పద్మాసనం ప్రయోజనాలు

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• ఈ ఆసనం వలన మైండ్ రిలాక్స్ అవుతుంది 
• అంతస్రావక గ్రంధులను ప్రేరేపిస్తుంది 
• ఆస్తమా హిస్టీరియా వ్యాధులను నయం చేస్తుంది 
• రక్త ప్రసరణను జీర్ణ వ్యవస్థను ప్రేరేపిస్తుంది 

Weekly Current Affairs One-Liners 20th to 26th April 2020

Weekly Current Affairs One-Liners 20th to 26th April 2020

 

The 2020 World Press Freedom Index has been released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The Reporters Without Borders has evaluated the situation for journalists in 180 countries and territories and indicated the results in 2020 World Press Freedom Index. The 2020 World Press Freedom index states that the world is entering in a decisive decade for journalism linked to crises that affect its future.

Key findings of the World Press Freedom Index 2020:

·         Norway has topped the World Press Freedom Index 2020. Norway was placed on the top for the fourth year in a row. Apart from Norway at the top, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Netherlands also finished as the top 5 rankers of the index. North Korea took the last position from Turkmenistan and hence finished 180th in the index.

·         India was ranked 142nd in the index while Pakistan and China were placed at 145th and 177th position respectively.

·         When it comes to regionwise results, Europe persists as the most favourable continent for media freedom, followed by America and Africa.

The Government of India has reviewed the extant Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy. This amendment in the FDI policy has been made to curb the opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions of Indian companies due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this objective, the Government of India has amended the  para

3.1.1 of extant FDI policy as contained in “Consolidated

FDI Policy, 2017″.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has officially issued a notice regarding the changes in the para 3.1.1 of the “Consolidated FDI Policy, 2017” with “Press Note No. 3(2020 Series)”. Here is the old as well as the new statements under para 3.1.1 of “Consolidated FDI Policy, 2017”.

About the existing rules: Present Position According  to the Chapter:3 of the Consolidated FDI Policy, 2017, under the section titled “Eligible investors”, para 3.1.1 states that: A non-resident entity can invest in India, subject to the FDI Policy except in those sectors/activities which are

prohibited. However, a citizen of Bangladesh or an entity incorporated in Bangladesh can invest only under the Government route. Further, a citizen of Pakistan or an entity incorporated in Pakistan can invest, only under the Government route, in sectors/activities other than defence, space, atomic energy and sectors/activities prohibited for foreign investment.

After the amendement in the Para 3.1.1 of the Consolidated FDI Policy, 2017, para 3.1.1 (2020 Series) states that: Revised Position

3.1.1(a) A non-resident entity can invest in India, subject to the FDI Policy except in those sectors/activities which are prohibited. However, an entity of a country, which shares land border with India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the Government route. Further, a citizen of Pakistan or an entity incorporated in Pakistan can invest, only under the Government route, in sectors/activities other than defence, space, atomic energy and sectors/activities prohibited for foreign investment.

3.1.1(b) In the event of the transfer of ownership of any existing or future FDI in an entity in India, directly or indirectly, resulting in the beneficial ownership falling within the restriction/purview of the para 3.1.1(a), such subsequent change in beneficial ownership will also require Government approval.

The above revision in the para 3.1.1 of the “Consolidated FDI Policy, 2017” is supposed to be implemented from the date of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) notification.

 

 

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released the “World Economic Outlook” report. “World Economic Outlook” report is being published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) twice a year.

Here are the latest projections published in the

“World Economic Outlook” report:

·         IMF has reduced India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate from 5.8% to 1.9% in the fiscal year 2020-21. It has also stated that India’s GDP will show recovery in the next financial year with the growth rate of 7.4%.

·         IMF has projected that the world economy will contract sharply by 3% in 2020, overshadowing the damages caused by the 2008–09 financial crisis.

·         IMF has projected China’s economy to grow at the growth rate of 1.2% in the fiscal year 2020-21 while it will grow at 9.2% in the fiscal year 2021-22.

