![1 Weekly-Current Affairs- [15-April to 21-April-2020]](http://data.docslib.org/img/e1a9f650e41d66c61f0f531f595b62dc-1.webp)
WEEKLY-CURRENT AFFAIRS- [15-APRIL TO 21-APRIL-2020]
Goa becomes the 1st state to use Ayurveda to COVID-19 patients Goa becomes the first state to integrate allopathy and Ayurveda to boost the immunity of COVID-19 patients and those who have been quarantined. The treatment will be administered in consultation with doctors who are dealing with COVID-19 patients, who is also an Ayurvedic practitioner. ADB increases its COVID-19 Response Package to $20 Billion The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has increased the size of its COVID-19 Response Package to $20 Billion. The amount in the COVID-19 Response Package was initially $6.5 billion as per announcement in March 2020 as ADB’s response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. ADB has also approved ways and means to streamline its actions for quicker and more flexible delivery of assistance. US approved sale of missiles worth USD 155 million to strengthen India The US reaffirmed its determination to sell Harpoon air-launched anti-ship missiles and Mark 54 lightweight torpedoes worth $155 million to India. The aim is to enhance India’s deterrent capabilities against regional threats and to strengthen its homeland. Four Indian-Americans is awarded Guggenheim fellowships 2020 4 Indian-Americans have been awarded with Guggenheim fellowships 2020 for their already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.
The 4 Indian- Americans are: Pradeep Sharma- mechanical engineer at the University of Houston; Kavita Ramanan- professor of Applied Mathematics at Brown University; Dilip Da Cunha- architect, planner and teacher at Harvard University and Columbia University; Mukul Sharma- professor of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College. Manipur Govt launches Electronic format of comic textbooks Government of Manipur has launched Electronic format of comic textbooks. The Department of Education (schools) has initiated the electronic format comic textbooks for Class III, IV and V as steps and measures to make up the gaps for the academic situation, especially for the schools. The electronic format comic textbook for each class comprises three subjects namely Mathematics, Environmental Studies and English Language in a single electronic comic textbook format. World Art day celebrated on 15 April World Art Day is celebrated globally on 15 April every year to promote the development, diffusion and enjoyment of art. This day is being celebrated all over the world to emphasize the importance of art that nurtures creativity, innovation and cultural diversity for all peoples across the globe. Promoting the development of art is also stated as a mean to achieve a free and peaceful world as it encourages greater awareness of the diversity of artistic expressions and also highlights the role play of artists towards sustainable development. SBI to waive service charges for all ATM transactions The State Bank of India (SBI) has made an announcement that the bank will waive service charges for all ATM transactions made on SBI ATMs. The decision will also be implemented on the other bank ATMs on account of exceeding the free number of transactions up to 30th June 2020. Therefore, any customer having a debit card from a State Bank of India will be allowed to withdraw cash from any other bank’s ATM without incurring any additional charges till 30th June, 2020.
Plot-1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRP Square, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph. :8093556677, 9040456677, Web :www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] 1
WEEKLY-CURRENT AFFAIRS- [15-APRIL TO 21-APRIL-2020]
CBDT refunded Rs.4,250 crore to help taxpayers in COVID-19 pandemic situation The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) stated that it has already issued over 10.2 lakh refunds totalling to around Rs.4,250 crore as of 14 April 2020. The move is in pursuance to the Government of India’s decision to issue pending income tax refunds up to Rs.5 lakh in order to help taxpayers in a COVID-19 pandemic situation. IMF reports that COVID-19 pandemic will bring Asia’s 2020 growth to halt for 1st time in 60 years The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its report on the Asia-Pacific region stated that Asia’s economic growth in 2020 will grind to a halt for the first time in 60 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department directed the policymakers to offer targeted support to households and firms hardest-hit by travel bans, social distancing policies and other measures aimed at containing the pandemic. IMF forecasted a 7.6% expansion in Asian economic growth in 2021 on the assumption that containment policies succeed. It also said that the outlook is highly uncertain. It also stated that The impact of the coronavirus on the region will be severe, across the board, and unprecedented. It suggested that the Asian countries need to use all policy instruments in their toolkits. Asia is set to fare better than other regions that suffered economic contractions. The projection is expected to be worse than the 4.7% average growth rate throughout the global financial crisis. Jim Corbett National Park of Uttarakhand becomes India’s 1st quarantine centre for animals Jim Corbett National Park , the India’s oldest forested wildlife sanctuary located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, has become the India’s 1st quarantine centre for animals with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the virtual session of the 2nd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting . The meeting was held under the Saudi Arabian Presidency. The Ministers discussed the global economic outlook amid the evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis. BSNL in partnership with SBI launches Bharat InstaPay a UPI-based payment platform Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in partnership with the State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) based payment platform, Bharat InstaPay to enable all types of channel partners of BSNL to digitize their payment transactions on a round the clock basis/ real- time basi Ajay Mahajan becomes new MD & CEO of “CARE Ratings” Ajay Mahajan has been appointed as Managing Director & Chief Executive of credit rating agency “CARE Ratings”. He will replace Rajesh Mokashi, who resigned in December 2019. Mahajan started his career with Bank of America in 1990 and went on to become MD & Country Head of Global Markets Group. Ajay Mahajan earlier worked at IDFC First Bank. 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. MS Dhoni appointed as the brand ambassador of PokerStars India PokerStars India has appointed former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its new brand ambassador.
