Daily GK Update- 27th, May 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Maharashtra govt launches “Mission Oxygen Self-Reliance”: Maharashtra government has launched the “Mission Oxygen Self-Reliance” scheme to meet the state’s oxygen needs. Special incentives will be given to oxygen-producing industries under this scheme. At present, the state’s oxygen generation capacity is 1300 MT per day. Units set up in Vidarbha, Marathwada, Dhule, Nandurbar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg regions will be eligible for incentives up to 150 per cent of their eligible fixed capital investments and units set up in the rest of Maharashtra will be eligible for up to 100 per cent general incentives.

The government will also give a refund on gross SGST, stamp duty, electricity duty and unit subsidy of power cost for five years and interest subsidy for MSME units with a fixed capital investment of up to Rs 50 crore. Only those applying before June 30 will get the benefits of this policy. With these incentives, Maharashtra’s healthcare system is expected to be strengthened by increasing manufacturing and storage for becoming an oxygen self-reliant state soon.

Note: Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari; Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai; Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.

 

2. Haryana govt launches ‘SanjeevaniPariyojana’ to treat COVID patients at home: Haryana government has launched an anti-Covid “SanjeevaniPariyojana”, which will provide supervised and quick medical care at home for people, with mild to moderate symptoms of Covid-19, residing in rural areas. This Pariyojana has been launched to extend medical care in rural areas where awareness regarding the second wave of Covid-19 and related treatment remains low. It is an important step of bringing medical care for the people who need it most and when they need it most.Under the initiative:

(1) The scope of medical advice will be expanded beyond qualified doctors as it will mobilize 200 final year and pre-final year medical students and interns by connecting them to consultants and experts.

(2) The initiative comprises an Integrated Command and Control Centre to manage critical resources such as ambulance tracking, oxygen supply, hospital beds availability, besides, door-to-door awareness campaign.

(3) Thus, it will help the district administration in keeping a bird’s eye view of the entire healthcare system.

Note: Haryana Capital: Chandigarh; Haryana Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya; Haryana Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar.

 

3. Uttarakhand CM declared Vatsalya Yojana for children orphaned due to Corona: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has announced Chief Minister Vatsalya Yojana for orphaned children who have lost their parents due to Covid-19. Under the scheme, the State Government will make arrangements for their maintenance, education and training for employment up to the age of 21 years. The Chief Minister said that such orphaned children of the state will be given a maintenance allowance of 3000 rupees per month.

The state government will make laws for the paternal property of these orphans in which no one will have the right to sell their paternal property until they are adults. This responsibility will be with the District Magistrate of the concerned district. The Chief Minister also said that the children whose parents have died due to Covid-19 will be given 5 per cent horizontal reservation in government jobs of the state government.

Note: Chief Minister of Uttarakhand: Tirath Singh Rawat; Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. UK launches plan for ‘Global Pandemic Radar’: The United Kingdom will develop an advanced international pathogen surveillance network to identify Covid-19 variants and emerging diseases. This Global Pandemic Radar will ensure the early detection of new variants and emerging pathogens, so vaccines and treatments needed to stop them can be rapidly developed. Prime minister Boris Johnson announced the plans, ahead of the Global Health Summit hosted by Italy and the European Union (EU).

About the radar: The radar is expected to be fully up and running with a network of surveillance hubs before the end of 2021, with the aim of significantly improving global health security going into next year. WHO will lead an implementation group, supported by global health charity the Wellcome Trust, to launch the new international partnership to identify, track and share data on new coronavirus variants and monitor vaccine resistance in populations.

Note: UK Prime Minister: Boris Johnson; UK Capital: London.

 

2. IMF proposes $50 billion global vaccination plan: The International Monetary Fund has proposed a $50 billion global vaccination plan that would cover at least 40 per cent of the global population by the end of 2021 and at least 60 per cent by the first half of 2022. The vaccination target requires additional upfront grants to Covax, donating surplus doses and free cross-border flows of raw materials and finished vaccines. With strong and coordinated action now and with little in terms of financing relative to the outsized benefits the world can durably exit this unprecedented health and economic crisis, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in her address to the G20 Health Summit.

Note: IMF Headquarters: Washington, D.C. U.S; IMF Managing Director and Chairman: Kristalina Georgieva; IMF Chief Economist: Gita Gopinath.

