Daily Current Affairs 21st July, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 21 July 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurates Mega Food Park in Mizoram
Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the Zoram Mega Food Park at Kolasib in Mizoram.

• The food park set up at a cost of 75 crores is spread over 55 acres of land and is said to benefit 25,000 farmers.
• The park will leverage an additional investment of about Rs. 250 crore in 30 food processing units and would eventually lead to a turnover of about Rs. 500 crore annually.

Transgenders in Odisha to get benefit under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana
The Odisha Government has included transgender community under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana, which aims at providing financial assistance to destitute elderly, differently-abled persons and widows in the state.

• Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) is a social security scheme launched by the state government.
• Under this scheme, around 5,000 transgenders will recieve Rs 500, Rs 700 and 900 per month as a pension under various categories depending on their age

UP CM Yogi launches employment scheme for SCs – “Navin Rojgar Chhatri Yojana”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched ”Navin Rojgar Chhatri Yojana” for an all round development of the Scheduled Castes.

• He transferred a financial assistance of 17.42 crore online to 3,484 people under the ”Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Swarojgar Yojana” and interacted with some beneficiaries from Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Basti, Meerut, Azamgarh and Moradabad districts through video conferencing.

HRD Minister launches Manodarpan initiative to provide psychosocial support to students
Human Resource and Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishak virtually launched the Manodarpan initiative under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

•  This initiative will provide psycho-social support to students, teachers and parents and address their issues related to mental health and emotional well being.
• A helpline number 8448440632 has been launched to provide the consultation which can be accessed from morning 8 AM to 8 PM

Indian Railways to launch 1st set of private trains by 2023, all 151 by 2027
The first set of 12 private trains will be introduced in 2023, followed by 45 more in the next fiscal, according to an initial timeline drawn by the railways which plans to roll out all 151 such train services by 2027. 

• In a formal kick-start to its plans to allow private entities to operate passenger trains on its network, the railways earlier this month invited proposals from companies to run 151 modern passenger trains on 109 pairs of routes across the country.
• The project would entail a private sector investment of about ₹30,000 crore.

N-E state capitals to be connected via rail network by 2023
Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav said that all the capitals of North-Eastern states will be connected to the rail network by 2023.

• As of today, except Sikkim, all North-Eastern states are connected to the rail network. The capitals of Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh are already connected.
•  In Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya, the capital connectivity work is in progress. Manipur will be connected in March 2022, Mizoram in March 2023, Nagaland in March 2023, Meghalaya in March 2022 and Sikkim in December 2022.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India establishes air travel bubbles with US, France, Germany, planning similar pact with UK: Centre
India has established individual bilateral bubbles with France, Germany and the US that will allow airlines of each country in the pact to operate international flights. A similar arrangement with the UK will soon be permitted.

• Air France will be operating 28 flights between Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Paris from July 18 to August 1, the minister said at a press conference, adding that American carrier United Airlines will be flying 18 flights between India and the US from July 17 to July 31.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Centre’s fiscal deficit to shoot up to 7.6 pc in FY21: Report
The Centre’s fiscal deficit is expected to touch 7.6 per cent in 2020-21, more than double the Budget Estimate, as the country spends extra to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic while facing a shortfall in revenues, India Ratings and Research said in the report.

• At a combined level, the fiscal deficit of the Centre and states together will come at 12.1 per cent, with the states contributing 4.5 per cent.
• It also said the government has already announced a stimulus package damaging the fiscal math by 1.1 per cent.

Indian direct selling industry records USD 2.47 bn sales in 2019, ranks 15th globally
According to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA)’s report, the Indian direct selling industry has recorded sales of USD 2.47 billion in 2019, reporting a growth of 12.1 per cent.

• This has helped the direct selling industry improve its ranking to the 15th from the earlier 19th a year before, said The Global Direct Selling – 2019 Retail Sales report by Washington-based WFDSA.
• Moreover, in terms of the number of direct sellers, India has been ranked at sixth position, proving employment to 57.50 lakh people.
• However, the global direct selling industry has reported an overall decline of 4.3 per cent in sales to USD 180.47 billion in 2019

APPOINTMENTS

P Praveen Siddharth appointed new PS to President of India
A 2001 batch Indian Revenue Service Income Tax cadre officer, P. Praveen Siddharth, has been appointed Private Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind.

