oWraKYeQ0GqROtybG8m9 - Monthly CA Digest May 2020 - GK & Current Affairs Updates & MCQ With Detailed Answers@www - Letsstudytogether.co PDF

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Monthly CA Digest May 2020 – GK & Current Affairs

Updates & MCQ with Detailed Answers
S.No. Topics Page No.
1. National & International Current Affairs 3-146
2. Economy,Business & Banking Current Affairs 146-195
3. State Wise Current Affairs 196-201
4. Latest Appointments (National & International) 202-210
5. Agreements & MoU May 2020 210-213
6. Awards and Honours May 2020 213-219
7. Important Days May 2020 219-227
8. Books & Authors May 2020 227-232
9. Summits & Conferences May 2020 232-235
10. Obituaries May 2020 235-241
11. 400+ Monthly GK & CA Questions with Answers 242-358
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National & International Current Affairs May

2020
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) releases Aarogya Setu Data Access and
Knowledge Sharing Protocol
 The Empowered Group 9 on Technology and Data Management developed and released the
Aarogya Setu Data Access and Knowledge Sharing Protocol.
 IT Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney is the chairman of the group.
 The new norms lay emphasis on anonymisation of data collected by the app.
AGENCIES AND MINISTRIES INVOLVED
 The National Informatics Center (NIC) is responsible for collecting, processing and managing all the
data collected by Aarogya Setu and it will collect only that data which is necessary to formulate or
implement appropriate health responses.
 Under the protocol, the Ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) will have a
supervisory role.
DATA STORAGE AND COLLECTION
 The protocol outlined that personal data from the application can only be used for health
purposes.
 The data collected include name, mobile number, location, age, gender, profession, travel history,
persons in contact and location of persons in contact.
 The data must be permanently deleted after a maximum of 180 days “unless a specific
recommendation is made” by the empowered group on technology.
 The data can be shared with the “Government of India”, and all the agencies that are granted
access to the data must use it only for the purpose for which it has been shared and delete it after
180 days.
 An individual can request for deleting demographic data, which must be abided by in 30 days.
 For developing health responses, the information can be shared with third parties. The
government agency sharing information with the third party is responsible for adherence to the
protocol by the third party.
FLOW OF DATA IN ORDER TO TAKE AN ACTION
 The most important data set is the special surveillance system made by the health department in
which states (and districts) can look at the information.
 All health systems in NIC and the Health Ministry are combined with Aarogya Setu’s self-
assessment and Bluetooth contact tracing data after applications for testing samples with data
reaches ICMR’s lab portals.
 The data obtained from NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) and IIT Madras is used
to develop an analytics basis which the action that is to be taken is decided.
PENAL PROVISIONS
 In case of any violation or deviation from the protocol, legal consequences under section 51 to 60
of the Disaster Management Act will follow. This invites jail term for up to two years.
 The protocol will be in effect for six months.
 Extension, if any, will be considered after six months, subject to a review.
ABOUT AROGYA SETU APP
 The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT launched the Aarogya Setu app on 2 April 2020.
 This mobile app has been developed by the National Informatics Centre, that functions under the
Ministry of Electronics and IT.
 It works on the principal of contact tracing, in which the location of an individual is used to tell the
risk level associated with the individual. The app tells if the person is near a person who’s under
quarantine or tested positive.
 The individual needs to keep the location and bluetooth services on for the app to function in a
proper manner.
 Earlier this app was known as Corona Kavach but now it has been officially renamed as Aarogya
Setu.
 The Aarogya Setu App has garnered praises from the World Bank and tech giants such as Apple and
Google etc.
 Union Minister of Electronics and IT-Ravi Shankar Prasad
ABOUT NIC
 Office under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

 Provides infrastructure to help support the delivery of government IT services and the delivery of
some of the initiatives of Digital India.
 Director General-Neeta Verma
Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Launch CHAMPIONS Portal-
Champions.gov.in
 The Union Ministry of MSME launched CHAMPIONS portal.

 CHAMPIONS stands for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing
the Output and National Strength.
 The portal will help in grievance registration and management of complaints lodged by MSMEs.
ABOUT THE PORTAL
 It is a technology driven Control Room-Cum-Management Information System which is a real one-

stop-shop solution of MSME Ministry.
 It is also fully integrated on real time basis with GOI’s main grievances’ portal Centralized Public
Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and MSME Ministry’s own other web based
mechanisms.
 The grievances will then be diverted subject-wise to concerned branch/bureau/office heads under
the MSME Ministry to attend them within three days.
 The system is enabled by Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Machine Learning.
 This will help the Indian MSMEs to march into big league as National and Global CHAMPIONS.
 NIC created the portal in-house without charging any money for this.
ABOUT CHAMPION CONTROL ROOMS
 These have been set up at MSME Development Institutes across the country that will help the
small businesses to get guidance from the government.
 The control rooms network is created in a “Hub & Spoke Model.
 The Hub is situated in New Delhi in the Secretary MSME’s office.
 The spokes will be in the states in various offices and institutions of Ministry.
 As of now, 66 state level control rooms are created as part of the system.”
ABOUT CPGRAMS
 Created in June 2007 by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances.
 Any citizen of India can raise their problems, grievance or pleas to the central govt and state
government Ministries and Departments.
 PM Narendra Modi-Head of the public grievances.
 Jitendra Singh-Minister for Independent Charge for grievances public personnel and pension
MSME-EXPLAINED
 Union Minister of MSME-Nitin Gadkari

 The Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) classifies MSMEs into two categories:
1. Manufacturing Enterprises
 Enterprises engaged in the manufacture or production of goods pertaining to any industry

specified in the first schedule to the industries (Development and regulation) Act, 1951) or
employing plant and machinery in the process of value addition to the final product having a
distinct name or character or use.
 Defined in terms of investment in Plant & Machinery.
ENTERPRISES INVESTMENT IN PLANT AND MACHINERY

MICRO ENTERPRISES Does not exceed twenty five lakh rupees
SMALL ENTERPRISES More than twenty five lakh rupees but does
not exceed five crore rupees
MEDIUM ENTERPRISES More than five crore rupees but does not
exceed ten crore rupees.
2. Service Enterprises
 Enterprises engaged in providing or rendering of services and are defined in terms of investment in
equipment.
ENTERPRISES INVESTMENT IN EQUIPMENTS

MICRO ENTERPRISES Does not exceed ten lakh rupees.
SMALL ENTERPRISES More than ten lakh rupees but does not
exceed two crore rupees
MEDIUM ENTERPRISES More than two crore rupees but does not
exceed five crore rupees.
Madhya Pradesh is the first state to launch innovative Scheme “FIR Aapke Dwar Yojana”
 The state government of Madhya Pradesh launched FIR (First Information Report) Aapke Dwar
Yojana in Bhopal.
 It was launched by the Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra.
 This makes Madhya Pradesh the first state in the country to implement such an innovative scheme.
ABOUT FIR AAPKE DWAR YOJANA
 It is a pilot project under which a complainant is supposed to dial police emergency number 100 to
lodge an FIR.
 As a part of this scheme, police officials will go to homes of victims to register a FIR and they will
resolve their problems at their doorstep only and they need not have to come to police stations.
Trained head constables are deployed for the scheme.
 Initially, the scheme will be implemented in a police station area under 11 divisions (both urban
and rural) of the state and also under one police station in Datia.
 It has been launched in 23 police stations and will be a pilot project till 31 August 2020.
112 SERVICE
 The home minister also launched "Dial-112" scheme.

 By dealing this number, facilities of ambulance, police and fire services will be made available to
the caller immediately across the state.
ABOUT FIR
 An information recorded by a police officer on duty given either by the aggrieved person or any
other person to the commission of an alleged offence.
 FIR is defined in the Section 154 of The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
STATIC INFO (MP)
 Capital-Bhopal
 Governor-Lalji Tandon
 CM-Shivraj Singh Chouhan
ICMR, NCDC to initiate a population-based Sero-survey in selected districts
 Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) will
conduct a population-based sero-survey in selected districts in collaboration with key stakeholders
and State Health Departments.
 The objective of this survey is to monitor the trend in prevalence of COVID-19 infection at district
level.
ABOUT SERO SURVEY
Testing of blood serum of a group of individuals to determine the presence of antibody against that
particular disease.
WHO ALL WILL BE COVERED UNDER THE SURVEY
 It would test outpatient attendees and pregnant women in the low-risk group.
 Health workers will be covered in the under the high risk group.
 It will not be used for diagnosis of individual patients.
PROCESS OF THE SURVEY
 Each month 200 samples per district per week shall be taken. This will take the number to 800
samples per district per month.
 ICMR AND NCDC will select 10 health facilities including six public and four private health from
each district.
 The samples will be tested in a one-time pool of 25 and result of sample pooling is only for
surveillance purposes.
 In addition to throat, nasal swabs, blood samples will be collected for detecting IgG antibodies for
ELISA testing.
 In subsequent rounds, IgG ELISA based testing of serum samples will replace RT-PCR based testing
for surveillance purpose.
 Data on demographic characteristics will be collected on a specifically designed standard data
collection form.
 The data will be analyzed locally for action using standard indicator formats.
ABOUT IgG (Immunoglobulin G)
 Type of antibody and is the most common antibody in the human serum.
 Antibodies are proteins that are produced inside the human body response to disease causing
pathogens.
 These are of five types- IgM, IgD,IgG, IgA, and IgE.
ABOUT ELISA
 ELISA stands for Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay.
 A commonly used analytical biochemistryassay and a diagnostic tool in various industries.
ABOUT ICMR
 Apex body in Indiafor the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
 HQ- New Delhi
 Secretary and Director General-Dr. Balram Bhargava
ABOUT NCDC
 Institute under the Indian Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare.
 HQ- New Delhi
 Has eight branches
 Director- Dr. Sujeet Kumar Singh
Pranavayu Programme launched in Bengaluru, Karanataka
 Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has launched Pranavayu programme in Bengaluru.

 The program aims to create awareness on the need to self examine the respiratory health for
personal safety of the individuals from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
BACKGROUND
 The number of positive cases of Coronavirus have been rising in Bengaluru and due to this it
became highly important to identify the persons who are prone or susceptible to the deadly
corona virus infection.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
 The program aims to create awareness through advertisements in media.

 It emphasises on the fact that the person can self-examine themselves for an early detection of the
disease without it leading to the aggravation of the situation.
 This programme is an effort to assist people with low oxygen level in their blood to get themselves
examined early before their infection becomes fatal.
ABOUT COVID-19
 COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered corona virus.
 Corona viruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In
humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the
common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
 The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.
 This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in
December 2019.
 Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness
and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical
problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more
likely to develop serious illness.
KARNATAKA (STATIC INFO)
 CM-B. S. Yediyurappa
 Governor - Vajubhai Vala
 Capital -Bengaluru
Parakh: DRDO- DFRL’s mobile microbial containment lab handed over to MMCRI
 Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) has handed over an innovative, state of the art Mobile
Microbial Containment (BSL-3) Laboratory ‘PARAKH’ to the Mysuru Medical College and Research
Institute (MMCRI) to test samples of coronavirus (Covid-19) at its hi-tech Viral Research and
Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL)
 The lab was handed over by Dr Anil Dutt Semwal, director of DFRL to KR hospital at a formal event.
 With this, an extra 200-300 samples can be tested in addition to the 400-450 samples being tested.
ABOUT PARAKH
 It is a fully autonomous MobileMicrobial Containment Lab.

 It was developed by ministry of Defence in collaboration with ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance
Corporation) Medical College & Hospital, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad with due permission from
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) within record time of 2 weeks.
 It is designed on ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 20 feet container and
installed on Ashok Leyland 1618-2C-4700 wb cabin Chassis.
 It was designed during situations like bio warfare, but with the ongoing situation, it was handed
over to the district.
 It has BSL level-three certification for containment, thereby enabling it to test COVID-19 and
other similar heavily communicable infections.
 It has a RT-PCR machine as well as facilities for storage of biomedical waste.
 It can even be deployed in a site of emergency since it can operate on battery power.
ABOUT MMCRI
 One of the oldest medical colleges in

 Founded-1924
 First medical college to be established in the Karnataka region
ABOUT DFRL
 Indian defence laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
 Director- Dr. AD Semwal
 Location-Mysore, Karnataka
ABOUT BSL (Bio Safety) - Level Three
 Set of biocontainmentprecautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed

laboratory facility.
 BSL-3 is an appropriate condition for work involving microbes which can cause serious and
potentially lethal disease via the inhalation route.
ABOUT Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL)
Introduced by the Government of India under Department of Health Research - Indian Council of Medical
Research.
Government announces Rs.3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans for MSMEs
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs 3 lakh crore collateral free automatic loan for
businesses, including MSMEs.
 Business/MSMEs have been badly hit due to COVID19 need additional funding to meet operational
liabilities built up, buy raw material and restart business.
 Decision- Emergency Credit line to Business/MSMEs from Banks and NBFCs up to 20% of entire
outstanding credit as on 29th February 2020.
 Borrowers with up to Rs.25 crore outstanding and Rs.100 crore turnover eligible.
 Loans to have 4 year tenor with moratorium of 12 months on Principal repayment.
 Interest to be capped
 100% credit guarantee cover to Banks and NBFCs on principal and Interest
 Scheme can be availed till 31st October 2020.
 No Guarantee fee, no fresh collateral.
 45 lakh units can resume business activity and Safeguards jobs.
About Collateral Free Loans-
A collateral free loan is a loan provided to the borrower without any guarantee. In simple terms, this
means, you can approach a lender and borrow money from him at a certain rate of interest even if you
have nothing to pledge or invest.
About MSME-
 The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, a branch of the Government of India, is the
apex executive body for the formulation and administration of rules, regulations and laws relating
to micro, small and medium enterprises in India.
 Minister of MSMEs – Nitin Gadkari
 Minister of State – Pratap Chandra Sarangi
Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan – Stressed MSMEs to get Rs 20,000 crore subordinated debt
 Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 20,000 crore of subordinated debt benefit
for stressed micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
 200,000 stressed MSMEs will stand to benefit.Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to provide a stimulus
to the economy amidst the Coronavirus outbreak.
 Subordinate debt is concerned, MSMEs which are stressed or are non-performing assets will be
eligible for this scheme.
 The government will provide a contribution of Rs 4,000 crore to Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for
Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).
 Promoters of the MSME will be given debt by banks, which will then be infused by promoter as
equity in the unit.
About Subordinated Debt-
 Subordinated debt is an unsecured loan or bond which ranks below other securities or senior loans
with respect to the claims on assets or earnings.
 If a borrower defaults, the creditors who own subordinated debt will not be paid out until after
senior bondholders are paid the dues in full. These loans usually have higher yield and lower credit
rating.
About MSME-
Government announces Rs 50,000 Crore Fund of Funds to boost MSMEs
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government will infuse Rs 50,000 cr into
MSMEs through a Fund of Funds as part of the economic package to overcome the economic
stagnation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
 The Fund of Funds will be set up with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore and will provide equity funding
for MSMEs with growth potential and viability.
 It will be operated through a Mother Fund and few daughter funds.
 The fund structure will help leverage Rs 50,000 cr of funds at daughter funds level.
 Will help to expand MSME size as well as capacity.
 Will encourage MSMEs to get listed on main board of Stock Exchanges.
About MSME-
Finance Minister announced Rs 90,000 crore liquidity boost for Discoms
 The FM announced the Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation will infuse
liquidity worth Rs 90,000 crore into discoms.
 The loans will be given against state guarantee for exclusive purpose of clearing of discoms’
liabilities to the power generators.
 The total payables by various discoms to power general and transmission companies stand at Rs
94,000 crore.
 Central Public Sector Generation companies will give rebate to discoms which will be passed on to
the customers.
 "These are one time solutions and have to be backed by sustainable reforms at the discoms to
unshackle the sector. The linking of disbursement is linked to a few reforms like payment of
government dues to discoms, plan to reduce financial and operational losses.
 "The government has also decided to waive off the fixed charges and interstate transmission
charges by Power Grid against the power not drawn from NTPC, DVC and other CPSE from the
period from 24th March 2020 to 17th May 2020"
About MSME-
What is the New Definition of MSMEs ?
 As per the new definition, the distinction between manufacturing and services enterprises has
been eliminated. The investment size criteria for each category - micro, small and medium - has
been hiked to bring more companies under the definition of MSME. Additional criteria of turnover
has been included to the definition of MSMEs.
 "Low threshold in MSME definition have created a fear among MSMEs of graduating out of the
benefits and hence killing the urge to grow,"
 A Micro Enterprise was defined as a unit where the annual turnover does not exceed Rs 5 crore.
 A Small Enterprise would have turnover of more than Rs 5 crore but not exceeding Rs 75 crore.
 A Medium Enterprise was defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than Rs 75 crore
but not exceeding Rs 250 crore.
 "The previous proposed definition would allow traders to benefit, without any investment in plant
and machinery. However, the government has now reached a middle ground".
 As of now, there are more than 60 lac registered MSMEs.
 The government is expected to link the MSMEs with the filing of GST to avail benefits under
schemes like the interest subvention scheme.
 The interest subvention scheme is only applicable to GST registered units and firms with Udyod
Aadhaar number. GST registration is a more stringent process and has relatively more
authenticated information.
 With the definition requiring turnover, firms would need to register on GST thereby making them
eligible for the scheme.
About MSME-
Government announces Rs 50,000 crore liquidity through TDS/TCS Rate Reduction
 Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced relief for middle classes too today as part
of the government's efforts to address the financial crisis brought on by the coronavirus-induced
lockdown, which is in its seventh week.
 To allow people more cash in hand, the government has offered a 25 per cent reduction in TDS
(Tax Deduction at Source) for non-salaried specified payments and TCS (Tax Collection at Source)
for specified receipts.
 This will apply to payment for contract, professional fees, interest, rent, dividend, commission and
brokerage.
 This concession is applicable for 23 specified payments where TDS is levied at rates ranging
between 20% and 1% and 11 payments where TCS is applicable.
 The measure will come into force tomorrow and last till the end of the financial year - March 2021
- and provide a liquidity of Rs 50,000 crore.
 Finance Minister also announced that the due date of all Income-tax return for FY 2019-20 will be
extended to November 30 from July 31 and October 31, 2020.
 The tax audit deadline has been extended to October 31 from September 30.
 The period for Vivad se Vishwas Scheme for making payment without additional amount has been
extended to December 31.
 The date of assessments getting barred on September 30 has now been extended to December
31.Those getting barred on March 31, 2021 will be extended to September 30, 2021.
Explanation with Example-
What does this mean-
According to the income tax department, if somebody hires a professional Ajay who is to receive Rs 5
Crore as fee, then a TDS of Rs. 50 lakh is required to be deducted at the existing rate of 10% before
payment is made to Ajay. As a result, Ajay would have received Rs 4.5 crore only.But since the TDS rates
have been reduced from 10% to 7.5%, Ajay will receive Rs 4,62,50,000. Thus, Ajay will get an extra money
of Rs 12.5 lakh due to lower TDS rate.
Will the bank also pass on this TDS benefit to customers?
Yes. According to the income tax department, if someone A is to receive bank interest of Rs 50,000, then
at the existing rate of 10% the bank would have deducted TDS of Rs 5,000. Since the new rate of TDS
would be 7.5%, the bank will be required to deduct only Rs 3,750. So person A will get an extra liquidity of
Rs. 1250.
About Income tax
 An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) that varies with respective
income or profits (taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax
rate times taxable income.
 Founded – 1860
 Headquarter – New Delhi
 Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) - Pramod Chandra Mody
Extension of Registration and Completion Date of Real Estate Projects Under RERA
 All real estate projects registered under the Real Estate Regulatory Authority expiring on or after
March 25 will get a six-month extension as the lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic stalled
work.
 Treat Covid-19 as ‘force majeure’ under RERA.
 Extend the registration and completion date, suo motu, by six months for all registered projects
expiring on or after March 25 without individual applications.
 Regulators may extend this for up to three months more, if needed
 These measures will de-stress real estate developers and ensure completion of projects so that
homebuyers are able to get delivery of booked houses with new timelines
 Issue fresh ‘project registration certificates’ automatically with revised timelines.
 Extend timelines for various statuary compliances under RERA concurrently.
About RERA-
 The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 is an Act of the Parliament of India
which seeks to protect home-buyers as well as help boost investments in the real estate industry.
 The Act establishes a Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in each state for regulation of the
real estate sector and also acts as an adjudicating body for speedy dispute resolution.
 The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 10 March 2016 and by the Lok Sabha on 15 March 2016.
 The Act came into force on 1 May 2016 with 59 of 92 sections.
 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – New Delhi
 Founded - 1952
 Headquarter - New Delhi
 Minister - Hardeep Singh Puri(State)
 Ministry Executive- Durga Shankar Mishra
EPF Contribution reduced, Take home salaries to Increase
To provide more take home salary for employees and to give relief to employers, the EPF or Employee
Provident Fund contribution is being reduced for businesses and workers for three months.This will
amount to a liquidity support of Rs 6,750 crore.
 To ease financial stress as businesses get back to work, the government will continue EPF support
for business and workers for three more months, providing a liquidity relief of Rs 2,500 crore. This
will benefit 72.22 lakh employees.
 "The EPF of two quarters will be paid by the government for companies with up to 100 employees
and where 90 per cent of the staff is paid up to Rs 15,000 a month," said Nirmala Sitharaman.
 This would help businesses facing financial stress as they get back to work, the government said. It
would also boost the disposable income of employees.
 The government had made payments of 12 per cent of employer and 12 per cent of employee
contributions into EPF accounts in March, April and May. This will be extended by another three
months to the salaries of June, July and August.
 It was necessary to provide more take home salary to employees and also to give relief to
employers in the payment of provident fund dues, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
 "Therefore, statutory PF contribution of both employer and employee will be reduced to 10 per
cent each from the existing 12 per cent for all establishments covered by EPFO for the next three
months," said the minister.
 State-run firms will however continue to pay 12 per cent as employer contribution.
 This, according to the government, will provide relief to about 6.5 lakh establishments covered
under EPFO and about 4.3 crore such employees.
 The government also said it would pay the EPF contribution for employees of businesses to help
them recover from the virus crisis.
 The purpose of an provident fund is to help employees save a percentage of their month salary.
Under an employee provident fund scheme, an employee pays a certain contribution towards the
scheme and an equal contribution is paid by the employer. The employee receives a lump sum
amount on retirement.
About EPFO-
 The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (abbreviated to EPFO), is an organization tasked to

assist the Central Board of Trustees, Employees' Provident Fund a statutory body formed by the
Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and is under the administrative
control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India
 The Act came into force on 1 May 2016 with 59 of 92 sections.
 Ministry of Labour and Employment – New Delhi
 Founded - 4th march 1952
 Key People - Sunil Barthwal (CPFC)
Finance Minister announced Rs 30,000-crore special liquidity scheme for NBFCs, MFIs
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 30,000- crore special liquidity scheme for
non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), housing finance companies (HFCs) and micro-finance
institutions (MFIs).
 She also announced an extension of the partial credit guarantee scheme worth Rs 45,000 crore
under which the first 20 percent loss in debt papers will be borne by the government.
 Government will launch a Rs.30,000 crore Special Liquidity Scheme.
 Under this scheme investment will be made in both primary and secondary market transactions in
investment grade debt paper of NBFCs/HFCs/MFIs
 Will supplement RBI/Government measures to augment liquidity.
 Securities will be fully guaranteed by Government of India.
 This will provide liquidity support for NBFCs/HFCs/MFIs and Mutual Funds and create confidence in
the market
Finance Minister announced Rs. 45,000 crore Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme 2.0 for NBFCs
 NBFCs, HFCs and MFIs with low credit rating require liquidity to do fresh lending to MSMEs and
individuals.
 Existing PCGS scheme to be extended to cover borrowings such as primary issuance of Bonds/CPs
(Liability side of balance sheets) of such entities.
 First 20% of loss will be borne by the Guarantor i.e:- Government of India.
 A4 paper and below including unrated paper eligible for investment (Esp. relevant for many MFIs)
 This scheme will result in liquidity of Rs.45,000 crores.
About NBFC-
 A Non Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013
of India, engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares, stock, bonds, hire-
purchase insurance business or chit-fund business, but does not include any institution whose
principal business is that of agriculture, industrial activity, purchase or sale of any goods (other
than securities) or providing any services and sale/purchase/construction of immovable property.
About MFI-
Micro finance Institutions, also known as MFIs, a microfinance institution is an organization that offers
financial services to low income populations. Almost all give loans to their members, and many offer
insurance, deposit and other services. A great scale of organizations are regarded as microfinance
institutes. They are those that offer credits and other financial services to the representatives of poor
strata of population (except for extremely poor strata).
V. Vidyavathi appointed new Director General of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India)
 IAS officer V. Vidyavathi is appointed as the new Director-General of Archaeological Survey of

India(ASI) effective from 12th May 2020. She is a 1991 batch Karnataka cadre officer.
About Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) -
 The Archaeological Survey of India is an Indian government agency attached to the Ministry of
Culture that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of
cultural monuments in the country.
 ASI Founded - 1861
 First Director General - Alexander Cunningham
 Ministry - Ministry of Culture
 Budget - Rs.974.56 crore
 Minister- Prahlad Singh Patel(State)
Free Food Grain supply for 8 crore migrants for next 2 months
 The minister announced free food grain supply to all migrants who are non–card holders
amounting to an expenditure of Rs 3,500 crore by the Centre for the next two months.
 At least 8 crore migrant workers will be given free food grains of 5 kg of rice or wheat and 1 kg of
chana or pulses, for all those migrants who do not fall under the Food Security Act.
 An initiative of ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ will also be implemented for about 67 crore
beneficiaries in at least 23 states covering 83% of the Public Distribution System (PDS) population
and that will also be covered by national portability by August 2020
 PDS ration cards will be made portable to allow migrant workers to use those same ration cards
across states
 Cost will be fully borne by Government of India
 State Governments responsible for implementation, identification of migrants and full distribution
and providing detailed guidelines
About NFSA-
 The National Food Security Act, 2013 (also Right to Food Act) is an Act of the Parliament of
India which aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two thirds of India's 1.2 billion
people.
 It was signed into law on 12 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013.
 The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA 2013) converts into legal entitlements for existing food
security programmes of the Government of India. It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated
Child Development Services scheme and the Public Distribution System
 Department- Department of Food And Public Distribution
 Ministry- Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
 Minister- Ram Vilas Paswan
FM announced 2% interest subvention on smallest category of MUDRA-Shishu loans
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs 1500 crore interest subvention for MUDRA-
Shishu loan payees of up to Rs 50,000, for a period of at least 12 months.
 For small businesses, the minister announced a 2 per cent interest subvention on the smallest
category of loans to be given under the MUDRA-Shishu loan scheme, which would add up to Rs
50,000.
 This measure would cost the Central government at least Rs 1500 crore annually.
 “Small businesses under MUDRA have been disrupted the most and it has also impacted their
capacity to pay EMIs. A loan moratorium has already been granted by the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI). The current portfolio of MUDRA-Shishu loans is Rs 1.62 lakh crore (on maximum loan
amount of Rs 50,000),”.
About PMMY -
 Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) is a flagship scheme of Government of India to “fund the
unfunded” by bringing such enterprises to the formal financial system and extending affordable
credit to them. It enables a small borrower to borrow from all Public Sector Banks such as PSU
Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks, Private Sector Banks, Foreign Banks, Micro
Finance Institutions (MFI) and Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) for loans upto Rs 10 lakhs
for non-farm income generating activities.
 The scheme was launched on 8th April, 2015 by the Hon'ble Prime Mininster Narendra Modi.
Types of Loans Provided-
 Shishu : covering loans upto 50,000/-

 Kishor : covering loans above 50,000/- and upto 5 lakh
 Tarun : covering loans above 5 lakh and upto 10 lakh
 Operated By- 'Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Bank'

 Founded- 8 April 2015
 Headquarter- Mumbai
Rs 5,000 crore credit facility to be given to 50 lakh street vendors
 Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that Rs 5,000 crore credit facility will be given to
50 lakh street vendors hit by the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
 The government will launch a special scheme within a month to facilitate easy access to credit to
the street vendors.
 "We will provide Rs 5,000 crore special credit facility for street vendors".
 The initial working capital of Rs 10,000 will be provided to them.
 Digital Payments will be incentivized through monetary rewards and enhanced working capital
credit would be made available for good repayment behavior.
Rs 70,000 crore boost to housing sector and middle income group through extension of Credit Linked
Subsidy Scheme for MIG under PMAY(Urban)
 The government announced the extension of the deadline for the affordable housing Credit Linked
Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) till March 2021.
 The deadline for CLSS had expired on March 31, 2020. According to the government, this move will
benefit 2.5 lakh middle income families during 2020-21.
 Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme for Middle Income Group was 'operationalized' from May 2017.
 Scheme has benefited 3.3 lakh middle class families so far. By extending the deadline, it will lead to
investment of over Rs 70,000 crores in housing and will create jobs.
About PMAY-
 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) is an initiative by Government of India in which affordable
housing will be provided to the urban poor with a target of building 20 million affordable houses
by 31 March 2022.
 It has two components: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) (PMAY-U) for the urban poor
and Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin).
 This scheme is converged with other schemes to ensure houses have a toilet, Saubhagya Yojana
electricity connection, Ujjwala Yojana LPG gas connection, access to drinking water and Jan
Dhan banking facilities, etc.
 Ministry- Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Allevation
 Launched - 25 June 2015
 Key People- Hardeep Singh Puri
Government announced Rs 6,000 crore for Creating employment using CAMPA funds
 Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that plans worth Rs 6,000 crore would be approved
shortly under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority
(CAMPA).
 The CAMPA funds would help generate employment for tribals and adivasis in the areas of
afforestation and regeneration activities in urban, semi-urban and rural areas.
 "We have received proposals worth Rs 6,000 crore worth proposals from the state speak about
employment generation for the tribals and adivasis.This will immediately create a lot of jobs
considering monsoons is fast approaching.
 The funds will be used by the state governments for activities like afforestation and plantation
works. It will also include activities like forest management, wildlife protection, forest and wildlife
related infrastructure as well as soil and conservation work.
About CAMPA-
 CAMPA Act or Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act is an Indian legislation that seeks to provide
an appropriate institutional mechanism, both at the Centre and in each State and Union Territory,
to ensure expeditious utilization in efficient and transparent manner of amounts released in lieu of
forest land diverted for non-forest purpose which would mitigate impact of diversion of such forest
land.
 The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act 2015 was introduced by the government in Lok Sabha
on May 8, 2015 to regulate collected funds.
 It was passed by Rajya Sabha on 28 July 2016.
NABARD to provide Rs 30,000 crore additional refinancing for farmers
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) will provide an additional emergency working capital funding of Rs 30,000
crore to farmers.
 The FM said, is over and above the Rs 90,000 crore provided by NABARD through the normal
refinance route during this year.
 The additional Rs 30,000 crore will be immediately released.
 NABARD will offer this working capital fund to meet the crop loan requirement of farmers via rural
co-operative banks and regional rural banks (RRBs).
 This will benefit 30 million farmers, which include small and marginal farmers.
 Front-loaded on-top facility will be provided to 33 state cooperative banks, 351 district cooperative
banks and 43 regional rural banks based on their lending.
 "This will meet the post harvest (Rabi) and current Kharif requirement in May/June. This will
directly reach rural India and the small, marginal farmers,"
About NABARD-
 National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an Apex Development
Financial Institution in India.The Bank has been entrusted with "matters
concerning Policy Planning and Operations in the field of credit for Agriculture and other Economic
activities in Rural areas in India".
 NABARD is active in developing Financial Inclusion policy.
 Foundation - 12 July 1982
 Headquarters - Mumbai
 Chairman - Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
Rs 2 lakh crore credit boost to 2.5 crore farmers under Kisan Credit Card Scheme
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced concessional credit boost worth Rs 2
lakh crore to 2.5 crore farmers through Kisan Credit Cards issued by the government.
 A special drive will be undertaken to provide concessional credit to PM-KISAN beneficiaries
through Kisan Credit Cards. Fishermen and Animal husbandry farmers will also be included in this
drive.
 Centre will enable farmers to gain access to institutional credit at concessional interest rate.
 the country about 2.5 crore farmers will be covered and will benefit from credit flow of about Rs 2
lakh crore.
 25 lakh new Kisan Credit Cards are in the pipeline for small and marginal farmers, the minister
indicated.
About Kishan Credit Card-
 TheKisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme is a credit scheme introduced in August 1998 by Indian banks.
This model scheme was prepared by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD) on the recommendations of R.V.GUPTA committee to provide term loans for agricultural
needs.
 Its objective is to meet the comprehensive credit requirements of the agriculture sector and by
2019 for fisheries and animal husbandry by giving financial support to farmers.
 The scheme has short term credit limits for crops, and term loans.
 KCC credit holders are covered under personal accident insurance up to ₹50,000 for death and
permanent disability, and up to ₹25,000 for other risk.
EAM S Jaishankar participates in SCO Foreign Ministers 'Video Conference'
 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries on Wednesday to discuss cooperation
to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
 The foreign ministers and diplomats attending the meeting from eight different countries are
expected to discuss the global challenges, preparedness, and response to the coronavirus
pandemic.
 "The ministers will discuss topical regional and global issues and particularly focus on developing
cooperation within the SCO in the context of the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
 Other issues on the agenda include the preparations for the SCO summit in St Petersburg and
other events as part of Russia's SCO Presidency.
 The conference is being held under the chairmanship of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
 The focus will also be on the preparations for the SCO summit in St. Petersburg that is scheduled to
be held on June 9-10.
About SCO-
 The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), or Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic,
and security alliance, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by
the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
 The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter, formally establishing the organisation, was signed
in June 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003.
 Founded - 15th June 2001
 Starts From - 19th September 2003
 Headquarters - Beijing,China
 Secretary General - Vladimir Norov
Haryana and J&K to provide tap water to all rural households ahead of national goal
 Haryana and Union Territory (UT) Jammu & Kashmir have planned to provide tap water connection
to all rural households by December, 2022, ahead of the national goal by 2024-25.
 At present, 18.83 lakh out of total 28.94 lakh households in Haryana have Functional Household
Tap Connection (FHTCs) whereas 5.75 lakh out of 18.17 lakh households in J&K have such basic
facility of drinking water through tap connections.
 Out of the remaining 10.11 lakh households in Haryana, the state has planned to provide tap
connections in 7 lakh households by 2020-21.
 Haryana and J&K presented their revised action plan to the department of drinking water &
sanitation of the Jal Shakti (water resources) ministry.
 The ministry has been implementing the centre’s ambitious ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ (JJM) in
partnership with states to ensure every rural household in the country has FHTC for drinking water
in adequate quantity and prescribed quality on regular and long-term basis at affordable service
delivery charges by 2024-25.
 J&K is planning for 100% coverage of all 5,000 villages of 3 districts - Gandharbal, Srinagar and
Reasi - during the current year.
Deforestation rate globally declined between 2015 and 2020
 While forest area has declined all across the world in the past three decades, the rate of forest loss
has decline due to the growth of sustainable managment.
 The rate of forest loss in 2015-2020 declined to an estimated 10 million hectares (mha), down from
12 million hectares (mha) in 2010-2015, according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020
(FRA 2020).
 The FRA 2020 was released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on May
13, 2020.
 The FRA 2020 has examined the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in
236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020.
 The world lost 178 mha of forest since 1990, an area the size of Libya, according to the report.
 The rate of net forest loss declined from 7.8 mha per year in the decade 1990–2000 to 5.2 mha per
year in 2000–2010 and 4.7 mha per year in 2010–2020.
 Africa had the largest annual rate of net forest loss in 2010–2020, at 3.9 mha, followed by South
America, at 2.6 mha.
 The largest proportion of the world’s forests were tropical (45 per cent), followed by boreal,
temperate and subtropical.
 More than 54 per cent of the world’s forests were in only five countries — the Russian Federation,
Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China.
RBI extends interest subsidy scheme for exporters till March 31, 2021
 A scheme providing interest subsidy for post and pre-shipment export credit has been extended by
a year till March 31, 2021, a move which would provide relief to exporters.
 Exporters get the subsidy under the 'Interest Equalisation Scheme for pre and post
shipment Rupee Export Credit'.
 Government of India has approved the extension of Interest Equalisation Scheme for pre and post
shipment Rupee export credit, with same scope and coverage, for one more year i.e. upto March
31, 2021," the RBI said in a notification.
 The extension shall take effect from April 1, 2020 and end on March 31, 2021, covering a period of
one year.
 In November 2018, the interest subsidy was increased to 5 per cent from 3 per cent with an aim to
boost MSME sector exports.
 The government included other merchant exporters too under the scheme and allowed them
interest equalization at the rate of 3 per cent on credit for export of certain products. Exporters
had been demanding extension of the scheme, particularly at a time when they are facing huge
problems due to the COVID-19 crisis.
 India's exports dropped by a record 34.57 per cent to USD 21.41 billion in March, while it declined
by 4.78 per cent to USD 314.31 billion for 2019-20.
Federal Bank, MoneyGram tie up for direct-to-bank account credit service
 MoneyGram Payment Systems has tied up with Federal Bank to offer a cost-effective direct-to-
bank account credit option for customers in India.
 Federal Bank said in a statement “Through this partnership, millions will be able to receive
deposits directly in their bank accounts without leaving the confines of their homes, which is
imperative in the current situation,”
 Private sector Federal Bank has an over 15 per cent share of the country’s remittance market and
expects that the tie-up with MoneyGram will give the business a further boost.
 “Non-nesident Indians can now enjoy a modern, low cost, fast, easy and more reliable way of
transferring money to India.
 Being a leading player in the remittance and non-resident space, we are confident that this tie-up
with MoneyGram will provide huge benefits to customers,” said Shalini Warrier, Executive Director
of Federal Bank.
 According to the World Bank, India remains the world’s top recipient of remittances and is
estimated to have received more than $82 billion in remittances in 2019.
 This partnership is especially important during this ongoing Covid-19 pandemic so families can
receive money from the comfort of their own home.
About MoneyGram Payment System-
 Founded - 1988
 Chairman & CEO - Alex Holmes
 CFO - Larry Angelilli
About Federal Bank-
 Founded - 23 April 1931

 Founder - Kulangar Paulo Hormis
 Headquarters- Aluva, Kerala
 Chairperson- Grace Elizabeth Koshie
 MD & CEO- Shyam Srinivasan
GI Tag provided to Telangana’s Telia Rumal and Jharkhand’s Sohrai Khovar painting
 Jharkhand’s Sohrai Khovar painting and Telangana’s Telia Rumal were given the Geographical
Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry headquartered in Chennai.
 The application for the painting was made by Sohrai Kala Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Limited while
the application for Telia Rumal was made by the Consortium of Puttapaka Handloom Cluster-IHDS.
 “The Sohrai Khovar painting is a traditional and ritualistic mural art being practised by local tribal
women during local harvest and marriage seasons using local, naturally available soils of different
colours in the area of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand.
 The Sohrai Khovar painting is primarily being practised only in the district of Hazaribagh. However,
in recent years, for promotional purposes, it has been seen in other parts of Jharkhand.
 In recent years, the walls of important public places in Jharkhand, such as the Birsa Munda Airport
in Ranchi, and the Hazaribagh and Tatanagar Railway Stations, among others, have been decorated
with Sohrai-Khovar paintings.
 Telia Rumal cloth involves intricate handmade work with cotton loom displaying a variety of
designs and motifs in three particular colours — red, black and white,” said Chinnaraja G. Naidu,
Deputy Registrar of Geographical Indications.
 Telia Rumal can only be created using the traditional handloom process and not by any other
mechanical means as otherwise, the very quality of the Rumal would be lost.
 During the Nizam’s dynasty, Puttapaka, a small, backward village of the Telangana region of
Andhra Pradesh had about 20 families engaged in handloom weaving, who were patronised by rich
Muslim families and the Nizam rulers.
About GI Tag-
 A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific
geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country).
 The use of a geographical indication, as a type of indication of source, acts as a certification that
the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods, or enjoys a
certain reputation, due to its geographical origin.
 India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications
of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 has come into force with effect from 15
September 2003.
 Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India, in 2004–2005
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh approves Rs 400 crore Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme
 In order to give a boost to domestic defence and aerospace manufacturing, Raksha Mantri Shri
Rajnath Singh has approved the launch of Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) with an
outlay of Rs 400 crore for creating state of the art testing infrastructure for this sector.
 The Scheme would run for the duration of five years and envisages to setup six to eight new test
facilities in partnership with private industry.
 This will facilitate indigenous defence production, consequently reduce imports of military
equipment and help make the country self-reliant.
 The projects under the Scheme will be provided with up to 75 percent government funding in the
form of ‘Grant-in-Aid’.
 The remaining 25 per cent of the project cost will have to be borne by the Special Purpose Vehicle
(SPV) whose constituents will be Indian private entities and State Governments.
 The SPVs under the Scheme will be registered under Companies Act 2013 and shall also operate
and maintain all assets under the Scheme, in a self-sustainable manner by collecting user charges.
The equipment/systems tested will be certified as per appropriate accreditation.
 While majority of test facilities are expected to come up in the two Defence Industrial Corridors
(DICs), the Scheme is not limited to setting up Test Facilities in the DICs only.
About Defence-
 Ministry of Defence
 Minister - Rajnath Singh
FM announced Rs 20,000 crore for fisherman through Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
(PMMSY)
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said an amount of Rs 20,000 crore will be reserved for the
welfare of fishermen through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
 Sitharaman was addressing a press conference to announce the third tranche of the economic
stimulus package covering agriculture, fisheries and allied activities.
 PMMSY scheme will be launched for integrated sustainable and inclusive development of marine
and inland fisheries.
 Rs 9,000 crore has been reserved for the development of infrastructure in fishing harbours, cold
chains as well as markets.
 The registration of the 242 shrimp hatcheries and rearing hatcheries have been extended for the
next three months while marine capture fisheries and aquaculture has been relaxed to cover
inland fish farming.
 The scheme is expected to help with providing employment to over 55 lakh people and increase
production to 70 lakh tonnes over the next five years.
 This is also expected to result in exports doubling to Rs 1 crore.
 11,000 crore rupees will be earmarked for activities in marine, inland fisheries and aquaculture.
 Cage Culture, Seaweed farming, Ornamental Fisheries as well as new fishing vessels, Traceability,
Laboratory Network etc. will be key activities.
 Provisions of ban period support to fishermen (during the period fishing is not permitted), personal
& boat insurance.
Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund of Rs. 15,000 crore to be set up
 Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Centre will set up an animal
husbandry infrastructure development fund of Rs 15,000 crore.
 Many areas in the country with high milk production have great potential for private investment in
the dairy sector, and the government will also support private investment in dairy processing,
value addition and cattle feed infrastructure.
 The government will also give incentives for establishing plants for export of niche products.
 The government has also launched a National Animal Disease Control Programme for Foot and
Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis with a total outlay of Rs 13,343 crore.
 It would ensure 100 per cent vaccination of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and pig population in India,
a total of 53 crore animals for vaccination against FMD and brucellosis.
 Till date, 1.5 crore cows and buffaloes have been tagged and vaccinated.
About NADCP-
 National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), to control and eradicate the Foot & Mouth
Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis amongst the livestock in the country, at Mathura.
Key Highlights
 National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP)

o The following are the aims of NADCP programme:
 To vaccinate over 600 million cattle in the country in an effort to mitigate the two
diseases namely, the Foot & Mouth Disease, & brucellosis.
 The programme also aims at vaccinating 36 million female bovine calves annually in
its fight against the brucellosis disease.
 To control the livestock diseases by 2025, and eradicate them by 2030.
 The livestock that will be covered under the programme includes cattle, buffalo,
sheep, goats, and pigs against the FMD.
o The project will be fully funded by the Central Government.
FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced ₹4000 crore fund for Promotion of Herbal Cultivation scheme
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed that a corridor of medicinal plants would be
created on the banks of the Ganga and for this National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) would
identify 800 hectare of land near the river.
 The plan is part of a Rs 4,000 crore programme launched for the promotion of herbal cultivation.
 It forms an important part of a slew of initiatives announced by the minister towards development
of agricultural infrastructure, capacity building, logistics and legislative reforms.
 The NMPB has supported 2.25 lakh hectare area under cultivation of medicinal plants.
 Now, 10,00,000 hectares will be covered under herbal cultivation in next two years with the outlay
of Rs 4,000 crore.
 The move is expected to lead to Rs 5,000 crore income generation for farmers. It will also develop
a network of regional Mandis for medicinal plants
Rs 500 cr for beekeeping initiatives, will help 2 lakh beekeepers
 The government will implement a Rs 500 crore scheme of infrastructure development for the
country’s beekeepers, with special thrust on capacity building of women, Union finance minister
Nirmala Sitharaman.
 The government will implement the scheme for infrastructure development related to integrated
beekeeping development centres, collection marketing and storage centres, post-harvest and
value addition facilities among other things.
 It will also include implementation of standards, developing a traceability system, development of
quality nucleus stock and bee breeders.
 This will lead to an increase in income of 2 lakh bee-keepers.
Rajnath Singh commissions indigenously made Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Sachet’, two interceptor boats
 Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday commissioned the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS)
Sachet and two interceptor boats (IBs) C-450 and C-451 in Goa via video conference.
 The ICGS Sachet is the first in the series of five offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and has been
designed & built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
 It is fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment.
 According to an official press release from the Ministry of Defence, Singh hailed both ICG and GSL
for this initiative-“The commissioning of these ships is an important milestone in India's coastal
capability building process".
 The 105-metre long ‘Sachet’ displaces approximately 2,350 tons and is propelled by two 9,100 KW
diesel engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots, with an endurance of 6,000
nautical miles.
 The sustenance and reach, coupled with the latest equipment and systems, provides her with the
capability to perform the role of a command platform and undertake tasks to fulfil the ICG charter.
 The ship is designed to carry a twin-engine helicopter along with four high-speed boats and one
inflatable boat for swift boarding and search & rescue operations.
 The ship is also capable of carrying limited pollution response equipment to undertake oil spill
pollution response at sea.
 Sachet is being commanded by Deputy Inspector General Rajesh Mittal and manned by 11 officers
and 110 men.
 It is for the first time in Indian maritime history that a ship was commissioned through the digital
medium, maintaining strict protocol of social distancing in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic.
 The IBs C-450 and C-451 are 30 metre long boats indigenously designed & built by Larsen & Toubro
Shipyard Hazira, and fitted with latest navigation and communication equipment.
 The two are capable of achieving speeds in excess of 45 knots and designed for high-speed
interception, close coast patrol and low-intensity maritime operations.
 The ships will be deployed extensively for Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance, coastal
security and other duties as enshrined in the Coast Guard charter of duties.
 With the commissioning of these ships, the ICG has reached a landmark 150 ships & Boats and 62
aircraft. Further, 40 ships are in various stages of construction at different Indian Shipyards and 16
advanced light helicopters are under production at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bengaluru,
which will provide the added strength to the surveillance capabilities of ICG to deal with the ever-
dynamic maritime challenges.
About ICG-
 Headquarters-New Delhi, India

 Director General– Krishnaswamy Natarajan
About GSL-
 Headquarters– Vasco da Gama, Goa

 Chairman & Managing Director– Cmde Bharat Bhushan Nagpal
Top to Total scheme worth Rs 500 crore
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that “Operation Greens” would now be extended from
tomatoes, onions, and potatoes (Top) to all fruits and vegetables.
 The Rs 500 crore ‘Top to Total’ scheme aims to repair broken supply chains in India.
 The Centre acknowledges and identifies that supply chains have been disrupted due to the
coronavirus induced lockdown, due to which farmers are not being able to sell their produce at fair
prices.
 This is resulting in distress sale and greatly reducing the price of perishable items including fruits
and vegetables.
 The scheme is being introduced by the Centre, which will provide 50 percent subsidy on
transportation from surplus to deficit markets and 50 percent subsidy on storage, including cold
storage.
 This will be implemented on a pilot basis for six months and may be expanded and extended later.
 The FM has claimed that the scheme will not only help farmers get better prices for their produce
but also reduce wastage of perishable items, and make farm produce more affordable for
consumers.
Tribal Affairs Minister Launches 'GOAL' Programme to provide online mentorship to tribal youth
 Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda has launched the “GOAL - Going Online As Leaders -
programme of his Ministry in partnership with Facebook at a Webinar in New Delhi.
 The GOAL programme is designed to provide mentorship to tribal youth through digital mode.
 The digitally enabled programme envisages to act as a catalyst to explore hidden talents of the
tribal youth, which will help in their personal development as well as contribute to all-round
upliftment of their society.
 Mr Munda said that the Digital literacy has gained importance in view of challenges posed by Covid
pandemic. He said that his Ministry's partnership with Facebook through GOAL programme has
come at the right time to provide a platform to tribal youth and women to move ahead in life.
 The programme intends to upskill and empower 5,000 tribal youths in the current phase to
harness the full potential of digital platforms and tools to learn new ways of doing business,
explore and connect with domestic and international markets.
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs-
 Founder - 1999
 Headquarters- New Delhi
 Minister-Arjun Mundra
 Minister of State -Renuka Singh Saruta
World Bank approves $1 billion to support India's fight against COVID-19
 The World Bank on Friday approved USD 1 billion 'Accelerating India's COVID-19 Social Protection
Response Program' to support the country's efforts for providing social assistance to the poor and
vulnerable households, severely impacted by the pandemic.
 This takes the total commitment from the World Bank towards emergency COVID-19 response in
India to USD 2 billion.
 A USD 1 billion support was announced last month to support India's health sector.
 The response to the COVID-19 pandemic around the world has required governments around the
world to introduce social distancing and lockdowns in unprecedented ways, said Junaid Ahmad,
World Bank Country Director in India in a webinar interaction with the media.
 The USD 1 billion commitment, USD 550 million will be financed by a credit from the International
Development Association (IDA) – the World Bank's concessionary lending arm and USD 200 million
will be a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), with a final
maturity of 18.5 years including a grace period of five years.
 The remaining USD 250 million will be made available after June 30, 2020.
About World Bank-
 Headquarters- Washington DC, United States of America
 President-David Malpass
 Managing Director -Axel van Trotsenburg
WTO chief Azevedo to step down on August 31 before term expires
 Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO) said its chief Roberto Azevedo will step down on
August 31, a year before his term ends, on personal grounds.
 India is one of the founder members of this multi-lateral body, which frames rules for global
exports and imports.
 "At a virtual meeting of all WTO members, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo announced
that he would step down on 31 August, cutting his second term short by exactly one year," the
WTO said in a statement.
 Azevedo said that bringing forward his departure would allow members to select his successor in
the coming months, without diverting political energy and attention from preparations for the
Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC), which is set to be held in 2021.
 "This August, I will complete 7 years as WTO Director General. And I have decided that I will step
down from my current position on 31 August 2020, cutting short my second term in office by
exactly one year,"
 The remaining USD 250 million will be made available after June 30, 2020.
About World Trade Organization-
 Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland

 Membaership-164 member states
 Founded - 1st Jan 1995
 Head- Pascal Lamy
Centre Approves Modified Project Report Of Ujh Dam In Jammu And Kashmir
 The centre has given approval to a modified detailed project report (DPR) of the Ujh Multipurpose
Project (MPP) in Jammu and Kashmir at an estimated cost of Rs 9,167 crore.
 The Central Advisory Committee for consideration of techno-economic viability of major and
medium irrigation, flood control and multipurpose project proposals accepted the project proposal
subject to certain conditions.
 The modified Ujh MPP is located on river Ujh, one of the main tributaries of river Ravi, in Kathua
district of Jammu and Kashmir.
 A 116.00 m high dam is proposed at the river with full reservoir level (FRL) at 608 m.
 The proposed dam site is Barbari village about 1.6 km downstream of Panchtirthi. The powerhouse
site is approximately 9.5 km downstream of the dam site near Deoli village.
 The advisory committee of Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation approved the modified DPR of the MPP project at a meeting chaired by Union
Secretary UP Singh recently.
 The DPR of Ujh MPP was initially prepared by the Indus Basin Organisation of the Central Water
Commission in 2013.
About Ministry-
 The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation was the apex body
for formulation and administration of rules and regulations relating to the development and
regulation of the water resources in India.
 In May 2019, this ministry was merged with Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to form
the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
 Formed - September 1985
 Minister - Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
 Deputy Minister - Rattan Lal Kataria
e-NAM platform onboards 1,000 mandis in 18 States and 3 Union Territories
 The Centre said it has achieved integration of 1,000 wholesale mandis, located in 21 states and
union territories, with the electronic-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM).
 While 585 mandis were integrated in the first phase, 415 mandis were integrated in the second
phase. The deadline for second phase was May 15.
 Right now, farmers auction their agriculture produce at 6,900-odd APMC (Agriculture Produce
Marketing Committees) mandis spread across the nation.
 Some of them are also using online bidding through e-NAM platform.
 The Agriculture Ministry said in a statement - "38 additional mandis were integrated with the e-
NAM platform today, thus achieving a milestone of integration of 415 mandis as per the planned
target (for the second phase),"
 The 38 mandis integrated are in Madhya Pradesh (19), Telangana (10), Maharashtra (4), and one
each in Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir.
 The e-NAM platform now has a total number of 1,000 mandis across 18 states and 3 union
territories.
 e-NAM, which was launched in April 2016, is being implemented by Small Farmers Agribusiness
Consortium (SFAC), a central government agency, with the support of state governments.
 In the last four years, the ministry said, e-NAM has registered a user base of 1.66 crore farmers,
1.31 lakh traders, 73,151 commission agents and 1,012 farmers producers organisations (FPOs).
 As on May 14, farmers have transacted over Rs 1 lakh crore on the eNAM platform with a trade
volume of 3.43 crore tonnes of commodities, and 38.16 lakh bamboo and coconuts.
 Presently, 150 commodities, including foodgains, oilseeds, fibres, fruits and vegetables, are traded
on e-NAM.
 The ministry said - The online trading platform provides a single window service for all mandi
related information and services, including commodity arrivals, quality assaying, competitive bid
offers and electronic payment settlement directly into farmers' accounts.
Purpose of e-NAM-
 The purpose of e-NAM is to create a network of existing mandis on a common online market
platform as 'One Nation, One Market' for agricultural commodities in India.
 More mandis are being integrated in the current COVID-19 situation as the e-NAM platform
provides distant bidding facility for wholesale produce in APMC mandis without physical presence
of buyer/trader near the auction site for bidding.
 The electronic platform also provides e-payment facility through which traders can pay farmers,
after the trade is executed, from anywhere, be it home or office, without going to banks, thus
avoiding crowds.
About Ministry-
 The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (formerly Ministry of Agriculture), a branch of
the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and
regulations and laws related to agriculture in India.
 The three broad areas of scope for the Ministry are agriculture, food processing and co-operation.
 Minister - Narendra Singh Tomar
 State Minister - Parsottambhai Rupala, Kailash Choudhary
Centre, WB govt inked loan agreements with AIIB and World Bank for $413 mn Irrigation and Flood
Management Project
 The government of India, West Bengal government and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
(AIIB) inked a loan agreement for a $145 million project to improve irrigation services and flood
management in the Damodar Valley Command Area (DVCA) in West Bengal.
 The West Bengal Major Irrigation and Flood Management Project will benefit about 2.7 million
farmers from five districts of the state across 393,964 ha area with better irrigation services and
improved protection against annual flooding to mitigate the impact of climate change.
 The project will assist in improving irrigation and agriculture in the Damodar Valley Command
Area, by optimising the use of surface and groundwater and strengthening flood management,
which will help boost agricultural productivity and increase incomes in rural areas.
 These include introduction of a modern Management Information System (MIS), benchmarking
and evidence-based decision making, promotion of conjunctive use of surface and groundwater,
introduction of rational asset management and improving transparency through citizen
engagement.
 Irrigation Service Providers will be recruited on a performance basis to improve the quality of
irrigation services.
 The total value of the project is $413.8 million, co-financed between the AIIB worth $145 million,
IBRD worth $145 million and the government of West Bengal worth $123.8 million.
 The $145 million loan from the AIIB has a six year grace period, and a maturity of 24 years.
About AIIB-
 The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank that aims to
support the building of infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region.
 The bank currently has 78 members as well as 24 prospective members from around the world.
 Headquarter - Beijing, China
 President– JinLiqun
 Region Served - Asia and Oceania
About World Bank-
 The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the
governments of poorer countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
 It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD),
and the International Development Association (IDA).
 The World Bank is a component of the World Bank Group.
 Formation - July 1944
 Motto - Working for a World Free of Poverty
 Headquarters - Washington, D.C., U.S.
 Membership - 189 Countries (IBRD), 173 Countries (IDA)
 President– David Malpass
About West Bengel-
 Chief Minister - Mamta Banerjee

 Capital - Kolkata
Commissioning of Seventh Ship of Landing Craft Utility MK-IV 'INLCU L57' at Port Blair
 Lieutenant General PS Rajeshwar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, Commander-in-Chief A&N Command,
commissioned INLCU L57 into the Indian Navy on 15 May 2020 at Port Blair.
 INLCU L57 is the seventh Landing Craft Utility (LCU) MK-IV class to be inducted into the Indian
Navy.
 The ship has been indigenously designed and built by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and
Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
 The commissioning of INLCU L57 is yet another manifestation of the country’s indigenous design
and ship building capability.
 The LCU MK-IV ship, is an amphibious vessel with a designated primary role of transporting and
deploying Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Vehicles, troops and equipment from ship to shore.
 Based at the Andaman and Nicobar Command, these ships can be deployed for multirole activities
like beaching operations, search and rescue, disaster relief operations, supply and replenishment
and evacuation from distant islands.
 The ship, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Harshvardhan Venugopal, has a complement of
five officers, 45 sailors and is capable of carrying 160 troops in addition.
 The ship, displacing 830 tonnes, is capable of transporting various kinds of combat equipment such
as Main Battle Tanks Arjun, T72 and other vehicles.
 The ship, displacing 830 tonnes, is capable of transporting various kinds of combat equipment such
as Main Battle Tanks Arjun, T72 and other vehicles.
About GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited)-
 Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd, abbreviated as GRSE, is one of India's leading
shipyards, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. It builds and repairs commercial and naval vessels.
Presently GRSE has also started building export ships in a mission to expand its business.
 Founded - 1884
 Headquarters – Kolkata, India
 Chairman & Managing Director– Rear Admiral Vipin Kumar Saxena
CSIR Collaborates with Intel and IIIT-Hyderabad to Combat COVID-19
 Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is working with Intel India and International
Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)-Hyderabad to help achieve faster and less expensive
COVID-19 testing and coronavirus genome sequencing to understand epidemiology and AI-based
risk stratification for patients with co-morbidities.
 Intel India is developing an end-to-end system that consists of multiple applications, testing
devices, data collection/aggregation gateways, a data exchange SDK and an AI model-hub
platform. CSIR constituent labs such as CSIR-IGIB, CSIR-CCMB, CSIR-IMTECH, CSIR-IIP, CSIR-CLRI etc.
will work with various hospitals and diagnostic chains in carrying out comprehensive diagnostics.
 IIIT-Hyderabad will develop risk stratification algorithms that can help in drug and vaccine
discovery for long term preparedness to combat the epidemic.
 “Multi-disciplinary partnerships are key to tackling the challenge of COVID-19 and CSIR is happy to
collaborate with IIIT-Hyderabad and Intel India which bring in complementary strengths in
genomics, big data and AI,” said CSIR director-general Shekhar. C Mande.
 “Intel India is committed to working with CSIR and IIIT-Hyderabad to rapidly develop and deploy
solutions in the fight against COVID-19.
 Technology has become cheaper, more accessible and far more efficient since SARS-CoV-1 hit us
and remains crucial in this fight against SARS-CoV-2 as it enables diagnostics, drug and vaccine
discovery with higher predictability, speed and accuracy,” said Nivruti Rai, country head, Intel India
and VP, Data Platforms Group, Intel Corporation.
 “It is exciting for IIIT-Hyderabad to work with the country’s top scientists from CSIR laboratories
and an industry leader like Intel on developing solutions for better sequencing of COVID-19 and
other problems.
 We are looking forward to contributing our bit to this activity through our expertise in algorithms,
science, and AI,” said IIIT-Hyderabad director P.J. Narayanan.
About CSIR-
 The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research abbreviated as CSIR was established by
the Government of India in September 1942 as an autonomous body that has emerged as the
largest research and development organisation in India.
 Although it is mainly funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, it operates as an
autonomous body through the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
 Founded - 26 September 1942
 Founders - Arcot Ramaswamy Mudaliar and Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar
 Headquarters – New Delhi
 Director General– Shekhar C. Mande
 President - Prime Minister of India
About Intel-
 Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology

company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, in Silicon Valley. It is the world's largest and
highest valued semiconductor chip manufacturer based on revenue.
 Founded - 18 July 1968
 Chairman - Dr. Omar Ishrak
 CEO - Bob Swan
 Vice President, Intel India– NivrutiRai (Data Platforms Group General Manager)
About IIIT-
 International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H or IIIT Hyderabad) is a

nationally accredited research university located in Hyderabad, Telangana.
 It was established under Not-for-Profit Public Private Partnership (N-PPP) with a focus on
Information Technology and other fields such as Computer Science, Electronics and
Communication, and their interdisciplinary applications across other domains.
 Founded - 1998
 Chairman - Raj Reddy
 Director - P.J. Narayanan
Coal Sector - 50,000 Crore for coal evacuation infrastructure
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced commercial mining of coal by the private sector,
ending government monopoly on the sector.
 In her fourth tranche of the economic package, she said commercial mining will be done on
revenue sharing mechanism instead of the regime of fixed rupee/tonne.
 "Entry norms will also be liberalized. Nearly 50 blocks will be offered immediately. There will be no
eligibility conditions and only upfront payment will be done with a ceiling,"
 This is being done to reduce import of substitutable coal and increase self-reliance in coal
production.
 The government will invest Rs 50,000 crore for building evacuation infrastructure.
 The government has attempted kickstarting commercial coal mining in India -starting with the
amendment of Coal Nationalisation Act in 2015.
 The move is in recognition of the fact that state-run Coal India is expected to ramp up production
to 1 billion tonne by 2023-24.
 The proposed investments will include `18,000 crore worth of investments in mechanised transfer
of coal (conveyor belts) from mines to railway sidings.
About Coal India Limited(CIL)-
 Coal India Limited (CIL) is an Indian state-owned coal mining and refinery company.It is the largest
coal-producing company in the world and a Maharatna PSU.
 Founded - 1975
 Headquarters – Kolkata, West Bengal
 Chairman & Managing Director – Pramod Agarwal
Govt Announces big reforms in mining sector; to auction 500 blocks
 The Centre said it will rationalise stamp duty in mining sector, eliminate the difference between
captive and non-captive mines, introduce seamless composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-
production regime and auction 500 mining blocks.
 The introduction of a seamless composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-production regime will
bring many more mineral blocks into auction.
 The blocks having potential for mineral production will be auctioned for composite licence wherein
the successful bidder will complete the exploration and start production seamlessly.
 The government said, will allow transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals,
leading to better efficiency in mining and production.
 Amendments will be made in the MMDR Act to remove the distinction between captive and non-
captive mines.
 Captive mines will be allowed to sell surplus unused minerals, leading to better efficiency in mining
and production and better conservation of the minerals.
 Introduction of joint auction of bauxite and coal mineral blocks will enhance aluminum industry''s
competitiveness.
 500 mining blocks would be offered through an open and transparent auction process by
amendments to Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act MMDR Act.
About Ministry of Mines-
 500 mining blocks would be offered through an open and transparent auction process by
amendments to Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act MMDR Act.
 Minister – Narendra Singh Tomer
Defence manufacturing FDI limit under automatic route raised to 74% from 49%
 The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, announced that defence manufacturing FDI limit under
automatic route has been raised to 74 percent from 49 percent, subject to security clearances.
 The government will ban imports of some weapons to promote indigenous production.
 She added that a list of weapons/platforms will be notified for the import ban.
 "'MakeInIndia' for self-reliance in defense production - we will notify a list of weapons/platforms
for a ban on import with year-wise timelines. There will be indigenisation of imported spares,".
 FM also announced a time-bound defence procurement process and faster decision making.
 This will be ushered by setting up of a project management unit to support contract management
and realistic setting of general staff qualitative requirements of weapons/platforms.
 Finance Minsiter said that Ordnance Factory Boards will be corporatised for better management
and these will eventually get listed on the stock market.
About Defence Minsitry-
 The Ministry of Defence is charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of
the government relating directly to national security and the Indian armed forces. The President of
India is the ceremonial commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the country.
 Founded - 15 August 1947
 Minister – Rajnath Singh
Reduction in Flying cost Rs. 1000 crores - Efficient Airspace Management for Civil Aviation
 Currently, only around 60 per cent of the country''s airspace is freely available.
 Restrictions on utilisation of the Indian Air Space will be eased so that civilian flying becomes more
efficient.
 Efficient airspace management for civilian flights could help in reducing flying costs to the tune of
Rs 1,000 crore.
 The move would help "bring a total benefit of about Rs 1,000 crore per year for the aviation
sector," FM said, adding that there would also be a positive environmental impact.
 A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided that the Indian airspace should be
effectively used in a manner that flying time for travellers is reduced and airlines also save costs.
More World-class Airports through PPP
 More world-class airports in India soon! Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her press
conference on May 16 announced today announced that the bid process for more airports in the
country under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model will start soon.
 The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has awarded 3 airports out of 6 for Operation and
Maintenance on the PPP model.
 The annual revenue of the 6 airports in the first round is Rs 1,000 crore (against current profit of Rs
540 crore per year).
 AAI will get a down payment of Rs 2,300 crore.
 Six more airports have been identified for the second round and the bidding process for these will
begin immediately. The idea of awarding these airports on the PPP model is to get world-class
transit hubs in India.
 The additional investment by private players in the 12 airports in the first and the second rounds is
expected to be around Rs 13,000 crore. Another six airports have been identified for the third
round of bidding.
India to Become Global Hub for Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)
 As part of the economic restructuring regarding Aviation Sector, Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman announced that the reforms pertain to three broad categories including rationalisation
of airspace, auctioning of new airports and making India an MRO (Maintenance, Repair and
Overhaul) hub for airplanes.
 The Govt wants to make India a hub for Airplane MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) and
has laid a detailed plan in today's announcement. For the same, tax regime for MRO Ecosystem has
been rationalized.
 Govt aims to increase the aircraft component repairs and airframe maintenance from Rs 800 crore
to Rs 2000 crore in next three years.
 It is also been announced that the aircraft maintenance will come down, increasing revenue for air
carriers.
 Major engine manufacturers like Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, GE are expected to set up their
engine repair facilities in India in the coming years as well.
 To further reduce MRO, defense and civil aviation sectors will work in coherence to increase
economies of scale.
Boosting private sector investment in Social Infrastructure through revamped Viability Gap Funding
Scheme - Rs 8100 crores
 Social Infrastructure Projects suffer from poor viability.

 Government will enhance the quantum of Viability Gap Funding upto 30% each of Total Project
Cost as VGF by Centre and State/Statutory Bodies.
 For other sectors, VGF existing support of 20 % each from GoI and States/Statutory Bodies shall
continue.
 Total outlay is Rs. 8100 crores
 Projects to be proposed by Central Ministries/ State Government/ Statutory entities.
Boosting private participation in Space activities
 Indian private sector will be a co-traveller in India’s space sector journey.

 Will provide level playing field for private companies in satellites, launches and space-based
services.
 Will provide predictable policy and regulatory environment to private players.
 Private sector will be allowed to use ISRO facilities and other relevant assets to improve their
capacities.
 Future projects for planetary exploration, outer space travel etc to be open for private sector.
 Liberal geo-spatial data policy for providing remote-sensing data to tech-entrepreneurs.
Atomic Energy related Reforms
 Establish research reactor in PPP mode for production of medical isotopes – promote welfare of
humanity through affordable treatment for cancer and other diseases
 Establish facilities in PPP mode to use irradiation technology for food preservation –to compliment
agricultural reforms and assist farmers.
 Link India’s robust start-up ecosystem to nuclear sector – Technology Development cum
Incubation Centres will be set up for fostering synergy between research facilities and tech-
entrepreneurs.
E-Sanjeevni teleconsultation, supply of HCQ and others
 The many steps taken by the Government to contain the spread of the coronavirus, facilitate the
process of testing, diagnosis, and treatment, and take measures to ensure the safety of the
frontline workers like healthcare professionals.
 The Government has already announced a package of Rs 15,000 crores.
 Out of which Rs 4113 crores have been released to the states.
 3750 crores have been allocated to essential items.
 Rs 550 crores has been allocated for testing kits and labs
 Insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person for health professionals under Pradhan Mantri Garib
Kalyan Yojana.
 Giving a boost to digital India, E-Sanjeevni Tele-consultation services were rolled out, to help
people with consultations while practicing social distancing.
 Capacity building using virtual learning modules like the iGOT platform and most importantly, the
Arogya Setu app for self-assessment of COVID-19 symptoms, and contact tracing were introduced.
 To protect healthcare workers, the Epidemic Diseases Act was modified, and taking forward the
message of self-reliance given by PM Modi, more than 300 domestic manufacturers of PPEs were
established within the country, which initially stood at zero.
 More than 50 lakhs PPEs, 87 lakhs N95 masks, and 11.08 crore Hydroxychloroquine tablets were
produced and supplied to contain the spread of the virus, and facilitate the healthcare system.
Reforming Governance for Ease of Doing Business
 Globally, potential investors look at a country’s Doing Business Report (DBR) ranking.
 Sustained measures taken have resulted in steadily improving India’s position in World Bank’s
Doing Business Report rank from 142 in 2014 to 63 in 2019
 This included streamlining processes such as granting of permits and clearance, self-certification
and third party certification among others.
 Government is working on a mission mode on the next phase of Ease of Doing Business Reforms
relating to easy registration of property, fast disposal of commercial disputes and simpler tax
regime for making India one of the easiest places to do business.
Recent Corporate Law measures to boost Measures for Ease of Doing Business
 In the first phase of decriminalization of Company Law defaults in 2018, 16 compoundable

offences were shifted to an in-house adjudication & penalty mechanism.
 Integrated Web based Incorporation Form - Simplified Proforma for Incorporating Company
Electronically Plus (SPICe +) introduced which extends 10 services of different Ministries and one
State Government through a single form.
 Databank of Independent Directors launched
 Withdrawal of more than 14,000 prosecutions under the Companies Act, 2013.
 Rationalization of Related Party Transaction related provisions.
 Timely Action during COVID–19 to reduce compliance burden under various provisions of the
Companies Act,2013 as well as enable Companies conduct Board Meetings, EGMs & AGMs, Rights
issue by leveraging the strengths of Digital India.
 In 221 resolved cases, 44% Recovery has been achieved since inception of IBC, 2016
• Admitted claims amount to Rs. 4.13 Lakh crores
• Realizable amount is Rs. 1.84 Lakh crores
 Under IBC, 13,566 cases involving a total amount of Rs. 5.01 lakh crores (approx.) have been
withdrawn before admission under provisions of IBC till 29th Feb 2020.
Technology driven Systems -Online Education during COVID
 SWAYAM PRABHA DTH channels to support and reach those who do not have access to the
internet.3 channels were already earmarked for school education; now another 12 channels to be
added.
 Provision made for telecast of live interactive sessions on these channels with experts from home
through Skype.
 Also tied up with private DTH operators like Tata Sky & Airtel to air educational video content to
enhance the reach of these channels.
 Also tied up with private DTH operators like Tata Sky & Airtel to air educational video content to
enhance the reach of these channels.
 DIKSHA platform has had 61 crore hits from 24th March till date.
 200 new textbooks added to e-Paathshaala.
Technology Driven Education with Equity post-COVID
 PM eVIDYA- A programme for multi-mode access to digital/online education to be launched

immediately; consisting of:
 DIKSHA for school education in states/UTs: e-content and QR coded Energized Textbooks for all
grades (one nation, one digital platform)
 One earmarked TV channel per class from 1 to 12 (one class, one channel)
 Extensive use of Radio, Community radio and Podcasts
 Special e-content for visually and hearing impaired.
 Top 100 universities will be permitted to automatically start online courses by 30th May, 2020.
 Manodarpan- An initiative for psychosocial support of students, teachers and families for mental
health and emotional wellbeing to be launched immediately
 New National Curriculum and Pedagogical framework for school, early childhood and teachers will
be launched: integrated with global and 21st century skill requirements
 National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission for ensuring that every child attains
Learning levels and outcomes in grade 5 by 2025 will be launched by December 2020.
Enhancement of Ease of Doing business through IBC related measures
 Minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings raised to Rs. 1 crore (from Rs. 1 lakh, which
largely insulates MSMEs).
 Special insolvency resolution framework for MSMEs under Section 240A of the Code to be notified
soon.
 Suspension of fresh initiation of insolvency proceedings up to one year depending upon the
pandemic situation.
 Empowering Central Government to exclude COVID 19 related debt from the definition of
“default” under the Code for the purpose of triggering insolvency proceedings.
Decriminalisation of Companies Act defaults
 Decriminalization of Companies Act violations involving minor technical and procedural defaults
(shortcomings in CSR reporting, inadequacies in board report, filing defaults, delay in holding AGM)
Majority of the compoundable offences sections to be shifted to internal adjudication mechanism
(IAM) and powers of RD for compounding enhanced (58 sections to be dealt with under IAM as
compared to 18 earlier).
 The Amendments will de-clog the criminal courts and NCLT
 7 compoundable offences altogether dropped and 5 to be dealt with under alternative framework
Ease of Doing Business for Corporates
 Improvement in rankings in ‘starting a business’ and ‘insolvency resolution’ have contributed to
the overall improvement in India’s ranking on EoDB.
 Further key reforms to include –
 Direct listing of securities by Indian public companies in permissible foreign jurisdictions.
 Private companies which list NCDs on stock exchanges not to be regarded as listed companies.
 Including the provisions of Part IXA (Producer Companies) of Companies Act, 1956 in Companies
Act, 2013.
 Power to create additional/ specialized benchesfor NCLAT.
 Lower penalties for all defaults for Small Companies, Oneperson Companies, Producer Companies
& Start Ups.
Centre already extended support to State Governments - FM Sitharaman
 Centre, like the states, has faced a sharp decline in revenues

 Despite this the Centre has consistently extended generous support to states in this hour of need.
 Devolution of taxes (Rs 46,038 cr) in April was given fully as if Budget Estimates were valid, even
though actual revenue shows unprecedented decline from Budget Estimates.
 Revenue Deficit Grants to states (Rs 12,390 cr) given on time in April and May, despite Centre’s
stressed resources.
 Advance release of SDRF (Rs. 11,092 cr) funds in first week of April
 Release of over Rs. 4,113 crores from Health Ministry for direct anti-Covid activities
 At Centre’s request, RBI has increased
 Ways & Means Advance limits of States by 60%
 Number of days state can be in continuous overdraft from 14 days to 21 days
 Number of days state can be in overdraft in a quarter from 32 to 50 days.
Supporting State Governments-
 States net borrowing ceiling for 2020-21 is Rs. 6.41 lakh crores, based on 3% of Gross State
Domestic Product (GSDP).
 75% thereof was authorised to them in March 2020 itself and timing is left to the States
States have so far borrowed only 14% of the limit authorised. 86% of the authorised borrowing
remains unutilized.
 Nevertheless, states have been asking for special increase in borrowing from 3% to 5%
 In view of the unprecedented situation, Centre has decided to accede to the request and increase
borrowing limits of States from 3% to 5%, for 2020-21 only.
 This will give States extra resources of Rs. 4.28 lakh crores.
Supporting State Governments & promoting state level reforms-
 Part of the borrowing will be linked to specific reforms (including recommendations of Finance
Commission) to:
 ensure sustainability of the additional debt through higher future GSDP growth and lower deficits;
 promote welfare of migrants and reduce leakage in food distribution,
 increase job creation through investment
 safeguard the interests of farmers while making the power sector sustainable, and
 promote urban development, health and sanitation
 Reform linkage will be in four areas: universalisation of ‘One Nation One Ration card’, Ease of
Doing Business, Power distribution and Urban local body revenues.
 A specific scheme will be notified by Department of Expenditureon the following pattern:
 Unconditional increase of 0.50%
 1% in 4 tranches of 0.25%, with each tranche linked to clearly specified, measurable and feasible
reform actions
 Further 0.50%if milestones are achieved in at leastthree out of four reform areas.
Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu for forming govt for 5th time
 Israels 35th government was sworn in at the Knesset (Parliament), bringing an end to a 508-day
political impasse.
 The Knesset voted 73-46 in favour of the new coalition government agreed by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival, Benny Gantz, reports The Times of Israel.
 Netanyahu was sworn in as Prime Minister and will head the government for the fifth term of his
political career.
 Gantz, also the Chairman of the Blue and White Party, was sworn in as "alternate Prime Minister
and future Prime Minister" as well as Defence Minister.
 Netanyahu, Israel''s longest-serving leader who was first elected as Prime Minister in 1996 and has
served three consecutive terms since 2009, promised to hand over the premiership to Gantz on
November 17, 2021.
 In addition to Netanyahu and Gantz, 32 ministers were sworn in, including the first female ultra-
Orthodox Minister, Omer Yankelevich (Diaspora affairs), and the first Ethiopia-born Minister, Pnina
Tamano-Shata (immigration and absorption), in Israel''s history, said The Times of Israel report.
About Israel-
 Capital - Jerusalem
 Currency– New shekel
 President– Reuven Rivlin
Italy develops 'iFeel-You' bracelet for social distancing
 The Genoa-based Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) has come up with iFeel-You, an intelligent
bracelet which will help users respect social distancing rules.
 The bracelet has been developed as the measures for safeguarding against the coronavirus are
gradually being lifted.
 The technology was launched at a video press conference which involved the participation of
Liguria governor Giovanni Toti and IIT President Giorgio Metta.
 Metta claimed that the bracelet can measure social distance in a much more precise manner than
a mobile app and highlighted that the bracelet did not track geolocation hence had little effect on
privacy.
 He explained that the bracelet uses a radio signal only when another bracelet is approaching and
does not use GPS hence cannot not keep track of the user's locations.
 The bracelet starts to vibrate when another person wearing the same bracelet comes too close to
the user.
 Metta declared that soon other features such as capability to measure body temprature and even
caculate the users oxygen levels would be included in the bracelet.
About Italy-
 Capital - Rome
 Prime Minister– Giuseppe Conte
 President– Sergio Mattarella
Government implements Shekatkar Committee recommendations related to creating border

infrastructure
 Government has accepted and implemented three important recommendations of Committee of

Experts (CoE) under the Chairmanship of Lt General D B Shekatkar (Retd) relating to border
Infrastructure
 These were related to speeding up road construction, leading to socio economic development in
the border areas.
 On the matter related to creating border infrastructure, the Government has implemented
recommendation of CoE to outsource road construction work beyond optimal capacity of Border
Roads Organisation (BRO).
 It has been made mandatory to adopt Engineering Procurement Contract (EPC) mode for
execution of all works costing more than Rs 100 crore.
 The other recommendation relating to introduction of modern construction plants, equipment and
machinery has been implemented by delegating enhanced procurement powers from Rs 7.5 crore
to Rs 100 crore to BRO, for domestic and foreign procurements. Border Roads has recently
inducted Hot-Mix Plant 20/30 TPH for speedier laying of roads, remote operated hydraulic Rock
Drills DC-400 R for hard rock cutting, a range of F-90 series of self-propelled snow-cutters/blowers
for speedier snow clearance.
 New Technology like blasting technology for precision blasting, use of Geo-Textiles for soil
stabilisation, cementitious base for pavements, plastic coated aggregates for surfacing, is also
being used to enhance the pace of construction.
 With the empowerment of field officers through enhanced delegation of financial and
administrative powers, there has been significant improvement in faster financial closure of works.
 The land acquisition and all statutory clearances like forest and environmental clearance are also
made part of approval of Detailed Project Report (DPR).
 Further, with the adoption of EPC mode of execution, it is mandatory to award work only when 90
per cent of the statutory clearances have been obtained, implementing the recommendation of
CoE regarding obtaining prior clearances before the commencement of the project.
About Shekatkar Committee-
 Ministry of Defence, in 2015, had constituted a committee (under the chairmanship of Lt. Gen
Retd. DB Shekatkar) to recommend measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance
defence expenditure of the armed forces.
 Shekatkar committee had submitted its report on December 21, 2016, which made
recommendations on enhancing the combat potential of India’s three armed forces, rationalising
the defence budget, and improving the teeth-to-tail ratio.
India provides USD 2 mn aid to UN agency working for Palestinian refugees
 India has given USD 2 million in aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency working for
the welfare of Palestinian refugees in support of its core programmes and services, including
education and health, amidst the coronavirus crisis.
 India had increased its annual contribution to the UNRWA from USD 1.25 million in 2016 to USD 5
million in 2019.
 It pledged another USD 5 million for 2020 which opens its way to become a member of the
agency's advisory commission, according to official sources.
 The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) applauded India's financial support to keep
its basic services operating, especially under the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 The contribution was presented to the UN agency by the Representative of India (ROI) to the State
of Palestine, Sunil Kumar.
 "The continued determination and commitment of India in support of the Palestine refugees is
commendable, in particular under the current circumstances brought on us by COVID-19,"
 India's contribution will support the agency's "dire" financial situation due to the funding gaps that
risk its core services to the Palestinian refugees in the fields of education and health.
 About 3.1 million Palestine refugees depend on health services provided by the UNRWA. At the
same time, the agency's schools educate 526,000 students every year, of which half are female.
 The agency was created in December 1949 by the UN to support the relief and human
development of Palestinian refugees.
 The UNRWA definition of "refugee" covers Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their
homes during the 1948 War.
About UNRWA-
 The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is
an UN agency created in December 1949 to support the relief and human development
of Palestinian refugees.
 The UNRWA definition of “refugee” covers Palestinian who fled or were expelled from their homes
during the 1948 Palestine War.
 UNRWA also provides assistance, but not refugee status, to those who fled or were expelled during
and following the 1967 Six Day War.
 Formation- 8 December 1949
 Headquarters - Amman, Jordan and GAZA
 Commissioner General - Christian Saunders
Star Rating of Garbage Free Cities- Know India's 3-star and 5-star cities
 Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs announced the results of
the star rating of garbage-free cities for the year 2019-2020.
 The star rating of garbage-free cities evaluates cities on the basis of cleanliness indicators and
accordingly rate on the scale of 1 to 7.
 As many as six cities namely – Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat, Mysuru, Indore and Navi Mumbai – have
been certified as 5-star. While 65 cities have been certified as 3-star, 70 cities have got the 1-star
rating.
 According to the information shared by Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, MoHUA, there is a three-
stage assessment process for star rating of garbage-free cities.
 In the first stage, ULBs (urban local bodies) populate their progress data on the portal along with
supporting documents within a particular timeframe.
 In the second stage, a desktop assessment is done by a third-party agency selected and appointed
by MoHUA. ULBs that clear the desktop assessment move to the final stage – independent field-
level observations.
 In the 2019-2020 assessment, 1,435 cities applied of which only 698 cities cleared the desktop
assessment which is the second stage. In the third stage, 141 cities have been certified with star
rating.
 During the assessments, 1.19 crore citizen feedbacks and over 10 lakh geo-tagged pictures were
collected and 5175 solid waste processing plants were visited by 1210 field assessors. The low
number of certifications signifies the rigorous and robust certification mechanism of the protocol,
said Mr Mishra.
 The new protocol will consider ward-wise geo-mapping, monitoring of the solid waste
management value chain through ICT (Information and Communications Technology) interventions
like Swachh Nagar App and zone-wise rating in cities with a population of over 50 lakh.
About Star Rating Protocol-
 To tackle the problem of poor waste management in urban India, in January 2018, the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) had launched a unique initiative – the 7-star rating system.
 The aim of the 7-star rating system was to institutionalize a mechanism for cities to achieve
garbage free status and achieve higher degrees of cleanliness. As part of the star rating protocol,
urban spaces of the country are evaluated on the basis of multiple cleanliness indicators with
regard to waste management – door to door waste collection, waste segregation, plastic waste
management, cleaning of drains and water bodies and others – and rated accordingly.
About MOHUA-
 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, is a federal ministry with
executive authority over the formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws
relating to the housing and urban development in India.
 The Ministry became independent from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in
2004, but was later re-merged with it in 2017.
 Formation- 1952
 Headquarters - New Delhi
 Minister - Hardeep Singh Puri
Army's "Game-Changing" Proposal To Allow 3-Year Tenure For Civilians
 The Army is considering a proposal to allow civilians, including young working professionals, to join
the force for 3 years as officers and in other ranks in areas like logistics and front-line formations.
 The Army is also considering to take personnel from the paramilitary and central armed police
forces for up to 7 years, after which they would be allowed to return to their parent organisations,
military sources have said.
 The "game-changing" proposal to allow civilians to work for three years in the Army is being
examined by top commanders. "If approved, it will be a voluntary engagement and there will be no
dilution in selection criteria. Initially, 100 officers and 1,000 men are being considered for
recruitment,".
 Age and fitness will be among the key criteria for recruitment under the "Tour of Duty" or "Three-
Year Short Service" Scheme.
 There is a "resurgence of nationalism and patriotism" in the country and the proposal attempts to
tap the feelings of the youth who do not want to join the Army as a profession but wish to
experience military life for a temporary duration.
 The Army currently recruits young people under Short Service Commission for an initial tenure of
10 years, extendable up to 14 years.
 According to the proposal, the people to be recruited under the Tour of Duty will be eligible to be
deployed as combatants in key forward locations and there will be no restrictions in their roles.
 The initial approximate financial calculations show that the financial benefits accrued would be
exponential.The cumulative approximate cost of pre-commission training, salary and other
expenses is nearly between Rs 5.12 crore and Rs 6.83 crore on an officer if he or she is released
after 10 and 14 years. However, similar costs for those released after three years would be just Rs
80 lakh to Rs 85 lakh each.
 Since, approximately 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the Short Service Commissioned officers are
granted Permanent Commission, the cost of their retention till they are 54 years old is too high.
 The savings for only 1,000 soldiers could be Rs 11,000 crore, which can be used for modernisation
of the armed forces,.
About Star Rating Protocol-
 To tackle the problem of poor waste management in urban India, in January 2018, the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) had launched a unique initiative – the 7-star rating system.
 The aim of the 7-star rating system was to institutionalize a mechanism for cities to achieve
garbage free status and achieve higher degrees of cleanliness. As part of the star rating protocol,
urban spaces of the country are evaluated on the basis of multiple cleanliness indicators with
regard to waste management – door to door waste collection, waste segregation, plastic waste
management, cleaning of drains and water bodies and others – and rated accordingly.
About Indian Army-
 The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces.
The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is
the Chief of Army Staff, who is a four-star general
 Formation- 1 April 1895
 Motto - Service Before Self
 Commander in-Chief - President Ram Nath Kovind
 Chief of Army Staff (COAS)– Manoj Mukund Naravane
Nepal approves new political map including India’s Kalapani, Lipulekh as its territory
 Nepal's cabinet has endorsed a new political map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura
under its territory, amid a border dispute with India.
 The move announced by foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali came weeks after he said that
efforts were on to resolve the border issue with India through diplomatic.
 Nepal's ruling Nepal Communist Party lawmakers have also tabled a special resolution in
Parliament demanding return of Nepal's territory in Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh.
 The official map of Nepal will soon be made public by the Ministry of Land Management
 "Decision of the Council of Ministers to publish the map of Nepal in 7 provinces, 77 districts and
753 local level administrative divisions including Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani,"
 The Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra and handed over a diplomatic note to him to protest
against the construction of a key road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand.
 Nepal's Finance minister and government spokesperson Yuvaraj Khatiwada said that the Cabinet
headed by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has approved the new political map of the country.
 It was presented by Minister for Land Management Padma Aryal at a Cabinet meeting for
endorsement at the official residence of Prime Minister Oli at Baluwatar.
 The new map includes 335-km land area including Limpiyadhura in the Nepalese territory.
 The new map was drawn on the basis of the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 signed between Nepal and then
the British India government and other relevant documents, which suggests Limpiyadhura, from
where the Kali river originated, is Nepal's border with India, The Kathmandu Post quoted an official
at the Ministry of Land Reform and Management as saying.
 The 80-Km new road inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier this month is expected
to help pilgrims visiting Kailash-Mansarovar in Tibet in China as it is around 90 kms from the
Lipulekh pass.
About Nepal-
 Capital– Kathmandu
 Currency– Nepalese rupee
 President– Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Accenture acquires Byte Prophecy to deliver advanced analytics and AI solutions to enterprises
 Multinational corporation Accenture, announced that it has acquired Ahmedabad-based data

analytics company Byte Prophecy to meet the growing demand for enterprise-scale artificial
intelligence (AI) and digital analytics solutions across India.
 Piyush N Singh, Accenture India’s market unit lead and sales lead for growth markets, said that as
decision making has become more complex for businesses they are relying on advanced analytics
and AI solutions to ensure driven, rapid decision making.
 With this acquisition, Accenture will strengthen its existing consulting and technology capabilities.
Besides this, it will also add nearly 50 data science and data engineering experts to the Accenture
Applied Intelligence team.
 “Beyond advanced technology capabilities, Accenture brings our clients a co-innovation mindset
and in Byte Prophecy we found a partner with the right mix of technology and consulting skills, and
a client-centric innovation culture,” Singh added.
 The deal will not only allow Byte Prophecy to become a part of Accenture Applied Intelligence, it
will also help them jointly build stronger assets and expand its services to more clients in the
emerging markets.
 Founded in 2011 by Mrugank Parikh, Adityavijay Rathore, Darshit Shah and Manish Patil, Byte
Prophecy has been “closely” working with Accenture and its clients in Asia Pacific regions since
2018 on several innovations, collaborations and other advanced data and analytics operations.
 Byte Prophecy cofounder, Parikh, highlighted that its experience with Accenture has helped the
company understand customer pain points in a better manner and also fine-tune its solutions to
cater to the customer needs more effectively.
 According to data from Hampleton Partners’ IT and business service merger and acquisitions
report, Accenture was the top acquirer of the companies with over 53 deals in the last 30 months
till March 2020.
 The company acquired 24 companies in 2019, noting a 50% increase from its acquisitions in 2018.
 This year, it has acquired firms like France-based IT company Gekko, Italy-based management
consulting company Nike Group, US-based cybersecurity firm Revolutionary Security and others.
 Accenture has also worked with several Indian startups through several programmes like FinTech
Innovation Lab Asia-Pacific, the scalerator programme, Accenture Ventures and Microsoft’s
ThinkNext 2018.
 Accenture has partnered with more than 75 Indian startups, which includes computer vision
startup Uncanny Vision, customer experience company MintM and AI-based conversational
engagement platform Yellow Messenger, which recently announced $20 Mn Series B fundraising.
About Accenture-
 Accenture plc, stylised as accenture, is an Irish-domiciled multinational professional

services company. A Fortune Global 500 company.
 The company reported revenues of $43.2 billion, with more than 492,000 employees serving
clients in more than 200 cities in 120 countries.
 A principal aim of the IHO is to ensure that the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters are
properly surveyed and charted.
 Foundation – 1989
 Headquarters – Dublin, Ireland
 Chief Executive Officer- Julie Sweet
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 robot has received appreciation from the Zone's head,
Gajanan Mallya, General manager, SCR.
 According to a press release from the South Central Railways, Mallya termed the innovation as a
good achievement to strengthen medical care management, particularly in the prevailing Covid-19
Pandemic Virus situation.
 The R-BOT underwent extensive trial and demonstration before being deployed for use in Central
Railway Hospital, Lallaguda, Secunderabad.
About R-BOT-
 R-BOT is being used to provide medicines, medical accessories and to serve food to the patients,
without any need for physical contact. Using this device will enable doctors, nurses and other
support medical staff to stay away from the risk of contracting infections.
 The R-BOT is operated through a unique mobile application developed as part of the Innovation,
supported by Wi-FI- facility. The R-BOT holds sensor-based features to read the body temperature
of patients and transmit the same for display on Mobile phones.
 It is capable of raising an alarm in case of any abnormally high-temperature readings so as to alert
the Medics attending to the patients.
 The R-BOT acts as two-way audio and video communication with recording, facilitating smooth
interaction between patients and doctors.
 It uses infrared technology with emergency Night lamp and night vision to enable communication
even in complete darkness.
About SCR-
 South Central Railway (SCR)

