Current Affair of May 2020

National

1. The Locusts swarming in the Northern parts of India have so far reached Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, much of the movement of these locusts is mainly due to Westerlies. The Locust Warning Organization that monitors locusts swarms announced that there are no immediate danger to Delhi due to these swarms.

2. The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology cultured COVID-19 from the patients infected with the virus. The virologists at CCMB will isolate infectious virus from the patients. The isolated virus will be used for vaccine development and drug testing.

3. The Ministry of Labour and Employment is to provide Career Skills Training under its National Career Service Project in partnership with TCS.

4. On May 29, 2020, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs announced that 23 additional Minor Forest Produce of Minimum Support Price has been included.

5. On May 28, 2020, the Government of India lifted the ban on export of paracetamol Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. The removal of ban will now allow the export of pharmaceutical ingredients used for COVID-19 treatment. In order to achieve this, the GoI has amended Section 3 of Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) act, 1992.

6. The Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology has now been renamed as Central Institute of Petrochemicals, Engineering and Technology. The name change was registered under Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975.

7. On May 28, 2020, the Delimitation Commission held a meeting to review the progress of directions that were provided during its meet in April, 2020.

8. On May 28, 2020, the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank signed an agreement to construct state highways in Maharashtra.

9. On May 26, 2020, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSMEs Shri. Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the breakthrough event of Chamba Tunnel under Chardham Pariyojana through video conference.

10. On May 24, 2020, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified emission norms for L7 category for BS VI. With the notification, the BS VI process L, M and N category vehicles in the country gets completed.

11. The Indian Council of Medical Research recently revised its advisories on Hydroxychloroquine. The Council is considering to replace the drug with anti-HIV drugs.

12. On May 22, 2020, the United Nations listed the KHUDOL initiative of Manipur as one of the top 10 global initiatives to fight against COVID-19.

13. On May 23, 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research has revised its advisory on the use of HCQ (Hydroxychloroquine). Under the new advisory guidelines, the HCQ should be given only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner.

14. On May 21, 2020, India became the second largest producer of Personal Protective Equipment in the world. China is the leading producer of PPE in the world.

15. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) explore the possible option of exporting silk and cotton face masks to foreign countries. This is being done to promote “Vocal for Local”, that was initiated under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

16. On May 21, 2020, the Fifteenth Finance Commission met to discuss health sector and fiscal consolidation in the country.

17. On May 20, 2020, the union cabinet approved several initiatives under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan that was launched by PM Modi recently.

18. The AMPHAN Super Cyclone is expected to reach West Bengal by May 20, 2020. The wind speeds are expected to be between 155 km/hr and 165 km/hr. In order to review the preparatory measures, the National Crisis Management Committee met under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary.

19. The Indian Council of Medical Research is conducting clinical trials to check on the efficacy of Tuberculosis vaccines against COVID-19.

20. On May 19, 2020, the Federation of Indian Export Organization reported that the Indian Exports are to fall by 20%. This according to the organization will amount to 50-60 billion USD.

21. The Ministry Human Resources Development recently launched a new mobile application called “National Test Abhyas”.

22. On May 19, 2020, the Indian Railways operationalized the first 12,000 HP electric locomotive. The locomotive was built by the French Alstom Company under the Make in India initiative.

23. On May 19, 2020, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs released star rating of garbage free cities for the year 2019-20. Around 5 cities were given 5-star rating. This includes Ambikapur, Surat, Rajkot, Mysuru, Indore and Navi Mumbai. The ministry had given 3-star rating to 65 cities and 1-star rating to 70 cities.

24. On May 18, 2020, the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) released Rs 20,500 crores. The funds will act as front-loading resources to the cooperative banks and the Regional Rural Development Banks (RRBs).

25. On May 18, 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir Administration issued rules to provide domicile certificates. The “J&K Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) rules 2020” has been provided through an amendment of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralisation and Recruitment) Act, 2010.

26. The World Health Organization recently announced to its member countries that spraying of disinfectants on roads is not effective. The organization rather says that spraying disinfectants can be harmful to public health.

27. On May 18, 2020, Amphan turned into a super cyclonic storm. This is the second super cyclonic storm faced by India since Fani in 1999.

28. The World Bank and Government of India have signed agreement of 750 million USD recently. The World Bank has assured 1 billion USD assistance to accelerate India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Programme. It aims to protect vulnerable households that are impacted due to COVID-19 pandemic.

