Current Affairs Daily Digest – June 24 2020
1. China launched last BeiDou Satellite System
China launched the satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System 3 (BDS-3) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on 23 June 2020.
About BeiDou –
- BDS-3 Satellite was carried by a Long March-3B carrier rocket.
- It is the 30th BDS-3 satellite and also the 55th of the whole BeiDou satellite family.
- BDS-3 will offer its users services including high-precision positioning and short message communication. It will bring new highlights to global navigation satellite systems.
2. Union HRD Minister launched YUKTI 2.0 platform for Higher Education Institutes in New Delhi
Union Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched an initiative ‘YUKTI 2.0’ on 23 June 2020 in New Delhi. The initiative aims to help systematically assimilate technologies having commercial potential and information related to incubated startups in higher education institutions.
YUKTI :
- YUKTI stands for Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology & Innovation
- YUKTI 2.0 is the logical extension of the earlier version of ‘YUKTI’.
- The initiative aims to identify ideas relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. China has decided to join the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
The people’s Republic of China will join the multilateral Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), this was decided during a three-day meeting from 18th June to 20th June of the top lawmaking committee in China- Legislative Affairs Committee. China was one of the 23 countries back in 2013 when it abstained from the vote to adopt the treaty at the United Nations.
4. Rajasthan Government to launch ‘Indira Rasoi Yojna’
To provide pure and nutritious food to the economically weaker sections of the society, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot on 22nd June 2020 announced ‘Indira Rasoi Yojna (Indira Kitchen Scheme).
Under the scheme, food will be available at a concessional rate twice a day to make sure no one sleeps hungry in state. For the successful implementation of the scheme, the state government will rope in local Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in every district of the state.
5. India remains 3rd largest economy in purchasing power parity; still way behind China, US
India has retained its position as the third-largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), even as it is way behind the US and China.
India accounts for 6.7 per cent, or $8,051 billion, out of the world’s total of $119,547 billion of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in terms of PPP, a measure of relative consumer prices across countries, as against 16.4 per cent in case of China and 16.3 per cent for the United States, World Bank data for reference year 2017 show.
6. Serbia Election : President Vucic declares landslide win
The party of Serbia’s nationalist president Aleksandar Vucic has won parliamentary elections in a landslide victory that will tighten his control over the country as his opponents warn the would-be EU member is in danger of becoming a one-party state.
7. Rs. 2,000 crore allocated by PM CARES Fund for supply of 50,000 ventilators to govt run COVID hospitals
The PM-CARES Fund Trust has allocated Rs. 2,000 crore for supply of 50,000 ‘Made-in-India’ ventilators to government run COVID hospitals in all States and Union Territories. In addition, Rs. 1,000 crore have been allocated for the welfare of migrant labourers.
AIR correspondent reports, out of the 50,000 ventilators, 30,000 ventilators are being manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited.
8. India pledges USD 10 million to UNRWA over next two years
India has announced contributing 10 million US dollar to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) over the coming two years.
Addressing an Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for UNRWA, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Tuesday said that capacity enhancement through training and building durable institutions is a major plank of our developmental assistance to Palestine.
