DOWNLOAD TNPSC MAY 2020 CURRENT AFFAIRS TNPSC SHOUTERS ENGLISH PDF

TNPSC MAY 2020 CURRENT AFFAIRS TNPSC SHOUTERS ENGLISH PDF

1. The Government of India constituted the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) in the year 2018, to address the dispute over sharing of Cauvery river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.  Recently, the CWMA, which was earlier under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, has been officially brought under the Jal Shakti Ministry. Along with CWMA, Godavari River Management Board & Krishna River Management Board are also brought under the Department of Water Resources River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
2. According to an official statement, Chhattisgarh has topped the list of states in providing employment to unskilled labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.  Out of the total 77.85 lakh labourers employed under MNREGRA across the country, 18.51 lakh labourers are from Chhattisgarh, which is about 24% of the labourers. Rajasthan comes second with 14% of the total number of labourers, and Uttar Pradesh is ranked third with 12% of the total number of labourers.
3. Veteran Indian Foreign Service Officer T. S. Tirumurti has been appointed as the next Ambassador or Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. The officer is currently serving as the Secretary (economic relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs.  He replaces Sayyad Akbaruddin, who is superannuating this month. Prior to this appointment, Tirumurti has held several prime engagements and positions in India’s external affairs.
4. The Task Force on National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) submitted its Final Report for FY 2019–25 to the Union Finance Minister. The summary report was released in December last year.  The National Infrastructure Pipeline was announced during the 2019–20 budget. The exercise aims to invest Rs. 100 lakh crore on infrastructure of the country over the next five years. The Final Report of NIP Task Force projects total infrastructure investment of Rs 111 lakh crore during the period FY 2020–25.
5. Open Budget Survey, which was conducted by the International Budget Partnership has been recently released. It rates the level of budget transparency on a scale of 0–100. New Zealand tops the list with a score 87.In the list, India has been ranked at 53rd position among 117 nations, in terms of budget transparency and accountability. The survey provided a score of 49 out of 100 for the Union Budget process of India whereas the global average is 45.  The survey report argues that the Union Government should publish a Pre–Budget Statement, which can be scrutinised by the legislators and the public. 
6. The popular candy of Tamilnadu, Kovilpatti kadalai mittai has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Deputy Registrar of Geographical Indications announced the news.  The ‘kadalai mittai’ is manufactured using peanuts held together with jaggery syrup in Kovilpatti and adjacent areas of Thoothukudi district. As the candy has a long shelf life, it has a huge export potential and the GI tag will attract many national and international audience.
7. Union MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari has recently launched Bank of Schemes, Ideas, Innovation and Research portal on MSMEs, through the Video conferencing. The Portal enables the Centre, State and UT governments to access all related schemes.  The portal also has features to upload Ideas, Innovations & Researches in the sector. The ideas crowdsourced are evaluated and rated by experts. The portal would be handled and updated by professionals
8. Former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar has been recently appointed as the chairperson of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), for a period of three years. He replaces Kapil Dev Tripathi who has recently named the Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind.  PESB is a high–powered body constituted by the Government of India, under Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension, to advise Government on appointments of top management posts in Central Public Sector Enterprises.
9. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched ‘Jagananna Vidya Deevena’ scheme, which provides fee reimbursement to as many as 14 lakh college students in the State.  The reimbursement amount would be credited directly into the accounts of the mothers of the students in four instalments, from this academic year. The state has released about ₹4,000 crore for the scheme and ₹1,880 crore towards the pending dues. Parents are asked to claim refunds if they had paid fees for 2019–20. 
10. World Dance day has been celebrated every year on April 29, to commemorate the birth anniversary of the creator of modern ballet type of dance, Jean–Georges Noverre.  The day was created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI). Every year, ITI selects an outstanding dance personality to write a message for the day. This year the Message author is Gregory Vuyani MAQOMA, a dancer from South Africa. 
11. National Council for Science & Technology Communication which functions under the Department of Science & Technology has launched a programme on health and risk communication named ‘Year of Awareness on Science & Health (YASH)’.  The programme aims at promoting response on health and inculcate scientific temper & health consciousness among the general public. The programme also plans to involve academic, research, media and voluntary organizations in developing solutions to equip the society to tackle the COVID–19 pandemic
12. The Centre has recently launched a ‘Project Monitoring Unit’ (PMU) to help obtain various clearances required from the Centre and state government authorities for operationalisation of coal mines, as announced by the Ministry of Coal.  This decision is expected to enable the allocatees of coal mines to obtain timely approvals for operationalising the mines, thereby promoting the ease of doing business in India. This is also expected to improve the production of coal in the country.
