VISION

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
•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.

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SCANNED NOTES

1) Fitch forecasts India’s GDP growth rate to contract 5% in FY21
•Amid Novel Coronavirus pandemic, rating agency Fitch Ratings has released its its latest Global Economic Outlook (GEO). In its Global Economic Outlook, the rating agency has forecasted the GDP growth rate of the world and individual countries.

•According to the Global Economic Outlook, the rating agency Fitch Ratings has slashed India’s GDP growth rate to 5% for the Fiscal Year 2021, citing the slowdown in economic activities and very stringent lockdown policy. While the Global GDP growth rate has been forecasted to fall by 4.6% in 2020.

2) S&P forecasts Indian economy to contract 5% in FY21
•S&P Global Ratings has slashed India’s GDP growth rate to 5% in the Fiscal Year 2021. The reduction in the growth rates has been made due to slump in the economic activities in the whole country amid lockdown imposed to contain Covid-19 pandemic.

•S&P Global Ratings stated that two months of lockdown have led to a sudden stop in the economy which has led to contaraction in the GDP growth rates of the present fiscal year.

3) NPCI rolls out AI virtual Artificial Intelligence assistant PAi
•An Artificial Intelligence (AI) based chatbot “PAi” has been launched by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). This chatbot has been rolled out to create awareness around NPCI’s products such as FASTag, RuPay, UPI, AePS on a real time basis, hence improving the digital financial inclusion in India. The chatbot “PAi” has been developed by Bengaluru based startup CoRover Private Limited.

•The AI virtual assistant “PAi” would have access to accurate information on products of NPCI and would be available round the clock to solve the queries of the customers in English and Hindi, via text or voice on the websites of NPCI, RuPay, and UPI Chalega. It would also be available to global RuPay Cardholders as well. PAi will give verified automated responses to the customer’s queries on all NPCI’s products.

4) IAF inducts Tejas Mk-1 FOC aircraft in Squadron “Flying Bullets”
•Tejas Mk-1 FOC aircraft has been inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) into the recently resurrected No 18 Squadron the “Flying Bullets” at Air Force Station Sulur. Tejas Mk-1 FOC is a single engine, light weight, highly agile and all weather multi role fighter aircraft. The aircraft is capable of air-to-air refueling and hence makes the Squadron the first in the IAF to induct this platform.

•Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria operationalised the Squadron. The Squadron comes under the operational control of Southern Air Command and hence it will responsible for the integration of the Squadron into the IAF Concept of Operations. The Tejas Mk-1 FOC aircraft is India’s indigenous fighter aircraft and hence marks an important milestone in the country’s indigenous fighter aircraft program along with providing significant boost to the ‘Make In India’ initiative.

5) Marcos Troyjo elected as next President of NDB



Marcos Troyjo has been elected as next President of New Development Bank (NDB). He was unanimously elected during the Special Board of Governors meeting of the NDB which was held through the video-conference. He will be taking charge as the President of NDB from July 7, 2020. India was represented by the Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman in the video-conference.

The prime objective of the meeting of Special Board of Governors meeting of the New Development Bank was the election of next President of NDB including the appointment of Vice-President, Chief Risk Officer and the membership expansion. Following appointments were made during the virtual conference:

•Marcos Troyjo from Brazil has been elected as next President of NDB.
•Anil Kishora from India has been elected as next Vice President and CRO of the NDB.

6) SN Rajeswari becomes new CMD of Oriental Insurance Company
•New India Assurance, General Manager, SN Rajeswari, has been selected as the Chairman and MD of the Oriental Insurance Company (OIC) by Banks Board Bureau (BBB). She will replace AV Girija Kumar, who retiring this month end after reaching 60. BBB had conducted virtual interviews of five senior general managers of the public sector general insurance industry, with two years of residual services untill May 2022,to select a CMD of OIC.

•Rajeswari is a qualified charted accountant and currently the second senior-most GM of the public sector general insurance industry and would be retiring in May 2022. She had started her career as an insurer with the Chennai base United India Insurance(UII) and was later shifted to NIA as a deputy general manager(DGM).

7) Airtel Payments Bank team up with Mastercard for farmers, SMEs
•Airtel Payments Bank has collaborated with Mastercard to create customised financial products for Indian farmers and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). These financial products particularly for those territories where there is less access to bank administrations. The coordinated effort will unite Mastercard’s worldwide and nearby involvement with developing advanced financial solutions and Airtel Payments Bank’s circulation system to arrive at the last mile and its large customer base.

•The association targets constructing a computerized stage which gives farmers information about advanced farming techniques and association with commercial centres, while at the same time empowering them to receive payments directly in their Airtel Payments Bank account.

8) Flipkart signs MoU with Karnataka Mango Board to support mango farmers
•India’s leading web-based business commercial centre Flipkart has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Karnataka State Mango Department and Marketing Corporation, to empower mango farmers to sell their produce online. This association will give farmers the genuinely necessary market access to shoppers, making a potential income stream during these testing times of coronavirus.

•As a part of the MoU, Flipkart will give its marketplace platform to the Mango Board farmer producer associations/venders, cultivators and dealers by selecting them on the platform. Flipkart has collaborated with different Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and retail organizations to welcome a more extensive scope of essentials on its platform. With this association, the organization invasions into the farmer producer organisation’s community further adding to supporting the jobs of mango producers and the farmer community.

9) JK Rowling to release her latest book “The Ickabog”
•The “Harry Potter” author, JK Rowling will release her latest book, “The Ickabog”, online for free, for the children during this lockdown period. The Ickabog’ is a story about truth and the abuse of power.

•The first two chapters of The Ickabog are available for free. Rowling has pledged to donate all royalties when the book is published to “groups who’ve been particularly impacted by the pandemic.”