Daily Current Affairs 6th July, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 6 July 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

PM MODI announced Aatmanirbhar Innovation Challenge to techies and start-ups after banning chinese apps in India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’ to facilitate the techies and start-up community to create world-class Made in India Apps.

• The project was unveiled by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission and Niti Aayog.
•  The move comes days after the government banned 59 mobile linked to China including TikTok, UC Browser, SHAREit, MI Community among others

Drug Discovery Hackathon jointly launched by Union Ministers Dr Harsh Vardhan and Ramesh Pokhriyal
Human Resources and Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan jointly launched the Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020.

• It is an online competition and anybody from anywhere in the country or world can participate.
• Drug Discovery Hackathon is first of its kind national initiative for supporting drug discovery process
• The hackathon will be open to participation from across the globe from professionals, faculty, researchers and students.

CBSE, Facebook in partnership to introduce curriculum on digital safety, AR
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has partnered with Facebook to launch a curriculum to teach digital safety & online well-being and augmented reality (AR) to students and teachers.

• The curriculum can be accessed via CBSE website.
• The digital safety and online well-being curriculum will be rolled out in phases. In the first phase, from July to October, it will be implemented across national education boards such as CBSE. In the second phase, it will be made available to state education boards.

 Karnataka Govt Sets Up Helpline for Complaints on Hospitals Denying Covid-19 Treatment
The Karnataka government has set up a toll-free round-the-clock helpline to lodge complaints about hospitals refusing to accept suspected coronavirus cases.

• If denied admission, the patient can call 1912. It is a 24×7 helpline number. Whoever calls the number will get immediate relief.
• Reminding people that at least 50 per cent beds in the private hospitals are reserved for COVID-19 patients under state government’s quota to treat them free of cost.

Odisha Government announces Balaram Scheme to empower over Seven Lakh Landless Farmers
The Odisha government has launched a scheme to provide agricultural credit to landless farmers across the state. This is the ‘first’ such targeted scheme for landless farmers in India.

• Under the ‘Balaram’ scheme the state will provide agriculture credit worth Rs 1,040 crore to 7 lakh landless farmers in the next two years.
• The credit will be provided to farmers in groups in every district.
• The scheme is being seen as a follow-up to the state’s popular ‘Kalia’ (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) scheme, which was launched in 2018 to give financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to small and marginal farmers in two instalments for separate crops in a year.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

New Zealand cancels 2021 APEC summit
New Zealand has cancelled the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This summit to be held in Auckland, New Zealand.

• The 2019 leaders’ meeting was cancelled by Chile due to violent anti-government protests and the virtual APEC meeting of 2020 is being hosted by Malaysia.

BANKING & FINANCE

IndiaFirst Life to offer exclusive COVID-19 and Hospital Cash Cover to Bank of Baroda Credit Cardholders
IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Limited (IndiaFirst Life), promoted by Bank of Baroda and Union Bank of India, has associated with BOB Financial Services Limited (BOB Financial), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda, to offer a unique group insurance covering that provides financial support upon hospitalisation or on COVID-19 diagnosis.

• The COVID-19 Diagnosis Cash Benefit/Hospitalisation Cash Benefit amount is Rs. 5,000 & Rs. 10,000.
• Cash benefit if hospitalized for 2 or 4 times a year.

HDFC Bank launches ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ app for farmers
Private lender HDFC Bank Ltd. launched its ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ app for farmers across India in a bid to access a bouquet of agricultural and banking services on their mobile.

• The app is a one stop solution for all the information needed on agriculture practices by the farmers.
• ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ will provide value-added services like mandi prices, latest farming news, weather forecast, information on seed varieties, SMS advisory, e-pashuhaat, Kisan TV, and more.

SOLV partners with Standard Chartered Bank to launch credit card for MSMEs
SOLV, a B2B digital platform for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), has launched a credit card tailor-made for the MSME segment, in partnership with Standard Chartered Bank, India.

• The SOLV MSME Credit Card provides business owners with a ready means to meet ongoing business expenses including supplier payments, fuel, logistics, purchase of raw material, utility payments and working capital outlays.
• The SOLV platform will help small businesses trade goods with each other and expand their customer base across India.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Coronavirus will cost global tourism at least $1.2 trillion:UNCTAD
The world’s tourism sector could lose at least $1.2 trillion, or 1.50 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP), having been placed at a standstill for nearly four months due to the coronavirus pandemic, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report.

