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Important Current Affairs 11th July 2020

National

Govt launches AI-based ASEEM digital platform

• The Ministry of Skilled Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on July 10 launched Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM) digital portal which will help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities.

• The step will improve the information flow and will bridge the demand-supply gap in the skilled workforce market. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) based system apart from recruiting the skilled workforce will also help in exploring job opportunities.

• ASEEM is developed and managed by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with the Bangalore based company, Betterplace which specializes in blue-collar employee management.

Asia’s Largest and World’s Second Largest Data Centre Inaugurated In Mumbai

• Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray jointly inaugurated the second-largest Tier IV data centre of the world in Mumbai.

• The world-class ‘Yotta NM1 data centre’ building has been set up at Mumbai’s Panvel data center park, to cater to the needs of engineering and real estate businesses.

• It is the largest of its kind data centre in India and Asia, as well as the second largest in the world. The Yotta NM1 facility has been developed and owned by the Hiranandani Group through its fully owned subsidiary, the Yotta Infrastructure Group. The Yotta NM1 offers 7200 racks and 50MW of power with 48-hour backup.

Banking and Economy

India’s GDP to contract by 3% in FY21: BofA

• The US brokerage firm BofA Securities has projected the India’s GDP to contract by 3 percent in FY21 because of the C-19 C-19, assuming the economy is opened up fully from August 2020.

• The GDP is likely to grow at 9 percent in FY22, expects BofA, the multinational investment bank division under the auspices of Bank of America.

Summits and Mou’s

15th meeting of the India-European Union Summit

• The 15th meeting of the India-European Union Summit will be held in virtual mode. The summit will deliberate on India-EU cooperation by covering various aspects such as political and security relations, trade and investment and economic cooperation.

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President of European Council Charles Michel will co-chair the 15th meeting of the India-European Union Summit to be held virtually.

Science and Technology

ISRO to Launch Brazil’s Amazonia-1 Earth Observation Satellite on PSLV

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the Amazonia – 1 onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) as a primary payload by August 2020. Amazonia -1 is Brazil’s first satellite for Earth observation – designed, assembled and tested in Brazil.

• Amazonia – 1 will help in observing and monitoring the deforestation in the region of Amazon through the satellite images.

Obituary

Ivory Coast’s Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly passes away

• The incumbent Prime Minister of Ivory Coast, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, passed away on 8th July 2020. He was 61.

• Coulibaly was a candidate for president in a coming election, to be held in October. He took over as the 10th PM of the country in January 2017.

Legendary musician Charlie Daniels passes away

• Country Music Hall of Fame musician, Charlie Daniels passed away. He was country music and southern rock icon who entertained fans for decades with songs like “Long-Haired Country Boy,” “In America,” and his signature fiddle tune “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”, who won his only Grammy Award in 1979.

• He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

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Important Current Affairs 8th July 2020

National

Himachal Pradesh becomes first state with LPG connections in all households

• Himachal Pradesh has become the first state where all the households have LPG gas connections. The announcement regarding this was made by HP Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

• The gas connections were provided for free to women in the state. Over 1.35 lakh families have been benefitted under Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana in the state.

Banking and Economy

World Bank approves $400 mn for rejuvenation of river Ganga

• The World Bank has signed a loan agreement of $400 million withGovernment of India to enhance support for the Namami Gange programme. The loan agreement aims to make the Ganga a clean and healthy river.

• The loan amount of $400 million comprises a loan of $381 million and a proposed Guarantee of up to $19 million.

• The new project will aim to stem the pollution levels in the iconic river and work towards strengthening the management of the river basin which is home to more than 500 million people.

Summits and Mou’s

India, Indonesia Coast Guards sign MoU to boost maritime relations

• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Bakamla RI (Indonesian Coast Guard) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ‘Maritime Safety and Security’ to boost maritime relations.

• India and Indonesia are historically connected through the Indian Ocean and it has been the resolve of both nations to ensure safe and secure sea passage for all seafarers in the region.

Science and Technology

ISRO to release Space policy, Space Activities Bill soon

•  Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan announced recently that the space policy and space activities bill are in the final stages. A dedicated space policy was in making for some time now for legislation of space activities.

•  The policy was fast-tracked after the government announced major reforms in the space sector, allowing the private sector to use ISRO’s services to carry out space activities such as building rockets and satellites.

