Daily Current Affairs, 04th May 2020

1) World Press Freedom Day observed globally on 3 May

•World Press Freedom Day is observed globally on 3 May every year. It is also known as World Press Day. The day also pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives. They risk their lives at times or may even have to face tough situations in order to bring the news from different corners of the world in front of the public.

•The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2020 is “Journalism without Fear or Favour”.

2) International Firefighters’ Day observed globally on May 4

•International Firefighters’ Day is observed globally on May 4 every year. This day is celebrated since 1999, to recognise and honour the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure that their communities and environment are as safe as possible. The day was instituted, after the deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a bushfire in Australia on 2 December 1998.

3) CAIT to roll out National e-commerce marketplace ‘bharatmarket’

•A National e-commerce marketplace ‘bharatmarket’ will be launched by the traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). The national platform ‘bharatmarket’ will be launched for all retail traders, by CAIT in collaboration with several technology partners.

4) NIUA & NMCG organizes IDEAthon on ‘The Future of River Management’

•The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti has jointly organised an IDEAthon on “The future of River Management’ with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). This unique webinar was held to explore how the COVID-19 crisis can shape the River Management strategies for the future and featured the participation of global experts.

•The webinar “IDEAthon” analysed how the social angle of rivers can be leveraged on to address other crises. It also emphasized about river management and also highlighted the interconnectivity of Cities with the River. NIUA and Namami Gange are also planning to release a policy paper based on the deliberations of the IDEAthon.

5) Kashmir saffron gets GI tag by Geographical Indications Registry

•Kashmir saffron gets Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry. The spice is grown in some regions of Kashmir, including Srinagar, Pulwama, Budgam and Kishtwar.

•The application for Kashmir Saffron was filed by the Directorate of Agriculture, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, and facilitated by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Kashmir, and Saffron Research Station, Dussu (Pampore).

6) Indian-origin girl Vaneeza Rupani names NASA’s 1st Mars Helicopter

•17-year-old, Indian-origin girl, Vaneeza Rupani has been honoured of naming the NASA’s 1st Mars helicopter ‘Ingenuity’. she submitted her essay into NASA’s “Name the Rover” contest. She has suggested the name ‘INGENUITY’ for the helicopter, which has been liked and accepted by NASA. She is a high school junior from Northport, Alabama.

•In March 2020, NASA announced that its next rover to Mars would be named Perseverance. Perseverance and Ingenuity are scheduled to launch in July 2020 and land in February 2021 at the Mars. Ingenuity will be the first aircraft to attempt powered flight on another planet.

7) HDFC Bank releases song “#HumHaarNahiMaanenge”

•HDFC Bank has released a song titled #HumHaarNahiMaanenge to keep hopes up amidst the ongoing national lockdown and Covid-19 pandemic. The lyrics of the song has been penned by Prasoon Joshi and music has been composed by AR Rahman. HDFC Bank has announced that it will contribute Rs 500 each time the song is shared via social media towards the PM-CARES Fund.