.
• Considering this, the Minister stated, the Ministry of DoNER has given the North Eastern States the option to send proposals for health related projects to be funded up to over 500 crore rupees from North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme.
• Union Minister stated, accordingly, proposals have been received from the States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram and Nagaland, while the proposal from the eighth State of Tripura is awaited.
• Union Minister Jitendra Singh also complemented the Aspirational Districts of Goalpara and Dhubri in Assam for having achieved Ayushman Bharat coverage of nearly 100 and 85 per cent.

About Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region:

• Jitendra Singh :MOS independent charge
• Constituency: Udhampur, J&K

Current Affairs 21st & 22nd June 2020| Current Affairs News

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National Reading Day

• National Reading Day is observed on June 19. The celebration is marked in the honour of the father of the Library Movement, the late P N Panicker. Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker is famously known as the Father of the Library Movement in the state of Kerala.
• The following week will be celebrated as the Reading Week, while the entire month till July 18 will be marked as the Reading Month.

International Yoga Day 

• Every year, June 21 is recognised as International Yoga Day.
• However, this year, due to social distancing measures adopted by most countries, the theme set by the United Nations is “Yoga for Health – Yoga at Home”.
• The proposal to observe Yoga Day was introduced by PM Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th Session of the General Assembly back in

International Father’s Day

• Every year, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June to acknowledge the many roles a father plays in his child’s life. This year, it will be celebrated on June 21.
• Father’s day is celebrated in many parts of the world at different times of the year, mostly in March, May, and June.

World Music Day

• TheWorld Music Day is celebrated every year on June 21 in over 120 countries including its country of origin France where it is known as ‘Fête de la Musique‘ meaning “festival of music” to honor both amateur and professional musicians.
• The day is celebrated to promote peace and spread goodwill through music.

World Hydrography Day

• The International Hydrographic Organization ( IHO ) and its international members celebrate World Hydrography Day every year onJune 21.
• TheWorld Hydrography Day theme for 2020 is ‘Hydrography – enabling autonomous technologies’.
• It aims at discussing and creating awareness about the role hydrographycan play to support autonomous technologies.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

PM Modi launches Rs 50,000 cr Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan for migrant workers

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a massive rural public works scheme, the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan, to create jobs for millions of migrant workers who returned home during the coronavirus pandemic.
• PM Modi launched the scheme worth Rs 50,000 crorethrough video conference in presence of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
• Chief ministers of other five states and Union ministers of concerned ministries participated in the virtual launch from Telihar village in Khagaria district of Bihar.
• The campaign of 125 days across 116 districts in six states aims to work in mission mode to help migrant workers.
• The programme will cover 116 districts across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha. All these districts have received more than 25,000 migrant workers during the lockdown.
• It will involve intensified and focused implementation of 25 different types of works to provide jobs and create infrastructure in the rural regions of the country with a resource envelope of Rs 50,000 crore.
• The scheme will be a coordinated effort between 12 different ministries or departments—rural development, panchayati raj, road transport and highways, mines, drinking water and sanitation, environment, railways, petroleum and natural gas, new and renewable energy, border roads, telecom and agriculture.
• Laying of fibre optics cable, railway works, rurban mission jobs, sanitation works, waste management, poultry, farm ponds and training through Krishi Vigyan Kendras will be given to the migrant workers under the programme.
• The campaign may be extended to other states or districts which witnesses migrant returnees above 25,000.