NATIONAL NEWS
1. Tamil Nadu begins work on implementing Solar Fence Farmland Protection Programme
• The Tamil Nadu government has started preliminary works for implementing the unique Solar Fence Farmland Protection Programme, under the Central Agriculture Improvement Scheme.
• The temporary break from normal agricultural activities because of Covid-19 lockdown is being utilized by farmers in such innovative preparatory works.
• Since many of the districts in the state, including Trichy, Theni, Coimbatore etc have the foothills of the Western Ghats as one of their boundaries, agricultural lands in these areas are always at a risk of attack from animals - especially elephants.
• Against this background, the electric fences powered by eco-friendly, non polluting solar panels are being set up in various parts of the state.
• Under the Central Agriculture Improvement Scheme, 50% of the cost of constructing the electric fence, including setting up of the power generating solar panels, will be provided as subsidy to farmers. A maximum limit of 2.18 lakh rupees has been fixed for availing subsidy.
2. Health Ministry's guidelines allow only asymptomatic passengers to travel
• The Health Ministry has issued guidelines for domestic travel, advising passengers to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile.
• It has asked states to ensure thermal screening at departure points of airports, railway stations and bus terminals.
• Asymptomatic passengers should be permitted to travel after being asked to self-monitor for 14 days. Dos and Don'ts shall be provided along with tickets to travellers by agencies concerned. Health ministry said, suitable announcement about COVID-19 including precautionary measures to be taken shall be made at airports, railway stations and bus terminals as well as in flights, trains and buses.
• The states and UTs shall ensure that all passengers undergo thermal screening at the point of departure and only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to board the flight, train or bus.
• During boarding and travel, all passengers shall use face covers or masks and will also follow hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and maintain environmental hygiene. At airports, railway stations and bus terminals, required measures to ensure social distancing shall be taken and these places should be regularly sanitized or disinfected and the availability of soaps and sanitizers should be ensured.
• Thermal screening at exit point must be arranged and asymptomatic passengers will be permitted to go with the advice that they shall self-monitor their health for 14 days. In case, they develop any symptoms, they shall inform the district surveillance officer or the state and national call centre - 1075.
3. Home Ministry issues SOP for movement of Indian nationals stranded abroad
• The Home Ministry issued Standard Operating Protocols for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country, as well as, for those persons stranded in India who wish to travel abroad for urgent reasons.
• The ministry of external affairs has prepared a chart for the evacuation of over 14,000 Indian nationals stranded in 13 foreign countries by 64 flights in week 1 of the operation.
• Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for movement of Indian Nationals stranded outside the country- Such persons will register themselves with the Indian Missions in the country where they are stranded, along with necessary details as prescribed by MEA.
• They will travel to India by non scheduled commercial flights to be arranged by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA); and naval ships to be arranged by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA).
• Only those crew and staff, who are tested COVID-19 negative, will be allowed to operate these flights/ ships.
• Priority will be given to compelling cases in distress, including migrant workers/ labourers who have been laid off, short term visa holders faced with expiry of visas, persons with medical emergency/ pregnant women/ elderly, those required to return to India due to death of family members, and students.
• The cost of travel, as specified by MOCA DMA will be borne by such travellers.
• Based on the registrations received, MEA will prepare a flight/ ship wise database of all such travellers, including details such as name, age, gender, mobile phone number, place of residence, place of final destination; and information on RT-PCR test taken and its result.
• This database will be shared by MEA with the respective State/ UT in advance.
• MEA will designate State/ UT wise nodal officers, who will coordinate with the nodal officers designated for this purpose by the respective States/ UTS. MEA will display with at least two days notice, the schedule (day, place and time of arrival of the incoming flight/ ship, on their online digital platform.
• Before boarding, all travellers shall give an undertaking that they would undergo mandatory institutional quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days on arrival in India, at their own cost.
• All travellers will also be required to give an undertaking that they are making the journey at their own risk. At the time of boarding the flight/ ship, MEA will facilitate thermal screening as per health protocol. Only asymptomatic travellers would be allowed to board the flight/ ship.
• Passengers arriving through the land borders will also have to undergo the same protocol as above, and only those who are asymptomatic will be enabled to cross the border into India. Self-declaration form (with health and personal details) in duplicate will be filled in advance by all passengers coming from any point of entry, i.e., land, sea or airports, and a copy of the same will be given to Health and Immigration officials present at the airport/ seaport/ landport. While on board the flight ship, the health protocol of MOCA/ DMA will be strictly followed.
• This would include wearing masks, environmental hygiene, respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene etc. to be observed by airline/ ship staff, crew and all passengers. On arrival, thermal screening, as per health protocol, would be carried out in respect of all the passengers by the Health officials present at the airport/ seaport/ landport. All passengers shall be asked to download Arogya Setu app on their mobile devices. The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening shall be immediately taken to a medical facility as per health protocol.
• The remaining passengers shall be taken to suitable institutional quarantine facilities, to be arranged by the respective State/ UT Governments.
• These facilities may be as far as possible, in the district headquarters, of the district to which the arriving passengers belong. These passengers shall be kept under institutional quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days. If they test negative after 14 days, they will be allowed to go home and will undertake self-monitoring of their health for 14 more days as per protocol. The remaining persons will be shifted to the medical facility by the State/ UT Government.