·         In the report, IMF has also indicated that the recovery forecast for the fiscal year 2021 is subjected to the assumption that the pandemic being brought under control in the second half of 2020, scaling back the containment efforts and hence restoring the consumer and investor confidence.

The “National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India” has been launched by the Union Minister for Culture (I/C) Prahlad Singh Patel. The “National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India”, which is a part of the Vision 2024 of the Ministry of Culture, raises awareness about the various intangible cultural heritage elements from different parts of India at national as well as international level. It also recognizes the diversity of Indian culture instilled in its intangible heritage and aims to ensure its protection.

The National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of India has been classified in the following 5 broad domains:

Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage

Performing arts

Social practices, rituals and festive events

Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe

Traditional craftsmanship

The National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of India has been classified in the above 5 broad domains keeping in view the UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Union Cabinet has approved the promulgation of an Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. The above step has been taken to protect the healthcare service personnel as well as property including their living/working premises against the violence during epidemics. The promulgation of an Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 has been approved by the cabinet, keeping in view the recent instances of the most critical service providers i.e. members of healthcare services being targeted and attacked by miscreants, thereby obstructing them from doing their duties during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Who are “Healthcare service personnel”?

Healthcare service personnel comprises of public and clinical healthcare service providers including doctors, nurses, paramedical workers and community health workers; any other persons empowered by the Act to take measures in order to prevent the outbreak of the disease or spread thereof; and any persons declared as such by the State Government via notification in the Official Gazette.

Aim of the amendment in Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897:

The promulgation of an Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 intends to make such acts of violence cognizable and non-bailable offences and also ensure that during any situation akin to the current pandemic, there is zero tolerance to any form of violence against healthcare service personnel as well as damage to property. In the above context, the Violence under this Ordinance will contain harassment, physical injury and damage to the property.

Punishments for violators:

The amendment in the act makes violence cognizable as well as a non-bailable offence. Punishment of imprisonment for a term of 3 months to 5 years, and with fine of Rs.50,000/- to Rs.2,00,000/-, has been decided for commissioning or abetment of such acts of violence. Imprisonment for a term 6 months to 7 years and with fine of Rs.1,00,000/- to Rs.5,00,000/– has been decided in the case of causing grievous hurt. Along with above, the offender shall also be accountable to pay compensation to the victim as well as twice the fair market value for the damage of property.

An officer of the rank of Inspector will be investigating the offences within a period of 30 days and the trial has to be completed in one year, unless it has been extended by the court for reasons to be recorded in writing.

Supreme Court (SC) Collegium led by the chief justice of India, Sharad Arvind Bobde has recommended the appointment of new Chief Justices for the Bombay, Orissa and Meghalaya High Courts (HC).

 

S. No.	Name	High court
1	Dipankar Datta	Bombay High Court
2	Biswanath Somadder	Meghalaya High Court
3	Mohammad Rafiq	Orissa High Court

Important takeaways:

·         Justice Dipankar Datta, presently a judge at the Calcutta High Court. He replaces the current Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Bhushan Dharmadhikari.

·         Justice Biswanath Somadder, presently a judge at the Allahabad High Court. He will replace Mohammad Rafiq.

·         Justice Mohammad Rafiq, presently a Judge at the Meghalaya High Court. He will replace Sanju Panda as Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.

 

           National Panchayati Raj Day: 24 April          

Nation celebrates National Panchayati Raj Day on 24 April every year. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj organizes the National Panchayati Raj day or the National Local Self Government Day. India celebrates the first National Panchayati Raj Day or the National Local Government Day on April 2010.

On the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be launching the unified e-GramSwaraj Portal and Mobile App on the occasion. This is a new initiative of Ministry of Panchayati Raj which will provide the Gram Panchayats with a single interface to prepare and implement their Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).