•  The space policy and the Space Activities Bill will help address legal issues in the space sector. A new navigation policy is also being proposed along with necessary changes in the Remote Sensing Data Policy and SATCOM policy.

Sports

Akash Become India’s 66th Grandmaster

• The 23 year-old G. Akash from Chennai, Tamil Nadu becomes the country’s 66th Grandmaster with rating of 2495.The title was confirmed at the recent meeting of International Chess Federation (FIDE) Council

• M Pranesh, from Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Ameya Audi, from Goa earned International Master Titles.

Ranking

India Ranked 31st in INFORM Risk Index 2020 for Humanitarian crises & C-19s

• In accordance with the “INFORM Report 2020: Shared evidence for managing crises and C-19s” released by research centre INFORM, operating under European Commission (EU), India has ranked at 31st place with an inform risk of 5.4, means risk of humanitarian crises and C-19s.

• The report ranked the countries based on “INFORM Risk Index” which has been topped by Somalia with an inform risk of 8.9.

• The report has analyzed 191 countries. This report is produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA).

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Important Current Affairs 7th July 2020

National

PM Modi to launch Asia’s largest Solar Power Plant

• PM Narendra Modi will on July 10, 2020 inaugurate the Asia's largest solar power plant at Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh. PM Modi will dedicate 750 MW plant to the nation through the means of video conferencing.

• The plant is spread over 1,590 acres of land and is one of Asia's largest single-site solar power plant.

India’s 1st NPNT compliant Drone flight successfully completed

• India’s First No-Permission No-Takeoff (NPNT) compliant drone flight on the A200 Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) has been completed successfully by Quidich Innovation Labs and Asteria Aerospace.

• This NPNT drone flight is under the Ministry of Civil Aviation MoCA& DGCA comprehensive policy on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), which came into effect on 1st Dec 2018.

• Quidich, in collaboration with the Drone Federation of India (DFI), has extended its services to Police Departments across multiple states, providing drones for crowd monitoring and surveillance operations.

Odisha Govt launches ‘Balaram Yojana’ to provide crop loan

• Odisha government has launched ‘Balaram Yojana’ to provide crop loans to landless farmers. Under the new scheme, the landless cultivators will get loans through joint liability groups (JLGs).

• This is a first-of-its type scheme in India, targeting landless farmers of the country. The scheme will provide agriculture credit worth Rs 1,040 crore to landless farmers of the state in the next two years.

• The scheme has been designed in collaboration with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

International

Jean Castex appointed as Prime Minister of France

• Jean Castex has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of France. The appointment of Jean Castex as the new french PM was made by the french President Emmanuel Macron.

• He replaced the former french Prime Minister Edouard Philippe who resigned from the post ahead of a government reshuffle.

Israel launches a new spy satellite

•  Israel's Defence Ministry announced on July 6, 2020 that it has successfully launched a new spy satellite. The satellite is expected to serve as an additional tool to keep tabs on many threats across the region.

•  The spy satellite, “Ofek 16” will join other Israeli spy satellites that have been launched in the past two decades.

•  The satellites are being used to monitor any threats on the state of Israel, including arch-enemy Iran.

Banking and Economy

SBM Bank India, Mastercard to facilitate cross border transactions, remittances

• SBM Bank India (promoted by Government of Mauritius) and Mastercard have joined hands to facilitate cross-border payments and remittances services by using ‘Mastercard Send’.

• Mastercard Send is a secured and innovative solution – crafted to modernize domestic and cross-border payments and remittances.

• SBM Bank India is the first bank to receive universal banking licence from the RBI to set up and operate as a scheduled commercial bank through the wholly-owned subsidiary mode.

Sports

Valtteri Bottas wins Austrian Grand Prix 2020

• Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) has won the Austrian Grand Prix 2020.

• This was the first race of 2020 Formula One season and was held on 5th July 2020.

• Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari while McLaren’s Lando Norris came third.

Appointments and Resignations

Injeti Srinivas appointed as chairman of IFSCA

• InjetiSrinivas has been appointed as the Chairman of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA.His appointment is for a period of three years.

• Srinivas is a 1983 batch IAS officer from the Odisha cadre, who has previously served at the Corporate Affairs Ministry. He retired as the Corporate Affairs Secretary on May 31.

• The IFSCA was established on April 27 this year. It is a unified body to regulate all financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in the country.

Days

World Chocolate Day

• World Chocolate Day (also known as International Chocolate Day) is an annual observance taking place globally on 7th July.