4. Second plus phase of Vande Bharat Mission to start from 26 May
• The second plus phase of Vande Bharat Mission to bring home Indian nationals stranded abroad will start today. Around 140 flights from Gulf countries have been added in this phase of the mission.
• These flights are expected to fly back more than 23,000 Indians stranded abroad. More destinations may be added in due course in coordination with the State governments. This phase will continue till 8th of June. Maximum number of flights are scheduled from the UAE. A list of 57 flights have been declared as of now from Dubai and another 26 flights from Abu Dhabi.
• Eight flights will be operated from the UAE today which will bring back more than 1,300 passengers. 14 flights from Saudi Arabia, 15 from Oman, 10 from Qatar, 12 from Kuwait and five from Bahrain are scheduled in this phase.
• A majority of the flights from the Gulf are for Kerala. Other destinations include Jaipur, Gaya, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Srinagar, Goa, Chennai, Madurai, Lucknow, Karnataka, Delhi, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Bengaluru.
• Those with compelling reasons will be given priority in sending back. Distressed workers, stranded tourists, pregnant women, stranded students, elderly and cases of medical emergency are being given preference.
• Vande Bharat Mission is one of the largest and most complex evacuation exercises by the government to bring home Indian Nationals stranded abroad.
5. UP govt to set up migration commission to help find jobs for workers
• Amid the massive influx of stranded labourers following covid-19 lockdown, the Uttar Pradesh government announced to set up a Migration Commission for the welfare of migrants.
• The Commission will look into the emergent issues of the skill mapping of these workers and providing them with jobs and social security.
• Chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to prepare the roadmap of constituting the Migration Commission and taking forward the agenda of providing jobs to the incoming migrants.
• So far, 2.3 million workers have returned to UP from industrialised states, such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand etc. On average, more than 150,000 migrants are coming back every day due to lockdown.
6. Aarogya Setu becomes open source
• Arogya Setu, India's Covid-19 contact tracing, syndromic mapping and self assessment mobile app is now open source.
• Transparency, privacy and security have been the core design principles of Araogya Setu since its inception and opening of the source code upto the developer community signifies Government of India's continuing commitment to this principle.
• No other government product anywhere in the world has been open sourced at this scale.
• On 2nd April, the Government launched Aarogya Setu mobile App for helping augment the efforts of limiting the spread of COVID19, with an objective of enabling Bluetooth based contact tracing,mapping of likely hotspots and dissemination of relevant information. The App has helped identify about 5 lakh Bluetooth contacts. Those who are identified as Bluetooth contacts of COVID19 positive cases or are classified as needing assistance based on their self-assessment, are contacted by the National Health Authority. So far, the platform has reached out to more than 9 lakh users and helped advise them for Quarantine, caution or testing.
7. PM Modi and Amir of Qatar discuss warmth of bilateral relations in backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani discussed the warmth of bilateral relations in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic.
• Mr.Modi conveyed Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to the friendly people of Qatar warmly appreciated the personal care taken by the Amir for ensuring the welfare of the Indian citizens in Qatar during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Amir appreciated the contributions of the Indian community in Qatar, especially the role being played by Indian health workers.
• The Prime Minister highlighted the attention being paid by Indian authorities to avoid disruptions in the supply of essential goods from India to Qatar.
8. PM Modi expresses his appreciation for support extended by Egyptian authorities during COVID-19 crisis
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his appreciation for the support extended by Egyptian authorities for the safety and welfare of Indian nationals in Egypt during the COVID-19 crisis.
• In a telephonic conversation, Prime Minister Modi conveyed greetings for Eid-ul-Fitr to President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and to the people of Egypt. Mr. Modi referred to his earlier planned visit to Egypt this year, which had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and conveyed his desire to meet President Sisi as soon as circumstances permitted.
• President Sisi referred to Egypt and India as being among the oldest civilizations in the world, and expressed happiness about the fast expanding bilateral relationship.
9. ICMR ramps up testing, gives approval to 624 laboratories across India approved till now to conduct Covid-19 tests
• Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR said that a total one lakh 16 thousand 41 samples of coronavirus were tested in the last 24 hours. With this, the figure of total number of tests reached 32 lakh 42 thousand 160 in the country.
• Meanwhile, ICMR is continuously scaling up its testing facilities for Covid-19 by giving approval to government and private laboratories.
• As of now, total 624 laboratories across India have been given approval to conduct the tests for Covid-19 including 435 government laboratories and 189 private laboratories' chains.
10. Hotel quarantine requirement for Indians returning from abroad reduced to 7 days
• As India carries out one of the world's biggest rescue missions for stranded Indians abroad, Vande Bharat, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued additional guidelines for quarantine of returnees from abroad, their contacts and isolation of suspects, or confirmed cases, in private facilities.
• Hotel quarantine requirement for Indians returning from abroad reduced to 7 days from 14 days.
• There are a large number of facilities such as hotels, service apartments, lodges that remain unoccupied due to the impact of Covid-19 on travel and tourism.
• There are also instances where people who don't have the requisite space at home may opt for such facilities.