History of Panchayat Raj:

24th April 1993 marks a defining moment in the history of decentralization of power to the grassroots, with the institutionalization of Panchayati Raj, through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 which came into force with effect from that day. Ministry of Panchayati Raj commemorates 24th April of every year as the National Panchayati Raj Day(NPRD), as the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force on this date. Rajasthan was the first state that carried the Panchayati Raj System in 1959 during the times of late Prime Minister Jawarharlal Nehru.

The government of India has constituted Inter- Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs), to make an on-spot assessment of Covid-19 situation. The condition is especially serious in major hotspot districts or emerging hotspots like:

·         Ahmedabad and Surat (Gujarat)

·         Thane (Maharashtra)

·         Hyderabad (Telangana)

·         Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

The teams set up earlier in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Mumbai, Pune (Maharashtra), West Bengal (one team for Kolkata and adjoining districts and the other for North Bengal) and Jaipur (Rajasthan).

How Inter-Ministerial Central Teams works?

The IMCTs would be focusing on a range of issues including compliance and implementation of lockdown measures as per guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act 2005, the supply of essential commodities, social distancing in the movement of people outside their homes, the preparedness of health infrastructure, hospital facilities and sample statistics in the district.

National Affairs		·         Himachal Pradesh government has rolled out “e- sanjeevani-opd” for free online medical consultation to sick people. The “e-sanjeevani-opd” has been launched to provide free online medical consultation to sick people at their residence throughout the state. ·         Border Roads Organisation has constructed 430 feet long bailey “Daporijo bridge” over the Subansiri River in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district. ·         The state government of Rajasthan has partnered with healthcare startup MedCords to launch ‘Aayu & Sehat Sathi app to fight against COVID-19. This app helps state people to consult doctors online and place orders for their medicine requirement in the wake of a lockdown due to COVID-19. ·         The government of Gujarat has given the approval of the third edition of his government’s ‘Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan’ amid Coronavirus lockdown. The scheme was started in 2018 after a weak monsoon. It is a conservation plan to deepen water bodies in the state before the monsoon. ·         The Administration of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala has launched a vehicle called ‘Tiranga’ (Total India Remote Analysis Nirogya Abhiyaan) for rapid screening of COVID-19 symptoms. ·         A new permanent bridge has been constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to link Kasowal enclave in Punjab with rest of India. This new permanent bridge has been constructed on the river Ravi. ·         India's oldest National Park, Jim Corbett National Park becomes India's 1st quarantine facility for animals with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). The Park has built isolation wards for animals. According to the Authority of the park, at least 10 quarantine centres are being prepared within the premises to contain animals. ·         The Government of Manipur commemorated “Khongjom Day” at Khongjom War Memorial Complex, Thoubal, Manipur. This day is observed to remembering the people who valiantly fought in the Anglo-Manipuri War in 1891. ·         Uttar Pradesh has become the 1st state with a software-based in-house facility of virtual courts, where requisite infrastructure in Allahabad High Court and all its courts for hearing cases through video conferencing.
·         Government of India has launched a dashboard containing information of human resources for combating and containing Covid-19. This dashbaord has been created as an online portal on the website “covidwarriors.gov.in”. ·         Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan starts an interactive platform ‘COVID India Seva’ to address citizens queries on coronavirus. ·         The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a set of Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) as well as graded relaxations for seafarers. ·         Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-Delhi) has developed a mobile app named ‘WashKaro’. This mobile app helps to warn the people about a coronavirus containment zone nearby and helps them check whether a news item about the pandemic is genuine or fake. ·         Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) has developed ”Feluda” a low-cost COVID-19 test strip. It was developed by two scientists Dr Souvik Maiti and Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty. ·         Jammu and Kashmir State Legal Services Authority (JKSLSA) has launched a helpline under ‘Serve-the- Seniors Initiative’. ·         The United Nations Office on Drugs ers’ series in India under its flagship “Education and Crimes (UNODC) has rolled out a ‘Lockdown Learnfor Justice” initiative. It has launched ‘Lockdown Learners’ series of online dialogues with educators and students in India. The ‘Lockdown Learners’ series emphasizes on COVID-19 and its impact on Sustainable Development Goals, peace and rule of law. ·         The Indian government has put on hold the hike in dearness allowance for its government employees in a bid to contain the strain on its finances amid the COVID-19 induced crisis. The development comes less than a month after the union cabinet had approved a hike in DA from 4% to a much higher 21%. This decision of government will impact about 49.26 lakh central government employees and 61.17 lakh pensioners.                               States in the News                              ·         Uttar Pradesh Government joined hands with tech giant Google to formed geotag community kitchens in the state. The kitchens produce 12 lakh food packets on a daily basis.

