Current Affairs - April 30, 2020 Current Affairs

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar represented India in the first virtual Petersberg Climate Dialogue on 28 April. The first virtual Climate Dialogue was the eleventh session of Petersberg Climate Dialogue. It has been hosted by Germany since 2010.

A report by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat stated that the APEC region is expected to post a 2.7% economic decline in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. It also stated that this decline will be the most significant fall since the near-zero growth rate logged in 2009.

A multi-disciplinary expert group COVIDActionCollab (CAC) is developing a protocol to test sewage for COVID-19 traces in selected densely populated urban residential areas of Bengaluru and Kolkata. The idea was initiated by the social enterprise platform Catalyst Group.

The Ministry of Finance has established the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) through a notification on 27 April. The headquarters of IFSCA will be located in Gandhinagar in Gujarat. IFSCA will regulate all financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in the country.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, has provided various measures to combat the present health crisis. It has also taken several steps to boost the rural economy through its various components. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 emergency, and availability of large labour force in rural areas, the mission began its measures for the impending monsoon. Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched on 1 July 2019. The mission covered 256 water-stressed districts across the country.

The total global military expenditure rose by 3.6% to $1,917 billion in 2019 according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has issued guidelines on using the central air-conditioners in public buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The move comes as per the guidance of Delhi High Court. The guidelines were the Indian Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioner Engineers (ISHRAE).CPWD was established in 1854. It functions under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

Moody's Investors Service cuts India growth forecast for calendar year 2020 to 0.2% from 2.5% projected in March.

India is set to produce indigenous rapid testing and RT-PCR diagnostic kits by the end of May. The information was passed by the Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan. Several initiatives are taken by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and public sector undertakings (PSUs) namely Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL).

National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) under National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) assessment states that India's critical sectors may fall prey to inimical forces that could use relaxations in geofencing restrictions granted to employees working from home to make cyber attacks.National Technical Research Organisation was set up in 2004.

International Dance Day is celebrated on 29 April. The day is observed to appreciate the art form. It encourages participation and education in dance. The day is celebrated with people from all over the world contributing to dance.

Suresh N. Patel took oath as Vigilance Commissioner on 19 April. He was administered the oath of office by Sanjay Kothari, Central Vigilance Commissioner on the video link, due to the social distancing norms. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Shri Sharad Kumar, Vigilance Commissioner, Secretary, and other senior officers of the Commission.

Axis Bank to increase its stake in Max Life Insurance to 30% remaining 70% to be held by Max Financial Services in the joint venture.

A senior judge of the Calcutta High Court (HC) Justice Dipankar Datta was sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of Bombay HC on 28 April. The oath of office was administered by Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan. Justice Dipankar Datta will replace Justice Bhushan Pradyumna Dharmadhikari whose term as Chief Justice ended on 27 April 2020.

One of Bollywood's most beloved stars Irrfan Khan passed away on 29 April 2020. He died at the age of 53. He died due to neuroendocrine tumour, a type of cancer. He was diagnosed with the disease in March 2018. Khan went to the United Kingdom for treatment and had returned to India in 2019.

Former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar was appointed as the chairperson of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) on 29 April. The appointment of Rajiv Kumar is approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will serve as the PESB chairperson for a period of three years.

Agartala Smart City used a Mobile COVID-19 sample collection kiosk under the smart city mission. Agartala Smart City has designed and submitted it to the city's Chief Medical Officer (CMO). This initiative is a major step by Agartala in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.The kiosk ensures protection to the sample collecting doctor and prevents wastage of personal protection equipment (PPE).

The former Brighton and Liverpool striker Michael Robinson passed away on 28 April. He was 61-years-old. He was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2018.

China ($261 billion, 5.1% increase) and India ($71.1 billion, 6.8% increase) were the second- and third-largest military expenditure spenders, after the US ($732 billion,5.3% increase).

India loses hosting rights of the 2021 men's world boxing championship to Serbia.