29. On May 17, 2020, the Cyclonic storm Amphan in the Bay of Bengal has intensified into severe cyclonic storm. The cyclone is to cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts on May 20, 2020. The National Disaster Response Force has sent 7 teams to West Bengal and 10 teams to Odisha to aid the state government in its relief measures.

30. On May 16, 2020, the National Disaster Management Authority launched the National Migrant Information System. It is a central online repository for the migrant workers.

31. The President Ram Nath Kovind recently announced that he is to donate 30% of his salary to aid the GoI in the fight against COVID-19. The Rashtrapti Bhavan will also follow set of restrictions under the instruction of the President to save money and aid the fight. This is being done to set an example to economize expenditure and save money to fight against COVID-19.

32. On May 15, 2020, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank approves a loan of 145 million USD to improve irrigation facilities and flood management West Bengal.

33. The Computer Emergency Response of Team (CERT) of India has issued warning against a new malware called “EventBot”. The malware according to CERT steals personal financial information from Android phone users.

34. The Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis published a study according to which India has increased its potential of renewable energy investments to 500-700 billion USD. This is mainly because of improvements in solar power in the country.

35. The Government of India recently provided GI Tag to Telia Rumal of Telangana and Sohrai Khovar painting of Jharkhand.

36. On May 14, 2020, the Government of India launched a new scheme for the diary sector. The scheme has introduced Interest Subvention on Working Capital to support Diary Cooperatives and FPO (Farmer Producer Organization).

37. The Group of Ministers Committee formed under the leadership of Social Justice and Empowerment Minister recently submitted its draft proposals on employment and skill development.

38. On May 14, 2020, NIT implemented the SAMARTH scheme. It was developed by the Department of Higher Education operating under Ministry of Human Resources and Development developed SAMARTH, an e-governance platform. The platform was developed under National Mission of Education in Information and Communication Technology Scheme. It is called the NMEICT Scheme in short.

39. On May 13, 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Ministry of AYUSH began clinical trials of four Ayurvedic drugs. The four formulations include Ashwagandha, Guduchi + Pippali, Yashtimadhu and AYUSH-64.

40. The farmers of Punjab and Haryana are being encouraged to adopt “direct seeding of rice” due to shortage of labourers. This is being encouraged in place of conventional transplanting.

41. Prime Minister Modi recently announced “Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”. Under the scheme, around 20 lakh crore rupees have been allocated. Along with the scheme, the Prime Minister also announced “Vocal for Local”.

42. On May 13, 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research released guidelines for using rapid antibody kits for COVID-19. The Council has also listed the names of the manufacturers that produced these kits. It includes two Chinese manufacturers as well.

43. The PM CARES Fund trust was created on March 27, 2020. It was headed by Prime Minister Modi. The other members include Home Minister, Defence Minister and Finance Minister.

44. The Government of India had earlier launched Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Under which Rs 1.7 lakh crore was allocated. The Lock Down 4.0 that is to be launched on May 18, 2020 will operate under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

45. On May 12, 2020, the Ministry of Finance announced that the government departments and ministries will review guarantees issued against loans issued by various government entities.

46. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is to conduct household survey. The survey will conduct antibody testing in 24,000 adults in various districts.

47. On May 12, 2020, PM Modi announced Lock Down 4.0 with new rules. He also announced an economic package of Rs 20 lakh crores to ease lives of people during fourth lock down.

48. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) NAL (National Aerospace Laboratories), Bengaluru has developed a ventilator called “Swasthvayu”. The ventilator has been designed in a record time of 36 days.

49. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and NCDC (National Centre for Disease Control) are to conduct a sero survey. The survey will help to learn about the prevalence of COVID-19 infection.

50. On May 12, 2020, the Ministry of MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) launches Champions Portal. The portal acts as a technology driven control room cum management information system.

51. The lock down has resulted in poor access to family planning measures and contraceptives. This will result in lots of unwanted pregnancies.

52. The technology centres that are operating under the Ministry of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) are manufacturing critical parts of the RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) machines.

53. On May 12, 2020, the Indian Railways partially begins passenger train services. Around 15 trains are to be operated. These trains are in addition to the “Shramik special trains” that are in service transporting migrant workers.

54. On May 11, 2020, around 117 mandis were integrated with E-NAM (National Agriculture Market). This has increased the number of Mandis in the country to 962.

55. The Registration Committee that was set up under the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) has recommended that TB drugs such as Streptomycin and Tetracycline should be completely banned on crops.

56. On May 8, 2020, the AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) approved 500 million USD to COVID-19 to India. The funds were aimed to scale up the containment efforts and strengthen the health system. This will help manage future outbreaks.

