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Important Current Affairs 16th April 2020

National

Dekho Apna Desh: Tourism Ministry launches webinar series; next on City of Kolkata

• A webinar series titled “#DekhoApnaDesh” has been launched by the Indian Tourism Ministry. This unique series has been launched by the tourism ministry to provide information on many destinations and culture & heritage of Incredible India.

• The first such seminar of the #DekhoApnaDesh webinar series was held with the title “City of Cities: Delhi’s Personal Diary”.

Banking and Economy

Equitas Small Finance Bank launches Selfe FD and Selfe Savings Account

• Equitas Small Finance Bank has launched two new digital banking services- Selfe FD and Selfe Savings Account. This would enable the customers of the bank to avoid visiting branches.

• Under the “Selfe FD” option- customers can open Selfe Fixed Deposit online for value upto Rs 90,000 by providing Aadhar and PAN details. It will provide an interest rate of 7.75% for one year.

• Under the “Selfe Savings Account” option, a person can open savings account with Equitas Small Finance Bank by web based interactive video form by registering one’s Aadhaar number, PAN and other basic details. The interest rate is 7.5% and no minimum balance.

Sports

India will host Asian Boxing Championship in November

• India will host the 31st edition of the Asian Boxing Championships in November- December 2020.

• This announcement was made by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) President Ajay Singh on 13 April.

• The host city will be decided by the Boxing Federation of India. India hosted men’s Asia boxing championship in Mumbai in 1980. It hosted the women’s event in Hisar in 2003.

Tour de France postponed

• Tour de France, world’s most famous cycling race has been postponed

• The three-week race was scheduled to begin from June 27 in Nice, France. The race has now been postponed for August. The 2020 race comprises 21 stages, the longest one being for 218 km.

Appointments and Resignations

Vineet Arora becomes new MD & CEO of Paytm General Insurance Ltd

• Paytm has appointed Vineet Arora as new managing director and chief executive officer of Paytm General Insurance Ltd. Prior to this, he has served as managing director and chief executive officer of Aegon Life Insurance Company.

• The appointment is a step for Paytm to further its journey into the insurance sector with an instantaneous specialise in general insurance.

Ajay Mahajan becomes news MD & CEO of “CARE Ratings”

• Ajay Mahajan has been appointed as the managing director and chief executive of Care Ratings.

• Ajay Mahanjan earlier worked at IDFC First Bank.He replaces Rajesh Mokashi, who resigned in December 2019.

Days

World Art Day: 15 April

• World Art Day is observed every year on 15 April to celebrate fine arts and promote awareness of creative activity around the world.

• The day was declared by the International Association of Art (IAA), an NGO working in official partnership with UNESCO.

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Important Current Affairs 12th April 2020

National

Delhi Government Launches “Operation SHIELD” for Containment of COVID-19

• On 9 April 2020, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced the launch of an initiative called “Operation SHIELD” in the capital city to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

• Here SHIELD stands for:

a) Sealing of the immediate area/surroundings after geographical marking

b) Home quarantine of all the people living in the area

c) Isolation and tracing of people who have been first and second contacts

d) Essential supply of commodities is ensured

e) Local sanitisation of the area by authorities

f) Door-to-door health checks of everyone living in the area

CSIR-NCL & BEL ink partnership to developed IR Thermometer and OEU

• CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Pune, Maharashtra has designed and developed Digital IR Thermometer and Oxygen Enrichment Unit (OEU) to assist within the mitigation of the Coronavirus outbreak. To speed-up, the project NCL has partnered with Bharat Electronics Ltd, Pune (BEL).

• Digital Infra-Red (IR) thermometer is that the primary and important component that’s wont to measure Coronavirus infection.

• The Oxygen Enrichment Unit is that the other technology that’s in great demand within the treatment of COVID-19 patients. because the lungs of COVID-19 patients get badly affected, the OEU can do the function of a ventilator by increasing the oxygen concentration from 21-22% to 38-40% from the ambient air.

Bharat Biotech in tie-up with FluGen to develop ‘CoroFlu’ vaccine

• Bharat Biotech in tie-up with the US-based company FluGen and University of Wisconsin Madison to develop a vaccine named “Coro-Flu” to fight against COVID-19.

• CoroFlu will build on the backbone of FluGen’s flu vaccine candidate known as M2SR.

• The vaccine is being developed on the basis of FluGen’s flu vaccine candidate known as M2SR, a self-limited version of the influenza virus.

International

People’s Bank of China now owns 1.01% stake in HDFC
•    The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), which is the Central Bank of China now owns 1.01% stake in the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC).
•    As per the data submitted by PBOC to BSE, it held 1.75 crore shares of HDFC during the quarter that ended in March 2020. However, PBOC already owned 0.8 percent earlier.
•    As per norms, businesses are required to disclose shareholding of over 1 percent at the end of every quarter. The disclosure has been made now by PBOC because the ownership has hit the 1 percent regulatory threshold.

Banking and Economy

Jana Small Finance Bank launches “DigiGen” digital banking platform

• Jana Small Finance Bank has launched “DigiGen” a digital banking platform where customers can digitally open a savings account and fixed deposit instantly, any time, anywhere.

• DigiGen onboarding is a three-step process to open an account.

• Bank customers are eligible for 4.5 per cent interest rates on savings account with no minimum balance and up to 7.5 per cent interest on fixed deposits.

ACC approves extension of Bank Board Bureau members’ tenure by 2 years

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension of tenure of all members and the current part-time chairman of the Bank Board Bureau(BBB) by 2 years, which is coming to an end on April 11,2020.

• The former Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training, Bhanu Pratap Sharma, will continue to hold the post of part-time member of the board.

Ranking

India ranks high on “Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker”.

• The “Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker” has identified India’s response to Covid-19 as one of the most stringent in the world. This data are based on tracking 73 countries.

• This tracker is created by researchers from Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. The tracker is designed to systematically record government responses worldwide and aggregate the scores into a common ‘Stringency Index’.

Days

International Day of Human Space Flight 2020: History of Human in Space, Background and Other Details

• International Day of Human Space Flight 2020: The International Day of Human Space Flight 2020 was observed on April 12, 2020. The day is to celebrate the beginning of the space era for mankind, the contribution of space science and technology and to ensure the realization to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes.

• The United Nations General Assembly in its resolution on April 7, 2011, had declared April 12 to be celebrated as International Day of Human Space Flight.

• On April 12, 1961, the first human space flight was carried out by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen, who became the first person to journey into outer space. The mission opened several pathways for space exploration, which benefited the next generations.

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Important Current Affairs 11th April 2020

National

HRD Minister launches Bharat Padhe Online campaign

• The Ministry of Human Resources Development on April 10, 2020 launched a week-long Bharat Padhe Online campaign to crowdsource ideas for improving the online education ecosystem of India. The HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched the campaign.

• The campaign aims to invite the best suggestions and solutions to overcome the constraints of online education while promoting the available digital education platforms.

• The HRD Minister requested the educators across the country to come forward and contribute with their expertise in the field of education.

International

Google to launch new virtual Braille Keyboard

• Google has announced the launch of a virtual Braille keyboard for Android users with low vision or blindness. This new keyboard will enable these people to type on their phones without additional hardware.

• A standard 6-key layout has been used in this keyboard with each key representing one of 6 braille dots which, when tapped, can make any letter or symbol.

Banking and Economy

Goldman Sachs cuts real GDP growth forecast for India in FY21 to 1.6%

• Goldman Sachs has predicted India’s Real GDP growth projection for FY21 at 1.6%.

• Goldman Sachs has predicted the Global GDP growth at -1.8% in 2020.

RBI launches twitter campaign for Digital Payment

• The Reserve Bank of India on April 09, 2020 launched a twitter campaign urging bank customers to adopt digital modes of payment that are convenient and safe.

• 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.

Obituary

Padma Shri classical singer Shanti Hiranand passes away at 87

• Renowned Hindustani classical singer Shanti Hiranand Chawla passed away at the age of 87 years.

