NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Rs
1,500 per acre incentive for farmers approved by Punjab Cabinet: The Punjab Cabinet
has authorised a Rs 1,500 per acre incentive for farmers who grow paddy using
the direct seeding of rice technology. A total of Rs 450 crore has been set
aside to provide incentives to farmers who promote the DSR (Direct Seeding of
Rice) technique, which uses less water and is more cost-effective. The
incentive scheme was approved by the Cabinet in a meeting headed by chief
minister Bhagwant Mann. Key Points:
a)
The
incentive was offered by Bhagwant Mann to combat the state’s diminishing ground
water table.
b)
Paddy
seeds are drilled into the field using the DSR process, which uses a machine
that accomplishes both rice seeding and pesticide spraying at the same time.
c)
Farmers
nurture immature paddy plants in nurseries before uprooting and transplanting
them onto a puddled field, according to the customary practise.
d)
The
incentive will encourage farmers to use this established approach, which uses
significantly less water for irrigation, enhances percolation, decreases farm
labour dependency, and improves soil health, increasing paddy and wheat yields
by 5-10%.
e)
The
Cabinet also resolved to provide farmers Rs 1,500 per acre in financial support
via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), for which the Punjab Mandi Board’s Anaj
Kharid portal has already generated a database of roughly 11 lakh farmers with
their Aadhaar numbers, mobile numbers, and bank account numbers.
2.
World Bank sanctioned USD 350 million for SRESTHA-G project to Gujarat: World Bank has
approved USD 350 million as financial aid for the Systems Reform Endeavors for
Transformed Health Achievement in Gujarat (SRESTHA-G) project. The SRESTHA-G
project will be worth USD 500 million, with the World Bank contributing USD 350
million. The project will include transforming key health delivery systems in
the state.
Key points of the SRESTHA-G project:
a)
Gujarat
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel approved the SRESTHA-G project, after which the
proposal was forwarded to the Union Finance Ministry. The Gujarat government
will implement the programme through the Health and Family Welfare Department (HFWD).
b)
The
Program Development Objective is to improve service delivery in Gujarat by
improving primary health care quality, equity, and comprehensiveness, improving
service delivery models for adolescent girls, and increasing disease
surveillance system capacity.
Note: World Bank Headquarters: Washington,
D.C., United States; World Bank Formation: July 1944; World Bank President:
David Malpass.
3.
Kerala to Bring India’s First State-Owned OTT Platform ‘CSpace’: The Kerala
government will launch a state-owned over-the-top (OTT) platform on November 1,
offering film lovers an array of movies, short films and documentaries of their
choice. Kerala will become the first state in India to have a state-owned OTT
platform. Kerala Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cheriyan revealed the name
of the OTT platform as CSPACE. Key points of the initiative:
a)
CPSACE
is an initiative of Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) on behalf
of the state government.
b)
The
OTT platform will also showcase films with artistic value irrespective of their
performance at the box office, along with internationally recognised and
award-winning films, best films screened at the annual International Film
Festival of Kerala (IFFK), and short films and documentaries. The registration of
films to be streamed on CSpace will begin on June 1.
Note: Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram;
Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan; Kerala Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan.
4.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh Released E-book Civil List-2022 of IAS officers: Jitendra Singh,
Union Minister of State (MoS), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances &
Pensions released the e-book ‘Civil List – 2022 of IAS officers’ at North
Block, Secretariat Building, New Delhi. This is an effort by the Department of
Personnel & Training (DoPT) as a part of the Digital India initiative of
the Government of India.
This is the 67th edition of the Civil List
and the 2nd edition of the e-book in pdf with unique search facilities and
hyperlinking of contents for ease of access of information. This will support
in selecting the right officer for the right assignment based on the available
profile. This is also a vital source of information on the officers manning
various posts for the general public.
5.
