Current Affairs

Notes:
The World Radio Day (WRD) is observed every year on the 13th of February to celebrate radio as a forum for information and entertainment, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people. It is also a day to remember the unique power of radio which touches lives and brings people together from every corner of the globe. The day was proclaimed on 3rd November 2011 by UNESCO’s 36th General Conference. The 2019 theme “Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace Broadcasts” provides a platform for dialogue and democratic debate over issues, such as migration or violence against women, can help to raise awareness among listeners and inspire understanding for new perspectives in paving the way for positive action.

Notes:
Balasingh (67), the noted Tamil actor and theatre artist, has passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. His notable performances include Kamal Haasan’s directorial venture ‘Virumandi’ and actor Dhanush’s ‘Puthupetta’, a gangster flick.

Notes:
Domestic rating agency, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) recently announced that the Gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for the financial year 2020-21 is estimated at 3.6 per cent.
The agency had earlier estimated that India would grow at 5.5 per cent in 2020-21. The main reason for the big reduction in growth is said to be the Covid-19 outbreak and the resultant nation-wide lockdown imposed, which reduced all economic activities.

Notes:
The teams of Thailand and Malaysia have been banned from participating in weightlifting events at the Tokyo Olympics.
The sanctions panel of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has imposed disciplinary sanctions on the two countries regarding the same. The panel also suspended the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA) for three years and the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) for a year.

Notes:
The Department of Medical and Health of Andhra Pradesh has recently launched a mobile application called ‘Covid Pharma’.
The application aims at tracking the people who purchase medicines over the counter (OTC) for symptoms like cough, cold and fever from medical stores across the state. This database would help the state in tracing the people who may contract coronavirus.

Notes:
Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has re-constituted its Commodity derivatives advisory committee.
As per the recent notification, the 17-member committee would be chaired by retired IAS officer Ashok Dalwani. The committee examines issues related to contract designs and new products in the segment and advises on matters related to delivery mechanism and warehouses. The panel includes members from BSE, NSE, NCDEX NITI Aayog, NABARD among others.

Notes:
Leading payments bank of India, Airtel Payments Bank has recently launched a salary account for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).
Named as the ‘Suraksha Salary’ account, it will enable MSMEs and other organisations to make cashless payments. It also provides Hospicash Insurance and Personal Accidental insurance cover. As of now, it is only available to new customers and will be extended to existing account holders soon.

Notes:
Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 102nd meeting of World Bank Development Committee Plenary through video conferencing.
She highlighted the measures taken by the Government to tackle the Covid-19 crisis, including the USD 23 billion and USD 271 Billion as a part of the economic stimulus package.

Notes:
The nation’s central Bank, the Reserve Bank of India has asked all lenders (including non-banking financial institutions) to implement the waiver of “interest on interest”.
This would be applicable to loans of up to Rs.2 crore for the 6-month moratorium period beginning March 2020. Home Loan, Education Loans, Vehicle Loan, MSME loans, Consumer durable loans and credit card dues would be covered under this scheme.

Notes:
The staple food of the North African region, Couscous has been included in the UNESCO list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.
The rival countries Algeria and Morocco along with Tunisia and Mauritania had submitted the petition to add the dish in the UNESCO list, in March 2019. Couscous is also known as Seksu, Kusksi and Kseksu, in the North African region.