Daily Current Affairs 6th May, 2020

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

NATIONAL NEWS

UP CM launches app for people to get tips on boosting immunity via ayurveda
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the Ayush Kavach app that will provide health-related tips and information about ayurvedic medicines to people during the coronavirus crisis.

• The mobile app Ayush Kavach has been developed by the Ayush Department of UP in view of the COVID-19 health crisis.

India’s first Covid-19 test bus launches in Maharashtra
With the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic throwing up challenges everyday, India’s first test bus for the disease was flagged off on Maharashtra Day.

• The bus is an initiative by the C19 Taskforce of IIT Alumni Council, in support with the Health Department of MCGM, Dr Muffazal Lakadawala (Chief Medical Officer and Mission Director at NSCI) and Krsnaa Diagnostics.
• Covid-19 test bus facilitates access to affordable and rapid testing to people in dense urban areas whilst isolating doctors and also do large scale testing during the monsoons, according to a statement issued by IIT Alumni Council.

Jharkhand unveils three schemes to add rural jobs
Faced with the possibility of a steep increase in unemployment in rural areas following the expected return of a large number of stranded migrant workers from other States, the Jharkhand government announced three labour intensive programmes Birsa Harit Gram Yojana (BHGY), Neelambar Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana (NPJSY) and Veer Sahid Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme (VSPHKVS) to add jobs in the rural economy.

• The three schemes have been devised to operate in convergence with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
• The BHGY envisages an afforestation programme that would cover more than two lakh acres of unused government fallow land.
• With the NPJSY, the government is aiming to create agro-water storage units by arresting rainwater and ground water run-off.
• The VSPHKVS has been conceived as a grassroots sports infrastructure scheme, that would function in close convergence with MNREGA.

Indian Navy launches Operation Samudra Setu to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas
Indian Navy has launched Operation Samudra Setu – meaning Sea Bridge, as a part of national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas.

• Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa and Magar are presently enroute to Malè in Maldives to commence evacuation operations as part of Phase-1.
• Indian Mission in Maldives is preparing a list of Indian nationals to be evacuated by Naval ships and will facilitate their embarkation after requisite medical screening

BANKING & FINANCE

Irdai sets up panel to draft standard professional indemnity policy for insurance intermediaries
Regulator Irdai has set up a panel to frame standard professional indemnity policy for insurance intermediaries that can be issued by all the insurers. The development came after Irdai witnessed several instances where policies taken by insurance intermediaries did not comply with the regulatory provisions.

• It is being headed by Yegnapriya Bharat, CGM (Non-Life), Irdai. Its members are Umesh Rathod (The New India Assurance Co), Kasturi Sengupta (National Insurance Co), Surbhi Goel (HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co), and Najim B (TATA AIG General Insurance Co).

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

DBS Bank slashes India’s FY21 GDP forecast to 1%
With the lockdown now in place for two months, Singapore-based DBS Bank has cut India’s FY21 GDP forecast to 1 per cent vis-a-vis 1.5 per cent projected on April 9.

• This forecast is based on its assumption of an end in the lockdown in the June quarter, reopening of all sectors by third quarter (October-December) and catch-up production, normal monsoon, fiscal support measures of at least 3 per cent of GDP and direct lending support by the authorities.

APPOINTMENTS

Max Bupa appoints Krishnan Ramachandran as MD, CEO
Max Bupa Health Insurance said it has appointed Krishnan Ramachandran as its new managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO).

• He succeeds Ashish Mehrotra, who has decided to pursue another opportunity after a successful stint of almost five years, Max Bupa Health Insurance.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury reappointed PAC chairperson
Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has been reappointed as chairperson of the Parliament’s public accounts committee (PAC) by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

• Members for the public accounts committee are elected every year. The 22-member panel includes 15 members from the Lok Sabha and seven from the Rajya Sabha.

Trump taps Indian-American lawyer as US representative to World Bank’s lending arm IBRD
US President Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American lawyer Ashok Michael Pinto as a representative to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank’s lending arm.

• Pinto, who has worked as a Special Assistant and Associate Counsel to former president George W Bush, was on Monday nominated as US Alternate Executive Director of IBRD for a term of two years.
• Pinto currently serves as Counsellor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs at the United.

AWARDS

 IIT Bombay Professor Receives Young Career Award In Nano Science And Technology 
Professor Saurabh Lodha from Electrical Engineering, IIT Bombay, has received the Young Career Award in Nano Science and Technology for the year 2020 instituted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

• This award recognises his pioneering contributions in the development of logic transistor technologies beyond silicon and nano-electronic devices based on two-dimensional Van der Waals materials.

The Marcus Wallenberg Prize 2020 announced
Joseph J Landsberg, Richard H Waring and Nicholas C Coops, share the 2020 Marcus Wallenberg Prize for forest sector’ for 3-PG (Physiological Principles Predicting Growth), a model to predict forest growth in a changing climate.

• The purpose of the Prize is to recognize, encourage and stimulate pathbreaking scientific achievements which contribute significantly to broadening knowledge and to technical development within sustainable forestry and forest industries.

Putin awards commemorative World War II medal to Kim Jong Un
Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded Kim Jong Un a commemorative war medal marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. 

• The medal was awarded to the North Korean leader for his role in preserving the memory of Soviet soldiers who died on North Korean territory.
• Russia’s ambassador in North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, presented the award to the country’s Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

West Bengal govt launches exit app for stranded people of other states
The West Bengal government launched an exit app for people from other states who are stranded in the state due to the lockdown and want to return to their native place.

• The app can be downloaded from the state government’s ‘Egiye Bangla’ website

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Asthma Day 2020
World Asthma Day celebrated every year on the first Tuesday in the month of May to raise awareness, care and support for those affected by asthma. The annual observance is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). This year, the World Asthma Day will be observed on May 5, 2020.

• The theme for World Asthma Day 2020 is Enough Asthma Deaths. 

International Day of the Midwife 
International Midwife Day is celebrated on the 5th of May every year, to appreciate the work of midwives .

• The theme for ICM 2020 is Midwives with women: celebrate, demonstrate, mobilise, unite ‘ our time is NOW!

Click here to read Daily Current Affairs