Daily Current Affairs and GK | 25 June 2020

1. Important schemes in various sectors were announced during the cabinet meeting.

• In a recent cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, important schemes were announced in various fields.
• The details of these schemes are as follows:
  • The decision to increase private sector participation in the space sector in the country was confirmed.
  • The government will set up the Indian National Space Promotion and Authority Center (IN-SPACe) for effective socio-economic use of space technology.
  • New Space India Limited, a public sector enterprise, will attempt to re-orient space activities from supply-driven model to demand-based model, ensuring optimum utilization of space assets in the country.
  • Urban co-operative and multi-state co-operative banks will be brought under the direct supervision of the Reserve Bank of India.
  • Additionally, to provide employment to about 35 lakh youth of the country, the government has decided to create a Rs 15,000 crore Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund for the development of infrastructure in enterprises related to animal husbandry, dairy and livestock.
  • Under this scheme, up to 90% of the loans will be given by banks to start such enterprises. The government has increased the interest rebate by 3% to all such loans under this scheme.
  • The term of the OBC Commission has been extended till January 31 of next year.
  • Under India's Look East Policy, ONGC will invest more than Rs 900 crore for research and development of two gas blocks in Myanmar.

(Source: News on AIR)

2. Free digital learning platform ‘Skill Build Reignite’ launched.

• Recently the free digital learning platform ‘Skill Build Reignite’ has been launched.
• The platform is launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in partnership with IBM.
• It aims to reach more job seekers and provide new resources to business owners in India.
• Under the aegis of MSDE, the Directorate General of Training, DGT has also announced a 10-week Skill Build Innovation Camp for students.
• The camp will provide versatile digital skills training in the field of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

(Source: News on AIR)

3. Ministry of Tourism presented 37^th webinar titled Vedic Food and Spices of India.

• Recently the Ministry of Tourism organized the 37th webinar program on Vedic Food and spices in India under Dekho Apna Desh Webinar series.
• Its purpose is to show the qualities and benefits of the ancient health science of the country.
• Also, this webinar has attempted to dispel myths about certain types of Food.
• Dekho Apna Desh Webinar series is an attempt to showcase the rich diversity of India under the Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.
• Dekho Apna Desh Webinars are presented by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), formed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

(Source: News on AIR)

4. Approval for giving 2% interest subvention for one year to Shishu loan account holders.

• Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved a scheme to provide 2% interest subvention on interest for one year to all eligible Shishu loan account holders under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.
• Under this, loans will be given for those accounts on which there is no outstanding loan till March 31 of this year as per RBI instructions.
• This scheme will provide incentives to the people who will repay the loan.
• Under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Shishu loan is provided for income generating activities up to Rs 50,000.
• This scheme will be implemented by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for one year from 1 July 2020.

(Source: News on AIR)

5. Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has released the annual TB report 2020.

• Recently, Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan released the annual TB report 2020 through a virtual program.
• Nearly complete on-line notification of TB patients has been received through the Nikshay system.
• Key points of the report:
  • More than 24 lakh TB patients have been notified in 2019. These have increased by 14% compared to 2018.
  • In 2017, the number of missing cases had come down to 2.9 lakh as against more than 10 lakh cases.
  • Private sector notifications increased by 35%, with 6.78 lakh TB patients.
  • Due to the easy availability of molecular diagnostics, the proportion of children diagnosed with TB increased to 8% in 2019 as compared to 6% in 2018.
  • The provision of HIV testing for all notified TB patients increased from 67% in 2018 to 81% in 2019.
  • The treatment success rate of notified patients increased by 12%.
• A manual on direct benefit transfer for TB patients, a training module and quarterly newspaper Nikshay Patrika have also been released on the occasion.
• Nikshay is a web-enabled patient management system for TB control under the National Tuberculosis Eradication Program.

(Source: News on AIR)

6. Devika Bridge was inaugurated at Udhampur.

• Recently, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Devika Bridge over Devika River in Udhampur.
• Along with this, under construction Puneja Bridge of Bhaderwah-Basholi-Pathankot National Highway in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir also inaugurated.
• This road will provide an important alternative link to Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts.
• The construction work of these two bridges is done by Border Roads Organization.
• Border Roads Organisation (BRO):
  • The Border Roads Organization develops and maintains a road network in India’s border areas and friendly neighboring countries.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • It was founded in May 1960 by Jawaharlal Nehru.

