Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF 15 To 21 April

Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF 15 to 21 April
Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs 3rd week of April
2020. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk, RBI Assistant and other
competitive exams can make use of it.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

World Chagas Disease Day
 The first-ever World Chagas Disease Day is from 2020 onwards, April 14 is marked as a day to spread
awareness about this "silent and silenced disease"
World Art Day
 World Art Day is celebrated every year on April 15 globally. The date of April 15 was chosen in honour of
Leonardo Da Vinci’s birthday.
World Voice Day
 World Voice Day (WVD) is a worldwide annual event that takes place on April 16 devoted to the celebration of
the phenomenon of voice.
 The theme for this year's celebration is Focus on Your Voice in 2020
World Haemophilia Day
 World Haemophilia Day is observed on 17 April every year to increase awareness about haemophilia disease
and other inherited bleeding disorders.
 The theme of World Hemophilia Day in 2020 is “Get+involved”
International Day For Monuments and Sites
 The International Day for Monuments and Sites also known as World Heritage Day is an international
observance held on 18 April each year around the world. Theme 2020- Shared Cultures, Shared Heritage,
Shared Responsibility
World Liver Day
 World liver day is observed on every 19 April, to spread awareness about liver related disease.
 The liver is the second largest and the most complex organ in the body, with the exception of the brain. It is a
key player in your body's digestive system.
UN Chinese Language Day
 UN Chinese Language Day is observed annually on April 20
 The event was established by the UN Department of Public Information in 2010
National Civil Service Day
 Every year on 21 April Civil Service Day is celebrated to rededicate and to recommit themselves to the cause of
the people.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Fit India, CBSE to organise 1st-ever live fitness sessions for School students@
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 Fit India and CBSE will organise first-ever live fitness sessions for school students in the second phase of
lockdown. Live sessions will commence from 9:30 morning and students can get access to these live sessions
on Facebook and Instagram handles of Fit India Movement and CBSE.
DST creates Integrated geospatial platform to help area-specific strategies & decisions in COVID-19
outbreak
 Department of Science and Technology of Government of India has created an Integrated Geospatial Platform
out of available geospatial datasets, standards-based services, and analytic tools to help decision making
during the current COVID-19 outbreak and aid devising area-specific strategies to handle the socio-economic
impact in the recovery phase.
Govt launches All India Agri Transport Call Centre for inter-state movement of perishables
 Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the All India Agri Transport Call Centre at Krishi Bhavan in
New Delhi. This will facilitate inter-state movement of perishables in the current situation of lockdown due to the
COVID-19 threat.
MEA announces COVID-19 training program for healthcare professionals from SAARC countries
 The External Affairs Ministry has announced a training programme on COVID-19 for healthcare professionals
from SAARC countries.
 The training programme will be carried out by the Central government's Indian Technical and Economic
Cooperation (ITEC) programme.
Centre releases 7,300 crore rupees to States & UTs under MGNREGS
 Centre has released 7,300 crore rupees to the States and Union Territories under Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to liquidate pending dues of last financial year but also the
wage dues for the first fortnight of 2020-21.
Govt-appointed panel proposes institutional framework for valuers, moots National Institute of
Valuers
 The government-appointed committee of experts has proposed an institutional framework for valuers by way of
setting up the National Institute of Valuers. The panel, headed by IBBI (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of
India) Chairperson M S Sahoo, has also submitted the 'Draft Valuers Bill, 2020'.
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman attends the Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial
Committee (IMFC) of the IMF through video-conference
 Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman attended through video-conference the
Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee, the Ministerial-level committee of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF.
NIRDPR and UNICEF training community leaders online to combat COVID-19
 More than 28.33 lakh community leaders are being trained through online programmes to practise social
behaviours required to control the transmission of COVID-19 cases in villages, the National Institute of Rural
Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) stated.
 The programme is being conducted in collaboration with UNICEF Hyderabad Field Office.
Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel launches the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
of India in New Delhi

