We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 24 April 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.
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Top 20 Current Affairs of 24 April 2020
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ e-launches VidyaDaan 2.0 program on DIKSHA platform
i.The Union Human Resource Development Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ e-launched VidyaDaan 2.0 program on DIKSHA platform to invite e-learning content contributions.
ii.As there is an increasing requirement for e-learning content for students(both school and higher education), particularly in the context of the situation arising from COVID-19….Click here to Read More
Defense Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurates India’s 1st mobile laboratory by DRDO to test COVID-19 samples
On April 23, 2020, Defense Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated Mobile Virology Research and Diagnostics Laboratory (MVRDL) namely ” Mobile BSL-3 VRDL Lab” via video conference. The lab was developed by DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) in association with ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance Corporation) Hospital, Hyderabad and Private industry. This mobile lab has the testing capacity of more than 1000 to 2000 samples daily….Click here to Read More
BRO builds Rs 17.89 cr, 484-meter permanent bridge connecting Punjab’s Kasowal enclave with rest of the country
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed and opened a new Class 70 permanent bridge by replacing the pontoon bridge (floating bridge) of limited load capacity on the Ravi river that connects the 35 square kilometre Kasowal enclave in Punjab with the rest of the country.
- The newly-constructed 484-meter-long bridge was built by 141 Drain Maintenance Coy of 49 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) of Project Chetak with an outlay of Rs 17.89 crore.
- The bridge consists of 16 cells of 30.25-metre length each.
Need for Permanent Bridge:
The pontoon bridge used to be dismantled every year prior to the Monsoon and also has certainties of getting damaged because of the heavy discharge of water. Also farmers use this bridge to market their harvest. To ensure locals do not suffer during the harvest season and also to ensure the bridge does not get damaged, the pontoon bridge has replaced with permanent the bridge.
Cabinet approvals on April 22, 2020
On April 22, 2020, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has made the following approvals:
i.PM-KISAN: Aadhaar seeding process for beneficiaries of Assam, Meghalaya, J-K, Ladakh extended till March, 2021
ii.Cabinet approved Rs. 15,000 Crore for ”India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package”
iii.Cabinet approves fixation of NBS rates for P&K fertilizers for FY 20-21; Subsidy on non-urea fertilisers declined to Rs 22,186.55 crore
iv.Union Cabinet has approved “The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020” to protect healthcare service personnel….Click here to Read More
India approves US$ 1 million to Antigua as project outlay
On 21st April 2020,India provided medical supplies including hydroxychloroquine tablets to many countries and India approved the 1 million USD to Antigua as a project outlay with 150K USD for medical equipment as immediate assistance from the United States to fight against coronavirus pandemic.
Key Points:
i.On 13th March the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 positive in Antigua and no cases have been reported in Barbuda.
ii.Earlier in April, India promised to provide hydroxychloroquine with a deemed medicine for the treatment of patients of coronavirus infection to 55 nations including Kazakhstan to combat the COVID-19 situation.
iii.The hydroxychloroquine belongs to the antimalarials drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus by decreasing the immune system’s activity.
About Antigua and Barbuda:
Capital – Saint John’s, Currency – Eastern Caribbean dollar
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
“Lockdown Learners” series launched with students & educators in India on COVID-19: UNODC
i.The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) under its flagship Education for Justice Initiative launched the “Lockdown Learners” series of online dialogues with students and educators in India on COVID-19 & its impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), peace and the rule of law.
ii.Aim- to make students aware of the vulnerable groups and emerging issues….Click here to Read More
Lebanon becomes 1st Arab nation to legalise cannabis farming
On April 23, 2020, Lebanon became the 1st Arab nation to legalise cannabis (also known as marijuana) farming for medicinal & industrial use with the aim to boost the exports & to beat the economic crisis created by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Lebanon faces the worst economic crisis due to lockdown since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Key Points:
i.Along with the above decision, the Parliament of Lebanon has also approved the re-allocation of $40 million from a World Bank (WB) loan to help fight COVID-19.
ii.Earlier the Lebanon banned growing, selling and consuming cannabis.However the illicit production in the country’s east fertile Bekaa Valley has developed over decades into a multi-million-dollar industry.
iii.As per the United Nations (UN), Lebanon is the 3rd largest supplier of cannabis resin in the world after Morocco and Afghanistan.
