9th May 2020 Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs of 9th May 2020

International Current Affairs

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN's postal agency have released a commemorative postage stamp today on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox.
- In May 1980, the 33rd World Health Assembly issued its official declaration that the world and all peoples have won freedom from smallpox.
Italy today became the 3rd country to record at least 30,000 deaths due to coronavirus.
- Only the US and the UK have reported more deaths from the virus.
Nearly 700 distressed Indians fly back on special flights from Kuwait, Sharjah and Oman under the Vande Bharat Mission.
- Special flights from Sharjah to Lucknow, Muscat to Kochi, Kuwait to Kochi; Kuwait to Hyderabad and from Doha to Kochi have been arranged under the Vande Bharat Mission to fly back those Indians who are in distress abroad amidst the global pandemic.

National Current Affairs

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today announced that the total number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 59,662.
- The death toll due to the virus in India has reached 1,981, according to figures released by the ministry.
- Out of the total cases, 39,834 cases are active, while 17,847 people have been cured, discharged or migrated.
To give assistance to those migrant workers returning from other states, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today launched the 'Pravasi Rahat Mitra App'.
- "The objective is to help those coming to UP from other states get benefits of government schemes, keep a watch on their health, and especially help them get jobs," state revenue department said in a statement.

Science & Technology

Search Engine Giant Google has announced that Google Lens will now be able to paste handwritten notes to another signed-in device with Chrome, like user's laptop.
- Users can select text with Lens on their phones and tap "copy to computer" to quickly paste it on their laptops.

New Appointments

Maharashtra government today transferred Praveen Pardeshi from the post of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner.
- He has been replaced by the current Principal Secretary (Urban Development) Iqbal Chahal as the new Commissioner of BMC.

Deaths

British rapper Ty (Benedict Chijioke), aged 47, passed away after contracting pneumonia while recovering from coronavirus.
- He released his debut album 'Awkward' in 2001 and was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2004 for the album 'Upwards'.

MOUs & Agreements

The Defence Ministry has signed a deal worth ₹1,200 crore with Tata Power SED to modernise infrastructure of 37 airfields for Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.
- The project will give a boost to over 250 MSMEs that will be directly benefitted, the ministry said.
- Note : Earlier, 30 airfields were upgraded under Phase I of the infrastructure program.

Banking, Business & Economic Affairs

The government has raised its Gross market borrowing estimate for the current financial year by 54% as it seeks more funds to deal with the economic impact of COVID-19.
- The hiked borrowing target is not stood at ₹12 lakh crore, up from the previously budgeted ₹7.8 lakh crore.
- Note : This move may widen India's fiscal deficit to 5.5% from the targeted 3.5%.
Donations to the trust created for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya have been made eligible for income tax deduction for the financial year 2020-21.
- The government notified Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra as "a place of historic importance and a place of public worship of renown" for the purposes of Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.
India's foreign exchange reserves has increased by 1.622 million dollars to reach 481.078 billion dollars in the week ended 1st May.
- A RBI press release has informed that foreign currency assets, a major part of the overall reserves rose by 1.752 billion dollars to 479.455 billion dollars.