Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of 4th week April 2020. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2020 and other competitive exams can make use of it.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
World Creativity and Innovation Day
- World Creativity and Innovation Day is a global UN day celebrated on April 21 to raise awareness around the importance of creativity and innovation in problem solving with respect to advancing the United Nations sustainable development goals, also known as the “global goals”.
World earth day
- Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Thetheme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action
UNESCO World book and Copyright Day
- World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, is an annual event observed on 23rd April organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright.
UN English and Spanish language day
- UN English Language Day is observed annually on 23 April.
- The event was established by UN’s Department of Public Information in 2010 “to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization”.
National Panchayati Raj Day
- National Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated every year on 24 April in India. On this day Constitution came into force with effect from 24 April, 1993. In 2010 the first National Panchayati Raj Day was celebrated
World Malaria Day: 25 April
- World Malaria Day (WMD) is commemorated every year on 25 April to recognize global efforts to control malaria. Theme 2020: Zero Malaria Starts with Me
International Delegate’s Day
- The first edition of International Delegate’s Day was observed on 25 April 2020.
- The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 2 April 2019, to raise awareness of role of the delegates and representatives of the member states of the UN.
World Intellectual Property Day
- World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on 26 April.
- The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 to “raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life” The theme for The World Intellectual Property Day 2020 is ‘Innovate for a Green Future.’
World Immunization Week
- The aim of World Immunization Week is to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. The week takes place from 24-30 April. The theme 2020 #VaccinesWork for All
World Day For Safety And Health At Work
- The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. The theme for 2020 is Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives
World Veterinary Day
- World Veterinary Day is celebrated on the last Saturday of April.This year it falls on April 25th
- The theme of World Veterinary Day this year is ‘Environment Protection for Improving Animal and Human Health’
International Dance Day
- The international dance day is celebrated on April 29 every year.
- It was created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute, partner for the performing arts of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It was created in 1982
Ayushman Bharat Diwas
- Ayushman Bharat Diwas is celebrated every year on the 30th of April across the country.
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International Theatre Institute
- President– Mohamed Saif-AL-AFKHAM
- Director General– Tobias BIANCONE
- Headquarters– Shanghai, China
UNESCO
- Headquarters- Paris, France
- Head- Audrey Azoulay
- Founded- 16 November 1945
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Govt sanctions Rs15000 cr investment for ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response & Health System Preparedness Package’Screen Grab
- The Union Cabinet gave its post facto approval for significant investments to the tune of 15 thousand crore rupees for ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package’.
UNODC launches ‘Lockdown Learners’ series for students, teachers of India
- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) has launched a ‘Lockdown Learners’ series of online dialogues with students and educators in India on COVID-19 and its impact on Sustainable Development Goals, peace and rule of law
Govt declares banking industry as a public utility service for six months till October 21
- Government has declared banking industry as a public utility service for six months till October 21 under the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act.
eGov Foundation launches COVID e-pass platform for movement of essential goods and service providers
- To simplify the process of issuing e-passes for essential goods and service providers during lockdown, eGov foundation has launched COVID e-Pass system
NTPC Vindhyachal becomes India’s largest power plant to achieve 100 per cent Plant Load Factor
- NTPC Vindhyachal has become the largest power plant of the country to achieve a plant load factor (PLF) of 100 per cent. The 100 per cent PLF means that the power plant was run at its full capacity of 3760 MW for a certain period.
Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Shri Narendra Singh Tomar issues guidelines regarding the SVAMITVA scheme
- Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Shri Narendra Singh Tomar issued guidelines regarding the SVAMITVA scheme, a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
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The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC):
- Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
- Founded: 1997
NTPC:
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Gurdeep Singh (Chairman & MD)
Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj
- Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare ,Rural Development & Panchayati Raj- Shri Narendra Singh Tomar
- Constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Iran’s Guards launch its first military satellite
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards force stated it had launched the country’s first military satellite which had gone into orbit.
- The powerful force stated a “Messenger” satellite carrier was used to launch the Noor (light) satellite, without going into further detail on the technology used.
ADB sells $4.5 billion five-year global benchmark bond
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) returned to the US dollar bond market with the pricing of a 5 billion dollars five-year global benchmark bond issue proceeds of which will be part of ADB’s ordinary capital resources.Pakistan to host SAARC virtual conference on COVID-19
- Pakistan will host a virtual conference of Ministers and senior officials from 8-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to discuss a common strategy against the COVID-19 pandemic in the region.
Lebanon legalises marijuana cultivation for medicinal use
- The Lebanese Parliament legalised medicinal use of cannabis to bolster the export that can help revive the crippling economy that is in dire need of foreign currency.
- Although marijuana is illegal in Lebanon, cannabis has long been farmed openly in the fertile Bekaa Valley.
WHO launches ‘landmark’ collaboration to develop COVID-19 drug, vaccine
- The World Health Organization (WHO) stated it would announce a “landmark collaboration” to speed development of safe, effective drugs, tests and vaccines to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19.
- The GAVI vaccine alliance, Gates Foundation and Global Fund are among traditional large donors to the U.N. agency, in addition to its 194 member states.
Australia launches COVID-19 tracking app
- Australia has launched its coronavirus tracing app named COVIDSafe despite drawing criticism for its approach to privacy.
- The voluntary software is based on Singapore’s Trace Together and it will use a mix of Bluetooth and stored contact data on both the app and servers to let people know if they have been in close contact with people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
Facebook rolls out new group calling feature- Messenger rooms
- Facebook announced its new video conferencing feature, Messenger Rooms. Messenger rooms are joinable group video calls that can soon accommodate up to 50 people in a single call.