 Headquarters– Rail Nilayam, Secunderabad.
 General-Manager (GM)– Gajanan Mallya.
Anil Kumble-led ICC Committee calls for ban on saliva to shine ball - COVID-19 Impact
 Anil Kumble-led panel ICC Cricket Committee recommended banning the use of saliva to shine the
ball among several other changes to ICC regulations to mitigate the risks posed by the COVID-
19 virus.
 During a meeting over a conference call, the committee also pushed for bringing back two non-
neutral umpires for all international matches.
 The recommendations of the Cricket Committee will now be presented to the ICC Chief Executives’
Committee in early June for approval.
 The ICC Cricket Committee heard from the Chair of the ICC Medical Advisory Committee Dr Peter
Harcourt regarding the elevated risk of the transmission of the virus through saliva, and
unanimously agreed to recommend that the use of saliva to polish the ball be prohibited.
 The Committee also noted the medical advice that it is highly unlikely that the virus can be
transmitted through sweat and saw no need to prohibit the use of sweat to polish the ball whilst
recommending that enhanced hygiene measures are implemented on and around the playing field.
 The current regulations that apply to the appointment of match officials to men’s Test, ODI and
T20I matches are summarised below.
 Since 2002, officials appointed by the ICC must not be from the same country as the participating
teams Given the challenges of international travel with borders being closed, limited commercial
flights and mandatory quarantine periods, the Committee recommended that local match officials
be appointed in the short-term.
 The appointments will continue to be made via the ICC from local Elite and International Panel
referees and umpires. Where there are no Elite Panel match officials in the country, the best local
International Panel match officials will be appointed.
 The Committee also recommended that the use of technology is increased to support the
appointments of a wider pool of umpires from around the world and has proposed an additional
DRS review per team per innings is introduced in each format as an interim measure.
About ICC-
 The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket.
 It was renamed as the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in
1989.
 It organises world championship events such as Cricket World Cup, Women's Cricket World
Cup, ICC T20 World Cup, ICC Women's T20 World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and Under-19
Cricket World Cup.
 Formation - 15 June 1909
 Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates
 Chairman– Shashank Manohar
 CEO - Manu Sawhney
Labour Ministry notifies reduced PF contribution rate for next three months
 The labour ministry said employees can contribute more than the newly set limit of 10 per cent of
basic wages to their Employees' Provident Fund (PF) account for the next three months, but
employers don't need to match the higher contribution.
 "Under the EPF Scheme, 1952, any member has the option to contribute at a rate higher than
statutory rate (10 per cent) and employer can restrict his contributions 10 per cent in respect of
such employee."
 Employer contributions to the social security scheme run by the EPFO shall be 10 per cent of the
wages of May, June and July due in June, July and August, respectively, the statement explained.
 The ministry on Monday notified lower rates of provident fund contribution at 10 per cent,
increasing the in-hand salary of 4.3 crore provident fund subscribers.
 Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the reduction of statutory provident fund
contribution by both employers and employees for the next three months to 10 per cent of basic
wages from 12 per cent.
 The reduction of rate of contribution is not applicable to establishments like Central and State
Public Sector enterprises or any other establishment owned or controlled by or under control of
the Central Government or State Government.
 These establishments shall continue to contribute 12 per cent of basic pay and dearness
allowances (DA).
 These establishments shall continue to contribute 12 per cent of basic pay and dearness
allowances (DA).
 As a result of reduction in statutory rate of contributions, the employee shall have a higher take
home pay due to reduction in deduction from his pay on account of EPF contributions and
employer shall also have his liability reduced by 2 per cent of basic wages of his employees
About EPFO-
 The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (abbreviated to EPFO), is an organization tasked to

assist the Central Board of Trustees, Employees' Provident Fund a statutory body formed by the
Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and is under the administrative
control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
 EPFO assists the Central Board in administering a compulsory contributory Provident Fund Scheme,
a Pension Scheme and an Insurance Scheme for the workforce engaged in the organized sector in
India.
 UNRWA also provides assistance, but not refugee status, to those who fled or were expelled during
and following the 1967 Six Day War.
 Formation- 4 March 1952
 Central PF Commissioner - Sunil Barthwal
Railways operationalises its most powerful 12,000 HP made in India locomotive
 The first 12,000 HP made in India locomotive, manufactured by Madhepura Electric Loco Factory
in Bihar, has been put into operation by Indian Railways from Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya
Junction.
 The loco is named WAG12 with Number 60027.
 The train departed from Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Station at 2:08 pm on Tuesday in long haul
formation for Dhanbad Division of East Central Railway and consisting of 118 wagons, which
travelled from Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Station to Barwadih via Dehri-on-Sone, Garhwa Road,
read an official statement.
 India has become the sixth country in the world to join the elite club of producing high
horsepower locomotive indigenously.
 It is the first time that high horsepower locomotive has been operationalised on broad gauge track
in the world.
 The locomotive has been produced under Make in India programme.
 The Madhepura factory is the largest integrated greenfield facility built to the highest standards of
quality and safety with production capacity of 120 locomotives and spread across a massive 250
acres, said the statement.
 These locomotives are state-of-the-art IGBT based, three-phase drive, 9000 KW (12,000 horse-
power) electric locomotive.
 The locomotive is capable of maximum tractive effort of 706 kN, which is capable of starting and
running a 6000 T train in the gradient of 1 in 150.
 "The locomotive with twin Bo-Bo design having 22.5 T (tonnes) axle load is upgradable to 25
tonnes with design speed of 120 kmph.
 This locomotive will be a game-changer for further movement of coal trains for Dedicated Freight
Corridor.
 The locomotives can be tracked through GPS for its strategic use through embedded software and
Antennae being lifted through the servers on ground through a microwave link," the statement
said.
 The locomotive is capable of working on railway tracks with conventional OHE lines as well as on
Dedicated Freight Corridors with high rise OHE lines.
 It has air-conditioned driver cabs on either side, and is equipped with regenerative braking system
which provides substantial energy savings during operations.
 These high horsepower locomotives will help to decongest the saturated tracks by improving the
average speed of freight trains.
 The Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL) will manufacture 800 state-of the-art
12,000 HP electric freight locomotives in 11 years.
About Indian Railway-
 Indian Railways (IR) is India's national railway system operated by the Ministry of Railways.
 It is one of the public facilities given by the government and manages the fourth largest railway
network in the world by size, with a route length of 95,981-kilometre (59,640 mi) as of March
2019. About 61.62% of the routes are electrified with 25 kV 50 Hz AC electric traction while 33% of
them are double or multi-tracked.
 Formation- 8 May 1845
 Minister - Piyush Goyal
 Chairman - Vinod Kumar Yadav
Defence Ministry signs MoU with eGov Foundation for online management of cantonment boards
 The joint initiative sees Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE), Ministry of Defence and
eGov Foundation working together to drive e-governance and improved citizen services across all
62 cantonment boards in the country.
 A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between DGDE and eGov Foundation on 08, May
2020 to implement a cloud-based platform to deliver various citizen services under the program
named e-Chhawani.
 The MoU was signed over a video conference with dignitaries from eGov Foundation and DGDE.
 Meeting the mandate of Cantonment Boards towards citizen-centric service delivery, this move
will stoke cantonment board's commitment to enhanced governance through improved delivery of
services via multiple channels and ease of access of all Cantonment Board-related information
online.
 This blend of technological intervention and administrative reform will be achieved through DIGIT
(Digital Infrastructure for Governance, Impact & Transformation) - India's Largest Open Source
Platform for Urban Governance.
 The application suite includes Dashboards, Web Portals, Property Tax, Miscellaneous Collection,
Trade License, Public Grievance Redressal System, Fire NoC system, Water & Sewerage Charges,
Online Building Permission System & Finance & Accounting System.
 In the event of signing the MoU, Smt Deepa Bajwa, Director General Defence Estates stated, "This
initiative undertaken with eGov Foundation will help us enhance the harmonious relationship
between the cantonment boards and the public we serve.
 With DIGIT platform, we aim at having uniform and well-defined work procedures, delivery of all
services within pre-defined timelines, effective grievance redressal mechanism, a centralized
decision support system to monitor and evaluate the performance of all offices and enhanced
transparency for the public in availing services."
 eGov Foundation, our mission is to improve the quality of life in India's cities and towns by
enabling responsive and reliable local services through our open platform -DIGIT.
 With this partnership, we aim at connecting citizens and bringing them closer to government
services and improving the accountability and capacity of cantonment boards by providing them
tools and data to their jobs more efficiently."
 In order to address the need for scale and speed, eGov has built a DIGIT platform- a Public Digital
Good that can be used by Governments, Enterprises and civil society to co-create and deploy
locally relevant solutions.
 Over the last 17 years, we have partnered with more than 1000+ towns and cities across India and
more than 12 Cr Citizens have benefited from our platform.
 We know there is much more to do to build a thriving, digitally-enabled ecosystem in all 4400+
towns and cities in India.
About eGov Foundation-
 eGov’s platform DIGIT is a manifestation of Societal Platform thinking, a systemic method to

resolve complex societal challenges with speed, at scale, sustainably (Societal Platform is an
initiative of EkStep Foundation). eGovernments Foundation transforms urban governance with the
use of scalable and replicable technology solutions that enable efficient and effective municipal
operations, better decision making, and contact-less urban service delivery.
 Headquarters– Bangalore, Karnataka
 CEO- Viraj Tyagi
About DGDE-
 Director General - Deepa Bajwa
Coir geo-textiles to be used in rural road construction under PMGSY-III
 The government on Wednesday said coir geo-textiles will be used in the construction of rural
roads under the third phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-III).
 Coir geo-textiles are permeable fabric, which are natural, strong, highly durable, resistant to rots,
moulds and moisture, and free from any microbial attack.
 They will be used for construction of rural roads under the PMGSY-III, according to a
communication from the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency under Union
Ministry of Rural Development.
 The decision will give a big boost to the coir industry especially in these difficult times of COVID-19
pandemic," Nitin Gadkari, Minister of MSME and Road Transport and Highways said in a
statement.
 The decision also opens up a huge market potential for coir geo-textiles in the country.
 As per the PMGSY new technology guidelines for road construction, 15 per cent length of roads in
each batch of proposals is to be constructed using new technologies.
 Out of this 5 per cent roads are to be constructed using Indian Roads Congress (IRC) accredited
technology.
 The IRC has now accredited coir geo-textiles for construction of rural roads.
 As per these instructions, 5 per cent length of the rural roads under PMGSY-III will be constructed
using coir geo-textiles.
 Accordingly, 164 km of road will be constructed using coir geo-textiles in Andhra Pradesh, 151 km
in Gujarat, 71 km in Kerala, 328 km in Maharashtra, 470 km in Odisha, 369 km in Tamil Nadu and
121 km in Telengana.
 Thus, 1,674 km road will be constructed using coir geo-textiles in seven states for which there will
be a requirement of one crore sq mtr of coir geo-textiles, estimated cost of which would come to
Rs 70 crore.
About Rural Development Ministry-
 The Ministry of Rural Development, a branch of the Government of India, is entrusted with the
task of accelerating the socio-economic development of rural India. Its focus is on health,
education, drinking water, housing and roads.
 Headquarters– New Delhi
 Union minister– Narendra Singh Tomar
 Minister of State– Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti
Moeketsi Majoro sworn in as Lesotho's new prime minister
 Moeketsi Majoro has been sworn in as Lesotho's prime minister following the resignation of his
embattled predecessor, Thomas Thabane.
 Thabane's decision to step down on Tuesday came amid mounting pressure over a case in which
he and his current wife are suspected of involvement in the 2017 murder of his estranged wife.
They both deny this.
 Thabane attended Wednesday's swearing-in ceremony at the royal palace of King Letsie III,
handing his successor a copy of the constitution to formally signal the transfer of power.
 The men tapped elbows instead of shaking hands, and Majoro wore a face mask as a precaution
against coronavirus.
 "I will be a true and faithful prime minister, so help me God," said Majoro, who previously worked
as an executive director at the International Monetary Fund.
 Majoro, who was first appointed into cabinet by Thabane in 2013, promised on Wednesday to
usher in "a new version" of leadership and "bring back their (people's) trust to the government".
 Majoro will serve out Thabane's remaining term before the next round of elections in 2022.
About Lesotho-
 Lesotho officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is an enclaved country within the border of South
Africa.
 Lesotho is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) and has a population of around 2 million.
 Independance- 4th October 1966
 Capital– Maseru
 Currency– Lesotho loti
Defence Ministry approves procurement of 26 defence items from local suppliers to boost 'Make in
India'
 Ministry of Defence has approved procurement of 26 defence items only from local suppliers to
boost Make in India.
 The government has issued Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017 to
encourage Make in India and to promote manufacturing and production of goods and services in
India.
 Under this order, Department of Defence Production (DDP) has so far notified 127 items where
purchase preference is given to local suppliers.
 In order to further encourage procurement from local suppliers, 26 items out of 127 already
notified, have now been notified under the related clause of the Public Procurement (Preference
to Make in India) Order.
 Procuring entities shall procure these items only from local suppliers, irrespective of purchase
value, provided that the local suppliers meet the Minimum Local Content (MLC) as prescribed for
each item.
About Defence Ministry-
 The Ministry of Defence is charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of
the government relating directly to national security and the Indian armed forces. The President of
India is the ceremonial commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the country.
 Union minister– Rajnath Singh
 Minister of State– Shripad Yesso Naik
Centre clears OIL plans for drilling in Assam's Dibru Saikhowa Park
 The Oil India Limited (OIL) said that union Ministry of environment, forest and climate change
accorded environment clearance for extension of drilling for hydrocarbon exploration inside Dibru
Saikhowa National Park in eastern Assam.
 The oil PSU said the clearance for extension drilling and testing at seven locations under the
national park was given as part of the Centre's target to reduce 10% imports and the Northeast
Vision 2030.
 The Centre's decision led many environmentalists in Assam express concern that this could disturb
the ecology and environment of the 340 sqkm (core area) national park that houses at least 36
mammals, birds, reptiles and is one of the major tourist attractions.
 The drilling would have no impact on the Dibru Saikhowa Park situated in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh
districts.
 "In order to tap the hydrocarbon resources underneath the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, OIL had
approached statutory bodies for obtaining necessary permissions in 2016 on the basis of the
Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) technology, which will enable OIL to drill for hydrocarbon without
drilling inside the national park," said a statement issued by Tridiv Hazarika, deputy general
manager (CSR and CC), OIL.
 The ERD techniques are extensively used to intersect hydrocarbon targets far from the surface or
areas of the reservoir which otherwise are difficult to access.
 By using this technology wells can be drilled up to a depth of approximately 4 kilometres from the
existing well plinth without entering the protected area.
 ERD technology, OIL will reach the target depth of around 3.5 Kms beneath the surface of the
national park without carrying out any drilling activity inside the national park.
 This is a state of the art technology where drilling will take place more than 1.5 kilometres outside
the demarcated area of the national park, where OIL is already carrying out hydrocarbon
exploration since 15 years (Baghjan area).
 OIL once again reiterates that no disturbance to the environment and Dibru-Saikhowa national
park is envisaged due to use of ERD technology.
 The commercial production from this area shall enable OIL to meet the vision of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi towards 10% reduction in imports and also fulfilling North East Vision 2030.
About Oil India Limited-
 Oil India Limited is the second largest hydrocarbon exploration and production Indian public sector
company.The company is a state-owned Navratna under the administrative control of
India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with its corporate offices in Noida in the New Delhi-
NCR region.
 Founded - 18 February 1959
 Headquarters - Duliajan, Assam
 Chairman & MD – Sushil Chandra Mishra
About MoEF&CC-
 The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is an Indian

government ministry.
 The ministry is responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating, and overseeing the
implementation of environmental and forestry programmes in the country.
 The main activities undertaken by the ministry include conservation and survey of the flora of
India and fauna of India, forests and other wilderness areas; prevention and control
of pollution; afforestation, and land degradation mitigation. It is responsible for the administration
of the national parks of India
 Union Minister– Prakash Javadekar
 Minister of State– Babul Supriyo
Centre launches scheme to solarise entire Konark Temple
 The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) today announced that the Central
Government has launched a scheme for complete solarisation of Konark Sun temple and Konark
town in Odisha.
 "Government of India has launched a scheme for 100% solarisation of Konark Sun Temple and
Konark town," a press statement issued by the Ministry.
 The scheme envisages 10 MW grid connected solar project and various solar off-grid applications
like solar trees, solar drinking water kiosks, off-grid solar power plants with battery storage etc.
 With 100% Central Financial Assistance (CFA) support of around Rs 25 Crore from Government of
India through MNRE will be implemented by Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency
(OREDA).
 The scheme Minister of State (MoS) for Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh said,
"Government of India launched the Scheme with an objective to take forward the Prime Minister’s
vision to develop the historical Sun temple town of Konark in Odisha as 'Surya Nagri', to convey a
message of synergy between the modern use of solar energy and the ancient Sun Temple and the
importance of promoting solar energy".
 The Scheme will meet all the energy requirements of Konark town with solar energy.
About MNRE-
 The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is a ministry of the Government of India that
is mainly responsible for research and development, intellectual property protection, and
international cooperation, promotion, and coordination in renewable energy sources such as wind
power, small hydro, biogas, and solar power.
 Formed - 1992
 Minister of State- Raj Kumar Singh
 Secretary- Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi
India becomes world’s second largest manufacturer of PPE body coveralls
 India has change into the world’s second largest manufacturer of private protecting gear (PPE)
body coveralls inside a short while span of two months.
 China is the world’s main producer of PPE body coveralls, essential to safeguard in opposition to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
 The Ministry of Textiles stated it has been taking a number of steps to make sure that each high
quality and amount of PPE coveralls going as much as the specified ranges inside a really brief span
of time of two months, “thereby catapulting India into the world’s second largest manufacturer of
body coveralls, next only to China”.
 The ministry has taken steps to make sure that solely licensed gamers throughout all the provide
chain are allowed to provide body coveralls to governments, an official assertion stated.
 Besides, Textiles Committee, Mumbai too will now check and certify PPE body coveralls required
for healthcare staff and different COVID-19 warriors.
 Ajit Chavan, secretary, Textiles Committee and Additional Textile Commissioner, Ministry of
Textiles, defined how the committee rose as much as the event to surmount the problem of non-
availability of reputed home producers of PPE testing gear.
 “We faced the humongous challenges of non-availability of domestic manufacturers of repute and
incessant delay/long gestation period to import machine from China as also challenges of ever-
increasing prices by the opportunist companies in China due to demand for such equipment the
world over.
 The secretary knowledgeable how the testing gear will assist the nation throughout the disaster:
“With the acquisition of this equipment and with a concrete plan to add some more equipment as
per need, we will be able to address not only the quantitative but also the qualitative requirements
involved in the testing of body coveralls worn by the frontline health workers and other COVID-19
warriors”.
About Ministry of Textile-
 The Ministry of Textiles is an Indian government national agency responsible for the formulation
of policy, planning, development, export promotion and regulation of the textile industry in India.
This includes all natural, artificial, and cellulosic fibers that go into the making of textiles, clothing
and Handicrafts.
 Minister - Smriti Zubin Irani
 Secretary- Ravi Capoor
International News
India, Bangladesh sign pact to operationalise 5 more ports of call, 2 new routes
 India and Bangladesh signed an agreement to operationalise five new ports of call and two new
protocol routes to boost the bilateral trade.
 High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh, Riva Ganguly Das, and Bangladesh Shipping Secretary
Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury signed the 2nd Addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water
Transit and Trade in Dhaka.
 India and Bangladesh during Standing Committee on the Protocol and Shipping Secretary-level
talks in October 2018 and December 2019 had decided to extend protocol routes, include new
routes and increase ports of call.
 "These decisions have been made effective with the signing of 2nd Addendum to the Protocol
today.
 The number of Indo Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) routes are being increased from 8 to 10 and new
locations are also added to the existing routes.
 The signing of the pact, the ports of call between India and Bangladesh has increased to 11 from six
earlier while two more extended ports of call have been added.
 "Inclusion of Jogigopha in India and Bahadurabad in Bangladesh as new Port of Call will provide
connectivity to Meghalaya, Assam and Bhutan. Jogigopha also becomes important, since, a
Multimodal Logistics Park is proposed to be established there.
 The new routes included are Sonamura- Daudkhandi stretch of Gumti river (93 Km) as IBP (Indo
Bangladesh Protocol) route No. 9 & 10 to improve the connectivity of Tripura and adjoining States
with Indian and Bangladesh's economic centres and will help the hinterland of both the countries,
the release said adding this route shall be connecting all existing IBP routes from 1 to 8.
 As a path-breaking development, both sides have agreed to introduce trade between Chilmari
(Bangladesh) and Dhubri (India) through the use of shallow draft mechanized vessels, provided
these are registered under Inland Shipping Ordinance 1976 of Bangladesh or Inland Vessels Act,
1917 of India as per provisions of the Protocol and conform to safety requirements.
 This initiative will allow export of stone chips and other Bhutanese and North East cargo to
Bangladesh and easy access for the traders to the hinterland of Bangladesh, enhancing the local
economy in Bangladesh and the lower Assam region of India.
 The government said under this Protocol, Inland vessels of both the countries can ply on the
designated protocol route and dock at Ports of Call in each country, notified for loading/unloading
of cargo.
 There has been significant improvement in the movement of cargo vessels in an organized manner
on the Protocol route carrying both the transit cargo to North East(NE) region of India and vice-
versa and export-cargo to Bangladesh, the statement said adding the Indian transit cargo is mainly
coal, fly-ash and POL etc for power projects in NE region.
 The other potential cargo for movement is fertilizers, cement, food grains, agricultural products,
containerized cargo etc.
 The export cargo from India to Bangladesh is mainly fly-ash which is to the tune of 30 lakhs tonne
per annum. Around 638 inland vessels (including 600 Bangladeshi flag vessels) completed with
approximately 4000 loaded voyages annually.
 Both the nations have a long standing and time-tested Protocol on Transit and Trade through
inland waterways, first signed in 1972 and last renewed in 2015 for five years with a provision for
its automatic renewal for a further period of five years giving long term assurance to various
stakeholders.
About Bangladesh-
 Capital– Dhaka
 Currency– Bangladeshi Taka
 Prime Minister– Sheikh Hasina
 President– Abdul Hamid
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan set to take charge as WHO Executive Board chairman
 Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan is set to take charge as the chairman of the World Health
Organization (WHO) Executive Board.
 The Executive Board is composed of 34 technically qualified members elected for three-year terms.
 The chairman's post is held by rotation for one year among regional groups.
 The main functions of the Board are to implement the decisions and policies of the Health
Assembly and facilitate its work.
 Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had on Monday participated in the 73rd World Health
Assembly (WHA) via video conferencing. WHA is the decision-making body of the World Health
Organisation.
 In his address, Health Minister had expressed his "deepest condolences" at the loss of lives across
the world due to COVID-19 and also expressed his "sincere gratitude" for the efforts of those who
are in the frontline of this battle.
 India is playing a key role in fostering bilateral and regional partnerships. Under our Prime
Minister's able leadership, India has supplied essential medicines to 123 nations as an expression
of solidarity.
 The 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) unanimously adopted a resolution to conduct an
independent probe of WHO's COVID-19 response.
 WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked the World Health Assembly
members for adopting a resolution on the independent evaluation of the coronavirus response.
About WHO-
 The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for
international public health. The WHO Constitution, which establishes the agency's governing
structure and principles, states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest
possible level of health.
 Founded– 7 April 1947
 Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
 Director-General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)
 Chief Scientist– Dr Soumya Swaminathan
Airtel Africa extends e-learning support to students with UNICEF
 Bharti Airtel Africa arm has teamed up with UNICEF to provide children with access to remote
learning and cash assistance for their families via mobile cash transfers.
 “Under this partnership, UNICEF and Airtel Africa will use mobile technology to benefit an
estimated 133 million school age children currently affected by school closures in 13 countries
across sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Airtel Africa will zero-rate select websites hosting educational content, which will provide children
with remote access to digital content at no cost.
 “Some effective ways to cushion families from the effects of this crisis is through providing free
Internet access to selected educational websites to help children keep up with their learning
during the school closures and direct cash transfer programmes to reduce physical presence
requirements for cash in hand exchanges,” said Raghunath Mandava, Airtel Africa Chief Executive
Officer.
 The cash assistance will also help ensure families have additional resources to cope with the
ongoing health and economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF said.
 UNICEF and Airtel Africa’s partnership aims to benefit children and families in 13 countries in sub-
Saharan Africa: Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar,
Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
About UNICEF-
 The United Nations Children's Fund is a United Nations agency responsible for providing
humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.
 It is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare organizations in the world, with a
presence in 192 countries and territories.
 Formation - 11 December 1946
 Headquarters - New York
 President- Rabab Fatima
 Secretary- Hai Kyung Jun
About Airtel Africa-
 CEO & MD- Raghunath Mandava

 CFO- Jaideep Paul
 Headquarters- Nairobi
Govt amends rules to ban global tender for procurement up to Rs 200 crore
 The government has notified amendments to General Financial Rules (GFR) to ensure that goods
and services valued less than Rs 200 crore are being procured from domestic firms, a move which
will benefit MSMEs.
 "Govt has notified the amendments to the General Financial Rules 2017 to ensure that henceforth
global tenders will be disallowed in government procurement up to Rs 200 crore, as announced in
the #AatmanirbharBharat Package.
 Sitharaman had last week announced an economic support package for micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs), which includes disallowing global tender for government procurement up to
Rs 200 crore.
 Amending the GFR, the Department of Expenditure under Ministry of Finance said, "No Global
Tender Enquiry (GTE), however, shall be invited for tenders up to Rs 200 crore or such limit as may
be prescribed by the Department of Expenditure from time to time".
 "Provided that for tenders below such limit, in exceptional cases where the Ministry or
Department feels that there are special reasons for GTE, it may record its detailed justification and
seek prior approval for relaxation to the rule from competent authority specified by the
Department of Expenditure”.
 The MSME package announced last week comprised Rs 3 lakh crore of collateral-free loans, which
would benefit about 45 lakh small businesses.
 Two lakh such businesses would benefit from a Rs 20,000 crore subordinate debt for stressed or
loan defaulting MSMEs, she said, adding a fund of funds for MSMEs is also being created, which
will infuse Rs 50,000 crore equity in units that have growth potential.
 Definition of MSMEs has been changed from a pure investment-based one to that provides for
higher investments and turnover for companies to remain as small businesses, and avail financial
and other incentives.
 Small and mid-sized businesses in India account for about a third of gross domestic product and
employ more than 11 crore people and the package announced on Wednesday is aimed at helping
them overcome coronavirus disruptions.
About Department of Expenditure-
 The Department of Expenditure is the nodal Department for overseeing the public financial
management system in the Central Government and matters connected with state finances.
 It is responsible for the implementation of the recommendations of the Finance Commission and
Central Pay Commission, monitoring of audit comments/ observations, preparation of Central
Government Accounts.
 Ministry - Ministry of Finance
 Minister - Nirmala Sitharaman
Dr Harsh Vardhan participates in NAM Health Ministers’ meeting through Video Conferencing
 Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare participated in the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) Health Ministers’ meeting through video conference, here today.
 The meeting was chaired by Mr. Ogtay Shiraliyev, Minister of Health, Republic of Azerbaijan.
 The NAM Summit is being organized at a time when the international community has been faced
with a pandemic which has disrupted lives and livelihood of millions of people around the world.
 NAM expressed its concern at the global threat posed by COVID-19 and resolved to fight it with
proper preparedness, prevention, resilience-building, and greater national, regional and
international collaboration.
 Dr. Harsh Vardhan while addressing the meeting asserted that the COVID-19 pandemic has
displayed the interconnectivity and interdependency of countries like never before.He added that
it has made the world realize that the man-made challenges can only be faced together with
collaboration.
 Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that India has been fighting the COVID battle with a firm political will under
the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.He said that the country has taken every possible
step to ensure that the spread of the virus is significantly contained.
 Health Minister added that, the support rendered by 135 crore citizens to honor the decisions on
nationwide lockdowns ensured that the mortality rate remained consistently much below than
most of the other affected countries.
 He also made a mention about the added capacity in terms of Health infrastructure which helped
assist in achieving a much contained spread of the virus.
 The Minister said that India not only successfully contained the spread of COVID-19 in the country
but also shared it's medical expertise with neighbouring countries to aid them in their fight against
the pandemic.
 He also highlighted country's significant contribution in ensuring medical supplies to over 123
countries , including 59 NAM countries.
About NAM-
 The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not
formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest
grouping of states worldwide.
 Drawing on the principles agreed at the Bandung Conference in 1955, the NAM was established in
1961 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia through an initiative of the Indian Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Yugoslav
President Josip Broz Tito.
 Establishment - 1961
 Chair - Azerbaijan
 Chairman - IIham Aliyev
Rajnath Singh participates in MSMEs E-conclave “SIDM MSME Conclave 2020”
 Defence minister Rajnath Singh said the lockdown to combat the coronavirus disease (Covid-19)
had hit the manufacturing sector, disrupted supply chains and the defence industry had also been
affected due to the strict confinement measures.
 Acknowledging the hardships faced by the defence industry during an e-conclave, Singh said
defence manufacturing had been hit harder than other sectors as the government was the only
buyer of defence products.
 The SIDM MSME Conclave 2020 was jointly organized by the Society of Indian Defence
Manufacturers (SIDM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the department of defence
production.
 The minister said the financial package and reforms announced by the government to give a push
to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ (Self-Reliant India Movement)
would strengthen micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector and generate employment.
 MSMEs were the backbone of Indian economy as they accelerated gross domestic product growth,
brought in valuable foreign exchange through exports and provided employment opportunities.
 The minister said that more than 8,000 MSMEs were an integral part of the production process of
the ordnance factories, defence public sector undertakings, dockyards and base repair depots, and
their share equalled nearly 20% of the overall the production of the organisations.
 Singh praised the contribution of MSMEs in India’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic. “I am
very happy to know that SIDM has accelerated the manufacturing of DRDO designed personal
protective equipment (PPE) kits, masks, ventilator parts.
 PM’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan,’ the minister said the campaign would provide a raft of
opportunities to the industry and help create millions of jobs.
 From raising foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence manufacturing to creating a separate
budget for buying locally-made military hardware and notifying a list of weapons/equipment that
cannot be imported, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week announced measures to boost
self reliance in the defence sector.
 The FDI limit in the defence manufacturing sector under the automatic route has been hiked from
49% to 74%.
About CII-
 The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is an industry association in India.

 CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization.
 It has over 9,000 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs,
and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from around 265 national and regional
sectoral industry bodies
 Formation - 1895
 President - Vikram Kirloskar
 Director General - Chandrajit Banerjee
One crore treatments provided under Ayushman Bharat - PMJAY
 Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the flagship health assurance scheme of the
Government of India today marked one crore treatments.
 To mark the milestone, Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, inaugurated the first edition of Arogya
Dhara, a series of webinars created as an open platform for discussion on topical issues of public
health in New Delhi today.
 The webinar was titled “Ayushman Bharat: 1 crore treatments and beyond”.
 Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, providing one crore treatments to patients from the country’s poorest
households since its launch less than two years ago is a milestone achievement for Ayushman
Bharat PMJAY scheme.
 These treatments worth 13 thousand 412 crore rupees have been provided through a growing
network of 21 thousand 565 public and private empanelled hospitals.
 The Union Health Minister said, Ayushman Bharat will continue be a trailblazer with an all-
encompassing humanitarian approach.
 The aim of the scheme is to ensure financial risk protection to more than 10.74 crore poorest,
most vulnerable families in the country and is a step forward towards achievement of Universal
Health Coverage in India.
 The Minister conveyed his best wishes and gratitude to all the States who have ensured the
scheme delivers on its promise especially in the unprecedented times of COVID-19.
 Centre is making persistent efforts to expand testing and make treatment of COVID-19 available
for free to all 53 crore beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, further strengthening
Government of India’s resolve, scope and capability to move towards universal health coverage.
 Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched a ‘Ask Ayushman’ chat bot on WhatsApp, a 24*7 AI-enabled assistant
that provides information on various aspects of the AB-PMJAY scheme.
 He also launched a “Hospital Ranking Dashboard” which is a significant step to rank empanelled
hospitals on the basis of beneficiaries’ feedback.
 The Minister also released a “Special edition of the AB-PMJAY beneficiary e-card” exhibiting the
milestone of 1 crore hospital admissions.
 Minister of State for Health Ashwani Kumar Chaubey, Member (Health) NITI Aayog Dr V K Paul
and CEO of NHA Dr Indu Bhushan addressed the webinar.
About PMJAY-
 The second component under Ayushman Bharat is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna or PM-JAY
as it is popularly known. This scheme was launched on 23rd September, 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand
by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi.
 Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is the largest health assurance scheme in the world which aims at
providing a health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care
hospitalization to over 10.74 crores poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore
beneficiaries) that form the bottom 40% of the Indian population.
Local to Global- Khadi Masks to Hit Foreign Markets
 The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) will now explore the possibility of exporting
the Khadi cotton and silk face masks to foreign countries after the Ministry of Commerce and
Industries lifted the ban on export of non-medical/ non-surgical masks of all types. A notification in
this regard was issued on May 16, by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
 The move comes days after the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s “Local to Global” call in wake
of the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”.
 Keeping in view the huge demand of face masks during the global Covid-19 pandemic, the KVIC has
developed double layered and triple-layered Cotton as well as Silk face masks respectively,
available in two colors for men and in multiple colors for women.
 The KVIC has so far received orders to supply 8 lakh masks and has already supplied more than 6
lakh masks during Lockdown period.
 KVIC received orders from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister’s Office, Central Government
ministries, J&K government and orders through email from general public.
 Apart from sale, over 7.5 lakh Khadi masks have been distributed free to the District Authorities by
Khadi Institutions across the country.
 The KVIC plans to supply khadi face masks in countries like Dubai, USA, Mauritius and several
European and Middle East countries where Khadi’s popularity has significantly grown over the last
few years. KVIC plans to sell Khadi masks in these countries through the Indian embassies.
 KVIC Chairman, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said the export of Khadi masks is an appropriate example
of “Local to Global”.
 “The popularity of Khadi fabric and other Khadi products has grown significantly across the globe
in recent years after the appeal by the Prime Minister. The export of Khadi masks will lead to spike
in production and ultimately create large scale employment opportunity for artisans in India,”
 “Face Masks are the most critical tool to fight the Corona Pandemic. These masks prepared from
Double Twisted khadi fabric not only meet the quality and scale of demand but are cost effective,
breathable, washable, reusable and bio-degradable”
 “Face Masks are the most critical tool to fight the Corona Pandemic. These masks prepared from
Double Twisted khadi fabric not only meet the quality and scale of demand but are cost effective,
breathable, washable, reusable and bio-degradable”
About KVIC-
 The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed in April 1957 (as
per an RTI) by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries
Commission Act of 1956'.
 It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard
to khadi and village industries within India, which seeks to - "plan, promote, facilitate, organise and
assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas in
coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
 Founded - 1956
 Chairman - Vinai Kumar Saxena
 Parent Agency - MSME's
Prime Minister announces Rs 1,500 crore relief for Amphan-hit Bengal, Odisha
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 1,500 crore for the relief and rehabilitation of
people affected by Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal and Odisha, and assured the states of more
support after conducting separate aerial surveys with chief ministers Mamata Banerjee and
Naveen Patnaik.
 We are announcing the release of an advance assistance fund of Rs 1,000 crore,” Modi said in
Hindi after a review meeting in Basirhat in North 24 Parganas. Later, he announced immediate
assistance of Rs 500 crore for Odisha.
 Cyclone Amphan, the most severe storm in the Bay of Bengal since the super cyclone of 1999, has
left a trail of destruction and damage in the two states.
 It made landfall around 20 kms east of Sagar Island in the Sunderbans on Wednesday afternoon,
packing winds gusting to a top speed of 185 kilometres per hour, cutting off road links, snapping
telecommunications, leaving parts of West Bengal without electricity, and inundating coastal
hamlets.
 It killed about 80 people in West Bengal and at least two in Odisha.
 At the review meeting with Banerjee in Basirhat after the survey, Modi declared that Rs 2 lakh
each will be given to families of the deceased from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Those injured will get Rs 50,000 each.
 Banerjee said her state suffered losses of more than Rs 1 lakh crore due to the storm that has left
tens of thousands homeless. “Most of the areas we surveyed were totally ravaged.
 The air force said it modified aircraft/helicopters for relief operations and is on standby. It said its
crisis management cell is coordinating with the civil administration and National Disaster
Response Force (NDRF) teams on the ground.
About West Bengal-
 West Bengal is a state in eastern India, between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. Its capital,
Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), retains architectural and cultural remnants of its past as an East India
Company trading post and capital of the British Raj.
 Established- 26 January 1950
 Capital - Kolkata
 Chief Minister - Mamata Banerjee(AITC)
 Governor - Jagdeep Dhankhar
 Chief Justice - Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan
About Odisha-
 Odisha (formerly Orissa), an eastern Indian state on the Bay of Bengal, is known for its tribal
cultures and its many ancient Hindu temples. The capital, Bhubaneswar, is home to hundreds of
temples, notably the intricately-carved Mukteshvara.
 Established- 1 April 1936
 Capital - Bhubaneswar
 Chief Minister - Naveen Patnaik(BJD)
 Governor - Ganeshi Lal
About NDRF-
 The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is an Indian specialised force constituted "for the
purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster" under the Disaster
Management Act, 2005.
 The "Apex Body for Disaster Management" in India is the National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA).
 Minister - Amit Shah
 Director General - SN Pradhan, IPS
Fresh personal details leaks detected on dark web
 Even as cybercrime agencies and experts are investigating the leak of millions of Indian job-
seekers’ personal details on the dark web, two more similar instances have come to light in the last
12 hours.
 The fresh leaks include nearly 2,000 Aadhaar cards and details of 18 million Indians, all available
for free.
 The leak of nearly 2.9 crore job-seekers’ details was discovered by Cyble Inc., a U.S.-based cyber
intelligence firm, which has been trying to trace the source of the leak and identify the
perpetrators.
 Cyble founder Beenu Arora said the Aadhaar cards were posted on the dark web some time in the
last 12 hours.
 “We are not sure of how this leak happened. There is a known perpetrator who just decided to
drop this. In terms of the leak itself, it has approximately 2,000 Aadhaar cards.
 A large number of files appear to have originated from 2019, and several IDs were scanned from
mobile cameras, and often transferred to other parties via WhatsApp.
 Cyble researchers said the Aadhaar cards and the job seekers’ details were posted by different
entities, both with a different level of reputation on the dark net.
 “The Aadhaar leak actor also published a second leak whereby they dropped details of 18 lakh
residents of Madhya Pradesh for free on May 19. We identified this leak during our investigations
into the jobseeker data.
 Cyble researchers have received an anonymous tip off according to which the jobseekers’ data
leak was the result of an unprotected Elasticsearch instance — a tool that collects data from a wide
range of locations on the Internet in accordance with the requirements of the person conducting
the search, and allowing the user to analyse large troves of data in real time from all over the
Internet.
About Cyble Inc.-
 Cyble Inc.’s mission is to provide organizations with a real-time view of their supply chain cyber
threats and risks. Their SaaS-based solution powered by machine learning and human analysis
provides organizations’ insights to cyber threats introduced by suppliers and enables them to
respond to them faster and more efficiently.
 Established- 26 January 1950
 Headquarter - Georgia, USA
 CEO - Beenu Arora
Government launches five initiatives on International Day of Biodiversity
 In a virtual celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity, Union Environment,
Forest, and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar launched five key initiatives towards
conservation of biodiversity.
 India, which is a mega biodiverse country, welcomes those countries who are interested in
improving their biodiversity scenarios, and are ready to share the experiences and best practices
with them.
 He also laid emphasis on the need to limit our consumption and promote a sustainable lifestyle.
 Stressing on this year's theme, Javadekar said that "Our solutions are in nature" and therefore,
protecting it is very important, especially in the present context of Covid-19 as it is nature that
shields us from various catastrophes including zoonotic diseases.
 On the occasion, he launched the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Programme which
proposes to engage 20 students with postgraduate degrees for a period of one year through an
open, transparent, online competitive process.
 The programme wishes to engage dynamic and creative students, who are willing to learn about
natural resource management and biodiversity conservation and to support the projects of NBA in
various states and Union Territories and to technically assist the State Biodiversity Boards in
discharge of their mandates.
 The virtual event also saw the launch of UNEP Campaign on Illegal Trafficking of Endangered
Species: 'Not all Animals Migrate by Choice'. Illegal trade in wildlife carries the risk of spreading
dangerous pandemics, it was emphasised.
 A Webinar Series on biodiversity Conservation and Biological Diversity Act, 2002' was also
launched along with the WWF Model Conference of Parties (MCoP).
 An initiative which involves the younger generation so they can usher in a new beginning and
engage in conversations around impact of humanity’s footprint on biodiversity and also the
importance of sustenance of biodiversity for our own survival. An awareness campaign supported
by WWF to highlight the crucial role played by nature through its free ecological services provided
for humankind was also launched during the course of the event.
About UNDP-
 The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network.
It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help
people build a better life for themselves
 Founded- 22 November 1965
 Headquarter - NewYork, USA
 Head - Achim Steiner
About UNEP-
 The United Nations Environment Programme is responsible for coordinating the UN's
environmental activities and assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally
sound policies and practices.
 Founded- 5 June 1972
 Headquarter - Nairobi, Kenya
 Executive Director– Inger Andersen
About NBA-
 The National Biodiversity Authority is a statutory autonomous body under the Ministry of
Environment, Forests and climate change, Government of India established in 2003 to implement
the provisions under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, after India signed Convention on Biological
Diversity in 1992.
 Founded- 1 October 2003
 Headquarter - Chennai
 Chairperson– Dr. V. B. Mathur
Naomi Osaka- Japanese tennis star becomes world's highest-paid female athlete
 Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has become the world's highest-paid female athlete, displacing
US rival Serena Williams at the top of the list.
 According to Forbes magazine, Osaka, 22, a two-time Grand Slam champion, made £30.7m in prize
money and endorsements over the past 12 months.
 That was £1.15m more than the amount earned by 38-year-old Williams.
 Both shattered the previous single-year earnings record of £24.4m set in 2015 by Russia's Maria
Sharapova.
 Since Forbes began tracking women athletes' income in 1990, tennis players have topped the
annual list every year.
 Osaka, whose father was born in Haiti and whose mother is Japanese, is 29th on the 2020 Forbes
list of the world's 100 top-paid athletes, four spots ahead of Williams, the winner of 23 Grand
Slam singles titles.
 The pair met in the 2018 US Open final with Osaka winning her first Grand Slam title in a highly
controversial match in which Williams was given three code violations by the umpire.
 The Japanese then won the 2019 Australian Open, although her form has since dipped and she has
fallen from world number one to 10th on the WTA rankings.
 Osaka has been a popular endorsement figure in Japan in the build-up to the now-postponed
Tokyo Olympics, securing lucrative deals with global brands Nike, Nissan and Yonex, among others.
About Forbes-
 Forbes is an American business magazine. Published bi-weekly, it features original articles on

finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. Forbes also reports on related subjects such as
technology, communications, science, politics, and law.
 Founded- 15 September 1917
 Headquarters - New Jersey US
 Headquarters– Jersey City, New Jersey, US (United States).
 CEO (Chief Executive Officer)– Mike Federle
In a first, Uttarakhand releases report on conservation of endemic, threatened floras
 Uttarakhand has become the first state to release a unique report highlighting its conservation
efforts to save over 1,100 rare plants from extinction.
 Herbs like ‘Ashwagandha’, ‘Giloy’, ‘Kalmegh’ and ‘Chitrak’, which are presently part of scientists''
research to find a possible cure to coronavirus, are included in this conservation programme
executed by whistleblower forest service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi.
 As many as 1,145 plant species have been conserved out of which 46 species are endemic to
Uttarakhand and 68 species are rare, endangered or threatened, under red list of the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) or under state biodiversity board, under this project by
the research wing of the state forest department.
 One of the largest repositories of conserved plants.
 This project is aimed at germplasm conservation so that species remain conserved with the forest
department even if they disappear from their natural habitat in the wild.
 Conservation of endemic species is considered to be particularly important as they exist in one
geographical region only.
 ‘Brahmkamal’, an endangered plant named after Hindu god Brahma, and mythological ‘Sanjeevani’
herb are also among the conserved floras under this programme.
 Brahmkamal, found at over 12,000 feet altitude in the Himalayan region bordering China, is the
state flower of Uttarakhand and considered a very sacred flower.
 It also has tremendous medicinal properties, is used as antiseptic and for treatment of other
ailments.
 Sanjeevani (Selaginella bryopteris) is another rare herb which has found a mention in Ramayan.
 Thuner (Taxusbaccata), a tree found at very high altitude in Himalayan region and at the verge of
extinction because of extraction of ‘taxol’, used in treating breast cancer, and Bhojpatra -- a holy
tree on the bark of which ancient scriptures were written -- being the last species in tree line, are
also conserved by the Uttarakhand forest department.
 Bhojpatra (Betulautilis) is found in the Himalayan region at around 10,000 ft altitude, before the
start of glaciers.
 The conservation programme covers all classes of plants - tree, shrub, herb, bamboo, wild
climbers, fern, orchid, grass, cane, alpine flowers, palm, cycad, cactus, succulent, aquatic species,
insectivorous plants and even lower plants like moss, lichen and algae, which have been
documented, classified and conserved for the first time.
 The report, running into 196 pages, prepared on these conserved species of floras contains
detailed information of each plant on nine parameters – family name, scientific name, local name,
endemism, conservation status, number and location at research establishment, uses and
thumbnail size photograph.
 “At present extinction rate of plant species has reached up to 5-7 species per year, as per various
estimates, owing to climate change, global warming, smuggling/illegal extractions and unplanned
construction among others which will have very adverse consequences for future,”
 The main aim of this project is also to promote conservation of plant species among the general
public so as to end ‘plant blindness’, a term coined by US botanist Elisabeth Schussler and James
Wandersee in 1998 – meaning inability to see or notice plants in one’s own environment.
 “Plant diversity, the world’s greatest renewable natural resource, is being lost at an alarming rate,
and we must act with the greatest urgency to document and conserve it before it is too late,”.
About Uttarakhand-
 Uttarakhand, a state in northern India crossed by the Himalayas, is known for its Hindu pilgrimage
sites. Rishikesh, a major centre for yoga study, was made famous by the Beatles’ 1968 visit.
 The city hosts the evening Ganga Aarti, a spiritual gathering on the sacred Ganges River.
 The state's forested Jim Corbett National Park shelters Bengal tigers and other native wildlife.
 Formation- 9 November 2000
 Capital– Dehradun(Winter capital), Gairsain(Summer capital)
 Chief Minister– Trivendra Singh Rawat
 Governor– Baby Rani Maurya
 Chief Justice - Ramesh Ranganathan
Justice Sikri e-inaugurates Indian Dispute Resolution Centre
 Former Supreme Court Judge Justice AK Sikri, who is International Judge, Singapore International
Commercial Court, on Friday e-inaugurated Indian Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC).
 A IDRC press release on Saturday said that it India's first-of-its-kind Institutional ADR (Alternative
Dispute Resolution) Centre which provides offline and also eADR facility through its state-of-the-
art eArbitration, eMediation and eConciliation software portal.
 Justice Sikri said during the panel discussion that the Dispute Resolution Centre has been
established by young enthusiasts, young blood coming in with a new approach.
 They have provided certain facilities which are certainly out-of-the-box like end-to-end digitization
and completely paperless hearings.
 Senior Advocate Ciccu Mukhopadhaya said transparency in the functioning of arbitration
institutions is "It is interesting that the IDRC Domestic Arbitration Rules provide for disclosure of
third party funding."It is interesting that the IDRC Domestic Arbitration Rules provide for disclosure
of third party funding. Internationally it has developed that disclosure is made about such funding
because it can become a potential cause of challenge in future. It is a developing field in India but
is widely accepted worldwide,"
 e-ADR software has the facility for digital signature and uploading of documents, replies and other
miscellaneous applications and submissions on secured IDRC Cloud Servers with 24x7 access to
stakeholders and lawyers.
About IDRC-
 As we step into a new day and age of Alternative Dispute Resolution, the Indian
Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC) is set to broaden boundaries beyond the horizon and deliver the
future.
 An initiative of Indian Dispute Resolution Council, a Non-Profit Organisation dedicated to provide
an institutional environment, both online and offline, for resolution of all kinds of disputes in an
efficient, professional, time bound and cost effective manner.
 Chairperson- Mehar S Rathi
 Secretary General- Mona Marwah
 Director/Head of Operations- Riya Rathi
First Meeting of the 15th Finance Commission’s Committee on Fiscal Consolidation Roadmap
 A committee to review fiscal consolidation, led by Finance Commission chairman NK Singh, will
hold its first meeting on Thursday to workout the fiscal consolidation roadmap for the government
from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
 The meeting is likely to be attended by Ajay Jha and Anoop Singh, members of the 15th Finance
Commission (XVFC).“The mandate of the XVFC is to work out the fiscal consolidation roadmap for
the general government for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26,” the government said in a statement.
 “This task has been complicated by the extraordinary situation caused by the spread of the
pandemic and the concomitant fiscal compulsions on the central and state governments,” it said.
 The Union Government has given additional borrowing space of 2 percentage points of GDP to the
State Governments, apart from the 3 per cent that was already available.
 The Finance Commission is expected to make recommendations on the fiscal consolidation
roadmap of the Centre and States, taking into account their responsibility to adhere to appropriate
levels of debt and deficit levels, while fostering higher inclusive growth.
About XVFC-
 The Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV-FC or 15-FC) is an Indian Finance Commission constituted
in November 2017 and is to give recommendations for devolution of taxes and other fiscal matters
for five fiscal years, commencing 2020-04-01.
 The commission's chairman is Nand Kishore Singh, with its full-time members being Ajay Narayan
Jha, Ashok Lahiri and Anoop Singh.
 Formation– 2017
 Parent department– Ministry of Finance
 Chairman– NK Singh
 Members– Ajay Narayan Jha, Prof. Anoop Singh, Dr. Ashok Lahiri, Member, and Prof. Ramesh
Chand.
WHO and IOC team up to improve health through sport amidst Covid-19 Pandemic
 The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on
Saturday signed an agreement to work together to promote health through sport and physical
activity.
 "I am pleased to formalize this longstanding partnership with the International Olympic
Committee.
 WHO works not only to respond to disease but also to help people realize their healthiest lives and
this partnership will do exactly that. Physical activity is one of the keys to good health and well-
being," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
 The current COVID-19 pandemic is particularly affecting people with noncommunicable diseases
(NCDs).
 The agreement has a special focus on preventing NCDs through sport. Physical activity helps lower
blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and
various types of cancer (including breast cancer and colon cancer).
 Other areas of collaboration include working with host countries to ensure the health of athletes,
supporters and workers at the games as well as addressing NCD risk factors, including water
quality and air pollution.
 The two institutions will also work to ensure that the games leave a healthy legacy in host
countries through enhanced awareness of the value of sport and physical activity.
 The two organizations also intend to work together promote grassroots and community sports
programmes that have a further reach within the general public, particularly among girls, older
people and people living with disabilities who may find it harder to keep active and healthy.
 "Over the last few months in the current crisis, we have all seen how important sport and physical
activity are for physical and mental health.
 Sport can save lives. The IOC calls on the governments of the world to include sport in their post-
crisis support programmes because of the important role of sport in the prevention of NCDs, but
also of communicable diseases," said IOC president Thomas Bach.
 WHO estimates that 1 in 4 adults is not active enough and more than 80 per cent of the world's
adolescent population is insufficiently physically active. The new partnership will bring together
the sports and health sectors at international, regional and national levels to reach global goal of
increasing physical activity by 15 per cent, as set out in the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity.
About IOC-
 Founded– 23 June 1984

 Headquarters–Lausanne, Switzerland
 President– Thomas Bach
 Honorary President - Jacques Rogge
 Director General - Christophe De Kepper
About WHO-
 The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for
international public health. The WHO Constitution, which establishes the agency's governing
structure and principles, states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest
possible level of health."
 Headquarters–Geneva, Switzerland
 Founded - 7 April 1948
 Director-General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
India helps Uganda to set up military war game centre
 Indian Association in Uganda, with help of the Indian Military training team, set up a military war
game centre in Jinja district. On Sunday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni inaugurated the war
game centre conceptualised by Indian military team for Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF).
 While commissioning the wargame centre at the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College in
Kimaka in Jinja District, the the President said, "This centre is also a great gesture of the wider
cooperation and support we enjoy with the government and the people of India."
 He also hailed the relationship between the UPDF and the Indian army which he said has a lot of
knowledge, experience and heroism.
 "Our relationship with India has existed for centuries. We were colonised together by a small
group of people who came from Europe, but when we all woke up, and the small groups ran away.
During that time, we fought together first against the Japanese in Burma. The heroic Indians are
the ones who stopped the westward expansion of Japan at the famous battle of Kohima,"
 The war game centre is named 'INDIA' and is a type of strategy game that simulates warfare
realistically, as opposed to abstract strategy games such as chess.
 It is a fitting token of gratitude from the Indian community of Uganda for the UPDF, which has
been the stabilising force in Uganda and the region for over three decades.
 The war game centre, constructed with an amount of over 1 billion Ugandan Shillings ($265,000),
has been funded by voluntary contributions from Ugandans of Indian origin.
 The landmark training aid will help make the UPDF Senior Command and Staff College a centre of
excellence in the entire region and it will remain a lasting symbol of the special bond that Indians
in Uganda share with UPDF and India shares with Uganda.
About UPDF-
 The Uganda People's Defence Force, previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the
armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies
estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–45,000 and consisted of land forces and an air
wing.
 Headquarters–Kampala, Uganda
About Uganda-
 Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa whose diverse landscape encompasses the snow-
capped Rwenzori Mountains and immense Lake Victoria.
 Its abundant wildlife includes chimpanzees as well as rare birds.Remote Bwindi Impenetrable
National Park is a renowned mountain gorilla sanctuary.
 Capital–Kampala
 Currency - Ugandan Shilling
 President– Yoweri Museveni
US Navy successfully tests a Laser Weapon that can destroy Aircraft mid-flight
 A US Navy warship has successfully tested a new high-energy laser weapon that can destroy
aircraft mid-flight, the Navy's Pacific Fleet has announced.
 Images and videos provided by the Navy show the amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland
executing "the first system-level implementation of a high-energy class solid-state laser" to disable
an aerial drone aircraft, the Navy said in a statement.
 It did not give a specific location of the Laser weapons system demonstrator (LWSD) test, saying
only that it occurred in the Pacific on May 16.
 Navy ships face an increasing number of threats in conducting their missions, including Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles, armed small boats, and adversary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
systems.
 The US Navy has been developing directed-energy weapons (DEWs), to include lasers, since the
1960s.
 DEWs are defined as electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy
to radiated energy and focusing it on a target, resulting in physical damage that degrades,
neutralises, defeats, or destroys an adversarial capability.
 The Navy's development of DEWs like the LWSD, provide immediate warfighter benefits and
provide the commander increased decision space and response options.
 "By conducting advanced at sea tests against UAVs and small crafts, we will gain valuable
information on the capabilities of the Solid State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator against
potential threats," Captain Karrey Sanders, commanding officer of Portland.
 "With this new advanced capability, we are redefining war at sea for the Navy."The Navy says
lasers, which it calls directed energy weapons (DEW), can be effective defences against drones or
armed small boats.
About USS Portland-
 USS Portland (LPD-27) is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship of the United States
Navy, named after the U.S. city of Portland, Oregon
 Homeport - Naval Base San Diego, California
 Sponsered By - Bonnie Amos
US tennis star Jamie Hampton announces retirement
 Former World Top 25 and US tennis star Jamie Hampton has announced her retirement from
professional tennis.
 The 30-year-old last played an official match six years ago, as she suffered numerous injuries after
reaching a career-high ranking of World No.24 in July of 2013.
 The talented right-hander from Alabama began the 2014 season with a run to the semifinals of the
ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, but was unable to play against Venus Williams due to a hip
injury.
 Hampton underwent six surgeries over the next 18 months, which included two on her right hip.
 "This has been a long time coming. Those of you who've followed my tennis career know that I've
undergone numerous surgeries in the past few years. Unfortunately, they weren't successful
enough for me to return to tennis."
 "Confronting this reality couldn't have been more disappointing and it's taken many years to work
through. Tennis was my first love, and even though it's been years since I've competed, it's still
heartbreaking to officially say goodbye,"
 Hampton also reached one WTA doubles final, alongside Anna Tatishvili at the Bell Challenge in
Quebec City in 2011, where they finished as runners-up to Abigail Spears and Raquel Atawo.
 "Competing on the biggest stages of tennis was a dream come true, but it wouldn't have been
possible nor would it have meant much without the support of my family, friends, coaches,
sponsors and of course, fans,"
About International Tennis Federation-
 The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, wheelchair tennis, and
beach tennis.It was founded in 1913 as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by twelve
national associations, and as of 2016, is affiliated with 211 national tennis associations and six
regional associations.
 Founded- 1913
 Headquarters - London, UK
 President- David Haggerty
Chardham Project - Nitin Gadkari Lauds BRO for Chamba Tunnel Construction
 The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has completed construction of a 440 m long tunnel below
the busy Chamba town on the Rishikesh-Dharasu road Highway (NH 94).
 Indian Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday lauded and
congratulated the team for achieving this feat.
 Gadkari took to Twitter and tweeted, “Happy to announce that our Border Roads Organisation
(BRO) team has made a major breakthrough in the Chardham Project.They have successfully dug
up 440 m long Tunnel below the busy Chamba town on Rishikesh-Dharasu road Highway (NH
94).”
 The Minister added that the breakthrough of this tunnel will go a long way in facilitating the
speedy movement of the traffic. He informed that the latest Austrian technology has been used for
constructing the Chamba Tunnel.
 The tunnel will be ready to handle traffic by October 2020, which is before the scheduled date of
completion, i.e., January 2021. As per the BRO, the 440 m tunnel has been built at a cost of INR 88
crore.
 This tunnel will not only facilitate speedy movement of traffic, it will also reduce congestion and
distance to Chamba town. This will further ease the movement of pilgrims on Char Dham yatra,
and also bring economic prosperity.
 A top-official from the BRO added that the team started work on North Portal of this tunnel in
January 2019, whereas work on South Portal could be started only after October 2019, because of
stiff resistance from locals on account of safety concerns and compensation issues.
 The Chamba tunnel is a horse-shoe type tunnel with 10 m carriage way width and 5.5 m vertical
clearance. Gadkari also asked the BRO to ensure beautification along the highway, with green
plants and other methods.
About BRO-
 The Border Roads Organisation develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and
friendly neighboring countries. Officers from the Border Roads Engineering Service and personnel
from the General Reserve Engineer Force form the parent cadre of the Border Roads Organisation.
 Founded- 7th May 1960
 Founder– Jawahar Lal Nehru
 Director General - Lt. Gen. Harpal Singh
US to withdraw from Open Skies Surveillance Treaty
 The US will withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty, a major accord that permits unarmed aerial
surveillance flights over 34 participating countries, citing repeated Russian violations of its terms.
 India is not a member of this treaty that came into force on January 1, 2002. Most of the
participating countries are in North America Europe and Central Asia.
 The Open Skies Treaty allows each state-party to carry out short-notice, unarmed, reconnaissance
flights over the others' territories to collect data on military forces and activities.
 President Donald Trump blamed Russia's non-compliance with the treaty for such a decision by
the United States.
 "Russia didn't adhere to the treaty, so until they adhere, we will pull out. But there's a very good
chance we'll make a new agreement or do something to put that agreement back together,”
Trump told reporters at the White House.
 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US will submit notice of its decision to withdraw from
the Treaty on Open Skies to the Treaty Depositaries and to all other states party to the Treaty.
 "Effective six months from tomorrow, the United States will no longer be a party to the Treaty,” he
said, adding that the US would, however, reconsider its withdrawal should Russia return to full
compliance with the Treaty.
 This is not a story exclusive to just the Treaty on Open Skies, unfortunately, for Russia has been a
serial violator of many of its arms control obligations and commitments,” Pompeo said.
 Pompeo alleged that Russia has refused access to observation flights within a 10-kilometer corridor
along its border with the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,
thereby attempting to advance false Russian claims that these occupied territories are
independent states.
 Russia's designation of an Open Skies refuelling airfield in Crimea, Ukraine, is similarly an attempt
to advance its claim of purported annexation of the peninsula, which the United States does not
and will never accept.
 Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell in a statement alleged that for years,
Russia has systematically violated the terms of the Open Skies Treaty to the detriment of the US,
its allies, and partners.
About US-
 The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the
northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast
cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern
metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles'
Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.
 Capital– Washington, D.C.
 Currency– United States Dollar
 President– Donald John Trump
About Russia-
 Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and
Northern Asia.
 Capital- Moscow
 Currency- Russian Rouble
 Prime Minister- Mikhail Mishustin
 President- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
Indian start-up makes world's first contactless visitor management software
 A Mumbai based startup, VAMS Global, has come up with the world’s first contactless Visitor
Management Software, having various features such as temperature scanner and mask detection,
without coming in contact.
 The software, called VAMS SafeGuard, follows no touch no queue visitors entry and can scan body
temperature, detect mask on faces among other things, while following social distancing on the
premises.
 It uses AI to allow entry of only those visitor who are complying to all the COVID protection
measures.
 It reads, scans and record one person at a time from a distance of 18 inch in less than 3-5 seconds.
 "The software monitors no touch no queue visitor entry, temperature and masks scanning for
employees, visitors, contractors, pre appointments, Aarogya Setu Declaration, customised
questionnaire for visitors for traceability, emergency notification and real-time visibility of people
inside the premise, to maintain social distancing," said Kothary.
 The software is ideal for use in pharmaceuticals, hospitality, manufacturing, transportation and
logistics, educational institutions, commercial and residential buildings claims the startup.
 In an effort to bring back normalcy life under lockdown 4.0 is experiencing much relaxations with
resuming of work-related activities, increased functioning of private and public transports while
strictly clinging with the guidelines issued by the centre.
About VAMS Global-
 Vams Global is a leading provider of Visitor Management Systems. Pioneering the Visitor
Authentication process, Vams Global offers specialized solutions for Corporates, Commercial
Buildings & Complexes, Residential Buildings & Townships. Used by a number of Fortune 500
companies, leading Commercial Projects & flagship Residential Properties, VAMS (Visitor
Authentication & Management System) is used at 1000+ locations in 13 countries.
 Founded - 7 March 1922

 Headquarters– Mumbai
 CEO - Nikhil Kothary
“Van Dhan Scheme - Learning for Post COVID-19” Organized by DST, Rajasthan in association with
TRIFED
 A Webinar under Know Your Scheme-Lecture Series on “Van Dhan Yojana : Learning For Post
Covid-19” was organized today by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of
Rajasthan in association with Trifed, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. Shri Pravir
Krishna, Managing Director of TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs was the Key Note Speaker detailing
the learnings for post Covid-19 and the Webinar was moderated by Ms. Mugdha Sinha, Secretary,
Science and Technology, Government of Rajasthan.
 The current crisis situation due to Covid-19 has posed an unprecedented threat across the country.
Almost all the States and UTs in India are affected by it, in varying degrees. The situation has also
dealt a blow to the livelihoods of the poor and marginalized communities. The tribal gatherers can
be one of the worst affected in these trying times, since this is the peak season for harvesting Non
Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) in many regions.
 Addressing the varied activities undertaken by tribals in the country, Shri Pravir Krishna mentioned
that about 5 lakhs of tribal artisans make their living through handicraft & handlooms, engaged in
Textile weaving, Metal Crafts, Home Décor, Jewellery, Block Printing, ornamental Painting etc.
 The biggest challenge for tribal artisans, however, is to market their products effectively and make
more people aware of the top quality items they develop.
 TRIFED (under Ministry of Tribal Affairs) has been playing an instrumental role in this regard by
procuring tribal-made products and selling them to the masses in India and worldwide under the
banner of TRIBES India.
 They have launched a #GoTribal campaign and are growing from strength to strength via opening
up of over 120 permanent outlets aross the country (including airports), ecommerce platforms,
exhibitions, organizing grand ‘Aadi Mahotsavs; and entering into tie-ups for providing training to
the artisans for further capcity building, quality improvement and market alignment.
 Further, Mr Pravir Krishna disclosed that over 50 lakhs tribals depend on forest produces, having
inherent skills in forest produce harvesting.
 Tribal Forest produce gatherers usually collect about half to one tonne of Forest produce in a year.
Speaking about the immense potential tribals have owing to their inherent skills, Mr. Krishna said,
“We just need to help them with their skills in Value addition and enabling them as Micro
enterprises. Through Minimum Support Price, it is feasible to assure a revenue of Rs.20,000 to
Rs.30,000 per person per year and through VanDhan Value addition Scheme, two to three times of
the same.”
 Explaining the key pillars of the scheme, Shri Krishna emphasized the importance of procuring
notified NTFP items at Minimum Support Price, improving infrastructure facilities available at
Village Haats and warehouses, and finally developing the value chain of forest produce by enabling
forest gatherers to run micro enterprises engaged in value addition.
 TRIFED is also going forward with ‘Tech for Tribals’ initiative by partnering with leading IITs and
IIMs of the country along with the Ministry of MSME to form an Entrepreneurship Skill
Development Program.Additionally, there is due focus on Digitization of dashboards, monitoring
of VanDhan projects to streamline the flow of information, track progress and enable quick
submission of proposals under the scheme.
 TRIFED also initiated Van Dhan Samajik Doori Jagrookta Abhiyaan in association with UNICEF,
under which tribals are being provided with crucial information regarding COVID-19 with several
guidelines, nationwide and state-specific webinars and instructions on safety measures to be
followed. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has also revised the Minimum Support Prices of NTFP
items to provide much needed relief to forest gatherers in these trying times.
 Describing Best Practices being followed under VanDhan, Mr. Krishna spoke about door to door
procurement of NTFP items in Chhattisgarh, sale of Van Dhan products through mobile vans in
Manipur, establishment of MFP Processing units (TRIFOOD) at Raigad, ‘Apni Dukan’ initiative in
Madhya Pradesh, among others.
 The Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of Rajasthan, expressed their keen interest in the
VanDhan Yojana and discussed a partnership with TRIFED under VanDhan’s ‘Tech for Tribals’
initiative as a Knowledge Partner, along with their established institutional network comprised of
IIM Udaipur, IIT Jodhpur, among others to take the scheme forward.
About Van Dhan Scheme-
 The Van Dhan Scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED. It was launched
on 14th April, 2018 and seeks to improve tribal incomes through value addition of tribal products.
About TRIFED-

 Founded- 1987
 Managing Director– Pravir Krishna
Centre to set up Fisheries export hub in North India
 Seeking to double India’s export earning from fisheries, the Centre will expand reach of this sector
by investing in critical infrastructure and create export hub in north India especially in Punjab,
Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, where prawn farming can be promoted in saline water in a
big way.
 The prawn farming had been introduced in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts in Punjab
and Hissar district in Haryana long ago for domestic markets such as Chandigarh and Delhi, the
renewed attention is expected to expand the operation on a much wider scale for export.
 South India was a major export hub for fishes. Now, north India too will emerge as an export hub,"
said Union dairying and fisheries minister Giriraj Singh while sharing details of a central scheme -
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) - which aims to invest Rs 20,050 crore in the
fisheries sector over next five years.
 The PMMSY aims to enhance annual fish production to 220 lakh metric tons by 2024-25 from
137.58 lakh metric tons in 2018-19 at an average annual growth rate of about 9%.
 The minister said the fish export from India might have been declined by 5-10% in current year due
to demand compression in the wake of the pandemic.
 "As per the latest inputs, there is not much impact on exports. There would be maximum 5-10%
fall in exports," he said, adding the shipments were affected during initial days of the nationwide
lockdown, but the situation began to improve after the government exempted fishing activities
from the lockdown rule from mid-April onwards.
 Constituting about 7.73% of the global fish production and export earnings of Rs 46,589 crores in
2018-19, India is currently the fourth largest fish exporting nation in the world.
 The minister said the ambitious scheme, which aims to invest Rs 20,050 crore till 2024-25, would
result in doubling export earnings to Rs 1,00,000 crore and generate about 55 lakhs direct and
indirect employment opportunities in fisheries sector over a period of next five years.
 As part of critical infrastructural development, the scheme will also focus on developing aqua parks
as hub of fisheries and aquaculture activities in the country.
 Estimated investment of Rs 20,050 crores under the PMMSY comprises of central share of Rs 9,407
crore, states’ share of Rs 4,880 crore and beneficiaries’ contribution of Rs 5,763 crore.
 Creating critical fisheries infrastructure by attracting private investments in fisheries sector, the
PMMSY plans to reduce post-harvest losses from currently 25% to about 10% by modernizing and
strengthening value chain.
 A booklet on the scheme, released by the minister, notes that the government will register ‘Sagar
Mitras’ (friends of ocean) in all coastal villages and encourage formation of Fish Farmers Producer
Organizations (FFPOs) to help achieve the PMMSY goals.
 The booklet also speaks about other activities under the scheme including genetic improvement
programmes, setting up nucleus breeding centres and promotional activities for fish consumption,
branding, GI (geographical indication) in fish.
PFC to fund projects worth Rs 22,000 cr in Madhya Pradesh
 State-owned shadow banking firm Power Finance Corporation (PFC) said it will fund 225 MW
hydro electric and other multiple purpose projects worth Rs 22,000 crore in Madhya Pradesh.
 "PFC today entered into an agreement with Narmada Basin Projects Company Ltd (NBPCL), a
wholly-owned company of Govt of Madhya Pradesh, to fund projects worth Rs 22,000 crore for
225 MW hydro-electric projects & multipurpose projects in the State of Madhya Pradesh," the
company said in a statement.
 The funds will be deployed by NBPCL for setting up hydroelectric projects of 225 MW and power
components of 12 major multipurpose projects in Madhya Pradesh.
 The MoU was signed on a virtual platform by Rajeev Sharma, CMD, PFC and I C P Keshari,
Managing Director, NBPCL.
 The Madhya Pradesh government has conducted the pre-feasibility study of these projects and has
provided approval for their execution.
 The disbursal of the amount will be linked to the execution of the projects.
 The MoU will help PFC to actively partner with NBPCL and provide finance for hydro-electric plants
totalling 225 MW along with power components of multipurpose projects as part of the state
government''s endeavour to implement twelve major multipurpose projects.
 Some of the major multipurpose projects that will be financed under the MoU include Basaniya
Multipurpose Project Dindori, Chinki Boras Multipurpose Project Narsinghpur Raisen
Hoshangabad, Sakkar Pench Link Narsinghpur Chhindwara, and Dudhi Project Chhindwara
Hoshangabad.
About PFC-
 Power Finance Corporation Ltd. is an Indian financial institution. Established in 1986, it is the
financial back bone of Indian Power Sector. PFC's Net worth as on 30 September 2018 is INR 383
billion. PFC is the 8th highest profit making CPSE as per the Department of Public Enterprises
Survey for FY 2017-18.
 Founded - 16th July 1986
 Chairman - Rajeev Sharma
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen Begins Her Second Term
 Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen took the oath for her second four-year term on Wednesday,
buoyed by record-high popularity as the country continues its successful response to the COVID-19
pandemic.
 Tsai also pledged to engage in dialogue with Beijing provided it respects Taiwan’s sovereignty and
rejects its “one country, two systems” formula, reiterating the cross-strait stance that fueled her
landslide re-election victory in January.
 In a scaled-down inauguration ceremony at which a limited number of participants practiced social
distancing, Tsai praised the resilience of the Taiwanese people in dealing with the coronavirus.
 The BJP MPs were among the 92 dignitaries from 41 countries who had a virtual presence at the
ceremony as foreign visitors are banned in Taiwan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Back in 2016, when Tsai was elected to her first term, the Indian government had decided against
sending its MPs to Taiwan for the inaugural ceremony. This time around, the BJP MPs were also
joined by Sohang Sen, the acting director-general of India-Taipei Association, who represented
India at the ceremony in Taipei. India does not have an official diplomatic establishment in Taiwan,
the same as 179 of the 194 United Nations members.
 Taiwanese President, Lekhi and Kaswan highlighted on India and Taiwan’s shared belief in
democratic values. - “Both India and Taiwan are democratic countries, bonded by shared values of
freedom, democracy and respect for human rights. Over the past years, India and Taiwan have
enhanced bilateral relations enormously in wide-ranging areas, especially trade, investment and
people to people exchanges,” said the two MPs during their video message
About Taiwan-
 Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, is a state in East Asia. Neighbouring states include the
People's Republic of China to the north-west, Japan to the north-east, and the Philippines to the
south.
 Capital - Taipei
 Currency– New Taiwan dollar
 President - Tsai Ing-wen
 Vice President - Lai Ching-te
IIT Madras develops alloy that might replace steel, aluminium in auto industry
 A group of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) have claimed to have
developed a high-performance magnesium alloy that can replace steel and aluminium in the
automobile industry.
 In a statement issued by the institution, IIT-M said its researchers working with University of North
Texas and US Army Research Laboratory Teams have developed an engineered magnesium alloy.
 According to the group, the current industrial application of wrought magnesium alloys in
structural components is very limited due to their poor moderate or low strength, poor ductility,
yield strength asymmetry and lack of high strain rate super plasticity despite their density being
two-third of aluminium and one-quarter of steel.
 With vehicular emissions alone contributing 27 per cent of total carbon dioxide emissions,
countries around the world are focusing on reducing them. A major focus has been lowering the
carbon footprint of vehicles by using light-weight material in their body.
 Light-weight vehicles take less energy to run and are therefore one of the strategies to increase
vehicle’s energy-efficiency.
 The research team has made headway in solving this challenging problem by formulating a
magnesium alloy with almost zero yield asymmetry and high ductility.
 The new engineered alloy is strong, highly ductile and its superplasticity is achieved at higher
strain-rates which reduces overall manufacturing time, effort and costs.
 In addition to this, it is also lightweight, which helps lower the carbon footprint of
vehicles. Lightweight vehicles need lesser fuel to run and are therefore more fuel-efficient.
 Dr Sushanta Kumar Panigrahi, who was part of the collaborative research project from IIT-Madras.
said, "In view of the compelling needs for economical usage of scarce energy resources and ever-
stricter control over emissions to lower environmental impact, automotive and aerospace
industries are searching for alternative advanced light-weight structural materials to existing
conventional materials.
 "Being one of the lightest and energy-efficient structural materials, magnesium alloys are potential
candidates to replace steel and aluminium alloys in automotive and aerospace components since
their density is two-thirds of aluminium and one-quarter of steel."
 His research group is also trying to increase the load-bearing capacity of metals and alloys through
microstructural engineering and processing of metals.
 After this feat, the team is all set to apply the same strategy of processing to other known
magnesium alloys and metallic alloys with the intention of obtaining highly efficient stronger
materials with superior performance.
About IIT Madras-
 Indian Institute of Technology Madras is a public technical and research university located in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As one of the Indian Institutes of Technology, it is recognised as an Institute
of National Importance.
 Established - 1959
 Director– Bhaskar Ramamurthi
 Chairman – Pawan Kumar Goenka
CIPET renamed as Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering &Technology
 Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) has been renamed as Central
Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology (CIPET), a premier national institution
under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.
 The changed name has been registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975 (
Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975), a statement from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said.
 Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda has said that now CIPET will be
in a position to fully devote itself for the growth of entire petrochemical sector with a focus on
Academics, Skilling, Technology Support and Research.
 The primary objective of CIPET has been contributing towards the growth of the plastics industry
through a combined program of education and research.
 The Institute has evolved through the years, creating closer ties with industries with the intent to
create innovative plastic based solutions which are resource efficient and marketable, the
statement sai
About CIPET-
 The Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (or CIPET) is an autonomous
institution under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers (India).
 It has various campuses across the counrty. Admission to these centres are through the joint
entrance examination conducted every year by CIPET.
 Established - 1968
 Headquarters– Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN)
 Director- General– S. K. Nayak
Government to withdraw 7.75% Savings (Taxable) Bonds scheme
 The government has decided to withdraw 7.75% Savings (Taxable) Bonds scheme from the close of
banking business on Thursday due to declining interest rates.
 The scheme, commonly known as RBI Bonds or GOI bonds, is popular among retail investors who
looking for safety of principal and a regular income. NRIs, however, are not eligible for making
investments in these bonds.
 “The Government of India, hereby notifies that the 7.75% Savings (Taxable) Bonds, 2018...shall
cease for subscription with effect from the close of banking business on Thursday, the 28th of May,
2020,”
 The Reserve Bank of India too has notified the Cessation of 7.75% Savings (Taxable) Bonds, 2018.
Interest on the Bonds is taxable.
 The Bonds are issued at par at ₹100. The minimum subscription was fixed at ₹1,000.
 The Bonds are be repayable on the expiration of seven years from the date of issue.
 The interest rate on bank fixed deposits as well as lending rates are on decline with the Reserve
Bank of India lowering the key short-term lending (repo) rate. The repo rate is currently at historic
low of 4 per cent.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-
 The Reserve Bank of India is India's central bank, which controls the issue and supply of the Indian
rupee.
 RBI is the regulator of the entire Banking in India.
 RBI plays an important part in the Development Strategy of the Government of India.
 RBI regulates commercial banks and non-banking finance companies working in India.
 It serves as the leader of the banking system and the money market.
 It regulates money supply and credit in the country.
 The RBI carries out India's monetary policy and exercises supervision and control over banks and
non-banking finance companies in India.
 RBI was set up in 1935 under the Reserve Bank of India Act,1934.
 Founded - 1st April 1935
 Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Due to Covid-19 Impact - 672 Million Children will be trapped in the Poverty by the end of 2020
 The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic could push up to 86 million more children into
household poverty by the end of 2020, an increase of 15 per cent, according to a new analysis
released today by Save the Children and UNICEF.
 The analysis highlights that, without urgent action to protect families from the financial hardships
caused by the pandemic, the total number of children living below the national poverty line in low-
and middle-income countries could reach 672 million by year-end. Nearly two-thirds of these
children live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
 Countries across Europe and Central Asia could see the most significant increase, up to 44 per cent
across the region. Latin America and the Caribbean could see a 22 per cent increase.
 The pandemic-driven increase is expected to occur mainly in Europe and Central Asia, according to
the study, which is based on World Bank and International Monetary Fund projections and
population data from some 100 countries.
 "The scale and depth of financial hardship among families threatens to roll back years of progress
in reducing child poverty and to leave children deprived of essential services," UNICEF executive
director Henrietta Fore is quoted as saying in the statement.
 With immediate and decisive action, "we can prevent and contain the pandemic threat facing the
poorest countries and some of the most vulnerable children," added Save the Children head Inger
Ashing.
 They are "highly vulnerable to even short periods of hunger and malnutrition - potentially affecting
them for their whole life," she warns in the statement.
 Governments must also invest in other forms of social protection, fiscal policies, employment and
labor market interventions to support families. This includes expanding universal access to quality
healthcare and other services; and investing in family friendly policies, such as paid leave and
childcare.
Many countries have already scaled up their social protection programmes. For example-
 In Indonesia, the Kartu Sembako Programme which provides monthly cash assistance for basic
family consumption, expanded its reach to 20 million. Monthly cash assistance to families
increased from Rp150 thousand to Rp200 thousand;
 In Mongolia, the government increased their Child Money Programme monthly benefit by five
times from MNT 20,000 per month to MNT 100,000 for a duration of 6 months.
 In Argentina, the Universal Child Allowance programme provided an increase of $3,100 Argentine
pesos (US$47) for its current beneficiaries;
 And in South Africa, several social protection schemes, including the child support grant which
reaches 12.8 million children, are providing additional top-ups.
 In Georgia, the Targeted Social Assistance (TSA) programme will be temporarily expanded to
provide support to an additional 70,000 families; as well as provide an extra 100 GEL (US$31) a
month to 21,000 TSA households with three or more children for 6 months.
 In Armenia, eligible families enrolled in the family benefit system will receive a top-up equal to 50
per cent of the benefit.
 In Colombia, the government has created the Solidarity Income Program to provide cash transfers
to households that do not currently receive benefits from any other National Government
programmes. As of 21 May, more than 2 million vulnerable families had received a 320,000 peso
transfer (equivalent to US$81) through two equal payments made during March and May.
 In Peru, the Government is providing solidarity bonus to rural households, independent workers
and vulnerable families, as well a new universal bond, for 6.8 million households. Specific focus is
needed to reach people living in remote areas, indigenous populations and migrants.
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-
 The United Nations Children's Fund is a United Nations agency responsible for providing
humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.
 RBI is the regulator of the entire Banking in India.
 It is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare organizations in the world, with a
presence in 192 countries and territories.
 Founded - 11th December 1946
 Headquarters– New York
 Executive Director– Henrietta Fore
Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 22nd Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council
 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharama reviewed the state of the economy at the meeting of the
Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC), in view of disruptions caused by the COVID-
19 pandemic.
 This was the first meeting of the FSDC, which comprises RBI Governor and other financial sector
regulators, since the coronavirus outbreak.
 The 22nd meeting of the FSDC, which was held via video conferencing, assumes a greater
significance considering that the economy is expected to contract by 5 per cent by some estimates
amid the virus crisis.
 Various measures to maintain financial stability in the context of COVID-19 have been reviewed, an
official said after the meeting.
 The meeting also took note of the activities undertaken by the FSDC Sub-Committee chaired by RBI
Governor Shaktikanta Das and the initiatives taken by the various regulators in the financial
sector.
 The FSDC is the apex body of sectoral regulators, headed by the finance minister.
 Besides the RBI governor, SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi, IRDAI chairman Subhash Chandra Khuntia,
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) chairman M S Sahoo and PFRDAI chairman
Supratim Bandyopadhyay were present in the meeting.
 Economic Affairs Secretary Tarun Bajaj, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Financial Services
Secretary Debasish Panda and other top officials of the finance ministry also attended the meeting.
 This was be the third meeting of the FSDC after the Narendra Modi government returned for the
second term in May last year.
 The RBI last week said the impact of COVID-19 is more severe than anticipated and the GDP
growth during the current financial year is likely to remain in the negative territory. It projected
some pick-up in growth impulses from the second half (October-March) of 2020-21 onwards.
About FSDC-
 Financial Stability and Development Council is an apex-level body constituted by the government
of India. The idea to create such a super regulatory body was first mooted by the Raghuram Rajan
Committee in 2008.
 Founded - November 2017
 Chief Person- Finance Minister of India
Nirmala Sitharaman launches instant allotment of e-PAN based on Aadhaar
 In line with the announcement made in the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman launched the facility for instant allotment of PAN on near to real-time basis.
 A government statement said that the facility is now available for those PAN applicants who
possess a valid Aadhaar number and have a mobile number registered with Aadhaar. The
allotment process is paperless and an electronic PAN (e-PAN) is issued to the applicants free of
cost.
 Though the facility of instant PAN through Aadhaar based e-KYC has been launched formally now,
its ''Beta version'' on trial basis was started on February 12, 2020 on the e-filing website of Income
Tax Department. Since then, 6,77,680 instant PANs have been allotted with a turnaround time of
about 10 minutes, till May 25, 2020.
 As on May 25, a total of 50.52 crore PANs have been allotted to the taxpayers. Out of which,
around 49.39 crore are allotted to the individuals and more than 32.17 crore are seeded with
Aadhaar so far.
 The process of applying for instant PAN is very simple. The instant PAN applicant is required to
access the e-filing website of the Income Tax Department to provide her/his valid Aadhaar number
and then submit the OTP received on her/his Aadhaar registered mobile number. On successful
completion of this process, a 15-digit acknowledgment number is generated.
 If required, the applicant can check the status of the request anytime by providing her/his valid
Aadhaar number and on successful allotment, can download the e-PAN. The e-PAN is also sent to
the applicant on her/his email ID, if it''s registered with Aadhaar.
 The launch of the instant PAN facility is yet another step by the Income Tax Department towards
Digital India, thereby creating further ease of compliance for the taxpayers.
About Permanent Account Number (PAN)-
 The launch of the instant PAN facility is yet another step by the Income Tax Department towards
Digital India, thereby creating further ease of compliance for the taxpayers.
 A PAN is a unique identifier issued to all judicial entities identifiable under the Indian Income Tax
Act, 1961. The income tax PAN and its linked card are issued under Section 139A of the Income Tax
Act.
 It is issued by the Indian Income Tax Department under the supervision of the Central Board for
Direct Taxes (CBDT) and it also serves as an important proof of identification.
Karnataka Launches Pilot ‘State Health Register’ To Gather Health Insights And Provide Better Services
 The Karnataka state government announced that it will soon launch a state health registry of all
the residents to monitor the spread of novel coronavirus, as the state prepares for lockdown
relaxations in the coming days.
 The State Health Register is believed to be the first of its kind initiative in the country, a robust and
standardized health repository of all the citizens, Karnataka's Medical Education Minister
K.Sudhakar said. The project will be first implemented in Chikkaballapur district on an
experimental basis, he informed.
 Sudhakar said enhanced healthcare focus is imperative and the state government is committed to
provide world-class services everybody in the state.
 "Covid experience has demonstrated the necessity of having a robust real-time public health data
and therefore, there is a need to maintain a repository of health data of each and every citizen,"
 Primary health centre staff, Revenue and Education Department official and Asha workers will be
deployed to execute the health survey of all 6.5 crore people in the state.
 "They will visit each household and collect health data of all the members of the family. This will
not only help the government to provide better health care, but will also help efficient resource
allocation, management and better implementation of various citizen centric schemes in the
state,"
 The project will be executed in partnership with private hospitals.
About Karnataka-
 Karnataka is a state in southwest India with Arabian Sea coastlines. The capital, Bengaluru
(formerly Bangalore), is a high-tech hub known for its shopping and nightlife. To the southwest,
Mysore is home to lavish temples including Mysore Palace, former seat of the region’s maharajas.
Hampi, once the medieval Vijayanagara empire’s capital, contains ruins of Hindu temples, elephant
stables and a stone chariot.
 Capital - Bengaluru
 Chief Minister - B. S. Yediyurappa
 Governor - Vajubhai Vala
Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Rozgar Setu’ scheme for skilled workers
 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced the launch of the ‘Rozgar
Setu’ scheme, saying it would help secure employment for skilled workers who have returned.
 “The State is the first to devise such a work plan. We are surveying skilled workers who were
employed at industries elsewhere, but have now returned,” said Mr. Chouhan. “We are identifying
the skills they possess.”
 Stating that the attempt was to provide work to the maximum number of returned skilled workers,
he said, “After such workers requiring employment are identified, the government will contact
factory and workshop owners and contractors overseeing infrastructure projects such as road and
bridge construction."
 “We will bring our skilled brothers and sisters on a platform and connect them with those needing
them. The State government will act as a setu [bridge] between workers and employers so that
both are benefited.”
 This would fulfil the manpower requirement of industries as well as provide employment to
workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, he explained. “A survey of such workers was launched on
May 27,” he said.
 Mr. Chouhan hailed the Centre’s ‘Swamitva yojana’ under which rural areas would be surveyed to
help prepare land records. “The rural population will be given land ownership records as proof of
their right over plots of land. This scheme is like a gift for them,”
 In the ongoing financial year, the scheme will cover 10,553 revenue villages of 10 districts such as
Morena, Sheopur and Bhopal in the first phase.
 The budgeted expenditure in realising the scheme is ₹97.97 crore in three years.
 Surveys will be conducted in three phases. First, the government will launch an awareness drive
and organise gram sabhas to inform villagers about it. Second, a survey will be undertaken using
drones to map land and conducting a door-to-door verification. Third, claims and objections will be
registered and resolved after which land records will be given.
 The State government has said the scheme would help gram panchayats secure local sources of
revenue. At the panchayat level, it will be easier to draw up development plans and public
properties could be protected. Further, the scheme would help resolve property disputes.
About Madhya Pradesh-
 Madhya Pradesh, a large state in central India, retains landmarks from eras throughout Indian
history. Begun in the 10th century, its Hindu and Jain temples at Khajuraho are renowned for their
carvings of erotic scenes, most prominently Kandariya Mahadeva, a temple with more than 800
sculptures. The eastern Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks, noted Bengal tiger sanctuaries,
offer guided safaris.
 Capital - Bhopal
 Chief Minister- Shivraj Singh Chouhan
 Governor - Lalji Tandon
NPCI launches AI virtual assistant PAi
 This is yet another NPCI’s initiative to improve digital financial inclusion in India.
 The AI virtual assistant, PAi is available round the clock helping users with access to accurate
information on NPCI products.
 National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) said that it has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)
based chatbot, PAi, to create awareness around its products like FASTag, RuPay, UPI, AePS on a
real time basis. This is yet another NPCI’s initiative to improve digital financial inclusion in India.
 The AI virtual assistant, PAi is available round the clock helping users with access to accurate
information on NPCI products.
 Customers can ask their queries in English and Hindi, via text or voice on the websites of NPCI,
RuPay, and UPI Chalega.
 "Customers can ask their queries in English and Hindi, via text or voice on the websites of NPCI,
RuPay, and UPI Chalega.
 Kunal Kalawatia, Chief of Marketing, NPCI said, “We are glad to unveil AI-powered Pai for our
users. In this fast paced world, addressing user queries is the need of the hour.
 We believe PAi will create entirely new user experiences that are as natural and easy as
conversations, help users know about our products and in-turn promote digital payments."
 PAi is developed by Bengaluru based startup CoRover Private Limited whose AI/ML powered NLP
chatbot technology has been accessed by 20 Crore+ consumers.
 Ankush Sabharwal, Founder & CEO, CoRover said, “As the world changes, Conversational AI will be
the core for business continuity and its seamless operations. Chatbots powered by conversational
AI brings every customer closer to verified information on their digital payments.
 CoRover is excited to partner with NPCI and contribute to the vision of building robust digital
payment infrastructure for India and the world."
 To help increase the adoption of digital payments among Indian citizens, PAi will soon be available
in several regional languages of India.
About NPCI-
 NPCI was incorporated in 2008 as an umbrella organization for operating retail payments and
settlement systems in India.
 NPCI has created a robust payment and settlement infrastructure in the country. It has changed
the way payments are made in India through a bouquet of retail payment products such as RuPay
card, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Bharat Interface for
Money (BHIM), BHIM Aadhaar, National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC Fastag) and Bharat BillPay.
 Founded- 2008
 Founders - RBI, Indian Banks Association
 MD & CEO- Dilip Asbe
About CoRover-
 Providing Conversational AI platform to help businesses give authentic information to their
customers’ queries automatically & instantly, in any language (foreign, vernacular), any channel
(web, app, social media, IVR, SMS, eMail), any format (Video, Voice, Text); so that users can save
time and organisations can save cost.
 Very easy to train and very easy to integrate, using our patent protected Chatbot Markup
Language (CBML) and Chatbot as a Service (CaaS).
 Founded - 2016
 Headquarters - Bengaluru, Karnataka
 CEO - Ankush Sabharwal
Kochi Startup Develops Decontamination Device to Check COVID-19 Spread
 A startup based in Maker village Kochi has come up with multipurpose decontamination device
that can sanitise items ranging from N95 masks to vegetables, thus checking the spread of Covid-
19.
 ‘Lumos’ designed by Devaditek Innovations is a certified UVC medical-grade disinfection system,
was developed in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic, but can kill an array of pathogens
including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
 It can also destroy germs causing different types of influenza and MS2 bacteriophage besides
several strains of bacteria and fungi.
 The startup has already begun production and is getting ready for supply to various institutions
and hospitals across the state.
 Lumos, which collaborates with the Collegiate Congress under the United Nation’s Master Plan
initiative, is also being distributed overseas where the pandemic has hit the hardest. The first lot is
getting shipped to five countries — Mali, Ecuador, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Haiti.
 “We have been receiving orders from within the country and abroad,” said Sumith C Mohan,
director, Devaditek. “We are planning to ramp up the production after completing the initial
shipment.”
 The bacterial count testing of the Lumos was performed at the RGCB facility in Kochi.
 Lumos has a minimal design with intuitive interface and claims zero consumables and low power
consumption. “Such products will be instrumental in our fight against the pandemic on a long term
basis,” said Maker Village CEO Prasad Balakrishnan Nair.
 Devaditek intends to deliver high-quality technological solutions for fighting Covid-19 utilising the
state’s startup infrastructure.
 The design and production of Lumos have been a collaborative effort of doctors, healthcare
professionals, engineers and innovators. The chamber uses UVGI (ultraviolet germicidal irradiation)
technology for disinfection.
 The prime objective of Lumos is to prevent the spread of nosocomial infections during Covid-19.
 Regular use of the chamber to disinfect the personal belongings of healthcare professionals such
as mobile phones, wristwatches, stethoscopes and N95 masks in the isolation wards or nurses’
stations will help prevent infectious breakout within a healthcare facility.
About Devaditek Innovations-
 Devaditek strives to leverage the tools of Industry 4.0 such as Block-chain, Artificial Intelligence &
IoT to enhance the current technology landscape of Healthcare and Bio-engineering.
 Built high quality vessels and maritime tools to aid the Oil & Gas Industry with rigorous R&D in
Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering principles.
 Headoffice - Kerela
 CEO- Prasad Balakrishnan
India tells Pakistan to vacate All Areas Of J&K Under Illegal Occupation and protests 'Material Changes'
In PoK
• In a recent order, the Pakistan Supreme Court allowed the amendment to the Government of Gilgit-
Baltistan Order of 2018 to conduct the general elections in the region.
• India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a demarche to Islamabad protesting Pakistan Supreme
Court's order on Gilgit-Baltistan.
• India has also asked Pakistan to vacate the illegally occupied territories.
• Gilgit-Baltistan is part of the greater Kashmir region, which is the subject of a long-running
conflict between Pakistan and India.
• The territory shares a border with Azad Kashmir, together with which it is referred to by the United
Nations and other international organisations as "Pakistan administered Kashmir”
• India’s Union External Affairs Minister-Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Famous Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai of Tamil Nadu gets GI tag

• Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• It is a mouth-watering and healthy snack made of groundnuts and jaggery in parts of Thoothukudi
district in Tamil Nadu. It uses carefully selected quantities from selected specific locations in Tamil Nadu
along with water from river Thamirabarani which enhances the taste naturally.
• The granting of GI tag to manufacturers of Kadalai Mittai could not have come at a better time for the
cottage industry which completes 100 years of existence this year.
• Launched in 1920 by S S Ponnambalam, Kovilpatti and adjoining areas have nearly 150 small and
medium enterprises that manufacture the sweet candy.
• GI Tag is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location
or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). Darjeeling tea was the first product to be given GI tag.
• A GI tag is a Certificate of Registration by Registrar of Geographical Indication, Chennai, Government of
India.
• Tamil Nadu’s CM- Edappadi K. Palaniswami
• Tamil Nadu’s Governor- Banwarilal Purohit
• Tamil Nadu’s Capital- Chennai
King George Medical University, Lucknow becomes first govt. hospital to launch Plasma Therapy for the
treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• King George Medical University, Lucknow has become the first government hospital in India to launch
Plasma Therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• The process of donating plasma is the same as the process of donating blood, which just takes about an
hour.
• Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental treatment procedure for COVID-19. In this, a blood
component from a cured patient of COVID-19 has been transfused to the critically ill Coronavirus
patient.
• The reason behind the treatment is that the blood of a cured patient has developed antibodies to battle
the virus which helps in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• Once the blood plasma of the recovered patient has been infused in the sick patient, the antibodies will
start fighting against the virus present in the sick patient’s body.
• Uttar Pradesh’s CM-Yogi Adityanath
• Uttar Pradesh’s Governor - Anandiben Patel
• Uttar Pradesh’s Capital- Lucknow
Govt extends invitation of nominations for Sardar Patel National Unity Award till 30th June
• Government has extended the invitation of nominations for Sardar Patel National Unity Award till 30th
June.
• Government of India has instituted Sardar Patel National Unity Award as the highest civilian award in the
name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, for contribution in promoting unity and integrity of India.
• The award seeks to recognize the notable and inspiring contribution made by individuals or institutions
or organizations in this field and reinforces the value of strong and united India.
• National Unity Day in India-31 October (Birthday of Sardar Vallabhai Patel)
Third phase of lockdown with relaxations in green, orange & red zones comes into effect
• The third phase of lockdown has come into effect from 4th May 2020 till 17th May 2020 according to
the orders of Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The Union Health Ministry has listed 130 districts across the country in the red zone, 284 in orange zone
and 319 in green zone based on coronavirus.
• Based on this, the government has divided the states into three zones -- red zone, orange zone and
green zones.
• The classification will determine the kind of restrictions placed on the movement of people and supply
of goods in a district.
• Red-The districts with substantial numbers of positive cases would fall under the red zone. The
coronavirus red zone will see no activity. Also, areas that show a high rate of infection, which double in
less than four days - will also come under this category.
• Orange-The areas with limited number of cases in the past and with no surge in positive cases recently
would be included under the orange zone. Only restricted activities such as limited public transport and
farm product harvesting is expected to be allowed in coronavirus orange zone.
• Green-The districts with no coronavirus positive cases would fall under the green zone. These Zones
didn't report any cases in the last 21 days.
• Union Health Minister- Dr. Harsh Vardhan
• Union Home Minister-Mr. Amit Shah
Recovery rate of COVID-19 cases improves to over 27.5% in country; Doubling time of cases slows down
to 12 days
• A total of 42 thousand 836 fresh confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the country so
far.
• Out of them, 11,761 patients have recovered after treatment and were discharged from the hospitals
while 1,389 patients have died.
• The recovery rate of patients from COVID-19 infection has gone up to 27.52 per cent.
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Draft guidelines for satellite TV channels launched

• The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued draft guidelines to overhaul its nine-year-
old uplink and downlink policy for private satellite TV channels.
• The Ministry has listed out 11 violations.
• For any of the 11 violations, the penalty ranges from warning, prohibition to broadcast up to 10 days
and even cancellation of permission.
• All channels have to take security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which was the
case earlier too.
• Once granted, the clearance is valid for 10 years. However, the MHA can withdraw the clearance which
would mean that the permission to uplink would stand terminated automatically.
A welcome change is the relaxation offered for non-news category channels to broadcast live events.
Instead of seeking permission, now the channel merely has to register online at Broadcast Seva with the
necessary document five days prior to the telecast.
• Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting-Prakash Keshav Javadekar
Prime Minister participates at the online Summit of NAM Contact Group

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the online Summit of Non Aligned Movement (NAM)
Contact Group held on the evening of May 4, 2020 to discuss response to the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic crisis.
• The online NAM Contact Group Summit on the theme of "United against COVID-19”. was hosted by the
current Chairman of NAM, President of Republic of Azerbaijan HE Ilham Aliyev.
• The objective of the Summit was to promote international solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19
pandemic and to mobilise efforts of States and international organisations to address the pandemic.
• NAM is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major
power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide
Covid-19: TikTok launches Mat kar forward campaign to fight misinformation

• To fight the fake news circulation for COVID 19, short video app TikTok has released a campaign 'Mat kar
forward’ urging netizens to stop forwarding videos which do not have verified information.
• Directed by filmmaker Anurag Basu, the film opens with celebrities Virat Kohli, Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann
Khurrana, and Sara Ali Khan talking about how dangerous the virus is and how easily it can spread. As
the video progresses, it is revealed that they are talking about misinformation and fake news which
often push people into making ill-informed choices, eroding trust and impacting communities.
• Recently, to fight the menace of misinformation, it had introduced a 'Misleading Information' category
along with a covid-19 sub-category, within the in-app reporting feature. Last year, a similar awareness
campaign called #WaitASecToReflect was launched, urging users to pause and think before sharing
anything online.
First Case of African Swine Flu Detected in India; 2,500 Pigs Killed in Assam
• The Assam government said the first instance of African Swine Flu has been detected in the state and it
has already killed around 2,500 pigs across 306 villages.
• The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, has confirmed that it is African
Swine Flu (ASF). The virus spreads through pig's meat, saliva, blood and tissue. So there will be no
transportation of pigs between districts.
• Despite a go-ahead from the Centre, the state government will not resort to culling of the pigs
immediately and will adopt an alternate mechanism to prevent the spread of the highly contagious
disease.
• The disease has no relation at all with COVID-19.
• The disease was detected during the last part of February. However, it started in April 2019 in China at a
village of Xizang province bordering Arunachal Pradesh. It is suspected that the disease crossed over to
Arunachal Pradesh and then reached Assam.
eCovSens developed by National Institute of Animal Biotechnology

• Researchers from Hyderabad-based National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) have developed a
portable device ‘eCovSens’ that could possibly be used as a diagnostic tool for detection of COVID-19
antigens from saliva samples of suspected coronavirus patients within 30 seconds.
• Developed by a group of scientists, led by Sonu Gandhi from NIAB, Department of Biotechnology is at
present in validation stage.
• A paper on the application of ‘eCoVSens’ with respect to detection of COVID-19 antigens was recently
published in a free online archive and distribution service ‘bioRxiv’ meant for unpublished preprints i.e.
non-peer reviewed medical articles.
Maharashtra govt will provide free health insurance scheme to all citizens-first state in India to do so
• Amid coronavirus outbreak, Maharashtra government announced free health insurance scheme to all its
citizens.
• It is the first state in India to take such initiative.
• Under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, people in the state can avail the benefits of free
and cashless health insurance. Documents such as ration card and domicile certificate are essential to
apply for the scheme.
• Maharashtra’s CM-Uddhav Thackeray
• Maharashtra’s Governor-Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Maharashtra’s Capital-Mumbai
Russia to launch first Arktika-M satellite for monitoring Arctic climate this year
• Russia will be launching its first Arktika-M satellite to monitor the Arctic climate and environment later
this year.
• The Arktika M is a series of planned remote-sensing and emergency communications satellites that
Russia plans to operate in a highly elliptical 12-hour orbit.
• It will help collect meteorological data from the polar regions of the Earth. The data will help improve
weather forecasts and enable scientists to better study climate change.
• Russia’s territory stretches along the Arctic Ocean for thousands of km and the nation faces many
challenges while trying to balance the economic development and environmental protection of its
northern regions.
• Russia’s Capital-Moscow
• Russia’s Currency-Russian Rubble
• Russia’s President-Vladimir Putin
FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of Remdesivir for COVID-19
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the use of
investigational anti-viral Remdesivir in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• Remdesivir is authorised for the treatment of hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 disease.
• Under the EUA, both five-day and 10-day treatment durations are suggested, based on the severity of
disease.
Defence forces to express gratitude to COVID-19 warriors by conducting flypast

• Indian Army, Navy and Air Force conducted activities on May 3 to express their gratitude to COVID-19
warriors.
• The Navy had its warships deployed in formations in coastal areas in the evening on May 3. Navy
warships will also be lit up and their choppers will be used for showering petals on the hospitals treating
COVID patients.
• In Delhi representatives of the three services laid wreaths at the National Police Memorial honouring the
efforts of police for their exceptional and heroic efforts in country's fight against the pandemic. Indian
Air Force chopper showered petals on the National Police Memorial saluting the efforts of police.
• Sukhoi 30 MKIs, MiG 29s and Jaguars conducted a flypast over Rajpath, orbited over the city for over
half an hour. The jets showering petals could be clearly seen in the sky, and warmed the heart of many a
people in these difficult times.
• The Indian Army band also performed at the COVID-19 quarantine centre at Narela. The Armed Forces'
efforts to lift the morale of corona warriors have garnered praise from everyone, including Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
• Chief of Defence Staff- General Bipin Rawat
• Chief of Army Staff-Manoj Mukund Naravane
• Chief of Air Staff- Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria
• Chief of Naval Staff-Admiral Karambir Singh
DRDO develops Ultraviolet disinfection tower "UV Blaster”

• An Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection tower has been developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO). It will help in the chemical-free and rapid disinfection of high infection-prone
areas. The UV Blaster will be helpful in the disinfection of high tech surfaces such as computers,
electronic equipment, and other forms of gadgets in laboratories and offices. These are the items that
are not suitable for disinfection through chemical methods.
• The product will also be useful for the areas with a large flow of people such as metros, airports,
shopping malls, hotels, factories, offices, etc.
• The tower is known as ‘UV Blaster’ which is a UV based area sanitizer.
• The equipment has six lamps each with 43 watts of UV-C power at 254 nm wavelength for 360-degree
illumination. For a room of about 12 x 12 feet dimension, the disinfection time is about 10 minutes and
30 minutes for 400 square feet area by positioning the equipment at different places within the room.
• It is designed and developed by the Laser Science and Technology Centre (LASTEC).
• LASTEC is a Delhi based premier laboratory of DRDO and the equipment was developed along with the
help of New Age Instruments and Materials Private Limited, Gurugram.
• DRDO( Milliatry’s Research and development organisation)
• DRDO Chairman-Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
Former World Snooker champion Peter Ebdon announces retirement
• Former World Snooker Champion Peter Ebdon has announced his retirement from
professional snooker.
• He has announced his retirement after suffering from various neck and back injuries.
• Peter Ebdon was the winner of 2002 World Snooker championship when he defeated Stephen Hendry in
an 18-17 final thriller. He also ended as a runner up in the championship for the record two times in his
professional career of 29 years. He also won the UK Championship in 2006.
SHRAMIK SPECIAL TRAINS: Central government paying 85% and state government paying 15% of fares.
• The central government will bear 85% of the cost and states will bear 15%, of the cost incurred in
sending the migrant labours back to their hometown.
COSTS INVOLVED IN RUNNING SHRAMIK SPECIAL TRAIN
• The trains are running at two-thirds capacity, and returning empty to their bases after each run.
• Each rake is being sanitised upon return.
• Passengers were being provided food and water for free every 12 hours during the journey.
• Each train was being escorted by the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
• The non-AC Sleeper Class fare for all passengers adds up to only 15 per cent of the running cost of the
train, which the Railways is seeking from the states.
• The amount collected from the first 34 Shramik Special trains comes to be around Rs 3.5 crore.
ABOUT SHRAMIK SPECIAL TRAINS
• These were the special trains started by Indian railways to transport workers, pilgrims, tourists, students
and other persons who were stranded at different places in the country due to the lockdown announced
by the Central government to check and curb the spread of COVID-19.
• The passengers will be transported to their respective destinations.
• Railways will print train tickets to the specified destination as per the number of passengers indicated by
the originating state.
• These trains were started on the International Labours Day-1 May
• The local state government authorities will handover tickets to passengers and collect ticket fare and
handover total amount to the Railways.
• It will be mandatory for all passengers to wear face covers/face masks.
• Once the passengers have arrived at the stations, it will become the duty of the state government to
make all arrangements for their screening, quarantine (if required) and further travel from the railway
station.
Union Railways Minister- Piyush Goyal

Railways Board Chairman-Vinod Kumar Yadav
Delhi govt imposes 70% 'special corona fee' on liquor
• Delhi government has imposed a 'Special Corona Fee' of 70% on sale of liquor in national capital.
• This means a liquor bottle with an MRP of Rs 1,000 earlier, will now be sold at Rs 1,700.
• The charges will come into effect from April 5, 2020.
• The proposal was approved at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
• About 150 government-run liquor shops have been allowed to open from 9 am to 6:30 pm as per the
orders of Home Ministry. These shops are outside the corona containment zone.
REASON FOR SPECIAL CORONA FEE

• It is meant to boost the government revenues that have fallen due to the lockdown imposed amidst the
coronavirus pandemic.
• This is being done under the Delhi Excise Act, 2009.
• Delhi has been under lockdown since March 23.
• Delhi government earned Rs 3,500 crore in April 2019, but only Rs 300 crore in April 2020.
BRIEF BACKGROUND
• As per the latest guidelines issued by the Union Home Ministry the districts in the country are divided
into three zones- red, orange, and green.
• The Union Health Ministry has placed 130 districts across the country in the red zone, 284 in orange
zone and 319 in green zones.
• The classification is based on the incidence of cases, doubling rate, the extent of testing and surveillance
feedback.
• Delhi falls under the red zone category, which include the zones that have a lot many cases.
• All standalone (single) shops, neighbourhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are
permitted to remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of essential and non-essential.
However, shops in urban areas, for non-essential goods, are not allowed in malls, markets and market
complexes.
• Green zones are the ones that haven’t reported any COVID 19 infection since the last 28 days and
orange zones are those with a few cases.
• The Union Home Ministry will revise the list on a weekly basis and the directions will be issued under the
Disaster Management Act, 2005.
STATIC INFO
Delhi’s Lt. Governor- Anil Baijal

Delhi’s Capital-New Delhi
Delhi’s Deputy CM-Manish Sisodia
AarogyaSetu Mitr Telemedicine Portal Launched by Niti Aayog
• NITI Aayog along with the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India, K Vijay
Raghavan launched AarogyaSetu Mitr website.
• The website aims to bring healthcare services to the “doorstep of all Indians in the time of the Covid-19
crisis.”
• It has been build on a Public- Private Partnership (PPP) model and involves voluntary participation from
organizations, industry coalitions and startups.
• It operates under the offices of the PSA and Niti Aayog, with partnership of volunteers from the private
sector. Tech Mahindra, Tata Group and Swasth came together to build this web portal.
KEY FEATURES OF THE PORTAL
• Users will get free consultancy from doctors on Covid-19.