• This is likely to reduce the pressure on the family, give comfort to the person, and protect the family members and the immediate neighbourhood.
• The ministry has directed the owners of the facilities to make them either a quarantine or isolation facilities as they cannot co-exist. These facilities will offer a single room on a paid basis to contacts and cases with attached washrooms.
• The tariff for the accommodation and services shall be fixed by the facility in consultation with the state government and widely publicised.
• Those who are clinically assessed to be pre-symptomatic or very mild shall only be kept in an isolation facility. The ministry said that a facility dedicated to isolation will follow the norms established for COVID Care Centres by the Central government.
• The Health Ministry also asked the owners of the facilities to ensure in-house availability of a trained doctor and a nurse on 24X7 basis. The doctor will monitor the contacts or cases in quarantine/isolation facilities once a day on basic parameters of temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and pulse oximetry and keep a record of the same.
• He shall also inform the District Surveillance Officer regarding the list of cases/contacts admitted to such facility and their health status. The facility should network with an approved laboratory for testing samples as per the ICMR guidelines. The quarantined or isolated persons should not be allowed to meet visitors however, the ministry said, they could talk on the phone.
• The Ministry also said that the facility should have wifi service and ensure that the people availing the facilities must download Aarogya Setu App on their mobiles.
• The Ministry also has asked the owners to provide fresh food through room service with adequate physical distancing. The linens, towels, etc. and rooms should be disinfected and the facility will follow infection prevention and control practices as per the guidelines and the staff should be trained to call free ambulance service at 108 or other ambulance as per the requirement. The discharge of the contacts/cases from the facility will be in accordance with the discharge policy, said the Health Ministry.
11. Health Ministry reiterates appeals to maintain hand hygiene, social distancing to contain spread of of COVID-19
• The Health Ministry has reiterated its appeal to the people to follow hand hygiene and social distancing norms to contain the spread of COVID-19 infection.
• The Ministry has stressed that as a part of the new normal, people should always follow social distancing norms and wash their hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Spitting in public is a punishable offence and it increases the risk of spread of the coronavirus. The Health Ministry has urged people to wear face-covers to protect themselves and break the chain of corona outbreak. It has also asked people to share authentic information and encourage people if they develop symptoms to get tested. Stigma can discourage people from seeking immediate help and contribute to more severe health problems.
• Therefore, it is important to break the stigma. Maintaining do gaj ki doori is important to ensure everyone's security. People should avoid touching their hands, nose and mouth.
• They should also refrain from consuming smokeless tobacco products and spitting as it will not only improve the level of basic hygiene but will also prevent the spread of coronavirus.
• If anyone develops symptoms like fever, cough and difficulty in breathing, they must immediately call the All India help-line number 1075.
12. Clinical trial of Ayurvedic medicine for COVID-19 derived from Panchgavya to begin in Rajkot
• In Gujarat, the clinical trial of Ayurvedic medicine for COVID-19 derived from panchgavya is to begin in Rajkot.
• The Chairman of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog Dr Vallabh Kathiria has said that clinical trials of the medicine will begin soon using protocols used to test allopathic medicines.
• The effectiveness of Panchgayva medicine is known in India for centuries but not established in modern scientific context.
• The effectiveness of cow urine and cow dung to treat certain ailments is already documented in Ayurveda.
• The five main products derived from cows- milk, butter, ghee, dung and urine - have been mentioned in Vedas as Panchgavya and have been used in India since long. Now, the clinical trials of these five elements will authenticate its medicine value in the treatment of COVID-19 .
• This is for the first time in India, that the clinical trials of any Ayurveda medicine will be carried out. After Rajkot, the clinical trials of Panchgavya medicine will also be carried out in Surat and Ahmedabad. According to experts, it will be a break-through in Covid19 treatment after the success of clinical trials.
13. Uttar Pradesh govt to develop 800 km roads as Herbal roads
• Uttar Pradesh government will develop 800 km roads as Herbal roads in the state.
• These herbal roads will have medicinal and herbal trees along with the land on their both sides.
• These herbal roads will have trees like Peepal, Neem, Sehjan along with other herb varieties like Brahmi, Ashvagandha and Jatrofa.
• These plants will provide raw material for the medicines and will also help in curbing the erosion of land.
• This scheme will help both development and beautification and bring medicinal benefits along with promoting biodiversity.
• These 800 kilometer roads will be along national and state highways passing through state and the herbal garden along with them will keep air-borne, bacterial and other diseases at bay.
• The PWD Department will also make arrangements for a rain water recharging system on these herbal roads.
14. Centre steps up locust control operations in Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
• The centre has ordered 60 sprayers from the United Kingdom and allowed deployment of drones for controlling locust swarm which has affected around 50,000 ha across states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
• However, not much damage to crops is reported as sowing has not taken place in most of the areas and harvest of winter crops is over.
• Cotton crops in some areas of Rajasthan and Punjab besides pulses and vegetables have been affected by locust attack.
• The union government is coordinating with state governments to restrict locust attacks. More than 200 locust circle offices and temporary camps are engaged in conduct in surveys and control operations. 89 fire brigades for pesticide spray, 120 survey vehicles, 47 control vehicles with spray equipment and 810 tractor mounted sprayers have been deployed for effective locust control, as per requirement during different days.