• The day is said to be chosen to celebrate the introduction of chocolate to Europe in 1550.

Books and Authors

Former RBI governor U. Patel pens book ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’

• Former RBI Governor, Urjit Patel, has written a book titled ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’ which focuses on the non-performing assets (NPAs) issue that has afflicted Indian banking in recent years, its causes and Patel’s efforts as the RBI Governor in dealing with it.

• The book is likely to be released on 31 July 2020.It has been published by HarperCollins India.

“Getting Competitive: A Practitioner’s Guide for India” authored by R C Bhargava

• The Chairman of Maruti Suzuki, RC Bhargava has authored the book “Getting Competitive: A Practitioner’s Guide for India” from his experience as a policymaker and a leading industrialist.

• The book published by HarperCollins India.

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Important Current Affairs 5th July 2020

National

PM Modi launches Atmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge

• Prime Minister NarendraModi on July 4 launched the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’ to help the local developers to create indigenous apps.

• The innovation challenge aims at encouraging tech & startup communities to create world-class Made in India Apps. Under the challenge, innovators are invited to develop apps in eight categories.

• The App innovation challenge has been launched in the combined partnership of the Ministry of Electronics & IT and Atal Innovation Mission-Niti Aayog.

IIT Kanpur develops virtual classroom teaching setup ‘Mobile Masterjee’

• A team of engineers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur has developed an innovative classroom-to-home teaching setup titled ‘Mobile Masterjee’, to overcome the disruption in normal classroom teaching caused due to C-19,

• The device is targeted at helping the rural schools to overcome the teaching and learning challenges posed by the C-19.

• This virtual classroom system has been designed to record the lectures/instructions by the teachers using smartphones.

Union HRD Minister launches “Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020”

• “Drug Discovery Hackathon” has been launched by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Science and Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

• The hackathon is a joint initiative of MHRD, AICTE and CSIR, and supported by partners such as CDAC, MyGov, Schrodinger and ChemAxon.

Banking and Economy

ADB becomes “Observer” for Network for Greening the Financial System

• The Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) has been joined by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as an observer.

• ADB has joined the network to fulfill its corporate strategy “the Strategy 2030” goals such as building climate and C-19 resilience, enhancing environmental sustainability, fostering regional cooperation and integration, tackling climate change, and strengthening governance and institutional capacity.

• With this, ADB has joined the ranks of the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Bank and the International Finance Corporation as NGFS observers.

Sports

Two-time Olympic badminton champion Lin Dan retires

• Former world number one badminton player and the two-times Olympic badminton champion from China, Lin Dan has announced his retirement from the sport.

• During his 20-year glorious national team career, he won the Olympics singles titles in Beijing in 2008 and the 2012 London Games.

Days

Dhamma Chakra Day

• President Ram NathKovind inaugurated Dhamma Chakra Day 2020 celebrations on 4th July 2020.

• The day is celebrated to mark Buddha’s First Sermon to his first 5 ascetic disciples at the Deer Park, Rsipatana in the present-day Sarnath near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

• Dhamma Chakra Day is celebrated by Buddhists across the world as the day of Dharma Chakra Parvattana or “Turning of the Wheel of Dharma”.

• It is celebrated by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture.

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Important Current Affairs 4th July 2020

National

Government to purchase missile systems, fighter jets worth Rs 38900 crore

• The Union Defence Ministry has approved the procurement of missile systems, frontline fighter jets and other military equipment worth Rs 38,900 crore.

• With this procurement, Defence Ministry aims to boost the combat capability of the Armed Forces amid the rising tensions between India and China at LAC border.

SAP launches Global Bharat program for Indian MSMEs

• The Global Bharat program has been launched by the German technology firm SAP India. The programme has been designed to equip Indian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with digital technologies in order to make them globally competitive.

• SAP India will also provide MSMEs access to their enterprise resource planning (ERP) software under the Global Bharat program.

ICMR fast-tracking efforts to launch ‘COVAXIN’ for public use by 15th August

• In partnership with Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has selected 12 institutes for the Phase-I and Phase–II clinical trials of the first indigenously developed C-19 vaccine BBV152 (commonly known as COVAXIN).

• After successful completion of human clinical trials, the ICMR has set a target to launch the COVAXIN for the public health uses, latest by August 15, this was reported in the media as per a letter by ICMR to the 12 selected institutes.