• It offers ancillary services like home collection of samples for Diagnostics and Medicine delivery at
home.
• It has three sections namely- Consult Doctor, Home Lab Test and ePharmacy.
• Doctors can be connected using chat, call or video conferencing from eSanjeevani OPD, Swasth,
StepOne, Tata Bridgital Health and Tech Mahindra’s Connectsense Telehealth platform.
• The Home Lab Test section includes partners like Dr Lal Pathlabs, SRL Diagnostics, Metropolis, Thyrocare
and others.
• The ePharmacy tab allows one to order medicines from 1mg, netmeds.com, MedLife and PharmEasy.
• There is no app for AarogyaSetu Mitr, the service is already integrated in the Aarogya Setu app.
ABOUT THE AAROGYA SETU APP
• The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT launched the Aarogya Setu app on 2 April 2020.
• This mobile app has been developed by the National Informatics Centre, that functions under the
• It works on the principal of contact tracing, in which the location of an individual is used to tell the risk
level associated with the individual. The app tells if the person is near a person who’s under quarantine
or tested positive.
• The individual needs to keep the location and bluetooth services on for the app to function in a proper
manner.
• Earlier this app was known as Corona Kavach but now it has been officially renamed as Aarogya Setu.
• The Aarogya Setu App has garnered praises from the World Bank and tech giants such as Apple and
Google etc.
• Union Minister of Electronics and IT-Ravi Shankar Prasad
ABOUT NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) AAYOG
• Think tank of Government of India and it replaced Planning commission in 2015.

• Niti Aayog’s Chairman-Prime Minister of the country-Narendra Modi
• Niti Aayog’s CEO-Amitabh Kant
• Niti Aayog’s Vice Chairman- Rajiv Kumar
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and H.E. Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal interacted
telephonically to discuss the COVID-19 situation
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had a phone call with H.E. Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal.
• Both of them discussed the state of COVID-19 pandemic and the steps being taken by both countries to
control its health and economic impact.
• Both the leaders offered all possible help to each other in dealing with the situation, and agreed to
collaborate on research and innovation aimed at fighting COVID-19.
BACKGROUND
• Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was on a state visit to India in February 2020.
• This was President Marcelo’s first visit to India.
• The last visit by a President of Portugal to India was in 2007.
• Both the countries had exchanged 14 agreements and understandings in a number of key areas,
including maritime, IP rights and aerospace, etc. during this visit.
• Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Antonio Costa had visited India in Dec 2019 and Prime Minister, Shri Narendra
Modi had visited Portugal in June 2017
Portugal’s President-Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa

Portugal’s Capital- Lisbon
Portugal’s Currency- Euro
HP govt to launch ‘Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna ‘ for urban employment
• The Himachal Pradesh government decided to launch the Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee
Yojna.
• Under this 120 days' assured employment will be provided to people living in urban areas.
• If required, adequate training will be given to them for their skill upgrade.
• The decision was taken during the cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister(CM)
Jai Ram Thakur.
COMMITTEE FOR THE REVIVAL OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN THE STATE
• CM constituted a three-member cabinet subcommittee seeking measures for the economic revival of
the state.
• It will be headed by jal shakti minister Mahender Singh.
• The other two members are education minister Suresh Bhardwaj, industries minister Bikram Singh and
forest minister Govind Thakur.
Himachal Pradesh’s Governor- Bandaru Dattatreya

Himachal Pradesh’s Capital- Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
Indian Navy launches Operation “Samudra Setu”

• Indian Navy has launched Operation “Samudra Setu” - meaning “Sea Bridge” to repatriate Indian citizens
from overseas who have been stuck due to COVID-19 situation.
• Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa and Magar are presently enroute to the port of Malè, Republic of Maldives
to commence evacuation operations from 08 May 2020 as part of Phase-1.
DETAILS OF THE OPERATION

• The Indian Mission in Republic of Maldives has prepared a list of Indian nationals to be evacuated by
Naval ships.
• A total of 1000 persons are planned to be evacuated during the first trip.
• The requisite medical screening will be done before they are allowed on to the ships.
• COVID related social distancing norms and medical facilities will be strictly ensured.
• The evacuated personnel would be provided the basic amenities and medical facilities during the sea-
passage.
• The evacuated personnel will be disembarked at Kochi, Kerala and entrusted to the care of State
authorities.
GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES INVOLVED

• This operation is being progressed in close coordination with Ministries of Defence, External Affairs,
Home Affairs, Health and various other agencies of the Government of India and State governments.
ABOUT MAGAR AND JALASHWA

• INS Magar is from Southern Naval Command and it has a capacity to carry 500 people.
• INS Jalashwa is from Eastern Naval Command. It is the only Indian naval ship to be acquired from the
United States and has a capacity of 1000 people.
Chief of Naval Staff- Admiral Karambir Singh

Union Defence Minister- Rajnath Singh
Union External Affairs Minister - Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Union Health Minister-Dr. Harsh Vardhan
President of Maldives-Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Capital of Maldives-Male
Israel isolates COVID-19 antibody, makes 'significant breakthrough' against coronavirus
• Israel has claimed that its scientists have made significant breakthrough in developing a monoclonal
antibody to Covid-19 infection.
• This breakthrough was achieved by the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), a secretive unit that
works under the Prime Minister’s Office.
• The announcement was made by Israel’s Defence Minister Naftali Bennett
• The antibody formula was being patented, after which an international manufacturer would be sought
to mass-produce it.
• Different countries are working on developing a vaccine and medicine for COVID-19
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY-EXPLAINED
• The antibody is a protein that is inserted or produced in the human body that happens to neutralise the
disease causing microbes/pathogens in the human body.
• Monoclonal antibodies are cloned from a single recovered cell which makes them easier to create and
use in contrast to the polyclonal antibodies which will have to be derived from multiple cells.
• It is for the first time monoclonal antibodies have been successfully isolated.
ABOUT COVID-19
• COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered corona virus.
• Corona viruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans,
several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more
severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS).
• The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.
• This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December
2019.
• Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and
recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems
like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop
serious illness.
ABOUT IIBR
• Established as a part of the Israel Defence Forces' Science Corps, and later became a civilian
organization.
• It is technically under the supervision of the Prime Minister's Office, but is in close communication with
the Defence Ministry.
• Founded- 1952
• Location-Ness Ziona, Israel
• Director-Prof. Shmuel C. Shapira
STATIC INFO
Israel’s PM- Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel’s Capital-Jerusalem (Disputed along with Palestine)
Israel Currency-New Shekel
Ashok Michael Pinto- An Indian American nominated as US representative to the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
• US President Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American lawyer Ashok Michael Pinto as a
representative to the IBRD for a term of two years.
• He has been nominated for the post of the US Alternate Executive Director, IBRD.
• If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace Erik Bethel, who has resigned from the post.
ABOUT Mr. PINTO

• He currently serves as a Counsellor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs at the United
States Department of the Treasury.
• He held senior leadership roles in the United States Congress, including Chief Investigative Counsel and
Policy Director to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in the Senate, Chief
Counsel for Investigations to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in the House of
Representatives, and Special Counsel to the Committee on the Judiciary in the Senate.
• Pinto was Special Assistant and Associate Counsel to former president George W Bush during private
practice at two international law firms.
• He was also a law clerk to Judge F A Little, Jr. of the United State District Court for the Western District
of Louisiana.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
• He is a BA from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law.
ABOUT IBRD
• Founded in-1944
• HQ-Washington DC, USA
• Lending arm of the World Bank group and is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member
countries
• IBRD along with the International Development Association (IDA) is known as the World Bank.
• World Bank Group has five organisations- International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance
Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the International Centre
for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
• President of the World Bank Group-David Malpass
• MD & CFO of the World Bank Group-Anshula Kant
WB govt launches ‘Exit app’ for stranded people of other states
• The West Bengal government launched an app for people from other states who are stranded in West
Bengal due to the lockdown and want to return to their native place.
• The app is known as the Exit app and can be downloaded from the state government's 'Egiye Bangla'
website.
• Since a large number of people from other states are stuck in West Bengal due to the lockdown, they
can access the app for online permission to leave the state.
STATUS OF COVID-19 IN WEST BENGAL

• West Bengal has the highest rate of COVID-19 fatalities with as high as 12.8%.
• This is a result of low testing, weak surveillance and discrepancies in reporting cases.
• This was revealed in the findings of the team Headed by Ministry of Defence Additional Secretary
Apurva Chandra.
• The Centre had constituted 10 IMCTs to tour certain districts in states such as West Bengal, Rajasthan,
Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
BACKGROUND
• Lakhs of migrants are stranded in different cities ever since the lockdown came into force on March 25,
2020.
• In order to make them reach their native places, the central government has started with the Shramik
Express trains from 1 May 2020.
• The Central government will be paying 85% of the travel fare and the 15% will be paid by the state
government.
LOCKDOWNS IN THE COUNTRY

• Lockdown 1.0-The central government had imposed a nationwide lockdown from 25 March 2020 to 14
April 2020 to curb the spreading pandemic COVID-19.
• Lockdown 2.0- This Lockdown was subsequently extended from 15 April 2020 to 3 May 2020. Lockdown
3.0 The Lockdown was subsequently extended from 4 May 2020 till 17 May 2020 with the government
easing the restrictions. All the districts in the country have been divided into red, orange, and green
zones by the Union Health Ministry. Red are the hot spots and green zones have not seen any positive
COVID 19 case for the last 21 days.
STATIC INFO
• West Bengal’s Chief Minister-Mamta Banerjee
• West Bengal’s Governor- Jagdeep Dhankhar
• West Bengal’s Capital- Kolkata
• Union Home Minister- Amit Shah
• Union Railways Minister- Piyush Goyal
India’s first Covid-19 test bus launched in Maharashtra

• India’s first test bus for the disease was flagged off in Mumbai on Maharashtra Day on 1 May 2020.
• It was inaugurated by Chief Minister UddhavThackery, Health Minister Rajesh Tope and Praveen
Pardeshi.
• The bus is an initiative by the C19 Taskforce of IIT Alumni Council, in support with the Health
Department of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Dr Muffazal Lakadawala (Chief
Medical Officer and Mission Director at NSCI) and Krsnaa Diagnostics.
• Mumbai was chosen as the place to launch this bus because of the high patient count of COVID-19 in
the city. It is one of the worst affected cities.
FEATURES OF THE BUS

• It is the first vehicle of its kind in the world with onboard genetic testing, AI-based teleradiology and
contactless sample collection.
• It will facilitate an 80 percent reduction in costs and 100 times increase in testing capacity.
• It is based on the indigenous Kodoy architecture model that can facilitate affordable and rapid testing.
• The Kodoy architecture involves e-vehicles for sample selection and telemedicine, algorithm-based
pooled genetic testing and indigenous megalabs capable of upto 5 million tests per month per lab.
• The medical equipment on board comprises a low dosage digital Xray, real time teleradiology,
contactless swab collection and instant RNA testing.
• The bus has been configured keeping for heavy rains and has 384 sqft of lab space onboard.
• It also has a wireless robotic tele-operated ultrasound lung probe as and nanopore gene sequencer.
PROCESS OF THE TEST

• A digital chest X-ray will be conducted at first.
• This will be immediately transmitted via internet to doctors who use AI-powered technology to
determine the probability of the person being COVID positive using a high, medium or low scale.
• After this, a swab from the mouth and throat will be collected which is done across a glass screen whilst
fully protecting the technician from any kind of contact with the patient.
• These samples are then sent to the diagnostic centers.
• It has the capacity to conduct 10 to 15 tests per hour.
ABOUT IIT ALUMNI COUNCIL

• A global alumni body for all the twenty three IITs
• Ravi Sharma-President IIT Alumni Council
ABOUT KRSNAA
• Krsnaa Diagnostics Pvt Ltd is India’s largest diagnostic services provider, both in Radiology and
Pathology.
• It was established in 2011.
• MD-Pallavi Jain
STATIC INFO
• Maharashtra’s Governor-Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Maharashtra’s Capital-Mumbai and Nagpur (winter)
Uttar Pradesh government launched a mobile app called ‘Ayush Kavach’.

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the Ayush Kavach on 5 May 2020.
• This app will provide health-related tips and information about ayurvedic medicines amid the
• It will help people access prescriptions to strengthen their resistance through ancient mode of Yoga and
Ayurveda of India.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE APP

• It has been developed by the Ayush Department of UP in view of the COVID-19 health crisis.
• It will easily deliver information about Ayurveda and traditional medicines and prescriptions in simple
language with ease among the masses.
OTHER IMMUNITY BOOSTER MEASURES RECOMMENDED BY MINISTRY OF AYUSH

• The Department of Ayush, Government of India has recommended to drink the following:
I. Herbal tea / decoction (Kadha) made from Tulsi (Basil), Dalchini (Cinnamon), Kalimirch (Black pepper),
Shunthi (Dry Ginger) and Munakka (Raisin) - once or twice a day.
II. Golden Milk- Half tea spoon Haldi (turmeric) powder in 150 ml hot milk - once or twice a day
III. Take Chyavanprash 10gm in the morning. Diabetics should take sugar free Chyavanprash.
• Unnab, Behidana and Sapistan medicines are the other UNANI medicines that have been recommended
by the UNANI branch.
KABASURA KUDINEER
• The Kabasura Kudineer is usually recommended for respiratory ailments such as cold and flu and was
distributed by Tamil Nadu government free of cost.
• It is a well-known Siddha medicine.
ABOUT MINISTRY OF AYUSH

• AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
• Developing education, research and propagation of indigenous alternative medicine systems in India.
• Shripad Naik- Minister of State(I/C)
Himachal Pradesh Government to launch new programme ‘Nigah’ to sensitize people
• Himachal Pradesh government launched new programme ‘Nigah’ to properly sensitize and educate the
family members of the people of the State coming from other States of the country.
• This will ensure that social distancing is maintained effectively.
IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM

• A team of ASHA workers, health workers and Anganwadi workers would visit the family members of
persons arriving from other States.
• They would sensitize and educate them regarding importance of social distancing so that they could be
saved from any possible infection.
• The persons entering the State have been asked to download Aarogya Setu App and must also be
provided with Information Education Communication (IEC) material regarding importance of social
distancing.
• Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies must ensure that such persons do
not jump from home quarantine.
• The family members must ensure that even within the family the person maintains social distancing.
• Special care must be taken of old, chronically ill persons and children.
ABOUT ASHA
• ASHA stands for Accredited Social Health Activist.
• They are community health worker instituted by the government of India's Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (MoHFW) as a part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
• These are local women trained to act as health educators and promoters in their communities.

or tested positive.
manner.
Google etc.
BACKGROUND
• Lakhs of migrants are stranded in different cities ever since the lockdown came into force on March 25,
2020.
• In order to make them reach their native places, the central government has started with the Shramik
Express trains from 1 May 2020.
• The Central government will be paying 85% of the travel fare and the 15% will be paid by the state
government.
LOCKDOWNS IN THE COUNTRY
• Lockdown 1.0-The central government had imposed a nationwide lockdown from 25 March 2020 to 14
April 2020 to curb the spreading pandemic COVID-19.
• Lockdown 2.0- This Lockdown was subsequently extended from 15 April 2020 to 3 May 2020. Lockdown
3.0 The Lockdown was subsequently extended from 4 May 2020 till 17 May 2020 with the government
easing the restrictions. All the districts in the country have been divided into red, orange, and green
zones by the Union Health Ministry. Red are the hot spots and green zones have not seen any positive
COVID 19 case for the last 21 days.
STATIC INFO
• Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister-Jai Ram Thakur
• Himachal Pradesh’s Governor- Bandaru Dattatreya
• Himachal Pradesh’s Capital- Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
• Union Railways Minister- Piyush Goyal
Jharkhand govt launches three schemes to boost rural employment

• The Jharkhand government launched three schemes under the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act in a bid to “revive the rural economy”, affected by the lockdown in view of COVID-19 pandemic.
• More than 9 lakh people from the state are stranded in various parts of the country because of the
lockdown.
• The government is expecting over 6 lakh people to come back soon.
• To generate employment for them, the government has come up with three initiatives- Birsa Harit Gram
Yojana, Neelambar Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana, and Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme.
ABOUT BIRSA HARIT GRAM YOJANA (Rural plantations)

• Fruit-bearing saplings would be planted on the two sides of roads on the both government and private
land.
• Five lakh families would be given nearly 100 fruit-bearing plants, with initial plantation, maintenance,
land work and afforestation to be taken up through MNREGA.
• Over two lakh acres of land will be used for afforestation.
• Each family is estimated to receive an annual income of Rs 50,000 annually from the produce, the third
year onwards.
• Rs 660 crore will be spent in a year, in which, Rs 520 crore will be the only wage component, leading to
the creation of employment of 270 lakh person days and assets in 2,20,000 hectares.
• It would create 25 crore man-days under MGNREGA.
ABOUT JAL SAMRIDHI YOJANA (Water conservation)

• Water storage units will be constructed to store rainwater and runaway ground water.
• This scheme will primarily implemented in the Palamu division, which faces severe drought.
• It aims to increase five lakh crore litres of groundwater table and help in cultivation of wastelands.
• Rs 1,200 crore will be spent with 90% being the wage component.
• It would generate 10 crore man-days.
ABOUT PLAYGROUND SCHEME (Playgrounds)

• The government aims to develop 5,000 grounds, with at least one in one Panchayat.
• There are around 4,300 panchayats in the state.
• 1,000 playgrounds will be made in one year, generating employment of 850 lakh person days.
• It aims to create one crore man- days for MGNREGA.
ABOUT MGNREGA
• MGNREGA stands for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005.
• It is a social security measure that aims to provide at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial
year.
• This is applicable to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work
STATIC INFO
Jharkhand’s CM- Hemant Soren
Jharkhand’s Capital-Ranchi
Jharkhand’s Governor-Draupadi Murmu
Niti Aayog starts campaign-'Surakshit Dada-Dadi & Nana-Nani Abhiyan’ to ''protect'' senior citizens
during COVID-19
• Niti Aayog in association with Piramal Foundation launched a campaign 'Surakshit Dada-Dadi & Nana-
Nani Abhiyan’.
• The campaign focusses on ensuring wellbeing of senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CAMPAIGN

• It will reach over 2.9 million senior citizens in 25 AspirationalDistricts across Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand,
MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & UP; focusing on behaviour change, access to services, early detection &
tracking of #COVID19 symptoms.
• It was aimed at creating awareness about various aspects of senior citizens' health and lifestyle.
• It will focus on preventive measures and requisite behavioral changes in view of COVID-19 pandemic.
ABOUT ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS

• These are the districts that have poor socio-economic indicators and an improvement in these districts
can lead to the improvement in overall Human Development Index (HDI).
• These districts are identified on different parameters identified from the six identified areas-Health &
Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and Basic
Infrastructure.
• NITI Aayog and the Government of Andhra Pradesh created a dashboard for monitoring the real-time
progress of the districts.
• It releases Delta ranking for these districts to monitor the progress.
ABOUT NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) AAYOG

• Think tank of Government of India and it replaced Planning commission in 2015.
• Niti Aayog’s Chairman-Prime Minister of the country-Narendra Modi
• Niti Aayog’s CEO-Amitabh Kant
• Niti Aayog’s Vice Chairman- Rajiv Kumar
ABOUT PIRAMAL FOUNDATION (PIRAMAL SWASTHYA)

• Philanthropic arm of Piramal Group
• Founded - 2006
• HQ-Mumbai
• Chairman Piramal group-Ajay Piramal
Trump nominates Indian-American Manisha Singh as OECD envoy

• United States President Donald Trump has nominated senior Indian-American diplomat Manisha Singh
as his envoy to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
• She will be the US Representative to OECD with the rank of an Ambassador.
ABOUT MANISHA SINGH

• She is currently Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs at the State Department.
• She has previously served as the acting Under Secretary of Economic Growth, Energy and the
Environment and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs
at the State Department.
• She also previously served as the Deputy Chief Counsel to the United States Senate Foreign Relations
Committee. She was the Senior Fellow for International Economic Affairs at the American Foreign Policy
Council and was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
ABOUT OECD
• Founded on-30 September 1961
• Member countries-37
• The members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and are
regarded as developed countries.
• OECD Secretary general-José Ángel Gurría
• HQ-Paris, France
• India is not a member of OECD
Largest number of children displaced in 2019: UNICEF
• UNICEF released its report "Lost at Home” that looks at the risks and challenges internally displaced
children face, and the urgent actions needed to protect them.
• This report states that an estimated 19 million children, more than ever before, were living in
displacement within their own countries due to conflict and violence in 2019.
• There were 12 million new displacements of children in 2019, 3.8 million of them were caused by
conflict and violence, and 8.2 million by disasters linked mostly to weather-related events like flooding
and storms.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

• It states that Internally displaced children are among the world’s most vulnerable to COVID-19 because
they often live in overcrowded camps or informal settlements, where access to basic hygiene and health
services is limited, and where physical distancing is not possible.
• Internally displaced children lack access to basic services and are at risk of exposure to violence,
exploitation, abuse and trafficking.
• They are also at risk of child labour, child marriage and family separation which all pose direct threats to
their health and safety.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT
• Strategic investments and a united effort from governments, civil society, private sector, humanitarian
actors and children themselves to address the child-specific drivers of displacement, especially all forms
of violence, exploitation and abuse.
• The governments convening under the High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement, established by United
Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, must take concrete action and investment that will help
provide protection and equitable access to services for all internally displaced children and their
families.
• Better, timely and accessible data and evidence, disaggregated by age and gender, to improve collective
understanding of how internal displacement affects children and their families.
ABOUT UNICEF
• UNICEF stands for United Nations Children's Fund.
• It works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help
them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
• Executive Director-Henrietta H. Fore
• UNICEF’s HW- New York, USA
Vladimir Putin awards commemorative WWII 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.
• In 2019, Russia invited Kim to visit Moscow on May 9, 2020, to attend the military parade marking the
75th anniversary of the victory.
• Russia’s ambassador in North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, presented the award to the country’s
Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon.
NORTH KOREA- RUSSIA TIES

• Soviet military forces had supported the Korean army during the 1950 war, which resulted in the
formation of North Korea.
• It was a part of the Communist bloc and received major Russian support.
• The two states share a border along the lower Tumen River.
World War II (1939 to 1945)

• Countries were divided into Allies and Axis.
• The Allies won defeating axis leading to the Collapse of Nazi Germany, Fall of the Japanese and Italian
Empires.
• The major allies were the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and China.
STATIC INFO
• North Korea’s Capital-Pyongyang
• North Korea’s currency-North Korean won
• Russia’s Capital-Moscow.
• Russia’s Currency-Russian ruble
UP Public Health and Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance, 2020 passed by the Cabinet
• The Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance, 2020 has been cleared by the
Cabinet headed by the UP CM, Yogi AdityaNath.
• It prescribes a maximum punishment of life term if “death be caused by intentional (COVID-19)
affliction”.
• The ordinance will be sent to the Governor for approval.
IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS EXPLAINED
• Section 24 of the ordinance on “punishment for intentional affliction” says any person who
“intentionally” infects another person with a contagious disease shall be punished with rigorous
imprisonment for 2-5 years.
• Section 25 defines “mass affliction” as infecting five or more persons.
• Section 26 states that “whoever causes death by affliction under Sections 24 and 25, shall be punished
with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years but may extend to
imprisonment for life”, and shall also be liable to pay a fine ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
• Section 30 of the ordinance underlines that notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal
Procedure (CrPC), all offences under this ordinance shall be cognizable and non-bailable.
• Under the proposed law, the punishments are defined under different heads, including for
“concealment” and “travel by public mode of transport”. The punishment for both these offences is
imprisonment for 1-3 years and a fine of Rs 50,000-1 lakh.
• If any person is found to spread the infection in the community, he/she could be imprisoned for 3-10
years.
PUNISHMENTS
• There is a provision for punishment ranging from six months to 7 years, and fine ranging from 50,000 to
Rs 5 lakh for assault or misbehaviour with health workers, paramedical staff, police personnel, sanitation
workers or any corona warrior deployed by the government.
• An imprisonment for 2-5 years, and fine of Rs 50,000-2 lakhs will be there for those who spit on corona
warriors, throw filth on them, violate isolation norms during quarantine or incite people to attack or
misbehave with corona warriors.
• For violation of quarantine rules, the person can be imprisoned for 1-3 years and made to pay Rs 10,000
-1 lakh.
• Those who escape from hospital can be imprisoned for 1-2 years and made to pay Rs 10,000-1 lakh.
AUTHORITIES TO BE ESTABLISHED
• The government will set up two authorities for prevention and treatment of the disease: the State
Epidemic Control Authority chaired by the CM, and district-level epidemic control authorities chaired by
the district magistrates.
• While the state authority will advise the government on prevention and control, district authorities will
coordinate with the different departments.
OTHER INITIATIVES
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the Ayush Kavach on 5 May 2020 and this app
will provide health-related tips and information about ayurvedic medicines amid the coronavirus
pandemic.
STATIC INFO
• Uttar Pradesh’s CM- Yogi Adityanath
• Uttar Pradesh’s Governor- Anandiben Patel
• Uttar Pradesh’s Capital- Lucknow
Andhra Pradesh CM rolls out ‘CMAPP’ to monitor farming needs
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a mobile app ‘CMAPP’ to monitor the
agriculture needs of farmers.
• CAMPP stands for Comprehensive Monitoring of Agriculture, Price, and Procurement
FEATURES OF MOBILE CMAPP
• It will display data related to the cost, procurement, and marketing facilities of the farmers for their
agriculture produce.
• The officials can monitor and review agriculture conditions including the sale and procurement of crops
at the village level on a daily basis.
• All the joint collectors assigned with agriculture will be trained through a quick session on the use of
app.
STATIC INFO
• Andhra Pradesh’s Capital-Amaravati
• Andhra Pradesh’s Governor- Biswabhusan Harichandan
Health and AYUSH Ministers formally launch inter-disciplinary studies involving AYUSH interventions for
COVID 19 situation
• Health Minister Sh. Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State for AYUSH Sh. Shripad Yesso Naik jointly
launched clinical research studies on Ayurveda interventions as an add-on to standard care to COVID 19
situation.
ABOUT INTER-DISCIPLINARY AYUSH R&D TASK FORCE

• The Ayush Ministry has setup an Interdisciplinary Ayush R&D Task Force with a group of experts under
the chairmanship of Dr Bhushan Patvardhan, Vice Chairman, University Grant Commission (UGC) to
formulate and develop strategies for this initiative.
• It has formulated and designed clinical research protocols for prophylactic studies and add-on
interventions in COVID-19 positive cases.
STUDIES LAUNCHED BY MINISTRY OF AYUSH
I. Clinical research studies on Ayurveda interventions as prophylaxis (Treatment) and as an add-on to
standard care to COVID 19
• It is a collaborative clinical study of Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)
and the Ministry of Science & Technology through Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) with
technical support of ICMR.
• The Interdisciplinary Ayush R&D Task Force has formulated and designed clinical research protocols for
four different interventions - Ashwagandha, Yashtimadhu, Guduchi +Pippali and a poly herbal
formulation (AYUSH-64)
II. Population based interventional studies on impact of AYUSH based prophylactic interventions
• This was launched to study the impact of Ayurvedic Interventions in prevention of COVID-19 infection in
high risk population, assessment of preventive potential of AYUSH interventions for COVID 19 and also
to assess the improvement in Quality of Life in high risk population.
• The study will be carried out through four Research Councils under Ministry of AYUSH and National
Institutes in 25 states across the country and several State Governments covering approximately 5 lakhs
population.
III. Ayush Sanjivani Mobile Application

• The Ministry of AYUSH has developed Ayush Sanjivani mobile app with the purpose of generating data
of a target of 5 million people.
• The core expected outcomes includes to generate data on acceptance and usage of AYUSH advocacies
and measures among the population and its impact in prevention of COVID 19.
ABOUT MINISTRY OF AYUSH
• AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
• It aims to develop education, research and propagation of indigenous alternative medicine systems
in India.
JNCASR scientists fabricate energy-efficient photodetector for security application
• Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have fabricated an
economical and energy-efficient wafer-scale photodetector (thin slice-based).
• This invention was published in the journal Applied Electronic Materials of the American Chemical
Society as it provides a simple and cost-effective solution-based fabrication method for high-
performance photodetector.
FEATURES OF WAFER-SCALE PHOTODETECTOR
• This has been made using gold – silicon interface, for security applications.
• It could help detect weak scattered light as an indication of unwanted activity.
• The scientists have fabricated gold (Au)– silicon (n-Si) interface, which showed high sensitivity towards
light demonstrating the photodetection action.
• In addition, a nanostructured Au film also was deposited on top of p-type silicide (having an excess of
positive charges), which acts as a charge collector.
• Being a solution-based technique, the method is highly economical and enabled large-area fabrication
without compromising the detector response.
• The process is quick, taking only minutes to fabricate a detector of any arbitrary area.
• The metal nanostructures enhanced the performance of the fabricated detector through trapping the
incoming light.
• This photodetector displayed long-term environmental stability.
• The detector exhibits a rapid response of 40microseconds and can detect low light intensities
ABOUT PHOTODETECTORS
• Photodetectors are the heart of any optoelectronic circuit that can detect light.
• They are employed for a wide variety of applications ranging from controlling automatic lighting in
supermarkets to detecting radiation from outer galaxy as well as security-related applications.
• The material cost and the intricate fabrication processes involved in realizing high-performance
detectors make them unaffordable for day to day applications.
PROTOTYPE SECURITY SYSTEM
• The scientists also demonstrated the photodetector’s utility as a prototype imaging system, lux and
power meter, and also as a tool for security applications.
• In the prototype, inside the model house, a fabricated detector was mounted beside a high-value
commercial detector for comparison and connected to same external circuit to trigger warning lights
(blue lights in the image) and security buzzer.
• The door is opened to allow only weak scattered light as a sign of unwanted activity.
• With such low level of lighting, not detectable by the human eye, the fabricated detector was activated,
turning on the buzzer and the lights.
ABOUT JNCASR
• Established by the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India, to mark the birth
centenary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Founder-CN Rao
• Location-Bangalore
• Established-1989
CSIR-IGIB and TATA Sons sign MoU for licensing ‘KNOWHOW’ for rapid diagnosis of COVID-19
• An MoU was signed between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) constituent lab,
Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and TATA Sons for licensing of ‘KNOWHOW’ for
FNCAS9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay (FELUDA) for rapid diagnosis of Covid19.
• It includes the transfer of the knowledge for scaling up the ‘KNOWHOW’ in the form of a kit that can be
deployed for Covid-19 testing on ground as early as the end of May.
ABOUT FLEUDA
• It is a completely indigenous scientific invention and has been designed for mitigating the ongoing
Covid-19 situation and cater to mass testing.
• It is a paper-based test strip that detects the latest coronavirus in an hour.
• It has been developed by a team led by two scientists of Bengali descent, Dr. Souvik Maiti and Dr.
Debojyoti Chakraborty, at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) of the Council of
Science & Industrial Research in New Delhi.
• The test is based on state-of-the-art gene-editing tool-Crispr-Cas9 to target and identify genomic
sequences of the novel coronavirus in suspected individual samples.
• It uses a specifically designed PCR reaction to amplify the part of the viral nucleic acid sequence. The
FnCAS9 binds the sequence.
• It costs less than 500.
• It has been named after Satyajit Ray’s popular fictional detective, ‘Feluda.’
ABOUT CSIR
• An autonomous body with the largest research and development organisation in India.
• Director General -Shekhar C. Mande
ABOUT IGIB
• Scientific research institute devoted primarily to biological research and is a part of Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research (CSIR), India.
• Director- Anurag Agrawal
• Established-1977
ABOUT TATA Sons

• Tata sons HQ- Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Founded-1868
• Key people- Tata family, Ratan Tata, Pallonji Mistry, and Cyrus Mistry
Vande Bharat Mission: India launches the world's largest repatriation exercise to bring back the
stranded people
• India has formally launched the world’s largest repatriation programme ‘Vande Bharat Mission’.
• Under this mission, the government will look into bringing back Indian nationals and those NRIs who
want to return to their respective countries where they have family, jobs, etc.
SOPs for the MOVEMENT OF INDIAN NATIONALS
• The Ministry of Home Affairs has come out with ‘Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs)’ for the
movement of Indian nationals to and from India.
• Following will be allowed:
I. Students whose colleges or universities and schools shut down because of the situation.
II. People who are employed and then either lost their jobs, finished their visas, completed their terms
and had to come back.
III. Cases which are linked to health, elderly people, pregnant women, family emergencies, sympathetic
cases.
IV. Only those with compelling reasons will be allowed to return.
V. As of now no OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) cardholder would be included in the repatriation process.
Although, in the flights that would be taking off from India, those NRIs who stand to lose their jobs,
visas and have families abroad will be allowed to travel to the countries that the flights would be going
to.
VI. Indian Nationals, holding six months visas would also be allowed to travel, depending on of course, if
the country concerned agrees to accept them.
COST OF TRAVEL
• MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation)/DMA (Department of Military Affairs) has specified that the cost of
travel, will be borne by such travellers.
• All travel is based on lists being made by Indian missions.
• Travellers will have to pay for their journey.
• Airfares have been fixed after the MEA negotiated flat rates as airfares for each country.
• However, in case of the ships deployed by the Indian Navy, a nominal fee will be charged. As most of
them who would travel by ships would be blue-collared workers from the Gulf countries and the
Maldives.
IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS
• The Ministry of External Affairs is also focused on rehabilitation of those Indian nationals who have been
rendered unemployed.
• It would be sharing database of those skilled workers who would be returning jobless with state
governments and the Ministry of Skill Development, to ensure that they are rehabilitated once they
complete their quarantine period.
• All passengers and crew members would have to go through rigorous medical screening as
precautionary measures.
• The crew will be in complete PPE (personal protection equipment) and meals will be provided before the
flight so that there is no sanitation-related issue.
• All passengers will also be provided with PPE so that they are also "protected" during the flight.
FLIGHTS INVOLVED
• Air India flights will start ferrying out passengers stranded in India.
• Air India subsidiary, Air India Express, will also operate flights, mainly to the Middle-East.
• The first Air India flight took off from Delhi at 11.15 pm, on May 7, to Singapore.
• On May 8, flights will leave for Dhaka, London, Riyadh and San Francisco. These will be operated from
Mumbai and Delhi.
• Air India Express has a seven-day plan. Its first flights will take off on the Cochin-Abu Dhabi-Cochin and
Kozhikode-Dubai-Kozhikode routes.
STATIC INFO
• Union External Affairs Minister-Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
• Union Home Minister-Amit Shah
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh approves abolition of 9,304 posts in Military Engineering Service
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the proposal of Engineer-in-Chief of Military Engineering
Services (MES) for optimisation of more than 9,300 posts in the basic and industrial workforce.
• This In line with the recommendations of the Committee of Experts, headed by Lt General Shekatkar.
• The Defence Minister has approved the abolition of 9,304 posts in MES out of the total 13,157 vacancies
of the Basic and Industrial staff.
• It was aimed at making MES an effective organisation with a leaner workforce, well equipped to handle
complex issues in the emerging scenario in an efficient and cost effective manner.
ABOUT Lt. GENERAL SHEKATKAR COMMITTEE
• The Union Ministry of Defence had constituted a Committee of Experts under Chairmanship of Lt Gen
(Retd) DB Shekatkar for recommending measures to enhance the capabilities of the armed forces.
• The committee had recommended measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence
expenditure of the Armed Forces.
• One of the recommendations made by the Committee was to restructure the civilian workforce in a
manner that the work of MES could be partly done by departmentally employed staff and other works
could be outsourced.
ABOUT MILITARY ENGINEERING SERVICE
• Government defense infrastructure development agency in India.

• Looks after in the engineering and construction for the Indian Armed Forces including the Indian Army,
Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Indian Ordnance Factories, DRDO and the Indian Coast Guard.
• Director General-Shri Devendra Kumar
• Founded on-26 September 1923
STATIC INFO
• Chief of Defence Staff- Bipin Rawat
• Chief of Armed Forces-General Manoj Mukund Naravane
• Chief of Air Force Staff-Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria
• Chief of Naval Staff- Admiral Karambir Singh
China successfully launches its most powerful rocket-Long March 5B
• China has launched a new rocket- Long March 5B along with a prototype deep-space spacecraft.
• This will pave the way for the country’s ambitions to operate a permanent space station and sending
astronauts to Moon.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MISSION
• A Long March 5B rocket took off from the Wenchang launch site on the southern island of Hainan.
• Aboard the Long March 5 was a special prototype spacecraft that is somewhat akin to the deep-space
Orion capsule NASA has been developing to send people to the Moon and beyond.
• Eight minutes after the launch, the unmanned prototype spacecraft separated successfully and entered
its planned orbit.
ABOUT LONG MARCH 5B
• The Long March 5b rocket is a massive vehicle with four strap-on boosters that provide extra thrust at
liftoff.
• It weighs 849 tonnes and is 54-metre in length and is able to send over 22 tonnes of payloads.
• The rocket uses environment-friendly propellants, including liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and
kerosene.
• It can send over 22 tonnes of payload to low-Earth orbit, which is currently the largest low-Earth orbit
carrying capacity among China's rockets.
ABOUT TIAGONG - CHINA'S SPACE STATION PROGRAM
• Tiagong means Heavenly Palace and it will have three modules with living and working quarters and two
annexes for scientific experiments.
• China had launched its own space laboratory Tiagong 1 in the year 2011 and Tiagong 2 in the year 2016 .
MOON EXPLORATION
• The United States is so far the only country to have sent humans to the Moon.
• However, China has also not only successfully sent satellites into orbit and astronauts into space but
also landed a rover to the far side of the Moon last year.
ABOUT CHINA NATIONAL SPACE ADMINISTRATION
• National space agency of China

• HQ- Haidian District, Beijing
• Administrator- Zhang Kejian
STATIC INFO
China’s Capital-Beijing
China’s Currency-Renminbi
China’s Presiedent - Xi Jinping
Gas leak at Vizag LG factory
• At least 10 people were killed and nearly 350 hospitalised after styrene gas leaked from Multinational LG
Polymers Ltd. , a chemical factory on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
• This incident happened after the factory was being prepared for reopening after the easing of the
lockdown.
CAUSE OF LEAKAGE
• Stagnation and changes in temperature inside the storage tank could have resulted in auto
polymerization and could have caused vapourisation.
ABOUT STYRENE GAS
• It is a flammable liquid that is used in the manufacturing of polystyrene plastics, fiberglass, rubber, and
latex. It is also known as Vinyl Benzene, Ethyl Benzene and Phenyl Benzene.
• It is also found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, and in natural foods like fruits and vegetables.
• According to the US-based Environment Protection Agency (EPA), short-term exposure to the substance
can result in respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes, irritation in the mucous membrane, and
gastrointestinal issues.
• Long-term exposure could drastically affect the central nervous system and lead to other related
problems like peripheral neuropathy. It could also lead to cancer and depression in some cases.
ABOUT LG Factory
• It was originally established in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers to manufacture polystyrene.
• It is located at RRV Puram near Gopalapatnam, about 15 kms from Visakhapatnam.
• It was merged with MCDowell &Co of the UB Group in 1978.
• In 1997, the factory was taken over by South Korea-based LG Chem and then it was renamed as LG
Polymers Limited.
• The factory manufactures general-purpose, high-impact and expandable polystyrene, as well as
engineering plastics compounds.
• It employs around 300 people.
STATE AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT MEASURES
• The Andhra government has announced ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore each for families of the deceased,
besides a compensation package for those affected and those who have lost livestock.
• The Centre has decided to dispatch a CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) Emergency
Team of the NDRF from Pune, which specialises in handing chemical disasters.
STATIC INFO
Andhra Pradesh’s CM-Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy (YSRCP)
Andhra Pradesh’s Governor- Biswabhusan Harichandan
Andhra Pradesh’s Capital-Amaravati
MP becomes the first state in country to provide Mid-Day Meal ration amidst the COVID-19 lockdown
• Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to provide mid-day meal ration amist the
COVID-19 lockdown.
• The Central Government has also appreciated the successful efforts and innovation in the
implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Madhya Pradesh.
• The support of Anganwadi workers, Panchayat representatives and local teachers was taken in sending
ration to the students at their home after the school closing in April.
• An amount of Rs 117 crore has been transferred online in the bank account of the parents of 66 lakh 27
thousand students of primary and secondary school by the state government. This was done to provide
mid-day meal to school children in the corona outbreak.
• In addition, under door-to-door mid-day meal scheme, ration has also been provided to 56 lakh 87
thousand children.
About MID DAY MEAL

• It is a school meal programme of the Government of India.
• Under this, government supplies free lunches on working days in government and government- aided
primary and upper primary classes.
STATIC INFO
Madhya Pradesh’s Capital-Bhopal
Madhya Pradesh’s Governor-Lalji Tandon
Madhya Pradesh’s CM-Shivraj Chouhan
UP Govt Suspends 38 labour laws and retains 4 Labour Laws under Uttar Pradesh Temporary Exemption
from Certain Labour Laws Ordinance, 2020
• The Uttar Pradesh government passed an ordinance to suspend 38 labour laws in the state.
• Labour is a concurrent subject, states can frame their own laws but will need the approval of the Centre
to enforce them. Therefore, the ordinance will also be sent to the Central government for approval.
• This rule will apply to both the existing businesses and the new factories being set up in the state.
• Provisions related to children and women in the labour laws would continue.
• These laws have been suspended for the for next three years.
• The laws related to settling industrial disputes, health and working conditions of workers and trade
unions, contract workers and migrant workers will remain suspended for three years.
LAWS THAT WILL STAY RELEVANT

• Section 5 of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 provides that wages of a person earning less than Rs
15,000 a month cannot be deducted.
• Workmen Compensation Act, 1932,
• Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, and
• the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996.
REASONS FOR SUSPENSION

• The economic and business activities in the state have been badly affected by the coronavirus spread.
• In order to boost existing businesses and attract new industrial activity to the state, certain relaxations
will have to be given on a temporary basis.
OUTCOME OF THE ORDINANCE
• Owners of factories would hold more powers to hire and fire without attracting punitive measures from
the labour department up to a certain limit.
• The enforcement wing would not raid the premises of factories on minor issues.
• Provide employment to a large number of migrant workers who have come back.
Indian advisories for fisheries sector become part of FAO's global guidelines
• FAO has included advisories prepared by ICAR-CIFT and ICAR-CIFRI in the Voluntary Guidelines for
Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries under the Asia-Regional initiatives for the benefit of fisheries
sector across the globe.
• These come as a huge recognition to India’s efforts.
• ICAR had released advisories to fisheries sector in 12 languages, which included 10 regional languages
along with Hindi and English.
• These advisories were popularized through print & electronic media, circulated to State Fisheries
Departments, developmental agencies, NGOs and SHGs, and also through social media
GUDILEINES ISSUED IN INDIA

• ICAR-CIFT, Kochi issued advisories for the benefit of the fishermen, fishing boat owners, fishing harbour,
fish market and seafood processing plants.
• ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI), Barrackpore prepared advisories for the
stakeholders involved in fishing activities in rivers, estuaries, reservoirs and wetlands.
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON FISHERIES

• The disruption of fishing activities from open-water, and aquaculture in both freshwater and
brackishwater systems, several associated activities like seed production, feed plant operation, supply
and market chains, etc. have been greatly impacted.
• Fishermen, fish workers, processors and their communities have been facing the threat of the pandemic,
which is affecting the entire value chain and the livelihoods depending on it.
ABOUT CIFT(Central Institute of Fisheries Technology)

• Subsidiary of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, under the Ministry of
Agriculture, India.
• Only institute where research facilities are available in all disciplines related to fishing and fish
processing.
• Location - Matsyapuri, Kochi
• Director- Dr. C.N. Ravishankar
ABOUT CIFRI (Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute)

• Autonomous research institute dedicated to basic research in fishery science under the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research of Government of India.
• Location-Barrackpore, Kolkata, West Bengal.
• Director- Dr. BK Das
ABOUT FAO (Food and Agriculture Oragnization)

• Specialized agency of the United Nations
• Director General-Qu Dongyu
• HQ- Rome, Italy
Sunderbans- Royal Bengal Tiger Count Increases From 88 To 96
• According to the latest census conducted by the West Bengal’s forest department, the number of tigers
in the Sundarbans reserve forest in West Bengal has increased to 96.
• Of the 96 tigers, there are 23 males, 43 females and 30 cubs.
• The census was conducted between November 2019 and January 2020.
IMPORTANT FACTS
• The total area of the forest is around 3700 sq km.
• There are two tiger zones in the area.
• One is Sundarban Tiger reserve which is about 2,585 sq km and the other one is 1,111 sq. km.
HOW WAS CENSUS CONDUCTED
• It was done primarily by camera trapping technique along with other latest methods.
• About 200 trap cameras were set up in different parts of the forest for about two months.
• The counting exercise involved comparison of the images of tigers based on their stripes as the big cats
are identified through their stripe patterns only.
• This counting was done in a lab in Dehradun.
ABOUT ROYAL BENGAL TIGER

• Native to the Indian subcontinent.
• National animal of India and Bangladesh.
• Under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Royal Bengal Tigers are listed as
Endangered Species.
ABOUT SUNDERBANS TIGER RESERVE

• National park, tiger reserve, and biosphere reserve in West Bengal, India.
• Part of the Sundarbans on the Ganges Delta.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1987,
• Ramsar site (Wetland of international importance) in 2019.
IMD forecast lists PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has started referring to its meteorological sub-division of
Jammu and Kashmir as “Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad”.
• Muzaffarabad is part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir while Gilgit-Baltistan is also under illegal Pakistani
occupation.
IMPORTANT FACTS
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had started mentioning the region in its national weather
bulletin ever since Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh were made two separate Union territories after the
abrogation of Article 370.
• However, it was not explicitly mentioned in the regional forecast for northwest India, which it has
started doing now.
• The northwest meteorological division consists of nine sub-divisions -- J&K, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Delhi-Chandigarh-Haryana, Punjab, east Uttar Pradesh, west Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan
and west Rajasthan.
SIGNIFICANCE
• It reflects the changed status of Ladakh as a separate Union Territory.
• It comes within days of the Pakistan Supreme Court’s decision to allow the federal government to hold
elections in Gilgit-Baltistan.
BRIEF BACKGROUND
• On April 30, Pakistan’s Supreme Court had allowed the federal government’s application to set up a
caretaker government and conduct provincial assembly elections in Gilgit-Baltistan.
• However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had lodged a “strong protest” against the decision,
saying Pakistani institutions had “no locus standi on territories illegally or forcibly occupied by it”.
• Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the same day, rejecting India’s charges.
ABOUT IMD
• Agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
• Principal organization responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.
• HQ-New Delhi
• Director General of Meteorology- Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
NSAFE: IIT Delhi startup launches ‘Reusable Antimicrobial Mask’
• An IIT-Delhi startup named ‘Nanosafe Solutions’ has launched an antimicrobial and washable face mask
that can be reused up to 50 launderings.
FEATURES
• It is a triple-layered product consisting of - inner hydrophilic layer for comfort, middle layer having
antimicrobial activity and outer most layer having water and oil repellent behaviour.
• The mask has been designed to maximize durability and dimensional stability.
• It can be reused 50 times and this will also help to resolve the huge disposal issues.
• It is washable and reusable.
• It has 99.2 per cent bacterial filtration efficiency (at 3 microns) as tested according to American Society
for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.
• It has very good breathability and comfort
• There is an elastic band in the chin region and wire in the nose region provides adequate fit of the mask
to the wearer.
• It is also splash resistant means it is water proof.
• It will be launched at an MRP of Rs 299 (Pack of 2) and Rs 589 (Pack of 4).
ABOUT THE DEVELOPING TEAM

• Dr Anasuya Roy, an IIT Delhi alumnus, Founder and CEO of Nanosafe Solutions and
• Professor Mangala Joshi, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, IIT Delhi.
ABOUT NANOSAFE
• A technology start-up partnered with IIT Delhi, focusing on manufacturing technological value-added
products in human life.
• Dr Anasuya Roy- Founder and CEO
Govt to run awareness campaign in 1 lakh villages on balanced use of fertilisers for FY 20-2
• Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar has informed that the
government will run a mission mode awareness campaign in FY2020-2021 in over 1 lakh villages.
• The campaign will focus on promoting the use of bio/organic fertilisers leading to the reduction of
consumption of chemical soil nutrients.
• The decision was taken after reviewing the progress of the Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme.
IMPORTANT FACTS
• Soil Testing Labs by youth having education in agriculture, Women Self Help Groups, FPOs (Farmer’s
Produce Organization) etc. will be set up at village level Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme.
• Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare in association with the Departments of
Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation will launch a comprehensive
campaign on the rational application of fertilisers. This will be done to promote organic farming in order
to produce safe nutritious food.
ABOUT SOIL HEALTH CARD SCHEME

• Launch year- 2015
• Promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers' Welfare.
• Implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all the State and Union Territory Governments.
• Assess the current status of soil health and, when used over time, to determine changes in soil health
that are affected by land management.
• A Soil Health Card displays soil health indicators and associated descriptive terms. The indicators are
typically based on farmers' practical experience and knowledge of local natural resources. The card lists
soil health indicators that can be assessed without the aid of technical or laboratory equipment.
Tripura CM launches national scholarship online portal under ‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana’
• Tripura’s CM Biplab Kumar Deb has launched an online portal scholarships.gov.in under ‘Mukhyamantri
Yuba Yogayog Yojana.
• The students can apply for this scheme for the Academic Year 2019-20.
IMPORTANT FACTS
• The scheme aims to provide grants of Rs. 5,000 to 14,608 youths for the purchase of smartphones to the
students of final year to empower them digitally .
• They can use these smartphones to get jobs through different digital platforms and stay updated.
• The scheme has a total budget of Rs 7.30 crores
ELIGIBILITY & BENEFICIARIES
• The student must be a resident of Tripura state & must be studying in a college resided in Tripura state.
• He or she must be in the final year of the course in an undergraduate degree in any government
college/Institute/University in Tripura.
• This benefit can be availed once in a lifetime.
STATIC INFO
• Tripura’s Capital– Agartala
• Tripura’s Governor– Ramesh Bais
Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurates 80 km long road curtailing Kailash-Mansarovar
pilgrimage time
• Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the road link from Dharchula (Uttarakhand) to
Lipulekh (China Border) through video conferencing.
• He also flagged off a convoy of vehicles from Pithoragarh to Gunji.
• The road link was built successfully by Borders Road Organization (BRO).
IMPORTANT FACTS
• It is a 80 kilometre road and the altitude rises from 6,000 to 17,060 feet.
• The road originates from Ghatiabagarh and terminates at Lipulekh Pass, the gateway to Kailash-
Mansarovar.
IMPORTANCE OF THE ROAD LINK

• Kailash Mansarovar is considered sacred and revered by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains and the yatra could
be completed in one week compared to 2-3 weeks it took earlier through Sikkim or Nepal routes.
• The tiring trek through high-altitude terrain can now be avoided by the pilgrims of Kailash-Mansarovar
Yatra.
• Lipulekh route had a trek of 90 Km through high altitude terrain and the elderly yartris faced lot of
difficulties. The other two road ways via Sikkim and Nepal are along. They entailed approximately 20 per
cent land journeys on Indian roads and 80 per cent land journeys in China. With the opening of
Ghatiabgarh-Lipulekh road, this ratio has been reversed. Pilgrims to Manasarovar will traverse 84 per
cent land journeys on Indian Roads and only 16 per cent land Journeys in China.
• Local trade and economic growth in the region would receive a boost with the operationalisation of this
roadway.
PROBLEMS FACED DURING CONSTRUCTION

• Constant snowfall
• Steep rise in altitude
• Extremely low temperatures restricted the working season to five months.
• Numerous flash floods and cloud bursts over last few years led to extensive damages.
• In the initial 20 kilometres, the mountains have hard rock and are near vertical due to which BRO has
lost many lives and 25 equipment were also badly damaged due to falling into Kali River.
ABOUT BRO
• Develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries.
• HQ- New Delhi
• Director General-Lt. Gen.Harpal Singh
• Parent Oragnization - Ministry of Defence
ABOUT KAILASH MASNSAORVAR YATRA
• Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) exclusively takes care of pilgrimage to Kailash, and to the sacred
Mansarover lake.
• This organization works in collaboration with the Government of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and
the Government of China.
• Kailash – Mansarovar lies in Chinese-occupied Tibet.
Iran to launch a new currency - Toman
• The Government of Iran will change its existing currency from ‘Rial’ to a new currency named ‘Toman’.
• The government has passed Iran’s Monetary and Banking bill that will cut four zeros from Iran’s
currency.
• One toman will be equal to 10,000 rials.
• The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for developing and maintaining the Iranian
rial.
REASON FOR CHANGE
• The government had to introduce new currency as the existing currency ‘Rial’ was crippling badly
because of the sanctions imposed by the US.
• This will make it easier for people to transact without wasting time calculating the price of eggs or
chicken, which can run into tens of thousands of rials. E.g. Instead of paying 250,000 rials for a packet of
eggs, you’ll pay just 25 tomans.
• Due to high inflation, the value of rial has eroded over the years. It costs more than 150,000 rials to buy
one US dollar in the open market while the official exchange rate is pegged at 42,000 rials to one US
dollar.
IMPORTANT FACTS
• The Central Bank of Iran will have two years to change Iran’s currency to Toman.
• The old coins and bills will be gradually collected to replace them with new ones.
• The existing currency of Iran ‘Rial’ will continue to remain legal tender alongside "Toman" for two years.
BACKGROUND
• The Iranian government had been considering replacing currency notes, something known as a
redenomination, since long.
• However, this idea got a push after US President Donald Trump announced the US exit from the 2015
nuclear deal in 2018.
• The US accused Iran of continuing its nuclear activities and not following the terms of the deal.
• It also imposed heavy sanctions on Iran.
• Ria, Iran’s currency lost more than 60 percent of its value following the sanctions.
ABOUT IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL(Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)
• An agreement on the Iranian nuclear program reached in Vienna on July 14, 2015.
• It was signed between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security
Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany) together with
the European Union.
• Iran agreed to eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium, cut its stockpile of low-enriched
uranium by 98%, and reduce by about two-thirds the number of its gas centrifuges for 13 years. For the
next 15 years Iran will only enrich uranium up to 3.67%.
STATIC INFO
• Capital-Tehran
• President-Hassan Rouhani
Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice Chancellor of National Law School of India University (NLSIU) chosen as a
key member of Facebook’s oversight board
• Facebook’s new oversight board has chosen National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Vice-
Chancellor Sudhir Krishnaswamy as one of its first 20 members.
• He has been chosen among the former Prime Minister of Denmark, a Nobel Laureate, non-profit
organisation leaders, and journalists from all over the world.
ABOUT Mr. Krishnaswamy
• He graduated with a BA LLB from the National Law School of India University and as a Rhodes Scholar,
read for a Bachelors of Civil Law and a Doctor of Philosophy (Law) from the University of Oxford.
• Krishnaswamy was the Director of the School of Policy and Governance and Professor of Law and Politics
at Azim Premji University, and the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Visiting Professor of Indian Constitutional Law at
Columbia Law School.
• He has become the youngest ever Vice Chancellor of NLSIU, Banaglore.
• He is the author of the book Democracy and Constitutionalism in India, Oxford University Press 2009.
• Prof Krishnaswamy is the founder of the advocacy organisation Centre for Law and Policy Research, an
advocacy organization that has substantially advanced the rights of LGBTQ+ and transgenders in India
through impact litigation.
ABOUT FACEBOOK’S OVERSIGHT BOARD
• It is similar to an independent, internal court. It will review content referred to it by both users and
Facebook. The main focus is to moderate content posted on social media platforms-Facebook and
Instagram.
• The board comprises independent Members from around the world.
• The board is independent from Facebook, but Facebook is funding the board's operations to the tune of
$130 million.
• These members will make final and binding decisions on what content should be allowed or removed
from Facebook and Instagram. These decisions will be based on respect for freedom of expression and
human rights.
• The board members are from over 27 countries who speak at least 29 languages.
• The board has the right to overturn Mark Zuckerberg’s decision.
ABOUT FACEBOOK
• CEO: Mark Zuckerberg

• Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
• CFO: David Wehner
• Founders: Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew McCollum, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes
India rejects Nepal claim on Mansarovar
• India rejected Nepal’s claim that the recently inaugurated link road in Uttarakhand passes through its
territory.
• The link road is from Dharchula (Uttrakhand) to Lipulekh near the China border. It cuts travel time to
Mansarovar.
• India has claimed that the region lies completely within Indian borders.
• The high-altitude road from was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• It is a 80 kilometre road and the altitude rises from 6,000 to 17,060 feet.
• The road originates from Ghatiabagarh and terminates at Lipulekh Pass, the gateway to Kailash-
Mansarovar.
• The Nepal government had put forward its claim keeping the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 as the basis.
ABOUT THE LIPULEKH PASS
• Lipulekh pass is a far western point near Kalapani, which is a disputed territory between India and Nepal.
• Nepal stakes claims to the southern side of the pass, Kalapani, which connects to the border with
Chinese trading town of Taklakot in Tibet.
ABOUT SUGAULI TREATY OF 1816
• Signed between East India company and King of Nepal.

• This treaty established the boundary line of Nepal.
• According to the treaty, all territories east of Kali (Mahakali River) including Limpiadhura, Kalapani and
Lipulek belonged to Nepal.
STATIC INFO (NEPAL)
• PM- Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli

• President - Bidhya Devi Bhandari
• Capital-Kathmandu
ICMR partners with Bharat Biotech to develop Covid-19 vaccine
• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited
(BBIL) to develop a fully indigenous vaccine for COVID-19.
• It will be developed using the virus strain isolated at the ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV),
Pune.
• The strain has been successfully transferred from NIV to BBIL
• The ICMR-NIV will provide continuous support to BBIL for vaccine development.
• ICMR and BBIL will seek fast-track approvals to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal
studies and clinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine.
ABOUT COVID-19
Syndrome (SARS).
2019.
serious illness.
ABOUT ICMR
• Apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
• HQ- New Delhi
• Secretary and Director General-Dr. Balram Bhargava
ABOUT NIV
• Indian virology research institute under Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
• Location-Pune
ABOUT BBIL
• Founder-Krishna Ella
• HQ-Hyderabad
• Founded in-1996
CSIR to begin clinical trial of drugs favipiravir, phytopharmaceutical for Covid-19 treatment
• The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has received approval from Drug Controller
General of India (DGCI) for its two clinical trial drugs - 'favipiravir' and 'phytopharmaceutical' - to combat
coronavirus.
ABOUT FAVIPRAVIR (T-705)

• It is a drug which is commonly used in Japan, China and some other countries.
• It is sold under the brand name Avigan.
• It is used to treat influenza that has a very broad spectrum of RNA polymerase.
• It is derived from Pyrazinamide that is frequently used against West Nile virus, Arenavirus or Bunyavirus,
and Yellow fever etc.
• It is being developed and manufactured by Toyama Chemical (Fujifilm group) and was approved for
medical use in Japan in 2014.
• In 2016, Fujifilm licensed API for it to Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co. of China. It became a generic
drug in 2019.
• The clinical trial of Favipiravir is to be completed in about one and half months.
• If the tests are successful, the drugs are to be available at affordable rate.
ABOUT PHYTOPHARMACEUTICAL
• It is essentially herbal medicine extracted from plants.

• It is already being tested as medicine for dengue for its efficacy to combat COVID-19.
• It comprises of various bio-active compounds that are used for diagnosis, treatment, mitigation, or
prevention of any disease or disorder in human beings.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) terms it botanical in the US, however in India the DCGI refers it
as phytopharmaceutical.
• In May 2016, a renowned pharmaceutical company and International Centre for Genetic Engineering
and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Delhi, had signed an agreement to develop a botanical drug for treatment
against dengue.
ABOUT CSIR
• Largest research and development organisation
• Director General-Shekhar Mande
• Founded-1942
• Location-New Delhi
DRDO lab develops automated UV systems-DRUVS to sanitise electronic gadgets, papers and
NOTESCLEAN to sanitise currency notes
• Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad has developed an automated contactless UV-C (UltraViolet-C)
sanitisation cabinet, called Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS).
• It has been designed to sanitise mobile phones, iPads, laptops, currency notes, cheque leafs, challans,
passbooks, paper, envelopes, etc.
• It has also developed an automated UVC currency sanitising device, called NOTESCLEAN.
ABOUT DRUVS
• It has contactless operation which is very important to contain the spread of virus.
• The proximity sensor switches, clubbed with drawer opening and closing mechanism, makes its
operation automatic and contactless.
• It provides 360 degree exposure of UVC to the objects placed inside the cabinet.
• Once the sanitisation is done, the system goes in sleep mode hence the operator need not wait or stand
near the device.
ABOUT NOTESCLEAN
• Bundles of currency notes can be sanitised using DRUVS, however disinfection of each currency notes
using it will be a time consuming process.
• For that purpose, a sanitising technique has been developed, where one has to just place the loose
currency notes at the input slot of the device.
• It picks the notes one by one and makes them pass through a series of UVC lamps for complete
disinfection.
ABOUT RCI
• It is Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) premier lab.
• Location-Hyderabad, India
• Director-BHVS Narayana Murthy
Yogi Adityanath launches 'Pravasi Raahat Mitra' App for migrant workers
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the 'Pravasi Rahat Mitra' App.
• The mobile app has been developed by the state revenue department in collaboration with United
Nation Development Program.
FEATURES OF APP
• It is aimed at aiding migrant citizens coming to Uttar Pradesh from other states so that they can take
advantage of government schemes.
• It will also help to monitor their health besides providing jobs and livelihood, related to their skills.
• The exchange of information by various departments of the government will help in planning and
formulating programs for employment and livelihood of these migrant citizens.
• The status of distribution of ration kits to migrant citizens will also be recorded in the app
• It can work online as well as offline.
DATA COLLECTED BY THE APP

• The app will have full details of the persons staying in the shelter center and the migrants who have
reached their homes directly from other states.
• The basic information of the person such as name, educational qualification, temporary and permanent
address, bank account details, Corona-related screening status and experience will be taken in the app.
In this, details of more than 65 types of skills will be collected.
• Data of people from rural and urban areas can also be separated in the app for effective decision
making.
• Data collection will be done at decentralized level, such as shelter site, transit point, residence of the
person.
• The data collected through the app will be installed on the state-based Integrated Information
Management System.
STATIC INFO (UTTAR PRADESH)
• Chief Minister-Yogi Adityanath
• Capital-Lucknow
• Governor - Anandiben Patel
Mission Sagar launched by the Government of India
• The Government of India has launched Mission Sagar, an outreach program amidst COVID-19 situation.
• Under this, India sent Food Items, COVID related Medicines including HCQ Tablets and Special Ayurvedic
Medicines with Medical Assistance Teams embarked to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and
Comoros.
CONDUCTING AUTHORITIES
• The operation is being progressed in close coordination with the Ministries of Defence and External
Affairs, and other agencies of the Government of India.
• The Indian Naval Ship Kesari has been deployed under the mission.
• The ship would enter the Port of Male in Republic of Maldives, to provide them 600 tons of food
provisions.
• It is in line with India’s role as the first responder in the region and builds on the excellent relations
existing between these countries to battle the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant difficulties.
• The deployment is in consonance with the Prime Ministers vision of Security and Growth for All in the
Region ‘SAGAR’ and highlights the importance accorded by India to relations with her neighbouring
countries and further strengthens the existing bond.
ABOUT INS KESARI
• Shardul-class tank landing ship of the Indian Navy.

• These are large amphibious warfare vessels built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
ABOUT Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) VISION
• It was a part of India's strategic vision for the Indian Ocean and was launched in 2015.
• Under this, India would cooperate on exchange of information, building of infrastructure, coastal
surveillance and strengthening mutual capabilities.
• With all these, it aims to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours and
assist in building their maritime security capabilities.
Central government releases Infant Mortality Rate and Birth rate data for 2018.
• Recently, the Central government has released the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin based on
data collected for 2018.
• This data was released by the Registrar General of India.
• It states that the national birth rate in 2018 stood at 20, and death and infant mortality rates stood at
6.2 and 32, respectively.
• These rates are calculated per one thousand of the population.
INFANT MORTALITY RATE (IMR)
• Mortality is one of the basic components of population change.

• This data is essential for demographic studies and public health administration.
• The death rate of India has witnessed a significant decline over the last four decades from 14.9 in 1971
to 6.2 in 2018. The decline has been steeper in rural areas.
• In the last decade, death rate at an all-India level has declined from 7.3 to 6.2. The corresponding
decline in rural areas is 7.8 to 6.7 and in urban areas, 5.8 to 5.1.
• As far as IMR is concerned, the present figure of 32 is about one-fourth as compared to 1971 (129).
• In the last 10 years, IMR has witnessed a decline of about 35 per cent in rural areas and about 32 per
cent in urban areas. The IMR at an all-India level has declined from 50 to 32 in the last decade.
• Against the national IMR of 32, Madhya Pradesh has the worst IMR of 48 and Nagaland 4.
BIRTH RATE
• Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a population and a crucial determinant of population growth.
• India’s birth rate has declined drastically over the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 20.0 in 2018.
• The rural-urban differential has also narrowed. However, the birth rate has continued to be higher in
rural areas compared to urban areas in the last four decades.
• There has been about an 11 per cent decline in birth rate in the last decade, from 22.5 in 2009 to 20.0 in
2018. The corresponding decline in rural areas is 24.1 to 21.6, and in urban areas, it is 18.3 to 16.7.
• Bihar continues to remain at the top of list in birth rate while Andaman and Nicobar is at the bottom.
• The data largely reflects past trends as far as the position of states is concerned with marginal
improvements at national level on health indices.
ABOUT SRS
• It is a demographic survey for providing reliable annual estimates of infant mortality rate, birth rate,
death rate and other fertility and mortality indicators at the national and sub-national levels.
• Initially, it was done on pilot basis by the Registrar General of India in a few states in 1964-65.
• It became fully operational during 1969-70.
• The field investigation consists of continuous enumeration of births and deaths in selected sample units
by resident part-time enumerators, generally anganwadi workers and teachers; and an independent
retrospective survey every six months by SRS supervisors.
• The data obtained by these two independent functionaries are matched.
ABOUT Registrar General of India

• Arranging, conducting and analysing the results of the demographic surveys of India including Census of
India and Linguistic Survey of India.
• Parent Organization-Ministry of Home Affairs
• Registrar General & Census Commissioner-Vivek Joshi
• HQ- New Delhi
UN agencies commemorate 40th anniversary of smallpox eradication with a stamp
• On 8th May 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN’’s postal agency have released a
commemorative postage stamp on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox.
• Smallpox was eradicated on the back of a 10-year-old effort spearheaded by the WHO involving
thousands of health workers around the world to administer half a billion vaccinations.
ABOUT THE STAMP

• The commemorative stamp was designed and developed by Sergio Baradat, United Nations Postal
Administration (UNPA) in collaboration with WHO.
• The stamp recognises the global solidarity in fighting smallpox.
• It can be used to mail postcards and letters around the world, provided that they are sent from the UN
headquarters in New York, Geneva or Vienna respectively.
• It honours millions of people working together, from world leaders and international organisations to
rural doctors and community health workers, to eradicate smallpox.
• Successful smallpox eradication programme yielded vital knowledge and tools for the field of disease
surveillance, the benefits of vaccination and the importance of health promotion in fighting other
diseases.
• WHO used to spend USD 300 million to eradicate the virus and this has saved the world over USD 1
billion every year since 1980.
SMALLPOX ERADICATION
• On 9 December 1979, a global commission certified that smallpox had been eradicated.
• This certification was officially accepted by the 33rd World Health Assembly in 1980.
• It involved thousands of health workers around the world to administer half a billion vaccinations to
stamp out smallpox.
• The successful eradication of smallpox led to the launch of Expanded Programme on Immunization by
WHO and UNICEF. Under this 85% of the world’s children are vaccinated and protected from debilitating
diseases.
• It tis the only human disease to be eradicated globally.
ABOUT Mr. Khatre

• World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appreciated the
efforts of Mr Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Operational Support (DOS).
• He is the UN Postal Administration is within the DOS Division of Administration.
• He is an Indian. Khare became the Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support in January 2019. He
was appointed Under-Secretary-General for Field Support in 2015.
ABOUT WHO
• Specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
• HQ- Geneva, Switzerland
• Director General - Tedros Adhanom
• Deputy Director General-Soumya Swaminathan
Ministry of Defence inks ₹1,200-cr deal with Tata Power SED to upgrade 37 airbases
• Tata Power SED has won a contract worth Rs 1,200 crore for the Modernization of Air field
Infrastructure (MAFI) from the defence ministry.
• It involves the modernization of 37 airfields for Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Coast
Guard (ICG) in the second phase of the MAFI.
• In the first phase, 30 airfields of IAF were upgraded.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
• It includes installation and commissioning of modern airfield equipment like Cat-II Instrument Landing
System (ILS) and Cat II Air Field Lightning System (AFLS).
• The modern equipment around the airfield will also be directly connected to Air Traffic Control (ATC),
thereby providing control of the airfield systems to the air traffic controllers.
IMPORTANCE / BENEFITS
• It would enhance the operational capability by facilitating air operations of military and civil aircrafts
even in poor visibility and adverse weather condition while enhancing aerospace safety.
• It will provide impetus to the domestic industry in the prevailing situation.
• It will give a boost to over 250 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises which will be directly benefited
from being involved in execution of various activities of this project.
• It would infuse much needed capital in the market and boost employment generation in such fields as
communications, avionics, information technology, apart from civil and electrical equipment and
construction.
STATIC INFO
• Chief of Defence Staff- Bipin Rawat
• Chief of Armed Forces-General Manoj Mukund Naravane
• Chief of Air Force Staff-Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria
• Chief of Naval Staff- Admiral Karambir Singh
• Union Minister of Defence- Rajnath Singh
ABOUT TATA POWER Strategic Engineering Division (SED)

• Defence company
• HQ-New Delhi
COVID KAVACH: India’s first indigenous ELISA Test Kit for COVID-19
• Ahmedabad-based Cadila Healthcare Ltd has has been provided with technology to make and market
the country’s first anti-SARS-Cov-2 human IgG Elisa test kit.
• The kit will be used for antibody detection of Covid-19.
• After the initial development at ICMR-NIV, technology has been transferred to Zydus Cadila for mass
scale production.
ABOUT COVID KAVACH ELISA
• ‘Covid Kavach Elisa’ is the first indigenously developed IgG Elisa test for antibody detection.
• It has been developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Institute of Virology
(NIV), Pune.
• This test will play a critical role in surveillance of proportion of population exposed to SARSCoV2
infection.
• ICMR-NIV’s test kit was validated at two sites in Mumbai and has been found to have high sensitivity and
specificity.
• The kit can test 90 samples together in a single run of 2.5 hours.
• Elisa-based testing is easily possible even at the district level.
TYPES OF KITS
• ICMR had granted approvals for two types of test kits.

• The first is a real-time polymerase chain reaction test, which is conducted in a laboratory and requires
nasal and throat swabs. The test takes up to eight hours to give results and is stated to be a
confirmatory molecular test.
• The second type of test is rapid antibody test, which is primarily testing blood to detect Covid-19
antibodies. The results can be obtained in 30 minutes.
ABOUT ELISA
• ELISA stands for Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay.
• A commonly used analytical biochemistry assay and a diagnostic tool in various industries.
ABOUT ICMR
• HQ- New Delhi
ABOUT NIV
• Indian virology research institute under Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
• Location-Pune
ABOUT ZYDUS CADILA

• HQ- Ahmedabad, Gujarat
• Founder - Ramanbhai Patel
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced modifications in PMRF Scheme to boost research
• The HRD Ministry announced amendments in the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) scheme.
• It included reduction in the required GATE score and introduction of a lateral entry option to attract
more students.
• Under the scheme, 1000 seats were created which have been remaining empty every year. These
changes were made so that students can apply.
• The requirement of GATE Score is reduced to 650 from 750 apart from minimum CGPA of 8 or
equivalent for the students from any recognised institute or university (other than IISc, IITs, NITs, IISERs,
IIEST and IIITs).
• There will be two channels of entries, one direct entry and lateral entry.
• In lateral entry, the students, who are pursuing PhD in PMRF granting institutions (like IITs and NITs) can
also apply to become fellow under the scheme as per new guidelines.
• The candidates will be selected through a rigorous selection process and their performance will be
reviewed suitably through a national convention.
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION DIVISION
• The HRD Ministry has created a dedicated ‘Research and Innovation Division’ in order to boost research
in academic institutions across the country.
• It will be headed by a director who will be coordinating research work of various institutions coming
under the HRD Ministry.
INSTITUTES THAT CAN OFFER PMRF SCHEME

• These include all the IITs, the IISERs, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, some of the top central
universities and NITs that offer science or technology degrees.
• NITs which appear in the top 25 institutions as per the NIRF rankings can become a PMRF granting
institution.
ABOUT PMRF
• The scheme was announced in the Budget 2018-19.

• Designed for improving the quality of research in various higher educational institutions in the country.
• Students can apply under this scheme to pursue innovative research in Science and technology.
• They can either use the direct or lateral route.
ABOUT National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings
• Method of Union HRD Ministry.

• Ranks institution of higher education in India.
Union HRD Minister-Ramesh Pokhriyal
MHA issues Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) to facilitate Movement of Persons by Train and
Passenger services on Indian Railways shall be partially restored w.e.f. from 12th May 2020 in a graded
manner
• Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) to facilitate movement of
persons by train.
• Movement of trains shall be permitted by Ministry of Railways (MoR), in a graded manner, in
consultation with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and MHA.
GUIDELINES FOR THE PASSENGERS
• Movement of passengers to & fro and entry at the railway station would be permitted only on
confirmed e-ticket.
• There would be compulsory medical screening of all passengers. Only asymptomatic persons would be
allowed to board the train.
• During the travel and at the railway stations, Strict adherence to Health/hygiene protocols and social
distancing.
• All passengers would be provided with hand sanitizer at entry and exit points at station and in coaches.
• Further, it would be ensured that all passengers wear face covers/ masks at entry and during travel.
• On arrival at their destination, the traveling passengers would have to adhere to such health protocols
as are prescribed by the destination State/ UT.
FUNCTIONING OF RAILWAYS POST LOCKDOWN
• The operations will initially start with 15 pairs of trains.

• These trains will be run as special trains from New Delhi Station connecting 15 important cities of the
country such as Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad,
Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.
• Only online E-Ticketing will be done through IRCTC website or through Mobile App.
• No tickets will be booked across the reservation counter on any Railway Station.
• Booking of tickets through ‘agents’, (both IRCTC Agents and Railway Agents) shall not be permitted.
BACKGROUND
• According to the government’s orders for Lockdown in India from 25 March 2020, all the public
transport were stopped.
• The Indian railways had started Shrank express from 1 May 2020 to transport migrant labourers to their
native states.
ABOUT Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)
• A subsidiary of the Indian Railways

• Handles the catering, tourism and online ticketing operations of the latter.
• Chairman and MD-Mahendra Pratap Mall
• HQ- New Delhi
ADDITIONAL INFO
• Union Railways Minister-Piyush Goyal

• Union Home Minister-Amit Shah
• Union Minister of Health & Family welfare (MoHFW)-Dr. Harsh Vardhan
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) releases fresh set of guidelines-Categorise cause of death,
focus on sequence of events
• ICMR released fresh guidelines in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
• These outline a new standardised form where medical practitioners have to categorise the death’s
immediate cause, antecedent cause, and other significant conditions in separate columns.
• These were issued as India’s Covid-19 death count surpasses 2,000 people.
TYPES OF CAUSES- EXPLAINED

• The immediate cause is the “disease, injury, or complication that caused the death, not the mode of
dying”.
• The antecedent cause is the morbid condition(s) that “gave rise to the immediate cause”.
• The other significant conditions are those that “contributed to the death but are not related to the
disease or to the condition causing it”.
• It is likely that Covid-19 is the Underlying Cause Of Death (UCOD) that lead to ARDS (Acute Respiratory
Disease Syndrome) or Pneumonia in most of the deaths due to Covid-19 (test positive and symptoms
positive). In these cases Covid-19 must be captured (under antecedent cause).
TYPES OF DEATHS
• Deaths with inconclusive test results, but in which coronavirus symptoms are present will be recorded as
"probable COVID-19" fatalities.
• Deaths in which tests are awaited with the presence of symptoms will be recorded as suspected deaths,
while those testing negative but have symptoms will be mentioned as clinically-epidemiologically
diagnosed COVID-19.
• Deaths in hospital and under medical care due to Covid-19 is a Non-MLC (non medico legal) case and
doesn’t require postmortem examination and the required certification of death is being done by
treating doctors.
• In case of a suspected Covid-19 death that is labelled a medico legal case by an emergency doctor,
forensic autopsy may be waived.
OTHER IMPORTANT GUIDELINES
• The logical sequence of events must be clearly articulated in the records.

• Only those conditions that have contributed to death should be recorded.
• Patients may present with other pre-existing comorbid conditions such as chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, chronic bronchitis, ischemic heart disease, cancer and diabetes
mellitus. These conditions increase the risk of developing respiratory infections, and may lead to
complications and severe disease in a Covid-19 positive individual. These conditions are not considered
as (underlying cause of death) as they have directly not caused death due to Covid-19.
ICMR-NCDIR e-Mortality (e-Mor) software
• It is a software that should be used for recording the cause of death.

• This software can be implemented by hospitals and district local registrar offices in a district (to record
deaths occurring in residence).
• Institutions should register with ICMR-NCDIR or state authority for provision of authorised login
credentials.
North Pole’s largest-ever ozone hole,620,000 square miles, finally closes
• Scientists who have been observing the ozone hole at Copernicus' Atmospheric Monitoring Service
(CAMS) have announced that the hole is now closed.
• This ozone hole became the largest one ever recorded in the Arctic region spanning an area of over
620,000 square miles (or 997793.28 kms).
ABOUT THE 2020 Northern Hemisphere ozone hole
• This hole in Ozone was first identified by scientists in March 2020.

• This first opened when unusual wind conditions trapped frigid air over the North Pole for several weeks
in a row.
• Those winds, known as a polar vortex, created a circular cage of cold air that led to the formation of
high-altitude clouds in the region.
• The clouds mixed with man-made pollutants like chlorine and bromine, eating away at the surrounding
ozone gas until a massive hole roughly three times the size of Greenland opened in the atmosphere.
• The last time such a strong chemical ozone depletion was observed in the Arctic occurred nearly a
decade ago, in 2011.
• However, the polar vortex “split” creating a pathway for ozone-rich air to rush back into the area above
the North Pole.
ABOUT OZONE LAYER

• A region in Earth's stratosphere, second major layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
• Absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation.
• Depleted by free radical catalysts, including nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydroxyl (OH),
atomic chlorine (Cl), and atomic bromine (Br), and man-made chemicals such
as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and bromofluorocarbons.
ABOUT CAMS
• Service implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
• Part of the Copernicus Programme which describes the current situation, forecasts the situation a few
days ahead, and analyses consistently retrospective data records for recent years.
ELSA Corp appoints Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane as its brand ambassador for India, Middle East, ANZ
& SAARC
• ELSA Corp (English Language Speech Assistant Corporation) has appointed Ajinkya Rahane as its brand
ambassador for India, Middle East, ANZ & SAARC.
• Ajinkya Rahane will be endorsing the brand's mobile application.
• This association aims to popularize ELSA Speak amongst Indian individuals who want to better their
English pronunciation.
ABOUT English Language Speech Assistant Corporation (ELSA) Corp.
• A global Edu-tech which uses speech recognition technology and artificial intelligence (A.I.) to help
language learners improve their English pronunciation.
• ELSA aims to create an ecosystem of learning where individuals can master spoken English and become
confident speakers.
• This will help them excel in the field of their choice.
• It uses proprietary speech technology with deep learning and A.I. to detect people's pronunciation
mistakes with 95%+ accuracy.
• It listens to the way language learners pronounce words, sentences or conversations to pinpoint exact
errors and provide real-time feedback on pronunciation mistakes with specific suggestions on how to
improve.
• First startup in Asia to be funded by Google's Gradient Ventures.
• Manit Parikh, Country Head - India, ELSA Corp.
ABOUT AJINKYA RAHANE

• Vice captain of the Indian cricket team in Test cricket.
• Plays primarily as a middle-order batsman in the Test format and as a top-order batsman in white-ball
forms of the game.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) releases Aarogya Setu Data Access and
Knowledge Sharing Protocol
• The Empowered Group 9 on Technology and Data Management developed and released the Aarogya
Setu Data Access and Knowledge Sharing Protocol.
• IT Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney is the chairman of the group.
• The new norms lay emphasis on anonymisation of data collected by the app.
AGENCIES AND MINISTRIES INVOLVED
• The National Informatics Center (NIC) is responsible for collecting, processing and managing all the data
collected by Aarogya Setu and it will collect only that data which is necessary to formulate or implement
appropriate health responses.
• Under the protocol, the Ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) will have a
supervisory role.
DATA STORAGE AND COLLECTION

• The protocol outlined that personal data from the application can only be used for health purposes.
• The data collected include name, mobile number, location, age, gender, profession, travel history,
persons in contact and location of persons in contact.
• The data must be permanently deleted after a maximum of 180 days “unless a specific recommendation
is made” by the empowered group on technology.
• The data can be shared with the “Government of India”, and all the agencies that are granted access to
the data must use it only for the purpose for which it has been shared and delete it after 180 days.
• An individual can request for deleting demographic data, which must be abided by in 30 days.
• For developing health responses, the information can be shared with third parties. The government
agency sharing information with the third party is responsible for adherence to the protocol by the third
party.
FLOW OF DATA IN ORDER TO TAKE AN ACTION
• The most important data set is the special surveillance system made by the health department in which
states (and districts) can look at the information.
• All health systems in NIC and the Health Ministry are combined with Aarogya Setu’s self-assessment and
Bluetooth contact tracing data after applications for testing samples with data reaches ICMR’s lab
portals.
• The data obtained from NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) and IIT Madras is used to
develop an analytics basis which the action that is to be taken is decided.
PENAL PROVISIONS
• In case of any violation or deviation from the protocol, legal consequences under section 51 to 60 of the
Disaster Management Act will follow. This invites jail term for up to two years.
• The protocol will be in effect for six months.
• Extension, if any, will be considered after six months, subject to a review.
or tested positive.
manner.
Google etc.
ABOUT NIC
• Office under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Provides infrastructure to help support the delivery of government IT services and the delivery of some
of the initiatives of Digital India.
• Director General-Neeta Verma
Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Launch CHAMPIONS Portal-
www.Champions.gov.in
• The Union Ministry of MSME launched CHAMPIONS portal.
• CHAMPIONS stands for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the
Output and National Strength.
• The portal will help in grievance registration and management of complaints lodged by MSMEs.
ABOUT THE PORTAL
• It is a technology driven Control Room-Cum-Management Information System which is a real one-stop-

shop solution of MSME Ministry.
• It is also fully integrated on real time basis with GOI’s main grievances’ portal Centralized Public
Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and MSME Ministry’s own other web based
mechanisms.
• The grievances will then be diverted subject-wise to concerned branch/bureau/office heads under the
MSME Ministry to attend them within three days.
• The system is enabled by Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Machine Learning.
• This will help the Indian MSMEs to march into big league as National and Global CHAMPIONS.
• NIC created the portal in-house without charging any money for this.
ABOUT CHAMPION CONTROL ROOMS
• These have been set up at MSME Development Institutes across the country that will help the small
businesses to get guidance from the government.
• The control rooms network is created in a “Hub & Spoke Model.
• The Hub is situated in New Delhi in the Secretary MSME’s office.
• The spokes will be in the states in various offices and institutions of Ministry.
• As of now, 66 state level control rooms are created as part of the system.”
ABOUT CPGRAMS
• Created in June 2007 by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances.
• Any citizen of India can raise their problems, grievance or pleas to the central govt and state
government Ministries and Departments.
• PM Narendra Modi-Head of the public grievances.
• Jitendra Singh-Minister for Independent Charge for grievances public personnel and pension
MSME-EXPLAINED
• Union Minister of MSME-Nitin Gadkari

• The Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME) classifies MSMEs into two categories:
1. Manufacturing Enterprises
• Enterprises engaged in the manufacture or production of goods pertaining to any industry specified in
the first schedule to the industries (Development and regulation) Act, 1951) or employing plant and
machinery in the process of value addition to the final product having a distinct name or character or
use.
• Defined in terms of investment in Plant & Machinery.
ENTERPRISES INVESTMENT IN PLANT AND MACHINERY

MICRO ENTERPRISES Does not exceed twenty five lakh rupees
SMALL ENTERPRISES More than twenty five lakh rupees but does
not exceed five crore rupees
MEDIUM ENTERPRISES More than five crore rupees but does not
exceed ten crore rupees.
2. Service Enterprises
• Enterprises engaged in providing or rendering of services and are defined in terms of investment in
equipment.
ENTERPRISES INVESTMENT IN EQUIPMENTS

MICRO ENTERPRISES Does not exceed ten lakh rupees.
SMALL ENTERPRISES More than ten lakh rupees but does not exceed
two crore rupees
MEDIUM ENTERPRISES More than two crore rupees but does not
exceed five crore rupees.
Madhya Pradesh is the first state to launch innovative Scheme “FIR Aapke Dwar Yojana”
• The state government of Madhya Pradesh launched FIR (First Information Report) Aapke Dwar Yojana in
Bhopal.
• It was launched by the Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra.
• This makes Madhya Pradesh the first state in the country to implement such an innovative scheme.
ABOUT FIR AAPKE DWAR YOJANA

• It is a pilot project under which a complainant is supposed to dial police emergency number 100 to lodge
an FIR.
• As a part of this scheme, police officials will go to homes of victims to register a FIR and they will resolve
their problems at their doorstep only and they need not have to come to police stations. Trained head
constables are deployed for the scheme.
• Initially, the scheme will be implemented in a police station area under 11 divisions (both urban and
rural) of the state and also under one police station in Datia.
• It has been launched in 23 police stations and will be a pilot project till 31 August 2020.
112 SERVICE
• The home minister also launched "Dial-112" scheme.
• By dealing this number, facilities of ambulance, police and fire services will be made available to the
caller immediately across the state.
ABOUT FIR
• An information recorded by a police officer on duty given either by the aggrieved person or any other
person to the commission of an alleged offence.
• FIR is defined in the Section 154 of The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
STATIC INFO (MP)

• Capital-Bhopal
• Governor-Lalji Tandon
• CM-Shivraj Singh Chouhan
ICMR, NCDC to initiate a population-based Sero-survey in selected districts

• Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) will conduct a
population-based sero-survey in selected districts in collaboration with key stakeholders and State
Health Departments.
• The objective of this survey is to monitor the trend in prevalence of COVID-19 infection at district level.
ABOUT SERO SURVEY

Testing of blood serum of a group of individuals to determine the presence of antibody against that
particular disease.
WHO ALL WILL BE COVERED UNDER THE SURVEY

• It would test outpatient attendees and pregnant women in the low-risk group.
• Health workers will be covered in the under the high risk group.
• It will not be used for diagnosis of individual patients.
PROCESS OF THE SURVEY
• Each month 200 samples per district per week shall be taken. This will take the number to 800 samples
per district per month.
• ICMR AND NCDC will select 10 health facilities including six public and four private health from each
district.
• The samples will be tested in a one-time pool of 25 and result of sample pooling is only for surveillance
purposes.
• In addition to throat, nasal swabs, blood samples will be collected for detecting IgG antibodies for ELISA
testing.
• In subsequent rounds, IgG ELISA based testing of serum samples will replace RT-PCR based testing for
surveillance purpose.
• Data on demographic characteristics will be collected on a specifically designed standard data collection
form.
• The data will be analyzed locally for action using standard indicator formats.
ABOUT IgG (Immunoglobulin G)
• Type of antibody and is the most common antibody in the human serum.
• Antibodies are proteins that are produced inside the human body response to disease causing
pathogens.
• These are of five types- IgM, IgD, IgG, IgA, and IgE.
ABOUT ELISA
• ELISA stands for Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay.
• A commonly used analytical biochemistry assay and a diagnostic tool in various industries.
ABOUT ICMR
• HQ- New Delhi
ABOUT NCDC
• Institute under the Indian Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• HQ- New Delhi
• Has eight branches
• Director- Dr. Sujeet Kumar Singh
Pranavayu Programme launched in Bengaluru, Karanataka

• Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has launched Pranavayu programme in Bengaluru.
• The program aims to create awareness on the need to self examine the respiratory health for personal
safety of the individuals from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
BACKGROUND
• The number of positive cases of Coronavirus have been rising in Bengaluru and due to this it became
highly important to identify the persons who are prone or susceptible to the deadly corona virus
infection.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

• The program aims to create awareness through advertisements in media.
• It emphasises on the fact that the person can self-examine themselves for an early detection of the
disease without it leading to the aggravation of the situation.
• This programme is an effort to assist people with low oxygen level in their blood to get themselves
examined early before their infection becomes fatal.
ABOUT COVID-19
Syndrome (SARS).
2019.
serious illness.
KARNATAKA (STATIC INFO)

CM-B. S. Yediyurappa
Governor - Vajubhai Vala
Capital -Bengaluru
Parakh: DRDO- DFRL’s mobile microbial containment lab handed over to MMCRI
• Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) has handed over an innovative, state of the art Mobile
Microbial Containment (BSL-3) Laboratory ‘PARAKH’ to the Mysuru Medical College and Research
Institute (MMCRI) to test samples of coronavirus (Covid-19) at its hi-tech Viral Research and Diagnostic
Laboratory (VRDL)
• The lab was handed over by Dr Anil Dutt Semwal, director of DFRL to KR hospital at a formal event.
• With this, an extra 200-300 samples can be tested in addition to the 400-450 samples being tested.
ABOUT PARAKH
• It is a fully autonomous Mobile Microbial Containment Lab.
• It was developed by ministry of Defence in collaboration with ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance
Corporation) Medical College & Hospital, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad with due permission from Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) within record time of 2 weeks.
• It is designed on ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 20 feet container and installed on
Ashok Leyland 1618-2C-4700 wb cabin Chassis.
• It was designed during situations like bio warfare, but with the ongoing situation, it was handed over to
the district.
• It has BSL level-three certification for containment, thereby enabling it to test COVID-19 and
other similar heavily communicable infections.
• It has a RT-PCR machine as well as facilities for storage of biomedical waste.
• It can even be deployed in a site of emergency since it can operate on battery power.
ABOUT MMCRI
• One of the oldest medical colleges in India.
• Founded-1924
• First medical college to be established in the Karnataka region
ABOUT DFRL
• Indian defence laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Director- Dr. AD Semwal
• Location-Mysore, Karnataka
ABOUT BSL (Bio Safety) - Level Three
• Set of biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed
laboratory facility.
• BSL-3 is an appropriate condition for work involving microbes which can cause serious and potentially
lethal disease via the inhalation route.
ABOUT Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL)

Introduced by the Government of India under Department of Health Research - Indian Council of Medical
Research.
Economy,Business & Banking Current Affairs

May 2020
Consumer Affairs dept partners with 2 startups to power ‘Suraksha Store initiative’
 The Department of Consumer Affairs has partnered with tech startups Safejob and Seekify to use
technology to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at the local Kirana store level.
ABOUT SURAKSHA STORE
 Initiative designed for the health and safety of the citizens during and after the lockdown.
 Aims to educate Kirana store owners across the country about the Covid-19 safety guidelines and
protocols required to be followed while running their businesses.
 The protocols were decided by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and included norms around social distancing and hygiene at all
retail outlets.
 Consumers can use the Aarogya Setu app to find a Suraksha Store near them and shop.
SURAKSHA STORE CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
 Seekify and Safejob built a custom solution for registering Kirana store owners, their employees,
capturing their location, and allowing them to complete online training and certification - all on
mobile.
 The solution is optimized for rural and low bandwidth areas.
 The training material and assessment is available in eight languages to ensure that customers can
be certified to be aware of the Suraksha norms.
CURRENT STATUS
 It registered more than 5 lakh stores within a week of launch.
 Currently, over 7 lakh retailers have enrolled for this training and over 70K Kirana employees have
completed the awareness training.
ABOUT FSSAI
 An autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of
India.
 CEO- G. S.G. Ayyangar
 HQ-New Delhi
ADDITIONAL INFO
 Ram Vilas Paswan- Union Minister of Consumer Affairs

 Divya Jain-Founder, Safejob
 Arihant Jain and Ajeet Kushwaha- co-founders of Seekfy
Six member panel to set up to review production sharing contracts: Centre
 The ministry of petroleum and natural gas has set up a six-member expert committee to review
the existing Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) owing to the fall in crude oil prices and the Covid-
19 lock, down.
 As there is a fall in oil and gas prices, the government needs to find ways to attract investment in
exploration and production of oil and gas.
SCOPE OF PANEL
 Suggesting methodology for increased production and activities

 Changes required in the existing policies.
MEMBERS OF PANEL
 There is no representation from the private sector, industry bodies, and from top bureaucratic
circles.
 The members of the committee include:
1. Yash Malik, advisor to the ministry of petroleum,

2. Sanjay Chawla, ED of ONGC,
3. A R Patel, advisor (finance) of Directorate General of Hydrocarbons,
4. K S Shaktawat former DGH official,
5. Joydev Lahiri from Oil India,
6. M B Doja from the geology department of
BACKGROUND
 Due to the Covid-19 pandemic , the global energy demand has curtailed activities and downsized.
 This has led to the excess supply and low prices. However, this lower price regime is also affecting
or reducing the profits of domestic producers.
 Based on industry estimates, India is able to save more than Rs 1.7 trillion annually because of the
countries’ domestic producers.
ABOUT DGH
 Regulatory body under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

 Director General - Atanu Chakraborty
ABOUT ONGC
 IndianMultinational Crude Oil and Gas

 Administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
 Chairman, CEO and Managing Director- Shashi Shankar
Nabard sanctions Rs 1,500 cr for Punjab to ensure Credit flow to farmers
 The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 1,500 crore
for Punjab to ensure continuous credit flow to farmers, through state cooperative banks, amid the
COVID-19 pandemic.
 This is part of Nabard''s Rs 25,000 crore nationwide special liquidity facility (SLF), which has been
made available to state cooperative banks, regional rural banks, and microfinance institutions
(MFIs), to ensure flow of credit to farmers for agricultural operations during COVID-19 pandemic.
 "Nabard has sanctioned a sum of Rs 1,500 crore, out of which an amount of Rs 1,000 crore has
been sanctioned to Punjab State Cooperative Bank and Rs 500 crore to Punjab Gramin Bank,"
 Nabard has so far disbursed Rs 1,000 crore to Punjab State Cooperative Bank and Rs 100 crore to
Punjab Gramin Bank for supporting agricultural and other activities of farmers.
 Bindra said this is a front-loaded liquidity support provided to these banks with a view to ensure
credit flow to farmers for carrying out agricultural operations for kharif crops smoothly during this
difficult situation.
About NABARD-
Financial Institution in India.The Bank has been entrusted with “matters
activities in Rural areas in India”.
 Foundation – 12 July 1982
 Headquarters – Mumbai
 Chairman – Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
Zubair Iqbal appointed MD J-K Bank, Chibber to continue as chairman
 The Jammu and Kashmir administration approved the appointment of senior vice president of
HDFC Bank Zubair Iqbal as the new managing director of Jammu and Kashmir Bank.
 R K Chibber will continue as the bank's chairman for the next three years.
 Iqbal will have a three-year tenure.
 "Consequent to the above (decision of appointment), the board of J&K bank may appoint him
(Iqbal) as managing director of J&K bank,".
 Chibber, who is currently MD and Chairman of J&K bank, has been reappointed as the chairman for
the period of three years.
 Both of them were appointed as director and nominee of the government in the J&K Bank Board.
 On June 10 last year, the Reserve Bank had approved the appointment of Chibber as interim CMD
of Jammu and Kashmir Bank for three months following the removal of Parvez Ahmed from the
post by the then state government.
 He received a month's extension in September 2019 to continue as the bank's interim CMD,
followed by a six-month extension in October last year.
 Ahmed was removed by the erstwhile state government on alleged charges of corruption,
nepotism and favouritism
About J&K Bank-
 Jammu and Kashmir Bank is a J&K - based private sector banking and financial services company. It
is a privately owned bank with majority owned state share with its headquarters in Srinagar,
Jammu and Kashmir, India
 Founded - 1 October 1938
 Headquarters – Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
 Tagline – Serving to Empower
 Chairman - Chibber
 MD - Zubair Iqbal
GCPL acquires balance 25% stake in Kenya-based Canon Chemicals
 FMCG major Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) on Friday announced acquisition of the balance
25 per cent stake in Kenya-based Canon Chemicals Ltd for an undisclosed sum.
 Canon Chemicals would now be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company.The acquisition was
made through its step down firm Godrej East Africa Holdings Ltd.
 "The Company through its wholly-owned subsidiary, has acquired the balance 25 per cent stake in
Canon Chemicals Limited," said GCPL in a regulatory filing.
 The Godrej Group firm had earlier acquired 75 per cent stake in Canon Chemicals Limited, Kenya,
in 2016.
 Canon Chemicals is a Kenya-based manufacturer of consumer products.
 GCPL is expanding its presence in the African markets and has done substantial acquisitions also in
the past to strengthen its presence in the subcontinent.
 In the last quarter, January-March, GCPL's revenue from Africa (including Strength of Nature)
market was at Rs 484.03 crore.
About Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL)-
 Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) is an Indian consumer goods company based in
Mumbai, India. GCPL's products include soap, hair colourants, toiletries and liquid detergents
 Its brands include 'Cinthol', 'Godrej Fair Glow', 'Godrej No.1' and 'Godrej Shikakai' in soaps, 'Godrej
Powder Hair Dye', 'Renew', 'ColourSoft' in hair colourants and 'Ezee' liquid detergent. GCPL
operates several manufacturing facilities in India spread over seven locations and grouped into
four operating clusters at Malanpur (Madhya Pradesh), Guwahati (Assam), Baddi- Thana (Himachal
Pradesh), Baddi- Katha (Himachal Pradesh), Pondicherry, Chennai and Sikkim.
 Founded - 2001
 Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
 Managing Director– Vivek Gambhir
About Canon Chemicals Ltd.-
 CANON CHEMICALS LIMITED is located in Nairobi, Kenya and is part of the Manufacturing Sector
Industry. CANON CHEMICALS LIMITED has 200 employees at this location and generates $13.91
million in sales (USD). There are 2 companies in the CANON CHEMICALS LIMITED corporate family.
Headquarters - Nairobi, Kenya
Canara Bank launches special gold loan business vertical
 Bengaluru-based Canara Bank, the fourth-largest public sector lender, has launched a special
business vertical dedicated for gold loans.
 The Bank's gold loan products are aimed at providing quick, hassle-free experience for customers
with low interest cost.
 The loans will help the customers with the much-needed liquidity to revive their business activities
and bring back normalcy in their lives, the bank said in a statement.
 The bank has also launched a special gold loan campaign till June 30, 2020 with an interest rate as
low as 7.85% per annum.
 The credit can be utilised for different purposes, such as expenses for agriculture and allied
activities, business needs, health emergencies, and personal needs among others.
 The loan facility can be availed at all designated branches pan India.
 Special Gold Loan products are designed keeping in mind the challenges faced by the customers
affected by Covid-19 pandemic and these products come with lower rate of interest (7.85%
/annum), minimum turnaround time (TAT) and high flexibility to meet their credit needs.
 The loans are payable within a period of one to three years with flexible repayment options.
Canara Bank Gold Loan Schemes-
 Agricultural Operations and crop cultivation activities - This Loan can be availed against gold
ornaments with maximum borrowing limit of Rs 10 lakh for crop cultivation expenses.
 For allied agricultural activities – The loan can be availed to meet the expenses for allied
agriculture activities/land development activities. The maximum limit per borrower is Rs. 20 lakhs.
 OD facility to farmers against Gold-Jewellery (GL-OD) - Overdraft facilities on the security of gold
jewellery to meet the expenses for cultivation of crops which include Cost of seeds, fertilizers,
pesticides, harvesting, charges towards irrigation, labour, and any other production costs, and
also other working capital requirements related to allied agriculture and land development
activities. Minimum limit is Rs 1.60 lakh and maximum limit for crop cultivation OD is Rs 10 lakh,
and allied land-based activity is Rs 20 lakh.
 Personal loan scheme ‘SWARNA LOANS’ can be availed to meet medical expenses, domestic
expenses, business expenses or any unforeseen commitments/ contingencies that may arise. The
maximum permissible limit is Rs.20 Lakhs.
General Atlantic to buy 1.34% stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 6598.38 crore
 Private equity firm General Atlantic is set to invest Rs 6,598.38 crore in Jio Platforms for a 1.34%
stake.
 This will be the fourth investment in the Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) business in rapid succession,
following those by social media major Facebook and private equity funds Silver Lake and Vista
Equity Partners.
 “This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of ₹4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value
of ₹5.16 lakh crore.
 General Atlantic’s investment will translate into a 1.34% equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully
diluted basis ” RIL said in a release.
 Jio Platforms will get a combined ₹67,194.75 crore from the four investments.
 The RIL unit comprises mostly its telecom business under Reliance Jio Infocomm, which is the
largest in the country with more than 388 million subscribers.
 RIL’s other digital properties and investments such as Jio Cinema, Jio Saavn and Haaptik are housed
in Jio Platforms.
About Reliance-
 Corporate Office– Mumbai, Maharashtra

 Chairman & Managing Director(MD)– Mukesh D. Ambani
About General Atlantic-
 Chief Executive Officer(CEO), New York- Bill Ford

 Head of India & Southeast Asia
 Managing Director(MD), Mumbai- Sandeep Naik
NABARD releases Rs 20,500 crore to RRBs & Co-op banks
 The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), on Monday, said it has
extended ₹20,500-crore special liquidity facility to co-operative banks (₹15,200 crore) and Regional
Rural Banks (₹5,300 crore) in various States.
 This is against the ₹5,000 crore lent during the first quarter of the last year, Nabard said in a
statement.
 The special liquidity facility is with a view to augment the resources of the Cooperative banks and
RRBs to enable them to extend credit to farmers for taking up pre-monsoon and kharif (summer
sown crops) 2020 operations.
 FM had mentioned last week that Nabard would extend additional refinance support of ₹30,000
crore for crop loan requirement of Rural Co-operative Banks and RRBs.
 This is over and above the ₹90,000 crore to be provided byNabard through the normal refinance
route during this year.
 This front-loaded on-tap refinance facility to 33 State Co-operative banks, 351 District Co-operative
Banks, and 43 RRBs will be available on tap, based on their lending .
 Nabard said cooperative banks and RRBs have initiated a programme of saturation of KCC (kisan
credit cards) and about 12 lakh new KCC cards have been issued by them during the last two
months.
 A total of 4.2 crore KCCs have been issued by Cooperative banks & RRBs as on 31 March, it added.
 Nabard is a development financial institution, promoting sustainable and equitable agriculture and
rural development.
About NABARD-
Financial Institution in India.The Bank has been entrusted with “matters
activities in Rural areas in India”.
 Foundation – 12 July 1982
 Headquarters – Mumbai
 Chairman – Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
Indian economy to contract 5% in FY21 - Goldman Sachs
 American brokerage Goldman Sachs expects the Indian economy to contract by 5 per cent in FY21,
making it the worst performance by the country ever.
 The brokerage said the GDP will contract by a mind-boggling 45 per cent in the June quarter as
compared to the January-March period on an annualised basis, because of the continuing
lockdown which is chilling economic activity, before recovering later.
 A slew of watchers are expecting a contraction in the Indian economy in FY21, some even after
the ₹20 lakh crore stimulus announced by the government. Goldman was earlier expecting a 0.4
per cent contraction before revising it down to a level it shares with Japanese brokerage Nomura.
 "The -5 per cent growth we forecast for FY21 would be deeper compared to all 'recessions' India
has ever experienced," its analysts wrote in the note.
 The rebound from a quarterly perspective will be very strong in the September quarter, it said,
expecting a 20 per cent growth in GDP over the level of June-end, but added that the same will be
gradual from then on.
 The brokerage also said that the reform measures announced by the government will help growth
only over the medium term and are not expected to have any benefit in the near-term.
 The brokerage also said that the fiscal impact of the stimulus measures announced by the
government is very small at 1.3 per cent of GDP.
 The brokerage said while the slow growth may result in calls for even more stimulus from the
government, the likely help will be smaller as compared with the post 2008 crisis as well because
of the fiscal situation in India.
About Goldman Sachs-
 The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., is an American multinational investment bank and financial
services company.It offers services in investment management, securities, asset
management, prime brokerage, and securities underwriting.
 The bank is one of the largest investment banking enterprises in the world.
 Foundation – 1869
 Headquarters – New York, US
 Chairman & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– David M. Solomon
 Vice Chairman - Richard Gnodde
Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes first bank in India to allow video KYC
 Kotak Mahindra BankNSE 2.62 % on Monday 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, Kotak Mahindra said
in a press release. "
 The video KYC process to onboard new customers will be extended to other products in a phased
manner.
 With Video KYC, verification of documents, signature are completed via a video call with
representative from the bank without any physical interface.
 "In this context, Video KYC can prove to be a game changer where customer verification is
completed from the comfort of one’s home or office without the need for a physical interaction."
 In January 2020, the Reserve Bank of India amended the Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and
introduced the video-based KYC option to onboard customers.
 Kotak is the first bank to integrate the Video KYC process.
About Kotak Mahindra Bank-
 Kotak Mahindra Bank is an Indian private sector bank.Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a banking
licence to Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd., the group's flagship company.
 It offers banking products and financial services for corporate and retail customers in the areas
of personal finance, investment banking, life insurance, and wealth management. As of April 2019,
it is the second largest Indian private sector bank by market capitalization.
 Foundation - February, 2003
 Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
 Chairman– Prakash Apte
 Managing Director & CEO– Uday Kotak
Flipkart ties up with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance for digital motor cover
 Flipkart and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company have partnered to offer a digital motor
insurance policy to customers of the e-commerce major.
 “Consumers can buy this motor-insurance policy using their Flipkart app,”
 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance also offers mobile insurance on Flipkart.
 Tapan Singhel, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance said-
“We are happy to take our partnership forward with them by offering motor insurance as well on
their platform.
 This will not only help us increase our distribution base on this new-age platform, but will also
enable us to offer best in class services to the customers of Flipkart by providing them pertinent
solutions.”
 Ranjith Boyanapalli, Head – Fintech and Payments Group, Flipkart said the company has branched
out to various insurance services for life, health and devices.
 “As the consumer journey on our platform progresses, we want to offer them solutions which are
in their best interest, especially during these testing times.
 With the introduction of motor-insurance, consumers can now get access to a much more
seamless, accessible and flexible insurance solution to safeguard their vehicles,”.
About Flipkart-
 Flipkart Private Limited, Flipkart is an Indian e-commerce company.

