JagranJosh CA May 2021

www.jagranjosh.
com
MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS EBOOK

MAY 2021
YOUR GUIDE TO MOST

IMPORTANT CURRENT
AFFAIRS AND EVENTS OF
THE MONTH.
IAS | BANKING | SSC | NDA/CDS | AND OTHER COMPETITIVE EXAMS
www.jagranjosh.com
Current Affairs | May 2021
Contents
PM-CARES for Children scheme: PM Modi announces Rs 10 lakh corpus for children orphan... 1
Centre to launch Unified Health Interface under NDHM 3
IPL 2021: Indian Premier League to resume from 3rd Week of Sept, Matches to be held i... 5
COVID-19 vaccine: UK approves single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine 7
COVID-19 vaccine: US redirects vaccine manufacturing supplies allowing India to make ... 10
GST Council decides to exempt import duty on COVID relief items: Finance Minister aft... 12
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 60 more Starlink satellites into orbit 16
Biden administration will not re-enter Open Skies Treaty with Russia 18
Smart Kitchen Scheme: Kerala CM announces guidelines to be ready by July 10 19
Government sets up panel to examine valuation of services by online gaming, casinos f... 21
Cyclone Tauktae: Maharashtra govt approves a relief fund of Rs 252 crore 23
Cyclone Yaas: PM Modi conducts aerial survey, review situation in West Bengal and Odi... 25
World’s largest museum Louvre gets first female president in 228 years 28
United States urges WHO to carry out second phase of COVID-19 virus origin study in C... 30
Germany to vaccinate children over 12 years from June 7 32
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad wins 4th term with 95% of votes 33
COVID-19: Zydus Cadila seeks DCGI approval for clinical trials for monoclonal antibod... 36
Bharat Ratna Professor Rao honoured with International ENI Award 2020 38
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen receives Spain’s top award in social sciences 40
SeHAT-OPD Portal: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launches portal for armed forces per... 42
Copyright © www.jagranjosh.com
What is Happy Hypoxia and how it is ‘fatal’ in COVID-19 patients? – Explainer of the ... 44
US President orders Intelligence Report on COVID origins within 90 days 46
New social media rules: What will happen if intermediaries fail to comply? 48
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine suitable for all aged 12 and above: Pfizer tells Centre 51
Indian Armed Forces to deploy Israeli Heron drones along the LAC with China 53
Tennis: US Open line judges to be replaced by technology on all courts in 2021 55
Cyclone Yaas: Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas enters Jharkhand, to weaken gradually into d... 57
Guillermo Lasso takes oath as first right-wing President of Ecuador 62
UN bodies to set up One Health panel to prevent zoonotic diseases 64
WHO experts likely to reconsider China lab origin theory of COVID-19 66
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine 100 percent effective in 12-17 age group: Trial study 69
What is Save Lakshadweep Campaign? – Explainer of the Day 71
No risk of COVID transmission from animals to humans: Experts 73
Mount Nyiragongo volcano erupts in Congo after almost two decades, over 500 homes des... 75
Cabinet approves proposal to open new Consulate General of India in Maldives 78
Indian govt to set up ‘One Stop Centres’ across nine countries: WCD Ministry 80
NASA to send mobile robot to search for water, other resources on Moon in late 2023 81
WhatsApp files lawsuit against Indian government, says new media rules mean end to pr... 83
IPS officer Subodh Kumar Jaiswal appointed CBI director for two years 86
China’s top hybrid rice scientist Yuan Longping passes away 88
COVID-19 Vaccine: When will Pfizer, Moderna vaccines be available in India? 90
UK-India Trade Deal: UK kickstarts trade negotiations with India 93
Bharat Biotech confident of obtaining WHO's emergency use listing for Covaxin 95
India-New Zealand held 3rd Foreign Office Consultations, discuss enhancing defence an... 97
Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs 74th World Health Assembly 99
Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine: India’s Panacea Biotec, RDIF to produce 100 million doses... 101
India, Oman renew two major defence pacts: All you need to know! 103
Mali’s military detains President, Prime Minister and Defence Minister 105
Government to set up National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power p... 107
Belarus Plane Hijack Incident: Why did Belarus force-land flight carrying Roman Prota... 109
Lunar Eclipse 2021: Super Blood Moon of 26th May, Know Date, Time and Other Important... 113
Ethiopia’s Tigray Crisis: What has led to the crisis and what is the role of Eritrea?... 115
What is Target Olympic Podium Scheme? – Explainer of the Day 118
COVID-19 Vaccines in India: Know Which Coronavirus vaccines will be available in Indi... 120
Microsoft to retire Internet Explorer in June 2022 125
Hockey India honoured with prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award 127
India-Israel sign 3-year work programme for agricultural cooperation 129
US imposes restrictions on Ethiopian, Eritrean officials over Tigray crisis 131
COVID-19 vaccine: Bharat Biotech may begin trials of Covaxin on 2-18 years old from J... 133
G-7 nations agree to speed up efforts to slow global warming 135
Singapore approves breathalyser test to detect COVID-19 in 1-minute 137
Delhi Government extends lockdown till May 31– Know What will Remain Open and Close h... 139
Telangana, NHA sign MoU to implement Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme 143
Yellow Fungus Infection: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment- Explainer of the Day 146
On-site vaccine registration: Government enables walk-in appointment for 18-44 age gr... 148
PM Narendra Modi to chair high-powered panel to decide next CBI Chief today, check wh... 151
How UNESCO selects World Heritage sites: All you need to know 153
Billboard Music Awards 2021: The Weeknd dominates with 10 music awards; check the com... 155
Haryana CM launches 'Sanjeevani Pariyojana' for quick medicare access at home 159
Cheetahs to be re-introduced in India after being declared extinct in 1952 162
Srikumar Banerjee, former Atomic Energy Commission Chairman passed away 165
COVID-19: India becomes 3rd nation after Brazil, US to cross 3 lakh Covid deaths 167
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to contest by-election from Bhawanipore 169
Nepal President dissolves parliament, fresh elections in November: All you need to kn... 171
Air India Cyber-Attack: Massive data breach leaks personal details of 45 lakh custome... 173
7th BRICS Astronomy Working Group Meeting recommends networking of existing telescope... 175
COVID-19: Why some people are testing negative despite having symptoms? 177
Gautam Adani overtakes China’s Zhong Shanshan to become 2nd richest Asian 180
DIPCOVAN: DRDO develops COVID-19 antibody detection kit 182
RBI approves transfer of Rs. 99,122 crores surplus to Government 184
Sunderlal Bahuguna, Chipko Movement leader and environmentalist dies of COVID-19 186
China to approve 14th Dalai Lama's successor? 188
UK Government launches plans for Global Pandemic Radar to detect COVID-19 variants, e... 191
Income Tax Dept to launch new e-filing portal on June 7: All you need to know 193
West Bengal Government to set up Legislative Council: Why was it abolished? Get all d... 195
World’s largest Iceberg breaks off in Antarctica as Glaciers Retreat; Check details 197
Asia Cup 2021 postponed due to COVID-19 199
Government asks States and UTs to make ‘Mucormycosis’ notifiable disease under Epidem... 200
Russia, China start their biggest Nuclear Power Project 202
Why was Israel created as a Jewish state in 1948: All you need to know 204
How far can Covid travel in the air? Know all about it here 207
ICMR gives approval to COVID-19 home testing kit using rapid antigen test; Check how ... 209
Rahul Dravid to coach Team India on Sri Lanka tour in July 212
Kerala Cabinet Ministers List: Pinarayi Vijayan takes oath as the Chief Minister of K... 214
Moctar Ouane, Mali PM reinstated to form new government 217
Rajasthan Government declares ‘Black Fungus’ an epidemic 219
Centre to launch DD International to project India Story globally 221
Important to stop vaccine wastage: PM Modi interacts with District Officials of 10 st... 223
UP Government to take responsibility of children orphaned due to COVID-19 225
Centre asks WhatsApp to withdraw its updated privacy policy, gives time till May 25th 227
Former Rajasthan CM Jagannath Pahadia dies due to COVID-19 229
United States passes anti-Asian hate crimes bill; Check details 231
Antarctica headed towards climate tipping point by 2060: All you need to know 233
Andhra Pradesh launches new policy to double its oxygen manufacturing capacity 235
Penpa Tsering elected as President of Central Tibetan Administration 237
Arjan Bhullar, first Indian fighter to become MMA World Champion 239
India, Israel and Palestine Relations– Who does India support in Israel-Palestinian C... 240
COVID-19 Vaccine: Johnson and Johnson partners with India’s Biological E. to produce ... 245
India's OVL loses operating rights in Iran's Farzad-B gas field: Know why here! 247
Centre brings changes in Custom Rules, IGCR 2017 to boost trade facilitation 250
Cyclone Tauktae: Prime Minister Modi to visit Gujarat, Diu today to review the damage 252
Kobe Bryant inducted into Hall of Fame 254
Veteran BJP leader and former Union Minister Chaman Lal Gupta passes away at 87 256
Tribal Affairs Ministry, Microsoft sign MoU for digital transformation of Tribal Scho... 258
Delhi Government announces free education for children orphaned by COVID-19 pandemic 260
Why you should keep wearing masks even when fully vaccinated: All you need to know 263
Common Crane returns to Ireland after more than 300 years; Why is it significant? 265
What is INSACOG and its role in COVID-19 fight? 267
PM Modi interacts with state, district officials on COVID-19 Management 269
UK eases Lockdown restrictions: Social Distancing rules relaxed, All restaurants, hot... 272
AYUSH Ghar Dwar: Ayush department launches wellness programme for COVID-19 patients i... 276
Jal Jeevan Mission: Centre releases first tranche of Rs 5,968 Crore to 15 States for ... 278
Battlegrounds Mobile India: PUBG Mobile Back in India, Pre-Registrations Start Today ... 280
US Government pledges to share 80 million COVID-19 vaccine jabs globally 283
Plasma therapy dropped from India's COVID-19 treatment protocol: Know why here! 285
China to support global TRIPS waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, what is TRIPS agreement? 288
Padma Shri Dr KK Aggarwal and Ex-IMA President succumbs to COVID-19 after a lengthy b... 290
Centre's guidelines for COVID-19 management in peri-urban, rural, tribal areas: All y... 292
Biden revokes Trump’s ban on immigrants who cannot afford healthcare: All you need to... 295
Delhi Government launches Centre for realtime Covid-related data 297
Italian Open 2021: Rafael Nadal defeats Novak Djokovic, wins 10th Italian title 299
India’s Shilpa Medicare joins efforts to ramp up manufacturing of Sputnik V COVID vac... 301
DRDO’s Anti-Covid Drug: What is 2DG medicine? How does it work- Everything you need t... 303
China’s ‘Zhurong’ rover on Mars: All you need to know! 307
David Attenborough appointed as People’s Advocate of COP26 for Climate Change 310
Online appointments for 2nd dose of Covishield to be given after 84 days 312
UNSC Meeting on Israel-Palestine clashes: UN Chief calls for immediate ceasefire, no ... 314
Andrea Meza from Mexico crowned Miss Universe 2020, Miss India Adline Castelini finis... 318
Cyclone Tauktae: ‘Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm’, Expected to hit Gujarat Coast tod... 321
What is Mucormycosis? Centre warns that it may turn fatal if uncared for- All you nee... 323
FM Nirmala Sitharaman to chair 43rd GST Council meeting on May 28 328
Union Minister Piyush Goyal holds talks with US Trade Representative to enhance COVID... 330
Protect dignity of dead, provide decent burial to COVID-19 victims: NHRC 332
ADB commits record USD 3.92 billion loan to India in 2020 334
EAM S Jaishankar held talks with US Global Task Force on Pandemic Relief 336
Chhattisgarh govt to fund education of children orphaned due to COVID-19 338
Centre's Vaccination Plan: India to get 217 crore vaccine doses between August-Decemb... 339
What is African Swine Fever? All you need to know 342
BRICS member nations keen on multilateral social security framework 344
What is Article 311: All you need to know 346
IREDA conferred with ‘Green Urja Award’ 348
Nagaland Conservationist Y Nuklu Phom awarded Whitley Award 2021 350
China launches three Yaogan-30 satellites, what are Yaogan satellites? 354
Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine could be available in India from next week: NITI Aayog 356
KP Sharma Oli re-appointed as Nepal PM after opposition parties fail to form coalitio... 358
Prime Minister Modi releases 8th installment of financial benefit under PM-KISAN 361
Can COVID-19 spread through water? Are dead bodies infectious- All you need to know! 363
COVID-19 vaccine: Government extends gap between two doses of Covishield to 12-16 wee... 365
NASA, Axiom announce first private astronaut mission to ISS 367
ICC Test Rankings 2021: India retains top spot in ICC Test Team Rankings, New Zealand... 369
Lunar Eclipse 2021: What is Blood Moon, when it will occur; All you need to know! 373
Centre approves 1.5 lakh units of DRDO’s Oxycare system, how it will benefit during C... 375
Israel’s Iron Dome: How it intercepts, neutralize rockets aimed at Israeli targets? 377
COVID-19 Vaccine: How long to wait to get your vaccine after getting infected with co... 380
SII to raise monthly vaccine production to 10 crore doses, Bharat Biotech to 7.8 cror... 383
Union Cabinet approves MoU between ICAI and QFCA 385
India to become world's most populous country by 2027, forecasts UN report 387
Union Cabinet approves Rs. 18,100 crores PLI Scheme for battery storage manufacturing 389
UP Government launches massive vaccination drive of 18-44 age group 392
AstraZeneca pledges $250,000 as humanitarian aid to India to fight COVID-19 pandemic 394
US to review withdrawal from Open Skies, as Russia's plans to exit Treaty 396
UN report projects India’s economy to grow at 10.1% in 2022; Check details 399
Snapdeal launches 'Sanjeevani' to connect COVID patients with plasma donors 402
Covid-19 variant first detected in India, found in 44 countries: WHO 404
Prime Minister Modi will not attend G7 Summit in person due to COVID-19 situation, sa... 406
International Nurses Day 2021: History, Theme, Significance and other details 408
Dr. Tahera Qutbuddin becomes first Indian to win Sheikh Zayed Book Award 410
J&K govt to help senior citizens, orphans, daily wage workers during COVID-19 pandemi... 412
Twitter donates USD 15 million for COVID-19 Relief in India 413
Google to show information on COVID-19 vaccine, hospital beds, medical oxygen in Indi... 415
Puducherry becomes fourth ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State/ Union Territory 417
OSIRIS-REx spacecraft: NASA spacecraft begins 2-year journey home with asteroid sampl... 419
Israeli-Palestinian clashes in Jerusalem: Everything you must know! 423
Assam, first Indian state to have a digital flood reporting system 427
German tennis player Alexander Zverev wins his 2nd Madrid Open Title 429
COVID-19’s double mutant strain in India a ‘variant of concern’, says WHO 431
US government approves Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children in 12-15 age group 433
China’s population crosses 1.4 billion, birthrate shows decline amid fears of shrinki... 436
India takes part in 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, shares plans for long term cooper... 439
KR Gouri Amma, first Revenue Minister of Kerala and JSS leader, passes away at 102 442
CoWIN launches 4-digit security code: All you need to know 444
SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites in record 10th liftoff 446
Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli loses vote of confidence in House of Representatives 448
Babar Azam won ICC Men’s Player of the Month, Alyssa Healy won Women’s Player award 450
Canadian firm partners with SpaceX for moon mission funded with Dogecoin cryptocurren... 452
West Bengal Cabinet Ministers List 2021: 43 Ministers sworn in, Check Complete list 454
COVID-19 vaccine: Bharat Biotech starts direct supply of COVAXIN to 14 states 458
China’s greenhouse gas emissions exceed all developed nations combined: Report 460
Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as Chief Minister of Assam 462
DCGI gives emergency use approval to anti-COVID drug by DRDO - Everything you must kn... 466
Supreme Court sets up National Task Force to allocate medical oxygen during COVID-19 469
Himachal Pradesh builds ‘Forest Ponds’ to harvest rainwater 471
Indian Army inducts first batch of women soldiers in Military Police 473
India-EU leaders meeting: India, EU to resume negotiations for comprehensive free tra... 476
US President Joe Biden sets up Climate Change Support Office 482
WHO approves China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use 484
RBI forms advisory group to assist Regulatory Review Authority 2.0 486
Endangered seals found dead on Caspian Coast of Russia 488
Prioritise beneficiaries of 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccine: Health Ministry to States/ ... 490
Laureus World Sports Awards 2021: Rafael Nadal wins Sportsman of the Year, Get Full L... 491
Civil Aviation Ministry issues COVID vaccination guidelines for its personnel 495
Madhya Pradesh Government announces free treatment scheme for poor COVID-19 patients 497
Single-dose of Sputnik Light Vaccine shows 79.4 percent efficacy, effective against a... 499
Denmark Government passes law to screen foreign investments for security risks 502
Top 15 behavioural practices to fight COVID-19: Health Ministry 504
AINRC chief N Rangasamy takes oath as Chief Minister of Puducherry today 506
Centre exempts pregnant women, persons with disabilities from attending office till M... 508
Israeli-based firm produces solar technology in India for UAE 510
World Athletics Day 2021: History, Objectives, all you need to know 512
Indian Army establishes COVID Management Cell to coordinate assistance to civil autho... 514
MK Stalin takes oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister today, check MK Stalin’s 33-member ... 516
China indefinitely suspends strategic economic dialogue with Australia 521
Defence Ministry gives approval to 50 AFMS hospitals as dedicated, mixed COVID hospit... 523
SpaceX successfully lands Starship SN15 for first time without explosion 525
Bulgaria’s President to hold snap parliamentary election in July 2021 526
India’s GDP down to 9.8 per cent, 2nd COVID-19 wave to derail India’s budding recover... 528
Shri Badrinath Dham: Oil and Gas PSUs sign MOU for construction & redevelopment of dh... 530
EAM visit to London: S. Jaishankar held talks with his counterparts of US, Australia,... 532
Oldest human burial site found in Africa, dating back to 78,000 years old 535
ADB outlines 5-point agenda to achieve recovery from pandemic in Asia-Pacific Region 537
US govt announces support for COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver 539
Third wave of COVID-19 inevitable, says Government’s Principal Scientific Advisor 540
G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting: Vaccination only lasting solution to COVID-19 challenge... 543
Delhi Government launches portal to enable online booking of oxygen for home isolatio... 546
RLD Chief Ajit Singh passes away, he had tested positive for COVID-19 548
Union Cabinet approves MoU between India-UK on Migration and Mobility Partnership 550
Cabinet approves strategic disinvestment and transfer of management control in IDBI B... 552
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe: Natural Radio Emission detected in Venus’ Atmosphere 554
Mayflower 400, world’s first Artificial Intelligence ship: All you need to know 556
PM Modi, UK PM Johnson adopt 'Roadmap 2030' to elevate India-UK ties to Comprehensive... 558
Union Cabinet approves free food grain under PMGKAY for 2 months 562
100 million-years-old bones of Sauropods dinosaur found in Meghalaya 564
RBI Governor announces new measures to tackle COVID-19 pandemic: Get Key Highlights 566
COAI welcomes Telecom Department’s approval to 5G Technology and spectrum trials 573
COVID-19 testing: ICMR issues revised guidelines, all you need to know 575
Mamata Banerjee takes oath as West Bengal CM for third consecutive time 577
US Government approves major solar energy project in California desert 579
IPL suspended indefinitely, informs BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla 580
IPL Schedule 2021: Check Full IPL Schedule, IPL 2021 Time Table, Teams and Venue 583
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan flags off first supply of used cooking-oil base... 596
COVID-19: Personalities who tested positive during 2nd wave- Check the complete list 598
Indian Army launches first Green Solar Energy Plant in Sikkim 603
Delhi Government announces free ration for 2 months, Rs. 5,000 each to autorickshaw d... 604
Single dose of COVID-19 vaccine can boost protection among those previously infected:... 606
EU proposes to ease travel restrictions on fully vaccinated tourists this summer 608
T Rabi Sankar named new RBI Deputy Governor 610
EAM Jaishankar, US Secretary Blinken meet in UK, discusses COVID-19 vaccine productio... 612
PM Modi speaks with EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen, discusses prevailing COVID-19 situ... 614
Jagmohan Former Governor Jammu and Kashmir passes away at 94 616
COVID-19-Hit IPL 2021: List of IPL Players found COVID-19 Positive, 2 KKR players te... 618
Congo declares end of Ebola outbreak, what is Ebola virus? 622
Pfizer in discussion with India for expedited approval for its Coronavirus vaccine: C... 624
Mamata Banerjee to take oath as West Bengal CM on May 5 625
Ethiopia to designate Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) as terrorist group 627
COVID-19: Defence Minister invokes special provisions & grants emergency financial po... 629
US govt clears sale of six more P-8I aircraft to India, what is P-8I aircraft? 631
Democratic Republic of Congo declares ‘state of siege’ in violence-hit eastern provin... 633
SBI allocates Rs 71 crores to help India combat COVID-19 second wave 635
Op Samudra Setu-II: Indian Navy launches operation for the shipment oxygen-filled con... 637
World Press Freedom Day 2021: Origin, Purpose, Theme, all you need to know 639
WHO gives emergency use authorization to Moderna COVID-19 vaccine 641
Assam 2021 Winning Candidates List: Check the winner candidates and parties in Assam ... 643
Kerala 2021 Winning Candidates List: Communist Party to form second consecutive gove... 652
West Bengal 2021 Winning Candidates List: Check complete list of winners! 662
Kerala Election Result 2021: LDF to form second consecutive government in the state,... 683
Kerala Election Result 2021: CM Pinarayi Vijayan returns to power with 99 seats in th... 685
Assam Election Result 2021: Key candidates- Himanta Biswa Sarma wins for the 5th time... 689
West Bengal Election Result 2021 Key Candidates: EC declares Suvendhu Adhikari as win... 691
Tamil Nadu 2021 Winning Candidates List: Full winners list constituency-wise, DMK won... 694
Assam Election Results 2021: Key Constituencies- CM Sonowal leads from Majuli and Him... 704
West Bengal Assembly Elections Result 2021 Key Constituencies- Nandigram, Bhabanipur... 706
Tamil Nadu Election Result 2021: Key Constituencies: MK Stalin leads in Kolathur, Udh... 708
Tamil Nadu Election Result 2021: Key candidates: Palaniswami, MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi,... 711
IPL 2021 Live: Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) live Streaming Online... 714
No clampdown on citizens seeking COVID-related help on social media: SC 716
International Labour Day 2021: History, Significance, and Theme 718
PM-CARES for Children scheme: PM Modi

announces Rs 10 lakh corpus for children
orphaned due to COVID-19
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 29, 2021 approved a slew of measures for children
orphaned due to COVID under the PM-CARES for Children scheme.
The measures include free education and to create Rs 10 lakh corpus for each child, which will be
given to them on attaining the age of 23, among others
The decisions were taken during a meeting chaired by PM Modi to discuss and deliberate on
steps that need to be taken to support children who have been orphaned due to COVID-19.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the children represent the future of the country and India will
do everything possible to support and protect the children so that they develop as strong citizens
and have a bright future.
PM-CARES for Children scheme: Key Highlights
•All children who have lost either both parents or surviving parents or legal guardians or adoptive
parents due to COVID-19 will be supported under PM-CARES for Children scheme.
•The contribution under the scheme will be done through the PM CARES Fund till they attain the
age of 18 years to create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each child orphaned due to COVID-19.
•The children will be given a monthly stipend for five years starting from 18 years till they
complete 23 years to take care of their personal requirements during the period.
•When the children turn 23, they will be given the full amount of Rs 10 lakh for professional or
personal use.
•The PM-CARES for Children scheme will ensure free education for such kids. The children under
10 years will be given admissions in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalayas or private schools as day
scholars.
Copyright © www.jagranjosh.com Page 1 of 719

•If the child is admitted to a private school, the fees as per the Right to Education norms will be
given from the PM CARES.
•Provisions have also been made for educating kids between 11 to 18 years in residential schools
including Sainik Schools and Navodaya Vidyalayas.
•All expenditure that concerns the child's education including buying of notebooks, textbooks and
uniform will be taken care of under the PM CARES Fund.
•The Students going for higher education will also be assisted to get education loans and
scholarships and PM CARES will pay interest on the loan.
•For children who are not eligible under the existing scholarship schemes, PM CARES will provide
an equivalent scholarship.
•These children will also be enrolled under Ayushman Bharat Scheme with a health insurance
cover of Rs 5 lakh till 18 years, the premium for which will be paid by the PM CARES Fund.
Background
Almost 577 children lost their parents due to the pandemic. The central government is constantly
monitoring all these orphaned children in coordination with the state governments.

Centre to launch Unified Health Interface

under NDHM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 27, 2021, announced that the centre will roll out a Unified
Health Interface (UHI). PM Modi made the announcement to roll out a digital health interface
during a high-level meeting to review the progress of the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).
Unified Health Interface: Key Points
•The Unified Health Interface (UHI) is an open and interoperable IT network for digital health in
India.
•UHI is envisaged to bring a digital health tech revolution with innovative health services and
efficient utilization of healthcare infrastructure in the country.
•UHI will enable private and public apps to be a part of the national digital health mission. The
interface will ensure that only verified healthcare providers are a part of the NDHM.
•UHI will bring ease of living and better access to quality health services. The patients or users
can search, book lab tests, online medical consultation via video, voice, or chat, transfer health
records or test reports digitally, and make digital payments.
•The service providers or healthcare industry can be searched based on their specialization,
experience, ratings, language, gender, and location.
National Digital Health Mission: Key Points
• National Digital Health Mission has been formulated by the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare with an aim to boost the digital health infrastructure of India.
•The mission will build a seamless online platform with a wide range of information, data, and
infrastructure services available by leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital
systems while securing the confidentiality and privacy of personal health-related information of
people.
•PM Modi had announced the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) during his independence

speech in 2020.
•Since then, six union territories – Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar
Haveli, Daman and Diu, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry adopted the mission.
•The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare funded the cost of implementation of NDHM in six
union territories which amounted to Rs 11.82 crore till March 15, 2021.
•The NDHM comprises of these primary digital systems: Health ID, Digi Doctor, Health Facility
Registry, NDGM Health Records, Electronic Medical Records.
•The mission has generated 11.9 lakh health IDs with 1,490 facilities and 3,106 doctors
registered.
What is Health ID and Digi Doctor?
• Health ID: Under the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), the government will provide every
Indian citizen with a unique 14-digit health ID that will enable individuals across the country to
access digital healthcare serves.
• Digi Doctor is a repository of all doctors across the country enrolled under the NDHM. The
repository will comprise all key details of the doctors like name, qualifications, specialization,
experience, registration number with state medical councils, etc.

IPL 2021: Indian Premier League to resume

from 3rd Week of Sept, Matches to be held in
UAE, confirms BCCI
IPL 2021 to Resume in UAE: As per the latest update, the BCCI i.e. Board of Cricket for Control
in India, has announced that the Indian Premier League T20 tournament will resume again from
3rd Week of September 2021. The Board has also confirmed that keeping in mind the safety of
the players, the cricket tournament would be held in UAE. Earlier in the year, the IPL 2021
tournament was suspended mid-way after 29 games due to surge in COVID-19 case numbers as
part of the 2nd wave of the pandemic in India.
NEWS : BCCI to conduct remaining matches of VIVO IPL in UAE.
More details here - https://t.co/r7TSIKLUdM #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/q3hKsw0lkb
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2021

Likely to start from 20th Sept
The BCCI Vice President Mr Rajiv Shukla informed media persons that the remainder of the
season will be held in the UAE. He also added that for has now the season will resume from the
third week of September and that the detailed schedule for the same would be notified by the
BCCI soon. On the other hand, media reports have also hinted that IPL 2021 will resume in UAE
from 19th or 20th September 2021 onwards, but officially the dates are yet to be announced by
the board.
Matches to be held at 3 Venues
Similar to last year, the BCCI is likely to use the three venues available in UAE to hold the
pending IPL matches 2021. The remaining games will be spread across three venues -- Sharjah,
Dubai and Abu Dhabi as per reports. While another challenge that BCCI might encounter for
resumption of IPL 2021 would be the availability of foreign players for the tournament. To resolve
the matter, BCCI is likely to connect with various foreign Cricket Boards to convince them to send
players for the tournament in September 2021. Reports have hinted that Australian players are
more likely to re-join the tournament in September while availability of England and New Zealand
players remain unconfirmed.

No Decision on T20 World Cup
Another tournament which is around the corner is the T20 World Cup which was scheduled to be
held in the country this year. However, as of now, BCCI has not taken any decision about holding
the tournament in the light of the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country. The BCCI has
asked the ICC to give them one month's time to take a call on the venue for the showpiece event.

COVID-19 vaccine: UK approves single-shot

Johnson & Johnson vaccine
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of the United Kingdom on
May 28, 2021, gave its approval to its fourth vaccine Janssen of Johnson & Johnson. It is a
single-dose COVID-19 vaccine that will be administered in the country in a bid to grow the
inoculation drive across the country.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that this single-dose COVID-19 vaccine will play a crucial role
in protecting people from the virus.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock also tweeted that the mass vaccination campaign, the biggest in
Britain’s history saved more than 13,000 lives from COVID-19 infection. Now we have four
effective and safe to use vaccines approved to protect people from the virus, Hancock further
said.
VACCINE UPDATE
The Janssen single-dose COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in the UK by the MHRA.
This fourth approved vaccine adds to our armoury.
When you’re eligible, get your jab.
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) May 28, 2021
UK has put an order for 20 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19
vaccine. The J&J vaccine showed an efficacy of 72 per cent in the trials by the US. Britain has
been administering doses of Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer. So far, the country has
administered 62 million of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.
The European Medicines Agency in April had recommended adding a warning about unusual
blood clots with low blood platelet to the product information of the J&J vaccine after noting few
cases in the US.
The US Food and Administration (FDA) in April 2021 had also notified of six cases of blood clots

out of more than 6.8 million doses administered. However, after a review and a short pause on
vaccination with Janssen, the FDA concluded that the vaccine is safe and effective.
The UK is apprehensive of reopening the country on June 21 due to the rise in the number of
cases amid the emergence of COVID variants.
About Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
•Janssen is a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine by Johnson & Johnson authorized by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) to be administered on all above 18 years.
•Janssen has been authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO), the
European Medicine Agency (EMA), and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
•Janssen is a viral vector vaccine based on adenovirus, a group of viruses responsible for the
common cold. The adenovirus in the Janssen vaccine has been genetically modified in a way that
mimics the COVID-19 virus.
•When the human body is administered a dose of Janssen, it produces a cellular-immune

response (antibodies) against the antigens that are mimicking the COVID-19’s spike protein.
•This way the human body learns a specific, effective immune response and produces antibodies
against the virus if in case the body gets exposed to actual COVID infection in the future.
•Janssen had shown 85 percent efficacy in preventing severe COVID-19 cases while 66 per cent
efficacy against mild symptomatic COVID-19.
•Janssen is administered in a similar way as the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 Vaccination in the UK
•Britain has been administering doses of Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer. So far, the country
has administered 62 million of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.
•More than 38 million adults have received their first dose of a vaccine.
•As of May 28, 2021, the UK registered 4,182 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths within 28
days. The country has registered a total of 4,473,681 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 127,758
deaths since January 2020.


COVID-19 vaccine: US redirects vaccine

manufacturing supplies allowing India to
make 20 million doses more
The Government of the United States on May 28, 2021, redirected the orders of the critical
vaccine manufacturing supplies, which will now allow India to make over 20 million additional
doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The news was shared by Dean Thompson, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South & Central
Asian Affairs, US. He informed that the United States has redirected one of its own orders of
critical vaccine manufacturing supplies, allowing India to make additional 20 million doses of
vaccines.
Earlier, the White House had also announced that the US Government will be sending 60 million
doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other nations fighting the pandemic starting from June 2021.
We've redirected one of our own orders of critical vaccine manufacturing supplies, which will allow
India to make over 20 million additional doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine: Dean
Thompson, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South & Central Asian Affairs, US
— ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2021

COVID-19 relief supplies by the US to India:
Dean Thompson, while informing about the orders given to the vaccine manufacturing supplies,
also mentioned that the US government has provided over USD 500 million in COVID-19 relief
supplies to India to fight against the ongoing pandemic.
In total, the US Government, the state governments, private citizens as well as the US
Companies have provided over USD 500 million in COVID-19 relief supplies to assist India in
fighting the deadly second wave of the pandemic.
EAM S. Jaishankar expresses gratitude to the US:
The External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar on May 28, 2021, expressed gratitude to the
government of the United States for strong support and solidarity with India during the

Coronavirus pandemic.
His counterpart, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned that the two both the US
and India were united in tackling the deadly pandemic together.

GST Council decides to exempt import duty

on COVID relief items: Finance Minister after
43rd GST Council Meet
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 43rd Goods and Services Tax (GST) meeting
virtually on May 28, 2021.
Some of the key decisions taken during the 43rd GST Council Meeting included the exemption of
import duty on COVID-19 relief items, the inclusion of the drug use to control Black Fungus in the
exemptions list, recommendation to amend the CGST Act to simplify the filing of annual return,
among others.
The 43rd GST Council meeting began at 11 am and went for almost 9 hours. It was attended by
the Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur as well as the finance ministers and other senior
officials of all the States and UTs also participated in the meeting.
GST Council exempts import duty on COVID relief items:
• The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while addressing the media after the 43rd GST
Council Meeting, announced that the GST Council has decided to exempt the import duty on
COVID-19 related items till August 31, 2021. Issues of COVID-related equipment were one of the
items on the agenda on which the council had a detailed discussion.
Issues of COVID-related equipment was one of the items on the agenda that had a very detailed
discussion. Many issues were raised & discussed....The Council has decided to exempt the
import of relief items till 31st August 2021: FM Nirmala Sitharaman after 43rd GST Council meet
pic.twitter.com/tFh9mniL7W
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021
•The Finance Minister added that the Adhoc exemptions have been given for the COVID relief
equipment. The GST Council has decided to exempt the import of many of these items with an
exemption extended to August 31, 2021.
Adhoc exemptions have been given for COVID-related equipment. The council has decided to
exempt the import of many of these items with exemption extended to August 31, 2021: FM

Nirmala Sitharaman after 43rd GST Council meet pic.twitter.com/B7Kc59JCoZ
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021

Group of Ministers to be formed to determine further reductions on COVID relief items
• The Finance Minister during the 43rd GST Council Meeting decided and announced to quickly
form a Group of Ministers who will submit their report within the 10 days- on or before 8th June,
so that if there are any further reductions that are needed to be done on COVID essentials such
as vaccines, will be done, in the sense, that the rates will be decided by them.
I've decided & announced in Council that a Group of Ministers quickly formed who will submit their
report within 10 days - on or before 8th June, so that if there are any further reductions which
need to be done will be done, in the sense, that rates will be decided by them: FM
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021
• In the view of rising cases of Black Fungus in the country, the Council has also included
Amphotericin B in the exemptions list which includes other covid relief items.
Due to rising cases of black fungus, Amphotericin B has also been included in the exemptions list:
FM Nirmala Sitharaman after 43rd GST Council meet pic.twitter.com/5MnmXgAMww
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021

Reduction of compliance burden on small & medium size taxpayers
• The Union Finance Minister informed that one of the biggest decisions is the reduction of the
compliance burden on small and the medium size taxpayers. Late fee and Amnesty-related
matters have also been decided upon. In order to provide relief to small taxpayers, an amnesty
scheme has been recommended for reducing the late fee payable in these cases.
One of the biggest decisions today is reduction of compliance burden of small

taxpayers&medium-sized taxpayers. Late fee, Amnesty-related matters also decided upon. To
provide relief to small taxpayers,an Amnesty scheme recommended for reducing late fee payable
in these cases: FM pic.twitter.com/G0MC0wCnz0
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021
• Taxpayers can now file their pending returns and get the benefits of this amnesty scheme with
reduced late fees.
The late fee has also been rationalized. The rationalized late fee and the decision of reducing the

maximum amount of late fee for the small taxpayers will come into effect for future tax periods. It
will provide long-term relief to small taxpayers.
Late fees have also been rationalised. The rationalised late fee and the decision to reduce the
maximum amount of late fee for small taxpayers will come into effect for future tax periods. This
will provide a long term relief to small taxpayers: FM Nirmala Sitharaman
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021

FM assures an increase in vaccine supply
The Finance Minister informed that Rs. 4,500 crores have been paid to two vaccine
manufacturers, as an advance payment. The government has nee engaging with the
manufacturers/ suppliers including European Union, Japanese for vaccines. In the coming
months, the supply of vaccines will be more than what it is.
Rs 4,500 crores were paid to two vaccine manufactures, as advance payment... The country is
engaging with suppliers/manufacturers including Japanese, European Union for vaccines. In the
coming months, supply will be more than what it is: FM Nirmala Sitharamam
pic.twitter.com/MIZkbSFtoO
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021

Annual Return filing simplified
•The annual return filing has also been simplified. The GST Council has recommended amending
the CGST Act to allow the self-certification of reconciliation statements, instead of getting it
certified by the Chartered Accountants.
Annual return filing has also been simplified. The Council has recommended amending the CGST
Act to allow for self-certification of reconciliation statements, instead of getting it certified by
Chartered Accountants: FM Nirmala Sitharaman after 43rd GST Council meet
pic.twitter.com/nRtihZ2MA6
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021
• The Annual Return Filing will also continue to be optional for FY 2020-21 for the small taxpayers
with a turnover of less than Rs. 2 crores, while the reconciliation statements for 2020-21 will be
furnished by only those taxpayers whose turnover is Rs. 5 crores or more.
Formula for GST Compensation Cess to remain same
• On the GST Compensation Cess, the same formula as last year will be adopted in 2021 too. A

rough estimate is that the Central Government will have to borrow Rs. 1.58 lakh crores and pass
it on to the states.
On GST compensation cess, same formula as last year to be adopted this year too. Rough
estimate is that Centre will have to borrow Rs 1.58 Lakh Crores and pass it on to States: FM
Nirmala Sitharaman after 43rd GST Council meet pic.twitter.com/5NjhV2wnMv
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021
• The Union Finance Minister stated that as the government is in the last of the 5 years of 14%
compensation protected revenue arrangement, she has assured the members that a special
session of GST Council will be held, exclusively on the single point agenda of how the
compensation cess be collected, how much, how long, beyond July 2022.
As we are in the last of the 5 yrs of 14% compensation protected revenue arrangement, I've
assured the members, we'll hold special session of GST Council, exclusively on single-point
agenda of how compensation cess be collected, how long, how much, beyond July 2022: FM
Sitharaman pic.twitter.com/IJQBdI33Hk
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021

42nd GST Council Meeting: Key decisions
•The 42nd GST Council meeting which was held on October 5, 2020, had decided to extend the
levy of compensation cess beyond the transition period of 5 years, for such a period as may be
required to meet the revenue gap.
•At the request of the states, the government had also decided to increase the shortfall amount to
Rs. 1.10 lakh crores from Rs. 97,000 crores under the borrowing option.
•The Finance Minister had stated that 21 states have chosen borrowing option 1 for compensation
of revenue shortfall because of GST compensation. She had clarified that the government is not
denying the compensation to any state but those who have not chosen any borrowing option have
to borrow from the market.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council:
GST Council is an apex body that is responsible to take decisions regarding the issues of
threshold limit for the applicability of the tax as well as the limit for the dual control between the
Central and the State Government.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 60 more

Starlink satellites into orbit
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on May 26, 2021, launched the Starlink 28 mission comprising another
set of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space
Force Station in Florida, marking the 13th Starlink launch of the year 2021.
Starlink 28 launch: Highlights
•Starlink 28, the 13th Starlink launch of the year 2021 is unique because SpaceX has used its
newest boosters to launch the satellites into orbit.
•Starlink 28 mission marked the fourth successful liftoff of Starlink satellites by SpaceX within a
month on one of its 229-foot-tall (70 meters) Falon 9 rockets.
SpaceX’s reusable launch system program
•The rocket’s first stage touched down Earth right nine minutes after the launch, marking the 85th
landing by SpaceX’s reusable launch system program.
•Usually, the first stage of launch vehicles does not land back after a launch. SpaceX has been
developing a reusable launch system for space vehicles.
Why is Starlink satellite placed in Earth’s low orbit?
•The Starlink satellites are placed in Earth’s low orbit to avoid the issue of time lag also called
latency between the user and the server. Longer the distance from the Earth, the greater the time
lag.
•Earth’s low orbit is at a height of less than 1000 kilometers. Satellites in the low orbit of Earth
move in sync with Earth’s rotation. This means the satellites also orbit the Earth in 24 hours.
SpaceX’s Starlink Satellites
•SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk has developed a network of satellites called Starlink broadband
satellites which the company launches into the orbit of Earth to provide internet coverage from
space to Earth.

•The Starlink satellites' orbit is placed at a relatively low orbit of 340 miles. The Starlink orbit is
slightly higher than the International Space Station (ISS) but below the orbits of terrestrial
satellites.
•The Starlink satellites are launched on the Falcon 9 rocket that has also been engineered by
SpaceX. It is the world’s first reusable rocket built for the transportation of people and supplies to
Earth’s orbit.
•SpaceX is building a constellation of Starlink internet satellites. So far, the company has
launched 1,737 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX has already obtained approval from the US
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch 12,000 satellites into Earth’s low orbit.
•The company had informed that it would require at least 1,440 Starlink satellites to activate the
commercial service. The company is in process of rolling out the services by the end of this year.
So far, 500,000 users have signed up for the Starlink services via the company’s website.

Biden administration will not re-enter Open

Skies Treaty with Russia
Biden-led US administration on May 27, 2021, announced that the country has told Russia it will
not rejoin the Open Skies Treaty, a key arms control pact that allowed both member countries to
fly surveillance aircraft over each other’s military facilities.
Wendy Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State told Sergei Ryabkov, Russian Deputy stated that the
US does not seek to renter the Open Skies Treaty due to Russia’s failure to comply with the pact.
The announcement came in just a few weeks before an upcoming summit between US President
Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva.
Now, the New START treaty is the only major arms control agreement in place between the US
and Russia. Biden-led administration extended the START treaty by five years.
The Open Skies Treaty: Highlights
•The United States signed the treaty on March 24, 1992, and it came into force in 2002. The Open
Skies Treaty allows both member countries to fly surveillance aircraft over each other’s military
facilities. The treaty was intended to promote transparency among the member countries.
•34 member states participate in the treaty, though Former President Donald Trump in November
2020 announced the withdrawal of the US. Later in January 2021, Russia also announced its
withdrawal from the treaty.
•Former US President Dwight Eisenhower had proposed the idea of aerial surveillance between
the US and the Soviet Union in July 1995, however, Moscow then rejected the proposal on the
grounds of spying.
•Later in May 1989, former President George Bush reintroduced the proposal and after a
conference between NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and Warsaw Pact countries in
1990 followed by subsequent rounds of discussions, the Open Skies Treaty was signed on March
24, 1992. The treaty came into force on January 2, 2002, after the completion of the ratification
process by Russia and Belarus.

