Daily Current Affairs 28 April 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NATIONAL NEWS
#My Book My Friend campaign launched by HRD Minister on World Book Day
Union Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched the #My Book My Friend campaign on social media on 23 April on the occasion of World Book Day.
- The campaign aims to support the students at the time of lock down.
- The students must read some books of interest in addition to course books so that they will be given the opportunity to learn something new.
MP CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan launches Jeevan Shakti Yojana
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan launched the Jeevan Shakti Yojana
- Under this scheme, women in urban areas can earn by making masks at home. The government will pay them Rs 11 per mask.
- After making the mask, they will submit their masks to the nodal officer appointed by the government. Its payment will be credited to their account on the same day or the next day.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Australia cancelled “Pitch Black 2020” due to coronavirus
Australia has informed India that their premier multilateral air combat training exercise Pitch Black 2020 scheduled from July 27 to August 14 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation.
- This was conveyed by Air Marshal Meg Hupfeld, Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), in a letter to Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, in mid-April.
- The next edition is scheduled in 2022. Its last edition held in 2018.
Global military expenditure sees largest annual increase in 2019 decade, US tops,India in 3rd position:
India has become the third largest military spender in the world, after the US and China, according to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report. This is the first time that India and China are among the top three military spenders.
- India’s “tensions” and “rivalry” with Pakistan and China are among the main reasons for its increased military expenditure. India’s military spending grew by 6.8 percent to $71.1 billion in 2019, according to the SIPRO report on “Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2019”. This was the highest military spending in South Asia.
- Total global military expenditure rose to $1,917 billion in 2019, which is an increase of 3.6 per cent from 2018 and the largest annual growth in spending since 2010
BANKING & FINANCE
Paytm builds ‘contactless in-store ordering’ solution for restaurants after lockdown
Paytm said it has developed a ‘contactless in-store ordering’ solution to help restaurants and eateries minimise physical contacts for menu, billing and cash transactions after these businesses open after the lockdown.
- The digital payments major aims to onboard over one lakh restaurants for the solution. It is looking at tapping into top-30 cities to start with, and then rolling out to other cities.
RBI announces Rs 50,000-cr special liquidity facility for mutual funds
The Reserve Bank of India on Monday provided a Rs 50,000-crore shot in the arm to stressed mutual funds by unveiling a special liquidity facility for the sector, days after Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund decided to close six debt schemes.
- Last time, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had opened a special borrowing window of Rs 25,000 crore for banks to help meet the cash requirements of mutual funds in July 2013.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Crisil downgrades India growth forecast by half to 1.8pc
Domestic rating agency Crisil said nearly halved its GDP forecast for India to 1.8 per cent for 2020-21 while projecting total losses of Rs 10 lakh crore or Rs 7,000 per person due to “disastrous” lockdowns to control COVID-19 pandemic
- The agency, which blamed the government response to the crisis to being measured and asked it to drastically up the support, had a GDP growth estimate of 6 per cent for FY2021, which was last revised to 3.5 per cent in late March
Airtel partners with Nokia to enhance network capacity
Bharti Airtel (Airtel) and Nokia announced a multi-year agreement to deploy Nokia’s SRAN solution across nine circles in India, helping Airtel to enhance the network capacity of its networks, in particular 4G, and improve customer experience.
- The deal, which, according to an industry source, is pegged at close to $1 billion, will help Airtel to enhance the capacity of its networks, in particular 4G, and improve customer experience.
NSDC, Amazon India collaborate to launch COVID-19 awareness campaign
The National Skill Development Corporation has partnered with Amazon India to launch a digital campaign to drive awareness on the importance of precautionary measures in combating COVID 19 such as physical distancing and maintaining hygiene.
- The ‘Fight Against COVID-19 #Aware India Safe India; Digital Campaign’ will use online community engagement to achieve the outlined objective.
Ind-Ra cuts India’s FY21 GDP growth further to 1.9 pc, lowest in 29 yrs
India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) revised its FY21 economic growth forecast for the country further down to 1.9 per cent, lowest in the last 29 years, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
- According to Ind-Ra, Indian economy had registered a GDP growth of 1.1 per cent in financial year 1991-92.
SPORTS
Middle distance runner Jhuma Khatun banned for 4 years for failing dope test
Middle distance runner Jhuma Khatun has been banned for four years by the Athletics Integrity Unit of the world governing body for testing positive for a banned substance in a nearly two-year-old doping case which the NDTL had failed to detect.
- The 31-year-old Khatun’s dope sample collected during the National Inter-State Championships in June 2018 in Guwahati returned negative when it was tested by the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL). Khatun had won a bronze each in 1500m and 5000m in that Guwahati meet.
APPOINTMENTS
RBI extends Madhavan Menon’s term as part-time Chairman of CSB Bank
CSB Bank said the Reserve Bank of India has extended the term of appointment of Madhavan Menon as the part-time Chairman of the Bank till July 21, 2020.
- Menon was appointed as part-time Chairman of CSB Bank for a period of one year with effect from April 22, 2019. He is Chairman and Managing Director of Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
IIT Bombay student team develops low-cost ventilator “Ruhdaar”
A team of engineering students from IIT Bombay, NIT Srinagar, and Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST), Awantipora, Pulwama, Jammu, and Kashmir has come up together and developed a low-cost ventilator named ‘Ruhdaar’ using locally available material to fight against COVID19.
- One of the team member stated that the prototype of ventilator “Ruhdaar” costed the team around Rs. 10,000, which can be lowered during its mass production. Low-cost mechanical ventilator “Ruhdaar” has the capability of providing adequate breathing support that is necessary to save the life of a critically ill COVID-19 patient.
OBITUARIES
Odia dramatist Bijay Mishra passed away at 83
Eminent Odia dramatist,lyricist and screenwriter Bijay Mishra died at a hospital following a prolonged illness.He was 83.
- Regarded as one of the pioneers of the modern theatre movement in Odisha and playwright in the Odia film industry, Mishra was a recipient of Odisha Sahitya Akademi and Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards.
- Recipient of many awards, he was also honoured with the prestigious Jayadev Award for his lifetime contribution to the Odia film industry during the Odisha State Film Awards last year.
Former Bihar and Tripura Governor Devanand Konwar passes away
Former Governor of Bihar and Tripura and veteran Congress leader Devanand Konwar died of old age ailments at his Guwahati residence. He was 86.
- He was governor of Bihar from July 24, 2009 to March 8, 2013 and of Tripura between March 25, 2013 and June 29, 2014. He had also served as governor (additional charge) of West Bengal from December 2009 to January 2010.
- Konwar had joined the Congress in 1955 as a student leader. He became a Cabinet minister in the governments of Assam headed by Hiteswar Saikia and later by Tarun Gogoi.