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Current Affairs 09 July 2020
Daily Current Affairs 09 July 2020: We have collected the latest current affairs for 09 July 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. Improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs. You can also read the daily current affairs on our mobile app.
National News
West Bengal Government Launches Document Scanning App ‘SelfScan’
- The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has launched a new document scanning app called ‘SelfScan’.
- It has been developed by the state’s information technology department.
- The app has been launched by the state after the Indian government banned 59 Chinese applications in the country.
- The new SelfScan app by the state government of West Bengal is an alternative to the popular document scanning Chinese mobile app CamScanner.
India ranks 34th in JLL’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index; UK Tops
- The US-based JLL and LaSalle’s biennial Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) 2020 was released on 7th July 2020 to rank countries having the most transparent operating environments for real estate investors, developers and corporate occupiers
- India is ranked at 34th position globally on the index, with higher levels of transparency due to regulatory reforms, enhanced market data and sustainability initiatives.
- India’s rank has improved by five notches from 39 in 2018 to 34 in 2020.
- United Kingdom has topped the GRETI 2020 Index, followed by United States and Australia at second and third position.
- This is the 11th edition of GRETI ranking and covers 99 countries and territories, and 163 city regions.
Important Cabinet Approvals: 08 July 2020
- The following approvals were made on 8th July 2020 during the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi:
- Extend the EPF contribution of 24% (12% employees share and 12% employers share) for another three months from June 2020 to August 2020 under PMGKY/AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT.
- developing of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (AHRCs) for urban migrants / poor as a sub-scheme under Pradhan MantriAwasYojana – Urban (PMAY – U)
- Extension of time limit for availing the benefits of “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana” for Ujjwala beneficiaries by three months w.e.f. 01.07.2020
- extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package-Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana – distribution of free of cost Whole Chana for five months from July to November, 2020
- Capital infusion for an overall value of Rs.12,450 crore for the three Public Sector General Insurance Companies – Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL), National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) and United India Insurance Company Limited (UIICL)
- Increase authorised share capital of NICL to Rs.7,500 crore and that of UIICL and OlCL to Rs 5,000 crore respectively.
Cabinet approves Rs 1 Lakh Crore ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’
- The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to a new pan India Central Sector Scheme-Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
- Total Outlay: Rs 1 Lakh Crore
- Duration: 10 Years, from FY2020 to FY2029
- Purpose: Provide medium – long term debt financing facility to entrepreneurs, start-ups, agri-tech players and farmer groups for setting up infrastructure and logistics facilities through interest subvention and financial support.
- Beneficiaries: Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Marketing Cooperative Societies, Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Group (SHG), Farmers, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, Aggregation Infrastructure Providers and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public Private Partnership Project
- Loan Disbursement Stages: 4 Years. Rs. 10,000 crore will be disbursed in the current year (2020-21) and Rs. 30,000 crore each in next three financial years.
- Interest subvention: 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2 crore for a maximum period of seven years
- Credit guarantee coverage: Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to Rs. 2 crore.
- Agri Infra fund will be managed and monitored through an online Management Information System (MIS) platform.
- The National, State and District level Monitoring Committees will be set up to ensure real-time monitoring and effective feed-back.
International News
United States formally notifies UN of its decision to Withdraw From World Health Organization (WHO)
- The Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations of its decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), breaking off over 70 years ties with the global health body amid the expanding coronavirus pandemic.
- The US has accused the WHO of siding with China on the outbreak of the virus, alleging that WHO misled the world in responding to the outbreak, resulting in deaths of over half a million people globally, including over 1 lakh 30 thousand in America.
- The withdrawal notice was sent to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 6th July 2020 and will take effect on July 6, 2021.
- The US contributes around $400-$500 million to the WHO each year.
Banking & Finance
World Bank provides $400 million for Namami Gange programme
- The World Bank has signed loan agreement worth $400 million with the Government of India on 7th July 2020 to enhance support for the Namami Gange programme that seeks to rejuvenate the Ganga river.
- The $400 million operation includes loan of $381 million and a proposed Guarantee of up to $19 million.
- This is the first-ever IBRD Guarantee for wastewater treatment and also the first IBRD Guarantee in the water sector in India.
- The World Bank has been supporting the government’s efforts since 2011.
AIIB provides USD 50 mn to L&T Infra Finance for renewable energy
- L&T Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (LTIFCL) has received USD 50 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), for funding Renewable Energy projects in the country.
- The loan amount is first tranche of the total USD 100-million ECB (External Commercial Borrowing) loan approved by Beijing-based AIIB.
- The fund will be used for on-lending large and mid-scale wind and solar power infrastructure projects in India.
- Also, this is the first loan by AIIB to a non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India.
Apps/Services
Google Rebrands its Social Networking App Google+ as Google Currents
- Internet search giant Google has officially relaunched its former social networking platform Google+ as Google Currents on 7th July 2020. The new app is targeted more towards businesses and enterprise users.
- The company launched Google Plus as a social network platform to compete with the likes of Facebook. However due to low usage and some security bugs that were recently discovered, Google+ was shut down in April 2019.
- The latest version of the app is available for download on Android and iOS system.
- However, the URL plus.google.com will continue to function and automatically redirect users to currents.google.com.
Business
NSDC Partners with Microsoft to empower Indian youth with digital skills
- The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Microsoft have entered into a strategic partnership on 8 July 2020, to provide digital skills to over 1 lakh youth in India over the next 12 months, to transform India into a skilled nation.
- The NSDC-Microsoft partnership is an extension of Microsoft’s global skilling initiative to help 25 million people worldwide acquire new digital skills needed for the Covid-19 economy.
- Under this partnership Microsoft will integrate its learning resource centre ‘Microsoft Learn’ with NSDC’s eSkill India digital portal to provide free access to personalised learning resources and conduct digital skilling awareness drives, to equipp the next generation of learners with the skills they need to thrive in a digital economy.
USAID & MNRE announce new partnership to develop clean energy
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and US Agency for International Development (USAID) have partnered on 7th July 2020 to increase India- US collaboration for clean energy development.
- Under the partnership, the USAID-supported South Asia Group for Energy (SAGE), a US government consortium, will provide advanced technical knowledge on clean energy development from America’s national laboratories to MNRE’s National Technical Institutions and other public institutes.
- SAGE will provide a formal platform for collaboration on clean energy development to make MNRE National Institutions act as a powerhouse of science, engineering, and technology for India and the entire South Asia region.
Appointments
UKIBC Appoints Jayant Krishna as new group CEO
- Jayant Krishna has been appointed as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the the UK India Business Council (UKIBC).
- His appointment will be effective from August 3, 2020.
- Jayant is the first Indian to be appointed as UKIBC Group CEO.
- Krishna takes over from Richard Heald, who held the position at the Council for a term of 10 years, since September 2010.
- Richard is being alleviated to take the role of Chair from 1 September 2020. He will be succeeding the current Chair, Lord Davies of Abersoch.
MCA extends tenure of Justice Bansi Lal Bhat as acting chairperson NCLAT by three months
- The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has extended the term of Justice Bansi Lal Bhat as the acting chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) by three months.
- His extended term will begin from 15 June 2020, or until a regular chairperson was appointed.
- Bhat was appointed as the acting chairperson of the appellate tribunal on March 15, 2020 after the completion of the term of Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya.