Daily GK Update- 24th, May 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Jharkhand launches ‘AmritVahini’ App for online booking of hospital beds: Jharkhand has launched the ‘AmritVahini’ App for the online booking of hospital beds. Corona patients in Jharkhand can book hospital beds online through the ‘AmritVahini’ App launched by CM Hemant Soren.

About the ‘AmritVahini’ App: ‘AmritVahini’ App, the state government would be able to provide better facilities for the people infected with the coronavirus. Though ‘AmritVahini’ App or website one can get all information about the availability of hospital beds and even book one for himself or anybody else online. The bed booked by the person will be kept reserved for him for the next two hours.

 

2. PinarayiVijayan takes oath as Kerala Chief Minister for 2nd time:PinarayiVijayan was sworn as Kerala Chief Minister for the second time in the shadow of the Covid-19 crisis in the state. The oath ceremony took place with Covid protocols in place at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan administered the oath of office to 76-year-old Vijayan. It is the second stint of the Marxist veteran in the top office. The new Left Democratic Front (LDF) government bucked the trends, as Kerala usually alternates between the Left and a Congress government, by registering a dominant win in the 6 April assembly polls. The LDF won 99 of 140 seats.

Note: Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

 

3. Karnataka ranks first in executing Ayushman Bharat: Karnataka has been ranked first in establishing Health and Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat Program to provide comprehensive primary health care in rural areas. Karnataka is leading in implementing the project for 2020-2021. While the Centre had set a target of establishing 2,263 centres, the State has upgraded 3,300 centres till March 31. With a score of 90 out of 95, the state ranks on top when it comes to the implementation of the project for the year 2020- 21 as per the health and family welfare department.

With the objective of providing quality health care for all under the Ayushman Bharat – Arogya Karnataka scheme, all PHCs are being upgraded under National Health Mission. The state has a target of upgrading 11,595 Centres as HWCs. Counselling sessions for adults, public yoga camps, ENT care, first aid during emergency and referrals to tertiary hospitals are some of the services being offered in these centres.

Note: Karnataka Capital: Bengaluru; Karnataka Governor: VajubhaiVala;

Karnataka Chief minister: B. S. Yediyurappa.

 

4. West Bengal government to set up a Legislative Council: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee approved setting up of the Legislative Council or VidhanParishad in the state during a cabinet meeting conducted through video conferencing with several Departmental Secretaries. This was one of the poll promises of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Six states currently have Legislative Councils including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Bihar. The bicameral legislatures were set up before Independence in 1935.The first-ever Legislative Council or VidhanParishad had come into existence in West Bengal in 1937.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Martha Koome becomes Kenya’s first woman chief justice: Martha KarambuKoome is Kenya’s first woman chief justice. She is the first woman to head any of the three branches of government. Koome, 61, a calm but staunch women’s rights crusader, takes over the judiciary ahead of next year’s general elections and would likely play a decisive role in adjudicating any eventual election disputes.

Note: Kenya Capital: Nairobi; Kenya Currency: Kenyan shilling; Kenya President:Uhuru Kenyatta.

 

2. Iran Reveals Simorgh, Nation’s First Completely Self-Developed Supercomputer: Iran has unveiled a supercomputer, its strongest till date developed domestically by Tehran’s Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT), according to the state-run news website IRNA. The supercomputer named Simorgh after a mythical Persian bird has a performance capacity of 0.56 petaflops at the moment and will reach one petaflops in two months. The supercomputer will offer large-scale data analysis services for a variety of state-run and private scientific research, according to its developers. Among other things, it will be used in analysing artificial intelligence, crunching traffic and weather data, and image processing.

 

3. China successfully launches new ocean observation satellite Haiyang-2D: China successfully sent a new ocean-monitoring satellite into orbit as part of its effort to build an all-weather and round-the-clock dynamic ocean environment monitoring system which would provide early warning on marine disasters. The satellite was launched by a Long March-4B rocket carrying the Haiyang-2D (HY-2D) satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China. The HY-2D will form a constellation with the HY-2B and HY-2C satellites to build an all-weather and round-the-clock dynamic ocean environment monitoring system of high frequency and medium and large scale.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Barcelona Women beat Chelsea Women to win Women’s Champions League trophy: Barcelona Women beat Chelsea Women to win the Women’s Champions League trophy. Chelsea conceded four goals in the first 36 minutes as Barcelona blew them away to win their first Women’s Champions League in Gothenburg. Barcelona is the first Spanish side to win the Women’s Champions League. Barcelona becomes the first club to win both the men’s and women’s Champions League, and this was the biggest ever winning margin in a women’s final.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. IDBI Bank launches digital loan processing system: IDBI Bank announced the launch of its fully digitized loan processing system, offering over 50 products to MSME and the agriculture sector. The Loan Processing System (LPS) for MSME and Agri products seamlessly integrate with data fintech, bureau validations, document storage, account management and customer notifications among others. These features of the fully digitised and automated loan processing system are further aimed at providing a superior tech-enabled banking experience to the bank’s MSME &Agri customers. The platform is designed to incorporate knock-off criteria & credit policy parameters for superior underwriting standards.

