Daily Current Affairs and GK | 5 June 2020

1. Virtual Global Vaccine Summit organized by the UK Prime Minister

• The Virtual Global Vaccine Summit was recently organized by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
• Heads of more than 50 countries, business leaders, UN agencies, civil societies, etc. participated in it.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on behalf of India, while addressing the conference said to give US $ 15 million to the Global Vaccine Alliance.
• One of the immunization programs in India is Mission Indradhanush, which aimed at ensuring complete immunization of the country's children and pregnant women.
• To expand vaccine safety, India has added six new vaccines to its national immunization program.
• India has digitized its entire vaccine supply line and has developed an electronic vaccine intelligence network to monitor the integrity of its cold chain.
• India is the world's leading manufacturer of vaccines and contributes to the vaccination of about 60% of the world's children.
• Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI):
  • It is an international organization created in 2000 to improve access to new and unused vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries.
  • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Its founder is Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

(Source: News on AIR)

2. Two joint declarations on enhancing India-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership relationship

• Recently, for the first time the India-Australia Virtual Summit was held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
• The summit saw two joint announcements on enhancing the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership relationship.
• The first is to cooperate in bilateral and multilateral forums between the two countries.
• The second is to develop a common approach to maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Additionally, seven MoUs were signed.
• These MoUs include Framework Arrangement on Cyber ​​and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation, Cooperation in the field of Mining and Processing of Important and Strategic Minerals, Regime Regarding Mutual Logistic Support, Defense, Science and Technology, Public Administration and Cooperation in the field of Governance Reforms, Cooperation in vocational education and training, and cooperation on water resources management.

(Source: News on AIR)

3. Death of noted filmmaker and director Basu Chatterjee

• Recently noted filmmaker and director Basu Chatterjee has passed away. He was 93.
• The Prime Minister of India and the film world have expressed condolences on his demise.
• Basu Chatterjee was famous for producing sensitive, effortless films in which Choti Si Baat, Rajnigandha, Chitchor, Piya Ka Ghar, Khatta Aur Meetha etc. are prominent.

(Source: News on AIR)

4. Government launches TULIP initiative for providing internship to engineering students

• Recently, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri jointly launched the TULIP initiative.
• It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Ministry of Urban Affairs.
• Its objective is to provide internship to engineering students in the country.
• TULIP initiative will benefit all stakeholders including students, urban local bodies and will boost intellectual skills among the youth.
• Initially about 25,000 students will benefit from this program in the first year.

(Source: News on AIR)

5. Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, 500 rupees will be directly transferred into the account of women beneficiaries

• Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, the government will provide Rs 500 to the women beneficiaries by June 10.
• This amount is being given to them under the Prime Minister's Garib Kalyan Yojana Package.
• Recently, the government announced a free grain and cash payment for women, poor senior citizens and farmers under the Prime Minister's Garib Kalyan Yojana Package of one lakh 70 thousand crore rupees.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana:
  • This scheme was launched in the year 2014 under the Ministry of Finance.
  • The primary objective of this scheme is to provide poor people access to bank accounts.
  • The scheme covers both urban and rural areas of India.

(Source: News on AIR)

6. Periodic Labor Force Survey released by Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation

• Recently Periodic Labor Force Survey were released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation.
• According to the survey, India's unemployment rate in 2017.18 has improved in the last 45 years. It has declined from 6.1% in 2017-18 to 5.8% in 2018-19.
• The labor force participation rate also marginally improved from 36.9% in 2017-18 to 37.5% in 2018-19.
• According to the report, the recession came in all categories, although women and rural workers showed the most improvement.
• Unemployment of women fell from 5.7% to 5.2% during the last ten years, while male unemployment fell from only 6.2% to 6%.
• Urban unemployment was still at a high of 7.7% in 2018–19, a slight decline from 7.8% in 2017–18, while rural unemployment fell from 5.3% to 5%.
• The periodic labor force survey (PLFS) was launched in 2017 by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO).
• The labor force is defined as those who are working, or looking for work or available for work.

(Source: The Hindu)

7. National Green Tribunal considered LG Polymer India to be fully responsible for gas leakage in Vishakhapatnam

• The National Green Tribunal has held LG Polymer India to be fully responsible for the loss of life and property caused by the gas leak at its factory in Vishakhapatnam.
• A committee recently appointed by the NGT headed by Justice Adarsh ​​Kumar Goel has said that the company had not taken proper care of the storage tank resulting in leaking styrene gas.
• Also, the committee has said that 50 crore deposited by the company as compensation will be spent on the restoration. Also, a committee is formed to prepare a restoration plan.
• Styrene gas, also known as etheylbenzene or vinylbenzene, can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, weakness, and depression.
• According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the effect of styrene in humans is manifested as mucous membranes and eye irritation and gastrointestinal.
• National Green Tribunal (NGT):
  • It is a statutory body established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
  • It is the body responsible for the disposal of matters related to environmental protection, conservation of forests and other natural resources.
  • India is the third country in the world to establish NGT after Australia and New Zealand.

8. Central Government released the COVID-19 Management Index

• Recently, Covid-19 Management Index was released by the Central Government on the basis of analysis of 10 states.
• This index is based on parameters such as active cases, recovered cases and mortality.
• Rajasthan has topped the list of this index.
• In this state the positive cases of corona have increased to about 10,000, but the graph of active cases is continuously decreasing.
• Now the state has only 2,699 active cases and death rate 2.16%, which is much lower than the national average rate.
• To raise awareness about Covid-19 in the state, Swasthaya Mitra have been appointed in each village.
• Swasthaya Mitra is a native of the region and has been trained to identify, help guide, and create awareness by identifying the nature of illness, signs and symptoms in the community.

9. 21^st meeting of Central Employment Guarantee Council concluded

• Recently, the 21^st meeting of the Central Employment Guarantee Council was concluded through video-conferencing.
• In the meeting, the government highlighted the work done under MGNREGA Act 2005.
• The government has allocated Rs 61,500 crore under MGNREGA for the financial year 2020-21, the highest ever allocation.
• Central Employment Guarantee Council:
  • The Central Council has been formed under Section 10 of the MGNREGA.
  • It is headed by the Minister of Rural Development.
  • The Council advises the Central Government on matters related to MGNREGA.

10. June 5: World Environment Day

• World Environment Day is observed every year on 5 June.
• The day is approved by the United Nations to encourage awareness and action to protect our environment.
• The theme of World Environment Day 2020 is “celebrating biodiversity”, which is a concern that is both urgent and existential.
• World Environment Day was first observed in 1974.