 

      

·         The Lebanese parliament has passed the legislation to legalize the cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial purposes. Earlier, the farming of cannabis was illegal in Lebanon, but now the cannabis farming would be regulated within the country.

·         Iran has successfully launched its first-ever military satellite named “Noor” into the orbit. ‘Noor’ satellite has reached its orbit and it orbiting 425 km above the earth’s surface. This satellite is launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC], a branch of the country’s armed forces. The Noor satellite was launched by a three-stage rocket which was powered by a combination of solid and liquid fuels.

 

                    Agreements/MoUs Signed                       

·         Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) inks partnership with Mastercard to issue virtual and physical debit cards. These cards enable its customers to perform secure online transactions, make payment in stores as well as withdraw cash from ATMs.

·         NIIT (National Institute of Information Technology) Limited announced that its US (United States) subsidiary has signed a managed service agreement with a US-based education technology (EdTech) company.

·         Vodafone idea ties up with Paytm have launched the ‘Recharge Saathi’ program. This program will help individuals and small businesses to earn additional income. Vodafone Idea will also give an assured cashback to merchant partners for multiple recharges.

·         Sports journalist, V. Krishnaswamy, authored a book titled “Shuttling to the Top: The Story of P.V. Sindhu”, released. The book narrates the journey of badminton player PV Sindhu, from her early life to becoming a world champion and what lies ahead.

 

             Banking/Economy/Business News                  

·         HDFC Bank has started #HDFCBankSafetyGrid campaign to encourage social distancing in Public places. The bank has created physical markers of HDFC Bank logo on the ground using the outer grid logo. This campaign helps people waiting in the queue at a shop or an establishment.

·         Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) bank starts a new feature of voice banking services on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for their customers. The service will enable customers to #BankWithTheirVoice and get answers to banking queries, check account balance & transactions, credit card due date and more.

·         The social media platform & US tech titan Facebook has acquired a 9.99% stake Reliance Jio i.e. the telecom arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL). Facebook has bought the 9.99% stakes for USD 5.7 billion (about Rs 43,574 crore). This deal of USD 5.7 billion has put the pre-money enterprise value of Jio Platforms at Rs 4.62 lakh crore.

·         Fitch Solutions has slashed India’s economic growth forecast to 1.8% for the financial year 2020-21. Fitch Solutions has lowered India’s economic growth forecast from 4.6% stating large-scale loss of income across the economy due to domestic outbreak of COVID-19, causing contracted private consumption.

·         Singapore’s Caladium Investment has raised its stake in Bandhan Bank by 1.1 percent from 3.39% to 4.49%. Caladium Investment PTE Ltd now holds will now holds 7.2 crore shares of Bandhan Bank.

 

                  Appointments/Resignations                       

·         Kapil Dev Tripathi has been appointed as the Secretary to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. He will replace Sanjay Kothari, who was selected as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner in February.

·         N Kamakodi will be reappointed as the MD & CEO of City Union Bank Ltd. City Union Bank has received approval for this reappointment from the Reserve Bank of India. His reappointment is for a further period of three years.

·         International           Motorcycle          Manufacturers Association (IMMA) has elected Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director, Bajaj Auto as its President for a 2- year tenure. He had been holding office as vice- president in IMMA, since May 2019.

