Daily Current Affairs 3 July 2020 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NATIONAL NEWS
5TH Anniversary of Urban Missions – Pmay-U, SCM and AMRUT
A webinar to mark the 5th Anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(Urban) (PMAY-U), Smart Cities Mission (SCM) and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was organized by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- It was launched in June 2015 and aims at ensuring universal coverage of drinking water supply and substantial improvement in coverage and treatment capacities of sewerage and septage.
- As per state annual plans – Projects worth 75,829 crores have been grounded out of 77,640 crores that were approved.
- 79 lakh household water tap connections and 45 lakh sewer connections have been provided, including in slums and low-income habitations.
NGT forms committee to investigate into Assam Gas Leak
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered for a high-level committee to look into the recent blowout at an Oil India Ltd (OIL) well in Baghjan, Assam.
- The 8 member committee headed by Justice BP Katakey, former High Court judge of Gauhati will look into the 13 points listed by NGT and submit the report within 30 days.
- The committee will have the mandate to examine the cause and damage from the blowout that occurred on May 27.
IIT Madras Launches World’s First Online BSc Degree in Programming & Data Science
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has launched the “world’s first” online BSc degree course in Programming and Data Science.
- The course will be open to anyone who has passed class 12 with English and Maths at class 10 level, and enrolled in any on-campus undergraduate course.
- Even the current batch of students who are completing their class 12 are eligible to apply. Graduates and working professionals can also take up this programme.
Giriraj Singh launches the 1st Edition of “Matsya Sampada”
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh has launched the 1st Edition newsletter “Matsya Sampada” fisheries and aquaculture published by the Department of Fisheries and the operational guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
- The Newsletter “MATSYA SAMPADA” is an outcome of the endeavours of the Department of Fisheries to reach out to the stakeholders especially fishers and fish farmers through various means of communication, and toinform and educate them about the latest developments in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
- It would be published on a quarterly basis starting from the first quarter of the year 2020-21.
PM extends “Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana” till November 2020
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the free grain distribution scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) will be extended by five months till the end of November, with an additional estimated outlay of ₹90,000 crore.
- Over 80 cr people to get free food grain till Diwali and Chhath pooja.
- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 20 crore accounts have received 31,000 crores in their Jan Dhan Accounts.
BANKING & FINANCE
Govt Launches Rs 30,000 Cr Special Liquidity Scheme for Non-bank Lenders
The government launched a Rs 30,000-crore scheme under which non-bank lenders will be provided short-term liquidity through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAP), a subsidiary of the State Bank of India.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the SPV will purchase the short-term papers from eligible NBFCs/HFCs, which shall utilise the proceeds under this scheme solely for the purpose of extinguishing existing liabilities.
- The central bank also laid down the conditions which the NBFCs and HFCs will have to meet to become eligible to avail the scheme.
India’s External Debt Rose by $15.4 Billion to Touch $558.5 Billion in March: RBI Data
According to RBI data, India’s external debt stood at USD 558.5 billion in March, an increase of USD 15.4 billion compared to the year-ago period.
- Commercial borrowings remained the largest component of the external debt, with a share of 39.4 per cent, followed by non-resident deposits at 23.4 per cent and short-term trade credit at 18.2 per cent.
- The data showed that valuation gains due to the appreciation of the US dollar against the Indian rupee and other major currencies were at USD 16.6 billion
World Bank to Give $ 750 Million Support to Small Biz
The World Bank said it will provide USD 750 million budget support to 15 crore MSMEs in the country to increase liquidity access for viable small businesses impacted by COVID-19.
- The $ 750 million support is in addition to the $ 2 billion funding that the World Bank has already announced for the social and health sector.
- This takes the total lending to India due to COVID-19 to $ 2.75 billion within three months.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Fitch Cuts India Growth Projection to 8% For FY22
Fitch Ratings cut India’s growth forecast for 2021-22 fiscal to 8 per cent from 9.5 per cent projected last month.
- It retained its projection of Indian economy contracting by 5 per cent in the current fiscal.
- Indian economic growth stood at an estimated 4.2 per cent in 2019-20. In its June update of Global Economic Outlook, Fitch projected Indian economy to grow 5.5 per cent in 2022-23
APPOINTMENTS
Pak Army appoints Nigar Johar as 1st female Lt. General
Major General Nigar Johar became the first woman officer in the history of Pakistan Army to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.
- Major General Nigar Johar, who got the coveted post of a three-star general, has also been appointed as the first female surgeon general of the Pakistan Army.
- In 2017, she became the third woman officer in the Pakistan Army to attain the rank of major general. The other two women major generals were Shahida Badsha and Shahida Malik
OBITUARIES
Hollywood comedy legend Carl Reiner passes away
Writer, director, actor and comedy legend Carl Reiner passed away of natural causes at an age of 98.
- Reiner was a recipient of nine Emmy awards, five of which were for ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’.
- Some of his most popular films as a director are ‘Oh God,’ ‘The Jerk,’ and ‘All of Me.’