Current Affairs 29 April 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 29 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 29 April 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

KGMU becomes the 1st govt hospital in India to successfully launch CPT Treatment: COVID-19

i.The King George Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh became the 1st government (govt) hospital in India to successfully launch the Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT) treatment for the COVID-19 patients
ii.The 1st dose of CPT was administered to a 58-year old patient….Click here to Read More

About KGMU
Chancellor– Anandiben Patel (Governor of UP)
Vice-Chancellor– MLB Bhatt

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

G20 launches ‘Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator’ Initiative

i.Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator” is an international initiative to accelerate development, production, and access to health tools needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
ii.The G20 is working towards reinforcing global cooperation on all fronts, and most importantly, on closing the immediate health financing gap.
iii.Already the group is working hard to bridge approximately $8 billion funding gap to battle the pandemic….Click here to Read More

About G20 or Group of Twenty:
Members– Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico,  ​Republic o​f Korea​,​ Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, ​​​Turkey, United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), and European Union (EU)​. Spain is a permanent guest invitee to the G20 meetings.
Current Presidency– Saudi Arabia
2020 G20 Presidency theme– Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All
Chairman– Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2020)

India’s holding of US govt securities hits high record of USD 177.5 bn in Feb: US Treasury Dept

i.According to the latest data from the United States Treasury Department India’s holding of US government securities.
ii.Has gone up by over USD 13 billion(bn) in a month to a record high of USD 177.5 bn at the end of February….Click here to Read More
About US Department of the Treasury:
Secretary– Steven Terner Mnuchin
Deputy Secretary– Justin Muzinich

Ladakh’s Aksai Chin is part of China: WHO map

i.The World Health Organisation map shows the Aksai Chin region as a part of China with a dotted line and colour code.
ii.Also marks Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK) with dotted lines, suggesting it as a disputed territory. Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) and the rest of India are marked in different colour codes….Click here to Read More
About WHO:
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland.
Director General (DG)– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
About China:
Capital– Beijing
Currency– Chinese Yuan Renminbi (CNY)

BANKING & FINANCE

Asian Development Bank approves 1.5 billion USD to India to Combat COVID-19

On 28th April 2020, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the loan of 1.5 Billion USD (Rs.11,400 crore) to India to support the response actions of the Government of India against the COVID-19 pandemic and to support the poor and economically vulnerable population in this unexpected situation….Click here to Read More
About ADB:
Chairperson– Hong Nam-Ki
Vice Chairpersons– Sri Mulyani Indrawati & Pierre Gramegna
Headquarters– Metro Manila, Philippines
Opened on– 19th December 1966

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

APEC region to post 2.7% economic contraction in 2020 due to Covid-19: Report

According to the report ‘APEC in the Epicentre of COVID-19’ released by the APEC Secretariat, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region’s growth is expected to decrease by 2.7% in 2020 due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).The contraction compares with a 3.6 % growth in 2019….Click here to Read More

About Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC):
Headquarters– Queenstown, Singapore
Executive Director– Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria
Membership– 21 economies (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam).

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Biocon’s Mazumdar-Shaw among world’s top 20 leaders in Biopharma: The Medicine Maker Power List 2020

i.The Texere Publishing Ltd has published its “The Medicine Maker Power List 20 For 2020” consisting of world’s top 60 inspirational leaders under three categories viz. Small Molecules, Advanced Medicines, and Biopharmaceuticals.
ii.From India, the list has named Executive Chairperson of Biocon Ltd Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw in the world’s top 20 inspirational leaders in the field of biopharmaceuticals.
iii.In 1989, she was awarded Padma Shri and in 2005 she was conferred by Padma Bhushan by the Government of India….Click here to Read More

About Medicine Maker:
The Medicine Maker is a global magazine focused on the development and manufacture of both pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products. It started Power List in 2015.