ADB approves $1.5 billion loan for India to fight coronavirus pandemic
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated it has approved $1.5 billion loan toIndia to help fund its fight against coronavirus pandemic
India extends USD 150 million foreign currency swap support to Maldives
- India extended a USD 150 million foreign currency swap support to the Maldives to help the strategically important Indian Ocean island nation mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The swap facility was extended under USD 400 million currency swap arrangement signed between India and the Maldives in July last year.
US provides additional $ 3 million to India to fight Covid-19
- The US will provide an additional $3 million to India through the US Agency for International Development (USTATED) to support its efforts to fight the spread of Covid-19.
World Bank approves USD 400 million to enhance India’s coastal resources
- To enhance and safeguard the coastal and marine resources, the World Bank approved USD 400 million multi-year financial support to India. The international financial institution issued a press release stating that financial aid is being offered to improve livelihood opportunities for coastal communities.
Be updated with Daily Current affairs News
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Iran:
- President: Hassan Rouhani
- Capital: Tehran
- Currency: Iranian rial
Asian Development Bank (ADB):
- Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
- President: Masatsugu Asakawa
- Founded: 19 December 1966
Fiji
- Capital– Suva
- President– Jioji Konousi Konrote
- Prime Minister– Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama
Pakistan:
- Currency: Pakistani rupee
- Capital: Islamabad
- Prime minister: Imran Khan
- President: Arif Alvi
Lebanon
- Capital: Beirut
- Currency: Lebanese pound
WHO:
- Head: Tedros Adhanom
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Founded: 7 April 1948
Australia :
- Capital: Canberra
- Currency: Australian dollar
- Prime Minister : Scott Morrison
Facebook :
- Mark Zuckerberg :CEO, Chairperson
- Headquarters: California, United States
Maldives :
- Capital: Malé
- Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
- President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
World Bank:
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S
- President :David Malpass
- Anshula Kant :MD and CFO
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE
RBI eases investment norms under TLTRO 2.0
- The Reserve Bank eased some regulatory norms for investments in the second round of Targeted Long Term Repo Operation (TLTRO 2.0) to provide relief to banks investing in papers issued by small and medium sized non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) under the scheme.
RBI Announces Special Open Market Operations Of Purchase And Sale of Government Securities Of Rs 10000 Crore
- RBI has announced Special Open Market Operations (OMO) of Simultaneous Purchase and Sale of Government of India Securities.
- On a review of current and evolving liquidity and market conditions, the Reserve Bank has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities under Open Market Operations (OMO) for Rs 10,000 crores each on April 27, 2020
Remittances to India likely to drop by 23 pct this year: World Bank
- The World Bank has stated that remittances to India are likely to drop by 23 per cent from 83 billion US Dollars last year to 64 billion US Dollars this year due to the Corona virus pandemic, which has resulted in a global recession.
Bajaj Allianz launches ‘BAGIC GOQii Co-pay Option’ under regulatory sandbox
- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, along with smart-tech enabled preventive healthcare platform GOQii has launched a new add-on health cover called ‘BAGIC GOQii Co-pay Option’ under regulatory sandbox approval received from the IRDAI, that would reward customers with a healthy lifestyle.
SIDBI launches special liquidity scheme for MSMEs
- The Small Industries Development Bank of India launched a special liquidity scheme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through banks including Small Finance Banks (SFBs), Non-Banking Financial Companies including fintech NBFCs and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs).
Vodafone Idea ties up with Paytm to launch ‘Recharge Saathi’
- Vodafone Idea and Paytm, a digital payments and financial services platform, have launched ‘Recharge Saathi’ programme which helps individuals and small businesses to earn an additional income.
- The programme will enable any Paytm customers (following a registration) to start selling Vodafone and Idea recharges on Paytm app, the company stated in a statement.
Bank of Baroda announces ex-gratia, health cover for business correspondents
- State-owned Bank of Baroda stated it will provide an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of business correspondents (BCs) in case of loss of life due to COVID-19. It will also provide health insurance cover of Rs 60,000 to the BCs.
RBI announces Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds of Rs 50,000 croreilic
- The Reserve Bank of India announced a Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds (SLF-MF) of 50,000 crore rupees with a view to easing liquidity pressures on MFs. The RBI has stated that it remains vigilant and will take whatever steps are necessary to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 and preserve financial stability.
Axis Bank, Max Financial Services sign JV pact for Max Life Insurance
- Axis Bank Limited and Max Financial Services Limited (MFS) announced the signing of definitive agreements to become joint venture partners in Max Life Insurance Company Limited (Max Life). Axis Bank will hold 30 per cent stake in Max Life post transaction closure.
Indian Overseas Bank launches special scheme for self help groups
- Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) stated it has introduced a special borrowing programme for self help groups to help them tide over the challenges inflicted by COVID-19.
- The maximum loan amount is Rs 5,000 per member of a self help group (SHG) with a cap of Rs 1 lakh for the group.
Airtel signs $1 billion deal with Nokia to improve 4G network experience
- Bharti Airtel has signed a multi-year deal with Nokia to deploy the Finnish company’s network solutions across nine circles in India. The deal could be worth $1 billion
Bharti AXA General ties up with PolicyBazaar
- Bharti AXA General Insurance, a private insurer, has tied up with PolicyBazaar.com com to offer ‘Pay As You Drive’ Motor Insurance policies under a regulatory sandbox project.
- The usage-based motor insurance, popularly known as ‘Pay As You Drive’, allows customers to pay the premium depending on how many kilometres the car has travelled.
ADB gives $ 346 mn loan for power sector in rural Maharashtra
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated it has approved a USD 346 million (around Rs 2,616 crore) loan to Indian government to provide reliable power connection in rural areas of Maharashtra
NHB provides liquidity boost through Rs.10,000-cr special refinance facility
- The government-owned National Housing Bank (NHB) has put together a 10,000-crore special refinance facility (SRF) of up to one-year tenor for housing finance companies (HFCs) to partially mitigate their liquidity risk and improve liquidity in the overall housing finance system.