13. The Reserve Bank of India launched Rs 50,000 crore scheme which enables banks to extend liquidity support to Mutual Funds, called Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds SLF–MF scheme. This was introduced at the backdrop of the shutting down of six debt funds of Franklin Templeton Mutual Funds.  Recently, the RBI extended the benefits of the scheme to all banks, irrespective of whether they avail funding from the Reserve Bank or deploy their own resources.
14. Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL) is a collaborative project between the aid agency of US, USAID and New Delhi based company IPE Global.  US announced that it will provide an assistance of $3 million to India, in addition to the earlier assistance of $5.9 million, for tackling the spread of COVID–19. Through the PAHAL project, USAID will support the National Health Authority to assist health facilities enrolled under PMJAY by mobilising resources. 
15. The Bombay Reorganization Act, which came into effect on May 1, 1960, divided the then Bombay province into two separate states namely Maharashtra and Gujarat, on the basis of language.  People who were speaking Marathi and Konkani became a part of Maharashtra while those speaking Gujarati and Kutchi became a part of Gujarat. Hence May 1 is celebrated as the statehood day of Maharashtra and Gujarat every year.
16. The present Additional Secretary in Prime Minister’s Office and 1988 batch IAS officer, Tarun Bajaj recently assumed charge as the next Economic Affairs Secretary.  He is replacing Atanu Chakraborty who superannuated on April 30. Before having appointed in the Prime Minister’s Office, he served as the Joint Secretary in Economic Affairs Department, in charge of multilateral funding agencies division. He had also served as the Director in Department of Financial Services. 
17. As per the recent survey conducted by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, the unemployment rate of India increased 14.8% points, to 23.5% in Apr 2020.  Tamil Nadu recorded the highest unemployment rate in April 2020, among large states at 49.8%, up from 6.3% in March 2020. Jharkhand and Bihar follow Tamil Nadu in higher unemployment rate while the lowest rate was found in Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. 
18. The Indian Railways has launched the Special Shramik Trains to bring back stranded labourers and students stuck in different states across the country to their home states.Jharkhand becomes the first state to bring its migrant labourers back home through the first train run from Telangana to Ranchi. Recently, another special train carrying 1,200 migrant workers from Kerala left to Bhubaneswar in Odisha.
19. The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently granted permission for holding elections to the Legislative Council in Maharashtra. CM Uddhav Thackeray is not a member of either house of the State Legislature and he should be elected to the Council before May 27.  The ECI granted permission to hold the elections before the deadline of May 27. The election process for these 9 seats was withheld in view of the COVID–19 pandemic.
20. Thangjam Dhabali Singh, a doctor from Manipur and founder of the Manipur Tourism Forum (MTF), was conferred the ‘Order of Rising Sun – Gold and Silver Rays’ by Japan.  He was selected for promoting a better understanding of Japan in India and deepening ties between the two countries. The award was constituted by Japanese Emperor Meiji in 1875. It is awarded to persons who contribute in promotion of Japanese culture, environmental preservation & international relations.
21. The Central Road Research Institute, a New Delhi based laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has recently launched a mobile application named ‘Kisan Sabha’ to connect farmers to supply chain, amidst the nation wide lockdown.  The application aims to provide logistics support to the farmers so that they can directly connect with the institutional buyers. This linkage with the freight transportation Management System would minimize middlemen and increase the profit of farmers
22. The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan recently announced that five more states viz. Bihar, UP, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh & Daman & Diu have been integrated with the ‘One nation, One ration card’ scheme.  Under the scheme, eligible cardholders can avail food grains from any fairprice shop under NFSA. On January 1, 2020, there were 12 states on the integrated Public Distribution system. With the addition of 5 new states, the total count of states integrated in the scheme becomes 17, as of May 2020.
23. Apex Traders body, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has recently announced that it would launch a national e–commerce marketplace ‘Bharatmarket’.  The platform aims to connect all retail traders to the market, in collaboration with technology partners, who will provide services in logistics and supply chains from manufacturers to end consumers.
24. During the era of industrialisation, the labourers of the United States revolted together against the unjust labour system and the exploitative industrialists.  They demanded for fair wages, breaks between the work and paid leaves. The revolt on May 1 1886 led to the celebration of May Day. May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day is celebrated across the world on May 1. In India, the 1 st May Day was celebrated on May 1, 1923, by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan in Chennai
25. International Astronomy Day is celebrated twice a year, during autumn and spring. The Astronomy Day 2020 is celebrated on May 2 and the next edition of this year on September 26, 2020.  The President of the Astronomical Association of Northern California had organised the celebration of first Astronomy Day in 1973. The objective of celebrating this day is to inculcate the awareness about the universe and the field of astronomy.