Note: IDBI Bank CEO: Rakesh Sharma; IDBI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 

2. Sitaram and Sarkar to take charge as CFO and Internal Auditor of IDBI Bank: The Board of Directors of IDBI Bank has approved the appointment of P Sitaram, Executive Director (ED), as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Key Managerial Personnel with effect from June 1, 2021. Sitaram will take charge from incumbent ED & CFO Ajay Sharma. Meanwhile, IDBI Bank’s board also approved the appointment of Sunit Sarkar, ED (In-Situ) as Internal Auditor of the Bank with effect from June 1, 2021 in place of MV Phadke, ED & Internal Auditor.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. ITR filing deadline for FY21 extended by two months to September 30: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the due date for filing income tax returns for assessment year (AY) 2021-22, for individuals, by two months, to September 30, 2021. Earlier the deadline was July 31, 2021. The decision to extend timelines for compliances under the Income-tax Act 1961 has been taken to provide relief to taxpayers due to the Covid pandemic. The government has also extended the due date of Income Tax Returns filing for companies for Assessment Year 2021-2022 from October 31 to November 30, 2021.

 

2. India, China, South Africa fared “relatively better” than other major economies in Q1 of 2021: UN: India, China and South Africa have performed “relatively better” than other major economies in imports and exports in the first quarter of 2021, according to the the Global Trade Update by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In India, the import of goods increased 45% in the first quarter of this year compared to average of last year. The services import was up by 14%, according to the UN data. Export of goods climbed to 26% for the period under review, the data claimed. While India’s services exports rose 2%. Trade growth is expected to remain strong in the second half of 2021,” UNCTAD said. The positive outlook remains largely dependent on subsiding pandemic restrictions. The growth in the first quarter was led by East Asian economies.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Navy Designs Oxygen Recycling System to mitigate oxygen shortage: The Indian Navy has designed an Oxygen Recycling System (ORS) to mitigate the existing Oxygen shortages. Indian Navy’s Diving School of the Southern Naval Command has conceptualised and designed the System as they have expertise in this area because the basic concept is used in some of the diving sets used by the school. ORS will extend the life of the existing medical oxygen cylinders by two to four times, using the fact that only a small percentage of oxygen inhaled by a patient is actually absorbed by the lungs, while the rest is exhaled along with carbon dioxide produced by the body.

Note: Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh; Indian Navy Founded: 26 January 1950.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Environmentalist SunderlalBahuguna passes away: Well-known environmentalist and Gandhian, SunderlalBahuguna has passed away. He was 94. A pioneer in environmental protection, MrBahuguna led the charge against the construction of big dams in the Himalayas in the 1980s. He was fervently opposed to the construction of the Tehri dam. Bahuguna, who lived for decades in his Silyara ashram in TehriGarhwal, inspired many young people in his passion for the environment. His ashram was open to young people, with whom he communicated with ease.

Bahuguna, along with local women, founded the Chipko movement in the Seventies to prevent the felling of trees in the ecologically sensitive zones. The movement’s success led to the enactment of a law to ban the felling of trees in ecologically sensitive forest lands. He also coined the Chipko slogan: ‘ecology is the permanent economy. 

Daily GK Update- 23rd, May 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Six Heritage Sites added to India’s UNESCO World Heritage sites Tentative List: The Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel recently announced that around six cultural heritage sites have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With this, the total number of sites in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Tentative list has increased to 48.

The following six places have successfully entered the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

(1) Ganga Ghats of Varanasi,

(2) Temples of Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu,

(3) Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh,

(4) Maharashtra Military Architecture

(5) Hire Benkal Megalithic site,

(6) BhedaghatLametaghat of Narmada Valley in Madhya Pradesh

 

2. Jharkhand ranks first in implementation of Smart City Mission schemes: Jharkhand has clinched the 1st Position among the 36 States & UTs of India based on the progress of implementation of Smart City projects, Rajasthan came second in the rankings. The rankings were released by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA). At the same time, Jharkhand’s Capital Ranchi has risen to 12th position in terms of progress of the ongoing mission plans in 100 cities. On the other hand, Delhi is at number 11 in the list of States and Union Territories and Bihar at number 27 and New Delhi Municipal Corporation is at number 41 and Bihar Capital Patna at 68th position in the list of cities.