KVGB loan scheme for Covid-19-affected MSME borrowers
- Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB), a regional rural bank headquartered in Dharwad, has launched a loan scheme to provide some relief to borrowers whose business activities are disrupted on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. Launching the loan scheme ‘Vikas Abhaya’ in Dharwad
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RBI:
- Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Formation– 1 April 1935
- Governor– Shaktikanta Das
- Deputy Governors– 3 (Bibhu Prasad Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael DebabrataPatra)
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance:
- Headquarters: Pune
- CEO: Tapan Singhel
SIDBI:
- Headquarters location: Lucknow
- Founded: 2 April 1990
- Mohammad Mustafa :Chairman and Managing Director
Vodafone Idea:
- CEO: Ravinder Takkar
- Headquarters: Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Paytm:
- CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
- Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Bank of Baroda:
- Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat
- Hasmukh Adhia: Chairman
- Sanjiv Chadha :MD & CEO
- Tagline: India’s International Bank
Axis Bank:
- CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Tagline : Badhti Ka naam Zindagi.
Max Life Insurance Company Limited (Max Life).
- Chairman: Analjit Singh
- Headquarters : New Delhi.
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB):
- Headquarters: Chennai
- CEO: Shri Karnam Sekar
- Tagline :Good people to grow with
Bharti Airtel
- CEO: Gopal Vittal
- Head Quarters: New Delhi
Nokia :
- Headquarters: Espoo, Finland
- Risto Siilasmaa : chairman
- Rajeev Suri : president and CEO
Bharti AXA General Insurance:
- CEO: Sanjeev Srinivasan
- Headquarters: Mumbai
National Housing Bank (NHB)
- Founded: 9 July 1988
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
- Managing Director: Sarada Kumar Hota
Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB)
- Chairman : P Gopi Krishna
- Headquarters : Dharwad
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Facebook buys 9.9% stake in Reliance Jio for Rs 43,574 crore in largest tech FDI
- Facebook has bought a 9% stake in Reliance Jio for $5.7 billion (Rs 43,574 crore), the telecom unit of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) in a deal that gives the social media giant a firm foothold in a fast-growing massive market and helps the Indian oil-to-telecom conglomerate to significantly cut debt.
- The deal values Jio at Rs 4.62 lakh crore ($65.95 billion)
TCS to power Israel’s first fully digital bank
- India’s largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will launch Israel’s first fully digital bank in what is being seen as a transformative initiative that can impact the business model of other sectors as well powered by the TCS BaNCS Global Banking Platform — to help startup banks launch their operations very quickly, the company stated in a press release.
Fitch Ratings sees India growth slipping to 0.8 per cent in FY21
- Fitch Ratings slashed India’s economic growth projections to 8 per cent in the current 2020-21 fiscal saying an unparalleled global recession was underway due to disruptions caused by the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic and resultant lockdowns.
India Ratings lowers GDP growth rate further to 1.9%, a 29-year low
- India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra), a Fitch group company, has further slashed its estimate for India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate to 9 per cent for 2020-21. This will be the lowest after India recorded growth rate at 1.1 per cent in 1991-92.
APEC economy to reduce by 2.7 pc in 2020
- The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region is expected to post a 7 per cent economic decline in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19.
CARE Ratings predicts FY21 GDP growth at 1.1%
- CARE Ratings stated the country’s GDP growth is likely to decline to 1 per cent in the current financial year 2020-21 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The domestic rating agency added that the estimate has a “downward bias”, saying predicting the recovery is very difficult at present.
DROR partners with MobiKwik to launch first-ever ‘Social Distancing Contest’
- In a bid to encourage people to practice social distancing to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, DROR, India’s personal safety app that keeps track of ‘social distancing score’. It has launched a first of its kind ‘Social Distancing Contest’, in association with
CRISIL pegs India’s FY21 economic growth rate at 1.8% from 3.5%
- Domestic rating agency CRISIL cut its projections for India’s economic growth rate to 8 per cent, from 3.5 per cent it had earlier predicted for 2020-21
Moody’s slashes India’s growth estimate to 0.2% for 2020 from 2.5%
- Moody’s Investors Service slashed India growth forecast for calendar year 2020 to 2 per cent, from 2.5 per cent projected in March. For 2021, the rating agency expects India’s growth to rebound to 6.2 per cent.
Amazon India launches special fund to help its SMB partners in logistics
- Amazon India stated it has introduced a partner support fund to help the small and medium businesses (SMBs) who are heavily reliant on the company.
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Reliance Jio:
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Mukesh Ambani (Chairman)
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS):
- CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Israel:
- Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
- Capital: Jerusalem
- Currency : New shekel
Fitch Ratings :
- Headquarters: New York , United States
- CEO: Paul Taylor
India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra):
- Headquartered : Mumbai
- Chairman: Rohit Karan Sawhney
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region:
- APEC comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam.
- Chairperson :Muhyiddin Yassin
Defence Research and Development Organisation:
- Headquarters -New Delhi
- Chairman- Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
Mobikwik:
- Headquarters : Gurugram
- CEO: Bipin Preet Singh
CRISIL Rating Agency :
- CEO: Ashu Suyash
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Moody’s rating agency:
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- CEO: Raymond W. McDaniel Jr.
Amazon:
- Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
- Jeff Bezos :chairman, president and CEO
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES
MP Anganwadi workers, Assistants to get benefit of CM COVID-19 Yoddha Kalyan Yojana
- In Madhya Pradesh, around one lakh Anganwadi workers and Assistants of the state will get the benefit of Chief Minister COVID-19 Yoddha Kalyan Yojana. Under this initiative, they will also get a special health insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs.
