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Current Affairs 16 July 2020
Daily Current Affairs 16 July 2020: We have collected the latest current affairs for 16 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
HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal introduces ‘Pragyata- Guidelines for Online Education’
- The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank released the ‘PRAGYATA’: Guidelines on #DigitalEducation on 14 July 2020.
- ‘Pragyata’ is an eight step guidelines on digital education for school heads, teachers, parents and students, to assist them in e-learning, such as recommended screen time for children, tips on coping with mental/physical stress during #DigitalLearning, among other things.
- These eight steps include: Plan, Review, Arrange, Guide, Yak(talk), Assign, Track, and Appreciate.
- Some of the areas in which the guidelines have been introduced for administrators, school heads, teachers, parents, and students include:
- Need assessment
- Concerns while planning online and digital education like duration, screen time, inclusiveness, balanced online and offline activities, etc level-wise
- Modalities of intervention including resource curation, level-wise delivery, etc.
- Physical, mental health, and wellbeing during digital education
- Cyber safety and ethical practices including precautions and measures for maintaining cyber safety
- Collaboration and convergence with various initiatives
UNICEF India Partners with FICCI to launch #Reimagine Campaign
- The UNICEF INDIA has entered into partnership with the Socio Economic Development Foundation (SEDF) of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), to co-develop #Reimagine Campaign.
- The #Reimagine Campaign of UNICEF aims to support the most vulnerable populations and children during the COVID-19 response and its after-math in India.
- The FICCI SEDF will leverage its resources like cash and core assets to mobilize funds that can be utilized to help generate support for the most vulnerable population affected due to COVID disruption.
NABARD Organises Digital Choupal on its 39th Foundation Day
- On 13 July 2020, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) organised its first ”Digital Choupal” via video conferencing, to mark the celebration of its 39th foundation day (founded on 12 July 1982).
- The conference was attended by participants from seven projects, initiated NABARD, to share their experience from the projects they have been involved in, and their outlook on taking it forward
Key Announcements
- As a part of the conference, NABARD announced Rs 5,000 crore of refinance scheme for banks and financial institutions, to provide finance to the beneficiaries of its 2,150 watershed development projects.
- This concessional line of assistance will be available for three years from 2020-21 to 2022-23
- The institution also announced another Rs 5,000 crore for turning Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), into multi service centres, to make them one-stop shops for meeting the varied needs of the farmers.
- This will be done in phased manner, with about 5,000 PACS to be upgraded in FY21 followed by 15,000 PACS in FY22 and 15,000 PACS in FY23.
- Additionally, a grant-based scheme has also been introduced for computerisation of PACS, which will enable these ground-level entities to provide seamless credit services to their farmer members.
International News
Around 690 million people were found hungry in 2019, with highest population in Asia : UN Report
- As per the annual ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ report, by United Nations, almost 690 million people (8.9% of overall population) went hungry in 2019. This figure is up by 10 million from 2018, and by nearly 60 million in five years.
- This means that more people are going hungry while tens of millions have joined the ranks of the chronically undernourished over the past five years, and countries around the world continue to struggle with multiple forms of malnutrition.
- The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report was released on 13 July 2020.
- It is co-developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
- The report is the most authoritative global study tracking progress towards ending hunger and malnutrition.
- The report also states that the hungry are most numerous in Asia but expanding fastest in Africa.
- Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic could tip over 130 million more people into chronic hunger by the end of 2020.
- High costs and low affordability are also the key reasons why billions cannot eat healthily or nutritiously.
China Successfully Launches High-throughput broadband communications satellite APSTAR-6D
- On July 9, 2020, China successfully launched the APSTAR-6D satellite– a high-power broadband communications satellite into orbit, to provide broadband internet service.
- The APSTAR-6D telecommunication satellite was launched aboard a Long March 3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
- APSTAR-6D is designed and manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
- The geostationary satellite, APSTAR-6D is the first satellite of China’s global, high-throughput broadband satellite communication system that will form a space-wide Internet communication network covering the whole world, similar to GPS.