 Union Minister for Culture (I/C) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched the National List of Intangible Cultural
Heritage (ICH) of India in New Delhi.
Govt constitutes 6 Inter-Ministerial Central Teams to make on-spot assessment of COVID-19
situation
 Union Government has constituted six Inter-Ministerial Central Teams to make on-spot assessment of
COVID-19 situation, issue necessary directions to State Authorities for its redressal and submit their
report to the Centre.
Govt launches online data pool of critical human resource for combating and containing COVID-
19arriors.gov.in
 Government has launched online data pool of critical human resource for combating and containing COVID-19,
created an online data pool on www.covidwarriors.gov.in of doctors including nurses and other health care
professionals, volunteers from National Yuva Kendras, NCC, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and ex-
Servicemen for use by the ground level administration at state, district or municipal levels.
Centre forms high-level task force to develop vaccines, drugs
 The government announced setting up of a new task force to work on the development of vaccines and
potential drugs as India continues to see rising number of covid-19 cases.
 The high-level task force will be headed by member NITI Aayog professor Vinod Paul and Principal Scientific
Advisor to the government, K Vijayraghavan. It will work on various science frontiers to develop vaccines and
drugs for the deadly virus.
BRO constructs bridge in record time on a key road connecting strategic areas in APir
 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed bridge over Subansiri river in Arunachal Pradesh in a record
span of just 27 days. BRO undertook the developmental work for construction of the Daporijo bridge maintaining
utmost precautions against COVID-19.
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CBSE:  V. Muraleedharan (Minister of State),
 Headquarters location: New Delhi Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India:
 Chairperson: Anita Karwal, IAS  M. S. Sahoo, Chairperson
Department of Science and Technology (DST):  Founded: 1 October 2016
 Headquarters location: New Delhi  Headquarters: New Delhi
 Minister of State Dr. Harsh Vardhan is head Finance Ministry:
of the department  Union Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman,
 Ashutosh Sharma is its present secretary  Deputy Minister: Anurag Thakur, Minister of
Agriculture Ministry: State for Finance
 Narendra Singh Tomar, (Cabinet Minister)  Ajay Bhushan Pandey ,IAS, Finance
 Parsottambhai Rupala (Minister of State) Secretary & Revenue Secretary
 Kailash Choudhary , (Minister of State) UNICEF:
External Affairs Ministry:  Headquarters: New York, United States
 Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Minister)  Head: Henrietta H. Fore
 Constituency : Gujarat ,Rajya Sabha

UNESCO: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:

 Headquarters- Paris, France  Headquarters: New Delhi
 Head- Audrey Azoulay  Officeholders: Harsh Vardhan ( Union
 Founded- 16 November 1945 Minister), Faggan Singh Kulaste (Minister of
Union Minister for Culture State)
 Minister of Culture and Minister of Tourism Border Roads Organisation (BRO):
of India- Prahlad Singh Patel  Headquarters: New Delhi
 Constituency- Damoh Loksabha  Director General: Lt. Gen.Harpal Singh
Constituency in Madhya Pradesh
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

Donald Trump halts World Health Organization funding over handling of coronavirus
 US President Donald Trump has announced that he has instructed his administration to stop US funding for the
World Health Organization (WHO), which he accused of grossly mismanaging and covering-up the spread of
the novel coronavirus.
South Korea holds parliamentary election under strict safety measures amid Covid-19 pandemic
 South Koreans began going to the polls to elect members of parliament, wearing masks and plastic gloves as
part of strict safety measures in one of the first national elections held amid the coronavirus pandemic.
UN releases $2.5 million to help cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu
 The United Nations released $2.5 million from its emergency humanitarian fund to help thousands of people in
the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu affected by Cyclone Harold and offered support to other hard-hit
countries.
IMF proposes to deploy its full 1 trillion US Dollar lending capacity to support countries
 International Monetary Fund (IMF) has proposed to deploy its full 1 trillion US Dollar lending capacity to support
countries battling COVID-19 outbreak.
WHO launches interactive COVID-19 service on Facebook Messenger
 The World Health Organisation has come up with an interactive method which uses Facebook Messenger to
eradicate false information being spread about coronavirus.
IMF approves over USD 1.3 billion emergency financing to Pakistan
 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved USD 1.3 billion in emergency financing to Pakistan to address
the economic impact of the COVID-19 shock.
China earmarks $10 million from its ADB Trust Fund to address COVID-19 challenges in developing
Asia
 The Government of the People’s Republic China (PRC) has earmarked a total amount of $10 million in
its Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund to support the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in
assisting its developing member countries (DMCs) to address their novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
challenges.
Facebook launches third party fact checking in Bangladesh

