Top Best Current Affairs 16 May 2020 (2)

In the United Nations(UN) World Economic Situation and Prospects(WESP) mid year report forecast that the COVID-19 pandemic situation will shrink the world economy by 3.2% in 2020 this is the sharpest contraction since the 1930's Great Depression and India's economy to grow at 1.2% in 2020.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sachet and two interceptor boats (IBs) C-450 and C-451 in Goa through video conferencing from Delhi on 15 May. The ships are indigenously designed and built in the line of the Prime Minister's 'Make in India' vision.

International Day of Families is celebrated on 15 May every year. The day is celebrated to raise awareness towards the significance of families and to overcome the aspects that might be negatively affecting these efforts.

Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan dedicated the COBAS 6800, first of its kind, testing machine at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to the nation on 14 May. GoI has procured such testing machines for testing of COVID-19 cases for the first time. It is installed at NCDC. COBAS 6800 is a fully automated, high-end machine that performs real-time PCR testing COVID-19 in the service of the nation. The device will provide high quality, high-volume testing with a high throughput of around 1200 samples in 24 hours. It will largely increase the testing capacity with the reduction in pendency.

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.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal participated in the second G-20 Virtual Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting. The meeting focused on immediate and concrete actions that can ease the distress being faced by people all over the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second G20 Ministers Virtual Meeting was held under the Saudi Presidency.

INSPIRE under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India has developed porous carbon materials that have the potential to replace the lead grid in lead-acid batteries. The carbon foam was developed by Dr. Rajeev Kumar from CSIR-Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, Bhopal, a recipient of the INSPIRE Faculty Award.

Centre set up a new body Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF) to give impetus to rice exports under the aegis of Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Promotion Development Authority(Apeda).