Smart Kitchen Scheme: Kerala CM

announces guidelines to be ready by July 10
The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan announced on May 26, 2021, that the Secretary
level committee will be making the recommendations and guidelines for the implementation of the
‘Smart Kitchen scheme’ by July 10, 2021.
The start of the work on the Smart Kitchen Scheme will be a part of the implementation of
promises that were made in the manifesto of the ruling party of the Kerala Left Democratic Front
(LDF).
In its manifesto for the 2021 Assembly elections, the Left Democratic Front had promised to ease
the domestic workload of the women in the state.
The Chief Minister, in an earlier tweet, had pointed that with the implementation of program, the
Kerala Government is staying true to its promise.
A three member Secretary Level Committee will make the guidelines and recommendations by 10
July for the implementation of #SmartKitchen. It aims to account and reduce the workload of
women's domestic labour.
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) May 27, 2021

Objective of Smart Kitchen Scheme:
The scheme of the Kerala State Government aims to account for and reduce the workload of
women’s domestic labour.
How the scheme will benefit women in Kerala?
Under the Smart Kitchen Scheme, the women in Kerala will be provided a loan by the government
to refurbish their kitchens with a low interest rate in the installment schemes.
The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan in a tweet had stated our society’s liberation cannot
be achieved without the liberation of women, who are more than half of the population in the
state.
The CM also informed that a 3-member Secretary level committee will make the guidelines and

the recommendations regarding the scheme by July 10.
LDF in Kerala:
The Left Democratic Party has been in power in the State Legislature of Kerala from 1980 to
2001, 2006 to 2011, and from 2016 to current.
The alliance led by Pinarayi Vijayan had returned to power in Assembly elections in 2016 winning
91 out of 140 seats and further increasing the tally to 99 seats in the latest 2021 elections.
Pinarayi Vijayan became the CM of Kerala after a historic election in 2021 where an incumbent
government in Kerala was re-elected for the first time in 40 years.

Government sets up panel to examine

valuation of services by online gaming,
casinos for GST
The Central Government has set up a panel of the state ministers for better valuation of the
services of online gaming portals, casinos, and race courses for levying the Goods and Services
Tax (GST).
The 7-member panel which is convened by the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel will
also be examining whether any change is required in the legal provision for the better means of
valuation of these services.
The panel formed by the government will be submitting its report to the GST Council which will be
chaired by the Union Finance Minister and the comprising State Finance Ministers, within 6
months.
Currently, the services of horse racing, casinos, and online gaming attract 18% GST. The Group
of Ministers will decide on the method of valuing the services.
Who will be the members of the Group of Ministers (GoM)?
Apart from the Deputy CM of Gujarat, the other members of the Group of Ministers include West
Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra, Deputy CM of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar, Deputy CM of
Arunachal Pradesh Chowna Mein, Home Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai, Goa
Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, and Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu P Thiagarajan.
What will be the Objective of the panel?
• The Group of Ministers (GoM) will be examining the issue of valuation of services
provided by the race courses, casinos, and online gaming portals. The taxability of certain
transactions in a casino will also be checked with reference to the current legal provisions
and the orders of the court.
• The panel of the state ministers will also examine the administration of such valuation provisions
and in case, an alternative means of valuation has been recommended.

• The Group of Ministers will look into the impact of such valuation on other similarly placed
services such as the lottery.
Online gaming sector sees a flow of investment in a pandemic:
Rajat Mohan, AMRG and Associated Senior Partner said that in the pandemic, the online gaming
sector, including Casino, has seen huge user traction and flow of investments.
He added that the online gaming companies in India are in the nascent stages, leading to multiple
unresolved issues around taxation and valuation which pose a big challenge to the entire industry.
The Group of Ministers have been constituted to examine, understand and resolve the uncertainty
that surrounds the valuation of services by race courses, casinos, and online gaming companies.

Cyclone Tauktae: Maharashtra govt approves

a relief fund of Rs 252 crore
The Maharashtra government on May 27, 2021, approved a relief fund of Rs 252 crore for people
residing in the coastal areas that were affected by cyclone Tauktae.
The relief fund was approved during the weekly cabinet chaired by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister
Uddhav Thackeray.
The 252-crore relief fund amount exceeds fixed norms under the NDRF (National Disaster
Response Fund) by the central government which would otherwise be 72 crores, officials
informed. The state government will bear the additional expenditure, officials further informed.
Cyclone Tauktae in the Arabian Sea was declared an ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ on May
17, 2021, by the Indian Meteorological Department. The cyclone passed through coastal areas of
Maharashtra before making its landfall in Gujarat between May 17 -18, 2021.
Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Thane, Sindhudurg Raigad, and Palghar were affected by the cyclone
Tauktae.
Cyclone Tauktae: Maharashtra govt relief fund: Key points
•The state government will give Rs 4 lakh to the kin of those who got killed during the cyclone
Tauktae in accordance with NDRF norms and Rs 1 lakh from the state exchequer.
•Financial aid of Rs 1,50,000 will be provided for houses completely damaged during the cyclone
while Rs 50,000 for houses with 50 per cent damage, Rs 25,000 for houses with 25 per cent, and
Rs 15,000 for houses with 15 per cent damage.
•Any slum damaged during the cyclone and which is eligible for rehabilitation will get Rs 15,000.
•Compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare for crop loss, Rs 250 per damaged coconut tree, and Rs
50 per areca nut (supari) tree (maximum up to 2 hectares) will be given.
•Families that suffered the loss of clothes and utensils will be given Rs 5,000 each.

•Fishing boats damaged during the cyclone will be given Rs 25,000 each and partially damaged
boats will get Rs 10,000.
•Damaged fishing nets will receive Rs 5,000 for repairs.

Cyclone Yaas: PM Modi conducts aerial

survey, review situation in West Bengal and
Odisha
Prime Minister Modi visited West Bengal and Odisha on May 28, 2021, to take stock of the impact
of Cyclone Yaas. He conducted an aerial in the affected parts of both states from 12.15 pm to
2.15 pm.
PM Modi first landed in Odisha’s Capital Bhubaneshwar, where he conducted a review meeting at
11 am. He will also survey the affected areas of Odisha’s Bhadrak, Balasore, and West Bengal’s
Purba Medinipur.
Bhubaneswar | Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds meeting with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to
assess the impact of cyclone Yaas pic.twitter.com/uBlYdxRikn
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021
Prime Minister visited West Bengal after the aerial survey, where he was to conduct a review
meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankar.
On May 27, 2021, Prime Minister had also chaired a meeting to review the impact of Cyclone
Yaas and had advised the concerned agencies to ensure normal life is restored in the affected
areas of Odisha and West Bengal at the earliest.
Outcomes of PM Modi's review meeting in Odisha and West Bengal
• In Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, PM Modi chaired a meeting to review the rehabilitation and relief
measures being undertaken. He was briefed about the maximum damage because of Cyclone
Yaas in Odisha and that some parts of Jharkhand and West Bengal have also been affected.
•Prime Minister Modi announced financial assistance of Rs. 1000 crores for the immediate relief
activities and Rs. 500 crores will be immediately given to Odisha. Another Rs. 500 crores are for
Jharkhand and West Bengal, which will be released on the basis of the damage.
•The Central Government will be deploying an Inter-Ministerial team to visit the states to assess
the extent of damage and on the basis of that further assistance will be given. Prime Minister also

assured the governments of West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand that the government will
closely work with the State Governments at this difficult time.
•Prime Minister expressed his solidarity with those who suffered because of the cyclone and
expressed sorrow to the families who have lost their kin during the calamity. He has announced
an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 to the seriously
injured.
Review meeting by PM Modi in West Bengal:
The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee informed that the Chief Secretary has
submitted a report to PM Modi over the destruction caused because of Cyclone Yaas in the state.
The Chief Secretary has submitted a report to the Prime Minister over the destruction caused due
to cyclone Yaas in the State: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee pic.twitter.com/95khmFJcHI
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021
Reportedly, the West Bengal CM and Chief Secretary arrived late by 30 minutes late for the
Cyclone review meeting despite being on the same premises. West Bengal CM upon entering the
review meeting handed over the papers related to the cyclone impacts and left.
West Bengal CM & Chief Secy arrived late by 30mins for cyclone review meet despite being in
the same premises, according to sources. WB CM upon entering review meet handed over
papers related to the cyclone impact & said that other meetings were lined up and left, as per
sources. pic.twitter.com/h9dJcCT50V
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021

PM Modi undertook an aerial survey of West Bengal and Odisha
PM Modi undertook an aerial survey of the affected parts of West Bengal and Odisha and
covered the regions that were most impacted by Cyclone Yaas.
After the aerial survey, PM Modi will West Bengal where he will conduct a review meeting with
CM Mamata Banerjee and the Governor of West Bengal.
PM Narendra Modi undertook an aerial survey to review the situation in the wake of Cyclone
Yaas. The aerial survey covered parts of Odisha and West Bengal: PMO
pic.twitter.com/cak98vedGi
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021

Cyclone Yaas: Restoration work begins in Odisha
•Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had conducted an aerial survey of the affected parts of the state.
•As the restoration work in all the affected areas in the state is in progress, a couple of rivers in
the North Odisha District have been swelling due to the excess water intake.
•As per Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena, the Odisha government has ed the
collectors of North Odisha districts to stay prepared for the safety of the people.
•As many as 146 blocks of Odisha have received heavy to very heavy rainfall. It includes 77
blocks recoding as high as 30 to 40 cm rainfall in the last two days.
Cyclone Yaas: West Bengal govt extends financial relief
•The Government of West Bengal had preliminary estimated that the damage by the cyclone in
the state will be around Rs. 15,000 crores.
•To extend relief to the affected areas in the state, the Central Government has already
announced a relief of more than Rs. 400 crores.
•The Chief Minister of West Bengal, on behalf of the state government, also announced that
another Rs. 1,000 crores will be allocated for the relief and compensation.
Cyclone Yaas weakened into a depression:
Cyclone yaas has been progressing northwards towards the neighbouring state of Bihar. The
storm has further weakened after entering the plains of Bihar and Jharkhand and is at a speed of
8-9 km per hour.
Even though Cyclone is no longer a severe storm and weakened into a depression, all the
districts of Jharkhand have been affected and are receiving intermittent rainfall.
As per IMD, the cyclone will enter the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh on May 29, 2021, and heavy
to very heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms will occur in the next 48
hours in the eastern and north-eastern part of UP.
Cyclone Yaas had made its landfall in Odisha on May 26, 2021.

World’s largest museum Louvre gets first

female president in 228 years
Art Historian Laurence des Cars becomes the first female president of Musée du Louvre, the
world’s largest museum in Paris, France in 228 years. Laurence des Cars on May 28, 2021, was
appointed as the first female president of Musée du Louvre by the President of France,
Emmanuel Macron.
Laurence des Cars, 54, is currently heading the Musée d’Orsay, the Paris landmark museum
which is dedicated to 19th-century art.
On September 1, 2021, she will replace the current president, Jean-Luc Martinez, who had been
heading the Orsay museum for the past eight years.
Laurence des Cars will be taking over the charge of Musée du Louvre at a difficult time amid the
pandemic which has dismantled the international museum. Before the pandemic, the Musée du
Louvre museum witnessed about 10 million visitors annually.
Both the leaders, Martinez and des Cars have studied art history at École du Louvre, the
museum’s prestigious school. However, des Cars, a descendent from a French noble family of
writers has a specialization in 19th and early 20th-century painting while Martinez, son of a
postman from a working-class suburb of Paris is a trained archaeologist with little experience in
painting.
Musée du Louvre belongs to the French state. The museum has over 2,000 employees and an
annual budget of approximately 240 million euros ($291 million).
Who is Laurence des Cars?
•Laurence des Cars, born in Antony, France, studied art history at École du Louvre and Paris-
Sorbonne University.
•Laurence des Cars is an art historian who specializes in 19th and early 20th-century painting.
She became a teacher at École du Louvre and organized several museum tours.
1994: Laurence des Cars became a curator at Musée d'Orsay.

2007: She was appointed as Scientific Director of the Agence France-Museums, French operator
in charge of the development of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
2011: She was made the General Curator of Heritage of Musee de l’Orangerie.
2014: She was made the Director of Musee de l’Orangerie by Aurelie Filippetti, Minister of
Culture.
2017: She got appointed as the Director of Musée d'Orsay by then-President François Hollande.
•Laurence des Cars has played an instrumental role in the decision of the Musée d’Orsay to
return a Gustav Klimt painting ‘Roses’ back to the heirs of its owner. The painting was stolen by
the Nazis in Vienna in 1938.
•The 2019 exhibition ‘Black Models: From Géricault to Matisse’ was a significant milestone in the
career of Laurence des Cars. The exhibition, under her leadership, represented the overlooked
black figures in French art.

United States urges WHO to carry out second

phase of COVID-19 virus origin study in
China
The United States of America on May 27, 2021, urged the World Health Organisation to carry out
the second phase of its investigation into the origin of Coronavirus in China. The country has
called for the full access of original data and samples to independent experts.
The team led by WHO had spent four weeks in and around Wuhan, China in January and
February 2021 with Chinese researchers.
The US President Joe Biden on May 26, 2021, had also ordered aides to find answers to the
origin of the virus. He stated that the US Intelligence agencies have been pursuing rival theories
which include the possibility of a laboratory accident in China.
US Claims initial WHO study to be inconclusive:
After calling WHO to carry out the second phase of investigation in COVID-19 origin, the U.S.
mission to the U.N. in Geneva in a statement on May 27 called the initial WHO study to be
‘insufficient and inconclusive’. The country has also asked for a timely, transparent, and evidence-
based second phase of a study to be conducted, including in China.
WHO reconsiders COVID-19 lab origin theory in China:
However, with the latest development, the global health body has been reconsidering
China’s role in the COVID-19 origin on the basis of the overlooked data which provides
an intriguing insight into China’s evolving knowledge of the virus.
The top emergency expert of WHO, Mike Ryan informed the annual meeting of health
ministers on May 26 that the global health body has had consultations with many
member states to look at what happens in the next phase and will continue to have
those discussions.
UK calls for transparent phase two study:
In a separate statement, Britain’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Simon Manley said that
phase one of the WHO-convened COVID-19 origins study was meant to be the start of the

process and not the end.
He added that Britain calls for a transparent, timely, expert-led, and evidence-based phase two
study, including in China, as recommended by the report of experts.
What does China say?
The Chinese government, through the remarks by a representative at its embassy in the US,
mentioned that it has supported a comprehensive study of all the early cases of COVID-19 that
were found worldwide and has also cooperated through a thorough investigation into some of the
secretive bases and biological laboratories all over the world.
Previous report by WHO on COVID-19 origin: Background
The report which was released in March 2021 by the WHO team, which spent four weeks in
China in January and February, had stated that the virus had probably been transmitted from the
bats to the humans through other animals and that ‘the introduction of the virus through a
laboratory incident was considered to be an extremely unlikely pathway’.

Germany to vaccinate children over 12 years

from June 7
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on May 28, 2021, that Germany will begin giving
coronavirus vaccine jabs to children over 12 years of age from June 7, 2021, onwards.
Vaccination of children in Germany: Key points
•Germany is vaccinating children in the country to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.
•Merkel informed that those interested in getting their children vaccinated will be offered the first
of two shots by the end of August 2021.
•The vaccination would not be compulsory for the children, she further said. Schools would not be
required children to be vaccinated.
•The European Medicines Agency will be approving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for
children between 12 to 15-years-old on May 28, 2021. The Pfizer vaccine is already authorized in
the European Union for children above 16 years.
•The European Medicines Agency has hinted towards recommending the vaccine for children with
underlying medical conditions.
•STIKO vaccine regulator in Germany is yet to give its recommendations for vaccination of
children over 12 years of age.
Germany: COVID-19 vaccination
•More than 40 per cent of adults in Germany have been administered their first dose of the
vaccine while 15 per cent have been fully vaccinated.
•Germany is administering doses of the following vaccines: BioNTech-Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson,
Moderna, Oxford AstraZeneca.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad wins 4th

term with 95% of votes
The President of Syria Bashar al-Assad has been re-elected for the position with 95.1 percent of
votes cast, announced the Parliamentary speaker. The Presidential elections in Syria have faced
heavy criticism by the opposition and the Western Countries.
The Presidential Election in Syria on May 26, 2021, was the second one since the beginning of
Syria’s uprising-turned-war a decade ago. Bashar al-Assad had won nearly 89% votes in the
elections in 2014.
Mahmoud Ahmad Marei, Head of the National Democratic Front, a small, state-endorsed
opposition party; and Abdullah Salloum Abdulla, the former state minister of the Parliamentary
Affairs, were running against Bashar al-Assad in this election, which has been rejected by the
opposition and the western powers as ‘farce’.
Bashar al-Assad had also casted his vote in Douma near the Syrian capital, Damascus, a
previous rebel stronghold as well as the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack by the
government in 2018.
Polling stations packed with voters:
Reportedly, the polling stations were packed with voters all morning and many students were also
forced to cast ballots.
As per a Damascus-based student, some universities will also fail or even expel their students if
they don’t vote. However, she added, it doesn’t matter as everyone knows what the results will be
as these elections are just a show.
Economic crisis leads to discontent:
According to Danny Makki, a nonresident scholar of the Middle East Institute, the economic crisis
had led to major discontent even among the biggest supporters of the Syrian government.
He added that although the elections have been celebratory, the post-election period is where the
true challenge awaits.

It will be a hard task to predict how much al-Assad can keep the economy afloat and will be able
to manage Syria’s problems, even with the help of Iran and Russia.
However, even though people have been complaining of poverty and inflation, those in
opposition are far more hated than the regime.
Western powers call polls in Syria a ‘sham’:
The Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France, and Italy have
issued a joint statement in which they described the polls in Syria as a sham.
According to the statement, for an election to be credible, all Syrians must be allowed to
participate which includes the internally displaced Syrians, refugees, and the members of the
diaspora, in a neutral and safe environment.
However, Bashar al-Assad had rejected such criticism stated that the government does not care
about such statements.
The Syrian Democratic Council, which controls the northeastern part of the country, also criticized
al-Assad’s government for obstructing the meetings and the negotiations and stated that it will not
be a part of the Syrian Presidential Election Process.
Domestic refugees in Syria:
Syria has been home to the world’s largest number of displaced people, with millions of domestic
refugees in the north-western province of Idlib as well as in the areas in the east that are outside
of the Syrian government’s control- run by the Turkish troops.
As per the UN numbers, 13.4 million people (two in three Syrians) are in need of humanitarian
assistance.
Even though the country is on the brink of a financial collapse, with limited access to wheat and
petrol, the confirmation of Bashar al-Assad as the President can serve as a morale booster.
Syrian Civil War: What leads to the economic and political crisis in Syria?
The Syrian Civil War is an ongoing multi-sided war. It is fought in Syria between the Syrian Arab
Republic led by President Bashar al-Assad and various other domestic and foreign forces who
oppose both the Syrian government as well as each other.

The unrest in Syria began in 2011 as part of the wider 2011 Arab Spring Protests. It grew out of
the discontent with the Syrian government and further escalated to an armed conflict after the
protests for Assad’s removal were violently suppressed.

COVID-19: Zydus Cadila seeks DCGI approval

for clinical trials for monoclonal antibody
therapy
Zydus Cadila announced on May 26, 2021, that the company is seeking approval from the Drugs
Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct clinical trials of its monoclonal antibody therapy
ZRC-3308 (COVIMAB) that can neutralize COVID-19.
Dr Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Cadila Healthcare in a statement informed that the biological
therapy ZRC-3308, a cocktail of two anti-SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)
has the potential to address concerns about the progression of the COVID-19 infection.
The company stated in a tweet further said that at this point, we should be exploring more safer
and efficacious treatments to fight COVID-19 to reduce patients' discomfort and suffering.
Zydus seeks DCGI approval to undertake clinical trials for monoclonal antibodies cocktail that can
neutralise COVID infection. #biologicaltherapy #IndiaFightsCorona #innovation #innovateindia
#zydus #Zyduscadila #cadila #makeinindia #covid19 #corona #Atmanirbharbharat
pic.twitter.com/fmvLLNjNrR
— Zydus Cadila (@ZydusUniverse) May 27, 2021

What is COVIMAB?
•COVIMAB, a cocktail of two anti-SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)

therapy ZRC-3308 has been designed by Zydus Cadila, an Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical
company in India.
•Zydus Cadila is the only Indian company that has been able to develop a neutralizing monoclonal
antibody-based cocktail to neutralize COVID-19.
•The biological therapy ZRC-3308, a cocktail of two SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing monoclonal

antibodies (mAbs) that has the potential to neutralize COVID-19 infection.
What is monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy?
•SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein facilitates the virus in entering into the body’s cells. Monoclonal

antibodies (mAbs) target epitopes of SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein.
•Single Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy targeting SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein has been
approved for emergency use in Europe, India, and the US. However, the US FDA had recently
withdrawn the authorization when the single mAb-based therapy was found ineffective on the
variants.
•In the case of COVIMAB, a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), the antibodies will
target two unique epitopes of SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein. Two mAbs based products have
better efficacy at fighting variants compared to single mAb-based products.
•A press release by Zydus Cadila stated that the biological therapy ZRC-3308 has been
specifically devised in a way that provides protection for a long time than the currently approved
treatments for COVID-19.
Zydus Cadila: COVID-19 Vaccine
•Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila is also seeking approval for its
COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D from the central government. It is expecting to get the authorization
by June 2021.

Bharat Ratna Professor Rao honoured with

International ENI Award 2020
Bharat Ratna Professor C.N.R. Rao has been honoured with the International ENI Award 2020 for
his research in renewable energy sources and energy storage.
Professor C.N.R Rao has been working on hydrogen energy as the only source of energy for the
benefit of all mankind. Photochemical and electrochemical production of hydrogen, hydrogen
storage, non-metallic catalysis, and solar production of hydrogen were the highlights of his work.
The ENI Awards 2020 will be presented on October 14, 2021, in an official ceremony that will take
place at Quirinal Palace in Rome. It will be attended by the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.
About Professor C.N.R Rao:
Professor Rao is an Indian chemist who has worked mainly in structural and solid-state chemistry.
C.N.R. Rao has honorary doctorates from 60 universities around the world and has authored
around 51 books and 1,600 research publications. Professor Rao is described as a scientist who
has won all the possible awards in his field except Nobel Prize.
At 17, he completed his BSc from Mysore University and MSc from BHU at the age of 19. Rao
earned his PhD at the age of 24 from Purdue University. He joined the Indian Institute of Science
in 1959 and eventually became its director from 1984 to 1994.
Professor Rao was also the Chair of Scientific Advisory Council to Prime Minister of India from
1985 to 1989 and 2005 to 2014.
On November 16, 2013, he was selected for Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India. He
is the third scientist after C.V. Raman and A.P.J Abdul Kalam to receive the award.
Energy Frontier Award: Professor Rao’s award-winning research

Professor Rao has been conferred with the Energy Frontier Award for his work on
carbon nanotubes, metal oxides, and other materials and two-dimensional
systems, which includes boron-nitrogen-carbon hybrid materials, graphene, and
molybdenum sulfide for the production of energy application and green

hydrogen.
The latter can be achieved through various processes, including the thermal disassociation,
photodissociation of water, and electrolysis activated by the electricity which has been produced
from solar or wind energy.
Professor Rao worked in all three areas and also developed some highly innovative materials.
The same or the related materials have also shown beneficial properties for the construction of
hydrogen storage systems and supercapacitors with high specific power and an increased
number of charge-discharge cycles.
The hydrogen storage systems and supercapacitors are energy storage devices, very similar to
batteries, which will become an increasingly significant part of the renewable energy sector.
Energy Frontier Award:
The International ENI award is also known as the Energy Frontier Award and is considered to be
the Nobel Prize in Energy Research.
The award has been recognized internationally over the years in the field of energy and
environmental research. It aims to promote better use of energy resources and also to encourage
new generations of researchers in their work. The award includes a cash prize and a specially
minted gold medal.

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen receives Spain’s

top award in social sciences
Amartya Kumar Sen, Indian economist and Nobel Laureate, on May 26, 2021, was awarded
Spain’s top Princess of Asturias Award in the Social Sciences category, announced the Spanish
Prize Foundation.
Amartya Sen, 87, was chosen among a pool of 41 candidates from 20 nations in the Social
Sciences Award, the Princess of Asturias Foundation mentioned in a press release.
Spain’s top Princess of Asturias Award in the Social Sciences is given for creative or research
work in the field of economics, political science, sociology, law, history, linguistics, teaching,
ethics, geography, philosophy, anthropology, demography, or psychology, the release stated.
Princess of Asturias Award, represented by a Joan Miro sculpture, comprises a cash prize of
50,000 Euros, a diploma, and an insignia. Javier Parrondo, Director General of Casa Asia
(Barcelona) had put forward Sen’s candidature.
Why was Amartya Sen awarded the Princess of Asturias Award?
•Sen has made key contributions with his research on underlying mechanisms of poverty,
famines, and theory of welfare economics, human development, devising methods to fight against
disease, injustice, and inequality.
•Sen through his best-known work, ‘Poverty & Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation’
book explained that famine is not a result of lack of food but rather a case of inequalities in the
distribution of food, the release further mentioned.
•Sen’s contributions have helped in shaping several development plans and a number of policies
of the United Nations.
Who is Amartya Sen?
•Amartya Sen is an internationally renowned Indian economist. Sen is currently a professor at

Thomas W. Lamont university and also teaches Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University.

•He was born in India in 1933. He pursued his studies at Presidency College in Kolkata and later
went to Trinity College, Cambridge where he got his BA, MA, and a Ph. D degree.
•Sen later in 1998 was also appointed as Master of Trinity College, Cambridge till 2004.
•Sen has been widely known for his work to alleviate poverty, devising methods to fight against
disease, injustice, inequality, research in causes of famines, economic measurement, social
choice theory.
•Sen published his book called ‘Poverty & Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation’ in
which he explained in depth the social and economic causes in many cases of famine.
Amartya Sen: Awards
1998: Sen was awarded a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
1999: Sen got the Bharat Ratna for his key contributions to Welfare Economics.
2020: He was given the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade by the German Publishers and
Booksellers Association for his work highlighting issues of global justice and social injustice in the
healthcare and education field.
2021: He was awarded Spain’s top Princess of Asturias Award in the Social Sciences.

SeHAT-OPD Portal: Defence Minister Rajnath

Singh launches portal for armed forces
personnel, Ex-servicemen
The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 27, 2021, launched SeHAT-OPD Portal. It is
an online medical consultation service for the armed forces personnel and ex-servicemen to
ensure hassle-free health services for them.
The Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and Navy Chief
Admiral Karambir Singh were among those who attended the launch event virtually.
The Defence Minister while referring to the Coronavirus crisis, stated that the second wave of the
pandemic was not only unpredictable but is also more dangerous than the first one.
The Union Minister also acknowledged the armed forces for their significant contribution to the
country’s efforts to combat the deadly pandemic.
The ‘Services e-Health Assistance & Tele-consultation (SeHAT) OPD portal was launched today
via video conferencing. This portal provides tele-medicine services to the serving Armed Forces
personnel, veterans and their families. https://t.co/4Bjm3KPrYl pic.twitter.com/8bWJgqWWse
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 27, 2021

Significance:
•The online outpatient platform, SeHAT-OPD Portal will ensure widespread access to quality
health services in remote areas apart from reducing the load on the hospitals.
•The launch of the portal is also a very significant step taken at a very critical time for the health of
service personnel.
Government monitoring COVID-19 situation: Defence Minister
While addressing the virtual launching event, the Union Defence Minister assured that the Central
Government has been constantly monitoring the situation. They have also been making efforts to
improve the supply of medical oxygen, medicines, and other equipment through a group of
ministers and high-level committees.

Defence Minister on the anti-COVID oral drug:
The Union Minister also talked about the anti-COVID oral drug 2-DG. he informed that the drug
has shown good results and that he is happy that 10,000 sachets of the drug are coming to the
market today.
2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied
Sciences, a leading lab of DRDO, in collaboration with Hyderabad’s Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
2-DG was approved by DCGI for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe
COVID-19 patients. It comes in powder form in sachets and is taken orally by dissolving it in
water.

What is Happy Hypoxia and how it is ‘fatal’ in

COVID-19 patients? – Explainer of the Day
Various mysterious forms of fatal diseases in patients with COVID-19 have been coming to light
during the second wave of COVID-19. Doctors are alarmed with an increasing number of
youngsters being admitted to hospitals with ‘Happy Hypoxia’ which is being deemed as a ‘silent’
killer in COVID-19 patients.
What is Happy Hypoxia?
•Medical experts explain Happy Hypoxia as a medical condition in which patients suffering from
COVID-19 with extremely low blood-oxygen levels are not exhibiting any symptom of a shortage
of oxygen.
•These people grouped as ‘Happy Hypoxics’ by the doctors are experiencing a drop in oxygen
levels, failure of organs internally but still, show no external symptoms. Most of them are normally
sitting, conversing, and using phones.
•COVID-19 patients, especially youngsters, with happy hypoxia may not exhibit symptoms of
breathlessness till a much later stage of the infection and crash suddenly.
•Generally, a patient infected with COVID-19 shows oxygen saturation levels declining up to 40
percent, in some cases even lower. The healthy oxygen saturation level is above 95 per cent.
How is Happy Hypoxia identified?
•Medical experts highly advise monitoring blood oxygen levels with a pulse oximeter even if a
COVID-19 patient is not exhibiting breathlessness but only fever, cough, sore throat, etc.
•Medical experts say that in addition to regular COVID-19 symptoms, patients with happy hypoxia
will exhibit skin discolouration to purple or red, change in lip colour to pale or blue tone, and heavy
sweating even when not doing any physical activity.
How Happy Hypoxia happens: Explained
•Medical experts have noted that unlike patients with acute breathlessness, some COVID-19

patients experience lung issues that are not evident immediately or acutely.
•The immune system of Happy Hypoxics focuses on fighting against the drop in oxygen by
speeding up the breathing level while warding off fever, etc.
•Happy Hypoxics with COVID-19 remain unaware of their dropping levels of oxygen internally.
Hence, they do see the need to seek medical help in the initial stages of infection. The process is
being described as how a person’s body adjusts to low levels of oxygen at higher altitudes.

US President orders Intelligence Report on

COVID origins within 90 days
The President of the United States Joe Biden on May 26, 2021, ordered the US Intelligence
Agencies to report to him in the next 3 months on whether the Coronavirus first emerged in China
from an animal source or a laboratory accident.
According to an official statement released by the White House, the President said that the
agencies must redouble their efforts to analyze and collect the information that could bring us
closer to a definitive conclusion. The President directed that the agencies must report back to him
in 90 days.
The announcement by the US Government can be seen in the light of the latest reports
mentioning that the World Health organization is reconsidering the China lab origin theory of
COVID-19 origin on the basis of the previously overlooked data. It indicates China’s evolving
knowledge of the virus as well as the timings of its outbreak.
Shortly after taking office, I instructed our Intelligence Agencies to investigate the origins of the
COVID-19 virus. Today, I’ve asked the Intelligence Community to redouble those efforts and send
me a report in 90 days.
https://t.co/MVXudLeu8V
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 26, 2021

US agencies split over two possibilities:
According to President Joe Biden, the US agencies are currently split over the two possible
sources for the COVID-19 virus that swept the planet over the past year.
The virus has killed more than 3.4 million people- a figure which as per the experts is undoubtedly
an underestimate.
The President informed that in March 2021 he had asked for a report on the origins of the
Coronavirus, including ‘whether the virus emerged from human contact with an infected animal or
from a laboratory incident in China’.

He said that as of today, the Intelligence Community of the US has united around two likely
scenarios but still has not reached a definitive conclusion on this question.
Biden’s order supports controversy over COVID-19 origin:
The latest orders by US President Joe Biden signals an escalation in the mounting controversy
over how the COVID-19 virus first emerged- through the release of the Coronavirus from a highly
secure research laboratory in Wuhan, China, or through an animal contact at a market in the
same city.
What might be the answer, it will have an immense implication for both China, which has
maintained that it is not responsible for the pandemic, and for the US politics, where the lab leak
theory has been continuously used by the Republicans to attack Beijing.

New social media rules: What will happen if

intermediaries fail to comply?
The new rules for the social media platforms and the digital media outlets in India, known as the
Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, have come into effect from May 26, 2021.
On the other hand, the social media intermediaries have continued to oppose the guidelines,
maintaining that it will breach the freedom and privacy of the users on these platforms.
As the tension continues to grow between the social media giants such as Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, and the Government of India, a recent lawsuit by WhatsApp against the government
has aggravated the situation more.
Read more to know more about the guidelines and what will happen if the intermediaries fail to
comply with them.
What are the guidelines for social media platforms?
The guidelines were announced by the Indian Government in February 2021.
•Under the guidelines, the Central Government has asked all the social media platforms to
establish a grievances redressal and compliance mechanism, which will include appointing a
resident grievance officer, a nodal contact person, and a chief compliance officer.
•The Electronics and Informational Technology Ministry has also asked the social media platforms
to submit monthly reports on the complaints received from the users and actions taken.
•The third requirement, under guidelines, was for the instant messaging apps to make provisions
for tracking the first originator of a message.
What will happen if these platforms fail to comply with guidelines?
In case, the social media platforms and the digital content media outlets fail to comply
with any of the mentioned requirements, the indemnity provided to the social media
intermediaries under the Section 79 of the Information Technology Act will be taken
away.
What is Section 79 of the Information Technology Act?

As per Section 79 of the IT Act, any intermediary will not be held legally or otherwise
liable for any third-party information, communication, or data link made available or
hosted on its platform.
The Act says that the protection will be applicable if the said intermediary does not in
any way, initiate the transmission of the message in question, does not modify any
information contained in the transmission, or select the receiver of the transmitted
message.
However, the protection accorded under Section 79 will not be granted in case the intermediary,
despite being notified or informed by the government or its agencies does not immediately disable
access to the material under question.
The intermediary should not tamper with any evidence of these content or messages present on
its platform, failing which it will lose its protection under the Act.
Why the provision for the protection of intermediaries was introduced?
The need to provide protection to the intermediaries from the actions of the third party came into
focus after a police case in 2004.
An IIT student, in November 2004, had posted an obscene video clip for sale on bazee.com,
which is an auction website. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police, along with the student, also
arrested the then Chief Executive Officer of the website, Avnish Bajaj and Sharat Digumarti, a
then manager.
The CEO spent 4 days in Tihar jail before he was released, after which he filed a case to quash
the criminal complaint filed by the Delhi Police against him and his associate. Bajaj had argued
that the transaction was directly between the buyer and seller, without any form of intervention
from the website.
The Delhi High Court in 2005 held that prima facie and a case was made out against Bajaj and
his associate. The case against bazee.com was made out for listing the video clip and its content,
which was pornographic in nature. Bajaj was held liable under Section 85 of the IT Act which
states that when a company commits an offence under the IT Act, all the executives in charge at
that time must be held liable.
However, the decision was later overturned by Supreme Court in 2012, which held that Bajaj and
the website will not be held accountable as they were not directly involved in the transaction. After

the decision, the IT Act was amended to introduce Section 79.
What will happen if social media firm is not protected under Section 79?
Nothing will change overnight. As of now, the social media intermediaries will continue to function,
without any disruptions. Users will be able to post and share the content on their pages without
any form of disturbances.
The social media intermediaries such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have so far not
appointed a resident grievance officer, a nodal contact person, and a chief compliance officer as
required under the new social media rules announced by the government.
The platforms have also failed to submit the monthly action reports on complaints and grievances
submitted to them by the users. Thus, the protection under Section 79 will not hold for them.
Global norms in safe harbour protection for social media platforms:
As most of the bigger and influential social media intermediaries have their headquarters in the
United States, the most keenly watched is Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act.
It provides the internet firms a safe harbour from any content that the users post on these
websites.
As per the experts, it is this provision in the United States law that has enabled companies such
as Twitter, Facebook, and Google in becoming global conglomerates.

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine suitable for all aged

12 and above: Pfizer tells Centre
American pharmaceutical Pfizer on May 26, 2021, informed the Indian Government that the
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is suitable for all aged 12 and above. Further, the vaccine
can be stored at 2 to 8 degrees for over a month.
The US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer plans to supply 50 million COVID-19 vaccines to India in
2021, with few conditions in place. The company is seeking fast track approval along with
relaxations regarding few clauses including indemnity protection against liabilities.
Another pharmaceutical giant in the US, Moderna is also geared up to begin manufacturing its
COVID-19 vaccines in India after analysis with Cipla, a pharmaceutical company in Mumbai,
India.
Both Pfizer and Moderna earlier had allegedly refused to directly send vaccines to Delhi and
Punjab’s state governments, stating that the companies will deal with the Central government
only.
Pfizer seeks fast track approval along with indemnity protection
•The US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is in talks with the Indian government seeking fast-track
approval including indemnity protection, few regulatory relaxations, and protection against
compensation claims.
•Post the approval from Indian authorities, the company will manufacture five crore doses
between July and October.
•None of the three COVID-19 vaccines currently being used in India – COVAXIN, COVISHIELD,
SPUTNIK V have been granted such indemnity protection. However, Pfizer is insisting on the
Indian government for such protection.
•Pfizer states that the company has signed the indemnification document with 116 countries
across the world, including few European nations and the US.
•Pfizer has administered 14.7 corers doses of its BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine across the world.

No approved vaccine till yet in India for those below 18
•Pfizer has informed the Indian Government that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is
suitable for all aged 12 and above.
•COVAXIN on the other hand is yet to begin trials for those between 2 to 18 years of age by the
end of May 2021.
Pfizer's vaccine efficacy on double-mutant
•Pfizer has informed the Indian government of the high efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19
vaccine against the Indian variant ‘double mutant strain of coronavirus.
India COVID-19 Vaccination Tracker
•As of May 27, 2021, India’s vaccination drive has administered 20.2 crores of doses of which
18.8 lakh doses were administered in the past 24 hours. India’s active caseload stands at 24, 19,
907 with a decline of 75, 684 cases in the last 24 hours.
•India is working tirelessly to move towards vaccine sufficiency and reduce its dependency on
international sources for vaccine doses to produce 20-25 crore vaccines per month.
•Two more vaccines are in the pipeline: ZyCoV-D, COVID-19 vaccine by Ahmedabad-based
pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila and HGC019, India’s first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine by
Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.
•ZyCoV-D by Zydus Cadila is expected to get approval from the government by June while the
Phase-I trials of India’s first mRNA Covid-19 vaccine HGC019 will be completed in the next 45-
60 days post which Phase-II trials will be conducted, said Vikas Thapar, President, Corporate
Development & Strategy, Emcure Pharmaceuticals. Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd is a biotech
subsidiary of Emcure Pharmaceuticals.

Indian Armed Forces to deploy Israeli Heron

drones along the LAC with China
The Indian Forces on May 26, 2021, announced that they are expecting the arrival of the
advanced Heron-II drones from Israel that would be deployed along the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) with China. These advanced drones will give a major boost to the surveillance system of
Indian forces to keep a watch on the Chinese activities in the Ladakh region.
The Indian Forces are going to receive four Heron-II drones from Israel in the next three to four
months for deployment in the Eastern Ladakh and other regions along the Line of Actual Control
(LAC).
The Indian defence forces have been granted emergency financial powers by the government led
by PM Narendra Modi to buy equipment and systems worth Rs 500 crores to boost their
operational capabilities to fight wars in the ongoing conflict at the border with China since May
2020. The deal to acquire these four Israeli Heron drones has been carried out under these
powers.
The defence forces earlier in 2019 utilized these initiatives and powers to obtain weapon system
after the Balakot airstrikes against terrorist camps in Pakistan. Similarly, the Indian Navy had
leased two Predator drones from General Atomics, an American firm. The Indian Air Force has
acquired long-range precision-guided artillery shells, Hammer air, and anti-tank guided missiles.
About Heron-II drones
•Four satellite communication enabled Heron Mark-II drones on a three-year lease will be
acquired from Israel under the Rs 500 crore emergency financial powers.
•The drones have been manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries. The medium-altitude long-
endurance (MALE) Heron Mark-II drones are the upgraded version of Heron UAVs.
•These advanced drones will give a major boost to the surveillance system of Indian forces to
keep a watch on the Chinese activities in the Ladakh region.
•The Heron Mark-II drones with their anti-jamming capability, long-range radars, and the ability to
fly as high as 35,000 feet will be beneficial to gather information across the LAC with China from a

safe distance.
•The Indian defence forces will acquire hand-operated drones and mini-drones from the US.
Hand-operated drones will be used to obtain information about a specific area or location while
mini-drones would be provided to the troops at the Battalion level.
Line of Actual Control (LAC) conflict between India-China
•The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the demarcation line that separates the territory controlled by
India from the territory controlled by China. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is
different from the Line of Control (LOC) with Pakistan.
•The LAC is divided into three regions: the Eastern region in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh (1346
km), the Middle region in Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand (545 km), and the Western region
in Ladakh (1597 km).
•India claims LAC to be 3,488 km long while China says it is 2,000 km only. The territorial claim
by both nations is also a reason for the dispute. India claims to extend up to all of Aksai Chin
(occupied by China) while China claims Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern region of LAC as South
Tibet.
•The LAC in the Eastern region runs along the 1914 McMahon Line.
India-China Galwan Valley Dispute
•India and China had witnessed a face-off in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley during which 20
Indian soldiers lost their lives. This was the first stand-off between India and China since 1975.
•Beginning May 2020, Chinese troops had entered into the Galwan Valley that they claim to be
under the China-controlled territory. However, India claims the valley falls within India’s control.

Tennis: US Open line judges to be replaced

by technology on all courts in 2021
The United States Tennis Association announced on May 24, 2021, that it will be implementing
the use of electronic line calling on all courts at the Final Grand Slam of 2021. As per the
decision, the line judges will no longer feature at the U.S. Open.
The US Tennis Association (USTA) and the two leading professional tours, WTA and ATP,
informed that Hawk-Eye Live Electronic line-calling will be used for all the competition courts at
the US Open in 2021.
The US Open Series tournaments which will be relying entirely on the electronic line-calling in
2021 are the events in Atlanta; Toronto; Washington; Cincinnati; Montreal; Cleveland; and
Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Key Highlights:
•Electronic line calling technology was also used at Western & Southern Open and U.S. Open in
2020, apart from Louis Armstrong and Arthur Ashe Stadiums.
•The advanced technology was also deployed at the Australian Open and the move was largely
welcomed by the players.
•The US Tennis Association informed in a statement that seven out of nine WTA and ATP
Tournaments on the US Swing will be using the technology on all the competition courts in 2021.
Novak Djokovic supports electronic line calling:
The Serbian Tennis Player while commenting on the decision stated that he approved of
electronic line calling and that he is in favour of technology. He added that it’s proven to be
extremely accurate in this particular instance.
Djokovic was sensationally defaulted during his 4th round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2020
when he struck a line judge after hitting the ball in frustration following a point during his match
against the Spanish player Pablo Carreno Busta.

Who is a line judge in Tennis?
The Line Judge in Tennis is an official whose job is to observe the passage of tennis balls over
the boundary lines of the court.