·         Sanjay Kothari took oath as Central Vigilance Commissioner of India. He has been selected as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner by a high- powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prior to this, he was served as the Secretary to the President.

 

                               Defence News                                

·         The Indian Navy’s Naval Aircraft Yard (Kochi) has formed “Air Evacuation Pod (AEP)” for the safe evacuation of COVID-19 patients from remote areas. The pod is made up of aluminium, nitrile rubber and perspex.

·         entral Industrial Security Force (CISF) has launched an e-office application named ‘e-karyalay’. This application helps to enables the movement of files and documents of CISF without physical touch. This has been done to prevent coronavirus infection due to frequent touching of files by many persons.

 

                     Awards and Recognitions                       

·         Adam Higginbotham’s book “Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster” wins the William E. Colby Award.

 

                      Science and Technology                        

·         Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar (Punjab) has developed & designed a ‘WardBot’ to deliver medicines and food to COVID-19 patients in isolation wards without human intervention.

·         For the rapid detection of pathogens, a device named “bug sniffer” has been developed by the researchers at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune.

·         A low-cost electro-catalyst has been developed with “Fish gills” by the scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology.

·         Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh has developed a high-speed magnetic Random Access Memory (RAM). This Magnetic Random Access Memory (RAM), is faster, energy-efficient and stores more data in a smaller volume as compared to existing data storage technologies.

·         Scientists from International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) has developed an advanced tool “NanoBlitz 3D” in collaboration with Nanomechanics Inc., USA. NanoBlitz 3D can be used for the mapping of nano- mechanical properties of materials such as multi- phase alloys, composites, and multi-layered coatings.

·         Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh has launched India’s 1st COVID-19 sample collection mobile Lab through video conference. India’s 1st COVID-19 sample collection mobile Lab launched has been named as “Mobile BSL-3 VRDL Lab”.

·         National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that they will launch astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to International Space Station (ISS) on May 27, 2020. A SpaceX rocket will carry two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in Crew Dragon spacecraft.

·         National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed a high-pressure ventilator called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally) to treat COVID-19 patients.

 

                      Summit and Conference                        

·         The G-20 Extraordinary Agriculture Ministers Meeting was held through Video Conferencing. The meeting was held on the issue of COVID-19 as well as its impact on food security, safety and nutrition. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar participated in the Extraordinary virtual meeting of G-

20 Agriculture Ministers organised under the presidency of Saudi Arabia.

·         The 5th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of New Development Bank was held through video- conference. Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman represented India in the Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of New Development Bank.

·         Indian High Commission in Bangladesh, and India Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) has jointly organized a webinar on trade promotion.

 

                                 Sports News                                 

·         Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc wins the Formula One Esports Chinese Virtual Grand Prix championship. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the actual F1 races are not being held. In its place, Formula 1 has announced new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series.

·         World Badminton Champion, P V Sindhu has been selected as one of the ambassadors for Badminton World Federation (BWF)’s “I am badminton” awareness campaign.

·         The 11th edition of World Games which is to be held in Birmingham, Alabama, US (United States) has unveiled an updated logo and title after being delayed a year because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

·         Alireza Firouzja beats World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the final of the Banter Blitz Cup 2020 and to claim the $14,000 prize.

 

                              Important Days                              

·         UN Chinese Language Day is observed globally on April 20 every year. The day has been chosen to pay tribute to Cangjie, who is a mythical figure who is presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago.

·         World Liver day is observed on 19 April every year. The day is observed to spread awareness about the liver-related disease. The liver is the second largest and the most complex organ in the body, with the exception of the brain.

·         World Creativity and Innovation Day is observed globally on 21 April every year.

·         The Government of India celebrates Civil Services Day on 21st April every year. The day was celebrated for the first time on 21 April 2006. Civil Services Day is celebrated on this day to commemorate the address of the first Home Minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the probationers of Administrative Services Officers in 1947 at Metcalf House, Delhi.

·         arth Day or International Mother Earth Day is observed globally on 22 April every year. The theme of Earth Day 2020: Climate Action.

