Daily Current Affairs 20th May, 2020

Daily Current Affairs 20 May 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Lata Mangeskar sings JAYTU BHARATAM song saluting spirit of Atma Nirbhar Bharat
Legendary singer Lata Mangeskar has sang a song titled as JAYTU BHARATAM saluting the spirit of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

• She has dedicated the song to people of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India gives $2 Million aid to UN Agency working for Palestinian refugees
India has given USD 2 million in support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency working for the welfare of Palestinian refugees in assist of its core programmes and providers, together with schooling and well being, amidst the coronavirus disaster.

• India had elevated its annual contribution to the UNRWA from USD 1.25 million in 2016 to USD 5 million in 2019. It pledged one other USD 5 million for 2020 which opens its method to turn out to be a member of the company’s advisory fee.

China announces USD 2 billion in coronavirus help at WHO assembly
China will provide USD 2 billion over two years to fight the coronavirus pandemic announced by President Xi Jinping , rallying around the World Health Organization and its efforts even as the Trump administration has slashed funding for the UN health agency.

• The European Union’s 27-member bloc and other countries, meanwhile, called for an independent evaluation of WHO’s initial response to the coronavirus pandemic “to review experience gained and lessons learned.

BANKING & FINANCE

Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes first Indian lender to allow video KYC
Kotak Mahindra Bank has introduced video-KYC facility for customers opening savings account on Kotak 811 – the banks digital banking platform.

• The private lender is the first Indian bank to offer video based “zero-contact” onboarding service.
• The initiative is presently being launched on a pilot basis for savings accounts.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Accenture Acquires Byte Prophecy to Enhance AI and Digital Analytics Capabilities
Global technology major Accenture has acquired Byte Prophecy, an automated insights and big data analytics company based in Ahmedabad, to meet the growing demand for enterprise-scale artificial intelligence (AI) and digital analytics solutions across the region.

• The company, however, did not disclose the financial terms of the acquisition.
• The acquisition will add nearly 50 data science and data engineering experts, with a particular focus on insight automation, to Accenture Applied Intelligence.

ENVIRONMENT

Cyclone Amphan intensifies into Super Cyclone
Extremely severe cyclonic storm Amphan over the west and central parts of Bay of Bengal has intensified into a super cyclone with wind speed above 200 kmph (kilometres per hour) on Monday afternoon, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

• Heavy rainfall is expected to hit coastal Odisha and then hit West Bengal’s coast the following day.
• The super cyclone is expected to marginally lose its strength and cross over to West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts as an extremely severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 180-190 kmph. The extremely severe cyclone is expected to cross in between Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya islands in Bangladesh.

APPOINTMENTS

Alibaba’s Jack Ma resigns from SoftBank board
SoftBank Group Corp said that Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma will resign from its board, in the latest departure by a high-profile ally of CEO Masayoshi Son.

• The departure of Ma, who retired as Alibaba’s executive chairman in September, comes as he pulls back from formal business roles to focus on philanthropy.
• SoftBank will propose three new appointments to the board, including group Chief Financial Officer Yoshimoto Goto, at its annual general meeting on June 25. The number of board members will expand to 13.

Thomas Thabane resigns as Lesotho’s prime minister 
Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has formally resigned more than a week after his coalition government fell apart, in a move that could help end a long-running political crisis in the country.

• Thabane, the leader of All Basotho Convention (ABC) party, was facing mounting pressure to step down over a case in which he and his current wife are suspected of involvement in the 2017 murder of his previous, estranged wife. They both deny this.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

South Central Railway Develops ‘Rail-Bot’ To Provide Better Health Care To COVID Patients
In the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, the South Central Railway zone has developed a robotic device, “RAIL-BOT” (R-BOT) to assist in the functions of hospital management so that they can provide better health care to the COVID patients.

• The innovation is developed by Hem Singh Banoth, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Hyderabad Division, SCR and his team.
• The R-BOT underwent extensive trial and demonstration before being deployed for use in Central Railway Hospital, Lallaguda, Secunderabad.

Govt launches National Test Abhyas mobile app for candidates to take mock tests for JEE Main and NEET
Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched a new mobile app named  – the ‘National Test Abhyas’. The App has been developed by National Testing Agency-NTA to enable candidates to take mock tests for upcoming exams such as JEE Main and  NEET under the NTA’s purview.

• The app has been launched to facilitate candidates’ access to high quality mock tests as there was a demand for making up the loss to students due to closure of educational institutions and NTA’s Test-Practice Centers  due to the  lockdown.

OBITUARIES

Marathi writer, playwright Ratnakar Matkari passed away
Veteran Marathi writer and playwright Ratnakar Matkari has died at a hospital in suburban Marol . He was 81.

• Matkari,considered a pioneer of the children’s drama movement in Marathi.
• His immense contribution in various forms such as plays, short stories, novel has enriched the world of Marathi literature.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Ruskin Bond’s new book ‘Hop On: My Adventures on Boats, Trains and Planes’ released on his 86th birthday
Ruskin Bond’s new book titled ‘Hop On: My Adventures on Boats, Trains and Planes’ was released on his 86th Birthday in an e-book format.

• The book narrates some of his memorable travel adventures on boats, trains and planes from his childhood.

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