• She was a Padma Shri awardee and trained in thumri, dadra and ghazal singing.

• She had also penned a book titled “Begum Akhtar: The Story of My Ammi.” which depicts her journey with her music guru, Begum Akhtar.

Ranking

FIFA’s ranking: India at 108th

• India football team retained its 108th spot in the latest FIFA rankings. While Belgium ranked first and world champion France is in 2nd place and Brazil is at 3rd spot.

Days

National Safe Motherhood Day

• The day aims to raise awareness about the proper healthcare of women and maternity facilities to pregnant and lactating women.

• The day also aims to spread awareness about healthcare facilities for women. India became the first country to officially declare a National Safe Motherhood Day in the world.

National Pet Day

• National Pet Day is celebrated on 11 April every year.The day encourages people to help reduce the number of animals in shelters.On this day, the pet owners celebrate their animal companion.

• A survey by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) determined that the animals contribute to the physical and mental benefits to overall cardiovascular health by lowering cortisol, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels.

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Important Current Affairs 10th April 2020

National

SCTIMST design super absorbent material for safe management of infected respiratory secretions

• The scientists of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) have designed and developed an highly efficient superabsorbent material titled “Chitra Acrylosorb Secretion Solidification System”.

• Chitra Acrylosorb Secretion Solidification System is an highly efficient superabsorbent material for liquid respiratory and other body fluid solidification and disinfection for the safe management of infected respiratory secretions.

• Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt of India.

Govt extends 7th Economic Census data collection period by six months till Sept 30, 2020
• The government has extended the data collection period for the Seventh Economic Census by six months till 30th September 2020.
• Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation made this announcement. 
 

International

Joe Biden to take on Donald Trump in US Presidential race

• Former US Vice President Joe Biden has become the Democratic nominee in the US Presidential race after Bernie Sanders dropped out.

• US Senator Bernie Sanders called off his presidential campaign on April 8, 2020, paving way for Biden to win the Democratic nomination. Sanders made the announcement through a live telecast.

• This will pit Biden against incumbent US President Donald Trump in the US Presidential Elections 2020, which are scheduled to be held in November 2020. Trump will be seeking a second term.

Obituary

Senior Politician Hazarilal Raghuwanshi passes away
• Senior politician Hazarilal Raghuwanshi passed away at the age of 93 years following a prolonged illness.
• He was a former Madhya Pradesh minister and a senior Congress leader.
 

Days

World Homoeopathy Day
• World Homoeopathy Day observed globally on 10 April every year to mark the birth anniversary of the founder of Homoeopathy, Dr Samuel Hahnemann. 
• Samuel Hahnemann was a physician born in Germany, who was a great researcher, linguist and applauded scientist.
• The theme of 2020 is “Linking research with education and clinical practice: Advancing scientific collaborations”.

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Important Current Affairs 9th April 2020

National

TRIFED to launch campaign in partnership with UNICEF for SHGs

• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) has collaborated with UNICEF for developing a digital communication strategy for promoting a digital campaign for Self Help Groups (SHGs).

Airtel Payments Bank Rolls health insurance plan in Partnership with Bharati AXA General Insurance

• Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Bharati AXA General Insurance to launch a health insurance policy.

• Under the partnership, they have rolled out two different health insurance plans which includes:

• Bharti AXA Group Health Assure Policy

• Group Hospital Cash Policy

Summits and Mou’s

L&T signs agreement with Indian Army for advanced IT-enabled network
•  Larsen & Toubro(L&T) signs agreement with the Indian Army for setting up an advanced IT-enabled system to operate the Armed Forces network under the Network of Spectrum (NFS).
 

Banking and Economy

SIDBI to provide emergency working capital to MSMEs

• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will facilitate Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with emergency working capital of up to Rs 1 crore against their confirmed government orders.

• Under its flagship scheme called SIDBI Make in India Soft Loan Fund for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (Smile), SEBI has opened an additional financial window for the healthcare sector.

Sports

Englands Ben Stokes named 2020 Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World

• England’s all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named as the leading cricketer in the world by Wisden for the year 2019. He is the first player from England since 2005 to be named for this award.

