Daily Current Affairs and GK | 18 June 2020

1. Jammu and Kashmir was honoured with three prestigious Deen Dayal Upadhyay Sashaktikaran Puraskar

• Recently, Jammu and Kashmir has been awarded three prestigious Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Sashaktikaran Puraskar.
• Jammu and Kashmir has been chosen from the 9 union territories of the country.
• Jammu and Kashmir has been awarded this award for outstanding contribution to the socio-economic development of gram panchayats.
• Panchayat Rathal, Panchayat Badakana, and Panchayat Meej were included among the best panchayats in recognition of their work in improving the delivery of services and implementation of different schemes.
• Earlier, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir was also awarded three different national awards of Union Territories namely, Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar, Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award and Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award by the Union Ministry.

2. India will send a 75-member Tri-Services Contingent to Russia to participate in the military parade in Moscow

• India will send a 75-member Tri-services Contingent to Russia to participate in the country’s Victory Day parade in Moscow.
• This parade in Moscow will be held on 24 June to mark the 75^th anniversary of victory in World War II.
• The parade will honor the heroic deeds and sacrifices made by Russians and other friendly people.
• World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945.
• Most of the countries in the world, including all the superpowers, were divided into two military alliances - the Allies and the Axis Nations.

3. India elected as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the eighth time

• Recently, India has been elected as the non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the eighth time.
• India won by 184 votes in the 193-member General Assembly.
• India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for two years.
• India's two-year term will begin from 1 January 2021.
• Along with India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway have also won the Security Council elections.
• United Nations Security Council:
  • It is one of the six major organs of the United Nations, responsible for ensuring international peace and security.
  • There are 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members in this council.
  • It is headquartered in New York, United States.
  • It was established on 24 October 1945.

(Source: News on AIR)

4. IAEA conducts inquiry meeting on Iran's undeclared nuclear program

• Recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency has held an inquiry meeting on Iran's undeclared nuclear program.
• It was found in this meeting that-
  • Iran did not comply with the 2015 nuclear deal.
  • Iran's nuclear fuel reserves have also increased significantly.
  • Iran did not allow the access to two sites where the agency wanted to visit.
  • At the same time, Iran failed to answer questions about the use of potentially undeclared nuclear material in the early 2000s.
• International Atomic Energy Agency:
  • It is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and prevent its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.
  • It was established on 29 July 1957 as an autonomous organization.
  • The IAEA has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

(Source: IAEA)

5. International Business School released the World Competitiveness Index 2020

• Recently the International Business School has released the World Competitiveness Index 2020.
• World Competitiveness Index is an annual index compiled by Institute for Management Development (IMD).
• 63 countries have been ranked in this list based on various economic dimensions.
• The index was first published in 1989.
• Key points of the index-
  • Singapore tops the index.
  • India is ranked 43^rd in the index.
  • Denmark has come in second place while USA secured the 10^th position.
  • While China has slipped from 14^th position to 20^th position. Among the BRICS nations, India ranks second after China, followed by Russia at 50^th, Brazil at 56^th and South Africa at 59^th.

6. Dexamethasone has been used by players for years

• Dexamethasone has been used for years by players to accelerate their rehabilitation from injuries and recover from infections.
• Recently British Prime Minister Boris Johnson described dexamethasone as the biggest success in the fight against Novel Coronavirus.
• Dexamethasone was found useful to cut the mortality rate of the most seriously ill Covid-19 patients by about one-third.
• Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid, a readily available drug that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. Its effect is often seen within a day, and lasts for about three days.
• This drug is in the list of banned substances of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
• Spanish players and Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos to Malaysian badminton legend Lee Chong Wei and most recently Indian javelin thrower Davinder Singh Kang were caught as they were using the drug.
• However, athletes are prohibited from using dexamethasone only during competition. If the substance is found before a competition, it will not be considered a doping offense.

7. Demolition of Joint Liaison Office between South Korea and North Korea

• Recently, the Joint Liaison Office between South Korea and North Korea has been demolished.
• The demolition of the Joint Liaison Office comes after the recent deterioration in relations between the two countries.
• The Liaison Office was established in Kaesong in 2018 to facilitate communication between North Korea and South Korea.
• North Korea has demolished this office, developed along an industrial township bordering with South Korea in Kaesong, raising tensions between these two countries.
• North Korea's move comes after South Korea's inability to revive inter-Korean economic projects that, along with UN sanctions, were beneficial to Pyongyang under US pressure.

8. Central government allocated about Rs 30,000 crore for the Jal Jeevan Mission

• Recently, the central government has allocated about Rs 30,000 crore for its flagship program Jal Jeevan Mission.
• This amount will be provided to the states in the financial year 2020-21 under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• The government's aim behind this decision is to provide employment to migrant laborers returning to villages from various cities due to Covid-19 as well as to solve the water problem in rural areas.
• Recently, the Center has also spent Rs 40,000 crore on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
• Jal Jeevan Mission-
  • This mission was announced in August 2019.
  • The main objective of the mission is to provide piped water supply to all rural households by 2024.
  • Ministry of Jal Shakti is the nodal agency for this mission.

9. Government of Kerala launched an initiative called ‘First Bell’

• Recently, the Kerala government has started an initiative called First Bell.
• Through this initiative, virtual classes are being organized for school students of the state.
• It aims to provide uninterrupted education during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.
• These classes are being conducted on cable networks, direct-to-home services and free, publicly operated television channels available on the Internet.
• The government is using the Kite Victors channel for this.
• The Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) has put out a timetable for conducting the classes.

10. Autistic Pride Day: 18 June

• Autistic Pride Day is celebrated every year on 18 June.
• The main purpose of marking this day is to create awareness about autism in people.
• According to data from the World Health Organization, one in 160 children is autistic.
• Autism is basically a developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to interact and communicate. The disorder has a direct effect on a person's nervous system and affects the person's emotional, social, and physical health overall.
• The first Autistic Pride Day was celebrated in the year 2005 in Brazil.

11. Khelo India State Centers of Excellence will be established by the Ministry of Sports

• Recently, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has announced that Khelo India State Centers of Excellence (KISCE) will be established.
• These centers will be set up with an aim to improve India's performance in the Olympic Games.
• For this, in the efforts to create a strong sports ecosystem in the entire country, one such center has been identified in each state and union territory.
• The Sports Ministry has identified government-owned sports facilities in eight states in the first phase. These are as follows-
  • Sangi Lahen Sports Academy, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
  • Jayaprakash Narayan National Youth Center, Bengaluru, Karnataka
  • GV Raja Senior Secondary Sports School, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
  • Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, Imphal, Manipur
  • Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl, Mizoram
  • State Sports Academy, IG Stadium, Kohima, Nagaland
  • Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
  • Regional Sports School, Hakimpet, Telangana