SIMFED launches mobile ration van in Gangtok
- Sikkim State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd (SIMFED) launched a mobile ration van in Gangtok, for doorstep delivery of essential commodities and food. Sikkim agriculture minister Lok Nath Sharma launched the van.
TCS partners with Telangana State Council of Higher Education
- A strategic business unit of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has partnered with the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) to prepare college students for future job readiness.
- Under the partnership, a set of curated courseware will be made available free of cost to four lakh students across 1,500 institutions of higher education in the state effective this academic year.
Gujarat govt’s water conservation scheme begins
- Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani gave the green signal for the third edition of his government’s ”Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan” , a conservation plan to deepen water bodies in the state before monsoon.
JKSLSA launches helpline under ‘Serve-the-Seniors Initiative’ for senior citizens
- While the entire world is facing the threat of COVID-19, the senior citizens have been identified as the most vulnerable segment of the society. Jammu and Kashmir State legal Services Authority (JKSLSA) has launched a helpline under ‘Serve-the-Seniors Initiative’ under the guidance of Justice Gita Mittal, Patron-in-Chief and Justice Rajesh Bindal Executive Chairman of State Legal Services Authority.
World Bank approves Rs 585 cr for Himachal Pradesh State Roads Transformation Project
- The World Bank has approved 82 million US dollars (585 crore rupees) for the Himachal Pradesh State Roads Transformation Project (HPSRTP) for upgradation of major roads and modernization of the Public Works Department in the state.
Mizoram: Mobile app ‘mCOVID19’ to act as online pass for drivers and handymen
- In Mizoram, the information and communication technology department has launched a mobile app for the truck drivers and handymen carrying essential goods from outside the state to ensure easy and safe transport during the lockdown period of COVID19 pandemic. The mobile app, mCOVID19 will act as the online pass for the drivers and handymen.
HCL to offer tech support to TN govt in tackling Covid-19
- The Tamil Nadu government has joined hands with HCL to strengthen its response to Covid-19 pandemic by setting up a Disaster Management-Data Analytics Centre in the city.
CM Jagan launches zero-interest loan scheme, gives SHGs Rs 1,400 crore in Andhra Pradesh
- Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the YSR Zero Interest Loan scheme, under which Rs 1,400 crore has been credited to the bank accounts of 8.78 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Assam govt launches Dhanwantari scheme for home delivery of medicines
- Assam government has launched a new scheme Dhanwantari under which locally unavailable medicines are provided to the patients at home.
Thuthukudi airport in Tamilnadu upgraded to level 3
- The Thuthukudi airport in Tamilnadu, near the strategically important Bay of Bengal coast, has been upgraded to level 3 by the Airport Authority of India. This signifies a rise in the operational potentials of the airport and increases the scope of getting more funds for expansion activities.
Madhya Pradesh govt launches Jivan Shakti Yojana for women
- The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh launched Jeevan-Shakti Yojana at Mantralaya. Under the scheme, women will prepare masks at homes in the urban areas and earn profit. The Government will give Rs. 11 per mask to them immediately.
King George Medical University in Lucknow becomes 1st govt hospital in country to successfully launch Plasma Therapy Treatment for COVID-19
- The King George Medical University in Uttar Pradesh has become the first government hospital in the country to successfully launch the plasma therapy treatment for the COVID-19 patients.
Assam government announces Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for journalists
- The Assam government announced life insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs each for all journalists in the state who are reporting during the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.
WCD Ministry takes unique initiative ‘doorstep Aanganwadi’ to reach out to children during lockdown in Gujarat
- In Gujarat, Women and Child Development Ministry(WCD) has taken a unique initiative called Umbare Aanganwadi, i.e doorstep Aanganwadi to reach out to children during the lockdown.
AP govt launches fee reimbursement scheme for students
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched Jagananna Vidya Deevena which provides full fees reimbursement to about 14 lakh college students, including those in professional courses, across the State.
MP CM launches ‘Jeevan Amrit Yojana’ scheme to boost immunity system of citizens
- In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Jeevan Amrit Yojana, a unique scheme to boost immunity system of citizens of the state.
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Madhya Pradesh
- Capital– Bhopal
- Chief minister– Shivraj Singh Chouhan
- Governor– Lalji Tandon
Sikkim :
- Capital: Gangtok
- Chief minister: Prem Singh Tamang
- Governor : Ganga Prasad
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS):
- CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Jammu And Kashmir:
- Capitals: Jammu Cantonment (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
- Lieutenant Governor : Girish Chandra Murmu
Himachal Pradesh:
- Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
- Capitals: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
- Chief minister: Jai Ram Thakur
Mizoram:
- Capital: Aizawl
- Governor: P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
- Chief minister: Zoramthanga
HCL:
- Headquartered : Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
- CEO: C Vijayakumar , Roshni Nadar
Tamil Nadu :
- Chief minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami
- Capital: Chennai
- Governor :Banwarilal Purohit
Andhra Pradesh :
- Capitals: Amaravati
- Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
- Chief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Assam
- Capital- Dispur
- CM- Sarbananda Sonowal
- Governor- Jagdish Mukhi
Uttar Pradesh:
- Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- Capital: Lucknow
Gujarat
- Capital– Gandhinagar
- Chief minister– Vijay Rupani
- Governor– Acharya Devvrat
MWCD
- Minister of Women and Child Development and Textiles- Smriti Zubin Irani
- Constituency- Amethi, UP.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
Tech Mahindra, IBM tie up to set up innovation centres
- Tech Mahindra has decided to set up innovation centres in collaboration with IBM, in order to provide boost to digital transformation and encourage adoption of more cloud-based technologies among its global customers.