Madam Tussaud Museum to start in Noida next month: The wax museum
Madame Tussauds is returning to India. The museum will be located in a Noida
mall. 50 Indian and international luminaries from sports, entertainment,
history, and music will be featured at the new venue. Madame Tussauds India
will let visitors to get up up and personal with celebrities as well as some of
their most iconic moments.
The museum first opened in Connaught Place,
Delhi, in 2017, but was forced to close owing to the pandemic. DLF Mall of
India, one of the country’s major shopping malls, would be its new destination.
The museum is open to the public under rigorous anti-Covid guidelines. Madame
Tussauds has a 200-year history and legacy, having first opened its doors in
London in 1835. Sculptors at Madame Tussauds employ the same techniques as the
legendary Marie Tussaud to produce each figure. It takes a minimum of 12 weeks
for an artist to construct a single life-like figure.
6.
Anti-Terrorism Day: 21st May: Anti-Terrorism Day is observed every year
on 21 May, on the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He
was assassinated on May 21, 1991, by the LTTE terrorists while campaigning for
the Congress Party at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. Rajiv Gandhi became India’s
youngest PM when he was sworn in at 40. He took over as the sixth PM of the
country after Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984. He served from 1984 to
1989.
Significance of Anti-Terrorism Day: Anti-Terrorism
Day is celebrated to promote peace and harmony. Terrorists feel the need to
inflict disaster on innocent people either because they are brain-washed
because they believe it is their religious purpose or simply because they don’t
have a conscience. Whatever be their motivation, there’s no denying the fact
that their activities are immoral. The day also helps us remember the
sacrifices made by thousands of soldiers and policemen who fought against
terrorism to protect their country and their people.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Nirmala Sitharaman chairs the 7th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of NDB: Union Minister of
Finance & Corporate Affairs and India’s Governor for the New Development
Bank (NDB), Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 7th Annual Meeting of Board of
Governors of NDB through video conference in New Delhi. The meeting was also
attended by Governors/Alternate Governors of Brazil, China, Russia, South
Africa and the newly joined members Bangladesh and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
This Annual Meeting of NDB which was hosted/chaired by India this year was
organised in virtual mode. This year’s theme for the Annual Meeting was “NDB:
Optimising Development Impact”, which is particularly important and relevant in
the current global economic scenario. Highlights of the meeting:
a)
Highlighting
that India is celebrating 75 years of Independence this year, the Union Finance
Minister mentioned that India’s economic growth in the current financial year
has been robust and is estimated to be 8.9 per cent which is the highest among
all large economies.
b)
This
reflects India’s strong resilience and speedy recovery. Smt. Sitharaman
expressed confidence that India will continue to achieve a high growth rate in
the current and next financial year.
c)
While
acknowledging the NDB’s achievements and progress made over the last six years,
Smt. Sitharaman highlighted that the Bank has demonstrated strong results
within its core mandate.
d)
The
Union Finance Minister also appreciated the progress made towards setting up of
the India Regional Office in Gift City, Gujarat.
e)
The
Finance Minister concluded her statement on a positive note, stating that NDB
will play a significant and meaningful role in the development journey of its
member countries in the decades to come.
2.
International Tea Day: 21st May: The International Tea Day is observed on
May 21 every year. The day is known to create awareness about safe working
conditions for the tea workers, fair trade and a sustainable environment to
improve the production of tea.
History of International Tea Day: The United
Nations General Assembly has designated May 21 as International Tea Day based
on a proposal moved by India at the FAO Intergovernmental Group (IGG) on Tea in
October 2015. Before 2019, December 15 is celebrated as International Tea Day
in tea producing nations such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam,
Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, India and Tanzania.
The first International Tea Day was held in
Delhi, India in 2005. It was in 2015 that the Indian government proposed the UN
Food and Agriculture Organisation to expand this day globally. The day is
observed in the month of May because it is during this time of the year that
tea production begins in most countries.
3.