 The company initially focused on book sales, before expanding into other product categories such
as consumer electronics, fashion, home essentials & groceries, and lifestyle products.
 Foundation - 2007
 Headquarters– Bengaluru
 Founders– Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal
 CEO– Kalyan Krishnamurthy
About Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company-
 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance is a private general insurance company in India.The company is a
joint venture between Bajaj Finserv Limited (formerly part of Bajaj Auto Limited) owned by the
Bajaj Group of India and Allianz SE, a German financial services company.
 Founded - 2001
 Headquarters - Pune, Maharashtra
 MD & CEO - Tapan Singhel
Reliance Jio gets 5th deal, KKR to invest Rs 11,367 crore for 2.32% stake
 Reliance Industries Limited's (RIL) Jio Platforms Limited, India's leading digital services platform,
on Friday announced the sale of a 2.32 per cent stake in its digital unit to US private equity giant
KKR for Rs 11,367 crore.
 The fifth deal in four weeks that will inject a combined Rs 78,562 crore in the oil-to-telecom
conglomerate to help it pare debt well before its target date.
 This is KKR's largest investment in Asia and will translate into a 2.32 per cent equity stake in Jio
Platforms on a fully diluted basis.
 "This transaction values Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise
value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore.
 The deal follows Facebook picking up a 9.99 per cent stake in the firm, housing India's youngest
but largest telecom company, on April 22 for Rs 43,574 crore.
 Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said: "I am delighted to
welcome KKR, one of the world's most respected financial investors, as a valued partner in our
onward march to growing and transforming the Indian digital ecosystem for the benefit of all
Indians."
 "KKR shares our ambitious goal of building a premier Digital Society in India.
 Henry Kravis, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of KKR, said: "Few companies have the potential to
transform a country's digital ecosystem in the way that Jio Platforms is doing in India, and
potentially worldwide.
 Jio Platforms is a true homegrown next-generation technology leader in India that is unmatched
in its ability to deliver technology solutions and services to a country that is experiencing a digital
revolution."
 Over the last month, leading technology investors, such as, Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista, General
Atlantic and KKR have announced aggregate investments of Rs 78,562 crore into Jio Platforms.
 Jio Platforms, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, is a next-generation technology
platform focused on providing high-quality and affordable digital services across India, with more
than 388 million subscribers.
 Jio's vision is to enable a Digital India for 1.3 billion people and businesses across the country,
including small merchants, micro-businesses and farmers so that all of them can enjoy the fruits of
inclusive growth.
 Founded in 1976, KKR has a long history of building leading global enterprises and successfully
investing in businesses in the technology sector, including BMC Software, ByteDance and GoJek
through its private equity and technology growth funds.
 KKR has invested over $30 billion (total enterprise value) in tech companies, and today the firm's
technology portfolio has more than 20 companies across the Technology, Media and Telecom
sectors.
 Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to Reliance Industries, and AZB & Partners and Davis Polk
& Wardwell acted as legal counsel. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP acted as financial advisor
to KKR. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal
counsel to KKR.
About Jio-
 Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, Jio, is an Indian telecommunications company and subsidiary
of Jio Platforms.It operates a national LTE network with coverage across all 22 telecom circles. It
does not offer 2G or 3G service, and instead uses only voice over LTE to provide voice service on its
4G network.
 Formation - 15 February 2007
 Headquarters - Mumbai, Maharashtra
 Founder and Chairman- Mukesh Ambani
 Managing Director- Sandip Das
About KKR-
 KKR & Co. Inc. (formerly known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and KKR & Co. L.P.) is an
American global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private
equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and, through its strategic partners, hedge funds.
 The firm has completed more than 280 private equity investments in portfolio companies with
approximately $545 billion of total enterprise value as of June 30, 2017.
 Founded - 1976
 Founders- Henry Kravis, George R. Roberts, Jerome Kohlberg Jr.
 Co- Chairman-Henry Kravis
Franklin Templeton appoints Kotak Bank as advisor to wind up 6 schemes
 Franklin Templeton Trustee Services has appointed an independent advisor to monetise the
assets held by the six debt schemes that are being wound up abruptly.
 The decision of the fund house to engage Kotak Mahindra Bank for selling the asset comes on
instructions by market regulator SEBI and pending investor voting results, said Franklin Templeton
in a statement.
 Kotak Mahindra Bank through its Debt Capital Markets team will work closely with the Franklin
Templeton Trustees with all portfolio actions in the six schemes ― Franklin India Low Duration
Fund, Dynamic Accrual, Credit Risk, Short Term Income, Ultra Short Bond and Income
Opportunities Fund.
 "This transaction values Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise
value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore.
 Sanjay Sapre, President, Franklin Templeton – India, said Franklin Templeton is committed to
ensuring an orderly and equitable exit for all investors at the earliest possible time and the tie-up
will ensure an efficient wind-up of these schemes, while preserving maximum value for investors.
 Sujata Guhathakurta, President – Debt Capital Markets, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said the bank is
looking forward to working closely with the Trustees and the AMC to assist them in winding up the
six schemes.
About Franklin Templeton-
 Franklin Resources Inc. is an American multinational holding company that, together with its
subsidiaries, is referred to as Franklin Templeton.
 Headquarters - California
 President & CEO- Jennifer M. Johnson
 Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board– Gregory E. Johnson
 President, India– Sanjay Sapre
IBM ties up with Intellect Design Arena to launch cloud services for banks, financial institutions
 Banking and insurance products company Intellect Design Arena Ltd and IBM have collaborated to
launch Intellect iTurmeric FinCloud on IBM’s public cloud.
 “ITurmeric FinCloud – a cloud-ready, API-first, microservices-based platform – enables banks and
financial institutions to be progressively modernized while ensuring business continuity without
the risk of rip and substitution,” Arun Jain, Wisdom Design Chairman and Managing Director, told
Newspapers at the Virtual Press Meet. He declined to give any numbers citing a quiet period
before the financial results were declared.
 A joint press release stated that IBM is one of the first independent software vendors and
software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers to on-board Intel’s offerings on a public cloud ready for
financial services.
 Arun Jain said that by offering iTurmeric FinCloud on IBM Financial Services ready public cloud,
Intelligent expanded its presence in advanced and emerging economies by introducing innovative
cloud-based solutions to financial institutions to accelerate their digital transformation journey
 “Our collaboration with IBM was a natural progression, helping financial institutions overcome
economic pressures around regulation, security and flexibility.
 IBM’s market penetration and range of services are the perfect complement to our product
expertise.
 Shankar Ramamurthy, GM Strategy and Market Development- Global Industries, Platform and
Blockchain, IBM, said: “By bringing Intelligent’s iTurmeric FinCloud platform to the public cloud
ready for financial services, we are helping drive innovation across the industry.”
About IBM-
 International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational technology

company.
 IBM produces and sells computer hardware, middleware and software, and
provides hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe
computers to nanotechnology.
 Founded - 16 June 1911
 President– Jim Whitehurst.
 Chief Executive Officers (CEO)– Arvind Krishna
Finance Minister exempts B2B firms from using only BHIM, RuPay for accepting payments
 The finance ministry on Wednesday exempted companies with a turnover of over ₹50 crore and
involved in only B2B transactions from the requirement of accepting payments only by electronic
modes like RuPay or BHIM-UPI.
 "It is clarified that the provisions of Section 269SU of the Act shall not be applicable to a specified
person having only B2B transactions (i.e. no transaction with retail customer/consumer) if at least
95% of aggregate of all amounts received during the previous year, including amount received for
sales, turnover or gross receipts, are by any mode other than cash," the CBDT said in a circular.
 To encourage digital transactions and move towards a less-cash economy, the government
inserted a new provision, Section 269SU, in the Finance Act, 2019, requiring a person carrying on
business and having sales/turnover/gross receipts from business of more than ₹50 crore in the
immediately preceding previous year to mandatorily provide facilities for accepting payments
through prescribed electronic modes.
 In December 2019, debit card powered by RuPay; Unified Payments Interface (UPI) (BHIM-UPI);
and Unified Payments Interface Quick Response Code (UPI QR Code) were notified as prescribed
electronic modes.
 The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said it has received representations stating that the
requirement of mandatory facility for payments through the prescribed electronic modes is
generally applicable in B2C (business to consumer) businesses, which directly deal with retail
customers.
 The prescribed electronic modes have a maximum payment limit per transaction or per day they
are not so relevant to the B2B (business-to-business) businesses, which generally receive large
payments through other electronic modes of payment such as NEFT or RTGS.
 Nangia Andersen Consulting Director Shailesh Kumar said that since non installation of such
payment facility attracted a significant penalty of ₹5,000 per day, many businesses were in doubt
and were forced to install such payment facilities, even though such facilities (typically used by
individual customers mostly) were never supposed to be used for such businesses, considering the
nature of business or customer base.
About Ministry of Finance-
 The Ministry of Finance is an important ministry within the Government of India concerned with
the economy of India, serving as the Indian Treasury Department.
 Founded - 29 October 1946
 Minister– Nirmala Sitharaman
Tata Power arm TPIPL acquires 10% equity in ABV; total stake rises to 50%
 Tata Power said its arm Tata Power International Pte Ltd (TPIPL) has acquired 10 per cent stake in
Adjaristsqali Netherlands BV (ABV) from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for USD
150,000 (about Rs 1.13 crore).
 The 10 per cent stake acquisition has increased TPIPL’s shareholding in ABV to 50 per cent.
 “Tata Power International Pte Ltd (TPIPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has
acquired 10 per cent equity stake Adjaristqali Netherlands BV (ABV) from International Finance
Corporation (IFC) for a sum of USD 150,000,” according to a statement by Tata Power.
 This acquisition has been done as per the provisions of the shareholder agreement. After this
acquisition, the company through TPIPL holds 50 per cent stake in ABV.
 ABV owns 100 per cent stake in Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC (AGL), which has developed a 187-
megawatt (MW) hydro project in Georgia at a cost of around USD 500 million.
 It has commissioned 178 MW of the total capacity in March 2020, it stated.
About Tata Power-
 Tata Power Limited is an Indian electric utility company and is part of the Tata Group. The core
business of the company is to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.
 Founded - 18 September 1919
 MD & CEO– Praveen Sinha
 CFO - Ramesh N. Subramanyam
About ABV-
 Headquarters– Amsterdam, Netherlands
 Chairman– Kyrre Olaf Johansen
Monetary Policy Statement, 2020-21 -Released by RBI
 On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation, the Monetary
Policy Committee (MPC) at its meeting today (May 22, 2020) decided to-
 Reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 40 bps to 4.0 per cent
from 4.40 per cent with immediate effect;
 Accordingly, the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate stand reduced to 4.25 per
cent from 4.65 per cent; and
 The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands reduced to 3.35 per cent from 3.75 per cent.
 The MPC also decided to continue with the accommodative stance as long as it is necessary to
revive growth and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, while ensuring that inflation
remains within the target.
 These decisions are in consonance with the objective of achieving the medium-term target for
consumer price index (CPI) inflation of 4 per cent within a band of +/- 2 per cent, while supporting
growth.
 RBI Governor said it is in growth outlook that the MPC judged the risks to be gravest.
 GDP growth in FY21 estimated to remain in negative territory, with some pick-up in H2.
 Top 6 industrialised states accounting for about 60 pc of industrial output largely in red/orange
zones
 High frequency indicators point to collapse in demand beginning in March.
 MPC opined macroeconomic impact of COVID-19 is turning out to be more severe than initially
anticipated
 Various sectors of economy are experiencing acute stress.
 Economic activity other than agriculture likely to remain depressed in Q1 due to lockdown *
Inflation outlook highly uncertain.
 Moratorium on term loan instalments extended by another 3 months till Aug 31, 2020.
 Lending institutions permitted to allow deferment of interest on working capital facilities till Aug
31.
 RBI decides to extend time for completion of remittances against imports from 6 months to 12
months for imports made before July 31.
 RBI extends a line of credit of Rs 15,000 crore to the EXIM Bank.
 Maximum permissible period of export credit increased to 15 months from 12 months.
 RBI announces measures to improve functioning of markets and market participants.
 Forex reserves increase by USD 9.2 bn in 2020-21 (up to May 15) to USD 487 bn.
About RBI-
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India's central bank, which controls the issue and supply of
the Indian rupee. RBI is the regulator of the entire Banking in India. RBI plays an important part in
the Development Strategy of the Government of India.
 RBI regulates commercial banks and non-banking finance companies working in India. It serves as
the leader of the banking system and the money market. It regulates money supply and credit in
the country.
 Formation– 1 April 1935
 Deputy Governors– 4 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, one
is yet to be appointed)
World Bank to rescue with $160-billion aid to 100 nations
 The Covid-19 pandemic is expected to put over 60 million people into extreme poverty globally,
the World Bank has said as it announced emergency operations worth $160 billion in 100
developing countries to fight the deadly virus.
 “The pandemic and shutdown of advanced economies could push as many as 60 million people
into extreme poverty — erasing much of the recent progress made in poverty alleviation,” World
Bank President David Malpass told reporters during a conference call on Tuesday.
 The World Bank Group has moved quickly and decisively to establish emergency response
operations in 100 countries, with mechanisms that allow other donors to rapidly expand the
programmes.
 Of the 100 countries, home to 70 per cent of the world's population, 39 are in Sub-Saharan Africa.
 Nearly one-third of the total projects are in fragile and conflict-affected situations, such as
Afghanistan, Chad, Haiti, and Niger.
 “This represents a significant milestone in the World Bank Group's effort to deploy $160 billion
over a 15-month period.
 The programmes are tailored to the countries to effectively respond to the health, economic and
social shocks that each of them are facing.
 The programmes will reinforce healthcare systems and also help procure vital life-saving medical
equipment and supplies.
About World Bank-
 The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the
governments of poorer countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
 It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD),
and the International Development Association (IDA).
 The World Bank is a component of the World Bank Group.
 Formation - July 1944
 Motto - Working for a World Free of Poverty
 Headquarters - Washington, D.C., U.S.
 Membership - 189 Countries (IBRD), 173 Countries (IDA)
 President– David Malpass
ONGC, NTPC sign MOU to set up joint venture for renewable energy business
 India's top oil and gas producer ONGC and country's biggest electricity generator NTPC have signed
a preliminary agreement to set up a joint venture company for renewable energy projects.
 Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and NTPC Ltd "entered into a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) on May 21, 2020 in New Delhi to formalize this arrangement," ONGC said in a statement.
 The MoU will enable both companies to achieve their respective targets in renewable energy
business.
 "As per the MoU, NTPC and ONGC will explore and set up renewable power assets including
offshore wind, in India and overseas, and explore opportunities in the fields of sustainability,
storage, e-mobility and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) compliant projects,"
 ONGC has a renewable portfolio of 176 MW comprising of 153 MW wind power and 23 MW of
solar plants.
 Through this collaboration with NTPC, ONGC envisages significant growth in its presence in the
renewable power sector.
 ONGC's Energy Strategy 2040 document calls for the company to invest in renewable energy
sources with a target to create 5-10 gigawatts portfolio with a focus on offshore wind power.
 NTPC, with a 920 MW of installed renewable power capacity in its portfolio with about 2,300 MW
of renewable energy projects under construction and aspiring to reach 32 GW by 2032, will benefit
from this tie up by expanding its footprint in offshore wind and overseas renewable energy
projects as well, the statement added.
 The MOU was signed by ONGC Director (Finance) and In-charge Business Development and Joint
Ventures Subhash Kumar and NTPC Director (Commercial) A K Gupta. ONGC Chairman and
Managing Director Shashi Shanker and NTPC head Gurdeep Singh (on virtual conferencing) along
with the directors of two public enterprises witnessed the occasion.
About NTPC-
 NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, is an Indian Public
Sector Undertaking, engaged in the business of generation of electricity and allied activities.It is a
company incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 and is promoted by the Government of
India.
 Founded - 1975
 Chairman & Managing Director – Gurdeep Singh
Directors –AK Gupta(Commercial), AK Gautam(Finance), Dillip Kumar Patel(HR), Ramesh Babu
V(Operations)
About ONGC-
 Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is an Indian Multinational Crude Oil and Gas Corporation. Its
registered office is at New Delhi, India. It is a state-owned enterprise of the Government of India,
under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
 Chairman & Managing Director – Sashi Shanker
 Directors – Subash Kumar (Finance) , Rajesh Kakkar(Offshore), Sanjay Kumar Moitra(Onshore),
Alka Mittal (HR) , Rajesh Kumar Srivastava (Exploration), Om Prakash Singh(T&FS)
IRDAI permits Union Bank to continue with IndiaFirst stake
 Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has approved Union Bank of
India's proposal to continue with its 30% holding in IndiaFirst Life Insurance with the caveat that
the lender will exercise no control in the management of the insurer.
 The bank was earlier expected to divest either the entire stake in IndiaFirst Life Insurance, or a
sizable part of it, as IRDAI guidelines prohibit a lender to own more than 10% stake in two
insurance companies.
 The public sector lender in addition to its 25.1% stake in Star Union Dai-Chi Life, also received a
promoter stake in IndiaFirst Life Insurance in April previously held by Andhra Bank following its
‘mega’ consolidation on April 1 with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank.
 IRDAI approval, the state owned lender has now been allowed to carry on with its promoter
holding in the two insurers at least in FY21 under the condition that "arrangements are made to
remove conflict of interest."
 This can be achieved by the Union Bank exercising no management control in IndiaFirst Life
Insurance as well as appointing separate directors to be on the board or IndiaFirst and Star Union
Dai-Chi, as per a letter sent by IRDAI to a top official at the bank.
 "The authority (IRDAI) has no objection...(for UBI) to hold existing shares of the erstwhile Andhra
Bank in IndiaFirst Life Insurance for a period of 12 months following the merger," according to the
letter.
 "As the present situation has arisen from the merger of three banks, the Authority would permit
UBI and insurers promoted by it a period of one year to reorganize the arrangements to remove
conflict of interest issues which have arisen from the merger."
 Bank of Baroda is the biggest shareholder in India First Life Insurance with 44% stake. Camel Point
Investments, a Mauritius based company owned by private equity investor Warburg Pincus has the
remaining 26% share.
About IRDAI-
 The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India is an autonomous, statutory body
tasked with regulating and promoting the insurance and re-insurance industries in India.
 Founded - 1999
 Headquarters - Hyderabad
 Chairman – Subhash Chnadra Khuntia
About IndiaFirst Life Insurance-
 IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company is a life insurance company in India. It started as a joint venture
between two of India's public sector banks – Bank of Baroda and Andhra Bank, and UK's financial
and investment company Legal & General.
 Founded - November 2009
 MD & CEO– RM Vishakha
About UBI-
 Union Bank of India (UBI) is one of the largest government-owned banks of India. After the
amalgamation with Corporation Bank and Andhra Bank, which came into effect on 1 April 2020,
the amalgamated entity becomes the fourth largest bank in terms of branch network and fifth
largest in terms of business.
 Founded - 11 November 1919
 Chairman & Part time Non-Official Director- Kewal Handa
 Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Rajkiran Rai G.
Airtel acquires 10% stake in AI startup Voicezen
 Bharti Airtel has acquired 10 per cent stake in Gurgaon-based start-up Voicezen, which focusses on
conversational artificial intelligence technologies, in an all-cash deal, the private operator said.
 The stake purchase will give Bharti Airtel preferred access to Voicezen's technologies, which can be
deployed across its customer touch points in multiple languages, Airtel said in a statement without
disclosing the amount it paid for buying the stake.
 The acquisition has been made by the company under its fast expanding Airtel Startup Accelerator
Programme, the company noted.
 "AI is a big focus area for Airtel given the deep positive impact the technology can have in
transforming customer experience. Voicezen has built some promising products that are very
relevant for a market like India. We look forward to partnering them in scaling these innovative
'Made in India, for India' applications," Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer - Bharti Airtel said.
 The mega-trend will be driven by surging demand for AI powered customer support services and
omni-channel deployment and increasing customer engagement through social media platforms
and integration of advanced AI capabilities will offer massive opportunities.
 The investment will give Airtel preferred access to Voicezen's technologies, which can be deployed
across its customer touch points in multiple languages.
 These intelligent solutions will offer real time analytics and insights to make Airtel's conversations
with its customers.
 "Our partnership with Airtel helps us solve these challenges. With this strategic investment, we will
work even more closely with them to continuously improve our AI models and build out an
enterprise-grade, battle-hardened product that will make customer interactions more efficient,
especially in this post-COVID-19 world where business operations are facing large disruptions".
 Airtel acquired 10 per cent stake in the company in an all-cash transaction basis and the deal is
expected to close by May 30.
About Bharti Airtel Limited-
 Bharti Airtel Limited, also known as Airtel, is an Indian global telecommunications services
company based in New Delhi, India. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, and
also in the Channel Islands.
 CEO & MD – Gopal Vittal(India and South Asia)
 COO – Ajay Puri
 Global CIO – Harmeen Mehta (Head of Digital)
CCI approves Nuvoco Vistas acquisition of Emami Cement
 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved acquisition of 100% of the total issued
and paid up share capital of Emami Cement Limited (ECL), on a fully diluted basis, by Nuvoco
Vistas Corporation Limited (NVCL).
 The proposed combination pertains to the acquisition of 100% of the total issued and paid up
share capital of Emami Cement Limited (“ECL”), on a fully diluted basis by Nuvoco Vistas
Corporation Limited (“NVCL”).
 NVCL is a Nirma promoter group company and currently operates cement manufacturing units in
the states of (i) Chhattisgarh, (ii) Jharkhand, (iii) West Bengal, (iv) Rajasthan and (v) Haryana.
 It is stated to be engaged in the businesses of manufacturing and sale of variety of grey cements
including Portland Pozzolana cement, Portland Slag cement and Ordinary Portland cement.
 It is also engaged in the sale of certain other value-added products like construction chemicals,
wall putty, and cover blocks.
 ECL is a part of the Emami group and owns and operates cement manufacturing units in the states
of (i) West Bengal, (ii) Chhattisgarh, (iii) Bihar and (iv) Odisha. It is stated to be engaged in the
manufacturing and sale of variety of grey cements including Portland Pozzolana cement, Portland
Slag cement, Ordinary Portland cement and plain cement concrete i.e. composite cement. It also
manufactures and sells small quantities of clinker and ground granulated blast furnace slag.
 Taking forward its commitment to buy Emami Cement, Nuvoco Vistas had deposited Rs 250 crore
in an escrow account in March 2020 as break fee.
 The Emami group and Nuvoco had signed a deal to open the account with Kotak Bank. The amount
was being paid to show ‘Nuvoco’s commitment’ to finalise the agreement, which it signed with
Emami in February 2020 for acquisition of the cement assets.
About NVCL-
 Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. (formerly Lafarge India Limited) has been a part of the Indian
construction landscape since 1999. We operate across two broad business divisions: Cement and
its value added services; and Ready Mix Concrete (RMX) & Aggregates; and place the customer at
the heart of all our endeavours.
 Founded - 1999
 Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
 Chairman– Hiren Patel
About ECL -
 Founded - 1974
 Registered Office– Kolkata, West Bengal
 Whole-time Director and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Vivek Chawla
Maruti Suzuki ties up with Cholamandalam Investment & Finance; launches 'Buy-Now-Pay-Later Offer'
 The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Friday announced partnership with
Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Company Ltd to provide customised auto retail financing
solutions to retail buyers.
 The new solution 'Buy-Now-Pay-Later Offer' is aimed to provide customers with easy financing
options, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI).
 Under the partnership, the companies are also offering a two-month deferment of Equated
Monthly Installment (EMI) to car customers who currently are under resource crunch amidst the
COVID-19 pandemic.
 The new solution will allow customers to start paying the EMIs after 60 days of loan disbursement.
The offer is available on select Maruti Suzuki models and will be applicable on loan disbursement
till June 30, 2020.
 Commenting on the partnership, MSI Executive Director (Marketing & Sales) Shashank Srivastava
said, "it is aimed to offer comfort to buyers who may have faced liquidity crunch during the COVID-
19 lockdown. I am sure that the "Buy-Now-Pay-Later Offer" will encourage customers towards car
purchase without putting immediate extra pressure on their pockets."
 "This partnership will give us a strong foothold in the car financing space, with our 1,094 branches
spread across semi urban and rural markets,"
 Customers can also avail higher loan to value, up to 90 per cent of on-road funding and opt for
longer repayment tenure.
 With Maruti Suzuki's vast network of 3,086 new car retail outlets across 1,964 cities and towns and
Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Company's extensive branch presence across the country,
the offer is expected to benefit many customers.
About Maruti Suzuki India-
 Maruti Suzuki India Limited, formerly known as Maruti Udyog Limited, is an automobile
manufacturer in India. It is a 56.21% owned subsidiary of the Japanese car and motorcycle
manufacturer Suzuki Motor Corporation.
 Founded- 1981
 Managing Director & CEO- Kenichi Ayukawa
About Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company (CIFCL)-
 Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited is a financial and investment service
provider in India. It is headquartered in Chennai and has 1029 branches across the country. It is
one of the 28 businesses under the Murugappa Group.
 Founded- 1978
 Headquarters– Chennai, Tamil Nadu
 Managing Director– Arun Alagappan
ICICI Bank introduces special FD scheme for senior citizens with higher interest
 ICICI Bank has introduced a special fixed deposit (FD) scheme for senior citizens called ‘ICICI Bank
Golden Years FD’.
 'ICICI Bank Golden Years FD’ scheme offers senior citizens an interest rate of 6.55% per annum for
deposits up to ₹2 crore with a tenure of more than five years to 10 years.
 “We at ICICI Bank have always valued our relationship with senior citizens. We know that FD
interest is a key source of income for a large section of senior citizens.
 Keeping this in mind, we are offering higher interest rates to them through the new scheme, even
in the declining interest rate regime, as a mark of our respect to them,"Pranav Mishra, Head –
Liabilities Group, ICICI Bank.
Five things to know about ICICI Bank's special FD scheme for senior citizens-
 The scheme is available from May 20 to September 30, 2020.
 It offers 80 basis points (bps) more than what is applicable to general public for the same deposit
amount and tenor.
 Resident senior citizens can avail the benefit of this scheme for new FDs as well as renewal of old
FDs.
 Resident senior citizens get the convenience of higher interest rate on FDs with a tenure of 5 years
1 days to 10 years. This is applicable on a single FD amounting to less than Rs. 2 crore.
 The customers can avail a loan against their FD up to 90% of principal and accrued interest. They
can also apply for a credit card against their FD from the Bank.
About ICICI Bank-
 ICICI Bank Limited is an Indian multinational banking and financial services company,It offers a
wide range of banking products and financial services for corporate and retail customers through a
variety of delivery channels and specialised subsidiaries in the areas of investment
banking, life, non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management.
 Founded- 5 January 1994
 Headquarter - Mumbai
 Managing Director & CEO- Sandeep Bakhshi
 Chairman - Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
Edelweiss General Insurance Launches app based pay-as-you-use motor insurance
 Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI), announced the launch of an innovative, app-based Motor OD
floater policy – Edelweiss SWITCH. This driver-based motor insurance policy, launched under
IRDAI’s Regulatory Sandbox, allows vehicle owners to SWITCH their motor insurance ON and OFF,
based on usage and covers multiple vehicles under a single policy.
 What differentiates Edelweiss SWITCH from other Motor OD policies, is that it is driver-based
insurance, where the insurance is calculated on the age and experience of the driver.
 Edelweiss SWITCH uses a pay-as-you-use model that allows the customer to pay the premium only
on the days they use the vehicle, offering significant cost savings and convenience.
 Customers can use the app to SWITCH their policy cover ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’, depending on whether
they are driving that day. Also, while the policy covers accidental damage when it is switched on,
vehicles will be covered 24/7/365 against fire and theft, even if the policy is switched off at that
time, since these incidents can happen even if the vehicle is not being driven.
 Shanai Ghosh, ED & CEO, Edelweiss General Insurance, said, “At Edelweiss General Insurance, our
focus has always been to create simple and innovative products that are relevant and provide
tangible value to our customers.
 Edelweiss SWITCH has been developed with the specific needs of today’s customer in mind, where
you may not use your vehicle regularly or may choose to alternate between your car and two-
wheeler.
 This Driver Based Insurance will mean lower premiums for policyholders, as they will only pay as
per usage.In addition to this, being able to cover multiple vehicles under one policy will add to the
savings, especially for those customers who own multiple vehicles.”
 IRDAI’s Sandbox platform is a welcome and progressive move, to encourage creation of innovative
solutions for customers.
 Under this, nine GI players were given approval for products under the “Pay as you use” model. Of
these, only three players, including Edelweiss General Insurance, have been given an approval for
motor floater products.
 The “Pay as you use” model is expected to change the erstwhile industry standard of determining
premium for Motor OD (by age, make and model of the vehicle), to premiums based on usage and
driving experience.
About Edelweiss General Insurance-
 ICICI Bank Limited is an Indian multinational banking and financial services company,It offers a
banking, life, non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management.
 Founded- 1995
 Executive Director & CEO – Shanai Ghosh
 Chief Financial Officer(CFO) – Jitendra Attra
India's crude steel output slips 65% to 3.13 MT in April 2020 - World Steel report
 India's crude steel output declined over 65 per cent to 3.13 million tonnes (MT) during April,
according to the World Steel Association.
 The government imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 25 to prevent the spread of the
coronavirus pandemic which has impacted production, demand and supply of steel in India.
 The country had produced 9.02 MT of crude steel during the same month a year ago, the World
Steel Association (worldsteel) said in a report.
 India had posted a 14 per cent decline in steel output at 8.65 MT in March as compared with 10.04
MT in March 2019.
 Global steel output also declined 13 per cent to 137.09 MT as compared with 157.67 MT in April
2019.
 "Due to the ongoing difficulties presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, many of this month's (April)
figures are estimates that may be revised with next month's production update," the global
industry body said.
 China, which had for the first time in many months reported a 1.7 per cent fall in its output in
March at 78.97 MT, has started showing growth in production, the data showed.
 The country, which has a sizeable share in global output, produced 85.03 MT steel in April, a
marginal rise of 0.2 per cent as compared with 84.87 MT in the corresponding month of 2019.
 US produced 4.96 MT of crude steel in April, 32 per cent lower than 7.35 MT in the year-ago
month.
 Japan registered a 23 per cent fall in crude steel production at 6.61 MT in April 2020 as against
8.64 MT in April 2019.
 South Korea produced 5.50 MT crude steel, down 8.4 per cent from 6 MT in April 2019.
 In the EU, worldsteel said, Germany estimated 3 MT of crude steel production in April 2020, down
10.7 per cent from April 2019. Italy's production was down by 30.7 per cent at 1.35 MT.
 France estimated 0.80 MT of crude steel production in April 2020, a 37.9 per cent decrease
compared to April 2019.
 Spain produced 0.67 MT of crude steel in April 2020, down 48 per cent from April 2019.
 Russia estimated 4.70 MT of crude steel production in April 2020, Ukraine produced 1.33 MT, while
Brazil produced 1.81 MT.
About World Steel Association-
 World Steel Association, often abbreviated as worldsteel, is the international trade body for the
iron and steel industry. The association is one of the largest and most dynamic industry
associations in the world, with members in every major steel-producing country.
 Headquarters–Brussels, Belgium
 Director General– Dr Edwin Basson
Fintech startup Zaggle ties up with Visa for innovative payments solutions for SMEs
 Fintech startup Zaggle said that it has partnered with payments technology major Visa to launch
innovative payment solutions for SMEs and startups.
 Under this partnership, both the companies will jointly create solutions for small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) and startups to improve productivity, efficiency and automate processes and
reduce costs along with focusing on easy and faster credit through a unique card which will have
forex, prepaid along with credit, Zaggle said in a statement.
 Zaggle will leverage Visa's expertise in the payments space to co-create and build new solutions for
SMEs and will also be able to acquire new customers and merchants and get the latter's support
for newer technological innovations and ideas.
 "This partnership will help us expand our services and client base who need to improve
automation and digitise spends to bring in more transparency. In addition to this, our collaboration
focuses on improving the working capital management of SMEs who are in dire need of a payment
instrument that will help them optimize and improve cash flows for all their business expenses,”
 The platform adds over 600 SMEs every month, he said adding that with special focus on SMEs in
the country which have been hardest hit due to this pandemic, it will be benefitted with a credit
line, digitised spend and ability to borrow more by being able to show more digital transactions.
 "SMEs remain the backbone of our economy. Now more than ever before, it has become more
important for SMEs to assess how to best digitise their businesses,"
 One such innovation is the 'Founders Card', a credit card, which Zaggle is planning to launch
founders and CEOs of SMEs and startups in the next 45-60 days.
 Zaggle currently works with more than 3,000 large customers and will open this platform to a
million SMEs and has recently announced free Zaggle SAVE Do-it-Yourself (DIY) AI Powered
Expense Management Solution for SMEs along with other cutting-edge API Banking products.
About Visa-
 Visa Inc. is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Foster City,
California, United States. It facilitates electronic funds transfers throughout the world, most
commonly through Visa-branded credit cards, debit cards and prepaid cards.
 Founded - 1958
 Founder - Dee Hock
 Headquarters–Foster City, California, United States
 Chairman and CEO- Alfred F. Kelly, Jr.
About Zaggle -
 Zaggle is a payments company with a focus on businesses and corporates. Zaggle designs
proprietary tech platforms that connect corporate and group consumer requirements with
merchants who have the best-suited solutions for them.
 Founded - 2011
 Headquarters - Hyderabad
 Founder & Chairman– Raj N Phani
 Managing Director & CEO– Avinash Godkhindi
DRDO Develops 'AINA' AI-based Contact-less Attendance System Requiring Minimal Upgrade
 The Research Centre Imarat (RCI), DRDO has successfully developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI)
based Attendance Application (AINA), which allows non-contact based personnel verification using
facial features of a person captured with the help of a low cost camera.
 According to an official release, with the Covid-19 pandemic making it unsafe to use contact based
biometric verification for attendance marking systems, the RCI had developed AINA to circumvent
this problem.
 AINA can be deployed with minimal up-gradation to the legacy attendance infrastructure with
radio frequency identification reader (RFID) readers.
 It can be installed on a normal desktop computer with a GPU based display adapter.
 Existing CCTV cameras can be utilised for capturing facial images. Facial features of several
thousands of employees can be stored in the computer since for each employee the facial features
are encoded in a small (less than 25 KB) file.
 The system is fully scalable since the time for identification and verification for each person
remains constant even as the number of registered personnel increases, according to the release.
 The system is fully scalable since the time for identification and verification for each person
remains constant even as the number of registered personnel increases, according to the release.
 The server storing the facial feature database is confined to the organization premises. AINA has a
light-weight installation process. AINA comes with a very intuitive and user-friendly GUI with audio
prompts which can be optionally disabled.
About DRDO-
 The Defence Research and Development Organisation is an agency of the Government of India,
charged with the military's research and development.
 Founded - 1958
 Headquarters–New Delhi
 Minister - Rajnath Singh
 Chairman - Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
LIC launches modified PM Vaya Vandana Yojana
 The finance ministry modified PM Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) pension scheme for senior
citizens, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched the non-linked, non-participating,
pension plan subsidized by the Centre.
 The finance ministry had recently extended the pension plan till 31 March, 2023 with assured
interest rate of 7.40% p.a. for FY 2020-21.
 This plan will be available for sale commencing from Tuesday for three financial years — up to
March 2023, LIC said in a statement, adding that the scheme can be purchased offline as well as
online from LIC website. LIC is solely authorised to run the scheme that offers a total payout not
exceeding ₹15 lakh.
 The policy has a 10-year tenure and for policies sold in the first financial ending March 2021, the
scheme will provide an assured rate of return of 7.40% per annum, but will be payable monthly for
the entire duration of 10 years.
 Senior citizens can draw a minimum pension of ₹1,000 per month depending on the amount
invested in the scheme. The maximum pension amount is limited at ₹10,000 per month.
 For policies sold during the next two financial years, the applicable assured rate of interest will be
reviewed and decided at the beginning of each financial year by government.
 The minimum investment has also been revised to ₹1,56,658 for pension of ₹12,000 per annum
and ₹1,62,162 for getting a minimum pension amount of ₹1000 per month under the scheme.
 The minimum purchase price for monthly mode is ₹1,62,162, ₹1,61,074 for quarterly
pension, ₹1,59,574 for half-yearly mode and ₹1,56,658 for yearly mode.
 The maximum pension one can get under this scheme will be ₹9,250 per month, ₹27,750 per
quarter, ₹55,500 half-yearly and ₹1,11,000 on annual payout basis, LIC said.
 Total amount of purchase price under all the policies under this plan and all the policies taken
under earlier versions of the scheme allowed to a senior citizen shall not exceed ₹15 lakh.
 The scheme can be purchased by a lump sum purchase price and the pensioner has the option to
choose either the amount of pension or the purchase price. At the time of buying the scheme, the
pensioner can choose monthly/quarterly/half yearly or yearly mode of pension.
 On survival of the pensioner during the policy term, pension in arrears (at the end of each period
as per mode chosen) shall be payable, LIC said, adding that on death of the pensioner during the
policy-term, the purchase price shall be refunded to the nominee/legal heirs.
 If the pensioner lives through the policy term, the purchase price and the final pension installment
shall be payable.
 The policy also allows loan up to 75% of purchase price after three policy years.
 The scheme also allows for premature exit for treatment of any critical/terminal illness of self or
spouse and the surrender value payable shall be 98% of the purchase price.
About LIC-
 Life Insurance Corporation of India is an Indian state-owned insurance group and investment
corporation owned by the Government of India.
 Founded - 1 September
 Founder– Government of India
 Chairman– M R Kumar
Maruti Suzuki partners ICICI Bank to offer retail financing schemes to customers
 The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Tuesday said it has joined hands with
ICICI Bank to offer retail financing schemes to its customers.
 ICICI Bank is offering flexi EMI scheme which enables customers to pay low EMI initially, in order to
help them overcome the liquidity stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the automajor said in a
statement.
 The EMI amount starts from Rs 899 on a loan of Rs 1 lakh for first three months. The bank is also
offering similar other EMI plans for MSI customers.
 With Maruti Suzuki's over 3,000 outlets and ICICI Bank's extensive network of over 5,380
branches across India, the offer will definitely benefit the customers of all profiles who are willing
to buy a car.
 "While fighting the prevailing COVID-19 crisis, we also need to help customers with attractive auto
retail financial solutions," MSI Executive Director (M&S) Shashank Srivastava said.
 He added that low down payment, low EMI products will definitely help aspiring customers to have
their own personal mobility solution. "We believe the association with ICICI Bank for providing
attractive and lucrative financing solutions will definitely benefit our customers,"
About Maruti Suzuki-
 Maruti Suzuki India Limited, formerly known as Maruti Udyog Limited, is an automobile
manufacturer in India. It is a 56.21% owned subsidiary of the Japanese car and motorcycle
manufacturer Suzuki Motor Corporation.As of July 2018, it had a market share of 53% of the Indian
passenger car market.
 Founded - 1981
 Founder– Sanjay Gandhi
 Chairman– R.C. Bhargava
 Manging Director & CEO -Kenichi Ayukawa
About ICICI-
 ICICI Bank Limited is an Indian multinational banking and financial services company.It offers a
banking, life, non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. The bank has a network of
5,275 branches and 15,589 ATMs across India and has a presence in 17 countries.
 Founded - 5 January 1994
 Chairman - Sandeep Bakhshi
 Manging Director & CEO - Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
Airtel group ties up with Mastercard for farmers, SMEs
 Airtel Payments Bank (APBL) has partnered with Mastercard to develop customized products
catering to customers across the underbanked spectrum including farmers, small and medium
enterprises and retail customers.
 As part of the Government''s vision of Digital India and Banking for every Indian, both entities have
been working towards driving adoption of formal banking and digital payments in the country.
 The collaboration will bring together Mastercard''s global and local experience in developing
advanced financial solutions and Airtel Payments Bank''s strong distribution network to reach the
last mile and its large customer base.
 The collaboration aims at building a digital platform which provides farmers with knowledge about
advanced farming techniques and connection to marketplaces, while simultaneously enabling
them to receive payments directly in their Airtel Payments Bank account.
 Combined with 500,000 banking points of Airtel Payments Bank, the platform will provide farmers
with access to neighbourhood banking, earnings stability and income growth. This will be a
significant move towards building a cashless economy.
 Both partners will also work together to create customized solutions for millions of small
businesses across the country. These solutions will empower small and medium scale enterprises,
who have limited access to finance, to make assisted payments, manage their financial &
transactional processes, and also avail working capital in these times of crisis.
 Finally, Airtel Payments Bank and Mastercard will work together to create differentiated card
solutions, including solutions for contact less payments via NFC (Near Field Communication) for
customers and merchants.
 Anubrata Biswas, MD and CEO, Airtel Payments Bank said "we aim to create products that will
motivate customers to adapt formal banking behaviour and start opting for digital payments.These
solutions will be an addition to our existing differentiated bouquet of easy, accessible and
convenient banking and payment solutions to serve the underserved and unbanked population."
 Airtel Payments Bank has been working with Mastercard for last three years to offer Mastercard
powered debit cards to its savings bank account customers in the country.
About Airtel Payment Bank-
 Airtel Payments Bank is a public limited company with its headquarters in New Delhi, India. The
company is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel. It is the first company in India to receive a payments bank
license from the Reserve Bank of India and it became the first live payments bank in the country.
 Founded - January 2017
 MD & CEO– Anubrata Biswas
About MasterCard-
 Mastercard Incorporated is an American multinational financial services corporation

headquartered in the Mastercard International Global Headquarters in Purchase, New York, United
States. The Global Operations Headquarters is located in O'Fallon, Missouri, United States, a
municipality of St. Charles County, Missouri.
 Founded - 1979 (As a MasterCard)
 President & CEO - Ajaypal Singh Banga
 Chairman - Richard Haythornthwaite
REC ties up with TajSATS to provide meals to frontline healthcare workers
 Power sector financier REC Limited is spearheading the mission to feed the medical staff in key
government hospitals as well as poor daily wage labourers across the nation, through collaborative
efforts.
 REC Foundation, the CSR arm of REC Limited, has partnered with TajSATS (a joint venture of IHCL
and SATS Ltd) to distribute specially-made nutritious meal packets for medical staff in Safdarjung
Hospital, New Delhi.
 Every day, 300 food packets are being delivered as a gesture of gratitude to the frontline
healthcare warriors of New Delhi. Over 18,000 meals will be d elivered in New Delhi through this
initiative.
 REC in collaboration with various district authorities, NGOs and electricity distribution companies
(DISCOMS) is already providing cooked meals and ration to the needy across the nation.
 This initiative was started when the country went under a nation-wide lockdown and will continue
till the norms last.
 As of May 24, 2020, the corporation has distributed more than 4.58 lacs kilograms of food grains,
1.26 lac meal packets, 9600 litres of sanitizers, 3,400 PPE kits and 83,000 masks.
 REC Limited (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) is a Navratna NBFC focusing on
Power Sector Financing and Development across India. It provides financial assistance across the
power-sector value chain. Apart from this, REC is also the nodal agency for Govt. of India flagship
schemes in t he Power sector like Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Saubhag ya.
About REC-
 REC Limited, formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, is a public Infrastructure Finance
Company in India’s power sector. The company is a Public Sector Undertaking and finances and
promotes rural electrification projects across India.
 Chief Manging Director– Ajeet Kumar Agarwal
About TajSATS-
 Headquarter– New Delhi

 Chief Operating Officer (COO)– Sagar Dighe
India’s GDP Growth Rate Seen At 1.2% For Q4 FY20 - SBI Report
 The country’s GDP is estimated to have grown at 1.2% in the last quarter of the previous fiscal as
economic activity came to a standstill in the last week of March due to the nationwide lockdown to
contain spread of COVID-19.
 According to the SBI’s research report — Ecowrap - the gross domestic product (GDP) growth is
likely to be 4.2% for FY20 and (-) 6.8% for FY21.
 The fourth quarter GDP growth number for FY20 will be announced by the National Statistical
Office (NSO) on May 29.
 In the third quarter of FY20, GDP growth slipped to a nearly seven-year low of 4.7%. In Q1 and Q2
of FY20, GDP growth was 5.1% and 5.6%, respectively.
 We believe that Q4 (FY20) GDP growth would be around 1.2% as the economic activity in the last
seven days of March month was completely suspended due to the nationwide lockdown, the
research report said.
 The report sees a loss of at least Rs 1.4 lakh crore during those seven days of lockdown.
 Subsequently, the annual FY20 GDP growth would be around 4.2% as compared to 5% as it was
projected earlier, the report said.
 It estimates FY21 GDP growth to be around (-) 6.8% and gross value added (GVA) growth would be
nearly (-) 3.1%.
 The loss is maximum (around 50%) in red zones and where almost all the big districts of the
country are located. The combined loss of orange and red zones is around 90% of total loss.
 State-wise analysis indicates that top 10 states accounted for 75% of total GDP loss with
Maharashtra contributing 15.6% of total loss followed by Tamil Nadu (9.4%) and Gujarat (8.6%).
 Based on the current 7-day moving average of new cases witnessed in the country, we believe that
new cases are likely to peak somewhere in the last week of June, beginning June 20, the report
said.
 The new cases are expected to witness steep fall till the beginning of August after which it is
expected to gradually reduce to flatten by mid-September.
About SBI-
 The State Bank of India is an Indian multinational, public sector banking and financial services
statutory body. It is a government corporation statutory body headquartered in Mumbai,
Maharashtra. SBI is ranked as 236th in the Fortune Global 500 list of the world's biggest
corporations of 2019.
 Chairman– Rajnish Kumar
OLA Electric Acquires EV Maker ETERGO, Likely to Bring AppScooter to India in 2021
 Ola Electric acquired the Netherlands-based Etergo BV, an innovative electric scooter company
known for its award-winning AppScooter for an undisclosed sum, and announced its foray into the
premium electric two-wheeler market, both globally and nationally.
 Aiming to launch its global electric two-wheeler in India in 2021, Ola Electric is currently running
several pilots to deploy electric vehicles and charging solutions across cities with a focus on two
and three wheelers, and aims to build a suite of electric and smart urban mobility solutions for
citizens.
 "With electric, digitally connected capabilities, two-wheelers will further emerge as the most
preferred urban mobility paradigm around the world and empower every consumer. We look
forward to building the best global capabilities in engineering, design, and manufacturing for these
products to be made here in India," explained Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Ola
Electric.
 Founded in 2014, Etergo has developed an all-electric state-of-the-art AppScooter, which has won
multiple awards across the world for its innovative design and engineering.
 First revealed in 2018, the AppScooter uses swappable high energy density batteries to deliver a
range up to 240 kms and class-leading acceleration.
 "We are looking forward to joining Ola Electric and together, reimagining electric mobility to
transform the way the world moves!" said Bart Jacobsz Rosier, Co-founder and CEO, Etergo BV.
 With European design, strong engineering collaboration and Indian manufacturing and supply
chain, Ola Electric said it aims to transform the over 100 million-strong global two-wheeler market,
including more than 20-million Indian two-wheeler market, into a clean energy, digital future.
 The company has plans to set up extensive charging and swapping networks around the country.
 This acquisition will further bolster Ola Electric''s strong engineering and design capabilities with
the Etergo team''s extensive vehicle development experience with leading automotive companies
like Tesla, General Motors, Ferrari, Jaguar, and BMW.
 Etergo''s team will continue to be based out of Amsterdam as they join Ola Electric.
 Ola Electric is working with India''s leading power distribution companies towards developing a
conducive EV ecosystem through the establishment of battery swapping and charging stations in
New Delhi.
 Backed by several global investors including ride hailing major Ola, Ola Electric has also inducted
renowned automobile industry veterans like BVR Subbu and Jaime Ardila to its board who bring in
their deep industry expertise and global mobility experience.
About Ola Electric-
 Ola launched its first electric vehicle project in Nagpur on 26th May, 2017. This was inaugurated by
Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble
Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways & Shipping, in the presence of key dignitaries and
thousands of citizens in Nagpur. The project includes electric cabs, electric auto rickshaws, electric
buses, rooftop solar installations, charging stations, and battery swapping experiments.
 Chairman– Bhavish Aggarwal
 Headquarter– Bengaluru, Karnataka
About Etergo BV-
 Co-founder and CEO– Bart Jacobsz Rosier

 Headquarter– Amsterdam, Netherlands
NCLT approves sale of IL&FS stake in GIFT City to Gujarat govt
 The Principal Bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved the stake sale of
IL&FS in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Company Limited (GIFTCL) to the Government of
Gujarat.
 The crisis-ridden IL&FS holds 50 per cent stake in GIFTCL. Notwithstanding the liability of GIFTCL,
the Gujarat Government has agreed to pay positive equity value of 100 per cent of the IL&FS stake
in GIFTCL, by which, the positive equity value of over Rs 32.70 crore will come to IL&FS.
 In its order the tribunal said that the applicant, IL&FS had submitted that the sale resolution has
been conducted to ensure a fair resolution upholding the key principles of the value maximisation,
commercial viability and financial stability for all stakeholders.
 IL&FS also submitted in order to facilitate and implement the sale or resolution process ofa GIFTCL,
an amount of Rs 61,84,403 is excluded as resolution process costs incurred for meeting various
expenditures, other applicable taxes from the sale proceeds of its shareholding in GIFTCL to the
state government.
 "In view of the relief sought by the applicant, this bench hereby approved that sale of shares of
GIFTCL held by IL&FS to Governor of State of Gujarat/Gujarat Urban Development Company
Limited shall be free and clear from all encumbrances, liens, security interest and third party claims
(including any statutory or tax claims) upon receipt of sale consideration from GUDC,"
 That sale consideration payable to IL&FS excluding resolution process costs shall be credited into a
designated escrow account intimated to the infrastructure lending group and such funds shall be
maintained as interest bearing fixed deposits.
 The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) had permitted green entities to continue in
accordance with the resolution framework subject to the supervision of the Justice (Retd.) D.K.
Jain. Since GIFTCL has been classified as a "Green" entity, IL&FS has commenced the resolution
process of GIFTCL.
 The Principal bench of NCLT also permitted IL&FS to withdraw a sum of Rs 3 crore from the escrow
account opened to keep sale consideration for meeting the additional process resolution costs that
may arise, after approval by the Board of Directors appointed by the tribunal.
About Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services-
 Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited is an Indian infrastructure development and
finance company. It operates through more than 250 subsidiaries including IL&FS Investment
managers, IL&FS financial services and IL&FS Transportation networks India Limited.
 Chairman– Uday Kotak
ITC to acquire 100% equity of Sunrise Foods by share purchase agreement
 ITC share price added nearly 5 percent in early trade on May 26 after the company said it is going
to acquire 100 percent stake in Sunrise Foods.
 ITC has entered into a share purchase agreement (SPA) on May 23, 2020 to acquire 100 percent of
the equity share capital of Sunrise Foods Private Limited (SFPL), a company primarily engaged in
the business of spices under the trademark ‘Sunrise’, subject to fulfilment of various terms and
conditions as specified in the SPA, as per company release.
 Sunrise is a market leader in eastern India in the spices category with a legacy of over 70 years.
 The proposed acquisition will augment the company’s product portfolio and is aligned to ITC’s
aspiration to significantly scale up its Spices business and expand its footprint across the country.
 Credit Suisse has maintained neutral call with a target at Rs 190 per share.
 According to Credit Suisse, the Sunrise acquisition is an excellent fit for ITC's strengths and it is
likely to be the largest FMCG purchase done by company.
 The ITC’s Aashirvaad range of spices is popular in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and it is one of
India’s leading producers and exporters of high-quality spices.
About ITC-
 ITC Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Kolkata, West
Bengal. Established in 1910 as the Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited, the company was
renamed as the India Tobacco Company Limited in 1970 and later to I.T.C. Limited in 1974.
 Founded - 1910
 Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal
 Chairman & MD– Sanjiv Puri
About SFPL-
 Over a century ago, in 1902, Pandit Ishwari Prasad Sharma, a modest businessman, decided to
invest in making and selling spices in Kolkata. His insistence on quality ensured growing popularity
and demand. Enthused by this, his son, Pandit Mewaram Sharma, worked tirelessly to further
expand the business. The third generation, Om Prakash Sharma, Ram Prakash Sharma and Satya
Prakash Sharma, sons of Pandit Mewaram Sharma, continued the growth trajectory by creating the
SUNRISE brand in the 1950s under the aegis of a partnership company. After a couple of decades,
the partnership made way for Sunrise Foods Pvt. Ltd.
 Founded - 1902
 Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal
ADB, India sign US $ 177 million loan deal to upgrade roads in Maharashtra
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India today signed a $177 million loan
to upgrade 450 kilometers (km) of state highways and major district roads in the state of
Maharashtra.
 The project is expected to improve connectivity between rural areas and urban centers in the state
enabling rural communities to better access markets, employment opportunities and services.
 Improved mobility will expand development and livelihood opportunities outside of the state's
major urban centers to second-tier cities and towns thus reducing income disparities.
 The project will also strengthen road safety measures by developing a road safety audit framework
that will protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly, women, and children, following the
international best practice.
 Overall the project will upgrade 2 major district roads and 11 state highways, with combined
length of 450 km, to 2-lane standard across seven districts of Maharashtra, and improve
connectivity to national highways, interstate roads, seaports, airports, rail hubs, district
headquarters, industrial areas, enterprise clusters and agricultural areas.
 The project will also focus on training the Maharashtra Public Works Department project staff to
build their capacity in climate change adaptation and disaster resilient features in road design,
road maintenance planning and road safety.
 ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the
Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by
68 members49 from the region.
About Asian Development Bank-
 The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966,
which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila,
Philippines.
 The company also maintains 31 field offices around the world to promote social and economic
development in Asia.
 Founded - 19th December 1966
 Headquarters– Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippine
 President– Masatsugu Asakawa
Vakrangee ties up with LIC for micro insurance products
 Vakrangee announced Corporate Agency (Registration Code CA0249) tie up with Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC) to distribute Micro Insurance products through Nextgen Vakrangee
Kendra network.
 Tie-up with Life Insurance Corporation of India, which has a strong product portfolio with adequate
and flexible products to cater to all kinds of customer needs will support especially in unserved and
underserved areas.
 Vakrangee shall provide the Solicitation and sale of the LIC's micro insurance products. Further it
also includes, Follow up for Collection and remittance of renewal premium of LIC's micro insurance
policies.
 Further, renewal premium collection for all micro insurance policies of LIC will be enabled at
Vakrangee kendras irrespective whether these policies have been procured at the kendra or not.
 Vakrangee currently has more than 23,000 kendras (10,000 operational and 13,000 under on-
boarding process) spread across 30 states and union territories, 500 districts and 6,150 postal
codes.
 More than 70 per cent of these outlets are in tier 5 and 6 towns. Vakrangee's planned target is to
reach at least 25,000 next-gen kendras by the year-end.
About Vakrangee-
 Vakrangee is a technology-driven company focused on building a network of last-mile retail outlets

to deliver real-time banking and financial services, ATM, insurance, e-governance, e-commerce and
logistics services to the unserved rural, semi-urban and urban markets.
 Founded - 1990
 Managing Director & CEO– Mr. Dinesh Nandwana
About LIC -
 Life Insurance Corporation of India (abbreviated as LIC) is an Indian state-owned insurance group
and investment corporation owned by the Government of India.
 Over 245 insurance companies and provident societies were merged to create the state-owned
Life Insurance Corporation of India.
 Founded - 1st September 1956
 Managing Director– T C Suseel Kumar
 Chairman - M R Kumar
HIL Ltd to supply 25 tonnes of pesticides to Iran to control locust invasion
 HIL Ltd will supply 25 tonnes of pesticides to Iran to control locust.

 Tie-up with Life Insurance Corporation of India, which has a strong product portfolio with adequate
and flexible products to cater to all kinds of customer needs will support especially in unserved and
underserved areas.
 "HIL is now in the process of production and supply of 25 tonnes Malathion Technical for supply to
locust control programme to Iran under Government to Government arrangement," an official
statement said.
 The External Affairs ministry has approached HIL for manufacturing and supply of this commodity
to Iran.
 Despite logistics and other challenges posed by COVID-19 lockdown, HIL (india) Ltd, a PSU under
the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertlizers, ensured timely production and supply of pesticides for
farming community.
 The company has exported 10 tonnes of fungicide Mancozeb to Latin American country Peru and
another 12 tonnes will be exported in the next one week.
 HIL has also signed an agreement with the agriculture ministry for the supply of Malathion
Technical to Rajasthan and Gujarat for locust control programme.HIL had manufactured and
supplied 67 tonnes of Malathion Technical till last week. HIL supplied malathion technical to
municipal corporations for dengue and chikungunya control programme.
 During the lockdown period till May 15, 2020, HIL produced 120 tonnes of Malathion Technical,
120.
 40 tonnes of DDT Technical, 288 tonnes of DDT 50 per cent, 21 tonnes of HILGOLD (water soluble
fertiliser), 12 tonnes of Mancozeb Fungicide for exports and 35 tonnes of different agrochemical
formulations.
About HIL-
 Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL) is a Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of
Chemicals and Fertilizers. It was incorporated in March 1954 in order to start production of DDT for
the National Malaria Eradication Programme. Since then its product range has expanded to include
Insecticides, Herbicides, Weedecides, and Fungicides
 Founded - 1954
 Headquarters– Kochi
Indian economy likely to contract 5% in FY21 - S&P Global Ratings
 Global ratings agency S&P on Thursday lowered its growth forecast for India for the current
fiscal and estimates the economy to contract 5%, sharply down from its April projection of 1.8%
growth.
 S&P attributed the contraction to the impact of the lockdown. “The pandemic in India and two
months of lockdown have led to a sudden stop in the economy. That means growth will contract
sharply in this fiscal year. Economic activity will face ongoing disruption over the next year as the
country transitions to a post-Covid-19 world.
 S&P Global Ratings expects varying degrees of containment measures and economic resumption
across India during this transition,” S&P said.
 Several banks, brokerages, economists and multilateral agencies have sharply cut the country’s
growth estimates with SBI research estimating a contraction of 6.8% for the current fiscal year as
the impact of the lockdown, aimed at stopping the spread of the pandemic, dents growth.
 The RBI also expects the economy to contract due to the impact of the lockdown on economic
activity. S&P said Covid-19 has not yet been contained in India. It said that areas currently
classified as red zones are also economically significant, and the authorities could extend mobility
restrictions.
About S&P Global Ratings-
 The RBI also expects the economy to contract due to the impact of the lockdown on economic
activity. S&P said Covid-19 has not yet been contained in India. It said that areas currently
classified as red zones are also economically significant, and the authorities could extend mobility
restrictions.
 Founded - 1860
 Headquarters– New York
 Founder - Henry Varnum Poor
 President– John Berisford
BSE, NSE cut annual listing fee for SMEs by 25%
 Leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE on Monday decided to reduce the listing fee for their SME
platforms by 25 percent amid challenges faced by small and medium enterprises due to
 The fee rebate has been declared following Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's several
announcements to rescue the ailing micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.
 The revised listing fee structure will be applicable for the existing companies as well as for the
firms waiting to be listed on the exchange, BSE said in a statement.
 Currently, India is going through an unprecedented crisis caused by pandemic COVID-19. In these
challenging times, it is our responsibility to support SMEs which form the backbone of our
economy.
 We hope that these measures along with the bold steps taken by the government will help in
reviving SMEs and also encourage thousands of SMEs to go for listing,? said Ajay Thakur, Head -
BSE SME and Startups.
 SMEs have been hit hard due to economic activities coming to a grinding halt in the wake of
COVID-19 crisis. Some of the SMEs are under enormous financial stress to meet their obligations.
 The National Stock Exchange (NSE) said it is committed to supporting the government in the
nation's battle against the pandemic and in providing assistance to alleviate the difficulties faced
by the ecosystem especially SMEs (small and medium enterprises).
 In view of the challenging times faced by SMEs, NSE has decided to provide 25 percent rebate on
the annual listing fees to the SME companies currently listed on the EMERGE platform of the
exchange, the exchange said.
 BSE said it has decided to bring down its annual listing fee for its SME platform by 25 percent as
part of efforts to support SMEs.
 BSE and NSE had launched their respective SME platforms in 2012 and since then have been
facilitating SMEs for raising funds, listing and trading on the exchanges.
 Overall, 322 companies are listed on BSE's SME platform and they have raised Rs 3,279 crore. Of
these firms, 79 have migrated to the main board. In addition, as many as five firms are listed on the
exchange's startup platform.
 On the other hand, 209 firms are listed on NSE's EMERGE platform till date and these companies
have garnered more than Rs 3,200 crore.
About NSE-
 The National Stock Exchange of India Limited is the leading stock exchange of India, located in
Mumbai. The NSE was established in 1992 as the first dematerialized electronic exchange in the
country.
 Founded- 1992
 MD & CEO- Vikram Limaye
 Chairman - Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
About BSE-
 The BSE, formerly known as the Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd., is an Indian stock exchange located
at Dalal Street, Mumbai. Established in 1875, it is Asia's oldest stock exchange. The BSE is the
world's 10th largest stock exchange with an overall market capitalization of more than $2.2 trillion
on as of April 2018.
 MD & CEO- Ashish Kumar
 Chairman - Vikramajit Sen
Infosys and Avaloq Partner to Strengthen Wealth Management Capabilities through Digital Platforms
 Infosys announced a strategic partnership with Zurich-based software company Avaloq on Tuesday
to provide end-to-end (e2e) wealth management capabilities through digital platforms.
 The Indian tech major has partnered up with the Switzerland-based wealth management software
and digital technology provider to “create a one-stop-shop” for its wealth management clients.
 As part of the announcement, Infosys will be a strategic implementation partner for Avaloq’s
wealth management suite of solutions.
 The companies will create new tech solutions for their digital advisory platform.
 The partnership is meant to offer e2e products and services as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS),
private cloud or public cloud across the globe to its clients.
 “We are making significant investments in this partnership, which will materially enhance the value
we offer to our financial services clients and will complement our approach to provide industry-
focused wealth management solutions.
 I am excited about taking Avaloq’s SaaS and other cloud-based offerings to our wealth
management clients to help them seamlessly scale up their operations.”Mohit Joshi, President,
Infosys, said.
 “Avaloq will also leverage Infosys’ delivery strengths including scale, its Global Delivery Model, its
standardized implementation approach, proprietary Infosys tools, and accelerators to reduce the
total cost of ownership for product implementation,” the company said in an official statement.
 Infosys will work closely with Avaloq to expand its market beyond Switzerland with an initial focus
on EMEA and APAC regions.
About Infosys-
 Infosys Limited, is a global multinational corporation that provides business consulting,

information technology and outsourcing services. It has its headquarters in Bangalore, Karnataka,
India.
 Founders - N.R. Narayana Murthy
 Headquarters - Bengaluru
 CEO- Salil Parekh
About Avalog-
 Avaloq is a Swiss company that develops and provides software for core banking. The software
system, Avaloq Banking Suite, is used by more than 140 banks worldwide.
 Founded - 1985
 Founders - Francisco Fernandez
 Headquarters - Freienbach, Switzerland
 CEO - Juerg Hunziker
More than 90% CKP Co-op Bank depositors to get back money, says RBI
• More than 99 per cent of the depositors in CKP Co-op Bank will get full payment of the deposits back
from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
• Deposits up to Rs 5 lakh are guaranteed by the DICGC. This portion is 99.2 per cent.
• The RBI cancelled the licence of CKP Co-op Bank on April 28, and notified the cancellation on its website.
CKP Co-op Bank, Mumbai, has been under the all-inclusive directions of the RBI since 2014. As there was
no scope for revival of the bank, its licence has been cancelled. Out of 132,170 depositors of the bank,
about 99.2 per cent will get full payment of their deposits from their DICGC.
• The bank failed to meet the regulatory requirement of maintaining a minimum capital adequacy ratio of
9 per cent and reserves.
• Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve
Bank of India.
• It insures all bank deposits, such as saving, fixed, current, recurring deposit for up to the limit of Rs.
500,000 of each deposits in a bank.
• RBI’s Governor-Shaktikanta Das
• RBI’s HQ-Mumbai
EPFO employees contribute Rs 2.5 crore towards PM-CARES Fund

• Employees of retirement fund body EPFO have collectively contributed Rs 2.5 crore towards the PM-
CARES Fund to support fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is a statutory body formed by the Employees' Provident
Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and is under the administrative control of the Ministry of
Labour and Employment, Government of India.
• Union Minister of Labour- Santosh Kumar Gangwar
• The Government of India has set up a public charitable trust under the name of the Prime Minister's
Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) with the primary objective
of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation.
Bharat Market: CAIT to launch national e-commerce marketplace for retail traders
• The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced that it will be launching ‘Bharat Market', a
new national e-commerce marketplace, for all the retail traders.
• The traders body will be launching the portal in collaboration with several technology partners.
• The national marketplace will integrate the capabilities of various technology companies to provide end-
to-end services to retailers. It will support retail logistics and supply chains from manufacturers to end
consumers, including facilitating doorstep deliveries.
• The ‘Bharat market’ e-commerce portal will include participation from retailers across the nation. The
initiative will receive active support and guidance of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
HDFC Bank releases song to keep up hopes up amidst Covid-19 pandemic

• To keep up hopes up amidst the ongoing national lockdown and coronavirus pandemic, HDFC Bank
released a collaborative song titled #HumHaarNahiMaanenge (We will not lose).
• Composed by Oscar and Grammy Award-winning musician AR Rahman, with lyrics by Prasoon Joshi, the
song is “a tribute to the indomitable spirit of India and millions of Indians who are standing together to
fight the Covid-19 pandemic”.
• HDFC’s CEO-Aditya Puri
• HDFC’s HQ-Mumbai
• HDFC’s tagline-We understand your needs
Narendra Singh Tomar launches “The Saras Collection” on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal
• The Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare,
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, launched “The Saras Collection” on the Government e Marketplace (GeM)
portal.
• It is a unique initiative of GeM and the DeenDayalAntyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission
(DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development.
• It showcases daily utility products made by rural self-help groups (SHGs) and aims to provide SHGs in
rural areas with market access to Central and State Government buyers.
• Under this initiative, the SHG sellers will be able to list their products in 5 product categories, namely (i)
handicrafts, (ii) handloom and textiles, (iii) office accessories, (iv) grocery and pantry, and (v) personal
care and hygiene.
• DAY-NLRM aims to reduce poverty through promotion of diversified and gainful self-employment while
creating skilled wage employment opportunities.
• Government e Marketplace (GeM) is a 100 percent Government owned online and end to end solution y
set up as the National Public Procurement Portal for procurement of goods and services required by
Central and State Government organizations.
Ministry of Coal launches Project Monitoring Unit for facilitating early operationalisation of coal mines
• Ministry of Coal (MoC) launched a Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) for facilitation of early
operationalisation of coal mines allocated by the Central Government.
• This is an important step forward to promote Ease of Doing Business as it will hand-hold and support
Coal mines allocatees in obtaining timely approval/permissions to operationalise the mines.
• This will lead to ramping up of coal production in the country.
• This move is also expected to go a long way in attracting bidders for the ensuing auction round of
commercial blocks. This measure will improve production and business environment in the coal industry.
• KPMG, has been appointed as the Consultant, in Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) through a transparent
bidding process.
• Union Minister of Coal and Power - Pralhad Joshi
• Silverlake to invest Rs 5,656 crore in Jio taking a stake of 1.15%
• Silver Lake has invested Rs 5,655.75 crore resulting in acquisition of a 1.15% stake in Jio Platforms.
• Morgan Stanley was the financial advisor and AZB & Partners and Davis Polk & Wardwell were the legal
counsels in this deal.
• This deal takes Jio’s valuation at an equity value of Rs 4.90 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.15
lakh crores.
• The deal represents a 12.5 per cent premium to the equity valuation of the Facebook investment
announced on April 22, 2020.
• This deal will help the Reliance Industries to reduce their rising level of debts that had piled up due to
massive expansion of Jio across the country.
• They are expecting to achieve zero net debt status ahead of schedule.
FACEBOOK JIO INVESTMENT

• On April 22, 2020, Facebook bought a 9.99 per cent equity stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 43,574 crore.
• This helped Facebook to get access to Jio’s huge digital customer base of 1.3 billion users.
• It is the largest minority shareholder in the company.
• This is also the highest FDI investment in the Indian technology sector.
• Facebook CEO-Mark Zuckerberg
• Facebook HQ- California, US
ABOUT SILVER LAKE

• It is a US-based private equity firm which invests in technology, technology-enabled and related
industries.
• The other big names in its portfolio are-Twitter, AirBnb, Alibaba Group, Ant Financial , Didi Chuxing ,
Motorola Solutions and City Football Group.
• It sold Skype to Microsoft for $8.5 bn in 2011 in one of the most successful private equity exits in history.
• Silver Lake Founders-James Davidson, David Roux, Roger McNamee, Glenn Hutchins
• Silver Lake Headquarters-California, United States
ABOUT JIO PLATFORMS
• It is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries and offers 4G VOLTE (Voice Over Long Term Evolution)
technology services.
• HQ-Mumbai
• Chairman-Mukesh Ambani
• Managing Director-Sandeep Das
India’s FDI (Foreign Direct Investment)

• India revised its Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy with the objective of preventing “opportunistic
takeovers” of firms hit by the lockdown induced by the COVID-19 outbreak.
• An entity of a country that shares a land border with India can now invest in firms in India “only under
the Government route”.
Conditional exemption to Government entities for COVID-19 related Drone/RPAS operations via GARUD
portal
• Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have launched
the GARUD portal (https://garud.civilaviation.gov.in) for providing fast track conditional exemptions to
government agencies for COVID-19 related RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System)/ drone operations.
• GARUD is an acronym for ‘Government Authorisation for Relief Using Drones’.
• The portal was designed, developed, beta-tested, and launched by Mr. Vikram Singh, Senior System
Analyst, National Informatics Centre (NIC) New Delhi, working alone at home.
CONDITIONAL EXEMPTIONS
• These shall be limited to RPA deployed by a Government entity for aerial surveillance, aerial
photography and public announcements related to COVID-19.
• For other RPA activities, even if related to COVID-19 operations, permission shall be sought separately
from MoCA and DGCA as per normal procedure.
• These shall be limited to battery-operated rotary-wing RPA only. Use of any other type of RPA, including
but not limited to, fixed-wing RPA and autonomous RPA etc. is strictly prohibited.
OPERATIONS
• The responsibility of safe operation of the RPA shall rest entirely with the Government entity.
• Each RPA operation shall be carried out under the overall supervision and control of the Government
Entity.
• The RPA shall, at no time, pose a risk to life, property or any other manned/ unmanned aircraft.
• The Government Entity may operate its own RPA or engage a third-party RPA service provider ("RSP")
to provide and/or operate the RPA.
• The security verification and capability assessment of the RSP and the RSP's RPA operators shall be the
sole responsibility of the Government Entity and should be completed before operating the RPA.
• The Government Entity shall be responsible for the custody, security and access control of the RPA at all
times and shall be responsible for any third-party liability in case of any damage caused by the RPA.
CONDITIONS FOR RPAs TO OPERATE
• Unique Identification Number (UIN) and/or Drone Acknowledgement Number (DAN) issued by DGCA;
• Weight shall exceed a total all-up weight of 25 kg;
• Equipped with an automatic return-to-home feature in case of any loss of the command-and-control
link;
• Operations restricted to a height of 200 feet Above Ground Limit (AGL);
• Operational between a period between local sunrise and local sunset.
• All RPA flights shall be immediately terminated when the battery reserve is reduced to 15 minutes;
• There should be one remote pilot assigned for one RPA operation at any time.
ABOUT DGCA
• Statutory body formed under the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
• HQ- New Delhi
• DGCA’s DG- Arun Kumar
• Parent Regulator- Ministry of Civil Aviation
• Union Minister of Civil Aviation (Minister of State/Independent Charge)- Hardeep Singh Puri
BharatPe launches two apps to curb need to touch handsets for checking transactions
• BharatPe launched two voice-based applications that will help accountholders access transactions and
balance without having to touch their phones amid COVID-19 outbreak.
• The two mobile apps are- Paisa Bolega and BharatPe balance.
• Both customers and shopkeepers prefer contactless QR (Quick Response) payments due to the COVID-
19 outbreak.
ABOUT PAISA BOLEGA
• It is a button introduced in BharatPe App.

• This converts the shopkeeper's smartphone into a loud speaker, announcing the value of transaction
received.
• With the voice alerts of transactions, shopkeepers will be able to hear aloud instant confirmation of all
payments received through their BharatPe QR, without touching the phone.
• This does away the need for the merchant to check his phone repeatedly to see if money has come.
• There will be no need to maintain any additional device.
ABOUT BHARAT PE BALANCE
• It provides a single snapshot of the shopkeeper's daily QR collections, balance in 12% interest a/c and
the loan limit.
• This gives the shopkeeper single snapshot of his business and capital available to him
ABOUT BharatPe
• It is a Merchant payment and lending network provider.
• It makes payment acceptance simple by offering merchants a single interface for all UPI (Unified
Payment Interface) apps such as PayTm, PhonePe, Google Pay, BHIM, Mobikwik, Freecharge, True Caller
and hundreds of other UPI apps.
• CEO-Ashneer Grover
• HQ- New Delhi
Polycab India buys 50% stake in Ryker from Trafigura
• Polycab India (PIL) has signed an agreement with Trafigura, Singapore, to acquire 50% stake in Ryker
Base thereby terminating the existing joint venture.
• The purchase consideration is likely to be around $4 Million (Rs 300 million).
• The transaction will further allow PIL to have complete control of Ryker's manufacturing operations.
ABOUT THE JOINT VENTURE

• PIL had entered into a 50:50 JV with Trafigura in 2016 to incorporate Ryker .
• The JV aimed to strengthen backward integration of its operations and improve quality of its key input
i.e., copper.
• Trafigura took a global strategic decision to exit from value-add manufacturing businesses in India.
• In India, it was a 50:50 a JV partner.
• In order to make Ryker a wholly owned subsidiary of PIL,it decided to acquire balance 50% stake in Ryker
from Trafigura.
ABOUT POLYCAB INDIA (PIL)
• It is engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling wires and cables and fast moving electrical
goods ‘FMEG’ under the ‘POLYCAB’ brand.
• Apart from wires and cables, it manufactures and sells FMEG products such as electric fans, LED lighting
and luminaires, switches and switchgear, solar products and conduits & accessories.
• Chairman & managing director- Inder T. Jaisinghani
ABOUT TRAFIGURA
• It is the world's second largest private oil trader and the world's largest private metals trader.
• CEO- Jeremy Weir
• HQ- Singapore
Govt panel suggests setting up the National Land Management Corporation, an apex land management
body
• A government panel on boosting infrastructure investment has recommended setting up a National
Land Management Corporation.
• NLMC should be set up under Companies Act to function as the facilitator for land monetisation and an
asset manager for lands owned by government of India and Central Public Sector Enterprises.
COMPOSITION OF NLMC
• There should be chief executive officer (CEO) and a technical team.
• They should be hired at market-linked compensation to carry out land monetisation.
• The Corporation must have representation from senior officials of the Finance Ministry, Department of
Public Enterprises, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as well as independent directors from finance
and real estate industry.
FUNCTIONS OF NLMC
• It would help in monetising state-owned surplus land assets in a systematic and specialised way.
• Identify and manage surplus land assets.
• Consider development or co-development of land belonging to defence or railways as well.
• Co-development of private land parcels adjoining government lands to maximise revenue.
• Maintaining an inventory of public land
• Develop model concession agreements for land development and sale,
• Legal management of litigation/encumbrances relating to land, development planning, design and bid
process management.
• Operational requirements like change of land usage and revenue management functions.
MONETISATION MODELS THAT COULD BE ADOPTED

• It can raise capital from the equity market, based on the value of its leased assets.
• The Corporation may adopt different models for land monetisation, including securitising a pool of
assets through structures like REITs and InvITs.
• Successful bidders in projects could either make large upfront payment for the assets combined with
annual payments, or small or zero upfront payment with annual payments.
NEED FOR THE NLMC

• The government has been trying to monetise surplus land assets with departments and state-owned
companies for the last couple of years. Despite large tracts of commercial viable land being available,
there has been limited progress on this front. NLMC will speed up progress in this area.
• A pipeline of income-yielding properties can be created by NLMC which can, in turn, raise funds from
the market.
ABOUT REITs and InvITs

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) are innovative vehicles
that allow developers to monetise revenue-generating real estate and infrastructure assets, while
enabling investors or unit holders to invest in these assets without actually owning them.
Co-operative banks can use Sarfaesi Act to recover dues: Supreme Court
• In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that cooperative banks can use the Securitisation and
Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act for recovery of
debts from its defaulters and can seize and sell their assets to recover dues.
• This was given by a five-judge Constitution Bench of five a Supreme Court, which was led by a bench led
by Justice Arun Mishra.
• This judgement has upheld a law passed by the Centre in 2013 that made the SARFAESI Act applicable to
cooperative banks.
IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JUDGEMENT

• Since banking falls under Entry 45 of List I (Union List), any central law relating to this power will hold
good for cooperative banks too.
• Thus, the inclusion of cooperative banks under the SARFAESI Act of 2002 was constitutionally valid.
• Co-operative banks are ‘banks’ under Section 2(1)(c) of the SARFAESI Act and the recovery procedure
mentioned in the Section 13 of the act is also applicable to such banks.
• The bench also effectively upheld a 28 January 2003 notification issued under the Banking Regulation
Act, 1949, that brought cooperative banks within the class of “banks" under the Act.
• The co-operative banks involved in banking activities are covered under Sections 5(c) & 56(a) of
the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• Thus, these banks are bound by the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act 1949.
• Thus the Court has held that co-operative banks cannot carry on any activity without compliance of
provisions of the 1949 Act and any other legislation applicable to such banks and the RBI Act.
SARFAESI Act, 2002

• This act allows banks to seize, take control, manage and sell assets of defaulting borrowers without the
intervention of any court/tribunal .
• This is done to ensure a speedy recovery.
• The act is rarely being used after the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has come into existence.
• It does not apply to unsecured loans, loans below ₹100,000 or where remaining debt is below 20% of
the original principal.
• This act led to the setting of the first Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC).
SEVENTH SCHEDULE OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION
• The Constitution of India has provided for a division of powers between the Central and state
governments.
• The Seventh Schedule of the Indian constitution mentions the Union, State and Concurrent lists.
• The Union List (97 items)- Subjects on which the Parliament may make laws. This includes defence,
foreign affairs, railways, banking, etc.
• The State List (66 items)- Subjects on which the legislature of a state may make laws. Public order,
police, public health and sanitation; hospitals and dispensaries, betting and gambling.
• The Concurrent list(47 items)-Subjects that give powers to both the Centre and state governments. In
conflict when it comes to laws passed by Parliament and state legislatures on the same subject, the
Constitution provides for a central law to override a state law.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) sets up a panel formed to frame
standard professional indemnity policy
• IRDAI has set up a panel to frame standard professional indemnity policy for insurance intermediaries
that can be issued by all the insurers.
MEMBERS OF THE PANEL

• Yegnapriya Bharat, CGM (Non-Life), IRDAI is the head of the panel.
• Other members
IV. Umesh Rathod (The New India Assurance Co),
V. Kasturi Sengupta (National Insurance Co),
VI. Surbhi Goel (HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co), and
VII. Najim B (TATA AIG General Insurance Co).
BACKGROUND
• Insurance intermediaries are required to take professional indemnity insurance policies governed by
different regulations.
• The insurance intermediaries include insurance brokers, insurance web aggregators, and corporate
agent.
• Professional indemnity policy offers protection to professionals against potential claims for injury or loss
resulting from their advice action for failure to fulfil their duties.
• There were several instances where policies taken by insurance intermediaries did not comply with the
regulatory provisions.
• While the existing regulations clearly stipulate the indemnity limit, coverage, excess, and retroactive
date, there have been a number of instances where the policies taken by intermediaries did not comply
with regulatory provisions.
SCOPE OF THE PANEL
• The panel has been asked to prepare a standard professional indemnity policy "which covers all the
contingencies and conditions (retroactivedate, indemnity limits, excess, etc) mentioned in the
Regulations" that can be issued by all insurers.
PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY POLICY-EXPLAINED

• This can be brought by different working professionals like doctors, surgeons, neurosurgeons, dentists,
chartered accountants, engineers, architects, lawyers, and solicitors.
• This is important as most of the professionals are at a risk of a lawsuit if they happen to make an error
while delivering their services to their customers.
• This policy basically covers legal liability or payment of defence costs, fees and expenses in case the
client files a case against the insured professional.
• It secures the professionals against any financial loss due to a false advice, negligence, or any faulty
analyses while the insurance policy is still active
ABOUT IRDAI
• Apex autonomous and statutory institution for Insurance Regulation in India.
• Founded in- 1999
• HQ-Hyderabad, Telangana
• Chairman- Subhash Chandra Khuntia
GSK sells its entire 5.7% holding in HUL for over Rs 25,000 crore
• Glaxo-SmithKline (GSK) sold its entire 5.7 per cent stake in Hindustan Unilever (HUL) for more than Rs
25,000 crore.
• GSK will no longer hold any HUL shares.
• GSK wanted to focus on its pharma R&D pipeline including its bets on experimental cancer treatments.
• More than 133 million shares of HUL were sold through multiple large transactions.
• The shares were sold in the range of Rs 1,900-Rs 1,950.
• Société Générale bought 12.9 million shares for Rs 2,450 crore at Rs 1,902 apiece.
BACKGROUND
• In 2018, GlaxoSmithKline made an exit from Horlicks and other consumer healthcare nutrition brands to
Unilever. Subsequently, HUL acquired Horlicks brand, Boost, Maltova and Viva.
• GSK Consumer Healthcare Limited-“GSK India” merged with with Hindustan Unilever Limited (“HUL”).
ABOUT GSK
• British multinational pharmaceutical company
• HQ-London
• CEO- Emma Walmsley
• Chairperson- Jonathan Symonds
ABOUT HUL
• Indian subsidiary of Unilever.
• HQ-Mumbai, Maharashtra
• CEO- Sanjiv Mehta
PE firm Vista equity to invest ₹ 11,367 crore in Jio Platforms
• Private equity firm Vista Equity Partners will invest Rs11,367 crore in Jio Platforms for a 2.32% stake.
• This is Jio Platforms' third deal after Facebook and Silver Lake’s share acquisition plans over the last two
weeks.
• Jio Platforms has now raised ₹ 60,596.37 crore from leading technology investors in less than three
weeks.
• This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of ₹4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value
of ₹5.16 lakh crore
• With this deal, Jio Platforms will have a net combined ₹60,596 crore for the unit of Reliance Industries
which comprises mainly its telecom business under Reliance Jio Infocom.
• This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of ₹ 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of ₹
5.16 lakh crore.
• Vista will become the largest investor in Jio Platforms after RIL and Facebook.
• Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to Reliance Industries for the completion of the deal.
BACKGROUND
• On 22 April 2020, Facebook invested $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms for a 9.99% stake.
• On 4 May 2020, US private equity firm Silver Lake invested ₹5,655.75 crore in Jio Platforms for a 1.15%
stake.
ABOUT JIO PLATFORM
• A wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries (RIL). RIL is India’s largest private sector company.
• HQ- Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Founder and Chairman- Mukesh Ambani
• Managing Director-Sandip Das
ABOUT VISTA EQUITY PARTNERS
• American private equity and venture capital firm.

• Finances software and technology-enabled startup businesses.
• HQ- Austin, Texas, US
• Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista-Robert F. Smith
• Co-Founder- Brian Sheth
AIIB clears $500-mn loan to support India’s fight against COVID-19
• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved funding of $500 million to support India’s
efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The government and the AIIB signed a COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness
Project that would help strengthen India’s public health preparedness.
IMPLEMENTING AUTHORITY
• The National Health Mission (NHM),

• The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
• This is the first ever health sector support from AIIB.

• It will cover all States and Union Territories across India.
HOW IT WILL BE HELPFUL
• It will slow and limit as much as possible the spread of COVID-19 in India by providing immediate
support to enhance disease detection capacities, oxygen delivery systems and medicines among others.
• It will address the needs of infected people, at-risk populations, medical and emergency personnel and
service providers, medical and testing facilities, and national and animal health agencies.
• It will ease the stress on Indian Economy which has been falling since the Covid outbreak and
subsequent lockdown.
ABOUT AIIB
• Multilateral development bank.