Cyclone Yaas: Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas

enters Jharkhand, to weaken gradually into
depression
Cyclone Yaas: The deep depression over north interior Odisha and South Jharkhand has moved
northwestwards with about 7 km per hour in the past 6 hours. The cyclone lay centered over
South Jharkhand and the neighbourhood.
The Indian Meteorological Department informed on May 27, 2021, that the system is expected to
move nearly northwards and to weaken gradually into a depression during the next 6 hours.
The very severe cyclonic storm, Cyclone Yaas, had begun its landfall process and took about 2
hours to complete, informed the India Meteorological Department on May 26, 2021. It was about
30km south-southeast of Balasore. The storm's current intensity is 130-140kmph gusting to
155kmph.
According to IMD, an intense convective cloud mass has already entered Odisha's coast and the
area of most intense convection is seen in the southwest sector. The water from the sea has
flooded the residential areas in Dhamra of Bhadrak district in Odisha.
In West Bengal, a turbulent sea and strong winds are being witnessed in the Digha of Purba
Medinipur district.
Impact
•Odisha's Balasore and Bhadrak district is expected to see the maximum impact. The location of
the landfall is north of Dhamra and south of Bahanaga close to Bahanaga block on the coast, as
per Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena.
•According to IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, West Bengal is expected to receive isolated heavy
to very heavy rainfall today.
•Jharkhand will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall both today and tomorrow with extremely
heavy rainfall in isolated places.

West Bengal expected to receive isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall today. Jharkhand will
receive heavy to very heavy rainfall today & tomorrow with extremely heavy rainfall in isolated
places: IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra#CycloneYaas
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
•Bihar along with sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim is expected to receive isolated heavy
rainfall to very heavy rainfall today and tomorrow.
•Assam and Meghalaya are expected to receive isolated heavy rainfall today.
The Indian Navy has stepped up to make all necessary arrangements for the rescue and relief
operations. The Indian Army and NDRF have pre-positioned their teams and relief columns in
areas expected to be affected for immediate response.
The IMD has issued the following warnings:
(i) Rainfall Warning: Heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted at isolated places over Andaman
& Nicobar Islands on May 23rd & 24th, over north coastal Odisha on May 25th and Gangetic
West Bengal on May 25th-27th and Jharkhand on 26th and Bihar on 27th.
(ii) Fishermen Warning: The fishermen have been advised not to venture into southeast & east-
central Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea and along and off the coast of Andaman & Nicobar
Islands between May 22-24th and into the central Bay of Bengal from May 23rd– 25th and into
the north Bay of Bengal. Those out in the deep sea of east-central and adjoining northeast Bay of
Bengal have been advised to return to the coast.
iii) Tidal wave warning: Tidal wave of 1-2 meter height is very likely to inundate low lying areas
of Andaman & Nicobar Islands on May 23- 24, 2021.
iv) Isolated Rainfall/ Duststorm: Under the influence of a Western disturbance, the IMD has
predicted thunderstorm and lightning with isolated to fairly widespread rainfall over Western
Himalayan Region. Isolated rainfall is also expected over plains of Northwest India during next 24
hours and isolated duststorm have been predicted over Rajasthan during next 24 hours.
v) Strong Dust Raising Winds: Besides this, strong dust raising winds have been predicted over
Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh during the next 3 days.
The Union Home Minister Amit Shah had held a meeting with the chief ministers of Andhra

Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal and the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
on May 24th to review preparations in view of Cyclone Yaas.
PM Modi reviews preparedness
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on May 23rd to review the
preparedness of States and Central Ministries/Agencies to deal with the situation arising
out of Cyclone 'Yaas'.
•He has directed timely evacuation of those in off-shore activities and asked senior
officers to work in close coordination with states to ensure the safe evacuation of people
from high-risk areas.
•PM Modi also spoke regarding the need to ensure that the time duration of power
supply outages and communication network should be minimum and be restored swiftly.
•He has also directed officials to ensure proper planning and coordination with state
governments to ensure no disruptions in Covid treatment and vaccination in hospitals.
He urged on the need to involve district administrations in the planning process for better
learning from best practices and seamless coordination.
•PM Modi also directed the officials to make available the do's and dont's advisories
during the cyclone in easy-to-understand and local language to citizens of the affected
districts.
Emphasised on timely evacuation as well as ensuring power and communications
networks are not disrupted. Also emphasised on ensuring COVID-19 treatment of
patients in affected areas does not suffer due to the cyclone.
Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2021
Preparedness for Cyclone Yaas:
•NDRF has pre-positioned 46 teams in 5 States/UTs, fully equipped with boats, tree-cutters and
telecom equipment.
•Additionally, 13 teams are being airlifted today for deployment and 10 teams have been kept on
standby.
NDRF has committed 99 teams across Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in view of cyclone Yaas: NDRF DG SN Pradhan
(file pic) pic.twitter.com/kp5PtaPWy8

— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
•60 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force are also being deployed in the State with
equipment for rescue, relief and recovery.
Paradeep | 60 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force being deployed in the State with
equipment for rescue, relief & recovery, in view of cyclone Yaas
"Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea. We'll try to ensure there is no casualty,"
Additional SP, Paradeep pic.twitter.com/O71L6bNYed
— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
•The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy has also deployed ships and helicopters for relief,
search and rescue operations.
•The Indian Air Force and Engineer task force units of the Indian Army, equipped with boats and
rescue equipment, have been put on standby for deployment.
•The Armed Forces have begun preparations to mitigate the impact of the anticipated disaster by
airlifting 950 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel across the country. At least 26
helicopters are on standby for immediate deployment.
•A total of 16 transport aircraft and 26 helicopters are on standby for immediate deployment while
the Indian Navy has moved 10 HADR pallets to Bhubaneswar and Kolkata.
•While five HADR pallets are ready at Port Blair, 8 ships of Eastern Naval Command and
Andaman and Nicobar Command have set off with HADR Bricks to provide succour to the people
likely to be impacted.
•Besides this, 7 ships with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Units are on standby
along the Eastern coast.
•Ten relief and 4 diving columns have been pre-positioned at Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Chilika
for providing assistance to civil administration at short notice.
•Besides this, 7 seven flood relief teams and two diving teams have been deployed at different
locations in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Naval Aircraft and helicopters in Vishakhapatnam
and Port Blair are on operational readiness to undertake search and rescue missions.

•All oil installations in the sea are being secured and all the shipping vessels of the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas are being brought to safe harbour.
•The Union Ministry of Power has also activated its emergency response systems and is keeping
its systems ready for immediate restoration of electricity in case of a power outage.
•The Telecom Ministry will be keeping a close watch on all telecom towers and is prepared to
quickly restore the telecom network in case it cuts off.
•The Health Ministry has also issued an advisory to the States/UTs that are likely to be affected
for preparedness and response on Covid-19 in affected areas.
•The Shipping Ministry has also taken measures to secure all shipping vessels and it has also
deployed emergency vessels (Tugs) for relief and rescue operations.
•All residents from vulnerable locations or high-risk places are being evacuated with the
assistance of the NDRF.
Background
Cyclone Yaas is the second tropical cyclonic that is expected to hit India in less than a week.
Cyclone Tauktae, another tropical system had been brewing earlier in the Indian Ocean and had
lashed across India's western side and caused heavy damage in states like Goa, Maharashtra
and Gujarat last week.

Guillermo Lasso takes oath as first right-wing

President of Ecuador
Guillermo Lasso on May 24, 2021, assumed the office of the President of Ecuador, thereby
becoming the country’s first right-wing president in 14 years.
CREO right-wing Guillermo Lasso had won Ecuador’s Presidential Elections 2021 with over 52
per cent of votes against Andres Arauz.
65-year-old Guillermo Lasso was sworn in the office by Guadalupe Llori, the President of the
National Assembly. Spain’s King Felipe VI, Dominican Republic’s Luis Abinader, Brazil’s Jair
Bolsonaro, and Haiti’s Jovenel Moise were among the foreign dignitaries to attend Lasso’s
inauguration.
Lasso will take over Ecuador at a time when the country is battling health and economic crisis.
Lasso’s first challenge will be to revive the economy of Ecuador that has contracted by 7.8 per
cent in 2020 and tackle the country’s overall debt that stands at 63 per cent of GDP.
Simon Cueva, a former employee of the International Monetary Fund has been named as the
Economy and Finance Minister. Lasso also said that he looks forward to joining the Pacific
Alliance trade bloc along with Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Mexico at the earliest.
Pollsters Cedatos showed an approval rating of 60 per cent at the beginning of his term as
President of Ecuador. Lasso won by five percentage points over Andres Arauz. Previously, Lasso
had lost election campaigns in 2013 and 2017.
Who is Guillermo Lasso?
•Guillermo Lasso, an Ecuadorian politician and a former banker is now the 47th President of
Ecuador. He became the country’s first right-wing president in 14 years after he assumed the
presidency on May 24, 2021.
•Lasso became the Governor of Guayas, Ecuador in 1998. Later, Lasso was named as the
Ecuadorian Itinerant Ambassador in 2003.
•Lasso was a presidential candidate in the 2013 and 2017 Presidential elections but could not

win.

UN bodies to set up One Health panel to

prevent zoonotic diseases
The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 26, 2021, announced that WHO along with three
other international bodies has put together a team of experts to launch a new One Health High-
Level Expert Panel to formulate a global plan for the prevention of the spread of diseases from
animals to humans.
The coronavirus pandemic that started in 2019 is believed to be originated from the wildlife
trading networks in China and Southeast Asia. Bats have been zeroed in with the closest genetic
match of SARS-Cov-2.
Wildlife is the originating source of around three-quarters of infectious diseases in the world, as
per WHO.
What is One Health High-Level Expert Panel?
•The One Health High-Level Expert Panel is a team of experts put together by the World Health
Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World
Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
•The One Health High-Level Expert Panel initiative was launched by Germany and France in
2020. The first meeting of the panel was held in May 2021.
Role of One Health High-Level Expert Panel
•The One Health panel will advise the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on establishing good practices to prepare and prevent
zoonotic diseases and developing surveillance networks and risk assessment about infectious
diseases originating from animals.
•The One Health High-Level Expert Panel will formulate a global plan of action for the prevention
of the spread of diseases from animals to humans. The global plan of action will aim at preventing
outbreaks of diseases like Zika, MERS, Ebola, COVID-19, etc.

•The panel will focus on areas relating to urbanization and infrastructure development, food
production and distribution, international travel and trade, activities causing climate change and
biodiversity loss, and activities that can fuel the emergence of zoonotic diseases.
What are Zoonotic diseases?
•The World Health Organization defines Zoonotic diseases, also known as zoonoses, as
infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans. The zoonotic carriers may be viral,
bacterial, or parasitic that spread through direct contact or food, air, water, etc.
•Zoonotic diseases pose a major health threat due to our close connection with animals, in
various ways such as consumption, agriculture, trade, etc.
•Ebola, COVID-19, are some examples of zoonotic diseases that can turn into global pandemics.

WHO experts likely to reconsider China lab

origin theory of COVID-19
According to the reports, the scientists of the World Health Organisation are expected to restudy
the ‘dominant theory’ that the SARS-CoV-2 has probably originated and spread across the world
from Wuhan lab in China.
As per the source, the previously overlooked Chinese data on the extensive screening of the
animals for Coronavirus around the time when the pandemic erupted is among several areas that
have been identified for further study by WHO scientists who have been investigating the origin of
the virus.
The WHO team investigating the origin of Coronavirus had visited the Hubei Center for animal
disease control and prevention in Wuhan, China on February 2, 2021.
Overlooked records from China to be restudied by WHO:
Reportedly, the records are contained in a nearly 200-page annexe posted alongside the World
Health organization Panel’s March report that received very little attention among the global
experts at the time.
However, the data in these records may add weight to calls from the critics of China for more
transparency as well as to the WHO team’s desire of returning to the country for further studies.
What does the WHO report’s annex on China contain?
•The WHO report’s annex mentions multiple data points which provide an intriguing insight into
China’s evolving knowledge of the virus as well as the likely timing of its emergence.
•The report provides the details of China’s storage and destruction of positive COVID-19 samples
from humans.
•There are also details of a significant influenza outbreak that had emerged in December 2019,
which is also the same time when Coronavirus emerged.
•There is also a revelation that the first people known to have contracted the virus had contact

with a total of 28 separate animal and food markets in December.
When WHO’s team will be revisiting China?
There has been no set date for the WHO team’s return to China, however, any future visit to the
country where the virus had emerged in the city of Wuhan in late 2019-may involve only ‘smaller
groups supporting the specific studies first’.
A larger group, similar to the 17 international experts who visited China in January 2021, might
then follow up.
Previous dismissal of lab leak theory by WHO:
The WHO team, after a 12day visit to Wuhan, China, on February 9, 2021, had
clearly dismissed the theory that the virus had originated from a lab in Wuhan. On
the contrary, the team had concluded that the virus most probably got transmitted
to humans via an intermediary species.
The team that had visited China on January 14, 2021, had stated that the findings
suggest that the hypothesis of lab leak is highly unlikely to explain the introduction of the
virus into the human population.
The global health body had also informed that there is no evidence of the
Coronavirus circulation in any animal species in China. The team had visited China
after the mounting international pressure of various countries including the United
States, Australia who criticized China for poorly handling the initial cases of infections
and hiding the extent of the outbreak.
WHO had also faced criticism, particularly by the western countries, who pointed that
there was a delay by the global health body in sending the international experts to China
to investigate the origin of the virus.
US maintains its stand on COVID-19 origin in China:
As earlier, the US has maintained that the origin of Coronavirus can be traced back to China.
The former head of the United States Food and Drug Administration has stated that the
circumstantial evidence of Coronavirus originating in Wuhan lab in China continues to grow as the
researchers are yet to prove that the virus has jumped from animals to humans.
The former State Secretary of US Mike Pompeo has also claimed that every piece of evidence
has pointed to a lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. He added that the Chinese
Communist Party must be held accountable for it.


Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine 100 percent

effective in 12-17 age group: Trial study
Moderna announced on May 25, 2021 that various studies have shown that its COVID-19 vaccine
is 100 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 infection among adolescents aged between 12
and 17 years.
The drugmaker plans to submit its findings to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
global regulators in a couple of days and request for emergency use authorisation.
Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said that they are encouraged to see that mRNA-1273 was
highly effective at preventing COVID-19 in adolescents. He said it is particularly exciting to see
that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.
When will Moderna apply for emergency use approval for vaccination of 12-17-year-olds?
Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel informed that the company will submit its study results to the US
FDA and global in early June and request for emergency use authorisation. She added saying
that the company remains committed to doing its part to help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clinical Trials: Key Highlights
•Moderna had conducted clinical trials on at least 3,732 participants aged between 12 and 17
years.
•The study results revealed that no cases of COVID-19 were observed among any of the
vaccinated participants. There was also no significant safety concerns.
•The vaccine was seen to be 93 percent effective after two weeks of the first dose and 100
percent effective after the second dose.
US FDA Authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use in Adolescents
•The US Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine on May 10, 2021 to include adolescents aged between 12
and 15 years.

•The FDA amended the emergency use authorisation given initially to the vaccine manufacturer in
December 2020 for administration in individuals aged 16 years and older.
•An advisory panel of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had also recently
recommended the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine for children aged between 12 and
15 years.
Background
The World Health Organisation had listed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA 1273) for
emergency use on April 3-, 2021, becoming the fifth vaccine to receive WHO's emergency
validation.
The WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) assesses the quality, safety and efficacy of COVID-19
vaccines before including them in the list. It is a prerequisite for COVAX Facility vaccine supply.
WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) had reviewed the vaccine
earlier in January 2021 and had recommended the vaccine for all aged 18 years and above in its
interim recommendations.
Moderna's COVID vaccine had received emergency use authorization from the US Food and
Drug Administration on December 18, 2020. The European Medicines Agency had granted the
vaccine a marketing authorisation that would be valid throughout the European Union on January
6, 2021.
Vaccinating children and adolescents has become a prime focus now, as according to experts it
will help in raising the overall immunity of the country given that herd immunity is unlikely to be
achieved due to rising COVID-19 variants.

What is Save Lakshadweep Campaign? –

Explainer of the Day
‘Save Lakshadweep’ campaign has been trending since May 23, 2021, with support from
prominent politicians and celebrities amid the protests in the union territory of Lakshadweep over
the last few days. Protests have broken out since the administrative reforms, deemed as anti-
people by the protesters, were announced by the island’s administrator Praful Patel in January
2021.
Footballer C K Vineeth, actor Prithviraj, politician V T Balram have come forward in support of the
‘Save Lakshadweep’ campaign against the new reforms in the island.
What is Save Lakshadweep Campaign?
•#SaveLakshadweep campaign has been trending on social media in support of the protestors in
Lakshadweep over the new reforms passed by the island’s administrator Praful Patel.
•Many prominent personalities, celebrities, sportspersons have been actively coming forward on
Twitter and Facebook to support the ‘Save Lakshadweep’ campaign.
#Lakshadweep pic.twitter.com/DTSlsKfjiv
— Prithviraj Sukumaran (@PrithviOfficial) May 24, 2021

I stand in solidarity with the people of Lakshadweep who have fallen prey to the fascistic policies
enforced upon them by the New Administration and the Central Government. #SaveLakshadweep
pic.twitter.com/stSLA7SqcJ
— Hansraj Meena (@HansrajMeena) May 24, 2021

Does anyone really know about everything that's going on in Lakshadweep now? The little island
off the coast is one of the most beautiful places I have been to, but administrative injustices have
served the citizens a taste of bad fortune. A thread. #SaveLakshadweep
pic.twitter.com/nXwE1zZdLy
— CK Vineeth (@ckvineeth) May 24, 2021

What are the new administrative reforms being protested?
•Praful Patel, Lakshadweep’s administrator got the additional charge of Lakshadweep in

December 2020 and announced new administration reforms in January 2021 which have been
deemed anti-people by the locals.
•Patel introduced Anti-social Activities Regulation Bill, 2021, also called the Goonda Act, under
which police can arrest anyone for up to one year.
•Another is the Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021 (LADR) that gives the
administration to relocate or remove islanders from their properties for any developmental or
town-planning activity. The LADR draft bill also affords the administration the power to retain the
property of islanders.
•The new reforms also introduced liquor shops on the island to boost tourism, which so far was
restricted on the island in the wake of the majority Muslim population inhabiting the island.
•The reforms also state that people with more than two kids cannot contest any panchayat
elections on the island.
•Non-vegetarian food from the mid-day meals has been scrapped and a beef ban has imposed.
•Regarding COVID-19 protocols, now a negative RT-PCR test would be enough to enter
Lakshadweep compared to a mandatory 14-day quarantine earlier in place.
Why did protests intensify in Lakshadweep?
•The protests got a wider reach when Kerala MP Elamaram Kareem wrote to President Ram Nath
Kovind alleging that several casual laborers lost their jobs in the wake of new reforms.
•Further, sheds and equipment of fishermen were demolished without any warning by the new
administration on the account of violating the Coast Guard Act.
•The new administration also said that islanders should rely on Mangalore (Karnataka) rather than
Beypore (Kerala) for freight transit.
•People from Lakshadweep also have been taking it to social media writing they need help. The
new administration has been destroying our land, tweeted a local resident of Lakshadweep.

No risk of COVID transmission from animals

to humans: Experts
In an attempt to dispel rumours surrounding the transmission of COVID-19 from animals to

humans, top medical experts have stated that there is no data that shows that the virus spread
from animals to humans.
There have been rumours of the tranmission of coronavirus from animals to humans since the
beginning of the pandemic. The rumours gained momentum amid the deadly second wave,
resulting in the abandoning of pets.
Animal activists raise concerns over abandoning of pets
Many animal activists and pet welfare animal organisations had raised concern over people
leaving their pets on the streets due to fear of COVID transmission.
Medical experts shoot down rumours on COVID transmission from animals
•Top doctors and veterinarians have negated rumours surrounding transmission of COVID-19
from animals to humans. They stated that it is a false narrative.
•AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria stated "there is no data that shows the virus spread from
animals to humans." He reiterated that they only have data showing that the virus spread from
humans to animals.
•A leading veterinarian, Dr. Sandeep Singh also told ANI that pets do not spread COVID infection
to humans. He said that he received many calls from people asking if COVID can spread from
pets and he informed them that these are only rumours. He reiterated that people should not
leave their dogs and cats on the streets.
•So far no medical institution has officially said that there is a risk of transmission of COVID
infection from pets.
Can COVID-19 spread from humans to animals?
Yes, there is evidence of COVID-19 spreading from humans to animals, but on rare occasions.

However, there is no evidence of an animal giving the infection to a human being.
Medical experts have urged that people should not be afraid to keep pets at home and should
look after them and not leave them on the streets.
Background
A lion had tested positive for COVID-19 in Jaipur's Nahargarh Biological Park in May and
two lionesses had tested positive at Uttar Pradesh's Etawah Safari Park in April 2021. Earlier,
eight Asiatic lions had also tested positive for COVID-19 in Hyderabad's Nehru Zoological Park
(NZP). These animals are likely to have contracted the infection from their zoo-keeper.

Mount Nyiragongo volcano erupts in Congo

after almost two decades, over 500 homes
destroyed
Mount Nyiragongo erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 22, 2021 after almost
two decades, forcing thousands to flee their homes. The lava destroyed more than 500 homes on
the outskirts on Goma city but the city at large was saved.
The lava stopped short of engulfing the main city, which is home to almost 2 million people.
However, thousands fled from the city in panic when the volcano erupted at night, turning the sky
into a fiery red tone.
The lava poured into local villages after dark in eastern Congo with little warning, leaving at least
15 people dead and destroying over 500 homes. The lava also spilled into a major highway that
connects Goma city with Beni city in North Kivu province.
UN Secretary General António Guterres tweeted saying that he is deeply saddened by the lives
lost and the damage caused by the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo. He stated that the UN staff are supporting the Government’s efforts to
assist those affected, through the provision of emergency humanitarian aid.
I'm deeply saddened by the lives lost and the damage caused by the eruption of the Nyiragongo
volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.@UN staff are supporting the Government’s
efforts to assist those affected, through the provision of emergency humanitarian aid.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 24, 2021

Key Details
•Mount Nyiragongo erupted without warning on May 26, 2021 forcing almost 5000 people to
evacuate their homes in Goma city and flee across the border to neighbouring country Rwanda.
•According to Rwanda's Emergency Management Ministry, at least 8,000 people crossed the
border into the country following the eruption.
•Another 25,000 reportedly took refuge to the northwest in Sake. The Congo authorities had not

given any evacuation order.
•According to UNICEF, around 170 children are feared to be missing. UNICEF was organizing
transit centers to help unaccompanied children in the wake of the disaster.
•Fortunately, Goma city this was time was spared from the large-scale destruction that it had
suffered the last time the volcano had erupted in 2002.
•The local villages near the volcano, however, suffered heavy destruction and loss. The survivors
are filled with grief after losing their loved ones and all their belongings after the lava ignited their
homes.
•The scale of the loss is yet to be determined in some of the hardest-hit communities.
•The air continues to remain thick with smoke because of how many homes had caught fire when
the lava came.
•According to the survivors, there was very little warning before the night sky turned fiery red and
lava came flowing.
•As per reports, smoke continues to rise from the smoldering heaps of lava in the Buhene area
near Goma city. Almost all the houses in the Buhene neighborhood were burned.
•While one major highway that connects Goma cit with Beni was also engulfed in the hot lava, the
airport, fortunately, was spared from the same fate as 2002 when lava had flowed into the
runways.
•The thousands of people who evacuated the area have now returned to view the aftermath.
Mount Nyiragongo's 2002 eruption
•Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano, which is located inside Virunga National

Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located about 12 km north of Goma
city and Lake Kivu and just west of Congo's border with Rwanda.
•The volcano had last erupted in 2002 after several months of increased seismic and
fumarolic activity. The lava had then streamed deep through Goma.
•The warning had been issued then and about 400,000 people were evacuated from the
city across the Rwandan border into neighbouring Gisenyi during the eruption.

•The lava had flowed onto the northern end of the runway at Goma International Airport,
leaving the southern two-thirds usable and reached Lake Kivu.
•Hundreds of people had died during the eruption and almost 100,000 were left
homeless.

Cabinet approves proposal to open new

Consulate General of India in Maldives
The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi on May 25, 2021, approved the opening of a new
consulate General of India in Addu City of Maldives in 2021.
The decision has been taken in the reflection of the significance that India attaches to its ties with
the strategically located island nation. Both the countries share ethnic, cultural, religious,
linguistic, and commercial links.
India’s decision of expanding its diplomatic presence in the island nation has come amid China’s
consistent efforts in increasing its influence in the Maldives.
The Union Cabinet has approved the opening of a new Consulate General of India in Addu City,
the Maldives in 2021.
— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2021

In what way it will benefit India?
•The opening of the consulate will help in increasing India’s diplomatic presence in the Maldives
and will make it commensurate with the existing and aspired level of engagement.
•Increasing India’s diplomatic presence in the Maldives will also provide market access for the
Indian companies and will bolster Indian exports of goods and services.
•The decision will have a direct impact on increasing domestic production and employment in line
with the government’s goal of a self-reliant India or ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
•The opening of the consulate in the Maldives is a forward-looking step in pursuit of India’s
national priority of growth and development or ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.
India-Maldives relations:
•The Maldives is one of the key maritime neighbour of India in the Indian Ocean Region.
•The island nation also occupies a central and special place in India's 'Neighbourhood First Policy'
and in PM Modi’s vision of SAGAR- ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’.

•Currently, India has been developing projects worth USD 2 billion covering various areas such as
ports, bridges, roads, water and sanitation systems as well as the socio-economic development of
Maldives.
•The momentum and energy in the bilateral relationship between India and Maldives have
reached ‘unprecedented levels’ under the leadership of President of Maldives Ibrahim Solih and
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

Indian govt to set up ‘One Stop Centres’

across nine countries: WCD Ministry
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), Government of India announced on May
26, 2021, that WCD in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will set up 10 ‘One-
Stop Centres’ across nine countries to support Indian women affected by violence in public or
private spaces.
Ram Mohan Mishra, Secretary, WCD informed that the nine countries to have ‘One-Stop Centres’
are: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Each country, except Saudi Arabia, will have one center. Two centres will be set up in Saudi
Arabia.
What are One Stop Centres (OSC)?
•One-Stop Centre is a scheme under the National Mission for Empowerment of Women that
offers an integrated support system to women affected by violence, both in public and private
spaces.
•The OSC scheme is funded by the Nirbhaya Fund. The Central government offers 100 per cent
financial aid to States or UTs for OSCs.
•The Usha Mehra Commission had recommended ‘One Stop Centre’ in February 2013 following
the Nirbhaya gangrape in December 2012.
•India houses 700 One Stop Centres currently. The country plans to set up 300 more OSCs
across the country in 2021.
One-Stop Centres: Purpose
•To provide the necessary support to women experiencing violence in private or public spaces.
•To assist women affected with violence with immediate emergency response and rescue
services, medical assistance, aid women in filing FIR, psychological or counseling support, legal
assistance, shelter facility such as stay homes, video conferencing facility along with free police
and court proceedings,

NASA to send mobile robot to search for

water, other resources on Moon in late 2023
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced its first mobile robot to the
moon in late 2023. The rover will search for ice as well as other resources on and below the lunar
surface.
Data collected from the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), as part of the
Artemis Programme, will help the scientists in mapping the resources at the lunar south pole that
can one day also be harvested for long-term human exploration on the moon.
Throughout the Artemis Program, the US Space Agency will be sending humans and robots to
explore more of the moon than ever before.
When the astronauts will return to the moon's surface for the first time since 1972, they will be
following in VIPER’s wheel prints and will land at the lunar south pole.
As per NASA, that mission will also include landing the first woman on the moon. She will be one
of the two crew members and will pave a way for sustainable lunar exploration missions with the
crew.
As part of the #Artemis program, NASA is planning to send its first mobile robot to the Moon in
late 2023 in search of ice and other resources on and below the lunar surface. The rover will allow
us to explore parts of the Moon we’ve never seen. https://t.co/JSP33TkCXr
— Kathy Lueders (@KathyLueders) May 23, 2021

About Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER):
VIPER will explore lunar craters with the use of a specialized set of wheels and suspension
systems for covering a variety of inclines and soil types.
The rover’s design has been enhanced upon a former robotic concept to prospect the moon
known as Resource Prospector, which was canceled by NASA in 2018.
Since then, the time duration of the VIPER mission was increased from one to three lunar days
(100 Earth days). VIPER has also been evolved to increase its science capabilities and allowing

more data collection on the moon.
Running on the solar power, the rover will need to manoeuvre around the extreme wings in light
and dark at the moon south pole.
According to the Programme Scientist for VIPER at NASA Headquarters, Sarah Noble, VIPER will
be the most capable robot that NASA has ever sent to the lunar surface and it will allow exploring
parts of the moon that has never been seen.
What will be the significance of data from VIPER?
As per the Director of NASA’s planetary division at the headquarters of the agency, Lori
Glaze, the data that will be received from VIPER will have the potential to aid scientists
in determining the exact concentrations and locations of ice on the Moon.
The data will help in evaluating the potential resources and environment at the lunar
south pole in preparation for Artemis astronauts.
Glaze added that this is yet another example of how human exploration and robotic
science missions go hand in hand and why both are extremely necessary as we prepare
to establish a sustainable presence on the moon.
About NASA’s Artemis Program:
The Artemis Program is a US-led international human spaceflight program. It was launched by
NASA in 2017 to return humans to the moon, particularly the lunar south pole region, in the mid-
2020s.
If it will be successful, the Artemis program will be the first crewed lunar mission since the end of
the Apollo program in 1972.

WhatsApp files lawsuit against Indian

government, says new media rules mean end
to privacy
As per media sources, WhatsApp has filed a legal lawsuit against the Indian government
seeking to block regulations that are coming into force from May 26, 2021. As per experts, the
centre's new digital media rules will force the messaging platform to break its privacy protections.
The lawsuit reportedly asks the Delhi High Court to declare that one of the centre's new rules as a
violation of privacy rights in India's constitution, as it requires the social media companies to
identify the "first originator of information" when authorities demand it.
While the new rule requires the platform to only give up the identity of the person accused of
wrongdoing by the authorities, the company said it cannot do it alone, as messages are end-to-
end encrypted. This means that to follow the new rule, the messaging platform will have to break
encryption for receivers, as well as "originators", of messages.
There is no official confirmation of the same and there is also no information on when the Delhi
High Court will review the lawsuit.
Centre's new social media rules: What is the issue?
•The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had asked social media
platforms to abide by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media
Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 by May 25, or face strict action.
•The new rules were unveiled in February 2020 and the government had given the social media
firms three months to comply with them. These regulations will come into force from today, May
26, 2021.
•However, none of the firms have yet abided by the rules and non-compliance means that all
these social media platforms- WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook will run the risk of losing legal
immunity in India.
What happens if they fail to comply with the rules?

The Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code designates “significant social media
intermediaries” as standing to lose protection from lawsuits and criminal prosecution if they fail to
adhere to the code.
Both WhatsApp and its parent firm Facebook and their tech rivals have all invested heavily in
India. The tech firms worry that increasingly heavy-handed regulation by the Indian government
could jeopardize their prospects in the nation.
What do centre's new digital media rules demand?
•According to the centre's new digital media rules, big social media firms are required to appoint
Indian citizens to key compliance roles.
•They are also required to remove content within 36 hours of legal order and set up a mechanism
to respond to complaints.
•The tech firms are also required to use automated processes to take down pornography.
WhatsApp's lawsuit
WhatsApp in its lawsuit has reportedly cited a 2017 Supreme Court ruling supporting
privacy in a case known as Puttaswamy. The court had observed then that privacy must
be preserved except in cases where legality, necessity and proportionality all weighed
against it.
WhatsApp has argued in its lawsuit that the centre's new rules fail all three of those tests,
starting with the lack of explicit parliamentary backing. Several experts have backed
WhatsApp’s arguments saying that the new traceability and filtering requirements may
put an end to end-to-end encryption in India.
How are other social media platforms responding?
While Facebook has said that it agrees with most of the provisions but it is still looking to
negotiate some aspects. Twitter, on the other, has come under the most fire for failing to take
down posts by critics of the government. The social media giant is yet to comment on the rules.
Background
WhatsApp's lawsuit has only aggravated tensions between the PM Modi-led Indian government
and the tech giants. The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had previously
sent a notice to WhatsApp, asking it to withdraw its updated privacy policy. The Ministry had

stated that WhatsApp's updated privacy policy undermines the values of informational privacy and
data security.
Read more about it here: Centre asks WhatsApp to withdraw its updated privacy policy
Tensions also grew between the government and Twitter after a police visit to Twitter’s offices
earlier this week. The micro-blogging site had labelled posts by a spokesman of the dominant
party and others as containing “manipulated media”, saying forged content was included.
The tech giants have also been forced by the government to not only remove what it has
described as misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging India, but also some criticism
of the government’s response to the crisis.

IPS officer Subodh Kumar Jaiswal appointed

CBI director for two years
Senior IPS officer Subodh Kumar Jaiswal was appointed on May 25, 2021, as the new CBI
director for two years, as per the personnel ministry order.
A three-member selection committee led by PM Narendra Modi on May 24, 2021, had shortlisted
Jaiswal’s name for the position of director, Central Bureau of Investigation.
The post of the Director of Central Bureau of Investigation had been lying vacant since February
2021 when then-director Rishi Kumar Shukla completed his tenure.
In the absence of the CBI director, additional director Praveen Sinha was given the charge of
affairs of the Central Investigation agency as interim chief.
IPS Subodh Kumar Jaiswal has been appointed as Director of Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) for a period of 2 years pic.twitter.com/jFGwZbOen4
— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2021

Who is Subodh Kumar Jaiswal?
Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, a 1985-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer of Maharashtra Cadre,
has currently been serving as the Director-General of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Earlier, he had served as Maharashtra’s director-general of Police. Jaiswal was also in the
Maharashtra Police Special Investigation Team (SIT), Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad, and the
State Reserve Police Force.
His previous experiences also include serving with the Special Protection Group (SPG) that
provides security to the Prime Minister of India and the country’s intelligence agency, Research &
Wing Analysis (RAW).
How Subodh Kumar Jaiswal was picked for the position?
Subodh Kumar Jaiswal was picked by the government from a panel of three officers who were
shortlisted by PM Modi-led high-level selection committee consisting of the leader of the largest
opposition party in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India.

The other two officers who were shortlisted for the top position were the other IPS Officer of Bihar
Cadre Kumar Rajesh Chandra and Special Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs V.S.K.
Kaumudi.
Jaiswal was chosen because of his wide experience as he served as the Maharashtra Director-
General of Police and has also served in CBI earlier.
What are the criteria to appoint a CBI director?
As per the guidelines by the Supreme Court set in 2004, the officers from the four oldest serving
batches of IPS are considered for the position of CBI director.
Officials with experience in anti-corruption investigations or CBI, from the senior-most four
batches of Indian Police Services, are preferred for the top post.
Those candidates who are left with less than six months in their retirement will not be considered.

China’s top hybrid rice scientist Yuan

Longping passes away
Yuan Longping, a Chinese agriculture scientist, passed away on May 22, 2021, due to organ
failure at a hospital in Changsha at 90. Longping was highly accredited as the ‘Father of Hybrid
Rice’ that he had developed in 1970s to save millions of people after a disastrous famine in
China.
Qu Dongyu, Director-General, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) condoled the
death of Longping. He had worked as an International Chief Consultant to FAO in 1991.
Who was Yuan Longping?
•Yuan Longping, born in Beijing in 1931, was a Chinese agriculture scientist who was highly
accredited as the ‘Father of Hybrid Rice’.
•Yuan Longping had developed the world’s first high-yield hybrid rice in 1973 that was named
‘Nan-you No. 2’. This hybrid rice strain yielded 20 per cent more rice per acre compared to non-
hybrid varieties.
•Yuan Longping won the World Food Prize in 2004 for his contribution to food security, which is
equivalent to the Nobel Prize in the field of agriculture.
•Later, in 2019, Longping received the Medal of the Republic, China’s highest honour.
Yuan Longping's discovery of hybrid rice’: Background
•The Great Chinese Famine from 1959 to 1961 killed around 45 million people. Longping began
his research in 1964 to develop a hybrid breed of rice. He devised a theory that a male-sterile
grain can be cross-bred with other crops to boost yields.
•In the same year, he published data about unique genetic tools requisite to develop the world’s
first hybrid rice strain. He was successful at developing the world’s first hybrid rice strain in 1973.
•Longping's discovery led to mass cultivation in China registering an increase in rice yields
exceeding 900 kg per mu (13,500kg per hectare) in 2011 compared to 300 kg per mu (4,500kg

per hectare) in the 1970s.
Yuan’s Hybrid Rice: Impact
•The China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Centre stated that approximately 8
million hectares of hybrid rice have been planted overseas.
•The International Rice Research Institute based in the Philippines in 1979 established its hybrid
rice programme. In the same year, China exported hybrid rice to the US for the first time.
•The first large-scale commercial production with over 10,000 hectares of hybrid rice began in
1992 in Vietnam that expanded to other Asian countries.
•In 1996, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) joined forces with the Chinese Hybrid
Rice Research and Development Centers, the International Rice Research Institute, and other
national research centres to launch the International Task Force on Hybrid Rice. This task force
was funded by the Asian Development Bank from 1998 to 2006.

COVID-19 Vaccine: When will Pfizer, Moderna

vaccines be available in India?
Moderna has been expected to launch a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in India in 2022 and the
company is in talks with Cipla among other Indian firms, sources informed on May 25, 2021.
Another US giant Pfizer is ready to offer 5 crores shots of its COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, however,
the company wants significant regulatory relaxations including indemnification.
While the Indian authorities have been informed by Moderna that it does not have surplus
vaccines to share in 2021, there are also limited prospects of Johnson & Johnson exporting its
jabs from the United States to other countries in the near future.
High-level meetings to discuss vaccine availability:
Cabinet Secretary chaired two rounds of high-level meetings last week on the availability of the
COVID-19 vaccines in the global as well as the domestic market.
The meeting was held as it was felt that there is a need to procure the jabs at a time when the
country is reeling under the second wave of pandemic and a widening gap between the supply
and requirement of vaccines.
The meeting was attended by the officials from Niti Aayog, Ministry of External Affairs, Law
Ministry, Department of Biotechnology, and Health Ministry.
When Modern Vaccine will be available in India?
During the discussion on the Moderna vaccine in the meeting, it was informed that Moderna does
not have surplus vaccines to share in 2021 and that the company plans of launching its single-
dose vaccine for the Indian domestic market in the year 2022.
For the distribution of the vaccine, the firm is already in discussion with Cipla as well as other
Indian companies.
It has also been learned that Cipla has expressed interest in procuring 5 crore doses of Moderna
vaccine for 2022 and has also requested confirmation from the Central Government regarding the

regulatory requirements/policy regime.
The Ministry of Health has also been asked to take a decision on Cipla’s request regarding the
support required by the firm in the procurement of Moderna Vaccines.
Pfizer in India: When to expect the vaccine in the Indian market?
The US Pharma giant, Pfizer has indicated that 5 crore doses of vaccines will be available in India
in 2021- 1 crore in July, 1 crore in August, 2 crores in September, and 1 crore in October.
The firm has also clarified that it will deal only with the Government of India and that the
payment for the vaccines will have to be made by GOI to Pfizer India.
The Union Government will also be making its own arrangement for the channelization of the
procured vaccines in the domestic market.
Pfizer seeks relaxations in regulatory regime:
Pfizer has asked the Central Government for certain relaxations in the regulatory regime. It
includes the relaxation in the requirement of post-approval bridging trials and dispensing the
requirement of testing Pfizer vaccines in the Central Drugs Laboratory.
Pfizer has also done similar arrangements with other countries in the world and seeing the current
pandemic situation, an overall view might be taken to indemnify the company by the Indian
government.
However, as per the officials, similar demands can also be made by the other countries, in case a
view is taken to indemnify Pfizer.
It has been suggested that a decision on the issue of Pfizer can soon be taken and that the
National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 may hold a meeting immediately
on these issues.
Why India should consider indemnifying Pfizer?
As per Pfizer, around 116 nations including the USA have signed the indemnification
document.
Also considering the fact that over 14.7 crore doses of Pfizer have been administered all
over the world without any significant reports of adverse effects, a view needs to be

considered to indemnify the pharma giant in order to supplement the availability of

vaccines in India.
Will states be unable to procure directly from Moderna and Pfizer?
In response to the question of states being unable to directly procure vaccines from Moderna and
Pfizer, the Joint Secretary of Health Ministry, Luv Aggarwal stated that whether it's Moderna and
Pfizer, at the central level, the government has been coordinating with them.
He added that the order book of both Pfizer and Moderna is full so it also depends on their
surplus and how much they can provide to India. The firms will come back to the Center and the
government will further help in facilitation to states.
COVID-19 vaccines in India:
Currently, India has been using two ‘made in India’ vaccines- Covaxin and Covishield- to
vaccinate its billion-plus population.
Ever since the largest vaccination drive was launched by India in mid-January 2021, 20 crore
doses have already been administered.
Indian Government also gave its approval to the third vaccine which is Russia’s Sputnik V and is
currently being used on a smaller scale in the country.

UK-India Trade Deal: UK kickstarts trade

negotiations with India
The United Kingdom (UK) on May 25, 2021, kickstarted 14-week consultation preparation for
trade negotiations with India to seek views from the public and businesses.
UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss said, “We are firing the starting gun on a free trade deal with India –
the world’s largest democracy, fifth-biggest economy, a nation of 1.4 billion people, and a huge
market for British goods like whiskey, cars, and services.”
UK International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena said, “India is one of the world’s fastest-
growing economies.” A trade deal between India and the UK will help secure more investment,
higher wages, better jobs, lower prices, and more choices, Jayawardena further added.
Prior to the negotiations, India and the UK must conclude a 14-week pre-negotiation phase that
deals with consultations with the public and businesses. The consultations will run till August 31,
2021, comprises a questionnaire that will aid in collecting information from participants about their
priorities and experiences while doing business with India.
The consultation follows the Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) that was agreed at a virtual
meeting between India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on
May 4, 2021, where they had launched a ‘2030 Roadmap’, a framework for UK-India relations.
UK-India trade deal: Key points
•UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on May 4, 2021, had announced a new UK-India trade deal
worth 1 billion pounds that expects to create more than 6,500 job opportunities in the UK.
•A virtual meeting between India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Boris
Johnson on May 4, 2021, unveiled a new ‘Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP)’ that aims to
remove trade barriers and restrictions between India and the UK.
•A press release by the British High Commission (BHC) stated that a free trade deal between
India and the UK will remove trade barriers from doing business with India, including removal of
tariffs up to 125 per cent on cars manufactured in the UK and up to 150 per cent on whiskey.

•The release further stated that UK aims to help the service sector to achieve ease of doing
business in India and help the UK gain the status of an international services hub.
•The UK aims to cater to the youth and middle-income population in India as their target
consumers for the goods and services it produces.
•The trade deal between India and the UK will give rise to opportunities in science and services,
boost trade for industries like whiskey, and create more jobs across the country.
•India is the largest market that the UK has ever gotten into negotiating a trade deal with.

