Current Affairs Capsule 2020

1 : Who has become the new NIPFP chairman ?
Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel
Former Reserve Bank of India governor Urjit Patel was on June 19, 2020 named the Chairman of the National
Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) for a four-year term commencing June 22. Patel succeeds Vijay Kelkar as the Chairman of NIPFP, an economic think tank in India. Mr. Patel had suddenly resigned as the
RBI governor on December 10, 2018 while his term was to end in September, 2019.

2: ‘Bande Utkala Janani’ gets ‘State Song’ status in Odisha
The Odisha Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on June 7, 2020 accorded the State song status to ‘Bande Utkala Janani’, a patriotic poem of seven stanzas. ‘Bande Utkala Janani’ was written by Kantakabi
Laxmikanta Mohapatra to glorify and describe the beauty of Utkala (Odisha). The State Information and Public Relations department has been assigned to finalise the tune and music of the song. Following a call by CM Patnaik, thousands of people recited ‘Bande Utkala Janani’ on May 30 to encourage frontline workers
battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

03: Which States have emerged on top of the FSSAI’s Food Safety Index for 2019-20 in large states category ?
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu

Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu shared the top rank in the large states category in the Food Safety Index for 2019-20 released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on June 7, 2020. Among smaller states of India in the index, Goa secured the top rank in terms of food safety followed by Manipur and Meghalaya. Chandigarh, Delhi and Andaman islands secured top ranks in the Union Territories list. The index measured the food safety and ranked states on the basis of five parameters of food safety ‘human resources and institutional data’, ‘compliance’, ‘food testing facility’, ‘training and capacity building’ and consumer empowerment.

4: Which educational institute has retained its top ranking in the NIRF 2020 in the overall category ?
IIT Madras

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras retained its top position in the overall category among higher educational institutions in India in the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2020 (NIRF 2020) released by the HRD Ministry on June 11, 2020. IISc Bangalore and IIT Delhi also retained their second and third ranking in overall category in the list. Under the Universities category, the IISc Bangalore emerged on top of the NIRF 2020 list followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University. Miranda College of the Delhi University got the top position in the collegecategory.

5: Which company has become the first Indian Company to touch the $ 150 billion market valuation mark ?
Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL)

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on June 22, 2020 became the first Indian firm to hit the $ 150 billion market valuation mark when the company’s market valuation jumped ` 28,248·97 crore to reach ` 11,43,667 crore ($ 150 billion) mark on the BSE during the day. However the company could not maintain the momentum on
the BSE and the RIL trade closed much lower than $ 150 billion value in the day. The company’s heavy stock surge of 2·53% to a record high of ` 1804·10 during the day on the BSE helped RIL touch the $ 150 billion
valuation mark. Mukesh Ambani is the Chairman of RIL.

6: The Union Cabinet has accorded the international airport status to a holy Buddhist place named
Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 24, 2020 approved the declaration of the airport in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar as an international airport to improve the connectivity to the important Buddhist pilgrimage sites from all over the world. A 3-km long runway strip has already been made and other facilities will soon be developed at the airport. Kushinagar is a holy place of Buddhists as Gautama Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana in Kushinagar.

7: What is India’s rank on the World Competitiveness Index, 2020 ?
43rd rank

India continues to remain on 43rd rank on the 2020 World Competitiveness Index, released by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) on June 16, 2020. Poor infrastructure, insufficient education investment
were some factors which kept India’s ranking low again this time. Singapore retained its top rank on the 2020 Index based on 63 countries. Denmark and Switzerland secured second and third ranks on the list
respectively. Despite India’s unchanged position on the Index for 2020, it recorded improvement in areas like long-term employment growth, current account balance, high tech exports, foreign currency reserves etc.

8: India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for
Eighth time

India was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term on June 17, 2020. India, the endorsed candidate from the Asia-Pacific States, secured whopping 184 votes in its
support out of the 192 ballots cast in the election under the strict COVID-19 containing norms. India’s two year term will begin from January 01, 2021. It will be India’s eighth term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for 2021-22. Previously, India has served in the same capacity in the UNSC in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2011-12. Apart from India, Ireland, Norway, Mexico and Kenya were also elected for the UNSC’s five non-permanent seats.

Cricket

Clare Connor Set to Become MCC’s First Woman President Former England captain Clare Connor is set to become the first female President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in its 233 year history as she was named on June 24, 2020 to replace current chief Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka when he steps down next year.The nomination of Conner, who is currently the ECB’s
managing directorof women’s cricket,was announced by Sangakkara himselfvia video duringMCC’s Annual General Meeting Conner will take up the post Clare Conner on October 1 next year, pending
approval by the Club’s members, as Sangakkara has been invited to remain in the role for a second twelvemonth tenure due to the impact of COVID-19 on the cricketing landscape. Conner made her England debut in 1995 at the age of 19, and took over the captaincy of the English women’steam in 2000.
An all-rounder who bowled left arm spin, Conner led England women
to their first Ashes triumph in 42 years, overseeing a 1-0 series win in 2005.The Ashes win was the culmination of her six-year stint as captain
of her country, retiring from thegame shortly thereafter. She was appointed as the ECB’s Head of Women’s Cricket in 2007.
Aside from her ECB duties,Connor has been Chair of the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee since 2011. She has also served as a director
on the board of Sussex Cricket and Sport England.

Nitin Menon Included in ICC Elite Panel of Umpires

Nitin Menon was included in the International Cricket Council’s Elite
Panel of umpires on June 29, 2020, becoming the third Indian to join the ICC Elite Panel of umpire after S.Venkataraghavan and S. Ravi. At 36, Mr. Menon is one of the youngest in the panel. Nitin replaced England’s Nigel Llong in the ICC Elite Panel of umpires. Ever since officiating in his maiden First Class match as a 28-
year-old in 2011-12, Nitin has emerged as one of the most consistent umpires in Indian cricket. This is reflected in the fact thathe already has featured in 3 Tests, 24 ODIs and 16 T20Is in men’s cricket.
He has also stood in 10 women’sT20Is, including the 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cups.