• It aims to support the building of infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Brainchild of China
• HQ- Beijing, China
• President-JIn Liqun
Central Board of Direct Taxes amends 44G of Income-tax Rules 1962
• Central Board of Direct Taxes has amended Rule 44G of Income-tax Rules, 1962 for making an
application to invoke the Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) in Form no. 34F.
• These rules will be called Income-tax (8th Amendment) Rules, 2020.
IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS OF AMENDMENTS
• Rule 44G deals with application and procedure for giving effect to MAP agreement.
• The revised Form 34F deals with respect to making application to the competent authority for invoking
MAP.
• Indian authorities would "endeavour" to resolve MAP disputes within a timeframe of 24 months. This
move is aimed at speedy settlement of cases of multinational corporations that have opted the
alternative dispute resolution process.
• If a resolution is arrived, the same shall be communicated to the assessee, who shall communicate his
acceptance or non-acceptance within 30 days.
• Upon acceptance of the resolution, the assessee shall withdraw any appeal filed in this regard and pay
the tax determined by the assessing officer after giving effect to the resolution.
ABOUT MAP
• It is an alternative dispute resolution process under the tax treaties, under which competent authorities
of two countries enter into discussions to resolve tax-related disputes.
• As many as 600 tax disputes were resolved under MAP between April 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018.
ABOUT CBDT
• Part of Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance.
• Statutory authority functioning under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963.
• Chairperson of CBDT-Pramod Chandra Mody
Carlyle Group to buy 74% in SeQuent Scientific for over Rs 1,500 crore
• Private equity player The Carlyle Group will acquire a majority 74% stake in SeQuent Scientific for over
Rs 1,500 crore.
• The deal will be executed through two investment vehicles-CA Harbor Investments, affiliated entity of
CAP V Mauritius, which is an affiliated entity of Carlyle. The deal is the Carlyle's first majority transaction
in an Indian publicly-listed company.
• The promoters of the company sold a 44.92% stake and Carlyle agreed to buy 5.69% of the existing
private equity investor Ascent Capital.
• The deal was managed by Nomura acting as the Financial advisor for Carlyle.
• The Law Firm Nishith Desai Associates was the advisor of Sequent and its Promoters.
• Under the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi's) takeover regulations, a mandatory open
offer by CA Harbor Investments and CAP V Mauritius will have to be offered for the purchase of a
maximum up to 26% equity shares of SeQuent from public shareholders.
ABOUT SEQUENT
• Animal health care company
• HQ- Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD- Manish Gupta
ABOUT CARLYLE
• American multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financialservices corporation.
• Carlyle has invested around $2.5 billion in India over the past two decades and key transactions have
included investments in SBI Life, SBI Cards, Medanta Medicity, and Metropolis Healthcare.
• HQ- Washington DC, US
• Founders-William E. Conway Jr., Daniel A. D’Aniello, and David Rubenstein
ABOUT SEBI
• Capital Market Regulator
• Chairman-Ajay Tyagi
Consumer Affairs dept partners with 2 startups to power ‘Suraksha Store initiative’
• The Department of Consumer Affairs has partnered with tech startups Safejob and Seekify to use
technology to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at the local Kirana store level.
ABOUT SURAKSHA STORE

• Initiative designed for the health and safety of the citizens during and after the lockdown.
• Aims to educate Kirana store owners across the country about the Covid-19 safety guidelines and
protocols required to be followed while running their businesses.
• The protocols were decided by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Ministry
of Home Affairs (MHA) and included norms around social distancing and hygiene at all retail outlets.
• Consumers can use the Aarogya Setu app to find a Suraksha Store near them and shop.
SURAKSHA STORE CUSTOM SOLUTIONS

• Seekify and Safejob built a custom solution for registering Kirana store owners, their employees,
capturing their location, and allowing them to complete online training and certification - all on mobile.
• The solution is optimized for rural and low bandwidth areas.
• The training material and assessment is available in eight languages to ensure that customers can be
certified to be aware of the Suraksha norms.
CURRENT STATUS
• It registered more than 5 lakh stores within a week of launch.
• Currently, over 7 lakh retailers have enrolled for this training and over 70K Kirana employees have
completed the awareness training.
ABOUT FSSAI
• An autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
• CEO- G. S.G. Ayyangar
• HQ-New Delhi
ADDITIONAL INFO
• Ram Vilas Paswan- Union Minister of Consumer Affairs
• Divya Jain-Founder, Safejob
• Arihant Jain and Ajeet Kushwaha- co-founders of Seekfy
Six member panel to set up to review production sharing contracts: Centre

• The ministry of petroleum and natural gas has set up a six-member expert committee to review the
existing Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) owing to the fall in crude oil prices and the Covid-19 lock,
down.
• As there is a fall in oil and gas prices, the government needs to find ways to attract investment in
exploration and production of oil and gas.
SCOPE OF PANEL
• Suggesting methodology for increased production and activities
• Changes required in the existing policies.
MEMBERS OF PANEL
• There is no representation from the private sector, industry bodies, and from top bureaucratic circles.
• The members of the committee include:
I. Yash Malik, advisor to the ministry of petroleum,
II. Sanjay Chawla, ED of ONGC,
III. A R Patel, advisor (finance) of Directorate General of Hydrocarbons,
IV. K S Shaktawat former DGH official,
V. Joydev Lahiri from Oil India,
VI. and M B Doja from the geology department of ONGC.
BACKGROUND
• Due to the Covid-19 pandemic , the global energy demand has curtailed activities and downsized.
• This has led to the excess supply and low prices. However, this lower price regime is also affecting or
reducing the profits of domestic producers.
• Based on industry estimates, India is able to save more than Rs 1.7 trillion annually because of the
countries’ domestic producers.
ABOUT DGH
• Regulatory body under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• Director General - Atanu Chakraborty
ABOUT ONGC
• Indian Multinational Crude Oil and Gas Corporation.
• Administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• Chairman, CEO and Managing Director- Shashi Shankar
State Wise Current Affairs May 2020

1. Chhattisgarh gives maximum jobs under MGNREGA amid lockdown: Chhattisgarh has topped the list
of states in terms of providing jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA) amid the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. Total of 18.52 lakh labourers
were employed in Chhattisgarh, in state’s effort of reviving rural economy and safeguarding the livelihood
of the people. According to the data of Ministry of Rural Development, Chhattisgarh accounts for nearly
24% of the total MGNREGA jobs generated all over the country. As per the data, despite lockdown, a total
of 18,51,536 workers carried out MNREGS day jobs in 9,883 gram panchayats of Chhattisgarh.
2. Maharashtra to provide free insurance cover premium to its people: The Maharashtra government
has announced the inclusion of state’s whole population under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Aarogya
Yojana. According to the announcement, state will provide free health treatment to cent per cent
population of the state. With this inclusion, Maharashtra has become India’s first state to provide free and
cashless insurance premium to the people of the state. At present, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya
Yojana is covering 85% of the state’s population. With the latest announcement, the benefits of the
scheme have been extended towards the remaining 15% people of state. The latest announcement
enables the state government, semi-government employees as well as the white ration card holders to
apply for this scheme. Under the scheme, people in the state can avail the benefits of free and cashless
health insurance. People needs documents such as ration card and domicile certificate to apply for the
scheme.
3. HP govt to starts “Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna”: The cabinet of Himachal Pradesh
decided to starts the “Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna”. In this Yojna, 120 days” assured
employment will be provided to people living in urban areas. It is being launched to revive the
coronavirus-hit economy of the state. Adequate training will be given to the people for their skill upgrade
if required. The cabinet also decided to provide an assistance of Rs 2,000 to each of the 1 lakh workers
registered under the Building and Other Construction Workers Board.
4. “Exit App” launched by West Bengal government: An “Exit App” has been launched by the West Bengal
government. This app has been launched for people from other states who are stucked in West Bengal
amid the nationwide lockdown and desires to return to their native place. “Exit App” will enable these
people who are willing to go back to their native states, by applying online on this app. The permission for
the exit of these people would be granted in an automatic and extremely easy manner. The “Exit App” can
be accessed by the stranded people from the West Bengal government’s ‘Egiye Bangla’ website. Hence,
this initiative of the West Bengal government will help large number of people who are stuck, in their
return to their native state.
5. UP govt launches ‘Ayush Kavach-Covid’ App: Uttar Pradesh government has launched ‘Ayush Kavach-
COVID’ app to help people get health remedies which can be useful in the fight against COVID-19. The app
has been developed by AYUSH ministry. The ‘Ayush Kavach-COVID’ App will provide s for measures to
boost immunity based on natural resources. The app is designed to tell users how commonly available
kitchen ingredients such as cinnamon, tulsi and clove can be used to enhance the body’s immunity to fight
against COVID-19. It also offers users the opportunity to seek advice from experts.
6. MP becomes 1st state to provide Mid-Day Meal ration: Madhya Pradesh has become the 1st state in
the country to provide mid-day meal ration. Distribution of the mid-day Meal ration with the help of
Anganwadi workers, Panchayat representatives and local teachers was taken in sending ration to the
students at their home after the school closing in April. To provide mid-day meal to school children in the
corona outbreak an amount of Rs 117 crore has been transferred online in the bank account of the
parents of 66 lakh 27 thousand students of primary and secondary school by the state government. Under
door-to-door mid-day meal scheme, ration has also been provided to 56 lakh 87 thousand children.
7. HP govt to starts ‘Nigah’ to educate family members of migrant returnees: Himachal Pradesh state
government plans to launch a new programme ‘Nigah’. In this programme, the state government educate
the family members of the people coming to the state from other parts of the country. The programme
will deploy ASHA(Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, health and Anganwadi workers to create
general awareness in maintaining social distancing during home quarantine, to save themselves from any
possible infection.
8. Tamil Nadu government increases retirement age to 59: Tamil Nadu government increases the
retirement age of the government staff, teachers and those in public sector units from 58 years to 59
years. More than 25,000 government employees were set to superannuate this financial year. Those who
are due for retirement on May 31 this year will now retire on May 31, 2021. The order has come into
immediate effect and will be applicable to all government employees, teaching and non-teaching staff in
government and aided educational institutions, and employees of constitutional statutory bodies, PSUs,
corporations, local bodies, boards, commissions and societies.
9. UP goverment launches “Pravasi Raahat Mitra” App: Uttar Pradesh goverment has launched a “Pravasi
Raahat Mitra” App to connect migrants with schemes and jobs. The app, developed in coordination with
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to keep a watch on the migrants’ health, will also
connect them to government schemes and collect their data to help them get a job in accordance with
their skills. With the help of this app, the government will be able to know about the status of Covid-19
screening, bank account number, educational qualification and other details about migrant labourers put
up in shelter homes and those who have reached their homes directly. The app will also help in working
out schemes for their welfare.
10. MP govt launches ‘FIR Aapke Dwar’ Yojana: Madhya Pradesh government has launched country’s 1st
ever ‘FIR Aapke Dwar Yojana’ in Bhopal. ‘FIR Aapke Dwar’ Yojana has been started as a pilot project in 23
Police Stations including one urban and one rural Police Station at 11 Divisional Headquarters. For this
Yojana “Dial 100” vehicle would have trained Head Constables to lodge FIR. FIRs in complaints of general
nature will be lodged on the spot. In case of serious complaints, guidance will be sought from senior
officers. The state government also launched helpline ‘Dial 112’ on the occasion, to facilitate immediate
availability of ambulance, police and fire fighting services wherever needed.
11. Jharkhand govt bans Pan Masala for 1 year: The Jharkhand government has banned 11 brands of Pan
Masala for one year in the state. The order was passed by the Commissioner of Food Safety in the state,
Nitin Kulkarni. The state had collected 41 samples of Pan Masala belonging to different brands from
different districts to test and analyse during the year 2019-20. All samples were found to contain
Magnesium Carbonate as an ingredient. The samples were collected under the provisions of the Food,
Safety Standards Act, 2006. This decision is taken under section 30(2) (a) of the Food, Safety Standards
Act, 2006 to ban the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any food article in the state for one year.
12. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike launches “Pranavayu” programme: A programme named
“Pranavayu” has been launched by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Karnataka. The programme
has been launched by city corporation to create awareness on the need to self examine the respiratory
health for Bengaloreans, as the district has 175 confirmed COVID 19 positive cases. Due to large number
of cases in the district, it has been ordered to execute quarantine as well as surveillance activities
including identifying persons prone to the deadly corona virus infection. With the help of this programme,
people in Bengaluru will be able to carry out self examination for early detection of any ailment that could
aggravate the situation if contracted with the viral infection. hence, this programme is an effort to assist
people with low oxygen level in their blood to get themselves examined early before their infection
becomes fatal.
13. Jharkhand’s Sohrai Khovar painting & Telangana’s Telia Rumal gets GI-Tag: The Sohrai Khovar
painting of Jharkhand and Telia Rumal of Telangana have received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag
from the Geographical Indications Registry. For the Sohrai Khovar painting of Jharkhand, application of GI-
tag was made by Sohrai Kala Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Limited. For the Telia Rumal of Telangana,
application of GI-tag was made by Consortium of Puttapaka Handloom Cluster-IHDS. Local tribal women of
Jharkhand practices the Sohrai Khovar painting which is a traditional and ritualistic mural art. It is primarily
practised only in the district of Hazaribagh during local harvest and marriage seasons. It involves the use of
local and naturally available soils of different colours in the area of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand.
14. Uttarakhand CM launches ‘HOPE’ portal to help unemployed youth: Uttarakhand Chief Minister
Trivendra Singh Rawat has launched “HOPE” (Helping Out People Everywhere) portal to help unemployed
youth to get jobs opportunities. The portal will be used to collect the data on the youths of the state who
are staying in as well as the recently returned migrant youths. This platform will help unemployed youths
for job seeking and skill development. The database in the portal will help employers to find suitable
candidates for their requirements. The employers will get knowledge about the candidates like where
they worked. When the database is ready it’ll be linked with the Mukhya Mantri Swarojgar Yojana.
15. J&K & Haryana to provide tap connections till 2022: The Jammu and Kashmir administration and
Haryana Government have framed a plan to implement the Jal Jeevan mission to provide tap connections
to every rural household by 2022. The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide drinking water to every
household. Jammu and Kashmir will receive 680 crores for the Jal Jeevan Mission. So far, 5.75 lakhs have
been covered out of 18.17 lakh households. he Territory plans to cover 1.76 lakh households by 2020-21.
J&K will use the help of 98 water testing laboratories to achieve the mission.
The Haryana Government has provided 1.05 lakh tap connections in the year 2019-20 under the mission.
There are 28.94 households in Haryana. Out of these, 18.83 lakhs already have tap water connections and
10.11 lakh households are to be covered. In order to achieve this, the Haryana Government will take help
from 44 NABL accredited laboratories in the state.
16. West Bengal govt launches ‘Matir Smristi’ scheme: West Bengal Government has launched ‘Matir
Smristi’ scheme to utilise 50,000 acres of barren land in 6 districts. This scheme helps to generate income
activities in horticulture and pisciculture involving the locals. The ‘Matir Smristi’ scheme will benefit
around 2.5 lakh people in rural Bengal. In West Bengal at least 50,000 acres of barren land in Birbhum,
Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, West Burdwan and West Midnapore districts, which cannot produce anything
naturally nor can the farmers cultivate on the strip. The work has been started in 6,500 acres of land at the
micro-level and this is an environment-friendly scheme.
17. “Atmanirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojana” launched in Gujarat: “Atmanirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojana” as
been launched by the Gujarat Government. The scheme aims to provide an interest subsidy, a moratorium
as well as a collateral free loan of up to Rs 1 lakh. All the above facilities has been launched for over a
million small traders, street-vendors and small professionals in the state. Gujarat government has a target
of lending around Rs 5000 crore via the loan that carries a tenure of 3 years. Loans under the
“Atmanirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojana” would be available at 2% annual interest while the remaining 6%
interest would be borne by the state government. A moratorium period of 6 months would also be
provided to the beneficiary in which he would not be required to pay either interest of principal amount
during this time. It means that the re-payment of principal and interest will start after six months of
sanction. The loans under the “Atmanirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojana” would be available via written
application at co-operative banks, district banks and credit co-operative societies.
18. Madhya Pradesh launches Charan Paduka campaign for migrant labourers: “Charan Paduka”
campaign has been launched by the Madhya Pradesh for the migrant labourers moving through the state.
Under this campaign, shoes and slippers will be offered to those labourers going barefoot in order to
reduce their pain. The “Charan Paduka” campaign is being conducted by the police at most of the places in
the state, starting from the Rau Police Station of Indore.
19. GoI & AIIB signs agreement to improve irrigation services in West Bengal: A loan agreement for a
US$145 million project has been signed by the Government of India, the Government of West Bengal and
the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). This project has a prime objective of improving irrigation
services and flood management in the Damodar Valley Command Area (DVCA) in West Bengal. It will also
include introduction of a modern Management Information System (MIS) aling with rational asset
management. The West Bengal Major Irrigation and Flood Management Project is expected to benefit
about 2.7 million farmers by optimizing the use of surface and groundwater. This would be achieved by
improving the irrigation efficiency through infrastructure rehabilitation and modernization. It will also
strengthen the flood management in order to boost agricultural productivity as well as to increase
incomes in rural areas. Hence, this investment emphasizes on improving the livelihood of farmers and
hence boosting the regional economy.
The total valuation of the project is $413.8 million, co-financed between the AIIB ($145 million), the
Government of West Bengal ($123.8 million) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD) ($145 million).
20. “Mee Annapurna” initiative launched in Maharashtra: “Mee Annapurna” initiative has been launched
in Maharashtra by an IRDA licensed insurance intermediary “Integrated Risk Insurance”. This initiative has
been launched by Integrated Risk Insurance as a part of its commitment as a Corporate Social
Responsibility towards the welfare of the farmers and agriculture community in Maharashtra. This
initiative is based on three commandments namely: Expertise, Engagement and Entitlement. “Mee
Annapurna” is a commitment of Integrated Risk Insurance to the Bhoomiputra’s of Atmanirbhar
Maharashtra in order to uplift the farming community by providing them long term sustainable
programme for the continuity of their income.
21. “Didi Vehicle Service” launched in Madhya Pradesh: “Didi Vehicle Service” has been launched by the
women of Rural Livelihood Mission in the tribal-dominated Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. Didi
Vehicle Service has been launched for rural women for the safe delivery, hence proving to be a lifeline for
pregnant rural women in tribal areas. The vehicle under the “Didi Vehicle Service” will also be available for
other emergency services.
22. Andhra Pradesh CM releases 1st tranche of “ReStart Package”: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS
Jagan Mohan Reddy has released the 1st tranche of “ReStart Package“. The “ReStart Package” aims to
help the lockdown-hit Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to reopen and become functional.
The first tranche is of Rs 450 crore which will be used in clearing the pending industrial incentives that
would benefit nearly 98,000 units. While the second tranche of Rs 454 crore will be cleared on 29 June
2020. Under the “ReStart Package”, government will waive of all the minimum power demand charges of
MSMEs of the months of April, May and June. This cost has been estimated as a amount of Rs 188 crore.
Along with waive off, the AP government will also provide input capital of Rs 200 crore to the firms at low-
interest rates in order to bring the MSMEs back on rails. This will be done by providing loans in partnership
with the Small industrial Development Bank of India at a low-interest rate.
Andhra Pradesh government has also announced to give preferential market access to MSMEs in
government procurement and it has identified 360 items that will be purchased from MSMEs and all those
payments will be cleared in a period of 45 days. The composition of purchases will be as follows:
 almost 25% of the purchases will be done from micro and small enterprises
 4% of the purchases will be done from SC-ST community enterprise
 3% of the purchases will be done from women entrepreneurs
23. Uttar Pradesh governement launches ‘UP Start-up Fund’: Uttar Pradesh government has set up ‘UP
Start-up Fund’ under the UP Information Technology and Start-up Policy 2017. An MoU has been signed
between the Uttar Pradesh government and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and
the fund will be managed by SIDBI. Initial contribution of Rs 15 crore has been made to the fund. The fund
aims to support the registered start-up ventures present across different verticals in Uttar Pradesh.
The ‘UP Start-up Fund’ has been established under the UP Information Technology and Start-up Policy
2017 by the Uttar Pradesh government. It will be in the form of Fund of Funds. This fund will take part in
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved Alternative Investment Funds and would not be
invested directly into start-ups. The fund will be operated for a period of 12 years and will be
professionally managed, with SIDBI acting as the fund manager.
24. R Sreerekha to become Kerala’s first woman DGP: R Sreerekha will be the first woman Director
General of Police in Kerala. The Kerala government appointed her as Fire and Rescue Services DGP. She is
a 1987 batch officer, she is also the first woman IPS officer of Kerala. Presently an Additional Director
General of Police, she currently heads the Prisons and Correctional Services Department.
25. Mizoram Cabinet grants “Industry” status to “Sports”: The Mizoram Cabinet has granted “industry”
status to “sports”. This step has been taken to invest more in sports in order to generate employment and
increase value. Granting industry status to sports is expected to help the state in meeting the
requirements of sportspersons and others involved in the sector. Giving the industry status to sports
would also ensure sustainability, proper registration as well as management of sports. With this move, the
sports and its infrastructure will be eligible to avail the facility of subsidy, loan and assistance from the
private and government sources.
26. MP govt starts ‘Rozgar Setu’ scheme for skilled workers: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj
Singh Chouhan has announced the launch of the ‘Rozgar Setu’ scheme. This scheme would help to secure
employment for skilled workers who have returned to the state in the COVID-19 situation. The
government of Madhya Pradesh launched a portal ‘MP Rojgar Setu Portal’ for the unemployed migrants to
register and find jobs in the field related to their skills.
27. U’khand govt starts “Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana” for returnee migrants: Uttarakhand chief
minister, Trivendra Singh Rawat has inaugurated the “Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana” for returnee
migrants. The project aims at giving self-employment opportunities to youth and a boost to reverse
migration, especially entrepreneurs returning to Uttarakhand and encourage skilled and unskilled artisans,
handicrafts and unemployed youths to start their own business. The scheme will offer credit facility
through nationalised banks, scheduled commercial banks and cooperative banks.
 Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana is self-employment opportunities to youth and a boost to reverse

migration, especially entrepreneurs returning to Uttarakhand and encourage skilled and unskilled
artisans, handicrafts and unemployed youths to start their own business.
 Information about this scheme should be conveyed to every village so that the youth can avail of
this scheme.
 This scheme should be widely publicised through public representatives and district level officers
so that the maximum number of villagers can take advantage of it.
 Under this scheme, the district magistrate should coordinate with the bankers so that the
beneficiaries do not have any problem in taking a loan.
 The migrants who apply under this programme will get quick approval from the authorities
concerned and their applications will be forwarded to banks with immediate subsidy which will
be 25% in the hill districts and 15% in the plain districts.
 A person needs to be at least 18 years of age to be able to apply under the scheme. The applicant
or his family member will be benefited only once under the scheme.
Latest Appointments May 2020 (National &

International)
1. Shikha Sharma appointed as advisor of Google Pay India: Former Axis Bank CEO, Shikha Sharma named
advisor to Google Pay India. Google Pay is one of the leading apps on Unified Payments Payments
Interface (UPI), battling with the likes of Amazon Pay, Paytm, etc. Sharma’s appointment could be a way
forward for Google Pay India’s attempt at a card-based offering, which could be launched soon. Sharma
quit ICICI Bank in 2008 to join Axis Bank. She steered Axis Bank till 2018 and transformed it into a major
banking entity of the country. Sharma also serves in the board of IT major Tech Mahindra as an
independent director.
2. Giridhar Aramane takes charge as Secretary to MoRTH : Giridhar Aramane has taken over the charge
as Secretary to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. His appointment was approved by the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has replaced
Sanjeev Ranjan who has been appointed as secretary in the Ministry of Shipping. Giridhar Aramane is a
1988 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre. Before assuming charge as Secretary to MoRTH, he was
serving as Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. He has also served as a Joint Secretary in the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas from 2012-14. He has also worked in the Government of Andhra
Pradesh at different positions.
3. Arvind Kumar Sharma takes charge as Secretary to MSME Ministry: Arvind Kumar Sharma has taken
over the charge as Secretary to the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. His appointment
was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Before assuming charge as Secretary to MSME Ministry, he was serving as Additional Secretary in the
Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Arvind Kumar Sharma is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre and has
worked in the Government of Gujarat at various positions.
4. Krishnan Ramachandran becomes new MD & CEO of Max Bupa: Max Bupa Health Insurance has
appointed Krishnan Ramachandran as its new managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO).
He will replace Ashish Mehrotra. Prior to this, he served as the CEO of Apollo Munich Health Insurance. He
has over 23 years of experience in health insurance, healthcare and life sciences segments.
5. Ashok Michael Pinto nominates as US representative to IBRD: United States President, Donald Trump
has nominated Indian-American lawyer Ashok Michael Pinto as US representative to World Bank’s lending
arm International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). He was nominated as US Alternate
Executive Director of IBRD for a period of 2 years. He currently serves as Counsellor to the Under Secretary
for International Affairs at the United States (US) Department of the Treasury.
6. Tarun Bajaj becomes new director on RBI Central Board: Economic Affairs Secretary, Tarun Bajaj
becomes new director on Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India(RBI). His appointment is confirmed
by the Government of India. He is a 1988 batch Indian Administration Service(IAS) officer. He will replace
Atanu Chakraborty, who retired on April 30. Prior to taking over as Economic Affairs Secretary, Bajaj was
the Additional Secretary in Prime Minister’s Office. Before joining the Prime Minister’s Office in 2015,
Bajaj was Joint Secretary in the Economic Affairs Department, looking after multilateral funding agencies
division.
7. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury reappointed PAC chairperson: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress leader in
Lok Sabha has been reappointed as chairperson of the Parliament’s public accounts committee (PAC). He
was reappointed the chairman of the committee by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The PAC examines
accounts showing the appropriation of sums granted by Parliament for the expenditure of the
Government of India, the annual financial accounts of the Government and others. The PAC is the oldest
Parliamentary Committee in which 15 members are elected from the Lok Sabha and 7 members from the
Rajya Sabha are elected every year for the 22 member panel of PAC.
8. Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi takes charge as Secretary of MNRE: Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi has taken the
charge as Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. He has succeeded Anand Kumar, who
has been appointed as the Secretary of Ministry of Culture. Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi is an IAS officer of
1987 batch and belongs to Jharkhand cadre. Earlier, he was serving as the Additional Chief Secretary and
Additional Secretary, Climate Change Department, of the Ministry of Climate Change Department,
Environment and Forest, Government of Jharkhand.
9. Manoj Ahuja becomes new chairman of CBSE: Odisha cadre IAS, Manoj Ahuja has been appointed the
new chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). He is currently served as Special
Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Department of Personnel and Training.
He will replace Anita Karwal as the chairman of the CBSE.
10. V. Vidyavathi becomes new DG of Archaeological Survey of India: IAS officer V. Vidyavathi is
appointed as the new Director-General of Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) effective from 12th May
2020. She is a 1991 batch Karnataka cadre officer. Vidyavathi will be serving in the rank of Additional
Secretary to the Government of India. Her appointment is confirmed by the order of the Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
11. Indian boxer Akhil Kumar re-inducted into NADA disciplinary panel: Former Commonwealth gold
medalist Indian boxer Akhil Kumar was re-inducted into the Disciplinary Panel of National Anti-Doping
Agency’s (NADA). He was formerly served in the panel from 2017 to 2019. At present Akhil Kumar, serves
as the ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Gurugram, Haryana. In 2005, the Government of India (GOI)
gave him the Arjuna Award for his achievements in international boxing. Akhil Kumar also the national
observers for boxing between 2017 and 2019. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is the national
organisation responsible for monitoring promoting and coordinating the doping control program in sports
in all its forms in India.
12. WTO chief Roberto Azevedo resigns from post: The head of the World Trade Organization, Roberto
Azevedo will step down from his post on August 31. He became the WTO chief in 2013. The 62-year-old
Brazilian career diplomat’s second four-year term was not scheduled to end until September 2021. He is
cutting seven-year tenure marked in recent years by intense pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Donald Trump had accused the Geneva-based trade body of an anti-US bias and other complaints.
13. HDFC’s Zubair Iqbal becomes new MD of J&K Bank: Senior vice president of HDFC Bank, Zubair Iqbal
has appointed as new managing director of Jammu and Kashmir Bank by Jammu and Kashmir
Government. Iqbal will have a three-year tenure. RK Chibber, who currently holds the position of
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of J&K Bank, will continue to serve as the Chairman of the bank
for the next three years. The appointments are based upon the continuous directions by the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) to separate the positions of Chairman and Managing Director for better governance.
14. Alibaba’s Jack Ma resigns from SoftBank board: Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma will be resigning from
SoftBank board of directors. Jack Ma serving for nearly 13 years in the board. Ma is expected to resign
from the Group’s board on June 25. The news comes as the group posted record financial loss of USD 13
billion. Jack Ma had retired as the Executive Chairman of Alibaba in September 2019. The Softbank
Group’s board of directors comprises 11 directors. The Group is expected to expand the number of its
board members to 13. The company recently proposed nomination of three new directors to the board:
chief Financial Officer Yoshimoto Got, Cadence Design Systems CEO Lip-Bu Tan and Waseda Business
School professor Yuko Kawamoto.
15. Dilip Oommen becomes new President of Indian Steel Association: Indian Steel Association (ISA) has
appointed Dilip Oommen as its new President. He is presently the CEO of Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel
India. He was unanimously appointed as President for the next two years. He will replace Tata Steel CEO
TV Narendran, who stepped down as President on May 1. Oommen is a veteran of the steel industry with
more than 37 years of experience and an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-K).
16. Govinda Rajulu Chintala appointed as chairman of NABARD: The Appointments Committee of the
Union Cabinet has appointed Govinda Rajulu Chintala as the Chairman of National Bank for Agriculture
and Rural Development (NABARD). He is presently serving as the Chief General Manager at NABARD and
will remain on the post till his superannuation in July 2022. Presently, Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala is serving
as the Chairman of NABARD. The appointments committee of the union cabinet has also cleared the
appointment of Shaji KV as the Deputy Managing Director at NABARD for a period of five years. He is
currently serving as the General Manager at Canara Bank. P.V.S. Suryakumar is also appointed as Deputy
Managing Director till his superannuation in July 2023. Along with the appointments, the tenure of Vaidya
Rajesh Kotecha, secretary in the AYUSH ministry, has been extended on a contract basis for two years.
17. Carmen Reinhart appointed as Chief Economist of World Bank Group: World Bank Group has
appointed Carmen Reinhart as its new Vice President and Chief Economist. Her appointment will be
effective from June 15, 2020. She was a Senior Policy Advisor and Deputy Director at the IMF and Vice
President and Chief Economist of the investment bank Bear Stearns. Carmen Reinhart has been ranked
among the top Economists worldwide based on publications and scholarly citations. She was also awarded
the King Juan Carlos Prize in Economics as well as NABE’s Adam Smith Award. She has been listed among
Bloomberg Markets Most Influential 50 in Finance, Foreign Policy’s Top 100 Global Thinkers, and Thomson
Reuters’ The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds.
18. Dr Harsh Vardhan to take charge as chairman of WHO Executive Board: Union Minister of Health and
Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan will take charge as the chairman of the World Health Organization
(WHO) 34-member Executive Board. He will replace Dr Hiroki Nakatani of Japan. The WHO is governed by
two decision-making bodies, the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board. The WHO Executive
Board is composed of 34 members technically qualified in the field of health, with members being elected
for three-year terms. The Health Assembly is the WHO’s decision-making body and consists of 194
Member States. The Board chairman’s post is held by rotation for one year by each of the WHO’s six
regional groups: African Region, Region of the Americas, South-East Asia Region, European Region,
Eastern Mediterranean Region, and Western Pacific Region. India became a party to the WHO
Constitution on 12 January 1948. The first session of the South East Asia Regional Committee was held on
October 4-5, 1948 in the office of the Indian Minister of Health, and was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru,
the first Prime Minister.
19. Abhas Jha becomes World Bank’s Practice Manager for Climate Change: Indian economist Abhas Jha
has been appointed as World Bank’s Practice Manager for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management
for South Asia. In his capacity, Jha will be responsible to nurture, lead, inspire and position a team of
highly qualified professionals to provide the best solutions for South Asian countries. He will motivate and
support the South Asia region (SAR) Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change team to connect and
unite across Global Practice boundaries. During his tenure as World Bank’s Practice Manager for Climate
Change and Disaster Risk Management for South Asia, Abhas Jha will also work along with other Practice
Managers, Global Leads as well as the Global Solutions Groups to incubate, pilot and scale-up innovative
and high-quality development solutions. They will together promote the generation as well as the flow of
global knowledge to serve South Asian countries.
20. Jahnabi Phookan appointed as National President of FLO: FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) has
appointed Assam-based entrepreneur Jahnabi Phookan as its National President. She has taken over from
the outgoing National President Harjinder Kaur Talwar as the 37th National President of FLO, the women
wing of the leading industry chamber of the country. As a National President, Jahnabi Phookan will work
towards empowering women with entrepreneurship capabilities and professional excellence. Her efforts
would aim to enable women to take up new challenges and maximise the opportunities in the new normal
post COVID-19. FICCI FLO works towards women’s economic empowerment and represents over 8,000
women entrepreneurs and professionals across 17 chapters nationally. It also works towards promoting
equal opportunities for women.
21. PK Nair becomes new Indian Ambassador to Niger: The government of India has announced the
appointment of Prem K Nair as Indian Ambassador to the Republic of Niger. He is currently posted as
Consul General of India to Hambantota. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly. He will replace
Rajesh Agarwal.
22. Marcos Troyjo elected as next President of NDB: Marcos Troyjo has been elected as next President of
New Development Bank (NDB). He was unanimously elected during the Special Board of Governors
meeting of the NDB which was held through the video-conference. He will be taking charge as the
President of NDB from July 7, 2020. India was represented by the Union Minister of Finance & Corporate
Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman in the video-conference. The prime objective of the meeting of Special Board
of Governors meeting of the New Development Bank was the election of next President of NDB including
the appointment of Vice-President, Chief Risk Officer and the membership expansion. Following
appointments were made during the virtual conference. Marcos Troyjo from Brazil has been elected as
next President of NDB. Anil Kishora from India has been elected as next Vice President and CRO of the
NDB.
23. SN Rajeswari becomes new CMD of Oriental Insurance Company: New India Assurance, General
Manager, SN Rajeswari, has been selected as the Chairman and MD of the Oriental Insurance Company
(OIC) by Banks Board Bureau (BBB). She will replace AV Girija Kumar, who retiring this month end after
reaching 60. BBB had conducted virtual interviews of five senior general managers of the public sector
general insurance industry, with two years of residual services untill May 2022,to select a CMD of OIC.
Rajeswari is a qualified charted accountant and currently the second senior-most GM of the public sector
general insurance industry and would be retiring in May 2022. She had started her career as an insurer
with the Chennai base United India Insurance(UII) and was later shifted to NIA as a deputy general
manager(DGM).
24. IOC appoints Narinder Batra as member of Olympic Channel Commission: Indian Olympic Association
(IOA) president Narinder Batra has been designated as a member from the Olympic Channel Commission.
Badra likewise heads the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The Olympic Channel Commission exhorts
the IOC (International Olympic Committee) meeting, the IOC Executive Board, the IOC President and
provides guidance throughout the launch and operation of the Olympic Channel. The commission advise
the growth & development of the Olympic Channel from its initial launch phase through to its mature and
established form.
25. Wipro appoints Thierry Delaporte as its new CEO & MD: Thierry Delaporte has been appointed by the
IT major Wipro as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD). He will replace
Abidali Neemuchwala as the new CEO and MD of Wipro. Abidali Neemuchwala will relinquish his position
as CEO and MD on 1st June 2020. Thierry Delaporte will take over the position on 6th July 2020. Thierry
Delaporte has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Capgemini Group and a member of its Group
Executive Board. In his career of 25 years with Capgemini, he served at various leadership roles such as
Chief Executive Officer of the Global Financial Services Strategic Business Unit, and head of all global
service lines.
26. Aiman Ezzat becomes new CEO of Capgemini Group: Aiman Ezzat has become the new Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of French technology major Capgemini Group. He has replaced the presently
serving Paul Hermelin who will continue to serve as the Chairman of the Board. The appointment of
Aiman Ezzat was made at the close of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Aiman Ezzat was
earlier serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Capgemini Group and has also served as the Chief
Financial Officer of the company in the past. He was also named as the “Best European CFO” for the
technology and software category of Institutional Investor magazine’s annual ‘All European Executive
Team’ ranking.
27. Venkataramani Sumantran becomes new independent director of Indigo: Venkataramani Sumantran
hasmu been appointed the independent director of airline company IndiGo. He presently served as the
chairman and managing director of Chennai-based Celeris Technologies. He will hold the post for the next
five years. Dr Sumantran, with a rich experience of over 35 years having worked in the USA, Europe and
Asia, has been an industry leader, technocrat, academic and author.
28. Leo Puri to become Chairman of JP Morgan South Asia and South East Asia: Leo Puri has been
announced to become the new Chairman of JP Morgan South Asia and South East Asia. He will replace
Kalpana Morparia who will be serving as the chairman until the 1st Quarter of 2021. Leo Puri has earlier
served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UTI Mutual Fund. In another major top-level change, Murali
Maiya will become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JP Morgan South and South East Asia.
29. Yes Bank appointed Neeraj Dhawan as its Chief Risk Officer: Yes Bank appointed Neeraj Dhawan as its
Chief Risk Officer (CRO) with immediate effect. Neeraj was appointed for a period of three years. He
assumed charge on 2 May. He replaced Ashish Agarwal, the current CRO, who will be transitioning to a
new role in the bank. Neeraj Dhawan held the position of chief risk officer for retail and business banking
at Yes Bank. He has experience of over 29 years of financial services and banking industry.
30. Ajay Tirkey assumes charge as Secretary of Ministry of Women and Child Development: Shri Ajay
Tirkey assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) in New Delhi on 1
May 2020. He succeeded Shri Rabindra Panwar who retired on superannuation on 30 April 2020. jay
Tirkey is the 1987 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre. Prior to this, held the post of Special
Secretary in the same Ministry. In 2017, he worked as a Joint Secretary in the Department of School
Education and Literacy in the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). From 2015 to 2017, has
been Managing Director of State Cooperative Marketing Federation. He has extensive experience of
handling the portfolios of Medical Education, Labour & Employment and Rural Development in his home
cadre appointments. He has served as the Principal Secretary to the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. From
2004 to 2009 he was on deputation to the Ministry of Defence as Director and Joint Secretary. He has also
worked as the Managing Director (MD) of State Cooperative Marketing Federation (Markfed), Madhya
Pradesh. He served as the District Collector of Sidhi, Hoshangabad and Raipur. In addition, he has worked
in various capacities as an officer of Indian Administrative Service in Madhya Pradesh.
31. Zomato elevates food-delivery CEO Mohit Gupta as Founder
 Food ordering platform Zomato has elevated Mohit Gupta, the CEO of its food delivery business by
making him a co-founder.
 Deepinder Goyal, cofounder and chief executive of Zomato, said: “While the foundation of Zomato
was built before Mohit Gupta joined us, he has been instrumental in significantly strengthening it
over the last two years…When I introduced the Founders Programme a little over a year ago, I
outlined a few qualities that all founders must exhibit.
 Gupta had joined Zomato in 2018, from online travel portal MakeMyTrip where he was serving as
the chief operating officer.
 “MG (Mohit Gupta) is very committed towards building Zomato for the long term, and has
extremely high levels of ownership – so much so that he has taken a 100% salary cut twice in the
last two years to help the organisation wade through some hard times,” Goyal wrote in his email.
 Last year, Gaurav Gupta, COO of Zomato, was also given the title of co-founder. In all, the Ant
Financial-backed firm now has four cofounders— Goyal, Gunjan Patidar, Guarav Gupta and now
Mohit Gupta.
 Pankaj Chaddah, who started Zomato with Goyal and Patidar had quit the company after a 10-year
stint in March 2018 and has now started a mental fitness startup Mindhouse.
About Zomato-
 Zomato is an Indian restaurant aggregator and food delivery start up founded by Deepinder Goyal
and Pankaj Chaddah in 2008. Zomato provides information, menus and user-reviews of
restaurants, and also has food delivery options from partner restaurants in select cities.
 Founded - 2008
 Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana.
 Founders– Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah.
32. Sandip Mukund Pradhan gets two-year extension as Director General, SAI
 Sandip Mukund Pradhan, the Director-General of Sports Authority of India (SAI) has been given an
extension for his central deputation tenure.
 The extension has been given for a period of two years and it will come into effect from June 6,
2020.
 The proposal was put forward by the Sports Ministry of India to extend the tenure of Pradhan and
it was then that the Cabinet approved it.
 "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports for extension of Central deputation tenure of Sandip Mukund Pradhant IRS
(IT:90), Director General (DG), Sports Authority of India (SAI), Department of Sports for a period of
two years w.e.f 06.06.2020," read the official statement.
 The decision was notified to the Sports Ministry by the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee
of the Cabinet Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and
Training.
 Pradhan was appointed as the Director-General of SAI in August 2017.
About Sports Authority of India-
 The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is the apex national sports body of India, established in 1984 by
the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of Government of India for the development of sport in
India.
 SAI has 2 Sports Academic institutions, 10 "SAI Regional Centres" (SRC), 14 "Centre of Excellence"
(COE/COX), 56 "Sports Training Centres" (STC) and 20 Special Area Games (SAG)
 Formed- 1984
 Founders - Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
 Director General- Sandip Pradhan
33. IES Officer DPS Negi assumes charge as Director General of Labour Bureau
• Indian Economic Services officer D P S Negi took charge as Director General of Labour Bureau in the
Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• He also assumed charge as Senior Labour & Employment Advisor of the ministry.
• This is for the first time that a dual charge has been given to an IES officer, which is a tribute his career
spanning 35 years.
ABOUT Mr. NEGI
• Negi is an Indian Economic Services (IES) officer of the 1985 batch.

• Before assuming the current posts, Negi served as Advisor Finance (MSME).
• Earlier he has worked as the Director, Social Security, Ministry of Labour and Employment. During this
time he pushed key reforms and amendments in five Social Security Legislations and Acts, including EPF
& MP Act, 1952.
• He was the Chief Executive Officer (Director and Head of Department) in the National Buildings
Organization, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, during 2006-2014. During this tenure, he facilitated
and led projects worth Rs 1,20,000 crore towards creation of housing for all.
ABOUT LABOUR BUREAU

• It functions under Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• It collects and analyse data related to workers, employment, and retail inflation..
• It is a storehouse of important economic indicators like Consumer Price Index Numbers for Industrial,
wage rate indices and data on industrial relations, Agricultural and Rural Labourers; socio-economic
conditions in the organized and unorganised sector of industry etc
STATIC INFO
Union Minister for Labour and Employment- Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar
34. S.B. Nayar appointed as IIFCL’s CMD
• The government appointed S.B. Nayar as chairman and managing director (CMD) of India Infrastructure
Finance Co. Ltd (IIFCL).
• IIFCL is a state-owned firm that funds infrastructure projects.
• He will have a term of three years.
ABOUT S.B. NAYAR

• He currently works as the head of Industrial Finance Corporation of India Limited (IFCIL), another state-
owned financier.
• Prior to his appointment at IFCI, he was the deputy managing director at State Bank of India.
ABOUT IIFCL
• Wholly-owned Government of India company
• It provides long term finance to viable infrastructure projects through the Scheme for Financing Viable
Infrastructure Projects through a Special Purpose Vehicle called India Infrastructure Finance Company
Ltd (IIFCL), broadly referred to as SIFTI.
• A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) is a legal entity created for a specific purpose.
• Sectors for which it provides funding are transportation, energy, water, sanitation, communication,
social and commercial infrastructure.
• Founded- 2006
Agreements & MoU May 2020

1. CSIR-IGIB partners with TATA Sons for licensing KNOWHOW for FELUDA: Institute of Genomics and
Integrative Biology (IGIB), constituent lab of CSIR, has signed a MoU with TATA Sons for licensing of
KNOWHOW for FELUDA in order to execute rapid diagnosis of COVID-19. The MoU aims to provide license
which will enable transfer of the knowledge for scaling up the KNOWHOW in the form of a kit in order to
employ it for COVID-19 testing on ground as soon as possible. Hence, as per MoU, CSIR-IGIB will now work
along with TATA Sons to bring FELUDA for widespread use at the earliest. FNCAS9 Editor Linked Uniform
Detection Assay (FELUDA) has been designed to alleviate the current COVID-19 situation and cater to mass
testing. The main advantages of FELUDA is its affordability, relative ease of use as well as non-dependency
on expensive Q-PCR machines.
2. PNB Housing Finance partners with IIT Delhi for reusable PPE: An Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) has been signed by the PNB Housing Finance with Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in order to
support Research & Development for reusable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to be supplied to
government hospitals. The MoU aims to enhance the research and development (R&D) of a unique
prototype material to be employed in making affordable, sustainable and reusable PPE surgical gowns and
masks. These sustainable PPE surgical gowns and masks would be supplied to notable government
hospitals. This MoU has been signed by the two parties to make some contribution towards the well being
of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. India signs MoUs with Russia for coking coal: Coal India signed MOUs with two Russian entities within
the areas of coking coal mining within the Russian Far East and therefore the Arctic Region. The first MOUs
was signed with Far Eastern Agency for Attracting Investments and Supporting Exports (FEAAISE), Russia
and the second MoU was signed with Eastern Mining Company (FEMC) of Russian Federation for
exploring, identifying, sourcing, negotiating and consummating interdependent investment opportunities
within the mining sector within the Russian Far East . India is seeking a long-term agreement for supply of
crude oil from Russia as it seeks to diversify its sources for hydrocarbons. Both the countries has begun
negotiations on long-term assured supplies of petroleum , especially from Russia’s Far East , and has also
invited Russian companies, particularly in gas business, gas infrastructure and petrochemicals, to invest in
India.
4. ICMR partners India Post for delivery of COVID-19 testing kits: Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) has entered into a tie-up with the India Post for delivery of its coronavirus COVID-19 testing kits.
These kits are taken from ICMR 16 regional depots to 200 additional labs designated for coronavirus
testing across the country. ICMR has planned to conduct 1 lakh COVID-19 tests per day all over the
country. In order to achieve this, India Post with its 1,50,000 post offices has entered into an agreement
with the ICMR. The kits are delivered with a packing of dry ice.
5. Defence Ministry signs pact with Tata Power to modernise 37 Airfields: The Ministry of Defence has
signed a pact with the TATA POWER SED to modernize infrastructure of 37 airfields of Indian Air Force.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 1,200 crore. The contract has been signed in Two
Phases. Under 1st-Phase of the contract is to Modernization of Airfield Infrastructure, the airfields of the
Indian Air Force were upgraded. Under 2nd-Phase, the navigational aids and infrastructure are to be
upgraded. The 2nd-phase also includes installation and commissioning of modern airfield equipment such
as Cat-II Instrument Landing System and Air Field Lightning System. The modern equipment are to be
directly connected to Air Traffic Control. This will provide excellent control of airfield system. Under the
project, the first modern airfield system was set up at Bhatinda.
6. Federal Bank tie-up with MoneyGram for direct-to-bank deposits service: A private sector bank,
Federal Bank Limited tie-up with MoneyGram Payment System to offer a cost-effective direct-to-bank
account credit option for customers in India. This tie-up will help the non-resident Indians with access to
modern, low cost, fast, easy and reliable ways for transferring money to India. This partnership will help
the people to send and receive money to their families in the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Federal Bank
has a 15% share of the country’s remittance market and expects that the tie-up with MoneyGram will give
the business a further boost.
7. TRIFED signs MoU with AOL to promote tribal enterprises: Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development
Federation of India (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Art Of Living(AOL) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in programmes of each organisation for promoting Tribal
Enterprises. The Art of Living Foundation has agreed to provide Free Ration Kits to Needy Tribes India
Artisans. TRIFED Regional Offices have compiled the list of needy tribal artisans and have identified 9,409
needy tribal artisans located across the country for distribution of ration kits under “I Stand With
Humanity campaign” of AOL.
8. DGDE & eGov Foundation partners for Online Management of Cantonment Boards: The Directorate
General Defence Estates (DGDE), Ministry of Defence and eGov Foundation has inked an Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for Online Management of Cantonment Boards. Both entities will work together to
drive e-governance and enhance citizen services across all cantonment boards in the country. These
services will be delivered under a cloud-based platform DIGIT (Digital Infrastructure for Governance,
Impact & Transformation). These services will be provided under the program named e-Chhawani. All the
services will be provided through India’s Largest Open Source Platform for Urban Governance i.e. DIGIT.
This platform includes Dashboards, Web Portals, Miscellaneous Collection, Trade License, Fire NoC system,
Public Grievance Redressal System, Property Tax, Water & Sewerage Charges, Online Building Permission
System & Finance & Accounting System. Hence, this will lead to improved delivery of services via multiple
channels and ease of access of all Cantonment Board-related information online.
9. NRAI tie-up with DotPe to build tech platform: National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) has
partnered with fintech start-up DotPe to build its own tech platform. This platform enables them with
online payments for digital ordering, bill settlements, and contactless dining. DotPe will provide us with a
tech solution. NRAI is the apex body of the Food and Beverage Industry in India. This partnership would
directly take on existing food-tech aggregators, Zomato and Swiggy. NRAI represents over five lakh
restaurant businesses. It is also looking for different delivery and logistics companies. It is also exploring
synergies with social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram to provide and
ordering facilities and visibility for restaurant partners who could potentially be its members.
10. WHO & IOC team up to improve health through sport: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) has signed an agreement to work together to promote health
through sport and physical activity. They have teamed up to fight the battle against Covid-19. The
partnership is to work with host countries to ensure Health of athletes, supporters and workers at the
games. The two organisation will also work to ensure that the games leave a healthy legacy in host
countries through enhanced awareness of the value of sport.
11. PFC signs MoU with NBPCL to fund various projects in Madhya Pradesh: Power Finance Corporation
(PFC), the central PSU under Ministry of Power has signed an MoU with Narmada Basin Projects Company
Ltd. (NBPCL), a wholly-owned company of Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, to fund various power projects to be
executed in the State of Madhya Pradesh. The funds of worth Rs 22,000 crore will be deployed by NBPCL
for setting up hydroelectric projects of 225 MW along with power components of 12 other major
multipurpose projects to be executed in Madhya Pradesh. Some of the major multipurpose projects for
which PFC has signed MoU with NBPCL includes Chinki Boras Multipurpose Project Narsinghpur Raisen
Hoshangabad, Dudhi Project Chhindwara Hoshangabad, Basaniya Multipurpose Project Dindori, Sakkar
Pench Link Narsinghpur Chhindwara etc.
12. India signs $177 mn loan with ADB to improve road in Maharashtra: The Asian Development Bank
(ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $177 million loan to upgrade road infrastructure in the
state of Maharashtra. The loan has been signed with prime objective of upgrading the 450 km of state
highways and major district roads in the state of Maharashtra. The road improvement project consists of
improving 2 major district roads and 11 state highways having the combined length of 450 km. The project
will improve the connectivity to national highways, seaports, airports, industrial areas, rail hubs, interstate
roads, district headquarters, enterprise clusters and agricultural areas.
The project will also involve the strengthening of road safety measures with the development of a road
safety audit framework that will led to the protection of vulnerable groups including the elderly, women,
and children. 5-years performance-based maintenance obligations to contractors will be encouraged to
sustain asset quality and service levels, hence updating road maintenance system. It will also train the
Maharashtra Public Works Department project staff to enhance their capacity in climate change
adaptation and disaster resilient features in various aspects such as road design, road maintenance
planning and road safety.
13. Flipkart signs MoU with Karnataka Mango Board to support mango farmers: India’s leading web-
based business commercial centre Flipkart has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Karnataka State Mango Department and Marketing Corporation, to empower mango farmers to sell their
produce online. This association will give farmers the genuinely necessary market access to shoppers,
making a potential income stream during these testing times of coronavirus. As a part of the MoU, Flipkart
will give its marketplace platform to the Mango Board farmer producer associations/venders, cultivators
and dealers by selecting them on the platform. Flipkart has collaborated with different Fast-moving
consumer goods (FMCG) and retail organizations to welcome a more extensive scope of essentials on its
platform. With this association, the organization invasions into the farmer producer organisation’s
community further adding to supporting the jobs of mango producers and the farmer community.
14. REC Limited & TajSATS to provide meals to frontline healthcare workers: REC Limited has partnered
with TajSATS, a joint venture of IHCL and SATS Ltd, to provide nutritious meals to frontline healthcare
workers. Both entities are leading the mission to provide meals to the medical staff in key government
hospitals along with poor daily wage labourers across the nation. Over 18,000 meals are planned to be
delivered in New Delhi through this initiative. REC Limited is a Navratna NBFC which has distributed more
than 4.58 lacs Kilograms of food grains, 1.26 lac meal packets, 9600 litres of sanitizers, 3400 PPE kits and
83000 masks across the nation amid the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.
15. NTPC & ONGC to set up JVC for Renewable Energy Business: A Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) has been signed by NTPC Limited, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) to set up a
Joint Venture Company for Renewable Energy business. This partnership will enable both the companies
to accelerate their mark in the field of Renewable Energy. With this tie-up, the two companies will explore
the setting up of offshore wind and other Renewable Energy Projects in India as well as overseas. They will
also seek opportunities in the area of sustainability, storage, E-mobility, and Environmental, Social and
Governance (ESG) compliant projects.
This tie-up will enhance NTPC’s Renewable Energy capacity addition program and also the presence of
ONGC in the Renewable Power business. It will also help ONGC in achieving its ambition of adding 10 GW
of renewable power to its portfolio by 2040.
Awards and Honours May 2020

1. Thangjam Dhabali Singh conferred ‘Order of Rising Sun’ by Japan: Manipuri doctor, Thangjam Dhabali
Singh conferred ‘Order of Rising Sun’ by Japan government. This award is given for him to promoting a
better understanding of Japan in India and deepening ties between the two countries. Thangjam Dhabali
Singh, an allopathic doctor by profession and founder of the Manipur Tourism Forum (MTF). He had
organised the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Imphal of the Second World War. Several Japanese
citizens, including officials from the Embassy of Japan in India, had participated in the event.
2. IIT Madras Professor T Pradeep selected for Nikkei Asia Prize 2020: An IIT Madras Professor Thalappil
Pradeep has been selected for the Nikkei Asia Prize 2020. Professor Thalappil Pradeep will be conferred
with the Nikkei Asia Prize 2020 in the category of ‘Science and Technology’. He would be honoured with
the prize for his pioneering work in nanotechnology-based water purification. Complete list of winners of
the prize is as follows:
 Science and Technology: Professor Thalappil Pradeep (India)

 Culture and Community: Ram Prasad Kadel (Nepal)
 Economic and Business Innovation: Anthony Tan (Malaysia) & Tan Hooi Ling (Malaysia)
3. Shobhana Narasimhan honoured by American Academy of Arts and Sciences: Shobhana Narasimhan
has been elected as an International Honorary Member to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
She is a professor from the Theoretical Sciences Unit (TSU) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced
Scientific Research (JNCASR). She has been honoured for her distinguished work in the field of sciences.
She has done remarkable work on the rational design of nanomaterials, determining the affect of lowering
of dimensionality and reduction of size on the properties of material. The scholars and leaders who have
distinguished themselves in the sciences, arts, humanities and public life are honoured by the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences. Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela and Charles Darwin are some of the
previous International Honorary Members being honoured by the society.
4. Indian journalists wins Pulitzer Prize 2020 in feature photography: Indian journalists namely Dar Yasin,
Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand have been honoured with the 2020 Pulitzer Prize. These journalists have
won the award in the field of feature photography. All the three journalists belongs to Associated Press.
They have been awarded for the lockdown coverage. The Pulitzer announced that the Indian journalists
have been awarded for the contested territory of Kashmir as India revoked its independence, executed
through a communications blackout. The Pulitzer Prize is considered as the highest honour that United
States-based journalists and organisations can receive.
5. 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 prize 2020 will be
presented by King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden during a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden & the prize money
is 2 million Kronor.
The 3-PG model was developed by Richard H. Waring & Joseph J. Landsberg in 1997 to predict forest
growth under changing environmental conditions and the ability of forests to store carbon.
It also helps to calculate how actions, such as thinning and fertilisation, affect forest growth and
development. Nicholas C. Coops added satellite imagery analysis by taking advantage of remote sensing &
GIS (Geographical Information System) to make these predictions on a much larger scale. The model is
now one of the world’s most widely used models for assessing forest growth over large areas. Before
satellite imaging, it was applicable to forest plots & after it was used to make predictions on a global scale.
6. Sania Mirza becomes 1st Indian to win Fed Cup Heart Award: Indian tennis player Sania Mirza
becomes 1st Indian to win Fed Cup Heart Award 2020 for Asia/Oceania zone. She beats Indonesia’s 16-
year-old Priska Madelyn Nugroho for this category & received the award for her successful return to the
court after becoming a mother. She is one of 4 winners chosen by a public vote, alongside Anastasija
Sevastova of Latvia (wins Qualifiers award), Estonian Anett Kontaveit (Europe/Africa I zone) and Mexico’s
Fernanda Contreras Gomez (Americas I zone). Fed cup is the world’s largest annual international team
competition in women’s sport with 108 nations entered in 2019 was launched in 1963. Fed Cup Heart
Award is an International Tennis Federation(ITF) initiative established in 2009 to recognise players
representing their countries in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas.
7. DW Freedom of Speech Award 2020 announced: 17 journalists from 14 countries have been named for
Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award 2020 for showing “outstanding commitment to human rights
and freedom of expression in the media”. Indian journalist Siddharth Varadarajan is among the 17
recipients of the 2020 Freedom of Speech Award presented by German public news outlet Deutsche Welle
on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day on 3rd May 2020. The award was presented to
journalists worldwide who have disappeared or been arrested or threatened because of their reporting on
the COVID-19 pandemic.
8. Bengaluru Airport: Voted as best regional airport in India & Central Asia: The Kempegowda
International Airport, Bengaluru has won this year’s SKYTRAX Award for Best Regional Airport in India and
Central Asia. The airport was voted by customers because of the Best Regional Airport in India & Central
Asia for the third time in four years at the 2020 World Airport Awards. The Awards have supported the
planet Airport Survey questionnaires completed by over 100 nationalities of airport customers during the
6-month survey period. The survey evaluated the customer experience across airport service and
merchandise key performance indicators from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and
immigration through to departure at the gate.
9. Startup India-Animal Husbandry Grand Challenge awards: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal
Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh has presented the award to the winners of “Startup India-Animal
Husbandry Grand Challenge”. The challenge was open for application to Startups from 11th of September,
2019 to 15th of November, 2019 on the Startup India portal – www.startupindia.gov.in. This award was
launched by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, in partnership with Startup India to look
out for innovative and commercially viable solutions to address the problems faced by the Animal
Husbandry and Dairy sector.
10. Saurabh Lodha gets Young Career Award in Nano Sci. & Tech. 2020: IIT Bombay Professor Saurabh
Lodha has been honoured with the Young Career Award in Nano Science & Technology for the year 2020.
The Young Career Award in Nano Science & Technology is instituted by the Department of Science and
Technology (DST), Govt. of India. He has been honoured with this award for his pioneering contributions in
the development of logic transistor technologies past silicon and nanoelectronic devices based on two-
dimensional Van der Waals materials.
11. Vladimir Putin honoured World War II medal to Kim Jong-un: Russian President Vladimir Putin has
awarded North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un a commemorative war medal marking the 75th anniversary of
the victory over Nazi Germany. The World War II medal was awarded to the North Korean leader Kim
Jong-un for his role in preserving the memory of Soviet soldiers who died on North Korean territory. In
2019, Russia invited Kim to visit Moscow on May 9, 2020, to attend the military parade marking the 75th
anniversary of the victory. Alexander Matsegora, Russia’s ambassador in North Korea, presented the
award to the North Korea Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon.
12. V. Admiral G.M. Hiranandani Memorial Rolling Trophy 2020 announced: Lieutenant Commander
Akshay Kumar was awarded the Vice Admiral G.M. Hiranandani Memorial Rolling Trophy for the year
2020. He commissioned in Anti-Submarine Warfare School of the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. The
award ceremony was held at the Maritime Warfare Centre, Kochi, Kerala.
13. Bangalore Airport wins SKYTRAX Award for Best Regional Airport: The Kempegowda International
Airport, Bengaluru has won the SKYTRAX Award 2020. The airport was chosen as the Best Regional Airport
in India and Central Asia by the customers at the 2020 World Airport Awards. Changi Airport, Singapore
was voted the World’s Best Airport for 8th consecutive year, while Tokyo Haneda Airport was voted the
World’s Cleanest Airport, and Paris Orly Airport was voted the World’s Most Improved Airport at the 2020
World Airport Awards. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai was voted as Best
Airport Staff in India & Central Asia.
The World Airport Awards began in 1999 after Skytrax launched its first global “Airport customer
satisfaction” survey. A central directive of the survey is for customers to make their own, personal choices
as to which airport they consider to be the best, underlining the brand as the Passenger’s Choice Awards.
14. Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar wins Alexander Dalrymple Award 2019: India’s Chief Hydrographer of
Indian Naval Hydrographic, Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar has been awarded the Alexander Dalrymple
Award 2019. This award is given to him for his outstanding contribution to Indian hydrography and across
the broader Indian Ocean region. The award was presented by the UK Ministry of Defence. The recipients
of the award are selected by the chief Committee of the UK Hydrographic Office(UKHO) for his or her
efforts in raising the standards of hydrography, cartography and navigation around the world. Vice
Admiral Vinay Badhwar joined the Indian Navy in 1982. He leads the regional Capacity Building
programmes of Indian Naval Hydrographic Office (INHO). In 2019, He honoured with Ati Vishisht Seva
Medal for “distinguished service of an exceptional order during peacetime”. He has been the member of
the International Hydrographic Organisations (IHO’s) Capacity Building Sub-Committee since its creation.
15. Major Suman Gawani to be honoured with UN Military Gender Advocate Award: Indian Army officer
Major Suman Gawani is going to be awarded the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year 2019. This will
be the first time that an Indian Peace Guard will be awarded this award. Major Suman was stationed in
South Sudan under the United Nations Mission. Recently she has completed her mission. Gawani joined
the Indian Army in 2011 where she graduated from the Officers Training Academy, then joined the Army
Signal Corps. She hails from Pokhar village in Tehri Garwhal, Uttarakhand. The award is going to be
presented to Major Suman Gawani and Brazilian military officer Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro
Araujo during a web ceremony chaired by UN Secretary-General Guterres on May 29, the International
Day of the United Nations Peacekeepers. These two women peacekeepers were described as “powerful
role models” by the UN Chief Antonio Guterres.
16. South Africa’s Quarraisha Abdool Karim wins Christophe Merieux Prize: South African HIV
researcher, Quarraisha Abdool Karim, who found that a topical gel could stop many women catching the
virus has been awarded Christophe Merieux Prize. Christophe Merieux Prize is one of France’s top science
prizes. She won the half a million-euro ($551,000) Prize for her work for the Durban-based Centre for the
AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), which she heads.
17. IBM scientist Rajiv Joshi wins NYIPLA Inventor of the year Award 2020: Indian-American IBM
scientist, Rajiv Joshi has bagged the prestigious NYIPLA “Inventor of the Year award” for the year 2020.
This award is given for his contribution to advancing the electronic industry and improving artificial
intelligence (AI) capabilities. Dr Joshi works at the IBM Thomson Watson Research Center in New York.
This award is presented by the New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA). The inventor of
the year is awarded every year to honour the contribution of an inventor towards society and the winner
will be awarded $5,000.
18. Anunta won VMware 2020 Regional Partner of the Year Award: Anunta received the VMware 2020
Regional Partner of the Year Award for the Services Excellence category. Anunta was recognized for its
demonstrable achievements using its skills and services capabilities, including consulting, managed, and
subscription services, to help customers maximize the value received from their VMware investments.
Anunta was honoured under the Services Excellence category. Anunta's innovative solutions work on the
next generation users including cloud based-desktop services was recognized. The VMware Partner of the
Year Awards various categories including Services Excellence, Partner Value, Partner Social Impact, Digital
Transformation, Cloud Platform Transformation, Partner Trailblazer, and the Global Partner for
Technology Innovation Award.
19. Pulitzer winners 2020 - Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand of the Associated Press (AP) won
the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography for their coverage of the region during the clampdown
that followed the Union government’s decision last August to divest the region of its special status and
reorganise it into two Union Territories.
• They are Indian photojournalists based in Jammu & Kashmir.
• Yasin and Khan are based in the Kashmir valley and Anand in Jammu.
ABOUT REVOKING SPECIAL STATUS OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
• On August 5, Parliament revoked the special status granted to the state of Jammu & Kashmir under
Article 370 of the Constitution, and passed provisions dividing the state into two Union Territories, J&K
and Ladakh.
• The moves were accompanied by a clampdown in the region by the Union government, a
communications blockade of the region, and the protective arrest of several politicians.
• TheJammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 re-constituted the erstwhile state of Jammu and
Kashmir as two union territories, 'Jammu and Kashmir' and 'Ladakh', with effect from 31 October 2019.
• Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor- Girish Chandra Murmu
• Ladakh Lt. Governor- Radha Krishna Mathur
ABOUT PULITZER PRIZE 2020

• The 2020 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced by its administrator, Dana Canedy.
• This was done via video-conference instead of a ceremony at Columbia University in New York, United
States (US) due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Colson Whitehead became the rare author to receive Pulitzers for consecutive books . He was awarded
the fiction prize in 2017 for ‘The Underground Railroad.’ In 2020, he won the award for the ‘The Nickel
Boys.’
• The Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica won the Pulitzer Prize in public service for illuminating public
safety gaps in Alaska, USA revealing that a third of villages had no police protection.
CATEGORY WINNER
Breaking News Reporting Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
CATEGORY WINNER
Explanatory Reporting Staff of the Washington Post
Investigative Reporting Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
International Reporting Staff of The New York Times
National Reporting Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and
Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert
Faturechi of ProPublica
Local Reporting Staff of The Baltimore Sun
Feature Writing Ben Taub of New York
Editorial Writing Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald
Press
Editorial Cartooning Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker
Commentary Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times
Criticism Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times
Audio Reporting Staff of This American Life with Molly O’Toole
of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green,
freelancer, Vice News
BOOKS, DRAMA AND MUSIC
CATEGORY WINNER
Fiction The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead
(Doubleday)
Drama A Strange Loop, by Michael R. Jackson
History Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery
and Restitution in America, by W. Caleb
McDaniel (Oxford University Press)
Biography Sontag: Her Life and Work, by Benjamin Moser
(Ecco)
Poetry The Tradition, by Jericho Brown (Copper
Canyon Press)
CATEGORY WINNER
General Non fiction The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the
Border Wall in the Mind of America, by Greg
Grandin (Metropolitan Books)
The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality,
Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion,
Cancer, and Care, by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus
and Giroux)
Music Ben Taub of New York
FACTS ABOUT PULITZER PRIZE

• Pulitzer Prize was established in 1917.
• This has been awarded for the achievements in magazine, newspaper, online journalism, musical
composition, and literature.
• They are given in 21 categories and each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 cash award.
• The award was established by the provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, he made his fortune as a
newspaper publisher.
• The award is administered by Columbia University.
Important Days May 2020

1. International Labour Day 2020 observed globally on 1 May: International Labour Day 2020 observed
globally on 1st May every year. It is also known as International Worker’s Day and May Day. This day is
observed to pay tribute to the contribution of workers across the world. It was only in the year 1891 when
1st May was announced formally to be observed as International Labour Day each year. In India, the first
Labour Day or May Day was celebrated in Madras (now known as Chennai) by the Labour Kisan Party of
Hindustan on May 1, 1923. It was also the first time when the Red Flag which symbolises Labour Day was
used in India for the first time. In Hindi, Labour Day is also known as Kamgar Din or Antarrashtriya Shramik
Diwas, Kamgar Divas in Marathi and Uzhaipalar Naal in Tamil.
Every year different themes are quoted for the International Labour day. the themes are quoted to define
the importance of the labour day. Through the theme, an awareness is created among the people to
respect the work of all the labours. Last year, the theme for International Labour Day was “Uniting the
workers for economic as well as social advancement”. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic alert
across the world, the theme for International Labour Day 2020 is “Maintaining safety and security at the
workplace”.
2. World Tuna Day observed globally on 2 May: World Tuna Day is observed globally on 2nd May every
year. This day is established by the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness about the importance of tuna
fish. It is observed for the first time in 2017. According to the UN, an outsized number of nations
worldwide depend upon tuna for both food security and nutrition. At the same time, more than 96
countries have tuna fisheries, and their capacity is constantly growing. The World Tuna Day was officially
proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by adopting resolution 71/124 in December
2016. Its aim was to spotlight the importance of conservation management and make sure that a system
is required in place to prevent tuna stocks from crashing. The primary internationally recognized World
Tuna Day was observed on 2 May 2017.
3. World Press Freedom Day observed globally on 3 May: World Press Freedom Day is observed globally
on 3 May every year. It is also known as World Press Day. The day also pays tribute to journalists who
have lost their lives. They risk their lives at times or may even have to face tough situations in order to
bring the news from different corners of the world in front of the public. The theme of World Press
Freedom Day 2020 is “Journalism without Fear or Favour”. The sub-themes for this year are:
 Safety of Women and Men Journalists and Media Workers.

 Independent and Professional Journalism free from Political and Commercial Influence.
 Gender Equality in All Aspect of the Media.
4. International Firefighters’ Day observed globally on May 4: International Firefighters’ Day is observed
globally on May 4 every year. This day is celebrated since 1999, to recognise and honour the sacrifices that
firefighters make to ensure that their communities and environment are as safe as possible. The day was
instituted, after the deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a bushfire in Australia on 2
December 1998.
5. International Day of the Midwife: 5 May: International Day of the Midwife is observed globally on 5
May every year since 1992. This day is celebrated to recognise the work of midwives and raise awareness
about the status of midwives for the essential care they provide to mothers and their newborns. The
theme for 2020 International Day of the Midwife is Midwives with women: celebrate, demonstrate,
mobilise, unite – our time is NOW!. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designed the year 2020 as
‘Year of Nurse and Midwife’ to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of nursing pioneer Florence
Nightingale.
6. World Hand Hygiene Day observed globally on 5 May: The World Health Organization (WHO) has
marked 5 May as World Hand Hygiene Day. This day is recognising the role clean and safe hands play in
warding off many serious infections. It is also known as Hand Hygiene Day. The theme of the campaign is
“SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands”. The main goal of the Global Hand Hygiene Day campaign is to recognize
that handwashing is one of the most effective actions you can take to reduce the spread of pathogens and
prevent infections, including the COVID-19 virus. Health workers and community members alike can play a
role in preventing infections by practising regular and frequent handwashing.
7. World Asthma Day 2020 observed globally on 5 May: World Asthma Day is observed every year on the
1st Tuesday of May. This year, World Asthma Day is observed on May 5, 2020. The day spread awareness
about asthma disease and care around the world. Whilst the primary focus is supporting the person with
asthma, support may also extend to family, friends and caregivers. The theme for 2020 is ‘Enough Asthma
Deaths’. World Asthma Day is annually organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). In 1998, first
World Asthma Day was celebrated in more than 35 countries in conjunction with the first World Asthma
Meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
8. Vesak Day 2020 observed globally on 7 May: Vesak Day 2020 is observed globally on 7 May. Vesak, the
Day of Full Moon is the most sacred day to the Buddhists all over the world. On this day, Lord Gautham
Buddha attained enlightenment. The Day is commemorated by the United Nations every year. The Day is
being celebrated by the United Nations since 2000. The resolution to celebrate the day was passed in
1999. Since 2004, International Vesak Summit is being organized. In 2019, it was held in Vietnam. So far,
the summit has been held 11 times in Thailand, 3 times in Vietnam and 1 time in Sri Lanka. The decision to
celebrate the birthday of Buddha as Vesak Day was first formalized at the World Fellowships of Buddhists
conference that was held in Sri Lanka in 1950. The conference was attended by Buddhist leaders from
several countries.
9. World Athletics Day 2020 observed globally on 7 May: The World Athletics Day-2020 is observed on
the 7 May. The date is subject to adjustment, the date of World Athletics Day is decided by the IAAF,
however, the month stays the same as May. The first World Athletics Day was observed in 1996. The basic
objective of World Athletics Day is to boost the participation of youths in athletics.
 The objective of World Athletics day is to increase public awareness about sports and to educate
youngsters about the importance of sports.
 To promote athletics as the primary sport in schools and institutions.
 To popularize sports among the youth and establish a link between the youth, sport, and
environmental conservation.
 To establish athletics as the number one participation sport in schools all over the world.
10. World Red Cross Day observed globally on 8 May: World Red Cross Day is observed globally on 8 May
every year. This day is observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Red Cross and International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) founder, Henry Dunant. This day is dedicated to the people who suffer
from shortage of food, several natural calamities, war as well as from an epidemic disease. Henry Dunant
was born on 8th May, 1828 and also was the winner of Nobel Peace prize. World Red Cross Day is also
known as World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. In 1863, Henry Dunant established the Red Cross
Committee International in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 1934, the principles of the Red Cross Truce were presented at the 15th International Conference. It was
approved at the same conference. World Red Cross Day annually celebrated on May 8, 1948. In 1984 it
was named as World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.
11. Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the World War II:
Every year during May 8-9, the United Nations marks the Time of Remembrance and reconciliation for
those who lost their lives during the Second World War. The day pays tribute to all the victims of the
Second World War. This year is the 75th Anniversary of World War II. The day was declared in 2004 as was
commemorated by the United Nations since then. However, the UN urged the NGOs, its member
countries and other organizations to join the commemoration of the day through a resolution that was
passed in 2010. The date, however, is not the official end of second world war. This is because, Japan did
not surrender till August 15, 1945.
12. World Thalassaemia Day 2020: 8 May: World Thalassaemia Day is observed globally on 8 May every
year. This day is observed to raise awareness about thalassaemia disease, its preventive measures and to
avoid transmission and the importance of vaccination for children’s health, society and among the people
throughout the world. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, World Thalassaemia Day 2020 will be celebrated
through different online activities. The World Thalassaemia Day 2020 theme: “The dawning of a new era
for thalassaemia: Time for a global effort to make novel therapies accessible and affordable to patients”.
13. World Migratory Bird Day observed globally on 9 May: World Migratory Bird Day is observed globally
on 9 May every year. The aim of the day is to raise awareness of migratory birds and the importance of
international cooperation to conserve them. This time the theme of World Migratory Bird Day 2020 is
“Birds Connect Our World”. The theme highlights the importance of conserving and restoring the
ecological connectivity and integrity of ecosystems that support the natural cycles that are essential for
the survival and well-being of migratory birds.
This day is organized by a collaborative partnership among two UN treaties the Convention on Migratory
Species (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Colorado-based
non-profit organization, Environment for the Americas (EFTA). This day is a global campaign dedicated to
raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.
14. Mother’s day 2020: 10 May: Mother’s day is celebrated on every second Sunday of May month and
this year, it’s falling on 10th May 2020. Mother’s Day is widely known to salute the motherhood, to extend
the influence of mothers within the society, to extend the maternal bonds to children, etc. Mother, being
a protector throughout her life loves her children unconditionally. She plays a special role sort of a
teacher, best friend and one’s who besides us under all circumstances. In 1908, Mother’s Day was first
celebrated, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton,
West Virginia to honour her mother. In 1905, Her campaign to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday in
the United States began, It was the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis died. Anna Jarvis was a peace
activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War. In 1914 President
Woodrow Wilson declared second Sunday of May as an official holiday in the United States.
15. India celebrates National Technology Day on 11th May: National Technology Day is celebrated on 11
May across India. This day marks the successfully tested Shakti-I nuclear missile at the Indian Army’s
Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. This day will be focusing on rebooting the economy through Science and
Technology.
16. International Nurses Day observed globally on 12 May: International Nurse Day is observed globally
on 12 May every year. This day is observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of Florence
Nightingale. She was also known as Lady with the Lamp. She was the founder of modern nursing and was
a British social reformer and statistician. International Council of Nurses has published its theme for the
year 2020 around the COVID-19 pandemic on its official website icn.ch “Nursing the World to Health”. The
World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated the year 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and
the Midwife.
17. International Family Day observed globally on 15th May: International Family Day observed globally
on 15th May every year. This day is spread awareness about the importance of families and the role of the
international community in the development of the families. A happy and healthy family makes up for a
supportive society, which in turn makes better citizens of the nation. The United Nation General Assembly
proclaimed the International Year of the Families in its resolution 44/82 of 9 December 1989. The General
Assembly in 1993 decided in a resolution (A/RES/47/237) to observe 15 May every year as The
International Day of Families. United Nations aims to encourage the people for better living standards and
social progress of families worldwide. The day focuses to modify economic and social structures that
affect the stability and structure of family units in various parts of the world.
18. Armed Forces Day 2020: 16th May: Armed Forces Day is observed on the third Saturday in May. In
2020, it falls on the 16th of May. This day is celebrated to pay tribute to the men and women who served
the United States Armed Forces. This day plays an important role in educating society and provide
knowledge to the public about the military and the role Armed Forces play in the community. Armed
Forces Day is a joint celebration of all six branches of the U.S. military: Army, Air Force, United States
Marine Corps (United States Marines), Coast Guard, US Navy, and therefore the newly created Space
Force.
19. International Day of Light celebrated on 16 May: The International Day of Light is celebrated every
year on 16th May to celebrate the role that light plays in science, culture and art, education, and
sustainable development, and also in the fields as diverse as medicine, communications, and energy. The
day also marks the anniversary of first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer,
Theodore Maiman. The celebration of International Day of Light will enable various sectors of society
worldwide to get indulge in activities that displays how science, technology, art and culture can help in
achieving the goals of UNESCO i.e. building the foundation for peaceful societies.
20. World Telecommunication and Information Society Day: 17th May: World Telecommunication and
Information Society Day is observed globally on 17th May every year. The main aim to celebrates the
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is to help raise awareness of the
possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can
bring to societies and economies. The theme of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day of
2020: “Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”
21. World Hypertension Day observed globally on 17th May: World Hypertension Day is observed
globally on 17th May every year. The main aim of celebrates the day is to promote public awareness of
increasing high blood pressure (BP) and to encourage citizens of all countries to prevent and control this
silent killer. The day was celebrated for the 1st time in May 2005. World Hypertension Day (WHD) is an
initiative of the World Hypertension League (WHL), an affiliated section of the International Society of
Hypertension.
The theme for World Hypertension Day 2020: Measure Your Blood Pressure, Control It, Live Longer. The
theme focuses on increasing high blood pressure (BP) awareness in all populations around the world. The
WHL has announced that it will postpone the celebration of World Hypertension Day (WHD) 2020 until
October 17, 2020, due to global COVID-19 pandemic.
22. International Museum Day celebrated on 18 May”: International Museum Day is celebrated every
year on 18 May to raise awareness about the fact that, “Museums are an important means of cultural
exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace
among peoples.” The International Museum Day 2020 was celebrated with the theme “Museums for
Equality: Diversity and Inclusion”. International Museum Day was celebrated for the first time 40 years
ago. The day is being celebrated all around the world and also features the participation of more and
more museums from the worldwide.
23. World Bee Day observed globally on 20th May: World Bee Day is observed globally on 20th May
every year. On this date, 20 May, the pioneer of beekeeping Anton Janša was born in 1734 in Slovenia.
The purpose of the bee day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem.
About 33% of the world’s food production depends on bees thus they are vital for the preservation of
biodiversity, ecological balance in nature and helpful in reducing pollution. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, a
virtual event held under the theme “Bee Engaged”. The theme will specifically focus on bee production
and good practices adopted by beekeepers to support their livelihoods and deliver good quality products.
24. International Tea Day observed globally on 21st May: International Tea Day is observed globally May
21 on the recommendation of India. The purpose of International Tea Day is to try to improve the
condition of tea producers and tea workers. Tea producing countries make a lot of profit but the condition
of the labourers working in the tea plantations is very bad. Therefore, the purpose of International Tea
Day is to encourage the status of tea workers, workers’ rights, daily wages, social security, employment
security, and health.
The United Nations General Assembly has designated May 21 as International Tea Day based on a
proposal moved by India at the FAO Intergovernmental Group (IGG) on Tea in October 2015. Before 2019,
December 15 is celebrated as International Tea Day in tea producing nations such as Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, India and Tanzania.
25. World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development: 21 May: World Day for Cultural
Diversity for Dialogue and Development is observed globally on 21 May every year. The purpose of the
day is to deepen the understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to advance the four goals of the
UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions:
 Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase the mobility of artists and
cultural professionals
 Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks
 Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms
 support sustainable systems of governance for culture
26. World Metrology Day observed globally on 20th May: World Metrology Day is observed globally on
20th May every year. Many nations on this day, internationally collaborate to create awareness about
metrology and its advancement in the respective field. This year theme for World Metrology Day:
Measurements for global trade. This theme was chosen to create awareness of the important role
measurement plays in facilitating fair global trade, ensuring products meet standards and regulations, and
satisfying customer quality expectations.
27. Anti Terrorism Day 2020: 21st May: Anti Terrorism Day 2020 is observed on 21st May every year in
India. The day marks the death anniversary of India’s seventh Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 21 May
1991. He was killed in Tamil Nadu in a campaign by the Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE) a terrorist group. After
this assassination, V.P. Singh government has decided to observe 21st May as Anti Terrorism Day. The day
spread awareness about the violence caused by the terrorists. Anti Terrorism Day is observed to provide
knowledge to the youth about terrorism, its impact on human suffering and lives. This day also makes
people aware of an anti-social act of terrorism.
28. International Day for Biological Diversity celebrated on 22 May: The United Nations celebrates
International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May every year to raise awareness about the issue of
significant reduction in biological diversity due to certain human activities. Biological Diversity comprises
of wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms including genetic differences within each species,
for example, between varieties of crops and breeds of livestock. The day call upon the global community
to re-valuate our relationship to the natural world as we are completely dependent on healthy and vibrant
ecosystems for our medicines, clothes, water, food, fuel, shelter and energy.
Theme for International Day for Biological Diversity 2020 is “Our solutions are in nature”. This year the
theme emphasizes hope, solidarity and the importance of working together at all levels to build a future of
life in harmony with nature.
29. International Day to End Obstetric Fistula observed on 23 May: The United Nations observes
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula on 23 May every year. The day is being observed to significantly
raise awareness and intensify actions towards ending obstetric fistula, as well as urging post-surgery
follow-up and tracking of fistula patients. Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious and tragic injuries
that can occur during childbirth. The theme for International Day to End Obstetric Fistula 2020 is “End
gender inequality! End health inequities! End Fistula now!”.
30. World Turtle Day celebrated on 23 May: World Turtle Day is being celebrated every year on 23 May
every year by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization. The day was created as an annual
observance to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises as well as their disappearing
habitats around the world. The day was celebrated for the first time in year 2000.
31. International Missing Children’s Day-25th May: International Missing Children’s Day is observed
globally on 25th May every year. This day is observed for missing children who have found their way
home, remember those that are victims of crime, and continue efforts to seek out those that are still
missing. 25 May is now widely referred to as Missing Children’s Day, with the forget-me-not flower as its
emblem. The day was proclaimed in 1983, by U.S. President Ronald Reagan. In 2001, 25 May was the first
formally recognized as International Missing Children’s Day (IMCD), to a joint effort on the part of
International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), Missing Children Europe and therefore
the European Commission.
32. World Thyroid Day celebrated on 25 May: World Thyroid Day is observed globally on 25 May every
year. The main purpose of the WTD is to aware of the importance of Thyroid and the prevention and
treatment of thyroid diseases. This day is established in 2008 as a part of the campaign led by European
Thyroid Association (ETA) and the American Thyroid Association(ATA) followed by Latin American Thyroid
Society(LATS) and Asia Oceania Thyroid Association (AOTA) to commemorate the patients with Thyroid
diseases and doctors and physicians who treat them.
33. International Day of UN Peacekeepers 29 May: International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed

globally on 29 May every year. The United Nations commemorates the International Day of United
Nations Peacekeepers. This day is dedicated to all the women and men who have served as military, police
or civilians in UN Peacekeeping operations. 2020 Theme: Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace. The
theme helps to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on
Women, Peace and Security.
34. International Day of Action for Women’s Health: May 28- International Day of Action for Women’s
Health is observed globally on May 28 every year since 1987. The main purpose of this day is to promote
the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of all women all over the world. May 28th,
International Day of Action for Women’s Health is being coordinated by the Women’s Global Network for
Reproductive Rights (WGNRR). Every woman has a right to sexual and reproductive health and rights, no
matter which part of the world she hails from, what age she is, or what her ethnicity or religion is.
35. World Hunger Day observed on 28 May: World Hunger Day is observed globally on 28 May every
year. The objective of this day is to raise awareness about more than 820 million people living in chronic
hunger worldwide. It is observed since 2011 to not only spread awareness about the malaise of chronic
hunger but also to solve hunger and poverty through sustainable undertakings. The initiative recognizes
the dire need to save nearly a quarter of a billion lives from malnourishment and chronic hunger. The
need to provide outreach globally during the pandemic for the distribution of food is seen as paramount
to save those who have been vulnerable even in pre-pandemic times.
36. World Digestive Health Day: 29th May- World Digestive Health Day is observed globally on 29th May
every year. It is organised by the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) in collaboration with the
WGO Foundation (WGOF). The theme for the World Digestive Health Day 2020 campaign is “Gut
Microbiome: A Global Perspective.” Each year the day focuses upon a particular digestive disease and/or
disorder in order to increase general public awareness of prevention, prevalence, diagnosis, management
and treatment of the disease and/or disorder.
37. International Everest Day: 29th May - International Everest Day is being observed on 29th May.
Nepalese Tenzing Norgay and New Zealand’s Edmund Hillary had climbed the Mt. Everest on this day
(29th May) in 1953, as the first humans to achieve the feat. Nepal decided to observe the day as
International Everest Day since 2008 when the legendary climber Hillary passed away. Everest Day on May
29 every year in memory of the first summit of Mt. Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
Sherpa on the day in 1953. The day is celebrated with memorial events, processions, and special events in
Kathmandu and the Everest region.
38. World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020 - Date, Theme, Significance
 World Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed on May 28. The main idea behind marking this day is to
change the social stigma associated with menstruation.
 The date May 28 was chosen to observe the day because on an average the menstrual cycle for
most women is 28 days and the menstruation period for most women is for five days. Hence, the
date was kept as 28/5.
 World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020 theme is ‘Periods in Pandemic’. The idea behind choosing this
theme is to highlight how the challenges faced by women during menstruation have worsened due
to the ongoing pandemic.
 UNICEF said, “Periods don’t stop for pandemics - it’s every girl’s right to manage her period safely
and with dignity.
 To create social awareness about maintaining menstrual hygiene, especially in the time of
pandemic, the WASH United, a German non-profit advocacy and education group
launched Menstrual Hygiene Day and kept the theme ‘Periods in Pandemics’ this year.
 The theme is self-explanatory and focuses upon raising awareness about taking care of menstrual
hygiene during a pandemic which affects a woman both physically and mentally. The time of any
pandemic,like the ongoing COVID-19 is stressful, which directly affects the menstrual cycle of a
woman. It gets even more important to maintain the hygiene level in these tough times and also
help others who are dealing with periods related issues.
 Under the theme this year, the organisation highlights the importance of helping women
financially by distributing sanitary napkins and other products to maintain menstrual hygiene.
 With schools and community centres being shut, girls no more have access to the free supply of
the sanitary napkins.
 On Menstrual Hygiene Day, people are urged to extend a helping hand towards underprivileged
women and help them with critical information about maintaining menstrual hygiene and also
helping them with sanitary kits.
Books & Authors May 2020

1. Union Culture Minister launches e-book “Prof. B.B. Lal: India Rediscovered”: Union Culture Minister
Prahlad Singh Patel launched an e-book titled “Prof. B.B. Lal: India Rediscovered”. E-book was launched on
the occasion of centenary year of great archaeologist Professor B. B. Lal. E-book titled “Prof. B.B. Lal: India
Rediscovered” has been prepared by the Ministry of culture along with Prof B B Lal Centenary Celebration
Committee. This book is a centenary special edition and a tribute from Ministry of culture for his
enormous contribution to the discipline of archaeology.
2. A book titled Vijyant at Kargil: The Life of a Kargil War Hero, released: The book titled ‘Vijyant at
Kargil: The Life of a Kargil Hero’ has been released. This book is a biography of Vir Chakra
awardee(posthumously) Captain Vijyant Thapar. This book is authored by Vijyant’s father Colonel VN
Thapar and writer Neha Dwivedi, a martyr’s daughter. This book shows the journey of Vijyant Thapar to
join the Indian Military Academy and the experiences that shaped him into a fine officer. Captain Vijyant
Thapar was born on 26 Dec 1976 in a military family to Colonel V N Thapar & Tripta Thapar. He is a 4th
generation army officer. At the early age of 15, he was selected for the National Defence Academy. He
was commissioned into the Indian Army, 12th December 1998. He was killed at the age of 22 by a shot in
the head on June 29, 1999, during the Kargil War’s Knoll assault.
3. Dr Harsh Vardhan launches multimedia guide ‘COVID Katha’: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan
has launched a multimedia guide on the Covid-19 disease named ‘COVID Katha’. The guide is launched on
the occasion of the 50th DST (Department of Science and Technology) Foundation Day. “COVID Katha”
provides consolidated and authentic information on the global crisis to the masses in an interesting and
interactive mode, the National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of
Science and Technology (DST), Government of India in association with Dr Anamika Ray Memorial Trust
(ARMT), an educational and research organization, has brought out multimedia guides carrying important
information on A-to-Z of COVID 19.
4. JK Rowling to release her latest book “The Ickabog”: The “Harry Potter” author, JK Rowling will release
her latest book, “The Ickabog”, online for free, for the children during this lockdown period. The Ickabog’
is a story about truth and the abuse of power. The first two chapters of The Ickabog are available for free.
Rowling has pledged to donate all royalties when the book is published to “groups who’ve been
particularly impacted by the pandemic.”
5. A Book titled “Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a Quarantined City” authored by Fang Fang: The book
called “Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a Quarantined City” authored by Chinese literary writer Fang Fang.
This book is a compilation of online diary entries and social media posts that document 60 days of
lockdown during COVID-19. The book was published by HarperNonFiction. On January 25, 2020, after the
Chinese central government imposed a lockdown in Wuhan, Fang Fang began publishing an online diary.
In the following days & weeks, author’s nightly postings gave voice to the fears, frustrations, anger, and
hope of millions of her fellow citizens, which reflects the psychological impact of forced isolation, the role
of the internet as both community lifeline and source of misinformation, and the lives of neighbours and
friends taken by the deadly virus.
6. Prince Harry-Meghan Markle’s biography to be published in August: The first biopic on Prince Harry
and Meghan Markle’s life, titled ‘Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal
Family’ would be published on August 11, 2020. The book is a biopic, written by royal reporters Omid
Scobie and Carolyn Durand. The book aims to portray a couple who continue to inspire many around the
world through their humanitarian and charitable work but are often inaccurately portrayed. The book
reveals details of the couple who stepped back as frontline royals to settle down in the US in April 2020.
The book provides a glimpse into the lesser-known aspects of their romance and decision to go their
separate way from Buckingham Palace.
7. Ruskin Bond’s new book 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. The
book presents its readers with a number of the author’s hilarious journeys and travel adventures. The
illustrations for Ruskin Bond’s new book has been done by Samrat Halder.
8. DGDE & eGov Foundation partners for Online Management of Cantonment Boards: The Directorate
General Defence Estates (DGDE), Ministry of Defence and eGov Foundation has inked an Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for Online Management of Cantonment Boards. Both entities will work together to
drive e-governance and enhance citizen services across all cantonment boards in the country. These
services will be delivered under a cloud-based platform DIGIT (Digital Infrastructure for Governance,
Impact & Transformation). These services will be provided under the program named e-Chhawani. All the
services will be provided through India’s Largest Open Source Platform for Urban Governance i.e. DIGIT.
This platform includes Dashboards, Web Portals, Miscellaneous Collection, Trade License, Fire NoC system,
Public Grievance Redressal System, Property Tax, Water & Sewerage Charges, Online Building Permission
System & Finance & Accounting System. Hence, this will lead to improved delivery of services via multiple
channels and ease of access of all Cantonment Board-related information online.
9. NRAI tie-up with DotPe to build tech platform: National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) has
partnered with fintech start-up DotPe to build its own tech platform. This platform enables them with
online payments for digital ordering, bill settlements, and contactless dining. DotPe will provide us with a
tech solution. NRAI is the apex body of the Food and Beverage Industry in India. This partnership would
directly take on existing food-tech aggregators, Zomato and Swiggy. NRAI represents over five lakh
restaurant businesses. It is also looking for different delivery and logistics companies. It is also exploring
synergies with social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram to provide and
ordering facilities and visibility for restaurant partners who could potentially be its members.
10. WHO & IOC team up to improve health through sport: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) has signed an agreement to work together to promote health
through sport and physical activity. They have teamed up to fight the battle against Covid-19. The
partnership is to work with host countries to ensure Health of athletes, supporters and workers at the
games. The two organisation will also work to ensure that the games leave a healthy legacy in host
countries through enhanced awareness of the value of sport.
11. PFC signs MoU with NBPCL to fund various projects in Madhya Pradesh: Power Finance Corporation
(PFC), the central PSU under Ministry of Power has signed an MoU with Narmada Basin Projects Company
Ltd. (NBPCL), a wholly-owned company of Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, to fund various power projects to be
executed in the State of Madhya Pradesh. The funds of worth Rs 22,000 crore will be deployed by NBPCL
for setting up hydroelectric projects of 225 MW along with power components of 12 other major
multipurpose projects to be executed in Madhya Pradesh. Some of the major multipurpose projects for
which PFC has signed MoU with NBPCL includes Chinki Boras Multipurpose Project Narsinghpur Raisen
Hoshangabad, Dudhi Project Chhindwara Hoshangabad, Basaniya Multipurpose Project Dindori, Sakkar
Pench Link Narsinghpur Chhindwara etc.
12. India signs $177 mn loan with ADB to improve road in Maharashtra: The Asian Development Bank
(ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $177 million loan to upgrade road infrastructure in the
state of Maharashtra. The loan has been signed with prime objective of upgrading the 450 km of state
highways and major district roads in the state of Maharashtra. The road improvement project consists of
improving 2 major district roads and 11 state highways having the combined length of 450 km. The project
will improve the connectivity to national highways, seaports, airports, industrial areas, rail hubs, interstate
roads, district headquarters, enterprise clusters and agricultural areas.
The project will also involve the strengthening of road safety measures with the development of a road
safety audit framework that will led to the protection of vulnerable groups including the elderly, women,
and children. 5-years performance-based maintenance obligations to contractors will be encouraged to
sustain asset quality and service levels, hence updating road maintenance system. It will also train the
Maharashtra Public Works Department project staff to enhance their capacity in climate change
adaptation and disaster resilient features in various aspects such as road design, road maintenance
planning and road safety.
13. Flipkart signs MoU with Karnataka Mango Board to support mango farmers: India’s leading web-
based business commercial centre Flipkart has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Karnataka State Mango Department and Marketing Corporation, to empower mango farmers to sell their
produce online. This association will give farmers the genuinely necessary market access to shoppers,
making a potential income stream during these testing times of coronavirus. As a part of the MoU, Flipkart
will give its marketplace platform to the Mango Board farmer producer associations/venders, cultivators
and dealers by selecting them on the platform. Flipkart has collaborated with different Fast-moving
consumer goods (FMCG) and retail organizations to welcome a more extensive scope of essentials on its
platform. With this association, the organization invasions into the farmer producer organisation’s
community further adding to supporting the jobs of mango producers and the farmer community.
14. REC Limited & TajSATS to provide meals to frontline healthcare workers: REC Limited has partnered
with TajSATS, a joint venture of IHCL and SATS Ltd, to provide nutritious meals to frontline healthcare
workers. Both entities are leading the mission to provide meals to the medical staff in key government
hospitals along with poor daily wage labourers across the nation. Over 18,000 meals are planned to be
delivered in New Delhi through this initiative. REC Limited is a Navratna NBFC which has distributed more
than 4.58 lacs Kilograms of food grains, 1.26 lac meal packets, 9600 litres of sanitizers, 3400 PPE kits and
83000 masks across the nation amid the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.
15. NTPC & ONGC to set up JVC for Renewable Energy Business: A Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) has been signed by NTPC Limited, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) to set up a
Joint Venture Company for Renewable Energy business. This partnership will enable both the companies
to accelerate their mark in the field of Renewable Energy. With this tie-up, the two companies will explore
the setting up of offshore wind and other Renewable Energy Projects in India as well as overseas. They will
also seek opportunities in the area of sustainability, storage, E-mobility, and Environmental, Social and
Governance (ESG) compliant projects.
This tie-up will enhance NTPC’s Renewable Energy capacity addition program and also the presence of
ONGC in the Renewable Power business. It will also help ONGC in achieving its ambition of adding 10 GW
of renewable power to its portfolio by 2040.
16. Vadhan authors a new book titled “Fear of God” deals with corruption, vigilantism & law
 The book of “Fear of God” written by Bomma Devara Sai Chandravadhan was published by
TreeShade publications.
 Chandravadhan writes under the Pen Name, Vadhan.
 The Book was released by author and Producer Anirban Bhattacharya.
ABOUT THE BOOK
 The book weaves law, corruption, vigilantism and courtroom drama to follow the three central characters
who are looking to achieve the same thing but through different means.
 A parliamentarian is brutally murdered. The vigilante's next target is a war hero and top constitutional
lawyer. A top police officer has to race against time to stop the killings. The vigilante is as devious as he is
effective in instilling the fear of God into those who think they are above the law.
 The book talks about enforcing the law using an extreme form of justice delivery.
ABOUT MR. VADHAN
 He was born in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh and brought up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is currently living in Mumbai.
 He is a lawyer by qualification and manages regulatory risk practice.
OTHER BOOKS
 His first book was Shatru, a prequel to his yet unpublished fantasy Series.
 It was followed by his second book Agniputr: When Agni First Spoke
17. Union HRD Minister e-Launches seven titles on "Psycho-Social Impact of Pandemic & Lockdown and
How to Cope With"
 Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’today e-Launchedprint as well as e-editions of
the set ofseven titles on "Psycho-Social impact of pandemic & lockdown and how to Cope With"
under the corona studies series published by NBT India.
 Union Minister said that "To counter these formidable circumstances that the world is facing these
days, NBT has brought out these remarkable and unparalleled set of books, and I hope that these
books serve as guides to mental well-being of people at large", The launching ceremony was
followed by an e-interactive session with the researchers/authors of NBT Study Group.
 Congratulating the National Book Trust, India for its unique efforts, Shri Nishank expressed his
gratitude towards researchers as wellwho have brought together this significant material in book
form for easy reading of the people.
 He said that preventive mental health is an important subject area that we all need in these
difficult times to go ahead and fight as warriors against the pandemic.
 He also quoted the famous lines "Mann ke haare har hai Mann ke jeete jeet", which means that
our mind and psychological well-being decides our actions.
 The titles launched following the Study, look at the various aspects of Psycho-social impact on
seven different segments of the society through personal interviews, case studies and community
perceptions based on the response to the on-line questionnaire floated through the website and
other social media handles of National Book Trust, India.
 The Study, which was conducted and analyzed between 27th March and 1st May 2020, finds the
‘fear of infection as the greatest source of anxiety followed by financial and domestic issues.’
 Study Group has recommended ‘strengthening of Preventive Mental Health component of the
National Mental Health Programme’ as a long term strategy to prepare a resilient and well-
adapted post-Corona society, along with physical health, and socio-economic adaptability.
Enlivened with some beautiful illustrations, made by some of the very accomplished
illustrators, the books also provide very valuable and practical tips to cope with the mental stress
and anxiety that may have been caused due to the Pandemic and the Lockdown
About NBT-
 National Book Trust (NBT) is an Indian publishing house,It is an autonomous body under the
Ministry of Education of the Government of India. NBT now functions under aegis of Ministry of
Human Resource Development, Govt. of India.
 India's first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru envisioned that NBT would be a bureaucracy-free
structure that would publish low-cost books.
 Headquarters – Vasant Kunj, Delhi
 President - Govind Prasad Sharma
Summits & Conferences May 2020

1. Extraordinary Virtual G20 Digital Economy Ministers Summit: An Extraordinary Virtual G20 Digital
Economy Ministers summit was held under the presidency of Saudi Arabia. Union Minister for Law &
Justice, Communications and Electronics & IT, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad represented India in the virtual
summit. The virtual summit also featured the participation of Digital Ministers of 19 other G20 Members,
invited countries and International Organisations. At the meeting, the G20 Digital Economy Task Force
COVID-19 Ministerial Statement appealed for a coordinated global Digital response in order to fight the
COVID-19 pandemic and protect people. These responses comprised of measures to bolster
Communication infrastructure as well as network connectivity, Non-personal data exchange in a secured
manner. It also emphasized on the use of Digital Solutions for Healthcare, cyber secured world as well as
ways to strengthen resilience of businesses.
2. Prime Minister takes part in online Summit of NAM Contact Group: Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi took part in the online Summit of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group. The summit was
held with an objective to discuss response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis as well as to promote
international solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The summit was hosted by the current
Chairman of NAM, President of Republic of Azerbaijan HE Ilham Aliyev, with the theme “United against
COVID-19”.
3. ASSOCHAM organises Indo-Bangladesh “Virtual Conference”: Associated Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has organised the Indo-Bangladesh “Virtual Conference”. Union DoNER
Minister of State (I/C) Dr Jitendra Singh addressed the virtual conference. The conference featured the
participation of Minister of Commerce Bangladesh Tipu Munshi, Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad
Sangma and Riva Ganguli Das High commissioner to Bangladesh. While addressing the conference, Dr
Jitendra Singh emphasized on the critical role that North Eastern Region can play to boost trade and
business between the two countries. He also urged the participants to make some effort for the
promotion of several items such as coal, ginger, citrus-fruit, etc. for export while cement, plastic, PVC
pipes etc for import, in order to enhance trade between the two countries.
4. TDB & CII organises Digital Conference “RE-START”: Technology Development Board (TDB) and
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have jointly organised a Digital Conference “RE-START”. The digital
conference “RE-START (Reboot the Economy through Science, Technology and Research Translations)”
was addressed by Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare,
Harsh Vardhan. The conference was organised on the occasion of National Technology Day. During the
conference, Dr. Harsh Vardhan emphasized on the role played by S&T to combat COVID-19 by new
discoveries, industry partnerships, and enhanced researches. The conference was followed by technical
sessions on ‘Medicines & Medical Technologies’, ‘Advanced Materials: New Technology Horizons’ and
‘Technology Alliance for Global Economic Leadership’.
5. Video conference held on “Tribal livelihoods and safety”: A video conference was held by the Minister
of Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda on “Tribal livelihoods and safety”. The conference was held with
States/UTs in New Delhi. The conference featured the participation of Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief
Ministers, State Ministers for Tribal Affairs and state ministers for Forests from more than 20 states/UTs.
Shri Arjun Munda addressed the conference and commended the support given by the states to the tribal
livelihood by stepping up the procurement of Minor Forest Produce at the revised MSP. The working of
Prime Minister’s Vandhan Yojana in the states was also reviewed by the minister during the conference.
6. 32nd Commonwealth Health Ministers Meet held via Video Conference: The 32nd Commonwealth
Health Ministers’ Meeting was held through Video Conference. India was represented by Union Minister
of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan in the video conference. The meeting was held with a
theme: Delivering a co-ordinated Commonwealth COVID-19 response. During the video conference, Union
Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan acknowledged the tremendous contribution of
the numerous frontline health service providers as well as other civic bodies in saving the precious lives.
He also stressed on the steps taken by the Indian government to curb the spread of COVID-19 by imposing
lockdown and keeping surveillance at points of entry. He also mentioned other steps taken by India such
as evacuation of our nationals from abroad, surveillance in community via disease surveillance network,
health infrastructure strengthening, training and capacity building of health staff. he also emphasized on
India’s contribution in providing essential medicines such as Hydroxy Chloroquine to around 100 needy
countries, extending solidarity and support during this time of crisis.
7. 2nd Extraordinary G20 Virtual Trade and Investment Ministerial Meet: The second edition of
Extraordinary G20 Virtual Trade and Investment Ministerial Meet was held under the presidency of Saudi
Arabia. The meeting was chaired by the Saudi Minister of Commerce, Majid Al Qasabi, in the presence of
the Minister of Investment, Khalid Al-Faleh. In the virtual meeting, India was represented by the Union
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. During his address during the meet, Piyush Goyal urged
the G20 nations to ensure access to essential medicines, treatments and vaccines at affordable prices. He
also appealed to the G20 nations to assent the provision of diagnostic and protective equipments as well
as healthcare professionals across borders where they are most needed.
8. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers meet on COVID-19: A virtual conference of

Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member countries was held to deliberate on
cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foreign Ministers of the member countries of Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation participated in the video conference. In the video conference, India was
represented by the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. All the participating Foreign Ministers
deliberated on the global challenges, preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The video
conference was held under the presidency of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
9. 73rd session of World Health Assembly held via video conferencing: The 73rd session of World Health
Assembly was held via video conferencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 73rd session of the
assembly featured the participation of the delegations from all WHO Member States and focused on a
specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. During the session, India was represented by
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. During the session, the minister highlighted the timely, graded
and proactive steps taken by the Indian government towards COVID-19 management. The World Health
Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. The World Health Assembly is responsible to determine
the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and
approve the proposed programme budget. It is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.
10. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh chairs SIDM MSMEs E-conclave: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) E-conclave was chaired by the Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh. The virtual conference of MSMEs E-
conclave was organised jointly by the Department of Defence Production, Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM). The E-conclave was held with the
theme ‘Business Continuity for MSMEs in Defence & Aerospace Sector’. The conclave featured the
participation of more than 800 Defence MSMEs units. During the conclave, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh
emphasized and applauded the role played by Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and other
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India’s fight against global COVID-19 pandemic.
11. Russia hosts BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities meet: The meeting of the Heads of Tax Authorities of the
BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa was held on 29 May. The meeting was
hosted by the Federal Tax Service of Russia, which currently holds the BRICS Presidency, to discuss the
response of BRICS Tax Authorities to the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore potential areas of
cooperation in tax matters. The meeting was scheduled to be held in Moscow, but was held through video
conference in view of COVID-19. Finance Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey represented India at the
meeting. The Finance Secretary, while extending India’s support to the ongoing work in Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development and G-20 project on addressing tax challenges posed by
digitalization, underlined the need to ensure that the new tax rules are fair and simple.
12. FM Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 22nd Meeting of FSDC: The 22nd Meeting of the Financial Stability and
Development Council (FSDC) was chaired by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala
Sitharaman in New Delhi. The FSDC meeting featured the participation of senior officers of the
Government of India as well Financial Sector Regulators. the participants of the meeting reviewed the
measures taken by the Government of India and the regulators in the recent months to maintain the
financial stability in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. During the meeting, present global and domestic
macro-economic situation was reviewed including the financial stability and vulnerabilities issues. They
also reviewed major issues that are likely to be faced by banks as well as other financial institutions. Along
with the above, FSDC also take note of market volatility, domestic resource mobilisation and capital flows
issues.
Obituaries May 2020