Bharat Biotech confident of obtaining WHO's

emergency use listing for Covaxin
Indian drug manufacturer Bharat Biotech is confident about getting World Health Organization's
(WHO) Emergency Use Listing for its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin. The drugmaker has already
submitted 90 percent of the documentation required for WHO emergency use listing.
Bharat Biotech has previously got many of its other vaccines pre-qualified and hence, it is
confident that Covaxin will also soon get emergency use approval from the global health body.
Key Highlights
•The Hyderabad-based drug maker had held a meeting recently to discuss the status of its
application for WHO's EUL for Covaxin.
•The meeting was attended by Bharat Biotech International Ltd. MD Dr. V Krishna Mohan and
senior officials from the Union Ministry of Health, Department of Biotechnology and External
Affairs Ministry.
•Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR, has already received
regulatory approval from 11 countries.
•Eleven other companies in seven countries have also shown interest for technology transfer and
its production.
•The drugmaker has submitted 90 percent of the required documents WHO's emergency use
approval and the remaining documents are expected to be submitted by June 2021.
•The company is currently in the final stages of submission of required documents for Covaxin's
regulatory approvals in Brazil and Hungary.
•It is also in the final stages of negotiations with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for
conducting small-scale Phase-III clinical trials in the United States.
•As per sources, the company is in regular touch with the regulatory authorities of the countries it
is applying for regulatory approvals in and is confident about the robustness of its dossier.

•As per company data, its vaccine has shown a longer duration of anti-body persistence after six
months as well as eight months.
Significance
Bharat Biotech is one of the few companies that have published papers on all four COVID virus
variants.
WHO Emergency use listing
•The WHO Emergency Use Listing Procedure (EUL) is a risk-based procedure that
involves assessing and listing unlicensed vaccines, therapeutics and in vitro diagnostics.
•The procedure aims to expedite the availability of these products to the people affected
by a public health emergency.
•It helps the member states in determining the acceptability of using specific products,
based on the available quality, safety, efficacy and performance data.
What is the eligibility criteria?
•WHO will consider a product for EUL assessment if the disease for which the product is
intended is serious or immediately life-threatening and has the potential of causing an
outbreak, epidemic or pandemic.
•There are, however, no licensed products for a critical subpopulation such as children.
The WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is considered as a prerequisite for COVAX
Facility vaccine supply. Hence, it is important for vaccine manufaturers to get their
vaccine listed.
Which vaccines have received WHO's EUL?
WHO has so far listed Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, two
AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccines produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio (Republic of
Korea) and the Serum Institute of India, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19
vaccine for emergency use.

India-New Zealand held 3rd Foreign Office

Consultations, discuss enhancing defence
and security engagement
India and New Zealand held third Foreign Office Consultations virtually on May 25, 2021, during
which both countries reviewed the ongoing bilateral cooperation.
As per the statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, the consultations between India and New
Zealand took place in a ‘friendly and cordial’ atmosphere.
The Indian delegation was led by Riva Ganguly Das, Secretary (East) while the New Zealand side
was led by Mark Sinclair, Deputy Secretary, Americas and Asia Group, Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry.
The previous round of Foreign Office Consultations was held on February 5, 2019, in India. Both
the countries had agreed to hold the next consultations at a mutually convenient date.
3rd India-New Zealand Foreign Office Consultations held virtually today.
Secretary (East) led the Indian delegation while New Zealand side was led by Mr. Mark Sinclair,
Deputy Secretary, Americas and Asia Group, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
pic.twitter.com/Qw342PtQIu
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 25, 2021

3rd Foreign Office Consultations between India and New Zealand: Key Highlights
•The delegates from both countries comprehensively reviewed the bilateral cooperation.
•They discussed the steps for enhancing the ‘depth and momentum’ of the engagement between
the two nations in various areas including defence and security, space, counterterrorism, trade
and investment, disarmament, cybersecurity, climate change and strengthening people to people
ties
•They reiterated the significance of closer cooperation for a rules-based international order and
free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

•Both India and New Zealand discussed the response to the COVID-19 as well as access to the
medicines and vaccines for containing the pandemic globally.
•There was also an exchange of views on various regional issues. The countries discussed ways
to strengthen coordination in regional and multilateral fora.
India-New Zealand relations: Background
The bilateral relations between the two countries were established in 1952. The relations between
India and New Zealand have been cordial but were not very extensive after India’s Independence.
The increasing interest by New Zealand in India can be due to the impressive GDP growth of the
country.
A Joint Trade committee was set up in 1983 and there were also discussions on free trade
agreement through the East Asian Summit or bilaterally, however, this did not emerge due to the
disagreements over agricultural subsidies.
Both the countries enjoy educational and defence cooperation. The defence has been more
limited but there have been joint naval exercises. New Zealand and India have also served
together in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions in Sudan and Kosovo.

Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs 74th

World Health Assembly
The Health Minister and the Chairman of WHO Executive Board, Dr. Harsh Vardhan on May 24,
2021, presented the details of the 147th and 148th sessions of the Executive Board before the
74th World Health Assembly.
Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Tedros also briefed about the various
activities of WHO including those that have been taken up for COVID-19 Management.
While speaking on the occasion, the Union Health Minister summarized the highlights of the 147th
and 148th sessions of EB as well as its special session on the COVID-19 response which was
held on October 5 and 6, 2020.
Watch Now!@WHO Executive Board Chairman & Health Minister of India, Dr Harsh Vardhan
participates at the 74th World Health Assembly via VC@MoHFW_INDIA @WHOSEARO
https://t.co/eWGCtLIRnP
— DrHarshVardhanOffice (@DrHVoffice) May 25, 2021

Health Minister presents highlights of Executive Board sessions:
•Harsh Vardhan, Chairman of the WHO Executive Board, noted that the board has called for
further efforts to ensure equitable and fair access to Coronavirus vaccines to COVAX Facility.
•The Executive Board during the sessions engaged in the discussion on the impact of
Coronavirus on global health.
•The Board recommended that the 74th WHA must also consider the report on the mental health
preparedness and the response for the COVID-19 pandemic.
•The Executive Board during the 147th and 148th sessions recommended endorsing the updated
comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan for a period of 2013 to 2030.
•The board encouraged the World Health Organisation to work closely with the World
Organisation or Animal Health and the Food and Agricultural Organisation for identifying the
zoonotic source of the virus.

•The Health Minister informed that the Board also decided to encourage Member States to take
further action to address diabetes as a public health problem.
•The Executive Board has also recommended that the 74th World Health Assembly must adopt a
decision for presenting a road map for the global action plan for the control and prevention of non-
communicable diseases till 2030.
What is the World Health Assembly?
It is a forum through which WHO is governed by its 194 member states. The World health
assembly is the world’s highest health policy setting body and is composed of the Health
Ministers from WHO’s member states.
The major tasks of the World Health Assembly are to decide major policy questions and approve
the WHO work programme and budget. It also elects its Director-general and annually elects 10
members for renewing part of its executive board.
Currently, the Health Minister of India Dr. Harsh Vardhan is the Chairman of the WHO Executive
Board. He was appointed for the position in May 2020. Vardhan had succeeded Dr. Hiroki
Nakatani of Japan.

Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine: India’s Panacea

Biotec, RDIF to produce 100 million doses
per year
Panacea Biotec, one of the leading Indian pharmaceutical producers in collaboration with the
Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on May 24, 2021, launched the production of the Sputnik
V coronavirus vaccine in India, stated a joint statement issued by the companies.
“The first batch of the vaccine produced at Panacea Biotec’s facilities at Baddi, Himachal
Pradesh, India will be shipped to Russia’s Gamaleya Center for quality control,” the Panacea and
RDIF said in a press statement. The full production is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2021,
the statement further mentioned.
Panacea Biotec’s facilities are WHO compliant with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
standards.
Kirill Dmitriev, CEO RDIF called the launch of the production Sputnik V vaccine in India in
partnership with Panacea Biotec as an important step in helping the country (India) fight the
coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Rajesh Jain, Managing Director, Panacea Biotec also added, “Together with RDIF, we hope to
bring normalcy back to people across the country.”
In April 2021, Panacea and the RDIF had announced their plan to produce 100 million doses of
the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine per year.
Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine: Key points
•Sputnik V, a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, has been made by the Gamaleya Research Institute
of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia.
•Sputnik V vaccine was authorized for emergency use in India on April 12, 2021, and the
vaccination with the Russian vaccine in India began on May 14, 2021. Sputnik V’s first dose was
administered in Hyderabad.

•Sputnik V has shown 97.6 per cent efficacy among those vaccinated with both components in
Russia between December 5, 2020, to March 31, 2021.
•Sputnik V, based on a platform of human adenoviral vectors, uses two different vectors for the
two shots during vaccination, in turn providing a longer duration of immunity against vaccines
using similar two shots delivery method.
•Sputnik V can be easily stored in a refrigerator without any need for cold-chain storage
requirements.

India, Oman renew two major defence pacts:

All you need to know!
India and Oman have renewed two major defence pacts that focus on enhancing on maritime
security and military cooperation. Oman is India's oldest strategic partner in the Gulf region and a
key ally in the Indo-Pacific region and eastern and southern Africa.
The two agreements include a maritime transport agreement, which was signed in December
2019 and another agreement that was agreed upon in 2018, which gave Indian Navy access to
facilities at Oman’s Duqm port.
1. Maritime transport agreement
India and Oman had signed a maritime transport agreement in December 2019 during Union
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar's visit to the nation.
Why is this important?
The maritime agreement enabled India to expand its footprint in the western and southern Indian
Ocean, the Persian Gulf and East Africa. It was the first such agreement that India had signed
with any gulf nation.
2. Agreement giving Indian Navy access to facilities at Oman’s Duqm port
India and Oman had signed another agreement giving Indian Navy access to facilities at Oman’s
Duqm port in 2018 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Muscat, Oman.
Why is this important?
•The Duqm port serves as India’s gateway to the wider West and East Africa. It is just 40 minutes
away from Mumbai by flight.
•The Duqm Port is also designated as the largest deep-sea port in the Indian Ocean.
•India had sought interest in gaining access to facilities of the port amid Chinese Navy's increased
activity in the western part of the Indian Ocean region.

India and Oman had signed a total of 8 MoUs during PM Modi's visit to Oman on February 11,
2018 to expand cooperation in different sectors including defence and tourism. The agreements
included provision of facilities for Indian military vessels to visit Duqm Port in terms of service and
dry dock use.
Significance
At the end of PM Modi's visit to the Sultnate, the two nations had issued a joint statement saying
that they have agreed to strengthen cooperation to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf and
Indian Ocean Territory, which ia essential to the security and prosperity of both countries.
India-Oman Defence Relations
•Oman was the first Gulf nation to establish formal defence relations with India. The two
nations signed their first defence agreement in 2006 after conducting joint military
exercises.
•The defence cooperation between the two nations was further stepped up after Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh visited Oman in 2008.
•The Indian Navy has berthing rights in Oman and has been utilising Oman's ports as
bases for conducting anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
•The Indian Air Force also holds biannual joint exercises with the Royal Air Force of
Oman since 2009.
India supplies Oman with rifles that are most standardly used by the Royal Army of
Oman.
•Oman currently provides anchors for India in the Persian Gulf and eastern and southern
Africa.
•India and Oman's military ties developed largely under the late Omani Sultan, Qaboos
bin Said Al Said.
•The relations between the two nations have received further boost in the last couple of
years with more agreements being signed.
•India is currently considering setting up a defense production facility in Oman.

Mali’s military detains President, Prime

Minister and Defence Minister
Military officers in Mali arrested the President, Prime Minister, and Defence Minister of the
country’s interim government on May 24, 2021, fueling the political instability in the country.
Mali President Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, and Defence Minister Souleymane
Doucoure of the interim government were arrested in Kati outside the capital Bamako after two
members of the military lost their place during a government reshuffle.
UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has demanded an

immediate and unconditional release of the President and Prime Minister. The MINUSMA further
demanded the military to keep the integrity of detained leaders.
MINUSMA informed it is in close contact with the AU (African Union) and ECOWAS (Economic
Community of West African States) within the framework of the local transition monitoring
committee.
The UN, ECOWAS, European Union, African Union said in a joint statement that a delegation
from ECOWAS will visit Bamako on May 25, 2021, to resolve the situation of an ‘attempted coup’.
Just days before their detentions, Mali’s PM Moctar Ouane was reinstated on May 20, 2021, by
President Bah N’Daw to form a new interim government to look after the 18-month transition
period until the new elections in 2022 to restore Mali’s condition.
Mali's Military Mutiny
Military Mutiny in Mali dates to 2012 when military officers ousted President Amadou Toumani
Touré for his way of handling the Tuareg insurgency in Northern Mali.
Following Touré’s resignation, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta was elected as the President of Mali but
the military mutiny soldiers detained him as well in 2020 which forced him to resign.
Moctar Ouane then became the Prime Minister of Mali in September 2020 after the elected
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his resignation in August 2020 when Keita and his
then Prime Minister Boubou Cisse were reportedly arrested by the mutiny soldiers.


Government to set up National Mission on

use of Biomass in coal based thermal power
plants
The Union Power Ministry has announced that it will set up a National Mission on the use of
Biomass in coal-based thermal power plants.
As per the official release by the ministry, the modalities of the operation and structure of the
National Mission are under finalization.
It is also being expected that the mission will have a Steering Committee which will be headed by
the Power Secretary while comprising all the stakeholders including the representatives from
Petroleum and New and Renewable Energy Ministries.
Ministry of Power decides to set up a National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal
power plants #ClimateActionNow #Cleanenergyhttps://t.co/Msel85lXoO
— Ministry of Power (@MinOfPower) May 25, 2021

Objective of National Mission:
•The National Mission on the use of Biomass is intended to address the issue of air pollution
because of farm-stubble burning and reducing the carbon footprints of thermal power generation.
•It will work on increasing the level of co-firing from the present 5% to higher levels to have a
larger share of carbon-neutral power generation from the thermal power plants.
•The mission will also work to facilitate overcoming the disruptions in the supply chain of the
biomass pellets and agro-residue and its transport up to the power plants.
•The National Mission will also consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.
•It will take up Research and Development activity in boiler design for handling the higher amount
of alkalis and silica in biomass pellets.
National Mission on use of Biomass: Key Points

•The National Mission by the government will also further support the energy transition in the
country as well as its targets to move towards cleaner energy sources.
•The National Mission on the use of Biomass will also contribute to the National Clean Air
Programme.
What is Biomass?
It is a plant or animal material that is used s a fuel to produce heat or electricity. Some of the
examples of Biomass energy crops, wood, and waste from yards, forests, or farms.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has defined bioenergy as a renewable form of
energy. The International Energy Agency has also described bioenergy as the most significant
source of renewable energy.

Belarus Plane Hijack Incident: Why did

Belarus force-land flight carrying Roman
Protasevic, who is he? - Explainer of the day
US President Joe Biden on May 24, 2021 welcomed the European Union's call for sanctions
against Belarus over the force landing of Ryanair flight in its territory to arrest a dissident journalist
on board.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on May 23, 2021 forced a commercial airline flying from
Greece to Lithuania to land in its territory reportedly on the pretext of a bomb scare, so it could
arrest journalist Roman Protasevic,a dissident journalist who has been living in exile in Lithuania
since fleeing his home country in 2019.
The arrest sparked international outrage as it amounts to the hijacking of a plane and illegal
arrest. The opposition leaders of the nation denounced the incident as an act of terrorism by the
state. The move has also infuriated EU leaders who are discussing possible consequences for
Belarus.
US Statement
•US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a formal statement saying that the US strongly
condemns the Lukashenka regime's brazen and shocking act to divert a commercial flight and
arrest a journalist. "We demand an international investigation and are coordinating with our
partners on the next steps. The United States stands with the people of Belarus," he tweeted.
We strongly condemn the Lukashenka regime's brazen and shocking act to divert a commercial
flight and arrest a journalist. We demand an international investigation and are coordinating with
our partners on next steps. The United States stands with the people of Belarus.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 23, 2021
•The US President has instructed his administration to frame options to hold Belarus accountable
for its actions. Biden said in a statement that he welcomed the news that the European Union has
called for targeted economic sanctions and other measures.
•He added saying that the United States condemns in the strongest possible terms both the

diversion of the plane and the subsequent removal and arrest of Pratasevich. He said it is a
shameful assault on both political dissent and the freedom of the press.
•The US joins countries around the world in calling for the journalist's release, as well as for the
release of the hundreds of political prisoners who are being unjustly detained by the Lukashenka
regime.
Statement by President Joe Biden on Diversion of Ryanair Flight and Arrest of Journalist in
Belarus https://t.co/8i1elMYp5M
— Julie Fisher (@USAmbBelarus) May 25, 2021

EU sanctions
•The leaders of EU member states have urged the European Council to adopt the necessary
measures to ban overflight of EU airspace by Belarusian airlines.
•They have also called for not giving Belarusian flights access to EU airports and have called on
all EU-based carriers to avoid overflight of Belarus.
•They stated that Belarus's forced diversion of a commercial Ryanair flight and subsequent
removal and arrest of Raman Pratasevich, a Belarusian journalist traveling abroad, are a direct
affront to international norms.
•The move came after Belarusian state television broadcasted a 30-second video of Protasevich,
confirming that he was in prison in Minsk and "confessing" to charges of organising mass unrest.
Protasevich could possibly face 15 years in jail.
The regime's propaganda channels posted a video of arrested Raman Pratasevich, saying that he
is treated lawfully in the Minsk Detention Center 1. This is how Raman looks under physical and
moral pressure. I demand the immediate release of Raman and all political prisoners.
pic.twitter.com/zdolsbp6m5
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) May 24, 2021
Belarus Plane Hijack Incident- Explained
Why and how did Belarus force-land a commercial flight in Minsk?

•On May 23, 2021, Belarus force landed a commercial plane that was flying from Athens
in Greece to Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania at Minsk in Belarus.
•Irish airline Ryanair said in a statement that its flight FR4978 from Athens to Vilnius was
notified by Belarus (Air Traffic Control) of "a potential security threat onboard" and was
"instructed to divert to the nearest airport, Minsk." The threat turned out to be a complete
farce.
•Aboard the plane was a dissident journalist, Roman Protasevic, who was returning to
Vilnius in Lithuania after attending an economic conference in the Greek capital of
Athens with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a Belarusian opposition politician.
•As per reports, a MiG-29 fighter plane intercepted the Ryanair and forced it to land in
Minsk, which is the capital of Belarus. The flight had already begun its descent into the
Lithuanian capital when the pilot announced that the plane would be suddenly diverting
to Minsk.
What happened after the force landing?
•Roman Protasevic was immediately separated upon arrival in Minsk along with a female
passenger. His passport was reportedly taken away. Protasevic must have got a hint of
what was in store, as according to an onboard passenger, Roman stood up as soon as it
was announced they were going to land in Minsk and opened the luggage compartment,
took the luggage and was trying to split things. "He said there’s death penalty awaiting
him there”, recounted the Lithuanian passenger.
•According to other passengers, Protasevich along with his girlfriend and four other
people were not seen again when the plane was finally let go and landed in Vilnius. No
bomb was found on board the plane.
Who is Roman Protasevich?
•The 26-year-old journalist is the co-founder of the NEXTA media outlet on the social
media platform Telegram. The channel is a rare source of independent news in Belarus,
as most media outlets in the nation were banned during Belarus President Alexander
Lukashenko's long authoritarian rule.
•Hence, NEXTA provides a platform for the opposition forces of Belarus to share
information and organise against Lukashenko. Protasevich had fled Belarus in 2019
fearing that he would be arrested. He had taken refuge in neighbouring country,
Lithuania.
•He continued his journalism work from Lithuania despite being in exile. In November
2020, he was charged with inciting public disorder and social hatred in Belarus by
Lukashenko's regime.

•Roman Protasevich's name was also put in a list of terrorists and if convicted, he could
face the death penalty.
Lithuania's Reaction
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda slammed the plane hijacking and called it a “state-
sponsored terror act”. He said that he would be proposing before the European Council to ban
Belarusian planes from European Union airports, as well as “serious sanctions” against the
Lukashenko regime.
Today all #EU leaders are unanimous on:

release of Roman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega
@ICAO investigation
targeted sanctions
#EU carriers to avoid airspace
EU airspace closure for carriers
Immediate is now a keyword for success. pic.twitter.com/VlQkx3m7Nd
— Gitanas Nausda (@GitanasNauseda) May 24, 2021

Background
In August 2020, a controversial presidential vote in Belarus showed that Lukashenko, the nation's
ruler for more than a quarter-century, had won his sixth straight election victory. The results were
followed by month-long protests and the state was accused of ruthlessly suppressing dissents.
Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Lunar Eclipse 2021: Super Blood Moon of

26th May, Know Date, Time and Other
Important Facts Here
Lunar Eclipse 2021 | Super Blood Moon 2021: After a gap of two year, a Total Lunar Eclipse
will be visible on 26th May 2021. The rare celestial event is a big favourite among skygazers
across the world as it would also include Super Blood Moon in which the moon turns completely
red. The Super Blood Moon which will occur as part of the Total Lunar Eclipse 2021 and on
Wednesday, the moon will appear slightly reddish-orange in colour. Also, because it is full moon,
the earth’s natural satellite will appear as quite bit as compared to normal days.
Want to know more about Lunar Eclipse 2021 and Super Blood Moon 2021? Read On!
When will Lunar Eclipse Happen?
The Total Lunar Eclipse 2021 will take place on 26th May 2021. The partial phase of the eclipse
will begin on the afternoon of May 26 at 3:15 pm IST and end at at 6:23 pm IST. The total phase
will begin at 4:39 pm IST and end at 4:58 pm IST. Prior to this, a total lunar eclipse took place
was in January 21, 2019.
Will Lunar Eclipse 2021 be visible from India?
As per the details available right now, People in India, South Asia, East Asia, Australia, and much
of North America, South America, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Antarctica will
be able to see the eclipse on the day.
When it comes to India, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible to people just after moonrise in the
north-eastern states. Apart from this, some parts of West Bengal and some coastal parts of
Odisha and Andaman & Nicobar Islands may also witness the Total Lunar Eclipse 2021.
However, Cyclone Yash is also expected to strike the north-eastern coast of Odisha and West
Bengal, which may hamper the visibility of Super Blood Moon 2021.
A lunar #eclipse is sometimes called a "blood moon," but the actual source of the red color is
quite gentle: it's light filtered through all the sunrises and sunsets on Earth. Here's our video guide
to #LunarEclipse2021 and how to see it on May 26: https://t.co/sDNOcwAxcF

pic.twitter.com/cNYkKLCPho
— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) May 24, 2021

What is Blood Moon?
As her details available on NASA wesbsite a Blood Moon appears in the sky when the rays or sun
or the sunlight bends and scatters as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere before hitting the
Moon’s surface. Because of this scatted, bent sunlight, the eclipse moon is lit-up in shade of
orange or red colour. As per scientists, the more dust there is in earth’s atmosphere the redder
the moon would appear during a Lunar Eclipse.
What is Super Moon?
A Super Moon occurs when moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit and that makes it look
larger than usual. Super Blood Moon is when where the moon appears reddish orange in colour
and really big as well during a lunar eclipse.
What is a Total Lunar Eclipse?
While most would be familiar with what a lunar eclipse is, it is always better to revise some Class
6 geography before such a major and rare celestial event. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the
Earth comes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sunrays from reaching moon directly.
On the day of Lunar Eclipse, the Moon is completely covered by Earth’s shadow.

Ethiopia’s Tigray Crisis: What has led to the

crisis and what is the role of Eritrea?
Explainer of the day
The Government of the United States on May 23, 2021, announced visa restrictions on the
Eritrean and Ethiopia officials who are accused of increasing the 6-month-old war in Ethiopia’s
Tigray region.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the government has decided to impose
curbs on security and economic assistance to Ethiopia, however, humanitarian aid will be
provided such as food, health, and education.
In an official statement, the US Secretary of State mentioned that people in Tigray have continued
to suffer human rights violations, abuses, and atrocities and they urgently need humanitarian
relief which is being blocked by the Eritrean and Ethiopian militaries as well as other armed
actors.
With the latest sanctions imposed by the US on the officials of Ethiopia and Eritrea, it becomes
important to understand the ongoing crisis in Tigray. What is the reason behind the crisis in the
Ethiopian region and what role does Ethiopia as well as Eritrea plays in the ongoing violence?
Where is Tigray?
It is Ethiopia’s northernmost region. Bordering Eritrea, Tigray is home to most of the country’s
estimated 7 million ethnic Tigrayans. The ethnic group in Ethiopia, which accounts for about 6
percent of the country’s population, has an extreme influence on national affairs.
What is going on in Tigray?
The conflict in the region began on November 4, 2020, when the Prime Minister of
Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed ordered a military response to what he called a ‘traitorous’ attack
on the federal army camps in Tigray.
The Prime Minister blamed the attack on the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a
regional ruling party that had dominated the national politics of Ethiopia for nearly three
decades before Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018.

The TPLF, however, denied the responsibility for the attack on federal army camps and
said that the reported attack is a pretext for an invasion by the government.
As Ethiopia continued to carry out more airstrikes on Tigray and sent troops to disarm
and detain leaders of TPLF, the conflict has caused thousands of deaths and has forced
hundreds and thousands from their homes in the Tigray region.
What are the roots of conflict in Tigray?
The TPLF, after it was sidelined at the national level, the regional party has been accused by
Abiy’s government of destabilizing Ethiopia by orchestrating ethnic violence across the country.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had promised to hold the first truly democratic elections of Ethiopia in
Summer 2020. However, because of the Coronavirus pandemic, he postponed the elections.
As per TPLF, the delaying of the vote has amounted to an unconstitutional extension of Abiy’s
term.
The party, then, held its own regional elections and claimed a decisive win. However, Abiy’s
government declared the Tigray elections invalid. The two sides called each other illegitimate
leading to the ongoing violence in Tigray.
Eritrea and Ethiopia relations: Background
Eritrea was once a part of Ethiopia and had fought and won a brutal, decades-long war of
independence which ended in 1991. Ethiopia and Eritrea went to war again in 1998 in a territorial
conflict that ended in 2000.
In 2018, shortly after taking office, Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed reached out to the President of
Eritrea Isaias Afwerki and signed a historic peace deal between the two nations.
The peace accord helped Abiy Ahmed in winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his efforts of
resolving the long-standing conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
What role does Eritrea have in Ethiopia’s domestic conflict?
As the relations between the two nations improved, Abiy found a strong ally in Eritrean
President.
Reportedly, Eritrean forces have been engaged in the Tigray fight, backing Ethiopia and
sending troops to the conflicted region to help the Ethiopian Prime Minister.

The Eritrean soldiers have also been reported to be involved in a massacre of civilians
in Tigray in the early days of the conflict.
The governments denied that Eritrean troops are in Ethiopia but on March 23, the
Ethiopian Prime Minister admitted that the Eritrean troops had crossed the border into
Tigray and may have also been involved in the atrocities against the civilians.
As per the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, Eritrean soldiers had massacred over
100 civilians in Axum in November 2020.
After a meeting between the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Ethiopian PM
announced that Eritrea has agreed to pull its forces back over the border. However, on
April 15, the United Nations announced that there is no evidence of withdrawal.
UN on violence in Tigray:
The United Nations asked the Ethiopian Government for access to Tigray to investigate the
possible war crimes, after the reports of brutal sexual violence and extrajudicial killings.
The Secretary of United Nations General Antonio Guterres while commenting on the violence in
Tigray stated that the stability of Ethiopia is significant for the entire Horn of Africa region. He
called for immediate peaceful resolutions and de-escalation of tensions.
What the US says?
In the latest development, while being concern regarding the humanitarian crisis in Tigray, the US
government announced sanctions on the officials of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The US has strongly condemned the killings, systematic sexual violence, forced removals, and
other human rights violations in Tigray. The country has also pointed that despite the significant
diplomatic engagement, the parties involved in the conflict in Tigray have taken no meaningful
steps to end the hostilities.
The United States has called the Ethiopian Government to hold accountable who are responsible
for the violations and protect the civilians. It has also urged the Eritrean government to return its
troops from Tigray to the internationally recognized Eritrean territory.

What is Target Olympic Podium Scheme? –

Explainer of the Day
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India on May 24, 2021, reported that five
athletes have been included in the core group of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
Tennis player Ankita Raina, Wrestlers Sumit Malik & Seema Bisla, and Rowers Arvind Singh &
Arjun Lal Jat have been included in the TOPS core group.
Financial sanctions of nearly one crore rupees were approved in the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC)
meeting on May 24, 2021.
What is Target Olympic Podium Scheme?
•The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) was launched in 2014 under the Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports (MYAS), Government of India.
•The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) established TOPS is to aid India’s top athletes
with financial assistance to win medals at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics and
international sport events.
•The scheme provides all requisite support such as:
(i) training from top coaches at well-equipped sport institutions,
(ii) assistance to purchase sport-specific equipment,
(iii) providing support staff such as physical trainers, physiotherapists, etc,
(iv) aid athletes in participating in Paris, Tokyo, and Los Angeles Olympic Games and Paralympic
Games.
(v) provide out-of-pocket allowance per month
•Recent success cases of TOPS:
(i) TOPS sponsored athletes, Sakshi Malik (wrestling) and PV Sindhu (badminton) won bronze

and silver medals respectively in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
(ii) TOPS Athletes won four medals, two gold, one silver, one bronze, in the 2016 Paralympic
Games.
(iii) The 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast witnessed 47 out of 70 medal-winning
athletes that belonged to the TOPS scheme.
Mission Olympic Cell
•The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), a selection and review committee created under the Sports
Authority of India (SAI), identifies and supports athletes selected under the TOP schemes.
•The Cell, every week, evaluates the progress of athletes. Basis their performance, the Cell
recommends selection, removal, and retention of athletes, coaches, and training institutions that
are eligible to receive support and funding from TOPS.

COVID-19 Vaccines in India: Know Which

Coronavirus vaccines will be available in
India and How do they Work | Explainer of the
Day
COVID-19 Vaccines in India: As India battles the ferocious 2nd Wave of COVID-19 pandemic
with daily new cases still being reported over 3 lakh, India’s healthcare system remains under
tremendous pressure to deal with mounting cases. In such times, Coronavirus vaccines have
emerged as a ray of hope, which can help India and the world overcome the pandemic. With this
in mind the Central Government has announced an ambitious plan of making available over 2
billion Coronavirus vaccines to the Indian citizens from August to December 2021, several new
COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be introduced into the Indian Market.
Let’s know all about the current and future COVID-19 vaccines that will be available in
India and how do they work!
List of Vaccines to be Available in India
On 13th Thursday, the Central Government rolled out a detailed vaccination plan for this year,
which will pave the way back to normalcy as far as the pandemic situation in the country is
concerned. The Central Government said that by Covid-19 vaccine will be available for the entire
Indian population by December. In total, around 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be
made available in India in the period of 5 months starting from August to December 2021. A total
of 8 different vaccines from different manufacturers are likely to be made available to Indians from
August 2021 onwards, including the currently available Serum Institute’s Covidsheid and Bharat
Biotech’s COVAXIN. The availability projection for vaccines in India as shared by the Central
Gov’t in its vaccine roadmap is as follows:
Vaccine Name & Manufacturer No of Doses to be Available
Serum Institute’s COVISHIELD 75 Crores

Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN 55 Crores

Bio E Sub-unit Vaccine 30 Crores

Zydus Cadila DNA Vaccine 5 Crores
Serum Institute’s NOVAVAX 20 Crores
Bharat Biotech’s Nasal vaccine 10 Crores
Gennova mRNA vaccine 6 Crores
Russian Sputnik V Vaccine 15.6 Crores
Total 2.16.5 Crores
Of the ones mentioned above, Covidsheild and Covaxin are already available in the Indian market
and are being administered as part of the current vaccination drive. Yesterday i.e. on 14th May,
Dr Reddy’s launched Sputnik V vaccine as well at a price of Rs 994 + GST. But, let’s get better
understanding about each of these vaccines and how to they work?
COVISHIELD – Serum Institute
COVISHIELD is the Indian version of the globally distributed AstraZeneca vaccine. The vaccine
was developed by University of Oxford in collaboration with AstraZeneca and the production order
has been given to Pune based Serum Institute of India. The vaccine is an adenovirus vaccine,
which means it uses a weakened version of a common cold virus from chimpanzees to trigger an
immune response in order to help body develop antibodies to fight the virus. The Covidsheid
vaccine is one of the most widely used vaccines not only in India but across the world. The
vaccine is delivered in two doses that can be two to three months apart and has an efficacy of up
to 90 per cent. Efficacy refers to the degree of protection that a vaccine offers against a disease
after successful vaccination.
Pricing of COVISHIELD vaccine has been a major concern in India, as Serum Institute has
adopted variable pricing policy for the vaccine for different buyers. COVISHIELD is being offered
to the Central / Union Government at a price of Rs 150 per dose, while the same is being sold to
State Governments at Rs 300/-. On the other hand, rate for private players is Rs 600 per dose.
COVAXIN – Bharat Biotech
The second COVID-19 Vaccine that has been approved for emergency use in India is an
indigenous one which is called COVAXIN. This vaccine is developed by Indian Pharma major
Bharat Biotech. This vaccine uses inactivated virus i.e. it is made up of killed coronaviruses,
making it safe to be injected into the body. Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN was in news recently for

getting emergency approval without phase 3 data, but has been accepted as an effective vaccine
against COVID-19 now. Recent studies have shown that India’s COVAXIN is 81 per cent effective
against the virus and capable of neutralising UK, Indian and Brazilian variants. This vaccine is
also delivered in two doses.
In terms of pricing, COVAXIN is being sold to the Central Government at Rs 150/- while the states
are shelling out Rs 400 per dose. The rate for private players is significantly higher as they are
being asked to pay Rs 1200 for each dose of Covaxin.
SPUTNIK V
Named after the world's first artificial satellite, Russia’s SPUTNIK V is a vaccine based on Non-
Replicating Viral Vector technology. SPUTNIK V is developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute and
is the 3rd Vaccine to be granted emergency use approval in India. Currently, the vaccine
production contract in India has been given to Dr Reddy's Laboratories and production is being
carried out at 5 laboratories. This vaccine is delivered in two doses with a gap of 21 days. It has
shown efficacy of 91.6 per cent in clinical trials in preventing people from developing Covid-19.
Sputnik V has been found to be effective against the UK variant of the Covid-19 virus.
In terms of pricing, the imported doses of SPUTNIK V Vaccine have been priced at retail price of
Rs 948 with 5 per cent GST per dose. Reports have also hinted that this price might be reduced
drastically once domestic production of vaccine begins.
Bharat Biotech’s Nasal Vaccine
India’s Pharma major Bharat Biotech had recently announced that it is working on a Nasal
Vaccine as well for COVID-19. Following this announcement, the Union Health Ministry has
included BB’s Nasal Vaccine as a probable available vaccine candidate in its vaccine roll-out
plan. As per health ministry’s plan, a total of 10 crore doses of the nasal vaccine developed by
Bharat Biotech will be made available in India by December 2021.
As per the limited details available about this vaccine right now, the intranasal vaccine code
named BBV154, creates an immune response at the site of infection (in the nasal mucosa)
essential for blocking both infection and transmission of Covid-19. Being an intranasal vaccine,
this vaccine is expected to have fewer side effects as it is not injected in the body. Bharat Biotech
has said that the nasal vaccine will be offered as nasal drops which people can administer at
home, eliminating the role of a medical personnel for delivery of vaccine.

Covovax - Novavax's COVID-19 Vaccine
Another vaccine candidate that is being considered for India launch soon is US Pharma major’s
Novavax's COVID-19 Vaccine. The vaccine will be produced by Serum Institute and will be
marketed as Covovax. The vaccine is still under trials and is yet to be approved for emergency
use in US, UK or India. During the Phase 2 trials, the vaccine has showcased efficacy of 96.4
percent against the original strain of the COVID-19 virus. In other variants i.e. UK and South
African variant, the vaccine has been effective in 86.3 per cent cases.
The vaccine is undergoing Phase 2/3 trials in India and is expected to be launched between July
to September 2021. After development and approvals, the SII and Novavax have committed to
supplying 1.1 billion doses of their vaccine to Covax, an international facility aimed at equitable
access to Covid-19 vaccines. Under this, India will also be supplied doses of Novavax vaccine.
ZYDUS CADILA DNA VACCINE
Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila has been working on a DNA based COVID-
19 vaccine since the advent of the pandemic. Code named ZyCoV-D, this Covid-19 vaccine is
likely to hit the market in June. Currently, the Phase 3 trial for ZYDUS CADILA DNA VACCINE is
underway and the company is likely to submit the data for review with Drugs Controller General of
India (DCGI) soon. The Phase 3 trials of ZYDUS CADILA DNA VACCINE were conducted on
28,000 adult and adolescent volunteers.
Once approved, ZYDUS CADILA DNA VACCINE ‘ZyCoV-D’ will be India’s second indigenously
developed vaccine after Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. As per the estimates shared by the company,
around 1 crore doses of the vaccine will be produced every month initially which will be doubled in
next few months depending on demand. In its vaccine roll-out plan, the Health Ministry has said
that it will procure a total of 5 Crore doses of ZYDUS CADILA DNA VACCINE.
BIO E SUB UNIT VACCINE
Another Indian Pharma major i.e. Biological E Limited has also been working on developing a
COVID-19 vaccine. The Hyderabad based company is working on a subunit vaccine which is
likely to be launched post August 2021. The vaccine is currently in trial stages, with stage 1 and
stage 2 trials completed successfully. Currently, Phase 3 trials of BIO E SUB UNIT VACCINE are
underway on 1,268 healthy subjects in the age range of 18 to 80 years.
Just like COVISSHEILD and COVAXIN, BIO E SUB UNIT VACCINE will also be delivered in two

doses which will be given 28 days apart. The vaccine will be administered via intramuscular
injection. Efficacy data for the vaccine will be announced after it completes Phase 3 trials, which
are currently underway at 15 sites across the country. According to the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Biological E would supply 30 crore doses of its vaccine between August and
December this year.
GENNOVA mRNA VACCINE
Another Indian Pharmaceuticals Manufacturer Gennova Biopharmaceuticals has taken a more

advanced route to development of COVID-19 vaccine. The Pune based company is working on
developing an mRNA VACCINE or messenger RNA vaccine. mRNA technology is the same one
that is being used by Pfizer and Moderna in their vaccines which have been approved in US and
UK. Currently, the company is re-performing animal toxicity study that had been conducted in the
US earlier, upon request of DGCI. Following submission of this data, the company will be granted
license for human trials and Phase 1 Clinical trials are likely to begin soon.
PFIZER, MODERNA AND J&J
Apart from the above mentioned COVID-19 vaccines, India also will get access to globally
available vaccines developed by Phama majors PFIZER, MODERNA AND J&J soon. The
government has accelerated its efforts to make these vaccines available in India. The Department
of Biotechnology and the Ministry of External Affairs are co-ordinating efforts to to procure the
three vaccines. Many state governments have also floated global tenders for procurement of
COVID-19 vaccines but so far deal has been confirmed. Officially, the government has not
included PFIZER, MODERNA AND J&J vaccines as part of its vaccine roll-out plan shared on
14th May 2021.

Microsoft to retire Internet Explorer in June

2022
Microsoft on May 19, 2021, announced that the Internet Explorer 11 desktop browser will be
retired on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10.
“We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge,” the
company stated on its official blog site on May 19, 2021.
The company noted that legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications will continue to
work on the new Microsoft Edge (Internet Explorer) mode until 2029. The company has been
moving away from Internet Explorer over the past year as it has been working Microsoft Edge with
IE mode to replace the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application on certain versions of Windows
10.
Microsoft said that Windows 10 LTSC, Server Internet Explorer 11 desktop applications, and the
MSHTML (Trident) engine will not be affected by this retirement of IE.
The versions of Windows that will continue having IE 11 desktop application: Windows 7
Extended Security Updates, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 Server SAC, Windows 10 Server LTSC,
Windows 10 client LTSC, Windows 10 IoT Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC).
Air Traffic Control Systems and MRI machines may continue using Windows 10 LSTC. Microsoft
365 will terminate support for Internet Explorer 11 in August 2021.
Why is Microsoft retiring Internet Explorer?
•Microsoft in their official blog post mentioned that the company is transitioning to Microsoft Edge
for delivering a more secure, faster, and modern browsing experience to the users.
•The company also stated that Microsoft Edge will address the key concern of compatibility of
legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications.
Microsoft Edge with IE (Internet Explorer) mode: Key Points
Microsoft Edge is a more secure, faster, and modern internet browser that will replace Internet

Explorer on certain versions of Windows 10.
Microsoft Edge, built on the Chromium project, is the only browser that provides dual-engine
support for both modern as well legacy Internet Explorer-based websites. It also supports ActiveX
controls.
Microsoft Edge offers two unique advantages over Internet Explorer application:
•First, streamlined productivity enables users to enjoy modern features like browser tab
management (Sleeping tabs feature, Vertical tabs, Edge Collections for favorites, different profiles
within Edge instead of using different browsers for work or personal use).
•Second, enhanced browser security on Microsoft Edge offers top-rated protection against
malware or phishing attacks. Microsoft Edge can issue security patches when responding to
security vulnerabilities within days, if not hours, as compared to IE 11 that packaged security
updates on a monthly basis.
Internet Explorer: Key Points
•Internet Explorer (IE), launched in 1995 by Microsoft, is a series of web browsers that operate on
Windows.
•The latest version Internet Explorer 11 will be retired on June 15, 2022, and will be replaced by
Microsoft Edge with IE mode that will support older Legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and
applications until 2029.
•Microsoft 365 will terminate support for Internet Explorer 11 in August 2021.

Hockey India honoured with prestigious

Etienne Glichitch Award
Hockey India was honoured prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award on May 21, 2021, for its
contribution and work towards the growth and development of Hockey in India.
The award was announced by the governing body of the game International Hockey Federation
(FIH) during the HockeyInvites conference held virtually as part of its 47th FIH Congress which
further concluded with the FIH Honorary Awards.
In an official release, the FIH stated that Hockey India has been announced as the winner of the
Etienne Glichitch Award in recognition of its remarkable contribution to the growth and
development of Hockey.
The award recognizes numerous individuals, organisations and teams for their outstanding
contribution to the sport of hockey.
#47thFIHCongress: We are grateful to @FIH_Hockey for conferring us with the prestigious

Etienne Glichitch Award for significant contribution to the growth and development of Hockey at
local, continental, national and international level. #IndiaKaGame pic.twitter.com/fcOcQo19Sc
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) May 21, 2021

FIH Awards to other hockey associations:
•Uzbekistan Hockey Federation won the Pablo Negre Award for its tremendous efforts to improve
the playing conditions through the implementation of youth development goals and new
infrastructure.
•Theo Ikema Award was presented to the Polish Hockey Association because of the various
hockey development projects which resulted in 30 newly trained coaches and over 3000
schoolchildren being introduced to the sport within Poland.
FIH Awards to individuals:
•Sam Ward, England striker was honoured with Super Fair Play Trophy Rene G Frank. He
suffered a career-threatening eye injury in 2019

•The Guust Lathouwers Memorial Trophy went to Ivona Makar from Croatia. The trophy is given
to an individual who has made an important mark on the development of umpiring.
•New Zealand’s Sharon Williamson was announced to be the winner of the HRH Sultan Azlan
Shah Award. She won the honour for dedicating thousands of voluntary hours toward the delivery
of New Zealand’s brand-new National Hockey Centre in Auckland.
FIH Honorary Awards:
The FIH honorary awards had taken place on the opening day of the 47th Congress. The
Congress Session was held on May 22 and the agenda included, elections for the position of FIH
President as well as for four positions of EB Ordinary Member.