57. The Coir Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IIT Madras. The memorandum aims to set up a Centre of Excellence for Coir Applications.

58. On May 8, 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) begins its clinical trials on Favipiravir and Phytopharmaceutical.

59. India Post has tied up with ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) to deliver COVID-19 testing kits to around 200 labs. These labs have been designated by the ICMR.

60. On May 8, 2020, Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Shri Ram Vilas Paswan announced that NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited) is to provide free pulses for three months to more than 19.5 crore households for three months.

61. The Task Force on National Infrastructure Pipeline recently submitted its report to the Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitaraman. Under the report, the task force has recommended to set up National Land Management Corporation.

62. On May 7, 2020, Indian Petroleum Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Russian Energy Minister alexander Novak held a meeting through video conference. The ministers reviewed ongoing projects.

63. On May 7, 2020, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) released advisories to fisheries sector in 12 languages. Apart from Hindi and English, advisories were issued in 10 regional languages.

64. Styrene Gas leaked from LG Polymers Plant in Vishakhapatnam. The tragedy claimed eight lives. Styrene is a chemical compound identified as neuro-toxins. It is also known as Vinyl Benzene, Ethyl Benzene and Phenyl Benzene. Styrene Gas is colourless and odourless. The gas spreads in air very quickly.

65. On May 7, 2020, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare began clinical trials of AYUSH medicines. The trials are to be conducted on voluntary health workers that are working on the frontline of COVID-19.

66. On May 6, 2020, the Ministry of AYUSH launched three studies related to COVID-19. The researches will help in studying impacts of AYUSH based prophylactic interventions in preventing COVID-19. (Prophylactic means intended to prevent diseases).

67. The Indian Meteorological Department has begun to include Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Ladakh and Muzaffarabad into its meteorological sub-division of Jammu and Kashmir.

68. The Government of India is to implement a new Agro MSME policy. The policy is to focus entrepreneurship in rural, tribal, forest and agricultural areas.

69. In India, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad is the only centre to pool samples of COVID-19 in the country. The CCMB has now collaborated with Bengaluru based private company to take up a research activity.

70. On May 5, 2020, the Uttar Pradesh Government launched Ayush Kavach application to help people access prescriptions. These prescriptions will help the people to strengthen their resistance through ancient practices Ayurveda and Yoga. The application aims to boost the immunity of the people through Ayurveda medicines.

71. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) operating under Ministry of Civil Aviation launched “GARUD” Portal. GARUD is Government Authorisation for Relief Using Drones.

72. The Israel Institute of Biological Research has isolated the key COVID-19 antibody. The “monoclonal neutralizing antibody” developed by the institute is reported to neutralize COVID-19 virus inside the infected person.

73. After COVID-19 virus invades a human cell, it begins to replicate or copy itself. In order to achieve this, the virus uses its enzyme called “copy machine”. With the enzyme the virus creates its copies after copies.

74. On May 4, 2020, the third phase of lock down began in India. Under the third phase, the liquor shops were opened in selected regions with certain restrictions.

75. The Government of India had set up 10 Inter Ministerial Teams to visit districts in states such as Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Telangana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. The team that had visited West Bengal has now submitted its report.

76. On May 5, 2020, the Ministry of Food Processing held video conference to discuss about the completion of the integration of cold projects in the country. The promoters of the project were the main participants of the conference.

77. On May 4, 2020, the Union Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj launched the “The Saras Collection” on the GeM (Government E Marketplace) platform. The Saras Collection aims to promote daily utilities made by self-help groups.

78. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued draft guidelines for satellite TV channels. The Ministry has listed 11 violation under the guidelines. It includes delay in intimating the ministry about the change in shareholding pattern of the company, appointing a director without the permission of the ministry, not removing a director who has been denied with security clearance, showing logo that is not permitted by the ministry, etc.

79. Under the public-private partnership, the initiative called Arogya Setu Mitr was launched. The feature is to be available in the Arogya Setu application. It is offer free COVID-19 related consultation.

80. On May 3, 2020, the Assam Government confirmed that more than 2,500 pigs in 306 villages were killed due to African Swine Flu in Assam. There was no relevance brought with COVID-19.

81. A National E-Commerce Market place was launched by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) called “Bharat Market”.

82. On May 4, 2020, the third phase of Lock down begun all over India. The Ministry of Home Affairs had issued relaxations in lower risk districts.