Earlier, there was a system of issuing ranking in one month, fortnight, week by the Smart City Mission. But, now these rankings are updated frequently through the online process. In this ranking, the implementation and progress of the schemes run by the Smart City Mission are the basis and the points for various tasks are determined.

Note: Chief Minister of Jharkhand: Hemant Soren; Governor: ShrimatiDroupadiMurmu.

 

3. Google floats News Showcase in India with top publishers: Google has announced the launch of its global licensing programme News Showcase in India. Google has sealed agreements with 30 Indian publishers to offer access to some of their content. Amid mounting pressure from the global media fraternity asking for a fair price and advertising share from technology platforms.

In February, the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) had also asked search engine Google to compensate newspapers for the use of content published by them and sought a larger share of its advertising revenue. The content from these publishers will begin to appear in dedicated News Showcase story panels in Google News and on Discover pages in English and Hindi. The support for more local languages will be added in the future. It will also pay participating news organizations to give readers access to a limited amount of paywalled content.

About the Showcase: Showcase pays news publishers for their content online and also allows partnering publishers to provide limited access to pay-walled stories for users. Showcase, which is live in more than 12 countries working with over 700 publishers, is a part of Google’s $1 billion investment towards supporting quality journalism.

Note: Google CEO: SundarPichai; Google Founded: 4 September 1998, California, United States; Google Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin.

 

4. National Gallery of Modern Art launched Audio-Visual Guide App: On the occasion of International Museums Day 2021, the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) has launched the Audio-Visual Guide App. The app will enable museum viewers to listen to anecdotes and stories related to the Indian modern art exhibited at the Gallery. It has been launched to provide a better way of viewing the museum to visitors. International Museums Day is observed every year on 18 May.

National Gallery of Modern Art: It was founded in 1954. It is the premier art gallery under the Ministry of Culture. It has a collection of art of more than 2000 artists.

Note: Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Culture: Prahalad Singh Patel.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. India climbs to 3rd spot on EY index: India has moved a notch higher at the third spot on EY’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index due to exceptional performance on the solar photovoltaic (PV) front. India has moved one position above (3rd) from the previous index (4th), this is primarily because of the exceptional performance on the solar PV front. The US retains the top position on RECAI 57, China has remained a buoyant market and maintains the second position. India also committed to setting up 450 GW for renewable energy power capacity (installed) by 2030 in the recent climate summit hosted by the US.

 

2. India is the 2nd largest insurance-technology market in Asia-Pacific: India is the second-largest insurance technology market in Asia-Pacific and accounts for 35 per cent of the $3.66 billion insurtech-focused venture capital invested in the region, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data. The data showed that at least 335 private insurtechs are operating in Asia-Pacific, with about 122 of them disclosing $3.66 billion in aggregate capital raised via private placement deals. China and India are collectively home to nearly half of private insurtech companies in the APAC region and attracted about 78 per cent of the investments. Insurance technology investors are attracted to India since it is one of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world.

 

3. World Turtle Day: 23th May: The World Turtle Day is observed on May 23 every year by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization. The day is celebrated to raise awareness among people to protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world. The day is being celebrated since 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization established in 1990 for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle. The theme of 2021 World Turtle Day is “Turtles Rock!”.

Note: Founders of American Tortoise Rescue: Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson; American Tortoise Rescue is located in Malibu, California; American Tortoise Rescue was founded in 1990.

 

4. International Day to End Obstetric Fistula: 23th May: Every year, United Nations (UN) International Day to End Obstetric Fistula is marked on 23rd May since 2013 to promote action towards treating and preventing obstetric fistula, a condition that affects many girls and women during childbirth in developing countries. The day is being observed to significantly raise awareness and intensify actions towards ending obstetric fistula, as well as urging post-surgery follow-up and tracking of fistula patients. Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious and tragic injuries that can occur during childbirth. The theme 2021: “Women’s rights are human rights! End fistula now!”. In 2003 the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and its partners launched the global Campaign to End Fistula, a collaborative initiative to prevent fistula and restore the health of those affected by the condition. The day was officially recognised in 2012.

