Current Affairs in Short : 30 April 2020

International Jazz Day is observed globally on 30 April every year. The day aims to create awareness around the world of the virtues of jazz as a force of peace, unity, dialogue, and enhanced cooperation among people, and an educational tool.

The United States Navy has said that it will host the world's largest maritime exercises ‘Rim of the Pacific’ in Hawaii again this year, but the drills will only be held at sea because of the Coronavirus.

The Ministry of Defence has announced that the 13th edition of Aero India will be held from February 3 to 7, 2021 at Air Force Station Yelahanka (Karnataka).

The central government has established International Financial Services Centres Authority to regulate all financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) with headquarters in Gandhinagar (Gujarat).

Nation celebrates Ayushman Bharat Diwas on 30th April. The day aims to promote affordable medical facilities in remote areas of the country based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census database.

The task force headed by Atanu Chakraborty (economic affairs secretary) on National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) submitted its final report to the Finance Minister.

Maharashtra's Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has recently launched a dashboard about the COVID-19 situation in the KDMC area.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 346 million (around Rs 2,616 crore) loan to Indian government to provide reliable power connection in rural areas of Maharashtra.

The Centre has officially brought the Cauvery Water Management Authority under the Jal Shakti Ministry.

In Tripura, the state cabinet has decided to start ‘neighborhood classes’ in addition to the ongoing online and televised/aired classes to ensure every student gets an education during the lockdown period.

Chhattisgarh has topped the list of states in providing employment to over 18 lakh unskilled labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has come up with a novel idea to create a cadre of volunteers under the name and style of ‘Pratirodhi Bondhu’ using the existing volunteers from ASLRM, NULM, Aapada Mitra, Indian Red Cross Society, Nehru Yuvak Kendra, NCC and NSS.

T.S. Tirumurti has been appointed as the next Ambassador or Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations.

Deepak Mittal has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the State of Qatar, while Piyush Srivastava goes to Bahrain in the same capacity. 

J Arun Kumar, the former Karnataka captain and coach, has been appointed as the head coach of USA men’s national cricket team.

Former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar was y appointed as the chairperson of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), the government’s headhunter for top level posts in public sector undertakings for a period of three years.

Bollywood’s heartthrob of the 70s’ and acclaimed National Award winning actor Rishi Kapoor passed away at the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai. He was 67.

Current Affairs in short : 29 April 2020

International Dance Day / World Dance Day is celebrated every year on 29th April.

Today is the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare.

Pakistan's southern Sindh province Governor Imran Ismail has been tested positive for COVID-19.

India attends the 11th session of Petersberg Climate Dialogue.

India lost the hosting rights of the men’s World boxing championship 2021 to Serbia.

Google has announced that it will be shutting down its hyperlocal social media platform "shoelace" on May 12.

G-20 has launched a new initiative “Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator” under the presidency of Saudi Arabia.

NLC India has commenced coal production at its Talabira-II and III Opencast Coal Mine in Odisha.

The portal of the central Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand opened after the winter break.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced that the death toll due to coronavirus in India has surged to 1,007.

Jawaharlal Nehru University will hold online classes on "Leadership Lessons from Ramayana" on May 2 and 3 from 4 pm to 6 pm.

Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre For Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) has developed “Berberine” based Alzheimer inhibitor.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy has launched the 'Jagananna Vidya Deevena' Scheme at Tedepalli, in Guntur District in AP.

Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Jeevan Amrit Yojana, a unique scheme to boost the immunity system of citizens of the state.

In Assam, the Numaligarh Refinery Limited, NRL has started economic activities with all proper precautions.

Justice Dipankar Datta took oath as the new Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.

Shiv Das Meena appointed as Chairman & Managing Director of HUDCO.

Renowned actor Irrfan Khan passed away in a Mumbai hospital, losing his battle with a rare form of cancer.

Grammy-nominated singer Troy Sneed passes away due to the novel coronavirus.

Former Liverpool striker, Michael Robinson passed away.

Current Affairs in short : 28 April 2020

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is observed on 28 April every  year.