International

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe resigns

• French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has resigned from his post ahead of a government reshuffle by President Emmanuel Macron.

• As per the announcement made by the French Presidency, Edouard Philippe will handle the government affairs until a new cabinet would be named.

Acquisitions and Mergers

Intel Capital Invests Rs 1894.50 crore in Jio Platforms

• United States-based Intel Corporation’s investment arm Intel Capital will invest Rs 1,894.50 crores in Reliance Industries Limited’s (RIL’s) subsidiary company Jio Platform.

• With this investment, equity value in Jio Platforms rose to Rs 4.91 lakh crore, while Rs 5.16 lakh crore its enterprise value.

• Rs 1894.50 of investment will translate to 0.39 percent of an equity stake for Intel Capital in Jio Platforms. This was the 12th foreign investment in Jio Platforms.

• The 12 investments make a total of Rs 1,17,588.45crores that have been raised in Jio Platforms.

Science and Technology

ISRO's Mars Orbiter captures image of largest moon of Mars

• ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has captured the image of ‘Phobos’, the largest and closest moon of Mars.

• The image was captured by Mars Colour Camera (MCC) aboard Mom on July 1, 2020 when the Mars orbiter was around 7,200 km from Mars and 4,200 km from Phobos.

• Phobos, the mysterious moon of Mars is believed to be made up of carbonaceous chondrites.

Ranking

India’s Forex Reserves 5th largest in the world

• The foreign exchange reserves of India is the fifth largest in the world at more than USD 500 billion. The first four Forex Reserves on the list are China, Japan, Switzerland and Russia, as per the report released by IMF - International Monetary Fund.

• The foreign exchange reserves of India are almost equal to one fifth of India's GDP.

India stands third largest contributor to e-waste in 2019

• A United Nations led report has found that India is the third largest contributor to e-waste in the world in 2019.

• As per the report titled ‘Global E-waste Monitor 2020’, the world dumped a record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste in 2019. Of this, just 17.4 percent was recycled.

• China was the biggest contributor to e-waste in the world, contributing 10.1 million tonnes of e-waste. United States was second with 6.9 million tonnes. India, with 3.2 million tonnes, was third.

Days

International Co-operative Day 2020

• The International Co-operative Day is held annually on the first Saturday in July since 1923 by the International Co-operative Alliance to celebrate the co-operative movement and to increase awareness of cooperatives.

• The theme of International Co-operative Day 2020 is:  “Cooperatives for Climate Action”.

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Important Current Affairs 3rd July 2020

National

Health Minister launches Drug Discovery Hackathon

• Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched Drug Discovery Hackathon through video conferencing. The Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank also joined the launch ceremony.

The Drug Discovery Hackathon has been launched to identify a drug to cure the C-19. The hackathon was visualised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kerala announces ‘Dream Kerala Project’ aimed at aiding returning expats

• The state government of Kerala decided to roll out the ''Dream Kerala Project'' to tap the potential and experience of those returning from foreign nations and other states after losing their jobs.

• The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on July 2, 2020.The project aims to support rehabilitation of the returning expats and the state's overall development.

International

Russians approve for new constitutional reforms, Vladimir Putin may stay Russia’s President till 2036

• Russians have approved the constitutional changes on July 1, 2020, which were proposed by President Vladimir Putin led Russian government. These changes may allow President Putin to stay in power for another 16 years, till 2036.

• Russia went to poll for a nationwide referendum on newly proposed constitutional reforms.

Banking and Economy

Care Ratings Forecast India’s GDP to contract by 6.4% in FY21

• Care Ratings has revised India’s GDP growth forecast for the current financial year 2020-21 to (-) 6.4 percent.

• The rating agency had earlier projected a decline in GDP growth of 1.5-1.6 per cent in FY21.

Awards

Pulitzer winner Siddhartha Mukherjee and Prof. Raj Chetty are named among ‘2020 Great Immigrants’ Honorees

• The Carnegie Corporation of New York has named Pulitzer Prize winner Siddhartha Mukherjee and Prof. Raj Chetty among the ‘2020 Great Immigrants’ Honoree. Through this honor, Carnegie Corporation recognizes an eminent group of citizens who have been making a difference in the American Society.

• The honorees will be recognized on America’s Independence Day which is on the Fourth of July.