India-Israel sign 3-year work programme for

agricultural cooperation
India and Israel governments on May 24, 2021, signed a three-year joint work programme till
2023 with the goal to enhance cooperation in the field of agriculture, Union Agriculture Minister
Narendra Singh Tomar informed.
“India and Israel have had bilateral relations since 1993 in the agricultural sector. This is the 5th
Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan (IIAP),” said Tomar in an official statement during the signing
ceremony.
Ambassador of Israel to India Ron Malka noted that the three-year work programme (2021-2023)
will benefit farmers locally both through the Villages of Excellence and the Centres of Excellence.
This work programme is a sign of the strength of the growing partnership between India and
Israel.
The three-year work programme will work to increase existing Centres of Excellence (CoEs),
grow CoEs value chain, set up new centres, and drive CoEs into the self-sufficient mode, Malka
added.
About 5th Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan (IIAP)
•The 5th Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan (IIAP), a three-year work programme between
India and Israel for agricultural cooperation aims at strengthening the Indo-Israel bilateral relations
and cooperation in the field of agriculture and farming community.
•Under this action plan, Indo-Israel Villages of Excellence (VoE), a model ecosystem in agriculture
will be set up across eight states along with 13 Indo-Israel Agricultural Project Centres of
Excellence (CoEs) within 75 villages.
•The three-year programme will aim at increasing the net income and bettering the livelihood of
the individual framers, training farmers about the latest agricultural technology, and transforming
farms into modern-intensive farms in accordance with IIAP standards.
About Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan (IIAP)

•The Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan (IIAP), a bilateral partnership that India and Israel
signed on May 10, 2006, in Tel Aviv under which technology in the field of agriculture was
transferred from Israel to Haryana and Maharashtra in India through Centres of Excellence (CoE).
•Four such Agriculture Action Plans have been successfully completed so far: First IIAP (2008-
10), Second IIAP (2012-15), Third IIAP (2015-18), and Fourth IIAP (2018-20).
•Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare, Govt. of India, and MASHAV - Israel’s Agency for
International Development Cooperation are driving Israel’s largest G2G cooperation.
•So far, 29 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) under the IIAP have been set up and are operational in
12 states across the country.
•Each year, these CoEs train more than 1.2 lakh farmers about the latest agricultural technology,
produce more than 3,87,000 fruits and more than 25 million vegetable seedlings of high quality.

US imposes restrictions on Ethiopian,

Eritrean officials over Tigray crisis
The United States on May 23, 2021 announced "wide-ranging" restrictions on economic and
security assistance to Ethiopia and Eritrea over the Tigray crisis.
The US announced visa restrictions on Ethiopian and Eritrean officials accused of fuelling the six-
month-old war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, saying those involved had "taken no meaningful steps
to end hostilities."
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement said, "people in Tigray continue to
suffer human rights violations, abuses, and atrocities, and urgently needed humanitarian relief is
being blocked by the Ethiopian and Eritrean militaries."
Blinken stated that "despite significant diplomatic engagement, the parties to the conflict in Tigray
have taken no meaningful steps to end hostilities or pursue a peaceful resolution of the political
crisis."
Key Highlights
•The US Secretary of State has announced "wide-ranging" restrictions on economic and security
assistance to Ethiopia.
•However, he added that US will continue humanitarian aid in areas such as health, food and
education.
•The visa restrictions target the current or former Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials and
members of the security forces or other individuals.
•The restrictions also target Amhara regional and irregular forces and members of the Tigray
People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
•Blinken said that the US strongly condemns the killings, forced removals, systemic sexual
violence and other human rights violations and abuses.
•He stated that we are equally appalled by the destruction of civilian property including water

sources, hospitals, and medical facilities, taking place in Tigray.
•He said that those targeted have conducted "wrongful violence" and other abuses against
civilians and have hindered access of humanitarian aid as well as are responsible for undermining
the peace process.
•He said that should those responsible for undermining a resolution of the Tigray crisis fail to
reverse course, they should anticipate further actions from the United States and the international
community.
•Blinken further called on other governments to join the US in taking these actions.
The restrictions come days after the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated
humanitarian access to Tigray remains unpredictable with increased incidents of denial of
movement of cargo and confiscation of humanitarian vehicles and supplies by those involved in
the fighting.
Background
The Tigray crisis started in early November when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent
troops to detain and disarm leaders of the regional ruling party, the TPLF in response to its
attacks on federal army camps.
The Eritrean troops. who also crossed the border to team up with the Ethiopian military, after
fearing attacks by TPLF into its territory, have also been implicated for multiple massacres and
other atrocities that have taken place during the Tigray conflict. Eritrea denies these allegations.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who had won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for ending the
20-year territorial stalemate between Ethiopia and Eritrea, had vowed to end the Tigray crisis but
the fighting still continues even six months later.
According to the UN office, the fighting has displaced more than 2 million people with more than
63,110 seeking refuge in nearby Sudan. Further, almost 5.2 million people, representing 91% of
the country's population, are in need of assistance.

COVID-19 vaccine: Bharat Biotech may begin

trials of Covaxin on 2-18 years old from June
Bharat Biotech's Business Development and International Advocacy Head, Dr Raches Ella
informed on May 23, 2021, that Bharat Biotech may start the pediatric trials of its COVID-19
vaccine COVAXIN from June 2021.
Earlier on May 13, 2021, after the Subject Expert Committee of CDSCO, the Drugs Controller
General of India (DGCI) had also given its approval for the phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of Bharat
Biotech's COVAXIN in the age group of 2-18 years.
The trial for the vaccine will take place in 525 healthy volunteers at different sites, including
AIIMS, Patna, AIIMS, Delhi, and Meditrina Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur.
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approves Phase II/III clinical trial of COVAXIN in the age
group of 2 to 18 years. Bharat Biotech to conduct trials in 525 healthy volunteers
pic.twitter.com/ibxAW97bAc
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2021
On May 11, 2021, the COVAXIN was recommended by an expert panel for phase 2/3 clinical
trials on those aged between 2 to 18 years old.
COVAXIN has been indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian
Council of Medical Research- ICMR. It is currently being used in adults in the ongoing COVID-19
vaccination drive in India. From May 1, 2021, the Indian Government had announced all adults
above 18 years be eligible to receive the vaccination.
Approval for phase 2/3 trials on 2-18 years old: Key Details
• The Subject Expert Committee- SEC on Coronavirus of the Central Drugs Standard Control
Organisation on May 11, 2021, deliberated upon the application of Bharat Biotech seeking
permission to conduct phase 2/3 clinical trials for evaluating the safety, immunogenicity,
reactogenicity of Covaxin jabs in children aged 2 to 18 years.
• The committee, after the detailed deliberation, recommended conducting the phase 2/3 clinical
trial of the whole virion inactivated Coronavirus vaccine in the age group of 2-18 years subject to

the condition that the firm must submit the interim safety data of phase 2 clinical trial along with
DSMB recommendations to the CDSCO before proceeding to phase 3 clinical trial.
• The proposal by Bharat Biotech was deliberated in the SEC meeting on February 24, 2021.
The firm was asked by SEC to submit a revised clinical trial protocol.
Bharat Biotech directly supplies vaccine to 18 states:
Bharat Biotech has been supplying the Coronavirus vaccine directly to 18 states since May 1,
2021. The firm added that it will continue the steady supply of the vaccine.
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam are among the 18
states who have been getting the direct supply of COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech.

G-7 nations agree to speed up efforts to slow

global warming
The Environment Ministers from the seven leading industrialized countries around the world on
May 21, 2021, pledged to accelerate the efforts to slow global warming.
The pledges by the ministers of the G7 group were part of a wide-ranging communique which was
issued by the Group of Seven environment ministers after a virtual meeting from May 20 to May
21 hosted by the United Kingdom, which currently holds the G-7’s rotating presidency.
The G7 includes Britain, the US, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Japan. China, the world’s
biggest source of carbon emissions is not a member of the group.
While the commitments by the G7 group don’t cover other countries, the communique by the
ministers includes a call for ‘all countries to join in this action'.
Last week #G7 Climate & Environment Ministers agreed major action to tackle climate change:
protect of 30% of the world’s land & ocean by 2030

end all new finance for coal power by the end of 2021
increase the quantity of finance for climate actionhttps://t.co/ppvvjT4hRp
— G7 UK (@G7) May 24, 2021

G-7 Environment Ministers commitment: Key details
• Apart from contributing to the efforts to slow down global warming, the ministers also committed
to terminating government support for new coal-fired power plants by the end of 2021.
• At the heart of the Communique issued by G-7 is also a commitment to limit the global
temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, compared to the previous
goal of 2 degrees.
• The G-7 environment ministers also promised to combat overfishing and deforestation, to tackle
the scourge of ocean plastic, and promote biodiversity, while seeking to prevent future outbreaks
of diseases such as Coronavirus that spread from animals to humans.

IEA report calls to reduce carbon emissions
The statement by G-7 environment ministers came days after the International Energy Agency
released a report mentioning that the governments need to speed up their efforts to reduce
carbon dioxide as well as other greenhouse gases if they hope of reaching their goal of net-zero
emissions by 2050.
The report by IEA made series of recommendations. It included immediately ending the
investment in new fossil fuel supply projects as well as stopping the sale of gasoline- and diesel-
powered cars by 2035.
As per IEA, the world has a viable pathway for building a global energy sector with net-zero
emissions in 2050. However, it is extremely narrow and needs an unprecedented transformation
of how energy is transported, produced, and used globally.
IEA is a multilateral organization that provides analysis as well as policy recommendations on

energy issues.

Singapore approves breathalyser test to

detect COVID-19 in 1-minute
Singapore authorities on May 24, 2021, provisionally approved a COVID-19 breathalyser test that
determines if someone is COVID positive in less than a minute.
Breathonix, a local startup from the National University of Singapore (NUS), stated that the
company in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore will run a deployment trial
of the technology at one of the city-state’s border points with Malaysia.
The Breathonix breathalyser test will be conducted with the compulsory COVID-19 rapid antigen
test.
Last year, the company reported 90 per cent accuracy in a pilot clinical trial of the breathalyser
test held in Singapore.
The company also informed that breathalyser was the first system to obtain provisional
authorization. The websites of the Health Sciences Authority also confirmed the news of the
approval.
Breathonix further said that it is having talks with local and international organizations to adopt the
system. The Netherlands and Indonesia have also launched similar breath tests.
What is COVID-19 Breathalyser Test?
•COVID-19 Breathalyzer test is a diagnostic medical testing device developed to detect

coronavirus infection.
•COVID-19 Breathalyser test developed by Breathonix, a local startup from the National
University of Singapore (NUS) has shown results within a minute with 90 per cent or more
accuracy.
•The breathalyser test is conducted along with the compulsory COVID-19 rapid antigen test.
•A person blows into a disposable one-way mouthpiece for breath sampling. Special software
analyzes the Volatile Organic Compounds in a person’s breath for the presence of coronavirus.

•If a person’s breath result returns positive, he or she must undergo Polymerase Chain Reaction
(PCR) COVID-19 swab test.
•The breathalyser test is available between S$5 ($3.76) to S$20 ($15.03) each.
Singapore: COVID-19
•The Ministry of Health, Singapore on May 24, 2021, reported 24 new cases of locally transmitted
COVID-19 infection.

Delhi Government extends lockdown till May

31– Know What will Remain Open and Close
here
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 23, 2021, extended the lockdown in the national
capital for another week till May 31, 2021, till 5 am. While making the announcement, Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that if COVID cases continue to decrease, the State Government
will begin to unlock Delhi in a phased manner from May 31.
Lockdown has been extended till 31st May, 5am in Delhi: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2021
The National Capital has been under complete lockdown since April 19, 2021. The decision was
taken in view of the increasing COVID-19 cases during the second wave of the pandemic.
While making the announcement regarding the lockdown extension in the state till May 31, the
Chief Minister mentioned that Delhi has been recovering at a good speed and that the number of
cases is on the decline, however, he added that he does not want to lose the gains that have
been achieved in the last few days.
There is a possibility that the third wave won't hit if everyone is vaccinated. We are planning to
vaccinate everyone as soon as possible. I'm in talks with domestic & foreign companies regarding
vaccines. We're ready to spend from our budget: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
pic.twitter.com/v4LxXFdOqs
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2021

Lockdown used to boost medical infrastructure in Delhi:
While announcing the extended lockdown in the National Capital, the Chief Minister of Delhi
Arvind Kejriwal also informed that the lockdown period by the state government was used to
boost the medical infrastructure in the city. He added that the number of oxygen beds has also
been increased at various locations.
The Chief Minister further noted that the oxygen situation has improved in Delhi and that the
government is not getting any panic or SOS calls from the hospitals anymore.

We used the lockdown period to boost our medical infrastructure & to increase oxygen beds at
various locations. The oxygen situation has improved in Delhi. We're not getting panic or SOS
calls from hospitals now: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/hlDxjlC5iX
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2021

Essential services to continue:
While announcing 6 days lockdown in the National Capital, the Chief Minister assured that the
essential services, food services, medical services will continue in the city.
Weddings can be held in Delhi with a gathering of only 50 people and passes will be issued by
the government separately for it.
Essential services, food services, medical services will continue. Weddings can be held with a
gathering of only 50 people, passes will be issued separately for it. A detailed order will be issued
shortly: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2021

What will be Open?
• Home deliveries will be allowed
• Essential services will be permitted
•Curfew passes for the marriages will be compulsory and will remain unaffected
•Medical Services will be open
•Services of water supply, sanitation, electricity, among other essential services will be
open
•National sporting event can take place in the city but without any spectators
•Students for examinations will be permitted with a Valid ID
•Manufacturing units working for essential commodities will be permitted
•Delivery of all the essential commodities, pharmaceuticals, food, and other essential
services will be permitted.
What will be closed?
• Private officers to remain closed

•Spas, gyms, auditoriums, cinema halls to remain shut
•Weekly markets
•Amusement parks, water parks, parks
•Swimming Pools, Salons, Beauty parlors
•Festivals related gatherings
•Onsight construction
•Delhi government offices
Exemptions to be given amid lockdown:
• Private medical personnel will be exempted on the production of the valid ID.
• Patients and pregnant women going for medical aid along with an attendant will be exempted
on the production of valid ID/medical papers/doctor's prescription.
• Those who will be going for testing or vaccination will also be exempted on the production of
valid ID.
Pvt medical personnel exempted on production of valid ID. Pregnant women/patients going for
medical aid along with attendant,exempted on production of valid ID/doctor's prescription/medical
papers. Those going for testing/vaccination exempted on production of valid ID: Delhi Govt
• People coming from or going to the airports/ISBTs/Railway Stations will be allowed to travel on
the production of the valid ticket.
• Officials in the officers of diplomats of various nations, as well as those individuals who are
holding any constitutional posts, will also be exempted on the production of valid ID.
Persons coming from/going to Airports/Railway stations/ISBTs allowed to travel on production of

valid ticket. Officials in the officers of diplomats of various countries as well as persons holding
any constitutional post exempted on the production of valid ID: Delhi Govt
• Media will be exempted on the production of the valid ID card.

• There will be no restriction on the inter-state and intra-state movement/transportation of

the essential goods. And no separate permissions will be required for such movements.
• Religious places will be allowed to open but no visitors will be allowed.
Media exempted on production of valid ID card. No restriction on inter-state & intra-state

movement/transportation of essential goods. No separate permission/e-pass required for such
movements. Religious places shall be permitted to open, but no visitors allowed: Delhi Govt

Up to 50 people allowed for marriage and up to 20 for a funeral:
The Delhi Government while laying down the restrictions amid the newly announced
lockdown has mentioned that up to 50 people will be allowed for marriage related
gatherings (on the production of hard copy or soft copy of the marriage card) while for
the funeral related gatherings, up to 20 people will be allowed.
During curfew, movement of persons for marriage related gatherings up to 50 persons
(on production of soft or hard copy of marriage card) and funeral related gatherings up
to 20 persons is continued to be allowed: Delhi Government
Delhi weekend curfew:
Amid the rising cases of Coronavirus in the city, the weekend curfew in the state was announced
earlier on April 15, 2021. The step was taken to curb the rising cases of infections.
However, the state government had decided that the curfew passes will be issued to those
rendering the essential services.
While making the announcement, the Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal stated that the
restrictions in the city are required to curb the spread of COVID-19. The announcement was
made by the government after a high-level meeting with L-G Anil Baijlal.
To control the spread of COVID19, it has been decided to impose weekend curfew in Delhi: Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/4oc4kFMBLG

Telangana, NHA sign MoU to implement

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme
The National Health Authority (NHA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
state government of Telangana to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan
Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) with immediate effect.
Telangana has integrated the Ayushman Bharat scheme with its state scheme ‘Aarogyasri’ and
the new name for the converged scheme is Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Aarogyasri.
With Telangana now implementing the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, the programme now includes
a total of 33 states and union territories.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Aarogyasri scheme: Key Highlights
•Under the converged Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Aarogyasri scheme, the eligible beneficiaries
will be entitled to avail free healthcare coverage of up to Rs 5 lakhs per family per year for
secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
•The scheme aims to cover the poor or vulnerable households who are unable to afford even
essential healthcare.
•The scheme covers about 1,354 medical and surgical packages that are categorised under 25
specialties such as cardiology, neurosurgery, oncology (chemotherapy for 50 types of cancers),
burns, among others. It also covers COVID-19 treatment.
•The health services can be availed at any of the 22,704 empanelled public and private hospitals
across the country.
•The scheme enables cashless and paperless access to the healthcare services at the point of
care
•The National Health Authority (NHA) will along with State Health Agency undertake necessary
action to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are provided free healthcare services under the
converged scheme.

•The converged scheme is expected to result in effective utilisation of resources for providing
quality healthcare services.
•Under the scheme, the eligible population of the state will get the benefit of free healthcare
services across the country.
•The NHA will also provide several auxiliary support to the State Health Agency (SHA) such as
support related to fraud and abuse control.
How to check eligibility under the scheme?
The beneficiary can call the toll-free number-14555 to check their eligibility under the scheme.
People can also call on the toll-free line to check information regarding how to avail the services
of the scheme.
Significance
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme's launch in Telangana is a significant milestone

towards achieving Ayushman Bharat. The inclusion of Telangana is expected to
approximately benefit 26 lakhs of beneficiary families, almost around 1.3 crore
individuals as per SECC 2011 data.
The National Health Authority is attempting to get all states and union territories under
the umbrella of the scheme so that all the eligible beneficiaries can avail free healthcare
services under the scheme.
This is especially important during the ongoing second wave of the COVID pandemic,
which has affected a majority of the population across the country, reaching even tier-II
cities and rural areas. The COVID-19 testing and treatment is free of cost for the
beneficiaries for the Ayushman Bharat scheme at private laboratories and empanelled
hospitals.
Speaking on the inclusion of Telangana, NHA CEO Dr. RS Sharma said, “We are happy to
onboard State of Telangana for the rollout of AB PM-JAY in the State. The beneficiaries from the
State are now eligible to avail free healthcare services pan India through our network of more
than 22,000 hospitals."
He said that this will not only benefit the eligible families in the state but will also enable the
delivery of healthcare services to PM-JAY beneficiaries from other States/UTs living in
Telangana. "The providers’ base has also increased. Our call center has started getting calls from
the eligible population in the State. We are committed to taking the benefit of the scheme to all

eligible beneficiaries," he added.

What is the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme?
•The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) was
launched on September 23, 2018. It is the flagship health protection scheme of the
central government that aims to provide health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family
per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. The scheme aims to cover
10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families.
•The scheme allows the beneficiaries to get cashless and paperless access to the
healthcare services at the empaneled hospitals. The scheme includes 874 health
benefits packages with defined rates.
•The scheme comprises around 874 health benefits packages with defined rates
covering 1,685 procedures. It is being implemented across 33 States and UTs and has
till now provided more than 1.81 crore authorized hospital treatments.
•The National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex agency of the central government that
is responsible for the design, rollout and implementation of the Ayushman Bharat-
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) across the country.

Yellow Fungus Infection: Causes, Symptoms,

Treatment- Explainer of the Day
After White Fungus and Black Fungus (Mucormycosis), now another fungal infection ‘Yellow
Fungus’ has created a stir. The first case of yellow fungus was reported from Ghaziabad in Uttar
Pradesh on May 24, 2021.
Health experts state that Yellow Fungus is more dangerous than White and Black Fungus.
Here is everything you need to know about the causes, symptoms, treatment of Yellow Fungus.
What is Yellow Fungus?
•Yellow Fungus, dangerous than white or black fungus, is another fungal infection that has been
attributed to COVID-19. Health experts say it is a fatal infection.
•Yellow Fungus is commonly found in reptiles. The first case of Yellow Fungus in humans was
reported in Ghaziabad in a 45-year-old man who had recovered from COVID-19.
Causes of Yellow Fungus
•Yellow Fungus thrives in unhygienic and high humidity conditions, or consuming unhygienic food.
•Environments with unsanitary conditions or humidity levels of more than 30 to 40 per cent are
home to bacteria and fungus.
Symptoms of Yellow Fungus
Yellow Fungus grows internally with symptoms such as:
•Weight loss
•Extreme lethargy
•Decrease in appetite or no appetite at all
•Internal bleeding

•Pus leakage
•Organs failure
•Malnutrition
•Slow healing of wounds
•Necrosis, in the worst case
Treatment of Yellow Fungus
•The treatment for Yellow Fungus is like that of Black Fungus or White Fungus. The primary
treatment is the anti-fungal infection Amphotericin-B.
•Health experts state that healing Yellow Fungus takes longer compared to Black or White
Fungus.
India is currently battling over 9,000 cases of Black fungal infection (Mucormycosis). Most of the
cases of fungal infection have been reported in people who recovered from COVID-19.

On-site vaccine registration: Government

enables walk-in appointment for 18-44 age
group for COVID-19 vaccine
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on May 24, 2021, that the feature for on-site
registration in addition to online appointment is now being enabled for the 18-44 years age group
on CoWIN.
However, currently, the feature is being enabled only for the Government COVID Vaccination
Centres (CVCs). The Health Ministry clarified that this feature will not be available for Private
CVCs presently and that the Private CVCs will have to publish their vaccination schedules
exclusively with the slots for online appointments.
On-site registration & appointment is now being enabled for the 18-44 years age group on
CoWIN. However, this feature is being enabled only for Government #COVID Vaccination
Centers (CVCs), at the present moment in time: Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
While highlighting the significance of CoWIN, the Health Ministry pointed that the facility of only
online appointment mode initially to individuals in the age group between 18-44 years has helped
in avoiding overcrowding at the vaccination centers.
Key Highlights:
• As per the Health Ministry, the feature will be used only upon the decision of the respective
State/UT governments to do so.
•The State and UT government must decide on the opening of on-site registration/facilitated
cohort registrations and appointments for 18-44 years age group based on the local context just
as an additional measure for minimizing the vaccine wastage and for facilitating the vaccination of
eligible beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years.
• The Government has advised the Governments of States and UTs to issue clear instructions to
all the District Immunisation Officers to strictly follow the decisions of the respective States and
the Union Territories regarding the extent and manner of using the on-site registration and

appointment feature for 18-44 years age group.
• The Ministry has also stated that the fully reserved sessions can also be organized to provide
vaccination services to the beneficiaries belonging to the facilitated cohorts. As per the release,
wherever such fully reserved sessions are organised, all the efforts must also be made to
mobilize such beneficiaries in sufficient numbers.
How on-site registration will help in minimizing vaccine wastage?
As per the Health Ministry, many doses may still be left unutilized in case the online
appointee beneficiaries do not turn up on the vaccination day for any reason. In such
cases, the on-site registration of few beneficiaries may be necessary for minimizing the
vaccine shortage.
As per the release, even though CoWIN provides for features such as the registration of
up to 4 beneficiaries with mobile number, facilitated appointments and registrations
through applications, such as Umang and Aarogya Steu, etc., people requiring
facilitated cohort's facility and those without the access to smartphones or internet may
still have the limited access to the vaccination.
Avoid overcrowding at vaccination centers:
The Union Health Ministry while making the announcement has further advised the State and UT
governments that abundant caution must be exercised and extreme due care must be taken while
opening up the on-site registration and appointment for the 18-44 years age group, for avoiding
overcrowding at the vaccination centers.
As per the government, the online registration initially for the 18-44 years age group helped in
avoiding overcrowding at both government and private vaccination centers.
COVID-19 Vaccination in India:
The coverage of vaccination was expanded by the government in the age group of 18-44 years
on May 1, 2021, with the implementation of Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-
19 Vaccination Strategy.
The country has crossed an important landmark in its fight against the pandemic after the vaccine
doses for the age group 18-44 administered in the country crossed one crore.
The cumulative number of vaccine doses administered in India has exceeded 19.60 crores under
the phase-3 of nationwide vaccination drive.


PM Narendra Modi to chair high-powered

panel to decide next CBI Chief today, check
who are frontrunners?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be chairing a high-powered committee today, on May 24, 2021
to select the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The meeting is expected to take place today in the evening at the Prime Minister’s residence. The
high-powered panel will comprise Chief Justice of India Justice NV Ramana and Leader of
Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary.
Who will be considered for the post?
According to sources, the PM Modi-led committee will consider Indian Police Service (IPS)
officers from four senior-most batches, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987 for the post of next CBI
Director.
Top Contenders:
1. Rakesh Asthana: 1984-batch IPS officer from Gujarat cadre and Director General of the
Border Security Force and Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau. He has previously
served as the Special Director at the Central Bureau of Investigation.
2. YC Modi: 1984-batch IPS officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre and Director General of the
National Investigation Agency.
3. Subodh Jaiswal: 1985-batch IPS officer and Director General of Central Industrial Security
Force.
4. Loknath Behera: 1985-batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre and Director General of Police of the
Kerala Police.
5. HC Awasthy: 1985-batch IPS officer from UP care and Uttar Pradesh police chief.
6. SS Deswal: 1985-batch IPS officer and Director General of Indo Tibetan Border Police.

Who is the current CBI Chief?
A 1988-batch Gujrat cadre IPS officer, Praveen Sinha is currently holding the position of acting
CBI chief after the term of former CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla ended on February 3,
2021.
Sinha, who is the CBI Additional Director, will continue to hold the position of acting director till the
committee appoints the next CBI chief.
Rishi Kumar Shukla was appointed as CBI Director on February 4, 2019, after the incumbent CBI
Director Alok Verma was removed by the government following a spar with his deputy Rakesh
Asthana.

How UNESCO selects World Heritage sites:

All you need to know
The Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Maharashtra in April 2021, had sent a tentative
‘serial’ nomination of 14 forts to be accepted as World Heritage Sites.
The list of 14 forts, belonging to the era of 17th century Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,
was based on the theme of ‘Maratha Military Architecture’.
The list of 14 forts included Raigad fort, Rajgad fort, Shivneri fort, Torna fort, Lohagad fort, Salher
fort, Mulher fort, Rangana fort, Ankai Tankai forts, Kasa fort, Sindhudurg fort, Alibag fort,
Suvarnadurg fort, and the Khanderi fort.
The Archaeology Survey of India forwarded the serial nomination to UNESCO through the
Ministry of Culture. UNESCO accepted the tentative nomination list and now the state
government must submit a detailed final nomination list to UNESCO listing why the sites have
outstanding value.
What are World Heritage Sites?
•Countries that have signed the World Heritage Convention pledge to protect their cultural and
natural heritage.
•These countries submit property or a list of properties that are of ‘outstanding universal value’ for
nominations to be considered as a World Heritage Site.
Process of nomination for World Heritage List
As per the nomination process listed on the official website of UNESCO:
Step 1: A country prepares an ‘inventory’ known as the Tentative List of cultural and natural
heritage sites it deems worthy of inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Step 2: The Tentative List prepared by a country with all necessary documentation and maps is
submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review. The list is forwarded to Advisory Bodies for
evaluation.

Step 3: The Advisory Bodies: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and the International Centre for the
Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) provide evaluations of
the sites nominated, expert advice and training activities for the conservation of the sites.
Step 4: The World Heritage Committee takes the final decision on the inclusion of sites in
UNESCO’s World Heritage List after evaluation.
Criteria for selection in UNESCO’s World Heritage List
•A country must submit a document in detail to UNESCO listing why a site or a list of sites have
outstanding value for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
•The sites listed for nomination must hold universal value and meet at least one out of ten
selection criteria laid out in the Operation Guidelines for the Implementation of the World
Heritage Convention.
•Till 2004, four natural and six cultural criteria were the basis of selection for World Heritage sites.
Later, the updated guidelines only require meeting one of ten criteria.

Billboard Music Awards 2021: The Weeknd

dominates with 10 music awards; check the
complete list of winners
Billboard 2021 Music Awards: The award show took place on May 23, 2021, with American
Singer-Songwriter The Weeknd dominating the ceremony with 10 awards, including the climactic
top artist trophy.
He was followed by the late Pop Smoke with 5 and BTS and Bad Bunny with four apiece. The
finalists of the award were chosen based on their performance on the Billboard Charts as well as
streaming platform statistics, music sales, social engagement, and radio airplay.
The Weeknd, while accepting one of his several awards on camera promised a change of stylic
pace to come in his future album and the performance cycles. In 2020, Post Malone took home
the most awards with 9 out of his 16 nominations.
TOP ARTIST. @theweeknd #BBMAs pic.twitter.com/BFKuOnGky2
— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) May 24, 2021
The Billboard Icon Award 2021 has gone to Pink. Trae the Truth was announced as the
Changer Maker winner and Drake continued his historic winning streak, as he accepted the
Artist of the Decade Award.
The Billboard Music Awards 2021 took place in front of a fully vaccinated, fully masked live
audience in Log Angeles. The winners of the awards emerged from an enclosed backstage area
to accept their awards with their backs to the crowd. The award ceremony was aired live on NBC.
Billboard Music Awards: Check Winners

Artist Awards
Categories Winners
Top Artist The Weeknd
Top New Artist Pop Smoke

Top Male Artist The Weeknd
Top Female Artist Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group BTS
Top Billboard 200 Artist Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist The Weeknd
Top Streaming Songs Artist Drake
Top Song Sales Artist BTS
Top Radio Songs Artist The Weeknd
Top Social Artist (Fan Voted) BTS
Top R & B Artist The Weeknd
Top R & B Male Artist The Weeknd
Top R & B Female Artist Doja Cat
Top Rap Artist Pop Smoke
Top Rap Male Artist Pop Smoke
Top Rap Female Artist Megan Thee Stallion
Top Country Artist Morgan Wallen
Top Country Male Artist Morgan Wallen
Top Country Female Artist Gabby Barret
Top Country Duo/Group Florida Georgia Line
Top Rock Artist Machine Gun Kelly
Top Latin Artist Bad Bunny
Top Latin Male Artist (New Category) Bad Bunny
Top Latin Female Artist (New Category) Karol G
Top Latin Duo/Group (New Category) Eslabon Armado

Top Dance/Electronic Artist Lady Gaga
Top Christian Artist Elevation Worship
Top Gospel Artist Kanye West
Album Awards
Categories Winners
Top Billboard 200 Album Pop Smoke ‘Shoot for Stars, Aim for the Mo
Top R & B Album The Weeknd ‘After Hours’
Top Rap Album Pop Smoke ‘Shoot for Stars, Aim for the Mo
Top Country Album Morgan Wallen ‘Dangerous: The Double Alb
Top Rock Album Machine Gun Kelly ‘Tickets to My Downfa
Top Latin Album Bad Bunny ‘YHLQMDLG’
Top Dance/Electronic Album Lady Gaga ‘Chromatica’
Top Christian Album Carrie Underwood ‘My Gift’
Top Gospel Album Maverick City Music ‘Maverick City Vol. 3 Pa
Song Awards
Categories Winners
Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar The Weeknd ‘Blinding Lights’
Top Streaming Song DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch ‘ROCKSTAR’
Top Selling Song BTS ‘Dynamite’
Top Radio Song The Weeknd ‘Blinding Lights’
Top Collaboration (Fan Voted) Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth ‘I Hope’
Top R & B Song The Weeknd ‘Blinding Lights’

Top Rap Song DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch ‘ROCKSTAR’
Top Country Song Gabby Barret ‘I Hope’
Top Rock Song AJR ‘Bang!’
Top Latin Song Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez ‘Dakiti’
Top Dance/Electronic Song SAINt JHN ‘Roses (Imanbek Remix)’
Elevation Worship ft. Brandon Lake ‘Graves

Top Christian Song
Gardens’
Kanye West ft. Travis Scott ‘Wash Us in th

Top Gospel Song
Blood’

Haryana CM launches 'Sanjeevani Pariyojana'

for quick medicare access at home
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on May 24, 2021 launched 'Sanjeevani Pariyojana',
a supervised home care initiative to largely help people with mild to moderate symptoms in rural
areas to access quick medical care at home.
Sanjeevani Pariyojana will provide medical care to rural areas where awareness regarding the
second wave of COVID-19 and how to treat it remains low, said the official spokesperson of the
state government. The state government believes that with the right procedures and care, home
convalescence is possible for over 90 percent of patients in the state.
The initiative will allow people in the rural areas with mild to moderate symptoms to get access to
quick medical care without having to leave their homes and travel to a hospital.
Post-COVID effects & third wave are challenges for us. We've to be ready for3rd wave. We're
launching Sanjeevni Pariyojna an integrated program for #COVID19. We've 20,000 oxygen beds
including ventilators while COVID Centres have 30,000 beds: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar
pic.twitter.com/6KipvDpUST
— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021

What is Sanjeevani Pariyojana?
Sanjeevani Pariyojana has been described as an important step in bringing much-needed medical
care to the people "who need it most, when they need it most".
How will this initiative boost Haryana's fight against COVID-19?

Integrated Command and Control Centre
•Under Sanjeevani Pariyojana, an Integrated Command and Control Centre will be set up for
managing critical resources such as hospital beds availability, oxygen supply, ambulance tracking
and door-to-door awareness campaign.
•The initiative will enable a bird's eye view of the entire healthcare system for the district
administration.

•Setting up of a COVID hotline will help boost existing call centre capabilities to support basic
triaging and guidance for suspected COVID cases or those who have been clinically diagnosed.
Mobilizing of Final Year Students
•The Sanjeevani Pariyojana will expand beyond qualified doctors and mobilize around 200 final
year and pre-final year medical students and interns and connect them to consultants and
experts.
•This effort will boost telemedicine/virtual health capabilities to provide treatment and monitoring
for mild to moderate cases of COVID-19.
•It will help monitor cases, right from their first visit till discharge, facilitating activities including
consultations, investigation reports, upshifting the patient and monitoring test results.
Distribution of home care kits
•The state will also distribute home care kits including a mask, thermometer, an oximeter and
basic medicines to those in home isolation.
•The state will also provide additional ambulances and facilitate development of mobile
pharmacies.
•It will also launch outreach, education and communication efforts to help citizens identify their
medical options if they display symptoms.
Haryana to offer three-tier medical infrastructure
The state spokesperson said that the various interrelated activities will enable the Haryana
government to offer a three-tier medical infrastructure for patients:
i) Isolation wards at the village level/ sub-centre level and at Primary Health Care centres for
patients with mild symptoms who are unable to isolate at home, which will be staffed with a doctor
including Ayush doctors and some nursing staff and volunteers.
ii) Community health centers or Field Hospitals at a Zila/ sub-district level equipped with oxygen
concentrators for patients with moderate symptoms in need of oxygen support.
iii) Advanced medical centers at larger government, civil or private hospitals with ICU facilities

for critical patients.

Significance
The Sanjeevani Pariyojana initiative will help transform the healthcare services provided
to the people of Haryana. The initiative is being supported by Deloitte.
The ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers will continue to provide primary
front-line healthcare support and they will also inform citizens about the benefits of this
new programme.

Cheetahs to be re-introduced in India after

being declared extinct in 1952
The world’s fastest land animal, Cheetah which was declared extinct in India in 1952, has been
expected to be re-introduced in India in November 2021 at the Kuno National Park in Madhya
Pradesh, says State Forest Minister Vijay Shah.
India’s last spotted Cheetah had died in Chhattisgarh in 1947 and was declared extinct in the
country in 1952. A few years back, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had also prepared a
Cheetah re-introduction project.
As per the State Forest Minister, Kuno is located in the Chambal region and is spread over an
area of over 750 sq km. It has a conducive environment for Cheetah.
He added that the protected area, comprising a considerable population of Chinkara, four-horned
antelopes, wild boar, nilgai, spotted deer, has a good prey base for Cheetahs.
, 14
14 #JansamparkMP pic.twitter.com/X8AdYmnPCR
— Department of Forest, MP (@minforestmp) May 20, 2021

Cheetahs to be brought from South Africa:
The Supreme Court has given its approval to introduce African Cheetahs to suitable habitats in
India on an experimental basis.
The Forest Minister of Madhya Pradesh Vijay Shah informed that the process of creating an
enclosure for around 10 cheetahs has been started and it is going to be completed by August
2021. The 10 cheetahs, including 5 females, will be brought from South Africa to Kuno in Sheopur
District.
Indian officials will be sent to South Africa for the training and sensitization in June and July 2021
and as per the plan, the transportation of Cheetahs will take place in October and November
2021.

Budget of ‘Project Cheetah’:
The State Forest Minister has informed that as per the approved timeline sent by the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the tentative budget outlay of ‘Project Cheetah’ is Rs.
1,400 lakh for this fiscal year.
The money will be released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority for the project to
Madhya Pradesh and the Wildlife Institute of India at Dehradun in June 2021.
Habitat approved by South African authorities:
On April 26, 2021, an expert from South Africa had visited the Kuno National Park along with the
scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India. They inspected the facilities and the habitats created
there for the introduction of African Cheetahs. The experts approved the park and now the final
process of bringing the Cheetahs is underway.
The experts from WII had earlier visited four places in Madhya Pradesh to look for the best habitat
for the introduction of African Cheetah in India.
The team had visited the Juno National Park, the Madhav National Park in Shivpuri District, the
Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary on the northern boundary of Mandsaur and Neemuch districts, and
Nauradehi Sanctuary in Sagar district.
The Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests J S Chauhan, while referring to the tiger
reintroduction programme in Panna Tiger Reserve in 2009, stated that MP had been in the past
home to Cheetahs. He added that the state also has a successful animal translocation track
record.
Declining population of Cheetahs: Background
Cheetah had been considered vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of
Nature’s- IUCN red list of threatened species, with a declining population of fewer than 7,000
cheetahs found primarily in African Savannas.
In 2020, the Supreme Court had set up a three-member committee to guide the NTCA on the
Cheetah re-introduction project.
The panel had also asked the Wildlife Institute of India to carry out a technical evaluation of all the

possible sites for the re-introduction of Cheetahs in India.

Srikumar Banerjee, former Atomic Energy

Commission Chairman passed away
Srikumar Banerjee, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and a veteran Nuclear
Scientist passed away on May 23, 2021, due to a heart attack post recovering from COVID-19 at
his residence in Navi Mumbai at 75.
Banerjee was a reputed scientist who led the nuclear establishment during the nuclear deal
signing between India and the US. He later also legislated the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage
Bill.
Banerjee joined the Metallurgy department of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in
1968 after pursuing a B. Tech in metallurgy from IIT, Kharagpur. Banerjee was awarded his Ph. D
from IIT Kharagpur later in 1974 for his work at BARC. He was known as a leading global expert
regarding the usage of specialized alloys in nuclear processes.
Banerjee headed the establishment of atomic energy in India during a time when the political and
expert fraternity was highly skeptical of India losing its nuclear ‘autonomy’ if it signed the 123 Pact
(the US - India Civil Nuclear Agreement) with the US. However, he convinced that India would
rather gain vastly than lose if the Nuclear Suppliers Group exempted India to allow nuclear trade
with NSG members.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to express his condolences over the death of Srikumar
Banerjee.
Dr. Srikumar Banerjee will be remembered for his pioneering contributions to Indian science,
especially in the areas of atomic energy and metallurgy. He was also an outstanding mentor and
institution builder. Saddened by his passing away. Condolences to his family. Om Shanti.

About Srikumar Banerjee
•Srikumar Banerjee was a veteran Nuclear Scientist and a renowned Indian Metallurgical
Engineer.
•He earned his B. Tech Honors in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT, Kharagpur in 1967. He then

got trained at the Training School of BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre).
•In 1968, he joined the Metallurgy department of BARC. Recognizing his work during his initial
years at BARC, IIT Kharagpur awarded him with a Ph. D in Metallurgical Engineering in 1974.
•Banerjee served as the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) from April 30, 2004,
to May 19, 2010.
•Last, Banerjee retired from the post of Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India
(AECI) and the Secretary of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on April 30, 2012.
Srikumar Banerjee: Awards
•Banerjee was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology in 1989
and Padma Sri in 2005.

COVID-19: India becomes 3rd nation after

Brazil, US to cross 3 lakh Covid deaths
The official death count in India, due to COVID-19 and the deadly second wave of the pandemic,
has crossed the 3 lakh mark. With this count, India has become the 3rd country globally to cross
this mark with just two other countries- the United States and Brazil.
The country has been reporting more than 2 lakh fresh cases daily over the last several weeks,
causing the crisis of beds in the hospitals and long queues outside the burial grounds and
crematoriums.
On May 23, 2021, India has reported 2,40,842 new COVID-19 cases and 3,741 deaths. With
this, India’s overall case count has surged to 2,65,30,132.
As per the experts, the official countrywide COVID-19 figures are an undercount as those who
have been dying outside the system are not being added to the official count. In rural areas, as
well, the COVID-19 testing is either non-existent or extremely low despite the surge.
COVID-19 death counts in the US and Brazil:
As India crosses the 3-lakh mark of death counts due to Coronavirus, the country is now only
behind Brazil and the United States as far as total death counts are concerned.
The US is the worst-affected country with 5,89,703 deaths from 33,105,188 COVID-19 cases. The
country is followed by Brazil with 4,48,208 deaths from 16,047, 439 cases.
The novel Coronavirus, which hit the world in 2020, has killed at least 3,456,282 people globally
since the outbreak in China in December 2019.
Who’s to blame?
Even though the Central Government blames the mutant variants of the virus as well as
the people’s carelessness about following the anti-Coronavirus rules leading to the
unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases, the experts, however, believe that the mega-
events such as assembly elections and Kumbh Mela worsened the already delicate
situation.
The heavy caseloads further triggered the acute shortages of hospital beds, medicines,

and life-saving medical oxygen across the country leading to deaths because of
disruptions in the oxygen supply.
Third-wave unavoidable if vaccination is not accelerated:
The Principal Scientific Advisor to the Centre K Vijay Raghavan, earlier in May 2021, had stated
that the third wave of the pandemic in India is unavoidable, given the higher levels of circulating
virus.
Epidemiologists have also warned that a third wave is inevitable if the vaccination drive against
the virus is not accelerated.
With the pressure rising on the State Governments to speed up the vaccination drive, many of
them have complained of flagging the inoculation drives because of the dwindling supplies of
COVID-19 vaccine doses.
The Central Government has promised that by the end of 2021, there will be enough vaccines for
all.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to contest

by-election from Bhawanipore
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to contest by-election from the
Bhawanipore Assembly Constituency. This was informed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader
on May 21, 2021.
The incumbent MLA, senior Trinamool Congress leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay resigned
from the Bhawanipore seat on the same day. The Chief Minister has won twice before from the
seat.
Speaking on his resignation, Chattopadhyay said that CM Mamata Banerjee has won twice from
Bhawanipore and all party leaders discussed and when he heard she wants to contest from here,
he thought he should vacate his seat. He said that there was no pressure. He further added that
nobody else has the courage to run the government and it was her seat, he was just protecting it.
West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee confirmed Chattopadhyay's resignation and said
that it was the TMC MLA's voluntary decision.
What happened at Nandigram?
•While TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee clinched a landslide win in the West Bengal State Assembly
Elections 2021 with her party winning 213 seats on May 2, 2021, she lost her battle in Nandigram
constituency against TMC turncoat Suvendhu Adhikari, who was contesting from the constituency
on a BJP ticket.
•The Chief Minister had taken a huge risk by switching her constituency this time to Nandigram,
as though it was a TMC stronghold, it was known to be a strong area for the Adhikari family.
•The result of the Nandigram constituency was not clear for a long time, as initially the Election
Commission declared Mamata Banerjee as the winner but then later retracted its statement
saying that Suvendhu Adhikari was actually the winner.
•Then the commission said that some votes still needed to be counted and finally Suvendhu
Adhikari was only declared winner from the constituency with a lead of 1956 votes. Though the
TMC had contested the result and asked for a recount, the EC had rejected the party's appeal.