About Lebanon:
Capital– Beirut
Currency– Lebanese pound
President– Michel Aoun
Prime Minister– Hassan Diab
BANKING & FINANCE
IOB launches Working Capital Demand Loan for agriculture sector: COVID-19
i.Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has launched Working Capital demand Loan for agriculture sector (WCDL-Agri), a special credit facility for the agriculture sector & allied activities as a relief measure to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
ii.The loans will be available to all the existing borrowers whose accounts are ‘standard’ and ‘performing’ as of March 2020….Click here to Read More
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Fitch ratings reduces India’s annual GDP growth estimates for FY21 to 0.8% from 2%
Fitch Ratings Inc, an American credit rating agency in its ‘Global Economic Outlook (GEO)’, has lowered India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth forecast to 0.8% for Fiscal year 2020-21 (FY 21) due to the global economic downturn caused by the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
i.The Global GDP is projected to decline 3.9 % in 2020, which will have double the impact of the 2009 recession….Click here to Read More
India’s GDP growth likely to grow at 1.5% in FY21: CII
i.The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in a paper- A plan for economic recovery has stated that India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) growth is likely to grow at 1.5% in the Financial Year 21.
ii.Should include cash transfers of Rs 2 lakh crore to Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) account holders in addition to Rs 1.7 lakh….Click here to Read More
23% decline projected in Migrants Remittances to India in 2020 due to COVID-19: World Bank Report
i.Remittances to India are likely to drop by 23% to USD 64 billion in 2020 from USD 83 billion in 2019 due to COVID-19 impact.
ii.On the global front, remittances by migrant workers are projected to decline sharply by about 20% due to the economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown.
iii.The nationwide lockdown in India has impacted nearly 40 million internal migrants i.e. migrants within the nation which may result in loss of employment.
iv.Remittances to South Asia are projected to decline sharply by 22% to $109 billion in 2020….Click here to Read More
IT firm Tech Mahindra joins hands with IBM to set up innovation centres
On April 21, 2020, Tech Mahindra Limited, an Indian multinational subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, has entered into the partnership with US (United States) based IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) to establish innovation centres with the aim to boost digital transformation & encourage adoption of more hybrid cloud-based technologies among its global customers.
Key Points:
i.Both the firms have decided to open a 1st such centre in Bengaluru (Karnataka) later in 2020, which showcases transformation solutions built with IBM Cloud Paks, enterprise-ready containerized software solutions running on Red Hat OpenShift.
ii.More such centres will be opened throughout North America and the United Kingdom(UK) sometime in 2020.
iii.The tie-up is in line with Tech Mahindra’s TechMNxt charter, which aims on providing solutions that enable digital transformation and meet the customer’s evolving and dynamic needs.
About Tech Mahindra Limited:
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra.
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer– Chander Prakash Gurnani
About IBM (International Business Machines Corporation):
Headquarters– New York, U.S.
President– Jim Whitehurst
NIIT’s US arm signs agreement with US-based EdTech company
On April 22, 2020, 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 to provide virtual services to education providers. The term of the agreement is 5 years.
Key Points:
i.The demand for online courses has seen a quantum jump globally after the outbreak of COVID-19 and consequent of lockdowns.
ii.Both companies can provide innovative solutions in the testing and certification marketplace, through this significant partnership.
iii.About NIIT: NIIT is a leading skills and talent development corporation building manpower pool for global industry requirements.
iv.It has a footprint in over 30 countries offering training and development solutions to individuals, enterprises and institutions.
About NIIT Limited:
Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana. CEO– Sapnesh Lalla
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Federal Bank to acquire additional stake of up to 4% in IDBI Federal Life Insurance
The Federal Bank’s board has approved its purchase to acquire an additional stake of up to 4% in the equity capital of IDBI Federal Life Insurance Company Limited (IFLIC) from Industrial Development Bank of India(IDBI) Bank, increasing the total shareholding in the life insurance joint venture to 30% from 26%.
Key Points:
i.The IDBI Bank board has also approved a proposal to sell a 23-27% stake in its insurance arm IFLIC on April 3.
ii.IDBI Bank has 48% stake in IFLIC. Since Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has 51% majority stake in IDBI Bank, & looks to sell its entire stake in IFLIC.
iii.Current insurance regulations do not allow LIC to hold more than 10% stake in another insurer, either directly or indirectly.
- The proposed stake hike is subject to price finalisation and all relevant regulatory approvals from the Reserve Bank of India and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). The indicative time period for completion of the acquisition is 6 months.
About Federal Bank:
Headquarters– Aluva, Kerala
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Shyam Srinivasan
About IFLIC:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– Vighnesh Shahane
About IDBI:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– M R Kumar
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CSIR-IGIB scientists develops ”Feluda” a low-cost coronavirus test strip
i.The Scientists at Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(IGIB-CSIR) has developed ”Feluda” a low-cost coronavirus test strip
ii.It is developed by Debojyoti Chakraborty and Souvik Maiti & the total time required for the test is less than an hour.
iii.Test gets its name after the detective character in legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s stories….Click here to Read More
SpaceX launches Falcon 9 carrier rocket with 60 satellites Starlink
On April 23, 2020, Space Exploration Technologies Corp (also known as SpaceX), a private American aerospace company, has successfully launched 60 Starlink broadband satellites aboard Falcon 9 rocket from the Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US (United States).
- Starlink aims to provide cheap internet service in some parts of the US and Canada in 2020 and become the fastest broadband worldwide.
