1. International Family Day observed globally on 15th May every year

• The day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 with the aim to highlight the importance attached to families by the international community.
• This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic, and demographic processes affecting families.

2.  Lieutenant Commander Akshay Kumar awarded Vice Admiral G.M. Hiranandani Memorial Rolling Trophy 2020 

• Lieutenant Commander Akshay Kumar of the Anti-Submarine Warfare School of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) in Kochi was awarded the Vice Admiral G.M. Hiranandani Memorial Rolling Trophy for the year 2020 by Vice Admiral A.K. Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-chief (FOC-in-C) of the SNC. The award ceremony was held at the Maritime Warfare Centre, Kochi, Kerala.
• Lieutenant Commander Mohit Kumar was also commended for performing exceeding well in the oral board akin to a Viva. On the Occasion, A.K. Chawla also emphasised the role of specialist officers at sea & the need for officers to be excellent professionals.

Foot Notes: About Indian Navy
Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind.
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNC): Admiral Karambir Singh.
Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS): Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar.
Motto: Sham No Varunaḥ (May the Lord of the Water be auspicious unto us).

3. NDB approves USD 1 bn Emergency Assistance Program Loan to India to fight COVID-19

• Emergency Assistance Program Loan of USD 1 billion has been approved by the New Development Bank (NDB) to India. The Emergency Assistance Program Loan aims to support the Government of India in its attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19 as well as to minimize the human, social and economic losses caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. 
• This is NDB’s second emergency assistance program in order to help its member countries to fight COVID-19
• The 'Emergency Assistance Program Loan' to India was approved by the NDB Board of Directors on April 30, and it is aimed at supporting the Indian government to contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce human, social and economic losses caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Foot Notes: About New Development Bank
Headquarters : Shanghai, China
President: K. V. Kamath
Founder: BRICS
Founded: 15 July 2014, Fortaleza, State of Ceará, Brazil
President: K. V. Kamath.
New Development Bank was established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS.

4. Dr Harsh Vardhan participates in 32nd Commonwealth Health Ministers’ meeting through video conference

• Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan participated in the 32nd Commonwealth Health Ministers’ Meeting through Video conference. 
• He highlighted the timely, graded and proactive measures taken by India towards COVID-19 management.
• India has been the first country to urge consolidated global action to fight the challenge of COVID-19. 
• Dr Harsh Vardhan said, India has provided essential medicines such as Hydroxychloroquine to almost 100 needy countries, extending solidarity and support during this time of crisis. 
• The Theme of this meeting was "Delivering a co-ordinated Commonwealth COVID-19 response"
• The Commonwealth of Nations, generally known simply as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 54 member states, nearly all former territories of the British Empire.

Foot Notes: About Commonwealth of Nations:

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Founder: Parliament of the United Kingdom
Founded: 11 December 1931
 

5. Federal bank, MoneyGram tie-up for direct-to-bank deposits in India

• MoneyGram Payment System, a subsidiary of MoneyGram International, global leader in P2P payments tied up with Federal Bank Limited, a private bank in India to provide the customers a cost-effective way to receive deposits directly in their bank accounts in India.
• The Federal Bank has 15% share of the country’s remittance market and they expect a tie up with MoneyGram to boost up their business. This tie-up will provide the non-resident Indians with access to modern, low cost, fast, easy and reliable ways for transferring money to India. This partnership will help the people to send and receive money to their families in the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
• The World Bank has mentioned that India is one of the world’s top recipients of remittance who has received around 82 billion USD in 2019.

Foot Notes: About Federal Bank
Founder: Kulangar Paulo Hormis
Chairperson: Grace Elizabeth Koshie
MD & CEO: Shyam Srinivasan
Headquarters: Aluva, Kerala
Formed on: April 23, 1931

About MoneyGram Payment System:
Chairman & CEO: Alex Holmes
CFO: Larry Angelilli
Founded in: 1988

6. ICMR to participate in Global Solidarity Trial by WHO for COVID-19 treatment

• Indian Council for Medical Research, ICMR has fast tracked the roll out of the Global Solidarity Trial launched by the World Health Organization, WHO to help in finding an effective treatment for COVID-19.
• The ICMR-National AIDS Research Institute, NARI is the national coordination site for the trial in India. Four potential antiviral agents, Remdesivir, Chloroquine-Hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir-Ritonavir and Lopinavir-Ritonavir with interferon are to be evaluated in the trial.
• Global Solidarity Trial is an international clinical trial to compare four treatment options to assess their effectiveness against COVID-19. 
• The trial aims to discover whether any of the drugs slow down the disease progression and improve survival rate.

Foot Notes:
Headquarters: New Delhi
Secretary & Director General: Dr. Balram Bhargava
Founder: Government of India
Founded: 1911
 

7. Forest loss rate globally declined from 2015 to 2020: FRA 2020

• According to the Global Forest Resources Assessment(FRA) 2020 released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO), the forest loss rate in 2015-2020 has declined to an estimated 10 million hectares(mha), down from 12 mha in 2010-2015.
• Among the world’s regions, Africa has the largest annual rate of net forest loss in 2010–2020, at 3.9 mha, followed by South America, at 2.6 mha, whereas Asia has the highest net gain of forest area in 2010–2020, followed by Oceania and Europe.
• Both Europe and Asia recorded substantially lower rates of net gain in 2010–2020 than in 2000–2010. Oceania has experienced net losses of forest area in the decades 1990–2000 and 2000–2010

Foot Notes: About FAO
Headquarters: Rome, Italy
Director General: QU Dongyu
Founded: 16 October 1945, Quebec City, Canada

8. Gujarat CM announces Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojana

• In Gujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced Aatmanirbhar Gujarat SahayYojana. The scheme is for small shopkeepers and self-employed those who were hit by the lockdown. Under the scheme, one lakh rupees collateral free loan will be given at two percent for the beneficiaries for three years.
• The beneficiaries will have to make only one application to avail the loan from state and District Cooperative Banks and credit agencies.
• They won’t have to pay any installment during the moratorium period for the first six months. 
• The State Government will pay the remaining six percent interest to the banks. 
• There won’t be any processing fees for the loans. Over 10 lakh self-employed people, small traders, shopkeepers will be benefited from the scheme.

Foot Notes: About Gujarat
Capital: Gandhinagar
Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat
Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani

9. WTO Chief Roberto Azevedo decides to resign a year before his term expires

• In an unprecedented move, the Head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo has decided to resign, a year before his term expires. 
• Mr Azevedo, a former diplomat from Brazil, said he will step down on August 31st, cutting short a seven-year tenure marked in recent years by intense pressure from US President Donald Trump. 
• Trump had accused the Geneva-based trade body of an anti-US bias and other complaints.

Foot Notes: About WTO
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Membership: 164 member states
Founded: 1 January 1995

10.  Actor Sai Gundewar, 42, passes away after prolonged battle with brain cancer

• Bollywood actor SaiGundewar, who has worked in a couple of movies including Aamir Khan-starrer PK, Saif Ali Khan’s Bazaar and Rock On, passed away.
• The actor breathed his last in the US after a prolonged battle with brain cancer. 
• Sai was seen in many TV shows before the popular film PK. 
• In 2010, he participated in MTV Splitsvilla. Then he was seen in the Indian version of American reality show, Survivor in 2011.