 Facebook announced the launch of its third party fact checking system in Bangladesh to discourage the spread
of fake news in the country. Facebook in partnership with Boom Fact check will review and rate the stories,
including photos and videos.
China begins testing of digital currency
 China's central bank has started testing its official digital currency, pressing ahead with its plan to roll out a
virtual money payment system, days after Facebook-backed Libra scaled back its ambitions to become a global
currency, dubbed as DC/EP
India approves USD 1 million to Antigua as project outlay
 India has approved USD 1 million to Antigua as project outlay, with immediate assistance of USD 1,50,000 for
medical equipment to combat coronavirus crisis.
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WHO: Pakistan:
 Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland  Currency: Pakistani rupee
 Head: Tedros Adhanom  Capital: Islamabad
South Korea:  Prime minister: Imran Khan
 Capital: Seoul  President: Arif Alvi
 President: Moon Jae-in Facebook:
 Currency: South Korean won  Mark Zuckerberg :CEO, Chairperson
United Nations (UN):  Headquarters: California, United States
 Headquarters: New York, United States Bangladesh:
 Secretary general: António Guterres  Capital: Dhaka
 General Assembly President: Tijjani  Currency: Bangladeshi taka
Muhammad-Bande  Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
International Monetary Fund (IMF): China:
 Headquarters: Washington, D.C. U.S.  President: Xi Jinping
 Managing Director : Kristalina Georgieva  Capital: Beijing
 Chief Economist : Gita Gopinath  Currency: Renminbi
Antigua:
 Capital: Saint John's
 Currency : eastern Caribbean dollar
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

HDFC Chairman pushes for restructuring of NPA norms
 HDFC ChairmanDeepak Parekh pushed for a one-time restructuring of stressed real estate accounts and
relaxation in classification of NPA norms to 180 days from 90 days to help the sector.
Govt launches Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme 2020-21

 The Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, is going to launch new series of
the Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) Scheme, which will open for subscription from April 20. The Sovereign Gold
Bonds will be issued in six tranches from April 20 to 4 September
Equitas Small Finance Bank steps up digital banking services
 Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited (the "Bank"), the largest small finance bank ("SFB") in India in terms of
number of banking outlets offers digital banking with Selfe FDs and Selfe savings accounts during the national/
regional lockdown with NO physical contact or branch visits; just self on boarding by new customers.
HDFC Bank launches Safety Grid campaign for social distancing
 HDFC Bank has launched a campaign to encourage and reinforce social distancing while waiting at shops.
 Using the outer grid of HDFC Bank logo, it has created physical markers on the ground to help people maintain
the World Health Organisation (WHO) prescribed social distance while waiting in queue at a shop or an
establishment.
RBI to inject Rs.25,000 cr via TLTRO on April 17
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI, stated it will conduct the fourth tranche of targeted long-term repo operation
(TLTRO) of three-year tenor to inject Rs.25,000 crore liquidity into the banking system
RBI cuts reverse repo rate from 4 per cent to 3.75 per cent
 RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announces slew of measures to tackle Covid-19 crisis
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Shaktikanta Das, stated that the apex bank has cut the reverse
repo rate from 4 per cent to 3.75 per cent. The repo rate remains unchanged.
 Das also stated that the 90-day NPA norm will not to apply on to the moratorium granted on the existing loans
by banks.
Economic growth may fall to 1.1 per cent this fiscal due to coronavirus: SBI report
 India's GDP growth may slide to 1.1 per cent in the current financial year, on account of the impact of
coronavirus outbreak on the economy, a research report by SBI
RBI raises WMA limit to Rs.2-lakh crore in H1 FY21
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the Government of India, has revised the limit for Ways
and Means Advances (WMA) for the remaining part of the first half of FY21 (April 2020 to September 2020)
to Rs.2-lakh crore
ICICI Bank launches voice banking services on Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
 ICICI Bank has launched voice assistance-based banking services for its customers and they can check
balance, seek credit card details as well as ask other queries among others through this application.
 The bank has integrated its artificial intelligence (AI) powered multi-channel chatbot iPal with Amazon Alexa and
Google Assistant through which its retail banking customers can undertake host of banking services through
voice commands
RBI announces calendar of MPC meetings for current financial year
 The Reserve Bank of India has announced the calendar of the meetings of the Monetary Policy Committee
(MPC) for the current financial year. The decision of the first meet will be announced on June 5, this year.