• The government has ordered for procurement of additional 55 vehicles and ensure adequate stock of pesticide (53,000 litres Malathion) with Locust Control Organizations.
• The centre has also given Rs 14 crore to Rajasthan, which is the worst affected state with more than 21 districts under attack.
• Everyday Locust Control Organizations, district authorities and state agriculture department officials under take control operations with control spray vehicles of LCOs, tractor mounted with sprayers and fire tenders.The immature locust is very active and their mobility makes it difficult to control the swarm at one location and it takes 4 to 5 days of control at different locations to control a particular locust swarms.
• There are active swarms of immature locust in Barmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Bikaner, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Sikar, Jaipur Districts in Rajasthan and Satna, Gwalior, Seedhi, Rajgarh, Baitul, Devas, Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh.
• Usually, the locust swarms enter the desert area through Pakistan for summer breeding in the month of June or July with the advent of monsoon.
• This year, however, the incursions of locust hoppers and pink swarms have been reported much earlier because of the presence of a residual population of locusts in Pakistan which they could not control last season. Since 11th April 2020, locust hoppers and from 30th April, 2020, the incursion of pink immature adults has been reported in bordering districts of Rajasthan and Punjab, which are being controlled.
• As per FAO's latest locust status update, the current situation remains extremely alarming in East Africa where it is an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods. New swarms will migrate to the summer breeding areas along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border as well as to Sudan and West Africa.
15. Karnataka govt to launch a project to maintain health database of all citizens
• The Karnataka government will soon launch a project to maintain the health database of all its citizens. A first of its kind initiative State Health Register will be a robust and standardized health repository of all the citizens.
• This project will be implemented first in Chikkaballapur district on an experimental basis.
• Covid-19 experience has demonstrated the necessity of having robust, real-time public health data and therefore, there is a need to maintain a repository of health data of each and every citizen.
• The Government will be undertaking a survey of all 6.5 Crore people in the state using a team of Primary Health Centre officials, revenue officials, Education department staff and ASHA karyakartas.
• They will visit each household and collect health data of all the members of the family.
• This will not only help the government to provide better healthcare, but will also help efficient resource allocation, management and better implementation of various citizen centric schemes in the state.
16. Modi congratulates Sri Lankan PM on completing 50 years in parliament
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and congratulated him on having completed 50 years since his first term as a parliamentarian in Sri Lanka.
• Mr. Modi also recalled Rajapaksa's contributions to the development of Sri Lanka in his long political career, and extended his wishes for his future.
• Prime Minister Modi also conveyed his condolences at the untimely demise of Mr. Arumugam Thondaman, a prominent leader of the Indian-origin Tamils in Sri Lanka.
• The Prime Minister recalled the role that Mr. Thondaman had played in taking forward the development partnership between India and Sri Lanka. Mr. Arumugan Thondaman was a Ceylon Workers' Congress leader and a Cabinet Minister in Sri Lanka who passed away after a sudden illness.
• Both the leaders discussed the health and economic impact of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic and the measures being taken in the two countries to counter them.
• The Prime Minister assured his Sri Lankan counterpart that India stands ready to extend all possible support to Sri Lanka during this challenging time.
17. Govt removes restrictions on export of paracetamol APIs
• Government removed restrictions on the export of paracetamol APIs. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has issued a notification in this regard.
• Export curbs were imposed on paracetamol and formulations made from the compound in March by the government to shore up domestic supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• In April, the government had removed the curbs on shipments of formulations made from paracetamol. Now, it has removed restrictions on paracetamol APIs also.
• API is the active ingredient that is present in medicine.
18. MP govt launches 'Rozgar Setu' scheme to provide employment to labourers
• In Madhya Pradesh, the state government has launched a unique scheme 'Rozgar Setu' to provide employment to labourers.
• Under this scheme, labourers will be provided employment in industries, construction works and other activities according to their skills.
• Madhya Pradesh is the first state to launch such a scheme to harness the work efficiency of the labourers. AIR correspondent reports that under the 'Rozgar Setu' scheme, survey work of skilled migrant labourers has been started in every Gram Panchayat.
• The skills and other related information of migrant labourers are being compiled during the survey. On the other hand, information is being sought from industries, factories and other employment providers about their needs.
• In this way, the Rozgar Setu will be a reliable means of providing work to the labourers according to their skills. Also, skilled labourers will get employment easily in industries, construction works and other activities.
19. Ministry of Tribal Affairs announces inclusion of 23 additional MFP items in MSP list
• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has announced inclusion of 23 additional Minor Forest Produce (MFP) items in Minimum Support Price (MSP) list.
• They include Van Tulsi seeds, Van Jeera, Mushroom, Black Rice and Johar Rice among others. The decision enhancing the coverage from 50 to 73 items comes in view of the COVID-19 pandemic so that much needed support could be provided to the tribal MFP gatherers.
• 14 of the newly added items, otherwise agricultural produce, are not commercially grown in the North Eastern part of India but are found to grow in the wild in forests.
• Hence, the Ministry has favourably considered to include these specific items as MFP items for the North-East.