- It will be operated by the APT Mobile SatCom Limited to provide satellite broadband telecommunication services for airborne, shipborne, vehicle-borne, and other mobile communication applications for users across the Asia-Pacific region.
Appointment
Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa appointed as new Vice-President of ADB
- The Metro Manila, Philippines based multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed India’s Election Commissioner (EC) Ashok Lavasa as the Vice-President for private sector operations and public-private partnerships.
- Lavasa will succeed Diwakar Gupta, whose term will end on August 31, 2020.
- Ashok Lavasa is currently one of the two Election Commissioners of India, serving since January 2018. He will step down from the post, ahead of the completion of his term, to take up the role at ADB.
- The other EC of India is Sushil Chandra
Award
Sachin Awasthi Honored with the Prestigious Global Humanitarian Award 2020
- Sachin Awasthi, the President of National Media Club and founder of Shri Ram Seva Mission, has been awarded with the ‘Top Publicist’ honour under Global Humanitarian Award 2020 by the London-based World Humanitarian Drive (WHD).
- The Award was given through a webinar during the “Honoring The Honorable” initiative organised by WHD.
- Sachin has been honored for organizing a 5-days Clean Ganga Awareness Yatra under the name “Vande Gange Swachhata Jan Jagran Yatra”, which was carried on from Haridwar to Varanasi. It was one of the biggest public awareness initiative for keeping the holy Ganga river pollution-free.
- WHD presents the prestigious “Global Humanitarian Awards” annually to felicitate popular men and women, who’ve worked selflessly towards the greater good of the society and the world.
Ved Parkash Dudeja, VC of RLDA, wins ‘Infra Business Leader of the Year’
- Ved Parkash Dudeja, the Vice Chairman of Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has been awarded with the coveted ‘Infra Business Leader of the Year’ award 2020 by the Rail Infra and Mobility Business Digital Awards (RIMBDA).
- RLDA is a statutory authority under the Ministry of Railways, responsible for development of vacant railway land for commercial use for the purpose of generating revenue by non-tariff measures and creating assets for Indian Railways.
Books & Author
Stephen King pens his new short fiction Novel ‘If It Bleeds’
- Renowned American author Stephen Edwin King, has come up with his extraordinary collection of four new and compelling horror novels under the title ‘If It Bleeds’.
- The four stories in the collection are titled “If It Bleeds”, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone”, “The Life of Chuck”, and “Rat”.
Sports
Former Australia Soccer team captain Jedinak retires from all games
- Asian Cup-winning Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak has officially announced his retirement from all forms of the game.
- The Australia national soccer team is nicknamed as Socceroos.
- Jedinak made 79 appearances for the Australian national team from 2008 to 2018, during which he was Captain over 25 times since 2014.
- The 35-year-old was also the part of the 2010, 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.
- He has also played at two AFC Asian Cups, where as a captain he led Australia to victory on home soil in the 2015 Asian Cup.
Obituary
Legendary Dutch Footballer Wim Suurbier passes away at 75
- Netherlands football legend and Ajax defender Wim Suurbier has passed away. He was 75.
- He played for Ajax from 1964 to 1977, during which he won three European Cups and seven national titles.
- Suurbier was also a key member of the 1970s Dutch squad to play in 1974 and 1978 World Cups final, where the Dutch finished second.
Hawkins Cookers’ Non-Executive Chairman Brahm Vasudeva passes away at 84
- Brahm Vasudeva, the former Chairman of Hawkins Cookers Limited, has passed away at the age of 84, after being in leadership role foe 52 years.
- Vasudeva was also the founding member and the first chairman of MRUC (Media Research Users Council) India.
- Vasudeva was appointed on the board of the Hawkins company in 1968 as Vice Chairman and Managing Director and in 1984, he became the Wholetime Chairman and Managing Director.
- He was the Non-Executive Chairman and advisor to the company since 2006.