NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Himachal Pradesh is Building ‘Forest Ponds’ to Harvest Rainwater: Under the
ParvatDhara scheme, the Himachal Pradesh government has initiated rejuvenation
of water sources and recharging aquifers through the forest department with an
outlay of Rs 20 crore. The work was started in 10 forest divisions that include
Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Jogindernagar, Nachan, Parvati, Nurpur, Rajgarh, Nalagarh,
Theog and Dalhousie. Under the scheme, the cleaning and maintenance of existing
ponds have been done. Also, the construction of new ponds, contour trenches,
dams, check dams and retaining wall to control the soil erosion has been done.
The scheme aims to enhance the water level by retaining water for the maximum
period. Efforts are also being made to improve the green cover by planting
fruit-bearing plants.
Note: Himachal Pradesh Governor:
BandaruDattatreya; Himachal Pradesh CM: Jai Ram Thakur.
2.
Govt to extend payment of provisional pension up to a period of 1 year from
date of retirement in view of pandemic situation: Minister for
Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions DrJitendra Singh said that the Government
has decided to extend the payment of provisional pension up to a period of one
year from the date of retirement in view of the pandemic situation. Similarly
orders have been issued to extend the benefit of lump sum compensation to the
NPS employees also, if they suffer a disability in the performance of duty and
are retained in Government service in spite of such disablement.
3.
Oil and Gas PSUs inks MoU for Shri BadrinathDham: The top Oil and Gas
PSUs of India, including IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL, have inked a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with the Shri BadrinathUtthan Charitable
Trust, for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri BadrinathDham in Uttarakhand
as a Spiritual Smart hill Town. Under the MoUs:
(1) These PSUs will contribute Rs. 99.60
crore in the first phase of the project.
(2) Phase I will include developmental
activities such as river embankment work, building all-terrain vehicular path,
building bridges, beautifying existing bridges, establishing gurukul facilities
with accommodation, creating toilet and drinking water facilities, installing
streetlights, mural paintings etc.
(3) The initiative is part of the
Government’s effort to boost tourism by attracting more tourists, which in turn
would strengthen the economy of the state. The rejuvenation work of Shri
BadrinathDham is expected to be completed within a span of three-year time.
4.
Rs, 379 crore transferred into accounts of 16,844 beneficiaries under Sambal
scheme in Madhya Pradesh: In Madhya Pradesh, 379 crore rupees have been
transferred into the accounts of 16 thousand 844 beneficiaries under the
Mukhyamantri Jan-Kalyan Sambal scheme. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
said state government accords high priority to benefit the poor families of
unorganised sector workers. Meanwhile, Free SwasthaAahar Yojana (Healthy Food
Scheme) for the corona patients of Bhopal is also being launched. The patient
will get nutritious food on time free of cost in the hospital where he is
admitted.
1.
Serum Institute to invest £240 million to expand its vaccine business in UK: Serum Institute of
India (SII) is expanding its vaccine business in the United Kingdom with an
investment of £240 million. The serum has already started phase one trials in
the UK of a one-dose nasal vaccine for coronavirus, in partnership with
Codagenix INC. This was a part of the £533 million of new Indian investment in
the UK in growing sectors such as health and technology. Serum’s investment
will support clinical trials, research & development and possibly
manufacturing of vaccines. This will help the UK and the world to defeat the
coronavirus pandemic and other deadly diseases.
Important takeaways for all competitive
exams: The SII was founded by Cyrus Poonawalla (Adar Poonawalla’s father) in
1966. Adar Poonawalla joined the Serum Institute of India in 2001 and became
the CEO of the company in 2011.
2.
Meghan Markle set to release Children’s Book ‘The Bench’: Meghan Markle will
be releasing her new book, titled The Bench, on June 8, which was inspired by a
poem she wrote to her husband, Prince Harry, on his first Father’s Day as a dad
to son Archie. The book, with watercolour illustrations by Christian Robinson,
began as a poem that Markle says she wrote for Harry on the first Father’s Day
after Archie was born.
3.
World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day: 8th May: The World Red
Cross and Red Crescent Day is observed every year on 8 May. The day aims to
celebrate the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, to reduce the suffering of people and enabling them to lead a
dignified life with independence, humanity, impartiality, universality, unity
and neutrality. Theme 2021 World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day: ‘Unstoppable’
History of the day: The day also
marks the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant (8 May 1828), who was the
founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He was the
recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.
Note: President of the ICRC: Peter Maurer;
Headquarters of ICRC: Geneva, Switzerland.
4.
World Thalassemia Day: 8th May: World Thalassemia Day is celebrated on May
8 every year to commemorate Thalassemia victims and to encourage those who
struggle to live with the disease. The theme for 2021 World Thalassemia Day is
“Addressing Health Inequalities Across the Global Thalassaemia Community”.