• The UN’s trade and development body warned that the loss could rise to $2.2 trillion or 2.80 per cent of the world’s GDP if the break in international tourism lasts for eight months, in line with the expected decline in tourism as projected by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

World’s e-waste unsustainable, says UN report citing China, India and US
A UN-led report released found that the world dumped a record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste last year. Just 17.4% was recycled.

• The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report found that China, with 10.1 million tonnes, was the biggest contributor to e-waste, and the United States was second with 6.9 million tonnes.
• India, with 3.2 million tonnes, was third. Together these three countries accounted for nearly 38% of the world’s e-waste last year.

New shipping service between Kolkata Port & Chattogram begins
In a significant stride to augment Indo-Bangla trade, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), erstwhile Kolkata Port Trust, started a new service between Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and Chattogram through Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.

• In its maiden voyage, the vessel ‘M.V Asiatic Moon” (Singapore Flag) is carrying 300 containers of Indian exports to Bangladesh.
• This is the biggest vessel by size to ply between Kolkata and Chattogram till date. The vessel can carry up to 600 containers in a single voyage to Chattogram

SPORTS

Two-time Badminton Olympic champion Lin Dan retires
Legendary , the first men’s singles player Lin Dan to retain the Olympic title, announced his retirement, bringing down curtains on a two-decade long illustrious career

• In 2011, he became the first badminton  player to seal the sport’s ‘Super Grand Slam’ by winning all nine of its major titles.
• He was popularly known as ‘Super Dan’, he has won all the sport’s major titles, including five world championships’ gold medals.

APPOINTMENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin records resounding victory in presidential polls
President Vladimir Putin has won a resounding victory in his bid to stay in power until the middle of the next decade, as Russians voted overwhelmingly to endorse the country’s political status quo.

• Russians went to the polls to cast ballots in a nationwide referendum on Constitutional Amendments.
• The vote paves the way for Putin, who has ruled for two decades, to remain President until 2036.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

NLC, Coal India form JV to develop solar and thermal power assets
Government-owned mining majors NLC India Ltd and Coal India Ltd have formed a joint venture to develop solar and thermal power assets to the tune of 5,000 megawatts of power.

• Both companies will hold equal 50:50 equity in the joint venture company.
• Its projected capital expenditure up to the year 2025 is ₹1.28 lakh crore with a debt-equity ratio of 70:30.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Delhi Government launches e-learning portal “LEAD”
New Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia launched an e-learning portal LEAD (Learning through E-Resources Made Accessible for Delhi) developed by the Delhi government that contains 10,000 instructional materials and course content for Classes I to XII.

• The portals, will give students access to textbooks, study material and course content as per the syllabus of the CBSE, NCERT and Delhi government’s curriculum online.
•  It will include digital QR coded textbooks, explanatory videos, practice questions and evaluation.

IIT-Gandhinagar team develops AI-based tool to detect Covid-19 using chest X-rays
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar have developed an artificial intelligence-based deep learning tool for detection of Covid-19 from chest X-ray images. 

• The online tool, which indicates the probability if a person is infected with Covid-19, can be used for quick preliminary diagnosis before the medical test. It is being tested by the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH).

OBITUARIES

Former Mizoram Assembly speaker Upa Rokamlova passes away
Former Mizoram Assembly Speaker and renowned church leader Upa Rokamlova passed away in a hospital in Aizawl due to prolonged kidney disorder.  He was 79.

• Rokamlova won the state assembly elections three times between 1984 and 1993.He became the speaker of the Mizoram Assembly in 1990.
• He also severed as rural development and transport minister in Lal Thanhawla’s government. He left politics in 1994
• He was ordained as church elder of Dawrpui church in 1970 and had held various posts under Mizoram synod.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Cooperatives
The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Cooperatives is observed on the first Saturday of July each year.

• This year it was observed on July 4, 2020, with Cooperatives For Climate Action theme.
• The main aim of this celebration was to increase awareness of cooperatives and highlight the contributions of the cooperative movement to resolving the major problems addressed by the United Nations.
• Theme 2020: “Cooperatives For Climate Action”.

Click here to read Daily Current Affairs