Scientists from Copernicus European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reported that the largest hole in the Ozone layer spreading over 1 million square kilometers above the Arctic has closed due to Polar vortex (unusual atmospheric conditions).

United Kingdom's Finance Minister Rishi Sunak has unveiled a 100 per cent state-backed 'Bounce Back Loan Scheme' for the small businesses to help them tide through the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

President of the United States Donald Trump nominated senior Indian-American diplomat Manisha Singh as America's next envoy to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Australia has informed India that their premier multilateral air combat training exercise Pitch Black 2020 scheduled from July 27 to August 14 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation.

Paytm said it has developed a ‘contactless in-store ordering’ solution to help restaurants and eateries minimise physical contacts for menu, billing and cash transactions after these businesses open after the lockdown.

The board of Axis Bank has approved purchase of an additional 29% stake in Max Life Insurance which will take the private lender's total stake in the insurer to 30%.

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has introduced a special borrowing programme for self-help groups (SHG) to help them tide over the challenges inflicted by COVID-19.

Bharti Airtel (Airtel) and Nokia announced a multi-year agreement to deploy Nokia’s SRAN solution across nine circles in India, helping Airtel to enhance the network capacity of its networks, in particular 4G, and improve customer experience.

The National Skill Development Corporation has partnered with Amazon India to launch a digital campaign to drive awareness on the importance of precautionary measures in combating COVID 19 such as physical distancing and maintaining hygiene.

Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar issued guidelines regarding the SVAMITVA scheme, a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

IIT-Bhubaneswar has designed a safe and multi-surface sanitizer using UV light for the disinfection of devices in the combat against COVID-19.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has allowed the Common Service Centre (CSCs), an SPV under the Ministry of IT and Electronics, to begin the Aadhaar updation facility at its CSCs facility which operates as Banking Correspondents (BCs).

The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $1.5 billion loan that will support the government's response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi has taken over the administration of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) after its term expired.

Varanasi Smart City used drones for spraying of sanitizer in the selected areas of Varanasi City under Smart Cities Mission to contain COVID-19 spread.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S.Jaganmohan Reddy launched the Jagananna Vidya Deevena Scheme.

Assam State government has announced an insurance cover of Rs.50 lakh for the frontline journalists who are covering COVID-19. The announcement was passed by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Middle distance runner Jhuma Khatun has been banned for four years by the Athletics Integrity Unit of the world governing body for testing positive for a banned substance in a nearly two-year-old doping case which the NDTL had failed to detect.

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal was banned for three years by the PCB for failing to report corrupt approaches ahead of the country's premier T20 league this year.

CSB Bank said the Reserve Bank of India has extended the term of appointment of Madhavan Menon as the part-time Chairman of the Bank till July 21, 2020.

French Grand Prix becomes 10th race to get cancelled over coronavirus.

Eminent Odia dramatist,lyricist and screenwriter Bijay Mishra died at a hospital following a prolonged illness.He was 83.

Former NASA administrator James M. Beggs (94 years) passes away.

Current Affairs in short : 27 April 2020

The gravitational wave observatories at Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) have detected a merger of two unequal-mass black holes for the first time.

Saudi Arabia has abolished flogging (whipping or lashing) as a form of punishment and the death sentence for minors.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report titled "Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2019" stated that India has become the third-largest military spender in the world, after the US and China.

Australia has informed India that the exercise Pitch Black 2020, scheduled to be held from 27th July to 14th August has been cancelled due to the Covid-19.

India sent 50,000 surgical gloves and one lakh tablets of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to Bangladesh to help its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manabasa Gurubara, Chhau and Ravanachhaya — the three popular cultural practices from Odisha have been included in the recently-published Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) list by the Union Ministry of Culture.

The United States State Department has accused China and Russia of conducting nuclear tests with low yields, in violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

NTPC Ltd has invited Global Expression of Interest (EoI) to provide 10 Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FC) based electric buses and Hydrogen Fuel Cell based electric cars in Leh and Delhi.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a special liquidity facility of Rs. 50,000 crore for mutual funds (SLF-MF), in a move to ease the liquidity pressures on mutual funds amid coronavirus crisis.

The Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala has developed an AI semantic search engine to enable researchers to get deeper insights into COVID-19-related scientific studies.

Dr.Viswanatha R from Jyothy Institute of Technology, Bengaluru under the DST Nano Mission has developed organic-inorganic hybrid nanocoatings for disposable masks. 

Kerala uses Robots named  "Nightingale-19" and Karmi Bot to provide food and medicines to COVID-19 patients in Kerala.

Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to have the requisite infrastructure in all its courts for hearing cases through video conferencing.

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to ban the public gathering till June 30, 2020. The decision was taken by the state government during the Chief Minister’s meeting with chairpersons of 11 committees of the state over the COVID-19 situation.

Denmark's ace doubles exponent Mathias Boe (39 years) announced her retirement from international badminton.

Veteran politician Devanand Konwar (77 years) passed away.

He had served as the Governor of West Bengal.

Veteran sports photojournalist Ronojoy ''Ronny'' Roy (57 years) passes away following a cardiac arrest.

Current Affairs in short : 26 April 2020

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, has been ranked 57th among global universities for its impact research in areas that help achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) as mandated by the United Nations.

World Intellectual Property Day is observed on 26 April every year. The day is observed to learn about the role that intellectual property (IP) rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity.

Basava Jayanthi was celebrated on 26 April. It is an annual event that is celebrated in the honour of the birth of Vishwaguru Basaveshwara, the 12th-century philosopher and social reformer.

A virtual workshop on “Contract Management during Emergency situations” was organized by World Bank in collaboration with AIMA for Project Management Unit of Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project.

Border Roads Organization (BRO) has opened Rohtang Pass, more than three weeks in advance after clearing snow.

World Bank’s April 2020 Commodity Markets Outlook has been released.

Government has declared banking industry as a public utility service for 6 months till October 21 under the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act.

India based payment solution provider Transcorp International has received Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to issue co-branded prepaid instruments (PPI) cards & wallets to facilitate cashless payments.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched a mobile application ‘HelpMe’ designed to help the needy in the state during the crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Assam government has launched a new scheme Dhanwantari  under which locally unavailable medicines are provided to patients at home.

The Andhra Pradesh government revived the ”zero interest” loan scheme for women self-help groups (SHGs) in the state.

The Medical and Health Department of Andhra Pradesh launched ‘Covid Pharma’, a mobile application to keep a track of people purchasing medicines over-the-counter (OTC) for cough, cold and fever from medical stores across the state.

The Punjab government has constituted an expert group, headed by former deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and economist, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, to form a post-COVID-19 revival strategy for the state.

The Thuthukudi airport in Tamilnadu, near the strategically important Bay of Bengal coast, has been upgraded to level 3 by the Airport Authority of India.

In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan launched the Jeevan Shakti Yojana. Under this scheme, women in urban areas can earn by making masks at home. The government will pay them Rs 11 per mask.

The Assam government has deposited 2000 rupees to 1.6 lakh people who are stranded outside the state under Assam Cares initiative.

Former Pakistan women's skipper Sana Mir announced her retirement from international cricket, ending a 15 year long illustrious career.

Current Affairs in short : 25 April 2020

World Malaria Day is celebrated on 25^th April every year, to highlight the need for continued success and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control.

International Delegate's Day is observed on 25 April.

The US space agency NASA engineers have developed "VITAL", a new high-pressure ventilator tailored specifically to treat COVID-19 patients.

Astronomers found 19 asteroids that once belonged to a distant star system have been found orbiting the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune. 

Iran launched its first military satellite called "Noor" into orbit.

Under the Smart Cities Mission has set up a COVID-19 War Room at Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to track and monitor the COVID-19 situation in the city.

Vodafone idea ties up with Paytm have launched the ‘Recharge Saathi’ program.

The government of India has constituted Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs), to make an on-spot assessment of Covid-19 situation.

Sanjay Kothari took oath as Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). The oath office was administered by President Ram Nath Kovind on 25 April 2020 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has launched  e-karyalaya application, that enables movement of files and documents without physical touch.

