Current Affairs: 17- 18 May 2020 We are here to provide important recent and latest current affairs for you 17 – 18 May 2020, from all newspapers like Hindu, Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Latest Current Affairs 2020 events are provided here. Here all the data is taken from newspapers.

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Current Affairs: 17-18 May 2020

1. Advance estimates of production of food grains, oilseeds and other commercial crops released for 2019-20

The third advance estimate of production of main crops for 2019-20 has been released by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare on May 15, 2020. The total rainfall during the monsoon season (June to September, 2019) in the country has been 10 percent above the long-term average (LPA). Accordingly, the production of most crops for the agricultural year 2019-20 is estimated to be higher than their normal production.

• As per the Third Advance Estimates for 2019-20, the total food grain production in the country is estimated at a record 295.67 million tonnes which is 10.46 million tonnes more than the 285.21 million tonnes produced during 2018-19. However, the production during 2019-20 is 25.89 million tonnes more than the average food production of the last five years (2014-15 to 2018-19).
• The total oilseed production in the country during 2019-20 is estimated at a record 33.50 million tonnes which is 1.98 million tonnes more than the production of 31.52 million tonnes during 2018-19. In addition, the production of oilseeds during 2019-20 is 4.10 million tonnes more than the average oilseeds production.
• Cotton production is estimated at a record 36.05 million bales (bales per 170 kg) which is 8.01 million bales more than the production of 28.04 million tonnes during 2018-19. Production of jute and mesta is estimated at 9.92 million bales (bales per 180 kg).
• The estimated production of major crops during 2019-20 is as follows:

Food grains – 295.67 million tonnes

• i) Rice – 117.94 million tonnes
• ii) Wheat – 107.18 million tonnes
• iii) Nutrient / Coarse Grains – 47.54 million tonnes
• iv) Maize – 28.98 million tonnes
• v) Pulses – 23.01 million tonnes
• vi) Toor – 3.75 million tonnes
• vii) Gram – 10.90 million tonnes

Oilseeds – 33.50 million tonnes

• i) Soybean – 12.24 million tonnes
• ii) Rapeseed and mustard – 8.70 million tonnes
• iii) Groundnut – 9.35 million tonnes

Other crops

• i) Cotton – 36.05 million bales (170 kg per bale)
• ii) Jute and Mesta – 9.92 million bales (180 kg per bale)
• iii) Sugarcane – 358.14 million tonnes

2. US $ 145 million agreement with AIIB to improve irrigation services and flood management in West Bengal

Government of India, Government of West Bengal and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed a US $ 145 million loan agreement to improve irrigation services and flood management in Damodar Valley Command Area, West Bengal. Have done.

• The total value of the project is $ 413.8 million, it is co-financed between AIIB ($ 145 million), IBRD ($ 145 million) and the Government of West Bengal ($ 123.8 million).
• The $ 145 million loan from AIIB includes a 6-year grace period and a maturity period of 24 years.

Damodar Valley Command Area Project

• The Damodar Valley Command Area (DVCA) is more than 60 years old and needs modernization. The main challenges include poor quality of service delivery, inefficient irrigation and lack of adequate irrigation in the central and end parts of the canal network with surface water, including infrastructure degradation and inadequate irrigation management.
• Farmers living in the last extremity are forced to extract ground water, which increases the cost of farming and weakens the stability of the scheme. Between 2005 and 2017, the number of semi-critical blocks increased from five to 19 (out of a total of 41 blocks).
• Historically, the lower Damodar Basin area is prone to flooding. An average 33,500 hectares of cropped area and 461,000 people are affected by the floods every year.
• The project’s riverbed area lacks infrastructure to prevent flooding. The project will invest in flood mitigation measures, including strengthening of embankments and desilting.
• This major irrigation and flood management project in West Bengal will provide better irrigation services to about 2.7 million farmers in five districts of 393,964 hectare area of ​​West Bengal and better protection from the floods that occur every year to reduce the impact of climate change. Will be able to meet.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral international financial institution that serves as a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond.
• It is headquartered in Beijing. It started functioning in January 2016 and currently has 78 members. It is currently headed by Jin Likun.
• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank provides financing for concrete and sustainable projects in energy and electricity, transport and telecommunications, rural infrastructure and agricultural development, water supply and sanitation, environmental protection, urban development and operations.

3. Government of India approves Defense Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS)

To promote manufacturing of domestic defense and space technology, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh approved the launch of Defense Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) with an outlay of Rs 400 crore to build state-of-the-art test infrastructure in the region. is.

• The scheme will be for a period of five years and envisages setting up of six to eight new testing facilities in partnership with private industries.
• This will help in indigenous defense production, which will result in less import of military equipment and help in making the country self-sufficient.

How will this project work?

