Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 28 JULY 2020

SSC CGL Current Affairs

::NATIONAL::

Prime Minister NarendraModi mentioned the need to develop new health infrastructure and boost the already existing health infrastructure facilities in the villages during the launch of three high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities yesterday.
Prime Minister said that apart from developing the physical infrastructure, the country has also managed to swiftly ramp up human resources including paramedics, ASHA workers, Anganwadis among others. He said, as health workers, they played a significant part in controlling the spread of the pandemic.
The Prime Minister forewarned people to be cautious during the celebrations of the festivals in order to keep the virus contained. He underlined that the benefits of PM GaribKalyan Anna Yojna should reach the poor on a timely basis.
He added that till the time a vaccine is not developed, people should adhere to the health guidelines following do gazdoori, wearing masks and hand sanitization.

Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan today said that Ministry of Earth Sciences is a unique organization in the world which looks holistically at all branches of Earth Science.
He said, India is the only country with a fully-dedicated ministry solely addressing all the aspects of Earth Sciences.
He added that this helps in developing an integrated approach in planning and resolving major concerns in a holistic manner with least time delay.
The Ministry was formed in 2006 by a merger of the India Meteorological Department, the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the Earth Risk Evaluation Centre and the Ministry of Ocean Development.

The Indian economy is likely to face inflationary pressures in the near term, as factors like supply chain disruption and lack of low-wage workers are expected to offset the deflationary pressures from subdued demand in the economy, says a report.
According to Dun & Bradstreet's latest Economy Forecast, inflationary pressures are building up both from the demand and the supply side.
Dun & Bradstreet expects the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) to have increased from 5.7 per cent to 5.9 per cent during July 2020.
As per Dun & Bradstreet's business credit scores derived from the 2019 financial performance, 71 per cent of Indian businesses fall under the "slightly greater than average risk" category.

India has asked the members of WTO to constructively engage in negotiations for a permanent solution to public stockholding for food security purposes, as committed in the ministerial conferences in Bali and Nairobi.
According to statements delivered by Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the WTO, BrajendraNavnit, at the meeting of General Council of WTO on July 22-23, a permanent solution to the issue, which is simple and can be used by developing countries, would go a long way in addressing their genuine concerns relating to food security of the most vulnerable sections of the society.
Navnit said the current pandemic has shown how adversely the poor in developing countries are impacted, and developing governments have been struggling with the issues faced by the most vulnerable sections of the society, including agricultural farmers and labourers.

Defence Ministers’ Dialogue between India and Indonesia was held in New Delhi today.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the Indian delegation while the Indonesian delegation was led by their Defence Minister General PrabowoSubianto.
The dignitary is in India for strengthening the ties between the two maritime neighbours.
During the talks, Mr Rajnath Singh reiterated the long history of mutually beneficial interactions between the two countries with a tradition of close political dialogue, economic and trade linkages as well as cultural and people to people interactions.
Conveying satisfaction on the military to military interactions, the Minister indicated that the defence cooperation between India and Indonesia has witnessed an upswing in the recent years.
This is in consonance with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two sides. Both the Ministers agreed to further enhance the bilateral defence cooperation in mutually agreed areas.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Railways Minister PiyushGoyal flagged off virtually to Bangladesh ten Broad Gauge locomotives in a handing over ceremony held today.
The handing over of these locomotives, under grant assistance from India fulfills an important commitment made during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October last year.
In keeping with the requirements of Bangladesh Railway, the locomotives have been suitably modified by the Indian side.These locomotives will help handle the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Bangladesh.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal underscored the significance of railway cooperation in enhancing bilateral trade and connectivity and in further boosting the economic partnership between the two countries.
A total of 103 freight trains were utilized for carrying essential commodities and raw materials. Recently, parcel and container train services have also commenced between India and Bangladesh.This is expected to significantly enhance the scope of bilateral trade.

When doctors in a flood-ravaged Assam urgently sought plasma of a particular blood type for a COVID-19 patient this month, health officials sent a boat for a marooned donor who had recovered from the disease weeks ago.
With coronavirus cases surging in the northeastern state of Assam and critical medicines running low, local authorities are rolling out the red carpet for now-cured patients - all for their blood plasma believed to be rich in virus antibody, although research on its efficacy has not been conclusive.
Assam says that symptomatic patients who donate plasma four weeks after recovery will get preference in government jobs and housing. For example, a donor may get extra marks if he or she is tied in any test or interview for a job.
The success of the overall effort is crucial for Assam, one of India's poorest states that is short of remdesivir and tocilizumab to treat severe COVID-19 patients. Delhi and Odisha states are also courting plasma donors as India's total infections have leaped to 1.4 million with nearly 33,000 deaths.
Plasma from a previously infected person can be used to treat up to two moderately ill patients, Sarma said. Without timely treatment, such patients' condition can potentially worsen, further straining the limited pool for medicines.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday launched the ODI Super League, a qualifier for the 2023 World Cup in India that aims to add context to the 50-over format.
Hosts India and the next top seven teams in the Super League will automatically qualify for the World Cup, the world body stated in a press release.