Note: United Nations Population Fund Headquarters: New York, United States; United Nations Population Fund Head: Natalia Kanem; United Nations Population Fund Founded: 1969.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI imposes penalty on City Union Bank, 3 other lenders: The RBI has imposed monetary penalty on City Union Bank, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank and two other lenders for contravention of certain directions issued by the central bank. A penalty of Rs 1 crore has been imposed on City Union Bank Limited for contravention of/non-compliance with certain provisions contained in the RBI (Lending to MSME Sector) Directions, 2017 and the circulars on the Educational Loan Scheme and Credit Flow to Agriculture – Agricultural Loans – Waiver of Margin/Security Requirements. In another statement, the RBI said it has imposed a penalty of  Rs 1 crore on Tamilnad Mercantile Bank for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions issued by it on the Cyber Security Framework in Banks.

Other banks:

(1) The Reserve Bank of India also imposed a penalty of Rs 90 lakh on NutanNagarikSahakari Bank, Ahmedabad for non-compliance with directions Interest Rate on Deposits, Know Your Customer (KYC) and Circular on Frauds Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism.

(2) The apex bank has also imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Daimler Financial Services India Private Limited, Pune for non-compliance with certain provisions of the directions issued by RBI contained in ‘Reserve Bank Commercial Paper Directions 2017’ and ‘Non-Banking Financial Company – Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Company and Deposit taking Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016’.

Note: RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. CCI approves sale of YES Bank’s MF subsidiaries to GPL Finance: Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of YES Asset Management (India) Limited (YES AMC) and YES Trustee Limited (YES Trustee) by GPL. GPL Finance and Investments Limited (GPL) will acquire 100% equity shares of YES AMC and YES Trustee.

GPL will acquire Yes Mutual Fund and become its sole sponsor. It is registered with the Reserve Bank of India as a non-deposit taking and non-systemically important Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). GPL is classified as an investment company. It is part of White Oak Group, an investment management and investment advisory group founded by Mr Prashant Khemka. YES AMC and YES Trustee belong to YES Bank Limited group. YES AMC acts as an asset management company/investment manager to YES Mutual Fund.

Note: YES bank HQ: Mumbai, Maharashtra; YES bank MD & CEO: Prashant Kumar.

 

2. India’s Adani Green to buy SoftBank-backed SB Energy in $3.5 billion deal: Indian renewable energy company, Adani Green Energy Ltd (ADNA.NS) would buy SoftBank Group Corp-backed (9984.T) SB Energy Holdings Limited for an enterprise value of $3.5 billion. It would buy the 80% stake held by SoftBank Group Capital Limited and the rest owned by Indian conglomerate Bharti Global Limited in a cash deal. The deal would allow Adani Green to achieve its targeted renewable portfolio of 25 gigawatts (GW) four years ahead of its expected timeline.

Note: Adani Group Founder: Gautam Adani; Adani Group Founded: 20 July 1988; Adani Group Headquarters: Ahmedabad.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Suresh Mukund becomes 1st Indian to win annual ‘World Choreography Award 2020′: The Emmy Award-nominated Indian choreographer Suresh Mukund, has won the 10th Annual ‘World Choreography Award 2020’, (also known as Choreo Awards), becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious honour. He won the award in the ‘TV REALITY SHOW/COMPETITION’ category, for his work on the hit American TV reality show ‘World of Dance’. Mukund is the director and choreographer of the Indian dance crew ‘The Kings’, which won the 2019 season of World of Dance. The World Choreography Awards, famously known as the “Oscars of Dance”, takes place every year, in Los Angeles, to showcase the most innovative and original works by the world’s best choreographers featured in television, film, commercials, digital content, and music videos.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. INS Rajput to be decommissioned on May 21: The first destroyer of the Indian Navy, INS Rajput, will be decommissioned on May 21. It was commissioned on 04 May 1980. After rendering service for 41 years, it will be decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard of Visakhapatnam. INS Rajput was built by Russia in the 61 Communards Shipyard. Its Original Russian name was ‘Nadezhny’. INS Rajput served for both Western and Eastern Fleets and its first commanding officer was CaptGulabMohanlalHiranandani. It is the 1st Indian Naval Ship to be associated with an Indian Army regiment – the Rajput Regiment. It participated in many operations including Operation Aman, Operation Pawan, Operation Cactus, etc.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister JagannathPahadia passes away: Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister JagannathPahadia has passed away due to COVID-19. He served as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan from 6 June 1980 to 14 July 1981. Apart from this, he was also a former Governor of Haryana and Bihar.