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HDFC:  Deputy Governors– 3 (Bibhu Prasad
 CEO: Aditya Puri Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael
 Headquarters: Mumbai DebabrataPatra)
 Tagline :We understand your world Equitas Small Finance Bank:
 Headquarters location: Chennai
 Shri Arun Ramanathan (Part-time
Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) Scheme: Chairman);
 SGBs are government securities  Mr. Vasudevan P N (MD & CEO)
denominated in grams of gold. They are SBI:
substitutes for holding physical gold.  Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
Investors have to pay the issue price in cash  Headquarters: Mumbai
and the bonds will be redeemed in cash on  Pure banking, nothing else” “With you- all
maturity. The Bond is issued by Reserve the way” “A bank of the common man” “The
Bank on behalf of Government of India. banker to every indian”
RBI: ICICI:
 Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra  Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
 Formation– 1 April 1935  MD and CEO- Sandeep Bakhshi
 Governor– Shaktikanta Das
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Apollo and Airtel launches self-assessment tool for Covid 19 risk
 Bharti Airtel and Apollo Hospitals Group has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)enabled tool which will help
people to check their coronavirus risk profile.
India, China will register positive growth rate despite Coronavirus pandemic: IMF
 International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated India and China are the only two major countries, which will
register a positive growth rate despite Coronavirus pandemic.
 IMF has projected India's GDP growth to be 1.9 per cent in 2020 from 5.8 per cent in January. For China, it has
projected a growth rate of 1.2 per cent.
Tata AIA becomes the first Life Insurance company to announce Additional Benefits Related to
COVID-19
 As part of Tata AIA Life's initiative, its individual policyholders will get COVID-19 related additional benefit up to
Rs 500,000 at no additional cost.
 Further, to extend the Circle of Protection to its own Agents, all 'active' Agents of Tata AIA Life Insurance along
with their spouse and children will be reimbursed up to Rs 25,000 in case of hospitalisation due to COVID-19.
Google launches 'journalism relief fund,' following Facebook
 Google stated it will launch an emergency fund to help local news outlets struggling to maintain operations in
the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
 The internet giant gave no specific figure for its fund, but stated it would offer grants ranging from the "low
thousands of dollars" for the smallest operations to "low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms."

Asia may see zero per cent growth in 2020 due to coronavirus pandemic: IMF
 Asia is expected to witness zero per cent growth in 2020 due COVID-19 pandemic, its worst growth
performance in almost 60 years, but still the world's largest and most populous continent is likely to fare better
than other regions in terms of activity, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated.
FICCI Calls For Interest-Free, Collateral-Free Loans To Support Msmes Amid COVID-19 Lockdown
 The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has called for interest-free and
collateral-free loans to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which form a vital component of
India's economy and are suffering due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Beijing-based AIIB mulls $500 mn funding for healthcare system in India
 The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is considering a proposal for financing $500-million project in
India to strengthen country's national health care systems. The scope of funding will also include the purchase
of equipment and detection capacity as country battles COVID-19 pandemic.
Fitch cuts India's GDP growth forecast to 1.8%
 Fitch Solutions cut India's economic growth forecast for the financial year 2020-21 to 1.8 per cent saying private
consumption is likely to contract due to large-scale loss of income in the face of worsening domestic outbreak of
COVID-19.
ADB Ventures raises $50 million, exceeding fund capitalisation target
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated that ADB Ventures, its new impact investment platform, will soon
start operations after successfully raising the equivalent of 50 million dollars from multilateral and bilateral
development partners and exceeding its first fund close target.
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Airtel: Google:
 CEO: Gopal Vittal  CEO: Sundar Pichai
 Sunil Bharti Mittal (Chairman)  Headquarters: California, United States
 Headquarters : Delhi Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
International Monetary Fund (IMF): Industry (FICCI)
 Headquarters: Washington, D.C. U.S.  Headquarters location: New Delhi
 Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva  Sangita Reddy: President
 Chief Economist : Gita Gopinath Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Tata AIA Life Insurance  President : Jin Liqun
 CEO: Rishi Srivastava  Headquarters: Beijing, China
 Headquarters: Mumbai Fitch ratings:
 Founded: 2000  Headquarters: New York City, U.S.
 Paul Taylor, CEO of Fitch Group
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Baisakhi, Bihu, Vishu, Poila Boishakh, Puthandu

