CURRENT AFFAIRS (May,2020) NATIONAL NEWS ‘Year of Awareness on Science & Health (YASH)’ • It is launched by National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science & Technology (DST) . • The programme, with a focus on COVID-19, is an endeavour to disseminate information about best practices which will be vital to curbing the transmission of the virus and its management ‘ATULYA ’ • Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune, a deemed university supported by Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed a microwave steriliser named as ‘ATULYA’ to disintegrate (COVID-19) Geographical Indication (GI) tag

Manipur black rice, popularly known as ‘Chakhao’ by the locals, has bagged the Geographical Indication (GI) tag

‘Terracotta’ products made from the special soil found in Bhathat area of Uttar Pradesh Gorakhpur district is given Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Kovilpatti kadalai mittai -peanut candy from the southern part of Tamil Nadu -- was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag Kisan Sabha App

• Kisan Sabha App developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi to connect farmers to supply chain and freight transportation management system.

Founded- 26th Sept,1942 Founders-

Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar Kashmir saffron • It is given Geographical Indication (GI) tag status. • It is mainly grown in Karewa soil in Jammu and Kashmir. • Kashmir saffron is the only one in the world grown at an altitude of 1600 meters • Iran is the largest Saffron producer in world. 's position in Scientific Research

India occupies 3rd rank in terms of India is placed 3rd among number of PhDs awarded in countries in scientific Science and Engineering (S&E) publication. after USA (39,710 in 2016) and First two ranks belong to USA China (34,440 in 2015). and China IDEAthon

IDEAthon on “The future National Mission for Clean of River Management’ to Ganga (NMCG) under the explore how the COVID- Ministry of Jal Shakti and 19 crisis can shape River National Institute of Urban Management strategies Affairs (NIUA) for the future ‘eCovSens’ Hyderabad- based National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) had developed a non-invasive biosensor testing device, named ‘eCovSens’, for rapid detection of Covid-19 Saras Collection • Started by Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and the DeenDayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development,

• The Saras Collection showcases daily utility products made by rural self-help groups (SHGs) and aims to provide SHGs in rural areas with market access to Central and State Government buyers. DAY-NRLM: • DAY-NRLM aims to reduce poverty through promotion of diversified and gainful self-employment

while creating skilled wage employment opportunities

✔ Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)-1999

✔ National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)-2011

✔ DeenDayal Antyodaya Yojana-NRLM -2015 GeM:

• Government e Marketplace (GeM) is a 100 percent Government owned Section 8 Company set up as the National

• Public Procurement Portal for procurement of goods and services required by Central and State Government African Swine Fever? • It had caused death in pigs in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. • Assam have largest pig population in India. • ASF is a severe viral disease that affects wild and domestic pigs . • 1907 first time reported in Africa. • In 1957 ,it reach Europe. Operation “Samudra Setu” Indian Navy has launched Operation “Samudra Setu” - meaning “Sea Bridge”, as a part of national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas. Government Authorisation for Relief Using Drones’(GARUN)- • Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have launched the GARUD portal for providing fast track conditional exemptions to government agencies for COVID-19 related RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System)/ drone operations. Vande Bharat Mission • Vande Bharat Mission aims at bringing home stranded Indians in many countries due to Covid-19 pandemic . • The Vande Bharat Mission began on May 7 with two flights landing in Kochi and Kozhikode from Abu Dhabi and Dubai Styrene Gas Leak Styrene gas leaked from a chemical factory of LG Chem. Polymers on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on 7th May,2020.

Styrene is an organic compound with the formula C8H8. • It is a derivative of benzene (C6H6). • It is stored in factories as a liquid, but evaporates easily, and has to be kept at temperatures under 20°C. • Styrene is the main raw material for synthesis of polystyrene. • Polystyrene, in turn, is a versatile plastic that is used to make parts of various appliances such as refrigerators or micro-ovens; automotive parts; and parts of electronics such as computers Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Loan to India The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a USD 500 million loan to India to assist the government to strengthen its response to the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

• Started - January 2016 . • Headquarters - Beijing, • Members-103 approved members • President- Jin Liqun • Vice President- 5 (D.J.Pandian as VP) Lt General D B Shekatkar Committee • The Committee was chaired by Lt General D B Shekatkar (Retd.).

• The mandate of the Committee was ‘to suggest measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure of the armed forces’. Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS).

• Research Centre Imarat (RCI), a part of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), developed the Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS). • Research Centre Imarat is a DRDO laboratory located in Hyderabad Mission Sagar’. • Indian Naval Ship Kesari was deployed to the Southern Indian Ocean region as part of ‘Mission Sagar’ a special ‘COVID Relief Mission’ • It made port calls at Male (Maldives), Port Louis (Mauritius), Antsiranana (Madagascar), Moroni (Comoros Islands) and Port Victoria (Seychelles) for delivery of 580 tons of food aid and essential medical stores to local authorities.

