Daily Current Affairs and GK | 28 May 2020

1. PFC tied up with TajSats to provide nutritious food to COVID warriors

• TajSats, one of Asia’s largest food companies, and Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC) have come together to provide hygienic and nutritious food to COVID warriors.
• The doctors and other medical staff involved in treating COVID-19 patients at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital will be given packed lunch boxes.
• PFC had also contributed Rs. 200 crore to the PM-CARES Fund.
• PFC has also signed an MoU with Narmada Basin Projects Company Limited (NBPCL) to fund 225 MW hydroelectric projects and 12 major multipurpose projects in Madhya Pradesh.
• Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC) is a Central PSU under the Ministry of Power.

(Source: News on AIR)

2. Advisory on re-processing and re-use of eye protection goggles

• An advisory has been issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on re-processing and re-use of eye-protection goggles.
• Eye-protection goggles are an important part of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Kits. PPEs include clothing used to protect the medical staff or any other person from being infected. 
• The goggles to be used must meet the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications and can be used again after proper disinfection.
• Reprocessing has to be done after every use before reusing it.
• The Health Ministry has also stated that the recovery rate in India has increased to 41.61%.
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):
  • It is an Indian national standard body that works under the aegis of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
  • It is a statutory body that was established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
  • Its headquarters is in New Delhi.

(Source: NHS England)

3. Special Board of Governors meeting of NDB held through videoconferencing

• Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister of India, attended the Special Board of Governors meeting of the New Development Bank (NDB) held through videoconferencing.
• During the meeting, Mr Marcos Troyjo from Brazil was elected as the new President of the New Developmental Bank. He replaced Mr. K. V Kamath from India.
• Mr. Marcos will take charge from July 7, 2020. 
• India's Anil Kishora has been elected as the Vice-President of the Bank. 
• Mr. K V Kamath had made efforts in the initiation of the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Programme Loan to India.
• New Development Bank:
  • It is a bank established by BRICS nations- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2014.
  • Its headquarters is located in Shanghai, China.
  • The bank aims to mobilize resources for development projects in BRICS, emerging economies and developing countries.

4. Operation Warp Speed launched by US

• Operation Warp Speed has been launched by US President Donald Trump to speed up coronavirus vaccine research and development.
• The programme is a public-private partnership initiative started by the US Federal government.
• China is also in the race of developing a vaccine against COVID-19. Till now, five vaccines have been developed and tested on humans in China.
• Chinese government and private companies have invested in companies like Beijing based Sinovac Biotech Ltd., which started the second stage of testing for its vaccine in May 2020.

(Source: Times of India)

5. Karnataka government to launch State Health Register program

• Karnataka government will launch the first of its kind initiative State Health Register.
• The project aims at maintaining the health database of all citizens. 
• The project will be implemented first on a pilot basis in Chikkaballapur district.
• A team of Primary Health centre officials, revenue officials, Education department staff and ASHA karyakartas will undertake a survey of all people in the state.
• This initiative will help the government in providing better health care facilities along with efficient mobilization of resources and implementation of different schemes.
• Karnataka:
  • Capital: Bengaluru
  • Chief Minister: B S Yediyurappa
  • Governor: Vajubhai Vala

6. Montenegro, first country in Europe to declare itself Coronavirus free

• Montenegro is the first country in Europe that has declared itself coronavirus-free in less than 2 months after the first case was detected in the country.
• Montenegro:
  • It is a country located on the coast of the Balkans.
  • It shares its border with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Croatia.
  • Its capital is Podgorica and currency is Euro.

7. Locust Control operations in Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh

• The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has stepped up Locust Control operations in Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
• There have been active swarms of immature locust in western and northwestern India. The locusts are being seen in urban areas also.
• The first swarms were reported along the India-Pakistan border in April, months ahead of their usual time of arrival. The reason could be cyclonic storms Mekunu and Luban that affected Oman and Yemen respectively in 2018 providing breeding grounds for locust.
• Desert Locust:
  • The Desert Locust is one of about a dozen species of short-horned grasshoppers (Acridoidea) that are known to change their behavior and form swarms of adults or bands of hoppers.
  • Locusts differ from grasshoppers as locusts can change their behaviour and habits and can migrate over large distances.

(Source: FAO)

8. CIPET to take up Research & Development initiatives in areas of Health Care

• Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) will start Research and Development in the areas of Health Care, like Manufacturing and Certifying PPE to fight against coronavirus.
• The testing facilities for PPE and related products at the three CIPET Institute of Plastic Technology centres at Bhubaneshwar, Chennai and Lucknow will be ready soon as per WHO guidelines.
• Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET):
  • It was established in 1968 at Chennai by the government with the assistance of UNDP.
  • It functions under the Ministry of Chemicals and fertilizers.
  • Its objective is to develop manpower in different disciplines of Plastics Engineering & Technology.

(Source: CIPET)

9. SN Rajeshwari selected as New CMD of Oriental Insurance

• Banks Board Bureau (BBB) has selected SN Rajeshwari as the new Chairman and MD of Oriental Insurance Company (OIC).
• SN Rajeshwari is the General Manager of New India Assurance (NIA) and she will replace AV Girija Kumar, who will retire this month.
• Banks Board Bureau (BBB):
  • It was formed in 2016 as an autonomous recommendatory body.
  • The board recommends the selection of whole time directors as well as non-executive chairpersons of public sector banks and state-owned financial institutions.

10. India and China activated “working mechanism” to dis-engage and de-escalate the situation

• Amid the ongoing tensions between India and China, the two nations have activated the “working mechanism” at the diplomatic level.
• Besides military-to-military conversation at the field level, diplomats will discuss to dis-engage and de-escalate the situation.
• The “Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC)” was established in January 2012. The joint secretary level officials from both sides head it.
• The join secretaries from both sides help the special representatives for boundary talks.
• Currently, Joint Secretary in the MEA, Naveen Srivastava is leading the talks at the diplomatic level.

(Source: Indian Express)