Daily Current Affairs, 29th May 2020

1) World Digestive Health Day: 29th May

•World Digestive Health Day is observed globally on 29th May every year. It is organised by the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) in collaboration with the WGO Foundation (WGOF).

•The theme for the World Digestive Health Day 2020 campaign is “Gut Microbiome: A Global Perspective.”

•Each year the day focuses upon a particular digestive disease and/or disorder in order to increase general public awareness of prevention, prevalence, diagnosis, management and treatment of the disease and/or disorder.

2) International Day of UN Peacekeepers: 29 May

•International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed globally on 29 May every year. The United Nations commemorates the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. This day is dedicated to all the women and men who have served as military, police or civilians in UN Peacekeeping operations.

•2020 Theme: Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace. The theme helps to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

3) International Day of Action for Women’s Health: May 28

•International Day of Action for Women’s Health is observed globally on May 28 every year since 1987. The main purpose of this day is to promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of all women all over the world. May 28th, International Day of Action for Women’s Health is being coordinated by the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR). Every woman has a right to sexual and reproductive health and rights, no matter which part of the world she hails from, what age she is, or what her ethnicity or religion is.

4) World Hunger Day observed on 28 May

•World Hunger Day is observed globally on 28 May every year. The objective of this day is to raise awareness about more than 820 million people living in chronic hunger worldwide. It is observed since 2011 to not only spread awareness about the malaise of chronic hunger but also to solve hunger and poverty through sustainable undertakings.

•The initiative recognizes the dire need to save nearly a quarter of a billion lives from malnourishment and chronic hunger. The need to provide outreach globally during the pandemic for the distribution of food is seen as paramount to save those who have been vulnerable even in pre-pandemic times.

5) Finance Minister rolls out facility of Instant Allotment of PAN

•The facility for instant allotment of Permanent Account Number (PAN) has been formally launched by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman. This facility has been rolled out on near to real time basis. The PAN applicants who has a valid Aadhaar number and have a mobile number registered with Aadhaar will be able to avail the recently launched facility. After the launch of this new facility, the allotment process is paperless and an electronic PAN (e-PAN) will be issued to the applicants free of cost. Launching this facility will create further ease of compliance to the taxpayers.

The process of applying for instant PAN is as follows:

•The instant PAN applicant will access the e-filing website of the Income Tax Department to provide her/his valid Aadhaar number

•The applicant is required to submit the OTP received on her/his Aadhaar registered mobile number.

•After successful completion of this process, the applicant will receive a 15-digit acknowledgment number.

•The applicant will be able to check the status of the request anytime by providing her/his valid Aadhaar number

•After the successful allotment, the applicant will be able to download the e-PAN.
The e-PAN will also be sent to the applicant on her/his email id, if it is registered with Aadhaar.

6) R Sreerekha to become Kerala’s first woman DGP

•R Sreerekha will be the first woman Director General of Police in Kerala. The Kerala government appointed her as Fire and Rescue Services DGP. She is a 1987 batch officer, she is also the first woman IPS officer of Kerala. Presently an Additional Director General of Police, she currently heads the Prisons and Correctional Services Department.

7) FM Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 22nd Meeting of FSDC

•The 22nd Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was chaired by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi. The FSDC meeting featured the participation of senior officers of the Government of India as well Financial Sector Regulators. the participants of the meeting reviewed the measures taken by the Government of India and the regulators in the recent months to maintain the financial stability in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

•During the meeting, present global and domestic macro-economic situation was reviewed including the financial stability and vulnerabilities issues. They also reviewed major issues that are likely to be faced by banks as well as other financial institutions. Along with the above, FSDC also take note of market volatility, domestic resource mobilisation and capital flows issues.

8) India signs $177 mn loan with ADB to improve road in Maharashtra

•The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $177 million loan to upgrade road infrastructure in the state of Maharashtra. The loan has been signed with prime objective of upgrading the 450 km of state highways and major district roads in the state of Maharashtra. The road improvement project consists of improving 2 major district roads and 11 state highways having the combined length of 450 km. The project will improve the connectivity to national highways, seaports, airports, industrial areas, rail hubs, interstate roads, district headquarters, enterprise clusters and agricultural areas.

•The project will also involve the strengthening of road safety measures with the development of a road safety audit framework that will led to the protection of vulnerable groups including the elderly, women, and children. 5-years performance-based maintenance obligations to contractors will be encouraged to sustain asset quality and service levels, hence updating road maintenance system. It will also train the Maharashtra Public Works Department project staff to enhance their capacity in climate change adaptation and disaster resilient features in various aspects such as road design, road maintenance planning and road safety.

9) IOC appoints Narinder Batra as member of Olympic Channel Commission

•Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra has been designated as a member from the Olympic Channel Commission. Badra likewise heads the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

•The Olympic Channel Commission exhorts the IOC (International Olympic Committee) meeting, the IOC Executive Board, the IOC President and provides guidance throughout the launch and operation of the Olympic Channel. The commission advise the growth & development of the Olympic Channel from its initial launch phase through to its mature and established form.

10) CIPET renamed as Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology

•The name of Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) has been changed to Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET). CIPET is a premier national institution which comes under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India. The new name of the institute has been registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975 ( Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975).

•The Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET) aims to contribute in the growth of the plastics industry via a combined program of education and research. The Institute has formed closer ties with industries to create innovative plastic based resource efficient and marketable solutions.

11) Wipro appoints Thierry Delaporte as its new CEO & MD

•Thierry Delaporte has been appointed by the IT major Wipro as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD). He will replace Abidali Neemuchwala as the new CEO and MD of Wipro. Abidali Neemuchwala will relinquish his position as CEO and MD on 1st June 2020. Thierry Delaporte will take over the position on 6th July 2020.

•Thierry Delaporte has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Capgemini Group and a member of its Group Executive Board. In his career of 25 years with Capgemini, he served at various leadership roles such as Chief Executive Officer of the Global Financial Services Strategic Business Unit, and head of all global service lines.

12) Aiman Ezzat becomes new CEO of Capgemini Group

•Aiman Ezzat has become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of French technology major Capgemini Group. He has replaced the presently serving Paul Hermelin who will continue to serve as the Chairman of the Board. The appointment of Aiman Ezzat was made at the close of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.

•Aiman Ezzat was earlier serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Capgemini Group and has also served as the Chief Financial Officer of the company in the past. He was also named as the “Best European CFO” for the technology and software category of Institutional Investor magazine’s annual ‘All European Executive Team’ ranking.

13) Leo Puri to become Chairman of JP Morgan South Asia and South East Asia

•Leo Puri has been announced to become the new Chairman of JP Morgan South Asia and South East Asia. He will replace Kalpana Morparia who will be serving as the chairman until the 1st Quarter of 2021. Leo Puri has earlier served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UTI Mutual Fund.

•In another major top-level change, Murali Maiya will become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JP Morgan South and South East Asia.

14) South Africa’s Quarraisha Abdool Karim wins Christophe Merieux Prize

•South African HIV researcher, Quarraisha Abdool Karim, who found that a topical gel could stop many women catching the virus has been awarded Christophe Merieux Prize.  Christophe Merieux Prize is one of France’s top science prizes. She won the half a million-euro ($551,000) Prize for her work for the Durban-based Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), which she heads.

15) 36th National Games postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19

•The 36th National Games, planned for October-November in Goa, was deferred indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Games organising board has chosen to defer National Games due to COVID-19 pandemic.

•Committee to convey a social event in September end and decide on fixing dates for National Games. (Goa) Government to require guidance from Union Sports Ministry, need four months notification ahead of time to compose games. The last edition of the Games was held in 2015 in Kerala.