About Texere Publishing Limited:
Chairman – Peter Phippen
Headquarter– London, United Kingdom

About Biocon Ltd
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Siddharth Mittal Headquarter– Bengaluru, Karnataka

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Shiv Das Meena appointed as Chairman & Managing Director of HUDCO

The Additional Secretary of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA),Shiv Das Meena Government of India was appointed to hold the additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director of Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) ltd, for six month or till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post, effect from 21st April 2020
Shiv Das Meena – 1989 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu Cadre with over 30 years of experience in the public service is a Bachelor of Civil Engineer and completed his Master in International Studies from Japan.
From 1989, HUDCO started financing the development of infrastructure for the projects in the sector of drainage, electricity, water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, roads in urban areas and social infrastructure like primary schools, playgrounds, hostels for working women, healthcare centers, police stations, jails and courts received the benefits of funding for a lower cost.
About HUDCO:
Chairman & MD– Shiv Das Meena
Director (Corporate Planning)– M Nagaraj
Director (Finance)– D Guhan
Corporate Office– New Delhi
Established on– 1970

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS         

Axis Bank to buy 29% stake in Max Life Insurance for Rs 1,600 crore

Axis Bank Ltd would acquire an additional 29% stake in Max Life Insurance Company from Max Financial Services Limited (MFS). However, the bank didn’t reveal the amount it is paying for the stake. But the bigger deal can be estimated at Rs 1,600 crore (about $209.43 million) which will be paid in two stages.
i.Following the transaction, Max Life will become a 70: 30 joint venture (JV) of Max Financial Services and Axis Bank….Click here to Read More

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

First black hole merger of uneven massed observed by LIGO-VIRGO; indicated by GW190412 signal in April 2019

i.This discovery took place a year after when a  gravitational wave (GW) signal dubbed “GW190412”observed by the LIGO and Virgo detectors on 12 April 2019, which actually a sign of merging of two black holes with unequal masses.
ii.This merger took place 2.4 billion light-years away.
iii.The difference of masses is so large that the one black hole is 30 times the mass of the sun while the other is 8 times the solar mass….Click here to Read More
About LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC):
Headquarter– United States
Spokesperson– Prof. Patrick Brady
About Virgo Collaboration:
Headquarter– Santo Stefano a Macerata, Cascina, Italy
Spokesperson– Giovanni Losurdo

Low-cost mechanical ventilator Ruhdaar developed by a team led by IIT Bombay

i.A team of engineering students from National Institute of Technology, Srinagar and Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST), Jammu and Kashmir led by Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
ii.Under the assistance of Design Innovation Centre, IUST has developed a low-cost ventilator named as Rudhaar using locally available materials….Click here to Read More
About DIC
It is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.
Chancellor of IUST– Girish Chandra Murmu
Director of NIT Srinagar– Rakesh Sehgal
Director of IIT Bombay– Subhasis Chaudhuri.

IIT Ropar designs ‘WardBot’ to deliver food, medicines to COVID-19 patients

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar in Punjab’s Rupnagar district has come up with a design of an autonomous ‘WardBot’ which can deliver medicines and food to COVID-19 patients in isolation wards without human intervention….Click here to Read More
About IIT-Ropar:
Motto-Deploy our intellect on the right path
Director– Sarit Kumar Das.

SPORTS

Pakistan Cricket Board bans Umar Akmal for three-years for match-fixing

On 27th April 2020 Pakistan batsman, Umar Akmal was banned for three-years by the Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB) Disciplinary Committee for the violation of ICC Anti-corruption code 2.4.4 failing to disclose the details of approaches to engage in corrupt conduct and 2.4.5 failing to disclose any incident that comes to the knowledge of any evidence that another participant received any approaches to engage in corrupt conduct.
Key Points:
i.The Chairperson of the Disciplinary panel Justice(retired) Fazal-e-Miran-Chauhan handed the three-year ban to Umar Akmal from all cricket effective from February 20
ii.He was suspended from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on 2nd February with two charges under the anti-corruption code by the PCB for failing to report the approach to fix the games.
iii.He mentioned that he was approached during the ICC World Cup in 2015 edition played in Australia and New Zealand and once he was offered 200,000 dollars for leaving two deliveries in the matches against India.
iv.The Legal Adviser of PCB Taffazul Haider Rizvi mentioned that 29-year-old Akmal can file an appeal against the ban within 14 days of receiving the detailed verdict of Justice Chauhan.
About Pakistan Cricket Board:
Patron-in-Chief– Imran Khan
Chairman– Mr Ehsan Mani
CEO– Wasim Khan MBE
Location– Lahore, Pakistan