·         World Book and Copyright Day is observed globally on 23 April every year. World Book Capital for 2020: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The slogan for 2020- “KL Baca – caring through reading”

·         English Language Day is observed globally on 23 April every year. The Day marks the birthday and date of death of famed writer William Shakespeare.

·         The International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace observed globally on 24 April. ‘International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace’ was first observed by the United Nations (UN) on April 24, 2019.

·         World Malaria Day is observed globally on 25 April every year. This day is observed to spread awareness among people globally to fight against malaria. The theme of World Malaria Day 2020 is “Zero malaria starts with me.”

·         International Delegate’s Day observed globally on 25 April every year. This day is observed to raise awareness of the role of the representatives and delegates of the Member States to the United Nations.This year is the 75th anniversary of the San Francisco Conference.

 

                                  Obituaries                                   

·         Oscar-winning animator, film director and producer, Gene Deitch passed away. His movie “Munro” won the Oscar award in the animated short film category in 1960.

·         BMW Group President and CEO Rudratej Singh has passed away. Rudratej was the first Indian to lead the BMW India operations.

·         Former Fiji Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase has passed away. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006.

·         Eminent theatre director, actor and activist, Usha Ganguly passed away. She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for direction in 1998.

·         Former Rajya Sabha member from Odisha Basanta Das passed away. He was Rajya Sabha member from 1990 to 1996 as Janata Dal nominee.

 

                          Miscellaneous News                            

·         Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has created a video to promote wearing masks in public places and help the country to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘Team Mask Force’ has shot a video message and featured Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Smriti Mandhana, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Harmanpreet Kaur, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Mithali Raj, all of them speaking about the importance of wearing masks.

·         Social media platform, Facebook has announced to launch a third party fact checking system in Bangladesh. Facebook has partnered with an Indian fact checking website “Boom” for a third party fact checking system in Bangladesh.

·         “Covid FYI” is a one-stop digital directory containing information of all COVID-19 related services and helplines released by official sources. This platform has been made by an international team of 16 members led by Simran Soni, a student of Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.

·         The Pune Municipal Corporation has developed a mobile application named “Saiyam”. This application has been developed to effectively track the home- quarantine citizens and to ensure they stay in the home.

·         In the wake of growing demand for sanitizers amid COVID-19 outbreak, the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has created an alcohol-based herbal sanitizer.

·         Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has launched a campaign “#MyBookMyFriend“. The campaign “#MyBookMyFriend” has been launched on social media on the occasion of World Book Day.

·         National Book Trust, India and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has organized a WEBINAR on Post-COVID Publishing Scenario in New Delhi. This webinar was organized on the occasion of WORLD BOOK & COPYRIGHT DAY and featured the participation of Union Minister of HRD Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

 

                            Static Takeaways                             

·         Director General of UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay.

·         Union Minister for Home Affairs: Amit Shah.

·         Director of IIIT-Delhi: Ranjan Bose

·         Anandiben Patel is the current Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

·         Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state.

·         Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh: Jairam Thakur; Governor: Bandaru Dattatraya.

·         Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh: Pema Khandu; Governor: B.D. Mishra.

·         CM of Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot.

·         Capital of Rajasthan: Jaipur.

·         Governor of Rajasthan: Kalraj Mishra.

·         Chief Minister of Gujarat: Vijay Rupani; Governor of Gujarat: Acharya Dev Vrat.

·         Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is a forest and wildlife sanctuary near Talala Gir in Gujarat, India.

·         The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a gravity dam on the Narmada river near Navagam, Gujarat.

·         Chief Minister of Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan.

·         Governor of Kerala: Arif Mohammad Khan.

·         Capital of Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram.

·         Chief Minister of Punjab: Capt. Amarinder Singh.

·         Governor of Punjab: V.P. Singh Badnore.

·         Director General Border Roads (DGBR): Lt Gen Harpal Singh.

·         Prime Minister of Lebanon: Hassan Diab.