26. The Union minister of Culture Prahlad Singh Patel released a centenary special edition e–book “Prof. B. B. Lal–India Rediscovered” on the birthday of B.B.Lal, as a tribute for his contribution in the field of archaeology.  Professor B.B Lal, born on May 2, 1961 in Uttar Pradesh, is a renowned archaeologist. On the occasion of his 100th birth year, the e–book has been released by the Ministry of culture in collaboration with Prof B B Lal Centenary Celebration Committee. 
27. An Extraordinary Virtual G20 Digital Economy Ministers meeting was convened recently to discuss the challenges posed by the outbreak of the COVID–19 pandemic.  Union Minister Communications and Electronics & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad represented India in the meeting. Digital Ministers of other G20 member also attended the virtual meeting. The G20 Digital Economy Task Force COVID–19 Ministerial Statement was released which ensured global digital measures to tackle the pandemic.
28. In the “Name the Rover” essay contest was conducted by the NASA, the essay of a teenager from Alabama Highschool has been selected, which proposed the name for the Mars Helicopter of NASA.  ‘Ingenuity’ is the new official name of the Mars Helicopter, as announced by NASA. Earlier in March, the Mars rover was named as ‘Perseverance’. This helicopter will ride to Mars with the Perseverance rover, which would be launched in July or August.
29. The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), under Ministry of AYUSH organised a programme called AYURAKSHA, in collaboration with the Police Department of New Delhi.  The programme, which was titled AYURAKSHA “Corona Se Jung – Delhi Police Ke Sang”, was launched with an aim of fighting COVID–19 using Ayurveda immunity boosting measures, as per the advisory issued by the Ministry of AYUSH. Police officials with co morbid conditions like Diabetes, Stress, and Hypertension will be identified by AIIA.
30. The National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Ministry of Jal Shakti along with the National Institute of Urban Affairs organized an IDEAthon on ‘The future of River Management’. The international webinar conducted with about 500 participants from different countries and international organizations, discussed about how the COVID–19 crisis can lead to the River Management strategies for the future
31. Iran ranks first in the world, in terms of production of saffron and India is a close competitor. Kashmir saffron has received the Geographical Indication tag recently. It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir.  The unique characteristics of Kashmir saffron are its longer and thicker stigmas, natural deep red colour and high quantity of crocin, safranal and picrocrocin, among others. It is the only saffron variety in the world that is grown at an altitude of 1,600 m to 1,800 m above mean sea level.
32. ‘World Tuna Day’ is observed on May 3, 2020 across the world. Tuna belongs to the species of fish, which is rich in Omega-3. As the fish contains high nutritional values including minerals, proteins and vitamin B12, it is threatened by an overwhelming demand. In December 2016, the United Nations General Assembly voted to officially observe the World Tuna Day on May 3, 2020. 
33. A black rice variety of Manipur called Chak-Hao has recently bagged the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Chak-Hao is an aromatic glutinous rice variety which has been cultivated in Manipur.  It is also used traditional medical practitioners. It also has the longest cooking time due to its fibrous bran layer and higher crude fibre content. The terracotta work of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradsh a centuries-old traditional art form, also bagged the G.I tag. 
34. The state government of Himachal Pradesh has decided to launch a programme named ‘Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna’, which aims to guarantee employment for at least 120 days to urban-dwellers.  The cabinet also announced that the people who would be employed will also be given training for upgrading their skills. As thousands of workers have now returned to Himachal Pradesh from various other states, their experience in multiple fields would be harnessed to provide employment.
35. The Nikkei Asia Prizes are conferred on individuals who have contributed to sustainable development in Asia. The award was created and presented by one of the largest media corporations in Japan, Nikkei.  The award is conferred on three categories viz regional growth, science, technology and innovation; and culture. This year the award on Science and Technology has been presented to Thalappil Pradeep, Professor at IIT Madras and a Padma Shri awardee, for developing nanotechnology enabled water filters that can deliver clean water at a cost of 2 paisa per litre in India.
36. World Press Freedom Day has been celebrated across the world on May 3, every year. UNESCO launched a global campaign on media and social media channels, with the theme, “Journalism without Fear or Favour”.  World Press Freedom Conference has been organised annually since 1983. This year, Netherlands would host the conference from 18-20 October, in The Hague. It was originally scheduled to be held in April 2020. 