Bhawanipore Constituency
Bhabanipur Vidhan Sabha constituency, which is also known as Bhawanipore, is Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee's old constituency seat. She had won from this seat first time in 2011,
breaching the Left Baston and had won it again in 2016.
In the West Bengal State Elections 2021, she had fielded Sovandeb Chattopadhyay from the seat
against BJP’s Rudranil Ghosh and Shadab Khan of Congress. Chattopadhyay won the
constituency with a margin of 28719 votes.
Background
Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as West Bengal's Chief Minister for the third consecutive time on
May 5, 2021. She has to be elected as a member of the state assembly within six months to keep
her Chief Ministerial post.
As per Constitution's Article 164 (4), a minister who is not a member of the legislature of the state
for any period of six consecutive months shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a
minister.

Nepal President dissolves parliament, fresh

elections in November: All you need to know
Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on May 22, 2021, dissolved the country’s House of
Representatives on the recommendation of the cabinet and called for fresh elections in
November.
The President’s Office issued a release to announce the dissolution of the House of
Representatives for the second time as per Article 76 (7) of the Constitution of Nepal. Fresh
elections will be conducted on November 12 and 19, 2021 as per the recommendation of the
Cabinet.
A cabinet meeting was called just after President Bhandari declared that neither Nepali Congress
(NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba nor incumbent caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli can
be as appointed as the next PM wherein President Bhandari, on the recommendation of Oli,
announced to dissolve the House.
Why did President Bhandari dissolve the Parliament?
•Incumbent caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had claimed that he had secured the support
of 153 lawmakers including members of the Janata Samajbadi Party while Nepali Congress
President Deuba claimed he has signatures of 149 parliamentarians.
•The claims did not add up as Nepal’s House of Representatives is made up of only 275
members. On the basis of the claims and signatures, President Bhandari was not convinced of
both claimants to get the vote of confidence.
•Hence, President Bhandari, on the recommendation of Oli, announced the dissolution of the
house for the second time as per Article 76 (7) of the Constitution of Nepal pointing out that
neither Oli nor Deuba have the majority of lawmakers to pass the floor test.
What is Article 76 (7) of the Constitution of Nepal?
•As per Article 76 (7) of the Constitution of Nepal, if the Prime Minister appointed under Clause (5)
fails to get the vote of confidence or if no member can be appointed as Prime Minister, the
President shall, on the recommendation of Prime Minister, dissolve the House of Representatives

and a fix a date to conduct another election within six months.
•Clause (5) mentioned here states that the Prime Minister appointed must get the vote of
confidence.
Nepal Political Crisis: Background
•In May 2018, Oli-led CPN-UML and Prachanda-led National Communist Party (Maoist Centre)
merged and decided to serve as joint chairmen of the ruling party.
•CPN-UML is the largest party in the House of Representatives of Nepal. However, the increasing
rivalry within the ruling part resulted in a split, one led by Prachanda and another by Oli.
•In December 2020, the Prachanda-led faction of the Communist Party of Nepal ousted Prime
Minister Oli as the co-Chair, and Prachanda was made the first Chairman while Madhav Nepal
the second Chairman.
•In December 2020, amid the political crisis within the ruling party, President Bhandari announced
to dissolve the House of Representatives on the recommendation of Oli. Fresh elections were
held on April 30 and May 10 on the recommendation of PM Oli.
•The Supreme Court in February 2021, reinstated the dissolved house stating that the dissolution
was unconstitutional. Oli defended his move for dissolution stating that he had no other choice as
the opponents in the ruling party were not letting him work.
•On May 10, Oli lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives. However, when Sher
Bahadur Deuba contesting for the PM post failed to form a coalition government, KP Sharma Oli
was reappointed as the PM of Nepal on May 14, 2021, under Article 76 (3).
•Oli had served as PM of Nepal earlier from October 11, 2015, to August 3, 2016.

Air India Cyber-Attack: Massive data breach

leaks personal details of 45 lakh customers
Air India on May 21, 2021, reported a massive cyber-attack in February 2021 that leaked ten
years of customer data including credit cards, phone numbers, and passports details of 45 lakh
customers.
Air India in personal communication with the customers whose details got compromised in the
cyber-attack said, “As part of our commitment, we would like to inform you that SITA PSS, our
data processor of the passenger service system, recently notified Air India of a data security
breach involving personal data of certain passengers, including yours.”
The breach targeted the personal details of passengers between August 26, 2011, and February
20, 2021, which included name, contact information, date of birth, ticket information, frequent flyer
data, passport information, and credit card details. However, the data processer SITA PSS does
not store CVV or CVC numbers, the airline assured.
The Indian airline further informed that Air India received the identities of the customers affected
in the breach between March 25 and April 5, 2021.
The airline is investigating the breach and securing the compromised servers, and resetting
passwords of the frequent flyer program. Meanwhile, the company also asks the affected
customers to change their passwords wherever applicable.
SITA PSS is a Geneva-based passenger system operator that stores and processes the personal
information of the passengers.
Other cyber-attacks on airlines
•British Airways in 2020 had incurred a 20 million pound fine after its failed attempt at protecting
the data of more than 4 lakh of its customers.
•In another instance in 2020, EasyJet, a London-based airline, reported that email and travel
details of around 90 lakh customers got hacked.
What is cyber-attack?

•Cyber-attack is a deliberate malicious attempt by individuals or organizations to breach into the

system of another company or individual to seek confidential or personal data.
•Types of cyber-attack comprise malware, viruses, trojans, ransomware, spyware, phishing,

denial-of-service, SQL injection, cross-site scripting, etc.
What is cyber-security?
•Cyber-security comprises practices, technologies, processes designed to protect cyberspace and

networks from cyber-attacks.
•Data of individuals business organizations, and governments are targeted to steal personal or
sensitive information, patents, employees' or customers' personal data, confidential data related
to the country’s military, citizens, local, state, or central governments.
Cyber-Security Laws in India
•Information and Technology Act, 2000 (also known as Indian Cyber Act)
•Information and Technology Amendment Act, 2008 (ITAA)
•National Cyber Security Strategy, 2020
•Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative
•Cyber Swacchta Kendra in India is a Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre, operated by
the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, under the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology.

7th BRICS Astronomy Working Group

Meeting recommends networking of existing
telescopes
India hosted the 7th meeting of the BRICS Astronomy Working Group (BAWG) as well as the
astronomers from these countries in an online mode from May 19 and 20, 2021. The meeting took
place under the science, technology, and innovation track of the BRICS-2021 calendar.
From India, the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics- IUCAA, Pune, and the
Department of Science and Technology- DST coordinated the meeting.
Head of the International Cooperation Division of DST, S K Varshney presented India’s

perspectives during the meeting. Lead scientific researchers from each BRICS country also
presented their country report which highlighted the research activities and infrastructure that they
have created.
India assumed the BRICS Presidency from January 2021. Around 100 events, including senior
official meetings, ministerial-level meetings, and sectorial meetings/conferences, will also be
organized as part of the BRICS 2021 calendar.
BRICS countries underline importance of enhancing collaboration among astronomers

Details: https://t.co/tVticwDfVy@IndiaDST @Ashutos61 @tapascancer
pic.twitter.com/jvMYc9iWSC
— DD News (@DDNewslive) May 21, 2021

7th BAWG Meeting: Key Highlights
• The meeting witnessed participation from all 5 countries- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South
Africa- with more than 50 participants.
• The delegates, during the meeting, agreed to develop a flagship project under this area.
• The working group members indicated the future directions of research in this area such as
building data network and network of intelligent telescopes, big data, a study of transient
astronomical phenomena in-universe, artificial intelligence, machine learning application for

processing the voluminous data generated because of the enhanced multi-wavelength telescope
observatory.
• The delegates, during the meeting, deliberated on the operational and strategic matters. They
recommended the networking of existing telescopes in BRICS countries as well as creating a data
network.
• The 7th BAWG meeting recommended that the focal points in each country must present the
scientific results of the work being carried out in each country. This will help seek funding support
for the flagship project.
• The delegates noted the significance of enhancing collaboration among astronomers from
BRICS countries.
About BRICS Astronomy Working Group:
BRICS is the acronym that has been coined to associate the five significant emerging economies-
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The members of BRICS are known for their
influence on regional affairs.
The BRICS Astronomy Working Group provides a platform for the BRICS member nations to
collaborate and coordinate in the field of astronomy.

COVID-19: Why some people are testing

negative despite having symptoms?
Amid the tumultuous second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, there are many cases that
exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 but the lab test returns a false ‘negative’ or a false ‘positive’ in
case of a person from coronavirus infection.
Why some people are testing 'negative' despite having COVID symptoms or why are some testing
'positive' despite no infection?
COVID-19 Testing in India
The two approved methods of testing COVID-19 in India are RT-PCR testing and Rapid Antigen
Testing (RAT). A ‘positive’ report confirms the presence of COVID-19 infection.
However, if a person gets a negative result by RAT testing kit but exhibits symptoms of the
infection, he or she is still treated whereas a negative report by RT-PCR test is confirmatory of the
absence of COVID-19.
The positive or negative outcome also depends a lot on the process of sample collection,
transport, and testing method.
COVID-19 Sample Testing
The process of sample collection for COVID-19 testing is done through two processes: RT-PCR
(Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) and RAT (Rapid Antigen Testing).
RT-PCR is a more reliable and confirmatory way of testing COVID-19 while RAT is used more for
screening purposes.
Medical practitioners or staff insert a swab into the nostrils and throat to collect tissue samples
which are then placed in a liquid chemical that makes sure the virus remains active. The samples
are stored in an adequate and safe setting to be transported to the path lab with bio-safety level-
2.
The whole sample collection process is carried out in accordance with the guidelines mentioned

by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Then why do tests return false ‘negative’?
Most of the time, the RT-PCR method returns accurate test results. If a person is infected with
COVID-19, it will show ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ in case of no infection.
However, in some cases, a false ‘negative’ has been noted, which means the person has COVID-
19 and he or she is exhibiting symptoms, but the result came ‘negative’.
The most likely reasons for tests to return false ‘negative’ are:
•The person was not swabbed correctly, meaning the swab test was not done accurately.
•The quality or quantity of the sample collected was not sufficient to return accurate results.
•The liquid chemical used to store the swab sample was not adequate to keep the virus active.
•The transportation or storage during the transportation of the sample was not up to mark.
•The duration from the time of collection and testing at the lab was not done in a timely manner.
•The staff conducting the test at the labs are not trained enough, hence a chance for errors.
•Health experts also note that incidentally, the RT-PCR test for COVID-19 has a sensitivity of only
around 66 per cent. That means most likely one-third of infected people will return a false
‘negative’.
•Experts also speculate that if an infected person has a low viral load at the time of sample
collection, most likely the result will be a false ‘negative’.
•Also, the mutant variants are also known to be notorious to go undetected in lab tests.
What if the test returns a false ‘positive’?
There have been cases where people with no infection have tested positive for COVID-19. Such
is the case for people who have recovered from COVID-19 and got tested later.
Health experts say that even when the virus dies and becomes inactive, it still stays in the system

for several weeks. Hence, in such cases, the lab test is most likely to return a false ‘positive’.
Advice by health experts on COVID-19 test results
In case of a false ‘negative’ or false ‘positive’ COVID-19 test result, experts advise immediately to
get in touch with the concerned doctor.
Do not take the test results as a confirmatory result in case you are exhibiting symptoms.

Gautam Adani overtakes China’s Zhong

Shanshan to become 2nd richest Asian
Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani has overtaken China’s Zhong Shanshan to become the
second richest Asian in the world. He is now ranked at the 14th spot on the Bloomberg
Billionaires Index with a net worth of $67.6B, as of May 21, 2021.
Gautam Adani is now ranked behind Asia’s richest person, RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani who is
ranked 13th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with a net worth of $76.3B. The Chinese
billionaire Zhong Shanshan has been pushed to the 15th spot with a net worth of $65.6B.
Adani’s wealth has surged by almost $32.7 billion this year, while Ambani has lost $175.5 million,
according to a report by Bloomberg. Ambani had replaced the Chinese billionaire in February
2021 to become Asia’s richest person.
Bloomberg Billionaires Index on May 21, 2021

Rank Name Net Worth Country
1 Jeff Bezos $189B US
2 Elon Musk $163B US
3 Bernard Arnault $162B France
4 Bill Gates $142B US
5 Marl Zuckerberg $119B US
6 Warren Buffet $108B US
7 Larry Page $106B US
8 Sergey Brin $102B US
9 Larry Ellison $91.2B US
10 Steve Ballmer $89.2B US
Francoise Bettercourt
11 $87.2B France
Meyers

12 Amancio Ortega $82.4B Spain
13 Mukesh Ambani $76.3B India
14 Gautam Adani $67.6B India
15 Zhong Shanshan $65.6B China

About Bloomberg Billionaires Index
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index comprises a daily ranking of the world’s richest people, based
on their net worth. The figures are updated at the close of every trading day in New York.
These details are as per Bloomberg Billionaires Index Ranking on May 21, 2021.

DIPCOVAN: DRDO develops COVID-19

antibody detection kit
The Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed an antibody detection kit
for the early screening of COVID-19.
The Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, a lab of DRDO, in association with Delhi
based firm Vanguard Diagnostics Pvt Ltd, has developed DIPCOVAN, the DIPS-VDx COVID 19
IGg Antibody Microwell ELISA for sero surveillance.
As per the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the three batches of the product
were validated for the last one year. The COVID-19 antibody detection kit has been approved by
the Indian Council of Medical Research in April 2021.
The antibody detection kit has been developed indigenously by scientists. Extensive validation on
over 1000 patients was also done at various COVID hospitals in Delhi.
DRDO develops COVID-19 antibody detection kit DIPCOVAN. The kit can detect spike as well as
nucleocapsid (S&N) proteins of SARS-CoV-2 virus.#AtmanirbharBharat https://t.co/ubsrYIxGyo
pic.twitter.com/B356vaeKYG
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) May 21, 2021

Significance:
• The kit can detect the spike as well as the nucleocapsid (S and N) proteins of the SARS-CoV-2
virus with a high sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 99%.
• DIPCOVAN aims for the qualitative detection of IgG antibodies in human serum or plasma,
targeting the SARS-CoV-2 related antigens.
• The detection kit also offers a significantly faster turn-around time as it requires only 75 minutes
to conduct the test without any form of cross-reactivity with other diseases.
• The antibody detection kit will be useful for understanding COVID-19 epidemiology as well as
assessing the individual’s previous SARS-CoV-2 exposure.
DIPCOVAN: Key Highlights

• In May 2021, the antibody detection kit received regulatory approval from the Drugs Controller
General of India and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, Health Ministry to
manufacture the product for sale and distribution.
• The product is expected to be launched by vanguard Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd. Commercially by the
first week of June 2021.
• At the time of the launch, readily available stocks will be 100 kits (approx. 10,000 tests) with a
production capacity of around 500 kits per month after the launch.
• The antibody detection kit is expected to be available at about Rs. 75 per test.
Anti-Covid drug by DRDO:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation had also launched an anti-COVID drug 2-
deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). The drug is developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied
Sciences of DRDO in partnership with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories. The first batch of the anti-COVID
drug was launched by the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

RBI approves transfer of Rs. 99,122 crores

surplus to Government
The Reserve Bank of India on May 21, 2021, decided to transfer a surplus of Rs. 99,122 crores to
the Central Government.
The decision of approving the transfer was taken at the 589th meeting of the RBI’s Central Board
of Directors.
According to the official statement, with the change in RBI’s accounting year to April to March
(earlier July to June), the board of directors discussed the working of the apex bank during the
transition period of nine months (July 2020 to March 2021).
The board approved the annual report and accounts of the Reserve Bank for the transition period.
Transfer of Rs. 99,122 crores to Center:
• The official statement by RBI informed that during the RBI’s Central Board of Directors meeting,
the transfer of Rs. 99,122 crores as the surplus to the Central Government was approved for the
accounting period of nine months ended March 31, 2021 (July 2020 to March 2021).
• The Reserve Bank of India, as the manager of the government finances, pays a dividend every
year from its surplus profit. In 2020, the bank had transferred 44% of its surplus to the Union
Government at Rs. 57, 128 crores.
Board of Directors review policy measures by RBI:
The Central Board of Directors in the meeting reviewed the ongoing economic situation, global
and domestic challenges as well as the recent policy measures taken by the Reserve Bank of
India to mitigate the adverse impact of the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic on the
economy.
Deputy Governors Michael Debabrata Patra, Mahesh Kumar Jain, T Rabi Sankar, M Rajeshwar
Rao, and other directors Satish K. Marathe, N Chandrasekaran, Revathy Iyer, S Gurumurthy, and
Sachin Chaturvedi attended the meeting.

Secretary at the Department of Financial Services, Debasish Panda, and Secretary at the
Department of Economic Affairs, Ajay Seth, were also present in the meeting.

Sunderlal Bahuguna, Chipko Movement

leader and environmentalist dies of COVID-19
Sunderlal Bahuguna, the 94-year-old Chipko movement leader and a noted environmentalist,
passed away due to COVID-19 on May 21, 2021, at AIIMS hospital in Rishikesh.
Bahuguna was admitted to the hospital on May 8 after a fluctuation in his oxygen levels was
noted. According to the reports by AIIMS, Rishikesh, Bahuguna was exhibiting symptoms of
coronavirus infection 10 days prior to his hospital admission. He took his last breath at 12.05 pm
on May 21, 2021.
President Ram Nath Kovind condoled Bahuguna’s death stating that his death marks the end of a
glorious chapter in the field of conservation. The Rashtrapati Bhavan said that Bahuguna, a
‘Padma Vibhushan’ awardee, was a Gandhian to the core.
The demise of Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna marks the end of a glorious chapter in the field of
conservation. A 'Padma Vibhushan' awardee, he was a Gandhian to the core. A legend in his own
right, he made conservation a people's movement. My condolences to his family and admirers.
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 21, 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his grief over his death. PM in a tweet termed the
passing away of Sunderlal Bahuguna as a ‘monumental loss' for the nation. He stated that
Bahuguna aided the manifestation of our centuries-old ethos of living in harmony with nature. “His
simplicity and spirit of compassion will never be forgotten.” PM tweeted.
Passing away of Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna Ji is a monumental loss for our nation. He manifested
our centuries old ethos of living in harmony with nature. His simplicity and spirit of compassion will
never be forgotten. My thoughts are with his family and many admirers. Om Shanti.
Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat also expressed his condolences over the death of the
Chipko movement leader and environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna.
About Sunderlal Bahuguna
Sunderlal Bahunga, born in Tehri, Uttarakhand, was a noted environmentalist and the Chipko

Movement leader.
From an early age, he began organizing social activities like anti-liquor drive, spreading
messages of non-violence, adopted Gandhian principles, and took note of damage done to the
eco-system of the Himalayas.
The Chipko Movement started in 1974 in an effort to stop afforestation in the Chamoli district of
Uttarakhand. Chipko, meaning to hug, was a significant move by the local women of the village
who then started hugging the trees to save trees from being cut.
Sunderlal helped the Chipko movement gain prominence and gaining support which later resulted
in then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi issuing a 15-year ban on cutting green tress.
He was also an activist in the Anti-Tehri Dam Movement during the 1980s.
He fought hard and long for preserving forests in the Himalayas.
He was Padma Vibhushan awardee, first in 1981 which he refused, and later in 2009 for
environment conservation.

China to approve 14th Dalai Lama's

successor?
China stated on May 21, 2021 that any successor of the 14th Dalai Lama should have to be
approved by it, ruling out recognition to any heir nominated by the Dalai Lama or by his
followers.
An official white paper published by the Chinese government on Tibet stated that the
reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and other grand Living Buddhas has been subjected to approval
by the central government since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The document also states that Tibet is an inseparable part of China since ancient times.
Chinese White Paper: What does it say?
•The white paper released by the Chinese government is titled 'Tibet Since 1951: Liberation,
Development and Prosperity."
•The document reads that in 1793, the Qing government restored order in Tibet and promulgated
the Imperially Approved Ordinance for Better Governance of Tibet, improving systems by which
the central government administered Tibet after dispelling Gurkha invaders.
Reincarnation of Dalai Lama to follow drawing lots from golden urn
•The paper states that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and other grand Living Buddhas
has to follow the procedure of "drawing lots from the golden urn" and the selected
candidate would be subject to approval by the central government of China.
•The paper states by 2020, a total of 92 reincarnated Living Buddhas had been identified and
approved through traditional religious rituals and historical conventions for temples in Tibet.
•It further states that the traditional religious activities are carried out regularly per the law and
examination on scriptures and subsequent promotion in academic degrees are also held in
monasteries regularly.
Demand for Tibet's independence product of imperialist aggression against China

•The white paper explicitly termed the demand for Tibet's independence as a product of
imperialist aggression against China.
•It said that the UK-led imperialist powers began to cultivate the idea of Tibet independence in the
middle of the 19th century to intentionally undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
•The paper further slammed Dalai Lama and his followers for promoting "Tibetan independence".
It stated that the 14th Dalai Lama and his supporters have continued to try to promote "Tibetan
independence" by provoking incidents to jeopardise peace and stability in Tibet.
•It stated that the reactionaries of Tibet's ruling class fled to India after the failure of their armed
rebellion in 1959 and they then subsequently began to campaign for "Tibetan independence" by
force.
•It read that no country or government in the world has ever acknowledged the "independence of
Tibet."
Rejects allegations of curbs on Religion
•The white paper stated that the Tibetan province has over 1,700 sites for Tibetan Buddhist
activities with 46,000 monks and nuns, four mosques for 12,000 native Muslims and a Catholic
church with over 700 followers.
•The paper also rejected criticism over Tibetan language being undermined to promote the official
Chinese language and stated that the Tibetan spoken and written language is widely used in
Tibet.
•It stated that the study and use of the Tibetan language are protected by law and that Tibet now
has 16 periodicals and 12 newspapers in the Tibetan language and has also published over 40
million copies of 7,185 Tibetan-language books.
•The white paper also assured that Tibet is economically thriving and prospering in the new era
and it has a system of regional ethnic autonomy.
•It further stated that there has been major jump in the average life expectancy in Tibet, as it has
reached 71.1 years in 2019 from 35.5 years in 1951.
•It also said the number of Tibetans in the legislature has increased.

What happened in Tibet
•A crackdown by Chinese authorities following an uprising by the local population in Tibet

in 1959, forced the 14th Dalai Lama to seek refuge in India, where he has been ever
since.
•India granted the Buddhist leader and the Tibetan government-in-exile political asylum
and they have been based in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh ever since. This has been
one of the major cause of tension between India and China.
•The Dalai Lama is now 85 years old now and hence, talks his regarding his successor
have gained prominence in the last couple of years.
Role of United States
The US Congress had recently passed the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 (TPSA),
which made it an official US policy that the decisions regarding the reincarnation of the Dalai
Lama should be within the exclusive authority of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people.
However, the Chinese officials have been pushing that institution of reincarnation of the Dalai
Lama has been in existence for several hundred years and that the 14th (present) Dalai Lama
himself was found and recognised following religious rituals and historic conventions and his
succession was approved by China's central government.

UK Government launches plans for Global

Pandemic Radar to detect COVID-19 variants,
emerging diseases
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson announced on May 21, 2021, that the
UK will be working with the World Health Organisation, other partners, and nations for developing
an advanced international pathogen surveillance network for identifying COVID-19 variants and
emerging diseases.
An official statement released by the Foreign Office quoted UK PM as saying that the world must
never be caught unaware again by a virus spreading among us unchecked.
The UK Prime Minister added that a disease surveillance system must be built which is fit
for the 21st century, with real-time data sharing and rapid-genome sequencing and
response.
Significance:
The British Prime Minister claimed that the network called ‘Global Pandemic Radar’ will ensure
the early detection of the new variants and the emerging pathogens so that the early treatments
and vaccines that will be needed to stop them can be rapidly developed by the scientific
communities.
How the UK Government will help in pathogen surveillance system?
As per the official statement by the UK Foreign Office, the UK government, as part of its rotatory
presidency of Group of Seven, has been working with the World Health Organisation, NGOs, the
government centres of disease control, and research organisations to take forward a report it had
commissioned from the Wellcome Trust.
The trust is a London-based charitable foundation focusing on health research, which sets out the
mechanism for a global pathogen surveillance system that can identify new variants of
Coronavirus and can also detect other diseases before they become pandemics.
WHO supports robust, modern system:

The Director-General of the World Health Organisation Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus states that
the Coronavirus pandemic underscores the significant need for a robust, modern system for
keeping the world ahead of the emerging diseases. It can be done through active monitoring at
the community level, data sharing across the globe, and swift and accurate sequencing of the
new pathogens.

Income Tax Dept to launch new e-filing portal

on June 7: All you need to know
The Income Tax Department is set to launch the new e-filing portal (www.incometax.gov.in) on
June 7, 2021, informed the Central Board of Direct Taxes on May 19, 2021. The new tax e-filing
portal aims to provide a modern, seamless, and convenient experience to taxpayers of India.
Taxpayers and other external stakeholders would not be able to access the existing e-filing portal
(www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in) for six days from June 1, 2021, to June 6, 2021, as the
department will work on the launch and migration activities.
The Income Tax Department has requested all taxpayers and stakeholders to close all urgent
tasks like upload or downloads or submissions by June 1, 2021, before the existing portal goes
offline.
Further, the department has also directions that it will not fix any compliance dates during this
period. It has also directed to conduct compliances or hearing of cases only after June 10, 2021.
If any compliance cases were scheduled between this period, they will be preponed or postponed
and rescheduled accordingly.
New e-filing portal: Key features
•The new e-filing portal for Income Tax Return (ITR) is another initiative by the Central Board of
Direct Taxes (CBDT) to offer ease of compliance to taxpayers and stakeholders.
•The new e-filing portal has been integrated with the immediate processing of Income Tax
Returns (ITRs) to enable quick refunds to taxpayers.
•All uploads, pending actions, or interactions will be displayed on a single dashboard for the
taxpayer to follow up.
•The new call center has been set up to help taxpayers and answers all queries. Videos, tutorials,
FAQs, and chatbot or a LIVE agent will be available to the taxpayers.
•Free of cost ITR preparation software will be available both online and offline with interactive
questions to help novice taxpayers file ITR. Taxpayers will be assisted with pre-filling as well to

minimize data entry efforts.
•All key functions of the website portal will be made available on the Mobile app subsequently with
24x7 access.
•The new e-filing portal will subsequently be enabled with several payment options comprising
UPI, Credit Cars, Net Banking, and RTGS/ NEFT from any bank account to any bank account.

West Bengal Government to set up

Legislative Council: Why was it abolished?
Get all details here
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee approved setting up of the Legislative Council or
Vidhan Parishad in the state during a cabinet meeting conducted through video conferencing on
May 17, 2021 with several Departmental Secretaries. This was one of the poll promises of the
Trinamool Congress(TMC).
The re-introduction of the Legislative Council will, however, require approval from the Parliament.
Considering the recent clashes of the CM with the centre, it may turn out to be difficult for West
Bengal to get the centre's nod to set up the Legislative Council. Under Article 169 of the
constitution, the proposal for Legislative Council has to be passed in Parliament with a certain
majority.
The West Bengal Chief Minister had recently on May 20th slammed Prime Minister Narendra
Modi alleging that Chief Ministers are not allowed to speak during PM-CM meeting on the COVID-
19 situation in the country.
Why was West Bengal's Legislative Council abolished?
West Bengal's upper house, Legislative Council was abolished in 1969 by the coalition
government of Left parties as it was considered a symbol of elitism.
Why does the state need a Legislative Council?
According to popular opinion, Legislative Council allows distinguished people who can be elected
through a different procedure to be a part of the government and consultation for any constructive
purpose. Just like Rajya Sabha serves to balance out the centre with some of the finest
parliamentarians, a similar house at the state level is expected to really contribute to better
decision making.
Which states have Legislative Councils?
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 Vidhan Parishad had come into existence in West Bengal in
1937.
How many members does the Legislative Council have?
Under Article 171 clause (1) of the Indian Constitution, the total number of members in the state's
legislative council shall not exceed one-third of the total number of the members in the Legislative
Assembly of that state and it will not be less than 40.
How are Legislative Council members elected?
•1/3rd of members are elected by State Legislative Assembly Members.
•1/3rd of members are elected by representatives of the Local Authorities such as

Municipalities, Zilla Parishads, Block Parishads.
•1/12th of members are elected by teachers.
•1/12th of members are elected by graduates.
•Remaining members are nominated by Governor. These members are nominated from
among those who have distinguished themselves in various different fields including art,
science, literature, social service and the cooperative movement.
Background
The setting up of the Legislative Council has been a matter of contention in many states, in few
cases, the resolutions passed by state assemblies to set up Legislative Councils are still pending
in the Rajya Sabha.
The state of Tamil Nadu has been divided on the matter of setting up of a legislative council for
over three decades. The Assam Assembly had passed a resolution to set up the council in 2010,
while the Rajasthan Assembly had passed the resolution in 2012, however, the bills are still
pending in the Rajya Sabha.
Andhra Pradesh, on the other hand, wants to abolish its legislative council but the bill is yet to be
introduced in Parliament. Hence, getting a Legislative Council for West Bengal may not prove to
be an easy task and it may put the West Bengal CM at loggerheads with the centre yet again.

World’s largest Iceberg breaks off in

Antarctica as Glaciers Retreat; Check details
An iceberg of the size of the Spanish island of Majorca has broken off the coast of Antarctica. The
measurements of the broken iceberg taken from the satellites and the planes have confirmed that
it is now the world’s largest.
The European Space Agency has informed that the Iceberg A-76 calved from the western side of
the Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica and is now floating on the Weddell Sea.
The broken iceberg is measured around 170 kilometers (105 miles) long and 25 kilometers (15
miles) wide, that's larger than the Long Island in New York and half the size of Puerto Rico.
Icebergs are formed when a large piece of ice breaks off from the ice shelves or the glaciers and
start floating in the open water.
Relive the birth of the #A76 iceberg with this stunning animation!
The animation was created using four @CopernicusEU #Sentinel1 images and shows the giant
slab of ice breaking off from the Ronne Ice Shelf on 13 May 2021.
A-76 is currently the biggest iceberg in the world pic.twitter.com/h97PbYdo0y
— ESA EarthObservation (@ESA_EO) May 20, 2021

Global Warming leads to melting of snow and ice covers:
The Antarctica sheet has been warming faster than the rest of the planet. It causes the melting of
the snow and ice covers as well as the retreat of the glaciers, particularly around the Weddell
Sea.
As glaciers retreat, portions of ice break off and float adrift until these portions break apart or
further crash into the land.
In 2020, the current took the Iceberg A-68A, which was the world’s largest at the
time, from Antarctica to the coast of the South Georgia Island. Scientists and
researchers feared that the iceberg will collide with an island that’s a breeding
ground for penguins and sea lions. However, it ended up splitting and breaking

into pieces instead.

Rise in sea levels:
According to a study published in Nature earlier in May 2021, the average sea levels have risen
about nine inches since 1880.
About the quarter of that increase in sea levels comes from the ice melting in Greenland and the
Antarctica ice sheets, along with the land-based glaciers elsewhere.
The global rise in the sea level began around the start of the 20th century. Between the years
1900 and 2016, the average sea level globally had risen by 16-21 cm.
Climate scientists and researchers expect that the rate of sea-level rise will further accelerate
during the 21st century. The latest statistics state that the sea levels have been rising by 3.6mm
per year.
What should be done to stop the rise in sea levels?
According to the study done by 85 scientists from 15 countries concluded that more ambitious
national goals to cut greenhouse emissions and for slowing down the climate change set recently
by the countries around the world are not enough to stop the sea levels from rising.
The melting ice glaciers and ice sheets, in fact, will raise the sea levels twice as fast as they
would if the nations globally fulfilled their earlier pledges under the Paris Agreement.

Asia Cup 2021 postponed due to COVID-19
The Asia Cup T20 that was rescheduled to be held in June 2021 in Sri Lanka has now been
postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19, informed Ashely de Silva, the Sri Lanka Cricket Chief
Executive on May 19, 2021.
The 2020 edition of the Asia Cup has been rescheduled several times due to COVID-19. Initially,
the Asia Cup tournament was supposed to be played in September 2020 then it was postponed to
June 2021.
Originally, Pakistan was supposed to host the tournament in 2020 for which the country had the
hosting rights, however, the hosting rights were exchanged with Sri Lanka due to security reasons
after the postponement.
Silva further said that the tournament is now likely to be held only after the 2023 ICC 50-over
World Cup. An official statement from the Asian Cricket Council is awaited.
Last, the Asia Cup was played in 2016 (in Bangladesh) and then in 2018 (the UAE) where India
won both the editions of the tournament. India has won the Asia Cup title seven times and is
deemed the most successful team to play at the Asia Cup, followed by Sri Lanka.
What is Asia Cup?
•The Asia Cup, established in 1983 by the Asian Cricket Council, is a men’s One Day
International and Twenty20 International cricket tournament.
•The first Asia Cup was played in 1984 in the UAE. It is the only continental championship in
Cricket. It is played every two years alternating between ODI and T20 formats.
•India has won seven titles of the Asia Cup, one T20 format and six ODI formats, and is deemed
the most successful team in the Asia Cup.
•Asia Cup 2016 edition was first played in the T20 format.

Government asks States and UTs to make

‘Mucormycosis’ notifiable disease under
Epidemic Act
The Union Ministry of Health on May 20, 2021, asked in a letter to the States and the Union
Territories to make black fungus or Mucormycosis a notifiable disease under the Epidemic
Diseases Act, 1897.
In a letter, the Union Ministry states that the treatment of this fungal infection requires a
multidisciplinary approach which consists of ENT specialists, Eye Surgeons, Neurosurgeon,
General Surgeon, Dental Maxillofacial Surgeon, etc. as well as the institution of Amphotericin B
as an antifungal medicine.
The letter further mentions that the States and UTs are requested to make mucormycosis a
notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
States are advised to declare #Mucormycosis a notifiable disease under Epidemic Diseases Act
1897.
All Government and private health facilities, medical colleges shall follow guidelines for screening,
diagnosis & management of mucormycosis. pic.twitter.com/Bk925WCZDX
— Ashwini Kr. Choubey (@AshwiniKChoubey) May 20, 2021

Black Fungus under Epidemic Act: What will be different?
By declaring Black Fungus or Mucormycosis as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Act, all
the private and government hospitals, medical colleges will have to follow the guidelines for the
diagnosis, screening, and the management of Mucormycosis, issued by the Union Ministry of
Health and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
In the latest announcement, the Ministry has also made it mandatory for all the health facilities to
report all the confirmed and suspected cases to the Health Department through the district level
Chief Medical officer and to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project- IDSP surveillance
system.

Why there is a need to bring black fungus under Epidemic Act?
According to the Ministry of Health, in recent times a new challenge in the form of fungal infection
namely Black Fungus or Mucormycosis has emerged and has been reported from many states
across the country amongst the COVID-19 patients particularly those on steroid therapy and
deranged sugar control.
It becomes significant to bring black fungus under the Epidemic Act as the fungal infection in the
COVID-19 patients, who have been recovering or have recovered, is further leading to prolonged
morbidity and mortality amongst the Coronavirus patients.
Rising problem of Black Fungus in India:
• Till now, the cases of Mucormycosis have been reported in various parts of the country including
Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar.
• As Rajasthan has seen a surge in the number of Black Fungus cases in the covid patients, the
state government on May 19, 2021, declared the disease to be considered as an epidemic.
• The Haryana Government on May 18 had also formed the regulations called ‘The Haryana
Epidemic Diseases (Mucormycosis) Regulations, 2021.
Background:
India has been seeing the latest surge in Black Fungus cases in those COVID-19 patients who
have recovered or have been recovering from the disease. The fungal infection is usually caused
by the high level of steroids used during Coronavirus treatment.
Mucormycosis can be bought by coming in the contact with the fungal spores in the environment.
The infection can be developed on the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a scrape, cut,
burn, or any other form of skin trauma.

Russia, China start their biggest Nuclear

Power Project
Russia and China held a ground-breaking ceremony of their biggest Nuclear Power Project on
May 19, 2021. Under the project, Moscow will jointly build four high-power nuclear power plants in
two Chinese cities.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian informed that the President of China Xi
Jinping had joined his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin virtually in Beijing to witness the
ground-breaking ceremony of the bilateral nuclear energy cooperation project.
With the nuclear power project, China and Russian have successfully firmed up their close ties as
they have been facing mounting adversity from the United States and the European Union on
various issues.
Vladimir Putin and President of China Xi Jinping launched construction of four new power units of
two nuclear power plants in China https://t.co/Pb4vIBOaHD pic.twitter.com/6VRH3YIdl0
— President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) May 19, 2021

Nuclear cooperation between Russia and China:
China and Russia had signed a package cooperation deal in 2018. Both the countries
had agreed to jointly build units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant and Units 3
and 4 of the Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant.
This is the biggest China and Russia Nuclear Energy Cooperation project to date and it
also represents the highest level of cooperation between the two sides.
What is the significance of Nuclear Energy Cooperation?
The successful beginning of the construction of the four nuclear power plant units shows the
major cooperation outcomes in science and technology innovation and high-end equipment
manufacturing.
The cooperation will also help in boosting the upgrading of practical cooperation between Russia
and China.
Since nuclear energy is efficient and clean, the four units of Nuclear power plant in China, after

the completion, will also effectively reduce the carbon dioxide emissions.
Nuclear Power Plants in China:
The Tianwen Nuclear Power Plant, of which the 7 and 8 units will be built, is located in the city of
Lianyungang in Jiangsu Province, China.
The Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant, of which 3 and 4 units will be jointly built by China and Russia,
is located in Xingcheng in Liaoning Province.

Why was Israel created as a Jewish state in

1948: All you need to know
David Ben-Gurion, the then-head of the Jewish Agency, on May 14, 1948, proclaimed the
establishment of Israel. A war broke out immediately between Jews and Arabs following the
proclamation that day.
Amid an air assault by Egypt and a blackout in Tel Aviv, Jews celebrated the rebirth of their
nation, especially after the news of the recognition of the state of Israel by the United States flew
in.
The Jewish claim to the land of Israel in Palestine: Explained
Contrary to a common misconception that Jews returned to Palestine demanding their country
back, the reality states otherwise. Jewish people have based their claim to the land of Israel for
more than 4,000 years, dating back pre-historic period.
The Jewish people claim that God had promised the land of Israel to the patriarch Abraham. They
also claim that the land that the Jewish people had developed was captured during wars and
invasions.
History of Israel: Background

Zionism movement
•Israel is the world’s first Jewish state in two millennia. Modern-day Israel dates back to its origin
in the Zionism movement when the journalist Theodor Herzl started advocating a Jewish state as
the solution for anti-Semitism.
•Herzl’s attempts did not fair support from the First Zionist Congress however, later after his death
in 1904, the Zionist organization under the lead of Chaim Weizmann was able to increase the
population of Jews in Palestine (named given by the Romans). But these efforts could not be
expanded as the Ottoman Turks ruled Palestine.
Jewish Homeland: Conflict
•Later during World War I in 1917, the Zionists convinced the British to issue the Balfour

Declaration that would facilitate Britain to establish a ‘Jewish Homeland’ in Palestine. After
succeeding in getting the endorsement of declaration from the League of Nations, the British got
the mandate of Palestine.
•The local Arabs however, resented a Jewish state. With the fall of the Ottomans, Arabs saw this
as an opportunity to revive the old Arab empire. The British government failed to bring the Zionists
and Arabs on the same page and thus began the Arab Revolt of 1936-39.
•In 1920, the Haganah came into being as a branch of the Jewish Agency, the organization that
played a huge role in bringing Jews to Israel.
•The 1930s witnessed the Great Depression and the Jews fleeing Nazi-dominated Europe during
World War II. The British government, therefore, proposed the partition of Palestine into Jewish
and Arab states, which was rejected by the Arabs. Hence, the British in 1939 restricted the
movement of Jewish to gain the support of Arab against Italy and Germany.
•In Britain, the then Prime Minister Clement Attlee in lieu of the growing violence between Jews
and Arabs in Palestine decided to terminate the British Mandate over Palestine. But with the
termination came the pressure by the Zionists and significantly from then-President Harry Truman
in the US.
•Truman asked Attlee to allow the remnant of Jews in Germany to come to Palestine while the
Arabs opposed the immigration. Amidst the growing tension, the British turned towards the newly
formed United Nations (UN).
Establishment of Israel
•The UN on November 29, 1947, voted to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, which
was again opposed by the Arabs. However, the declaration of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948,
fulfilled the Zionist’s dream of a Jewish homeland.
•However, the armies from the states of Arabs: Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt invaded
the state of Israel immediately within a few days after the declaration. But Israel was successful at
defeating Arabs. Post the exodus of Arabs, Israel became the largest home to the Jewish
community.
•Fast forward to 2021, the Israel-Palestinians have failed to reach a peaceful resolution. The
Israel-Palestine conflict continues along the Gaza strip with protests escalating to airstrikes

demolishing buildings, schools, hospitals, and commercial units.

How far can Covid travel in the air? Know all

about it here
The centre said on May 20, 2021 that aerosols, known to be one of the key transmission mode of
the SARS-CoV-2, can travel in the air up to 10 meters.
The centre has, hence, cautioned people to maintain social distance to prevent the transmission
of the Covid-19 virus. Aerosols and cough droplets are both key transmission modes of the Covid-
19 virus.
How far can cough droplets travel?
While aerosols can be carried in the air up to 10 meters, the cough droplets fall within 2 meters
from an infected person.
What is the primary mode of virus transmission?
Any kind of saliva and nasal discharge in form of droplets and aerosols by an infected person
while exhaling, talking, speaking, laughing, coughing, sneezing or singing is the primary mode of
virus transmissions.
Can asymptomatic people spread Covid-19?
According to centre's advisory, an infected person who shows no symptoms can also transmit the
virus. Hence, people should continue to wear a mask, double mask or an N95 mask.
How to decrease risk of transmission of COVID-19?
The centre's advisory highlights the importance of wearing, masks, maintaining social distance
and keeping spaces well-ventilated to dilute the viral load.
Is COVID airborne?
While COVID-19 is not airborne, it can spread through air in closed and poorly ventilated spaces.
As aerosols can travel up to 10 meters, they can infect the air and lead to transmission of the
virus in poorly ventilated houses, offices and other closes spaces.