• Under this scheme, up to 75 percent of the funds will be provided by the government as ‘grant-in-aid’ to the projects. The remaining 25 per cent of the cost of the project will be borne by the Special Purpose Unit (SPV), whose components will be Indian private entities and state governments.
• Under this scheme, the Special Purpose Unit (SPV) will be registered under the Companies Act 2013 and will also operate and maintain all assets under the scheme in a self-sustainable manner by collecting user fees. The equipment / systems tested will be certified as per appropriate validation.
• Although most of the test facilities are expected to be contained within two defense industrial corridors (DICs), the scheme is not limited to setting up test facilities in the DIC alone.

4. Commissioning of seventh vessel of Landing Craft Utility MK-IV ‘INLCU L57’ at Port Blair

Lieutenant General PS Rajeshwar, Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command, commissioned INLCU L57 at Port Blair on 15 May 2020 to serve in the Indian Navy.

• The INLCU L57 Landing Craft Utility (LCU) joining the Indian Navy is the seventh vessel of the MK-IV class. Preparing the INLCU L57 for service is an excellent example of indigenous design and shipbuilding capability.
• The last vessel of this category, M / s M / s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), has reached the advanced stage of construction at Kolkata and is expected to be commissioned later this year. Such vessels will cater to the maritime security needs of the country as per the ‘Make in India’ campaign of the Hon’ble Prime Minister.

Characteristics of MK-IV ‘INLCU L57’ vessel

• The LCU MK-IV vessel is a water and on-site vessel designed to play an important role in transporting and deploying main battle tanks, armored vehicles, military squads and equipment from ship to shore.
• The vessel has been designed and manufactured indigenously by M / s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• 05 officers and 45 naval personnel have been deployed in this vessel and apart from this the vessel is also capable of carrying 160 soldiers.
• The vessel is capable of carrying various types of warfare equipment such as the main battle tank Arjun, T72 and other vehicles with 830 tonne displacement.
• The vessel is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and advanced systems, such as Integrated Bridge System (IBS) and Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).
• These ships located in Andaman and Nicobar Command can be deployed for various activities such as coastal operations, search and rescue, disaster relief operations, supply and maintenance and evacuation from remote islands.

5. Roberto Ezevedo, President of the World Trade Organization, decided to resign from the post

Roberto Ezevedo, President of the World Trade Organization, has decided to resign a year before his term ends.

• In a special meeting of the World Trade Organization delegations, he said that it is a personal and family decision. Trump accused the World Trade Organization of bias and other grievances against the US.
• His work was for seven years but he is leaving his post a year ago. The WTO director general is stepping down at a time when US President Donald Trump is under tremendous pressure from him.
• Trump says the Geneva situation is biased by the trade organization’s position on the United States.

World trade organization

• The WTO is a multilateral institution, which regulates international trade. It was established on 1 January 1995. This new organization replaced the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). The GATT came into force from 1 January 1948 as an interim agreement.
• 164 countries have joined the membership of this organization. India is a founding member of the World Trade Organization. On 29 July 2016, Afghanistan became its 164th member. Today, 98% of the world’s trade is under the WTO. It is headquartered in the city of Geneva, Switzerland.
• The functioning of the WTO is more democratic than the United Nations. While five permanent members have veto power in the United Nations, no nation is privileged in the WTO. Not everyone is equal.
• WTO member states have a ministerial meeting every two years in which decisions are made by consensus. There have been 11 meetings so far. The next meeting is proposed in 2020 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

6. India objected to China on construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam

The Government of India has objected to the presence of a Chinese government company for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam to be constructed in Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

• The Ministry of External Affairs of India has said, “Our stand is unwavering and clear that all the regions of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been and will remain integral and integral parts of India.” The ministry said, “We have been expressing our opposition and shared concerns to both Pakistan and China on all such projects in Pakistan’s illegally occupied Indian territories.”

What is the issue?

• Recently, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan government has signed a joint venture worth US $ 5.8 billion with a joint venture of a Chinese government company and a commercial unit of the Pakistan Army for the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam on the Indus River. .
• In this consortium, Chinese state-owned China Power has a 70 percent stake, while the Pakistan Army’s commercial arm ‘Frontier Works Organization’ has a 30 percent stake.
• Under this, an eight-mile acre-foot (MAF) reservoir with a height of 272 meters will be built, which will be the world’s highest roller compact concrete (RCC) dam. It will have a spillway, 14 gates and five outlets to eject silt.
• The diversion system will consist of two tunnels and a diversion canal. The bridge will be constructed towards the downstream of the dam structure. At the same time 21 MW power plant will be set up to meet the energy needs of the project during construction.

What is China’s reaction?

• China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijiang said that China’s stand on the Kashmir issue is irreplaceable. China and Pakistan are collaborating financially to promote economic development and improve the lives of local people.

7. Developed injectable silk fibroin-based hydrogels for continuous delivery of insulin in diabetics

Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and Technology, have recently developed injectable silk fibroin-based hydrogels for insulin delivery in diabetics.