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare reported that over 1.5 lakh farmers and traders registered on ‘Kisan Rath’ mobile app, just within one week of its launch.

The Government of Manipur commemorated “Khongjom Day” at Khongjom War Memorial Complex, Thoubal, Manipur.

The Andhra Pradesh government revived the ''zero interest'' loan scheme for women self-help groups (SHGs) in the state.

Former Australian cricketer Graeme Watson who was fighting cancer, has died at the age of 75.

Current Affairs in short : 24 April 2020

International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace is observed on 24th April. The day aims to disseminate the advantages of multilateralism and diplomacy for peace through educational and public awareness-raising activities. 

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) has rolled out a ‘Lockdown Learners’ series in India under its flagship “Education for Justice” initiative.

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

The 11th edition of World Games which is to be held in Birmingham, Alabama, US (United States) has unveiled an updated logo.

China named its first Mars exploration mission as Tianwen-1 as it celebrated Space Day on 24 April. The observation marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong-I in 1970. 

16-year-old Iranian refugee, Alireza Firouzja beats World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the final of the Banter Blitz Cup 2020 and to claim the $14,000 prize.

World Immunization Week is a global public health campaign to raise awareness and increase rates of immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases around the world. It takes place each year during the last week of April i.e 24 April to 30 April.

Pakistan has received an emergency loan of 1.39 billion US Dollars from the International Monetary Fund to boost its foreign exchange reserves in the wake of the further economic downturn due to the Corona virus crisis.

The National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24 April in India. The day is observed every year in the country. On this day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed village Panchayats across the country to mark the National Panchayati Raj Day.

The Finance Ministry has frozen the Dearness Allowance (DA) increases for the central government staff and Dearness Relief (DR) increases for pensioners for the period between January 2020 and July 2021.

The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities under Open Market Operations (OMO) for Rs. 10,000 crore each on April 27, 2020 considering the current and evolving liquidity and market conditions.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual Ambubachi Mela in Assam will not be organised this year. The fair is organised from 21st to 25th June, every year.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) has developed ”Feluda” a low-cost COVID-19 test strip.

Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to have the requisite infrastructure in all its courts for hearing cases through video conferencing.

Jammu and Kashmir State Legal Services Authority (JKSLSA) has launched a helpline under ‘Serve-the-Seniors Initiative’.

The World Bank has approved 82 million US dollars (585 crore rupees) for the Himachal Pradesh State Roads Transformation Project (HPSRTP) for upgradation of major roads and modernization of the Public Works Department in the state.

Eminent theatre director, actor and activist, Usha Ganguly passed away.

Current affairs in short : 23 April 2020

Israel’s first fully digital bank would be launched by the Tata Consultancy Services in 2021. The digital banking operations platform will be powered by the TCS BaNCS Global Banking Platform. 

According to the satellite data published by US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stated that the air pollution over northern India has dropped to a 20-year-low for this time of the year. 

International Girls in information and communication technologies (ICT) Day is observed on the fourth Thursday of the month of April. The day is observed on 23rd April in the year 2020.

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

English Language Day is celebrated on 23 April. The day aims to create awareness to people about the culture, history, and achievements associated with the language. 

Facebook has acquired a 9.99% stake of Reliance Jio 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. 

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) launched a "Lockdown Learners' series of online dialogues with students and educators" in India.

World Book Day is observed on 23 April. The day is celebrated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and other related organizations. The global celebration of books and reading material is observed in more than 100 countries. This day is also known as World Copyright day.

The Union Cabinet led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved significant investments to the tune of Rs.15,000 crore for 'India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package'.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) named Indian shuttler PV Sindhu as one of the ambassadors for its 'I am badminton' awareness campaign.

Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology has developed a mobile app named ‘WashKaro’ 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.

Ministry of Tourism presented its 7th webinar of Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series on "Photowalking at Varanasi: A Visual Treat," on 23 April 2020.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled a Mobile Virology Research and Diagnostics Laboratory (MVRDL) via video conference on 23 April.