20. Missile Park 'Agneeprastha' to be set up at INS Kalinga
• The foundation stone for a missile park “Agneeprastha” was laid at INS Kalinga, Naval base in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• The park ”Agneeprastha”once completed will be dedicated to all the officers, sailors and support staff of INS Kalinga, who has served in this premier op-support Base of the ENC since its establishment in 1981.
• The park also commemorates the award of the prestigious Unit Citation to INS Kalinga for 2018-19 and aims to capture glimpses of missile history of Kalinga since 1981 till date. The park has been set up with a replica of missiles and ground support equipment (GSE) that showcase the evolution of missiles handled by the unit.
• The exhibits have been created from scrap/obsolete inventory which have been reconditioned in-house.
• A 2-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant was also commissioned at INS Kalinga by Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain. It is the largest plant in the Eastern Naval Command and has an estimated life of 25 years.
21. IT Minister Launches National AI Portal of India- www.ai.gov.in
• On the occasion of the first anniversary, 30 May of the second tenure of the government, the Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Law and Justice and Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad launched India’s national Artificial Intelligence Portal called www.ai.gov.in
• This portal has been jointly developed by the Ministry of Electronics and IT and IT Industry. The National e-Governance Division of Ministry of Electronics and IT and NASSCOM from the IT industry will jointly run this portal.
• This portal shall work as a one stop digital platform for AI related developments in India, sharing of resources such as articles, startups, investment funds in AI, resources, companies and educational institutions related to AI in India.
• The portal will also share documents, case studies, research reports etc. It has a section about learning and new job roles related to AI.
• Ravi Shankar Prasad, also launched a National Program for the youth, “Responsible AI for Youth”. The aim of this Program is to give the young students of our country a platform and empower them with appropriate new age tech mind-set, relevant AI skill-sets and access to required AI tool-sets to make them digitally ready for the future.
• The Program has been created and launched by the National e-Governance Division, Ministry of Electronics & IT in collaboration with Intel India, with support from Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Human Resource Development. DoSE&L will help reach-out to State Education Departments to nominate teachers as per eligibility criteria.
22. Kerala govt to roll out K-FON free internet project by December 2020
• Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that Kerala Fibre Optic Network Project (K-FON) project that will provide free internet access to the poor will roll out by December 2020.
• It will be Rs. 1,500 crore for the project. No state in India has implemented such a scheme.
• The project will be completed by December 2020.
• The Project will be of immense benefit for the state as K-FON will bring internet connectivity to hospitals, schools, government officers, and other institutions.
• Kerala is the first state that has declared the internet as a fundamental right to its citizens.
• K-FON project was launched with an aim to provide quality internet which will be free of cost for the poor and at an affordable price for the others.
SPORTS NEWS
1. Sports Minister to ask SAI, Cycling Federations of India to conduct trial of Jyoti Kumari
• After 15-year-old Jyoti Kumari caught US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump's attention for cycling down 1200km carrying her ailing father during the nationwide lockdown in India, sports minister Kiren Rijiju assured that the Darbhanga girl will be selected in the National Cycling Academy if the federation finds potential in her.
• After being stuck in Gurugram, Haryana, due to the travel restriction in the time of Covid-19 lockdown, Jyoti Kumari covered a distance of 1200km in seven days with his father on the rear side carrier of her cycle.
• Jyoti's courageous journey moved many and she was also offered trials by the Cycling Federation of India.
2. Hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr passes away in Mohali, Punjab
• Triple Olympic gold medallist Balbir Singh Senior breathed his last at Mohali hospital at the age of 96. Singh, who was member of the 1948 London Olympics gold medal-winning Indian hockey team, apart from being the vice-captain of the 1952 victorious side and skipper of the 1956 champions.
• Singh, whose full name was Balbir Singh Dosanjh but was called Senior to differentiate from the other five Balbirs who played for India in later years, was also the oldest surviving Olympic medallist from India, a record which now passes on to his 1948 London Olympics team-mate Keshav Dutt.
• His autobiography is with the name “The Golden Hat-trick”.
3. 2,749 Khelo India athletes given Rs 30,000 each: SAI
• The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has deposited Rs 30,000 each as out of pocket allowance in accounts of 2749 Khelo India athletes, adding up to Rs 8.25 crore in all.
• The allowance is for the first quarter of 2020-21.
• The allowance includes expenses towards travel to hometown, diet charges while at home and other miscellaneous expenses incurred by the athletes.
• Athletes from 35 states and union territories have been given the OPA in 21 sporting disciplines with the maximum number of them from Maharashtra (386), Haryana (381), Delhi (225), Punjab (202) and Tamil Nadu (165).
• The OPA is Rs 1.20 lakh annually and is a part of the Khelo India scholarship of Rs 6.28 lakh that is given to each athlete selected under the scheme, annually.
ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND DEFENCE NEWS
1. Domestic flights resume operations on 25 May
• Exactly two months after the government of India imposed a nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus, domestic flight operations are set to resume again.
• Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Puri announced that India will start domestic flight operations in a "calibrated manner" from May 25.
• Airports across various parts in the country including have started introducing fresh measures to keep travellers protected from the deadly coronavirus.
• Earlier this month, in a communication to airport managers across the country, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had asked all airports to be prepared to handle flight operations.