• In Women’s category, Australia’s Ellyse Perry has been named the Wisden’s Leading Female Cricketer in the World.

Ranking

Jeff Bezos tops Forbes billionaires list “The Richest in 2020”

• Forbes has launched the 34th annual world’s billionaires list named as “The Richest in 2020”. The list titled “The Richest in 2020” has been topped by the Amazon Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos.

• This was 3rd time in a row that he has topped the annual world’s billionaires list released by Forbes. He has topped the list with a net worth of $113 billion.

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Important Current Affairs 8th April 2020

National

Ministry of Civil Aviation launches “Lifeline UDAN” initiative

• The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched the initiative called “Lifeline UDAN” to help India. Under Lifeline UDAN initiative of Ministry of Civil Aviation, 132 cargo flights have been operated so far across the country to transport medical cargo including to remote and hilly areas.

• With support from Air India, Alliance Air, IAF and private airlines, medical supplies of more than 184 tons have been delivered till date during lockdown period.

Essential services, medicines delivered at doorstep of patients by Swasth ke Sipahi under PMBJP

• “Swasth ke Sipahi” of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra are delivering essential services and medicines at doorstep of patients and elderly.

• Swasth ke Sipahi are providing the essential medicines at the doorsteps of patients under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) of the Government of India.

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra are being run under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India by the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI). The objective of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra was to provide quality and affordable healthcare to anyone in need.

MHRD declares DigiLocker as National Academic Depository

• The Ministry of Human Resource Development has designated DigiLocker as the sole National Academic Depository (NAD).

• The ministry has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to implement NAD as a permanent scheme within DigiLocker.

• NAD will be implemented as a permanent scheme without the levy of any user charges by DigiLocker through the Ministry of Electronics and IT.

Banking and Economy

RBI increases the number of days for which a State/ UT can be in overdraft

• The Reserve Bank of India allows State Government to tide over their cashflow mismatches (consider it as a loan) in form of Special Drawing Facility (SDF) and Normal Ways and Means Advances.

• Now RBI has increased the number of days or which a State/ UT can be in overdraft continuously as under:

• The number of days for which States/UTs can be in overdraft continuously has been increased to 21 working days from the previous 14 days.

• The number of days for which a State/ UT can be in overdraft in a quarter has been increased to 50 working days from the previous 36 days.

Super Pink Moon visible on April 7

• Super Pink Moon, the biggest supermoon of the year 2020 will be visible in the skies on April 7, 2020. The moon will be at its closest distance from Earth, which is 356,907 km away.

• The Earth, Moon and the Sun will all align, making the Moon look larger and brighter than usual. This particular moon was named ‘Super Pink Moon’.

Obituary

Kannada comic actor 'Bullet' Prakash passes away

• Kannada actor “Bullet” Prakash passed away. He was known for his comic roles and performances in films like Aithalakkadi and Aryan.

• He was named ‘Bullet’ because of his love for Royal Enfield Bullet motorbikes which he used to ride.

• He had been a part of more than 300 films and had recently signed a couple of projects in Kannada.

• He was also a member of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2015.

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Important Current Affairs 7th April 2020

National

PM, President and MPs Salary Cut by 30% , MPLAD funds suspended for 2 years

• The Union Cabinet approved an ordinance amending the salary, allowances and pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, to reduce the allowances and pension by 30% starting April 1, 2020, for a year.

• All Members of Parliament (MPs), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers, would be taking a 30 per cent salary cut.

• The cabinet also approved temporary suspension of MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) fund scheme during 2020-21 and 2021-22, and the funds will be used for managing health services.

International

US announces $2.9 million package for India

• The United States recently announced a donation package of USD 2.9 million for India. The announcement regarding the donation was made by US Agency for International Development.

•  The aid is a part of the American Global Response Package, wherein the US is providing financial assistance of USD 174 million to over 60 countries.

Banking and Economy

Madhabi Puri Buch gets 6-month extension as WTM at SEBI

• The term of Madhabi Puri Buch as a Whole Time Member (WTM) at Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has been extended by 6 months.