1. Freedom fighter & Padma Shri awardee Hema Bharali passes away: Freedom fighter and Padma Shri
Gandhian Hema Bharali passed away at the age of 101. She was well known as Freedom Activist, social
worker & Sarvodaya leader. She was born in Assam on 19th February 1919. Hema Bharali participated in
the relief operations during the earthquake in North Lakhimpur in 1950 and helped the people in the
Assam- Arunachal Pradesh border in the Chinese aggression in 1962. She joined the Bhoodan movement
launched by Vinoba Bhave in 1951 and became one of its leaders.
2. Former India football captain Chuni Goswami passes away: Former India Football captain Chuni
Goswami passed away. He was the captain of Indian Football Team that won the 1962 Asian Games gold
medal. Under his captaincy, India finished as runner-up at the Asian Cup in 1964. Chuni Goswami
commenced his international career in 1957 and emerged as one of the biggest stars of the national team.
At the age of 27, he quit international football in 1964. He played for Mohun Bagan in Club Football. He
was also a good cricketer as he was appointed the captain of Bengal Ranji Trophy team in 1971-72 season.
3. Veteran anti-apartheid activist Denis Goldberg passes away: Veteran South African anti-apartheid
activist Denis Goldberg passed away. He was the ally of late South African President Nelson Mandela. He
played a key role in South African liberation struggle. He was the only white member of the African
National Congress’s military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). Denis Goldberg was sentenced with
imprisonment of 22 years for his involvement with the ANC’s fight against apartheid and spent 22 years in
a whites-only prison in the capital Pretoria. Apartheid was the racist system of oppression forced by the
white minority government. He was released from the jail in 1985.
4. Eminent historian RV Smith passes Away: Eminent historian, author and columnist Ronald Vivian Smith
passed away. He was born in Agra in 1938. He came to Delhi in the 1950s and started working at the Press
Trust of India in 1961. Ronald Vivian Smith has authored a dozen books, mostly on the National Capital.
Two of his noted books on the national capital are ‘Delhi: Unknown Tales of a City’ and ‘The Delhi that No-
one Knows’. The ‘True Chronicler of Delhi’ was the recipient of the Canon Holland Prize and the Rotary
Award for general knowledge and journalism award (1997-98) from the Michael Madhusudan Academy.
5. Judicial Member, Lokpal of India, Justice A.K. Tripathi passes away: Judicial Member, Lokpal of India,
Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi passed away after getting infected from novel Coronavirus. He took oath as a
Judicial Member of Lokpal of India in March 2019 and played an instrumental role in establishing the
Institution of Lokpal of India. Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi was a graduate in Economics (Hons) and studied
law at Campus law Centre, Delhi University. He has served as the Additional Judge at Patna High Court in
2006 and also as the Permanent Judge of the High Court in 2007.
6. Padma Shri awardee K S Nisar Ahmed passes away: Renowned Kannada poet KS Nisar Ahmed passed
away. He was popularly known as “Nityotsava Kavi”. He was born in Devanahalli, Karnataka on February 5,
1936. He was awarded the Pampa Award (the highest literary award in Karnataka) in 2017. He also a
recipient of the Rajyotsava award in 1981 and Padma Shri in 2008.
7. Former Union Minister Dalit Ezhilmalai passes away: Former Union Minister Dalit Ezhilamalai passed
away. He was a leader of the Pattali Makkal Katchi party and was Union Minister of State, Health and
Family Welfare (Independent Charge) during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998–99. He was
elected to the 12th Lok Sabha from Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. As an army officer, he took part in the
1971 Indo-Pak war. He was a recipient of the Sainik Seva Medal from the President for meritorious service
in the Army.
8. Veteran director & story artist Rob Gibbs passes away: Veteran director, story artist and writer of
many Pixar films Rob Gibbs passed away. He was well Known for successful Pixar films, including Toy Story
2, Finding Nemo, Monsters.Up, Wall-E, Inside Out to Onward.
9. Eminent historian Hari Shankar Vasudevan passes away: Eminent historian Hari Shankar Vasudevan
passed away due to COVID-19. He was internationally acclaimed for his work on Russian and European
history and Indo-Russian relations. Vasudevan was the author of Shadows of Substance: Indo-Russian
Trade and Military-Technical Cooperation (2010), and Footsteps of Afanasii Nikitin: Travels through
Eurasia and India in the Early 21st Century (2015). He was an eminent scholar, UGC Emeritus Professor,
Department of History and China Centre of Calcutta University as well as Ex-Director of Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, an autonomous body under Ministry of Culture Govt of India.”
10. KFH Tournament founder Pandanda Kuttappa passes away: Founder of Kodava Family Hockey
Tournament, Pandanda Kuttappa passed away. Kuttappa conceived the idea of Kodava family hockey
festival in 1997. He was a former State Bank of India employee and an ex-first division hockey referee,
Pandanda Kuttappa has bestowed the Karnataka Rajyothsava award in 2015. Kuttappa used to oversee
the tournament for the last 22 years. Kodava Family Hockey Tournament held every year in Karnataka.
Kodava Family Hockey tournament had no gender bar for participating teams and women too could enter
in the same team as their male counterparts. On an average, 250 families send their teams for the
tournament which is usually played in the month of April-May every year.
11. Former Lok Sabha MP Raja Rangappa Naik passes away: Former Lok Sabha MP and senior Janta
Dal(S) leader Raja Rangappa Naik passed away. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996. He had
represented the Raichur Lok Sabha constituency in the Indian state of Karnataka.
12. Founding father of Rock ‘n’ roll Little Richard passes away: Founding father of Rock ‘n’ roll, Little
Richard passed away. His full name Richard Wayne Pennima, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame as part of its first group of inductees in 1986 and he picked up a Lifetime Achievement Award in
1993 from the Recording Academy. Tutti Frutti was Little Richard’s debut single released in November
1955. The record was an instant hit, climbing in the charts in both the US and the UK and is still known as
one of his most iconic songs to date.
13. TV actor Shafique Ansari passes away: TV actor Shafique Ansari passed away. He was best-known for
his appearance in TV series ‘Crime Patrol’. He was a member of the Cine & TV Artistes’ Association
(CINTAA) since 2008. Apart from being an actor, he was a screenwriter and an assistant director too. He is
one of the screenwriters of Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini’s 2003 film ‘Baghban’.
14. Former TT national champion Manmeet Singh passes away: Former India national table tennis
champion Manmeet Singh Walia passed away. He became the national champion in 1989 when he beat S.
Sriram in the men singles final at Hyderabad. He had represented the nation at multiple international
events after making his debut at the Asian Championships in 1980.
15. US comedian Jerry Stiller passes away: US comedian Jerry Stiller passed away recently. He was
renowned for his recurring role as George Costanza’s father on TV’s Seinfeld for which he was also
nominated for Emmy Awards in 1997. His other popular roles includes that of Arthur Spooner in TV sitcom
“The King of Queens”. He received joint star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along with his wife Meara in
year 2007.
16. Grammy-winning singer Betty Wright passes away: The Grammy-winning soul singer, Betty Wright
passed away. Her real name is Bessie Regina Norris. She is an R&B (Rhythm & blues) singer, songwriter
and background vocalist. She received her first Grammy Award for the Best Song, “Where is the Love?”, at
the age of 23.
17. Film actor Sai Gundewar passes away: Film actor, model, voiceover artist and an entrepreneur, Sai
Gundewar passed away. His popularity rose in 2010 after his participation in the hit Reality TV show MTV
Splitsvilla, Season 4. He has also acted alongside Aamir Khan in PK, and Rock on.
18. Sahitya Akademi winning Bengali author Debesh Roy passes away: Veteran Bengali author Debesh
Roy, who had five decades of career as a writer, passed away. He was awarded with the Sahitya Akademi
award for his novel ‘Teesta Parer Brittanto’. The first book of Debesh Roy was Jajati, and he was also a
regular contributor to a number of Bengali dailies. He has penned various renowned books such as
Borisaler Jogen Mondal, Manush Khun Kore Keno, and Samay Asamayer Brittanto.
19. Bangladesh’s National Professor Anisuzzaman passes away: Bangladesh’s Noted literary personality,
educationist and national Professor Anisuzzaman passed away. He was the President of Bangla Academy
since 2012. He was a liberation war fighter and also participated in the language movement against
Pakistan. Professor Anisuzzaman received various awards in his illustrious life as educationist, academic,
author and social activist. He was awarded with the Ekushey Padak in 1985, and was conferred the Padma
Bhushan award by the government of India in 2014.
20. Iran’s OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili passes away: Iran’s representative at Organisation
of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Hossein Kazempour Ardebili passed away. He had served as
Iran’s OPEC governor for nearly 20 years. He had been Iran’s representative to OPEC since 2013, after
previously holding the position from 1995 to 2008.
21. Marathi writer, playwright Ratnakar Matkari passes away: Veteran Marathi writer and playwright,
Ratnakar Matkari passed away after being diagnosed with COVID-19. He was considered a pioneer of the
children’s drama movement in Marathi. His immense contribution in various forms such as plays, short
stories, the novel has enriched the world of Marathi literature. Matkari has received several awards over
the years. His film Investment won the National Film Award for the best Marathi feature film. Besides, he
belongs to the select band of artists to have been honoured by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the
Sahitya Akademi.
22. Indian hockey legend Balbir Singh Dosanjh passes away: Former Indian hockey player Balbir Singh
Dosanjh passed away. He was a part of three-time Olympic gold medal-winning Indian hockey team, i.e. in
London Olympics (1948), Helsinki Olympics (1952), and Melbourne Olympics (1956). In 1956 Olympics, he
was the captain of the Indian team that won the gold medal after defeating Pakistan in the finals. Balbir
Singh Dosanjh was the only Indian among 16 legends who were chosen by the International Olympic
Committee across modern Olympic history. He has also an unbeaten record of scoring most goals by an
individual in the men’s hockey final of the Olympics, under his name.
23. Australian tennis star Ashley Cooper passes away: Former No. 1-ranked player and Australian tennis
star Ashley Cooper passed away. He was among a group of players including Lew Hoad, Frank Sedgman
and Ken Rosewall who ruled the world in tennis during the period of 1950s to 1970s. His career concluded
in 1959 after suffering from a back injury. Ashley Cooper won four Grand Slam singles titles including the
Australian, Wimbledon and U.S. championships in 1958. He was also the administrator of the game for a
long period.
24. Japanese Pro wrestler Hana Kimura passes away: Japanese professional wrestler, Hana Kimura
passed away. She won her first title at the Japan Pro-Wrestling (JWP) Junior plate in 2016 and joined
Stardom in 2019. According to the report, she became a target of online bullying over her role on the
“Terrace House” show on Netflix.
25. Bollywood actor Mohit Baghel passes away: Bollywood actor Mohit Baghel passed away due to
cancer. He starts his career with the comedy show “Chote Miyaan”. He was best known for playing Amar
Chaudhary in superstar Salman Khan’s “Ready”. The actor has also appeared in Sidharth Malhotra and
Parineeti Chopra starrer “Jabariya Jodi”. He also acted in films Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami and Gali Gali Chor
Hai.
26. Former Inter coach Gigi Simoni passes away: Former Inter Milan coach, Gigi Simoni, who led a
Ronaldo-inspired team to UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Cup glory in 1998, passed away.
He was an Italian football official, player & manager. He played as an attacking midfielder for Mantova,
Napoli, Torino, Juventus, Brescia and Genoa. He won the Coppa Italia in 1961–62 with Napoli. He was
awarded the Panchina d’Oro as the best Italian coach.
27. Classical musician Shyamala Bhave passes away: Classical musician Shyamala G. Bhave passed away.
She was having an equal command over Hindustani as well as Carnatic music. She had also composed
music in India’s first Sanskrit serial titled “Kadambari”. She had also served at the Karnataka Sangeeta
Nrithya Academy from 1997 to 2001. The renowned vocalist was honoured with title of “Ubhaya Gaana
Vidushi (expert in both styles)” and also composed music for some films, including the first Sanskrit film
“Adi Shankaracharya”. She was also the recipient of Karnataka Rajyotsava Award.
28. Padma Shri awardee, Urdu Writer Mujtaba Hussain passes away: Noted Urdu author, humorist and
satirist Mujtaba Hussain passed away. He was born on July 15, 1936, in Hyderabad, Telangana. Hussain
was described as the Mark Twain of Urdu. He began his literary career from “Siasat”, a leading Urdu daily
published from Hyderabad.
29. Former Tamil Nadu footballer Shanmugam passes away: Former Tamil Nadu footballer and coach R.
Shanmugam passed away. Shanmugam, who was born in Burma in 1943, represented the Burmese junior
and senior national teams in 1966-67. Shanmugam played for Mohun Bagan in 1968, Indian Railways in
the 1969 Nowgong senior Nationals, Tamil Nadu in the 1970 Jalandhar & ’71 Chennai senior Nationals.
He’s played for the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) from 1969-77 in the top-tier of the Chennai Football
Association (CFA) league. He attended the FIFA Coca Cola coaching course in 1978 & ’91, and the Olympic
solidarity course in 1996. He obtained diplomas in football coaching from the National Institute of Sports
in 1975-76 and the Brazilian Football Academy in 1995.
30. First Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi passes away: The first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Ajit
Jogi has passed away. A bureaucrat-turned politician, Ajit Jogi was a mass leader who dominated the
state’s politics for long time. He was an MLA from Marwahi seat in the current assembly. Chhattisgarh
came into existence in November 2000 and Ajit Jogi served as the first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh from
November 2000 to November 2003.
31. Veteran lyricist Yogesh Gaur passes away: Veteran lyricist Yogesh Gaur passed away. He wrote the
lyrics of hit songs “Kahin duur jab din dhal jaye” and “Zindagi kaisi hai paheli” that defined the superhit
film Anand (1971). He got his first break as a lyricist with the film Sakhi Robin (1962), in which he wrote six
songs. He also wrote songs for films like Chhoti Si Baat (1976), Baton Baton Mein (1979), Manzil (1979),
Rajnigandha (1974) and many more.
32. Renowned astrologer Bejan Daruwalla passes away: Renowned astrologer, Bejan Daruwalla passed
away. His name figured among the 100 great astrologers of the last 1,000 years in ‘The Millennium Book
of Prophecy’, published by Harper Collins. His astrological predictions were keenly followed by millions of
people in the country. He used to predict political developments, cricket, film industry and film stars.
Among his political predictions included victories of Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and lastly,
Narendra Modi.
33. Rajya Sabha member M.P. Veerendra Kumar passes away: Rajya Sabha (RS) MP from Kerala and
Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) Leader, writer and journalist, M.P. Veerendra Kumar passed away. He was
born on July 22, 1936, at Kalpetta, Wayanad district, Kerala. In 1996, Kumar was elected to the Lok Sabha
from Kozhikde and became a ‘Union Minister of State for Finance’ and later ‘Union Minister of State for
Labour’ in the United Front governments led by HD Deve Gowda and IK Gujral. He was elected to the Lok
Sabha again in 2004. He has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since April 2016. He was a recipient of the
Sahitya Academy award.
34. Macau gambling king Stanley Ho dies aged 98
 Ho, one of Asia's richest men, was known as the "king of gambling".
 He was the head of one of the world's most lucrative gaming businesses, SJM Holdings, valued at
about $6bn (£4.9bn).
 "My father has passed away peacefully just now at around 1pm at Hong Kong Sanatorium and
Hospital," Ho's daughter Pansy told reporters."As Stanley Ho's family member, we are really sad to
inform you of this."
 Ho dominated the casino business in the former Portuguese colony of Macau after winning a
government monopoly licence in the 1960s.
 As his fortune grew, he expanded beyond Macau, building residential and office buildings in Hong
Kong as well as operating casinos in other countries, including Portugal and North Korea.
 His personal fortune was estimated at $6.4bn when he retired in 2018 just months before his 97th
birthday.
 SJM Holdings flourished as the opening up of China's economy created a flood of new wealth in a
country with a love of gambling. SJM now controls 20 casinos on Macau.
 Ho had four wives and 17 known children. He was forced to restructure his business after a legal
battle erupted within the family in 2012 over his fortune.
 It's impossible to overestimate the influence Stanley Ho had in Macau and Hong Kong. He had a
say in choosing the leadership of both territories, and China's state media has mourned him today
as "a patriotic entrepreneur"
 Ho's fortunes were tightly linked the growth of Macau from a small fishing town to a wealth
gambling centre. As he developed his gambling business there, he even built the enclave's
connection with the outside world.
 His high speed ferries or helicopters were the quickest way to travel between Macau and Hong
Kong in the early days, until the arrival of the Las Vegas giants, and later the opening of the mega
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
 His life was not without controversies, but to many ordinary people, it was more about the
inspiration of dreaming big, and getting rich.
 The "King of Gambling" has now died, but many in the business world will still seek his wisdom
from the poker table as they chase their own success.
About Macau -
 Macau is an autonomous region on the south coast of China, across the Pearl River Delta from
Hong Kong. A Portuguese territory until 1999, it reflects a mix of cultural influences. Its giant
casinos and malls on the Cotai Strip, which joins the islands of Taipa and Coloane, have earned it
the nickname, "Las Vegas of Asia." One of its more striking landmarks is the tall Macau Tower, with
sweeping city views.
 Chief Executive- Ho Iat Seng
 President of Legislative Assembly- Kou Hoi In
35. Veteran Poet, Padma Shri Kokkare Hosahalli Sheikh Nissar Ahmed passed away at 84
• Renowned Kannada poet and professor KS Nissar Ahmed passed away on May 3 at his residence in
Bengaluru at the age of 84.
• He was the 73rd president of Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in the year 2007 held at Shivamogga.
• He was born on 5th February 1936 in Devanahalli, Mysuru.
AWARDS
• He was awarded Padma Shri award in 2008 for his contribution to Kannada literature.
• Apart from Padma Shri, he was also honoured with Sahitya Academy Award (in 2008), Rajyotsav Award
(1981), Nadoja in 2003 and Pampa in 2017.
WORK
• He had penned poems, plays, short stories and novels.
• He was considered a key pillar of the Navya movement in Kannada literature.
• While he is known for his several notable works like Manasu Gandhi Bazaru, Mandondige Mathukathe,
Sanje Idare Mele and various other offerings, it was Nithyothasava a poetry collection he released in
1974 which brought him eternal fame.
• The poet also wrote Kannada songs.
• One of the songs in the collection ‘Jogada Siri Belakanalli’ which celebrates the natural beauty of
Karnataka is almost seen as an unofficial state anthem.
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Monthly GK & CA Quiz : May 2020

Monthly GK & CA Quiz : 1st May 2020
1. Who among the following has been
appointed as the Chairperson of the Public 3. IIT Delhi team developed which of the
Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) for a period following COVID-19 dashboard which gives
of 3 years. detailed state-wise and district-wise predictions
A. P. Raghavendra Rao of COVID-19 cases in India.
B. Trilochan Mohapatra A. PRACRITI
C. Rajiv Kumar B. SATTVA
D. Tarun Shridhar C. SWAYAM
E. Andhra Pradesh D. ISHVARA
E. None of these
Correct Answer: C. Rajiv Kumar
Explanation: The former finance secretary Rajiv Correct Answer: A. PRACRITI
Kumar was appointed as the Chairperson of the Explanation: IIT Delhi team has developed a web-
Public Enterprises Selection Board(PESB) for a based COVID-19 dashboard named as “PRACRITI
period of 3 years. He is a 1984-batch IAS officer (PRediction and Assessment of CoRona Infections
of Jharkhand cadre. His appointment is and Transmission in India)” which gives detailed
confirmed by Appointments Committee of state-wise and district-wise predictions of COVID-
Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister 19 cases in India.
Narendra Modi. He will replace Kapil Dev Tripathi
who took over as the Secretary to the President 4. Who among the following has been
Ram Nath Kovind. appointed as the next Ambassador of India to
 Director of Public Enterprises Selection the State of Qatar.
Board: Kailash Dan Ratnoo. A. Saurabh Kumar
 Secretary of Public Enterprises Selection B. Deepak Mittal
Board: Kimbuong Kipgen. C. Ajay Bisaria
D. Pradeep Kumar Rawat
2. Who among the following took oath as the E. None of these
Vigilance Commissioner in the anti-corruption
watchdog Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). Correct Answer: B. Deepak Mittal
A. Shushil Chandra Explanation: Deepak Mittal has been appointed
B. Suresh N Patel as the next Ambassador of India to the State of
C. Muttoli Ajit Kumar Qatar, while Piyush Srivastava goes to Bahrain in
D. Pramod Chandra Mody the same capacity. Both of them are 1998 batch
E. None of These Indian Foreign Service officers. Deepak Mittal is
presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of
Correct Answer: B. Suresh N Patel External Affairs. He will replace P. Kumaran, who
Explanation: Suresh N Patel took oath as the is a 1992 Indian Foreign Service officer. Piyush
Vigilance Commissioner in the anti-corruption Srivastava will replace Alok Kumar Sinha, who is a
watchdog Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). 1986 Indian Foreign Service officer.
May 2019. presently Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
5. Who among the following has been is Jal Shakti Minister.
appointed as the next Ambassador of India to
the Bahrain. 7. Who among the following has been authored
A. Pankaj Saran the book titled “The Room Where It Happened:
B. K. S. Raghavan A White House Memoir”?
C. Ajai Malhotra A. Tommy Orange
D. Piyush Srivastava B. Rebecca Makkai
E. None of these C. Mary Jordan
D. John Bolton
Correct Answer: E. TikTok E. None of these
Explanation: Explanation: Deepak Mittal has
been appointed as the next Ambassador of India Correct Answer: D. John Bolton
to the State of Qatar, while Piyush Srivastava Explanation: A book titled “The Room Where It
goes to Bahrain in the same capacity. Both of Happened: A White House Memoir” authored by
them are 1998 batch Indian Foreign Service John Bolton. The date of the book release has
officers. Deepak Mittal is presently Joint been pushed back from May 12, 2020 to June 23,
Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He 2020, on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble
will replace P. Kumaran, who is a 1992 Indian bookseller company. The book was published by
Foreign Service officer. Piyush Srivastava will an American publishing company Simon &
replace Alok Kumar Sinha, who is a 1986 Indian Schuster.
Foreign Service officer.
8. Name of the Grameen Bank which has
6. Recently, The central government has launched ‘Vikas Abhaya’ a loan scheme to
brought the Cauvery Water Management provide some relief to Micro, Small and Medium
Authority (CWMA) under the Jal Shakti Ministry, Enterprise(MSME) borrowers.
presently who is Jal Shakti Minister? A. Jammu And Kashmir Grameen Bank
A. Santosh Gangwar B. Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank
B. Shripad Yasso Naik C. Meghalaya Rural Bank
C. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat D. Maharashtra Gramin Bank
D. Narendra Singh Tomar E. None of these
E. None of these
Correct Answer: B. Karnataka Vikas Grameena
Correct Answer: C. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Bank
Explanation: The central government has Explanation: Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank
brought the Cauvery Water Management (KVGB) has launched ‘Vikas Abhaya’ a loan
Authority (CWMA) under the Jal Shakti Ministry, scheme to provide some relief to Micro, Small
which was earlier under the Ministry of Water and Medium Enterprise(MSME) borrowers. This
Resources, River Development and Ganga scheme is for those borrowers whose business
Rejuvenation. This decision is a formality of activities are disrupted on account of the COVID-
business allotment, which means that the 19 pandemic in Dharwad, Karnataka. The loan
authority must report to the Ministry of Jal will be for the existing MSME customers who
Shakti. Jal Shakti Ministry was formed by merging have been regular as on February 29, a maximum
Department of Water Resources, River loan of up to Rs 1 lakh will be provided and no
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and collateral security is emphasized & is repayable
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation in within 36 months.
for Invention, Innovation, Incubation and
9. Famous sportsperson Chuni Goswami passed Training (CIIITs).
away recently, he was associated with which A. Ladakh
sports? B. Haryana
A. Tennis C. Punjab
B. Kabaddi D. Jammu & Kashmir
C. Football E. None of these
D. Cricket
E. None of these Correct Answer: D. Jammu & Kashmir
Explanation: In a bid to promote skill
Correct Answer: C. Football development, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)
Explanation: Former India Football captain Chuni administration has signed an MoU
Goswami passed away. He was the captain of (Memorandum of Understanding) with Tata
Indian Football Team that won the 1962 Asian Technologies limited to set up 2 Centres for
Games gold medal. Under his captaincy, India Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training
finished as runner-up at the Asian Cup in 1964. (CIIITs) in the Union Territory(UT), one each at
Chuni Goswami commenced his international Government Polytechnic Colleges at Jammu and
career in 1957 and emerged as one of the biggest Baramulla.
stars of the national team. At the age of 27, he
quit international football in 1964. He played for 12. Where is The U.S. Commission on
Mohun Bagan in Club Football. He was also a International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
good cricketer as he was appointed the captain Headquarter located?
of Bengal Ranji Trophy team in 1971-72 season. A. New York
B. Washington DC
10. Who among the following has been C. San Francisco
appointed as the permanent representative of D. California
India to the United Nations (UN)? E. None of these
A. Taranjit Singh Sandhu
B. Arun Kumar Singh Correct Answer: B. Washington DC
C. T S Tirumurti Explanation: The U.S. Commission on
D. Harsh Vardhan Shringla International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its
E. None of these Annual Report 2020 has downgraded the Indian
ranking by naming it into the list of “Country of
Correct Answer: C. T S Tirumurti Particular Concern (CPC)”i.e. Tier 1 from“Special
Explanation: Government of India has appointed Watch List i.e.“Tier-2” in 2019 report. This is the
TS Tirumurti an Indian Foreign Service officer of first time since 2004 that India has been placed in
1985 batch the permanent representative of this category for engaging in and tolerating
India to the United Nations (UN) at New York. systematic, and ongoing religious freedom
Currently, he is serving as the Secretary, violations, as defined by the International
Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Religious Freedom Act (IRFA),
Affairs. He will replace Syed Akbaruddin following 1998.Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United
his retirement. States.
11. Which of the following state/UT which has 13. What is the name of robot which was
signed with Tata technologies to build 2 Centres developed by CSIR-CMERI to help the frontline
healthcare workers?
A. COVIN Organization (UNESCO) designated the 30th April
B. Warbot as the International Jazz Day and it is celebrated
C. HCARD annually to promote jazz and its role in uniting
D. Vyommitra people from all around the world.
E. None of these
15. Name the veteran Bollywood actor who
Correct Answer: C. HCARD passed away recently.
Explanation: The robotic device HCARD (Hospital A. Rishi Kapoor
Care Assistive Robotic Device) helps the frontline B. Dharmendra
healthcare workers in maintaining physical C. Vinod Khanna
distance from those infected by Coronavirus D. Rajesh Khanna
(COVID-19). The device was developed by CSIR- E. None of these
Central Mechanical Engineering Research
Institute (CMERI), Durgapur, West Bengal. Correct Answer: A. Rishi Kapoor
Explanation: Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor has
14. The International Jazz Day celebrated passed away. He made his screen debut in 1970
annually which of the following day- with film “Mera Naam Joker” as a child artist and
A. 31st March also received National Film Award for the role.
B. 30th April
C. 1st May
D. 29th April
E. None of these
Monthly GK & CA Quiz :
Correct Answer: B. 30th April
2nd May 2020
Explanation: In 2011 November The United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
1. Who among the following has been serving as the independent director in the
appointed as the interim Managing Director & company’s Board.
Chief Executive Officer of PNB Housing Finance
Ltd. 2. Recently, ADB has approved a -------------------
A. Neeraj Vyas loan to which state government in order to
B. Keki Mistry provide reliable power connections in
C. Sameer Gehlaut Maharashtra’s rural areas?
D. Siddhartha Mohanty A. USD 240 million
E. None of these B. USD 346 million
C. USD 310 million
Correct Answer: A. Neeraj Vyas D. USD 266 million
Explanation: Neeraj Vyas has been appointed as E. None of These
the interim Managing Director & Chief Executive
Officer of PNB Housing Finance Ltd for 8 months. Correct Answer: B. USD 346 million
He has replaced Sanjaya Gupta who was serving Explanation: The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
as the Managing Director & Chief Executive has approved a USD 346 million (around Rs 2,616
Officer of the company. Neeraj Vyas is a senior crore) loan to Maharashtra state government to
banking professional having more than 36 years provide reliable power connections in rural areas
of experience in banking. He was currently of Maharashtra. The loan will support the state
government’s high voltage distribution system
(HVDS) program for new grid-connected rural per the data released by the Union Rural
agricultural customers in Maharashtra. Development Ministry.)
 President of Asian Development Bank: A. Gujarat
Masatsugu Asakawa. B. Chhattisgarh
 ADB was established in 1966. C. Jharkhand
D. Madhya Pradesh
3. Recently, Rating agency CRISIL has slashed E. None of these
the GDP growth rate forecast for India for the
fiscal year 2020-21 from 3.5% to ______ Correct Answer: B. Chhattisgarh
A. 3.0% Explanation: Chhattisgarh has topped all states in
B. 2.8% providing employment to 18,51,536 MNREGA
C. 1.8% workers despite the lockdown, as per data
D. 1.6% released by the Ministry of Rural Development.
E. None of these Chhattisgarh provided employment to over
18(18.51) lakh unskilled labourers, followed by
Correct Answer: C. 1.8% Rajasthan (2nd) to 10.79 lakh workers & Uttar
Explanation: Rating agency CRISIL has slashed Pradesh(3rd) to around 9.06 lakh workers under
the GDP growth rate forecast for India for the the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
fiscal year 2020-21 from 3.5% to 1.8%. Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). As per the data
released by the Union Rural Development
4. According to the 7th edition of ‘Open Budget Ministry around 77.85 lakh people are engaged
Survey 2019’ conducted by International Budget in different work under the scheme across the
Partnership (IBP), What is India’s rank- country.
A. 45th
B. 53rd 6. Which of the following automobile company
C. 56th in association with Agva Healthcare has
D. 59th developed low-cost ventilators for helping the
E. None of these government in the fight against COVID-19?
A. Ford Motors
Correct Answer: B. 53rd B. Maruti Suzuki
Explanation: According to the 7th edition of C. Tata Motors
‘Open Budget Survey 2019’ conducted by D. Ashok Leyland
International Budget Partnership (IBP), India has E. None of these
been ranked at 53rd position among 117 nations
in terms of budget transparency and Correct Answer: B. Maruti Suzuki
accountability with the score of 49 out of 100. Explanation: Automobile giant Maruti Suzuki has
While at the same time New Zealand has been developed low-cost ventilators for helping the
topped the list with a score of 87. The global government in the fight against COVID-19. The
average transparency score on this survey was production is going on in Gautam Buddha Nagar
45. The survey ranked the countries in 5 different of Uttar Pradesh, where the company is
categories based on their scores.[0-20: scant, 21- supporting a start-up Agva Healthcare to scale-up
40: minimal, 41-60:limited, 61-80:substantial,81- ventilator production. The low-cost ventilators
100:extensive]. were designed by Agva Healthcare and Maruti
Suzuki is enhancing the production by pouring in
5. Which of the following state stood at first in the vendors and doing the quality control.
providing employment under MGNREGS? (As
7. Which of the following state government has ailments & even those who buy medicines with a
started ‘Jagananna Vidya Deevena’ Scheme prescription and share with the health
Provide Full Fee Reimbursement to Students? department for better monitoring.
A. Andhra Pradesh
B. Tamil Nadu 9. Which of the following bank is going to
C. Karnataka acquire 29 per cent stack in in Max Life
D. Karnataka Insurance Company Limited?
E. None of these A. Yes Bank
B. Bandhan Bank
Correct Answer: A. Andhra Pradesh C. Axis Bank
Explanation: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS D. Kotak Mahindra Bank
Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the 'Jagananna E. None of these
Vidya Deevena' scheme, in order to provide 100
per cent fee reimbursement to all students Correct Answer: C. Axis Bank
across the state. Under the scheme, the Explanation: Axis Bank Limited and Max Financial
reimbursed amount will directly be credited into Services Limited (MFS) announced the signing of
the accounts of the mothers of the students in definitive agreements to become joint venture
four installments every year. Over Rs 4,000 partners in Max Life Insurance Company Limited
crores along with the pending due of Rs 1,880 (Max Life). Axis Bank will hold 30% stake in Max
crore was released and the amount was directly Life post transaction closure. Max Financial
credited in the accounts of the mothers. The Services presently holds a 72.5% stake in Max
scheme is aimed at providing financial assistance Life and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) owns
to nearly 14 lakh students across the state and 25.5% stake. Axis Bank also has a minor stake in
ensure that students from lower-income the life insurer. Post completion of the series of
households get financial assistance for their transactions, Max Life will become a 70:30 joint-
education. venture between MFS and Axis Bank. The
proposed transactions are subject to approval of
8. Which of the following state government has requisite corporate and regulatory authorities
launched ‘Covid Pharma’, mobile application? (including IRDAI, RBI and CCI). Axis Bank is the
A. Kerala third largest private bank and Max Life is the
B. Tamil Nadu fourth largest private life insurer in India.
C. Andhra Pradesh
D. Karnataka 10. Who among the following has been selected
E. None of these for the Nikkei Asia Prize 2020 in the category of
‘Science and Technology’.
Correct Answer: C. Andhra Pradesh A. S N Shrivastava
Explanation: The Medical and Health B. Tan Hooi Ling
Department of Andhra Pradesh (AP) has C. Thalappil Pradeep
launched ‘Covid Pharma’, a mobile D. Ram Prasad Kadel
application(app) to keep a track of people buying E. None of these
medicines over-the-counter (OTC) for cough, cold
and fever from medical stores across the state. Correct Answer: C. Thalappil Pradeep
The pharmacies in the State is expected to Explanation: An IIT Madras Professor Thalappil
download the app and register the details of Pradeep has been selected for the Nikkei Asia
persons, including their mobile number, making Prize 2020. Professor Thalappil Pradeep will be
OTC purchases of medicines for common conferred with the Nikkei Asia Prize 2020 in the
category of ‘Science and Technology’. He would
be honoured with the prize for his pioneering Correct Answer: C. Shikha Sharma
work in nanotechnology-based water Explanation: Former Axis Bank CEO, Shikha
purification. Complete list of winners of the prize Sharma named advisor to Google Pay India.
is as follows: Google Pay is one of the leading apps on Unified
Payments Payments Interface (UPI), battling with
 Science and Technology: Professor the likes of Amazon Pay, Paytm, etc. Sharma’s
Thalappil Pradeep (India) appointment could be a way forward for Google
 Culture and Community: Ram Prasad Pay India’s attempt at a card-based offering,
Kadel (Nepal) which could be launched soon. Sharma quit ICICI
 Economic and Business Innovation: Bank in 2008 to join Axis Bank. She steered Axis
Anthony Tan (Malaysia) & Tan Hooi Ling Bank till 2018 and transformed it into a major
(Malaysia) banking entity of the country. Sharma also serves
in the board of IT major Tech Mahindra as an
11. Fédération Internationale de Football independent director.
Association (FIFA) has launched which of the
following campaign to pay tribute to health 13. Name the former India Football captain who
workers. passed away recently.
A. #WeWillWin A. Chuni Goswami
B. #WeWillPlay B. Gostha Pal
C. #WeWillSave C. Sailen Manna
D. #WeWillGoal D. Peter Thangaraj
E. None of these E. None of these
Correct Answer: A. #WeWillWin Correct Answer: A. Chuni Goswami

Explanation: Fédération Internationale de Explanation: Former India Football captain Chuni
Football Association(FIFA) has launched a Goswami passed away. He was the captain of
campaign called “#WeWillWin”. Through this Indian Football Team that won the 1962 Asian
campaign FIFA tribute a special video to health Games gold medal. Under his captaincy, India
workers and other professionals who ensure the finished as runner-up at the Asian Cup in 1964.
society continues to function among COVID-19 Chuni Goswami commenced his international
pandemic. Former India football captain career in 1957 and emerged as one of the biggest
Bhaichung Bhutia who is also featured among 50 stars of the national team. At the age of 27, he
past and present football stars. quit international football in 1964. He played for
 President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino; Mohun Bagan in Club Football. He was also a
Founded: 21 May 1904. good cricketer as he was appointed the captain
 Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland. of Bengal Ranji Trophy team in 1971-72 season.
12. Who among the following has been named 14. Who among the following has been
as advisor to Google Pay India recently. conferred by the Japan government with the
A. Usha Sangwan ‘Order of Rising Sun’.
B. Chanda Kochhar A. Naorem Mahesh Singh
C. Shikha Sharma B. Thangjam Dhabali Singh
D. Arundhati Bhattacharya C. Bidyananda Singh
E. None of these D. S. A. Shishak
E. None of these
Correct Answer: C. 1st May
Correct Answer: B. Thangjam Dhabali Singh Explanation: International Labour Day 2020
Explanation: Manipuri doctor, Thangjam Dhabali observed globally on 1st May every year. It is
Singh conferred ‘Order of Rising Sun’ by Japan also known as International Worker’s Day and
government. This award is given for him to May Day. This day is observed to pay tribute to
promoting a better understanding of Japan in the contribution of workers across the world. It
India and deepening ties between the two was only in the year 1891 when 1st May was
countries. Thangjam Dhabali Singh, an allopathic announced formally to be observed as
doctor by profession and founder of the Manipur International Labour Day each year.
Tourism Forum (MTF). He had organised the 70th Last year, the theme for International Labour Day
anniversary of the Battle of Imphal of the Second was “Uniting the workers for economic as well as
World War. Several Japanese citizens, including social advancement”. This year, due to the
officials from the Embassy of Japan in India, had
COVID-19 pandemic alert across the world, the
participated in the event.
theme for International Labour Day 2020 is
What is “Order of the Rising Sun”? The ‘Order of “Maintaining safety and security at the
the Rising Sun’ is conferred on persons with workplace”.
achievements in international relations,
promotion of Japanese culture, environmental
preservation, welfare or achievements in their  Headquarters of International Labour
fields. It was constituted by Japanese Emperor Organization: Geneva, Switzerland.
Meiji in 1875.  President of International Labour
Organization: Guy Ryder.
15. The International Labour Day 2020 is  International Labour Organization
observed globally every year on which day- Founded: 1919.
A. 4th May
B. 2nd May
C. 1st May Monthly GK & CA Quiz :
D. 30th April
E. None of these 3rd & 4th May 2020
1. Name of the organizations which has Explanation: A National E-Commerce Market
launched a national e-commerce marketplace place was launched by Confederation of All India
‘bharatmarket’ for all retail traders in India? Traders (CAIT) called “Bharat Market”. The e-
commerce market place will integrate the
A. Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) capabilities of technology companies in order to
B. ASSOCHAM provide end to end services. The portal will
C. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) include participation of retailers and aims to
D. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce bring 95% of retail traders into the platform. It
and Industry (FICCI) will mainly focus on technology companies to
E. None of these provide end to end services. The initiative is to be
guided and supported by the Ministry of
Correct Answer: A. Confederation of All India Commerce and Industry.
Traders (CAIT)
2. Who among the following has been elected as 4. Which of the following app developed by
an International Honorary Member to the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute to connect
American Academy of Arts and Science? farmers to supply chain and freight
transportation management system.
A. G. U. Kulkarni A. Kisan Saarthi App
B. Maneesha S. Inamdar B. Kisan Suraksha App
C. Shobhana Narasimhan C. Kisan Sabha App
D. Rama Govindarajan D. Kisan Seva App
Correct Answer – C. Shobhana Narasimhan Correct Answer – C. Kisan Sabha App
Explanation: Prof. Shobhana Narasimhan from Explanation: CSIR-Central Road Research
the Theoretical Sciences Unit (TSU) at the Institute (CSIR-CRRI) has developed “Kisan Sabha
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific App”. This app was remotely launched amid
Research (JNCASR), has been elected as an nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19
International Honorary Member to the American pandemic. This application has been rolled out to
Academy of Arts and Science (AAAS). JNCASR is connect farmers to supply chain and freight
an autonomous institute under the Department transportation management system. The recently
of Science and Technology. AAAS honors such launched portal will be a single stop for every
scholars and leaders who have distinguished entity related to agriculture such as farmer who
themselves in the sciences, arts, humanities, and needs good price for the crops, mandi dealer
public life. who needs to connect to more farmers, and
3. Who among the following launched an e- truckers who repeatedly go empty from the
book titled “Prof. B.B. Lal: India Rediscovered”? mandis.
A. Narendra Singh Tomar
B. Prahlad Singh Patel  Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers
C. Smriti Irani Welfare: Narendra Singh Tomar.
D. Gajendra Sigh Shekhawat  Minister of State for Agriculture &
E. None of these Farmers Welfare: Parshottam Rupala.
Correct Answer – B. Prahlad Singh Patel 5. The Government of India (GoI) has increased
Explanation: Union Culture Minister Prahlad the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor
Singh Patel launched an e-book titled “Prof. B.B. Forest Produce (MFP) of -------- items.
Lal: India Rediscovered”. E-book was launched on A. 55
the occasion of centenary year of great B. 49
C. 35
archaeologist Professor B. B. Lal. E-book titled
D. 25
“Prof. B.B. Lal: India Rediscovered” has been E. None of these
prepared by the Ministry of culture along with
Prof B B Lal Centenary Celebration Committee. Correct Answer – B. 49
Explanation: The Government of India has
This book is a centenary special edition and a
increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for
tribute from Ministry of culture for his enormous
Minor Forest Produce (MFP) of 49 items. The
contribution to the discipline of archaeology.
increase in MSP across various items of minor Explanation: A microwave steriliser named as
forest produce varies from 16% to 66%. “ATULYA” has been developed by the Defence
Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune. The
 Union Minister for Tribal Affairs: Arjun
microwave steriliser “ATULYA” will disintegrate
Munda.
the COVID-19 virus with the help of differential
 Minister of State for Tribal Affairs: heating in the range of 56 degree to 60 degree
Renuka Singh Saruta. Celsius temperatures. The microwave steriliser
6. Who among the following person has been “ATULYA”, weighing 3 kilogrammes can be used
taken over the charge as Secretary to the to sterilise non-metallic objects only within a
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium time frame of 30 seconds to one minute. This
Enterprises. product has been found safe after getting tested
A. K.P. Krishnan for human and operator safety. It can be
B. Nilam Sawhney
operated in portable or fixed installations.
C. Raghvendra Singh
D. Arvind Kumar Sharma 8. The World Tuna Day is observed globally
E. None of these every year on which day-
A. 1st May
Correct Answer – D. Arvind Kumar Sharma
B. 2nd May
Explanation: Arvind Kumar Sharma has taken
C. 3rd May
over the charge as Secretary to the Ministry of
D. 4th May
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. His E. None of these
appointment was approved by the Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Correct Answer – B. 2nd May
Explanation: World Tuna Day is observed globally
Minister Narendra Modi. Before assuming charge
on 2nd May every year. This day is established by
as Secretary to MSME Ministry, he was serving as the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness
Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s about the importance of tuna fish. It is observed
Office (PMO). Arvind Kumar Sharma is a 1988 for the first time in 2017. According to the UN, an
batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre and has worked outsized number of nations worldwide depend
in the Government of Gujarat at various upon tuna for both food security and nutrition.
positions. Union Minister for Micro, Small and At the same time, more than 96 countries have
tuna fisheries, and their capacity is constantly
Medium Enterprises: Nitin Jairam Gadkari.
growing.
7. Which of the following microwave steriliser 9. Who among the following has been taken
that has been developed by the Defence over the charge as Secretary to the Ministry of
Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune to Road Transport and Highways.
disintegrate COVID-19. A. Rakesh Srivastava
A. ADBHUT B. Upendra P. Singh
B. AAROGYA C. Giridhar Aramane
C. ATULYA D. Amarendra Kumar Dubey
D. AAVAHAN E. None of these
E. None of these
Correct Answer – C. Giridhar Aramane
Correct Answer – C. ATULYA
Explanation: Giridhar Aramane has taken over Corona se jung, Delhi Police ke sang’ with the aim
the charge as Secretary to the Ministry of Road of providing all possible health related help to all
Transport and Highways. His appointment was those Delhi Policemen working in the frontline to
approved by the Appointments Committee of the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19).
Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. He has replaced Sanjeev Ranjan who has 12. 1st Indian tennis player who has been
been appointed as secretary in the Ministry of nominated for the Fed Cup Heart Award from
Shipping. Union Minister for Road Transport and the Asia/Oceania Zone.
Highways: Nitin Jairam Gadkari. A. Sania Mirza
10. Which of the following Indian navratna B. Leander Paes
enterprise under coal ministry has started the C. Vijay Amritraj
production of coal for 1st time recently? D. Mahesh Bhupathi
A. Coal India E. None of these
B. Bharat Coking Coal Correct Answer – A. Sania Mirza
C. Neyveli Lignite Corporation Explanation: Sania Mirza became the first Indian
D. Central Mine Planning and Design Institute to be nominated for the Fed Cup Heart Award
E. None of these from the Asia/Oceania Zone along with Priska
Correct Answer – C. Neyveli Lignite Corporation Madelyn Nugroho of Indonesia, Estonia’s Anett
Kontaveit and Luxembourg’s Eleonora Molinaro
Explanation: Neyveli Lignite Corporation(NLC) from Europe/Africa, Fernanda Contreras Gomes
India Private Limited ‘Navratna’ a government of of Mexico and Paraguay’s Veronica Cepede Royg
India Enterprise under the Ministry of Coal from Americas.
started the production of Coal for the first time.
The coal allocated to the Neyveli Lignite 13. Which of the following Merchant payment
Corporation India Limited(NLCIL) in 2016 with a has launched ‘Paisa Bolega’ voice-based
capacity of 20 million tonne per annum from the applications?
Talabira II and III mines of Odisha will suffice the A. PayUmoney
requirements of existing and future coal fired B. GooglePay
power plants. C. PhonePe
D. BhartaPe
11. Which of the following state/UT police has E. None of these
along with All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA)
has jointly run the program called ‘Ayuraksha’? Correct Answer – D. BhartaPe
Explanation: Merchant payment and lending
A. Haryana network provider BharatPe on Monday launched
B. New Delhi
two voice-based applications that will help
C. Maharashtra
D. Tamil Nadu accountholders access transactions and balance
E. None of these without having to touch their phones amid
COVID-19 outbreak. With Paisa Bolega - voice
Correct Answer: B. New Delhi alerts of transactions - shopkeepers will be able
to hear aloud instant confirmation of all
Explanation: The Delhi Police in association with
All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), a public payments received through their BharatPe QR,
Ayurveda medicine and research institution, has without touching the phone. BharatPe Balance
jointly run the program called ‘Ayuraksha – will give information about the total money
available to the shopkeeper across deposits, liquidation, every depositor of the bank is
loans and daily collections through quick entitled to get up to Rs 5 lakh from the Deposit
response (QR). Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation.
16. Name of the steel companies of India which

14. Which of the following states celebrated
has withdrawn its membership from the Indian
“Thrissur Pooram” an annual Hindu festival?
Steel Association (ISA)?
A. Telangana
A. Jindal Steel And Power Ltd (JSPL)
B. Kerala
B. Tata Steel
C. Tamil Nadu
C. Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL)
D. Andhra Pradesh
D. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL)
E. None of these
E. None of these
Correct Answer – B. Kerala
Correct Answer – B. Tata Steel
Explanation: Thrissur Pooram is an annual Hindu
Explanation: Tata Steel Ltd has withdrawn its
festival held in Kerala. It is celebrated on the day
when the star sign “Pooram” occurs in the membership from the Indian Steel Association
Malayalam month of “medam (April-May)”. The (ISA), an apex steel industry body. Subsequent to
festival was the brainchild of Raja Rama Varma, it, the company's CEO and Managing Director
famously known as Sakthan Thampuran, the (MD) T V Narendran has also stepped down from
Maharaja of Cochin (1790–1805). Pooram the Presidentship of the Association, tenure of
officially begins with Kodiyettam (flag hoisting
which was scheduled to end in August. An ISA
ceremony) in which all the participating temples
President is elected for a period of two years.
of the festival are present.
17. Name the player who has won the ANZ
15. Recently, The RBI has cancelled the licence International Men’s ODI Player of the Year
of which of the following co-operative Banks? Award.
A. Rajkot Nagrik Sahakari Bank Ltd A. Trent Boult
B. CKP Co-operative Bank B. Kane Williamson
C. Bhuj Mercantile Cooperative Bank Ltd C. Martin Guptill
D. Mehsana Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd D. Ross Taylor
Correct Answer B. CKP Co-operative Bank Correct Answer – B. Kane Williamson
Explanation: Recently, the Reserve Bank of India Explanation: New Zealand Cricket has announced
(RBI) has cancelled the licence of Mumbai-based the Annual New Zealand Cricket Awards. The ANZ
CKP Co-operative Bank. RBI has cancelled the
Cricket Awards were presented for the first time
licence of the bank as the financial position of the
bank was highly adverse and unsustainable. The due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New Zealand
bank is not in a position to pay its present and captain Kane Willamson has been named as the
future depositors. The bank failed to meet the men’s ODI Player of the Year. Here is the
regulatory requirement of maintaining a complete list of Annual New Zealand Cricket
minimum capital adequacy ratio of 9% and Award winners:
reserves. RBI has asked the Registrar of Co-
operative Societies, Maharashtra to start the  ANZ International Women’s ODI Player of
process of winding up operations of CKP Co- the Year: Suzie Bates
operative bank and appoint a liquidator. On
 ANZ International Men’s ODI Player of the tribute to journalists who have lost their lives.
Year: Kane Williamson They risk their lives at times or may even have to
 ANZ International Women’s T20 Player of face tough situations in order to bring the news
from different corners of the world in front of the
the Year: Sophie Devine
public. The theme of World Press Freedom Day
 ANZ International Men’s T20 Player of the 2020 is “Journalism without Fear or Favour”.The
Year: Ross Taylor sub-themes for this year are:
18. Who among the following former World  Safety of Women and Men Journalists
Snooker Champion who has recently announced and Media Workers.
his retirement from professional snooker.  Independent and Professional Journalism
A. Mark Williams free from Political and Commercial
B. John Higgins Influence.
C. Peter Ebdon  Gender Equality in All Aspect of the
D. Judd Trump Media.
E. None of these
20. Renowned personality Ronald Vivian Smith
Correct Answer – C. Peter Ebdon passed away recently, he was a veteran
Explanation: Former World Snooker Champion _______.
Peter Ebdon has announced his retirement from A. Politician
professional snooker. He has announced his B. Journalist
retirement after suffering from various neck and C. Historian
back injuries. Peter Ebdon was the winner of D. Sportsperson
2002 World Snooker championship when he E. None of these
defeated Stephen Hendry in an 18-17 final
thriller. He also ended as a runner up in the Correct Answer – C. Historian
championship for the record two times in his
Explanation: Eminent historian, author and
professional career of 29 years. He also won the
columnist Ronald Vivian Smith passed away. He
UK Championship in 2006.
was born in Agra in 1938. He came to Delhi in the
19. The World Press Freedom Day is observed 1950s and started working at the Press Trust of
globally every year on which day- India in 1961. Ronald Vivian Smith has authored a
A. 1st May dozen books, mostly on the National Capital. Two
B. 3rd May of his noted books on the national capital are
C. 6th May ‘Delhi: Unknown Tales of a City’ and ‘The Delhi
D. 4th May that No-one Knows’.
E. None of these
Correct Answer – B. 3rd May Monthly GK & CA Quiz :

Explanation: World Press Freedom Day is
observed globally on 3 May every year. It is also
known as World Press Day. The day also pays
5th May 2020
1. Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai is related to which of D. Tripura
the following states? E. Andhra Pradesh
A. Tamil Nadu
B. Nagaland Correct Answer: A. Tamil Nadu
C. Mizoram
Explanation: Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai was donating plasma is the same as the process of
granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. It is donating blood, which just takes about an hour.
a mouth-watering and healthy snack made of • Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an
groundnuts and jaggery in parts of Thoothukudi experimental treatment procedure for COVID-
district in Tamil Nadu. It uses carefully selected 19. In this, a blood component from a cured
quantities from selected specific locations in patient of COVID-19 has been transfused to the
Tamil Nadu along with water from river critically ill Coronavirus patient.
Thamirabarani which enhances the taste
• The reason behind the treatment is that the
naturally.
blood of a cured patient has developed
• The granting of GI tag to manufacturers of antibodies to battle the virus which helps in the
Kadalai Mittai could not have come at a better treatment of COVID-19 patients.
time for the cottage industry which completes
• Once the blood plasma of the recovered
100 years of existence this year.
patient has been infused in the sick patient, the
• Launched in 1920 by S S Ponnambalam, antibodies will start fighting against the virus
Kovilpatti and adjoining areas have nearly 150 present in the sick patient’s body.
small and medium enterprises that
• Uttar Pradesh’s CM-Yogi Adityanath
manufacture the sweet candy.
• Uttar Pradesh’s Governor - Anandiben Patel
• GI Tag is a name or sign used on certain
products which corresponds to a specific • Uttar Pradesh’s Capital- Lucknow
geographical location or origin (e.g., a town,
region, or country). Darjeeling tea was the first 3. According to the latest classifications released
product to be given GI tag. by the health ministry, a green zone should not
have a positive COVID-19 case in ______ days.
• A GI tag is a Certificate of Registration by
A. 21
Registrar of Geographical Indication, Chennai,
B. 14
Government of India.
C. 28
• Tamil Nadu’s CM- Edappadi K. Palaniswami D. 30
• Tamil Nadu’s Governor- Banwarilal Purohit E. 31
• Tamil Nadu’s Capital- Chennai
Correct Answer: A. 21
2. Which of the following is the first govt. Explanation: The third phase of lockdown has
hospital to launch Plasma Therapy for the come into effect from 4th May 2020 till 17th May
treatment of COVID-19? 2020 according to the orders of Ministry of Home
A. AIIMS Delhi Affairs. The Union Health Ministry has listed 130
B. King George Medical University districts across the country in the red zone, 284
C. Lady Hardinge Medical College in orange zone and 319 in green zone based on
D. AFMC, Pune coronavirus.
E. Rajindra Prasad Medical College Based on this, the government has divided the
states into three zones -- red zone, orange zone
Correct Answer: B. King George Medical and green zones. The classification will
University determine the kind of restrictions placed on the
Explanation: King George Medical University, movement of people and supply of goods in a
Lucknow has become the first government district.
hospital in India to launch Plasma Therapy for the  Red-The districts with substantial
treatment of COVID-19 patients. The process of numbers of positive cases would fall
under the red zone. The coronavirus red Explanation: To fight the fake news circulation
zone will see no activity. Also, areas that for COVID 19, short video app TikTok has
show a high rate of infection, which released a campaign 'Mat kar forward’ urging
double in less than four days - will also netizens to stop forwarding videos which do not
come under this category. have verified information. Directed by filmmaker
 Orange-The areas with limited number of Anurag Basu, the film opens with celebrities Virat
cases in the past and with no surge in Kohli, Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Sara
positive cases recently would be included Ali Khan talking about how dangerous the virus is
under the orange zone. Only restricted and how easily it can spread. As the video
activities such as limited public transport progresses, it is revealed that they are talking
and farm product harvesting is expected about misinformation and fake news which often
to be allowed in coronavirus orange zone. push people into making ill-informed choices,
 Green-The districts with no coronavirus eroding trust and impacting communities.
positive cases would fall under the green Recently, to fight the menace of misinformation,
zone. These Zones didn't report any cases it had introduced a 'Misleading Information'
in the last 21 days. category along with a covid-19 sub-category,
within the in-app reporting feature. Last year, a
4. According to the latest guidelines of the similar awareness campaign called
Union Minister of Information and #WaitASecToReflect was launched, urging users
Broadcasting, how many violations have been to pause and think before sharing anything
listed for satellite channels? online.
A. 10
B. 11 6. Which is the first Indian state to have
C. 12 registered cases of African Swine Flu in pigs?
D. 13 A. Punjab
E. 14 B. Assam
C. Arunachal Pradesh
Correct Answer: B. 11 D. Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: The Union Information and E. Nagaland
Broadcasting Ministry has issued draft guidelines
to overhaul its nine-year-old uplink and downlink Correct Answer: B. Assam
policy for private satellite TV channels. The Explanation: The Assam government said the
Ministry has listed out 11 violations. For any of first instance of African Swine Flu has been
the 11 violations, the penalty ranges from detected in the state and it has already killed
warning, prohibition to broadcast up to 10 days around 2,500 pigs across 306 villages. The
and even cancellation of permission. National Institute of High Security Animal
Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, has confirmed that it
5. Which of the following has launched Mat kar is African Swine Flu (ASF). The virus spreads
forward campaign to fight misinformation? through pig's meat, saliva, blood and tissue. So
A. Facebook there will be no transportation of pigs between
B. Whatsapp districts.
C. Google
D. Instagram 7. Which is the first state in India to provide free
E. TikTok health insurance scheme to all citizens?
A. Maharashtra
Correct Answer: E. TikTok B. Haryana
C. Punjab • Russia’s Currency-Russian Rubble
D. Kerala
• Russia’s President-Vladimir Putin
E. Andhra Pradesh
9. Which of the following banks have released a
Correct Answer: A. Maharashtra
collaborative song titled
Explanation: Amid coronavirus outbreak,
#HumHaarNahiMaanenge?
Maharashtra government announced free health
A. HDFC bank
insurance scheme to all its citizens. It is the first
B. SBI
state in India to take such initiative. Under the
C. Axis bank
Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana,
D. Dena Bank
people in the state can avail the benefits of free
E. ICICI bank
and cashless health insurance. Documents such
as ration card and domicile certificate are
Correct Answer: A. HDFC bank
essential to apply for the scheme.
Explanation: To keep up hopes up amidst the
• Maharashtra’s CM- Uddhav Thackeray ongoing national lockdown and coronavirus
• Maharashtra’s Governor- Bhagat Singh pandemic, HDFC Bank released a collaborative
Koshyari song titled #HumHaarNahiMaanenge (We will
• Maharashtra’s Capital- Mumbai not lose). Composed by Oscar and Grammy
Award-winning musician AR Rahman, with lyrics
8. Which country will launch Arktika-M satellite by Prasoon Joshi, the song is “a tribute to the
for monitoring Arctic climate this year? indomitable spirit of India and millions of Indians
A. United Kingdom who are standing together to fight the Covid-19
B. Russia pandemic”.
C. China • HDFC’s CEO-Aditya Puri
D. France • HDFC’s HQ-Mumbai
E. Germany
• HDFC’s tagline-We understand your needs
Correct Answer: B. Russia
10. Under the Saras Collection on the
Explanation: Russia will be launching its first
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, how
Arktika-M satellite to monitor the Arctic climate
many categories of products can be listed by the
and environment later this year. The Arktika M is
Self Help Groups (SHGs)?
a series of planned remote-sensing and
A. Five
emergency communications satellites that Russia
B. Four
plans to operate in a highly elliptical 12-hour
C. Three
orbit. It will help collect meteorological data from
D. Seven
the polar regions of the Earth. The data will help
E. Nine
improve weather forecasts and enable scientists
to better study climate change. Russia’s territory
Correct Answer: A. Five
stretches along the Arctic Ocean for thousands of
Explanation: The Union Minister for Rural
km and the nation faces many challenges while
Development and Panchayati Raj and Agriculture
trying to balance the economic development and
and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh
environmental protection of its northern
Tomar, launched “The Saras Collection” on the
regions.
Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal. Under
• Russia’s Capital-Moscow this initiative, the SHG sellers will be able to list
their products in 5 product categories, namely (i) such as metros, airports, shopping malls, hotels,
handicrafts, (ii) handloom and textiles, (iii) office factories, offices, etc. The tower is known as ‘UV
accessories, (iv) grocery and pantry, and (v) Blaster’ which is a UV based area sanitizer. The
personal care and hygiene. equipment has six lamps each with 43 watts of
UV-C power at 254 nm wavelength for 360-
11. When is the International Firefighters’ Day degree illumination. For a room of about 12 x 12
observed? feet dimension, the disinfection time is about 10
A. 4 May minutes and 30 minutes for 400 square feet area
B. 3 May by positioning the equipment at different places
C. 7 May within the room. It is designed and developed by
D. 9 May the Laser Science and Technology Centre
E. 11 May (LASTEC). LASTEC is a Delhi based premier
laboratory of DRDO and the equipment was
Correct Answer: A. 4 May developed along with the help of New Age
Explanation: International Firefighters' Day or Instruments and Materials Private Limited,
IFFD is observed annually on May 4 to remember Gurugram.
those firefighter's who have died while serving • DRDO( Milliatry’s Research and development
our community or dedicated their lives to organisation)
protecting the safety of us all. Firefighters' Day
• DRDO Chairman-Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
was born after 5 firefighters' died tragically in
1999 during a bushfire at Linton in Victoria,
13. Researchers from Hyderabad-based National
Australia when they were on a rescue mission.
Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) have
They died due to the sudden change in the
developed a portable device that could possibly
direction of the wind.
be used as a diagnostic tool for detection of
COVID-19. What is the name of the device?
12. How many lamps are present in the "UV
A. eCovLens
Blaster” developed by DRDO?
B. eCovSens
A. Five
C. eCoverSens
B. Four
D. eConLens
C. Three
E. elenscontact
D. Seven
E. Nine
Correct Answer: B. eCovSens
Explanation: Researchers from Hyderabad-based
Correct Answer: B. Four
National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB)
Explanation: An Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection
have developed a portable device ‘eCovSens’
tower has been developed by the Defence
that could possibly be used as a diagnostic tool
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
for detection of COVID-19 antigens from saliva
It will help in the chemical-free and rapid
samples of suspected coronavirus patients within
disinfection of high infection-prone areas. The UV
30 seconds. Developed by a group of scientists,
Blaster will be helpful in the disinfection of high
led by Sonu Gandhi from NIAB, Department of
tech surfaces such as computers, electronic
Biotechnology is at present in validation stage. A
equipment, and other forms of gadgets in
paper on the application of ‘eCoVSens’ with
laboratories and offices. These are the items
respect to detection of COVID-19 antigens was
that are not suitable for disinfection through
recently published in a free online archive and
chemical methods. The product will also be
distribution service ‘bioRxiv’ meant for
useful for the areas with a large flow of people
unpublished preprints i.e. non-peer reviewed C. 1 crore
medical articles. D. 3 crores
E. 7 crores
14. Peter Ebdon announced retirement recently.
He is related to which of the following sports? Correct Answer: A. 2.5 crores
A. Snookers Explanation: Employees of retirement fund body
B. Table tennis EPFO have collectively contributed Rs 2.5 crore
C. Cricket towards the PM-CARES Fund to support fight
D. Badminton against the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees'
E. Lawn Tennis Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is a statutory
body formed by the Employees' Provident Fund
Correct Answer: A. Snookers and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and is
Explanation: Former World Snooker Champion under the administrative control of the Ministry
Peter Ebdon has announced his retirement from of Labour and Employment, Government of
professional snooker. He has announced his India. Union Minister of Labour- Santosh Kumar
retirement after suffering from various neck and Gangwar. The Government of India has set up a
back injuries. Peter Ebdon was the winner of public charitable trust under the name of the
2002 World Snooker championship when he Prime. Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in
defeated Stephen Hendry in an 18-17 final Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund)
thriller. He also ended as a runner up in the with the primary objective of dealing with any
championship for the record two times in his kind of emergency or distress situation.
professional career of 29 years. He also won the
UK Championship in 2006.
15. How much amount has been contributed by

the EPFO employees to the PM-CARES fund?
A. 2.5 crores
6th May 2020
B. 1.5 crores
1. What will be the percentage of revenue to check and curb the spread of COVID-19. The
sharing between centre and states for the passengers will be transported to their respective
Shramik Express? destinations. Railways will print train tickets to
A. 85% and 15% the specified destination as per the number of
B. 75% and 25% passengers indicated by the originating state. The
C. 80% and 20% local state government authorities will handover
D. 90% and 10% tickets to passengers and collect ticket fare and
E. 95% and 5% handover total amount to the Railways.
Correct Answer: A. 85% and 15% 2. What is the amount of 'Special Corona Fee'
Explanation: The central government will bear that has been imposed on sale of liquor by Delhi
85% of the cost and states will bear 15%, of the government?
cost incurred for the Shramik Express. These are A. 80%
the special trains started by Indian railways to B. 70%
transport workers, pilgrims, tourists, students C. 40%
and other persons who were stranded at D. 50%
different places in the country due to the E. 30%
lockdown announced by the Central government
Correct Answer: B. 70% fame. One of the songs in the collection ‘Jogada
Explanation: Delhi government has imposed a Siri Belakanalli’ which celebrates the natural
'Special Corona Fee' of 70% on sale of liquor in beauty of Karnataka is almost seen as an
national capital. The charges will come into effect unofficial state anthem.
from April 5, 2020. This has been done under
Delhi Excise Act, 2009. 5. Which of the following countries has claimed
to isolate monoclonal antibodies for the first
3. Ashok Michael Pinto has been nominated as time for the COVID-19?
the US representative for which of the following A. United States
organizations? B. China
A. IBRD C. Japan
B. IMF D. Australia
C. WTO E. Israel
D. WHO
E. UNESCO Correct Answer: E. Israel
Explanation: Israel has claimed that its scientists
Correct Answer: A. IBRD have made significant breakthrough in
Explanation: IBRD is International Bank for developing a monoclonal antibody to Covid-19
Reconstruction and Development. IBRD along infection. This breakthrough was achieved by the
with the International Development Association Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), a
(IDA) is known as the World Bank. US President secretive unit that works under the Prime
Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American Minister’s Office. The announcement was made
lawyer Ashok Michael Pinto as a representative by Israel’s Defence Minister Naftali Bennett.
to the IBRD for a term of two years. He has been Monoclonal antibodies are cloned from a single
nominated for the post of the US Alternate recovered cell which makes them easier to
Executive Director, IBRD. If confirmed by the create.
Senate, he would replace Erik Bethel, who has
resigned from the post. 6. Which of the following states launched
‘Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee
4. Padma Shri Kokkare Hosahalli Sheikh Nissar Yojna’ for urban employment?
Ahmed passed away recently. He was a _____? A. Punjab
A. Singer B. Himachal Pradesh
B. Poet C. Arunachal Pradesh
C. Politician D. Madhya Pradesh
D. Professor E. Nagaland
E. Economist
Correct Answer: B. Himachal Pradesh
Correct Answer: B. Poet Explanation: The Himachal Pradesh government
Explanation: Renowned Kannada poet and decided to launch the Mukhya Mantri Shahari
professor KS Nissar Ahmed passed away on May Rojgar Guarantee Yojna. Under this 120 days'
3 at his residence in Bengaluru at the age of 84. assured employment will be provided to people
He was the 73rd president of Kannada Sahitya living in urban areas. If required, adequate
Sammelana in the year 2007 held at Shivamogga. training will be given to them for their skill
He had penned poems, plays, short stories and upgrade. The decision was taken during the
novels. It was Nithyothasava a poetry collection cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of
he released in 1974 which brought him eternal Chief Minister(CM) Jai Ram Thakur.
A. 1.15%
7. How many sections are there in the B. 1.25%
AarogyaSetu Mitr Telemedicine Portal? C. 1.20%
A. Three D. 1.45%
B. Four E. 1.90%
C. Seven
D. Nine Correct Answer: A. 1.15%
E. Ten Explanation: Silver Lake has invested Rs 5,655.75
crore resulting in acquisition of a 1.15% stake in
Correct Answer: A. Three Jio Platforms. Morgan Stanley was the financial
Explanation: NITI Aayog along with the Principal advisor and AZB & Partners and Davis Polk &
Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of Wardwell were the legal counsels in this deal.
India, K Vijay Raghavan launched AarogyaSetu This deal takes Jio’s valuation at an equity value
Mitr website. The website aims to bring of Rs 4.90 lakh crore and an enterprise value of
healthcare services to the “doorstep of all Indians Rs 5.15 lakh crores.
in the time of the Covid-19 crisis.” It has been
build on a Public- Private Partnership (PPP) 10. Which of the following has launched Paisa
model and involves voluntary participation from Bolega application?
organizations, industry coalitions and startups. It A. BharatPe
has three sections namely- Consult Doctor, Home B. PayTM
Lab Test and ePharmacy. Users will get free C. PhonePe
consultancy from doctors on Covid-19. It offers D. Snapdeal
ancillary services like home collection of samples E. NPCI
for Diagnostics and Medicine delivery at home.
Correct Answer: A. BharatPe
8. As a part of the phase 1 of Indian Navy’s Explanation: BharatPe launched two voice-based
Operation “Samudra Setu”, the naval ships have applications that will help accountholders access
been sent to which of the following countries? transactions and balance without having to touch
A. Mauritius their phones amid COVID-19 outbreak. The two
B. Maldives mobile apps are- Paisa Bolega and BharatPe
C. Sri Lanka balance. Both customers and shopkeepers prefer
D. France contactless QR (Quick Response) payments due
E. Germany to the COVID-19 outbreak. Paisa Bolega is a
button introduced in BharatPe App. This converts
Correct Answer: B. Maldives the shopkeeper's smartphone into a loud
Explanation: Indian Navy has launched Operation speaker, announcing the value of transaction
“Samudra Setu” - meaning “Sea Bridge” to received. With the voice alerts of transactions,
repatriate Indian citizens from overseas who shopkeepers will be able to hear aloud instant
have been stuck due to COVID-19 situation. confirmation of all payments received through
Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa and Magar are their BharatPe QR, without touching the phone.
presently enroute to the port of Malè, Republic This does away the need for the merchant to
of Maldives to commence evacuation operations check his phone repeatedly to see if money has
from 08 May 2020 as part of Phase-1. come. There will be no need to maintain any
additional device.
9. How much stake has SilverLake acquired in
the Jio Platforms?
11. Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and visited India in Dec 2019 and Prime Minister, Shri
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Narendra Modi had visited Portugal in June 2017.
have launched the GARUD portal. What does ‘G’
stand for? 13. Aarogya Setu App was earlier known as
A. Government which of the following?
B. Governance A. Corona Setu
C. Governing B. Corona Kavach
D. Guild C. Hamara Kavach
E. Guided D. Setu Kavach
E. Hum hai apke Sath
Correct Answer: A. Government
Explanation: Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) Correct Answer: B. Corona Kavach
and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Explanation: The Union Ministry of Electronics
have launched the GARUD portal and IT launched the Aarogya Setu app on 2 April
(https://garud.civilaviation.gov.in) for providing 2020. This mobile app has been developed by the
fast track conditional exemptions to government National Informatics Centre, that functions under
agencies for COVID-19 related RPAS (Remotely the Ministry of Electronics and IT. Earlier this app
Piloted Aircraft System)/ drone operations. was known as Corona Kavach but now it has
GARUD is an acronym for ‘Government been officially renamed as Aarogya Setu. It works
Authorisation for Relief Using Drones’. The portal on the principal of contact tracing, in which the
was designed, developed, beta-tested, and location of an individual is used to tell the risk
launched by Mr. Vikram Singh, Senior System level associated with the individual. The app tells
Analyst, National Informatics Centre (NIC) New if the person is near a person who’s under
Delhi, working alone at home. quarantine or tested positive. The individual
needs to keep the location and bluetooth
12. Recently, H.E. Antonio Costa, had a telecom services on for the app to function in a proper
with PM Modi. He is the Prime Minister of manner.
which of the following countries?
A. Ethiopia 14. What is Polycab India’s stake in Ryker?
B. Portugal A. 50%
C. Italy B. 40%
D. Brazil C. 100%
E. Israel D. 90%
E. 10%
Correct Answer: B. Portugal
Explanation: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Correct Answer: C. 100%
had a phone call with H.E. Antonio Costa, Prime Explanation: Polycab India (PIL) has signed an
Minister of Portugal. Both of them discussed the agreement with Trafigura, Singapore, to acquire
state of COVID-19 pandemic and the steps being 50% stake in Ryker Base thereby terminating the
taken by both countries to control its health and existing joint venture. The transaction will allow
economic impact. Both the leaders offered all PIL to have 100% stake and subsequently have
possible help to each other in dealing with the complete control of Ryker's manufacturing
situation, and agreed to collaborate on research operations. The purchase consideration is likely
and innovation aimed at fighting COVID-19. to be around $4 Million (Rs 300 million). PIL had
Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Antonio Costa had entered into a 50:50 JV with Trafigura in 2016 to
incorporate Ryker.
Explanation: The Singapore based DBS bank has
15. What is the revised GDP forecast of India for trimmed the India’s Gross Domestic Product
the FY 2020-2021 as per Singapore based DBS (GDP) forecast for FY 2020-2021 to 1% from 1.5%
bank? projected on April 9, 2020 due to two months
A. 1.5% lockdown.The Bank also estimated that another
B. 1% Rs 1.5-3 lakh-crore needed to reach every poor.
C. 0
D. 2%
E. None of these
Correct Answer: B. 1%
7th May 2020
1. Which section of SARFAESI Act of 2002 scientific achievements which contribute
defines cooperative bank? significantly to broadening knowledge and to
A. Section 2(1)(c) technical development within the fields of
B. Section 2(1)(d) importance to forestry and forest industries. The
C. Section 2(1)(e) prize is awarded by the Marcus Wallenberg
D. Section 2(1)(a) Foundation. Three researchers, Professors
E. Section 2(1)(f) Joseph J Landsberg, Richard H Waring, and
Nicholas C Coops share the 2020 Marcus
Correct Answer: A. Section 2(1)(c) Wallenberg Prize (MWP) for a model to predict
Explanation: Co-operative banks are ‘banks’ forest growth in a changing climate. The model is
under Section 2(1)(c) of the SARFAESI Act and the named 3PG model-Physiological Principles
recovery procedure mentioned in the Section 13 Predicting Growth.
of the act is also applicable to such banks. The act
allows banks to seize, take control, manage and 3. Who became the rare author to receive
sell assets of defaulting borrowers without the Pulitzers for consecutive books?
intervention of any court/tribunal . This is done A. Colson Whitehand
to ensure a speedy recovery. It does not apply to B. William Faulkner
unsecured loans, loans below ₹100,000 or where C. John Updike
remaining debt is below 20% of the original D. Anthony Davis
principal. E. Michael R. Jackson
2. Marcus Wallenberg Prize is given in which Correct Answer: A. Colson Whitehand

category? Explanation: Colson Whitehead became the rare
A. Economy author to receive Pulitzers for consecutive books
B. Forestry when his novel about a brutal Florida reform
C. Singing school during the Jim Crow era, The Nickel Boys,
D. Journalism was awarded the fiction prize. Three years ago,
E. Mathematics he won for his Civil War-era novel The
Underground Railroad. William Faulkner and
Correct Answer: B. Forestry John Updike are among the previous fiction
Explanation: The Marcus Wallenberg Prize was writers to win more than one Pulitzer, but not for
instituted by Stora Kopparbergs Bergslags AB at books that immediately followed the other.
its annual meeting in 1980. The prize recognizes,
encourages, and stimulates pathbreaking
4. Who has been nominated as the US displaced children face, how many children have
President’s envoy to the Organization for been displaced in 2019?
Economic Cooperation and Development A. 2.4 million
(OECD)? B. 1.9 million
A. Aditi Gupta C. 3.2 million
B. Manisha Singh D. 7.1 million
C. Monisha Mittal E. 1 million
D. Ritika Awasthi
E. Shanu Garg Correct Answer: B. 1.9 million
Explanation: UNICEF released its report "Lost at
Correct Answer: B. Manisha Singh Home” that looks at the risks and challenges
Explanation: United States President Donald internally displaced children face, and the urgent
Trump has nominated senior Indian-American actions needed to protect them. This report
diplomat Manisha Singh as his envoy to the states that an estimated 19 million children,
Organization for Economic Cooperation and more than ever before, were living in
Development (OECD). She will be the US displacement within their own countries due to
Representative to OECD with the rank of an conflict and violence in 2019. There were 12
Ambassador. million new displacements of children in 2019,
3.8 million of them were caused by conflict and
5. Which of the following launched 'Surakshit violence, and 8.2 million by disasters linked
Dada-Dadi & Nana-Nani Abhiyan’? mostly to weather-related events like flooding
A. Niti Aayog and storms. It states that Internally displaced
B. Piramal Foundation children are among the world’s most vulnerable
C. Tata Group to COVID-19 because they often live in
D. Both (a) & (b) overcrowded camps or informal settlements,
E. Both (a) & (c) where access to basic hygiene and health
services is limited, and where physical distancing
Correct Answer: D. Both (a) & (b) is not possible. Internally displaced children lack
Explanation: Niti Aayog in association with access to basic services and are at risk of
Piramal Foundation launched a campaign exposure to violence, exploitation, abuse and
'Surakshit Dada-Dadi & Nana-Nani Abhiyan’. The trafficking.
campaign focusses on ensuring wellbeing of
senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. It 7. Which state government launched Birsa Harit
will reach over 2.9 million senior citizens in 25 Gram Yojana?
AspirationalDistricts across Assam, Bihar, A. Jharkhand
Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & UP; B. Uttrakhand
focusing on behaviour change, access to services, C. Uttar Pradesh
early detection & tracking of #COVID19 D. Madhya Pradesh
symptoms. It was aimed at creating awareness E. Assam
about various aspects of senior citizens' health
and lifestyle. It will focus on preventive measures Correct Answer: A. Jharkhand
and requisite behavioral changes in view of Explanation: The Jharkhand government
COVID-19 pandemic. launched three schemes under the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act in a bid to “revive
6. According to UNICEF’s "Lost at Home” report the rural economy”, affected by the lockdown in
that looks at the risks and challenges internally view of COVID-19 pandemic. To generate
employment for them, the government has come
up with three initiatives- Birsa Harit Gram Yojana, 9. Which state government launched new
Neelambar Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana, and programme ‘Nigah’ to sensitize people?
Poto Ho Khel Vikas. Under Birsa Harit Gram A. Himachal Pradesh
Yojana, Fruit-bearing saplings would be planted B. Madhya Pradesh
on the two sides of roads on the both C. Maharashtra
government and private land. Five lakh families D. Punjab
would be given nearly 100 fruit-bearing plants, E. Assam
with initial plantation, maintenance, land work
and afforestation to be taken up through Correct Answer: A. Himachal Pradesh
MNREGA. Over two lakh acres of land will be Explanation: Himachal Pradesh government
used for afforestation. Each family is estimated launched new programme ‘Nigah’ to properly
to receive an annual income of Rs 50,000 sensitize and educate the family members of the
annually from the produce, the third year people of the State coming from other States of
onwards. Rs 660 crore will be spent in a year, in the country. This will ensure that social
which, Rs 520 crore will be the only wage distancing is maintained effectively. A team of
component, leading to the creation of ASHA workers, health workers and Anganwadi
employment of 270 lakh person days and assets workers would visit the family members of
in 2,20,000 hectares. It would create 25 crore persons arriving from other States. They would
man-days under MGNREGA. sensitize and educate them regarding importance
of social distancing so that they could be saved
8. Under Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme, Jharkhand from any possible infection.
will work on which of the following?
A. Trees 10. Which of the following state government
B. Play grounds launched ‘Exit app’ for stranded people of other
C. Fruit states?
D. School A. West Bengal
E. Online classes B. Bihar
C. Madhya Pradesh
Correct Answer: B. Play grounds D. Uttar Pradesh
Explanation: Under Poto Ho Khel Vikas, the E. Maharashtra
government aims to develop 5,000 grounds, with
at least one in one Panchayat. There are around Correct Answer: A. West Bengal
4,300 panchayats in the state. 1,000 playgrounds Explanation: The West Bengal government
will be made in one year, generating launched an app for people from other states
employment of 850 lakh person days. It aims to who are stranded in West Bengal due to the
create one crore man- days for MGNREGA. The lockdown and want to return to their native
Jharkhand government launched three schemes place. The app is known as the Exit app and can
under the National Rural Employment Guarantee be downloaded from the state government's
Act in a bid to “revive the rural economy”, 'Egiye Bangla' website. Since a large number of
affected by the lockdown in view of COVID-19 people from other states are stuck in West
pandemic. To generate employment for them, Bengal due to the lockdown, they can access the
the government has come up with three app for online permission to leave the state.
initiatives- Birsa Harit Gram Yojana, Neelambar
Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana, and Poto Ho 11. Which state government launched the
Khel Vikas. Ayush Kavach mobile application?
A. Uttar Pradesh 13. Who will head the panel set up by IRDAI to
B. Madhya Pradesh frame standard professional indemnity policy
C. Punjab for insurance intermediaries that can be issued
D. Maharashtra by all the insurers?
E. Haryana A. Subhash Chandra
B. Yegnapriya Bharat
Correct Answer: A. Uttar Pradesh C. Surbhi Goel
Explanation: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi D. Kasturi Sengupta
Adityanath launched the Ayush Kavach on 5 May E. Najim B
2020. This app will provide health-related tips
and information about ayurvedic medicines amid Correct Answer: B. Yegnapriya Bharat
the coronavirus pandemic. It will help people Explanation: IRDAI has set up a panel to frame
access prescriptions to strengthen their standard professional indemnity policy for
resistance through ancient mode of Yoga and insurance intermediaries that can be issued by all
Ayurveda of India. the insurers. Yegnapriya Bharat, CGM (Non-Life),
IRDAI is the head of the panel. The Other
12. Where was India’s first Covid-19 test bus member are Umesh Rathod (The New India
launched? Assurance Co), Kasturi Sengupta (National
A. Delhi Insurance Co), Surbhi Goel (HDFC ERGO General
B. Mumbai Insurance Co), and Najim B (TATA AIG General
C. Pune Insurance Co). The panel has been asked to
D. Hyderabad prepare a standard professional indemnity policy
E. Chandigarh "which covers all the contingencies and
conditions (retroactivedate, indemnity limits,
Correct Answer: B. Mumbai excess, etc) mentioned in the Regulations" that
Explanation: India’s first test bus for the disease can be issued by all insurers.
was flagged off in Mumbai on Maharashtra Day
on 1 May 2020. It was inaugurated by Chief 14. Which country has awarded Kim Jong Un a
Minister UddhavThackery, Health Minister Rajesh commemorative war medal marking the 75th
Tope and Praveen Pardeshi. The bus is an anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany?
initiative by the C19 Taskforce of IIT Alumni A. China
Council, in support with the Health Department B. South Korea
of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai C. Russia
(MCGM), Dr Muffazal Lakadawala (Chief Medical D. France
Officer and Mission Director at NSCI) and Krsnaa E. United Kingdom
Diagnostics. Mumbai was chosen as the place to
launch this bus because of the high patient count Correct Answer: C. Russia
of COVID-19 in the city. It is one of the worst Explanation: Russian President Vladimir Putin
affected cities. It is the first vehicle of its kind in has awarded Kim Jong Un a commemorative war
the world with onboard genetic testing, AI-based medal marking the 75th anniversary of the
teleradiology and contactless sample collection. victory over Nazi Germany. The medal was
It has the capacity to conduct 10 to 15 tests per awarded to the North Korean leader for his role
hour and can conduct upto 5 million tests per in preserving the memory of Soviet soldiers who
month per lab. died on North Korean territory. In 2019, Russia
invited Kim to visit Moscow on May 9, 2020, to
attend the military parade marking the 75th
anniversary of the victory. Russia’s ambassador Explanation: As a part of the Centre
in North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, presented government’s plan to repatriate stranded Indians
the award to the country’s Foreign Minister Ri abroad due to COVID-19 outbreak, Indian Navy
Son-gwon. has launched Operation “Samudra Setu” (Sea
Bridge) to bring back 1000 Indians from
15. Indian Navy has launched operation Maldives. In this regard, Indian Navy has sent two
“Samudra Setu” to bring back 1000 stranded India Naval Ships (INS) viz. Jalashwa and Magar
Indian citizens from which of the following on May 5, 2020 to Maldives capital Male to
country? commence the first phase of the evacuation
A. Indonesia operations of Indians stranded abroad from May
B. Maldives 8, 2020.
C. Bangladesh
D. Myanmar
E. None of these Monthly GK & CA Quiz :
Correct Answer: B. Maldives
8th May 2020
1. Andhra Pradesh CM rolled out ‘CMAPP’ to 2. Who among the following has assumed
monitor farming needs. What does ‘C’ stand for charge as the Director General of Labour
in CMAPP? Bureau?
A. Comprehensive A. MS Negi
B. Costly B. DPS Negi
C. Cooperative C. RK Negi
D. Corporation D. Mistha Negi
E. Conventional E. Rahul Negi
Correct Answer: A. Comprehensive Correct Answer: B. DPS Negi

Explanation: Explanation:
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan • IES Officer DPS Negi assumes charge as Director
Reddy launched a mobile app ‘CMAPP’ to General of Labour Bureau
monitor the agriculture needs of farmers. • Indian Economic Services officer D P S Negi
• CAMPP stands for Comprehensive Monitoring took charge as Director General of Labour
of Agriculture, Price, and Procurement Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and
• It will display data related to the cost, Employment.
procurement, and marketing facilities of the • He also assumed charge as Senior Labour &
farmers for their agriculture produce. Employment Advisor of the ministry.
• The officials can monitor and review agriculture • This is for the first time that a dual charge has
conditions including the sale and procurement been given to an IES officer, which is a tribute
of crops at the village level on a daily basis. his career spanning 35 years.
• All the joint collectors assigned with agriculture
will be trained through a quick session on the 3. Who among the following is first Pakistani
use of app. Hindu youth to join the Pakistan Air Force?
A. Rahul Dev
B. Krishi Dev
C. Raj Dev
D. Ravi Dubey C. Subhash Chandra
E. Kanhaiya Dev D. Rajeev Chandrashekhar
E. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
Correct Answer: A. Rahul Dev
Explanation: Correct Answer: E. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
• Rahul Dev, a Pakistani Hindu youth has Explanation:
become the first person from the minority • Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan
community to join the Pakistan Air Force. Chowdhury has been reappointed as
• He has been recruited as a General Duty Pilot chairperson of the Parliament's public accounts
Officer, the Pakistan Air Force. committee (PAC).
• He hails from Tharparkar, the largest district in • He was reappointed the chairman of the
Sindh province. Tharparkar is the place where committee by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
a large population of the Hindu community • PAC was first set up in 1921 in the wake of the
resides. Montague-Chelmsford Reforms.
• It is a 22 member panel and includes 15
4. Who among the following has received the members Members s from the Lok Sabha and 7
Young Career Award 2020 in Nano Science and from the Rajya Sabha.
Technology? • The members are elected every year under the
A. Saurabh Mehta Rule 308 of the Rules of Procedure and
B. Saurabh Lodha Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
C. Saurabh Sharma
D. Saurabh Mittal 6. Tiagong is which country’s space program?
E. Saurabh Verma A. Russia
B. China
Correct Answer: A. Rahul Dev C. France
Explanation: D. Germany
• Professor Saurabh Lodha from Electrical E. United Kingdom
Engineering, IIT Bombay, has received the
Young Career Award in Nano Science & Correct Answer: B. China
Technology for the year 2020. Explanation:
• It recognises his contributions in the • Tiagong is China’s Space Station Program.
development of logic transistor technologies • It means Heavenly Palace and it will have three
beyond silicon and nanoelectronic devices modules with living and working quarters and
based on two-dimensional Van der Waals two annexes for scientific experiments.
materials. • China had launched its own space laboratory
• His recent work in the area of advanced Tiagong 1 in the year 2011 and Tiagong 2 in the
transistors has been driven by strong industry year 2016 .
partnerships. • Recently, China has launched a new rocket-
• He is an alumnus of IIT Bombay and Purdue Long March 5B along with a prototype deep-
University, USA. space spacecraft.
• This will pave the way for the country’s
5. Who among the following has been ambitions to operate a permanent space
reappointed as chairperson of the Parliament's station and sending astronauts to Moon.
public accounts committee (PAC)?
A. Ram Kripal
B. Satya Pal
7. Who among the following has been • Mustafa al-Kadhimi has been appointed as the
appointed as the director on the central board new Iraqi Prime Minister after the Iraqi
of Reserve Bank of India (RBI)? parliament approved Kadhimi’s government at
A. Tarun Bajaj an emergency session.
B. Michael Patra • He has become Iraq's first proper Prime
C. Shaktikanta Das Minister after Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned in
D. Viral Acharya November 2019 due to massive anti-
E. Chetan Ghate government protests.
Correct Answer: A. Tarun Bajaj 9. Which of the following committees had