Obituary

Veteran choreographer Saroj Khan passes away

• Ace Choreographer Saroj Khan has passed away at the age of 71 due to cardiac arrest in Mumbai.She was popularly known as Saroj Khan but her real name is Nirmala Nagpal.

• She joined the Indian film industry as a child artiste, playing the younger Shyama in Nazarana. She eventually became a background dancer in 1950s films like Bimal Roy’s “Madhumati” under the guidance of dance director B. Sohanlal.

• Among the Bollywood circles she was referred to as "The Mother of Dance/Choreography in India". In her career spanning over 40 years, she has choreographed over 2000 songs.

Appointments and Resignations

India appoints Indra Mani Pandey as its Permanent Representative in UN, Geneva

• Indra Mani Pandey has been appointed as the Permanent Representative of India in the United Nations, Geneva. He is a 1990 batch Indian Foreign Officer and will succeed Rajiv K Chander on the position.

• He will represent India in more than 25 UN organisations which include the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Karnam Sekar retires as MD & CEO of IOB

• The Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Karnam Sekar has retired on 30th June 2020.

• He joined the State Bank of India(SBI) as the Probationary officer in December 1983.

Days

International Plastic Bag Free Day

• The International Plastic Bag Free Day is held on July 3 around the world to spread awareness that a plastic bag free world is possible and that sound environmental alternatives to single use plastic bags are available.

• 2020 is the 11th edition of the celebrations.

Books and Authors

A book titled “The Future of Higher Education” released by M Venkaiah Naidu

• Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu has virtually released a book titled “Future of Higher Education – Nine Mega Trends“. The book is authored by CA V Pattabhi Ram. The Virtual event was hosted by ICT Academy.

• The book is based on a survey of about 5000 educators across India who were part of ICT Academy’s “SkyCampus” Digital Knowledge Series.

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Important Current Affairs 2nd July 2020

National

Gujarat Government launches Rs 1,369 crore ”At One Click” online cash aid for MSMEs & textile industry

• Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched an online cash aid initiative titled ”At One Click” for micro small and medium enterprises and textile industries in the state on 26 June 2020.

• The state government has announced total of Rs 1,369 crore in aid for around 13,000 MSMEs in Gujarat under the program.

• Out of the toatl 1,369 crore aid, Rs 768 crore have been transferred in bank accounts of 12,247 MSME units in Gujarat while Rs 601 crore aid has been given to bigger industrial units including textile industry.

Goa Govt Allocates 14,380 sqm land to set up India first Maritime Cluster

• The Government of Goa has allotted over 14,380 square metres of land at Verna industrial estate to ‘Konkan Maritime Cluster’ (Goa Maritime Cluster), a consortium of 49 Goan MSME units, to set up its Common Facility Centre.

• The Goa Maritime Cluster will be the first Maritime Cluster of India, providing a world-class common facility for manufacturing, design and other allied services for the shipbuilding industry.

• The project is likely to extend direct benefits to another 180 units.

Giriraj Singh launches the 1st Edition of “Matsya Sampada”

• Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh has launched the 1st Edition newsletter “MatsyaSampada” fisheries and aquaculture published by the Department of Fisheries and the operational guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

• This newsletter will be published on a quarterly basis.

International

FCC designates 2 Chinese companies as National Security Threats

•  The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has designated two Chinese companies - Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corporation as national security threats.

•  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stated that both Huawei and ZTE have close ties with Chinese Communist Party and China’s military apparatus. He stated that the US government will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to exploit vulnerabilities in US communications networks.

•  The agency is considering banning these Chinese telephone companies from entering the US market. As per the US, Huawei’s equipment could be used by China for spying.

Banking and Economy

Fitch slashes India’s GDP Growth Projection to 8% from 9.5% for FY22

• Fitch Ratings has cut India’s growth forecast for the fiscal year 2021-22 to 8 percent from its earlier projection of 9.5 percent, in its June update of Global Economic Outlook released on 30 June 2020.

• However, the rating agency has retained its projection for the current fiscal which is expected to contract by 5 percent in the 2020-21.Fitch projected Indian economy to grow 5.5 percent in 2022-23.

Banks sanction over Rs 1 lakh cr loans to 30 lakh MSMEs under ECLGS

• As per the data by the Ministry of Finance on 30 June 2020, banks from public and private sectors have sanctioned over Rs 1 lakh crore loans under the Rs 3-lakh crore Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for the MSME sector as of June 26, 2020.