 

2. Former NSG Chief JK Dutt, Who Led 26/11 Counter-Terror Ops, Passes Away: J.K. Dutt, former Director-General of the National Security Guards (NSG) who headed the force during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, passed away due to COVID-19 related complications. JK Dutt saw counter-terror and rescue efforts during operation Black Tornado in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. The NSG condoled the death of the 1971 batch IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre who served the force from August 2006 to February 2009. He also served in various positions in the CBI and the Central Industrial Security Force.  

Daily GK Update- 22nd, May 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. West Bengal government approved setting up of Legislative Council: The West Bengal cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has approved the formation of the Legislative Council. At present, only Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh have Legislative Council. Previously, West Bengal had a bicameral legislature but it was abolished by the United Front government in 1969.

About the State Legislative Council:

(1) The State Legislative Council is the Upper house of the state legislature.

(2) It is established under Article 169 of the Indian Constitution.

(3) The size of the State Legislative Council cannot be more than one-third of the members of the State Legislative Assembly.

(4) Parliament of India can create or abolish the State Legislative Council of a state if that state’s legislature passes a resolution for that with a special majority.

Note: Chief Minister of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee; Governor: JagdeepDhankhar.

 

2. ‘Medicine from the sky’ pilot at Vikarabad area hospital: The Telangana government has selected 16 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) spread around Vikarabad area hospital for pilot testing the ambitious ‘Medicine from the sky’, the first-of-its-kind project involving delivery of medicines through multiple drones. The area hospital has been selected as the central point owing to the presence of cold chain facilities and the selected PHCs are both within the Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) range.About the project:

(1) A consortium of seven operators headed by Blue Dart Med-Express had been selected for the project to be launched in the VLOS range of 500 metres initially and will be scaled up gradually to a 9 km range.

(2) The project would be launched in three waves starting with a pilot followed by mapping the route network for the operation of drones for delivering vaccine/medicine in the desired community health centres and PHCs.

(3) The project is being launched following the approval granted by the Civil Aviation Ministry to the request made by the State to grant conditional exemption from the Unmanned Aircraft System Rules 2021 for conducting experimental BVLOS drone flights for delivery of vaccines.

Note: Telangana Capital: Hyderabad; Telangana Governor: TamilisaiSoundararajan; Telangana Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao.

 

3. Bihar govt launches ‘HIT Covid App’ to ensure regular monitoring, tracking of home isolated patients: Bihar government launched ‘HIT Covid App’ to ensure regular monitoring and tracking of those Civid-19 patients, who are in home isolation across the state. HIT stands for home isolation tracking. Health workers will visit the patients at home every day and feed data in the app after measuring their temperature and oxygen level. These data will be monitored at the district level. If the oxygen level is below 94, the patient will be shifted to the nearby dedicated Covid health centres for proper treatment.

 

4. Haryana allows reimbursement of GST on Covid items’ donations: The Haryana government has allowed reimbursement of goods and service tax paid by companies, non-governmental organisations and individuals on purchase of 15 items including Covid vaccines, remdesivir injections, ventilators and oxygen cylinders that they have donated free of cost to the state government or state-run hospitals. Haryana is the first state to give such a relaxation. The Centre has already waived integrated GST (IGST) till June 30 on the import of Covid-related relief material donated or received from outside India for free distribution.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. China successfully launches new ocean observation satellite Haiyang-2D: China has successfully sent a new ocean-monitoring satellite into orbit as part of its effort to build an all-weather and round-the-clock dynamic ocean environment monitoring system that would provide early warning on marine disasters. The satellite was launched by a Long March-4B rocket carrying the Haiyang-2D (HY-2D) satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.About the satellite:

(1) The HY-2D will form a constellation with the HY-2B and HY-2C satellites to build an all-weather and round-the-clock dynamic ocean environment monitoring system of high frequency and medium and large scale.

(2) The HY-2D was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, and the carrier rocket by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.

(3) China’s space programme made significant advancements last week when it landed a spacecraft on Mars, becoming the second country after the United States to have a rover on the red planet.

Note: China National Space Administration Founded: 22 April 1993; China National Space Administration Administrator: Zhang Kejian; China National Space Administration Headquarters: Haidian District, Beijing, China.