• Filling up of a detailed questionnaire related to Covid-19, carrying no cabin baggage, using Aarogya Setu app and reaching the airport at least two hours before a flight departure might well be among the requirements for air passengers during the initial phase after the resumption of commercial flights.
• Cabin crew members of Indian airlines will have personal protective equipment (PPE) like face shields, gowns and masks as part of their attire on commercial passenger flights when they resume operations.
• India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus. All commercial passenger flights have remained suspended for this period.
• However, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights and special flights to repatriate Indian citizens had been operating during this period.
2. Nitin Gadkari inaugurates 440 metre-long tunnel under Chardham Pariyojana in Chamba
• Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 440 metre-long tunnel, constructed below the busy town of Chamba as part of the Chardham Connectivity Project.
• The tunnel will significantly reduce the time taken by travellers on the Rishikesh-Dharasu and Gangotri stretch of the Chardham Highway.
• It will also avoid congestion in the city of Chamba and open up avenues of socio-economic development in the region.
• The project is likely to be completed by October this year which will be three months ahead of it's schedule.
• Under the Chardham Project costing around 12 thousand crore rupees approximately 889 Kilometres of Highway Construction is to be done.
• BRO has been entrusted for construction of 250 Kilometre-stretch leading to holy shrine Gangotri and Badrinath.
3. Second Squadron of Ingeniously developed Light Combat Aircraft Tejas operationalizes
• The Indian Air Force has operationalised its new squadron "Number-18 - Flying Bullets" with the Light Combat Aircraft LCA Tejas. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria launched it at the Sulur air base near Coimbatore.
• The Flying Bullets serves as the second Indian Air Force squadron to operate with the modern multi-role fighter aircraft LCA Tejas. The first squadron to operate with the aircraft known as the Number-45 Flying Daggers is also headquartered at the same base.
• The indigenously developed light fighter aircraft LCA Tejas is certified with the "Full Operational Clearance" standard. It is a tailless, fourth generation, compound delta-wing aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It is equipped with a fly-by-wire flight control system, integrated digital avionics and multimode radar. Its structure is made of composite material.
• The supersonic combat aircraft is considered the lightest and the smallest of its kind. Their new home, the Flying Bullets squadron, was initially formed in 1965 and has the distinction of being the first to land in and operate from Srinagar.
• It was decorated with the highest gallantry medal Param Veer Chakra which was awarded posthumously to its Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon for his valiant action during the 1971 war with Pakistan.
• The squadron has been revived on the 1st April this year at the Sulur base. It is set to further augment India's defence of her air frontiers.
4. ADB, GoI sign 177 million loan to upgrade major roads, highways in Maharashtra
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $177 million loan to upgrade 450 kilometers (km) of state highways and major district roads in the state of Maharashtra.
• The project is expected to improve connectivity between rural areas and urban centers in the state enabling rural communities to better access markets, employment opportunities and services.
• Improved mobility will expand development and livelihood opportunities outside of the state's major urban centers to second-tier cities and towns thus reducing income disparities.
• The project will also strengthen road safety measures by developing a road safety audit framework that will protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly, women, and children, following the international best practice.
• Overall the project will upgrade 2 major district roads and 11 state highways, with combined length of 450 km, to 2-lane standard across seven districts of Maharashtra, and improve connectivity to national highways, interstate roads, seaports, airports, rail hubs, district headquarters, industrial areas, enterprise clusters and agricultural areas.
• The project will also focus on training the Maharashtra Public Works Department project staff to build their capacity in climate change adaptation and disaster resilient features in road design, road maintenance planning and road safety.
• ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members49 from the region.
5. Labour Ministry starts Online Career Skills Training to enhance personality development of job seekers
• The Ministry of Labour and Employment under its National Career Service (NCS) project has now started offering free online Career Skills Training for its registered job-seekers.
• This course on soft skills assists the learners in enhancing personality development with modules on corporate etiquette, improving inter personal skills, making impactful presentation including other necessary soft skills demanded by the industry at present.
• The training module is available in Hindi and English on the NCS portal.
• The Ministry is implementing the NCS Project for transformation of the National Employment Service to provide a variety of employment related services like job search, career counselling, information on skill development courses, apprenticeship and internships through an on-line portal of NCS.
• The National Career Service has taken a number of initiatives to mitigate the challenges in the labour market due to COVID-19 and the consequent lockdown.
• NCS has so far conducted around 76 Online Job Fairs during the lockdown period. Online Job Fairs are being organized to bridge the gap between job seekers and employers where the complete cycle from job posting to selection of candidates can be completed on the portal.
• Besides, a special link for Work from Home jobs and online training has been created on NCS portal to give direct access to job seekers to such jobs.
• There are around one crore active job seekers and 54 thousand active employers registered on NCS and around 73 lakh vacancies have been mobilized through the portal so far.
• Around one thousand employment exchanges including 200 Model Career Centres across the country are integrated with NCS.
6. Finance Minister launches facility of Instant PAN through Aadhaar based e-KYC
• In line with the announcement made in the Union Budget, Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman formally launched the facility for instant allotment of PAN (on near to real time basis).
• This facility is now available for those PAN applicants who possess a valid Aadhaar number and have a mobile number registered with Aadhaar. The allotment process is paperless and an electronic PAN (e-PAN) is issued to the applicants free of cost.
