Daily Current Affairs : 14th May 2020 | Daily GK update Quiz

Exp. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on 13th May launched a portal aimed at creating employment avenues for the trained youth as well as offering them skill development opportunities to increase their employability.

The portal, ‘HOPE’ – Helping Out People Everywhere, has already begun collecting data on the youths staying in the state as well as migrant youths who have returned recently from outside.

Exp. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) got a new Director General with the appointment of IAS officer V. Vidyavathi on 12th mAY.

Ms. Vidyavathi is a 1991 batch Karnataka cadre officer, according to the order of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on 12 May. She will be serving in the rank of Additional Secretary to the Government of India.

Exp. The Arumbavur wood carvings has been given Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry.

Arumbavur wood carvings: The wooden sculpture made in the village of Veppanthattai in Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu is world famous. These wood carvings are made out of wooden logs of Indian siris (Poo Vaagai, Albizia lebbeck), mango (Mangifera indica), lingam tree (Mavilangam), Indian ash tree (Othiyan – Odina wodier), rosewood, neem tree (Vembu – Azadirachta indica).

The most famous of all kinds of monasteries like Lord Vinayaka, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Krishna, Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathi can be seen in Arumbavur Wood Carvings.

Exp. The Thanjavur Netti Works has been given Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry.

Thanjavur Netti Works: This art work is done by using pith, which is obtained from netti, a hydrophyte plant called as Aeschynomene aspera that adorned the palace of Rajaraja Chola. The raw material is taken from the stem of the Netti plant in the Pudukottai lake (Pudukullam & Kallaperumbur lake), which are then dried in the sun and then applied to the sculpture. The soil found in Thanjavur is favourable for the growth of the plant.

Netti sculptures are designed with small needles, small needles, blades, scissors and knives. The sculptures that give us the shape we wanted are in the glass ark of various houses with glittering beauty and adorn the reception.

Exp. India has moved up two places to rank 74th on a global energy transition index, which has ranked 115 economies on how well they are able to balance energy security and access with environmental sustainability and affordability.

Exp. Sweden remains on the top on this annual list compiled by Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF) and is followed by Switzerland and Norway in the top three, as per its latest report released on 12th May.

Among major economies, the UK is ranked 7th, Singapore 13th, Germany 17th, Japan 18th and the US 27th.

Within Asia, Malaysia is ranked highest at 31st, Sri Lanka is 60th, Bangladesh 90th and Nepal 93rd.

Exp. India Post on May 13 paid a tribute to migrant workers by releasing a special postal cover dedicated to them in Mumbai, a press release by the Press Information Bureau has said.

Migrant workers from across India have been making their way back to their home states by opting for any mode of transport available after the announcement and extension of national lockdown by the government. Reports suggest that a number of workers, devoid of any transport, have also taken to walking hundreds of kilometres to reach their hometowns.

According to the government, five migrant workers from different sectors were called to release the postal cover.

Exp. PM CARES (Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) Fund Trust today decided to allocate Rs. 3100 Crore for fight against COVID-19. Out of Rs 3100 crore, a sum of approximately Rs.2000 crore will be earmarked for the purchase of ventilators, Rs. 1000 crores will be used for care of migrant labourers and Rs.100 crores will be given to support vaccine development.  

The trust formed on 27th March 2020 is headed by Hon’ble Prime Minister (ex-Officio) and other ex-officio Members of the trust are Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister. While announcing this package, the Prime Minister has thanked all the donors for their generosity in contributing to the PM CARES Fund which will support India’s fight against COVID-19.

Exp. The Geographical Indications Registry is set up for administration of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 with the object to provide registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods. The GI Registry is situated at Chennai.

Exp. The UN slashed India’s projected growth rate to 1.2 per cent in 2020 and forecast that the global economy will contract sharply by 3.2 per cent as the Covid-19 pandemic paralyses the world, sharply restricting economic activities, increasing uncertainties and unleashing a recession unseen.

The World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2020 released on 13th May by the UN said that global gross domestic product is forecast to shrink by 3.2 per cent in 2020, with only a gradual recovery of lost output projected for 2021.

Exp. PM has provided a Rs 1.70 lakh crore PM Garib Kalyan Yojana scheme for welfare of poor.

Exp. Due date of all IT Return filings extended from July 31 to November 30 for the fiscal 2020-21.

Exp. Government announces Rs 45,000 crore liquidity infusion through a Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme 2.0 for NBFCs/MFIs/HFCs.