7. Decarbonizing transport in Emerging Economies project launched in India by NITI Aayog and ITF.

• Recently, the Decarbonizing Transport in Emerging Economics project has been launched in India jointly by NITI Aayog and International Transport Forum of OECD.
• This ambitious five-year project will prove to be helpful in leading India towards a low carbon transport system through the development of modeling tools and policy scenarios.
• This Indian project is part of decarbonizing transport in emerging economies family of projects that support transportation decarbonization in various regions of the world.
• India, Argentina, Azerbaijan and Morocco are currently participating in the project.
• The Decarbonising Transport in Emerging Economies (DTEE) is a collaboration between the ITF and the Wuppertal Institute supported by the International Federal Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
• India’s transport sector is the third largest greenhouse gas emitting sector.
• Of the total carbon dioxide emissions in India, 13% come from the transport sector. These emissions have more than tripled since 1990.
• In India, emissions of carbon dioxide per citizen are equivalent to one-twentieth part of the average OECD country. Nevertheless, India’s transport carbon dioxide emissions are likely to increase by about 6% annually by 2030.

(Source: News on AIR)

8. The Financial Action Task Force retained Pakistan in the grey list.

• Recently the Financial Action Task Force has decided to keep Pakistan in the grey list.
• This decision has been taken due to Pakistan’s failure to check the flow of funds to terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
• The decision was taken in the third and final plenary of the Financial Action Task Force headed by Xiangmin Liu of China.
• In such a situation, it will now be difficult for Pakistan to get financial support from IMF, World Bank, ADB and European Union.
• Now, Pakistan will remain on the grey list until the next meeting of the FATF to be held in October.
• If Pakistan fails to follow the FATF directives by October, there is a possibility that the FATF could put Pakistan on the black list along with North Korea and Iran.
• Financial Action Task Force (FATF):
  • It is an intergovernmental organization.
  • It was established in 1989 to develop policies to deal with money laundering on the initiative of G-7.
  • In 2001, the financing of terrorism was also included.
  • It is headquartered in Paris, France.
  • Currently, it has 39 members, including two regional organizations, European Commission and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

(Source: News on AIR)

9. Kushinagar Airport has been given the status of International Airport.

• Recently Kushinagar Airport of Uttar Pradesh has been given the status of International Airport.
• Kushinagar Airport will open new avenues for development of the eastern side and will pave the way for the development of Purvanchal region.
• The granting of international status to Kushinagar Airport will also help in developing the Buddhist circuit, which includes Kushinagar, Sarnath, Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Kaushambi, Sankisa, Lumbini and Bodhgaya and 6 of these spots are in UP.
• Situated 50 kilometers from Gorakhpur, Kushinagar is a pilgrimage center for Buddhists, where Gautama Buddha gave his last sermon and attained Mahaparinirvana or death.
• Earlier, Jewar International Airport in Gautam Budhnagar of the state was given the status of International Airport.
• This ensured air connectivity to the western part of the state.

10. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) started ‘Mission Universal Testing’ in Mumbai.

• Recently, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has started Mission Universal Testing in Mumbai.
• Under this, one lakh antigen test kits will be made available.
• These kits will be available at all civilian operated hospitals, government hospitals, COVID-19 care centers, etc.
• This kit is said to deliver results in 30 minutes.
• As per the instructions issued by the state government, antigen testing will be acceptable only through the SDM biosensor company kit approved by the ICMR.
• People older than 70 years can get themselves test without any prescription.

11. Launch of Credit Guarantee Scheme by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

• Recently, the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Nitin Gadkari has launched the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Sub-ordinate Debt (CGSSD).
• The scheme will provide assistance to the promoters of the current small, micro and medium enterprises, which are facing financial crunch and have not been able to pay their outstanding debts by 30 April this year.
• About two lakh entrepreneurs will get help from this scheme.
• Under this scheme, loan guarantee up to Rs. 20,000 crore will be given to the promoters who can take loan from the bank for further investment in their small, micro and medium enterprises.
• Under this, promoters of micro, small and medium industries will be given a loan equal to 15% of their share or Rs 75 lakh, whichever is less.
• Also, there will be a moratorium of seven years on payment of principal and the maximum period of payment will be ten years.

(Source: News on AIR)