Explanation: recommended the abolition of posts in Military
• The government has appointed Economic Engineering Service?
Affairs Secretary Tarun Bajaj as a director on A. DB Shekatkar committee
the central board of Reserve Bank of India B. MS Shikhawat committee
(RBI). C. Shekhar Ahuja committee
• He will succeed Atanu Chakraborty, who retired D. Rawat committee
on April 30. E. Indu Shekhar Committee
• The Reserve Bank’s affairs are governed by a
central board of directors who are nominated/ Correct Answer: A. DB Shekatkar committee
• appointed under Section 8(1) of the RBI Act, Explanation:
1934. The board is appointed by the • Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved
Government of India in keeping with the the proposal of Engineer-in-Chief of Military
Reserve Bank of India Act. Engineering Services (MES) for optimisation of
• They are appointed/ nominated for a period of more than 9,300 posts in the basic and
four years. industrial workforce.
• The board meets once in every six months and • The Union Ministry of Defence had constituted
nearly once in every quarter. It consists of the a Committee of Experts under Chairmanship of
following Lt Gen (Retd) DB Shekatkar for recommending
i. Official Directors: Full-time-Governor and not measures to enhance the capabilities of the
more than four Deputy Governors armed forces.
ii. Non-Official Directors: Nominated by • The committee had recommended measures to
Government-Ten Directors from various fields enhance combat capability and rebalance
and two government Official And four directors defence expenditure of the Armed Forces.
each from four local boards • One of the recommendations made by the
Committee was to restructure the civilian
8. Mustafa al-Kadhimi has been appointed as workforce in a manner that the work of MES
the Prime Minister of which of the following could be partly done by departmentally
countries? employed staff and other works could be
A. Mauritius outsourced.
B. Iraq
C. Israel 10. Which of the following is the mobile
D. Ethiopia application launched by Ministry of Ayush?
E. Algeria A. Sanjivani
B. Setu
Correct Answer: B. Iraq C. Arogya Kavach
Explanation: D. Setu Mitra
E. Arogya Sanjivani B. 25
C. 22
Correct Answer: A. Sanjivani D. 21
Explanation: E. 30
• The Ministry of AYUSH has developed Ayush
Sanjivani mobile app with the purpose of Correct Answer: B. 25
generating data of a target of 5 million people. Explanation:
• The core expected outcomes includes to • The Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic
generate data on acceptance and usage of Disease Control Ordinance, 2020 has been
AYUSH advocacies and measures among the cleared by the Cabinet headed by the UP CM,
population and its impact in prevention of Yogi AdityaNath.
COVID 19. • It prescribes a maximum punishment of life
term if “death be caused by intentional (COVID-
11. With which of the following has CSIR-IGIB 19) affliction”.
signed MoU for licensing ‘KNOWHOW’ for rapid • The ordinance will be sent to the Governor for
diagnosis of COVID-19? approval.
A. Tata Sons • Section 25 defines “mass affliction” as infecting
B. Piramal Foundation five or more persons.
C. Reliance Foundation
D. Azim Premji Foundation 13. According to the UP Public Health and
E. Infosys Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance, 2020, how
many authorities will be established for the
Correct Answer: A. Sanjivani prevention and treatment of disease?
Explanation: A. Three
• An MoU was signed between Council of B. Two
Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) C. Four
constituent lab, Institute of Genomics and D. One
Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and TATA Sons E. Five
for licensing of ‘KNOWHOW’ for FNCAS9 Editor
Linked Uniform Detection Assay (FELUDA) for Correct Answer: B. Two
rapid diagnosis of Covid19. Explanation:
• It includes the transfer of the knowledge for • The Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic
scaling up the ‘KNOWHOW’ in the form of a kit Disease Control Ordinance, 2020 has been
that can be deployed for Covid-19 testing on cleared by the Cabinet headed by the UP CM,
ground as early as the end of May. Yogi AdityaNath.
• Fleuda is a completely indigenous scientific • The government will set up two authorities for
invention and has been designed for mitigating prevention and treatment of the disease: the
the ongoing Covid-19 situation and cater to State Epidemic Control Authority chaired by the
mass testing. CM, and district-level epidemic control
• It is a paper-based test strip that detects the authorities chaired by the district magistrates.
latest coronavirus in an hour. • While the state authority will advise the
government on prevention and control, district
12. Which section of UP Public Health and authorities will coordinate with the different
Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance, 2020 departments.
defines mass affliction?
A. 24
14. What is the name of the world’s largest
repatriation exercise? 15. Who among the following has been
A. Pyara Bharat appointed as the as chairman and managing
B. Hamara Bharat director (CMD) of India Infrastructure Finance
C. Vande Bharat Co. Ltd (IIFCL)?
D. Hamare Log A. VN Nayar
E. Desh Vapsi B. CD Nayar
C. SB Nayar
Correct Answer: C. Vande Bharat D. MT Nayar
Explanation: E. SG Nayar
• India has formally launched the world’s largest
repatriation programme ‘Vande Bharat Correct Answer: C. SB Nayar
Mission’. Explanation:
• Under this mission, the government will look • The government appointed S.B. Nayar as
into bringing back Indian nationals and those chairman and managing director (CMD) of India
NRIs who want to return to their respective Infrastructure Finance Co. Ltd (IIFCL).
countries where they have family, jobs, etc. • IIFCL is a state-owned firm that funds
• The Ministry of Home Affairs has come out with infrastructure projects.
‘Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs)’ for the • He will have a term of three years.
movement of Indian nationals to and from
India.
• Air India flights will start ferrying out
passengers stranded in India.
• Air India subsidiary, Air India Express, will also
operate flights, mainly to the Middle-East.
9th May 2020
1. Which is the first state in country to provide sending ration to the students at their home
Mid-Day Meal ration amidst COVID-19 after the school closing in April.
lockdown? • An amount of Rs 117 crore has been
A. Madhya Pradesh transferred online in the bank account of the
B. Andhra Pradesh parents of 66 lakh 27 thousand students of
C. Arunachal Pradesh primary and secondary school by the state
D. Assam government. This was done to provide mid-day
E. Punjab meal to school children in the corona outbreak.
• In addition, under door-to-door mid-day meal
Correct Answer- A. Madhya Pradesh scheme, ration has also been provided to 56
Explanation- lakh 87 thousand children.
• Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in
the country to provide mid-day meal ration 2. Who among the following is among the 20
amid the COVI-19 lockdown. members chosen by Facebook’s Oversight
• The Central Government has also appreciated Board?
the successful efforts and innovation in the A. Sudhir Krishnaswamy
implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in B. Sushil Krishnaswamy
Madhya Pradesh. C. Satish Krishnaswamy
• The support of Anganwadi workers, Panchayat D. Suresh Krishnaswamy
representatives and local teachers was taken in E. Sumit Krishnaswamy
E. Andhra Pradesh
Correct Answer- A. Sudhir Krishnaswamy
Explanation- Correct Answer- B. Assam
• Facebook’s new oversight board has chosen Explanation-
National Law School of India University (NLSIU) • Tripura’s CM Biplab Kumar Deb has launched
Vice-Chancellor Sudhir Krishnaswamy as one of an online portal scholarships.gov.in under
its first 20 members. ‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana.
• He has been chosen among the former Prime • The scheme aims to provide grants of Rs. 5,000
Minister of Denmark, a Nobel Laureate, non- to 14,608 youths for the purchase of
profit organisation leaders, and journalists from smartphones to the students of final year to
all over the world. empower them digitally .
• Facebook’s Oversight Board is similar to an • They can use these smartphones to get jobs
independent, internal court. It will review through different digital platforms and stay
content referred to it by both users and updated.
Facebook. The main focus is to moderate • The scheme has a total budget of Rs 7.30 crores
content posted on social media platforms-
Facebook and Instagram. 5. Which of the following has launched an
antimicrobial and washable face mask that can
3. Which of the following has launched a new be reused up to 50 launderings?
currency named Toman? A. Nanosafe Solutions
A. Iran B. Zeta Solutions
B. Iraq C. 1 Mg solutions
C. Israel D. Practo
D. Italy E. Dr. Reddy
E. Saudi Arabia
Correct Answer- A. Nanosafe Solutions
Correct Answer- A. Iran Explanation-
Explanation- • An IIT-Delhi startup named ‘Nanosafe
• The Government of Iran will change its existing Solutions’ has launched an antimicrobial and
currency from ‘Rial’ to a new currency named washable face mask that can be reused up to
‘Toman’. 50 launderings.
• The government has passed Iran’s Monetary • It is a triple-layered product consisting of -
and Banking bill that will cut four zeros from inner hydrophilic layer for comfort, middle
Iran’s currency. layer having antimicrobial activity and outer
• One toman will be equal to 10,000 rials. most layer having water and oil repellent
• This has been done due to the US sanctions behaviour.
imposed on Iran due to the alleged breach of • The mask has been designed to maximize
the Iran Nuclear deal of 2015. durability and dimensional stability.
• It can be reused 50 times and this will also help
4. Which of the following states has launched to resolve the huge disposal issues.
National scholarship online portal under • It has 99.2 per cent bacterial filtration
‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana’? efficiency (at 3 microns) as tested according to
A. Meghalaya American Society for Testing and Materials
B. Assam (ASTM) standards.
C. Tripura
D. Arunachal Pradesh
• There is an elastic band in the chin region and was crippling badly because of the
wire in the nose region provides adequate fit of sanctions imposed by the US.
the mask to the wearer.  This will make it easier for people to
transact without wasting time calculating
6. Which of the following gas leak was the price of eggs or chicken, which can
responsible for Vizag LG factory incident? run into tens of thousands of rials. E.g.
A. Ethane Instead of paying 250,000 rials for a
B. Methane packet of eggs, you’ll pay just 25 tomans.
C. Styrene  Due to high inflation, the value of rial has
D. Ethanol eroded over the years. It costs more than
E. Propanol 150,000 rials to buy one US dollar in the
open market while the official exchange
Correct Answer- C. Styrene rate is pegged at 42,000 rials to one US
Explanation- dollar.
• At least 10 people were killed and nearly 350
hospitalised after styrene gas leaked from 8. How many labour laws have been suspended
Multinational LG Polymers Ltd. , a chemical by the Up government under Uttar Pradesh
factory on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam in Temporary Exemption from Certain Labour Laws
Andhra Pradesh. Ordinance, 2020?
• This incident happened after the factory was A. 23
being prepared for reopening after the easing B. 38
of the lockdown. C. 31
• Stagnation and changes in temperature inside D. 39
the storage tank could have resulted in auto E. 40
polymerization and could have caused
vapourisation. Correct Answer- B. 38
Explanation-
7. How many years will the Central Bank of Iran • The Uttar Pradesh government passed an
take to replace the currency from Rial to ordinance to suspend 38 labour laws in the
Toman? state.
A. Three • Labour is a concurrent subject, states can
B. Two frame their own laws but will need the
C. Four approval of the Centre to enforce them.
D. Seven Therefore, the ordinance will also be sent to
E. Nine the Central government for approval.
• This rule will apply to both the existing
Correct Answer- B. Two businesses and the new factories being set up
Explanation- in the state.
• Provisions related to children and women in
 The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic the labour laws would continue.
of Iran is responsible for developing and • These laws have been suspended for the for
maintaining the Iranian rial. It will have next three years.
two years to change Iran’s currency • The laws related to settling industrial disputes,
to Toman. health and working conditions of workers and
 The government had to introduce new trade unions, contract workers and migrant
currency as the existing currency ‘Rial’ workers will remain suspended for three years.
 The road link was built successfully by
9. Which section of the Payment of Wages Act, Borders Road Organization (BRO).
1936 has been retained by the UP government  The road originates from Ghatiabagarh
under the Uttar Pradesh Temporary Exemption and terminates at Lipulekh Pass, the
from Certain Labour Laws Ordinance, 2020? gateway to Kailash-Mansarovar.
A. 4
B. 3 11. According to the latest census in Sunderbans
C. 2 Forest reserves, how many royal Bengal Tigers
D. 1 are there?
E. 5 A. 88
B. 92
Correct Answer- E. 5 C. 96
Explanation- Under the Uttar Pradesh Temporary D. 97
Exemption from Certain Labour Laws Ordinance, E. 99
2020 the following sections have been retained:
 Section 5 of the Payment of Wages Act, Correct Answer- C. 96
1936 provides that wages of a person Explanation-
earning less than Rs 15,000 a month • According to the latest census conducted by
cannot be deducted. the West Bengal’s forest department, the
 Workmen Compensation Act, 1932, number of tigers in the Sundarbans reserve
 Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, forest in West Bengal has increased to 96.
1976, and • Of the 96 tigers, there are 23 males, 43 females
 the Building and Other Construction and 30 cubs.
Workers Act, 1996. • The census was conducted between November
2019 and January 2020.
10. What is the length of the road link from • It was done primarily by camera trapping
Dharchula (Uttarakhand) to Lipulekh (China technique along with other latest methods.
Border)? • About 200 trap cameras were set up in
A. 70 km different parts of the forest for about two
B. 80 km months.
C. 60 km • The counting exercise involved comparison of
D. 30 km the images of tigers based on their stripes as
E. 20 km the big cats are identified through their stripe
patterns only.
Correct Answer- B. 80 km • This counting was done in a lab in Dehradun.
Explanation-
12. Which of the following is incorrect for the
 Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Facebook’s Oversight Board?
Singh inaugurated the road link from A. It will review content referred to it by both
Dharchula (Uttarakhand) to Lipulekh users and Facebook.
(China Border) through video B. The board is dependent from Facebook and
conferencing. Facebook is funding the board's operations to the
 It is a 80 kilometre road and the altitude tune of $130 million.
rises from 6,000 to 17,060 feet. C. These members will make final and binding
decisions on what content should be allowed or
removed from Facebook and Instagram.
D. The board members are from over 27 • Implemented through the Department of
countries who speak at least 29 languages. Agriculture of all the State and Union Territory
E. The board has the right to overturn Mark Governments.
Zuckerberg’s decision. • The government will run a mission mode
awareness campaign in FY2020-2021 in over 1
Correct Answer- B. The board is dependent from lakh villages. The campaign will focus on
Facebook and Facebook is funding the board's promoting the use of bio/organic fertilisers
operations to the tune of $130 million leading to the reduction of consumption of
Explanation- chemical soil nutrients.
• Facebook’s Oversight Board is similar to an • The decision was taken after reviewing the
independent, internal court. It will review progress of the Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme.
content referred to it by both users and • A Soil Health Card displays soil health indicators
Facebook. The main focus is to moderate and associated descriptive terms. The
content posted on social media platforms- indicators are typically based on farmers'
Facebook and Instagram. practical experience and knowledge of local
• The board comprises independent Members natural resources. The card lists soil health
from around the world. indicators that can be assessed without the aid
• The board is independent from Facebook, but of technical or laboratory equipment.
Facebook is funding the board's operations to
the tune of $130 million. 14. Under Uttar Pradesh Temporary Exemption
• These members will make final and binding from Certain Labour Laws Ordinance, 2020, the
decisions on what content should be allowed or labour laws have been suspended for how many
removed from Facebook and Instagram. These years?
decisions will be based on respect for freedom A. 2
of expression and human rights. B. 3
• The board members are from over 27 countries C. 4
who speak at least 29 languages. D. 5
• The board has the right to overturn Mark E. 6
Zuckerberg’s decision.
Correct Answer- B. 3
13. When was the Soil health Card scheme Explanation-
launched by the Government of India? • The Uttar Pradesh government passed an
A. 2013 ordinance to suspend 38 labour laws in the
B. 2014 state.
C. 2015 • Labour is a concurrent subject, states can
D. 2019 frame their own laws but will need the
E. 2017 approval of the Centre to enforce them.
Therefore, the ordinance will also be sent to
Correct Answer- C. 2015 the Central government for approval.
Explanation- • This rule will apply to both the existing
businesses and the new factories being set up
• Soil Health card scheme was launched in 2015. in the state.
• Promoted by the Department of Agriculture & • Provisions related to children and women in
Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture the labour laws would continue.
and Farmers' Welfare. • These laws have been suspended for the for
next three years.
• The laws related to settling industrial disputes, • It is the agency of the Ministry of Earth
health and working conditions of workers and Sciences of the Government of India and
trade unions, contract workers and migrant Principal organization responsible
workers will remain suspended for three years. for meteorological observations, weather
forecasting and seismology.
15. Where are the Headquarters of India • HQ-New Delhi
Meteorological Department (IMD) situated? • Director General of Meteorology- Dr.
A. New Delhi Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
B. Ladakh
C. Pune
D. Mumbai
E. Lucknow Monthly GK & CA Quiz :
Correct Answer-A
Explanation-
10th May 2020
• IMD is India Meteorological Department.
1. Which of the following states has launched Correct Answer-A
Pravasi Rahaat Mitra mobile application? Explanation-
A. Madhya Pradesh • Tata Power SED has won a contract worth Rs
B. Andhra Pradesh 1,200 crore for the Modernization of Air field
C. Arunachal Pradesh Infrastructure (MAFI) from the defence
D. Uttar Pradesh ministry.
E. Punjab
• It involves the modernization of 37 airfields for
Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy (IN) and
Correct Answer-D
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in the second phase of
Explanation-
the MAFI.
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
• It includes installation and commissioning of
launched the 'Pravasi Rahat Mitra' App.
modern airfield equipment like Cat-II
• The mobile app has been developed by the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Cat II Air
state revenue department in collaboration with Field Lightning System (AFLS).
United Nation Development Program.
• The modern equipment around the airfield will
• It is aimed at aiding migrant citizens coming to also be directly connected to Air Traffic Control
Uttar Pradesh from other states so that they (ATC), thereby providing control of the airfield
can take advantage of government schemes. systems to the air traffic controllers.
2. Which of the following has won a contract 3. When did WHO commemorate the 40th
worth Rs 1,200 crore for the Modernization of anniversary of smallpox eradication with a
Air field Infrastructure (MAFI) from the defence stamp?
ministry.? A. 8 May 2020
A. Tata Power SED B. 9 May 2020
B. Reliance Infrastructure C. 10 May 2020
C. Adani Group D. 6 May 2020
D. Lockheed Martin E. 7 May 2020
E. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Correct Answer-A
Explanation- A. 12
B. 23
• On 8th May 2020, the World Health C. 21
Organisation (WHO) and the UN’’s postal D. 20
agency have released a commemorative E. 19
postage stamp on the 40th anniversary of the
eradication of smallpox. Correct Answer-D
Explanation-
• Smallpox was eradicated on the back of a 10-
year-old effort spearheaded by the WHO • Recently, the Central government has released
involving thousands of health workers around the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin
the world to administer half a billion based on data collected for 2018.
vaccinations. • This data was released by the Registrar General
• The commemorative stamp was designed and of India.
developed by Sergio Baradat, United Nations • It states that the national birth rate in 2018
Postal Administration (UNPA) in collaboration stood at 20.
with WHO. • Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a
population and a crucial determinant of
4. Which of the following states is the worst population growth.
performer on the National Infant Mortality
Rate? • India’s birth rate has declined drastically over
A. Meghalaya the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 20.0
B. Madhya Pradesh in 2018.
C. Tripura • These rates are calculated per one thousand of
D. Arunachal Pradesh the population.
E. Andhra Pradesh
6. Which of the following states has the highest
Correct Answer-B birth rate as per the information provided by
Explanation- the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin?
• Recently, the Central government has released A. Meghalaya
the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin B. Madhya Pradesh
based on data collected for 2018. C. Bihar
• This data was released by the Registrar General E. Andhra Pradesh
of India.
• It states that the national birth rate in 2018 Correct Answer-C
stood at 20, and death and infant mortality Explanation-
rates stood at 6.2 and 32, respectively. • Recently, the Central government has released
• These rates are calculated per one thousand of the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin
the population. based on data collected for 2018.
• Against the national IMR of 32, Madhya • This data was released by the Registrar General
Pradesh has an IMR of 48 and Nagaland 4. of India.
• It states that the national birth rate in 2018
5. According to the latest Sample Registration stood at 20.
System (SRS) bulletin, what was India’s national
birth rate in 2018?
• Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a • The Indian Naval Ship Kesari has been deployed
population and a crucial determinant of under the mission.
population growth. • The ship would enter the Port of Male in
• Bihar continues to remain at the top of list in Republic of Maldives, to provide them 600 tons
birth rate while Andaman and Nicobar is at the of food provisions.
bottom.
• India’s birth rate has declined drastically over 8. Which of the following is incorrect for
the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 20.0 Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser
in 2018. (DRUVS)?
A. It has contactless operation.
• The rural-urban differential has also narrowed.
B. All its operations are automated.
However, the birth rate has continued to be
C. It provides 360 degree exposure of UVC to the
higher in rural areas compared to urban areas
objects placed inside the cabinet.
in the last four decades.
D. The operator need not wait or stand near the
• There has been about an 11 per cent decline in device.
birth rate in the last decade, from 22.5 in 2009 E. Bundles of currency notes cannot be sanitised
to 20.0 in 2018. The corresponding decline in using DRUVS
rural areas is 24.1 to 21.6, and in urban areas, it
is 18.3 to 16.7. Correct Answer-E
Explanation-
7. Which of the following country will not be a
• Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad has
beneficiary of India’s outreach program SAGAR?
developed an automated contactless UVC
A. Madagascar
sanitisation cabinet, called Defence Research
B. Seychelles
Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS).
C. Bangladesh
D. Mauritius • It has been designed to sanitise mobile phones,
E. Maldives iPads, laptops, currency notes, cheque leafs,
challans, passbooks, paper, envelopes, etc.
Correct Answer-C • It has contactless operation which is very
Explanation- important to contain the spread of virus.
• The Government of India has launched Mission • It provides 360 degree exposure of UVC to the
Sagar, an outreach program amidst COVID-19 objects placed inside the cabinet.
situation. • Once the sanitisation is done, the system goes
• Under this, India sent Food Items, COVID in sleep mode hence the operator need not
related Medicines including HCQ Tablets and wait or stand near the device.
Special Ayurvedic Medicines with Medical • Bundles of currency notes can be sanitised
Assistance Teams embarked to Maldives, using DRUVS, however disinfection of each
Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and currency notes using it will be a time
Comoros. consuming process.
• The operation is being progressed in close
coordination with the Ministries of Defence
and External Affairs, and other agencies of the 9. Which of the following has been developed to
Government of India. aim the sanitisation of bundles of currency
notes?
A. NOTESCLEAR
B. CLEARNOTES • The Council for Scientific and Industrial
C. CLEANOTES Research (CSIR) has received approval from
D. CLEANNNOTES Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) for its
E. NOTESCLEAN two clinical trial drugs - 'favipiravir' and
'phytopharmaceutical' - to combat coronavirus.
Correct Answer-E
• The clinical trial of Favipiravir is to be
Explanation-
completed in about one and half months.
• If the tests are successful, the drugs are to be
developed an automated UV-C currency
available at affordable rate.
sanitising device, called NOTESCLEAN.
• It can be used for the sanitisation of bundles of 11. Which country has claimed that newly
notes. inaugurated Kailash Mansarovar link passes
• One has to just place the loose currency notes through its territory?
at the input slot of the device. A. Sri Lanka
• It picks the notes one by one and makes them B. Bhutan
pass through a series of UVC lamps for C. Nepal
complete disinfection. D. China
E. Pakistan
ABOUT RCI
Correct Answer-C
• It is Defence Research and Development
Explanation-
Organisation’s (DRDO) premier lab.
• India rejected Nepal’s claim that the recently
• Location-Hyderabad, India
inaugurated link road in Uttarakhand passes
• Director-BHVS Narayana Murthy through its territory.
• The link road is from Dharchula (Uttrakhand) to
10. Which of the following drug is commonly
Lipulekh near the China border. It cuts travel
used in Japan and China to treat influenza that
time to Mansarovar.
has a very broad spectrum of RNA polymerase?
A. FinalPavir • India has claimed that the region lies
B. Favirpavir completely within Indian borders.
C. Feverpavir • The high-altitude road from was inaugurated
D. FishPavir by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
E. FinlePavir • It is a 80 kilometre road and the altitude rises
from 6,000 to 17,060 feet. The road originates
Correct Answer-B from Ghatiabagarh and terminates at Lipulekh
Explanation- Pass, the gateway to Kailash-Mansarovar.
• Favirpavir is a drug which is commonly used in • The Nepal government had put forward its
Japan, China and some other countries. claim keeping the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 as the
• It is sold under the brand name Avigan. basis.
• It is used to treat influenza that has a very
broad spectrum of RNA polymerase. 12. How much stake has been picked up by Vista
Equity Partners in Jio Platform?
• It is derived from Pyrazinamide that is
frequently used against West Nile virus, A. 3.9%
Arenavirus or Bunyavirus, and Yellow fever etc.
B. 2.32% Preparedness Project that would help
C. 1.7% strengthen India’s public health preparedness.
D. 2.19% • This is the first ever health sector support from
E. 3.1% AIIB.
• It will cover all States and Union Territories
Correct Answer-B
across India.
Explanation-
• It will slow and limit as much as possible the
• Private equity firm Vista Equity Partners will
spread of COVID-19 in India by providing
invest Rs11,367 crore in Jio Platforms for a
immediate support to enhance disease
2.32% stake.
detection capacities, oxygen delivery systems
• This investment values Jio Platforms at an and medicines among others.
equity value of ₹4.91 lakh crore and an
enterprise value of ₹5.16 lakh crore 14. What percentage of share holding has been
• With this deal, Jio Platforms will have a net sold by Galaxo Smith Kline (GSK) to Hindustan
combined ₹60,596 crore for the unit of Unilever (HUL)?
Reliance Industries which comprises mainly its A. 2.1%
telecom business under Reliance Jio Infocom. B. 5.7%
• This investment values Jio Platforms at an C. 4.3%
equity value of ₹ 4.91 lakh crore and an D. 5.9%
enterprise value of ₹ 5.16 lakh crore. E. 6.2%
• Vista will become the largest investor in Jio
Correct Answer-B
Platforms after RIL and Facebook.
Explanation-
• Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to
• Glaxo-SmithKline (GSK) sold its entire 5.7 per
Reliance Industries for the completion of the
cent stake in Hindustan Unilever (HUL) for
deal.
more than Rs 25,000 crore.
13. How much funding has been approved by • GSK will no longer hold any HUL shares.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to • GSK wanted to focus on its pharma R&D
support India’s efforts to fight COVID-19? pipeline including its bets on experimental
A. USD 200 million cancer treatments.
B. USD 300 million • In 2018, GlaxoSmithKline made an exit from
C. USD 500 million Horlicks and other consumer healthcare
D. USD 700 million nutrition brands to Unilever. Subsequently,
E. USD 100 million HUL acquired Horlicks brand, Boost, Maltova
and Viva.
Correct Answer-C
• GSK Consumer Healthcare Limited-“GSK India”
Explanation-
merged with with Hindustan Unilever Limited
• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) (“HUL”).
has approved funding of $500 million to
support India’s efforts to fight the COVID- 15. When is the World Migratory Bird Day
19 pandemic. observed?
• The government and the AIIB signed a COVID- A. 9 May
19 Emergency Response and Health Systems B. 10 May
C. 7 May • This theme was chosen in order to highlight the
D. 6 May importance of conservation and restoration of
E. 8 May ecological connectivity and integrity of
ecosystems that support the movement of
Correct Answer-A these birds.
Explanation-
• It is an annual event that is celebrated on 9
May to raise awareness about conservation
and ecological importance of migratory birds in
the global ecosystem.
• Theme 2020-“Birds Connect Our World”.
11th May 2020
1. Which of the following states has launched Infrastructure (MAFI) from the defence
Pravasi Rahaat Mitra mobile application? ministry.
A. Madhya Pradesh • It involves the modernization of 37 airfields for
B. Andhra Pradesh Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy (IN) and
C. Arunachal Pradesh Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in the second phase of
D. Uttar Pradesh the MAFI.
E. Punjab
• It includes installation and commissioning of
modern airfield equipment like Cat-II
Correct Answer-D
Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Cat II Air
Explanation-
Field Lightning System (AFLS).
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
• The modern equipment around the airfield will
launched the 'Pravasi Rahat Mitra' App.
also be directly connected to Air Traffic Control
• The mobile app has been developed by the (ATC), thereby providing control of the airfield
state revenue department in collaboration with systems to the air traffic controllers.
United Nation Development Program.
• It is aimed at aiding migrant citizens coming to 3. When did WHO commemorate the 40th
Uttar Pradesh from other states so that they anniversary of smallpox eradication with a
can take advantage of government schemes. stamp?
A. 8 May 2020
2.Which of the following has won a contract B. 9 May 2020
worth Rs 1,200 crore for the Modernization of C. 10 May 2020
Air field Infrastructure (MAFI) from the defence D. 6 May 2020
ministry.? E. 7 May 2020
A. Tata Power SED
B. Reliance Infrastructure Correct Answer-A
C. Adani Group Explanation-
D. Lockheed Martin • On 8th May 2020, the World Health
E. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Organisation (WHO) and the UN’’s postal
agency have released a commemorative
Correct Answer-A postage stamp on the 40th anniversary of the
Explanation- eradication of smallpox.
• Tata Power SED has won a contract worth Rs • Smallpox was eradicated on the back of a 10-
1,200 crore for the Modernization of Air field year-old effort spearheaded by the WHO
involving thousands of health workers around • Recently, the Central government has released
the world to administer half a billion the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin
vaccinations. based on data collected for 2018.
• The commemorative stamp was designed and • This data was released by the Registrar General
developed by Sergio Baradat, United Nations of India.
Postal Administration (UNPA) in collaboration
• It states that the national birth rate in 2018
with WHO.
stood at 20.
4. Which of the following states is the worst • Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a
performer on the National Infant Mortality population and a crucial determinant of
Rate? population growth.
A. Meghalaya • India’s birth rate has declined drastically over
B. Madhya Pradesh the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 20.0
C. Tripura in 2018.
• These rates are calculated per one thousand of
E. Andhra Pradesh
the population.
Correct Answer-B
6. Which of the following states has the highest
Explanation-
birth rate as per the information provided by
• Recently, the Central government has released the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin?
the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin A. Meghalaya
based on data collected for 2018. B. Madhya Pradesh
• This data was released by the Registrar General C. Bihar
of India. D. Arunachal Pradesh
• It states that the national birth rate in 2018 E. Andhra Pradesh
stood at 20, and death and infant mortality
rates stood at 6.2 and 32, respectively. Correct Answer-C
Explanation-
• These rates are calculated per one thousand of
the population. • Recently, the Central government has released
the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin
• Against the national IMR of 32, Madhya based on data collected for 2018.
Pradesh has an IMR of 48 and Nagaland 4.
• This data was released by the Registrar General
5. According to the latest Sample Registration of India.
System (SRS) bulletin, what was India’s national • It states that the national birth rate in 2018
birth rate in 2018? stood at 20.
A. 12 • Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a
B. 23 population and a crucial determinant of
C. 21 population growth.
D. 20
• Bihar continues to remain at the top of list in
E. 19
birth rate while Andaman and Nicobar is at the
bottom.
Correct Answer-D
Explanation-
• India’s birth rate has declined drastically over 9. Which of the following is incorrect for
the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 20.0 Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser
in 2018. (DRUVS)?
A. It has contactless operation.
• The rural-urban differential has also narrowed.
B. All its operations are automated.
However, the birth rate has continued to be
C. It provides 360 degree exposure of UVC to the
higher in rural areas compared to urban areas
objects placed inside the cabinet.
in the last four decades.
D. The operator need not wait or stand near the
• There has been about an 11 per cent decline in device.
birth rate in the last decade, from 22.5 in 2009 E. Bundles of currency notes cannot be sanitised
to 20.0 in 2018. The corresponding decline in using DRUVS
rural areas is 24.1 to 21.6, and in urban areas, it
is 18.3 to 16.7. Correct Answer-E
Explanation-
7. Which of the following country will not be a
beneficiary of India’s outreach program SAGAR?
developed an automated contactless UVC
A. Madagascar
sanitisation cabinet, called Defence Research
B. Seychelles
Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS).
C. Bangladesh
D. Mauritius • It has been designed to sanitise mobile phones,
E. Maldives iPads, laptops, currency notes, cheque leafs,
challans, passbooks, paper, envelopes, etc.
Correct Answer-C • It has contactless operation which is very
Explanation- important to contain the spread of virus.
• The Government of India has launched Mission • It provides 360 degree exposure of UVC to the
Sagar, an outreach program amidst COVID-19 objects placed inside the cabinet.
situation. • Once the sanitisation is done, the system goes
• Under this, India sent Food Items, COVID in sleep mode hence the operator need not
related Medicines including HCQ Tablets and wait or stand near the device.
Special Ayurvedic Medicines with Medical • Bundles of currency notes can be sanitised
Assistance Teams embarked to Maldives, using DRUVS, however disinfection of each
Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and currency notes using it will be a time
Comoros. consuming process.
• The operation is being progressed in close
coordination with the Ministries of Defence 9. Which of the following has been developed to
and External Affairs, and other agencies of the aim the sanitisation of bundles of currency
Government of India. notes?
• The Indian Naval Ship Kesari has been deployed A. NOTESCLEAR
under the mission. B. CLEARNOTES
C. CLEANOTES
• The ship would enter the Port of Male in
D. CLEANNNOTES
Republic of Maldives, to provide them 600 tons
E. NOTESCLEAN
of food provisions.
Correct Answer-E
Explanation-
• Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad has • The clinical trial of Favipiravir is to be
developed an automated UV-C currency completed in about one and half months.
sanitising device, called NOTESCLEAN. • If the tests are successful, the drugs are to be
• It can be used for the sanitisation of bundles of available at affordable rate.
notes.
• One has to just place the loose currency notes 11. Which country has claimed that newly
at the input slot of the device. inaugurated Kailash Mansarovar link passes
through its territory?
• It picks the notes one by one and makes them
A. Sri Lanka
pass through a series of UVC lamps for
B. Bhutan
complete disinfection.
C. Nepal
D. China
ABOUT RCI
E. Pakistan
• It is Defence Research and Development
Organisation’s (DRDO) premier lab. Correct Answer-C
• Location-Hyderabad, India Explanation-
• Director-BHVS Narayana Murthy • India rejected Nepal’s claim that the recently
inaugurated link road in Uttarakhand passes
10. Which of the following drug is commonly through its territory.
used in Japan and China to treat influenza that • The link road is from Dharchula (Uttrakhand) to
has a very broad spectrum of RNA polymerase? Lipulekh near the China border. It cuts travel
A. FinalPavir time to Mansarovar.
B. Favirpavir
• India has claimed that the region lies
C. Feverpavir
completely within Indian borders.
D. FishPavir
E. FinlePavir • The high-altitude road from was inaugurated
by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Correct Answer-B • It is a 80 kilometre road and the altitude rises
Explanation- from 6,000 to 17,060 feet. The road originates
• Favirpavir is a drug which is commonly used in from Ghatiabagarh and terminates at Lipulekh
Japan, China and some other countries. Pass, the gateway to Kailash-Mansarovar.
• It is sold under the brand name Avigan. • The Nepal government had put forward its
claim keeping the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 as the
• It is used to treat influenza that has a very
basis.
broad spectrum of RNA polymerase.
• It is derived from Pyrazinamide that is 12. How much stake has been picked up by Vista
frequently used against West Nile virus, Equity Partners in Jio Platform?
Arenavirus or Bunyavirus, and Yellow fever etc.
• The Council for Scientific and Industrial A. 3.9%
Research (CSIR) has received approval from B. 2.32%
Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) for its C. 1.7%
two clinical trial drugs - 'favipiravir' and D. 2.19%
'phytopharmaceutical' - to combat coronavirus. E. 3.1%
Correct Answer-B
Explanation- • It will slow and limit as much as possible the
• Private equity firm Vista Equity Partners will spread of COVID-19 in India by providing
invest Rs11,367 crore in Jio Platforms for a immediate support to enhance disease
2.32% stake. detection capacities, oxygen delivery systems
• This investment values Jio Platforms at an and medicines among others.
equity value of ₹4.91 lakh crore and an 14. What percentage of share holding has been
enterprise value of ₹5.16 lakh crore sold by Galaxo Smith Kline (GSK) to Hindustan
Unilever (HUL)?
• With this deal, Jio Platforms will have a net
A. 2.1%
combined ₹60,596 crore for the unit of
B. 5.7%
Reliance Industries which comprises mainly its
C. 4.3%
telecom business under Reliance Jio Infocom.
D. 5.9%
• This investment values Jio Platforms at an E. 6.2%
equity value of ₹ 4.91 lakh crore and an
enterprise value of ₹ 5.16 lakh crore. Correct Answer-B
• Vista will become the largest investor in Jio Explanation-
Platforms after RIL and Facebook. • Glaxo-SmithKline (GSK) sold its entire 5.7 per
• Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to cent stake in Hindustan Unilever (HUL) for
Reliance Industries for the completion of the more than Rs 25,000 crore.
deal. • GSK will no longer hold any HUL shares.
• GSK wanted to focus on its pharma R&D
13. How much funding has been approved by
pipeline including its bets on experimental
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to
cancer treatments.
support India’s efforts to fight COVID-19?
A. USD 200 million • In 2018, GlaxoSmithKline made an exit from
B. USD 300 million Horlicks and other consumer healthcare
C. USD 500 million nutrition brands to Unilever. Subsequently,
D. USD 700 million HUL acquired Horlicks brand, Boost, Maltova
E. USD 100 million and Viva.
• GSK Consumer Healthcare Limited-“GSK India”
Correct Answer-C merged with with Hindustan Unilever Limited
Explanation- (“HUL”).
• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
has approved funding of $500 million to 15. When is the World Migratory Bird Day
support India’s efforts to fight the COVID- observed?
19 pandemic. A. 9 May
B. 10 May
• The government and the AIIB signed a COVID-
C. 7 May
19 Emergency Response and Health Systems
D. 6 May
Preparedness Project that would help
E. 8 May
strengthen India’s public health preparedness.
• This is the first ever health sector support from Correct Answer-A
AIIB. Explanation-
• It will cover all States and Union Territories • It is an annual event that is celebrated on 9
across India. May to raise awareness about conservation
and ecological importance of migratory birds in ecosystems that support the movement of
the global ecosystem. these birds.
• Theme 2020-“Birds Connect Our World”.
• This theme was chosen in order to highlight the
importance of conservation and restoration of
ecological connectivity and integrity of 12th May 2020
1. Who has been appointed as the Chief Risk • The authors of the book were members of the
Officer at YES bank? select group of reporters that cover the British
A. Ashish Agarwal Royal Family and their engagements.
B. Aditya Puri
• The book claims to go beyond the headlines to
C. Prashant Kumar
reveal details of the couple.
D. Neeraj Dhawan
E. Rana Kapoor • It will provide a glimpse into the lesser known
aspects of their romance and decision to go
Correct Answer- D. Neeraj Dhawan their separate way from Buckingham Palace.
Explanation-
3. When does India observe its National
• Yes Bank has designated Neeraj Dhawan as its
Technology Day?
central hazard official with a quick impact.
A. 11 May
• The board of directors appointed him as the B. 9 May
chief risk officer of the bank for a period of C. 10 May
three years. D. 6 May
• He will replace Ashish Agarwal. E. 7 May
• MD & CEO-Prashant Kumar
Correct Answer- A. 11 May
Explanation-
2. Who among the following is the author of
‘Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the • India observed its 29th National Technology
Making of A Modern Royal Family? Day in 2020 and this term was coined by late
A. Omid Scobie PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
B. Carolyn Du • This day is the reminder of India’s technological
C. Both A and B advancements.
D. Chris Ship • National Technology Day was first observed on
E. Both B and C May 11, 1999 to commemorate the
achievements of Indian scientists and
Correct Answer- C. Both A and B engineers.
Explanation-
• Every year since 1999, the Technology
• Royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Dur Development Board (TBD) celebrates this day
will be releasing biography on the lives of by awarding individuals for their scientific
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by the name contributions to India.
‘Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the
Making of A Modern Royal Family.’ 4. Whose biography is the book-The Life of a
• It will be released on 11 August 2020. Kargil War Hero?
A. Capt. Vikram Batra
B. Col. Vijyant Thapar A. Politician
C. Major Vivek Gupta B. Economist
D. Major Padmapani Acharya C. Historian
E. Major Rajesh Adhikari D. Singer
E. Business Analyst
Correct Answer- B. Col. Vijyant Thapar
Explanation- Correct Answer- C. Historian
• The book titled as ‘Vijyant at Kargil: The Life of Explanation-
a Kargil Hero’ authored by Vijyant’s • Historian Hari Sankar Vasudevan died at a
father Colonel VN Thapar and writer Neha private hospital in Kolkata at the age of 68.
Dwivedi was released. • He was tested positive for coronavirus. He was
• Neha Swivedi is a Kargil war martyr’s daughter, put on a ventilator after developing respiratory
an Armoured Corps Officer’s wife and a doctor distress.
by profession. • Vasudevan was the director of the China Centre
• The book is published by Penguin Random at Calcutta University. He was an expert on
House. European and Russian history and the India-
• It describes the journey of Vijyant Thapar to Russia relationship.
join the Indian Military Academy and the • He was the author of 'Footsteps of Afanasii
experiences that shaped him into a fine officer. Nikitin: Travels through Eurasia and India in the
• He was awarded a Vir Chakra posthumously. early 21st century’.
• He authored 'Shadows of Substance: Indo-
5. Who has been appointed as the brand Russian Trade and Military Technical
ambassador of ELSA? Cooperation' in 2010.
A. Vicky Kaushal
B. Mahendra Singh Dhoni 7. Which of the following will manufacture
C. Virat Kohli India’s first indigenous ELISA Test Kit for COVID-
D. Ajinkya Rahane 19?
E. Ayushman Khurana A. Pfizer India
B. Cipla Pharmaceuticals
Correct Answer- D. Ajinkya Rahane C. Cadila Healthcare Ltd.
Explanation- D. Galaxo Smith Kline
• ELSA Corp (English Language Speech Assistant E. Abott India
Corporation) has appointed Ajinkya Rahane as
its brand ambassador for India, Middle East, Correct Answer- C. Cadila Healthcare Ltd.
ANZ & SAARC. Explanation-
• Ajinkya Rahane will be endorsing the brand's • Ahmedabad-based Cadila Healthcare Ltd has
mobile application. has been provided with technology to make
and market the country’s first anti-SARS-Cov-2
• This association aims to popularize ELSA Speak
human IgG Elisa test kit.
amongst Indian individuals who want to better
their English pronunciation. • The kit will be used for antibody detection of
Covid-19.
6. Hari Vasudevan passed away at the age of 84.
Who was he?
• After the initial development at ICMR-NIV, 9. Recently, the partner of Siegfried Fischbacher
technology has been transferred to Zydus passed away after being affected by COVID-19.
Cadila for mass scale production. Both of them are famous for their magic acts.
Who was his partner?
• ‘Covid Kavach Elisa’ is the first indigenously
A. Thomas Peter
developed IgG Elisa test for antibody detection.
B. Russel Bond
• It has been developed by the Indian Council of C. Eric Shmith
Medical Research (ICMR), National Institute of D. James Roy
Virology (NIV), Pune. E. Roy Horn
8. The HRD Ministry announced amendments in Correct Answer- E. Roy Horn

the PMRF scheme. What does ‘R’ stand for in Explanation-
the same?
• Roy Horn died of complications related to
A. Role
the coronavirus at the age of 75 years.
B. Reversal
C. Rejuvenation • He is the half of the famed Las Vegas magic and
D. Repair entertainment duo Siegfried & Roy.
E. Research • Roy was born in Germany and emigrated to
the United States and became naturalized
Correct Answer- E. Research citizens.
Explanation- • Horn and Siegfried Fischbacher, were known
• PMRF stands for Prime Minister’s Research for including white tigers and other animals in
Fellowship. their act. They first worked in Las Vegas in
• The scheme was announced in the Budget 1967, and then worked at the Mirage Hotel.
2018-19. • Their shows combined magic tricks with circus
• Designed for improving the quality of research thrills, alongside performances featuring
in various higher educational institutions in the dozens of rare white lions and tigers.
country. • Horn was forced to stop performing in 2003
• Students can apply under this scheme to after a white tiger attacked him during one of
pursue innovative research in Science and their shows. He was severely injured and also
technology. suffered a stroke.
• They can either use the direct or lateral route. • The incident permanently affected his mobility
and speech, but Horn was able to take part in
• The HRD Ministry announced amendments in
some events.
the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship
(PMRF) scheme. • The duo retired in 2010.
• It included reduction in the required GATE
10. How many trains will the Indian Railways
score and introduction of a lateral entry option
start in graded manner from 12 May 2020?
to attract more students.
A. 12 Pairs
• Under the scheme, 1000 seats were created B. 15 Pairs
which have been remaining empty every year. C. 17 Pairs
These changes were made so that students can D. 19 Pairs
apply. E. 20 pairs
Correct Answer- B. 15 Pairs • These rules will be called Income-tax (8th
Explanation- Amendment) Rules, 2020.
• Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued • Rule 44G deals with application and procedure
Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) to facilitate for giving effect to MAP agreement.
movement of persons by train.
• The revised Form 34F deals with respect to
• Movement of trains shall be permitted by making application to the competent authority
Ministry of Railways (MoR), in a graded for invoking MAP.
manner, in consultation with Ministry of Health
• Indian authorities would "endeavour" to
& Family Welfare (MoHFW) and MHA.
resolve MAP disputes within a timeframe of 24
• The operations will initially start with 15 pairs months. This move is aimed at speedy
of trains. settlement of cases of multinational
• These trains will be run as special trains from corporations that have opted the alternative
New Delhi Station connecting 15 important dispute resolution process.
cities of the country such as Dibrugarh, • If a resolution is arrived, the same shall be
Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, communicated to the assessee, who shall
Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, communicate his acceptance or non-
Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, acceptance within 30 days.
Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.
• Upon acceptance of the resolution, the
• Only online E-Ticketing will be done through assessee shall withdraw any appeal filed in this
IRCTC website or through Mobile App. regard and pay the tax determined by the
• No tickets will be booked across the assessing officer after giving effect to the
reservation counter on any Railway Station. resolution.
• Booking of tickets through ‘agents’, (both IRCTC
Agents and Railway Agents) shall not be 12. How much stake has been picked up by
permitted. The Carlyle Group in SeQuent?
A. 67%
11. Which rule of Income-tax rules, 1962 has B. 74%
been amended for making an application to C. 29%
invoke the Mutual Agreement Procedure D. 90%
(MAP)? E. 80%
A. 44B
B. 44C Correct Answer- B. 74%
C. 44G Explanation-
D. 44D • Private equity player The Carlyle Group will
E. 44E acquire a majority 74% stake in SeQuent
Scientific for over Rs 1,500 crore.
Correct Answer- C. 44G • The deal will be executed through two
Explanation- investment vehicles-CA Harbor Investments,
• Central Board of Direct Taxes has amended affiliated entity of CAP V Mauritius, which is an
Rule 44G of Income-tax Rules, 1962 for making affiliated entity of Carlyle. The deal is the
an application to invoke the Mutual Agreement Carlyle's first majority transaction in an Indian
Procedure (MAP) in Form no. 34F. publicly-listed company.
• The promoters of the company sold a 44.92% 14. Former Union Minister of State for Health
stake and Carlyle agreed to buy 5.69% of the Dalit Ezhilmalai passed away at 74. He belonged
existing private equity investor Ascent Capital. to which of the following states?
A. Punjab
• It was managed by Nomura acting as the
B. Tamil Nadu
Financial advisor for Carlyle and Law Firm
C. Andhra Pradesh
Nishith Desai Associates was the advisor of
D. Madhya Pradesh
Sequent and its Promoters.
E. Telangana
• Under the Securities and Exchange Board of
India's (Sebi's) takeover regulations, a Correct Answer- B. Tamil Nadu
mandatory open offer by CA Harbor Explanation-
Investments and CAP V Mauritius will have to
• Former Union Minister of State for Health Dalit
be offered for the purchase of a maximum up
Ezhilmalai passed away at 74 in his residence in
to 26% equity shares of SeQuent from public
Chennai, Tamil Nadu due to a cardiac arrest.
shareholders.
• He was born on 24th July 1945 in Irumbedu
village, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu
13. What is the name of India’s first indigenous • He served in the Former Post & Telegraph
ELISA Test Kit for COVID-19? Department of the Government of India
A. Covid Dhaal Between 1963 and 1987 and deputed to the
B. Covid SURAKSHA Army for five years.
C. Covid KAVACH • He participated in the Indo-Pak War of 1971 as
D. Covid Jao an army officer and received Sainik Sewa
E. Covid Se Bacho Medal for his meritorious service.
• He was the last Dalit MP from the State who
Correct Answer- C. Covid KAVACH
was elected from a general constituency.
Explanation-
• In 2001, the then general secretary of AIADMK,
• ‘Covid Kavach Elisa’ is the first indigenously
J Jayalalithaa, fielded Ezhilmalai from Tiruchy in
developed IgG Elisa test for antibody detection.
the by-election.
• It has been developed by the Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR), National Institute of 15. Which of the following is incorrect for the
Virology (NIV), Pune. new guidelines released by ICMR to tackle
• This test will play a critical role in surveillance COVID-19 pandemic?
of proportion of population exposed to A. The immediate cause is the mode of dying.
SARSCoV2 infection. B. The antecedent cause is the morbid
• ICMR-NIV’s test kit was validated at two sites in condition(s) that “gave rise to the immediate
Mumbai and has been found to have high cause”.
sensitivity and specificity. C. The other significant conditions are those that
“contributed to the death but are not related to
• The kit can test 90 samples together in a single
the disease or to the condition causing it”.
run of 2.5 hours.
D. Deaths with inconclusive test results, but in
• Elisa-based testing is easily possible even at the which coronavirus symptoms are present will be
district level. recorded as "probable COVID-19" fatalities.
E. Deaths in which tests are awaited with the
presence of symptoms will be recorded as
suspected deaths, while those testing negative and other significant conditions in separate
but have symptoms will be mentioned as columns.
clinically-epidemiologically diagnosed COVID-19. • These were issued as India’s Covid-19 death
count surpasses 2,000 people.
Correct Answer- A. The immediate cause is the The immediate cause is the “disease, injury, or
mode of dying complication that caused the death, not the
Explanation- mode of dying”.
• ICMR released fresh guidelines in the wake of
COVID-19 pandemic.
• These outline a new standardised form where
medical practitioners have to categorise the
death’s immediate cause, antecedent cause, 13th May 2020
1. According to Aarogya Setu Data Access and  The data collected include name, mobile
Knowledge Sharing Protocol, in how many days number, location, age, gender,
the data of the individuals need to be profession, travel history, persons in
permanently deleted? contact and location of persons in
contact.
A. 120
B. 100 The data must be permanently deleted after a
C. 200 maximum of 180 days “unless a specific
D. 180 recommendation is made” by the empowered
E. 190 group on technology.
Correct Answer: D. 180 2. In case an individual requests to delete his

demographic data from the Aarogya Setu app,
Explanation: The Empowered Group 9 on in how many days the authority is obliged to
Technology and Data Management developed delete it?
and released the Aarogya Setu Data Access and
Knowledge Sharing Protocol. A. 180 days
B. 120 days
 IT Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney is the C. 30 days
chairman of the group. D. 0 days
E. 100 days
 The new norms lay emphasis on
anonymisation of data collected by the Correct Answer – C. 30 days
app. Explanation: The Empowered Group 9 on
Technology and Data Management developed
 The National Informatics Center (NIC) is
responsible for collecting, processing and and released the Aarogya Setu Data Access and
managing all the data collected by Knowledge Sharing Protocol.
Aarogya Setu.
 IT Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney is the
 The protocol outlined that personal data chairman of the group.
from the application can only be used for
health purposes.
 It states that an individual can request for  The portal will help in grievance
deleting demographic data, which must registration and management of
be abided by in 30 days. complaints lodged by MSMEs.
 The National Informatics Center (NIC) is  It is a technology driven Control Room-

responsible for collecting, processing and Cum-Management Information System
managing all the data collected by which is a real one-stop-shop solution of
Aarogya Setu. MSME Ministry.
 Under the protocol, the Ministry of  It is also fully integrated on real time basis
electronics and information technology with GOI’s main grievances portal
(Meity) will have a supervisory role. Centralized Public Grievance Redress and
Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and
 The data can be shared with the
MSME Ministry’s own other web based
“Government of India”, and all the
mechanisms.
agencies that are granted access to the
data must use it only for the purpose for  The grievances will then be diverted
which it has been shared and delete it subject-wise to concerned
after 180 days. branch/bureau/office heads under the
MSME Ministry to attend them within
 For developing health responses, the
three days.
information can be shared with third
parties. The government agency sharing 4. As a part of the CHAMPIONS portal, in how
information with the third party is many days the concerned office heads have to
responsible for adherence to the protocol attend to the complaint?
A. Four days
by the third party.
B. Three days
3. Which of the following launched the C. Seven Days
CHAMPIONS portal? D. Nine days
A. Union MSME ministry E. Ten days
B. HRD Ministry Correct Answer – B. Three days
C. PMO Explanation: The Union Ministry of MSME
D. Niti Aayog
launched CHAMPIONS portal.
E. Union External Affairs Minister
 CHAMPIONS stands for Creation and
Correct Answer – A. Union MSME ministry
Explanation: The Union Ministry of MSME Harmonious Application of Modern
launched CHAMPIONS portal. Processes for Increasing the Output and
National Strength.
 CHAMPIONS stands for Creation and
 The portal will help in grievance
Harmonious Application of Modern
Processes for Increasing the Output and registration and management of
National Strength. complaints lodged by MSMEs and the
grievances will then be diverted subject-
wise to concerned branch/bureau/office head constables are deployed for the
heads under the MSME Ministry to attend scheme.
them within three days.
 Initially, the scheme will be implemented
 The system is enabled by Artificial in a police station area under 11 divisions
Intelligence, Data Analytics and Machine (both urban and rural) of the state and
Learning. also under one police station in Datia.
 This will help the Indian MSMEs to march  It has been launched in 23 police stations
into big league as National and Global and will be a pilot project till 31 August
CHAMPIONS. 2020.
 NIC created the portal in-house without 6. Which of the following will conduct SERO
charging any money for this. survey in selected district?
A. ICMR
5. Which is the first state to launch FIR Aapke B. NCDC
Dwar Yojana? C. NIV
A. Punjab D. Both (A) & (B)
B. Tamil Nadu E. Both (A) & (C)
C. Andhra Pradesh
D. Madhya Pradesh Correct Answer – D. Both (A) & (B)
E. Telangana Explanation: Indian Council of Medical Research,
ICMR and National Centre for Disease Control
Correct Answer – D. Madhya Pradesh (NCDC) will conduct a population-based sero-
Explanation: The state government of Madhya
survey in selected districts in collaboration with
Pradesh launched FIR (First Information Report)
key stakeholders and State Health Departments.
Aapke Dwar Yojana in Bhopal.
 Sero Survey is testing of blood serum of a
 It was launched by the Madhya Pradesh
group of individuals to determine the
Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra.
presence of antibody against that
 This makes Madhya Pradesh the first particular disease.
state in the country to implement such an
 The objective of this survey is to monitor
innovative scheme.
the trend in prevalence of COVID-19
 It is a pilot project under which a infection at district level.
complainant is supposed to dial police
 Each month 200 samples per district per
emergency number 100 to lodge an FIR.
week shall be taken. This will take the
 As a part of this scheme, police officials number to 800 samples per district per
will go to homes of victims to register a month.
FIR and they will resolve their problems at
 ICMR AND NCDC will select 10 health
their doorstep only and they need not
facilities including six public and four
have to come to police stations. Trained
private health from each district.
7. Which of the following has launched D. Niti Aayog
Pranavayu programme? E. Department of Consumer Affairs
A. Delhi
B. Lucknow Correct Answer – E. Department of Consumer
C. Bengaluru Affairs
D. Gurugram Explanation: The Department of Consumer
E. Pune Affairs has partnered with tech startups Safejob
and Seekify to use technology to prevent the
Correct Answer – C. Bengaluru spread of Covid-19 at the local Kirana store level.
Explanation: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara
 Suraksha store is an initiative designed for
Palike has launched Pranavayu programme in
the health and safety of the citizens
Bengaluru.
during and after the lockdown.
 It Aims to educate Kirana store owners
 The program aims to create awareness on
across the country about the Covid-19
the need to self examine the respiratory
safety guidelines and protocols required
health for personal safety of the to be followed while running their
individuals from the ongoing COVID-19 businesses.
pandemic.  The protocols were decided by the Food
 The number of positive cases of Safety and Standards Authority of India
Coronavirus have been rising in Bengaluru (FSSAI) and the Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA) and included norms around social
and due to this it became highly
distancing and hygiene at all retail outlets.
important to identify the persons who are
 Consumers can use the Aarogya Setu app
prone or susceptible to the deadly corona to find a Suraksha Store near them and
virus infection. shop.
 The program aims to create awareness
9. When is the International Nurse day
through advertisements in media.
observed?
 It emphasises on the fact that the person A. 10 May 2020
can self-examine themselves for an early B. 11 May 2020
detection of the disease without it leading C. 13 May 2020
to the aggravation of the situation. D. 9 May 2020
 This programme is an effort to assist E. 12 May 2020
people with low oxygen level in their Correct Answer – E. 12 May 2020
blood to get themselves examined early Explanation: International Nurses Day is
before their infection becomes fatal. celebrated around the world every May 12.
8. Which of the following has partnered with  It is the birth anniversary of Florence
tech startups Safejob and Seekify to use Nightingale and this year it’s her 200th
technology to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at birth anniversary. She is known as the
the local Kirana store level? founder of modern nursing.
A. External Affairs Ministry  This year is also significant as World
B. Union Finance Ministry Health Organization (WHO) has declared
C. PMO it as the ‘Year of the Nurse and the
Midwife’. Several lakh nurses were of the Nurse and the Midwife'. Several lakh
connected online for this event. nurses were connected online for this event.
 Theme 2020-Nursing the World to Health. • Theme 2020-Nursing the World to Health
10. What is the name of the third book written • In January 1974, May 12 was chosen to
by Bomma Devara Sai Chandravadhan? celebrate as International Nurses Day in honour
A. Shatru of Florence Nightingale.
B. Fear of God
C. Agniputr: When Agni First Spoke 12. Which of the following is DRDO- DFRL’s
D. Story of Shiva mobile microbial containment lab?
E. Life of a Yogi A. Prakhar
B. Parakh
Correct Answer – B. Fear of God C. Kavach
D. Setu
Explanation: The book of “Fear of God” written
E. Pratiksha
by Bomma Devara Sai Chandravadhan was
published by TreeShade publications.
Correct Answer- B. Parakh
 Chandravadhan writes under the Pen Explanation-
Name, Vadhan.
 The Book was released by author and • Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) has
Producer Anirban Bhattacharya. handed over an innovative, state of the art
 His first book was Shatru, a prequel to his Mobile Microbial Containment (BSL-3)
yet unpublished fantasy Series. Laboratory ‘PARAKH’ to the Mysuru Medical
 It was followed by his second book College and Research Institute (MMCRI) to test
Agniputr: When Agni First Spoke samples of coronavirus (Covid-19) at its hi-tech
Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory
11. International Nurses Day is observed in the (VRDL).
remembrance of whom?
• With this, an extra 200-300 samples can be
A. Mother Teresa
tested in addition to the 400-450 samples being
B. Sarojini Naidu
tested.
C. Florence Nightingale
D. Clara Barton • Parakh is a fully autonomous Mobile Microbial
E. Mary Seacole Containment Lab.
• It was developed by ministry of Defence in
Correct Answer- C. Florence Nightingale collaboration with ESIC (Employees’ State
Explanation- Insurance Corporation) Medical College &
• International Nurses Day is celebrated around Hospital, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad with due
the world every May 12. permission from Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR) within record time of 2 weeks.
• It is the birth anniversary of Florence
Nightingale and this year it’s her 200th birth • It is designed on ISO (International
anniversary. She is known as the founder of Organization for Standardization) 20 feet
modern nursing. container and installed on Ashok Leyland 1618-
2C-4700 wb cabin Chassis.
• This year is also significant as World Health
Organization (WHO) has declared it as the 'Year
• It was designed during situations like bio 14. Which state recently launched "Dial-112"
warfare, but with the ongoing situation, it was scheme?
handed over to the district. A. Punjab
B. Tamil Nadu
13. Which of the following is incorrect for the C. Andhra Pradesh
Champion Control rooms? D. Madhya Pradesh
A. The control rooms network is created in a E. Telangana
“Hub & Spoke Model.
B. The spokes will be in the states in various Correct Answer- D. Madhya Pradesh
offices and institutions of Ministry Explanation-
C. As of now, 61 state level control rooms are
created as part of the system. • The state government of Madhya Pradesh
D. The control rooms network is created in a launched FIR (First Information Report) Aapke
“Hub & Spoke Model. Dwar Yojana in Bhopal.
E. The Hub is situated in New Delhi in the • It was launched by the Madhya Pradesh Home
Secretary MSME’s office. Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra.
• The home minister also launched "Dial-112"
Correct Answer- C. As of now, 61 state level
scheme. By dealing this number, facilities of
control rooms are created as part of the system
ambulance, police and fire services will be
Explanation-
made available to the caller immediately across
• The Union Ministry of MSME launched the state.
CHAMPIONS portal.
• CHAMPIONS stands for Creation and 15. Which of the following is incorrect for the
Harmonious Application of Modern Processes sero test?
for Increasing the Output and National A. It will be conducted only by ICMR.
Strength. B. It would test outpatient attendees and
• The portal will help in grievance registration pregnant women in the low-risk group.
and management of complaints lodged by C. The objective of this survey is to monitor the
MSMEs. trend in prevalence of COVID-19 infection at
district level.
• Champion Control Rooms have been set up at
D. It would test blood serum of a group of
MSME Development Institutes across the
individuals.
country that will help the small businesses to
E. The samples will be tested in a one-time pool
get guidance from the government.
of 25 and result of sample pooling is only for
• The control rooms network is created in a “Hub surveillance purposes.
& Spoke Model.
• The Hub is situated in New Delhi in the Correct Answer- A. It will be conducted only by
Secretary MSME’s office. ICMR
• The spokes will be in the states in various Explanation-
offices and institutions of Ministry. • Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR and
• As of now, 66 state level control rooms are National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) will
created as part of the system.” conduct a population-based sero-survey in
selected districts in collaboration with key
stakeholders and State Health Departments.
• The objective of this survey is to monitor the  Art of Living Headquarters: Bengaluru,
trend in prevalence of COVID-19 infection at Karnataka
district level.
2. Which of the following online vehicle
Sero survey involves testing of blood serum of a
ownership solution recently launched by
group of individuals to determine the presence of
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.?
antibody against that particular disease.
A. Buy-Online
Monthly GK & CA Quiz : B. Purchase-Online

C. Shop-Online
D. Own-Online
14th May 2020 E. None of these
1. Which of the following non-governmental Correct Answer – D. Own-Online

organization which has signed an MoU with Explanation: A car manufacturing corporation,
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) has rolled out
Federation of India, recently? an end to end, online vehicle ownership solution
titled ‘Own-Online’. This platform has been
A. The Chinmaya Mission
launched by (M&M) to offer its customers a
B. Art Of Living (AOL) Foundation
C. Ramakrishna Mission transparent, seamless and contactless experience
D. The Brahma Kumaris from selection to the delivery of the vehicle.
E. None of these
 Managing Director & CEO of Mahindra &
Correct Answer: B. Art Of Living (AOL) Mahindra Ltd: Pawan Goenka.
Foundation
3. Which of the following insurance company
Explanation: Tribal Cooperative Marketing which has launched the standard health
Development Federation of India (TRIFED) and insurance policy named “Aarogya Sanjeevani
the Art Of Living (AOL) Foundation have signed Health Insurance Policy”.
an MoU to collaborate in programmes of each A. SBI General Insurance
organisation for promoting Tribal Enterprises. B. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance
The Art of Living Foundation has agreed to C. PNB MetLife India Insurance
provide Free Ration Kits to Needy Tribes India D. BajajAllianz General Insurance
Artisans. TRIFED Regional Offices have compiled E. None of these
the list of needy tribal artisans and have
identified 9,409 needy tribal artisans located Correct Answer – A. SBI General Insurance
across the country for distribution of ration kits Explanation: SBI General Insurance has launched
under “I Stand With Humanity campaign” of AOL. the standard health insurance policy named
“Aarogya Sanjeevani Health Insurance Policy”.
 Minister of Tribal Affairs: Arjun Munda.
 Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal 4. TRIFED and the Art of Living (AOL) Foundation
Affairs: Renuka Singh Saruta. have signed an MoU to collaborate in
 Founder of Art of Living: Sri Sri Ravi programmes of each organisation for promoting
Shankar. Tribal Enterprises. TRIFED stands for?
 Art of Living Founded: 1981. A. Tribal Cumulative Marketing Development
Federation of India
B. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development D. Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'
Federation of India E. None of these
C. Tribal Collaborative Marketing Development
Federation of India Correct Answer – C. Giriraj Singh
D. Tribal Cooperative Monitoring Development Explanation: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal
Federation of India Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh has
E. None of these presented the award to the winners of “Startup
India-Animal Husbandry Grand Challenge”. The
Correct Answer – B. Tribal Cooperative
Marketing Development Federation of India challenge was open for application to Startups
Explanation: Tribal Cooperative Marketing from 11th of September, 2019 to 15th of
Development Federation of India (TRIFED) under November, 2019 on the Startup India portal –
the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Art Of www.startupindia.gov.in. This award was
Living(AOL) has signed a Memorandum of launched by the Department of Animal
Understanding to collaborate in programmes of Husbandry and Dairying, in partnership with
each organisation for promoting Tribal Startup India to look out for innovative and
Enterprises. commercially viable solutions to address the
problems faced by the Animal Husbandry and
5. Name the person whose tenure as the Dairy sector.
President of FIH has been extended by the
International Hockey Federation (FIH) until May  Value Added Products - Krushak Mitra
2021. Agro Services Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
A. Ties Kruize
 Eliminating Milk Adulteration - White
B. Jamie Dwyer
Gold Technologies LLP, Mumbai
C. Dhanraj Pillay
D. Narinder Batra  Product Traceability - EmerTech Solutions
E. None of these Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
 E-commerce Solutions - MoooFarm,
Correct Answer – D. Narinder Batra
Gurugram, Haryana
Explanation: Narinder Batra will remain
President of the International Hockey Federation  Breed Improvement & Animal Nutrition -
(FIH) until May 2021. The FIH said in a statement Adis Technologies, Belagavi, Karnataka
on Friday while announcing the postponement of 7. Which of the following vaccines & bio-
the 47th FIH Congress that the terms of Batra therapeutics manufacturer which has tied-up
and the Executive Board members which were with the Indian Council for Medical Research to
due to end in October 2020 have now been develop indigenous COVID-19 vaccine.
extended. A. Serum Institute of India
B. Wockhardt Ltd.
6. Who among the following the India's Union C. Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and D. Panacea Drugs Pvt. Ltd.
Dairying. E. None of these
A. Harsh Vardhan
Correct Answer – E. None of these (Bharat
B. Arjun Munda
Biotech International Limited)
C. Giriraj Singh
Explanation: Indian Council of Medical Research C. National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore
(ICMR) and a Hyderabad based leading Vaccine D. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology,
manufacturing company Bharat Biotech Hyderabad
E. None of these
International Limited have partnered to develop
a fully indigenous vaccine for COVID-19. The Correct Answer – C. National Aerospace
vaccine will be developed using the virus strain Laboratories, Bangalore
which has been isolated at ICMR's National Explanation: A Non-Invasive BiPAP Ventilator
Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. The details of “SwasthVayu” has been developed by CSIR-
the virus strain has been successfully transferred National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore to
treat COVID-19 patients. The unique features of
from NIV, Pune to Bharat Biotech. Work on
the Non-Invasive BiPAP Ventilator “SwasthVayu”
developing the vaccine has been initiated by the
helps to alleviate the fear of the virus spread. The
two partner entities. ventilator is very simple to use without any
specialized nursing and is cost effective, compact
8. Who among the following Indian journalist
and configured with majority of indigenous
who has been named for Deutsche Welle
components. A BiPAP Non Invasive Ventilator
Freedom of Speech Award 2020?
“SwasthVayu” is a microcontroller-based precise
A. Vinod Dua
closed-loop adaptive control system. It has a
B. Ravis Kumar
built-in biocompatible “3D printed manifold &
C. Siddharth Varadarajan
coupler” with Highly Efficient Particulate Air
D. Punya Prasun Bajpai
(HEPA) filter.
E. None of these
10. Name of the Indian cities has launched
Correct Answer – C. Siddharth Varadarajan
“Pranavayu Programme” to create awareness
Explanation: On the occasion of World Press
about the respiratory health of the residents?
Freedom Day 2020, 17 journalists from 14
A. Chennai
countries have been named for Deutsche Welle
B. Hyderabad
Freedom of Speech Award 2020 who have
C. Bengaluru
disappeared or been arrested or threatened
D. Mumbai
because of their reporting on the COVID-19
E. None of these
pandemic. India’s Siddharth Varadarajan one
among them. Siddharth Varadarajan, one of the Correct Answer – C. Bengaluru
founding editors of non-profit online newspage
The Wire, was handed a notice for appearance by Explanation: The Bengaluru City Corporation
a police team on April 10, 2020 following a story recently launched “Pranavayu Programme” to
about a politician violating COVID-19 guidelines create awareness about the respiratory health of
by participating in a religious ceremony. The Wire Bengaloreans. The initiative aims to help people
was accused of “causing a riot” and “leading to in increasing oxygen level of the people by
panic.” themselves. This will help them to keep track
about their health before their ailments become
9. Which of the following CSIR institute has fatal. There are several deaths reported in the
developed a Non Invasive BiPAP Ventilator country due to Severe Acute Respiratory Illness
“SwasthVayu” to treat COVID-19 patients? (SARI).
A. Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh
B. Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology,
Delhi
11. Every year, May 12 is commemorated as which now people would not be required to visit
International Nurse Day. What is the theme of police station to lodge an FIR. ‘FIR Aapke Dwar’
the International Nurses Day 2020? Yojana has been started as a pilot project in 23
Police Stations including one urban and one rural
A. Nurses A Voice to Lead – Live Together and Police Station at 11 Divisional Headquarters. For
Help Everyone this Yojana “Dial 100” vehicle would have trained
B. Nurses A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Head Constables to lodge FIR.
Health
C. Nurses A Voice to Lead – Health is a Human 13. Which of the following mission launched by
right government of India to send medical aid to five
D. Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, Influence Island nations in the Indian Ocean?
E. None of these A. Mission India
B. Mission Sagar
Correct Answer: B. Nurses A Voice to Lead – C. Mission Karwar
Nursing the World to Health D. Mission Dhanyawad
E. None of these
Explanation: Every year, May 12 is
commemorated as International Nurse Day. The Correct Answer – B. Mission Sagar
birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale is Explanation: The government of India (GOI) has
celebrated as the International Nurse Day. She initiated a “Mission Sagar” as a part of their
was also known as Lady with the Lamp. She was
efforts to send medical aid to five Island nations
the founder of modern nursing and was a British
social reformer and statistician. International in the Indian Ocean amid COVID-19 pandemic. In
Council of Nurses has published its theme for the this regard Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kesari
year 2020 around the COVID-19 pandemic on its departed for Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles,
official website icn.ch “Nurses: A Voice to lead- Madagascar and Comoros, to provide Food
Nursing the World to Health”. The World Health items, COVID related Medicines including
Organisation (WHO) has designated the year
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) Tablets and Special
2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and
Ayurvedic Medicines with Medical Assistance
the Midwife.
Teams. This mission is launched in coordination
12. Name of the state government has launched with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Ministry
country's first ever ‘FIR Aapke Dwar Yojana’ to of External Affairs (MEA), and other agencies of
lodge FIR?
GOI.
A. Jharkhand
B. Madhya Pradsh 14. Who among the following authored the
C. Uttar Pradeseh book titled “Fear of God” under pen name
D. Rajasthan Vadhan?
E. None of these A. Uma Balasubramanian
B. Sudha Krishnamurthy
Correct Answer – B. Madhya Pradsh C. Raja Gopala Krishnan
Explanation: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr D. Bomma devara Sai Chandravadhan
Narottam Mishra launched country's first ever E. None of these
'FIR Aapke Dwar Yojana' in Bhopal. Madhya
Pradesh is the first state in the country to Correct Answer – D. Bomma devara Sai
implement such an innovative scheme under Chandravadhan
Explanation: Bomma devara Sai Chandravadhan Correct Answer – B. Historian
writes under the Pen Name, Vadhan, has Explanation: Eminent Historian Hari Shankar
authored his third book titled “Fear of God”. The Vasudevan passed away at the age of 68 in a
book was published by TreeShade publications. private hospital at Kolkata after testing positive
for novel coronavirus on May 6th 2020.
15. Recently, Hari Shankar Vasudevan who
passed away at the age of 68, is a renowned
_________.
A. Mathematician
B. Historian 15th May 2020
C. Physician
D. Architect
E. None of these
1. National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Research(ICMR)-National Institute of
functions under which of the following ministry, Virology(NIV) has developed the 1st indigenous
has launched a virtual program called “NGMA anti-Severe acute respiratory syndrome
KE SANGRAH SE”.
coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) human
A. Minister of Minority Affairs Immunoglobulin G(IgG) enzyme-linked
B. Minister of External Affairs immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kit, “COVID
C. Ministry of Culture KAVACH ELISA” for antibody detection of COVID-
D. Minister of Women and Child Development 19. NIV: Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra.
E. None of these
3. Who among the following heads the
Correct Answer: C. Ministry of Culture committee 6-member committee to prepare
SOP for resumption of sports coaching and
Explanation: National Gallery of Modern Art
activities, formed by The Sports Authority of
(NGMA) New Delhi, the premier institute in the
India (SAI).
country that houses modern and contemporary
A. Rohit Bharadwaj
Indian art, has launched a virtual program called
B. BK Nayak
“NGMA KE SANGRAH SE” to showcase an iconic
C. Sachin K
and rare collection of artifacts from its
D. Rajesh Rajagopalan
repository.
E. None of these
2. National Institute of Virology (NIV) located
which of the following city? Correct Answer – A. Rohit Bharadwaj
Explanation: The Sports Authority of India (SAI)
A. Gurugram formed a six-member committee to prepare a
B. Bengaluru Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for phased
C. Mumbai
resumption of training across sporting disciplines
D. Pune
E. None of these at all the centers once the coronavirus-forced
national lockdown is lifted. The six-member
Correct Answer – D. Pune panel will be headed by SAI secretary Rohit
Explanation: Union Health Minister Harsh
Bharadwaj and will have CEO (Chief Executive
Vardhan informed that, Indian Council of Medical
Officer) Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Rajesh Rajagopalan, Executive Director Explanation: Union HRD Minister has launched
(Operations) SS Roy, SS Sarla, Col BK Nayak and Central University of Odisha Helpline “Bharosa”
Assistant Director TOPS Sachin K as its members. with an objective of relieving the student
community from the distress caused during the
4. Which of the following portal that has been
troubled time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
launched recently by the Union Ministry of
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). 6. Who among the following has taken the
A. LEADER charge as Secretary of the Ministry of New and
B. CHAMPIONS Renewable Energy.
C. VICTORIOUS A. Sumanta Chaudhury
D. CONQUEROR B. Anil Kumar Gupta
E. None of these C. Rajiv Gauba
Correct Answer – B. CHAMPIONS D. Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi
Explanation: In a major initiative Union Ministry E. None of these
of MSME has launched CHAMPIONS portal Correct Answer – C. Giriraj Singh
www.Champions.gov.in, a Technology driven Explanation: Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi has taken
Control Room-Cum-Management Information the charge as Secretary of the Ministry of New
System. The system utilising modern ICT tools is and Renewable Energy. He has succeeded Anand
aimed at assisting Indian MSMEs march into big Kumar, who has been appointed as the Secretary
league as National and Global CHAMPIONS. The of Ministry of Culture. Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi is
CHAMPIONS stands here for Creation and an IAS officer of 1987 batch and belongs to
Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Jharkhand cadre. Earlier, he was serving as the
Increasing the Output and National Strength. Additional Chief Secretary and Additional
Accordingly, the name of the system is Secretary, Climate Change Department, of the
CHAMPIONS. Ministry of Climate Change Department,
Environment and Forest, Government of
 Union Minister of Micro, Small and
Jharkhand.
Medium Enterprises: Nitin Jairam
Gadkari.  Minister of State (I/C) for New and
 Ministers of State (I/C) of Micro, Small Renewable Energy: Raj Kumar Singh.
and Medium Enterprises: Pratap Chandra
7. Which of the following country that has
Sarangi.
named a street in Tel Aviv after celebrated
5. Which of the following “Helpline” of the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore as a tribute on
Central University of Odisha that has been his 159th birthday.
launched by the Union HRD Minister? A. France
A. Bharosa B. Israel
B. Aetbaar C. Russia
C. Yakeen D. Syria
D. Aasha E. None of these
E. None of these Correct Answer – B. Israel
Correct Answer – A. Bharosa
Explanation: Israel has named a street in Tel Aviv coronavirus), as per Union health minister Harsh
after celebrated Indian poet Rabindranath Vardhan.
Tagore as a tribute on his 159th birthday on 08 10. Total enrolment under the Atal Pension
May. Israel named it ‘Tagore Street’ to Yojana (APY) stood at 2,23,54,028 which has
commemorate the poet’s birth anniversary. completed its 5 years recently, What is the male
Tagore, who wrote his poetry, novels, stories and to female ratio of subscription enrolment under
plays in Bengali, In 1913 he won the prestigious scheme -
Nobel prize in literature and till now, he is the A. 55:45
B. 67:33
only poet from India to have done so.
C. 61:39
D. 57:43
 Capital of Israel: Jerusalem.
E. None of these
 Prime minister of Israel: Benjamin
Netanyahu. Correct Answer – D. 57:43
 The currency of Israel: Israeli Shekel.
Explanation: Total enrolment under the Atal
8. Who among the following Indian Para-athlete Pension Yojana (APY) stood at 2,23,54,028 which
who has announced her retirement from has completed its 5 years on the same date. The
Paralympics games? scheme has been implemented comprehensively
A. Varun Singh Bhati across the country covering all states and Union
B. Devendra Jhajharia Territories (UTs). The male to female subscription
C. Deepa Malik ratio of APY is 57:43. The scheme has been
D. Mariyappan Thangavelu administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and
E. None of these Development Authority (PFRDA). In the financial
year 2019-2020, almost 70 lacs subscribers were
Correct Answer – C. Deepa Malik enrolled under the scheme.
Explanation: Para-athlete Deepa Malik has
announced her retirement from Paralympics 11. 1st Indian tennis player who has won the
games in order to serve as the office-bearer in Fed Cup heart award 2020 for Asia/Oceania
the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). Zone.
9. Which of the following Pharmaceutical A. Sania Mirza

company is going to make India’s first B. Rohan Bopanna
indigenously developed anti-SARS-Cov-2 human C. Vijay Amritraj
IgG ELISA test kit? D. Mahesh Bhupathi
A. Lupin Ltd. E. None of these
B. Cipla
C. Cadila Healthcare Correct Answer: A. Sania Mirza
D. Sun Pharmaceutical Explanation: Indian professional tennis player
E. None of these Sania Mirza (33) has created new history by
becoming the 1st Indian to win Fed Cup Heart
Correct Answer – C. Cadila Healthcare Award 2020 for Asia/Oceania zone. She decided
Explanation: Cadila Healthcare Ltd. (Zydus to give a prize money of $ 2000 to the Telangana
Cadila) is set to make India’s first indigenously Chief Minister Relief Fund to help battle against
developed anti-SARS-Cov-2 human IgG ELISA test coronavirus.
kit for antibody detection of Covid-19 (novel
12. While announcing the 20 lakh crores A. Italy
economic package Prime Minister also B. China
mentioned 5-Pillars to make India self-reliant, C. India
which one is not among them? D. Russia
E. None of these
A. Demand
B. Demography Correct Answer – B. China
C. Technology Explanation: China has won the 1st edition of
D. Infrastructure FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup against the
E. Dividend USA. In the finals, China faced the USA which
ended in a draw with 2-2. China was adjudged
Correct Answer – E. Dividend the winner on the basis of its topping the points
Explanation: Prime Minister of India Narendra table in the round-robin stage. In this
Modi addressed his countrymen and announced tournament, India finished at 5th rank. The
an Economic Package of Rs 20 Lakh crore, giving Superfinal concluded six days of online
stress on land, labour, liquidity and law. During competitive chess at the highest level between
his speech, Prime Minister also mentioned 5- six international teams full of top grandmasters.
Pillars to make India self-reliant. These 5 pillars These 6 teams are China, USA, Europe, Russia,
are, Economy, Infrastructure, System, India, Rest of the world.
Demography, Demand.
13. Famous sportsperson Manmeet Singh Walia 15. Recently, former Lok Sabha MP and senior
passed away recently, he was associated with Janta Dal(S) leader who passed away -
which sports? A. Raja Rangappa Naik
A. Football B. Bhausaheb Phundkar
B. Loan Tennis C. Praful Patel
C. Table Tennis D. Datta Meghe
D. Badminton E. None of these
E. None of these
Correct Answer – A. Raja Rangappa Naik
Correct Answer – C. Table Tennis Explanation: Former Lok Sabha MP and senior
Explanation: Former India national table tennis Janta Dal(S) leader Raja Rangappa Naik passed
champion Manmeet Singh Walia passed away. away. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996.
He became the national champion in 1989 when He had represented the Raichur Lok Sabha
he beat S. Sriram in the men singles final at constituency in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Hyderabad. He had represented the nation at
multiple international events after making his
debut at the Asian Championships in 1980.
14. Which of the following country has won the 16th May 2020
1st edition of FIDE Chess.com Online Nations
Cup?
1. Technology Development Board (TDB) and A. RE-STORE
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have B. RE-LAUNCH
jointly organised Which of the following Digital C. RE-START
Conference - D. RE-ESTABLISH
E. None of these C. Telangana
D. Andhra Pradesh
Correct Answer: C. RE-START E. None of these
Explanation: Technology Development Board Correct Answer – A. Jharkhand

(TDB) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Explanation: The Sohrai Khovar painting of
have jointly organised a Digital Conference “RE- Jharkhand and Telia Rumal of Telangana have
START”. The digital conference “RE-START
received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag
(Reboot the Economy through Science,
Technology and Research Translations). from the Geographical Indications Registry. For
the Sohrai Khovar painting of Jharkhand,
2. Name of the Indian state has mandated the application of GI-tag was made by Sohrai Kala
digital payment for all home delivery services?
Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Limited. For the Telia
A. Haryana Rumal of Telangana, application of GI-tag was
B. Punjab made by Consortium of Puttapaka Handloom
C. Gujarat Cluster-IHDS. Local tribal women of Jharkhand
D. Uttar Pradesh practices the Sohrai Khovar painting which is a
E. None of these
traditional and ritualistic mural art. It is primarily
Correct Answer – C. Gujarat practised only in the district of Hazaribagh during
Explanation: The Gujarat government has local harvest and marriage seasons. It involves
mandated the digital payment for all home the use of local and naturally available soils of
delivery services in Ahmedabad. This step has different colours in the area of Hazaribagh
been taken by the state government in order to district of Jharkhand.
prevent the spread of COVID-19 through
currency notes. Therefore, the payment of all the  CM of Jharkhand: Hemant Soren
home delivery services in the city would be  Governor: Shrimati Droupadi Murmu.
cashless i.e. via digital mode of payment. Hence  CM of Telangana: K Chandrasekhar Rao
the Cash On delivery (COD) option will not be  Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan.
available to the customers. Apart from making
the home delivery services cashless, the state appointed the new chairman of the Central
government has also issued a protocol which Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)?
must be abide by all the delivery persons. The A. Anita Karwal
protocol involves the use of hand gloves, B. Manoj Ahuja
sanitation cap as well as sanitizer. The delivery C. Reena Bhatnagar
persons are also required to follow the social D. Devesh Srivastava
E. None of these
distancing norms. They must be having Aarogya
Setu app downloaded on their mobile phone. Correct Answer – B. Manoj Ahuja
Explanation: As a major bureaucratic reshuffle
3. Name of the Indian state recently received by the Centre, Central Board of Secondary
the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for "Sohrai
Education, CBSE has got a new Chairman for the
Khovar" painting?
A. Jharkhand Board. IAS Officer Manoj Ahuja has been
B. Chhattisgarh appointed as the new Chairman. Among the 19
appointments that were approved the held on the same day, the US Senate passed an
Appointment Committee of the Cabinet, Ahuja act directing the Secretary of the State to frame a
was one among them. strategy to make Taiwan an observer at the
World Health Organization. The meeting was
Manoj Ahuja is a 1990 batch Odisha cadre officer
held to gain support from the participating
and is currently working as Special Director, Lal
nations. It includes Australia, India, Brazil, Japan,
Bahadur Shastri National Academy of
Israel and Republic of Korea.
Administration, Department of Personnel and
Training. Ahuja will be replacing Anita Karwal, 7. Name of the state government has launched
who has been appointed as Secretary in the “HOPE” (Helping Out People Everywhere) portal
Department of Education and Literacy, Ministry to help unemployed youth to get jobs
opportunities?
of Human Resource Development in April.
A. Rajasthan
5. Recently, FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India B. Uttarakhand
2020 has been postponed to _________ due to C. Punjab
coronavirus pandemic. D. Uttar Pradesh
A. 2021 E. None of these
B. 2022 Correct Answer – B. Uttarakhand
C. 2023 Explanation: Uttarakhand government has
D. 2024
launched Helping Out People Everywhere (HOPE)
E. None of these
portal aimed at creating employment avenues
Correct Answer – A. 2021 for the trained youth as well as offering them
Explanation: FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup skill development opportunities to increase their
India 2020 has been postponed to 2021 due to employability. The portal will be used to collect
coronavirus pandemic. FIFA-Confederations the data on the youths of the state who are
Covid-19 Working Group has taken the decision staying in as well as the recently returned
to hold the U-17 Women’s World Cup in India migrant youths. This platform will help
from February 17-March 7, 2021. unemployed youths for job seeking and skill
6. Who among the following has represented development. The database in the portal will
India at the 7 nation meeting initiated by the help employers to find suitable candidates for
United States of America to gain support from their requirements. The employers will get
the participating nations? knowledge about the candidates like where they
A. Harsh Vardhan worked. When the database is ready it’ll be
B. Prakash Javadekar linked with the Mukhya Mantri Swarojgar Yojana.
C. Nirmala Sitharaman
D. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar 8. As per the new definition of MSMEs what is
E. None of these the maximum investment limit for a small unit?
A. 10 Crore
Correct Answer – D. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
B. 5 Crore
Explanation: The External Affairs ministers
C. 1 Crore
represented India at the 7 nation meeting D. 7 Crore
initiated by the United States. The meeting was E. None of these
Correct Answer – A. 10 Crore “United we Fight”, which was Written and
Explanation: The GoI has changed the definition composed by Joe Alvares to fight against COVID-
of MSMEs. The new definition has increased the 19.The Indian Embassy stated that the song is
investment limit upwards. Previously, an dedicated to the world by the Ministry of
enterprise with investment up to Rs 25 lakh was External Affairs (MEA) of India.
called a micro unit. Under the new definition, a
firm upto investment of Rs 1 crore is to be called 11. Shanghai based BRICS’ New Development
Micro unit, of Rs 10 crore is to be called as small Bank provided how much grant to India as loan
unit and investment greater than Rs 20 crore will to fight COVID-19?
be called as medium unit. A. USD 10 Billion
9. The World Economic Forum released Global B. USD 1 Billion
Energy Transition Index (GET Index). What is C. USD 2 Billion
India’s rank- D. USD 3 Billion
A. 55th E. None of these
B. 74th
C. 79th Correct Answer: B. USD 1 Billion
D. 88th Explanation: In order to provide a financial aid to
E. None of these Indian economy which is facing human, social
and economic losses due to COVID-19 pandemic
Correct Answer – B. 74th
and lockdown, the New Development Bank of
Explanation: The World Economic Forum
the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
released Global Energy Transition Index (GET
Africa) countries has fully disbursed USD 1 billion
Index). India has moved up to 74th rank showing
emergency assistance loan to India.
improvements in key parameters such as energy
security, growth and environmental 12. Which of the following Indian airport which
sustainability. The World Economic Forum has has won the SKYTRAX Award 2020 for Best
ranked 115 countries based on GET Index in its Regional Airport in India and Central Asia.
report “WEF Fostering Effective Energy Transition
2020 report”. Sweden has topped the ranking for A. Calicut International Airport
the third consecutive year. It was followed by B. Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport
Switzerland and Finland. C. Indira Gandhi International Airport
D. Kempegowda International Airport
10. Name of the organisation which launched E. None of these
the musical creation “United We Fight”, written
and composed by Joe Alvares. Correct Answer – D. Kempegowda International
A. National school for Culture Airport
B. Indian Council for Cultural Relations Explanation: The Kempegowda International
C. Centre for Cultural Resources and Training Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru (Karnataka) has won
D. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library the SKYTRAX Award 2020 for Best Regional
E. None of these Airport in India and Central Asia. It ranks 68th in
World’s Top 100 Airports 2020 list, which was
Correct Answer – B. Indian Council for Cultural topped by Singapore Changi Airport.
Relations
Rank Airport Name
Explanation: Indian Council for Cultural
Relations(ICCR) has unveiled a musical creation
1 Singapore Changi Airport (Singapore) Correct Answer – B. Singer
Explanation: The Grammy-winning soul singer,
2 Tokyo Haneda Airport (Japan) Betty Wright passed away. Her real name is
Bessie Regina Norris. She is an R&B (Rhythm &
3 Hamad International Airport (Qatar)
blues) singer, songwriter and background
68 Kempegowda International Airport (India) vocalist. She received her first Grammy Award for
the Best Song, “Where is the Love?”, at the age
of 23.
13. Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will sell
only indigenous products in their canteens from 15. Renowned US comedian passed away
which date- recently-
A. 1st August 2020 A. Nick Cannon
B. 1st June 2020 B. Jerry Stiller
C. 1st October 2020 C. Louis C.K.
D. 1st September 2020 D. Frank Caliendo
Correct Answer – B. Jerry Stiller

Correct Answer – B. 1st June 2020
Explanation: US comedian Jerry Stiller passed
Explanation: Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)
away recently. He was renowned for his recurring
will sell only indigenous products in their role as George Costanza’s father on TV’s Seinfeld
canteens. This will be applicable to all or any for which he was also nominated for Emmy
CAPF canteens across the country from 01 June Awards in 1997.
2020.
14. Renowned personality Betty Wright passed Monthly GK & CA Quiz :

away recently, she was a famous _______
A. Writer
B. Singer
17th & 18th May 2020
C. Dancer
D. Player
E. None of these
1. Who among the following is appointed as the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) effective from
new Director-General of Archaeological Survey 12th May 2020. She is a 1991 batch Karnataka
of India(ASI)? cadre officer. Vidyavathi will be serving in the
rank of Additional Secretary to the Government
A. Pravin Srivastav of India. Her appointment is confirmed by the
B. Rakesh Tewari order of the Appointments Committee of the
C. Usha Sharma Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra
D. V. Vidyavathi Modi.
E. None of these
 Archaeological Survey of
Correct Answer: D. V. Vidyavathi India(ASI)Founder: Alexander
Cunningham.
Explanation: IAS officer V. Vidyavathi is  Archaeological Survey of
appointed as the new Director-General of India(ASI)Founded: 1861.
 Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) Correct Answer – A. 2025
Headquarters: New Delhi. Explanation: According to World Health
Organization(WHO)’s Global Nutrition Report
2. Where is the headquarters of Central Food
2020, India is one among 88 countries to miss
Technological Research Institute (CFTRI)?
global nutrition targets by 2025 & is with highest
A. Mumbai rates of domestic inequalities in malnutrition.
B. Surat India along with Nigeria & Indonesia are worst in
C. Mysuru
disparities in stunting & the levels varied four-
D. Kolkata
E. None of these fold across communities.
Correct Answer – C. Mysuru 5. Which of the following private sector bank

Explanation: In order to boost immunity during which has partnered with MoneyGram Payment
pandemic, Spirulina groundnut Chikki has been System for direct-to-bank deposits in India.
A. ICICI Bank
developed by the Mysuru-based Central Food
B. Axis Bank
Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). C. Federal Bank
D. IndusInd Bank
3. What is the amount that was allocated from
E. None of these
PM CARES Fund Trust to fight COVID-19
pandemic? Correct Answer – C. Federal Bank
A. Rs. 2700 Crore Explanation: MoneyGram Payment System, a
B. Rs. 2500 Crore subsidiary of MoneyGram International, global
C. Rs. 2000 Crore
leader in P2P payments tied up with Federal Bank
D. Rs. 3100 Crore
E. None of these Limited, a private bank in India to provide the
customers a cost-effective way to receive
Correct Answer – D. Rs. 3100 Crore deposits directly in their bank accounts in India.
Explanation: PM CARES (Prime Minister’s Citizen
Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) 6. Recently, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
extended the interest subsidy period by one
Fund Trust has allocated Rs 3100 crores to fight
year to 31 March 2021 on ______.
against COVID-19 pandemic. Out of the total A. corporate credit
amount around Rs 2000 crores will be allocated B. MSMEs Credit
for the purchase of ventilators, Rs 1000 crores to C. farm credit
care migrant labourers and Rs 100 crores to D. export credit
support vaccine development. E. None of these
4. As per the World Health Organization Correct Answer – D. export credit

(WHO)’s Global Nutrition Report 2020, India is Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
one among 88 countries to miss global nutrition extended the interest subsidy period by one year
targets set by ______. to 31 March 2021 on export credit received
A. 2025 before and after shipment of goods to exporters.
B. 2023 Exporters get the subsidy under the ‘Interest
C. 2024 Equalisation Scheme for pre and post shipment
D. 2022
Rupee Export Credit’, which was ended on March
E. None of these
31, 2020. RBI in November 2018 has increased Maritime Warfare Centre, Kochi, Kerala. This
the interest subsidy on loan before & after trophy was instituted in 2013 for the officer
sending export goods to 5% from 3%. performing best in tactics during the year-long
warfare specialisation course. The trophy was
7. International Family Day observed globally instituted within the memory of the late flag
every year on which day- officer GM Hiranandani, who was the
A. 19th May commissioned naval officer Commanding-in-
B. 16th May Chief Southern Naval Command from 1985 to
C. 15th May 1987 and retired as Vice Chief of Naval Staff in
D. 14th May 1989.
E. None of these
9. According to the Asian Development Bank
Correct Answer – C. 15th May (ADB) the global cost of the coronavirus
Explanation: International Family Day observed pandemic could reach as much as ________
globally on 15th May every year. This day is A. $10.8 trillion
B. $9.5 trillion
spread awareness about the importance of
C. $8.8 trillion
families and the role of the international D. $7.8 trillion
community in the development of the families. A E. None of these
happy and healthy family makes up for a
supportive society, which in turn makes better Correct Answer – C. $8.8 trillion
citizens of the nation. The United Nation General Explanation: According to the Asian
Development Bank The cost of the coronavirus
Assembly proclaimed the International Year of
pandemic could reach as much as $8.8 trillion, or
the Families in its resolution 44/82 of 9
almost 10% of global gross domestic product,
December 1989. The General Assembly in 1993 depending on how long the outbreak continues
decided in a resolution (A/RES/47/237) to and the strength of government responses.
observe 15 May every year as The International
10. Name of the Indian state government has
Day of Families.
launched ‘Matir Smristi’ scheme to utilise
8. Who among the following has been conferred 50,000 acres of barren land in 6 districts?
with the Vice Admiral G.M. Hiranandani A. Assam
Memorial Rolling Trophy for the year 2020? B. West Bengal
A. Mohit Kumar C. Tamil Nadu
B. Kuldeep Tyagi D. Kerala
C. A.K. Chawla E. None of these
D. Akshay Kumar Correct Answer – B. West Bengal
E. None of these
Explanation: West Bengal Government has
Correct Answer – D. Akshay Kumar launched ‘Matir Smristi’ scheme to utilise 50,000
Explanation: Lieutenant Commander Akshay acres of barren land in 6 districts. This scheme
Kumar was awarded the Vice Admiral G.M. helps to generate income activities in
Hiranandani Memorial Rolling Trophy for the horticulture and pisciculture involving the locals.
year 2020. He commissioned in Anti-Submarine The ‘Matir Smristi’ scheme will benefit around
Warfare School of the Southern Naval Command 2.5 lakh people in rural Bengal. In West Bengal at
in Kochi. The award ceremony was held at the least 50,000 acres of barren land in Birbhum,
Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, West Burdwan and government had announced the creation of the
West Midnapore districts, which cannot produce Krishak Kalyan Kosh for the purpose of ensuring
anything naturally nor can the farmers cultivate fair price for farmer’s produce and to strive
on the strip. The work has been started in 6,500 towards “ease of doing farming” in 2019.
acres of land at the micro-level and this is an
environment-friendly scheme. 13. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME) has launched CHAMPIONS
11. Name the Director-General (DG) of the portal. What does ‘A’ stands for in CHAMPIONS?
World Trade Organization (WTO) who has A. Approval
decided to step down from his post on 31st B. Attention
August 2020. C. Application
D. Ambition
A. Roberto Azevedo E. None of these
B. Anshula Kant
C. Jens Stoltenberg Correct Answer – C. Application
D. Antonio Guterres Explanation: The CHAMPIONS stands here for
E. None of these ‘Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern
Processes for Increasing the Output and National
Correct Answer: A. Roberto Azevedo
Strength’. It is a technology driven Control Room-
Explanation: The World Trade Organisation Cum-Management Information System which
(WTO) chief Roberto Azevedo on Thursday utilises modern information and communication
resigned unexpectedly, amidst the coronavirus
technology (ICT) tools.
pandemic that has affected the world economy,
and trade at an unprecedented level. "At a virtual 14. Recently, Central Government has set up a
meeting of all WTO members on May 14, WTO new body Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF
Director-General Roberto Azevedo announced )to give impetus to rice exports under the aegis
that he would step down on August 31, cutting of ______.
his second term short by exactly one year," WTO A. National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing
said in a statement. Federation of India (NAFED)
12. Which of the following state government B. Department of Agricultural Research and
has levied 2% Krishak Kalyan fees on agricultural Education
produce brought or bought or sold in mandis? C. Agricultural and Processed Foods Export
Promotion Development Authority (APEDA)
A. Jharkhand D. Department of Agriculture, Cooperation &
B. Madhya Pradsh Farmers Welfare
C. Uttar Pradeseh E. None of these
D. Rajasthan
Correct Answer – C. Agricultural and Processed
E. None of these
Foods Export Promotion Development Authority
Correct Answer – D. Rajasthan (APEDA)
Explanation: Recently, the Rajasthan government Explanation: Centre set up a new body Rice
has levied 2% Krishak Kalyan fees on agricultural Export Promotion Forum (REPF) to give impetus
produce brought or bought or sold in mandis. to rice exports under the aegis of Agricultural and
The 2% fees collected will be deposited in the Processed Foods Export Promotion Development
Krishak Kalyan Kosh — dedicated to the welfare Authority (APEDA). The Constitution of Rice
of farmers in the state. The Rajasthan Export Promotion Forum has been done
considering the importance of exporting rice and 17. According to the “World Economic Situation
inherent the potentials and multifarious issues and Prospects” as of mid-2020, what would be
faced in the exportation. the growth rate of India in fiscal year 2020
A. 1.8%
15. Name of the country which is to hold the B. 1.6%
chair of the World Health Organization in May C. 1.0%
2020 after Japan completes its tenure? D. 1.2%
A. Brazil E. None of these
B. South Korea
Correct Answer – D. 1.2%
C. India
Explanation: The United Nations has released its
D. Philippines
report “World Economic Situation and Prospects”
E. None of these
as of mid-2020. In this report, UN has projected
Correct Answer – C. India growth rates of individual countries as well as
Explanation: India is to hold the chair of the global economy for fiscal year 2020 & 2021.
World Health Organization in May 2020 after
According to the “World Economic Situation and
Japan completes its tenure. India will continue to
hold the chair for the next three years. This Prospects” as of mid-2020, the growth rate of
comes during the time when there are world India has been projected to grow at 1.2% in fiscal
wide criticisms faced by WHO. Especially the US, year 2020. While the report has also indicated a
one of India’s primary trading partner, accused slight recovery in the growth rate of India for
WHO being China-centric. It is to be noted that fiscal year 2021 and stated that it would clock a
US has also cut the funds allocated to the WHO. 5.5% growth rate in 2021. As the COVID-19
16. The 2nd edition of Extraordinary G20 Virtual pandemic has paralysed the world, the UN has
Trade and Investment Ministerial Meet was projected that the global economy will contract
held under the presidency of which of the sharply by 3.2% in fiscal year 2020, with only a
following country? gradual recovery of lost output projected for
A. India
fiscal year 2021.
B. Japan
C. Italy 18. Who among the following film actor, model,
D. Saudi Arabia voiceover artist and an entrepreneur, who
E. None of these passed away recently.
Correct Answer – D. Saudi Arabia A. Sai Gundewar
Explanation: The second edition of Extraordinary B. Shammi Narang
C. Chetan Shashital
G20 Virtual Trade and Investment Ministerial
D. Rajesh Khattar
Meet was held under the presidency of Saudi E. None of these
Arabia. The meeting was chaired by the Saudi
Minister of Commerce, Majid Al Qasabi, in the Correct Answer – A. Sai Gundewar
Explanation: Film actor, model, voiceover artist
presence of the Minister of Investment, Khalid
and an entrepreneur, Sai Gundewar passed
Al-Faleh. In the virtual meeting, India was away. His popularity rose in 2010 after his
represented by the Union Commerce and participation in the hit Reality TV show MTV
Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Splitsvilla, Season 4. He has also acted alongside
Aamir Khan in PK, and Rock on.
19. Dr. Harsh Vardhan (The Union Health and A. July 2021
Family Welfare minister) has dedicated which of B. January 2021
the following COVID-19 testing machine to the C. March 2021
nation? D. August 2020
A. COBAS 6400 E. None of these
B. COBAS 7100
C. COBAS 6800 Correct Answer – C. March 2021
D. COBAS 6900 Explanation: The Centre has declared that the
E. None of these technology driven ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’
system will be fully rolled out in all states and
Correct Answer – C. COBAS 6800
Union Territories (UTs) by March 2021. Currently,
Explanation: The COBAS 6800 is the first fully
20 states have implemented this inter-state
automated, high-end machine for performing RT-
ration card portability.
PCR tests for COVID-19, procured by the
Government and has been installed at the
National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi.
20. The central government has declared the

‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ system
completely to roll out in all UTs and states from
_________. 19th May 2020
1. According to the environmental website, school education to students of the state
Carbon Brief, What is the fall in amount of CO2 through video lectures?
emission in India in the fiscal year ended in
March 2020? A. Chhattisgarh
B. Haryana
A. 40 metric tonnes C. Jharkhand
B. 20 metric tonnes D. West Bengal
C. 35 metric tonnes E. None of these
D. 30 metric tonnes
E. None of these Correct Answer – C. Jharkhand
Explanation: In Jharkhand, the State Education
Correct Answer: D. 30 metric tonnes Department (dept) in collaboration with
Doordarshan (DD) started online classes and
Explanation: According to analysis by the
educational programmes to provide school
environmental website, Carbon Brief, India’s
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by 30metric education to students of the state through video
tonnes(1.4%) in the fiscal year ending March, and thematic lectures. The special educational
which is the first annual decline in four decades. lectures are designed for students from class 1 to
Furthermore, emission fell by 15% during the 12 with special slots allotted for each class.
month of March and is likely to fall by 30% in
April.The analysis is done by Lauri Myllyvirta and 3. Which of the following Indian state which has
Sunil Dahiya of Centre for Research on Energy launched ‘Sneher Porosh’ and ‘Prochesta’
and Clean Air(CREA). schemes.
A. Chhattisgarh
2. Name of the state’s education department B. Gujarat
has partnered with Doordarshan to provide C. West Bengal
D. Haryana community infection in various post-lockdown
E. None of these scenarios.
Correct Answer – C. West Bengal 6. Recently, which programme launched for

Explanation: The Chief Minister of West Bengal multi mode access to digital/online education
Mamata Banerjee launched two schemes ‘Sneher Government of India?
Porosh’ and to provide support for the migrant A. PM-eDarpan programme
workers and ‘Prochesta’ to help the workers of B. PM-eVIDYA programme
C. PM-eLearning programme
the unorganised sector of Bengal to enable them
D. PM-eShiksha programme
to earn their living in the lockdown situation. E. None of these
4. Recently, world bank approved how much Correct Answer – B. PM-eVIDYA programme
grant for India ‘s COVID-19 social protection Explanation: Government of India has decided to
program. launch PM-eVIDYA programme immediately for
A. USD 5 billion
multi mode access to digital/online education.
B. USD 1 billion
C. USD 2 billion Under the programme the DIKSHA programme
D. USD 500 million will provide “one nation, one digital platform” for
E. None of these school education in states/UTs. It will also
include the launch of Energized Textbooks for all
Correct Answer – B. USD 1 billion
grades. One earmarked TV channel will be
Explanation: World Bank approves Rs 7500 crore
launched for per class from 1 to 12 following the
(1 billion USD) to increase India’s COVID-19 Social
concept of “one class, one channel”.
Protection response Program to help the nation’s
efforts in providing assistance for the poor and 7. Recently, GoI has been allocated additional
needy who are affected by the pandemic. what amount for the under MGNREGS which
will help in generating total work of nearly 300
5. Which of the following IIT has developed crore person days?
interactive dashboard named “MIR AHD Covid- A. 61,000 crores
19 Dashboard” to help contain COVID-19 B. 55,000 crores
community infection post lockdown. C. 50,000 crores
A. IIT Coorg D. 40,000 crores
B. IIT Kanpur E. None of these
C. IIT Mandi
D. IIT Gandhinagar Correct Answer – D. 40,000 crores
E. None of these Explanation: Government of India has decided to
allocate an additional amount of Rs 40,000 crore
Correct Answer – D. IIT Gandhinagar
under MGNREGS which will help in generating
Explanation: Researchers at Indian Institute of
total work of nearly 300 crore person days. With
Technology (IIT)- Gandhinagar (IITGN), Gujarat,
this allocation, GoI will ensure to address the
have developed an interactive COVID-19
need for more work including returning migrant
dashboard named “MIR AHD Covid-19
workers in Monsoon season as well. It will also
Dashboard”, that can help administrators,
led to the creation of larger number of durable
hospitals as well as public in planning optimised
and livelihood assets including water
testing for the novel coronavirus and containing
conservation assets. Hence it is expected to 10. International Museum Day is observed every
boost the rural economy through higher year on day-
production. A. 18th May
B. 19th May
8. Who among the following has been C. 17th May
appointed as new Managing Director (MD) of D. 16th May
Jammu and Kashmir Bank? E. None of these
A. Sonam Wangchuk
Correct Answer – A. 18th May
B. Zubair Iqbal
C. Anil Kumar Misra Explanation: International Museum Day is
D. Monica Dhawan observed every year on 18th May. International
E. None of these museum day was first held in 1977 and it gained
attention since. In 2009, almost 20,000 museums
Correct Answer – B. Zubair Iqbal
participated in the International Museum Day.
Explanation: Senior vice president of HDFC Bank,
The events were held in more than 90 countries
Zubair Iqbal has appointed as new managing
that year. The theme for International Museum
director of Jammu and Kashmir Bank by Jammu
Day 2020 is Museums for Equality: Diversity and
and Kashmir Government. Iqbal will have a three-
Inclusion. According to the official website of the
year tenure. RK Chibber, who currently holds the
International council of museums, the aim of the
position of Chairman and Managing Director
theme chosen for International Museum Day
(CMD) of J&K Bank, will continue to serve as the
2020 is to celebrate the diversity of viewpoints
Chairman of the bank for the next three years.
and overcoming the bias.
The appointments are based upon the
continuous directions by the Reserve Bank of 11. Recently, Union Defence minister Rajnath
India (RBI) to separate the positions of Chairman Singh has approved Rs 400 crores for which of
and Managing Director for better governance. the following schemes?
9. World AIDS vaccine day is celebrated every A. Third Party Inspection Scheme
year on which day- B. Defence Export Promotion Scheme (DEPC)
A. 18th May C. Self-Certification & Green Channel Scheme
B. 19th May D. Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS)
C. 17th May E. None of these
D. 16th May
E. None of these Correct Answer: D. Defence Testing
Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS)
Explanation: World AIDS vaccine day is Explanation: To promote indigenous defence
celebrated each year on May 18 to recognise the production, with special focus on participation of
work on developing vaccine to prevent HIV. This MSMEs and start ups by bridging the gaps in
day is also used to create awareness about HIV defence testing infrastructure in the country
and to emphasize the urgent need of Union Defence minister Rajnath Singh has
development of a vaccine. National Institute of approved the launch of Defence Testing
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) leads the Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) with a cost of Rs
world in this observance. It was celebrated for 400 crores. The establishment of defence testing
the first time in May 1998. infrastructure will provide easy access and thus
meet the testing needs of the domestic defence
industry. The scheme will run for a period of 5 platform, SAMARTH Enterprises Resource
years & envisages to set up 6 to 8 new test Planning (ERP) under National Mission of
facilities in partnership with private industry. This Education in Information and Communication
will facilitate defence production, therefore
Technology Scheme(NMEICT) to provide quality
reduce imports of military equipment and help
make the country self-reliant. Under the scheme education to students across all Universities &
the projects will be provided with up to 75% Higher Education Institutes(HEIs), which is the
government funding in the form of ‘Grant-in-Aid’ mission of the Department of Higher Education.
& remaining 25% will have to be borne by the
Special Purpose Vehicle(SPV) whose constituents 14. “Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and
will be Indian private entities and State the Making of A Modern Royal Family”
Governments. (Biography of Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife
Meghan Markle ) has been authored by?
12. Recently, Padma Bhushan recipient A. Carolyn Durand
Anisuzzaman who passed away, belongs to B. Marina Hyde
which of the following country? C. Omid Scobie
D. Both A & B
A. Iraq E. Both A & C
B. Iran
C. Bangladesh Correct Answer – E. Both A & C
D. Afghanistan Explanation: Biography of Britain’s Prince Harry
E. Dividend and his wife Meghan Markle “Finding Freedom:
Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern
Correct Answer – C. Bangladesh Royal Family” by royal reporters Omid Scobie and
Explanation: Padma Bhushan recipient and Carolyn Durand scheduled to release on 11th
Bangladesh’s National Professor Anisuzzaman August tops the pre order charts as it went online
passed away at the age of 83 in Dhaka, in Amazon. The Book reveals details of the royal
Bangladesh. He was born on February 18, 1937, couple Harry and Meghan The Duke and Duchess
in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India and of Sussex, quit as senior members of the royal
shifted to Bangladesh soon after the partition in family earlier this year stepped back as frontline
1947.He made an immense contribution to royals to settle in Los Angeles, United States with
Bangla language & literature through his research their one-year son Archie.
and writings.
13. Which of the following ministry has 15. Who has been appointed as the brand
launched the SAMARTH an e-Governance ambassador of English Language Speech
platform? Assistant Corporation (ALSA Corp) India (US
A. MSME ministry based education technology company)?
B. External Affairs ministry A. Mohammad Sami
C. Tribal Affairs ministry B. Hardik Pandya
D. Human Resource Development ministry C. Virat Kohli
E. None of these D. Ajinkya Rahane
E. None of these
Correct Answer – D. Human Resource
Development ministry Correct Answer – D. Ajinkya Rahane
Explanation: The Ministry of Human Resource Explanation: English Language Speech Assistant
Corporation (ELSA Cor) India, the education
Development has developed an e-Governance
technology company based out of the US (United people who want to better their English
States), has appointed Indian Test team vice- pronunciation.
captain Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane as its brand
ambassador for India, Middle East, ANZ (Australia
& New Zealand) and SAARC (South Asian Monthly GK & CA Quiz :
Association for Regional Cooperation). Now
Rahane will work with company’s mobile app
‘ELSA Speak’ to popularize it among Indian
20th May 2020
1. The National Crisis Management Committee 2. Which of the following e-Commerce company
(NCMC) reviewed the preparedness for the has partnered with Vishal Mega Mart to deliver
impending which of the following cyclone _____ essentials at home?
A. Titli A. IndiaMart
B. Fani B. Flipkart
C. Hudhud C. Snapdeal
D. Amphan D. Amazon
Correct Answer: D. Amphan Correct Answer – B. Flipkart

