Current Affairs - 2019-20

Notes:
Recently, Gurdeep Singh from India created three new senior national records in +105 Kilogram weight category in the just-concluded IWF World Weightlifting Championships at Anaheim in USA. Singh finished 13th overall with a total lift of 388kg (172 + 216) but created national records in snatch, clean and jerk, and the total lift. In snatch, he bettered his own earlier national record of 171kg by one kilogramme. In the total lift also, Gurdeep bettered the earlier national record of 384kg.

Notes:
The first G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors was held at the Center of Exhibitions and Conventions (CEC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 19-20, 2018 with the presence of 57 delegations from countries and institutions. The summit gathered 22 finance ministers, 17 central bank governors and 10 heads of international organisations, including IMF Director-General Christine Lagarde.

Notes:
PMMSK scheme is envisioned as one-stop convergence support service for empowering rural women with opportunities for skill development, digital literacy, health and nutrition and employment. It aims to improve declining child sex ratio (CSR), ensure survival and protection of the girl child, ensuring the education and empowering her to fulfil her potential. It will provide an interface for rural women to approach government for getting their entitlement and for empowering them through training and capacity building.

Notes:
The Global Cyber security Index (GCI) is released by International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It is a multi-stakeholder initiative to measure the commitment of countries to cyber security. Cyber security has a wide field of application that cuts across many industries and sectors. Each country’s level of development will therefore be analyzed within five categories: Legal Measures, Technical Measures, Organizational Measures, Capacity Building and Cooperation. India has been ranked 23rd out of 165 nations in the Global Cyber security Index (GCI) 2017.

Notes:
First statement is correct. The scheme aims to get foreign investment and turn India into an electronics manufacturing hub. Second statement is incorrect. The scheme provides subsidy for capital expenditure – 20% for investments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and 25% in non-SEZs. Third statement is correct. One of the major objectives of the scheme is to attain net zero imports in electronics by 2020. Fourth statement is correct. It is an initiative under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS) was launched in 2012. Its first phase will end in December, 2018.

Notes:
Venezuela and Libya were recently suspended from voting in the UN General Assembly for the third time in three years because of millions of dollars in unpaid dues to the world body. Venezuela is required to pay a minimum of $25,200,296 to restore its voting rights and Libya needs to pay at least $6,594,842.

Notes:
The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2017 (WESP) has been published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Notes:
Recently, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has started a scheme titled “Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD)” to promote women entrepreneurs. The scheme envisages economic empowerment of women through trade related training, information and counselling activities related to trades, products, services, etc. Under the scheme, there is a provision for Government of India grant up to 30% of the loan/credit maximum up to Rs. 30.00 lakh as appraised by lending institutions/ banks, thus, promoting “small-scale entrepreneurs”. An entrepreneur who has made investment in plant and machinery up to Rs 1.00 crore is called “small-scale entrepreneur”, while an entrepreneur who has made investment in plant and machinery more than Rs 5.00 crore is called ‘large-scale entrepreneur.’

Notes:
Express Wi-Fi is an initiative of Facebook in India. It is live in India and it empowers local entrepreneurs to help provide quality Internet access to their neighbours and make a steady income with the help of internet service providers and local entrepreneurs to help expand connectivity to underserved locations around the world.

Notes:
SERIIUS stands for the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States. It is co-led by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)—Bangalore, India, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colorado, USA. It aims to accelerate the development of solar electric technologies by lowering the cost per watt of photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) and create a strong workforce development program in solar energy science and technology. Supercritical carbon dioxide-based power generation is said to offer an efficient alternative to conventional steam-based power plants and reduce the carbon footprint of power generation significantly.