Important Current Affairs 5th December 2019

India ranks 5th in Global Climate Risk Index

• The Global Climate Risk Index 2020 released by environmental think tank Germanwatch ranked India the fifth most vulnerable nation to climate change.

• The report suggested that the 2018 monsoon led to India fall from the fourteenth position in 2017 to fifth in 2018.

• As per the study, the monsoon had forced over 220,000 people in Kerala to leave their homes.

Top ten most affected countries in 2018:

1.         Japan

2.         Philippines

3.         Germany

4.         Madagascar

5.         India

6.         Sri Lanka

7.         Kenya

8.         Rwanda

9.         Canada

10.       Fiji

Pritivirajsing Roopun elected as new President of Mauritius by parliament

• Pritivirajsing Roopun (also known as Pradeep Roopun) has been sworn in as the new and 7th President of the island nation Mauritius on December 2, 2019.

• The 61-year-old succeeds Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, who resigned in March 2018.

• Roopan was the former arts and culture minister of the country.

RBI 5th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Review, 2019-20: Repo Rate unchanged at 5.15%

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement for 2019-20 in which the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), led by Governor Shaktikanta Das, decided to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.15%.

• In 2019, the RBI has cut repo rate by 135 basis points so far to a nine-year low of 5.15%.

• Analysts were expecting another 25 basis points cut.

• RBI has also lowered its GDP growth forecast to 5%

• Key Policy Rates & Reserve Ratios

Repo Rate       5.15%

Reverse Repo Rate     4.90%

Marginal Standing Facility Rate         5.40%

Bank Rate       5.40%

CRR    4%

SLR     18.5%

Joaquin Phoenix Named PETA’s 2019 Person of the Year

• ‘Joker’ star Joaquin Phoenix has been named 2019 Person of the Year by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

• Phoenix is vegan since the age of three and has been a longtime supporter of the animal rights organisation.

• He recently appeared in PETA’s “We Are All Animals” billboards in Times Square and on Sunset Billboard as he promoted legislation to ban travelling wild-animal circuses.

• Past recipients of the award have been Oprah Winfrey, Anjelica Huston and Pope Francis.

Former England captain Bob Willis dies aged 70

• Former England captain Bob Willis has died at the age of 70 after battle with cancer.

• The former fast bowler played in 90 Tests and 64 ODIs for England after his 1971 debut and retired in 1984.

• Finishing his Test career with 325 wickets, Willis stands at fourth on the all-time list of England wicket-takers.

World Soil Day: December 5

• The World Soil Day is celebrated every year on December 5 to raise awareness of the importance of soil quality for human well-being, food security and ecosystems

• The 2019 theme – ‘Stop Soil Erosion, Save our Future’!

• The day was first considered by the International Union of Soil Sciences in 2002.

India Ranks 73 in UNCTAD B2C E-Commerce Index 2019; Netherlands Tops

• The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-commerce Index 2019, that measures an economy’s preparedness to support online shopping.

• India has moved seven places up in the list to be ranked 73rd out of 152 countries.

• The list has been topped by the Netherlands for the second consecutive year.

Mobile app namd Madhu App for e-learning launched in Odisha

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched Madhu App, an e-learning mobile phone app, for making classroom learning easier for students.

• Madhu App is named after noted freedom fighter and social reformer Madhusudan Das.

• Using the App, students will be able to download video lectures and exercises by qualified teachers in Odia language.