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development: 21st May: The UN General Assembly, in
its resolution, declared May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural Diversity for
Dialogue and Development. The day aims to celebrate the richness of the world’s
cultures and highlight the significance of its diversity as an agent of
inclusion and positive change for achieving peace and sustainable development.
Diversity Day, officially known as “The World Day for Cultural Diversity for
Dialogue and Development”, is an opportunity to help communities understand the
value of cultural diversity and learn how to live together in harmony.
History of World Day for Cultural
Diversity for Dialogue and Development: In the year 2001, The United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the
‘Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity’ as a result of the destruction of
the Buddha statues of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001. Then in December 2002,
the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in its resolution 57/249, declared 21 May to be
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Nikhat Zareen wins gold at Women’s World Boxing Championships: Nikhat Zareen gave
a dazzling performance to beat Thai Olympian Jutamas Jitpong 5-0 and become the
fifth Indian woman to win a World title at the Women’s World Championships,
Istanbul. Nikhat thus becomes only the fifth Indian women’s boxer after Mary
Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha KC to win a gold at the World
Championships. The 25-year-old Zareen is a former junior youth world champion. The
25-year-old Indian took full advantage of her long reach and maintained her
dominance against the Thai boxer, whom she had beaten in the 2019 Thailand Open
semi-final—the only meeting between the two, enroute her silver medal finish.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
PNB MetLife launched India’s 1st dental health insurance plan: PNB MetLife India
Insurance Company has launched India’s first dental health insurance plan. This
is the first insurance plan in India that covers fixed-benefit outpatient
expenses and provides financial assistance with costs related to overall dental
health. This launch reinforces PNB MetLife leadership in the industry with this
one-of-a-kind, standalone, the dental health insurance plan that covers major
dental procedures without the hassles of hospitalisation.
PNB MetLife’s new Dental Care Plan will help
customers manage their dental health and ensure they do not have to dive into
their savings or reduce their essential spending in order to make space for
dental treatment. To provide convenience to its customers, PNB MetLife has tied
up with more than 340 dental clinics.
Note: PNB MetLife Established: 2001; PNB
MetLife Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; PNB MetLife Chairman: Kishore
Ponnavolu; PNB MetLife MD & CEO: Ashish Kumar Srivastava.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
BSE named Ex RBI Deputy Governor SS Mundra as Chairman: Leading stock
exchange BSE Limited announced that it has approved the appointment of SS
Mundra, Public Interest Director as the Chairman of the board of directors of
the company. Mundra will replace Justice Vikramajit Sen who is the current
chairman. Mundra was appointed as Public Interest Director at BSE in January
2018. He retired as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India on 30th July
2017.
2.
Bharti Airtel re-appoints Gopal Vittal as MD and CEO for 5 years: Bharti Airtel
board has reappointed Gopal Vittal as Managing Director & CEO for a further
period of five years ending on January 31, 2028. The reappointment came on a
day the telco posted a consolidated net profit at Rs 2,007.8 crore in the March
quarter, up 141% sequentially and 164% on the year. Analysts had an estimated
net profit of around Rs 1,970 crore. This was Airtel’s sixth successive quarter
in the black after six straight losses earlier.
For the India business, its revenue growth
stood at 23 per cent during the fourth quarter, while mobile revenues rose 21
per cent on the back of an increase in Average Revenue Per User ARPU led by
healthy flow-through of tariff revision and strong 4G customer additions during
the year.
Note: Bharti Airtel Founder: Sunil Bharti
Mittal; Bharti Airtel Founded: 7 July 1995, India.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Wesley Morgan won William E. Colby award for his book ‘The Hardest Place’: Author and journalist, Wesley Morgan has won the William E. Colby Award 2022 for his military and intelligence writing. He was cited for his book “The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan’s Pech Valley.” The Colby Award, a $5,000 prize named for the former ambassador and CIA director William E. Colby, is given for “a major contribution to the understanding of military history, intelligence operations or international affairs.” The Colby Award is presented by Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. The Colby award was established in 1999.
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