Daily Current Affairs 27 May 2020: We have collected the latest current affairs for 27 May 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. Improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs.

Today Current Affairs - 27th May 2020

National News

Nitin Gadkari inaugurates 440 metre-long tunnel in Chamba under Chardham Project

• Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 440 metre-long tunnel, constructed below the busy town of Chamba, on Rishikesh-Dharasu road Highway(NH 94) as part of the Chardham Connectivity Project.
• The tunnel has been developed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
• It will significantly reduce the time taken by travellers on the Rishikesh-Dharasu and Gangotri stretch of the Chardham Highway and also avoid congestion in the city of Chamba and open up avenues of socio-economic development in the region.
• The Rs 12,000 crore Chardham Project includes construction of National Highway with approximate length of 889 Km, to connect Gangotri, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Badrinath.
• Of this BRO is constructing 250 Km of National Highways leading to holy shrine Gangotri and Badrinath.

United Nations Declares Manipur’s Khudol among the top 10 global initiatives to fight COVID-19

• The United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth has listed Manipur’s Khudol (gift) among the top 10 global initiatives, for an inclusive fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Khudol is a crowdfunded initiative of Imphal-based NGO ‘Ya_All’, ensuring food, health and hygiene of the LGBTQI+ community, people living with HIV, daily-wage earners, children and adolescents.

Indian start-up VAMS Global makes world’s first contactless visitor management software

• A Mumbai based startup, VAMS Global, has come up with the world’s first contactless Visitor Management Software, having various features such as temperature scanner and mask detection, without coming in contact.
• The software, called VAMS SafeGuard, follows no touch no queue visitors entry and can scan body temperature, detect mask on faces among other things, while following social distancing on the premises.
• It uses AI to allow entry of only those visitor who are complying to all the COVID protection measures.
• It reads, scans and record one person at a time from a distance of 18 inch in less than 3-5 seconds.

International News

United States leaves Open Skies Surveillance Treaty for a period of 6 months

• The United States has announced that the country is leaving the Open Skies treaty for a period of six months,  effective from 23 May 2020.
• US President Donald Trump took this decision, due to the non-compliance of Russia with the treaty.
• US has submitted a notice of its decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies to the Treaty Depositaries (Governments of Canada and Hungary) and to all other states party to the Treaty.
• US would, however, reconsider its withdrawal if Russia returns to full compliance with the Treaty.

Banking & Economy

India’s GDP for FY21 to contract 5%: Crisil

• The research and rating agency CRISIL has revised its forecast downwards again and expects Indian economy to contract 5 percent in fiscal 2020-21. This was 1.8 percent in last prediction.
• This means India’s GDP growth for FY21 has been estimated to be -5%
• Extension in lockdown, higher economic costs and an economic package are the three basic reasons for the downward revision.
• It also said that the pre-Covid-19 gross domestic product (GDP) rate in India will not be possible for the next three fiscals.

Airtel group ties up with Mastercard for customized products for farmers, SMEs

• Airtel Payments Bank (APBL) has partnered with Mastercard to develop customized products for the underbanked spectrum including farmers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and retail customers.
• The collaboration aims at building a digital platform which provides farmers with knowledge about advanced farming techniques and connection to marketplaces, while simultaneously enabling them to receive payments directly in their Airtel Payments Bank account.
• The tie-up will bring together Mastercard’s global and local experience in developing advanced financial solutions and Airtel Payments Bank’s strong distribution network to reach the last mile and its large customer base.

Award

Indian-American IBM scientist Rajiv Joshi wins Inventor of the Year Award 2020 for improving AI capabilities

• An Indian-American inventor Dr. Rajiv Joshi has bagged the prestigious Inventor of the Year award for the year 2020 for his pioneering work in advancing the electronic industry and improving artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
• Dr Joshi works at the IBM Thomson Watson Research Center in New York.
• The  $5,000.00 award is presented every year by the New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA) in recognition of the contribution that the invention has and/or will make towards society as a whole.

Obituary

Former Inter Milan coach Gigi Simoni passes away at 81

• Former coach of the Italian professional football club ‘Inter Milan’ Gigi Simoni has passed away at the age of 81.
• As a player, Simoni played as an attacking midfielder for Mantova, Napoli, Torino, Juventus, Brescia and Genoa from 1959-1974.
• In 1998, he received the Panchina d’Oro as the best Italian coach.