 

2. MoctarOuane reappointed as Prime Minister of Mali:MoctarOuane is reappointed as Prime Minister of Mali. He was appointed as Prime Minister of the caretaker government in August 2020 after the removal of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Ouane will have to form a new government with room for the political class, under the instructions of President Bah N’Daw. In April 2021, Mali’s interim government had announced that it would hold a constitutional referendum on October 31 and an election in February 2022. Mali is facing a political crisis due to disputed legislative elections and economic crisis due to economic stagnation, corruption, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Note: It is a landlocked country in West Africa; It is the eighth-largest country in Africa; Its capital is Bamako and the currency is the West African CFA Franc.

 

3. Iran Develops Its Most Powerful Supercomputer “Simorgh”: Iran has unveiled a new supercomputer named ‘Simorgh’, which is 100 times more powerful than the previous supercomputer of the country to date. The supercomputer has been developed indigenously by Tehran’s Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT). It has been named after a mythical Phoenix-like bird ‘Simurgh’.

Key highlights: Currently, Simorgh has a performance capacity of 0.56 petaflops. However, the country claims this capacity to reach one petaflop in two months. The supercomputer will be used for artificial intelligence workloads, traffic and weather data, and image processing.

 

4. International Day for Biological Diversity: 22nd May: The United Nations celebrates International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May every year to raise awareness about the issue of a significant reduction in biological diversity due to certain human activities. Biological Diversity comprises a wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms including genetic differences within each species, for example, between varieties of crops and breeds of livestock.This year 2021 the theme is “We’re part of the solution”. The slogan was chosen to be a continuation of the momentum generated last year under the over-arching theme, “Our solutions are in nature”, which served as a reminder that biodiversity remains the answer to several sustainable development challenges.

Note: United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA; Mr Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Asia Cup 2021 postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19: The Asia Cup T20 tournament, which was scheduled to be held in June in Sri Lanka, has been postponed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The tournament which was originally scheduled to be held in September 2020 in Sri Lanka was moved to June 2021 due to COVID-19. With all the teams planning for their Future Tour Programs (FTPs) for the next two years, the tournament is likely to happen only after the 2023 ICC 50-over World Cup. A formal statement from the Asian Cricket Council is, however, yet to come. Initially, Pakistan was supposed to host it. However, due to tensions between India and Pakistan, the tournament was moved to the island nation.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Bank of Baroda launches microsite to support employees amid COVID-19 pandemic: State-owned Bank of Baroda said it has launched a micro-website that will serve as an emergency networking platform for all employees amid the second wave of COVID-19. The microsite will offer vital data, including a network of plasma donors to employees who are in need of. Recovered employees can also enrol themselves voluntarily as donors. It offers a host of other facilities that include providing contact details of various SPOCs (single point of contact) across zones for help, registration facility for employees to sign up for volunteer work in their cities, reaching out under the ‘Need Help’ section to request assistance for themselves or their families.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India’s WPI Inflation Surges To 10.49% For April 2021: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade recently released Wholesale Price in India for the month of April 2021. The annual rate of inflation for the month of April 2021 was 10.49%. The WPI for the month of April 2021 stood at 128.1. The base year in calculating WPI is fixed as 2011-12.

The inflation rate is high in the month mainly because of the price rise in crude petroleum which in turn increased the prices of petrol and diesel in the country. Also, the price rise is due to an increase in the cost of manufactured foods. The annual rate of inflation in April 2021 is high primarily because of rising in prices of crude petroleum, mineral oils viz petrol, diesel, etc, and manufactured products as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

WPI Food Index: The WPI Food index consists of food products from the manufactured products group and food articles from the primary articles group. The WPI Food Index increased from 153.4 in March 2021 to 158.9 in April 2021. The increase rate in April is 7.58% and that of March is 5.28%.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Renowned Tamil Writer and Folklorist Ki. Rajanarayanan Passes Away: Noted Tamil folklorist and acclaimed writer Ki. Rajanarayanan has passed away. Famously called by his Tamil initials as KiRa, he was known as the pioneer of ‘Karisal Literature’. KiRa was honoured with the Sahitya Academy award in 1991 for his novel ‘GopalapurathuMakkal’. He was an eminent writer of short stories, novels, folklores and essays and has published over 30 books.

 

2. Former Union Minister Shri Chaman Lal Gupta Passes Away: Senior BJP leader and former union minister, Chaman Lal Gupta has passed away. He had an illustrious political career spanning over five decades, beginning with becoming a member of the J&K Legislative Assembly in 1972. He was a member of the 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha from the Udhampur constituency of Jammu. Besides this, Chaman Lal Gupta was Union Minister of State, Ministry of Civil Aviation between October 13, 1999, and September 1, 2001, Union Minister of State (independent charge), Ministry of Food Processing Industries (September 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002) and Union Minister of State for Defence (July 1, 2002 to 2004). 

