Today Current Affairs - 8th May 2020
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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Energy efficiency initiatives by BEE led to savings worth Rs. 89,122 Cr. in 2018-19: Report by PwC
i.India reduced energy intensity in 2018-19 by 20% as compared to 2005 level.
ii.India has set a target to reduce the energy intensity by 33-35%by 2030 compared to 2005 level.
iii.The energy efficiency efforts have also contributed in reducing 151.74 Million Tonnes of CO2 (MTCO2) emissions (in 2018-19), whereas last year (2017-18) this number was 108 MTCO2.
About BEE
Establishment– 2002 under the provision of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
Works under– Ministry of Power
Director General– AbhayBakre
About PwC Pvt Ltd
Chairman– Robert E. Moritz
PwC India chairman– Shyamal Mukherjee
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom
MP becomes the first state in country to provide Mid-Day Meal ration
The Central Government appreciated that Madhya Pradesh (MP) has become the first state in the country to provide a mid-day meal ration. Manoj Shrivastava, Additional Chief Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development, informed that this information has been given in the review meeting conducted by the Central Government.
About Madhya Pradesh (MP):
Capital– Bhopal.
Chief Minister(CM)– Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Governor– Lalji Tandon.
Harsh Vardhan & Shripad Yesso Naik launched Ayush Sanjivani app & interdisciplinary studies involving AYUSH interventions
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy(AYUSH) Shripad Yesso Naik jointly launched Ayush Sanjivani application & clinical research studies on Ayurveda interventions as an addition to standard care to COVID 19 situation in New Delhi.
About MoHFW:
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan(Constituency- Chandni Chowk, New Delhi)
Minister of State– Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Constituency- Buxar)
About AYUSH Ministry:
Minister of State (Independent Charge)– Shripad Yesso Naik(Constituency- North Goa)
India’s unemployment rate shoots up to 27.11% amid COVID-19 crisis: CMIE
According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy(CMIE) the country’s unemployment rate rose to 27.11% for the week ended May 3 due to the COVID-19 crisis, up from the under 7% level before the start of the pandemic in mid-March.
About CMIE:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– S A Dave
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Mahesh Vyas
India for the 1st time has more internet users in rural areas than urban: IAMAI report
According to ‘Digital in India’ report by the Internet & Mobile Association of India(IAMAI) & Nielsen shows that for the 1st time has more internet users in rural areas than urban, where rural India had 227 million active internet users, 10% more than urban India’s about 205 million, as of November 2019.
About IAMAI:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Amit Agarwal
President– Subho Ray
CSIR launches Compendium of Indian Technologies to tackle COVID-19 pandemic
On 6th May 2020, The National Research Development Corporation(NRDC) prepared a compendium of Indian Technologies for combating COVID-19 pandemic which are categorized as tracking, testing and treating was launched by Dr.Shekhar C. Mande, Director General CSIR, Secretary, DSIR, Government of India.
About NRDC:
Chairman & Managing Director– H.Purushotam
Head Office– New Delhi
Established– 1953
Govt to run awareness campaign in 1 lakh villages on balanced use of fertilisers for FY20-21
i.In this regard, Soil Testing Labs by youth having education in agriculture, Women Self Help Groups, FPOs (Farmer’s Produce Organization) etc. will be set up at village level Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme.
ii.AlsoDepartment of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare will launch a comprehensive campaign on soil test based rational application of fertilisers and promotion of organic farming including Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP).
About SHC scheme
Launched in 2015, under this Soil Health Cards are provided to all farmers at an interval of 2 years. These cards provide information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendation on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India’s energy demand falls by 30% due to covid-19 lockdown: IEA-Global Energy Review 2020
i.In India, energy demand would decline for the first time, following on from low demand growth in 2019.
ii.The decline in electricity and transport demand in India is highest among the globe.
iii.Globally, the report projects that energy demands will fall 6% in 2020, seven times the decline after the 2008 global financial crisis.
About IEA:
Headquarters location– Paris, France
Executive Director– DrFatihBirol
Executive Director– DrFatihBirol
Iran approves currency denomination bill to slash 4 zeros from its currency; Rial will covert to Toman
The parliament of Iran has approved a bill on national currency denomination, which allows to cutting four zeros from its national currency Rial & to rename it as ‘Toman’ which is equal to 10,000 rials.
It has taken this major decision to prevent a major fall in currency due to US (United States) sanctions and to get its economy back on track.
About Iran:
Capital– Tehran
President– Hassan Rouhani
President– Hassan Rouhani
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
UNEP extends Bollywood actress Dia Mirza’s term as Goodwill ambassador till 2022
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has extended the Bollywood actress & environmentalist Dia Mirza‘s term as its National Goodwill Ambassador for another two years till the end of 2022.
i.Dia Mirza form Hyderabad (Telangana), was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador in 2017.She is also a United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) Advocate.
