07-07.2020 Daily APSC Current Affairs

International

World Bank and Government of India sign $750 million Agreement

World Bank and Government of India sign $750 million Agreement for Emergency Response Programme for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
The World Bank’s MSME Emergency Response Programme will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of some 1.5 million viable MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect millions of jobs. This is the first step among a broader set of reforms that are needed to propel the MSME sector over time.
The program will incentivize and mainstream the use of fintech and digital financial services in MSME lending and payments. Digital platforms will play an important role by enabling lenders, suppliers, and buyers to reach firms faster and at a lower cost, especially small enterprises who currently may not have access to the formal channels.
The World Bank has to date committed $2.75 billion to support India’s emergency COVID-19 response, including the new MSME project. The first $1 billion emergency support was announced in April this year for immediate support to India’s health sector. Another $1 billion project was approved in May to increase cash transfers and food benefits to the poor and vulnerable, including a more consolidated delivery platform – accessible to both rural and urban populations across state boundaries.

Kuwait expat quota bill

A total of eight lakh Indians could be forced to leave Kuwait as its National Assembly committee has approved a draft expat quota bill seeking to reduce the number of foreign workers in the Gulf country.
Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah proposed reducing the number of expats from 70% to 30% of the population

Fire at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility

A fire at Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear facility has caused significant damage that could slow the development of advanced centrifuges used to enrich uranium
Natanz nuclear facility, is generally recognized as Iran’s central facility for uranium enrichment with over 19,000 gas centrifuges currently operational and nearly half of them being fed with uranium hexafluoride

40 websites of banned group Sikhs For Justice blocked

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued orders for blocking 40 websites of the U.S.-based Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which has been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The outfit, which was banned by the MHA about a year ago, has been running an online campaign for recruiting supporters.

National

CBSE partners with Facebook

CBSE partners with Facebook for curriculum on digital safety, augmented reality
the comprehensive curriculum is aimed at ensuring online well-being of students and preparing them for the future of work.
This partnership is led by Facebook for Education, a global initiative by Facebook, to build diverse learning communities and bring the world closer together
The curriculum will cover aspects such as safety, privacy, mental health and Instagram’s guide for building healthy digital habits.
The module has been designed to guide students become responsible digital users, identify and report threats and harassment as well as report misinformation.

Encroachement in Valley of Flowers

Valley of Flowers, the internationally-famous alpine valley situated in the Garhwal Himalayas, is facing the pressure of encroachment despite its remoteness and being nestled at an altitude of 11,500 feet above sea level.
Ghangaria — a reserve forest situated at the entrance of the valley — has been flooded with concrete buildings, functioning as restaurants and hotels

‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030

On a mission mode, Indian Railways takes decisive steps to transform itself as ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030.
It has already floated tenders for 2 GW of solar projects for Indian Railways to be installed on unutilised railway lands
Pilot project in Bina getting operationalised soon and under extensive testing and trial
Mission AtmaNirbhar Bharat remains the driving force
Solar Energy to make Indian Railways a complete ‘Green mode of transportation’

NHAI to Rank Roads for Quality Service

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to undertake performance assessment and ranking of the highways in the country.
The assessment audit and ranking of the NHs is aimed to take corrective recourse, wherever needed, to improve the quality and provide higher level of service to highway commuters.
The assessment parameters are based on different international practices and studies for benchmarking highway performances in Indian context.
The criteria for the assessment have been broadly categorised in three main heads: Highway Efficiency (45%), Highway Safety (35%) and User Services (20%). On the basis of outcome of the assessment, the authority will undertake a comprehensive analysis and decide on the level of intervention required to enhance the overall service quality.

Webinar titled “Women of India -Shifting Gears”

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, under the Dekho Apna Desh webinar series, organised its 40th webinar titled “Women of India – Shifting Gears” outlining the thrills of women biking infused with tourism.
The webinar session was held by two women bike enthusiasts of India Jai Bharathi who is an avid motorcyclist, travel enthusiast and Co-founder of MoWo (Moving Women), a social initiative encouraging women to travel in motorcycles; and Candida Louis, a biker, blogger, story teller and Motorcycle tour guide.
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