International News
USAID to Provide Additional $3 Million to India to Fight COVID-19
- An Aid agency of United States-The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)has announced to provide an additional $3 million to India, for mitigating the spread of COVID-19.
- The fund will be utilized under Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL) project.
National News
‘Kisan Sabha App’—CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI)
- CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi has developed Kisan Sabha App with an aim to connect farmers to supply chain and freight transportation management systems.
- The Kisan Sabha App is a one-stop solution for farmers, transporters, and other entities engaged in the agriculture Industry.
"IDEAthon" Titled "The future of River Management"
- The National Mission for Clean Ganga operating (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) launched "IDEAthon" titled "The future of River Management".
- It aimed to create awareness about the ecological importance and economic potential of the rivers to help the cities.
"The Saras Collection" Launched on GeM Portal
- The Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar launched “The Saras Collection” on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.
- The collection will display daily utility products made by rural self-help groups (SHGs).
The Agro MSME Policy
- An Agro MSME policy will be launched to focus on export enhancement and import substitution to replace foreign imports with domestic production.
- It will be also focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, science and technology, research skill and experiences to convert the knowledge into wealth.
‘AYURAKSHA’—By All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and Delhi Police
- The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA)and Delhi Police organized the AYURAKSHA program for Delhi Police personal at New Delhi.
- The program was launched under the Ministry of AYUSH.
Ayush Kavach App- By Uttar Pradesh Government
- Ayush Kavach mobile app is launched by the state government of Uttar Pradesh.
- The app provides health-related tips and information about Ayurveda medicine on novel coronavirus infection.
‘Surakshit Dada-Dadi & Nana-Nani Abhiyan’ Campaign—By NITI Aayog and Piramal Foundation
- The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog in partnership with Piramal Foundationlaunched virtually the‘Surakshit Dada-Dadi & Nana-Nani Abhiyan’campaign to ensure the well-being of senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Banking
‘Vikas Abhaya’—By Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank
- Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank(KVGB) which is a regional rural bank has launched ‘Vikas Abhaya’ a loan scheme to provide some relief to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise(MSME) borrowers.
- The loan scheme is launched for those borrowers whose business activities are disrupted because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Dharwad, Karnataka.
RBI Extends Regulatory Benefits under SLF-MF Scheme
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the regulatory benefits announced under the special liquidity facility for mutual funds (SLF-MF) scheme to all banks, irrespective of whether they avail funding from RBI or deploy their own resources under the scheme.
RBI cancels License of CKP Co-Operative Bank Ltd., Mumbai
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) canceled the license of CKP Co-operative Bank Ltd., Mumbai, to carry on banking business, with effect from April 30, 2020.
- The bank is prohibited from the business of ‘banking’ including acceptance and repayment of deposits.
Reports
Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) 2020--By IDMC
- Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) released its Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) 2020.
- As per the report 5 million people were displaced in India in 2019, which is the highest in the world, due to disasters, including cyclones and monsoon floods.
Appointments
| Name of the Person | Designation |
| TS Tirumurti | Next Ambassador of India to the United Nations |
| Neeraj Vyas | Interim Managing Director and CEO of PNB Housing Finance |
| Shikha Sharma | Advisor to Goggle Pay India |
| Arvind Kumar Sharma | Secretary to the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) |
| Ajay Tirkey | Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) |
| Giridhar Aramane | Secretary to Ministry of Shipping & Secretary to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) |
| Neeraj Dhawan | Chief Risk Officer of Yes Bank |
| Tarun Bajaj | Director on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) |
| Ashok Michael Pinto | US representative to World Bank’s leading hand International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) |
| Krishnan Ramachandran | MD and CEO of Max Bupa Health Insurance |
| Lt Gen. Raj Shukla | Charge of ARTRAC (Army Training Command) |
| D P S Negi | Director-General of Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment |
| Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury | Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament |
Awards and Honours
| Awardee | Award |
| Prof. Shobhana Narasimhan | American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
| Vaneeza Rupani | Naming NASA’s 1st Mars Helicopter |
| Arktika-M | Russia’s 1st Satellite to Monitor Arctic Climate |
| Saurabh Lodha | Young Career Award in Nano Science and Technology for the year 2020 |
| Indian journalist Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan, and Channi Anand | 2020 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography |
| Joseph J Landsberg, Richard H Waring, and Nicholas C Coops | Marcus Wallenberg Prize 2020 |
Important Days
| Date | Day | Theme |
| 1st May 2020 | International Labour Day or Worker's day | -- |
| 1st May 2020 | Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day | -- |
| 2nd May 2020 | World Tuna Day | -- |
| 2nd May 2020 | International Astronomy Day | -- |
| 3rd May 2020 | World Press Freedom Day | Theme: "Journalism Without Fear or Favour." |
| 4th May 2020 | International Firefighter’s Day | -- |
| 5th May 2020 | World Asthma Day | Theme: "Enough Asthma Deaths” |
| 5th May 2020 | International Day of Midwife | Theme: Midwives with women: celebrate, demonstrate, mobilize, unite-our time in NOW! |
| 5th May 2020 | World Hand Hygiene Day | -- |
MOUs Signed
CSIR-IGIB Signs MoU with TATA Sons—To License KNOWHOW for FELUDA
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and TATA Sons signed an MoU for licensing of KNOWHOW for FNCAS9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay (FELUDA) for rapid diagnosis of COVID-19.
