Daily Current Affairs and GK | 10 June 2020

1. Signing of MoU between NCERT and Rotary India

• Recently a memorandum of understanding was signed between the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and Rotary India.
• This MoU has been made for providing e-learning telecast content on all NCERT TV channels from class one to 12th.
• Under Vidya Daan 2.0, Rotary International will provide e-content in Hindi language to NCERT for all subjects from class one to 12th.
• This high-grade study material will be very beneficial for all school children.
• In addition, Rotary International will also contribute to the adult literacy mission by providing materials for children with special needs.
• It will also provide teacher training material.
• Education has been severely affected due to novel coronavirus infection. Hence, this decision was taken.
• The National Council of Educational Research and Training is an autonomous institute of government of India which was established in 1961.

(Source: News on AIR)

2. 16^th meeting of cabinet ministers for review of COVID-19

• Recently, the 16^th meeting of cabinet ministers was held to review COVID-19.
• The meeting was chaired by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
• It was informed in the meeting that in the case of COVID-19, India's position is much better than other countries of the world, but in this case, no caution can be reduced.
• At present, there are 958 specialized hospitals for treatment of COVID in the country, with 1,67,000 separate beds and 21,000 ICU beds, and 21,000 ventilators available in the country.
• Currently, 1,29,000 people in the country are infected with corona.
• The rate of corona recovery in the country has exceeded 48%.

(Source: News on AIR)

3. Signing of an MoU between JNCASR and Breath Applied Sciences

• Recently Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Higher Scientific Research has signed an MoU with Breath Applied Sciences.
• The MoU was for large-scale production of clean fuels and other useful chemicals such as methanol from carbon dioxide.
• Also, under the agreement, 300 kg of carbon dioxide will be converted into useful chemicals daily. After one year, this quantity will be increased to five hundred tons.
• Breath Applied Sciences is a private limited. It was established in March 2016 and is headquartered in Bangalore.

4. Central government increased the customs duty on bamboo from 10% to 25%

• Recently, the central government has increased the customs duty on bamboo imported by Agarbatti manufacturers from 10% to 25%.
• Now all importers of bamboo will have to pay 25% customs duties.
• This decision has been taken with the aim of promoting the use of bamboo grown in the country under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme.
• Abuse of rules relating to bamboo imports at a uniform rate will be prohibited.
• Also, it will benefit farmers and small agarbatti manufacturers.
• Earlier, only big agarbatti manufacturers were able to take advantage of this, as they used to import bamboo at low rates.
• Scientifically, bamboo is not a tree but a grass. But the Indian Forest Act, 1927, considers it a tree.
• After the amendment of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, bamboo has been removed from the category of a tree. Now, there is no restriction on growing or cutting bamboo trees outside the forests.

(Source: News on AIR)

5. Global leaders will not go to New York to attend the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly due to the COVID-19 pandemic

• For the first time in the 75-year history of the United Nations, global leaders will not go to New York to attend the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
• The conference was to be held in New York from 22 September this year.
• United Nations General Assembly:
  • It is one of the six major organs of the United Nations.
  • It is headquartered in New York, United States.
  • It was founded in 1945.
  • The President of the United Nations General Assembly is Tijjani Muhammad Bande.

(Source: News on AIR)

6. Environmental Performance Index 2020 released

• Recently Environmental Performance Index 2020 has been released, this is the 12th edition of this index.
• It is produced on a biennial basis by Yale University and Columbia University.
• The index ranks 180 countries based on 32 performance indicators in 11 categories covering environmental health and ecosystem strength.
• This index was first published in 2002.
• It aims to meet the environmental goals set in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
• Denmark was ranked first in this index, followed by Luxembourg and Switzerland, while the United Kingdom was ranked 4^th.
• India has ranked 168^th out of 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index 2020. All South Asian countries, except Afghanistan, are ahead of India in the rankings.
• Earlier in 2018, India's rank was 177^th.

7. Gairsain declared summer capital of Uttarakhand

• Recently, Gairsain has been formally declared the summer capital of Uttarakhand.
• It is located in Chamoli district.
• It will be developed as an ideal seat of administration.
• The Legislative Assembly of the state is located in the winter capital, Dehradun.
• Uttarakhand was carved out of northern Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000 as the 27^th state of India.
• The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand is Trivendra Singh Rawat and Governor is Baby Rani Maurya.

8. Naimisha 2020, summer art program being organized online

• Naimisha 2020, a summer art program, is being organized by the National Gallery of Modern Art.
• The event will be held from 8 June to 3 July 2020.
• Four workshops will be organized under the online Naimisha 2020 program.
• It is an initiative to provide participants and art enthusiasts a chance to practice and others to learn from artists.
• The program includes online workshop sessions on painting, sculpture, printmaking and Indrajal - The Magic of Art.

9. India's first online waste exchange platform launched in Andhra Pradesh

• Andhra Pradesh government launched the country's first online waste exchange platform.
• Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Government Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched this platform on 5 June 2020 on the eve of World Environment Day 2020.
• This will help the authorities to monitor the real-time movement of hazardous waste using the equipment included in the platform.
• The platform will be operated by AP Environmental Management Corporation.
• This corporation will streamline the collection of waste from industries, separating and streamlining waste as hazardous, non-hazardous and e-waste by category.
• It will then scientifically dispose of this waste at various waste disposal centers.

10. June 9: Coral Triangle Day

• Every year Coral Triangle Day is celebrated on 9 June.
• The purpose of celebrating this day is to conserve and raise awareness about the sea, especially about the Coral Triangle which is the world's marine biodiversity epicenter.
• The center consists of 6 countries in the Asia-Pacific region of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste Seas.
• The Coral Triangle is the epicenter of the world's marine biodiversity. It is one of the 3 mega ecological complexes on Earth. The other two mega ecological complexes are the Congo Basin and the Amazon Rainforest.