India has dropped to two places on the World Press Freedom Index, 2020 to be ranked 142nd out of 180 countries.

The Karnataka State government launched the "Apthamitra" helpline on 22 April. It was aimed to empower people in the state's fight against coronavirus. It was launched by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF) developed ten varieties of Anthurium, a flower with high market value, by cross-pollination. It was developed by D Vasini Bai, a women innovator from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. 

International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA) has elected Rakesh Sharma as its President for a tenure of 2 years. He had been holding office as vice-president of IMMA since May 2019.

Current Affairs in short : 22 April 2020

Spain's best-known bull running festival in the northern town of Pamplona has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump said he will suspend all immigration into the United States temporarily through an executive order. He has said his forthcoming executive order barring new immigration will apply only to people seeking green cards, will last 60 days.

Britain's Parliament is preparing for MPs to return to the House of Commons to hold virtual debates and pave the way for a historic hybrid parliamentary setting amid the coronavirus lockdown.

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.

India and Nepal to fight COVID-19 Pandemic, Ambassador of India to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra handed over 23 tonnes of medicines to Nepal’s Minister for Health and Population Bhanubhakta Dhakal in Kathmandu.

Iran successfully launched a military satellite and the first satellite of the Islamic Republic of Iran successfully launched into orbit by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, About the Satellite Satellite reached an orbit of 425 kilometers (264 miles) above the  Earth's surface.

Uttar Pradesh government ordered complete sealing of the Delhi-Noida border till further orders as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 infection in Gautam Budhha Nagar district.

Indian Railways among the organizations started providing 10,000 water bottles per day to Delhi Police personnel out on the streets in the fight against COVID-19.

The Union Health minister urged the use of the e-Raktkosh portal as a single point for maintaining real-time information on the status of stocks of each blood group. e-Raktkosh portal is a Centralized Blood Bank Management System.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the “CovidIndiaSeva”,  an interactive platform to establish a direct channel of communication during the covid-19 pandemic.

Every year, April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day to raise public awareness about the environment and inspire people to save and protect it.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed all States and Union Territories to take adequate steps to mitigate risks in disposal of bio-medical waste in view of the Covid-19  pandemic.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a set of Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) as well as graded relaxations for seafarers. As per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Home Ministry, the Indian seafarers on the vessel are required to undergo the COVID-19 test prior to their return at their home.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan starts an interactive platform ‘COVID India Seva’ to address citizens queries on coronavirus. This main objective of this initiative is to enable transparent e-governance delivery in real-time and answering citizen queries.

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 will see the deepening of lakes, check dams and rivers by removing silt. This will be done till June 10, 2020, with people’s participation also as under MNREGA.

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.

A dashboard containing list of Dhabas and Truck Repair Shops has been launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on its website. The dashboard consists of list as well as details of Dhabas and Truck repair shops available across the country during the nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Indian herpetologists have discovered a new species of viper family in Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh, and the green pit viper species was discovered by a team led by Zeeshan Mirza.

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.

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.

David Li has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Telecommunications India. He has replaced Jay Chen who has been promoted to handle Asia Pacific level business role.

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.

Current Affairs in short : 21 April 22020

China has accused India of violating the World Trade Organization WTO’s “principle of non-discrimination” after the India tweaked its Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy to make its approval mandatory for firms in neighbouring countries to invest in Indian companies.

Every year, 21st April is celebrated as the Civil Services Day by the Government of India. It is celebrated as an occasion for the civil servants to rededicate themselves to the causes of citizens and renew their commitments to public service and excellence in work.

World Creativity and Innovation Day is observed on 21 April. The day aims to encourage people to generate new ideas to make the world a better place to live in. The day aims to inspire people to live a more creative life.

Secretary's day or Administrative Professionals Day is observed on 21 April in India. The day aims to celebrate the administrative professionals who work as the glue in keeping a business together. The Secretary's week is observed on the last full week in April of each year.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed the Daporijo bridge over Subansiri river in Arunachal Pradesh in a record span of just 27 days.