MyGov, VMate collaborates to disperse information on Covid-19
- Short video app VMate has now joined hands with the Government’s citizen engagement platform MyGov to aid the Centre’s efforts in combating the menace of the coronavirus pandemic.
Maruti joins hands with AgVA Healthcare to supply 10,000 ventilators by May-end
- India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) will complete its first order of 10,000 ventilators in collaboration with AgVA Healthcare, an existing approved manufacturer of ventilators, to the Central government by the end of May.
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Tech Mahindra Limited
- Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra.
- Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer– Chander Prakash Gurnani
IBM
- Headquarters– New York, U.S.
- President– Jim Whitehurst
Maruti Suzuki
- CEO- Kenichi Ayukawa
- Headquarters- New Delhi
CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITION AND MERGERS
Federal Bank to acquire additional stake in IDBI Federal Life Insurance
- Federal Bank stated its Board has approved in principle purchase of additional stake of up to 4 per cent in the equity capital of IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd (IFLIC) from IDBI Bank.
- This purchase is subject to price finalization and all relevant regulatory approvals, the Bank stated in a regulatory filing.
HDFC acquires 6.43% stake in debt-trapped Reliance Capital
- Mortgage lender HDFC stated it has acquired 43 per cent stake in debt-trapped Reliance Capital by invoking pledged shares.
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HDFC:
- CEO: Aditya Puri
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Tagline :We understand your world
Federal Bank
- Headquarters: Aluva , kochi
- CEO: Shyam Srinivasan
- Tagline :Your Perfect Banking Partner
IDBI bank :
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- CEO: Rakesh Sharma
- Tagline: Aao Sochein Bada
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launches ‘COVID India Seva’ to address citizens’ queries
- Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launched ‘COVID India Seva’, an interactive platform for citizen engagement on coronavirus.
- This initiative is aimed at enabling transparent e-governance delivery in real-time and answering citizen queries swiftly, at scale, especially in crisis situations like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
MoRTH launches dashboard on its website to provide ‘dhabas and repair shops’ details
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has created a dashboard link on its website for providing list and details of Dhabas and Truck repair shops available across the country by various organisations like NHAI, States, Oil Marketing companies.
Pune’s mobile App ‘Saiyam’ tracks home quarantined citizens
- A mobile application named Saiyam has been developed by the Pune Municipal Corporation under Smart Cities Mission to effectively track the home-quarantined citizens and ensure that they are staying in the home.
Karnataka govt launches “Apthamitra” helpline and app to fight COVID-19
- The Karnataka government launched “Apthamitra” helpline with an exclusive toll free number and a mobile app, aimed at providing required medical advice and guidance for those in need.
Union HRD Minister launched VidyaDaan 2.0 on DIKSHA used by CBSE,NCERT to strengthen e-learning content
- Govt of India has launched a national program VidyaDaan 2.0, for inviting e-learning Content contributions. VidyaDaan 2.0 is a common national program to develop and contribute e-learning content and a chance to be recognised nationally.
App that warns about COVID-19 containment zones, filters fake news developed by IIIT-Delhi
- Researchers at IIIT-Delhi have developed an app which warns people about a coronavirus containment zone nearby and helps them check whether a news item about the pandemic is genuine or fake.
CISF launches ”e-office” app for movement of files
- An e-office application, that enables movement of files and documents without physical touch, has been launched for usage in the 1.62 lakh personnel-strong Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to prevent coronavirus infection. The application called ”e-karyalay” (electronic office) has been designed by the in-house technical team of the force.
Kerala (IIITM-K) Have Developed an AI-Based Search Engine For COVID-19 Research
- State-run Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management – Kerala (IIITM-K) has developed an AI Semantic search engine to enable researchers to get deeper insights into scientific studies, especially when they need to find an early solution to the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in a large set of complex scientific information.
AP launches pharmacy app for surveillance on cold, fever patients
- Andhra Pradesh Government began tracking patients who could be suffering from cold and fever.
- It has launched a customised mobile application for pharmacies across the state who report details of people who buy medicines for cold, cough and fever.
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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Earth Science- Dr. Harsh Vardhan
- Constituency- Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
MORTH
- Minister for Road Transport & Highways of India and Shipping Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises- Nitin Gadkari
- Constituency- Nagpur,Maharashtra.
Karnataka
- Capital- Bengaluru.
- CM- B S Yediyurappa.
- Governor- Vajubhai wala
MHRD
- Minister of Human Resource Development- Ramesh Pokhriyal
- Constituency- Haridwar ,Uttarakhand
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS
Huawei India appoints David Li as CEO
- Huawei Telecommunications India stated it has appointed David Li as its Chief Executive Officer.
- He replaces Jay Chen who has been promoted to handle Asia Pacific level business role.
Bajaj Auto ED Rakesh Sharma appointed as IMMA President
- The Geneva-based International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA), which represents the manufacturing industry of powered two-wheelers at the global level, has elected Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director, Bajaj Auto as its President for a two-year mandate.
BWF names PV Sindhu ambassador for its ‘I am badminton’ campaign
- World Champion P V Sindhu unveiled as one of the ambassadors for Badminton World Federation (BWF)’s ‘i am badminton’ awareness campaign
Sanjay Kothari takes oath as Chief Vigilance Commissioner
- Retired IAS officer Sanjay Kothari took oath as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- Mr Kothari, a 1978 batch (retired) IAS officer of Haryana cadre. Sanjay Kothari was secretary to the president before being nominated to the new role.
Govt appoints new Secretaries in different Ministries and Departments
- Union Government appointed new Secretaries, Special Secretaries and Additional Secretaries in different Ministries and Departments.
- Ravi Mittal – Sports Secretary.
- Secretary, Higher Education Amit Khare will hold additional charge of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- Anita Karwal -Secretary School Education and Literacy.
- Health Secretary Preeti Sudan, who was to retire this month, has been given three month extension.