83. The Ministry of Coal recently launched a project monitoring unit to facilitate early operationalization of coal mines that were allocated by the central government. The aim of launching the unit is to bring in more bidders.

84. On May 2, 2020, the National Mission for Clean Ganga operating under Ministry of Jal Shakti launched “IDEAthon”. It focuses on “The Future of River Management” to explore how the COVID-19 crisis will change the river management strategies.

85. On May 1, 2020, the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region directed Arunachal Pradesh Government to include Hajong and Chakma communities in the COVID-19 relief programme

86. On May 2, 2020, the Expert Appraisal Committee cleared the proposal to new Parliament at Rs 922 crores. The Central Vista committee has also approved the new plan.

87. On May 1, 2020, around 200 Mandis were added to the E-NAM platform. The mandis were from 7 different states. They were joined through a video conference held by the Union Minister of Agriculture Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.

88. On May 1, 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) launched Kisan Sabha Application. The application was launched to connect farmers to freight transportation and supply chain.

International

1. The United States of America has placed India on the “Priority Watch List” due to lack of measurable improvements in intellectual property framework.

2. The 1985 Indian Foreign Officer T S Trimurti is to succeed Syed Akbaruddin as the permanent representative of the United Nations. Mr Trimurti was serving as the Secretary to Economic relations. The appointment announcement was made by the External Affairs ministry.

3. On May 29, 2020, the Heads of Tax authorities of BRICS met through video conference. The Conference was hosted by Russia.

4. The Leaders of Group of the seven wealthiest countries in the world had set up Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence.

5. On the eve of International Day of UN Peacekeepers that is being marked on May 29, Indian major Suman Gawani and Brazilian Naval Officer Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo are to be presented with the United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the year 2019 award.

6. The World Health Organization recently suspended its trials on the efficacy of the drug Hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19. The HCQ trial is one of the four mega trials initiated by the organization.

7. On May 27, 2020 the European Union proposed 750 billion Euros as COVID-19 recovery fund. The fund is to be used by the countries to recover from deep recession caused by the COVID-19.

8. Under its Perspective Aviation Complex for Long Range Aviation (PAKDA) programme, Russia has constructed its first Stealth Bomber.

9. On May 27, 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman attended the Special Board of Governors meet of New Development bank through video conference.

10. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced eight candidates to enter human trials. Several people step forward to participate in human challenge trial as the race to develop new vaccine for the virus is increasing.

11. The US President Donald Trump recently announced that USA is to withdraw from Open Skies treaty.

12. On May 20, 2020, India and Bangladesh signed the second Addendum of the Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol in Bangladesh.

13. On May 20, 2020, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan attended Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) through video conference.

14. India has recently increased its patrolling in the Line of Actual Control. This in turn increased bolstering of Chinese troops in the Aksai Chin Region.

15. On May 19, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that it will initiate independent review in handling COVID-19 pandemic. In order to achieve this, the organization is to launch “Resolution on COVID-19 response”.

16. On May 19, 2020, India provided 2 million USD relief aid to the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) to help in welfare of Palestine refugees. The aid is to be used in core programmes including education and health for the refugees.

17. On May 19, 2020, Nepap approved a new map that included the territories of Kalapani, Lipuleh and Limpiyadhura. However, the territories have been claimed by India as well. In October 2019, India issued a new political map that included Lipulekh and Kalapani on its side of border.

18. The COVID-19 Vaccine by a US based firm Moderna has become the first to show positive results. The vaccine is considered as huge success because, it is the first vaccine which has generated antibodies against the virus.

19. The Hanko is a personal stamp of Japan. It is equivalent to signature in other countries. The tradition is gaining criticism in Japan post COVID-19 period.

20. The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO). India was represented by Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at the World Health Assembly.

21. The Baltic countries have opened their borders to one another creating “travel bubble”. This is being called the Baltic Travel Bubble.

22. The United States recently announced that it will donate ventilators to India. The announcement is seen as a reciprocal gesture of India’s lift on the export ban of the anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine.

23. On May 18, 2020, India joined 61 other countries in the World Health Organization to identify the source of COVID-19. China and US are not a part of the resolution.

24. On May 15, 2020, the World Bank approved 1 billion USD aid to India to accelerate “India’s COVID-19 Special Protection Response Programme”. The fund will be used to provide social assistance to poor, severely impacted and vulnerable households.

25. The Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal represented India at the second G20 Virtual Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting through video conferencing.

26. On May 14, 2020, India attended the 32nd Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting through video conferencing. The meeting was held under the following Theme: Delivering a coordinated Commonwealth COVID-19 response.

