0 2 0 2 - Y A M Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan Self-Reliant India Mission S R I A F F A T N E R R U C Atmanirbhar Y Bharat L H T N O M C Locust Attack India-Nepal Border Visakhapatnam Labour Law in India Dispute Gas Leak Changes S P U MAY-2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. POLITY 01 • Fifth Tranche- Centre throws open all sectors to private • ‘Darbar Move’ burdens exchequer, says J&K HC players • Press Freedom • Where is health in the stimulus package? • Off course: On Cauvery water issue • Coir Geo textiles • The need for a second chamber • Energy Transition Index Report • Do numbers matter in Rajya Sabha? • Surya Nagri • Failing to perform as a constitutional court • A violation of right found, but no remedy given 3. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 40 • Riding roughshod over State governments • D 10 • SC relief for firms unable to pay full wages during • Gilgit-Baltistan polls lockdown • Iran to get a new currency • Labour Law Changes • Mission Sagar • Vande Bharat Mission 2. ECONOMY 14 • Pakistan as both terror perpetrator and victim • Central Warehouse Corporation (CWC) • COVID-19 pandemic may create opportunities to deepen India’s engagement with Africa • CHAMPIONS Portal • Anchoring ties with Canberra the virtual way • Consol Bond • Trump’s executive order, targeting social media • Food Corporation of India- A grain stockist with a role platforms still relevant • Non-Aligned Movement • Global Nutrition Report 2020 • Afghan President, rival sign power sharing deal • Kangra Tea • India-China border tension • Kashmir saffron gets GI tag • Diamer-Bhasha dam • Kisan Sabha App • The changing nature of Chinese diplomacy • Moody’s warns of downgrade • Hong Kong Protests • Rht14 and Rht18 • India-Nepal Border Dispute • Saras Collection • Scheme for formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (FME) 4. ART AND CULTURE 55 • Shahi Litchi and Zardalu Mango • Channapatna Toys • Kovilpatti kadalai mittai gets GI tag • Danda Nata • Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) • Jagannath Rath Yatra • Notes on a digital currency plan, made in China • Purandara Dasa • RBI cuts repo rate again, down to 4% • Sohrai Khovar painting and Telangana’s Telia Rumal • Rating agencies can bypass curing period • Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan 5. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 57 • First tranche- MSME Sector • ARCI scientists develop nextgeneration biodegradable metal implants • Second tranche • National AI Portal of India • Third Tranche- Agriculture • China launches new rocket, spacecraft • Fourth Tranche-Govt throws open defence production and coal sectors For guidance contact us on +91 9243500460 MAY-2020 • IASST develops electrochemical sensing platform for • Less Invasive Surfactant Administration (LISA) detecting carcinogenic & mutagenic compounds in food • Septicaemia • Sonic Boom • Aiming to achieve herd immunity naturally is • Unicode Consortium ‘dangerous’, WHO warns • Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) • Super-Spreading Event • Quantum Entanglement • Blood clots in the lung may be a major cause of COVID-19 deaths 6. SECURITY AND DEFENCE 61 • Working safely: On workplaces during the pandemic • Cerberus Trojan • Silent Hypoxia • Drug Supply • Agappe Chitra Magna • Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sachet • ‘India, U.S. to collaborate on vaccine trials’ • INS Jalashwa • SwasthVayu • Missile Park “AGNEEPRASTHA” • UV Blaster • Fresh leaks of personal details detected on dark web • NIV develops test to detect antibodies • Army proposes 3-year stint for civilians • NIAB develops portable coronavirus detection kit • Sukhoi-30 MKI • Can antibody tests help tackle COVID-19? • Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme • COBAS 6800 • Operation Warp Speed 7. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 64 • Charru Mussel 9. SOCIAL ISSUES 79 • IDEAthon on ‘The Future of River Management’ • Bois Locker Room • Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary • Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) • Puntius sanctus • Katkari Tribe • World Turtle Day • Sherdukpen • Massive revamp of Forest Ministry units • Van Dhan Monit Dashboard • GMR told to stop dredging in Kakinada • GOAL - Going Online As Leaders • International Day for Biological Diversity 2020 • Manipur’s Khudol (gift) • Sal forest tortoise habitat stretches over unprotected areas • Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary 10. GEOGRAPHY 82 • New plant species found in Western Ghats • Band-like clouds seen over Sun’s neighbour • Keeping Asia-Pacific afloat • Kerala to source weather inputs from private agencies • Climate Adaptation and Resilience for South Asia (CARE) • Jia Bharali and Puthimari River Project • Scientists discover ‘rare’ Super-Earth planet in centre of • Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA 2020) galaxy • Locust Attack in India 11. EDUCATION 84 8. HEALTH ISSUES 71 • SAMARTH Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) • Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) • NEET is not student-friendly, merit-promoting • Alzheimer’s-IIT Guwahati discovers new ways to prevent • PM e-Vidya programme memory loss • International Nurses Day For guidance contact us on +91 9243500460 MAY-2020 12. DISASTER MANAGEMENT 86 • Amphan Cyclone • Heat Wave • Visakhapatnam Gas Leak 12. GOVERNANCE 91 • Star Rating of Garbage Free Cities (GFC) • Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) • It’s time to give IRS officers their due 13. MISCELLANEOUS 93 • African Swine Fever (ASF) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF) • Cordyceps Militaris • GARUD Portal • Pulitzer Prize • United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the year Award • SC relief for firms unable to pay full wages during lockdown • Centre drafts new rules for satellite TV channels 14. PRACTICE QUESTIONS 96 15. ANSWER KEYS 112 16. MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS 115 17. 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Stay safe and Keep Learning! Team BYJU’S Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here MAY-2020 1 POLITY 1. ‘Darbar Move’ burdens exchequer, says J&K HC • The day is celebrated to raise awareness regarding the Context: importance of freedom of the press. • The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has asked the • It is a day of support for media which are targets for Centre and the Union Territory (UT) administration to the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also take a final call on the continuation of the 148-year- a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost old practice of shifting capitals annually between their lives in the pursuit of a story. Srinagar and Jammu, which burdens the exchequer. World Press Freedom Day 2020: Theme Details: • The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2020, • The court observed that the Darbar Move results in "Journalism without Fear or Favour" wastage of tremendous amount of time, efforts and The Sub-themes for this year are: energy on inefficient and unnecessary activity. • Safety of Women and Men Journalists and Media * Over 10,000 employees shift capital annually. Workers * Hundreds of trucks are usually plied to carry • Independent and Professional Journalism free from furniture, office files, computers, and other Political and Commercial Influence records to the capital. • Gender Equality in All Aspect of the Media • Evaluating the cost incurred by the Darbar Move on World Press Freedom Conference 2020 the exchequer, the court noted that if the practice was rationalised, the amount of money, resources and • The Global conference provides an opportunity to time which could be saved, could be utilised towards journalists, civil society representatives, national the development of the Union Territory, which has authorities, academics and the broader public to otherwise witnessed much turmoil. discuss emerging challenges to press freedom and journalists' safety and to work together on identifying • Over the years, there have been voices raised against solutions. the century-old practice which involves heavy funding towards ensuring the smooth conduct