Hence, ventilation plays a very important role, it can decrease the risk of transmission from one
infected person to the other.
What is a well-ventilated area?
A well-ventilated area is a space where this is improved directional airflow. In a similar way, as we
dilute smells from the air by opening windows or doors or using the exhaust, ventilating spaces
with improved directional airflow decrease the accumulated viral land in the air and reduce the
risk of transmission.
Principal Scientific Advisor's office in a release has advised introducing outdoor air in offices,
homes and larger public spaces. The release further stated that measures to improve ventilation
in these spaces must be taken up on urgent priority in urban and rural areas alike.
The following tips have been recommended for ventilating homes, offices and large
centralised buildings:
•Simple strategic placement of fans.
•Opening windows and doors, even slight opening of windows can introduce outdoor air and
improve the air quality inside.
•Introduction of cross ventilation and exhaust fans.
•Improving central air filtration or increased filtration efficiency in buildings with central air
management systems.
•Use of gable fan systems and roof ventilators in offices, auditoriums, shopping malls and other
closed public spaces.
•Frequent cleaning and replacement of filters.

ICMR gives approval to COVID-19 home

testing kit using rapid antigen test; Check
how to test yourself?
The Indian Council of Medical Research on May 19, 2021, gave its approval for the first home test
for COVID-19. The individuals can buy a kit at the cost of Rs. 250 which can give results within 15
minutes.
The home testing kit is manufactured by Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions Ltd. In the
advisory released by ICMR, it has been stated that the kit is a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) that must
be used only by those who have COVID-19 symptoms or had close contact with an infected
person.
As per the statement released by ICMR, indiscriminate testing is not advised and all those
individuals who test positive can be considered as true positives and no-repeat testing will be
required.
The statement further added that all test positive individuals have been advised to follow the
home isolation and care as per the protocol prescribed by ICMR and Health Ministry.
- (). For more details visit https://t.co/dI1pqvXAsZ @PMOIndia #ICMRFIGHTSCOVID19

#IndiaFightsCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/membV3hPbX
— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) May 19, 2021

Key Highlights:
• RAT is typically less sensitive than lab-based RT-PCR tests. It means that they are likely to lead
to some false negatives, however, the experts believe that their accuracy increases when the viral
load is high- a point when they are also likely to be contagious.
• The home test kit will be available in the market in about a week’s time and the price of the kit
will be Rs. 250 including taxes.
• The home testing kit of COVID-19 has been designed in a way that is extremely simple to use
and it is not biohazard. There is also a disposal bag for safely disposing off the items after use.

CoviSelf: COVID-19 home testing kit
The Indian Council of Medical Research released an advisory stating that it has
approved one kit called CoviSelf for home testing where an individual will be able to test
herself or himself without the presence of any medical professional. For this Rapid
Antigen Test (RAT), only a nasal swab will be required.
CoviSelf is ‘authorized for non-prescription home use with self-collected nasal swab
specimens from the individuals who are aged 18 years and older or with an adult
collected samples from the individuals aged 2 years or older.
How to use the COVID-19 home testing kit?
• A manual will also come with a kit describing the entire process.
• The home testing kit will come in a pouch containing a nasal swab, a pre-filled extraction tube,
and one test card.
• For the COVID-19 test, the users will have to download the mylab app on their mobile phones,
where the credentials will have to be provided.
• Without touching the swab head, the user will have to insert the swab inside both the nostrils up
to 2 to 3 centimeters and roll the swab five times inside each nostril.
• Dip the swab in the tube, pinch the tube in the bottom and swirl the nasal swab ten times for
ensuring that the swab is immersed well in the tube.
• The nasal swab has to be broken from the breakpoint. Covering the extraction tube, two drops
of the tube have to be added to the test kit by pressing.
• The user has to wait for 15 minutes for the results to appear and any result appearing after 20
minutes will be considered invalid.
• There will be two sections on the test card- the test section and the control section. If the bar
shows only in the control section, it means that the test is negative. In case, the bar shows up on
both the control section and test section, it means that the antigen has been detected and that the
test is positive.
• The user will need to keep the test card under the camera of mobile phones and the app will
read the test.

• The app will ring at 15 minutes and the result of the test will be available on the app.
• The data on the mobile app will be centrally connected to a secure server that is connected with
the COVID-19 testing portal of ICMR.
• Individuals testing positive will not require additional testing as this self-testing will be
considered as true positives.
• Those who will test negative can opt for RT-PCR testing as such negative but symptomatic
individuals can be treated as suspect COVID-19 cases.
Home-based tests in developed countries:
The home-based tests are used in the developed countries such as the UK and the US. Since the
RAT tests have high specificity, they can be easily used where the positivity rate is high. As per
the officials, positive cases through Rapid Antigen Test are mostly the true positives.
The UK Government offers its citizens two home-free tests a week for encouraging regular testing
in order to detect daily cases.

Rahul Dravid to coach Team India on Sri

Lanka tour in July
Former India skipper Rahul Dravid will coach Team India in their limited-overs matches in Sri
Lanka in July 2021. India is scheduled to play a six-game series against Sri Lanka.
This will be the second time that Rahul Dravid will work with the Indian team, as he has previously
worked as their batting consultant during the England tour in 2014.
Rahul Dravid will be leading the Indian limited-overs team during the Sri Lankan tour, as the
regular coaching trio including head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, batting
coach Vikram Rathour and fielding coach R Sridhar will be in England with the Indian Test team.
India's Sri Lanka tour
•India is scheduled to play three T20Is and three ODIs in Sri Lanka between July 13 and 27. The
Indian squad for the tour is yet to be announced.
•The squad is likely to comprise a lot of new faces, younger players as almost 20 of the senior
players will be in England including skipper Virat Kohli.
•They will be selected by the end of May, as the team will need to undergo quarantine in Sri
Lanka before playing the three ODI and three T20I games.
•While the three ODIs will be played on July 13, 16, 19, the T20Is will be played from July 22-27.
•Rahul Dravid is the best choice to guide the young team, as he has previously worked with India
'A' team and the U-19 team.
•The National Cricket Academy (NCA) head will be accompanied by other NCA members
including Paras Mhambrey, former India pacer who will serve as the bowling coach.
•Mhambrey has also been in charge of the India A and Under 19 teams as their bowling coach.
Why won't senior players be a part of India's Sri Lanka tour?
The senior players led by Virat Kohli will be in England during the same time along with head

coach Ravi Shastri to play the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand, which will be
held in Southampton from June 18 to 22.
The team is scheduled to play a five-Test series against England after the World Test
Championship.
Background
Rahul Dravid has worked very closely with a current lot of youngsters in the Indian team at the U-
19 level as well as in the India 'A' team.
He has played an integral role in building solid bench strength for the national team over the last
couple of years by taking charge of the U-19 and 'A' team in 2015. He was appointed as the head
of the National Cricket Academy in 2019.

Kerala Cabinet Ministers List: Pinarayi

Vijayan takes oath as the Chief Minister of
Kerala
Pinarayi Vijayan took the oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala for the second consecutive time at
3.30pm today, May 20, 2021. He was sworn in by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.
The swearing-in ceremony is taking place outdoors at the Central Stadium in

Thiruvananthapuram with 500 people in attendance with all Covid protocols in force. Twenty-one
cabinet ministers will also be sworn in along with the Chief Minister.
Thiruvananthapuram: Pinarayi Vijayan takes oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala, being sworn in
by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. pic.twitter.com/HyWRDh9u3u
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2021
The CPI(M) state committee had appointed Pinarayi Vijayan as the CPI(M) parliamentary party
leader and Kerala's Chief Minister on May 18, 2021. Pinarayi Vijayan's new cabinet is expected to
have all new faces after the party decided to drop all the sitting ministers including the popular
health minister KK Shailaja, who has been appointed as the party whip.
Key Highlights
•Pinarayi Vijayan's swearing-in ceremony saw in attendance 140 Kerala Legislators, 29 MPs, top
state officials, the judiciary and media.
•The Chief Minister said prior to the ceremony that all those attending the oath-taking should have
a negative Covid test report, taken 48 hours before or should have taken both the doses of the
vaccine.
•The opposition led by Congress has decided to boycott the swearing-in due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
•The Kerala High Court called for strict adherence to COVID-19 protocol, saying that no COVID
restrictions should be diluted or altered during the swearing-in ceremony.
Kerala Cabinet 2021- Seat-Sharing

CPI(M), which is the largest coalition partner, is expected to get 12 Ministerial berths, while CPI,
the second-largest party will have 4 Ministers and Kerala Congress (M), Janata Dal (S),
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Janathipathya Kerala Congress (JKC) and the Indian National
League (INL) would have one representative each.
The CPI(M) will also get the Speaker's post, while the Deputy Speaker's post will go to CPI and
Chief Whip post to Kerala Congress (M).
Kerala Cabinet Ministers List 2021
Pinarayi Vijayan – Chief Minister
MV Govindan
K Radhakrishnan
Saji Cheriyan
KN Balagopal
P Rajeev
VN Vasavan
V Sivankutty
Muhammed Riyas
Dr. R Bindhu
Veena George
Abdul Rahman
KK Shailaja dropped from Cabinet Post
The immensely popular Kerala Health Minister, KK Shailaja, whose swift measures during the
COVID-19 pandemic had drawn praise from the world over, has been dropped from Pinarayi
Vijayan's new cabinet.

Journalist turned CPI(M) leader Veena George is likely to replace KK Shailaja as the new Health
Minister. However, this is yet to be confirmed.
Responding to this, CPI(M) Parliamentary Party leader Pinarayi Vijayan said that the decision was
made by the party and that an exemption cannot be made for KK Shailaja as they were other
performing ministers as well in the outgoing government.
Background
The LDF claimed a resounding victory in the 2021 Kerala State Assembly Elections by winning 99
of the total 140 seats, returning for a record second consecutive term in office.
While the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) was reduced to 41 seats, the BJP could
not retain its lone seat in the 2021 election.
The CPI-M had 12 ministers in the outgoing Vijayan cabinet, its second-biggest ally CPI had four
and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress (S) and Janata Dal (S) had one each.

Moctar Ouane, Mali PM reinstated to form

new government
Mali’s Prime Minister Moctar Ouane had resigned on May 14, 2021, but was reinstated
immediately to form a ‘broad-based' cabinet of Mali’s interim government, informed the office of
interim President Bah N’Daw.
The Prime Minister has just begun with consultations, informed an advisor to the interim
President.
Ouane was made Prime Minister of Mali in September 2020 after the elected President Ibrahim
Boubacar Keita announced his resignation in August 2020 after Keita and his then Prime Minister
Boubou Cisse were reportedly arrested by the mutiny soldiers.
Amid the threat of international sanctions, the military handed power to a caretaker government
during September-October. The caretaker government announced that it will reform the
constitution in October 2021 and stage elections in February 2022.
Republic of Mali:
•Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is the seventh-largest country in Africa. The capital of Mali is
Bamako.
•Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa. Earlier, it was ruled by France. It gained
independence in 1960.
•Mali is experiencing an economic disturbance due to corruption and a political crisis due to
disputed legislative elections.
•Mali has been struggling to end the Islamist insurgency that first broke out in Northern Mali in
2012.
Military Mutiny in Mali:
Mali’s military coup in 2012 was led by military officers who were frustrated with the then
government’s way of handling the Tuareg insurgency in Northern Mali. In March 2012, President

Amadou Toumani Touré was ousted over his handling of the insurgency.
During the same year, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta was elected as President of Mali and re-elected in
2018. However, Keita, along with his Prime Minister Cisse, was arrested in 2020 by the mutiny
soldiers which led to his resignation.
Neither elections nor military interventions have been able to stabilize Mali or put an end to years
of insurgency.
International partners have worked on huge frameworks to stabilize Mali, like:
•France leads the regional counter-insurgency operations with the G5 Sahel.
•The UN’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in 2013 was
mandated to assist G5 Sahel to protect the civilians and stabilize Mali.
Mali has also signed and ratified various key international conventions such as:
•The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC),
•The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC),
•The African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption,
•The African Charter on the Values of Public Service and Administration,
•The African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralisation, Local Governance, and
Local Development

Rajasthan Government declares ‘Black

Fungus’ an epidemic
Rajasthan Government on May 19, 2021, declared Mucormycosis disease as an epidemic in the
state. The decision was taken as the state has been seeing a surge in the number of Black
Fungus (Mucormycosis) cases in patients recovering from COVID-19.
The Rajasthan State Government declared this under ‘The Rajasthan Epidemic Diseases Act,
2020’. The notification was issued by Principal Health Secretary Akhil Arora.
As the cases of Black Fungus increase in Rajasthan, the state government has also instructed the
hospitals in the state to limited the use of steroids while doing the treatment of COVID-19
patients.
Rajasthan govt steps up to control the cases of Black Fungus:
• The Health Department of the state has constituted teams of medicine, ENT, and neurology
specialists in all the major hospitals for the treatment of Black Fungus.
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has also instructed the special studies on this disease by
a group of expert doctors.
• The government has set up a special ward at Sawai Mansingh Hospital in Jaipur for the
treatment of patients suffering from Mucormycosis.
How the black fungus is caused during COVID treatment?
According to the Health Ministry, Black Fungus or Mucormycosis is caused by the

steroids which are being administered in Coronavirus treatment. It is a complication
caused by a fungal infection.
People catch Black Fungus or Mucormycosis by coming into the contact with the fungal
spores in the environment.
As per the experts, giving large amounts of steroids to the COVID-19 patients reduces
their immunity because of which they get an infection of this disease. People with
diabetes are more prone to get the Black Fungus infection if they have been treated with
steroids and are now recovering.

Black Fungus can also be developed on the skin after the fungus enters the skin
through a scrape, cut, burn, or any other form of skin trauma.
The Ministry states that the Black Fungus disease is being detected among the patients
who have recovered or have been recovering from COVID-19.
Cases of Black Fungus in other states:
• Reportedly, in Delhi so far more than 130 cases of the fungal infection caused by the steroid
administered in the treatment of Coronavirus infection.
• The Haryana Government, on May 18, 2021, had also formed the regulations called ‘The
Haryana Epidemic Diseases (Mucormycosis) Regulations, 2021.
• The cases of Mucormycosis or Black Fungus, so far, have been reported in various parts of the
country including Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Bihar, and
Andhra Pradesh.

Centre to launch DD International to project

India Story globally
The state-owned broadcaster Doordarshan is planning to launch DD International to project

India’s voice globally on significant domestic and global issues.
Doordarshan’s parent body, Prasar Bharati, had floated a draft Expression of Interest (EoI) for the
same on May 13th inviting comments from private players. The EOI will be finalised following
these comments and floated to invite bids from the private players.
The EOI document read that the objective is to “build a global presence for Doordarshan and to
establish an international voice for India”. It stated that the channel will present India’s point of
view on contemporary issues of both global and domestic significance.
Objective
1. The target is to primarily “project India’s point of view globally on contemporary

issues of both global and domestic significance” and to “tell the India Story to a global
audience”.
2. DD International is also expected be the “authoritative global media source on India

through credible, exhaustive and accurate global news service”.
3. It also intends to create a “mindshare for India’s strategic interventions within key
stakeholders across the globe from a geopolitics and economy standpoint”.
4. It also aims to be a talent hub for global media professionals, involving and engaging
media professionals from across the globe and engaging global talent as anchors and
reporters and having a global workforce.
DD International to be BBC World-like channel?
•DD International channel aims to be a truly global channel similar to BBC World, ensuring that it
is watched by a global audience.
•It is expected to be different from DD India, which gives a mix of domestic and global news and
mainly targets the Indian diaspora settled outside the country.
•DD International will be globally focused, while DD India will have content for both domestic and

international audiences with appropriate content sharing between the two.
DD International to tell India Story?
•The primary objective of the channel will be to project India’s point of view globally.The draft
Expression of Interest (EoI) comes at a time when the Indian government led by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi is facing a lot of flak from global media over its handling of the COVID-19
pandemic.
•However, the broadcaster clarified that rigorous planning and preparations for the channel have
been ongoing for the last several months, particularly with respect to distribution.
•As per sources, a private consultancy was fired to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR)
and the roadmap to set up DD International.
•Hence, the EOI was issued for a Detailed Project Report (DPR) from reputed global consultants
with experience in advising international broadcasters/media houses on projects of this nature.
Background
Doordarshan already has English news and current affairs channel, DD India. The channel has
progressed over the years to target a global audience.
The channel was also renamed DD World for a while before it was changed back to DD India in
2019.

Important to stop vaccine wastage: PM Modi

interacts with District Officials of 10 states
Prime Minister Modi on May 20, 2021, interacted with the field officials and District Magistrates of
54 districts from 10 states which are facing high caseloads of Coronavirus infections.
This was also the second such meeting with the officials chaired by the Prime Minister. Earlier on
May 18, 2021, he had interacted with the DMs of 46 districts from 9 states, along with the Chief
Ministers who were also present in the meeting.
The interaction was between PM Modi and field officials and DMs of 10 states namely, Haryana,
Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Puducherry, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra
Pradesh, and West Bengal.
2nd interaction between PM Modi and District officials:
• Prime Minister Modi during his interaction with the District Officials stated that COVID-19 has
made the official's work more challenging and in the midst of new challenges, new strategies and
solutions are required. PM added that it has become significant to use local experiences.
Coronavirus has made your work more demanding and challenging. In the midst of new
challenges, we need new strategies & solutions. It becomes important to use local experiences &
we need to work together as a country: PM Modi interacts with District officials of 10 states
pic.twitter.com/2T5erwCT2U
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2021
• While talking about the effective policies, Prime Minister acknowledged that with the
experiences, fieldwork, and feedback of the district officials, Government is able to form effective
policies. Prime Minister informed that even to strategize vaccination drive, the government is
moving forward with the suggestions given by the states and other stakeholders.
With your fieldwork, your experiences & feedback, we get help to form effective policies. Even to
strategise vaccination drive, we are moving forward with suggestions given by States & other
stakeholders: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/liP3NCjKtb
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2021

• Health Ministry has also been providing information to states regarding the COVID-19 vaccines
for 15 days. Vaccine supply will further help the officials in managing the vaccination timelines.
Health Ministry is providing information to the states regarding vaccines for 15 days. Vaccine
supply will help you in managing vaccination timelines: PM Modi
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2021

Important to stop Vaccine wastage: PM Modi
While highlighting the problem of vaccine wastage, Prime Minister Modi stated that wasting even
a single dose of vaccine means not being able to give a shield to a life. He emphasized that it is
important to stop vaccine wastage.
There is an issue of vaccine wastage. Wasting even a single dose means not being able to give
shield to a life. It is important to stop vaccine wastage: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/3LOAp9IOwu
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2021

PM Modi lauded the groundwork of DMs and field officials:
In the meeting held on May 18, Prime Minister had appreciated the efforts of the field officials and
district administration in tackling the Coronavirus situation at the ground level. He had also called
the officials the field commanders in the battle against the pandemic.
During the interaction, Prime Minister had also warned that even though the number of fresh
COVID-19 cases across the country is decreasing, there is still a need to be more alert.
COVID-19 cases in India:
As India continues its dip in the fresh COVID-19 cases, the country has reported 2,76,070 new
Coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours on May 20, 2021.
According to the Health Ministry, the total number of deaths reported is 3,874 and discharges are
3,69,077.

UP Government to take responsibility of

children orphaned due to COVID-19
The Government of Uttar Pradesh has announced that it will take responsibility for those children
who lost both their parents during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
The UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that such children are an asset to the state and that
the current government will take care of them and will also look after their education, health, and
security.
The Chief Minister during a high-level review meeting instructed the Women and Child
Development Ministry of Uttar Pradesh to prepare a comprehensive work plan for such children in
the state.
-19 - , - : #UPCM @myogiadityanath
— CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) May 19, 2021

Key Highlights:
• The Women and Child Development Directorate in the state have already asked for a list of
such children from the District Magistrates.
• The Directorate has instructed the DMs and other responsible officers in the districts to provide
such orphan children every kind of possible help under the different schemes of the state
government.
• The officials will also conduct virtual meetings in this regard in all the divisions of the state.
• The State Child Protection Society, under Section 6 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of
Children) Act, 2015, has been tasked to form shelters for the rehabilitation of such children and to
coordinate with various agencies.
• So far, the Uttar Pradesh govt has identified 60 children across the state who have lost both
parents to the pandemic. The government has also identified another 609 children, whose
guardians or parents are affected by COVID-19 and the children need temporary care.
Task Force in UP districts to identify COVID-19 orphan children:

Navneet Sehgal, Additional Chief Secretary (information) informed that UP CM has issued
directions to form a Task Force in each district for identifying and adopting such children.
Till May 19, 2021, task forces have been constituted in 70 districts and meetings have also held in
the majority of them to implement the scheme for COVID-19 orphans.
Task forces by the government will soon also be formed in Aurraiya, Firozabad, Hapur, Pilibhit,
and Saharanpur.
Issue of illegal appeals on social media to adopt children:
Hekali Zhimoni, the Principal Secretary of the Child Development and Nutrition Department has
raised an issue of illegal appeals on social media by people who are seeking to adopt children
who have lost both the parents in the COVID-19 pandemic or putting up such children for
adoption.
The Principal Secretary, while asking all the DMs to take cognizance of any story, report, or
information on the children being put up for adoption or women being trafficked especially on
social media, stated that the second wave is at its peak and is particularly impacting children and
women.
She added that children are finding themselves in dangerous circumstances, especially those
who lost both their parents and are staring at impoverishment. Unfortunately, the criminal
elements have been trying to take advantage of the situation.

Centre asks WhatsApp to withdraw its

updated privacy policy, gives time till May
25th
The central government has asked WhatsApp to withdraw its updated privacy policy. The Union
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology sent a notice to the messaging platform in this
regard.
The Ministry has stated in its notice that WhatsApp's updated privacy policy undermines the
values of informational privacy and data security.
The centre has given WhatsApp seven days till May 25th to respond to the notice.
Centre's Notice to WhatsApp
•The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in a notice has asked WhatsApp
to withdraw or revise its new privacy policy.
•The Ministry said, “Deferral of policy does not absolve WhatsApp from respecting privacy, data
security, or user choice. The revised policy, manner of introduction undermines privacy, data
security, and choice of Indian users.”
•The Ministry pointed out that given many users dependency on the platform for communication
on a daily basis, it is irresponsible for messaging platform to leverage its position in the Indian
market and impose unfair terms and conditions.
•The MeitY said that the updated privacy policy is in violation of Indian laws and rule and the
government will consider various options available to it under laws in India.
•It added saying that if no satisfactory response is received by May 25th, necessary steps in
consonance with the law will be taken. The matter is sub-judice before Delhi HC.
WhatsApp's response
•WhatsApp spokesperson stated that the company continues to engage with the government and

he reiterated that WhatsApp's new update "does not impact the privacy of personal messages for
anyone".
•He stated that "majority of users who have received the new terms of service have accepted
them, we appreciate some people haven’t had the chance to do so yet."
•He reiterated that no accounts were deleted on May 15th because of this update and no one in
India lost functionality of WhatsApp either.
•The spokesperson added saying that WhatsApp will continue to follow up with reminders to
people over the next several weeks.
Background
WhatsApp’s new privacy policy update came into effect on May 15. The new update allows the
company to share information collected between user and business to be shared with Facebook.

Former Rajasthan CM Jagannath Pahadia

dies due to COVID-19
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Jagannath Pahadia succumbed to COVID-19 at 89 on May 19,
2021. PM Narendra Modi expressed his condolences via a tweet saying that he was saddened by
the demise of former Rajasthan CM, Jagannath Pahadia.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted to express his condolences, “Pahadia left us
because of COVID. I am very shocked by his demise. He had a lot of affection for me right from
the beginning.”
Saddened by the demise of former Rajasthan CM, Shri Jagannath Pahadia Ji. In his long political
and administrative career, he made noteworthy contributions to further social empowerment.
Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti.

, , ,
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) May 19, 2021
The Rajasthan state government will observe one-day mourning on May 20, 2021, during the
national flag will be at half-mast and all government offices will be closed.
A cabinet meeting will also be held at 12 noon on May 20, 2021, to express condolences to
Pahadia. The last rites of Pahadia will be conducted with state honour on May 20, 2021.
About Jagannath Pahadia
Jagannath Pahadia was born in Bhusawar district (present Bharatpur) in Rajasthan.
He was the first Dalit to become the CM of Rajasthan in 1980-81.
He was also a former governor of Bihar (1989- 1990) and Haryana (2009-2014).
Pahadia represented Sawai Madhopur constituency in the 2nd Lok Sabha, and later Bayana
constituency in the 4th, 5th, and 7th Lok Sabha.
Rajasthan: COVID-19 Tracker

Rajasthan, as of May 19, 2021, reported a total number of 8,79,664 confirmed COVID-19 cases,
a total of 7,080 deaths so far while the total number of recovered cases stands at 7,13,129.

United States passes anti-Asian hate crimes

bill; Check details
The United States House on May 18, 2021, passed the bill to counter a rise in the anti-Asian Hate
Crimes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The measure required two-thirds of the Chambers' support and was passed in a 364-62 vote with
62 Republicans voting against the bill.
The President of the US Joe Biden has already extended and voiced his support for the measure
and now it has passed the House, the bill will be cleared for his signature. The passage of the bill
has come in the view of growing hate crimes against the Asian-American community in the US.
Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian-Pacific American Caucas stated that after a
year of the Asian American community crying out for help, Congress will take a historic action to
pass long-overdue hate crimes legislations and send the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to US
President’s desk.
COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act: What will change with the new bill?
• The bill passed to prevent hate crimes against Asians will create a new position at the
Justice Department to speed up the review of the potential COVID-19 related hate
crimes and incidents reported at the federal, state, and local levels.
• It will also direct the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to work
with the community-based organisations for issuing guidance raising awareness of the
hate crimes during the pandemic.
• The newly passed bill will also require the US attorney general to issue the guidance to
work with the local and state law enforcement agencies for establishing online reporting
of them.
Increasing hate crimes against Asians in the US:
The recent bill was introduced in light of the increasing number of crimes against the Asian-
American community.
The passage of the anti-Asian hate crimes bill has come less than 2 months after a gunman had
killed eight people in three Asian-owned spas in the greater Atlanta. Six of the victims were

women of Asian descent.
On May 18, the US House also planned to pass a separate resolution condemning the massacre
in Georgia on March 16, 2021.
Background:
The legislation, known as the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, was introduced by Democratic Sen.
Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Democratic-Republican Grace Meng of New York. In April 2021, the
legislation passed the Senate by an overwhelming vote of 94-1.

Antarctica headed towards climate tipping

point by 2060: All you need to know
A new study published in the journal Nature shows that the Antarctica ice sheet could reach a
tipping point by about 2060.
This means if the global greenhouse emissions continue at the current rate, the Antarctica Ice
Sheet (AIS) will cross a critical threshold leading to an irreversible global sea-level rise.
Antarctica’s Tipping Point
The Antarctica Ice Sheet, known to be Earth’s largest ice reservoir, is covered by several
protective ice shelves. These ice shelves are grounded below sea level on the bedrock that is
sloped inward to the center of the continent.
This inward slope exposes the ice shelves to warm ocean water flowing under them that can lead
to thinning of their lower edges, thereby destabilizing and breaking up.
The breaking up of ice shelves leads to towering ice cliffs that are unstable and when they
collapse, they accelerate the rate of ice flow into the oceans.
As per the computer model based on the physics of ice sheets used in the study, it was found that
global warming above 2 degrees Celsius will lead to a steep increase in ice loss in Antarctica,
especially through the ginormous Thwaites Glacier.
The Thwaites Glacier is equivalent to the side of Britain or Florida. It is a part of the West
Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) and a deep focus of study among scientists in the US and UK.
Currently, the world is on track to exceed 2 degrees Celsius with the current policies and
emissions rate. Countries fulfilling the Paris Agreement targets is one way to drastically reduce
the rising sea level.
Scientists fear that reversing ice loss would not be possible then and by 2100, the sea level rise
would be 10 times faster than today.
Sea level rise can explode by 2100

•A new study by David Pollard, Robert DeConto, and Richard Alley shows that sea-level rise
could most likely explode by 2150, exceeding 2.3 inches (6 cm) per year if the current emissions
are not curbed by 2100.
•By 2300, sea-level rise is expected to be 10 times faster than today if countries fail to meet the
Paris Agreement targets.
•Three major pathways to meet the Paris Agreement require keeping global warming under 1.5
degrees Celsius to 2 degrees Celsius, remove sufficient carbon dioxide from the air to lower the
temperature further, and cut global emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.
•The current policies would only help in cutting global emissions by 1 per cent by 2030.
Mission ‘reduce emissions quickly’
As the countries gear up for the Paris Agreement to be held in November and deliberate on a
Climate Action plan, the ocean and polar scientists have three important messages to be noted:
•Every fraction of a degree counts.
•Allowing global warming to exceed 2 degrees Celsius can leave the coastlines submerged
underwater. Technological fixes will not be able to reverse the devastating impacts.
•Polices must adopt a long view as these can have irreversible damage to Antarctica’s ice sheet
and the world at large.
As more data comes to light about Antarctica, scientists say that it is becoming evident that this
continent will determine the fate of the planet.

Andhra Pradesh launches new policy to

double its oxygen manufacturing capacity
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has unveiled a new Andhra Pradesh
Industrial Gases and Medical Oxygen Manufacturing Policy 2021-22 to double the state's oxygen
manufacturing capacity.
The main aim of the policy is to increase Andhra Pradesh's oxygen manufacturing capacity from
the existing 360 metric tonnes (MT) capacity to 700 MT by refurbishing sick units for producing
oxygen.
Key Features
•The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Gases and Medical Oxygen Manufacturing Policy aims to set up
a total of at least 50 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants.
•The important features of the policy include that it aims to distribute the manufacturing across the
state by zoning methodology.
•The policy incentives allow subsidizing Capex (30 percent or up to 30 lakh/MT) and Opex (power
subsidy up to INR 2 per unit) of the unit allowing them to maintain profitability during these
uncertain times.
•The policy aims to support all the technologies including PSA (pressure swing adsorption), Liquid
Oxygen, and Helium Mixed Oxygen (Heliox).
•It aims to revive the sick PSA units to provide a quick boost to the state's oxygen manufacturing
capacity.
Term of the Policy
The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Gases and Medical Oxygen Manufacturing Policy will be effective
for 1 year from April 15, 2021
The period for commissioning PSA, Lox and Heliox includes within 6 months, 18 months and 24
months respectively from the date of sanction.

Background
Andhra Pradesh has reported a total of 21,320 new coronavirus infections and 98 fatalities in the
last 24 hours.
The state government has added black fungus or mucormycosis to its Aarogyasri scheme to fight
against the pandemic.
The state has introduced an Aarogyasri Card to provide financial aid to the needy who are not
able to foot their medical bills.

Penpa Tsering elected as President of Central

Tibetan Administration
The former speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Penpa Tsering, has been elected as the
President of the Central Tibetan Administration, officials informed on May 14, 2021.
The Chief Election Commissioner of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Wangdu Tsering Pesur
informed during an online press briefing that Penpa Tsering was successfully able to secure
34,324 votes for the post of ‘Sikyong’ (President) of the 17th Parliament-in-Exile of the Central
Tibetan Administration.
On the other hand, Kalsang Dorjee Aukatsang won 28,907 votes in the recently held polls.
The first directly elected President of the Central Tibetan Administration was Lobsang Tenzin. He
was elected for the position on August 20, 2001.
Election Commissioner Wangdu Tsering formally declares Penpa Tsering as the elected Sikyong,
also declares the 45 elected members of the 17th Tibetan parliament. https://t.co/FLA0KwvKVE
— Tibet.net (@NetTibet) May 14, 2021
Before 2011, the post of the President of Central Tibetan Administration was subordinate to the
Dalai Lama, who has been presiding over the Tibetan government-in-exile since its founding.
Key Highlights:
• More than 83,000 Tibetans who have been living in 26 countries participated in the third and
final round of voting for the election to the post of Sikyong on April 11, 2021.
• The Chief Election Commissioner also announced the appointment of the 45 members of the
Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.
• The 45 new members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile will include 10 members who will be
representing each of Tibetan’s three traditional provinces- Kham, U-Tsang, and Amdo and two
representatives will be from each of Tibet’s four major schools of Buddhism and pre-Buddhist Bon
religion.
Who is Penpa Tsering?

He was born in a refugee camp in 1967 in Bylakupee in Karnataka. Penpa Tsering is a Tibetan
politician who was elected to the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration for two terms
from 1996 and 2006.
After this, between 2008 and 2016, he also became the speaker of the 14th and the 15th Tibetan
Parliament-in-Exile. After becoming President of the Central Tibet Administration, he will be
succeeding the current President Lobsang Sangay.
About Central Tibetan Administration:
It is Tibet’s elected Parliamentary government which is based in Dharamshala, India. The Central
Tibet Administration is also referred to as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.
Ever since it was formed in 1959, the Central Tibet Administration has not been officially
recognized by the Chinese Government. However, the Tibetan refugees and diaspora support
and recognizes the Central Tibetan Administration by voting for the President, Parliament
members and by making annual financial contributions.
Tibet-China conflict: Background
The Tibetan territory is administered by the People’s Republic of China, a situation that is
considered as an illegitimate military occupation by the Central Tibetan Administration.
The CTA maintains the position that Tibet is an independent and distinct nation with a long history
of Independence, while the Chinese Government justifies its military occupation over the territory
by claiming that China is a multi-ethnic nation and that the Government of China has continuously
exercised sovereignty over Tibet for over 700 years.

Arjan Bhullar, first Indian fighter to become

MMA World Champion
Arjan ‘Singh’ Bhullar became the first Indian fighter to win the ONE Heavyweight World Title at the
top-level (Mixed Martial Arts) MMA Championship event in Singapore on May 16, 2021, after
defeating the longtime heavyweight king Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera.
ONE Championship, Asia’s largest global sports event, witnessed ONE Super Series debut of a
Thai striking phenom, four mixed martial arts contests, and a battle for the ONE Heavyweight
World Title.
Arjan ‘Singh’ Bhullar ended the five-year championship-winning run of the Filipino-American
fighter Brandon Vera in the main event. In the first round, Bhullar stifled Vera and took him down,
the second round saw Vera gasping for air.
Arjan Bhullar becomes the FIRST Indian Mixed Martial Arts World Champion, stopping Brandon
Vera with second-round strikes! @TheOneASB #ONEDangal #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship
pic.twitter.com/e6gblkjshC
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) May 15, 2021

Who is Arjan Bhullar?
•Arjan Bhullar is an Indian-Canadian mixed martial arts fighter. He was born and raised in
Vancouver, Columbia. He is of Indian descent.
•He had won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in New Delhi in 2010. He also became the
first Indian freestyle wrestler to represent Canada at the Olympics in London in 2012.
•Bhullar has also been the first Indian fighter to win a UFC fight where he defeated Luis Enrigue
Barbosa de Oliveira in 2015.

India, Israel and Palestine Relations– Who

does India support in Israel-Palestinian
Conflict and why?
India supported the "just Palestinian cause’’ and reiterated its “unwavering support to the two-
State solution’’ in its statement at the United Nations Security Council meeting on esclation in
East Jerusalem May 16, 2021.
The statement, made by India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti,
was the first by India on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
India's statement at the UNSC Meet
While speaking at the Open debate on the Middle East, Ambassador TS Tirumurti expressed
strong condemnation of all acts of violence and urged immediate de-escalation. He further
reiterated India's support to just cause & commitment to a 2-State solution.
#IndiainUNSC
Watch :
PR @ambtstirumurti speaks at the Open Debate on Middle East@MEAIndia @indemtel

@ROIRamallah pic.twitter.com/g1admWoaxP
— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) May 16, 2021

India's Full Statement
•India expressed deep concern over the violence in Jerusalem, especially on Haram Al-
Sharif/ Temple Mount during the holy month of Ramzan and about the possible eviction
process in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, an area which is
part of an arrangement facilitated by the UN.
•India had also expressed its apprehensions on the spread of violence to other parts of
the West Bank and Gaza.
•TS Tirumurti stated that the events of the last several days have resulted in a sharp
deterioration of the security situation.

•He stated that India condemns the indiscriminate rocket firings from Gaza targeting the
civilian population in Israel and the retaliatory strikes into Gaza, have caused immense
suffering and resulted in deaths including women and children.
•He stated that India has also lost one of its nationals living in Israel in this rocket-fire-
caregiver in Ashkelon. He said that India mourns her demise along with all other civilians
who have lost their lives.
•India reiterated its strong condemnation of all acts of violence, provocation, incitement
and destruction.
•India called for immediate de-escalation and urged both sides to exercise restraint,
desist from action exacerbate tensions and refrain from attempts to unilaterally change
the existing status-quo including in East Jerusalem and surrounding areas.
In addition to , I also added:
Old city also houses Al Zawiyya Al Hindiyya - The Indian Hospice

Condemn rocket fire from Gaza
Urge restraint of all parties & to adhere to #UNSC Res 2334
Need to immediately resume direct peace talks
Committed to two-state solution 2/2
— PR/Amb T S Tirumurti (@ambtstirumurti) May 11, 2021
•India further stated that Jerusalem has a special place in the hearts of millions of
Indians who visit the city every year.
•TS Tirumurti stated that the Old City also houses the Al Zawiyya Al Hindiyya- The Indian
Hospice, a historic place associated with Indian Sufi saint Baba Farid.
•India reiterated that the historic status quo at the holy places of Jerusalem including the
Haram AL-Sharif/ Temple Mount must be respected.
•India also called for immediate resumption of dialogue between Israel and Palestine
authorities and reiterated that every effort should be made to create conducive conditions
for the resumption of talks between Palestine and Israel.
Who does India support in the Israel-Palestinian Conflict?
•Despite India's attempts to balance its support between Israel and Palestine, in the UNSC open
debate on May 16th, India's statements were clearly tilted in favour of Palestine as it reiterated its
support for the just cause of Palestine and pushed for a two-state solution.
•India appeared to hold Israel responsible for triggering the current violence by starting with
expressing deep concern over the violence in Jerusalem, especially on Haram Al Sharif/ Temple

Mount and about the possible eviction process in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan.
•India also mentioned that the historic status quo at the holy places of Jerusalem must be
respected.
•India did attempt to balance its statements by condemning the indiscriminate rocket firings from
Gaza targeting the civilian population in Israel and the retaliatory strikes into Gaza.
In today’s #UNSC meeting on events in East #Jerusalem & elsewhere, I mentioned:
Condemn all acts of violence, especially rocket attacks from #Gaza

Mourn tragic demise of Indian national in #Israel
Immediate de-escalation need of hour
Refrain from changing status-quo pic.twitter.com/n58LpezlJe
— PR/Amb T S Tirumurti (@ambtstirumurti) May 12, 2021
•However, India was notably left out of a tweet posted by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on May
16, 2021, in which he thanked 25 countries for their support against the Hamas attack.
Thank you for resolutely standing with and supporting our right to self defense against terrorist
attacks.
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 15, 2021

India-Palestine-Israel Relations
•While India shares historic ties with Palestine, its relations with Israel have been blossoming
especially in the last couple of years.
•India’s policy on the Israel-Palestinian conflict has seen a major shift from being unequivocally
pro-Palestine during the first four decades to a tense balancing act in the last three decades after
India built friendly ties with Israel.
•India’s position has also been often perceived as pro-Israel in recent years.
When did India shift to a balancing act from being completely pro-Palestine?
•India’s decision to normalise ties with Israel in 1992, marked the beginning of its balancing act.

•India opened its embassy in Tel Aviv in January 1992, almost four decades after it recognised
Israel in 1950.
•India had recognised Israel then, as the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru felt that not
doing so would create bitterness between two UN members.
•India was the only non-Arab-state among 13 countries that had voted against the UN partition
plan of Palestine in the General Assembly that had led to the creation of Israel in 1948.
•India had co-sponsored the draft resolution on the right of the Palestinians to self-determination
at the 53rd UN session.
•Further in the 1967 and 1973 wars, India had lashed out at Israel as the aggressor.
•India became the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestinian Liberation Organisation
(PLO) as the sole representative of the Palestinian people in 1975.
•India was also one of the first nations to support PLO's move when it declared an independent
state of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem in 1988.
•PLO leader Yasser Arafat was received as head of state whenever he visited India.
•In 1992, PV Narasimha Rao-led government established a diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv. India
also opened a Representative Office in Gaza, which was later moved to Ramallah as the
Palestinian movement split between the Hamas (which gained control of Gaza) and the PLO.
Two-state solution
•India has been a fervent supporter of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian

conflict, which the PLO is also reportedly in favour of.
•India had voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution in October 2003
against Israel’s construction of a separation wall.
•India had voted for Palestine to become a full member of UNESCO in 2011.
•It had also co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution in 2012 that enabled
Palestine to become a “non-member” observer state at the UN without voting rights.
•India also supported the installation of the Palestinian flag on the UN premises in
September 2015.

•Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority visited India in 2005, 2008, 2010
and 2012.
India-Israel Relations
•India and Israel's relations have grown immensely from 1992, powered by several important
deals in primarily defence, science and technology and agriculture sector.
•There were also many high-profile visits between the two nations with L K Advani becoming the
Indian minister to visit Israel in 2000.
•In 2003, Ariel Sharon became the first Prime Minister of Israel to visit India.
•Pranab Mukherjee became the first Indian President to visit Israel in 2015. However, he had
during his visit reiterated India’s position on Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestine.
•In February 2018, PM arendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel.

COVID-19 Vaccine: Johnson and Johnson

partners with India’s Biological E. to produce
vaccine
US Pharmaceutical company Johnson and Johnson has started working with Biological E Limited
a Telangana-based pharma company in India, for manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine, read an
official statement on May 18, 2021.
The vaccine named, Janssen COVID-19, has been approved in the US, Europe, and other
nations including South Africa and Thailand.
The official statement by Johnson and Johnson on working with Biological E Limited read, “We
believe Biological E Limited will be an important part of our global COVID019 vaccine supply
network, where multiple manufacturing sites are involved in the production of our vaccine across
different facilities, different countries and continents, before the vaccine can be distributed.”
The US pharma giant in its statement further informed that the company is working tirelessly day
and night to develop and expand its manufacturing capabilities to supply its COVID vaccine
worldwide.
The company also expressed its appreciation for the ongoing and extensive partnerships and
collaborations with the governments, health authorities, and other companies to curb the
pandemic.
Johnson and Johnson in April 2021 had informed of its discussions with the Indian government
towards bridging trials in the country for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine named Janssen. In an
official statement, the US pharma giant said it is committed to bringing a safe and effective
COVID-19 vaccine to the people across world, if authorized by the local health authorities.
India is currently using three authorized vaccines: Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN, Serum Institute of
India’s COVISHIELD, and Russia’s Sputnik V. Amid the second wave at its peak, the country is
on a lookout to ramp up its vaccine production.
Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19: All you need to know

•Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is a single-dose vaccine. It was approved by the World Health
Organization and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use for all above 18
years in February 2021.
•The WHO stated that the Janssen vaccine showed an efficacy of 85.4 per cent against severe
COVID infection and 66.9 per cent against moderate to mild infection.
•The vaccine is administered in a single dose and has been found to be effective after 28 days of
getting inoculated.
•The WHO has found the J&J Janssen vaccine effective against the Brazil and South Africa
variants of COVID-19.

