Daily Current Affairs, 17th June 2020

1) World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought: 17th June

•World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed on 17th June every year. The day is observed to spread awareness among people about the cooperation required to combat desertification and the effects of drought. The World Day to Combat Desertification may be a unique occasion to remind everybody that desertification is often effectively tackled, that solutions are possible, which key tools to the present aim lay in strengthened community participation and co-operation in the least levels.

•The theme of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2020: Food. Feed.Fibre. – the links between consumption and land. This year, it is running a campaign under the slogan “Food. Feed. Fibre.” which seeks to teach individuals on the way to reduce their personal impact. This year’s global observance event, hosted by Korea Forest Service, will happen online with a full-day program featuring a spread of exciting events and international talent.

2) Trustees of PM CARES fund appoints SARC & Associates as its auditor

•The Trustees of the Prime Minister’s Citizens Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) fund has appointed, New Delhi based Chartered Accountants, SARC & Associates, as its auditors for the next three years. The SARC & Associates headed by Sunil Kumar Gupta is also the auditor of the PM’s National Relief Fund(PMNRF) appointed in 2019.

•The Prime Minister, as chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the fund, has the power to nominate three trustees to the board. They shall be eminent persons in the field of research, health, science, social work, law, public administration or philanthropy. The fund is administered on an honorary basis by the joint secretary of administration in the Prime Minister’s Office(PMO) and assisted by an officer in a director or deputy secretary rank in the PMO.

3) Raja Parba festival celebrated in Odisha

•Raja Parba festival celebrated in Odisha. It is a 3-days unique festival in which the onset of monsoon and the earth’s womanhood is celebrated by the state. It is believed that during this time the Mother Earth or Bhudevi undergoes menstruation. The fourth day is the day of the ‘purification bath’

•While celebrating Raja Parba festival, people of Odisha suspends all agricultural works such as ploughing, sowing for three days as a mark of respect towards the earth during her menstruation days. These three days are namely: Raja Sankranti, the first day of the Ashara month is celebrated on the day prior to the Sankranti, i.e. Pahili Raja, the day of Sankranti, and the day after, known as Bhu Daha or ‘Basi Raja.

4) WB govt launches “Karmabhumi” a job portal to help IT professionals

•West Bengal government has launched a job portal ‘KarmaBhumi’ for IT professionals who have returned to the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic. IT professionals can use the portal ‘Karmo Bhumi’ to connect with companies based in the state.

•A web portal will act as a medium between the professionals and IT companies in Bengal. There are around 700 IT and ITeS companies at Salt Lake Sector V and Rajarhat where at present around 2.5 lakh people work. IT professionals now connect to IT companies of Bengal through karmabhumi.nltr.org.   

5) UP becomes top state to provide employment under MGNREGA

•Uttar Pradesh has become the top state in India to provide employment to the workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).

•According to the data released, 57 lakh 12975 workers got employment is around 57 thousand village panchayats of the state which is 18% of the total work generated under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the country. The state government has generated 7.93 crore man-days and the government will provide jobs to 10 lakh more workers.




6) New fish species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

•A new fish species named as “Schizothorax sikusirumensis” has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh. The new fish species was discovered by Dr. Keshav Kumar Jha. He is an Associate Professor & Head of Department of Zoology, Jawaharlal Nehru College, Pasighat. He discovered a new fish species from genus Schizothorax.

•Fish species “Schizothorax sikusirumensis” was discovered near Gakang area under Mebo circle of East Siang District, at the confluence of River Siku and Sirum. It inhabits the water logged area of torrential river drainage. Its name has been derived from the name of the rivers Siku and Sirum.

7) KVIC launches project to produce Neera and Palmgur

•A unique project to produce Neera and Palmgur has been rolled out by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in Palghar district of Maharashtra. The KVIC launched project aims to promoting Neera as a substitute to soft drinks along with generating self-employment opportunities for Adivasis as well as traditional trappers. Indian state Maharashtra is home to more than 50 lakh palm trees.

•As a part of project, KVIC distributed tool kits to local artisans for extraction of Neera and making palmgur. The tool kit comprised of canteen burners, perforated moulds, food grade stainless steel Kadhai, along with other equipment namely knives, rope and axes.

•Neera is a nutrient-rich health drink consumed in many Indian states, and is extracted from the palm trees before sunrise.

8) PM of Kyrgyzstan Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev resigns from post

•Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev has resigned from the post. He resigned due to citing an ongoing criminal investigation into the assignment of national radio frequencies.

•The Kyrgyz parliament raised the issue of the offer of radio frequencies, which was trailed by various representatives requesting Abylgaziev demonstrate his honesty against charges of debasement. He was delegated as a leader by President Sooronbai Jeenbekov in April 2018.

9) Deccan Development Society wins Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award

Hyderabad-based Deccan Development Society has won the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award. This honour is one of the most pined for natural honours on the planet for the year 2020. The honour was declared by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Vice President and CEO, Olivier Wenden. The honour of 40,000 Euros (roughly Rs 35 lakhs) has been given to the general public.

This is in acknowledgement of “the people who devote their activities and associations for their profound duty to saving our planet, in every one of the Foundation’s three need zones:

•Constraining the impacts of environmental change.
•Saving biodiversity.
•Overseeing water assets and battling against desertification.

10) IBBI Board reconstitutes Advisory Committee on Corporate Insolvency Resolution & Liquidation

•The Board of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has reconstituted the Advisory Committee on Corporate Insolvency Resolution & Liquidation. The Advisory Committee will be chaired by the Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Uday Kotak. Methil Unnikrishnan has been designated as the secretary to the Advisory Committee.

•The Advisory Committee on Corporate Insolvency Resolution & Liquidation comprises of 14 members including the Chairman. The committee will advise and provide professional support on a request from the Board of insolvency regulator, IBBI, or on its own volition on any matter relating to the Corporate Insolvency resolution and liquidation dealt with by the Board under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.

11) Mamedyarov wins Sharjah Online International Chess Championship

•Grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan has won the World Stars Sharjah Online International Chess Championship. He won the coveted title and price of $3000 after scoring 7.5 points from 10 rounds. Indian Grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna finished second in the Championship after scoring 6.5 points from 10 rounds.

•Sharjah Online International Chess Championship was hosted by the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club. The Championship was held under the patronage of Sheikh Saqr Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Sports Council.

12) Sports Ministry to set up “Khelo India State Centres of Excellence”

•Under the Sports Ministry’s flagship programme “Khelo India Scheme“, the ministry is going to set up Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE). To create a robust sporting ecosystem in the entire country, as well as to strengthen India’s pursuit for excellence in Olympics, one KISCE will be identified in each state and unionterritory (UT). In the first phase of setting up KISCE, sports ministry has identified state-owned sports facilities in eight states of India. These states are: Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Kerala, Telangana, Nagaland, Karnataka, and Odisha. The state-owned sports facilities in the above states will be upgraded into Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE).

•To upgrade the existing state-owned sports facilities in the above states into KISCE, ‘Viability Gap Funding’ would be extended by the government in sports science and technology support for sports disciplines practiced at the centre. It will also help in overcoming the shortage of sports equipment, expert coaches as well as high performance managers. The state and UT will be responsible to run the centre and build capacity to transform it into the world-class sporting facility.