 The Eastern, Northern & Southern parts of the country celebrate their first harvest festival of the year - Baisakhi,
Bihu, Vishu, Poila Boishak & Puthandu - with vigour and fervour. Every year, the festivals fall on April 13 or April
14, based on the Hindu or Sikh Calendar.
Robots to serve food, medicine to COVID-19 patients in Jharkhand
 Robots will serve food and give medicine to Covid-19 patients in two hospitals in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum
district, in a step to protect doctors and health workers from getting infected with coronavirus.
Uttar Pradesh govt decides to promote all students from class 6 to 9 & 11 following lockdown
 Uttar Pradesh government has decided to promote all students from classes 6 to 9 and class 11 affiliated with
UP Board without final exams. Now these students will move to the next grade without appearing for the final
examinations.
e-comic Textbooks launched in Manipur
 Manipur State Education (School) Department has launched electronic format comic textbooks for class III to V
for Mathematics, Environmental Studies and English Language in a motive to make up the gaps for the
academic situation arises due to lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Karnataka CM to inaugurate mobile testing Kiosk for COVID 19 in Bengaluru JP
 Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will inaugurate a mobile testing Kiosk for COVID19 in Bengaluru.
The mobile kiosk developed by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences can be deployed in Corona Virus
hotspots and clusters to procure the throat swabs according to the guidelines issued by ICMR.
UP first state to get ICMR nod for 'pool testing' of samples for coronavirus
 Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in India to get the approval by the Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) for "pool testing" of samples of COVID-19 suspects in order to increase the rate of sample testing in the
state with soaring cases.
New pit viper in Arunachal Pradesh named after Harry Potter character
 The new species, Trimeresurus salazar is the fifth variety of reptile to have been discovered in Arunachal
Pradesh in a little more than a year.
 A group of researchers who recorded this serpent has named it Salazar’s pit viper
Uttar Pradesh becomes first state to geotag community kitchens
 Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country to geotag its 7,368 community kitchens and community
shelters across 75 districts which produce 12 lakh food packets a day, a senior official stated.
Rajasthan Government Partners With Healthcare App 'Aayu' to Tackle Coronavirus Pandemic
 Rajasthan government has exclusively partnered with healthcare startup MedCords to provide 24x7 online
consultation and medicine delivery to the people of Rajasthan as the State battles to control cases of
Coronavirus. Through its integrated solution -Aayu & Sehat Sathi app, MedCords will help over 68 Million of
people in Rajasthan through this collaboration.
Kerala’s Pathanamthitta launches Tiranga vehicle for rapid screening of symptoms
 The vehicle, called Tiranga – Total India Remote Analysis Nirogya Abhiyaan – is painted amid the tricolour on
the vehicle so that people would immediately recognise it as an initiative of the government and leave the health
workers alone.

Himachal Pradesh to provide free online medical consultation to sick people through e-sanjeevani-
opd
 The Himachal Pradesh Health Department has come up with a unique idea of providing free online medical
consultation to sick people at their residence through e-sanjeevani-opd
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Jharkhand:  Governor- B D Mishra

 Chief minister: Hemant Soren Chattisgarh:
 Capital: Ranchi  Capital- Raipur
 Governor :Draupadi Murmu  Chief Minister- Bhupesh Baghel
Uttar Pradesh:  Governor- Anusuiya Uikey
 Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath Rajasthan :
 Governor: Anandiben Patel  Governor: Kalraj Mishra
 Capital: Lucknow  Capital: Jaipur
Manipur:  Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot
 Capital: Imphal Kerala:
 Governor: Najma Heptulla  Capital- Trivandrum
 Chief minister: N. Biren Singh  CM- Pinarayi Vijayan
Karnataka:  Governor- Arif Mohammed Khan
 Chief minister: B. S. Yediyurappa Himachal Pradesh:
 Capital: Bengaluru  Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
 Governor: Vajubhai Vala  Capitals: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala
Arunachal Pradesh: (Winter)
 Capital- Itanagar  Chief minister: Jai Ram Thakur
 Chief Minister- Pema Kandu
CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS

TVS Motor Company acquires Norton Motorcycles for Rs 153 crore
 TVS Motor Company has acquired Britain's Norton Motorcycles for GBP16 million (Rs 153.12 crore). One of the
most iconic British motorcycle brands of all time, Norton Motorcycles manufactures popular products like V4
RR, Dominator, Commando 961 Cafe Racer MK II and Commando 961 Sport MK II.
CCI approves Emerald Sage Investment's stake buy in Apollo Tyres
 The Competition Commission has approved acquisition of 9.93 per cent stake in Apollo Tyres by Emerald Sage
Investment.
 The proposed transaction relates to subscription of 10,80,00,000 compulsorily convertible preference shares of
Rs 100 each of Apollo Tyres by Emerald.

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CCI:  Chairperson– Ashok Kumar Gupta
 It is a statutory body of India, responsible for the TVS Company:
implementation of the Competition Act, 2002 &  Headquarters: Chennai
established by the Centre with effect from 14th  CEO: K. N. Radhakrishnan
October 2003.  Founder: T. V. Sundaram Iyengar
 Headquarters– New Delhi
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS

National Agriculture Market portal e-NAM to complete four Years
 The pan-India Agriculture trading portal e-NAM will be completing four years of implementation.
 e-NAM was an innovative initiative in agricultural marketing to enhance farmers accessibility digitally to multiple
number of markets & buyers and to bring transparency in trade transactions with the intent to improve price
discovery mechanism, quality commensurate price realization and also to develop the concept of One Nation
One Market for agriculture produce.
Ministry of Tourism launches "DekhoApnaDesh" webinar series
 The ministry of tourism was launching the Dekho Apna Desh webinar series.
 The webinar series will provide information on the many destinations and the 'depth' and 'expanse' of the culture
and heritage of India. The first webinar on the history of Delhi and was titled " City of Cities- Delhi's Personal
Diary
'Kisan Rath' app to help farmers transport their farm produce
 Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched a farmer-friendly mobile
application Kisan Rath to facilitate farmers and traders in searching vehicles for primary and secondary
transportation of agriculture and horticulture produce.
Chhattisgarh Govt Launches Website For Home Delivery Of Fruits, Vegetables Amid Lockdown
 Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated the online delivery website 'Cghaat' to provide home
delivery of fruits and vegetables during the extended lockdown phase.
Delhi govt uses ‘Assess Koro Na’ app for door-to-door survey in containment zones
 The Delhi government has asked officials to use the new ‘Assess Koro Na’ app for door-to-door survey in
coronavirus containment zones to speed up decision-making by analysing real-time data, removing a major
obstacle in the efforts to contain the virus.
IIM-Kozhikode student-led team develops one-stop COVID-19 platform for accessing emergency
services
 An international team led by an Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) student has developed a vital
digital tool to fight misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The website ‘COVID FYI’ (covidfyi.in) is a
one-stop digital directory for all COVID-19 related services and helplines.
Instagram founders launch COVID-19 tracking website

 Instagram founders have launched a new COVID-19 tracking website, which brings live state-by-state updates
on the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. However, as of now, the website shows the updates of states in the
US only and not from around the globe.
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Tourism Ministry  Constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh.
 Minister of Tourism- Prahlad Singh Patel
 Constituency- Damoh Madhya Pradesh. Delhi
 CM- Arvind Kejriwal
 Governor- Anil Baijal
Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister
 Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
and Minister of Rural Development-
Narendra Singh Tomar
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND HONOURS

Paytm General Insurance Ltd names Vineet Arora as MD, CEO
 Digital payments major Paytm stated it has named Vineet Arora as the managing director and chief executive
officer of Paytm General Insurance Ltd
Ajay Mahajan appointed MD & CEO of Care Ratings
 Ajay Mahajan has been appointed as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of CARE Ratings for five
years commencing from April 15, 2020. He replaces Rajesh Mokashi, who resigned in December 2019.
IWF chief Tamas Ajan resigns amid corruption probe
 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) president Tamas Ajan resigned in the wake of allegations of
corruption and doping violations made in a documentary earlier this year.
Rohit Sharma becomes CricKingdom's brand ambassador
 India’s limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma has become brand ambassador of ‘CricKingdom’, a cricket
academy based in Dubai which will also facilitate coaching through its online platform after the global COVID-19
pandemic subsides.
Viswanathan Anand Joins WWF India As Ambassador For Environment Education
 Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand has joined WWF (World Wide Fund) India as its
ambassador for environment education programme. WWF India is celebrating its 50 years of conservation in
India.
BSNL CMD PK Purwar takes additional charge of MTNL
 BSNL’s Chairman and Managing Director PK Purwar took additional charge of MTNL.
 Purwar’s appointment seems to be a step towards the eventual merger of MTNL and BSNL, announced in
October 2019.
Indian-American Ro Khanna appointed to White House COVID-19 advisory council

 Indian-American Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has been appointed to the White House coronavirus
advisory council to combat the deadly disease in the US, which has seen a record number of deaths in the past
two days.
SC Collegium Recommends Appointment Of New Chief Justices For Bombay, Meghalaya and
Odisha High Courts
 The Supreme Court collegium, recommended the appointment of new chief justices to 3 high courts – Bombay,
Odisha and Meghalaya.
 Justice Dipankar Datta - Bombay high court.
 Justice Biswanath Somadder- Meghalaya high court
 Justice Mohammad Rafiq- Odisha high court
Kapil Dev Tripathi appointed Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind
 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Mr. Kapil
Dev Tripathi was appointed Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind.
US Prez Trump appoints Indian-American to country's top science board w.ornl.gov
 US President Donald Trump appointed Indian-American Sudarsanam Babu to country's top science board.
Babu, who is from the prestigious Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), has been appointed as a member of
the National Science Board for a six-year term, stated the White House.
RBI gives nod to Kamakodi’s reappointment as MD & CEO of City Union Bank
 The Reserve Bank of India has given its approval for the re-appointment of N Kamakodi as MD & CEO of City
Union Bank (CUB) for three years with effect from May 1, the private sector bank stated in an exchange filing.
STATIC GK
International Weightlifting Federation (IWF):  Founded- 27 Nov 1969
 Headquarters : Budapest, Hungary City Union Bank (CUB):
 President: Tamás Aján  Headquarters: Kumbakonam
WWF (World Wide Fund) India  CEO: Dr. N. Kamakodi
 Head Quarters- New Delhi  Tagline :Trust and Excellence since 1904
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