- Tarun Kapoor – Secretary in Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas .
- Tarun Bajaj – Secretary Department of Economic Affairs in Ministry of Finance
RBI extends Madhavan Menon’s term as part-time Chairman of CSB Bank
- Reserve Bank of India has extended the term of appointment of Madhavan Menon as the part-time Chairman of the Catholic Syrian Bank till July 21, 2020.
US President Donald Trump nominates Indian-American as US envoy to OECD
- US President Donald Trump has nominated senior Indian-American diplomat Manisha Singh as America’s next envoy to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD
Shiv Das Meena takes charge as HUDCO’s CMD
- Shiv Das Meena, has been appointed as chairman and managing director of Housing and Urban Development Corporation for a period of six months with immediate effect.
J Arunkumar named USA men’s head coach
- USA have finalised a two-year deal with J Arunkumar as head coach of their men’s national team. Arunkumar, 45, is a former Karnataka captain, with a strong body of work in the Indian domestic circuit.
Joe Biden wins Ohio Democratic primary
- Joe Biden has won Ohio’s presidential primary, which was conducted by mail.
- Biden has won 72% of the vote — 623,186 of the 860,347 ballots counted at this point.
PNB Housing appoints Neeraj Vyas as interim MD and CEO
PNB Housing Finance has appointed Neeraj Vyas as its interim Managing Director and CEO. The term of incumbent Sanjaya Gupta comes to an end on May 4.
Ex-Andhra Bank chief Suresh N Patel to take over as vigilance commissioner
- Former Andhra Bank chief Suresh N Patel will take over as the vigilance commissioner in the anti-corruption watchdog CVC.
Former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar appointed PESB chief
- Former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar was appointed as the chairperson of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) to the post for a period of three years.
T. S. Tirumurti appointed as Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to UNAIR
- S. Tirumurti has been appointed as the next Ambassador or Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. Tirumurti is an IFS officer of 1985 batch. He is currently the Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He replaces Sayyad Akbaruddin
India Appoints New Ambassadors To Qatar, Bahrain
- Deepak Mittal has been appointed India’s next Ambassador to Qatar, while Piyush Srivastava goes to Bahrain in the same capacity, as per an official release of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued.
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Huawei Telecommunications:
- Headquarters: Shenzhen, China
- CEO: Ren Zhengfei
- Liang Hua: chairman
Bajaj Auto:
- CEO: Rajiv Bajaj
- Head quarters :Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Rahul Bajaj (Chairman)
BWF
- Headquarters– Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Founded– 5th July 1934
- President– Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen
- Membership- 194 member associations
Central Vigilance Commissioner:
- Formed: February 1964
- Objectives: To address governmental corruption
- Headquarters: New Delhi
Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB)
- Headquarters– Thrissur, Kerala.
- Tagline– Support All the Way.
- CEO & MD– Rajendran Chinna Veerappan.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD:
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Secretary-General : José Ángel Gurría
United States:
- Capital: Washington, D.C.
- President: Donald Trump
- Currency : United States dollar (USD)
HUDCO
- Head Quarters- New Delhi
- Chairman & MD– Shiv Das Meena
- Director (Corporate Planning)– M Nagaraj
PNB housing Finance
- Interim MD & CEO– Neeraj Vyas
- Founded– November 11,1988
- Head Quarters– New Delhi
United Nations :
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- Founded: 24 October 1945
- Secretary general: António Guterres
Qatar :
- Capital: Doha
- Currency: Qatari Riyal
Bahrain :
- Capital: Manama
- Currency: Bahraini dinar
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
UST Global wins Microsoft’s AI application award for social impact
- Digital transformation solutions company UST Global has won 2020 the ‘Most Innovative AI (Artificial Intelligence) Application Award for Societal Impact’ from Microsoft. The AI Awards 2.0 is an initiative open to all Microsoft customers and partners who foster AI-led innovations to deliver meaningful impact.
‘Midnight in Chernobyl’ author Adam Higginbotham wins William E. Colby Award
- Adam Higginbotham’s “Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster” has won a $5,000 prize.
- Higginbotham has received the William E. Colby Award, given for an outstanding book on military or intelligence history.
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Microsoft :
- CEO: Satya Nadella
- Headquarters: Washington, United States
- Founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar participates in the G-20 Extraordinary Agriculture Ministers Meeting through Video Conferencing
- Union Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar participated in an Extraordinary virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture Ministers to address the issue of COVID-19 impacts on food security, safety and nutrition.
- The G-20 Agriculture Ministers virtual meeting was organized through video conferencing by the Saudi Presidency to deliberate on the ways and means of ensuring continuity of food supply value chain including livelihood of farmers.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING
India drops two places down to be ranked 142nd on global press freedom index
- India has dropped two places on a global press freedom index to be ranked 142nd out of 180 countries in the annual Reporters Without Borders analysis released .
- Norway is ranked first in the Index for the fourth year running.
J&K bags three national awards for outstanding contribution by its Panchayati Raj Institutions
- Jammu and Kashmir UT has bagged three national awards under separate categories for outstanding contribution by its Panchayati Raj Institutions towards socio-economic development of Gram Panchayats, adopting child-friendly practices and preparing Gram Panchayat Development Plans at panchayat level.
Ujjivan SFB ranked 5th among ‘Best Large Workplaces’
- Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has been ranked 5th among ‘Best Large Workplaces in Asia 2020’ by the Great Place To Work Institute. In 2019, Ujjivan SFB was ranked 16th in the Best Large Workplaces in Asia.
Mukesh Ambani back on top as Asia’s richest man
- Following the 43,574-crore Facebook-Jio Platforms deal, billionaire Mukesh Ambani has clawed back his position as Asia’s richest man, a position he lost to Chinese technology giant Alibaba founder Jack Ma in March.
