Today Current Affairs -31st May 2020

National News

Ravi Shankar Prasad launches India’s National AI Portal www.ai.gov.in

• 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, on 30 May 2020, to mark the the first anniversary of the second tenure of the government
• The portal has been jointly developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and IT Industry.
• It will be jointly run by National e-Governance Division of Ministry of Electronics and IT and NASSCOM from the IT industry.
• The AI portal shall work as a one stop digital platform for all AI related developments in India like sharing of resources such as articles, startups, investment funds in AI, resources, companies and educational institutions related to AI in India, among other things.
• The minister also launched a National Program for the youth, “Responsible AI for Youth”, 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..

Madhya Pradesh Government Launches ‘Rozgar Setu’ scheme to provide employment to Migrant Labourers

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched a scheme ‘Rozgar Setu’ for skilled workers who have returned from other states.
• As per the state government, Madhya Pradesh is the first to devise such a work plan, to provide work to the maximum number of returned skilled workers.
• The State government will act as a setu [bridge] between workers and employers so that both are benefited.
• The scheme will provide a platform to the workers and connect them with those needing them, thus fulfilling the manpower requirement of industries as well as provide employment to workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
• The government will survey the skilled workers who were employed at industries elsewhere, but have now returned, based upon which they will be provided employment in industries, construction works and other activities according to their skills.

Uttarakhand Government Launches Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana for Migrant Workers

• In an effort to retain the migrants who have returned to the state during the lockdown, the state government of Uttarakhand has launched a scheme called Mukhya Mantri Swarojgar Yojana, to provide self-employment opportunities to youth and encourage skilled and unskilled artisans, handicrafts and unemployed youths to start their own business.
• The scheme envisages to provide loans to these migrant workers so as to help them start their own ventures.
• Under the scheme, state government will provide loans for projects worth ₹25 lakh in the manufacturing sector and ₹10 lakh in the service sector.
• Loans will be provided by nationalised banks, scheduled commercial banks and co-operative banks.

Phase I of Biannual Army Commanders’ Conference Held in New Delhi

• The Army Commanders’ Conference, an apex level biannual event is being organised in two phases.
• The first phase of the Conference was conducted at South Block, New Delhi from 27 to 29 May 2020.
• Over three days, the Indian Army’s apex leadership deliberated upon various aspects related to existing and developing security challenges.
• Human resource management issues, studies pertaining to ammunition management, merger of co-located training establishments and merger of Military Training Directorate with HQ Army Training Command were also discussed.
• The second phase of the conference is scheduled from 24 to 27 June 2020.
• The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri and CDS are also likely to address the conference during this phase.

International News

US joins G7 Group’s Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to counter China

• United States has finally joined the rest of the G7 countries in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (AI), in an effort to contain China‘s influence on AI.
• The Trump administration had been the only nation among leaders of the Group of Seven which was not the part of the Global Partnership on AI, set up by France and Canada in 2019.
• However, looking at how Chinese technology companies are attempting to shape international standards on facial recognition and surveillance at the United Nations, the US decided to join the international panel for setting ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence.
• The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence aims to guide the responsible adoption of AI based on shared principles of “human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation and economic growth”, among the member nations.
• G7 Members: France, Canada, Italy, Germany, Japan, UK and US

Appointment

Power Finance Corporation board Appoints R S Dhillon as CMD

• State-run Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has appointed Ravinder Singh Dhillon as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the company.
• He will succeed incumbent CMD Rajeev Sharma, who is attaining superannuation on May 31, 2020.
• Dhillon’s appointment will be with effect from 01 June 2020, till the date of his superannuation (May 31, 2023) or until further orders.

Sports

WADA Imposes 4-Year Ban on Long-Distance Runner Kiranjeet Kaur For Doping Violation

• The World Athletics’ anti-doping body has handed a four-year ban to long-distance runner Kiranjeet Kaur, for testing positive for a banned substance.
• The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) accredited laboratory tested her samples, taken in December 2019.
• Her ban period is effective from 15 December 2019.
• The 32-year-old Kaur won the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K among the Indians in December 2019. This award will also be taken away from her.

Important Days

World No-Tobacco Day:  31 May

• World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed every year on 31 May, globally to inform the public on the dangers of using tobacco  and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form.
• Theme of the 2020 WNTD is ‘Tobacco and related industry tactics to attract younger generations’.
• The Day was created by the member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987.

Obituary

Veteran Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla passes away at 89

• The world-renowned astrologer, Bejan Daruwalla, has passed away suffering from pneumonia. He was 89.
• Daruwalla was a great Ganesha devotee.
• He combined the principles of various techniques like Vedic astrology, Numerology, Palmistry, I-Ching, Tarot, Kabalah and even Western astrology for his predictions.

Veteran lyricist Yogesh Gaur Passes Away at 77

• Veteran Bollywood lyricist Yogesh Gaur, best-known as Yogesh in the film industry, has passed away. He was 77.
• Yogesh has given Bollywood several hit songs in the 60s and 70s.
• Some of his best known songs are Zindagi Kaise Yeh Paheli and Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye for Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna’s 1971 film Anand.