Chandigarh city uses Vehicle tracking applications and GPS (Global Positioning System) enabled smartwatches for waste collection drivers in its fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

Waste Collection.

A high-speed magnetic Random Access Memory (RAM) has been developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal Pradesh government has rolled out “e-sanjeevani-opd” for free online medical consultation to sick people who were feeling uncomfortable to visit hospitals in view of COVID-19 pandemic.

ICICI bank has rolled out a new feature of voice banking services on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for its customers. It will enable customers to BankWithTheirVoice and get answers to banking queries, check account balance & transactions, credit card due date and more.

Due to Covid-19 lockdown hospitals across India are facing acute shortage of blood and have started contacting individual blood donors to meet the demand.

According to a report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the quality of water in the river Yamuna has improved along the Delhi stretch, compared to April 2019. DPCC, along with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) carried out the study after being asked by a National Green Tribunal (NGT) appointed monitoring committee.

The Union Health Minister has recently asserted that lockdowns and social distancing are the most effective “social vaccines” available to fight the pandemic (Covid-19).

The Union Minister of Finance attended the 5th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of New Development Bank (NDB) through video-conference in New Delhi.

Veteran author Sudha Murty’s first book in an audio format titled “How the Onion Got Its Layers” is released.This is the second book of the chapter series by Murty, the first being “How the Sea Became Salty”.

Kapil Dev Tripathi was appointed as the Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind on 20 April. His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Private sector lender City Union Bank reappointed N Kamakodi as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bank. The appointment was approved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

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

BMW Group President and CEO Rudratej Singh has passed away. He was the first Indian to lead the BMW India operations and was appointed as the head of India operations from August 1, 2019.

Current Affairs in short : 20 April 2020

Chinese Language Day is observed on 20 April. The day highlights the contribution of Chinese literature, poetry, and language in world culture.

Facebook announced the launch of its third party fact checking system in Bangladesh to discourage the spread of fake news in the country.

India has asked Pakistan to attend to repair and reconstruction of parts of Kararpur Sahib gurudwara that were damaged in a storm on April 18, 2020.

The Government of India has made its approval for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by neighbouring countries mandatory.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore have conducted the first systematic study on the gamma-ray flux variability nature of different types of blazars.

The Pune Zilla Parishad has decided to provide temporary ‘ration cards’ to more than 80,000 undocumented people in the district.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) launched a dashboard link on its website on 20 April to aid drivers and cargos during lockdown.

Government of India formed a high-level task force to research on coronavirus and develop a vaccine.

Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, have developed an efficient, low-cost electro-catalyst from fish gills.

Researchers at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune have developed a sensitive and low-cost sensor to rapidly detect bacteria. 

Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) researchers have discovered hundreds of Lithium (Li)-rich giant stars.

Uttar Pradesh became the first state in India to geotag its 7,368 community kitchens and community shelters across 75 districts which produce 12 lakh food packets a day.

The Telangana government has decided to extend lock down till 7th of May.

Former Indian captain Bhaichung Bhutia was among the 50 footballers to take part in the FIFA's initiative to pay tribute to 'humanity's heroes' amid the coronavirus pandemic.

BMW Group President and CEO Rudratej Singh passed away on 20 April due to cardiac arrest.

Gene Deitch, an American Oscar-winning illustrator, animator, film director and producer has died.

Veteran journalist Samir Goswami, a much-liked figure in Kolkata sports journalism fraternity passed away.

Current Affairs in short : 19 April 2020

NASA and SpaceX are targeting May 27 for the launch of Demo-2, the first launch of NASA astronauts from the U.S. since 2011 and the first crewed launch for Elon Musk’s space company.

Astronomers have spotted a record-breaking supernova, the largest ever observed.

Union Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment Shri Santosh Gangwar requested various State/UT Governments to designate a nodal officer from Labour Department.

Around 43 lakh quintals of food grains distributed to the poor in Maharashtra.

CSIR National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) with MAF Clothing, Bengaluru developed the protective coverall suit.

All postal employees, including Gramin Dak Sevaks, will get Rs 10 lakh compensation in case they succumb to COVID-19.