India third largest military spender in world, after US and China
- India has become the third largest military spender in the world, after the US and China, according to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) This is the first time that India and China are among the top three military spenders.
IIT-Kharagpur ranked top in India, 57th globally in THE Impact Rankings
- IIT-Kharagpur was ranked the most impactful Indian institute and 57th globally in Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2020 out of over 766 universities from 89 countries and regions.
- University of Auckland topped the list followed by University of Sydney and Western Sydney University.
Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw recognised among world s top 20 inspirational leaders in Biopharma
- Biocon Ltd announced that The Medicine Maker Power List 2020 has ranked its Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw as one of the world’s top 20 inspirational leaders in the field of biopharmaceuticals.
India at 53rd position in budget transparency, accountability: IBP survey
- India has been placed at 53rd position among 117 nations in terms of budget transparency and accountability, according to Open Budget Survey released . New Zealand tops the chart with a score 87.
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Jammu And Kashmir:
- Capitals: Jammu Cantonment (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
- Lieutenant Governor : Girish Chandra Murmu
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank:
- Headquarters Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Sunil Patel : Non-Exe Chairman
- Nitin Chugh :MD & CEO
SIPRI
- Headquarters– Stockholm, Sweden
- Chairman– Jan Eliasson
Biocon Ltd
- MD & CEO– Siddharth Mittal
- Headquarter– Bengaluru, Karnataka
International Budget Partnership (IBP) :
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
- Founded: 1997
- Executive Director : Warren Krafchik
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Pune-based ARI develops ‘sensor-based bug sniffer’
- Pune-based Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has developed a low-cost sensor device to rapidly detect bacteria.
- The portable device can detect as low as 10 bacteria cells from a sample size of one milliliter in just 30 minutes
IIT-Mandi team develops magnetic RAM to enable higher data storage, faster computation
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi, developing magnetic Random Access Memory (RAM) which is faster, more energy-efficient and capable of storing more information in a smaller volume than existing data storage technologies.
SVP Institute becomes first to carry out plasma research in view of Covid-19
- Ahmedabad based Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical Science and Research became the first authorized study centre in the country to carry out plasma research under trial in view of Covid 19. The MoU was signed between ICMR and the institute in this regard.
SpaceX successfully launches latest batch of 60 internet-beaming satellites to orbit
- SpaceX successfully launched and deployed all 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.
- The Falcon 9 rocket also successfully touched down on the company’s drone ship at sea — a smooth landing after two previous failed attempts to recover the vehicle in the ocean.
IGIB scientists develop low cost COVID19 test ‘Feluda’
- Scientists at the CSIR’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology have come up with a lowcost coronavirus test that will not require any expensive machines for detection of the pathogen.
- Named after ‘Feluda’, the detective character in legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s stories, the test has been developed by Debojyoti Chakraborty and Souvik Maiti as a simpler way of detecting SARScoV2 presence in clinical samples.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates DRDO mobile testing lab
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a mobile virology research and diagnostics laboratory, a testing facility developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation that can process over 1,000 samples in a day, speed up COVID-19 screening and carry out immune profiling of patients of the virus for vaccine development.
IIT-Delhi develops COVID-19 test kit, gets ICMR’s approval
- The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has developed a COVID-19 test kit, which has got the approval of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
IIT Roorkee professor developed a software that detects Coronavirus in five seconds by using the patient’s X-ray scan
- An IIT-Roorkee professor claims to have developed a software which can detect COVID-19 within five seconds using an X-ray scan of the suspected patient.
Kerala government hospital deploys robot”KARMI-Bot” to serve COVID-19 patients
- Malayalam star Mohanlal’s Viswasanthi Foundation donated the autonomous robot to the COVID-19 ward of the Ernakulam government medical college hospital.
- The robot named ”KARMI-Bot” will be used to assist patients at the medical college’s COVID-19 isolation ward.
NASA develops high-pressure ventilator ‘ VITAL’ to fight COVID-19
- NASA engineers have developed a new, easy-to-build high-pressure ventilator tailored specifically to treat COVID-19 patients.
- The device, called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally), passed a critical test at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York, an epicentre of COVID-19 in the US.
China names its Mars mission Tianwen-1
- China named its first Mars exploration mission to be launched later this year as Tianwen-1 as it celebrated Space Day on Apr 24 to mark the 50th anniversary of the launch of the country’s first satellite Dong Fang Hong-1 in 1970.
Pakistan Navy successfully test-fires anti-ship missiles in Arabian Sea
- The Pakistan Navy successfully test-fired a series of anti-ship missiles in the North Arabian Sea.
- The missiles were fired from surface ships, fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.
Team Led By IIT Bombay Student Develops Low-Cost Mechanical Ventilator ‘Ruhdaar’
- A team of engineering students from IIT Bombay, NIT Srinagar and Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST), Awantipora, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir has come up with a low-cost ventilator using locally available materials.
HCARD robot to assist frontline Covid-19 healthcare workers
- The robotic device HCARD, in short for Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device, can help frontline healthcare workers in maintaining physical distance from those infected by coronavirus.
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ICMR
- Headquarters– New Delhi
- Director General– Balram Bhargava
SpaceX
- Headquarters– California, U.S.
- CEO– Elon Musk
China
- Capital– Beijing
- Currency– Renminbi
- President– Xi Jinping
Pakistan
- Capital– Islamabad
- Currency– Pakistani rupee
- Prime minister– Imran Khan
NASA
- Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States
- Current administrator – Jim Bridenstine
CSIR:
- Headquarters : New Delhi
- Director General : Shekhar C. Mande
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Uma Balasubramaniam Newest Book on India’s Unsung Hero: Sayajirao Gaekwad III: The Maharaja of Baroda
- Uma Balasubramaniam’s latest historical epic biography titled, ‘Sayajirao Gaekwad III: The Maharaja of Baroda’ captures the life of a great ruler.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE
Australia cancels premier multilateral air combat training exercise
- Australia has informed India that their premier multilateral air combat training exercise Pitch Black 2020 scheduled from July 27 to August 14 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation, defence sources stated.
