Daily Current Affairs and GK | 26 June 2020

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ATMA NIRBHAR Uttar Pradesh Rozgar Abhiyan.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ATMA NIRBHAR Uttar Pradesh Rozgar Abhiyan through video conference.
• Various districts of Uttar Pradesh will be connected to this program through common service centers and Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
• A unique initiative of the ATMA NIRBHAR Uttar Pradesh Rozgar Abhiyan aims to provide employment to the migrant laborers returned to the state.
• This campaign mainly focuses on the following points -
  • To provide employment.
  • To promote local entrepreneurship.
  • Partnering with industrial associations and other organizations to provide employment opportunities.
• About 30 lakh laborers have returned to Uttar Pradesh from different parts of the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There are 31 such districts in the state where more than 25 thousand laborers have returned to their homes during lockdown.

(Source: News on AIR)

2. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh released IAS Civil List 2020.

• Recently, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh released IAS Civil List 2020 in New Delhi.
• Also, its e-version was also launched.
• This is the 65^th IAS Civil List and the second edition of the e-Civil List.
• This list will help in selecting the right officer for the right assignment based on the available profile.
• It is also an important source of information for the general public about the officials who hold various positions.
• It is also proposed to set up a National Recruitment Agency (NRA).
• National Recruitment Agency (NRA):
  • The aim is to make the recruitment process effective for subordinate-rank posts in the government.
  • Through this, a computer-based online eligibility test will be conducted for recruitment to non-Gazetted posts with examination centers in each district.
  • This is expected to reduce the workload of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).

(Source: News on AIR)

3. Fifth Anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), Smart Cities Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, AMRUT.

• Webinars organized on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), Smart Cities Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, AMRUT.
• On this occasion, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that more than one crore houses have been approved under the Pradhan Mantri Urban Housing Scheme.
• Out of which construction work of 65 lakhs is going on and 33 lakhs have been made and given to the beneficiaries.
• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation:
  • It was launched in June 2015 by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
  • It focused on establishing infrastructure that could ensure a sufficiently strong sewage network and water supply for urban transformation by implementing urban regeneration projects.
  • The scheme also aims to provide Pukka houses to all eligible beneficiaries of urban India by 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)

4. Launch of e-bloodservices mobile application of Indian Red Cross Society.

• Recently, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, launched the e-BloodServices Mobile Application of the Indian Red Cross Society.
• This mobile app was developed by the e-blood team of Center for Development of Advanced Computing under the Digital India Scheme launched in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The blood donation app is a classic example of people's access to blood related services of Digital India scheme.
• Through this app, four units of blood can be demanded from the blood bank.
• Indian Red Cross Society:
  • It is voluntary humanitarian organization to protect human life and health in India.
  • It is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
  • It was founded in 1920.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • It is known that the Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan is also the chairman of the Red Cross Society.

(Source: News on AIR)

5. 26 June: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

• International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed every year on 26 June to strengthen the actions and cooperation in achieving an international society free of drug abuse.
• On 7 December 1987, UNGA adopted a resolution to observe 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
• This year, the day aims to improve the understanding of the world drug problem and how better knowledge will boost international cooperation in dealing its impact on health, governance and society.
• According to the latest World Drug Report, around 269 million people used drugs worldwide in 2018, which is 30% more than in 2009.
• Theme 2020: "Better Knowledge for Better Care"

(Source: News on AIR)

6. Best performing states awarded under the National TB Eradication Program 2019.

• Recently the best performing states were honored under the National TB Eradication Program 2019.
• These honors were announced by Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan during the release of the annual TB Report 2020.
• Their details are as follows-
  • In the category of small states with population less than 50 lakhs, Nagaland and Tripura have been awarded for the best performance under the National TB Eradication Program in the year 2019.
  • In the categories of large states with a population of more than 50 lakhs, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were honored as the best performing states.
  • Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu have been voted the best performers in the Union Territory category.

7. Kerala based Sanchi has launched Corona Kit.

• Recently Sanchi, based in Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala, has launched Corona kit.
• The kit includes two cloth masks, a pair of cloth gloves, ear protectors, mask size adjuster, a colored string pouch, a corona key shape structure that is a key to avoid tactile surfaces, and a cloth towel items are packed in one packet.
• The covid-19 outbreak has given many business ventures the opportunity to diversify their portfolios.
• In such a situation, this initiative of Sanchi in Thiruvananthapuram, which is known for making environmentally friendly jute and cloth bags, is commendable.
• Products such as masks and gloves are mainly stitched by women living in and around Venjaramoodu on the outskirts of the city, which has also given them employment.

(Source: The Hindu)

8. 10 lakh crore rupees will be given to the panchayats in the country by 2026.

• Recently, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has decided to give Rs 10 lakh crore by 2026 under a five-fold increase in Finance Commission funding for rural local bodies.
• In a meeting with the 15th Finance Commission, the Ministry has decided to allocate 10 lakh crores for the period 2020-21 to 2025-26 as compared to 2 lakh crores allocated under the 14th Finance Commission.
• It is also worth noting that the allocations made to the panchayat tripled between the 13th and 14th Commissions.
• This allocation will be used mainly on the following tasks -
  • Road construction and maintenance.
  • Drinking water supply.
  • Major Panchayat Projects.
• According to the 11th schedule of the constitution, there are 2.63 lakh panchayats across the country, which have 29 types of functions.
• Responsibilities of the panchayats have increased further due to the migrant laborers who have returned due to the ongoing lockdown in the country.

(Source: The Hindu)

9. The foundation of the first Hindu temple in Islamabad was laid.

• Recently the construction process of Hindu temple has started in Islamabad, Pakistan.
• It is the first Hindu temple in Islamabad.
• This temple is being built on a plot of 20,000 square feet in the capital of Pakistan.
• The Islamabad Hindu Panchayat has named the temple as Sri Krishna Mandir.
• There will also be a cremation ground in the temple complex, apart from separate structures for other religious rites.
• Islamabad and its surrounding areas had several temple structures dating back to 1947, including the Saidpur village and the hilly region above the Korang River near the Rawal Lake. However, they have been discarded and not used

10. The world's fastest supercomputer, Fugaku, developed by Japan.

• Recently, the world's fastest supercomputer, Fugaku, has been developed by Japan.
• It will be ready for launch in April 2021.
• The Supercomputer Fugaku jointly developed by Riken and Fujitsu Ltd. topped a Supercomputer Benchmarking Index in the Top 500 list.
• In terms of processing speed, it is ahead of China's supercomputer Sunway TaihuLight, which secured fourth position in the list.
• Fugaku has also topped the list of supercomputers ranked based on their performance capabilities for tasks completed using AI applications.
• In addition to its use as a supercomputer, it is also expected to contribute to major progress on difficult social challenges such as the covid-19

.

(Source: The Hindu)