37. One of the 4 Judicial Members of the Lokpal and former Chief justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court, Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi (62) passed away recently. He had contracted coronavirus last month.  He was appointed as the member of the anti corruption ombudsman Lokpal last year. He has served as the Additional Judg
38. The annual UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize honours a person or institution which has contributed to the promotion of press freedom. It was constituted in 1997 and named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated. The award is conferred on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May.This year, Colombian investigative journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima has been named as the laureate of the 2020 UNESCO / Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Her works focus on armed conflict in the country and sexual violence against women.
39. The first instance of African swine fever has been reported in the country in the state of Assam, where the disease has killed about 2500 pigs. The state government will not cull or discard the animals immediately though the Centre has permitted for the same.  It was also announced that swine fever does not spread from animals to humans and an alternative option to prevent the disease is being worked out. Assam has about 21 lakh domestic pigs and leads the pork market in the northeast. 
40. The 1927 Indian Forest Act was amended and the Indian Forest (Amendment) Act 2017 was passed by the Indian government, which removed Bamboo from the category of ‘Tree’ and felled or extracted bamboo that is found in or brought from a forest, would not be considered as ‘timber’.  Recently, the Union Minister for the Development of the North Eastern Region, Jitendra Singh addressed a bamboo conclave through video conference. He highlighted that bamboo is vital to develop post COVID19 economy of our country. The Home Ministry allowed the functioning of bamboo related activities amidst the lockdown from April 16.
41. New Delhi–based Laser Science and Technology Centre, a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization, has developed an ultra violet disinfection tower named ‘UV Blaster’ in collaboration with a private firm based in Gurgaon.  This equipment is used for disinfection of surfaces like electronic equipment, computers and other gadgets in laboratories, which could not be disinfected with traditional chemical methods. This could also be installed in places where large number of people gather including malls, hotels and offices. 
42.  Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand, the photographers of New York based American not for profit news agency Associated Press (AP), have been named as the winners of Pulitzer Prize for feature photography.  Pulitzer Prize is a prestigious award in the field of journalism in the US. They have been selected for their outstanding photography of protests, curfews and clashes in Kashmir, after the Article 370 was revoked. This is the 54th Pulitzer Prize for the Associated Press. Last year the agency had won the Pulitzer Prize in stories, photos and video category. 
43. The online Contact Group Summit of Non–Aligned Movement (NAM) 2020 was recently held, to discuss the response to the prevalent COVID–19 crisis.  Prime Minister Modi participated in the online Summit, which was hosted by the current Chairman of NAM, President of Republic of Azerbaijan. The theme of the Contact Group Summit was “United against COVID–19”. The event also commemorated the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.
44. One of the country’s leading steel manufacturers Tata Steel has recently withdrawn its membership from the Indian Steel Association (ISA). The CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel T V Narendran, who had been the President of ISA, also stepped down from the position.  Other members of the association of steel industry are JSW Steel, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel Ltd
45.  The 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games is the 7th edition of the games and was scheduled to be held from 1–7 August 2021 in the Caribbean country Trinidad and Tobago.Due to the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic crisis, the Games has been postponed to the year 2023, as the Tokyo Olympics had also been postponed to 2021. The decision has been taken to avoid any possible clash between the two world games. 
46. Israel recently announced that it has isolated a key coronavirus antibody called “monoclonal neutralising antibody” at its main biological research laboratory, Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), as per the Defence Minister of Israel.  This step has been claimed as the significant step in the possible treatment process of COVID–19. The isolated antibody can neutralise the coronavirus inside the body of the carriers. This is the 1 st instance where monoclonal antibody (derived from one cell), is isolated, whereas in other parts, polygonal antibody is isolated. 
47. Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded Kim Jong Un a commemorative World War II medal marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.  As per the notification of the Russian embassy, the medal was awarded to the Prime Minister of North Korea to recognise his role in preserving the memory of Soviet soldiers who laid down their lives in the territory of North Korea. 
48. The World Asthma Day is celebrated every year on first Tuesday of May to increase awareness about asthma and aims to improve the lives of people with asthma across the world.  Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs which causes breathing problems. Asthma usually appears through symptoms like coughing, tightness in the chest, breathle –ssness. The 2020 theme is “Enough Asthma Deaths”. 
49. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently cancelled the licence of the CKP Cooperative Bank Ltd. It is headquartered at Mumbai and has branches across Mumbai and Thane districts.  As the financial position had weakened and it was unable to repay its depositors, this step has been taken by the country’s central bank. RBI also announced that there is no plan for revival or proposal for merger with another bank at the time of announcement. 