US Navy to host world’s largest maritime exercises in Hawaii again this year
- US Navy to host world’s largest maritime exercises in Hawaii again this year
- The United States Navy has stated that it will host the world’s largest maritime exercises in Hawaii, but the drills will only be held at sea because of the Corona virus.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS
NADA and BFI conduct online anti-doping awareness session
- The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) in collaboration with Boxing Federation of India (BFI) conducted an online anti-doping awareness session.
- Utilising the lockdown period, Dr Ankush Gupta of NADA took a special interactive session on “Anti-Doping Awareness” which was attended by 450 participants.
World Games Birmingham unveils new title, logo after postponement of event
- The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama has unveiled an updated logo and title after being delayed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
- The Olympic-style competition for sports and events that are not on the Summer Games program will now be known as The World Games 2022.
Charles Leclerc wins Chinese Virtual Grand Prix
- Charles Leclerc of Ferrari has won the Chinese Virtual Grand Prix defeated Red Bull’s Alex Albon.
- Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the actual F1 races are not being held. In its place, Formula 1 has announced new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series. The virtual races will run in place of every postponed Grand Prix.
Alireza Firouzja defeats Magnus Carlsen in final of Banter Blitz Cup
- Iranian refugee Alireza Firouzja shocked the world when he upset Carlsen in the final of the $78,000 Banter Blitz Cup in a battle
Middle-distance runner Jhuma Khatun banned for four years by AIU after testing positive for banned substance
- Middle distance runner Jhuma Khatun has been banned for four years by the Athletics Integrity Unit of the world governing body for testing positive for a banned substance in a nearly two-year-old doping case which the NDTL had failed to detect.
Former Pakistan skipper Sana Mir announces retirement from international cricket
- Former Pakistan women’s skipper Sana Mir announced her retirement from international cricket, ending a 15 year long illustrious career.
Olympic Medallist Mathias Boe Announces Retirement from International Badminton
- Denmark’s ace doubles exponent Mathias Boe, a silver medallist at the 2012 London Olympics and 2013 World Championships announced his retirement from international badminton
PCB bans Umar Akmal for 3 years
- Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batsman Umar Akmal was banned for three years for failing to ‘report corrupt approaches’ ahead of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020.
French Grand Prix becomes 10th race to get cancelled over coronavirus
- The organisers of the French Grand Prix confirmed that the event will not go ahead in 2020, in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
India lose hosting rights of 2021 men’s world boxing championships
- India lost the hosting rights of the 2021 men’s world boxing championship to Serbia after the International Boxing association alleged non-payment of host fee by the national federation, which claimed that AIBA “acted in haste”.
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National Anti Doping Agency (NADA)
- CEO: Navin Agarwal
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
International Boxing Association:
- Headquarters location: Lausanne, Switzerland
- President: Gafur Rakhimov
CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY
Former Fiji prime minister Qarase passes away
- Former Fiji prime minister Laisenia Qarase passed away.
- The founder of the Soqosoqo Duavata Ni Lewenivanua Party, who served as Fiji’s sixth prime minister from 2000 to 2006.
BMW Group India President & CEO Rudratej Singh passes away at 46
- BMW Group India announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer Rudratej Singh has passed away. While the reason behind Singh’s demise is “yet to be ascertained”, several media reports have claimed that he suffered a massive cardiac arrest.
Thespian Usha Ganguly dies at 75 in Kolkata
- Eminent theatre personality Usha Ganguly died at her residence in south Kolkata on April 23. Ganguly, 75, she died of a massive cardiac arrest.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Basanta Das passes away
- Former Rajya Sabha member from Odisha Basanta Das died following a prolonged illness. He was 80.
Former Australian cricketer Graeme Watson dies at 75
- Graeme Watson, the former Australia all rounder who was battling cancer, has died at the age of 75. Primarily a middle-order batsman and a medium-pace bowler, he played five Tests from 1967 to 1972 and two ODIs in 1972.
Veteran photojournalist Ronny Roy passes away
- Veteran sports photojournalist Ronojoy ‘Ronny’ Roy passes away following a cardiac arrest.
- Popularly known as ‘Ronny’, he was associated withBengali daily Aajkaal since 1990s and covered the ICC WorldCup in England last year.
Former Governor and veteran politician Devanand Konwar passes away
- Veteran politician Devanand Konwar, who has served as Governor of several states including Bihar, West Bengal, Tripura, passed away. He was 77 years old.
Noted playwright Bijay Mishra passes away
- Noted playwright and lyricist of Odisha Bijay Mishra passed away.
- Mishra was recipient of many awards at the State as well as national level. He won the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi award for his play ‘Vanaprastha’.
Ex-NASA administrator James Beggs passes away
- Former NASA administrator James M. Beggs,passed away.
- Beggs was the sixth administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Michael Robinson, former Liverpool player and broadcaster, passes away
- Former Liverpool striker Michael Robinson has passed away at the age of 61. The former Ireland international, who won a league, League Cup and European Cup treble with Liverpool in the 1983-84 season
Actor Irrfan Khan, 53, dies of colon infection at a Mumbai hospital
- Actor Irrfan Khan, 53, died battling colon infection at a Mumbai hospital. Khan had been admitted to the intensive care unit of Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.
Rishi Kapoor passes away at 67
- Rishi Kapoor, the romantic star of many a Bollywood film who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018, died in a Mumbai hospital. He was 67.