• Mr. Siddharth has replaced Vikram Singh, who has now been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Shipping.
• Mr. Siddharth is already serving as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the President’s Secretariat.

AWARDS

Marianna Vardinoyannis And Morissana Kouyaté win 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize
Greek philanthropist Marianna Vardinoyannis was declared as one of the laureates for the United Nations 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize, along with Guinean doctor Morissana Kouyaté, announced by UN General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.

• The award was given to individuals who dedicate their lives to helping humanity, recognising the impact that they have made through their efforts.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Prakash Javadekar hails KURMA mobile app towards conservation of Indian turtles
Union Environment and Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar hailed the KURMA mobile application as a unique tool for tracking and reporting Indian turtles. Commending the unique approach he said such initiatives highlight the vital role of citizen participation towards conservation of the rich flora and fauna of the country.

• The Mobile Application, KURMA, was launched on 23rd May this year on the occasion of World Turtle Day. The citizen science initiative aims at conservation of turtles and tortoises.

In a first, Maharashtra to use drones to inspect power lines
ln a first, the Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company (MSETCL) has started using drones for inspection of power lines and transmission towers.

• After Maharashtra energy minister Nitin Raut proposed the use of drones — unmanned aerial vehicles for this purpose, the Union home ministry and Director General of Civil Aviation gave the nod.
• Drones are now being used for aerial surveillance and inspection of Extra High Voltage (EHV) lines and towers in remote areas of the state.
• These drones are equipped with ultra HD cameras which can take high-resolution close-up photographs and videos of the towers and their components.

OBITUARIES

Veteran Odia actor Bijay Mohanty passes away
Odia film actor and director Bijay Mohanty passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar at the age of 70 after he suffered a cardiac arrest.

• An alumnus of National School of Drama, the actor started his career in the Odia film industry in 1977. Mohanty acted in more than 150 films.
• He was honoured with the Jayadev Award in 2014. He was also honoured with the National Award for his contribution to art and literature.

Civil rights veteran Rev. C.T. Vivian passes away 
The Rev. C.T. Vivian, a civil rights veteran who worked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and served as head of the organization co-founded by the civil rights icon, has died in Atlanta. He was 95.

• His civil rights work stretched back more than six decades to his first sit-in demonstrations in the 1940s in Peoria, Ill. He met King soon after the budding civil rights leader’s victory in the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott.
• He also founded the Black Action Strategies and Information Center, and the National Anti-Klan Network – which was later renamed the Center for Democratic Renewal.

Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon passes away at 85
Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon passed away after suffering from multiple organ failure. He was 85.

• In his career spanning five decades, Tandon served in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council for two terms from 1978 to 1984, and 1990-1996; as an MLA in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly for three terms between 1996 to 2009; as MP in the 15th Lok Sabha; and Governor of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Former Australian test cricketer, captain Barry Jarman passes away
The former wicket-keeper batsman Barry Jarman died in Adelaide after a brief illness. He was 84.

• The right-handed batsman played 19 Tests from 1959 to 1969 and skippered the side in one Test on Ashes tour of 1968.
• He was one of South Australia’s internationally known names.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

‘Suraj Kade Marda Nahi’, New book on Udham Singh by Akademi awardee Baldev Singh Sadaknama
Sahitya Akademi Award winner Baldev Singh Sadaknama has written another book shedding light on historic perspectives. ‘Suraj Kade Marda Nahi’ (sun never dies) is on the life of Udham Singh, whose 80th death anniversary will fall on July 31.

• Sadaknama has written about historical events, including hosting Colonel Reginal Dyer, also known as butcher of Jallianwala bagh, at the residence of a prominent political family of Punjab and him being given a siropa at Harmandar Sahib after Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

“The Endgame”- authored by S Hussain Zaidi released
Crime writer, S Hussain Zaidi has penned a new novel “The Endgame” which talks of politics, betrayal, and unimaginable terror. The book has been published by HarperCollins India. 

• Zaidi has also authored “Black Friday”, “Mafia Queens of Mumbai”, “Dongri to Dubai” and “Byculla to Bangkok”. He was the associate producer of an HBO documentary, “Terror in Mumbai”, based on the 26/11 terror attacks.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Chess Day
FIDE has been celebrating International Chess Day on the 20th of July since 1966, the day the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was founded, in 1924.

• This year mark FIDE’s 96th anniversary.

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