Sample Registration System • It provide detail of Birth Rate, Death Rate, IMR, MMR, Fertility Rate in India • Started -1964-65 • Regular after 10 Years- 1969-70 • 2020 data is for 2018

Infant Mortality Highest-Madhya India -32 Lowest-Nagaland(4) Rate Pradesh(48)

Maternal India-113 Highest-Assam(215) Lowest-Kerala Mortality Ratio Lowest-Andaman and India-20 Birth Rate Highest-Bihar(26.2) Nicobar(11.2),Goa(12.4)

Highest- Death Rate India-6.2 Lowest-Delhi(3.3),Nagaland(3.5) Chhattisgarh(8)

GI Tag Sohrai Khovar painting: • The Sohrai Khovar painting is a traditional and ritualistic mural art being practiced by local tribal women during local harvest and marriage seasons . • They use local, naturally available soils of different colors in the area of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. Telia Rumal:

• Telia Rumal cloth of Telangana involves intricate handmade work with cotton loom displaying a variety of designs and motifs in three particular colors - red, black and white. Cyclone Amphan • It was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Ganges Delta since Start of the 2007 season. • It is the first super cyclonic storm to have formed in the Bay of Bengal since the 1999 Orissa Super cyclone. • On 20th May ,it made landfall in West Bengal • Formed- 16th May • Dissipated- 21st May Star Rating of garbage-free cities • Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced the results of the star rating of garbage-free cities for the year 2019-2020. • The star rating of garbage-free cities evaluates cities on the basis of cleanliness indicators and accordingly rate on the scale of 1 to 7.

Ambikapur, Rajkot, 65 cities 70 cities Surat, Mysuru, Indore and Navi Mumbai

RBI policy cut • On 20th, 21st and 22nd May 2020, MPC meeting take place . • It decided to change rate

⮚ Repo Rate – 4%(4.4%) ⮚ Reverse Repo Rate- 3.35%(3.75%) ⮚ Bank Rate-4.25% ⮚ MSF-4.25% PPE kits • On 21st May India has become the second largest maker of PPE kits in world . KHUDOL

• Ya_All, an Imphal based NGO started Khudol which is a crowd funded initiative. • It ensures health, hygiene and food for LGBTQI+ community, daily wage earners, people living with HIV, adolescents, and children. • UN recognize it as 10 best efforts to combat Covid-19. INTERNATIONAL NEWS Virtual NAM Summit • Virtual Non-Aligned Movement(NAM) Contact Group Summit on “United against Covid-19” through video conferencing was organized. • It was the first time that Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a NAM Summit since he assumed the office in 2014. Indian Prime Minister- Jawaharlal Nehru ⮚ Concept- Bandung meet(1955) ⮚ Founded- Belgrade(1961) Ghana President- Kwame Nkrumah ⮚ Last 18th Summit- Baku(2019)

Egyptian President- Gamal Abdel Nasser

Indonesian President- Sukarno

Yugoslav President- Josip Broz Tito Germany banned Hezbollah • Hezbollah operates in Lebanon. • Shia-terror Group. Toma Iran's national currency is changed from the Rial to the Toman, which is equal to 10,000 Rials. Long March 5B rocket

• A Long March 5B rocket launched a prototype Chinese crewed spacecraft demonstrating the launcher’s capability to carry space station modules to low Earth orbit.

• Lift-off took place at Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island. Stamp on 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox

• The Postal Administration (UNPA) in collaboration with WHO issue a stamp in the denomination of CHF 1,70, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox • On 8th May ,1980 smallpox was declared eradicated from world. AWARDS Victory Medal

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un a commemorative war medal marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. Top Three

India- 74th rank

Haiti -115th rank SPORTS Bundesliga

The Bundesliga in Germany is set to become world’s first major sporting event to resume playing during the Covid-19. PERSONALITIES T. S. Tirumurti • He is appointed as the next Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations at New York.

Ashok Michael Pinto • US President Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American lawyer Ashok Michael Pinto as a representative to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank’s lending arm. Manisha Singh US President Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American diplomat Manisha Singh as his envoy to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). OECD

• Established as - Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) in 1948 • Converted into OECD IN 1961 • Headquarters- Paris • Member- 37 Countries Mustafa al-Kadhimi Former intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi was sworn in as new Prime Minister of Iraq. IMPORTANT DAYS International May 01 Workers’ Day May 02 World Tuna Day The theme of World Press World Press Freedom Day May 03 Freedom 2019 is Day Journalism Without Fear or Favour. International May 04 Firefighters Day The theme for 2020 International Day of the International Midwife is Midwives with May 05 Day of the women: celebrate, Midwife demonstrate, mobilize, unite – our time is NOW! The theme for World Hand 2020 is ‘Save May 05 Hygiene Day Lives: Clean Your Hands’. The theme of 2020 World World Asthma Day is May 05 Asthma Day 2020 Enough Asthma Deaths. This date is the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, who was born on 8 May 08 World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day May 1828. He was the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize The theme for the International Thalassaemia Day World 2020 is ‘The May 08 Thalassaemia dawning of a new Day era for thalassaemia’. The theme of 2020 World Migratory World Migratory May 09 Bird Day is “Birds Bird Day 2020 Connect Our World”. The day which was first observed on 11 May, 1999, National May 11 India successfully Technology Day tested nuclear bombs in Pokhran on May 11, 1998 Theme: The theme of 2020 International Nurses Day is Nurses: May International A voice to lead – 12 Nurses Day Nursing the World to Health. The theme for World Hypertension Day 2020 is World Measure Your Blood May 17 Hypertension Day Pressure, Control It, Live Longer The theme of 2020 is World “Connect 2030: ICTs for May 17 Telecommunication and the Sustainable Information Society Day Development Goals (SDGs)” National Anti May 21 Terrorism Day International Day The 2020 Theme: Women of United Nations in : A Key to May 29 Peacekeepers Peace. The theme of 2020 is World Digestive May 29 Gut Micro biome – A Health Day Global Perspective May 29 International Everest Day Theme of the 2020 World No- May 31 ‘Tobacco and related Tobacco Day industry tactics to attract younger generations’. THANK YOU