• Prof. T. Govindaraju and his research team from JNCASR developed a silk fibroin (SF) formula using bio-biocompatible additives and designed an injectable SF hydrogel (injectable SF hydrogel-iSFH) that facilitates insulin delivery in patients with diabetes Can make
• Injected SF hydrogels have successfully demonstrated the delivery of activated insulin in mice, and the results of the demonstration have been published in the journal ACS Applied Bio Material.
• JNCASR scientists have shown that injection of insulin containing injectable SF hydrogel (iSFH) into the dermis in mice with diabetes led to the formation of active depots under the skin, from which insulin slowly exits and for 4 days Body glucose restores homeostasis for a longer period. There is no risk of sudden decrease in blood sugar due to high concentration of insulin in the blood.
• The viscous additives used by the team limited the mobility of SF proteins and rapidly resulted in gel. Microstructures provide mechanical strength. (To aid injection) The stomatal motif of ISFH helped in encapsulation (capsule formation) of human recombinant insulin in its active form in diabetic mice.
• It is an effective insulin delivery device. It has demonstrated mechanical strength, biocompatibility, encapsulation, storage and its continuous delivery of activated insulin in diabetic animals. Active oral encapsulation and delivery of insulin by ISFH can also develop future oral insulin. The JNCASR team hopes the pharmaceutical companies will come forward and develop it for human use.

What is the current system?

• The traditional and last resort of treatment involves repeatedly injecting insulin under the skin to maintain physiological glucose homeostasis.
• Insulin injection pain under the skin, local tissue decay, infection, nerve damage and locally concentrated insulin; Physically responsible for the inability to achieve glucose homeostasis.
• This problem can be overcome by controlled and continuous insulin delivery. Encapsulation and continuous delivery of insulin in its active form (without loss of activity) is of paramount importance.

Diabetes status in india

• More than 70 million people are affected by diabetes in India, which is second in the world. It results from the loss of beta cells within the body or insufficient production of insulin due to insulin resistance, which creates an imbalance in glucose homeostasis and causes a sudden increase in blood sugar levels.

8. INAE invited nomination for Young Entrepreneur Award 2020

Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), the autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, Gurgaon has invited nominations from candidates for the INAE Young Entrepreneur Award 2020.

• The institute has sent a letter to people associated with INAE asking them to send nominations for INAE Young Entrepreneur Award 2020. Along with this, nominations have also been sought from 372 incubation centers and start ups run with the help of various government agencies apart from 29 IIT research centers.

INAE Young Entrepreneur Award 2020

• A citation and a cash amount of ₹ 2 lakh will be given to the individual candidate selected for the award. This prize money can also be shared among the candidates, which cannot have more than 3 candidates.
• The award, given to two people in a year, has been started with the aim of encouraging and recognizing young engineers for innovation and entrepreneurship. For this, preference is given to innovations and concepts in the field of engineering which have been proven and implemented in either new processes or new products of the industry. Only Indian citizens who are not more than 45 years of age on January 1, 2020 are eligible for consideration of this award.
• Both innovation and entrepreneurship are considered important for the award. Preference is given to those young innovators of academic / research organization or industry whose innovative engineering / technology principles have taken the form of successful startup venture

9. Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium to become Quarantine Center

The Mumbai Cricket Association has started work on a plan to convert the famous Wankhede Stadium here into a quarantine facility amid growing cases of corona virus in Mumbai.

• MCA officials are now preparing to make the stadium a quarantine center after receiving a letter from BMC in this regard. Earlier, the BMC had written a letter to the MCA seeking permission to use the Wankhede Stadium temporarily.
• In its letter, the BMC has told the MCA that it wants to use the Wankhede Stadium to build a quarantine facility for the emergency staff and patients from Corona from the BMC. Before Maharashtra, a quarantine facility has been made for corona patients in stadiums in many other states.
• On May 15, 933 new cases of corona were reported in Mumbai. Apart from this, 24 people have also died in Mumbai on May 15 from Corona. The total number of corona patients in Mumbai alone has exceeded 17 thousand. There have been a total of 29,100 cases across the state.

10. Olympian Ashok Dewan stranded in America returned home

Ashok Dewan, a former Olympic player from India fighting health problems while stranded in America, has returned home from the Vande India Mission run by the Government of India.

• He will now stay in Quarantine for 14 days as per the rule made by the government to stop the Kovid-19 from spreading. In a message sent to Narendra Batra, President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Diwan wrote, “I have come to India and now I am following the Quarantine Rule implemented by the Indian Government.”
• Hockey World Cup 1975 champion goalkeeper Dewan Kovid-19 was caught in Sacramento, California, USA due to travel restrictions from where he was to return on April 20.
• Dewan was also a member of the Indian team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He was awarded the Dhyanchand Award in 2002 for his contribution to hockey.

Vande Bharat Mission

• The Government of India launched the biggest campaign to bring back the stranded Indians from Vande Bharat Mission from 07 May. Under this, more than fourteen thousand eight hundred Indians are being brought back from twelve countries. During this time, 64 flights will be operated to bring back the stranded Indians abroad.
• It is being compared to the airlift of 1990. Talking about the operation three decades ago, Air India led a group of airlines, bringing back about 111,711 Indians. The Indian Air Force was involved in this work. It was at that time that Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 and trapped Indians had to be brought back. There were 488 flights involved in that 59-day operation.