Daily Current Affairs and GK | 21 and 22 June 2020

1. Insurance scheme announced under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package extended to 30 September.

• The insurance scheme recently announced under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package has been extended till 30 September 2020.
• The period of this plan was earlier to end on 30 June 2020.
• The scheme provides an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh to about 22 lakh public healthcare providers.
• The beneficiaries of the scheme include community health workers who have to be in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients i.e. those who are at risk of getting affected by coronavirus.
• The scheme is funded through the National Disaster Response Fund, run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The insurance provided under this scheme will be different from any other insurance cover availed by the beneficiary.

2. Approval of Rs. 190 crore for augmentation of health facilities in North Eastern States.

• Recently, it has been decided to sanction Rs. 190 crore for the enhancement of health facilities in North Eastern states.
• Development Minister of North Eastern Region, Dr. Jitendra Singh has given this decision during the review of COVID-19 status and health facility in Aspirational Districts with special focus on North East.
• This money will be used to develop infrastructure specifically for the management of infectious diseases.
• The concept of aspirational district is based on 49 key indicators, of which healthcare status is an important component.
• The northeastern states of India include eight states - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram and Nagaland and Tripura.

3. India is 12^th largest holder of US government securities at the end of April this year.

• India became the 12^th largest holder of US government securities, with assets of $ 157.4 billion at the end of April this year.
• According to recently released data from the US Treasury Department, the holding touched a record high of $ 177.5 billion in February 2020, compared to a drastic decrease in March. Exposure was $ 164.3 billion in January.
• After reducing the exposure to $ 156.5 billion in March, India increased its holding by $ 0.9 billion to $ 157.4 billion the following month.
• At the end of April, Japan is the largest holder of US government securities worth $ 1.27 trillion, followed by China at $ 1.1 trillion and the UK at $ 368.5 billion.

4. International Day of Yoga: 21 June

• International Day of Yoga is observed every year on 21 June since 2015 to recognize the various benefits of Yoga and promote Yoga as the way of life.  
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 11 December 2014, adopted the resolution to mark 21 June as the International Day of Yoga keeping in mind that the day is the longest Day in the Northern Hemisphere and is significant for most of the people.
• Yoga is an ancient practice that not only deals with physical and mental health but also emotional and spiritual health. 
• Yoga is a gift of India to the world. 
• Yoga has been declared the UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016. 
• Theme 2020: "Yoga for Health- Yoga at Home"
• Theme 2019: "Yoga for Climate Action"

(Source: News on AIR)

5. World Music Day: 21 June

• World Music Day or Fête de la Musique is celebrated every year on 21 June to provide free music to all. 
• The day is observed to honour the musicians across the world and encourage them to showcase their work to people. 
• On this day, free public concerts are organised in parks, streets, stations and other public places. 
• The day was founded in 1982 by Jack Lang (France's Minister of Culture) and Maurice Fleuret (French composer, radio producer and festival organiser). 
• Music is a stress buster and helps one sleep better. 

(Source: News on AIR)

6. Nagaland State Sports Academy at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima will be established as KISCE.

• Recently it has been decided that Nagaland State Sports Academy at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima will be established as Khelo India State Center of Excellence (KISCE).
• This will give the state an opportunity to upgrade its sports facilities to a national level center of excellence.
• Recently the Ministry of Sports has identified state-owned sports facilities in eight states of India. These states include Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and Odisha.

(Source: The Hindu)

7. ‘Satyabhama’ Portal launched by Ministry of Mines.

• Recently, Union Minister for Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Prahlad Joshi has launched the Satyabhama portal.
• Satyabhama- Science and Technology Yojana for Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Mining Advancement portal has been launched for Science and Technology Programme Scheme of Ministry of Mines.
• It is designed, developed and implemented by National Informatics Center, Mines Informatics Division.
• It is helpful in monitoring projects and use of funds and grants as well as online submission of project proposals.
• Researchers can also submit the progress report and final technical report of the projects in electronic format in the portal.
• A user manual is also available on the portal where the layered procedures for the presentation of project proposals are outlined.
• This portal is integrated with NITI Aayog's NGO Darpan Portal.

(Source: PIB)

8. Death of finest left-arm spinner Rajinder Goel.

• Recently left-arm spinner Rajinder Goel passed away.
• Mr. Goel died of age related health problems.
• During his career, Goel took 750 first class wickets, including a record 637 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.
• In 2012, Goel was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI.
• Former captain Sunil Gavaskar has dedicated a chapter in his second book titled Idols to Rajinder Goel.

(Source: The Hindu)

9. Global Status Report on Violence against Children 2020 released.

• Recently the Global Status Report on Violence against Children 2020 has been released.
• This report has been commissioned by the Special Representative of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO, UN Secretary General against Children and Violence.
• This first-of-its-kind report states that one billion children experience violence every year as countries fail to protect them.
• Half of the world's children each year are affected by physical, sexual or psychological violence, injuries and deaths because countries have failed to follow established strategies to protect them.
• This year, due to the lockdown due to COVID-19, most children were forced to live with the abuser. They are feeling better as the school reopens slowly.
• To prevent and respond to violence against children, 155 countries have put together seven strategies called INSPIRE.

(Source: The Hindu)

10. Urjit Patel appointed as the chairman of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.

• Recently, former Governor of Reserve Bank of India Urjit Patel has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
• Patel will replace Vijay Laxman Kelkar, former president of NIPFP.
• His term will be four years.
• Patel resigned from the post of RBI governor in 2018, despite having nine months left in his term.
• National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP):
  • NIPFP was established as an autonomous research organization by the Ministry of Finance, Planning Commission and some state governments and academics.
  • This organization was established in 1976.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.

11. Hetero launches a drug called Covifor for COVID-19 patients.

• Recently the drug maker Hetero has launched a drug called Covifor for the patients of COVID-19.
• Covifor is a 100 mg vial, which will be available as an injection.
• Hetero has received the approval of Drug Controller General of India to manufacture and sell a generic version of Gilead's Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the country.
• Covifor is a generic version of Remdesivir.
• It is being manufactured at the company's facility in Hyderabad.

12. China claimed the entire Galwan Valley.

• Recently China has claimed the entire Galwan Valley.
• This includes areas that are currently on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• This is seen as an extension of China's already known territorial claims in the region.
• The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that India has built roads, bridges and other facilities in the Galwan Valley region unilaterally.
• China is making a new claim to the LAC in the region, for which there was a violent clash between the armies of the two countries in the region on 15 June.
• This was the worst violence on the border since 1967, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

(Source: IndiaToday)