Plot-1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRP Square, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph. :8093556677, 9040456677, Web :www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] 2
WEEKLY-CURRENT AFFAIRS- [15-APRIL TO 21-APRIL-2020]
Prior to MS Dhoni’s appointment popular Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui was the brand ambassador of the company. Novelis Inc. of Hindalco acquired US’s Aleris for $2.8 billion deal The Aditya Birla group’s Hindalco Industries Ltd. has acquired Aleris Corporation through its wholly owned subsidiary Novelis Inc. for an enterprise value of $2.8 billion (Rs 21,295 crores). Hindalco is now one of the world’s largest aluminium makers. This acquisition took place after 2 years of signing the deal. It’s deadline was January 2020 but was delayed due to regulatory hurdles. Novelis will acquire Aleris’ 13 plants across North America, Europe and Asia. Aleris Corp was Ohio, United States (US)-based aluminium rolled products maker and has long-term supply contracts with aircraft makers Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier. The acquisition will also give Hindalco access to the aluminium supply market for the building and construction segments. AbdelouahabAissaoui bags 13th International Arab fiction prize 2020 Algerian writer AbdelouahabAissaoui wins 13th International Arab fiction prize 2020. They awarded for his novel ‘The Spartan Court’ published by Dar Min in 2018. He will receive USD 50,000 and funding will be provided for the English translation. ‘The Spartan Court’ is a historical novel that relates the power struggle between Ottoman and French colonial powers in Algeria where it interconnects the lives of 5 characters in Algiers at the beginning of the 19th century (1815 to 1833). Tata Power wins Edison Award for social innovation Tata Power bags Edison Award for social innovation. The company bags the awards for its ‘Club Enerji #Switchoff2SwitchOn’ campaign. It has brought about 533 participating schools across India, saving over 29.8 million units of power since its inception in 2007. Tata Power is India’s largest integrated power company and has an installed capacity of 10,763 megawatts together with its subsidiaries and jointly controlled entities. World Voice Day 2020 is observed on April 16 World Voice Day (WVD) is a worldwide annual event that takes place on April 16 devoted to the celebration of the phenomenon of voice. The day is celebrated to increase the public awareness of the importance of voice and alertness to voice problems. Voice is an important aspect of healthy and effective communication. World Haemophilia Day is observed on 17 April World Haemophilia Day is observed on 17 April. The day aims to increase awareness of haemophilia, von Willebrand disease, and other inherited bleeding disorders. The increased awareness will increase better diagnosis and access to care for the millions who remain without treatment. RBI released 49th round of OBICUS The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the 49th round of quarterly OBICUS (Order books, inventories, and capacity utilization survey) of the manufacturing sector. The survey includes the reference period January-March 2020. OBICUS: The OBICUS survey will provide valuable input for monetary policy formulation. The Central Bank has conducted the OBICUS of the manufacturing sector on a quarterly basis since 2008.
