DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: APRIL 20th 2019

Dear Aspirants,

Daily Current Affairs (April 20th 2019) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

Govt to add over 2 lakh seats in 158 institutions for 10% EWS quota:

• In a bid to introduce 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) among forward castes from the 2019-20 academic session, the government of India will add over 2 lakh additional seats in 158 Central Educational Institutions (CEIs) across the country.
• With the approval of the Cabinet, a total of 2,14,766 additional seats will be created. While 1,19,983 additional seats will be created during 2019-20 academic session, 95,783 seats will be added in 2020-21.

INTERNATIONAL

Exim Bank funds projects worth USD 267 mn in Rwanda:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said Exim Bank has provided soft loans of USD 266.60 million to Rwanda for various projects.
• The funding, done in three separate tranches to Rwanda, is to support agricultural projects, development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and for financing road project in the African nation.
• According to the agreements, Exim Bank will provide USD 100 million – for financing the development of two SEZs and expansion of the Kigali SEZ in Rwanda.
• And another USD 100 million for financing three agriculture project schemes – Warufu Multipurpose Project, Mugesera Irrigation Project and Nyamukana Irrigation Project.
• While USD 66.60 million will be funded for the Base-Butaro-Kidaho Road Project.

Saudi Arabia to host G20 leaders’ summit in November 2020:

• Saudi Arabia will host the annual G20 leaders’ summit on November 21-22, 2020, in its capital, Riyadh. This will be the first G20 meeting in the Arab world and the 15^th meeting of the G20 (Group of Twenty).
• Japan will host this year’s G20 summit in Osaka, which will be held June 28-29, as well as ministerial meetings in eight cities.
• The participants of the G20 summit will be leaders from 19 countries and the Europian Union (EU). The 19 countries are, namely, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Republic of South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America.

Over 300 Days, Christina Koch Will Set A New Record For Longest Space Flight By A Woman:

• Christina Koch, an astronaut for NASA, arrive on the International Space Station on March 14 earlier this year.
• Koch is now slated to remain on the station through February 2020. That means she’ll spend 328 days, or nearly a full year, in orbit, which is one of the longest consecutive stays in space by any NASA astronaut.

Sri Lanka’s 1st satellite ‘Raavana-1’ launched into space:

• Sri Lanka’s first satellite ‘Raavana-1’ was launched into space from NASA’s Flight Facility on Virginia’s east shore. ‘Raavana 1’ weights around 05 kg and the lifespan of the satellite is around one and a half years.
• The launch marks Sri Lanka’s entry into the global space age. The satellite was designed and built at the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan by two Sri Lankan research engineers. Its camera mission is to capture images of Sri Lanka and its neighbouring countries.

RANKING/REPORTS BY VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS

India drops down on World Press Freedom Index:

• India has dropped two places on a global press freedom index to be ranked 140^th out of 180 countries in the annual Reporters Without Borders analysis, with the lead up to the ongoing Indian general elections flagged as a particularly dangerous time for journalists.
• The World Press Freedom Index 2019′, topped by Norway, finds an increased sense of hostility towards journalists across the world, with violent attacks in India leading to at least six Indian journalists being killed in the line of their work last year.

BANKING & BUSINESS

Cholamandalam MS General Insurance gets ISO 31000:2018 certification:

• Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited has been certified with ISO 31000
• ISO 31000:2018 is an international risk management standard. The standard provides guidelines, principles, framework, and a process for managing risk. It can be used by any organization regardless of its size, activity or sector.

SEFL, Bank of Baroda tie up:

• Srei Equipment Finance (SEFL) has entered into an alliance with Bank of Baroda to offer joint loans for infrastructure equipment under a co-lending arrangement.
• The sourcing of loans under this programme would be facilitated by iQuippo, a Kanoria Foundation initiative.

AWARDS & HONOURS

150 Indian peacekeepers in S Sudan awarded medal of honour for dedicated service:

• A total of 150 Indian peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have received medals of honour for their dedicated service and sacrifice.
• Colonel Amit Gupta who commands a battalion of 850 soldiers in the Upper Nile region, South Sudan was 1 among the recipients of the Medal of Honour.

Cipla chairman Hamied receives UK Royal Society honour:

• Prominent scientist and businessman Yusuf Hamied is among a host of Indian-origin experts honoured in the 2019 list of new fellows of the UK’s Royal Society.
• The 82-year-old chairman of pharmaceutical major Cipla has been made an Honorary Fellow of the prestigious body, comprising of many of the world’s most eminent scientists.

APPOINTMENTS

Jaideep Sarkar appointed High Commissioner to South Africa:

• Seasoned diplomat Jaideep Sarkar has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to South Africa.
• Sarkar, a 1987-batch Indian Foreign Service official, is currently serving as India’s ambassador in Bhutan.

Suhel Ajaz Khan appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Lebanon:

• Suhel Ajaz Khan (IFS:1997), presently Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Riyadh, has been appointed as the Next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Lebanon.

Deutsche Bank appoints Kaushik Shaparia as new India head:

• Deutsche Bank AG has appointed Kaushik Shaparia as the chief country officer for India after its former head Ravneet Singh Gill joined Yes Bank last month.
• Shaparia currently serves as the Asia Pacific Head of Trade Finance & Cash Management for Corporates for Regional Operations at Deutsche Bank (China) Co., Ltd.

SPORTS

Wrestler Bajrang Punia regains world number one spot:

• India’s Bajrang Punia has regained the World Number One spot in the men’s 65-kilogram freestyle category rankings. The rankings were released by United World Wrestling.

OBITUARY

Former West Indies board president Pat Rousseau dies aged 85:

• Patrick Rousseau, the former president of Cricket West Indies, died in Jamaica. Rousseau, who hailed from Jamaica, was aged 85 and succumbed to a long illness.

NASA’s 1st female astronaut candidate, Jerrie Cobb, dies at 88:

• NASA’s first female astronaut candidate, pilot Jerrie Cobb, has died.
• In 1961, Cobb became the first woman to pass astronaut testing. Altogether, 13 women passed the arduous physical testing and became known as the Mercury 13. But NASA already had its Mercury 7 astronauts, all test pilots and men.