Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2020

Notes:
The state government of Himachal Pradesh announced that it will launch an initiative called ‘Nigah’, that aims to impart awareness among the family members of people coming to the state from other parts of the country.
The health care workers, ASHA and Anganwadi workers would be deployed in this scheme, to create awareness in maintain social distancing and hygiene during the home quarantine period. The houses of the persons returned would be labelled and members of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies are asked to ensure proper implementation of the scheme.

Notes:
The State government of Andhra Pradesh has launched a scheme called YSR Matsyakara Bharosa amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the scheme, the government will provide a financial assistance of ₹10,000 to each fisherman family. This would help the fishermen community during the lock-down period and during the marine ban period. The monetary relief of fishermen venturing into the sea has also been raised from ₹4,000 to ₹10,000 per head.

Notes:
The evacuation exercise of India, considered to be one of the largest, has been named the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, will engage about 64 flights to bring home Indian nationals stranded abroad.
Several countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK, Singapore and the US will be covered. In the first week of repatriation, the Gulf countries will be focussed. The highest number of flights to bring back people, were allotted for the states of Kerala (15), Tamil Nadu (11) and Delhi (11).

Notes:
According to the ‘Digital in India’ report recently released by the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), there were more Internet users in rural areas when compared to those in urban areas for the first time.
As of last November, out of the total 504 million active internet users, there were 227 million active internet users in rural areas while there were 205 million in urban areas. But the time spent on internet is higher among the urban people. The report also highlighted that there was an increase of 21% in female internet users, higher than that of male users (9%).

Notes:
Monaco-headquartered International Association of Athletics Federations leads the celebration of World Athletics Day in the month of May. The first World Athletics Day was celebrated in 1996.
Every year, the date is decided by IAAF and this year it was celebrated on May 7. IAAF was founded at Stockholm, Sweden in the year 1912. The Athletics Day is celebrated to educate the people about the significance of sports and to encourage athletics as the foundational sport in educational institutions.

Notes:
According to the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), using the high-quality imaging of a galaxy called PKS 2014-55, sent by the South African satellite MeerKAT, the ‘X’ galaxies were found to be of a ‘double boomerang’ shape.
The galaxy that is located 800 million light years from Earth, is classified as ‘X-shaped’ because of its appearance from previous blurry images. The study also showed that these structures ultimately turn black due to the pressure of tenuous intergalactic gas.

Notes:
Moody’s Investors Service has recently projected India’s growth at zero per cent for the current fiscal 2020-21.
It had estimated a growth of 4.8 per cent for the last fiscal year. Last month the ratings agency estimated that the Indian economy would grow at 0.2 per cent. It had also provided a ‘Baa2’ rating for India, which represents moderate credit risk. It also said that India would regain its growth rate at 6.6 per cent in the 2021-22 fiscal.

Notes:
West Bengal supplies about 95 per cent of the jute bags used across the country, mainly in packaging of food-grains. As the lock-down has stopped the production of jute bags in the state, the Food Corporation of India faces a shortage of bags.
Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced that the government has allowed packaging of food-grains in used gunny sacks and plastic bags during the ongoing procurement season. A task force has been constituted by the Ministry to assess the shortage of jute bags for packaging amid the lock-down.

Notes:
The Union Budget 2020 proposed to reduce the stay period of an individual in India to 120 days, from the previous 182 days. But this reduction is only applicable to persons with less than Rs 15 lakh as Indian income during the Financial year.
Recently, Finance Ministry allowed a relief in determining the residential status during 2019-20, where a person came to India before 22nd March, 2020 and was unable to leave India on or before 31st March 2020, his period of stay in India from 22nd March to 31st March shall not be taken into account. Otherwise they shall have to file tax returns as Indian residents.

Notes:
The government of Madhya Pradesh has launched a new scheme called ‘FIR Aapke Dwar Yojana’ in Bhopal.
The scheme has been launched on a pilot basis in 23 Police stations across the state. Under the scheme, people need not visit Police stations to lodge an FIR, rather they can use the number 100. The Dial 100 vehicle would have trained Head Constables to lodge FIR. For serious complaints, guidance will be given by senior officers.