27. The Indian Council for Medical Research is to participate in Global Solidarity Trial of COVID-19 launched by the World Health Organization (WHO).

28. On May 13, 2020, External Affairs Minister of India Shri S Jaishankar represented India at SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) foreign minister meet. The meet was attended by foreign ministers through video conferencing.

29. On May 13, 2020, the External Affairs ministers represented India at the 7 nation meeting initiated by the United States.

30. The World Health Organization announced that the number of deaths due to TB, AIDS and Malaria might increase as the entire focus of health care system all over the world is shifting towards COVID-19.

31. On May 12, 2020, the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced 3.6 million USD assistance to India in order to fight against COVID-19.

32. On May 10, 2020, the Government of India has launched “Mission Sagar”, an outreach programme amidst COVID-19 pandemic. The mission aims at providing food items, Ayurvedic medicines related to COVID-19, HCQ tablets to Maldives, Madagascar, Seychelles and Comoros.

33. On May 9, 2020, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Postal Agency released a commemorative stamp to mark 40th anniversary of eradication of small pox.

34. The United Nations and its partner agencies have launched 6.7 billion USD global appeal in order to fight against COVID-19.

35. The Iran Government has recently come up with the decision of changing the name of the its currency to toman. The unit of Iranian currency if Rial. According to the Iranian Government, one Toman is 10,000 rials.

36. On May 5, 2020, around 40 countries took part on an online summit called Global Response International Pledging Conference.

37. On May 6, 2020, the US President Donald Trump appointed Indian American Diplomat Manisha Singh as his envoy to OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).

38. On May 5, 2020, the Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded the North Korean leader a commemorative war medal. The medal has been awarded to mark the 75th anniversary of victory over Nazi.

39. On May 4, 2020, PM Modi will attend the NAM Summit representing India through a video conference. The Summit is to discuss COVID-19 challenges and solutions.

40. The United States Food and Drug Regulatory body recently allowed emergency use of anti-viral investigational vaccine Remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients.

41. On May 1, 2020, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that it is to provide 3 million USD for India’s PAHAL project. PAHAL is Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity.

Business, Economy & Banking

1. On May 27, 2020, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman launched instant Aadhaar based E-KYC. The facility will be available for PAN applicants that possess valid Aadhaar number. They should also have a mobile number registered with Aadhaar. The process of allotting PAN is paperless and is also free of cost.

2. On May 28, 2020, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman chaired Financial Stability and Development Council meet.

3. On May 27, 2020, the National Payment Corporation of India launched Artificial Intelligence based chatbot called Pai. The Chatbot aims to increase financial inclusion in India.

4. On May 22, 2020, the Ministry of Finance released Status Paper on Government Debt 2018-19. According to the report, the overall debt of centres and states declined by 68.7% in March 2018 to 68.6% in 2019.

5. On May 22, 2020, the policy committee met in an emergency meeting to review the current economic outlook and impacts of COVID-19.

6. On May 21, 2020, the Government of India amended General Financial Rules to make sure the goods and services that are of value less than Rs 200 crores are procured from domestic firms.

7. On May 11, 2020, the Government of India released Rs 6,195 crores to 14 states. This is the second equated monthly installment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit.

8. On May 9, 2020, the Union Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitaraman launched the INR-USD Futures and Options contracts in the BSE and NSE platforms. They were launched at the GIFT International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat through video conference.

Science & Technology

1. The NASA researchers have found high energy particles erupting from ice in the Antarctic region. The researchers believe that these particles are proof to parallel universe.

2. On May 21, 2020, the Textiles Committee operating under Ministry of Textiles has launched testing equipment for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). The Committee will now on test the PPEs produced in the country. The Equipment is called Synthetic Blood Penetration Testing Equipment.

3. On May 20, 2020, the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology operating under Department of Science and Technology has launched magnetic nano particle based RNA extraction kit called “Agappe Chitra Magna”.

4. A rare palm from South Andaman Island has found its second home in Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) Kerala. The species has been brought to the Indian mainland to prevent its extinction.

5. The sun has reached into a state of ‘solar minimum’. It has been more than 100 days since sun has shown zero sunspots. The sun is to enter into the deepest period of ‘sunshine recession’.

6. The Cyclone ‘Amphan’ has intensified from a severe cyclonic storm to a Super Cyclone. This has happened in less than 40 hours.

7. A new parasitic fungus was discovered by a Denmark biologist called “Troglomyces twitteri”. The fungus has been named after Twitter as it was discovered in Twitter.