 

3. World’s largest iceberg breaks off from Antarctica: European Space Agency (ESA) has confirmed using satellite images that the world’s largest iceberg has broken off Antarctica. Named as A-76, the iceberg was 4320 square kilometres in size, which is half the size of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The finger-shaped iceberg broke off from the Ronne Ice shelf, a massive ice shelf that encompasses an area of more than 400,000 sq. km. The images were captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1. The Copernicus Sentinel spacecraft is the first ESA Earth Observation spacecraft to implement communications security on the command link.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Atletico Madrid clinch La Liga title: Atletico Madrid pipped city rivals Real Madrid to the La Liga title on 22nd May Luis Suarez fired them to a 2-1 comeback win at Real Valladolid. Atletico finished top of the standings on 86 points while Real, who snatched a late 2-1 win over Villarreal, came second on 84. Valladolid finished 19th and was relegated to Spain’s second division.

 

2. NarinderBatra re-elected as FIH President: NarinderBatra has been re-elected as the President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for the second consecutive term. He was elected during the virtual 47th Congress of FIH, where he beat Marc Coudron, Chief of Belgium Hockey Federation, by just two votes. He will hold the office until 2024 because the FIH has reduced the term from four to three years. The veteran Indian sports administrator is the only Asian to be appointed to the top post in the world body’s 92-year-old history. He is also the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and a Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Note: International Hockey Federation (FIH) Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; International Hockey Federation CEO: Thierry Weil; International Hockey Federation Founded: 7 January 1924.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Kotak Mahindra Bank issues India’s first FPI licence to GIFT AIF: Kotak Mahindra Bank has issued the first-ever foreign portfolio investor (FPI) licence to the GIFT IFSC alternative investment fund (AIF) of True Beacon Global. This is the first FPI licence issued to an AIF incorporated in GIFT IFSC by any custodian bank or designated depository participant (DDP) in the country. AIF is an important business vertical at GIFT IFSC and offers huge benefits and a competitive edge for setting up a fund in IFSC at GIFT City. In partnership with Kotak Mahindra Bank, True Beacon launched its first AIF in GIFT-City with PricewaterhouseCoopers(PWC) as consultants.

Note: Kotak Mahindra Bank is India’s first non-banking finance company which is converted into a bank;Kotak Mahindra Bank Establishment: 2003 (Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd. was established in 1985, converted to Kotak Mahindra Bank in 2003); Kotak Mahindra Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Kotak Mahindra Bank MD & CEO: Uday Kotak; Kotak Mahindra Bank Tagline: Let’s Make Money Simple.

 

2. Rajesh Bansal appointed as CEO of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub: The Board of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) has appointed Rajesh Bansal as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the RBIH with effect from May 17, 2021, the RBIH said in a statement. The Reserve Bank Innovation Hub would develop internal infrastructure to promote fintech research and facilitate engagement with innovators and start-ups.

About Rajesh Bansal: Bansal has over twenty-five years of experience in designing technology-led population-scale payment products, electronic cash transfers, digital financial services and digital IDs to enable inclusive development in India and multiple Asian and African markets. He was a member of the founding team of Aadhaar where he played a key role in designing India’s Direct Benefits Transfer system and electronic KYC (eKYC).

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Kerala’s Shaji N.M. wins India Biodiversity Award 2021:Shaji N.M., fondly called as ‘Tuber Man’ of Kerala has been awarded the India Biodiversity Award 2021 in the individual category of ‘Conservation of domesticated species’. The award, carrying ₹2 lakh cash prize and citation, was declared during the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) 2021. Shaji, who conserves a wide array of around 200 tuber crops including greater yam, lesser yam, elephant foot yam, arrowroot, colocasia, sweet potato, cassava and Chinese potato in his farm has received State awards seven times for his efforts. He has also received the Plant Genome Savior Reward 2015, instituted by PPV&FR Authority, New Delhi.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. China’s ‘father of hybrid rice’ Yuan Longping passes away: Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, renowned for developing a hybrid rice strain that vastly improved the grain output in the country, passed away at the age of 91. Yuan succeeded in cultivating a high-yield hybrid rice strain in 1973, which was later grown on a large scale in China and other countries to substantially raise output.