About the Thalassemia: Thalassemia is an
inherited blood disorder that is characterised by less haemoglobin and lesser
than normal blood cells. A person suffering from thalassemia has at least one
of the parents as a carrier of the disease.
5.
World Migratory Bird Day: 8th May: World Migratory Bird Day 2021 is observed
globally on 8 May. The aim of the day is to raise awareness of migratory birds
and the importance of international cooperation to conserve them. “Sing, Fly,
Soar – Like a Bird!” is the theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day. The
2021 World Migratory Bird Day theme is an invitation to people everywhere to connect
and re-connect with nature by actively listening to – and watching birds –
wherever they are. At the same time, the theme appeals to people around the
world to use their own voices and creativity to express their shared
appreciation of birds and nature.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Swimming: Srihari Nataraj creates third national record in two days, wins gold
at Uzbekistan Open: Indian
swimmer Srihari Nataraj created a national record in 50m backstroke while
winning his second gold of the Uzbekistan Open Championship in Tashkent. The
20-year-old clocked 25.11 seconds to bag the top prize at the FINA-accredited
Olympic qualifying event. It was Srihari’s third national record in two days as
the Bengaluru swimmer had rewritten the national marks twice in 100m
backstroke, his pet event.
2.
Tokyo Olympics 2020: Indian gymnast PranatiNayak gets Asian quota, to compete
at Games:
India gymnast PranatiNayak, who had claimed a bronze in vault at the Asian
Artistic Gymnastic Championships in 2019, is set to compete at the Tokyo
Olympics after qualifying through the continental quota. The 26-year-old from
West Bengal is the second reserve behind Sri Lanka’s ElpitiyaBadalge Dona
MilkaGeh for the Asian quota and became eligible to compete from the zone
following the cancellation of the 9th Senior Asian Championships, which was
scheduled to be held from May 29-June 1 in Hangzhou, China, due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
Kotak Mahindra Bank to Extend Online Payments to Farmers & Traders: Kotak Mahindra Bank
(KMBL) announced it has been selected as a digital payments partner by the
National Agriculture Market (eNAM), a pan-India electronic trading portal for farm
produce. KMBL will enable and facilitate online transactions for all
stakeholders on the eNAM platform, including farmers, traders and farmer
producer organisations (FPOs).
Under this initiative, Kotak will provide
payment, clearing and settlement services on the eNAM platform to facilitate
trade between a buyer and seller of Agri produce. Kotak has integrated its
payment system and portal directly with the payment interface of eNAM, to
enable quick and safe transactions for Agri participants who have joined the
platform.
About the eNAM:eNAM was formed on
April 14, 2016, as a unified national market for agricultural commodities by
networking Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) across the country.
eNAM currently covers 1,000 mandis across 18 states and three union
territories. There are around 1.68 crore farmers registered on the platform.
Note: Kotak Mahindra Bank CEO: Uday Kotak;
Kotak Mahindra Bank Establishment: 2003; Kotak Mahindra Bank Headquarters:
Mumbai, Maharashtra; Kotak Mahindra Bank Tagline: let’s make money simple.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Rolls-Royce and HAL Sign MoU for Supporting MT30 Marine Engine Business: Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Rolls-Royce have signed an MoU to establish
packaging, installation, marketing, and services support for Rolls-Royce MT30
marine engines in India. Through this MoU, Rolls-Royce and HAL will expand
their long-standing partnership in India and work together in the area of
marine applications for the first time. This partnership will leverage the rich
experience of HAL’s IMGT (Industrial and Marine Gas Turbine) Division that
works on marine gas turbines with Indian shipyards.
About the MT30 marine engines: The MT30 is billed
as the world’s most power-dense, best-in-class naval gas turbine currently in
service with naval programmes worldwide in various propulsion arrangements
across seven ship types. The MT30 has the potential to provide next-generation
capabilities to the Indian Navy’s future fleet. The MT30 can deliver its full
power of up to 40 MW in ambient temperatures up to 38 degrees Celsius, without
any power degradation throughout the life of the ship.
Note: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited: CMD: R
Madhavan; Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HQ: Bengaluru;
Rolls-Royce CEO: Torsten Muller-Otvos;
Rolls-Royce Founder: BayerischeMotorenWerke AG; Rolls-Royce Founded: 1904;
Rolls-Royce Headquarters: Westhampnett, United Kingdom.
OBITUARIES
1. Senior Journalist Shesh Narayan Singh Passes Away of Covid-19: Veteran senior journalist Shesh Narayan Singh has passed away while undergoing treatment for COVID-19. He was 70. A columnist, political commentator and an expert on foreign policy, SheshNarain Singh had a career spanning over two decades.
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