Current Affairs - May 9, 2020 Current Affairs

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the road link from Dharchula (Uttarakhand) to Lipulekh (China Border) on 8 May. He flagged off a convoy of vehicles from Pithoragarh to Gunji through video conferencing. The road link was constructed by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) engineers and personnel.

Rabindranath Tagore was born as Robindronath Thakur on May 7, 1861. Every year May 7 is celebrated as Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti, the day falls on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh.

The book titled 'Vijyant at Kargil: The Life of a Kargil Hero' has been released. This book is a biography of Vir Chakra awardee(posthumously) Captain Vijyant Thapar. This book is authored by Vijyant's father Colonel VN Thapar and writer Neha Dwivedi, a martyr's daughter. This book shows the journey of Vijyant Thapar to join the Indian Military Academy and the experiences that shaped him into a fine officer. He was killed at the age of 22 by a shot in the head on June 29, 1999, during the Kargil War's Knoll assault.

Defence Minister approves abolition of 9,304 posts in the Military Engineering Service. Ajay Kumar is current Defence Secretary.

Indian Navy recently designed and produced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The PPE was tested and approved by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi which is a DRDO organization tasked with the testing and certification of PPE. It is certified to be mass-produced and used in clinical COVID-19 situations.

Uttar Pradesh State government passed an ordinance 'Uttar Pradesh Temporary Exemption from Certain Labour Laws Ordinance, 2020' to suspend labour laws for the next three years. The move is aimed to boost industrial investment and employ the large number of migrant workers that have come back to their native villages in the state. The Ordinance has been sent to Governor Anandiben Patel for assent.

On May 6, 2020, Tripura, Chief Minister(CM) Biplab Kumar Deb launched a National Scholarship online portal website(https:/ /scholarships.gov.in/) under 'Mukhyamantri Yuba YogayogYojana', an incentive scheme at the state secretariat so that students can apply for this scheme for the Academic Year 2019-20.

The Central Government appreciated that Madhya Pradesh (MP) has become the first state in the country to provide a mid-day meal ration. Amidst Corona crisis, an amount of Rs. 117 crore has been transferred online by the state government in the bank accounts of the parents of total 66 lakh 27 thousand students of primary and secondary school. In addition, under door-to-door mid-day meal scheme, ration has also been provided to 56 lakh 87 thousand children.

On 6th May 2020, A team of astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) discovered that the Luhman 16A, closest known brown dwarf showing signs of cloud bands similar to the Jupiter and Saturn using the technique of polarimetry to determine the properties of atmospheric clouds outside the solar system or typically.

The Time of remembrance and reconciliation for those who lost their lives during the Second World War is observed on 8-9 May every year. On this day people across the world and many authority bodies including UNGA, pay tribute to all victims of World War-II (WWII).

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Health & Family Welfare Minister launched the mobile application 'AYUSH Sanjivani' App and two AYUSH based studies related to COVID-19 situation. The app was developed by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has announced its target to construct roads worth Rs.15 lakh crore in the next two years. The announcement was made by the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSMEs Nitin Gadkari. The Ministry is working overtime to clear all arbitration cases with concessionaires.

World Red Cross day is observed on 8 May. The day aims to celebrate the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The day pays tribute to the Red Cross volunteers for their contribution to helping those in need. The day creates awareness about the need for life protection in some drastic conditions.

Coir Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology- Madras (IIT-Madras) on 7 MAy. The aim was to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for the application of Coir exclusively or in combination with other natural fibres.

The National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, in association with the Gujarat Council of Science & Technology (GUJCOST) has announced to organize a Citizen's Science Webinar Series on "Science Communication in the Time of COVID-19." The webinar has been scheduled to be held from 10-16 May 2020 everyday between 10-11 am. The webinar would be accessible online through the internet.

World Thalassaemia Day is observed on 8 May globally. The day aims to create awareness about thalassemia, its prevention, and measures to avoid its transmission among people throughout the world. The day is observed to honor all patients suffering and fighting from thalassemia. It also appreciates scientists working hard to provide improved quality of life to people suffering from it.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) extended environmentalist and actor-producer Dia Mirza's term as its National Goodwill Ambassador for another two years till the end of 2022. Dia is also a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate.

Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have fabricated an economical and energy-efficient wafer-scale photodetector using gold-silicon interface. The thin slice-based device can be used for security applications. The photodetector will detect weak scattered light as an indication of unwanted activity.

On May 6, 2020 According to 'Digital in India' report by the Internet & Mobile Association of India(IAMAI) & Nielsen shows that for the 1st time has more internet users in rural areas than urban, where rural India had 227 million active internet users, 10% more than urban India's about 205 million, as of November 2019.

The Government of India and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed an agreement for a $500 million "COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project" on 8 May. The agreement will help India to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen its public health preparedness.