Top GKToday’s News Headlines-2 May 2020

May 2, 2020 May 2, 2020

Home Ministry announces extension of lockdown for a further period of 2 weeks with effect from May 4
Guidelines issued to regulate different activities in this period, based on the risk profiling of the districts of the country into Red (hotspot), Green and Orange Zones
The guidelines permit considerable relaxations in the districts falling in the Green and Orange Zones

Railways to run Shramik Special Trains to move persons including migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students stranded at different places due to lockdown
First such train carried 1,200 passengers from Hyderabad to Jharkhand on May 1
These special trains will be run from point to point on the request of both the concerned states
The passengers have to be screened by the sending states and only those found asymptomatic would be allowed to travel

Foundation day of Gujarat and Maharashtra was celebrated on May 1, 2020. The two states were formed after the enactment of the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960.
Manipur: Black rice Chak-Hao gets GI (Geographical Indications) tag
Kulmeet Makkar, CEO, Producers Guild of India (PGI), dies aged 60

Kisan Sabha App launched to connect farmers to supply chain and freight transportation management system
Launched by DG, ICAR and Secretary DARE, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra
Developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi
Aim is to provide economical and timely logistics support to the farmers and increase their profit margins by minimizing interference of middlemen and directly connecting with the institutional buyers.

Five more States/UTs (Bihar, UP, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Daman & Diu) join ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ system
Now 17 States/UTs are under this system
This system enables beneficiaries to obtain foodgrains under NFSA (National Food Security Act) from any Fair Price Shop in the country using the same ration card

Govt. raises MSP (Minimum Support Price) for MFP (Minor Forest Produce) of 49 items to benefit livelihoods of tribal gatherers in view of circumstances arising out of Covid 19
200 more mandis (wholesale markets) across 7 states added to electronic trading platform e-NAM (e-National Agriculture Market) for marketing of agriculture produce
CAIT (Confederation of All India Traders) to launch national e-commerce marketplace ‘bharatmarket’ for all retail traders
Country’s foreign exchange reserves declined USD 113 million to USD 479.45 billion in the week to April 24