8. The Indian Space Research Organization has identified 17 technologies at lower costs from Indian start ups to use in Gaganyaan mission.

9. The scientists from New Zealand have discovered the “Super Earth”. It potentially holds the conditions to sustain human life.

10. The scientists of Advanced Research Centre for powder metallurgy and new materials along with Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences (SCTIMST) have developed new biodegradable implant. The implants were developed from Iron-Manganese alloy.

11. The JNCASR (Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research) has developed injectable silk-fibroin based hydrogel to deliver sustained insulin to diabetic patients.

12. The researcher from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed light carbon foam that will replace lead batteries. The carbon foam is easy to fabricate, non-toxic and affordable.

13. The Scientists of IIT Dhanbad and CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) have teamed up together to find a major cause of Parkinson’s disease a solution.

14. On May 14, 2020, the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan dedicated the COBAS 6800 RT PCR machine to the nation.

15. Initially there was a hypothesis that men might be more vulnerable to COVID-19 virus than women. However, the hypothesis has now been proved by a research published in the European Heart Journal.

16. The National Institute of Virology has indigenously developed antibody detection kit for COVID-19. The kit will play significant role in surveillance of COVID-19 infection.

17. The Indian Council of Medical Research has tied up with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to develop indigenous vaccine. The vaccine is to be developed using virus strains that have been isolated from COVD-19 patients at National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

18. The Research Centre Imarat (RCI) of Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) has developed Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitizer (DHRUVS).

19. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under its New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI) is to develop human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs). These antibodies will neutralise COVID-19 virus in patients.

20. The Startup of IIT Delhi has found an antimicrobial face mask that can be washed and reused for 50 times. The Nanosafe Solutions at IIT Delhi has developed the masks to fight against COVID-19.

21. The scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advances Scientific Research (JNCASR) has fabricated energy efficient photodetector for security applications.

22. China had launched a new rocket and a deep-space spacecraft to operate a permanent space station and also to send astronauts to moon.

23. Russia is to launch first Arktika-M satellite by December 2020 from Baikonur space. The satellite is to be used to monitor Arctic climate and environment.

24. The Defence Research and Development Organization has developed Ultra Violet Disinfection Tower for chemical free and rapid disinfection. The tower is to be highly helpful in high infection prone areas.

25. The British Journal of Dermatology Researchers have so far observed 5 clinical patterns of the COVID-19 cases. One such is COVID Toe. COVID Toe is a kind of rash that is being developed in COVID-19 patients.

26. The scientists in National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad have developed a biosensor called the eCovSens. The sensor is used to detect COVID-19 virus in saliva samples.

27. The Indian Scientists at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism has developed fluid simulation code to study electric field structure in the magnetosphere of the earth.

28. The Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, deemed university operating under Defence Research and Development Organization has designed microwave sterilizer called “ATULYA”.

Government Schemes

1. On May 28, 2020, the Madhya Pradesh Government launched Rojgar Setu Yojana to help migrant workers. The scheme provides employment to the migrant workers.

2. On May 27, 2020, the Government of India announced that around 9 crore 60 lakh farmers were benefitted under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. This was mainly done through the PM-KISAN Scheme.

3. On May 23, 2020, the payroll data of the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) was released. The data says that around 821,000 new members have joined ESIC social security scheme.

4. On May 21, 2020, the Government of India disbursed RS 170 crores to MNREGA workers. The amounts were disbursed to the beneficiaries through the Deaprtment of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

5. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the Coir Geo Textiles are to be used in rural road development. This is to be done by the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency.

6. On May 21, 2020, the Government of India announced that around 6.8 crore free cylinders have been distributed under Prdhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana.

7. The North East Model of COVID-19 has been a huge success. The model in effect has helped declare five stated in the region COVID-19 free. This included Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim and Nagaland.

8. On May 20, 2020, the number of beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat touched 1 crore. PM Modi had a telephonic conversation with the 1 croreth beneficiary of the scheme.

9. PM Modi recently announced Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan under which Rs 20 lakh crores was allocated. Following his announcement, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced the split of the allocated funds to several initiatives.

10. On May 17, 2020, the Pension Fund and Regulatory Authority (PFRDA) of India suggested comprehensive scheme to the Ministry of Finance. Under the scheme, the social security measures for the people with low income are to be explored.

11. On May 17, 2020, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced the fifth and final tranche of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The scheme is to implement several measures to fight COVID-19 at an allocated budget of Rs 20 lakh crore economic packages.