• Madhabi Puri Buch is the first woman Whole Time Member (WTM) of SEBI and also the first from the private sector to be appointed as a board member in SEBI.

Sports

Kobe Bryant inducted into NBA’s Hall of Fame (Basketball)

• Late basketball player, Kobe Bryant, has been inducted into the NBA’s Hall of Fame 2020. He was an American Basketball Player.

• Kobe Bryant, 41 was killed in a helicopter crash in January 2020 in which total of 9 people died.

• A total of 9 people have been inducted into the 2020 NBA’s Hall of Fame. The other eight are: MVP Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Eddie Sutton, Rudy Tomjanovich, Tamika Catchings, Kim Mulkey, Barbara Stevens and Patrick Baumann.

Science and Technology

NASA to land human on moon by 2024

• US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced to land human on moon by the year 2024 under its ambitious ‘Artemis Program’.

• The NASA has been constantly working on this program to build a Artemis Base Camp.

Ranking

Tamil Nadu Tops in micro-irrigation coverage under PMKSY in 2019-20

• The Tamil Nadu state has finished on top at the all-India level for micro-irrigation coverage in the financial year 2019-20, as part of implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).

• Karnataka is at second place with 1,41,103.56 ha area under micro-irrigation while Gujarat is at third spot with 1,08,322.00 ha under micro-irrigation.

• During 2019-20, the overall coverage of the state under micro-irrigation stood at 2,06,853.25 hectares (ha). The total area brought under micro irrigation at the all-India level in 2019-20 stands at 7,72,350.63 ha.

• PMKSY is a programme aimed at promoting the “more crop per drop” concept by focussing on water-saving technologies.

Days

World Health Day

• World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April each year since 1950, to draw worldwide attention to a specific theme of major importance to global health each year.

• The Theme of 2020 World Health Day is Support Nurses and Midwives.

• The World Health Day also marks the establishment of the World Health Organization (WHO) on 7 April 1948.

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Important Current Affairs 6th April 2020

National

Government plans to link 22000 mandis with e-NAM platform by 2022

• The Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Narendra Singh Tomar has launched three new features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform to enable farmers to sell their harvested produce directly from warehouse.

• Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead agency for implementing eNAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.

 Geo-fencing app to locate quarantine violators

• The government has tested an application named, Geo-fencing app to trigger emails and SMS alerts to an authorised government agency, if a person has jumped quarantine or has escaped from isolation, based on the person’s mobile phone’s cell tower location.

• The Centre under the Indian Telegraph Act 1885, uses powers to “fetch information” from telecom companies every 15 minutes.

Northern Railways develops PPE coverall

• The Northern Railways has developed a PPE coverall. This is in addition to the personal protective equipment coveralls and the N99 masks that have been developed by DRDO.

• The initiative is to meet the demand of these equipments and ensure proper safety and security of the healthcare workers who are in the frontline.

• With rising coronavirus cases in the country, there is a shortage of PPE kits. Hence, efforts are being made to start mass production of these products. The existing N95 mask producers have also increased their capacity and are producing about 80,000 masks per day.

Indian Railways develops low-cost ventilator prototype named “Jeevan”

• Indian Railway’s Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala, Punjab has developed a low-cost ventilator prototype named “Jeevan” that is much cheaper than regular ventilators.

• The ventilators can be put to use after it receives approvals from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

• The cost of these ventilators is expected to be Rs. 10,000 without compressors. RCF Kapurthala has developed the prototype after the government instructed the Indian Railways to explore the possibility of manufacturing ventilators.

Obituary

Former Honduras President Rafael Callejas, Disgraced by FIFAgate Scandal, Passes Away at 76

• The former President of Honduras, Rafael Callejas, has passed away of heart attack. He was 76.

• Callejas served the country from 27 January 1990 to 27 January 1994, representing the National Party of Honduras (PNH).

• He was the head of country’s football federation from 2002 to 2015 and was also accused of the vast football corruption scandal known as FIFAgate.