44th Session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee postponed
 The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO was scheduled to be held the city of Fuzhou,
Fujian province, China June 29-July 9, 2020
STATIC GK
World Heritage Committee
 The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the
World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and
allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
 Headquarters location- Paris, France

 Founded- November 1976
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Four Indian-Americans awarded 2020 Guggenheim fellowships
 Four Indian-Americans have been awarded with a prestigious US fellowship for their accomplishments and
“exceptional promise”.
 Pradeep Sharma, mechanical engineer at the University of Houston, Kavita Ramanan, professor of Applied
Mathematics at Brown University, Dilip Da Cunha, architect, planner and teacher at Harvard University and
Columbia University, and Mukul Sharma, professor of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College, have been
awarded the 2020 Guggenheim fellowships
Tata Power bags Edison Award for social innovation
 Tata Power got the awards for its 'Club Enerji #Switchoff2SwitchOn' campaign. The sustainability initiative has
brought in 533 participating schools across India that have saved 29.8 million units of power since it started in
2007.
Algerian Author Abdelouahab Aissaoui Wins the 13th International Prize for Arabic Fiction
 Algerian author Abdelouahab Aissaoui has won the 13th International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) with his
novel "The Spartan Court.” Backed by the UK's Booker Prize Foundation.
STATIC GK
Paytm: TATA Power
 CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma  CEO- Praveer Sinha
 Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India  Headquarters- Mumbai
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

INS Dega at Eastern Naval Command ensures joint-user airfield at Vizag remains open during
lockdown
 INS Dega of Eastern Naval Command (ENC) ensured that the joint-user airfield at Visakhapatnam remains
open round-the-clock.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Shuttling to the Top: The Story of P.V. Sindhu by Krishnaswamy V
 Shuttling to the Top: The Story of P.V. Sindhu is the fascinating story of the junior player who went on to be the
first Indian to win an Olympic silver medal for badminton.
 Authored by Krishnaswamy V was published by HarperCollins in Amazon digital platform along with other two
books, amid the lockdown due to Coronavirus.
Sudha Murty's first-ever audio book 'How the Onion Got Its Layers
 Sudha Murty's book will be out in an audio format for the first time with the popular storyteller.
 "How the Onion Got Its Layers" seeks to answer several questions related to the bulb like its many layers and
why it brings tears to the eyes when cut. It will also be available as an e-book, published by Puffin.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DRDO develops kiosk for COVID-19 sample collection
 Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL),Hyderabad has added another product to the portfolio of
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to combat Coronavirus (COVID-19) by developing
COVID Sample Collection Kiosk (COVSACK)
NIT-K Professor builds Zero-Cov, a cost-effective disinfectant chamber
 A team of researchers from National Institute of Technology-Karnataka at Surathkal near has developed a cost-
effective disinfectant chamber Zero-Cov that could disinfect personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, surgical
masks, vegetables, packed food and other day-to-day items without causing them damage.
IIT -Ropar designs ‘WardBot’ to deliver food, medicines to Covid -19 patients
 A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar in Punjab’s Rupnagar district has come
up with a design of an autonomous ‘WardBot’ which can deliver medicines and food to COVID-19 patients in
isolation wards without human intervention.
DRDO introduces products which can enhance ops at public places during pandemic
 Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO in its continuous quest to contribute towards fight
against COVID-19, has been developing several solutions from its existing arsenal of technologies and
experience.
NASA to launch astronauts to space station from US soil for the first time in a decade
 The rocket and the spacecraft it is carrying are due to take off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre on 27 May,
taking two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
 Both the rocket and spacecraft were developed by private company SpaceX.
Kerala Institute Makes New Diagnostic Test Kit That Can Confirm Covid-19 Samples in 2 Hrs for Rs
1,000
 Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, (SCTI) Trivandrum has developed a
diagnostic test kit which can confirm COVID-19 cases in just two hours at a cost as low as Rs 1,000.
Six-planet system found in almost perfect orbital harmony
 Scientists have discovered a six-planet system -- a "super-Earth" and five "mini-Neptunes" which display an
exceptionally regular spacing, hinting at how the system may have formed.
Microsoft to launch plasmabot to encourage COVID-19 recovered patients to donate plasma
 Tech giant Microsoft is launching a plasmabot to explore the possibility of treatment for COVID-19. It is
encouraging patients who were once infected and now have been completely cured to come forward and
donate plasma. To reach a large number of people, Microsoft has decided to come up with a plasmabot.
Cognizant hit by 'Maze' ransomware attack
 New-Jersey headquartered IT services provider Cognizant had faced a ransomware that has caused
disruptions to its clients.
Fish gills used to develop efficient low-cost electro-catalysts for rechargeable metal-air battery

 Scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute under the
Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, have recently come up with an efficient, low-cost
electro-catalyst from fish gills that can help develop environmentally friendlyenergy conversion devices
Facebook to roll out its Covid-19 symptom tracking survey globally to identify potential hotspots
 Facebook announced that it will be working on expanding its Covid-19 surveys globally.
 Facebook had launched a self-assessment pop-up survey for Facebook users in the United States displaying it
on top of a user’s News Feed.
STATIC GK
Defence Research and Development Organisation:  Administered by: Jim Bridenstine
 Headquarters -New Delhi Microsoft:
 Chairman- Dr G. Satheesh Reddy  CEO: Satya Nadella
 Headquarters: Washington, United States
NASA: Facebook:
 Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United  CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
States  Headquarters: California, United States
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Hockey India postpones all its rescheduled national championships
 Hockey India postponed all its rescheduled national championships indefinitely after the national lockdown to
contain the COVID-19 pandemic was extended till May 3.These tournaments were rescheduled to start on April
29 and continue till July 3 but have been suspended for now.
Mascot for Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games unveiled
 The mascot for the 4th Asian Para Games scheduled to be held here from October 9 in 2022at Hangzhou,
China was unveiled. The design of ‘Feifei’ is inspired by the motif of the ‘Divine Bird’ in the Liangzhu Culture.
World's most famous cycling race Tour de France postponed in wake of Corona virus pandemic
 The world's most famous cycling raceTour de France has been postponed in the wake of Corona virus
pandemic.
 The three-week race was set to start on 27th of June in the Riviera city of Nice has been set for August. This
year's event has 21 stages, with the longest of them stretching 218 kilometres (135 miles).
SAI, AIFF join hands to launch online coaching programme during lockdown
 All India Football Federation (AIFF) in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has arranged for an
Online Coach Education Programme that gets underway on April 20, 2020.
World Rugby announces USD 100 million relief fund amid coronavirus crisis
 World Rugby will make almost $100 million available to help nations through the Covid-19 pandemic which it
calls an unprecedented threat to the global game.
Laver Cup Postponed Until 2021 Due To French Open Clash
 The fourth edition of the Laver Cup has been postponed from September 2020 to 2021 because of scheduling
conflicts with other tennis events in a year disrupted by COVID-19, organizers.

Sharath Kamal becomes highest-ranked Indian table tennis player

 Ace paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal surpassed compatriot Gnanasekaran Sathiyan to become the highest-
ranked Indian men table tennis player after he grabbed 31st position in the latest senior men's rankings
released by International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
STATIC GK
Hockey India:  Sandip Pradhan Indian Revenue Service,
 President: Mr. Md. Mustaque Ahmad Sports Secretary-cum-Director General
 Headquarters: New Delhi World Rugby:
 Chairperson: Mr. Jaideep yadav  Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland
All India Football Federation (AIFF)  CEO: Brett Gosper
 President: Praful Patel International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF):
 Headquarters: Dwarka, Delhi  Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
Sports Authority of India (SAI)  President: Thomas Weikert
 Headquarters: Delhi  CEO: Steve Dainton
CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Former Gujarat Cricketer Walter D’Souza Passes Away
 Former Gujarat cricketerWalter D’Souza passed away at 93. D’Souza played first-class cricket from 1947/48 to
1965/66.
Actor Ranjit Chowdhry passes away
 Actor-writer Ranjit Chowdhry passed away at the age of 65.
 Chowdhry is remembered for his roles in Mira Nair's 'Mississippi Masala' starring Denzel Washington,
Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 'Khubsoorat', and Basu Chatterjee's 'Khatta Meetha' and 'Baton Baton Mein' among
others.
Chilean author Luis Sepulveda passes away
 Best-selling Chilean writer Luis Sepulveda has passed away at a hospital in northern Spain some six weeks
after testing positive for coronavirus. He was 70.
Maharashtra Freedom Fighter RV Bhuskute passes away
 Freedom fighterR V Bhuskute, who had participated in the Quit India Movement, has passed away of prolonged
illness. He was 94
Former Minister Saharai Oram passes away at 78
 Former Cabinet minister and five-time MLA Saharai Oram passed away after prolonged illness.
Abba Kyari Chief of staff to Nigeria’s president Buhari Passes away
 Abba Kyari, the trusted chief of staff to Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari has passed away from
complications related to Covid-19.
Tom and Jerry, Popeye director Gene Deitch dies at 95 in Prague

 Gene Deitch, an American Oscar-winning illustrator, animator, film director and producer has died. He was 95.
Deitch's movie Munro won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1960.

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