12. The Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana was launched in May 2016. The scheme has successfully completed four years of its implementation.

13. On May 16, 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced the fourth tranche of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The scheme allocated Rs 20 lakh crores to help people during Lock Down 4.0.

14. The ENAM initiative is spread across 18 states and three union territories currently. The Government of India recently added 38 Mandi to the initiative and has reached its set target of 1000 Mandis.

15. The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda launched “GOAL Programme”. GOAL Programme is Going Online As Leaders. The programme has been launched in partnership with Facebook.

16. With the PM Modi announcing the Atma Nirmar Bharat Abhiyan on May 12, 2020, Rs 20 lakh crore were allocated to ease life of the people during Lock Down 4.0. Following this, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman held two press meets earlier explaining the country about the split of these funds.

17. On May 14, 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced the second tranche of the Rs 20,000 lakh crore economic package under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

18. On May 14, 2020, the Agriculture Ministry released Rs 18,517 crores under PM-KISAN scheme. This will help benefit 9.25 crores of families.

19. The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide drinking water to every household. It aims to provide tap connections to every rural household. With the COVID-19 crisis at its peak, the central government is to implement the mission based on priority basis.

20. On May 12, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new scheme called “Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”. Under the new scheme, 20 lakh crore of package has been announced.

21. The “Atal Pension Yojana” launched on May 9, 2015, has completed 5 years of its implementation. The total enrollment under the scheme as on May 9, 2020 was 2,23,54,028.

22. The Department of Consumer Affairs operating under Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution launched Suraksha Store Initiative. It aims at health and safety of the citizens during lockdown.

23. The Union Ministry of Human Resource and Development recently announced various amendments to Prime Minister Research Fellowship Scheme.

24. On May 6, 2020, the Union Minister of Agriculture Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has called for farmers’ movement to integrate soil nutrient management. The announcement was made during progress review of Soil Health Programme.

25. On May 7, 2020, the Government of India is to begin “Vandhe Bharat Mission”. The mission is considered as one of the biggest evacuation exercise.

26. On May 5, 2020, NITI Aayog along with Primal Foundation launched Surakshit Dada-Dadi and Nana-Nani Abhiyan. The scheme focuses to ensure the wellbeing of the senior citizens.

27. On May 5, 2020, the Employees Provident Fund Organization has released Rs 764 crores to the pensioners.

28. On May 4, 2020, the Government of India implemented phase III of COVID-9 lock down. With the third lock down relaxing restrictions all over the country, major cities are still vulnerable to the spread of the virus. Hence, to fight the virus more efficiently and maintain a routine life, control rooms have been set up in smart cities.

29. The Government of India recently approved the second installment of Rs 500 under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

30. On May 1, 2020, the Government of India announced that the Rebate of State and Central Scheme arrears are to be provided in the form of scrips. It is to be provided by the Department of Revenue Communication.

31. On May 1, 2020, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution approved the integration of five states and Union Territories under “One Nation One Ration Card”. These states include Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Himachal Pradesh.

Defence

1. On May 29, 2020, Army Commanders Conference was held in New Delhi. The event was held in two phases. The Conference was chaired by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The existing and developing security challenges were discussed in the conference. The conference also discussed human resource management issues and merger of training establishments. Also, the Army Welfare Education Society and Army Welfare Housing Organization were organized during the event.

2. On May 29, 2020, foundation stone for a missile park called “Agneeprastha” was laid at INS Kalinga. The Missile Park aims to provide information about the history of INS Kalinga. The main attraction of the park is the P-70 Ametist. It is an anti-ship missile that is launched under water. The Missile Park will also be a motivational arena for minds that are interested in missiles and missile technologies.

3. On May 21, 2020, the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the E-Conclave of Defence MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises).

4. On May 20, 2020, the Ministry of Defence approved procurement of 26 defence items to boost “Make in India” initiative. This was done through the amendment of Public Procurement Order 2017.

5. On May 18, 2020, the Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria announced that it will shelve three main projects of worth Rs 8,000 crores. This is because the Central Government is pushing for Make in India. Currently, the Government of India is to focus on indigenization.

6. On May 18, 2020, the Government of India implemented the recommendations made by the Shekatkar Committee to create border infrastructure.

7. In order to help the country fight unemployment generated due to COVID-19 and also citing resurgence of nationalism and patriotism, the Indian Army has launched “ToD”. ToD is Tour of Duty. ToD is a three year internship for youths to work as officers and soldiers in the Indian Army.