OBITUARY

Former Liverpool striker Michael Robinson passed away at 61

On April 28, 2020, Former Republic of Ireland and Liverpool forward footballer Michael John Robinson passed away at the age of 61 in Marbella, Spain. He was born on July 12, 1958 in Leicester, England.
Key Points:
i.About Michael Robinson: He appeared in more than 300 official matches in England for five clubs, including Liverpool, and played the last three seasons of his career in Spain with Osasuna (Spanish Football Club).
ii.After spells with Preston North End and Manchester City Robinson featured in the 1983 FA (Football Association Challenge Cup) final for Brighton, before moving to Anfield.
iii.Robinson was part of the Liverpool squad that captured the league, League Cup and European Cup treble in 1984.
iv.Awards: Robinson received the XIII International Vázquez Montalbán prize for Sports Journalism, awarded by FC Barcelona in December 2017. He was the winner of the 2018 Vazquez Montalban International Journalism Award.
v.Robinson represented the Republic of Ireland 24 times, scoring four goals. He settled in Spain after retiring in 1989, was awarded its citizenship and had an extensive media career.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day For Safety And Health At Work 2020: April 28

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work (WDSHW) is observed every year on April 28, to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. The day is observed by the ILO (International Labour Organization) to raise awareness on the adoption of safe practices in workplaces.
Theme for the year 2020: Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives….Click here to Read More
About International Labour Organization (ILO):
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland.
Director-General– Guy Ryder.

World Veterinary Day 2020: April 25

World Veterinary Day is celebrated every year on the last Saturday of April. The day was organized by the World Veterinary Association (WVA), which marks the importance of Veterinary doctors all over the world who serve to protect animals.
Theme for the year 2020: “Environment Protection for Improving Animal and Human Health”….Click here to Read More
About World Veterinary Association (WVA):
The WVA is a federation representing more than 80 veterinary medical associations around the world. Its objective is to promote animal health and welfare and the realisation that animals and man live interconnected lives.
President– Dr Patricia TURNER.
About World Organization for Animal Health:
Headquarters– Paris, France.
Director-General– Monique Eliot.
Membership– 182 member states.

STATE NEWS

Gujarat govt launches unique initiative ‘Umbare Aanganwadi’ to help children during lockdown

Gujarat State Government has launched a unique initiative called ‘Umbare Aanganwadi (means doorstep Aanganwadi) under ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) programme to reach out to children during the lockdown.
i.Under this initiative, the state will offer ready to eat nutritious food packets through AMUL (an Indian dairy cooperative society) to children between 3-6 years of age….Click here to Read More

AP launched ‘Covid Pharma’, a mobile application to trace people buying medicines for fever, cold

i.The Medical and Health Department of Andhra Pradesh (AP) has launched ‘Covid Pharma’, a mobile application to keep a track of people buying medicines over-the-counter for cough, cold and fever from medical stores
ii.The pharmacies in the State are expected to download the app and register the details of persons….Click here to Read More
About AP:
State Tree– Neem tree
State Flower– Water lilies
State Animal– Blackbuck

AC GAZE

Former Rajya Sabha MP Basanta Das passed away at 80 years

Basanta Das, 80, Former Rajya Sabha member from Odisha passed away due to prolonged illness in Bahadur Bagicha locality of Bhawanipatna, who was served as Rajya Sabha member from 1990 to 1996 and chairman of Bhawanipatna Municipality from 1985 to 1990.

‘Recharge Saathi’: Vodafone Idea ties up with Paytm launched

Vodafone Idea has tied up a digital payments & financial services platform Paytm to launch ‘Recharge Saathi’ programme which is intended to help individuals, small businesses to earn an additional income.under the programme, every month would be able to earn up to Rs.5,000.

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