Daily GK Update- 21st, May 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India’s First Agriculture Export Facilitation Centre Launched in Pune: The Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (MCCIA) has launched India’s first agro-export facilitation centre in Pune, in collaboration with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The new Facilitation Centre will work as a one-stop-centre for the exporters in the agricultural sector as well as boost agricultural exports from the region, as per global standards.

The Center would guide the prospective exporters on various relevant aspects of the ‘farm-to-fork chain of agro-exports through its experts. It would organize awareness programs, training programs and workshops on the related aspects, organise visits to export houses for getting practical guidance, organise buyer-seller meetings etc.

Note: NABARD Founded: 12 July 1982; NABARD Headquarters: Mumbai; NABARD Chairman: G R Chintala.

 

2. India-Microsoft MoU on Digital Transformation of Tribal Schools: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Microsoft signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the joint initiative for Digital Transformation of Tribal Schools. This includes the introduction of Ashram Schools and Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in tribal areas. About the project:

(1) Microsoft will make an Artificial Intelligence curriculum available for the tribal students in Hindi and English.

(2) In the first phase of the programme, 250 EMRS are to be established. Out of these 250 schools, 50 schools will be given intensive training. And five hundred master trainers will be trained in the first phase.

(3) The teachers are to be trained in a phased manner to use Artificial Intelligence application and production technologies such as Office 365. This will introduce the teachers to the world of collaboration and help them understand how teaching shall be increased with virtual field trips.

(4) The teachers will also be provided with E-Certificates and E-badges from the Microsoft Education centres at the end of the programme.

Note: Minister of Tribal Affairs: Arjun Munda; Microsoft CEO: Satya Nadella; Microsoft Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States.

 

3. 26th Meeting of Group of Ministers on COVID-19: The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan chaired the 26th meeting of the Group of Ministers on COVID-19. CoWIN platform-the government developed a website for the registration and booking of vaccine appointment- will be soon accessible in Hindi and 14 other regional languages, informed in the 26th GOM meeting.

Key Outcomes of the meet:

(1) Around seventeen more laboratories will be added to the INSACOG (Indian SARS CoV-2 Genomics Consortium) network.

(2) These laboratories are being added to monitor COVID-19 variants. Currently, there are ten laboratories in the network.

(3) The manufacturing of Amphotericin-B is to be increased to treat COVID-19 black fungal infections called Mucormycosis.

 

4. Centre has released over Rs 5950 Crore to 15 States in current FY for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission: Centre has released over Rs 5950 Crore to 15 States in the current financial year for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission. It is being implemented in partnership with States and Union Territories. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has said that this is the first tranche of the four to be released in this financial year. Other 17 States and Union Territories have been asked to send their proposals to National Jal Jeevan Mission for release of funds.

 

5. National Anti-Terrorism Day: 21st May: In India, the National Anti-Terrorism Day is observed on May 21 to commemorate the death anniversary of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. The day is also observed to spread the message of peace, harmony, and humankind and to promote unity among the people. Rajiv Gandhi was India’s youngest Prime Minister. He was appointed as the sixth Prime Minister of the country and served the nation from 1984 to 1989. Mr Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, by a human bomb. He was killed in Tamil Nadu in a campaign by a terrorist. Then, under the V.P. Singh government, the centre has decided to observe 21st May as Anti-Terrorism Day.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. PenpaTsering elected president of Tibetan exile government: The former speaker of Tibet’s parliament-in-exile, PenpaTsering, has been elected the new president of the exile government. Nearly 64,000 Tibetans living in exile in India, Nepal, North America, Europe, Australia and elsewhere voted in the election, which was held in two rounds in January and April. It was 3rd direct election of leadership after the withdrawal of Dalai lama from politics.

Note: Tibet Capital: Lhasa; Tibet Currency: Renminbi.

 

2. Atlas V rocket launches SBIRS Geo-5 missile warning satellite for US Space Force: The United Launch Alliance launched the Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The Atlas V rocket carried SBRIS Geo-5 Missile Warning Satellite. The full form of SBRIS is the Space-Based Infrared System. It is designed for missile warning, missile battlespace and defence characterization. SBRIS is basically a Space Tracking and Surveillance System. SBRIS was designed to meet the Infrared Space Surveillance of the United States Space Force System. In 2020 alone, the SBRIS satellites detected more than a thousand missiles.