50. As per the recent announcement from a Russian aerospace company, Russia is set to launch the first Arktika–M satellite to monitor Arctic climate and environment. The first edition of the satellite has been developed and it has been prepared for launch this year while the second satellite would be launched in 2023.  The satellite Artika–M is expected to monitor the meteorological conditions of the polar region of the earth and assist in accurate weather forecasting.
51.  Indian Navy has launched Operation named ‘Samudra Setu’, which means Sea Bridge in English, with an objective of repatriating Indian citizens who are stranded in other countries.  As a part of Phase-1 under the operation, Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa and Magar have departed to Malè in Maldives for evacuation of Indian citizens. The list of persons who are to be evacuated is prepared by the Indian Mission in Maldives. About a 1000 nationals are to be transported back to India following social distancing norms. 
52. The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation along with Directorate General of Civil Aviation has launched a portal named GARUD (Government Authorisation for Relief Using Drones).  The portal has been launched with an aim of providing fast-track exemptions to government agencies for drone operations associated with COVID-19 response. However, Ministry also warned about penal action & cancellation of exemption if the provisions are violated. 
53. Professor at the Electrical Engineering Department, IIT Bombay, Mr. Saurabh Lodha has received the Young Career Award in Nano Science and Technology for the year 2020 instituted by the Department of Science and Technology.  He has been selected for the prestigious award for contributing in development of logic transistor technologies beyond the conventional silicon transistors and development of nano electronic devices based on two-dimensional ‘Van der Waals’ materials.
54. NITI Aayog in coloration with Mumbai-based Piramal Foundation has launched a campaign ‘Surakshit DadaDadi & Nana-Nani Abhiyan’. The campaign focusses on ensuring well-being of senior citizens during the COVID19 pandemic.  This is expected to cover as many as 29 lakh senior citizens in 25 aspirational districts named by NITI Aayog. This project is currently piloted in seven states and will create awareness about the health and lifestyle of elder people.
55. As per the recent reports, the Parliament of Iran has passed a bill to allow the Government to change the national currency from Rial to Toman.Since 2017, the value of Iranian currency fell after heavy U.S. sanctions, which led to huge inflation and resultant street protests across the country. Now under the bill, the govt will slash 4 zeroes from its currency ‘Rial’. 
56. Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) which functions under the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers have started accepting the orders for medicines on WhatsApp and e-mail.  The prescriptions uploaded online are delivered at the doorsteps of the users. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched with an aim of providing quality generic medicines to the people at affordable rates. At present there are over 6300 PMBJKs operating in 726 districts across the country. 
57. The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002 allow banks & financial institutions to auction properties, when borrowers fail to repay their loans.  Recently as per the judgement of the Supreme Court, the cooperative banks that are involved in the banking activities are considered as a ‘banking company’. Hence the SARFAESI act may be modified to include the procedure of loan recovery by cooperative banks. 
58. ‘Long March 5B’ is the flagship launch vehicle of China and it is a variant of the standard Long March 5 rocket, which had its inaugural flight in 2016. The rocket launched a prototype crewed spacecraft from the Hainan Island. This new generation spacecraft entered its predetermined orbit 488 seconds after the launch.  This success is expected to let China proceed with a mission to send an orbiter and rover to Mars. 
59. The State government of Andhra Pradesh has launched a scheme called YSR Matsyakara Bharosa amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the scheme, the government will provide a financial assistance of ₹10,000 to each fisherman family.  This would help the fishermen community during the lockdown period and during the marine ban period. The monetary relief of fishermen venturing into the sea has also been raised from ₹4,000 to ₹10,000 per head. 
60. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has been reappointed for another year as the chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee along with the existing 30 members.  The committee was first formulated as a result of Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms in the year 1921. After 1950, the committee became a parliamentary committee which functioned under the control of the Lok Sabha Speaker along with a non-official chairperson. Since 1967, the chairperson of the committee is selected from the opposition party.
61. The state government of Jharkhand has recently banned manufacture, sale and storage of 11 brands of pan masala for a year. This step has been taken to curb the harmful chemical Magnesium carbonate, present in pan masala.  The chemical is carcinogenic and harmful to the heart and banned for usage, as per the Food Safety Act, 2006 regulations. Earlier, Maharashtra and Bihar also had imposed a ban on pan masala. 