• Out of this, more than Rs 45,860 crore has already been disbursed under the 100 percent ECLGS for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

• The top lenders under the scheme are State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank and HDFC Bank.

World Bank approves $750 mn emergency response fund for India’s MSME sector

• The World Bank has approved loan worth $750 million to address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of India’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), severely impacted by the C-19 crisis.

• The World Bank’s MSME Emergency Response program will provide financial support to some 1.5 million viable MSMEs.

• With this, the World Bank’s total commitment has reached to $2.75 billion to support India’s emergency C-19 response.

Appointments and Resignations

Ravinder Bhakar becomes new CEO of CBFC

• Shri Ravinder Bhakar, a 1999 batch officer of Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS), has taken over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Central Board of Films Certification (CBFC) on 30 June 2020.

• Prior to this, Mr. Bhakar was posted as the Secretary & Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railways.

• He succeeds Anurag Srivastava. Chairperson of CBFC – Shri Prasoon Joshi

Shrikant Madhav Vaidya becomes new chairman of IOC

• Shrikant Madhav Vaidya took charge as the new chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). Prior to this, he was the Director (Refineries) on the IOC Board, since October 2019.

• He will replace Sanjiv Singh, who retired on June 30.

Shashank Manohar quits as ICC Chairman

• International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman, Shashank Manohar has stepped down as the head of the cricket body after two-year tenures. ICC Board has decided that Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja will take the charge until Manohar’s successor is elected.

•  The process for the Chairperson election is likely to be approved by the ICC Board within the next week.

Days

National Postal Worker Day

• The National Postal Worker Day is marked every year on July 1 globally in recognition of the contribution made by postal workers in our society.

• The day is a unique opportunity to say ‘thank you’ not only to postmen but also to all delivery personnel, as online shopping has become a lifeline for many of us.

• The day was initiated by a popular postal service provider from Seattle, United States of America in 1997  to felicitate and honour the co-postal workers for their dedication.

World UFO Day

• World UFO Day is observed on 2nd July. It was founded by the UFO hunter Haktan Akdogan.

• The first World UFO Day was celebrated in 2001 and spread awareness among people to gaze at the heavens scanning for unidentified flying objects.

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Important Current Affairs 1st July 2020

National

PM extends “Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana” till November 2020

• PM Narendra Modi on June 30, 2020 addressed the nation in the context of Unlock 2.0 that will be effective from July 1.

• Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana will be extended till the end of November, an extension to cost over Rs 90 thousand crores. Over 80 cr people to get free food grain till Diwali and Chhathpooja.

• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 20 crore accounts have received 31,000 crores in their Jan Dhan Accounts.

• PM urges the citizens to take the pledge of Vocal for Local and work for the betterment of the society and country at large.

• One Nation One Ration Card will be implemented on whole India. This will especially benefit those people who leave their native-place, native-state to find work in some other state.

DGCI approves Bharat Biotech’s vaccine for clinical trials

• The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) has given its approval to the Indian vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech’s vaccine. Bharat Biotech can now initiate phase-I and Phase-II human clinical trials for the C-19 vaccine candidate.

• The vaccine has been developed in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology which is a part of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

Maharashtra launches largest plasma therapy trial “Project Platina”

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has launched the world’s largest plasma therapy trials “Project Platina” for C-19 patients. The state government has approved Rs 16.65 crore for the project from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

• There are 21 centres have been picked for the trial, including 17 medical colleges under the department of medical education and drugs, the government of Maharashtra and four BMC medical colleges in Mumbai.

International

China passes national security law for Hong Kong

• China has passed the controversial Hong Kong National Security Law. The law will come into effect from July 1, 2020 and carries maximum penalty of life term in jail. The law has been passed on the day that is commemorated as 23rd anniversary of the day when the British passed Hong Kong to China.

• Earlier, the law received unanimous approval of National People's Congress Standing Committee.

Awards

Popstar Beyonce honored with BET 2020 Humanitarian Award

• PopstarBeyonce has been honored with the BET 2020 Humanitarian Award for her longstanding philanthropic work with her BeyGOOD Foundation, including her recent C-19 relief efforts such as #IDIDMYPART, a mobile testing initiative.

• The award was presented by the former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Appointments and Resignations

KK Venugopal reappointed as Attorney General of India

• KK Venugopal has been reappointed as the Attorney General of India by President Ram Nath Kovind.  Venugopal appointment has been extended for one year with effect from July 1, 2020.