Air India has announced that it has opened bookings for select Domestic flights for travel from 4th of May and for International Flights from 1st of June this year.

Union Minister for Culture Prahlad Singh Patel launched the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India in New DelhI.

In Odisha, the government has decided to re-telecast the recorded videos of online EDUSAT classes for Class X students on Doordarshan in view of lockdown situation due to the COVID-19.

A Chatbot has been developed by the Punjab government in collaboration with Facebook to keep the people of the state updated about information regarding the COVID-19.

Featuring India's most revered cricketers such as Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, the BCCI has created a new video to promote wearing masks in public places and help the country battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

MP govt has decided that the health workers who are directly engaged in the treatment of Corona patients will be given a service amount of Rs 10 thousand every month as honorarium.

A book titled “Shuttling to the Top: The Story of P V Sindhu” authored by Krishnaswamy V has been published by HarperCollins on Amazon digital platform.

Achanta Sharath Kamal surpassed compatriot Gnanasekaran Sathiyan to become the highest-ranked Indian men table tennis player.

A group of researchers have recorded a new serpent and named it Salazar’s pit viper.

Current Affairs in short : 18 April 2020

Every year 18^th April is celebrated as the International Day for Monuments and Sites or the World Heritage Day.

In accordance with the Gartner 2019 Digital Workplace Survey, India has become the world’s most digitally dexterous (skilful) country in the world.

TVS Motor Company announced the acquisition of the UK’s most iconic sporting motorcycle Norton for £16 million, by acquiring certain assets of Norton Motorcycles (U.K.).

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court for directing the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct Covid-19 tests among the tribal population living along the Godavari river valley area.

The Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs attended the plenary meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) through video-conferencing.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has launched ‘Kisan Rath’ mobile application (app) to facilitate transportation of foodgrains and perishable during lockdown.

Home Ministry extended regular and e-visas of all foreigners who are stranded in India due to the coronavirus lockdown till May 3 on a gratis basis.

US President Donald Trump unveiled a three-phase plan to reopen the country's economy following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Indian Tricolour projected onto Switzerland's Matterhorn mountain to send a message of hope.

In Rajasthan, Health minister Raghu Sharma claimed that it became the first state in the country to carry out Rapid Testing for COVID-19.

The Delhi government launched the new 'Assess Koro Na' mobile application and advised the officials to use it for door-to-door survey in COVID-19 containment zones.

Nigeria President Buhari's chief of staff Abba Kyari dies of COVID-19.

Veteran tribal leader and former Odisha Minister Saharai Oram passed away.

Current Affairs in short : 17 April 2020

World Hemophilia Day observed globally on 17 April every year. This day is observed to raise awareness for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. 

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare addressed the National Conference on Kharif Crops 2020 through a video conference.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a reduction in reverse repo rate by 25 basis points from 4 percent to 3.75 per cent.

 Government of India (GoI), in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) in six installments, from April 2020 to September 2020.

Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) has developed a compact solid-state sensor to detect the heavy metal ions in water.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an advisory that Zoom video conference is not a safe platform.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that Asia is expected to witness zero percent growth in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CM of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel, has recently launched a website ‘Cghaat’ to provide home delivery of fruits and vegetables during the lockdown.

The licence of the Mapusa Urban Co-operative Bank of Goa Ltd. has been cancelled by the Reserve Bank of India.

The Reserve Bank of India has announced a set of measures to mitigate the effect of COVID-19.

Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BSNL, P. K. Purwar have been given the additional charge as CMD of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL).

Bihar has now reported 9 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome cases, also known as brain fever.

WWF (World Wide Fund) India has appointed World chess champion Viswanathan Anand as its ambassador for the environmental education programme.

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) President Tamas Ajan resigned within the wake of allegations of corruption and doping violations.

“Feifei” to be the mascot for Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, China. 

India’s Limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma becomes brand ambassador for “CricKingdom”.

Freedom fighter R V Bhuskute, who had participated in the Quit India Movement passed away.

Former American football player Willie Davis passed away.