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Headquarters– Nairobi, Kenya
Executive Director– Inger Andersen
Former intelligence chief Mustafa Al Kadhimi sworn in as 6th Prime Minister of Iraq
Mustafa al-Kadhimi (53), former head of Iraq’s intelligence agency, was sworn in as the country’s 6th Prime Minister (PM) after Adel Abdul Mahdi, who has resigned in November 2019 due to massive anti-governmental protests.
i.The Iraq parliament also cleared Kadhimi’s 15 cabinet ministers & rejected of 5 ministers.
About Iraq:
Capital– Baghdad
Currency– Iraqi dinar
Donald Trump Nominates seniorIndian-American diplomat Manisha Singh as US envoy to OECD
On 5th May 2020, United States President Donald Trump nominated senior Indian American diplomat Manisha Singh, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs at the State department as his envoy to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) with an Ambassador rank.
About OECD:
Established as the Organisation of European Economic Cooperation(OEEC) in 1948 and Canada and the US joined OEEC signing the new OECD convention on 14th December 1960.
Secretary-General– Angel Gurria
Headquarters– Paris, France
OECD official establishment– 30th September 1961
Members– 37 Countries
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Jupiter like cloud bands on closest brown dwarf discovered by astronomers
On 6th May 2020, A team of astronomers discovered that the Luhman 16A, closest known brown dwarf showing signs of cloud bands similar to the Jupiter and Saturn using the technique of polarimetry to determine the properties of atmospheric clouds outside the solar system or typically.
About NASA:
Administrator– James Frederick ‘Jim’ Bridenstine
Deputy Administrator– James W. Morhard
Headquarters– Washington DC
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Athletics Day 2020: May 7
World Athletics Day (WAD) was introduced by the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) to increase awareness about athletics and to encourage youth to take up sports. Although this day is celebrated in the month of May every year, in 2020, the IAAF marked May 7 as the World Athletics Day.
About World Athletics:
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
Headquarters– Monaco.
President– Sebastian Coe.
STATE NEWS
Tripura CM launches national scholarship online portal under ‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana’
Tripura Chief Minister(CM) Biplab Kumar Deb launched a National Scholarship online portal website(https:/ /scholarships.gov.in/) under ‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana’, an incentive scheme at the state secretariat so that students can apply for this scheme for the Academic Year 2019-20.
About Tirupura
Capital– Agartala
Governor– Ramesh Bais
National Park (NP)– Clouded Leopard NP, Bishalgarh, Sepahijala District
Sanjeevani a unique vehicle developed at the local level in Madhya Pradesh
On 6th May 2020, Sanjeevani, a unique vehicle developed at local level in the initiative of Rajnagar administration of Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh to help the healthcare workers.
About Madhya Pradesh:
Capital– Bhopal
Chief Minister(CM)– Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Governor– LaljiTandon
AC GAZE
Pixar Director Rob Gibbs passed away
Veteran director, story artist and writer of many Pixar films Rob Gibbs passed away at the age of 55 years, who is well Known for successful Pixar films, including Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, Monsters.Up, Wall-E, Inside Out to Onward.
Current Affairs Today
- Energy efficiency initiatives by BEE led to savings worth Rs. 89,122 Cr. in 2018-19: Report by PwC.
- MP becomes the first state in country to provide Mid-Day Meal ration.
- Harsh Vardhan & Shripad Yesso Naik launched Ayush Sanjivani app & interdisciplinary studies involving AYUSH interventions.
- India’s unemployment rate shoots up to 27.11% amid COVID-19 crisis: CMIE.
- India for the 1st time has more internet users in rural areas than urban: IAMAI report.
- CSIR launches Compendium of Indian Technologies to tackle COVID-19 pandemic.
- Govt to run awareness campaign in 1 lakh villages on balanced use of fertilisers for FY20-21.
- India’s energy demand falls by 30% due to covid-19 lockdown: IEA-Global Energy Review 2020.
- Iran approves currency denomination bill to slash 4 zeros from its currency; Rial will covert to Toman.
- UNEP extends Bollywood actress Dia Mirza’s term as Goodwill ambassador till 2022.
- Former intelligence chief Mustafa Al Kadhimi sworn in as 6th Prime Minister of Iraq.
- Donald Trump Nominates seniorIndian-American diplomat Manisha Singh as US envoy to OECD.
- Jupiter like cloud bands on closest brown dwarf discovered by astronomers.
- World Athletics Day 2020: May 7.
- Tripura CM launches national scholarship online portal under ‘Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana’.
- Sanjeevani a unique vehicle developed at the local level in Madhya Pradesh.
- Pixar Director Rob Gibbs passed away.
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