• He was appointed as the Attorney General in July 2017 following the resignation of Mukul Rohatgi. Venugopal himself made the request for his reappointment.

Days

National Doctor’s Day 2020

• National Doctor's Day 2020 will be celebrated on July 1st to thank physicians and doctors for their dedicated services to patients.Doctor’s Day 2020 is being celebrated for acknowledging the services of doctors and their huge contribution to the medical advancement in India.

• Every year, the theme for Doctor's day is announced by Indian Medical Association. Last year it was 'Zero tolerance to violence against doctors and clinical establishments.' The theme of National Doctor's Day 2020 is not announced yet.

• National Doctors' Day is celebrated on July 1 all across India to honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.

National Charted Accountants Day

• National Charted Accountants Day or CA Day is celebrated on July 1 every year. This day is celebrated to commemorate the finding of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) by the parliament of India in 1949.

•  Every year on the day of the establishment of the ICAI, CA Day is celebrated to honour the Chartered Accountant.

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Important Current Affairs 30th June 2020

National

Ban on 59 Chinese apps for safety, security and integrity of India

• The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has announced that “Government of India Bans 59 Chinese mobile apps”, which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order”.

• The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking it’s power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps.

• The Ministry had also received concerns from citizens regarding security of data and risk to privacy in operation of certain apps.  The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Home Ministry had also sent a recommendation to block such malicious apps.

The complete list of 59 Chinese App Banned in India is given below:

Chinese Mobile Applications

1. TikTok

2. Shareit

3. Kwai

4. UC Browser

5. Baidu map

6. Shein

7. Clash of Kings

8. DU battery saver

9. Helo

10. Likee

11. YouCam makeup

12. Mi Community

13. CM Browers

14. Virus Cleaner

15. APUS Browser

16. ROMWE

17. Club Factory

18. Newsdog

19. Beutry Plus

20. WeChat

21. UC News

22. QQ Mail

23. Weibo

24. Xender

25. QQ Music

26. QQ Newsfeed

27. Bigo Live

28. SelfieCity

29. Mail Master

30. Parallel Space

31. Mi Video Call – Xiaomi

32. WeSync

33. ES File Explorer

34. Viva Video – QU Video Inc

35. Meitu

36. Vigo Video

37. New Video Status

38. DU Recorder

39. Vault- Hide

40. Cache Cleaner DU App studio

41 DU Cleaner

42. DU Browser

43. Hago Play With New Friends

44. Cam Scanner

45. Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile

46. Wonder Camera

47. Photo Wonder

48. QQ Player

49. We Meet

50. Sweet Selfie

51. Baidu Translate

52. Vmate

53. QQ International

54. QQ Security Center

55. QQ Launcher

56. U Video

57. V fly Status Video

58. Mobile Legends

59. DU Privacy

Delhi Government to start its own Plasma Bank

• Delhi government will start its own 'Plasma Bank' for treatment of Chinese virus positive patients. Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal has urged all the C-19 recovered patients in national capital to donate their plasma for the bank.

• Plasma Bank will begin its operations in next two days at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Delhi.

PM FME Scheme launched under Atmanirbhar Bharat

• The Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Harsimrat Kaur Badal formally launched Pradhan Mantri Scheme for Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises as a part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan on 29 June 2020.

• The scheme aims to enhance the competitiveness of the existing individual micro enterprises by increasing their access to credit, modern technologies among other things.

• The All India Centrally Sponsored Scheme has an outlay of Rs.10,000crore for 5 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 and  Provide employment to about nine lakh skilled and semi-skilled workers.

Uttarakhand forest department develops India’s 1st lichen park

• Uttarakhand forest department has developed India’s first lichen park in Kumaon’s Munsiyari, Pithoragarh district. Lichens are found in the Himalayas up to 5000 metres are important species as they are the best bioindicators of the pollution levels.

• The project aims to study the distribution of different lichen species, their habitat, their morphological and physiological aspects, surveying and literature review, the establishment of species, current threats to their habitat including anthropological and climatic factors, and coming up with suitable conservation strategies and protection strategies.

• These Jurassic-era lichen species are used in food, perfumes, dyes and traditional medicines.

International

Micheal Martin takes over as the Prime Minister of Ireland

• Micheal Martin has been appointed as the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland on 27 June 2020.

