Current Affairs - May 8, 2020 Current Affairs

India saved Rs 89,122 crore through energy efficiency initiatives by BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) in 2018-19. R K Singh is the current Union Power Minister.

Standard Chartered Bank, India, has appointed Kusal Roy as its new Head of Retail Banking effective May 5, 2020.

Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur, develops contactless Soap cum Water Dispensing Unit.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury reappointed Chairperson of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee.

Bangladesh has decided to re-open mosques for public prayers from May 7, 2020. The Cabinet Division of the Bangladesh government had made the recommendation. The mosques, have, however, been asked to observe precautions and follow the directives issued by the Health Ministry.

World Athletics Day is celebrated on 7 May. The date of observation is subjected to change as International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) decides the date every year, but the month remains the same which is May. The day aims to boost participation in athletics among youngsters.

West Bengal government allows home delivery of liquor, launches website for ordering.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, released Advisories to the Fisheries sector in 12 languages.The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)is situated in New Delhi.

AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will jointly launch three AYUSH based studies related to COVID-19 situation at New Delhi on 7 May. The initiatives are taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic problem in the country through clinical studies including prophylactic and add-on interventions, of AYUSH systems.

Tamil Nadu government to convert late CM J. Jayalalithaa's 'Veda Nilayam' residence in Chennai into a memorial.

The Maharashtra government on May 6 allowed 12-hour shifts for factory workers across the state until June 30. The decision was taken in the wake of factories facing the labour shortage with migrant workers going back home.

Scientists at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune have come up with plant data of the Northern Western Ghats which indicates that plateaus should be prioritized for the conservation of the Northern Western Ghats.

The Iranian Parliament has announced the decision to replace its currency "Rial" with another basic unit of currency called the "Toman". Each toman will be worth 10,000 rials under the new system.

The Madhya Pradesh government has re-launched the ambitious Sambal Yojana aimed to strengthen the lives of the poor and the SC and ST communities by providing them social security cover, right from birth to death.

Aarogya Setu Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) the feature has been implemented in the Aarogya Setu mobile application. The new feature of the app aims to include the citizens with feature phones and landlines under the protection of Aarogya Setu. The service is available across the country. Also, call at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare helpline no.: 11-23978046 or 1075 (Toll-free).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has started to include Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad in its meteorological sub-division of Jammu & Kashmir. The daily region-wise forecasts are for the entire sub-division, and not for any specific areas within. The first such forecast for Gilgit was uploaded on 6 May.

The incident of Styrene gas leakage occurred in a chemical plant LG Polymers industry in the early hours at 3 am in RR Venkatapuram village, Gopalapatnam Mandal in Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh on 7 May. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the steps being taken in response to the Vishakhapatnam gas leak incident.

The Government of India is to conduct one of the largest evacuation exercises named the Vande Bharat Mission with an aim to bring Indians stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under the mission, the government will operate 64 flights from 7-13 May to bring home nearly 14,800 Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has announced the setting up of integrated soil nutrient management a farmers' movement. The announcement was announced by the Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. During 2020-21, the major focus of the Soil Health Programme would be on a mass awareness programme for farmers in over 1 lakh villages covering all districts of the country.

'Vesak', the Day of the Full Moon is observed in the month of May by the United Nations on 7 May 2020. The day commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and Death of Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, all of which is said to have taken place on the same day.