·         Capital of Lebanon: Beirut; Currency: Lebanese pound.

·         MD and CEO of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd: Satish Kumar Gupta.

·         Paytm Payments Bank Ltd Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

·         Managing Director & CEO of ICICI Bank: Sandeep Bakhshi.

·         ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

·         Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

·         Managing Director of HDFC Bank: Aditya Puri.

·         Chief Executive Officer of Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg.

·         Facebook Headquarters: California, US.

·         Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde took oath as the 47th Chief Justice of India.

·         Supreme Court established: 28th January 1950.

·         City Union Bank Founded: 31 October 1904.

·         City Union Bank Headquarters: Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.

·         City Union Bank Chairman: R. Mohan.

·         International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association Founded: 1947.

·         International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

·         Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

·         The members of the G20 group are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, ?Republic o?f Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union (EU).

·         President of New Development Bank: K V Kamath.

·         Headquarters of Badminton World Federation: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

·         Badminton World Federation Founded: 5 July 1934.

·         President of Badminton World Federation: Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen.

·         Secretary-General of the United Nations: Antonio Guterres.

·         The United Nations (UN) is an organization between countries established on 24 October 1945 to promote international cooperation.

·         Director-General of UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay.

·         UNESCO formation: 4 November 1946.

·         UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France.

·         Prime Minister of Fiji: Frank Bainimarama.

·         Capital of Fiji: Suva; Currency: Fijian dollar.

·         BCCI President: Sourav Ganguly; Headquarter of BCCI: Mumbai.

·         Director of National Botanical Research Institute: Dr.

S.K. Barik.

·         Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar, Director: Sarit Kumar Das.

·         Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar Founded: 2008.

·         Director of International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI): G. Padmanabham.

·         Director-General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research: Shekhar C. Mande.

·         Director of Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology: Anurag Agrawal.

·         Lt. Governors of Jammu and Kashmir: Girish Chandra Murmu.

·         Lt. Governors of Ladakh: Radha Krishna Mathur.

·         Union Minister of Panchayati Raj: Narendra Singh Tomar.

·         International World Games Association Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.

·         International World Games Association President: Jose PerurenaLopez.

·         International      World     Games     Association     Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Joachim Gossow.

·         Union Minister for Human Resource Development: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

·         Chairman of Defence Research and Development Organisation: G Satheesh Reddy.

·         Headquarters of DRDO: New Delhi.

·         Chairman of National Book Trust (NBT): Prof. Govind Prasad Sharma

·         Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.

·         Director-General of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes: Ghada Fathi Waly.

·         FIDE Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.

·         FIDE President: Arkady Dvorkovich.

·         FIDE Founded: 20 July 1924.

·         Headquarters of NIIT: Gurugram, Haryana.

·         CEO of NIIT: Sapnesh Lalla.

·         Director-General of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes: Ghada Fathi Waly.

·         Iran Capital: Tehran; Currency of Iran: Rial; President of Iran: Hassan Rouhani.

·         MD & CEO of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd: Satish Kumar Gupta.

·         Paytm founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

·         Paytm Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

·         Paytm founded: 2010.

·         Director-General     of   CISF:   Rajesh    Ranjan;    CISF established: 1969.

·         Manipur Chief Minister: N. Biren Singh.

·         Governor of Manipur: Najma Heptulla.

·         Keibul Lamjao National Park is a beautiful place, located in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur. The only floating park in the world, located in North East

·         India, and an integral part of Loktak Lake.

·         The administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): Jim Bridenstine.

·         Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.

·         Bandhan Bank Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal.

·         Bandhan Bank MD & CEO: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh.

·         Bandhan Bank Tagline: Aapka Bhala, Sabki Bhalai.

·         Central Vigilance Commission formed: February 1964.

·         Central Vigilance Commission Headquarters: New Delhi.

·         Capital of Uttar Pradesh: Lucknow.

·         Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath.

·         Governor of Uttar Pradesh: Anandiben Patel.