Explanation: Homegrown etailer Flipkart has
Explanation: Recently, the National Crisis announced a partnership with retail store chain
Management Committee reviewed the Vishal Mega Mart for the home delivery of
preparedness for the impending cyclone
essential items through a safe supply chain in 26
Amphan. At the national level, Cabinet
Committee on Security (CCS) and National Crisis cities. A Vishal Mega Mart Essentials store has
Management Committee (NCMC) are the key been created on the Flipkart platform.
committees involved in the top-level decision- Consumers can order essential products from
making related to Disaster Management. Cyclone Vishal Mega Mart stores and get them delivered
Amphan (pronounced as UM-PUN) is a tropical at their doorstep by Flipkart. Cities in the list
cyclone formed over Bay of Bengal that has include Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Gurgaon
intensified and likely to turn into a “super
and Noida.
cyclonic storm (maximum wind speed is 120
knots)”. According to the India Meteorological 3. Recently, Who has been appointed as the
Department forecast, it will make landfall as a chief executive officer (CEO) of TikTok mobile
very severe cyclone between the Sagar islands of app?
West Bengal and the Hatiya islands of A. Zhang Yiming
Bangladesh. B. Ding Lei
 It has been named by Thailand. C. Kevin Mayer
D. Daniel Zhang
 Affected Regions: West Bengal, Odisha
E. None of these
and Bangladesh.
 Amphan is the second pre-monsoon
Correct Answer – C. Kevin Mayer
cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal in
Explanation: China's ByteDance Technology Co
two years. The first one was Cyclone Fani.
has appointed Walt Disney Co's top streaming
executive, Kevin Mayer as the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of its popular video app TikTok.
Mayer led the successful launch of the Disney The theme highlights the ICT (information and
streaming service in November but in February communication technologies) advances for
was passed over as Disney's new chief executive. transition to smart and sustainable development.
Mayer's appointment will be effective June 1, It will focus on specific ICT-enabled solutions and
when he will also become chief operating officer emerging trends for fostering economic,
of ByteDance. environmental and social sustainability.
4. Who among the following authored the book 6. The International Museum Day is celebrated
titled “Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a every year on which day-
Quarantined City”? A. 19th May
A. Mo Yan B. 17th May
B. Gao Xingjian C. 18th May
C. Fang Fang D. 15th May
D. Hua Yu E. None of these
E. None of these
Correct Answer – C. 18th May
Correct Answer – C. Fang Fang Explanation: International Museum Day is
Explanation: The book called “Wuhan Diary: celebrated every year on 18 May to raise
Dispatches from a Quarantined City” authored by awareness about the importance of Museums
Chinese literary writer Fang Fang. This book is a which are an important means of cultural
compilation of online diary entries and social exchange, enrichment of cultures and
media posts that document 60 days of lockdown development of mutual understanding.
during COVID-19. The book was published by
HarperNonFiction. 7. Recently, Which of the following online
dashboard which has been developed by the
5. The World Telecommunication and National Disaster Management Authority to
Information Society Day is observed globally secure information regarding the movement of
every year on which day- migrants.
A. 18th May A. National Migrant Tracing System
B. 17th May B. National Migrant Information System
C. 16th May C. National Migrant Pension System
D. 15th May D. National Migrant Transfer System
Correct Answer – B. 17th May Correct Answer – B. National Migrant

Explanation: World Telecommunications and Information System
Information Society Day (WTISD) is celebrated Explanation: An online dashboard “National
every year on May 17 to raise awareness about Migrant Information System (NMIS)” has been
the importance of the internet and other means developed by the National Disaster Management
of information and communication in bringing Authority (NDMA). The dashboard has been
the world closer. developed by NDMA to secure information
regarding the movement of migrants and to
Theme for the year 2020: “Connect 2030: ICTs facilitate the smooth movement of stranded
for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. persons across States. A central repository on
migrant workers would be maintained by the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” amid COVID-19
dashboard NMIS. It will also support in speedy pandemic. This 5th tranche is the part of
inter-State communication/co-ordination to economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore has been
announced with the prime objective of making
facilitate the smooth movement of migrant
India self-reliant. Allocation for MGNREGS:
workers to their native places. It also comprises
of additional advantages such as contact tracing,  Government of India has decided to
which may be beneficial in the overall COVID-19 allocate an additional amount of Rs
response work. With the help of the data 40,000 crore under MGNREGS which will
help in generating total work of nearly
integrated in the dashboard, the states will be
300 crore person days.
able to visualize how many people are going out
from where and how many are reaching their  With this allocation, GoI will ensure to
destination States. address the need for more work including
returning migrant workers in Monsoon
8. Which of the following scheme has been season as well.
approved recently to offer private sector
 It will also led to the creation of larger
defence and aerospace companies affordable
number of durable and livelihood assets
facilities?
including water conservation assets.
A. Defence Testing Administration Scheme
B. Defence Testing Corporatisation Scheme  Hence it is expected to boost the rural
C. Defence Testing Privatization Scheme economy through higher production.
D. Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme
E. None of these 10. World Hypertension Day is observed every
year on which day-
Correct Answer – D. Defence Testing A. 18th May
Infrastructure Scheme B. 19th May
Explanation: A Defence Testing Infrastructure C. 17th May
Scheme has been approved to offer private D. 16th May
sector defence and aerospace companies E. None of these
affordable facilities to test as well as validate the
weaponry designed by them. Correct Answer – C. 17th May
9. Government of India has decided to allocate Explanation: World Hypertension Day is

an additional how much amount under observed globally on 17th May every year. The
MGNREGS, In the 5th tranche of “Aatmanirbhar main aim of celebrates the day is to promote
Bharat Abhiyan”. public awareness of increasing high blood
A. Rs 60,000 crore pressure (BP) and to encourage citizens of all
B. Rs 40,000 crore countries to prevent and control this silent killer.
C. Rs 30,000 crore The day was celebrated for the 1st time in May
D. Rs 20,000 crore 2005. World Hypertension Day (WHD) is an
E. None of these initiative of the World Hypertension League
(WHL), an affiliated section of the International
Correct Answer – B. Rs 40,000 crore Society of Hypertension. The theme for World
Explanation: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Hypertension Day 2020: Measure Your Blood
Sitharaman has announced the details of the 5th Pressure, Control It, Live Longer. The theme
tranche of Economic Relief Package for focuses on increasing high blood pressure (BP)
awareness in all populations around the world. Correct Answer – A. 175 GW
The WHL has announced that it will postpone the Explanation: The Government of India has set a
celebration of World Hypertension Day (WHD) target of installing of installing 175 GW of
2020 until October 17, 2020, due to global renewable energy capacity by the year 2022,
COVID-19 pandemic. which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from
wind, 10 GW from bio-power and 5 GW from
 International Society of Hypertension small hydro-power.
President: Alta Schutte.
 International Society of Hypertension 13. Under, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada
Established: 1966. Yojana, The central government has allocated ---
------------ for development of marine and inland
11. According to the Department of Agriculture, fisheries?
what is the total food grain production estimate A. Rs 60,000 crore
of the country in 2019-20? B. Rs 20,000 crore
C. Rs 30,000 crore
A. 291.10 million tonnes
D. Rs 40,000 crore
B. 297.10 million tonnes
E. None of these
C. 295.67 million tonnes
D. 285.21 million tonnes
Correct Answer – B. Rs 20,000 crore
E. None of these
Explanation: The government has allocated Rs
Correct Answer: C. 295.67 million tonnes 20,000 crore for fishermen through the Pradhan
Mantri MatsyaSampada Yojana (PMMSY) for
Explanation: As per the Department of development of marine and inland fisheries. Of
Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare’s this, Rs 11,000 crore will be allocated for
3rd Advance Estimates of production of major
activities in marine, inland fisheries and
crops for 2019-20, the total foodgrain production
in the country is estimated to achieve a record of aquaculture while Rs 9,000 crore for developing
all-time high 295.67 million tonnes in 2019-20 for infrastructure of fishing harbors, cold chains,
the 4th consecutive year since 2016-17 crop year markets, etc. The development will lead to
(July-June). This estimated output is up additional Fish Production of 70 lakh tones over 5
3.67%(10.46 million tonnes) when compared to years, and double the exports to Rs 1,00,000
the previous record 285.21 million tonne during
crore. It also generates employment to over 55
the 2018-19 crop year and has even crossed its
lakh persons and doubles the exports to Rs
target of 291.10 million tonne, which had been
set before the beginning of the 2019-20 sowing 1,00,000 crore.
season.
14. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
12. Recently, Government of India (GoI) has set Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs.
a renewable energy installation target of _____ 1500 crores for which of the following to ensure
by 2022 continuous credit flow to farmers, through state
cooperative banks?
A. 175 GW A. Chhattisgarh
B. 100 GW B. Haryana
C. 125 GW C. Punjab
D. 90 GW D. Maharashtra
E. Dividend E. None of these
Correct Answer – C. Punjab Correct Answer – D. Hossein Kazempour
Explanation: The National Bank for Agriculture Ardebili
and Rural Development(NABARD) has sanctioned Explanation: Iran’s representative at
Rs 1,500 crores for Punjab to ensure continuous Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting
credit flow to farmers, through state cooperative Countries (OPEC), Hossein Kazempour Ardebili
banks, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of passed away. He had served as Iran’s OPEC
the total amount Rs 1,000 crores is sanctioned to governor for nearly 20 years. He had been Iran’s
Punjab State Cooperative Bank and Rs 500 crores representative to OPEC since 2013, after
to Punjab Gramin Bank. previously holding the position from 1995 to
2008.
15. Name the Iran’s Organisation of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) governor
who passed away recently.
A. Roknoddin Javadi
B. Manouchehr Mottaki 21st May 2020
C. Morteza Rahmani Movahed
D. Hossein Kazempour Ardebili
E. None of these
1. Who among the following heads the 5- A. Nirmala Sitharaman
member high powered committee formed by B. Amit Shah
Andhra Pradesh government to investigate C. Prakash Javadekar
leakage of styrene gas from the LG Polymers D. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
India Ltd in Visakhapatnam. E. None of these
A. Karikal Valaven Correct Answer – D. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’

B. Vinay Chand Explanation: Union HRD (Human Resource
C. Vivek Yadav Development) Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal
D. Neerabh Kumar Prasad Nishank e-Launched print as well as e-editions of
E. None of these
the set of 7 titles on “Psycho-Social Impact of
Correct Answer: D. Neerabh Kumar Prasad pandemic & lockdown and how to Cope With”
under the corona studies series published by
Explanation: The Andhra Pradesh (AP) National Book Trust (NBT), India. These books
government has formed a 5-member high- will serve as guides to mental well-being of
powered committee led by Neerabh Kumar
people at large.
Prasad to probe into the causes behind the
leakage of styrene gas from the LG Polymers 3. Who among the following person authored
India Ltd located at RR Venkatapuram in the book titled “Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from
Visakhapatnam. The panel required to submit its a Quarantined City”.
final report within one month. A. Yiyun Li
2. Who among the following has been launched B. Fang Fang
titles on “Psycho-Social Impact of Pandemic & C. Lu Xun
Lockdown and How to Cope With” under corona D. Mo Yan
studies published by National Book Trust. E. None of these
leading PSUs under the Ministry of Housing and
Correct Answer – B. Fang Fang Urban Affairs.
Explanation: The book titled as “Wuhan Diary:
Dispatches from a Quarantined City” authored by 6. Which of the following state has launched its
Chinese literary writer Fang Fang is a compilation first cyber security-specific accelerator
of online diary entries and social media posts programme 'H.A.C.K' for start-ups recently?
A. Gujarat
that document 60 days of lockdown during
B. Kerala
COVID-19. C. Karnataka
D. Andhra Pradesh
4. Who among the following authored the book
E. None of these
titled “Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a
Quarantined City”? Correct Answer – C. Karnataka
A. Mo Yan Explanation: Karnataka launched its first cyber
B. Gao Xingjian security-specific accelerator programme 'H.A.C.K'
C. Fang Fang
for start-ups recently. This comes even at a time
D. Hua Yu
E. None of these when there are serious discussions around
surveillance and lack of safety through
Correct Answer – C. Fang Fang government-run online software for COVID-19.
Explanation: The book called “Wuhan Diary: The programme is implemented by CySecK,
Dispatches from a Quarantined City” authored by which is state’s CoE (Centre of Excellence) in
Chinese literary writer Fang Fang. This book is a Cyber Security meant for creating a cyber-safe
compilation of online diary entries and social environment for industry collaboration. It is
media posts that document 60 days of lockdown housed at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
during COVID-19. The book was published by
HarperNonFiction. 7. Which of the following state government has
launched Charan Paduka campaign, for migrant
5. Who has been appointed as the director- labourers passing through the states?
general (DG) of the Realtors body National Real A. Jharkhand
Estate Development Council (NAREDCO)? B. Chhattisgarh
A. Manoj Kumar Tripathy C. Madhya Pradesh
B. Ranjan N Bhandelkar D. Uttar Pradesh
C. Ashok Patni E. None of these
D. Rajesh Goel
E. None of these Correct Answer – C. Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: The Charan Paduka Campaign was
Correct Answer – D. Rajesh Goel launched in Madhya Pradesh for the migrant
Explanation: Rajesh Goel becomes new director- workers passing through the state. Under the
general (DG) of the Realtors body National Real campaign the migrant workers were provided
Estate Development Council (NAREDCO). Prior to with shoes and slippers to reduce their pain. The
this, he was serving as the chairman and Charan Paduka campaign is being conducted by
managing director, Hindustan Prefab Ltd. He is a the Police of Madhya Pradesh state. Eventually,
professional with over 37 years of experience in the initiative received full support of the public.
By providing slippers, the pain of the migrant was also announced. To ensure time-bound
workers is being reduced. defence procurement, centre will set up a Project
Management Unit (PMU) to support contract
8. Benjamin Netanyahu has sworn in as the management.
prime minister of Israel for the ------------ time?
A. 3rd 10. Which of the following country which has
B. 4th developed “i-Feel you”, an intelligent bracelet
C. 5th which will help users respect social distancing
D. 2nd rules.
E. None of these A. China
B. Italy
Correct Answer – C. 5th C. USA
Explanation: Benjamin Netanyahu has been D. Germany
sworn as the Israel Prime Minister for the 5th E. None of these
time after signing of power-sharing deal with
rival-turned-partner Benny Gantz of Blue and Correct Answer – B. Italy
White Party. He will now chair the post until 13 Explanation: The Genoa-based Italian Institute of
November 2021. With this, the longest political Technology (IIT) has developed “i-Feel you”, an
deadlock in the Isreal’s history came to an end. intelligent bracelet which will help users respect
During the standoff, the caretaker government social distancing rules. The technology was
held the reins for more than 500 days and no one launched at a video conference which involved
got a clear majority in three successive elections. the participation of Liguria governor Giovanni
9. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has Toti and IIT President Giorgia Metta.
announced to raise the FDI limit in defence 11. Which of the following the company has
manufacturing under automatic route from 49% bought 1.34% of stake in Reliance Industries
to _______%. Limited(RIL)’s Jio platforms for Rs 6,598.38.
A. 60%
B. 74% A. Facebook
C. 85% B. Walmart
D. 100% C. Sinopec
E. None of these D. General Atlantic
E. None of these
Correct Answer – B. 74%
Explanation: Finance Minister Nirmala Correct Answer: D. General Atlantic
Sitharaman announced that the government has
decided to raise the Foreign Direct Investment Explanation: Reliance Industries Limited(RIL)
(FDI) limit in defence manufacturing under announced the sale of 1.34% stake in its digital
automatic route from 49 per cent to 74 per cent. services subsidiary, Jio Platforms to global Private
There will be indigenisation of imported spares, Equity (PE) firm General Atlantic for Rs 6,598.38
and separate budget provisioning for domestic crores, to accelerate consumer business and cut
capital procurement. This will help reduce huge debt.
Defence import bill. Foreign Direct Investment
12. Recently, the world AIDS vaccine day 2020
limit in defence manufacturing under automatic
observed on which day-
route is being raised from 49% to 74%.
Corporatisation of Ordnance factory board (OFB)
A. 19th May video Know your customer (KYC) facility for
B. 17th May customers?
C. 18th May A. ICICI Bank
D. 15th May B. Axis Bank
E. None of these C. Yes Bank
D. Kotak Mahindra Bank
Correct Answer – C. 18th May E. None of these
Explanation: May 18, 2020, World AIDS Vaccine
Day (or HIV Vaccine Awareness Day) has been Correct Answer – D. Kotak Mahindra Bank
celebrated all over the world to recognize and Explanation: Kotak Mahindra Bank has
acknowledge the hard work of the thousands of introduced video-KYC facility for customers
health professionals, volunteers, members of the opening savings account on Kotak 811 - the
medical field and scientists who have been banks digital banking platform. The private
working together for so many years to make HIV lender is the first Indian bank to offer video
(Human Immunodeficiency Virus) / AIDS based "zero-contact" onboarding service. The
(Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) vaccine. initiative is presently being launched on a pilot
basis for savings accounts, Kotak Mahindra said
13. Who among the following will resign from in a press release. "The video KYC process to
the board of SoftBank Group Corp as per the onboard new customers will be extended to
announcement made by the SoftBank Group other products in a phased manner," the bank
Corp. said in a statement. With Video KYC, verification
A. Jack Ma of documents, signature are completed via a
B. Ma Huateng video call with representative from the bank
C. Bill Gates without any physical interface. In January 2020,
D. Daniel Zhang the Reserve Bank of India amended the Know
E. None of these Your Customer (KYC) norms and introduced.
Correct Answer – A. Jack Ma
Explanation: SoftBank Group said on Monday 15. Name the veteran Marathi writer and
playwright, who passed away recently-
that Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma will resign from
A. Satish Alekar
its board, in the latest departure by a high-profile B. Anna Bhau Sathe
ally of CEO Masayoshi Son. SoftBank will propose C. Ratnakar Matkari
three new appointments to the board, including D. Gopal Ganesh Agarkar
group Chief Financial Officer Yoshimoto Goto, at E. None of these
its annual general meeting on June 25. The
Correct Answer – C. Ratnakar Matkari
number of board members will expand to 13. Explanation: Veteran Marathi writer, playwright
SoftBank said the board had approve a second Ratnakar Matkari passed away at 81 in a hospital
500 billion yen ($4.7 billion) tranche of share at suburban Marol, Mumbai. Last week he was
purchases, part of a 2.5 trillion yen buyback tested positive to coronavirus. He was born on
programme announced in March to prop up the 17th November 1938 in Mumbai, India. His film
Investment won the National Film Award for the
group's share price as its tech bets flounder.
best Marathi feature film.
14. Which of the following private sector bank
has become the first bank in India to allow
Monthly GK & CA Quiz : 22nd May 2020

1. Recently, Thomas Thabane has formally 3. Who among the following has been awarded
resigned from the post of Prime Minister of the Alexander Dalrymple Award 2019?
which of the following country? A. Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar
B. Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla
A. Cameroon C. Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar
B. Lesotho D. Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain
C. Ethiopia E. None of these
D. Tanzania
E. None of these Correct Answer – C. Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar
Explanation: India’s Chief Hydrographer of Indian
Correct Answer: B. Lesotho Naval Hydrographic, Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar
Explanation: Lesotho Prime Minister, Thomas has been awarded the Alexander Dalrymple
Thabane has formally resigned from the post. Award 2019. This award is given to him for his
Thabane and his current wife are suspected of outstanding contribution to Indian hydrography
conspiring to murder his former wife nearly three and across the broader Indian Ocean region. The
years ago, thus evolving political crises in the
award was presented by the UK Ministry of
country. Lesotho’s Finance Minister Moeketsi
Majoro has been named by parliament as the Defence. The recipients of the award are selected
interim PM of the country. by the chief Committee of the UK Hydrographic
Office(UKHO) for his or her efforts in raising the
2. The book titled ‘Hop On: My Adventures on standards of hydrography, cartography and
Boats, Trains and Planes’ is authored by _____.
navigation around the world.
A. William Faulkner
B. Virginia Woolf 4. The World Bee Day celebrated by the United
C. Ruskin Bond Nations Every year on which day -
D. J.K. Rowling A. 20th May
E. None of these B. 21st May
C. 22nd May
Correct Answer – C. Ruskin Bond D. 19th May
Explanation: Ruskin Bond’s new book titled ‘Hop E. None of these
On: My Adventures on Boats, Trains and Planes’
was released on his 86th Birthday in an e-book Explanation: Every year May 20 is being
format. The book narrates some of his celebrated as World Bee Day by the United
memorable travel adventures on boats, trains Nations. The official celebrations began in 2018.
and planes from his childhood. The book The World Bee Day is celebrated to
presents its readers with a number of the commemorate the birthday of Slovenian
author’s hilarious journeys and travel apiculture pioneer Anton Jansa. This year, the
adventures. The illustrations for Ruskin Bond’s World Bee Day is celebrated under the theme
new book has been done by Samrat Halder. “Save the Bees”. The day is being celebrated to
raise awareness about the importance of
pollinators, hummingbirds, butterflies, bats. The
Convention on Biological Diversity focuses on 7. Uttar Pradesh government has presented the
conserving these pollinators as well. largest ever budget of Rs ----------------in state
assembly recently. Who is the CM of UP?
5. Who among the following has been A. 4.02 lakh crores
appointed as the chairman of National Bank for B. 5.12 lakh crores
Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) C. 8.10 lakh crores
recently? D. 6.52 lakh crores
A. Ashok Gulati E. None of these
B. Revathy Iyer
C. Ashok Patni Correct Answer – B. 5.12 lakh crores
D. Govinda Rajulu Chintala Explanation: Finance Minister Suresh Kumar
E. None of these Khanna presented the Uttar Pradesh(UP)
government’s largest ever budget of Rs
Correct Answer – D. Govinda Rajulu Chintala
5,12,860.72 crores for FY 2020-21 which
Explanation: The government has appointed
estimates total receipts of 5,00,558 crores(Rs
Govinda Rajulu Chintala as chairman of National
4,22,567 crores- revenue and Rs 77,990 crores-
Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
capital receipts) & a deficit of Rs 12,302 crores.
(NABARD). The appointments committee of the
union cabinet cleared Chintala’s appointment for 8. -------------------- amount that was extended by
two years till his superannuation in July 2022. He NABARD to co-operative banks and regional
will replace Harsh Kumar Bhanwala. rural banks as special liquidity facility recently?
A. 27,500 cr
6. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs B. 25,000 cr
released star rating of garbage free cities list C. 20,500 cr
2019-20, How many cities has got 5-star rating- D. 20,000 cr
A. 5 E. None of these
B. 8
C. 6 Correct Answer – C. 20,500 cr
D. 11 Explanation: The National Bank for Agriculture
E. None of these and Rural Development(NABARD) has informed
that it has extended Rs 20,500 crores special
Correct Answer – C. 6 liquidity facility to co-operative banks(co-op– Rs
Explanation: Hardeep Singh(S) Puri, Minister of 15,200 crores) and Regional Rural Banks(RRB’s–
State (Independent/Charge) of Ministry Of Rs 5,300 crores) in various States. This is against
Housing and Urban Affairs(MOHUA) announced the Rs 5,000 crores lent during the 1st quarter of
2019.
the results of the Star Rating of Garbage Free
Cities, for the assessment year 2019-2020, where 9. According to the US based Goldman Sachs,
6 Cities(Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat, Mysuru, Indore what is the percentage (%) contract in Indian
and Navi Mumbai) were rated 5 Star, 65 Cities economy in FY21?
rated 3 Star and 70 Cities rated 1 Star out of 141 A. 6%
B. 4.5%
cities & also launched the revised protocol for
C. 5%
the Star Rating of Garbage Free Cities. D. 3.5%
E. None of these
12. Which of the following robotic device has
Correct Answer – C. 5% been developed by the South Central Railway
Explanation: American brokerage Goldman zone to assist in the functions of hospital
Sachs expects the Indian economy to contract by management to provide better health care to
5% in FY21, which will be the deepest compared the COVID patients.
to all recessions India has ever experienced since
1979. It is against its earlier forecast of 0.4% A. RAIL-BOT
contraction before revising it down to a level it B. RAAHI-BOT
shares with Japanese brokerage Nomura. C. COVID-BOT
D. YAATRA-BOT
10. Which of the following multinational E. None of these
company (MNC) has acquired Ahmedabad
based AI startup Byte Prophecy. Correct Answer – A. RAIL-BOT
A. Accenture Explanation: South Central Railway zone has
B. Infosys developed a robotic device, “RAIL-BOT” (R-BOT)
C. TCS to assist in the functions of hospital management
D. Tech Mahindra to provide better health care to the COVID
E. None of these patients. R-BOT is getting used to supply
medicines, medical accessories and to serve food
Correct Answer – A. Accenture to the patients, with none need for physical
contact. Using this device will enable doctors,
Explanation: Accenture plc (stylised as nurses and other support medical staff to remain
Accenture), an Irish-domiciled multinational faraway from the danger of contracting
professional services company, has acquired infections. The R-BOT is operated through a
Ahmedabad (Gujarat)-based AI (Artificial singular mobile application developed as a part
Intelligence) startup Byte Prophecy for an of the Innovation, supported by Wi-FI- facility.
undisclosed sum. The R-BOT holds sensor-based features to read
11. How much aid India has decided to provide the blood heat of patients and transmit an
for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency equivalent for display on Mobile phones.
working for the welfare of Palestinian refugees? 13. Which of the following country has
A. USD 2.5 Million announced to provide USD 2 billion over two
B. USD 2.0 Million years to fight the coronavirus pandemic at WHO
C. USD 1.8 Million assembly.
D. USD 1.5 Million A. China
E. None of these B. Russia
C. Japan
Correct Answer: B. USD 2.0 Million D. USA
E. None of these
Explanation: India provides 2 million USD (Rs 15
crore) to support the United Nations Relief and Correct Answer – A. China
Works Agency (UNRWA) to support the Explanation: China has announced to provide
Palestinian refugees for its programme and USD 2 billion over two years to fight the
services like education and healthcare in the coronavirus pandemic at WHO assembly. The
COVID-19 situation. USD 2 billion over subsequent two years will
support COVID-19 response efforts, particularly
in developing countries. The decision comes Indian cricketer & commentator, Anil Kumble has
after, when China faced growing global pressure recommended a ban on the use of saliva to make
over the lockdowns, the death toll and a huge the ball shine due to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
pandemic. However, the committee considered
increase in coronavirus cases that has brought
ball-shining as safe from the use of sweat.
the world to a standstill. WHO announced the
coronavirus outbreak to be a worldwide health
15. Recently, Sai Gundekar passed away at the
emergency on January 30. It declared the age of 42 years due to brain cancer, is renowned
outbreak to be a pandemic on March 11, after _______.
the virus had killed thousands globally. A. Lawyer
B. Actor
 China Capital: Beijing; Currency of China: C. Cricketer
Renminbi. D. Musician
 President of China: Xi Jinping. E. None of these
14. Who among the following heads the ICC Correct Answer – B. Actor
cricket committee which has recommended the Explanation: Actor Sai Gundekar passed away at
ban of using saliva to shine the ball. the age of 42 years due to brain cancer in the
A. Anil Kumble United States(U.S), who was known for his
B. Ricky Ponting appearances in shows like Survivor and Splitsvilla,
C. Rahul Dravid as well as acting in films PK and Rock On!.
D. Kumar Sangakkara
E. None of these
Correct Answer – A. Anil Kumble
Explanation: The International Cricket Council
(ICC) Cricket Committee, chaired by former
23rd May 2020
1. Which of the following state/UTs has issued extraordinary penalty of Rs 50,000 to the
new rules to provide domicile certificates to its competitive authority in case the issuing of
residents? domicile certificate is delayed.
A. Ladakh 2. Who among the following has been

B. Maharashtra appointed as the new Vice President and Chief
C. Bihar Economist of the World Bank Group.
D. Jammu and Kashmir
E. None of these A. Gita Gopinath
B. Carmen Reinhart
Correct Answer: D. Jammu and Kashmir C. David Malpass
D. Kristalina Georgieva
Explanation: The Jammu and Kashmir E. None of these
Administration issued rules to provide domicile
certificates. The “J&K Grant of Domicile Correct Answer – B. Carmen Reinhart
Certificate (Procedure) rules 2020” has been Explanation: World Bank Group has appointed
provided through an amendment of the Jammu Carmen Reinhart as its new Vice President and
and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralisation and Chief Economist. Her appointment will be
Recruitment) Act, 2010. The rules have included effective from June 15, 2020. She was a Senior
Policy Advisor and Deputy Director at the IMF IRDA licensed insurance intermediary
and Vice President and Chief Economist of the “Integrated Risk Insurance”.
investment bank Bear Stearns. Carmen Reinhart A. Maharashtra
B. West Bengal
has been ranked among the top Economists
C. Uttar Pradesh
worldwide based on publications and scholarly D. Tamil Nadu
citations. She was also awarded the King Juan E. None of these
Carlos Prize in Economics as well as NABE’s Adam
Smith Award. She has been listed among Correct Answer – A. Maharashtra
Explanation: the Department of Agriculture,
Bloomberg Markets Most Influential 50 in
Govt of Maharashtra announced a 3 year
Finance, Foreign Policy’s Top 100 Global
empanelment of insurance companies and
Thinkers, and Thomson Reuters’ The World’s
intermediaries for implementation of crop
Most Influential Scientific Minds.
insurance scheme, the Integrated Risk Insurance
3. Which of the following state launched “Didi Brokers Limited(IRIBL), announced ‘Mee
Vehicle Service”? Annapurna’ for farmers welfare across
A. Rajasthan Maharashtra. It is an initiative that integrates
B. Gujarat three critical aspects of livelihood and
C. Uttar Pradesh
comprehensive engagement for farmers welfare
D. Madhya Pradesh
E. None of these across Maharashtra. It revolves around the three
commandments – Expertise, Engagement and
Correct Answer – D. Madhya Pradesh Entitlement.
Explanation: “Didi Vehicle Service” has been
launched by the women of Rural Livelihood 5. Who has been appointed by the
Mission in the tribal-dominated Jhabua district of Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet
as the Chairman of National Bank for Agriculture
Madhya Pradesh. Didi Vehicle Service has been
and Rural Development (NABARD).
launched for rural women for the safe delivery, A. Ajay Tyagi
hence proving to be a lifeline for pregnant rural B. Shaji KV
women in tribal areas. The vehicle under the C. P.V.S. Suryakumar
“Didi Vehicle Service” will also be available for D. Govinda Rajulu Chintala
other emergency services. The women of Rural E. None of these
Livelihood Mission are providing vehicle Correct Answer – D. Govinda Rajulu Chintala
completely free under the “Didi Vehicle Service” Explanation: The Appointments Committee of
which has been launched in 29 villages of 10 the Union Cabinet has appointed Govinda Rajulu
Gram Panchayats of Petlavad development block Chintala as the Chairman of National Bank for
of Jhabua. The expenses of Didi vehicle service Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
are borne by the women through the interest He is presently serving as the Chief General
they are earning on their savings. Manager at NABARD and will remain on the post
till his superannuation in July 2022. Presently, Dr.
4. Name the Indian state where “Mee
Harsh Kumar Bhanwala is serving as the
Annapurna” initiative has been launched by an
Chairman of NABARD.
The appointments committee of the union Explanation: National Anti-Terrorism Day is
cabinet has also cleared the appointment of Shaji observed on 21 May every year in India. The day
KV as the Deputy Managing Director at NABARD aims to raise awareness about the anti-social act
for a period of five years. He is currently serving of terrorism and its impact on human suffering
as the General Manager at Canara Bank. P.V.S. and lives. The day marks the death anniversary of
Suryakumar is also appointed as Deputy the Former Prime Minister of India. The day also
Managing Director till his superannuation in July aims to spread the message of peace and
2023. Along with the appointments, the tenure humanity and to promote unity among people.
of Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, secretary in the AYUSH The seventh Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi
ministry, has been extended on a contract basis was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He was killed
for two years. in Tamil Nadu in a campaign by the terrorist.
Following this tragedy, under the V.P. Singh
6. The United Nations observes International
government, the Centre has decided to observe
Tea Day every year on which date?
A. 22nd May 21 May as Anti Terrorism Day.
B. 21st May
8. Who has been appointed as the President of
C. 23rd May
Indian Steel Association (ISA)?
D. 20th May
A. Vipin Sondhi
E. None of these
B. Vipin Sondhi
Correct Answer – B. 21st May C. TV Narendran
Explanation: Every year, on May 21, the United D. Dilip Oommen
Nations observes International Tea Day. The E. None of these
resolution to celebrate International Tea Day was Correct Answer – D. Dilip Oommen
adopted in 2019 by the United Nations food and Explanation: Indian Steel Association (ISA) has
Agriculture Organization. The International Tea appointed Dilip Oommen as its new President.
Day is being celebrated since 2005 in major tea He is presently the CEO of Arcelor Mittal Nippon
Steel India. He was unanimously appointed as
producing countries of the world namely Sri
President for the next two years. He will replace
Lanka, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Tata Steel CEO TV Narendran, who stepped down
Nepal, Kenya, Malaysia, Malawi, Uganda and as President on May 1. Oommen is a veteran of
Tanzania. It aims to draw the attention of the steel industry with more than 37 years of
citizens, governments about the impact of global experience and an alumnus of Indian Institute of
tea trade. Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-K).
7. The National Anti-Terrorism Day (in India) is 9. Recently, The Union Cabinet has extended
celebrated every year on which date- Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)
A. 22nd May till which year?
B. 21st May A. 2022
C. 23rd May B. 2024
D. 20th May C. 2021
E. None of these D. 2023
E. None of these
Correct Answer – B. 21st May
Correct Answer – D. 2023
Explanation: The Union Cabinet has extended A. Flipkart
the PMVVY or Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana B. Snapdeal
Yojana, till March 31, 2023. It is a social security C. Amazon
scheme for senior citizens for those who are D. Paytm
above 60. The government has fixed its annual E. None of these
rate of return at 7.4% for financial year 2020-21.
Now, Senior citizens will have time till March 31, Correct Answer – A. Flipkart
2023 to invest in Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Explanation: Flipkart and Bajaj Allianz General
Yojana which provides higher return than any Insurance Company have partnered to offer a
bank. digital motor insurance policy to customers of
the e-commerce major. This partnership
10. The World Metrology Day is observed between the insurance company and an e-
globally every year on which date- commerce major, will provide seamless,
A. 22nd May accessible as well as flexible insurance solution to
B. 21st May the customers of Flipkart in order to safeguard
C. 23rd May their vehicles. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
D. 20th May also offers mobile insurance on Flipkart. Flipkart
E. None of these Consumers can subscribe to this motor-insurance
policy using their Flipkart app.
Correct Answer – D. 20th May
13. The International Tea Day is observed
Explanation: World Metrology Day is observed globally every year on which date-
globally on 20th May every year to create A. 20th May
awareness about metrology and its advancement B. 21st May
in the respective field. C. 23rd May
11. The World Day for Cultural Diversity for D. 22nd May
Dialogue and Development is observed globally E. None of these
every year on which date-
Correct Answer – B. 21st May
A. 20th May Explanation: International Tea Day is observed
B. 21st May globally on May 21 every year to promote and
C. 23rd May foster collective actions to implement activities in
D. 22nd May favour of the sustainable production and
E. None of these
consumption of tea.
Correct Answer: B. 21st May 14. Which of the following Indian state/UT
Explanation: World Day for Cultural Diversity for which has initiated measures under “Samagra
Dialogue and Development is observed globally Shiksha programme”?
on 21 May every year to deepen the A. Gujarat
understanding of the values of cultural diversity. B. Puducherry
C. Punjab
12. Which of the following e-commerce major D. Jammu & Kashmir
which has partnered with Bajaj Allianz General E. None of these
Insurance Company to offer a digital motor
insurance policy to its customers. Correct Answer – D. Jammu & Kashmir
Explanation: In Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the Correct Answer – B. Club first
Union territory (UT) administration has initiated a Explanation: Jaipur-based company ‘Club First’
slew of measures under “Samagra Shiksha has developed India’s first service robots named
programme” to facilitate students with complete as “Sona 1.5 and Sona .5”to help health workers
access to education through technological in conducting a thermal screening of the people
interventions and other viable means in wake of amid COVID-19 crisis.The robot which is 95 per
COVID-19 lockdown. cent made in India is the first in the world to be
based on spine technology.
15. Which of the following company has
developed India’s 1st service robots named as
“Sona 1.5 and Sona .5” to help health workers.
A. Quytech
B. Club first 24th & 25th May 2020
C. Sigma Data
D. Dew Solutions
E. None of these
1. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired A. Alphabet
“E-Conclave of Defence MSME” recently. Which B. Microsoft
of the following organization has organized the C. IBM
E-Conclave- D. Google
E. None of these
A. NITI Aayog
B. ASSOCHAM Correct Answer – C. IBM
C. NSDC Explanation: International Business Machines
D. Confederation of Indian Industry (IBM) ties up with the Intellect Design Arena
E. None of these Limited, a full spectrum banking and insurance
products company, to launch iTurmeric FinCloud
Correct Answer: D. Confederation of Indian
platform through IBM public cloud targeting
Industry
financial institutions which are looking to switch
Explanation: The Union Defence Minister Rajnath to the latest tools and technologies. The cloud-
Singh chaired the E-Conclave of Defence MSME ready, API(Application Programming Interface)-
(Micro Small and Medium Enterprises). The E-
first, microservices-based platform will help new
conclave was organized by CII (Confederation of
Indian Industry), SIDM (Society of Indian Defence digital banks systems to be tested and run in
Manufacturers) and Department of Defence isolation or in parallel with core legacy systems,
Production. Around 800 Defence MSMEs which can, in turn, continue to run without
participated in the conclave that was held interruption or compromise.
through video conferencing. The Conclave
identified the fact that the US Defence industry 3. The International Day for Biological Diversity’
developed within a short span of two years (IDB) is observed every year on which day-
during World War II. A. 22nd May
B. 23rd May
2. Which of the following tech giant to launch C. 24th May
‘iTurmeric FinCloud’ platform recently. D. 25th May
E. None of these
Explanation: Uttar Pradesh government has set
Correct Answer – A. 22nd May up ‘UP Start-up Fund’ under the UP Information
Explanation: The International Day for Biological Technology and Start-up Policy 2017. An MoU
Diversity’ (IDB) is observed every year on 22 May. has been signed between the Uttar Pradesh
The International Day for Biological Diversity is government and the Small Industries
marked by the United Nations. The day highlights Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the fund
the biodiversity issues. This year, the day is being will be managed by SIDBI. Initial contribution of
celebrated under the theme is “Our Solutions are Rs 15 crore has been made to the fund. The fund
in nature”. The theme emphasizes on solidarity, aims to support the registered start-up ventures
hope and importance of working together to present across different verticals in Uttar
build future of life in harmony with nature. Pradesh.
4. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy 6. Recently, Which of the following state
(MNRE) has launched a scheme for 100% government has launched “Rajiv Gandhi Kisan
solarisation of which city of India? Nyay Yojana”?
A. Malappuram A. Kerala
B. Varanasi B. Rajasthan
C. Mathura C. Jharkhand
D. Konark D. Chhattisgarh
Correct Answer – D. Konark Correct Answer – D. Chhattisgarh
Explanation: The Ministry of New and Explanation: Chhattisgarh government has
Renewable Energy launched a scheme to solarize launched “Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana” on
the Konark town and Konark sun temple the occasion of death anniversary of former
completely. The scheme has been launched to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The farmer
develop the historic Sun Temple in the town of centered scheme aims to stimulate the rural
Konark. Also, the scheme will develop the town economy in the state, amid the COVID-19
into Surya Nagri. The development will be to pandemic. The provision of the scheme was
deliver the message of synergy between the sun made in the Budget 2020-21. The scheme is
temple and the modern use of solar energy. The expected to benefit over 1.87 million farmers.
scheme mainly aims at promoting solar energy.
7. The Reserve Bank of India has reduced the
5. Which of the following state government has Repo Rate to what percent?
set up a ‘Start-up Fund’ under the its A. 4.75
Information Technology and Start-up Policy B. 4.25
2017? C. 4.00
A. Karnataka D. 4.40
B. Uttarakhand E. None of these
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Himachal Pradesh Correct Answer – C. 4.00
E. None of these Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India has cut
key repo lending rate by 40 basis points to 4%.
Correct Answer – C. Uttar Pradesh
This is expected to bring down lending rates and
deposit rates as well. RBI's monetary policy 10. Who among the following person has been
committee in an off-cycle meeting voted 5-1 for a taken charge as chairman of the World Health
40 bps repo rate cut, while maintaining an Organization Executive Board
A. Narendra Modi
accommodative stance.
B. Ravi Shankar Prasad
8. Recently, With which of the following country C. Harsh Vardhan
India has signed the 2nd Addendum to the D. Nirmala Sitharaman
Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade ? E. None of these
A. Afghanistan Correct Answer – C. Harsh Vardhan
B. Bangladesh
C. Sri Lanka Explanation: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh
D. Nepal Vardhan is set to take charge as the chairman of
E. None of these the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive
Board at its 147th session, as the proposal
Correct Answer – B. Bangladesh regarding his appointment was signed at WHA73.
Explanation: India & Bangladesh signed the 2nd He is the Indian incumbent minister at the
Addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of
Transit and Trade in Dhaka. Under this pact- Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Earth
Increased 5 more ports of call from earlier Sciences. He will succeed Dr Hiroki Nakatani of
6(Total- 11) & extended 2 ports of call in each Japan.
country; 2 new Indo Bangladesh Protocol(IBP)
routes(from 8 to 10) & new locations are also 11. Which of the following bank has been
added to the existing routes to facilitate the appointed as advisor to assist in monetising
trade between two countries. assets of 6 Wind-up Schemes of Franklin
Templeton.
9. Which of the following world organisation
which joined hands with Airtel Africa to extend A. ICICI Bank
e-learning support to students. B. Axis Bank
A. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) C. Kotak Mahindra bank
B. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) D. City Union bank
C. International Monetary Fund (IMF) E. None of these
D. United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO) Correct Answer: C. Kotak Mahindra bank
E. None of these
Explanation: Franklin Templeton Trustee Services
Correct Answer – B. United Nations Children’s Pvt. Ltd. has appointed an independent advisor
Fund (UNICEF) Kotak Mahindra Bank to work together with
Explanation: United Nations Children’s Fund Franklin Templeton Asset Management (India)
(UNICEF) partnered with Bharti Airtel’s Africa Pvt. Ltd (the AMC), to assist the Trustees in
Arm to support the school children in the monetizing portfolios of the 6 schemes that are
coronavirus affected areas and provide them being wound up & make payouts to the affected
access to remote learning and financial investors. The 6 schemes are- Franklin India Low
assistance to their families through mobile cash Duration Fund, Franklin India Dynamic Accrual
transfer. Fund, Franklin India Credit Risk Fund, Franklin
India Short Term Income Plan, Franklin India
Ultra Short Bond Fund and Franklin India Income
Opportunities Fund of Franklin Templeton D. Indian Immunologicals Limited
Mutual Fund. E. None of these
12. Recently, ICRA Limited revised growthrate of Correct Answer – A. Bharat Biotech
India in FY21 by what percentage- Explanation: Vaccine manufacturer Bharat
Biotech and Thomas Jefferson University of
A. -7% Philadelphia have signed an exclusive deal to
B. -5% develop a new vaccine candidate for COVID-19 at
C. -4% Jefferson with the support from the Department
D. -3% of Biotechnology, Bharat Biotech aims for human
E. None of these trials in early December 2020. The vaccine is
Correct Answer – B. -5% developed from the existing deactivated rabies
Explanation: ICRA Limited (formerly Investment vaccine as a vehicle for coronavirus proteins.
Information and Credit Rating Agency) has
sharply reduced the India’s FY21 (Fiscal Year 15. Union HRD minister has launched Online
2020-21) growth forecast to minus 5 % from 1%- Master’s Programme of which of the following
2% growth predicted earlier, due to the multiple university in Hindi?
extension of lockdown and labour mismatches A. Jawaharlal Nehru University
results in further delays in supply chain B. Banaras Hindu University
resumption. C. Univercity of Rajasthan
D. Indira Gandhi National Open University
13. According to the Federation of Indian Export E. None of these
Organisations (FIEO), what is the expected fall in
exports in India in the current fiscal year? Correct Answer – D. Indira Gandhi National
A. 30% Open University
B. 20% Explanation: Union HRD (Human Resource
C. 15% Development Minister) Shri Ramesh
D. 10% PokhriyalNishank launched IGNOU’S (Indira
E. None of these Gandhi National Open University) Online
Programme for Master of Arts (MA) in Hindi,
Correct Answer – B. 20% through facebook live session. The launch was
Explanation: The Federation of Indian Export done keeping in mind the prevailing situation and
Organisations(FIEO), apex body of exporters adherence to the partial-lockdown as per the
informed that Indian exports are expected to fall Government’s directives.
by 20% in the current fiscal, in value terms it will 16. What is full form of IREDA?
be around USD 50 to 60 billion & also imports A. Indigenous Resource Estimate Development
due to COVID-19 pandemic. Association
B. Indigenous Renewable Energy Development
14. Which of the following Indian company Agency
which has joined hands with Thomas Jefferson C. Indigenous Renewable Energy Development
University of Philadelphia to develop vaccine for Agency
COVID-19. D. Indian Regenerated Energy Development
A. Bharat Biotech Agency
B. Mylab E. None of these
C. Biogenomics
Correct Answer – C. Indigenous Renewable A. BHEL
Energy Development Agency B. ONGC
Explanation: The Ministry of New and Renewable C. NHPC
Energy (MNRE) on its behalf in the amended D. SAIL
clause has appointed the Indian Renewable E. None of these
Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) as Correct Answer – B. ONGC
the implementing agency to handle the Central Explanation: India's top oil and gas producer
Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) Scheme Phase- ONGC and country's biggest electricity generator
II & all issues regarding the time-extension and NTPC have signed a preliminary agreement to set
dispute resolution on inevitable events. IREDA up a joint venture company for renewable energy
projects. The MoU will enable both companies to
will conduct bidding for solar power projects
achieve their respective targets in renewable
allocation in the Scheme with Viability Gap energy business. As per the MoU, NTPC and
Funding (VGF) amount as a bid parameter to ONGC will explore and set up renewable power
select project proponents. MNRE will timely assets including offshore wind, in India and
review the maximum permissible VGF amount & overseas, and explore opportunities in the fields
will reduce if the cost difference comes down. In of sustainability, storage, e-mobility and ESG
(Environmental, Social and Governance)
Case of the existing clause, the Solar Energy
compliant projects Through this collaboration
Corporation of India (SECI) handled the scheme
with NTPC, ONGC envisages significant growth in
on behalf of the ministry. its presence in the renewable power sector.
17. After reducing the Repo rate by RBI in an 19. How many cities rated 5 star in Star Rating
scheduled meeting Reverse repo gets of Garbage Free Cities, for the assessment year
automatically adjusted to _______. 2019-2020?
A. 3.35 % A. 10
B. 3.65 % B. 7
C. 3.75 % C. 6
D. 3.25 % D. 5
Correct Answer – A. 3.35 % Correct Answer – C. 6
Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India has cut Explanation: Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of
key repo lending rate by 40 basis points to 4%. State (Independent/Charge) of Ministry Of
RBI's monetary policy committee in an off-cycle Housing and Urban Affairs(MOHUA) announced
meeting voted 5-1 for a 40 bps repo rate cut, the results of the Star Rating of Garbage Free
while maintaining an accommodative stance. Cities, for the assessment year 2019-2020. In
Reverse repo gets automatically gets adjusted to rating Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat, Mysuru, Indore
and Navi Mumbai were rated 5 Star (6 cities). 65
3.35% from 3.75%.
other Cities rated 3 Star and 70 Cities rated 1 Star
18. National Thermal Power corporation (NTPC) out of 141 cities
has signed an MoU with which another public 20. China has recently teamed up with Pakistan
sector unit to set up a joint venture company for to build the “Diamer-Bhasha dam” in Gilgit-
renewable energy projects? Baltistan region on which of the following river?
A. Sutlej the waters of the Indus for irrigation. It is a
B. Chenab concrete-filled gravity dam, in the initial stages of
C. Jhelum construction, on the River Indus between
D. Indus Kohistan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
E. None of these Diamer district in Gilgit Baltistan. The dam site is
situated near a place called “Bhasha”, hence the
Correct Answer – D. Indus name.
Explanation: China has recently teamed up with
Pakistan to build the Diamer-Bhasha dam in
Gilgit-Baltistan region. It has created some
tension between India and China since India has
laid claims over this region. Power China, one of 26th May 2020
the biggest Chinese power companies, received a
contract to build the Diamer-Bhasha dam. Once
completed, the dam will allow Pakistan to use
1. Recently, RBI has decided to extend a line of committee comprises of 11 members including
credit of ______ to the EXIM Bank for a period the senior health officials, scientists and
of 90 days. representatives of the pharmaceutical industry.
A. Rs 30,000 crore The committee is being headed by Rajesh
B. Rs 20,000 crore Bhushan, Officer on Special Duty to the Union
C. Rs 25,000 crore health minister.
D. Rs 15,000 crore
E. None of these  Union Minister of Health and Family
Welfare: Harsh Vardhan.
Correct Answer: D. Rs 15,000 crore
3. Which of the following country has become
Explanation: To enable EXIM bank to meet its the second-largest manufacturer of Personal
foreign currency resource requirements, RBI has Protective Equipment (PPE) in the world?
decided to extend a line of credit of Rs 15,000 A. USA
crore to the EXIM Bank for a period of 90 days. B. India
C. Russia
2. Which of the following ministry has recently
D. Japan
constituted a committee to reform the Drug
E. None of these
Regulatory System.
A. Ministry of Home Affairs Correct Answer – B. India

B. Ministry of Law and Justice Explanation: India has become the world's
C. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare second largest manufacturer of personal
D. Ministry of Food Processing Industries protective equipment (PPE) body coveralls within
E. None of these a short time span of two months. China is the
Correct Answer – C. Ministry of Health and world's leading producer of PPE body coveralls,
Family Welfare crucial to safeguard against the COVID-19
Explanation: The Ministry of Health and Family pandemic.
Welfare (MoHFW) has constituted a committee
to reform the Drug Regulatory System. The
4. Which of the following country will withdraw National Health Authority(NHA) is responsible
from the 35-nation Open Skies treaty, recently. for implementing the scheme.
A. United States
B. Croatia 6. Reently, Goverment has approved the
C. India extension of ‘Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana
D. Russia Yojana’ till which of the following year?
E. None of these A. 2025
B. 2022
Correct Answer – A. United States C. 2023
Explanation: The United States recently D. 2024
announced that the country will withdraw from E. None of these
the major global treaty named Open Skies treaty.
Correct Answer – C. 2023
The 35-nation treaty allows unarmed surveillance
Explanation: The union cabinet has approved the
flights over the territories of member countries.
extension of senior citizens pension scheme
US administration also highlighted that Russia
named ‘Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana’
has repeatedly violated the terms of the pact. It
(PMVVY) for further 3 years till March 31, 2023
is expected that the US will pull out formally in
from March 31, 2020. The assured rate of return
six months, based on the withdrawal terms of the
for fiscal 2020-21 has been pegged at 4% per
treaty. NATO allies and other countries have
annum. Earlier, the scheme offered an assured
asked the US to remain in the treaty.
return of 8%. The expected financial liability will
5. What is the nodal agency for the range from an estimated expenditure of Rs 829
implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan crore in the 2023-24 fiscal to Rs 264 crore in last
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)? FY 2032-33.
A. Central Health Education Bureau
B. National Health Authority 7. The Union cabinet approved How many
C. Rural Health Training Centre crores as Special Liquidity Scheme for
D. National Centre for Disease Control NBFCs/HFCs to address their Liquidity Stress?
E. None of these A. 20,000
B. 30,000
Correct Answer – B. National Health Authority C. 25,000
Explanation: Union Minister of Health and Family D. 50,000
Welfare, Harsh Vardhan to mark 1 crore E. None of these
treatmentsof the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan
Correct Answer – B. 30,000
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana(AB-PMJAY), the
Explanation: A Special Liquidity Scheme for
flagship health assurance scheme of government
NBFCs and HFCs was announced in AtmaNirbhar
since September 2018 has inaugurated the 1st
Bharat Package by the Ministry of Finance has
edition of Arogya Dhara, a series of webinars
received a Union Cabinet post facto approval.
titled “Ayushman Bharat: 1 crore treatments and
The outlay of the scheme is Rs 30,000 crore and
beyond” which is created as an open platform for
will be administered by the Department of
discussion on topical issues of public health and
Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
launched ‘Ask Ayushman’ a chatbot on
WhatsApp & “Hospital Ranking Dashboard”.The
8. As per RBI, what is the Industrial production Explanation: Bharti Airtel acquired a10%
decrease in India in March 2020? strategic stake in Voicezen, a Gurugram based
A. 25% startup in early stage focused on conversational
B. 23% AI technologies under the fast expanding Airtel
C. 19% Start-up Accelerator Program as a part of its
D. 17% strategy to deliver highly differentiated service
E. None of these experience.
Correct Answer – D. 17% 11. Which of the following company acquires

Explanation: According to the RBI Governor popular GIF database GIPHY.
Shaktikanta Das, there has been a 17 % decrease
in industrial production in March 2020 with the A. Whatsapp
output of 8 core industries (coal, crude oil, B. Twitter
natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, C. Snapchat
cement and electricity) has decreased by 6.5 % D. Facebook
and manufacturing has fallen by 21 %. E. None of these
9. Recently, World Bank announced ----------- Correct Answer: D. Facebook

grant that was for emergency operations for 100
developing countries (in USD)? Explanation: Facebook has acquired New York
A. 140 billion based GIF database GIPHY for $400 million to
B. 180 billion integrate its GIF library into Instagram and other
C. 160 billion Facebook apps, Vishal Shah, Instagram’s VP of
D. 200 billion product.
E. None of these 12. Which of the following country has
launched a new space defense unity to monitor
Correct Answer – C. 160 billion
and counter threats to the country’s satellites
Explanation: The World Bank announced
recently.
emergency operations worth USD (United States
Dollar) 160 billion to 100 developing countries A. Japan
over a 15-month period to fight the deadly B. China
Coronavirus. The coronavirus pandemic and C. Russia
shutdown is expected to put over 60 million into D. United States
extreme poverty globally. E. None of these
10. Which of the following company has Correct Answer – A. Japan
acquired 10% stake in Gurugram based Explanation: Japan has launched a new space
Voicezen. defense unity to monitor and counter threats to
A. Bharati Airtel the country’s satellites. The main role of the unit
B. BSNL is to monitor and protect Japanese satellites from
C. Reliance Jio enemy attacks or space debris and also to
D. Vodafone Idea conduct satellite-based navigation and
E. None of these communications for other troops in the field.The
capital and currency of Japan is Tokyo and
Correct Answer – A. Bharati Airtel
Japanese yen respectively.
13. Who among the following has been industrial incentives that would benefit nearly
appointed by FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) as 98,000 units. While the second tranche of Rs 454
its 37th National President. crore will be cleared on 29 June 2020. Under the
A. Ujjawala Singhania
“ReStart Package”, government will waive of all
B. Jahnabi Phookan
C. Rashmi Sarita the minimum power demand charges of MSMEs
D. Jayanti Dalmia of the months of April, May and June. This cost
E. None of these has been estimated as a amount of Rs 188 crore.
Along with waive off, the AP government will also
Correct Answer – B. Jahnabi Phookan provide input capital of Rs 200 crore to the firms
Explanation: FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) has
at low-interest rates in order to bring the MSMEs
appointed Assam-based entrepreneur Jahnabi
back on rails. This will be done by providing loans
Phookan as its National President. She has taken
in partnership with the Small industrial
over from the outgoing National President
Development Bank of India at a low-interest rate.
Harjinder Kaur Talwar as the 37th National
President of FLO, the women wing of the leading 15. Name the former No. 1-ranked player and
industry chamber of the country. FICCI FLO works Australian tennis star who passed away
towards women’s economic empowerment and recently.
A. Rex Hartwig
represents over 8,000 women entrepreneurs and
B. Beryl Collier
professionals across 17 chapters nationally. It C. Ashley Cooper
also works towards promoting equal D. David Hall
opportunities for women. E. None of these
14. Name of the state government which has Correct Answer – C. Ashley Cooper
released the 1st tranche of “ReStart Package“ to Explanation: Former No. 1-ranked player and
help the lockdown-hit MSMEs to reopen and Australian tennis star Ashley Cooper passed
become functional? away. He was among a group of players including
A. Tamil Nadu Lew Hoad, Frank Sedgman and Ken Rosewall who
B. Uttar Pradesh ruled the world in tennis during the period of
C. Andhra Pradesh 1950s to 1970s. His career concluded in 1959
D. Jammu & Kashmir after suffering from a back injury. Ashley Cooper
E. None of these won four Grand Slam singles titles including the
Australian, Wimbledon and U.S. championships
Correct Answer – C. Andhra Pradesh in 1958. He was also the administrator of the
Explanation: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS game for a long period.
Jagan Mohan Reddy has released the 1st tranche
of “ReStart Package“. The “ReStart Package” aims
to help the lockdown-hit Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to reopen and
become functional. The first tranche is of Rs 450 27th May 2020
crore which will be used in clearing the pending
1. Who among the following has been Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management
appointed as World Bank’s Practice Manager for for South Asia.
A. Bibek Debroy A. Ethiopia
B. Kaushik Basu B. Uruguay
C. Abhas Jha C. Uganda
D. Jagdish Bhagwati D. Ghana
Correct Answer: C. Abhas Jha Correct Answer – C. Uganda

Explanation: Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,
Explanation: Indian economist Abhas Jha has President of the Republic of Uganda inaugurated
been appointed as World Bank’s Practice
the war game centre “INDIA” that was
Manager for Climate Change and Disaster Risk
Management for South Asia. In his capacity, Jha conceptualised by the Indian Military Team and
will be responsible to nurture, lead, inspire and built by the IAU in Jinja district, at a cost of over 1
position a team of highly qualified professionals billion Ugandan shillings or $2,65,000. The
to provide the best solutions for South Asian Ugandans of Indian origin made voluntary
countries. He will motivate and support the contributions for the establishment of war game
South Asia region (SAR) Disaster Risk
centre. India has handover the war game centre
Management and Climate Change team to
named as “INDIA” to Uganda Peoples Defence
connect and unite across Global Practice
boundaries. Forces (UPDF). The state of the art military
training facility was handover by the Indian
 President of World Bank: David Malpass. Association Uganda (IAU), in association with the
 Headquarter of World Bank: Washington Indian Military Advisory and Training Team to the
DC.
UPDF.
2. Who among the following authored the book
titled “Hop On: My Adventures on Boats, Trains 4. Which of the following Fintech startup has
and Planes”. partnered with payments technology “Visa” to
launch new payment solutions for SMEs and
A. Amitav Ghosh startups?
B. Arundhati Roy A. MobiKwik
C. Ruskin Bond B. PhonePe
D. Salman Rushdie C. Zaggle
E. None of these D. Paytm
E. None of these
Correct Answer – C. Ruskin Bond
Explanation: Popular author Ruskin Bond has Correct Answer – C. Zaggle
authored a book titled ‘Hop On: My Adventures Explanation: In order to launch innovative
on Boats, Trains and Planes. The e-book format payment solutions for small and medium
was released on the occasion of his 86th enterprises (SMEs) and startups, a Fintech
birthday. The illustration of the new book has startup Zaggle has partnered with payments
been done by Samrat Halder and published by technology major “Visa”. Both the companies will
Speaking Tiger’s children’s imprint Talking Cub. work towards enhancing the productivity and
efficiency of the SMEs and startups. They will also
3. India handsover war game centre named as automate the processes and reduce the costs
“INDIA” to which of the following country?
simultaneously focusing on easy and faster
credit. The faster credit would be made available  President of Society of Indian Defence
through a unique card which will have forex, Manufacturers (SIDM): Jayant D Patil
prepaid along with credit.  Director General of Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII): Chandrajit Banerjee.
5. Which of the following software company has
‘Ignio’ an AI Digital Workspace solution? 7. Which of the following Manipur’s initiative
A. Tech Mahindra Ltd which has been listed by the United Nations
B. HCL Technologies Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, among the
C. Wipro top 10 global initiatives for fight against the
D. Tata Consultancy Services COVID-19 pandemic.
E. None of these A. Mayur
B. Suraksha
Correct Answer – D. Tata Consultancy Services
C. Khudol
Explanation: Tapping into the rising demand for
D. Swabhimaan
automation amid the covid-19 pandemic, E. None of these
Digitate, a software venture of Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS), has announced the launch of ignio Correct Answer – C. Khudol
AI.Digital Workspace. It is an end-user experience Explanation: The United Nations (UN) has listed
management software that helps employees and Manipur’s "khudol" (gift) among the top 10
service desk teams boost productivity. global initiatives for an inclusive fight against the
COVID-19 pandemic. It was listed by the United
6. Who among the following person recently Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth.
chaired the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) E-conclave. Khudol:
A. Ramvilas Paswan
B. Rajnath Singh  Khudol is a crowdfunded initiative of
C. Arjun Munda Ya_All, .
D. Narendra Singh Tomar  The initiative aims to ensure food supplies
E. None of these and health services for the people living
Correct Answer – B. Rajnath Singh with HIV, daily-wage earners, LGBTQI+
Explanation: Micro, Small and Medium community, children, and adolescents.
Enterprises (MSMEs) E-conclave was chaired by  Under the initiative network of 100
the Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh. The virtual volunteers has been mobilized.
conference of MSMEs E-conclave was organised  The volunteers have, so far, provided
jointly by the Department of Defence Production, around 2,000 families and individuals with
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Society over 1,000 health kits, 6,500 sanitary
of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM). The E- pads, and 1,500 condoms
conclave was held with the theme ‘Business  Ya_All means Revolution in Manipuri. It
Continuity for MSMEs in Defence & Aerospace was founded in 2017. The initiative aims
Sector’. The conclave featured the participation to organize mental health workshops and
of more than 800 Defence MSMEs units. work mostly on the health and well being
of adolescents, youths, LGBTI community.
8. Indian Navy formed which of the following 10. Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship
PPE kit against COVID-19 pandemic, with Programme was conducted by National
innovative breathable fabric material. Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and which of the
A. VirusRakshak following world organisation?
B. ShaktiRakshak A. International Labour Organization (ILO)
C. NavRakshak B. United Nations Industrial Development
D. PranRakshak Organization (UNIDO)
E. None of these C. World Bank (WB)
D. United Nations Development Programme
Correct Answer – C. NavRakshak (UNDP)
Explanation: Indian Navy has formed E. None of these
“NavRakshak” PPE kit with innovative breathable
fabric material. This PPE kit provides comfort to Correct Answer – D. United Nations
healthcare workers working against COVID-19 Development Programme (UNDP)
pandemic wearing multi-layered coverall PPE
treating patients within the hot and humid Explanation: The Union Environment, Forest, and
condition for quite 12 hours. The ability of the Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar
material to permit water vapour to undergo and launched the National Biodiversity Authority
stop the water from entering is understood as (NBA) and United Nations Development
Breathability. This PPE kit made by Surgeon Programme (UNDP) Biodiversity Samrakshan
Lieutenant Commander Arnab Ghosh from Naval Internship Programme which proposes to engage
Medical Specialist of Innovation Cell, Institute of 20 students with postgraduate degrees for a
Naval Medicine in Mumbai. period of one year through an open, transparent,
online competitive process.
9. The World Thyroid Day is observed globally
every year on which day- 11. Which of the following company has
A. 28th May partnered with Cholamandalam Investment and
B. 27th May Finance Company Limited (CIFCL) to launch ‘Buy
C. 25th May Now Pay Later’ financing scheme.
D. 24th May A. Mahindra India
E. None of these B. TVS Motors
C. Honda Motors
Correct Answer – C. 25th May
D. Maruti Suzuki India
Explanation: World Thyroid Day is observed
E. None of these
globally on 25 May every year. The main purpose
of the WTD is to aware of the importance of
Correct Answer: D. Maruti Suzuki India
Thyroid and the prevention and treatment of
thyroid diseases. This day is established in 2008 Explanation: Facebook has acquired New York
as a part of the campaign led by European based GIF database GIPHY for $400 million to
Thyroid Association (ETA) and the American integrate its GIF library into Instagram and other
Thyroid Association(ATA) followed by Latin Facebook apps, Vishal Shah, Instagram’s VP of
American Thyroid Society(LATS) and Asia Oceania product.
Thyroid Association (AOTA) to commemorate the
patients with Thyroid diseases and doctors and 12. Name of the person who appointed as the
physicians who treat them. new chief economist and vice president of world
bank group?
A. Akihiko Nishio with the comedy show “Chote Miyaan”. He was
B. Makhtar Diop best known for playing Amar Chaudhary in
C. Carmen Reinhart superstar Salman Khan’s “Ready”. The actor has
D. Alison Evans
also appeared in Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti
E. None of these
Chopra starrer “Jabariya Jodi”. He also acted in
Correct Answer – C. Carmen Reinhart films Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami and Gali Gali Chor
Explanation: The World Bank named former Bear Hai.
Stearns executive Carmen Reinhart as its new
Vice President (VP) and chief economist, tapping 15. Balbir Singh Dosanjh passed away, recently.
an expert on financial crises who also serves on He related to which of the following sports-
the advisory board of the New York Federal A. Football
Reserve. Reinhart’s appointment is effective on B. hockey
June 15, 2020. C. Cricket
D. kabddi
13. Who among the following has become E. None of these
world’s highest paid female athlete as per
Forbes. Correct Answer – B. hockey
A. Maria Sharapova Explanation: Former Indian hockey player Balbir
B. Naomi Osaka Singh Dosanjh passed away. He was a part of
C. Serena Williams three-time Olympic gold medal-winning Indian
D. Suzie Bates
hockey team, i.e. in London Olympics (1948),
E. None of these
Helsinki Olympics (1952), and Melbourne
Correct Answer – B. Naomi Osaka Olympics (1956). In 1956 Olympics, he was the
Explanation: Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, captain of the Indian team that won the gold
22 years old, became the highest paid female medal after defeating Pakistan in the finals.
athlete in the world, topping American great Balbir Singh Dosanjh was the only Indian among
Serena Williams. Osaka has been ranked No.1 by 16 legends who were chosen by the International
the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Olympic Committee across modern Olympic
history. He has also an unbeaten record of
14. Recently, Mohit Baghel passed away due to
scoring most goals by an individual in the men’s
cancer, he was a renowned _______.
A. Choreographer hockey final of the Olympics, under his name.
B. Singer
C. Actor
D. Music Composer Monthly GK & CA Quiz :
E. None of these
Correct Answer – C. Actor

28th May 2020
Explanation: Bollywood actor Mohit Baghel
passed away due to cancer. He starts his career
1. Who among the following has been headed A. Tapan Roy
the 9-member panel formed by IRDAI which B. Ajay Tyagi
recommends increase in indemnity provided to C. Atul Sahai
the policyholders? D. Subash Chandra
E. None of these
Correct Answer – D. Rajesh Bhushan
Correct Answer: C. Atul Sahai Explanation: The centre has constituted a 11-
member high-level committee to “simplify and
Explanation: Insurance Regulatory and
expedite” the drug approval process in India. The
Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
formulated nine-member expert panel headed by committee chaired by Rajesh Bhushan, Officer on
New India Assurance (NIA) Chairman & Managing Special Duty, Ministry of Health was set up by the
Director (CMD) Atul Sahai has recommended an Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW)
increase in indemnity (protection against on May 11 as a measure to reform the drug
finances) being provided to the policyholders regulatory system in India.
under Trade Credit Insurance (TCI) from existing
85% of the trade receivables from each buyer to 4. Aritz Aduriz who announced retirement
90%. recently belongs to which sport?
A. Cricket
2. Name of the company which has signed
B. Tennis
agreement to acquire 24% stake in Indian
C. Football
Railway Station Development Corporation
D. Hockey
(IRSDC).
E. None of these
A. RITES
Correct Answer – C. Football
B. TALENT
Explanation: Spanish footballer, athletic Bilbao
C. ALCON
striker Artiz Aduriz announced his retirement at
D. ATEC
E. None of these the age of 39 after finding out that he requires
prosthetic hip replacement surgery.
Correct Answer – A. RITES
Explanation: Infrastructure consultancy and 5. Find the American tennis player who has
engineering company RITES (Rail India Technical recently announced her retirement from the
and Economic Service) has signed an agreement professional tennis.
A. Jamie Hampton
for acquiring 24% stake in Indian Railway Stations
B. Venus Williams
Development Corporation (IRSDC) for Rs 48
C. Serena Williams
crore. IRSDC, a joint venture of Rail Land D. Martina Navratilova
Development Authority (RLDA) and IRCON E. None of these
International is tasked with redeveloping railway
Correct Answer – A. Jamie Hampton
stations across the country.
Explanation: American tennis player Jamie
3. Who among the following has been headed Hampton has proclaimed that she is taking
the 11-member committee to “simplify and retirement from the professional tennis. She won
expedite” the drug approval process in India. five International Tennis Federation titles during
A. V G Somani her professional tennis career.
B. V K Pauk
C. K Vijay Raghavan 6. Who among the following inaugurates Indian
D. Rajesh Bhushan Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC).
E. None of these A. Sanju Panda
B. A K Sikri
C. Dipankar Datta Correct Answer – C. Mizoram
D. BiswanathSomadder Explanation: Mizoram sports minister Robert
E. None of these RomawiaRoyte informed that the state cabinet
has cleared the proposal of the Sports and Youth
Correct Answer – B. A K Sikri Service department to grant sports an industry
Explanation: Former Supreme Court Justice A K status to boost the sports sector & generate
Sikri, International Judge, Singapore International employment among others. It becomes the 1st
Commercial Court inaugurates Indian Dispute state to do so.
Resolution Centre(IDRC), first of its kind
9. In the first meeting of the 15th Finance
Institutional Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) Commission’s on Fiscal Consolidation Roadmap
Centre to provide Offline and e-ADR facility it estimated India’s GDP growth to ________in
through e-Arbitration, e-Mediation and e- the financial year 2020-21.
Conciliation software portal. A. -3% to 1%
B. -5% to 0.5%
7. Which of the following state/UT is 1st in the C. -6% to 1%
country to release report on conservation of D. -6% to 0.5%
endemic, threatened floras. E. None of these
A. Ladakh
B. Uttarakhand Correct Answer – C. -6% to 1%
C. Meghalaya Explanation: The first meeting of the 15th
D. Arunachal Pradesh Finance Commission’s (XVFC) committee on
E. None of these Fiscal Consolidation Roadmap was held through
video conferencing (VC). The committee headed
Correct Answer – B. Uttarakhand by Nand Kishore (NK) Singh has recommended
Explanation: Uttarakhand became the 1st state the judgement of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on
to release a report highlighting its conservation monetisation of fiscal deficit. The committee
efforts to save over 1,100 rare plants from supported the Centre’s decision of allowing
extinction. The project aims at Germplasm states to borrow up to 5% of gross state domestic
conservation so that species remain conserved product (GSDP) The Committee also estimated
with the forest department & also to promote India’s GDP growth to -6% to 1% in the financial
year 2020-21. The nominal GDP will accelerate to
conservation of plant species among the general
4-5% in FY2021-22.
public so as to end plant blindness. The report is
one of the largest repositories of conserved 10. Name the Indian American inventor who has
plants & is carried out by the research wing of bagged the prestigious “Inventor of the Year
award”.
the state forest department.
A. Thomas Kailath
8. Which of the following 1st Indianstate has B. Rajiv Joshi
granted “Industry” status to “sports” recently to C. Ajay Bhatt
boost the sports sector. D. Shiva Ayyadurai
A. Haryana E. None of these
B. Manipur Correct Answer – B. Rajiv Joshi
C. Mizoram
D. Uttar Pradesh Explanation: Prolific Indian-American inventor
E. None of these Rajiv Joshi has bagged the prestigious Inventor of
the Year award. He was awarded in recognition 13. Which of the following state launched
of his pioneering work in advancing the ‘Everybody will get employment’ scheme.
electronic industry and improving artificial A. Madhya Pradesh
intelligence capabilities. Dr Joshi, who is a master B. Arunachal Pradesh
inventor with more than 250 patented inventions C. Himachal Pradesh
in the US, works at the IBM Thomson Watson D. Uttar Pradesh
Research Center in New York. He was presented E. None of these
with the prestigious annual award by the New
York Intellectual Property Law Association during Correct Answer – A. Madhya Pradesh
a virtual awards ceremony. Explanation: Madhya Pradesh(MP) Chief
Minister(CM) Shivraj Singh Chouhan will
11. Which of the following state sets up
inaugurate the ‘Everybody will get
‘migration commission’ to provide employment
to migrant workers. employment’(SabkoMilega Rozgar) scheme
through video conferencing. Under this scheme,
A. Odisha Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
B. Manipur
Guarantee Act, 2005(MNREGA) job cards will be
C. West Bengal
D. Uttar Pradesh distributed to the laborers.
E. None of these
14. Recently, Japanese professional wrestler
who passed away recently-
Correct Answer: D. Uttar Pradesh
A. Hana Kimura
Explanation: The state government of Uttar B. Akiya Anzawa
Pradesh (UP), which is continuously bringing back C. Yuma Aoyagi
the migrant workers from other states, has now D. Jun Akiyama
taken a big decision for them. It has decided to E. None of these
set up a ‘Migration Commission’ to provide
Correct Answer – A. Hana Kimura
employment and social security to over 23 lakh
Explanation: Japanese professional wrestler,
migrant workers in the state.
Hana Kimura passed away. She won her first title
12. Who is the president of International at the Japan Pro-Wrestling (JWP) Junior plate in
Olympic Committee (IOC)? 2016.
A. Manu Sawhney 15. Tennis player Jamie Hampton announced
B. Thomas Bach her retirement from the professional tennis
C. Inger Andersen belong to which country?
D. Guy Ryder A. Germany
E. None of these B. Switzerland
Correct Answer – B. Thomas Bach C. UAS
Explanation: The World Health Organization D. France
(WHO) and the International Olympic Committee E. None of these
(IOC) have teamed up to fight the battle against Correct Answer – C. UAS
Covid-19 and have signed an agreement to work Explanation: American tennis player Jamie
together to promote health through sport and
Hampton has proclaimed that she is taking
physical activity.IOC: Headquarters– Lausanne,
Switzerland. President– Thomas Bach. retirement from the professional tennis. Former
World Top 25 player played her last official won five International Tennis Federation titles
match 6 yrs ago when she was ranked 24th in the during her professional tennis career.
world. The right hander player then suffered
numerous injuries and was unable to play against
Venus Williams in the semi finals of ASB Classic in
Auckland in 2014. Jamie Hampton has also
reached one WTA doubles final alongside Anna 29th May 2020
Tatishvili where they finished as runners-up. She
1. Who among the following has bagged the Explanation: Life Insurance Corporation of India
prestigious NYIPLA “Inventor of the Year award” (LIC) has announced the launch of the Pradhan
for the year 2020. Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana, which is a social
A. Anush Sankaran security scheme for senior citizens. This plan
B. Rajiv Joshi starts from May 26 for three financial years up to
C. Sankar Kumar Pal March 31, 2023. LIC is solely authorised to work
D. Krothapalli Sreenivasa Rao this scheme, which works as a Non-Linked, Non-
E. None of these Participating, Pension Scheme subsidised by the
Centre. The policy term is of 10 years and for
Correct Answer: B. Rajiv Joshi
policies sold during the first financial year up to
Explanation: Indian-American IBM scientist, Rajiv March 31, 2021, the scheme will provide an
Joshi has bagged the prestigious NYIPLA assured rate of return of 7.40 per cent once a
“Inventor of the Year award” for the year 2020.
year payable monthly (which is like 7.66 per cent
This award is given for his contribution to
per annum) for the whole duration of 10 years.
advancing the electronic industry and improving
artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Dr Joshi
 Head office of LIC: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
works at the IBM Thomson Watson Research
Center in New York. This award is presented by  Chairman of LIC: M R Kumar.
the New York Intellectual Property Law  LIC Established: 1 September 1956.
Association (NYIPLA). The inventor of the year is
awarded every year to honour the contribution 3. Who among the following Indian Army officer
of an inventor towards society and the winner is going to be awarded the UN Military Gender
will be awarded $5,000. Advocate of the Year 2019.
A. Major Madhuri Kanitkar
2. Which of the following insurance company B. Major Punita Arora
has announced the launch of the Pradhan C. Major Suman Gawani
Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana D. Major Padma Bandopadhyay
E. None of these
A. Max Life Insurance
B. SBI Life Insurance Company Correct Answer – C. Major Suman Gawani
C. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Explanation: Indian Army officer Major Suman
D. Life Insurance Corporation of India Gawani is going to be awarded the UN Military
E. None of these
Gender Advocate of the Year 2019. This will be
Correct Answer – A. RITES the first time that an Indian Peace Guard will be
awarded this award. Major Suman was stationed
in South Sudan under the United Nations media major Facebook. The calling application
Mission. Recently she has completed her mission. aims to coordinate call timings with friends and
Gawani joined the Indian Army in 2011 where family members, and will enable users to check
she graduated from the Officers Training availability of time with a group of up to eight
Academy, then joined the Army Signal Corps. She people. New Product Experimentation team of
hails from Pokhar village in Tehri Garwhal, Facebook has developed this new calling
Uttarakhand. Major Suman Gawani is that the application. With the help of calling application
first Indian peacekeeper to win the award. She is “CatchUp”, the user will be able to indicate the
a Military Observer, formerly deployed to the UN availability to talk and call other users, and will
Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Military enable other users to do the same and chose a
Supervisor Suman Gawani has recently common time for the call. The services of new
completed a mission in South Sudan in addition platform will work with existing contact lists, and
to his tenure with UNMISS. the users will be able to avail the services of this
calling application with their existing Facebook
account.
appointed by the government of India as Indian
Ambassador to the Republic of Niger. 6. Which of the following city hosted “The Army
A. Harinder Sidhu Commanders Conference”
B. Prem K Nair A. Chennai
C. Ajay Bisaria B. Indore
D. Sanjay Kumar Verma C. New Delhi
E. None of these D. Jaipur
Correct Answer – B. Prem K Nair E. None of these
Explanation: The government of India has Correct Answer – C. New Delhi
announced the appointment of Prem K Nair as Explanation: The Army Commanders’ Conference
Indian Ambassador to the Republic of Niger. He is was held in New Delhi. This is the first phase of
currently posted as Consul General of India to the conference which has been scheduled from
Hambantota. He is expected to take up the 27 to 29 May 2020. The Army Commanders’
assignment shortly. He will replace Rajesh Conference is an apex level biannual event that
Agarwal. was earlier scheduled to be held in April 2020,
but was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. It
5. which of the following calling application has
been launched by the social media major was then planned to be conducted in two phases.
Facebook. The second phase of the conference will held in
A. CatchUp the last week of June 2020.
B. MeetUp
C. TimeUp 7. Recently, Market Regulator the SEBI has
D. CallUp imposed a penalty of ₹7 lakh on which of the
E. None of these following PSUs for delay in disclosing financial
results?
Correct Answer – A. CatchUp A. National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC)
Explanation: A calling application named as B. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)
“CatchUp” has been launched by the social C. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
D. Gas authority of India Limited (GAIL) 9. Recently, Maruti Suzuki India joined hands
E. None of these with which banks to offer retail financing
schemes to its customers?
Correct Answer – C. National Highways A. HDFC Bank
Authority of India (NHAI) B. Yes Bank
Explanation: Securities and Exchange Board of C. Axis Bank
India (Sebi) haimposed a penalty of ₹7 lakh on D. ICICI Bank
the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) E. None of these
for delay in disclosing financial results. The
market regulator observed that NHAI had Correct Answer – D. ICICI Bank
Explanation: The country's largest carmaker
delayed filing half yearly financial results
Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has joined hands with
between FY16 and FY19. The delays ranged from ICICI Bank to offer retail financing schemes to its
4 days to 78 days, According to Sebi's listing customers. As part of the tie up, ICICI Bank is
obligation and disclosure norms (LODR), the half offering flexi EMI scheme which enables
yearly results have to be filed within 45 days customers to pay low EMI initially, in order to
from the end of the half year. help them overcome the liquidity stress due to
the COVID-19 pandemic. The EMI amount starts
8. Which of the following financial organizations from Rs 899 on a loan of Rs 1 lakh for first three
has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) based months. The bank is also offering similar other
chatbot, PAi, to create awareness for FASTag, EMI plans for MSI customers.
RuPay, UPI, AePS on a real time basis?
10. Flipkart signed a memorandum of
A. Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
understanding (MoU) with which of the
B. Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL)
following state to sell mangoes on its platform?
C. National Electronic Clearing Service (NECS)
A. West Bengal
D. National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI)
B. Karnataka
E. None of these
C. Maharshtra
Correct Answer – D. National Payment D. Uttar Pradesh
Corporation of India (NPCI) E. None of these
Explanation: National Payment Corporation of
Correct Answer – B. Karnataka
India (NPCI) has launched an artificial intelligence
(AI) based chatbot, PAi, to create awareness Explanation: The Karnataka State Mango Board
around its products like FASTag, RuPay, UPI, AePS and Marketing Corporation signed a
on a real time basis. This is yet another NPCI’s memorandum of understanding with e-
initiative to improve digital financial inclusion in commerce firm Flipkart to sell mangoes on its
India. The AI virtual assistant, PAi is available platform. The latest tie-up is part of Karnataka
round the clock helping users with access to government’s efforts to enable farmers to sell
accurate information on NPCI products. their produce online as the covid-19 induced
Customers can ask their queries in English and lockdown has hit sales and their earnings.
Hindi, via text or voice on the websites of NPCI,
RuPay, and UPI Chalega. Through PAi, users get 11. Which of the following Indian institute has
verified automated responses to their queries on got first of it’s kind Infectious Disease Block
all NPCI’s products. PAi would also be accessible facility.
to global RuPay Cardholders as well.
A. Christian Medical College Explanation: According to the State Bank of
B. NIMS University India’s(SBI) Ecowrap report India’s Gross
C. Kasturba Medical College Domestic Product(GDP) is estimated to grow at
D. Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences
1.2% in the last quarter(Q4) of FY20 as economic
E. None of these
activity came to a halt since last week of March
Correct Answer: D. Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of due to the nationwide lockdown.
Medical Sciences
14. Which of the following start-up company
Explanation: Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has developed India’s 1st contactless visitor
Lieutenant Governor’s adviser Baseer Ahmad management software.
Khan inaugurated first of it’s kind Infectious A. Mylab
Disease Block (IDB) facility at Sher-i-Kashmir B. AngelList
Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Soura in C. VAMS
Srinagar, J&K. D. Seeder
E. None of these
12. Which of the following Indian state starts
Implementation of Solar Fence Farmland Correct Answer – C. VAMS
Protection Programme. Explanation: VAMS (Visitor Authentication &
Management Systems) Global, a Mumbai based
A. Gujarat
startup offering specialized solutions for
B. Kerala
C. Tamil Nadu Corporates & Commercial Buildings, has
D. Andhra Pradesh developed world’s 1st contactless Visitor
E. None of these Management Software called ‘VAMS SafeGuard’
that checks body temperature, scan faces with
Correct Answer – C. Tamil Nadu
mask compliance & monitors social distancing on
Explanation: The Government of Tamil Nadu
started the preliminary works on implementing the premise.
the Solar Fence Farmland Protection Programme,
15. Name the Classical musician who was having
under the Central Agriculture Improvement
an equal command over Hindustani as well as
Scheme. This scheme is to protect agricultural
Carnatic music, passed away.
lands of the districts which have the western
A. M. S. Subbulakshmi
ghats as their boundaries and are at risk of
B. Shyamala G. Bhave
animal(Elephant) attacks.
C. Kishori Amonkar
13. According to the SBI Ecowrap report, what is D. Begum Akhtar
the estimated GDP of India in last quarter (Q4) E. None of these
of FY20
Correct Answer – B. Shyamala G. Bhave
A. 1.2%
Explanation: Classical musician Shyamala G.
B. 1.1%
C. 1.4% Bhave passed away. She was having an equal
D. 1.0% command over Hindustani as well as Carnatic
E. None of these music. She had also composed music in India’s
first Sanskrit serial titled “Kadambari”. She had
Correct Answer – A. 1.2% also served at the Karnataka Sangeeta Nrithya
Academy from 1997 to 2001. The renowned
vocalist was honoured with title of “Ubhaya
Gaana Vidushi (expert in both styles)” and also Monthly GK & CA Quiz :
composed music for some films, including the
first Sanskrit film “Adi Shankaracharya”. She was 30th & 31st May 2020
also the recipient of Karnataka Rajyotsava Award.
1. Which of the following NBFCs has entered Correct Answer – C. International Olympic
into an agreement with Narmada Basin Projects Committee (IOC)
Company Ltd. (NBPCL) to fund projects worth Explanation: The World Health Organization
₹22,000 crore in Madhya Pradesh. (WHO) and the International Olympic Committee
A. Power Finance Corporation (PFC) (IOC) have teamed up to fight the battle against
B. India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited Covid-19 and have signed an agreement to work
(IIFCL) together to promote health through sport and
C. PTC India Financial Services Limited (PIFSL) physical activity. The collaboration is to work
D. Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited with host countries to ensure Health of athletes,
(IRFCL) supporters and workers at the games. The two
E. None of these
institutions will also work to ensure that the
Correct Answer: A. Power Finance Corporation games leave a healthy legacy in host countries
(PFC) through enhanced awareness of the value of
sport.
Explanation: Power Finance Corporation (PFC)
has entered into an agreement with Narmada 3. Who among the following has been
Basin Projects Company Ltd to fund projects appointed as a member of the Olympic Channel
worth ₹22,000 crore in Madhya Pradesh. The Commission by the International Olympic
funds will be deployed by NBPCL for setting up Committee (IOC)?
hydroelectric projects of 225 MW and power A. Surinder Mohan Bali
components of 12 major multipurpose projects in B. Narinder Dhruv Batra
state. PFC is a central PSU under Ministry of C. Anandeshwar Panday
Power and one of India's leading NBFCs. D. Janardhan Singh Gehlot
Narmada Basin Projects Company Ltd. (NBPCL) is E. None of these
a wholly-owned company of Madhya Pradesh
government. Correct Answer – B. Narinder Dhruv Batra
Explanation: Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
2. Recently, the WHO has partnered with which
president Narinder Batra has been appointed as
of the following world sport body to work
together to promote health through sport and a member of the Olympic Channel Commission.
physical activity? In a letter to International Olympic Committee
president Thomas Bach, Mr. Batra, who had
A. Badminton World Federation become an IOC member in June last year,
B. International Cricket Council (ICC)
expressed his gratitude after being selected for
C. International Olympic Committee (IOC)
D. International Hockey Federation (IFH) the role. The Olympic Channel Commission
E. None of these advises the IOC Session, the IOC Executive Board
and the IOC president and provides guidance
throughout the launch and operation of the
Olympic Channel. The 63-year-old Batra had Mastercard’s worldwide and nearby involvement
earlier served as the president of Hockey India with developing advanced financial solutions and
(2014-2016) and Asian Hockey Federation (2003- Airtel Payments Bank’s circulation system to
2013). He was also the treasurer of Delhi & arrive at the last mile and its large customer
District Cricket Association between 2003 to base.
2013.
6. What is the length of the tunnel built by
4. Who among the following has been authored Border Roads Organisation on Rishikesh-
the book titled “The Ickabog”? Dharasu Highway (NH 94) in Uttarakhand under
A. Philip Pullman ”Char Dham” project?
B. Judy Blume A. 310 KM
C. Beverly Cleary B. 450 KM
D. JK Rowling C. 440 KM
E. None of these D. 340 KM
E. None of these
Correct Answer – D. JK Rowling
Explanation: The “Harry Potter” author, JK Correct Answer – C. 440 KM
Rowling will release her latest book, “The Explanation: Union Minister for Road Transport,
Ickabog”, online for free, for the children during Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated the 440 metre-
this lockdown period. The Ickabog’ is a story long tunnel as part of the Chardham Connectivity
about truth and the abuse of power. The first Project in Chamba. The tunnel will significantly
two chapters of The Ickabog are available for reduce the time taken by travellers on the
free. Rowling has pledged to donate all royalties Rishikesh-Dharasu and Gangotri stretch of the
when the book is published to “groups who’ve Chardham Highway (NH 94).
been particularly impacted by the pandemic.” 7. Tsai Ing-wen has been re-elected as the
president of which of the following country -
5. Which of the following payments bank has
A. Hong Kong
collaborated with Mastercard to create
B. Tibet
customised financial products for Indian farmers
C. Thailand
and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)?
D. Taiwan
A. Jio Payments Bank
E. None of these
B. Paytm Payments Bank
C. Airtel Payments Bank Correct Answer – D. Taiwan
D. India Post Payments Bank Explanation: Tsai Ing-wen (63), the current and
E. None of these first female President of Taiwan has been re-
Correct Answer – C. Airtel Payments Bank elected for a second four-year term of
Explanation: Airtel Payments Bank has presidency. A representative of Democratic
collaborated with Mastercard to create Progressive Party (DPP).
customised financial products for Indian farmers
8. Name of the company which has acquired
and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). These
Amsterdam based Etergo BV to launch 2-
financial products particularly for those wheeler Electric Vehicles?
territories where there is less access to bank A. Ola Electric
administrations. The coordinated effort will unite B. Tata Nexon EV
C. Maruti Suzuki C. Mirage 2000
D. Hyundai Kona Electric D. Tejas Mk-1 FOC
Correct Answer – A. Ola Electric Correct Answer – D. Tejas Mk-1 FOC

Explanation: Ola Electric acquired the
Netherlands-based Etergo BV, an innovative Explanation: Tejas Mk-1 FOC aircraft has been
electric scooter company for an undisclosed sum, inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) into the
as the former has planned to set its own line of recently resurrected No 18 Squadron the “Flying
premium electric two-wheelers, both globally Bullets” at Air Force Station Sulur. Tejas Mk-1
and nationally. Ola electric will launch its global FOC is a single engine, light weight, highly agile
electric two-wheeler in India in 2021.Etergo BV and all weather multi role fighter aircraft. The
has developed an all-electric state-of-the-art aircraft is capable of air-to-air refueling and
AppScooter, which has won multiple awards hence makes the Squadron the first in the IAF to
across the world for its innovative design and induct this platform. Chief of the Air Staff (CAS)
engineering. Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria operationalised
the Squadron. The Squadron comes under the
9. Who among the following has been elected as operational control of Southern Air Command
next President of New Development Bank and hence it will responsible for the integration
(NDB). of the Squadron into the IAF Concept of
A. Marcos Troyjo Operations. The Tejas Mk-1 FOC aircraft is India’s
B. Urjit Patel indigenous fighter aircraft and hence marks an
C. Lesetja Kganyago important milestone in the country’s indigenous
D. Roberto Campos Neto fighter aircraft program along with providing
E. None of these significant boost to the ‘Make In India’ initiative.
Correct Answer – A. Marcos Troyjo 11. Recently, S&P Global Ratings has slashed
Explanation: Marcos Troyjo has been elected as India’s GDP growth rate to ___ in the Fiscal Year
next President of New Development Bank (NDB). 2021.
He was unanimously elected during the Special
A. 4.9%
Board of Governors meeting of the NDB which
B. 5.0%
was held through the video-conference. He will
C. 2.0%
be taking charge as the President of NDB from
D. 1.5%
July 7, 2020. India was represented by the Union
E. None of these
Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala
Sitharaman in the video-conference.
Correct Answer: B. 5.0%
 Marcos Troyjo from Brazil has been Explanation: S&P Global Ratings has slashed
elected as next President of NDB. India’s GDP growth rate to 5% in the Fiscal Year
 Anil Kishora from India has been elected 2021. The reduction in the growth rates has been
as next Vice President and CRO of the made due to slump in the economic activities in
NDB. the whole country amid lockdown imposed to
10. Which of the following aircraft that has been contain Covid-19 pandemic. S&P Global Ratings
recently inducted by the Indian Air Force? stated that two months of lockdown have led to
A. Tejas CK-145 a sudden stop in the economy which has led to
B. MiG-21
contaraction in the GDP growth rates of the 14. The World Dugong Day celebrated every
present fiscal year. year on which day-
A. 29th May
12. Name of the person who has been B. 28th May
recommended to appoint as the Chairman and C. 30th May
MD of the Oriental Insurance Company (OIC) by D. 27th May
Banks Board Bureau (BBB)? E. None of these
A. Shikha Sharma Correct Answer – B. 28th May
B. V. Vidyavathi Explanation: World Dugong Day is celebrated on
C. SN Rajeswari 28th May, every year. This year (2020) the day is
D. R Sreelekha being celebrated with the theme of “Save
E. None of these dugong, save livelihood”. Dugong (Dugong
Correct Answer – C. SN Rajeswari dugon) also called ‘Sea Cow’ is one of the four
Explanation: New India Assurance, General surviving species in the Order Sirenia and it is the
Manager, SN Rajeswari, has been selected as the only existing species of herbivorous mammal that
Chairman and MD of the Oriental Insurance lives exclusively in the sea including in India. They
Company (OIC) by Banks Board Bureau (BBB). She are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and
will replace AV Girija Kumar, who retiring this are protected in India under Schedule I of the
month end after reaching 60. BBB had conducted Wild (Life) Protection Act, 1972.
virtual interviews of five senior general managers
of the public sector general insurance industry, 15. Who among the following will be the first
with two years of residual services untill May woman Director General (DG) of Police in
2022,to select a CMD of OIC. Kerala?
A. Shikha Sharma
13. Who among the following appointed as the B. V. Vidyavathi
CEO of Simon & Schuster, an American C. Jahnabi Phookan
publishing company? D. R Sreelekha
A. Tom Doherty E. None of these
B. Jonathan Karp
C. Markus Dohle Correct Answer D. R Sreelekha
D. Thierry Delaporte Explanation: R Sreelekha will be the first woman
E. None of these Director General of Police in Kerala. The Kerala
government appointed her as Fire and Rescue
Correct Answer – B. Jonathan Karp Services DGP. She is a 1987 batch officer, she is
Explanation: Jonathan Karp, who has worked also the first woman IPS officer of Kerala.
with authors ranging from Sen. Edward M. Presently an Additional Director General of
Kennedy to Susan Orlean, has been named the Police, she currently heads the Prisons and
Correctional Services Department.
new chief executive of Simon & Schuster. He
replaces Carolyn Reidy, who died two weeks ago. 16. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has
Karp, who joined the company in 2010, most granted a loan of ------------ loan to India to
recently served as president and publisher of upgrade 450 kms of state highways and major
Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing. district roads in Maharashtra.
A. US $ 200
B. US $ 177
C. US $ 250 18. The RBI has imposed ₹5 crore fine on which
D. US $ 155 public sector banks (PSB) for violating certain
E. None of these provisions.
A. United Bank of India
Correct Answer – B. US $ 177 B. Punjab National Bank
Explanation: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) C. Bank of India
has granted a loan of US $ 177 loan to India to D. Canara Bank
upgrade 450 kms of state highways and major E. None of these
district roads in Maharashtra. As part of the
Correct Answer – C. Bank of India
project, 2 major district roads and 11 state Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
highways, with a combined length of 450 km, to imposed a penalty of Rs 6.50 crore on Karnataka
2-lane standard across seven districts of Bank, Bank of India and Saraswat Co-operative
Maharashtra will be upgraded, with improved Bank for non-compliance with central bank's
connectivity to national highways, interstate Income Recognition and Asset Classification
roads, seaports, airports, rail hubs, district norms. It fined Rs 5 crore on Bank of India, while
it charged Rs 1.20 crore and Rs 30 lakh from
headquarters, industrial areas, enterprise
Karnataka Bank and Saraswat Cooperative Bank,
clusters and agricultural areas. The project will respectively. For Bank of India, the fine was
also focus on training the Maharashtra Public imposed because it violated certain provisions on
Works Department (PWD) project staff to build asset classification, divergence, opening of
their capacity in climate change adaptation and current accounts, and classification and reporting
disaster-resilient features in road design, road of frauds.
maintenance planning and road safety. 19. Name the noted Urdu author, humorist and
satirist who passed away recently.
17. The International Day of United Nations
A. Khalid Jawed
Peacekeepers celebrated on which day-
B. Mujtaba Hussain
A. 29th May
C. Razaul Jabbar
B. 28th May
D. Shakeelur Rahman
C. 30th May
E. None of these
D. 27th May
E. None of these Correct Answer – B. Mujtaba Hussain
Correct Answer – A. 29th May Explanation: Noted Urdu author, humorist and
Explanation: International Day of UN satirist Mujtaba Hussain passed away. He was
born on July 15, 1936, in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Peacekeepers 2020 will be observed on May 29.
Hussain was described as the Mark Twain of
The theme for this year’s Day is “Women in Urdu. He began his literary career from “Siasat”,
Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace” to help mark the a leading Urdu daily published from Hyderabad.
20th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Hussain was awarded the Padma Shri, the
Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and country’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2007.
Security. The first UN peacekeeping mission was He published a book titled “Mujtaba Hussain
established on 29th May 1948, when the Security Jaisa Dekha Jaisa Paya” and “Mujtaba Hussain
Aayeinon ke Beech” (deals with his art and
Council authorized the deployment of a small
styles).
number of UN military observers to the Middle
East.
20. Who among the following former Tamil 1966-67. Shanmugam played for Mohun Bagan in
Nadu footballer and coach passed away 1968, Indian Railways in the 1969 Nowgong
recently. senior Nationals, Tamil Nadu in the 1970
A. P. K. Banerjee
Jalandhar & ’71 Chennai senior Nationals. He’s
B. I.M. Vijayan
C. R. Shanmugam played for the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) from
D. Subrata Pal 1969-77 in the top-tier of the Chennai Football
E. None of these Association (CFA) league. He attended the FIFA
Coca Cola coaching course in 1978 & ’91, and the
Correct Answer – C. R. Shanmugam
Olympic solidarity course in 1996. He obtained
Explanation: Former Tamil Nadu footballer and diplomas in football coaching from the National
coach R. Shanmugam passed away. Shanmugam, Institute of Sports in 1975-76 and the Brazilian
who was born in Burma in 1943, represented the Football Academy in 1995.
Burmese junior and senior national teams in

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Monthly CA Digest May 2020 – GK & Current Affairs

2. Economy,Business & Banking Current Affairs 146-195

3. State Wise Current Affairs 196-201

4. Latest Appointments (National & International) 202-210

5. Agreements & MoU May 2020 210-213

6. Awards and Honours May 2020 213-219

7. Important Days May 2020 219-227

8. Books & Authors May 2020 227-232

9. Summits & Conferences May 2020 232-235

10. Obituaries May 2020 235-241

11. 400+ Monthly GK & CA Questions with Answers 242-358

National & International Current Affairs May

AGENCIES AND MINISTRIES INVOLVED

DATA STORAGE AND COLLECTION

FLOW OF DATA IN ORDER TO TAKE AN ACTION

ABOUT AROGYA SETU APP

 Office under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

 The Union Ministry of MSME launched CHAMPIONS portal.

ABOUT THE PORTAL

 It is a technology driven Control Room-Cum-Management Information System which is a real one-

ABOUT CHAMPION CONTROL ROOMS

 Union Minister of MSME-Nitin Gadkari

 Enterprises engaged in the manufacture or production of goods pertaining to any industry

ENTERPRISES INVESTMENT IN PLANT AND MACHINERY

ENTERPRISES INVESTMENT IN EQUIPMENTS

ABOUT FIR AAPKE DWAR YOJANA

 The home minister also launched "Dial-112" scheme.

STATIC INFO (MP)

ICMR, NCDC to initiate a population-based Sero-survey in selected districts

ABOUT SERO SURVEY

WHO ALL WILL BE COVERED UNDER THE SURVEY

PROCESS OF THE SURVEY

ABOUT IgG (Immunoglobulin G)

Pranavayu Programme launched in Bengaluru, Karanataka

 Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has launched Pranavayu programme in Bengaluru.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

 The program aims to create awareness through advertisements in media.

KARNATAKA (STATIC INFO)

 It is a fully autonomous MobileMicrobial Containment Lab.

 One of the oldest medical colleges in

ABOUT BSL (Bio Safety) - Level Three

 Set of biocontainmentprecautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed

ABOUT Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL)

About Collateral Free Loans-

About Subordinated Debt-

Government announces Rs 50,000 Crore Fund of Funds to boost MSMEs

What is the New Definition of MSMEs ?

Government announces Rs 50,000 crore liquidity through TDS/TCS Rate Reduction

Explanation with Example-

What does this mean-

Will the bank also pass on this TDS benefit to customers?

About Income tax

EPF Contribution reduced, Take home salaries to Increase

 The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (abbreviated to EPFO), is an organization tasked to

V. Vidyavathi appointed new Director General of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India)

 IAS officer V. Vidyavathi is appointed as the new Director-General of Archaeological Survey of

About Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) -

FM announced 2% interest subvention on smallest category of MUDRA-Shishu loans

Types of Loans Provided-

 Shishu : covering loans upto 50,000/-

 Operated By- 'Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Bank'

Rs 5,000 crore credit facility to be given to 50 lakh street vendors