• The 59-year-old will lead a three-party coalition government consisting of FiannaFáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party.

• Martin is serving as the 15th Taoiseach of the country. He succeeds Leo Varadkar.

Lazarus Chakwera wins President election in Malawi’s

• Lazarus Chakwera becomes the new President of Malawi. He defeated incumbent Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of votes. Chakwera won with 2.6 million votes against 1.75 million for Mutharika. He is the head of the Malawi Congress Party(MCP).

Banking and Economy

Indian economy expected to contract 5% in FY21: S&P Ratings

• The GDP growth of India is expected to contract by 5 percent in the fiscal year 2020-21, according to latest forecast by S&P Global Ratings.

• The growth is expected to rebound in 2021-22 at 8.5%

Summary

FY21: -5%

FY22: 8.5%

FY23: 6.5%

Days

International Asteroid Day

• The International Asteroid Day, also known as Asteroid Day is a United Nations proclaimed day observed globally on June 30 ever year to raise awareness about asteroids and what can be done to protect the Earth, its families, communities, and future generations from a catastrophic event.

• The event marks the anniversary of the Siberian Tunguska event that took place on June 30, 1908, and was the most harmful known asteroid-related event on Earth in recent history.

• The first International Asteroid Day was held in 2015.

International Day of Parliamentarism

• International Day of Parliamentarism is observed globally on 30 June every year. The Day celebrates parliaments and ways during which parliamentary systems of government improve the everyday lives of individuals throughout the world.

• It is also a chance for parliaments to spot challenges and stock ways to deal with them effectively.The 2020 event is the third edition of the celebration.

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Important Current Affairs 28th June 2020

National

NITI Aayog launches behaviour change campaign ‘Navigating the New Normal’

• NITI Aayog has launched a behaviour change campaign titled ‘Navigating the New Normal’ and its website to guide people to follow norms during the ‘Unlock’ phase of the c- 19, in order to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

• The campaign has been developed under the guidance of Empowered Group 6, constituted by the GoI, under the Chairmanship of NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.

Maharashtra Govt introduced “Maha Parwana” plan to boost investment

• Maharashtra State Government has introduced “MahaParwana” plan to attract fresh investment in industries. This plan will offer incentives and a single-window clearance system.

• The companies with investment proposals for Rs.50 crore or more will get relaxation on getting clearances from multiple departments with assurance letters (Maha Parwana).

• These companies should apply at the Maharashtra Industry, Trade and Investment Facilitation Cell (MAITRI), single window system and get online permission within 48 hours.

International

VaYu, World’s first yoga University outside India inaugurated in Los Angeles

• The world’s first yoga university outside India has been launched in Los Angeles, as a part of the 6th International Yoga Day commemorations.

• The University has been named as Vivekananda Yoga University (VaYU), and will offer programmes that combine scientific principles and modern research approaches to the ancient Indian practice of yoga.

• VaYU will offer online graduate programmes based on scientific principles and modern research approaches to yoga.

• Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana(SVYASA) is the world’s first yoga university, set up in Bengaluru, India.

Sports

Rahul Dravid beats Sachin Tendulkar in Wisden India’s poll

• According to a poll conducted by Wisden India, Rahul Dravid is the greatest Indian Test batsman of all time. Dravid beats Sachin Tendulkar by a narrow margin of votes in the final round of voting. Dravid got 52 percent of the votes. Dravid saw off Tendulkar within the final round of the voting by a narrow margin despite trailing at 42 per cent.

• The poll initially had 16 Indian batting greats, with Sunil Gavaskar and ViratKohli being the 2 others to possess made it through to the ‘semi-finals’. Gavaskar beat Kohli within the ‘third-place play-off’ by a narrow margin.

Ranking

India slips down at 77th place in accounting money in Swiss banks

• Swiss National Bank (SNB) has released ‘Annual banking statistics, 2019’. According to the latest SNB data, India has moved down three places to 77th rank in terms of money parked by its citizens.

• However, many neighbouring countries are below India in the list. Among them, Pakistan is ranked 99th, Bangladesh 85th, Nepal 118th, Sri Lanka 148th, Myanmar 186th and Bhutan 196th.

Days

Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day: 27 June

• The United Nations Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day is held on June 27 since 2017 to celebrate the work of MSME in local and global economies and their contribution to sustainable development.

• 2020 Theme is “C-19: The Great C- 19 and its impact on Small Business“

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