Appointments and Resignations

Nasscom appoints Infosys' COO Pravin Rao as chairman

• Vice-Chairperson Infosys’ chief operating officer, UB Pravin Rao, has been appointed as the new chairman of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) for the year 2020-21. He was appointed Rekha Menon of Accenture.

• Rekha M Menon is the Chairman and Senior Managing Director, Accenture in India. Menon will be the Vice-Chairperson for Nasscom. Pravin Rao, along with President Debjani Ghosh, will help Nasscom to achieve its 2025 vision for the industry.

Days

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

• The United Nations celebrates 6th of April every year as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

• Sport has historically played an important role in all societies, be it in the form of competitive sport, physical activity or play.

• Sports also presents a natural partnership for the United Nations (UN) system.

International Day of Conscience is observed on 5 April

• International Day of Conscience is observed on 5 April.

• The day aims to promote a culture of peace with love and conscience.

• The day reminds the people to self-reflect, follow their conscience, and do the right things.

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Important Current Affairs 4th April 2020

International

Domino’s Pizza launches ‘Domino’s Essentials’ service

• Domino’s Pizza has partnered with ITC Foods to launch “Domino’s Essentials”.

Highlights of this Partnership:

• Through “Domino’s Essentials” service, everyday grocery essentials offered by ITC Foods will be delivered while leveraging the delivery infrastructure of Domino’s.

• This partnership aims to serve the community by ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential items at their doorsteps, without them having to step outside of their homes.

• The “Domino’s Essentials” service will be available for consumers via “Domino’s Essentials” section on the Domino’s app.

• Domino’s Pizza will leverage its supply chain and delivery network to deliver essential goods to the customers at their home.

Banking and Economy

Fitch Ratings cuts India’s GDP growth forecast to 2% for FY21

• Fitch Ratings has cut its GDP growth forecast for India to 2% for the fiscal year 2021.

• This will be the slowest growth in India over the past 30 years.

ADB Estimates India’s GDP for FY’21 at 4 Percent; 6.2% for FY’22

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) released its latest Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2020 for financial year 2020-21 on 3rd April 2020.

• As per ADB, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in India is likely to slow down to 4 percent in FY21 (2020-21) on the back of the current global health emergency.

• However, ADB expects the Indian economy to further strengthen to 6.2 percent in the FY22 fiscal (2021-22).

Sports

Asian Games 2022 "smart triplets" mascots unveiled in digital ceremony

• The Olympic Council of Asia has announced the official mascots of the 19th Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou in 2022. The three robots namely Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen which are collectively known as “The Smart Triplets” will be the official mascots of the 19th Asian Games.

• The robot ‘Congcong’ represents the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. It derives its name from the Cong jade pendant — the quintessential relic unearthed from the ruins dating back 5,000 years. ‘Lianlian’ represents the West Lake and the name signifies a lake full of lush lotus leaves. Green stands for life and nature.The third mascot is ‘Chenchen’, which represents the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Days

International Mine Awareness Day observed globally on 4 April

• International Mine Awareness Day observed globally on 4 April every year. On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

• It was first observed on 4 April 2006.

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Important Current Affairs 3rd April 2020

Summits and Mou’s

UN Cop26 Climate Change Summit in Glasgow Postponed until 2021

• The 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference (UN COP26), which was scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from 9 to 20 November 2020 under the presidency of the UK government, has been postponed.

• The Cop26 Climate Change Summit has now be pushed back to 2021 and the new dates for the conference would be decided in due course.

• The announcement was made by the Cop26 president-designate and UK Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma.

Obituary

Gurbani maestro Nirmal Singh Khalsa passes away

• Nirmal Singh Khalsa, a noted singer of Sikh 'Gurbani' hymns, passed away on April 2, 2020. He was detected with the infection just a day before his death. He was 62.

• Nirmal Singh Khalsa was a former priest at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He was known to have the knowledge of the 31 'raags' in the Gurbani of the Guru Granth Sahib.

• He was honoured with the prestigious Padma Shri in 2009 for his outstanding contribution to the field of Gurbani music.

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