Key Points:
i.The launch marks the 84th Falcon 9 flight till date, which also means SpaceX’s workhorse rocket is the most heavily-flown U.S. rocket in current use. In addition, it is also the 7th Starlink launch for an internet project & aims to put over 420 of the nearly 12,000 planned satellites into orbit.
ii.The satellites now spanning the orbit where it will start flying at 340 miles (550 km) operational altitude. As of this launch, up to 422 Starlink satellites are in orbit.
About SpaceX:
Headquarters– California, U.S.
CEO– Elon Musk
SPORTS
World Games Birmingham unveils new logo, title for 2022 edition
On April 23, 2020, The 11th edition of World Games which is set to be held in Birmingham, Alabama, US (United States), unveiled an updated logo and title after being delayed a year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The World Games 2021 Birmingham has been renamed to “World Games 2022 Birmingham”. The World Games was initially scheduled for July 2021, but it will now be held from July 7 to 17, 2022….Click here to Read More
Mirabai Chanu and Jeremy Lalrinnunga qualifies for Tokyo Olympics confirmed by IWF
The International Weightlifting Federation confirms that Mirabai Chanu and Jeremy Lalrinnuga have been qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 which has been postponed to the summer of next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic….Click here to Read More
COVID-19: BCCI creates Team Mask Force to spread awareness
Featuring India’s most revered cricketers, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has created a new video under the title “Team Mask Force” to promote wearing masks in public places and help the country to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Points:
i.The aim of the Team Mask Force is to spread awareness about wearing masks in public places.
ii.The Team Mask Force video was made by advertising agency Ogilvy India, has messages from Board president Sourav Ganguly, Smriti Mandhana, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, HarmanpreetKaur, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Mithali Raj, all of them speaking about the importance of wearing masks.
- Video featuring India’s most revered cricketers including Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid urge fellow countrymen to join the “team mask force” and help the nation fight against the novel coronavirus. Also urges citizens to wash hands for 20 seconds and download the Arogya Setu mobile application.
About BCCI:
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body for cricket in India. The board was formed in December 1928, as a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. Grant Govan was its first president and Anthony De Mello its first secretary.
Headquarters– Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
BCCI President– Sourav Chandidas Ganguly.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Book and Copyright Day 2020: April 23
World Book and Copyright Day, also known as World Book Day or International Day of the book, is celebrated every year on April 23 all over the world and the event was organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The day promotes the joy of books and the art of reading….Click here to Read More
UN English language day & UN Spanish language day 2020: April 23
Every year the United Nation Celebrates the UN English Language Day and UN Spanish Language Day on April 23 to balance among the 6 official languages of the United Nations and to ensure the importance of multilingualism and cultural diversity and to make sure the goals and action of the United Nations to reach the wide section of possible public….Click here to Read More
STATE NEWS
Karnataka Government Launches “Apthamitra” to combat COVID-19
The Government of Karnataka Launches Apthamitra to provide assistance to the people in the coronavirus infected zones and to provide the medical aids through the telemedicine with OTC medicine and counsel them on self-quarantine directly from the AYUSH or volunteers or doctors in the helpline centers….Click here to Read More
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Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)
| S.no | Current Affairs 24 April 2020 |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ e-launches VidyaDaan 2.0 program on DIKSHA platform |
| 2 | Defense Minister ShriRajnath Singh inaugurates DRDO developed mobile laboratory to test COVID-19 samples |
| 3 | BRO builds Rs 17.89 cr,484-meter permanent bridge connecting Punjab’s Kasowal enclave with rest of the country |
| 4 | Cabinet approvals on April 22, 2020 |
| 5 | India approves US$ 1 million to Antigua as project outlay |
| 6 | “Lockdown Learners” series launched with students & educators in India on COVID-19: UNODC |
| 7 | Lebanon becomes 1st Arab nation to legalise cannabis farming |
| 8 | IOB launches Working Capital Demand Loan for agriculture sector: COVID-19 |
| 9 | Fitch ratings reduces India’s annual GDP growth estimates for FY21 to 0.8% from 2% |
| 10 | India’s GDP growth likely to grow at 1.5% in current FY: CII |
| 11 | 23% decline projected in Migrants Remittances to India in 2020 due to COVID-19: World Bank Report |
| 12 | IT firm Tech Mahindra joins hands with IBM to set up innovation centres |
| 13 | NIIT’s US arm signs agreement with US based EdTech company |
| 14 | Federal Bank to acquire additional stake of up to 4% in IDBI Federal Life Insurance |
| 15 | CSIR-IGIB scientists develops ”Feluda” a low-cost coronavirus test strip |
| 16 | SpaceX launches Falcon 9 carrier rocket with 60 satellites Starlink |
| 17 | World Games Birmingham unveils new logo, title for 2022 edition |
| 18 | Mairabai Chanu and Jeremy Lalrinnunga qualifies for Tokyo Olympics confirmed by IWF |
| 19 | COVID-19: BCCI creates Team Mask Force to spread awareness |
| 20 | World Book and Copyright Day 2020: April 23 |
| 21 | UN English language day & UN Spanish language day 2020: April 23 |
| 22 | Karnataka Government Launches “Apthamitra” to combat COVID-19 |
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