Plot-1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRP Square, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph. :8093556677, 9040456677, Web :www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] 3
WEEKLY-CURRENT AFFAIRS- [15-APRIL TO 21-APRIL-2020]
The data collected in the survey includes quantitative data on new orders received during the reference quarter, backlog of orders, pending orders, total inventories with a breakup between work-in-progress (WiP) and finished goods (FG) inventories and item-wise production. RBI also stated that the company level data collected during the survey will be treated as confidential and never disclosed. In the 48th round of the OBICUS for the quarter, October-December 2019 over 704 manufacturing companies were covered. The last survey showed that capacity utilization (CU) had declined to 68.6% in the third quarter of 2019-20 from 69.1% in the previous quarter. The orders that were received in the third quarter of the year 2019-20 were less when compared with the previous quarter. RBI cancels the licence of Mapusa Urban Co-operative Bank of Goa Ltd The licence of the Mapusa Urban Co-operative Bank of Goa Ltd. has been cancelled by the Reserve Bank of India. The central bank has issued an order, barring the bank to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business. Agriculture Minister launches KisanRath Mobile App Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched KisanRath Mobile App to facilitate transportation of foodgrains and perishables during lockdown. This mobile application is developed by the National Informatics Centre to facilitate farmers and traders in searching transport vehicles for movement of Agriculture and Horticulture produce. Chess wizard Viswanathan Anand named ambassador of WWF India Chess Master Viswanathan Anand has been appointed as the new Ambassador for World Wide Fund (WWF) India’s Environment Education program. The Environment Education Program was formed in 1976. It reaches out to school children, youth and citizens across the country. The main objective of the organization is to generate critical thinking, problem-solving, and environmentally-conscious individuals. BSNL CMD P K Purwar takes additional charge of MTNL The chairman and managing director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), P. K. Purwar have been given the additional charge as CMD of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL). This is the 3rd time Purwar has been given charge of MTNL CMD in the last six years. He has taken over the charge of CMD MTNL . Rohit Sharma becomes brand ambassador for “CricKingdom” Limited-overs Vice-captain of Indian cricket team Rohit Sharma was named brand ambassador of “CricKingdom” a Dubai-based cricket coaching academy which provides a platform for online coaching after the global COVID-19 pandemic subsides. BCCI suspends IPL 2020 due to Covid-19 The Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided that the IPL 2020 Season will be suspended till “further notice”. This decision is taken in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The IPL was set to start on March 29 and end on May 24, but it was first postponed till April 15 after a surge of coronavirus positive cases in India. Feifei” to be the mascot for Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games “Feifei” to be the mascot for Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, China. The 4th Asian Para Games are going to be held from October 9-15, 2022, featuring 22 sports with Taekwondo and Para-Canoe to form their Games debuts. The mascot helps to bring the Games to life for everybody, from the athletes to the spectators.
Plot-1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRP Square, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph. :8093556677, 9040456677, Web :www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] 4
WEEKLY-CURRENT AFFAIRS- [15-APRIL TO 21-APRIL-2020]
About “Feifei” : The 1st ‘fei’ of the mascot means the birds flying, implying inclusiveness, respect, and fraternity of human society. Therefore, the 2nd ‘fei’ means the mental tenacity of the athletes with disabilities pursuing dreams and reaching beyond themselves. The planning of ‘Feifei’ is inspired by the motif of the ‘Divine Bird’ within the Liangzhu Culture. World Heritage Day observed on April 18 World Heritage Day known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites is observed annually on April 18. The theme of World Heritage Day 2020 is “Shared Culture’, ‘Shared heritage’ and ‘Shared responsibility”. The main aim is to promote cultural heritage through activities undertaken by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). AIIB to lend USD 500 mn to India to help fight COVID-19 pandemic Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has announced that it is to finance $500 million projects in India to help the country improve its health care systems. With this, AIIB has doubled its funds under the COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility. Delhi government launches ‘Assess Koro Na’ app The Delhi Government has launched ‘Assess Koro Na’ mobile application. The Delhi government has also advised the officials to use the new ‘Assess Koro Na’ app to do door-to- door survey in COVID-19 containment zones. This mobile application will speed up decision-making by analysing the real-time data and hence removing a major obstacle in the efforts to contain the virus. World Liver Day observed globally on 19 April World Liver day is observed on 19 April every year. The day is observed to spread awareness about the liver-related disease. The liver is the second largest and the most complex organ in the body, with the exception of the brain. Equitas Small Finance Bank launches Selfe Fixed Deposits and Selfe savings accounts Equitas Small Finance Bank (ESFB), a private sector, has launched Selfe Fixed Deposits (FD) and Selfe savings accounts to expand its digital banking services so as to help its customers to avoid visiting the branches as the lockdown is extended till May 3. Selfe FD With the Aadhaar and Permanent Account Number (PAN) details customers can open an online account for value of Minimum investment of Rs 5,000 and invest up to Rs 90,000 under 3 minutes, for which the bank offers interest rate upto 7.75% per annum (p.a) for 1 year. It is a digital standalone FD scheme which envisages booking from their respective residences & transfer of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) funding from any Know Your Customer bank account. No premature withdrawal penalty for Senior Citizen Selfe FD & if Selfe FD has completed a tenure of more than 180 days. Fitch slashes India’s GDP growth forecast to 1.8% Fitch Solutions has slashed India’s economic growth forecast to 1.8% for the financial year 2020-21. Fitch Solutions has lowered India’s economic growth forecast from 4.6% stating large-scale loss of income across the economy due to domestic outbreak of COVID-19, causing contracted private consumption. S&P cuts India growth forecast to 1.8% from 3.5% for FY 20-21 S&P Global Ratings has declined India’s growth forecast for the FY 20-21 to 1.8% from 3.5% estimated earlier due to an extended nationwide lockdown to contain COVID-19 spread.