8. The Indian Army is to convert the 61st cavalry, the only horse serving cavalry in the world into a regular armoured regiment with tanks.

9. On May 15, 2020, the Indian Coast Guard commissioned the first Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel, ICGS Sachet in Goa. The ceremony was chaired by the Defence Minister Raj Nath Singh virtually.

10. On May 15, 2020, Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme was approved by the Defence Minister Raj Nath Singh. The scheme is to be implemented at an estimated amount of Rs 400 crores.

11. Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh recently approved the abolition of 9,304 posts in the military engineering services. The posts were abolished based on the recommendation of Shekatar Committee.

12. On May 8, 2020, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the TATA POWER SED to modernize infrastructure of 37 airfields of Indian Air Force. The cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 1,200 crore.

13. “The Resistance Front” is the new name of terror group in Kashmir. The group is made of existing terror groups such as Jais-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahidin, LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) and Al-Badr.

14. On May 5, 2020, the Indian Navy launched Operation “Samudra Setu” to bring back the Indians that are stranded in Maldives. They are stranded in the foreign land due to the grounding of airlines. Samudra Sethu means Sea Bridge.

15. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian and Chinese ceremonial border personnel meet that is usually conducted on Labour Day was cancelled.

Persons in News

1. On May 26, 2020, British author J.K. Rowling released first two chapters of her new Children’s book “The lckabog”. The story is to be published in installments on The Ickabog website for free before its official publication in November 2020. The Ickabog is her first children’s book since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published in 2007.

2. Maharana Pratap Singh popularly known as “Maharana” was the 13th king of Mewar (the present Rajasthan). He was born on May 9, 1540.

3. On May 7, 2020, the United Nations Environment Programme extended the term of actress Dia Mirza as the Goodwill ambassador of India till 2022. The actress is also United Nations Sustainability Development Goal Advocate.

4. Mustafa Al Kadhimi was chosen as the first Iraq Prime Minister after Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned in November 2019. On May 7, 2020, Iraq parliament voted to choose Mustafa Kadhimi as the new prime minister of Iraq.

5. On May 5, 2020, the US President Donald Trump had nominated Indian American Ashok Michael Pinto as the US representative to IBRD (International Bank of Reconstruction and Development).

Environment

1. A new fresh water fish called Punitus Sanctus was found in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu. The fish was found in a small water body.

2. For the first time in a decade, the naturalists have filmed a Saharan Cheetah in a Hoggar Mountains national park in Algeria.

3. On May 22, 2020, to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, 2020, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched five initiatives on conservation of biodiversity.

4. On May 21, 2020, the Union Minister Prakash Javadekar interacted with the Chief Ministers of the State Governments through video conference. The meeting held discussions relating to notification of declaring Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Area.

5. On May 20, 2020, the major exploration by the Oil India Limited beneath the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park of Assam received environmental clearance. There were concerns that the project would affect the flora and fauna in the region. The park is the only region in India that supports feral horses.

6. According to the study conducted by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the Carbon dioxide Emissions in India has declined the least in four decades.

7. The Fisheries organization and environmental experts flag serious threats to the ecology of Indian Sundarbans as the fly ash filled barges are sinking and capsizing in Hooghly river.

8. On May 7, 2020, the Bengal Forest Ministry announced that the number of Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarbans has increased to 96 according to the census conducted for the year 2019-20.

Sports

1. The Sports Authority of India recently transferred Rs 30,000 to the accounts of Khelo India athletes. The authority has spent Rs 8.25 crores in all to achieve this.

2. The Mizoram State Government has recently provided industrial status to Sports. This has been done by the government to attract investment in the Sports industry.

3. On May 18, 2020, Anil Kumble led ICC (International Cricket Committee) banned the use of saliva to shine the ball. The practice meant for swing bowling is now primarily held as health risk due to the threats of COVID-19.

4. The Bundesliga of Germany becomes the world’s first major sports event to resume after COVID-19 lock down.

5. On May 12, 2020, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) have rescheduled FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup. The game was initially to be conducted on November 2, 2020. Now the postponed game is to be conducted between February 17, 2021 and March 7, 2021.

6. The 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games is being postponed to 2023 as it faced clash of dates with the Tokyo Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics that was scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8, 2020, was postponed by a year.

7. On May 2, 2020, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the ranking of cricket teams. According to the ranking, Australia ranked top and India ranked third.  New Zealand was ranked second in the ranking.

References:
jagranjosh.com
gktoday.in
business-standard.com

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