• The process of applying for instant PAN is very simple. The instant PAN applicant is required to access the e-filing website of the Income Tax Department to provide her/his valid Aadhaar number and then submit the OTP received on her/his Aadhaar registered mobile number. On successful completion of this process, a 15-digit acknowledgment number is generated.
• If required, the applicant can check the status of the request anytime by providing her/his valid Aadhaar number and on successful allotment, can download the e-PAN.
• The e-PAN is also sent to the applicant on her/his email id, if it is registered with Aadhaar.
• The launch of the Instant PAN facility is yet another step by the Income Tax Department towards Digital India, thereby creating further ease of compliance to the taxpayers.
7. CIPET renamed as Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering &Technology
• Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) has been renamed as Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET), a premier national institution under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Govt. of India.
• The changed name has been registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975 ( Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975)
• Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda has said that now CIPET will be in a position to fully devote itself for the growth of the entire petrochemical sector with a focus on Academics, Skilling, Technology Support and Research.
• The primary objective of CIPET has been contributing towards the growth of the plastics industry through a combined program of education and research. The Institute has evolved through the years, creating closer ties with industries with the intent to create innovative plastic based solutions which are resource efficient and marketable.
8. DGFT lifts export ban on paracetamol formulations
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), an arm of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India has lifted export restrictions on formulations made of paracetamol as well as paracetamol used in fixed-dose combinations (FDC).
• However, it continues to restrict the export of raw material/ active pharmaceutical ingredients, including those used for paracetamol.
• DGFT has issued a notification on April 17 which mentions that notification No 50/2015-2020, dated March 3, 2020, has been amended to extend that formulations made from paracetamol (including FDCs) under any ITC-HS Codes, including ITC-HS Code 30049099, are made ‘free’ for export with immediate effect.
9. NPCI launches AI virtual assistant PAi
• National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) based chatbot, PAi, to create awareness around its products like FASTag, RuPay, UPI, AePS on a real time basis.
• This is yet another NPCI’s initiative to improve digital financial inclusion in India.
• The AI virtual assistant, PAi is available round the clock helping users with access to accurate information on NPCI products.
• Customers can ask their queries in English and Hindi, via text or voice on the websites of NPCI, RuPay, and UPI Chalega. Through PAi, users get verified automated responses to their queries on all NPCI’s products. PAi would also be accessible to global RuPay Card Holders as well.
• PAi is developed by Bengaluru based startup CoRover Private Limited whose AI/ML powered NLP chatbot technology has been accessed by 20 Crore+ consumers.
• To help increase the adoption of digital payments among Indian citizens, PAi will soon be available in several regional languages of India.
• NPCI was incorporated in 2008 as an umbrella organization for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India.
• NPCI has created a robust payment and settlement infrastructure in the country. It has changed the way payments are made in India through a bouquet of retail payment products such as RuPay card, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), BHIM Aadhaar, National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC Fastag) and Bharat BillPay.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Sri Lankan Prez seeks Modi's intervention to revive some key projects
• Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sought the intervention of PM Modi to revive some of the key projects as Sri Lanka strives to restore the economy in the wake of COVID crisis.
• In a telephonic conversation with PM Modi, the Sri Lankan President called upon Indian side to expedite construction of the East Terminal of the Colombo Port as early as possible as it will be a significant boost to its economic landscape.
• In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi said, Sri Lanka is fighting COVID-19 effectively under the leadership of Mr Rajapaksa and India will continue to support its close maritime neighbour in dealing with the pandemic and its economic impact.
• The two nations agreed to accelerate Indian-assisted development projects in Sri Lanka and also strengthen investment links. The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes for the health and wellbeing of the Sri Lankan people.
• The Sri Lankan President also requested the government of India to provide USD 1.1 billion special SWAP facility to top up USD 400 million under SAARC facility as it would enormously help Sri Lanka in dealing with the foreign exchange issues.
• PM Modi assured that he is personally committed to help Sri Lanka and is ready to help under terms that are favorable to Sri Lanka. The two leaders agreed to continue with the ongoing bilateral projects that bring direct benefits to people and prioritize food and health securities.
• In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, they agreed to further strengthen all aspects of the bilateral relations and President Rajapaksa thanked India for support, including 10 tonnes of medical supplies.
2. WHO suspends clinical trial of Hydroxychloroquine on COVID-19 patients
• The World Health Organization had temporarily suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for coronavirus.
• The decision came after a study published in The Lancet medical journal suggested the drug could increase the risk of death among COVID-19 patients.
• The executive group of the so-called Solidarity Trial, in which hundreds of hospitals across the world have enrolled patients to test several possible treatments for the novel coronavirus, had suspended trials using that drug as a precaution.
• Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis but public figures including US President Donald Trump have backed the drug as a virus treatment, prompting governments to bulk buy.
• Brazil's health minister also recommended last week using hydroxychloroquine, as well as the antimalarial chloroquine, to treat even mild COVID-19 cases.
• The Lancet study found that both drugs could produce potentially serious side effects, particularly heart arrhythmia.
• And neither drug helped patients hospitalised with COVID-19.
• Solidarity Trial had been looking only at the effects of hydroxychloroquine and not chloroquine.
