Current Affairs 20-06-2020

Union Minister for Coal launched SATYABHAMA (Science and Technology Yojana for Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Mining Advancement) Portal for Science and Technology Programme Scheme of Ministry of Mines.
The SATYABHAMA portal has been designed, developed and implemented by National Informatics Centre (NIC), Mines Informatics Division.

A MoU has been signed between the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to engage SIDBI as the Implementation Agency for PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) - a Special Micro-Credit Facility for Street Vendors.
PM SVANidhi was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on June 01, 2020, for providing affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown.
On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on a quarterly basis.

The Government of India and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed a $750 million “COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Programme” to assist India to strengthen its response to the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable households.
The Programme will provide the Government of India with budget support to mitigate the severe adverse social and economic impact of COVID-19.
The project will be executed by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

The US Supreme Court dealt President Donald Trump a major setback on his hardline immigration policies, blocking his bid to end a program that protects from deportation hundreds of thousands of immigrants – often called “Dreamers” – who entered the US illegally as children.
DACA is an American immigration policy established by the Obama administration through executive action in 2012.
The DACA program has helped around 8,00,000 beneficiaries, a group that is commonly referred to as the ‘Dreamers’.

Punjab government has notified the Civil Services Board (CSB) for providing fixed tenure of IAS officers.
As per a state government notification dated June 2, CSB will be headed by Chief Secretary, with Personnel Secretary, and either Financial Commissioner (Revenue) or Home Secretary (who so ever is senior in the pecking order) as its members.

The government of India has decided to establish 1000 Khelo India Centers (KIC) at the district level across the country.
Existing SAI extension centers will be given the option of converting into a KIC and recruiting a past champion to avail of the financial grant under the scheme.
Any past champion can also establish a new KIC with infrastructure owned by themselves, the central and state government, local authorities, clubs, or educational institutions.

World Refugee Day is being observed on 20th of June with the theme “Every Action Counts.”
The 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol help protect Refugees. They are the only global legal instruments explicitly covering the most important aspects of a refugee’s life.
The cornerstone of the 1951 Convention is the principle of non-refoulment. According to this principle, a refugee should not be returned to a country where he or she faces serious threats to his or her life or freedom.
This protection may not be claimed by refugees who are reasonable.

The World Sickle Cell Day is being observed on June 19, 2020. It is observed each year to raise public awareness about sickle cell disease and its treatment methods.
It is characterized by a modification in the shape of the red blood cell from a smooth, donut-shaped into a crescent or half-moon shape
These cells lack plasticity and can block small blood vessels, impairing blood flow. This condition leads to shortened red blood cell survival, and subsequent anemia, often called sickle-cell anemia.

CSIR constituent lab CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute(CDRI) Lucknow, has received permission for carrying out Phase III randomized clinical trial of antiviral drug Umifenovir.
This drug has a good safety profile and acts by preventing the entry of virus into human cells and also by priming the immune system.
Umifenovir is mainly used for the treatment of influenza and is available in China and Russia, and has recently come into prominence due to its potential use for Covid19 patients.
To evaluate its efficacy in Indian patients, CSIR-CDRI has taken up the clinical trial.