About the satellite: The satellite will provide key capabilities in missile warning, battlespace, missile defence. It weighs 4,850 kilograms. As of 2018, ten SBRIS satellites were launched. Atlas V is a two-stage rocket. It is fueled with rocket grade kerosene and liquid oxygen in its first stage and hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the second stage. The rocket put SBRIS at a height of 35,753-kilo metres.

Note: United Launch Alliance CEO: Tory Bruno; United Launch AllianceFounded: 1 December 2006; United Launch Alliance Headquarters: Centennial, Colorado, United States.

 

3. International Tea Day: 21st May: International Tea Day is observed globally on May 21 on the recommendation of India. The purpose of International Tea Day is to try to improve the condition of tea producers and tea workers. The United Nations recognised International Tea Day by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to raise awareness of the deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world and promote its importance in fighting hunger and poverty.

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.

 

4. World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development:21st May: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is observed globally on 21 May every year. 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.

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.

Note: Director-General of UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO formation: 4 November 1946; UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Arjan Bhullar becomes first Indian-origin fighter to win MMA title: Arjan Bhullar became the first Indian-origin fighter to win a world title in a top-level MMA promotion when he beat Brandon Vera to become the heavyweight world champion at the Singapore-based One Championship. By defeating Vera, Bhullar ended the Filipino-American’s five-year championship-winning run. Bhullar had won the commonwealth games gold medals in 2010 and 2012. He became the first Indian-origin freestyle wrestler to represent Canada at the Olympics.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Bajaj Finserv launches assistance programme for families of its deceased employees: Bajaj Finserv, the holding company for the financial services business of Bajaj Group, announced a new comprehensive family assistance programme to extend support and financial assistance to families of employees who have passed away due to the COVID pandemic. This programme ‘Together as One’ aims to support their children’s education till graduation, provide financial assistance to such families as well as extended medical insurance coverage. The initiative is being rolled out across Bajaj Finserv and its companies — Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Bajaj Housing Finance, Bajaj Finserv Health, Bajaj Financial Securities, Bajaj Finserv Markets and Bajaj Holdings & Investment. It will be effective retrospectively from April 1, 2020.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Reliance Jio joins global consortium to build undersea cable network: Telecom operator Reliance Jio is constructing the largest international submarine cable system centred on India with global partners and submarine cable supplier Subcom to cater to increased data demand. The two submarine cable systems which the company plans to deploy will connect India with Asia Pacific markets (Singapore, Thailand & Malaysia) and others with Italy & Africa.

About the Submarine cable networks:

(1) Submarine cable networks connect several nations for the flow of internet & telecom services. This high capacity and high-speed systems will provide more than 200 Tbps (terabits per second) of capacity spanning over 16,000 kilometres.

(2) The IAX system that will connect India from Mumbai and Chennai to Thailand, Malaysia, and is expected to be ready for service by mid-2023 and the IEX system that will extend India’s connectivity to Italy, landing in Savona and additional landings in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to be ready for service in early 2024.

Note: Reliance Jio President Infocomm: Mathew Oommen; Reliance Jio Founder: MukeshAmbani; Reliance Jio Founded: 2007; Reliance Jio Headquarters: Mumbai.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. DNA sequencing pioneers from Cambridge win 1 million euro tech Nobel prize: Two British chemists who developed a super-fast DNA sequencing technique that paved the way for revolutionary healthcare advances were awarded Finland’s version of the Nobel science prizes. Cambridge University professors Shankar Balasubramanian and David Klenerman took home the 1 million euro ($1.22 million) Millennium Technology Prize for their work over 27 years creating ever faster and cheaper ways to sequence the human genome. The pair’s Next-Generation DNA Sequencing technology (NGS) “means huge benefits to society, from helping the fight against killer diseases such as Covid-19 or cancer to better understanding crop diseases and enhancing food production,” the Technology Academy Finland, which awards the biennial prize.

About the award: The Finnish Millennium Technology Prize, founded in 2004, singles out innovations that have practical applications and which “enhance the quality of people’s lives.” It aims to be a technology equivalent of the Nobel science prizes, which have been criticised by some for focusing too much on traditional, decades-old scientific research.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former President of Indian Medical Association Dr. KK Aggarwal Passes Away:  Renowned cardiologist and former national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr KK Aggarwal, has passed away battling with Covid. He was an eminent physician and cardiologist, who also has served as the head of the Heart Care Foundation of India. He was honoured with the Dr BC Roy Award in 2005 and the Padma Shri in 2010, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions to the field of medicine.