62. Moody’s Investors Service has recently projected India’s growth at zero percent for the current fiscal 2020–21. Last month the ratings agency estimated that the Indian economy would grow at 0.2%.  It had also provided a ‘Baa2’ rating for India, which represents moderate credit risk. It also said that India would regain its growth rate at 6.6% in the 2021–22 fiscal. 
63. Recently the Union Finance Minister launched INR–USD futures and options contracts on the two international exchanges — BSE’s India INX and NSE’s NSE–IFSC, at GIFT city, Gandhinagar.  This decision of allowing rupee derivatives will bring the rupee trading to our country, which are presently dominated by global exchanges
64. The Union Defence Ministry has signed a contract with Mumbai based power company TATA Power for infrastructure modernisation of 37 airfields.  The airfields of the Indian Air Force, Coast Guard and the Navy are to be modernised at a cost of around Rs 1,200 crore. This is the 2 nd phase of the Modernisation of Airfield Infrastructure programme while during the 1 st phase the airfields of the IAF were upgraded. This project would facilitate the operations of aircrafts in poor weather conditions. 
65. West Bengal supplies about 95 per cent of the jute bags used across the country, mainly in packaging of food– grains. As the lock–down has stopped the production of jute bags in the state, the Food Corporation of India faces a shortage of bags.  Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced that the government has allowed packaging of food–grains in used gunny sacks and plastic bags during the ongoing procurement season. A task force has been constituted by the Ministry to assess the shortage of jute bags.
66. International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice regarding migration to governments and migrants. It is headquartered at Grand–Saconnex, Switzerland.  Recently, the Director–General of the UN migration agency Antonio Vitorino said in a notification that thousands of migrants have been stranded all over the world and they face an increased risk of COVID–19 infection. The agency also advised the governments to allow health care available to all migrants. 
67. On 8 and 9 May every year, the United Nations commemorates the millions who lost their lives during the Second World War. The World War–II led to the formation of the United Nations. The commemoration to pay tribute to all victims is officially called the “Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War”. It was created by a General Assembly resolution in 2004.
68. The first Nobel Peace Prize Henri Dunant of Switzerland for founding the International Red Cross Movement and initiating the Geneva Convention. World Red Cross Day or World Red Cross & Red Crescent Day is celebrated on May 8 every year, which marks the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant. The International Committee of the Red Cross established by him, works for the welfare of the people across the world. 
69. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR through its flagship New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative programme has approved a project towards development of human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs).  The antibodies can neutralize the mutated virus SARS– CoV–2 and could be used for fighting future SARS–CoV infections. The team that is going to develop the therapeutic antibodies comprises of academic institutes and industries. 
70. The World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on May 9 every year, across the world. The theme of the World Migratory Bird Day 2020 is ‘Birds Connect Our World’.  The day is celebrated to raise awareness about conservation and ecological importance of migratory birds in the global ecosystem. The day was first introduced in the year 2006.
71. Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), a lab of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have entered into a partnership to commercialise the FNCAS9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay, FELUDA test kit developed by IGIB.  Under the agreement, the licensing of KNOW–HOW for rapid and accurate diagnosis of COVID–19 will also be undertaken. The FELUDA kit is affordable, easy to use and not dependant on the expensive Q–PCR machines. 
72. World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN’s postal agency have released a commemorative postage stamp on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox. The 33rd World Health Assembly issued its official declaration that the world has successfully eradicate small pox, in May 1980.  The smallpox eradication campaign of WHO was launched in 1967, to fast–track the global effort in eradicating the disease. The stamp commemorates the roles of world leaders, organisations, rural doctors and health workers.
73. As per the recent notification of the Reserve Bank of India, the government has appointed Economic Affairs exchanges — BSE’s India INX and NSE’s NSE–IFSC, at GIFT city, Gandhinagar.  This decision of allowing rupee derivatives will bring the rupee trading to our country, which are presently dominated by global exchanges. 
74. The Union Defence Ministry has signed a contract with Mumbai based power company TATA Power for infrastructure modernisation of 37 airfields.  The airfields of the Indian Air Force, Coast Guard and the Navy are to be modernised at a cost of around Rs 1,200 crore. This is the 2 nd phase of the Modernisation of Airfield Infrastructure programme while during the 1 st phase the airfields of the IAF were upgraded. This project would facilitate the operations of aircrafts in poor weather conditions. 
75. West Bengal supplies about 95 per cent of the jute bags used across the country, mainly in packaging of food– grains. As the lock–down has stopped the production of jute bags in the state, the Food Corporation of India faces a shortage of bags.  Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced that the government has allowed packaging of food–grains in used gunny sacks and plastic bags during the ongoing procurement season. A task force has been constituted by the Ministry to assess the shortage of jute bags.