Plot-1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRP Square, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph. :8093556677, 9040456677, Web :www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] 5
WEEKLY-CURRENT AFFAIRS- [15-APRIL TO 21-APRIL-2020]
For FY 2021-2022, the rating agency has projected India’s growth to 7.5%. In March 2020, S&P cut India’s growth forecast to 3.5% for 2020-21 fiscal, from 5.2% projected earlier. Oscar-winning animator and filmmaker Gene Deitch passes away Oscar-winning animator, film director and producer, Gene Deitch passed away. His movie “Munro” won the Oscar award in the animated short film category in 1960. He directed some episodes of “Tom and Jerry” and also some episodes of “Popeye the Sailor” series. Civil Services Day observed on 21st April The Government of India celebrates Civil Services Day on 21st April every year. The Civil Services Day celebrates all the civil servants who dedicated their lives to the cause of citizens. It also aims to renew their commitments to public service and excellence in work. World Creativity and Innovation Day: 21 April World Creativity and Innovation Day is observed globally on 21 April every year. This day is celebrated to raise awareness around the importance of creativity and innovation in problem-solving with respect to advancing the United Nations sustainable development goals, also known as the “global goals”. World Earth Day 2020 to be celebrated amid COVID-19 World Earth Day 2020 will be celebrated digitally on April 22 due to the global COVID-19 lockdown. The organisers have asked the people to celebrate the day with hope, optimism, and action while encouraging safety. The celebration of this day usually involves going out and spreading awareness which won’t be possible amid the lockdown. ICICI Bank launches voice banking services for their customers Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India(ICICI) bank starts a new feature of voice banking services on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for their customers. The service will enable customers to #BankWithTheirVoice and get answers to banking queries, check account balance & transactions, credit card due date and more. The company’s new voice banking service uses an omnichannel bot called iPal to allow users to interact with virtual assistants on Alexa or Google Assistant-powered devices. Bank customers not only ask their banking queries but also apply for a new product, locate their nearest branch or ATM, check for their account balance and new offers, recharge various services and transfer funds etc. Ramesh Pokhriyal chaired the review meeting on SWAYAM and SWAYAM Prabha in New Delhi Union Minister for Human Resource Development (MHRD) Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ held a detailed review of the National online education platform SWAYAM and the 32 DTH Television Education Channels SWAYAM PRABHA in New Delhi on 20 April. During the lockdown, there occurred a tremendous increase in demand and the usage of SWAYAM Courses and SWAYAM PRABHA videos. New chief justices at Bombay, Meghalaya & Orissa high courts Supreme Court Collegium led by the chief justice of India, Sharad Arvind Bobde has recommended the appointment of new Chief Justices for the Bombay, Orissa and Meghalaya High Courts. HIGH COURT NEW APPOINTED PREVIOUSLY REPLACED Bombay High Court Justice Dipankar Datta Calcutta High Court Justice BP Dharmadhikari Justice Meghalaya High Court Allahabad High Court Justice Mohammad Rafiq. BiswanathSomadder Orissa High Court Justice Mohammad Rafiq Meghalaya High Court Justice Sanju Panda A book titled “How the Onion Got Its Layers” authored by Sudha Murty A book titled “How the Onion Got Its Layers” authored by Sudha Murty was published by Puffin.
Plot-1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRP Square, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph. :8093556677, 9040456677, Web :www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] 6
WEEKLY-CURRENT AFFAIRS- [15-APRIL TO 21-APRIL-2020]
The book is being released in its e-book and audio form for young children. Tom and Jerry director, Oscar winning animated filmmaker Gene Deitch passes away at 95 Oscar-winning illustrator and animator, Gene Deitch who directed timeless classic cartoon series Tom and Jerry and Popeye, passed away at the age of 95. Gene Deitch was an American Oscar-winning illustrator, animator, film director and producer.
Plot-1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRP Square, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph. :8093556677, 9040456677, Web :www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] 7