Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 May 2020

1. Central Government extended the last date for nomination of Gandhi Peace Prize 2020

• Recently, the Central Government has extended the last date for nomination of Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 till June 15.
• This decision has been taken due to the lockdown imposed by COVID-19 across the country.
• Initially for the year 2020, the last date to enroll was 30 April.
• Nominations are invited every year by the Ministry of Culture to present the Gandhi Peace Prize.
• International Gandhi Peace Prize:
  • It is awarded annually by the Government of India, in the name of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • The award was instituted by the Indian govt. on the occasion of Gandhiji's 125^th birth anniversary in 1995.
  • The first winner of the Gandhi Peace Prize was Julius Nyerere.

2. Allocation of funds to National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli to make the latest supercomputer

• Recently, the Government has provided Rs 17 crore to the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli to make cutting edge supercomputer.
• With the introduction of this computer, a significant increase in the educational and research level of the institute is expected.
• The institute is covered under the Prime Minister's Research Fellow Scheme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
• Also the institute was declared a part of the National Super Computing Mission.
• National Supercomputing Mission:
  • This mission was announced in the year 2015.
  • It aims to empower national academic and R&D institutions spread across the country by establishing a huge supercomputing grid with over 70 high-performance computing facilities.
  • The first computer under this scheme was installed in Varanasi BHU named Param Shivay.

3. ITBP provided security to nine hundred trucks from Zojila to Kargil in Ladakh

• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (I.T.B.P) provided security to nine hundred trucks from snow-covered Zojila to Kargil in the Union Territory of Ladakh during the last 21 days of lockdown.
• This route supplies essential commodities to about one and a half lakh residents of Kargil.
• The Leh-based North West Frontier of the ITBP has played a key role with the support of the Ladakh administration.
• Zojila is a high mountain pass in the Himalayas of the Indian Ladakh region. This pass connects the Kashmir valley with the Dras and Suru valleys in the west.
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP):
  • It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India.
  • It was created on 24 October 1962 under the CRPF Act, in the wake of the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
  • Its motto is “Shaurya-Dridhata-Karma Nishtha”.

4. Central Government extended the time limit for linking Aadhaar numbers with ration cards

• Recently the Center has extended the time limit given to all states and union territories to link Aadhaar numbers with ration cards till 30 September 2020.
• But the government also made it clear that till then no real beneficiary will be denied the right to quota of food grains.
• At the same time, the government has also issued instructions that under the National Food Security Act, the allocation of food grains will not be denied due to poor biometrics, network connectivity or linking or any other technical reasons.
• National Food Security Act:
  • It was enacted on 5 July 2013 and implemented in September 2013.
  • The Act legally empowers 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized food grains under the targeted public distribution system.

5. Launch of country's first ‘FIR Aapke Dwar’ scheme in Bhopal

• Recently, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra has launched the country's first ever "FIR Aapke Dwar Yojana" in Bhopal.
• Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country to implement such innovative scheme.
• Under this, people will no longer need to go to the police station to register an FIR.
• The scheme has been launched as a pilot project in 23 police stations, including urban and rural police stations.
• At present, FIRs of complaints of general nature will be filed on the spot.

6. Launch of the helpline ‘Bharosa’ of the Central University of Odisha

• Recently Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank started the helpline ‘Bharosa’ of the Central University of Odisha.
• The Helpline aims to provide emotional support to the students of the University of Odisha.
• This helpline number was started in a virtual way from New Delhi.
• This helpline will help students recover from stressful situations during the COVID-19 transition.

7. Indian economy will rebound in about a year

• Recently in Karnataka, All India Manufacturing Organization (AIMO) State Council Chairman S. Sampatharaman has expressed hope that the country will recover in about a year from the slowdown in the economy due to COVID-19.
• Also, in a year, the industries will overcome the challenges and the Indian economy will rebound.
• The barriers to supply, labor and finance can be overcome through innovation.
• All India Manufacturing Organization (AIMO):
  • It was founded by Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya in 1941.
  • This organization is a body committed to industrial progress with the motto of prosperity through industry.

8. Trade unions called for an appeal to the International Labor Organization against anti-labor changes in labor laws

• Recently ten central trade unions spoke about filing complaints with the International Labor Organization against anti-labor changes in labor laws.
• Recently, the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have exempted establishments from employers' obligations under several labor laws for three years, which was an anti-labor move.
• The Gujarat government was also reportedly working on a similar exemption.
• International Labor Organization (ILO):
  • Established in 1919 under the auspices of the United Nations, it is the first and oldest specialized agency of the United Nations.
  • It is created to ensure social and economic justice through the establishment of international labor standards.
  • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Its Director General is Guy Ryder.

9. Aarogya Setu Data Protocol Standards issued

• Recently Aarogya Setu data access and knowledge sharing protocols have been released.
• This protocol has been developed and released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, while data has been collected by the National Informatics Center.
• It states that the user's personal data of the app, including contacts and location, will only be used for health purposes.
• It should be removed permanently in 6 months or 180 days after collection.
• Aarogya Setu App:
  • The Government of India has launched the Aarogya Setu App to track COVID-19 infection.
  • Currently, this app is available in 11 languages.
  • This app will calculate this transition based on those interactions with others, using state-of-the-art Bluetooth technology, algorithms and artificial intelligence.

10. May 12: International Nurses Day

• Every year on 12 May, International Nurses Day is celebrated to mark the contribution of nurses to the society.
• This year's theme is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead-Nursing the World to Health.”
• International Nurses Day is celebrated to commemorate Florence Nightingale's birthday.
• Florence Nightingale, a British social reformer and statistician and founder of modern nursing.
• She was born on 12 May 1820 in Florence, Italy.

11. Telangana's Puttapaka Telia Rumal given GI Tag

• Recently, Telia Rumal of Telangana has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag by the Geographical Indications Registry. 
• The appilcation for GI tag was made by the Consortium of Puttapaka Handloom Cluster-IHDS. 
• The handmade work in Telia Rumal cloth with cotton loom shows different designs and motifs in red, black and white color. 
• Telia Rumal can only be made using the traditional handloom process so as to maintain its quality.