76. International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice regarding migration to governments and migrants. It is headquartered at Grand–Saconnex, Switzerland.  Recently, the Director–General of the UN migration agency Antonio Vitorino said in a notification that thousands of migrants have been stranded all over the world and they face an increased risk of COVID–19 infection. The agency also advised the governments to allow health care available to all migrants
77. On 8 and 9 May every year, the United Nations commemorates the millions who lost their lives during the Second World War. The World War–II led to the formation of the United Nations. The commemoration to pay tribute to all victims is officially called the “Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War”. It was created by a General Assembly resolution in 2004. 
78. The first Nobel Peace Prize Henri Dunant of Switzerland for founding the International Red Cross Movement and initiating the Geneva Convention. World Red Cross Day or World Red Cross & Red Crescent Day is celebrated on May 8 every year, which marks the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant. The International Committee of the Red Cross established by him, works for the welfare of the people across the world. 
79. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR through its flagship New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative programme has approved a project towards development of human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs).  The antibodies can neutralize the mutated virus SARS– CoV–2 and could be used for fighting future SARS–CoV infections. The team that is going to develop the therapeutic antibodies comprises of academic institutes and industries. 
80. The World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on May 9 every year, across the world. The theme of the World Migratory Bird Day 2020 is ‘Birds Connect Our World’.  The day is celebrated to raise awareness about conservation and ecological importance of migratory birds in the global ecosystem. The day was first introduced in the year 2006.
81. Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), a lab of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have entered into a partnership to commercialise the FNCAS9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay, FELUDA test kit developed by IGIB.  Under the agreement, the licensing of KNOW–HOW for rapid and accurate diagnosis of COVID–19 will also be undertaken. The FELUDA kit is affordable, easy to use and not dependant on the expensive Q–PCR machines
82. World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN’s postal agency have released a commemorative postage stamp on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox. The 33rd World Health Assembly issued its official declaration that the world has successfully eradicate small pox, in May 1980.  The smallpox eradication campaign of WHO was launched in 1967, to fast–track the global effort in eradicating the disease. The stamp commemorates the roles of world leaders, organisations, rural doctors and health workers. 
83. As per the recent notification of the Reserve Bank of India, the government has appointed Economic Affairs Secretary Tarun Bajaj as a Director on the central board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with effect from May 5 until further orders.  Tarun Bajaj is set to replace the position held by Atanu Chakraborty, who superannuated on April 30. Tarun Bajaj is a 1988 batch IAS officer and has held several crucial positions including Additional Secretary in Prime Minister’s Office and Director in the Department of Financial Services.
84. In a recent move, the Centre hiked the duties on petrol and diesel steeply and raised it to Rs 10 and Rs 13 per litre, respectively. It was also announced that there will be no change in the retail prices as the hike will be absorbed by the Oil Marketing companies.  Among the total hike, the Road and infrastructure cess will go the revenue of the Centre only whereas the special additional excise duty will be passed on to all states through devolution at 42%. This decision has been taken at the backdrop of falling crude oil prices in the global market and lower demand during the lock–down.
85. Rabindranath Tagore, also called as the ‘Gurudev’ wrote the ‘Amar Sona Bangla’ song during the first partition of Bengal, announced by Lord Curzon in 1905. The song later led to the uprising of the freedom movement of the present Bangladesh and became their national anthem.  Tagore is the only known person who had composed national anthems for two countries, including Jana Gana Mana of India. His 159th birth anniversary was observed on May 5. National Gallery of Modern Art organised a virtual tour to commemorate the birth anniversary of Tagore. 
86. According to the ‘Digital in India’ report recently released by the Internet & Mobile Association of India, there were more Internet users in rural areas when compared to those in urban areas for the first time.  As of last November, out of the total 504 million active internet users, there were 227 million active internet users in rural areas while there were 205 million in urban areas. But the time spent on internet is higher among the urban people. The report also highlighted that there was an increase of 21% in female internet users, higher than that of male users (9%).
87. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has recently approved the abolition of 9,304 posts in the Military Engineering Service. MES is a government Defence infrastructure development agency.  As per the recommendations of the Committee of Experts, headed by Lieutenant General Shekatkar, and the proposal of the Engineer–in–Chief of MES, the posts in the basic and industrial workforce have been scrapped, which will improve the combat capability and trim the defence expenditure.
88. The state government of Tamil Nadu has recently raised the retirement age of State Government employees to 59 from 58. The Government order comes to force with immediate effect, as per the notification released.  This order will also apply to all teachers in government and government–aided schools and colleges, and employees working in State public sector undertakings.