Government Schemes
‘Jeevan Amrit Yojana’---By Madhya Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh government has launched Jeevan Amrit Yojana, a unique scheme to boost the immunity system of citizens of the state in order to fight novel coronavirus.
- The packets of 50 grams to about 1 crore families will be distributed under this yojana.
Free Health Insurance Scheme--By Maharashtra Govt
- Maharashtra Government to grant free health insurance scheme to all citizens.
- By granting free health insurance scheme to all citizens, Maharashtra Govt has become the first state in India to do this.
Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna—By Himachal Pradesh
- The Himachal Pradesh (HP) state government has decided to launch an employment guarantee scheme called “Mukhya Mantri ShahariRojgar Guarantee Yojna” with an aim to improve the economy of the state affected by the Coronavirus.
- The Yojna will provide 120 days of employment to those living in urban areas.
‘Nigah Scheme’---By Himachal Pradesh
- The Himachal Pradesh government has launched Nigah Scheme.
- The scheme has been launched to properly sensitize and educate family members of people coming from other states so that social distancing is effectively maintained.
Defence
Operation Samudra Setu—By Indian Navy
- Indian Navy launched Operation Samudra Setu.
- The Operation Samudra Setu means Sea Bridge.
Science and Technology
‘ATULYA’ a Microwave Sterilizer--By DRDO and DIAT, Pune
- Defense Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune, a deemed university supported by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a microwave sterilizer named ‘ATULYA’ to disintegrate coronavirus.
YASH Programme—By NCSTC and DST
- National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) and Department of Science & Technology (DST) launched 'Year of Awareness on Science & Health (YASH)'.
- YASH is a program on health and risk communication with a focus on COVID-19.
'Bharatmarket'—By Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT)
- Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has decided to launch 'Bharatmarket' which is a national e-commerce marketplace.
- 'Bharatmarket' will be used for all retail traders in collaboration with several technology partners.
A Survey on R&D Statistics and Indicators 2019-20
- A survey on Research and Development (R&D) Statistics and Indicators 2019-20 was conducted by the National Science and Technology Management Information (NSTMIS), Department of Science and Technology (DST).
- As per the survey, India ranks 3rd among countries in a scientific publication.
Video-Based KYC—By Ameyo
- Ameyo, an Omnichannel Customer Engagement Technology provider, launched video-based KYC for businesses to eliminate the need for physical KYC following the latest RBI guidelines issued in Jan 2020.
Summits and Conferences
Virtual Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be participating in a virtual summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on 4 May.
- The summit will be conducted under the Presidency of Azerbaijan and will be convened by President Ilham Aliyev.
Bamboo Conclave 2020
- The Bamboo Conclave 2020 was recently held via video conference and was addressed by Dr. Jitendra Singh who is Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
- The conference was attended by the union ministry of agriculture and stakeholders.
Coronavirus Global Response International Pledging Conference
- European Union and its partners hosted the Coronavirus Global Response International Pledging Conference.
- The conference aimed to raise €7.5 billion in initial funding in global cooperation.