3. WHO warns of "second peak" in areas where COVID-19 declining
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said countries seeing a decline in Covid-19 infections could still face an "immediate second peak" if they let up too soon on measures to halt the outbreak.
• Countries in Europe and North America should "continue to put in place the public health and social measures, the surveillance measures, the testing measures and a comprehensive strategy to ensure that we continue on a downwards trajectory and we don't have an immediate second peak."
• Many European countries and US states have taken steps in recent weeks to lift lockdown measures that curbed the spread of the disease but caused severe harm to economies.
4. US President Donald Trump signs executive order regarding liability protections for social media companies
• US President Donald Trump signed an executive order regarding liability protections for social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook for content posted on these platforms.
• The president claimed that the move aims to defend free speech from one of the gravest dangers it has faced in American history. The move came after Twitter applied fact checks to two of President Trump's tweets.
• Trump said the fact checks were editorial decisions by Twitter and amounted to political activism. He said the companies should not be able to avail protection from lawsuits for what is posted on their platforms.
• The order directs executive branch agencies to ask independent rule-making agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to study whether they can place new regulations on the companies.
5. Trump announces America is terminating its relationship with WHO
• President Donald Trump said the U.S. will terminate its relationship with the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak in China and will begin the process of withdrawing special trade benefits for Hong Kong because of the Chinese government's imposition of a new security law in the semi-autonomous city.
• The two measures, combined with the cancellation of visas for some Chinese citizens, come as a rift between the two countries widens.
• Trump, who has complained for weeks about the World Health Organization as the virus death toll surged in the United States, said the global health body failed to adequately respond to the outbreak because China has "total control" over the global organization.
• The U.S. is the largest source of financial support for the WHO and its exit is expected to significantly weaken the organization.
• The U.S. contributes about $450 million to the world body while China provides about $40 million.
• Tensions over Hong Kong have been increasing for more than a year as China has cracked down on protesters and sought to exert more control over the former British territory.
• Trump said the administration would begin eliminating the "full range" of agreements that had given Hong Kong a relationship with the U.S. that mainland China lacked, including on trade and extradition. He said the State Department would begin warning U.S. citizens of the threat of surveillance and arrest when visiting the city.
• The president also said the U.S. would be suspending entry of certain Chinese citizens. He didn't provide specifics, but officials said this week that the administration was considering expelling thousands of Chinese graduate students enrolled at U.S. universities.
6. US joins G7 artificial intelligence group to counter China's use of technology
• The US has joined an international panel for setting ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence.
• The Trump administration had earlier dismissed the idea.
• The Trump administration had been the lone holdout among leaders of the Group of Seven — the world's wealthiest democracies — in setting up the Global Partnership on AI.
• The partnership launched after a virtual meeting between national technology ministers. It was nearly two years after the leaders of Canada and France announced they were forming a group to guide the responsible adoption of AI based on shared principles of "human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation and economic growth."
• The Trump administration objected to that approach, arguing that too much focus on regulation would hamper US innovation. But negotiations over the past year and changes to the group's scope led the US to join.
• The Group of Seven (G7) is an international intergovernmental economic organization consisting of the seven largest economies in the world: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. European Union is an invitee to G7.
7. In Historic First, SpaceX Successfully Launches NASA Astronauts Into Space
• Elon Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, made history on May 30, when its Crew Dragon capsule safely reached space carrying two NASA astronauts. It was the first time a private company put a human into orbit.
• The Crew Dragon went on to successfully dock with the International Space Station (ISS), which the astronauts are now safely aboard.
• The historic launch marks the first time that NASA astronauts have blasted off from American soil since the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011.
• For nearly a decade, NASA has bought seats on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to reach the International Space Station, which was built with roughly $200 billion of U.S. taxpayer’s money, according to some estimates. And to celebrate the return of crewed U.S. launches, the space agency promoted the event as “Launch America.”
AWARDS
1. Major Suman Gawaniawarded 2019 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award
• Major Suman Gawani, an Indian Army officer and a Military Observer formerly deployed with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), will receive the 2019 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award along with Brazilian Navy officer Commander Monteiro de Castro Araujo.
• Major Suman Gawani is also the first Indian peacekeeper to win the prestigious award.
• She was commissioned into the Army Signal Corps in 2011 after graduating from the Officers Training Academy, Chennai. Major Suman, a native of Pokhar village in Uttarakhand's Tehri Garhwal, completed her schooling in Uttarkashi. She holds a Bachelor of Education from the Government Post Graduate College in Dehradun, Uttarakhand India. She also has a telecommunication engineering degree from Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.
DAYS AND EVENTS
1. May 29: International Day of UN Peacekeepers
2020 Theme: Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace
• The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, 29 May, offers a chance to pay tribute to the uniformed and civilian personnel’s invaluable contribution to the work of the Organization and to honour more than 3,900 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948, including 102 last year.
• This year, the challenges and threats faced by our peacekeepers are even greater than ever, as they, like people around the world, are not only having to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, but also support and protect the people in the countries they are based in.
• They are continuing their operations to the best of their abilities and supporting the governments and the local populations, despite the risk of COVID-19.
• The theme for this year’s Day is “Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace” to help mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