89. NITI Aayog and the Department of Biotechnology have launched the Consortium for Affordable & Rapid Diagnostics (CARD) project. The project aims to scale up India’s capacity to make coronavirus testing kits.  The primary goal is to manufacture at least 10 million rapid antibody tests for COVID–19 by July. It also aims to expand RT–PCR test kits in India. The announcement has come after quality issues faced with Chinese–made antibody testing kits. 
90. Union Health Minister along with the Union AYUSH Minister launched the clinical research studies on Ayurveda interventions as an add–on to the standard care in tackling COVID–19.  This will be a joint initiative of Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Science & Technology through CSIR.  They also launched the Ayush Sanjivani application developed by the AYUSH Ministry, with an aim of generating data on acceptance and usage of AYUSH recommendations among the public and record their impact in prevention of COVID–19.
91. Several states in India including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Goa have relaxed the provision of the Factories Act, 1948 and increased the working hours of labourers, after facing a shortage of workers following the lockdown.  Recently, Odisha and Maharashtra labour departments exempted their industries from four sections of the Factories Act, 1948, related to working hours of the staff, till June 30. Uttar Pradesh suspended key labour laws for three years through an ordinance. With the approved exemption, employers can allow labourers to work in two shifts of 12 hours each. 
92.  India launched an outreach initiative named ‘Mission Sagar’, to assist Island nations in the Indian Ocean in tackling the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic.  Indian Naval Ship Kesari has departed for the 5 island nations: Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagas car and Comoros, to deliver Food, Medicines including HCQ Tablets and Special Ayurvedic Medicines, related to COVID–19.
93. Pune based National Institute of Virology under the Indian Council of Medical Research has successfully developed the first indigenous antibody detection kit for COVID–19 named ‘Covid Kavach Elisa’. Technically, it is an anti–SARS–CoV–2 human IgG ELISA (enzyme–linked immunosorbent assay) test kit for detecting coronavirus. Asper the Union Health Ministry, the kit can test up to 90 samples together in 2.5 hours. 
94. The Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratory based at Hyderabad, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), has developed an automated sanitisation cabinet called Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS).  The sanitiser uses the UV–C type of light to sanitise currencies, electronic gadgets & paper. The significant feature of the sanitiser is its contactless operation, which will help in containing the spread of infection.
95. The Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratory based at Hyderabad, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), has developed an automated sanitisation cabinet called Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS).  The sanitiser uses the UV–C type of light to sanitise currencies, electronic gadgets & paper. The significant feature of the sanitiser is its contactless operation, which will help in containing the spread of infection.
96. Veteran Indian scholar and historian Hari Shankar Vasudevan passed away recently after contracting COVID–19. Professor Hari Vasudevan was working as a UGC Emeritus Professor in the Department of History and China Centre of Calcutta University after his superannuation.  He was an important personality in the field of Russian & Central Asian history. He also served as the Director of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, institution under Ministry of Culture Govt of India. 
97. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of sustainable and universally accessible tourism. Its headquarters is located at Madrid, Spain.  As per the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer report, International tourism could decline by 60–80% in 2020 due to the COVID–19 pandemic, which might result in the revenue loss of USD 910 billion to 1.2 trillion. It also said that the crisis has caused 22% fall in international tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2020 
98. May 11 is celebrated as National Technology Day in India every year, to mark the day on which India conducted its nuclear tests at Pokhran, Rajasthan in the year 1998. India conducted its 1 st nuclear test, code named “Smiling Buddha” in 1974. In 1998, under the codeIt is a control room – management information system aimed at assisting Indian MSMEs and solving their grievances.  The ‘CHAMPIONS’ stands for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength. It uses advanced technology like AI, Machine Learning and integrated with the Centre’s CPGRAMS grievance portal. 
99. The Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR and National Centre for Disease Control proposed to launch a population–based sero–survey at district level. This operation is to be done in collaboration with key stakeholders and State Health Departments.  It involves testing the blood serum predominantly. All population groups including outpatient attendees, pregnant women and health care workers will be tested.
100. A team of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Stanford alumni have developed a technology named “Airlens Minus Corona”. It has received certification from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).  It is an ‘intelligent robot’ machine that can travel to hospitals and other crowded public places and disinfect surfaces with a water–based technology. Unlike the alcohol–based or UV–based method, the technology works on the basis of ‘Water Electro Activation’ technique. Charged or ionised water droplets will kill the virus by destroying its proteins.