India's OVL loses operating rights in Iran's

Farzad-B gas field: Know why here!
The state-owned ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has lost its development and operating rights in Iran's
Farzad-B giant gas field to Iranian Petropars Group.
The OVL, which is the overseas investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp
(ONGC), owns 40 percent participating interest (PI) in the block.
Farzad-B gas field's discovery
An ONGC-led consortium had first discovered the giant gas field in the Farsi offshore
exploration block in 2008. It was later named Farzad-B.
The other partners in its consortium included Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India. The
ONGC consortium had offered to put in investment up to USD 11 billion for the
development of the gas field.
Key Highlights
•The Indian consortium had so far invested around USD 400 million in the gas block.
•However, issues in negotiations between OVL and Iranian authorities as well as US sanctions
led to the failure of multiple negotiations between the company and Iranian regulators to finalise a
development plan.
•Ultimately, India lost the operating rights of the gas field after Iran awarded the contract to
develop the giant gas field to a local company.
•The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed a contract worth $1.78 billion with Petropars
Group for the development of Farzad B Gas Field in the Persian Gulf.
•The deal was signed in Tehran on May 17, 2021 in the presence of the Iranian Minister of
Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh.
•The contract envisages daily production of about 28 million cubic meters of sour gas in the next
five years.

Farzad-B gas field: Significance
•The Farzad-B gas field comprises 23 trillion cubic feet of in-place gas reserves, out of
which 60 percent is estimated to be recoverable.
•The gas field also holds gas condensates of about 5,000 barrels per billion cubic feet of
gas.
•The 3,500 sqkm Farsi block sits in a water depth of 20-90 metres on the Iranian side of
the Persian Gulf.
Why has OVL lost its operating rights in the Farzad-B gas field? Everything you need to
know- Full Timeline
•OVL, which had 40 percent operatorship interest, had signed the Exploration Service Contract
(ESC) for the gas block on December 25, 2002. The other partners of OVL- Indian Oil Corp (IOC)
holds 40 percent Participating Interest, while Oil India holds the remaining 20 percent
Participating Interest.
•The OVL had first discovered gas in the block, which was declared commercially viable by NIOC
on August 18, 2008. The exploration phase expired on June 24, 2009.
•The OVL had submitted a Master Development Plan (MDP) of Farzad-B gas field in April 2011 to
Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC), the then designated authority by NIOC for the
development of the gas field.
•Though a Development Service Contract (DSC) was negotiated till November 2012, but it could
not be finalized due to difficult terms and international sanctions on Iran.
•The negotiations began again with the Iranian authorities in April 2015 under a new Iran
Petroleum Contract (IPC). Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) was introduced as NIOC's
representative for negotiations this time.
•In April 2016, the two sides negotiated to develop the Farzad-B gas field under an integrated
contract. The contract covered both upstream and downstream as well as monetization and
marketing of the processed gas. The negotiations though remained inconclusive.
•The NIOC informed OVL on October 18, 2020 of its intention to award the contract for Farzad-B's
development with an Iranian company, after sitting over OVL's proposal for years.

Background
India had previously on several occasions emphasized on the need for early completion of all
necessary procedures for India’s participation in the Farzad-B field. India had also expressed its
desire to participate in other oil and gas explorations in Iran as well.

Centre brings changes in Custom Rules,

IGCR 2017 to boost trade facilitation
The Central Government has brought changes in the existing Customs (Imports of Goods at
Concessional Rate of Duty) Rules, IGCR 2017 in order to boost trade facilitation.
The changes were introduced by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs through the
Customs (Imports of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) Amendment Rules, 2021.
The Custom Rules, IGCR 2017 lay down the manners and procedures in which an importer can
avail the benefit of a concessional Customs duty on the import of goods that are required for the
domestic production of goods or for providing services.
CBIC issued Circular No.10/2021-Customs, dated 17th May 2021 in order to assist the trade in
understanding the improvements in the IGCR, 2017 so that they may make full use of the new
facilities. (2/8) pic.twitter.com/xrQKKhripG
— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) May 18, 2021

What are the new changes in Custom Rules?
• In a statement, the Ministry of Finance informed that one major change in the rules that
accommodates the requirements of the trade and industry is that the imported goods have now
been permitted to be sent out for job work.
• The absence of the above-mentioned facility had earlier constrained the industry particularly
those who are in the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises sector which did not have the
complete manufacturing capability in-house.
• The Ministry also informed that the importers who do not have any form of the manufacturing
facility can now avail the IGCR, 2017 for importing goods at the concessional Customs duty. They
can also get the final goods manufactured entirely on the job work basis.
• It must be noted that some sectors such as jewellery, gold, precious stones, and metals have
been excluded.
• Another significant incentive now provided is allowing those who import capital goods at a

concessional Customs duty to clear them in the domestic market on the payment of duty and
interest, at a depreciated value.
Background:
The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in her Budget Speech in 2021
that the Customs (IGCR) Rules, 2017 will be amended for boosting trade facilitation.
As per the announcement, the Central Board of Customs and Indirect Taxes immediately started
enhancing the scope of these rules on February 2, 2021.

Cyclone Tauktae: Prime Minister Modi to visit

Gujarat, Diu today to review the damage
PM Modi will be visiting Gujarat and Diu on May 19, 2021, for reviewing the situation and the
damage caused by Cyclone Tauktae. Prime Minister will leave Delhi at 9.30 am and will land at
Bhavnagar from where he will further proceed for an aerial survey of Diu, Una, Mahuva, and
Jafarabad.
Gujarat CMO in a tweet informed that PM Modi will be visiting Gujarat to conduct an aerial survey
of the areas of Gir Somnath, Amreli, and Bhavnagar districts that have been hit by Cyclone
Tauktae. The tweet added that Prime Minister will also hold a review meeting with Gujarat CM
Vijay Rupani and top officials of the state later in Ahmedabad.
PM Shri @narendramodi will visit Gujarat tomorrow to conduct an aerial survey of the areas of
Amreli, Gir Somnath & Bhavnagar distrcts hit by #CycloneTauktae. The PM will also hold a review
meeting with CM Shri @vijayrupanibjp and top officials of the State later in Ahmedabad.
— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) May 18, 2021
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray also held a telephonic conversation with
the CM of Gujarat Vijay Rupani to discuss the impact of the cyclone as the storm made landfall in
the neighbouring state late in the night.
Cyclone Tauktae impacts weather in several parts of Northern India:
Cyclone Tauktae stands to be the strongest storm that has impacted Gujarat since 1998. The
storm has battered parts of the state and has left behind a trail of destruction along the coast,
uprooting trees, poles and damaging several roads and houses.
According to the weather department, the cyclone whose intensity had weakened but heavy rains
are likely to continue, with the wind speeds reaching 125 km per hour.
Cyclone Tauktae has severely impacted the weather conditions in various parts of Northern India.
Many areas such as Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi are likely to witness the
rainfall in the coming few hours.
Cyclone Tauktae: Measures taken to mitigate the impact

• The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 17, 2021, held a meeting for reviewing the
assistance and preparedness being provided by the Armed Forces to the civil authorities for
tackling the situation. The Minister assured that 11 Indian Navy diving teams have been kept on
standby in case of any request from affected states.
• The Government of Gujarat evacuated the people living in the coastal areas after the India
Meteorological Department had issued a warning of flooding and tidal waves because of the
cyclone.
• Rescue teams of the Indian Army and the National Disaster Response Force were sent to
severely hit regions in Diu and Gujarat.
• The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief,
search and rescue operations.
• Indian Air Force and the Engineer Task Force Unit of the Indian Army, with the rescue
equipment and boats, are also on standby for deployment.
• Seven ships with the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Units are also on standby
along the Western Coast.
• Helicopters and surveillance aircraft are also carrying out aerial surveillance along the Western
Coast.

Kobe Bryant inducted into Hall of Fame
Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers legend, on May 15, 2021, was posthumously inducted into
the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a part of the Class of 2020.
His widow wife Vanessa Bryant and their oldest daughter Natalia attended the event to pay their
tributes and accept the Hall of Fame shirt and a ring.
Bryant’s induction to the Class of 2020 was scheduled to happen last April but got delayed due to
the coronavirus pandemic.
Kobe loved the game. And he loved his fans. #MambaForever pic.twitter.com/JF4gmXispY
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 16, 2021
The five-time NBA champion Bryant, along with his 13-year old daughter Gianna and seven family
friends, died in a helicopter crash at the age of 41 in January 2020. Bryant had retired in 2016.
Among the others inducted to the Class of 2020 were Tim Duncan (Player), Kevin Garnett
(Player), Eddie Sutton (Coach), Rudy Tomjanovich (Coach), Tamika Catchings (Player), Kim
Mulkey (Coach), Barbara Stevens (Coach), and Patrick Baumann (Contributor).
Kobe Bryant: Career Highlights
•Kobe Bryant was an American professional basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers in the
National Basketball Association (NBA).
•Recognized as one of the greatest players of all time, Bryant had won the NBA Championships
five times for the Los Angeles Lakers.
•Bryant was a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, 15-time member All-NBA Team, and
an 18-time All-Star.
•Bryant was the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008, and a two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable
Player.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
•The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization that serves as a

basketball hall of fame to promote, preserve, and celebrate the game of basketball and players –
men and women, amateur and professional, coaches and contributors, national and international.
•The Hall of Fame, in memory of the inventor of Basketball James Naismith, houses more than
400 inductees. It is situated in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where Basketball originated.
•The Hall of Fame was established in 1959 and it inducted its first class in the same year.

Veteran BJP leader and former Union

Minister Chaman Lal Gupta passes away at
87
The former Union Minister and Veteran leader of Bharatiya Janata Party Chaman Lal Gupta
passed away on May 18, 2021, after a prolonged illness at his Gandhi Nagar residence.
According to his family, Gupta was undergoing successful treatment for COVID-19 at a hospital.
Chaman Lal Gupta had tested positive for COVID-19 on May 5, 2021, and had returned from the
hospital on May 16 after the successful treatment. However, his elder son Anil Gupta informed,
his condition had suddenly deteriorated in the wee hours and he breathed his last at around 5.10
am.
The last rites of the deceased leader will be performed later in the day. Prime Minister Modi gave
his tribute to Chaman Lal Gupta via Twitter and mentioned that he will be remembered for
numerous community service efforts. He added that Gupta was a dedicated legislator and had
strengthened BJP Party across J&K.
Shri Chaman Lal Gupta Ji will be remembered for numerous community service efforts. He was a
dedicated legislator and strengthened the BJP across Jammu and Kashmir. Pained by his
demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti.
The Lt. Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha paid his condolences to the departed leader and stated that
he will be remembered for his immense contribution towards the people’s welfare. A tweet from
the office of J&K Lt. Governor acknowledged Chaman Lal Gupta as a seasoned politician and a
widely respected public figure.
Deeply pained to hear about the passing away of Former Union Minister, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta
ji. A seasoned politician & a widely respected public figure, his demise is a great loss to the
political sphere.
— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) May 18, 2021

Chaman Lal Gupta: Political Career of over five decades

• The veteran BJP leader had an illustrious political career that spanned over five decades after
he became a member of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1972.
• Gupta again became a member of the J&K Legislative Assembly between 2008 and 2014.
• Chaman Lal Gupta was elected to the 11th Lok Sabha from Jammu’s Udhampur Constituency in
1996 and was again re-elected to 12th and 13th Lok Sabha in 1998 and 1999.
• He was the Union Minister of State, Civil Aviation Ministry between October 13, 1999, and
September 1, 2001, Union Minister of State (independent charge), Food Processing Industries
Ministry (September 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002), and the Union Minister of State for the Defence
(July 1, 2002, to 2004).
Personal background:
Chaman Lal Gupta was born on April 13, 1934. He had completed his MSc from GM Science
College Jammu and Allahabad University. He was also an author of three books in Hindi. The
two-time J&K BJP President is survived by his two sons and a daughter.

Tribal Affairs Ministry, Microsoft sign MoU for

digital transformation of Tribal Schools
The Tribal Affairs Ministry on May 17, 2021 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
Microsoft to support the digital transformation of Tribal schools such as Eklavya Model Residential
Schools (EMRS) and Ashram Schools.
The MoU was signed at an online event ‘Empowering Youth For Success’. Under the initiative,
Microsoft will make the Artificial Intelligence curriculum available to tribal students in both English
and Hindi language at all EMRS schools under the Ministry to skill educators and students in
next-generation technologies.
Significance
•This program is expected to prove beneficial in terms of readiness, preparedness of the students
of the schools at various international forums.
•The students will get the required skill set through these digital programmes, which is expected
to open a new chapter with AI and coding being a part of the curriculum.
•The programme is expected to help bridge the gap between the tribal students and others. It will
also offer the tribal students a unique opportunity to get global standard education.
•The initiative will also help the tribal students in maintaining continuity in their education in this
lockdown period. Along with students, 5000 teachers nominated by the ministry across these
schools would also be provided with professional training.
Key Highlights
•Under the first phase of the programme, Microsoft has adopted 250 EMRS schools out of which
50 EMRS schools will be given intensive training and 500 master trainers would be trained.
•Teachers across India will also be trained in a phased manner for using productivity technologies
like Office 365 and AI applications in teaching.
•It will help them deliver blended or remote learning experiences to students in a more

personalized and productive manner.
•These teacher trainings will introduce them to the world of virtual collaboration and teach them
how to augment teaching process.
•The program will also give teachers opportunities to earn professional e-badges and e-
certificates from the Microsoft Education Centre.
•Under the partnership, the students from the tribal schools under the Tribal Affairs Ministry will be
mentored on projects that involve AI applications for societal good and to achieve the UN’s
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
•The students will also be exposed to gamified environments on Minecraft to help build design
thinking skills
Speaking about the partnership, Navtez Bal, Executive Director, Public Sector, Microsoft
India, said that their partnership with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is a step to enable
education equity, providing equal opportunity and access for the next generation of
learners and educators from schools under the Ministry. He added saying that they are
deeply committed to the digital transformation of education in India.

Delhi Government announces free education

for children orphaned by COVID-19 pandemic
The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal on May 18, 2021, announced that the children who lost
their parents due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be provided Rs. 2,500 per month (till they turn
25) and their education will also be paid for by the Delhi Government.
The news was shared by the Chief Minister as he announced a series of welfare measures for the
poverty and disaster-hit families in Delhi.
Children whose both parents die either due to #COVID19 or with one parent already dead and the
one succumbing to COVID now will be given Rs 2,500 monthly pension till they attain the age of
25 years. They will be provided free education: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021
The National Capital, in particular, saw the flood of fresh COVID-19 cases where the caseload
which was below 10,000 on April 1, 2021, went to over 1 lakh by the end of April. The city has
also faced an acute shortage of oxygen supply, hospital beds, and medicines, leading to an
increasing number of deaths.
Free ration to 72 lakh people from poor families:
The Chief Minister in the series of welfare measures announced that 72 lakh people from poor
families will be getting 10 kg of free ration in May 2021.
Half of the ration will be provided by the ruling AAP Government and the rest will be by the
Central Government scheme. The government will provide ration without proof of low income, as
is normally the case.
There are 72 lakh ration card holders in Delhi & they're given 5 kg ration by the govt every month.
This month, ration will be given free of cost. Besides this, addl 5 kg free ration is being given by
the Central Govt. So they're being given 10 kg free ration this month: Delhi CM
pic.twitter.com/tNLqpMJxCa
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021
In a brief statement, the Chief Minister mentioned that each month 5 kg ration is given at a

subsidized rate to the poor families, however, this month they will get it for free. He informed that
this additional 5 kg is being given under PM-CARES, so a total of 10 kg ration will be given free
this time.
Ration Card: Chief Minister, while acknowledging that not everyone has a ration card and cannot
be issued at such short notice, mentioned that in a good faith whoever says they need free ration
will be able to get it.
Families who lost their sole breadwinner to get Rs. 2,500 per month:
The Chief Minister informed that the families who lost their sole earning members due to the
pandemic will be provided with a pension of Rs. 2,500 per month besides ex-gratia.
He added that if the husband was the sole earning member, the wife will be eligible to get the
amount and vice versa. In case, the person was unmarried, the pension will go to the parents.
Families where the breadwinner died, will be given Rs 2500 monthly pension besides the ex-
gratia. If husband dies, pension will be given to the wife, if wife dies it will be given to the
husband. If an unmarried person dies, the pension will be given to his/her parents: Delhi CM
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021
This will be apart from the one-time payment of Rs. 50,000 each as ex-gratia that was announced
earlier for any family that has had a COVID death.
Every family that has had a death due to #COVID19 among them, will be given Rs 50,000 each
as ex-gratia: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/1VTh5mJo1i
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021

Delhi sees dip in active COVID-19 cases:
Delhi, which was particularly hit hard by the second wave of the pandemic, has seen a dip in the
number of active cases as on May 17, 2021, the city recorded fewer than 5,000 fresh actives in
the 24 hours.
Delhi under strict lockdown:
Delhi has also been under strict lockdown since April 19, 2021, and will continue to be so till May
24 till 5 am. The lockdown has been extended to break the chain of the transmission. The Chief
Minister stated that the city has been witnessing good recovery because of the lockdown and
active cases have also declined.


Why you should keep wearing masks even

when fully vaccinated: All you need to know
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 13, issued an advisory that ‘fully
vaccinated’ people in the US need not wear masks anymore.
The CDC stated that the new guidance is based on strong evidence from medical studies that
showed very few cases of COVID-19 infection and transmission of the disease were registered
after taking the vaccine.
However, the health experts around the world were not convinced about dropping the masks
completely.
Why you should keep wearing masks even when fully vaccinated: Key points
•The CDC guidance has been issued keeping the American population in mind. Approximately
one-third or more than 120 million people have been vaccinated in the US. There has been a
steady decline in the number of COVID cases in the US.
•Health experts have noted that the US is using double mutant’, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna,
which have a higher efficacy against the COVID infection. The studies have shown that the
mRNA vaccines fair better against the variants as well.
However, the COVID situation in India is different with the second wave of the pandemic at its
peak.
•Health experts warned that dropping the masks in India is not all advisable and can have
disastrous consequences. Even when fully vaccinated, the probability of getting infected with
COVID-19 may be low but there is still a small chance of infection and transmission are still
present and that could be very risky.
•Only a small fraction of India has been vaccinated, many are waiting to get their shot, and many
are forgoing the vaccination due to the fear of the infection or inadequate trust in the healthcare
system.
•Regarding the vaccines, the health experts noted that though both COVAXIN and COVISHIELD

have been found effective to neutralize the B.1.617 or the Indian ‘double mutant’ variant, there are
still ongoing studies to study the effectiveness of vaccines, how long the vaccines can stave off
the infection and if the vaccines offer protection from future variants.
•Health experts expressed that studies have shown that if the disease prevalence were low in the
country, the guidance would have been acceptable. Both Barat Biotech and AstraZeneca
vaccines have shown to reduce transmission of the infection by 50 per cent.

Common Crane returns to Ireland after more

than 300 years; Why is it significant?
The Common Crane, more than 3 centuries after it disappeared from Ireland, has returned to the
island nation. Common Crane is a bird that has been a part of Ireland’s folklore and was also a
popular pet during medieval times.
A pair of cranes was spotted in 2020 on a restored peat bog. It is a type of wetland that is mostly
found in the northern latitude countries. Reportedly, the birds are in the Midlands region of
Ireland, but their exact location has been kept secret in order to protect them.
About Common Crane:
The Common Crane is usually seen in Ireland during the winters, however is not sighted during
the breeding season. It was the first time in 2020 in over 300 years that the birds were spotted
nesting in Ireland during this period.
Common Cranes stand at 4 feet tall with a wingspan of over 7 feet. It is used to be the largest bird
in Ireland. These Cranes are connected with the history and the culture of Ireland, as they feature
in folklore tales as well as in the names of the towns of the island nation.
The birds were once a common sight in Ireland, however, the destruction of their habitat saw
them disappear around the 16th and 17th centuries.
Why the sighting of Common Crane is significant?
As per ecologist Mark McCorry, the return of the nesting pair of cranes was extremely
significant. He added that while these birds come to Ireland during the winters, we have
not seen them generally in the breeding season.
So in 2020, when these birds were discovered, they were the first pair that were in the
nest during the breeding season. So it’s a great indication, as it looks like that they are
ready to re-colonise Ireland again.
The birds did not produce eggs last year, which is not very unusual for the cranes as
they take a couple of years to become successful breeders. However, McCorry was
reasonably optimistic that the birds will go on to breed.
Is Common Crane reestablishing its presence in Ireland?

As there was another spotting of the juvenile crane in Dublin in 2020, it has been suggested that
the common crane is reestablishing its presence in Ireland.
The Common Cranes were spotted on land belonging to Bord na Mona. It is a semi-state
company which is known for extracting peat fuel from the bogs in the region, however, the
company ceased its harvesting operations in January 2021 to shift towards renewable energy and
for rehabilitating the wetland bodies. It was the company that confirmed the sighting of Common
Crane.
In what is a sighting of particular significance, we recently recorded a pair of Cranes nesting at a

site on a rewetted bog. If they successfully breed, they will be the first Common Cranes to do so
in Ireland in 300 years.
Read more: https://t.co/bVW94CIv3Q pic.twitter.com/b5MgAzT5nH
— Bord na Móna (@BordnaMona) May 3, 2021

Significance of Bog Restoration:
Bogs are the spongy, soft wetlands that accumulate peat- a fossil fuel that is used for heating
businesses and homes in Northern Europe. Bogs are formed in northern climates and also take
thousands of years to develop.
Bogs act as carbon sinks, confiscating around 200 million tons of carbon from the environment in
Scandinavia and Siberia. However, for centuries, bogs have been drained for extracting peat,
which leads to the destruction of their delicate ecosystems. This destruction also includes the
damage to species such as cranes that breed in these bogs.
To restore these wetlands, efforts are now underway around the world. The restoration will be
done by rewetting them and by reintroducing the bog plants. As per the experts, of bogs in Ireland
recover, there is a chance that common cranes too will re-colonise them.

What is INSACOG and its role in COVID-19

fight?
The first samples of India’s double mutant variant were detected in Nagpur, Maharashtra in
October 2020. Since then, the virus strain has been seen across 44 countries, including Australia,
Germany, and the UK.
Under the umbrella of Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing Consortia (INSACOG), the
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad has been conducting genome
sequencing of COVID samples to study if the ‘double mutant’ variant is fueling the second wave
of COVID-19 in the country.
Is ‘double mutant’ fueling COVID’s 2nd wave: CCMB-INSACOG’s Key findings
•The CCMB-INSACOG study of the ‘double mutant’ variant of coronavirus showed that there is no
evidence of double mutant behind the surge in cases in Maharashtra or the country.
•The CCMB highlighted that the ‘double mutant’ variant is a matter of concern but one should not
panic. People should continue following COVID protocols as the spread of the variants is largely
fueled by inappropriate COVID behavior.
•The double mutant was first found when the INSACOG conducted found two mutations during
the genome sequencing of 200 virus samples collected from Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, and
Gujarat.
What is INSACOG and its role in COVID-19 fight?
•INSACOG stands for Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing Consortia. It is a national multi-
agency consortium that was set up by the Indian Government in December 2020.
•Ten laboratories of CSIR, ICMR, Department of Biotechnology, and Ministry of Health & Family
Welfare were combined to form the INSACOG consortium. 17 more labs will be added to increase
the current capacity of genome sequencing.
•After the reports of a sudden outbreak of a UK variant of coronavirus came to light, the
Government proposed to expand genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 across the country.

•INSACOG will assess the genomic variants of the coronavirus through a multi-laboratory
network. Genome Sequencing of the virus can assist scientists to understand the hotspots of the
variants of coronavirus, how the virus spreads and evolves, and aid in developing potential
COVID vaccines.
•The data collected from genome sequencing of the virus will further aid in studying linkages
between the variants and epidemiological waves (super-spreader events, outbreaks) of the virus.

PM Modi interacts with state, district officials

on COVID-19 Management
Prime Minister Modi on May 18, 2021, interacted with the field officials from states and districts
and conversed about their experiences in handling the Coronavirus pandemic.
As per the statement by PMO, the officials from Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Tamil
Nadu, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, and Delhi will be taking part in the
meeting.
To control the surge in COVID-19 cases in India, many state and district officials came up with
effective measures to control the spread of the virus. The work has also been done on preparing
effective healthcare facilities.
The ongoing meeting with PM Modi is being attended by Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
Shivraj Singh Chouhan while from Karnataka, CM BS Yediyurappa is also present. Home Minister
Amit Shah is also present in the meeting.
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is taking part in a meeting with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on COVID19. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also present during the meeting:
Office of Shivraj Singh Chouhan pic.twitter.com/WUHYYwiUJM
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa attends an interaction called by PM Modi to converse
about the experience of officials from States & Districts in handling the #COVID19 pandemic
(Pics source: Office of Chief commissioner BBMP) pic.twitter.com/tEEnmVpR88
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021

PM Modi interacts with state, district officials:
• Prime Minister Modi during the meeting stated that the officials have been playing a very
significant role in the battle against the pandemic. He added that in a way, the officials are the
field commanders of this battle.
You all are playing a very important role in the battle against Corona. In a way, you are the field
commanders of this battle: PM Narendra Modi interacts with district and state officials on the

#COVID19 situation. pic.twitter.com/HX5gxuwYVU
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021
• While talking about the agriculture sector and villages, PM Modi stated that during the lockdown
in 2020, the government did not shut the farming sector. He added that it was astonishing to see
how the villagers were maintaining the social distancing.
Last time, we didn't shut the farming sector. I was astonished to see how villagers were
maintaining social distancing in the fields. Villages grasp the information and modify it according
to their needs. This is the strength of villages: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/64ce4tEA6F
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021
• During the meeting, PM Modi has emphasized that in this battle against the virus, weapons are
aggressive testing, local containment zone, and sending the correct and complete information to
the people.
In the battle against this virus, our weapons are local containment zone, aggressive testing and
sending correct and complete information to the people: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/2NkUiPhEer
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021

Efforts being made to increase supply of vaccines
• PM Modi during the meeting informed that continuous efforts are being made for increasing the
supply of the Coronavirus vaccines. He added that the Health Ministry is streamlining the system
and process of vaccination and an attempt is being made to give a schedule of next 15 days to
the states in advance.
This will help to know that for many people in the district will the vaccine be made available and
how the officials have to make preparations for that.
Continuous efforts are being made to increase the supply of COVID vaccines on a large scale.
Health Ministry is streamlining the system and process of vaccination. Attempt is being made to
give a schedule of next 15 days to the states in advance: PM Narendra Modi #COVID19
pic.twitter.com/hMuUmRlorx
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021
• There is a dip in the number of Coronavirus cases in some states while there is an increase in
others, said Prime Minister. He added that as the COVID cases are decreasing, we need to be
more alert.

Currently, there is a dip in the number of #COVID19 cases in some states while increase in
others. As the cases are decreasing, we need to be more alert. I have been requesting in the
meetings which were held in last one year that our fight is to save every single life: PM Modi
pic.twitter.com/B83uVUy4U6
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021

Objective of the meeting:
The officials, through their interaction with the Prime Minister, will be sharing some best practices
that were executed by them to control the spread of the virus, in addition to the recommendations
and suggestions for continuing the ongoing battle against the Coronavirus pandemic, particularly
in rural and semi-urban areas.
The officials working the states and districts for managing the situation also have success stories
that can be replicated all over the country.
Better appreciation for effective response plan:
According to the statement by Prime Minister’s Office, the battle against the ongoing pandemic
across various states and districts is being led at the cutting-edge by the field-level officials. Many
of them have also shown great initiative and have come up with imaginative solutions.
The statement added that the better appreciation of such initiatives and measures will help the
government in developing an effective response plan, support necessary policy intervention, and
targeted strategy implementation.
Effective measures taken to control the spread of COVID-19:
Many effective measures have been taken by the state and district officials to combat COVID-19:
• Ensuring that strict containment measures have been taken to control the spread of the deadly
virus.
• Preparing the healthcare facilities for handling the second wave of the pandemic.
• Ensuring the availability of a healthcare workforce in hospitals of small and rural areas.
• The seamless supply chain for the logistics.

UK eases Lockdown restrictions: Social

Distancing rules relaxed, All restaurants,
hotels & theatres to reopen
UK eases Lockdown: The United Kingdom eased its coronavirus lockdown restrictions on May
17, 2021, allowing all restaurants, hotels, theatres and museums to open soon.
The lockdown rules have been eased in England, Wales and most of Scotland. This comes
despite concerns over the COVID-19 variant detected first in India, which has been detected in
the UK as well.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the nation has reached another milestone in its
road map for lifting lockdown restrictions.
However, he urged the citizens to continue to play their part in stopping coronavirus and take
responsibility when enjoying new freedoms. He said that the country must take the next step with
a "heavy dose of caution".
Lockdown restrictions eased in the UK: Key Highlights
•The lockdown rules are slightly different in the United Kingdom's four constituent parts, as while
restrictions are being eased in England, Scotland and Wales, they will be eased slightly later in
Northern Ireland.
•At regions where restrictions have been eased, hotels, bars, restaurants, theatres and museums
have been allowed to reopen.
•Restrictions on indoor and outdoor mixing have been eased, allowed indoor hospitality to
reopen.
•In England, people will now be able to meet indoors in groups of up to six or two households or
groups of up to 30 outdoors.
•In Scotland except for Glasgow and Moray, eight people from eight households will be able to
interact with each other outdoors.

•In Wales, people will be able to meet in groups of up to six from six households outdoors.
However, indoor socialising will remain unchanged and only two households will be able to meet
with each other indoors.
•The social distancing rules have also been eased, allowing the people of Britain to finally hug
their loved ones in public, for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.
•The government has also allowed overnight stays.
•Wider social distancing rules will continue to hold in adult social care, medical, retail, hospitality
and business settings
•Northern Ireland will review lockdown rules on May 20.
What will reopen?
•Indoor entertainment will be allowed to reopen including theatres, Museums, Concert Halls,
Cinemas, Sports Stadiums and Children's play areas.
•The cinemas will be required to have unoccupied seats between parties.
•Hotels, restaurants and bars will also be allowed to reopen.
•Hospitality will be allowed open indoors but diners and drinkers must remain seated.
•Outdoor sporting events and large performances will be allowed with a maximum capacity of
4,000 people or must only be half full, whichever is lower.
•Large indoor performances and sporting events to be allowed with a maximum of 1,000 people.
•Big sports stadiums allowed entry of either 10,000 people or be a quarter full, whichever is lower.
•Organised adult sport and exercise classes have also been allowed to resume indoors. COVID-
19 testing to be used to support these openings
•Steam rooms and saunas can also reopen.
•A maximum of 30 people to be allowed for weddings, receptions and other life events.

•The number of people allowed at funerals will vary depending on the venue.
Other ease in restrictions
•Face coverings no longer mandatory for secondary school and college pupils in classrooms or
communal areas.
•However, the students will have to undergo twice-weekly home testing.
•All remaining university students will also be allowed to return to in-person teaching, with twice-
weekly testing.
•Staycations to be allowed in groups of up to six people or two households
Ban on overseas travel lifted
•The ban on overseas travel has been lifted and replaced with new rules.
•The travel restrictions have been lifted under a traffic light system. People have been
encouraged to travel only to green list countries or amber list if they really have to.
UK's TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM
1. Green List
•The green list includes countries that are largely free from coronavirus such as
Australia, Portugal, New Zealand, Israel, Singapore, Faroe Islands, Brunei, Iceland,
Gibraltar and several small remote islands that are British Overseas Territories.
•People travelling to countries on this list do not have to quarantine after returning but will
be required to take one post-arrival COVID test.
•However, entry into few nations such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei and
the Faroe Islands is severely restricted.
2. Amber List
•The Amber list covers the most popular UK holiday destinations such as Spain, France,
Italy and Greece. It also includes the United States and China.
•The United Kingdom's travel advisory suggests against travelling to the countries on this
list.
•However, those who do travel to these nations will be required to quarantine for 10 days

and take two COVID tests, one on the second day after arrival in England and the
second on the eighth day.
3. Red List
•The red list comprises countries with a high number of COVID-19 cases such as India,
Brazil, Pakistan, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Maldives, South Africa and Turkey.
•While the UK cautions against travelling to the red list countries, the people returning
from a red list country must stay in a quarantine in a hotel for at least 11 nights and take
two COVID tests.
Background
The United Kingdom has been one of the most affected nations in the world during this ongoing
coronavirus pandemic.
United Kingdom's death toll of 127,679 is the highest coronavirus death toll in the whole of Europe
and the fifth-highest in the world after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.
The economy of the nation saw its worst decline in three centuries while the government spent
hundreds of billions of pounds to save jobs and companies.

AYUSH Ghar Dwar: Ayush department

launches wellness programme for COVID-19
patients in Himachal Pradesh
The AYUSH Department on May 14, 2021, launched a state-wide wellness programme ‘AYUSH
Ghar Dwar’ for the Coronavirus patients in Solan district, Himachal Pradesh.
The Ayush Dwar Programme in Himachal Pradesh has been launched by AYUSH Vibhag
Himachal Pradesh in collaboration with the Art of Living Organisation. The program was launched
by the Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH Minister Dr Rajiv Saizal. He also unveiled a
booklet related to the program.
During the launch, the minister stated that the program will be beneficial for around 30,000
COVID-19 patients in the state who are in home isolation as well as those who are hospitalized in
the healthcare facilities.
pic.twitter.com/48FRKOHLOw
— CMO HIMACHAL (@CMOFFICEHP) May 15, 2021

Objective:
• The initiative by the government aims at providing the Holistic Healthcare Approach through
AYUSH in order to ensure not only physical, but also social, mental, and spiritual well-being to the
COVID-19 patients.
• The program will also help in reducing the disease burden of the pandemic by increasing the
improved quality of life, recovery rate, equitable healthcare facility, and ensuring better
rehabilitation post Coronavirus infection.
Ayush Ghar Dwar: Key Details
• Under the program by the government, around 1,000 virtual groups will be made on different
social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Zoom, or Google Meet.
• On these platforms, trained instructors on Ayurveda will be conducting virtual sessions on

Pranayam, Yoga, Meditation, Breathing Exercises, medicines, therapies, and practices to calm

the mind besides others.
• Basic yoga techniques such as Pranayam will provide strength to the person. Doing Yoga under
the program will provide mental support to the patients and will encourage them to pursue a
healthier life.

Jal Jeevan Mission: Centre releases first

tranche of Rs 5,968 Crore to 15 States for FY
2021-22
The central government has released the first tranche of Rs 5968 crore to 15 States for the
implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the financial year 2021-22.
The centre will be releasing four tranches in total in the current financial year. The other 17 states
have been asked to send their proposals for the release of funds to the National Jal Jeevan
Mission.
The funds are being released by the government based on the output in terms of tap water
connections provided in the respective states and union territories and also on the use of
available central and matching state shares.
Key Highlights
•About 93 percent of the centre's fund under the mission will have to be used to develop water
supply infrastructure, 5 percent for support activities and 2 percent on water quality monitoring
and surveillance.
•The states will have to transfer the fund along with its share to a single modal account within 15
days of the centre releasing the fund.
•The states have to arrange matching state share and ensure that the implementing agencies
face no shortage of funds.
•A proper expenditure plan will have to be prepared at the state level to ensure the expenditure is
evenly spread throughout the year.
Budget Allocation of Jal Jeevan Mission increased
•With the mission being accorded top priority, the budgetary allocation of Jal Jeevan Mission was
increased to Rs. 50,011 Crore in FY 2021-22.

•Besides this, the 15th Finance Commission tied grants of Rs. 26,940 Crore will also be made
available to PRIs for water and sanitation services. In addition, the states will also be putting a
matching share.
•Hence, a total of over Rs 1 lakh crore is expected to be invested in ensuring tap water supply in
rural homes in FY 2021-22.
•The increased investment in the mission is likely to continue till the country achieves the goal of
‘Har Ghar Jal’ over the next three years.
Significance
•The increased allocation is expected to impact the rural economy in terms of

employment generation, as both skilled and unskilled workers will be required for the
creation, operation and maintenance of drinking water supply infrastructure and system
and also for greywater treatment & its reuse.
•It is also expected to boost infrastructure creation activities leading to productive assets
in the villages.
•There will also be an increase in demand for motors, faucets, taps, pipes, which will give
a huge push to the manufacturing sector.
Background
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the Jal Jeevan Mission on August 15, 2019 with
the goal to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home by 2024.
The mission is being implemented in partnership with States/ UTs even amid the COVID-19
pandemic despite the challenge of lockdowns.
So far, around 4.17 crore households have been provided with tap water supply.
Four states/ UTs- Goa, Puducherry, Telangana and Andaman & Nicobar Islands have become
‘Har Ghar Jal’ State/ UT by providing assured tap water supply in every rural home.
What is Jal Jeevan Mission
The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to assure a safe tap water supply to every rural family, ensuring no
one in the village is left out.

Battlegrounds Mobile India: PUBG Mobile

Back in India, Pre-Registrations Start Today
via Google Play Store, Know How to Register
Here
Battlegrounds Mobile India: After PUBG Mobile – a popular mobile game was banned in India
in Sept last year, the game is back in India under the banner of Battlegrounds Mobile India for
which pre-registrations have begun today. The Indian version of PUBG Mobile, which is expected
to be launched soon will follow the same free-to-play battle royale formula. Players can pre-
register themselves for PUBG’s India version i.e. Battlegrounds Mobile India via Google Play
Store.
Know how to Register for Battlegrounds Mobile India Game via Play Store Here.
Developed by South Korean Developer Krafton
Battlegrounds Mobile India, which is expected to be launched in India soon, has been developed
by a South Korean Developer Krafton. The game has been developed specially by the company
keeping Indian audience / players in mind and will come with India-specific rewards that can be
claimed when the game officially launches. Initially, the game would be made available post
launch to only those players who pre-register for the same. As of now the release date for
Battlegrounds Mobile India Game has not been announced by Krafton.
How to register for Battlegrounds Mobile India online?
While no exact release date is available as of now for Battlegrounds Mobile India game, but the
company has started online registration for the same online. The game will be launched on
Android Platform and therefore pre-registrations have begun on Google Play Store. The detailed
step-by-step process for pre-registrations is listed below:
- Step 1: Log onto Google Play Store

- Step 2: in the Search Bar, type Battlegrounds Mobile India
- Step 3: Search for the same using the exact spelling as mentioned
- Step 4: The Game icon will show as Coming Soon, make sure it is by Krafton

- Step 5: Click on the Game Icon for Battlegrounds Mobile India

- Step 6: Pre-Register for the same online
Players should make sure that they only register for the game and do not download it. As of now,
the game is not available and those pre-registering for the same would be notified once it
becomes available. As of now, there is no information on iOS pre-registrations but the game will
launch on both platforms.
Why to Pre-Register for Battlegrounds Mobile India?
As mentioned above, the game is only open for pre-registration and not for downloads, but pre-
registration gives first access to those registering for the game now. Players pre-registering now
will be provided an alert once the game goes live. Users who select the automatic install option
will also have the game installed automatically upon launch on their Anroid device when it is
launched. I In addition to this, users who pre-register for the game would get four rewards: the
Recon Mask, the Recon Outfit, Celebration Expert Title and 300 AG. AG is expected to be the
currency in the game which will be used to buy weapons and other upgrades. According to
Krafton, this reward is exclusively for fans of the game who pre-register.
Battlegrounds Mobile India – Phone Requirements
Battlegrounds Mobile India is being touted as a highly intensive game which will have an esports
ecosystem that will include tournaments and leagues, as well as exclusive in-game events such
as outfits and features. As per the statement issued by the developments, the game will have
multiples maps with different terrains, just like PUBG Mobile. It will also be using the “full
capabilities of Unreal Engine 4 to bring alive fantastic worlds augmented by 3D sound.” In terms
of system requirement or phone specifications required to run Battlegrounds Mobile India, the
game would need:
- Stable Internet Connection

- Android Version 5.1.1 and Above
- At least 2GB of RAM
Apart from this, Krafton has said that it would only allow players above 18 years of age to play
Battlegrounds Mobile India.
Launched with Updated Privacy Policy
In September 2020, Indian Government had banned PUBG mobile game in India due to privacy

concerns. To overcome these, Krafton has launched Battlegrounds Mobile India with updated
privacy policy in line with the Government of India’s guidelines. As per the privacy policy, players
under Age of 18 would need to get consent from their parent / guardian to access or play the
game. The policy also states that parents or guardians can contact the developers and request for
data to be deleted from the system in case they feel their child has provided personal information
without their consent.

US Government pledges to share 80 million

COVID-19 vaccine jabs globally
The US President Joe Biden on May 17, 2021, announced that the US will be sharing 80 million
vaccine doses globally over the next six weeks. It will be five-time more than any other country
has shared to date representing 13% of vaccines produced in the country by June end.
During his address, US President Joe Biden stated that the United States government is taking an
additional step to help the world. He added that the US will never be fully safe until the pandemic
is under control. That’s why, the Government has decided that over the next 6 weeks, the country
will be sending 80 million vaccine doses overseas.
America will never be fully safe while this pandemic is raging globally. That’s why today, I’m
announcing that over the next six weeks we will send 80 million vaccine doses overseas.
It is the right thing to do. It is the smart thing to do. It is the strong thing to do.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 17, 2021
As per Joe Biden, the new variants can rise overseas that can also put the US at a greater risk.
The country needs to help fight the disease around the world so that the people living in the US
can be safe here at home.
The President also emphasized that the latest announcement by the government will make
the country a leader in sharing vaccine supplies, outpacing both Russia and China.
Key Highlights:
• The 80 million doses pledged by the US will include 20 million doses of Pfizer, Moderna, and
Johnson & Johnson as well as AstraZeneca Vaccine.
• The US Government had already announced that it will share 60 million doses of the
AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries by July 4, 2021.
• The President while making the announcement also informed that the country will distribute all
of its AstraZeneca vaccines produced in the US once it gets authorized by the US Food and Drug
Administration.

US pledges not to use vaccines to secure favors from other countries:
While spreading the message of democracy, the US President stated that America wants to lead
the world with its values, and with this decision, the country demonstrates its ingenuity,
innovation, and fundamental decency of the American citizens.
He added that in the battle against the pandemic, the US is going to be the arsenal of vaccines for
the rest of the world and that the country will share the vaccines in the service of ending the
pandemic across the globe.
The President also assured that the vaccines will not be used by the US Government to secure
favors from other countries.

Plasma therapy dropped from India's COVID-

19 treatment protocol: Know why here!
Plasma therapy has been dropped from India's COVID-19 treatment protocol. The Covid
National Task Force released new clinical guidelines for management of mild, moderate and
severe Covid cases on May 17, 2021 and they do not mention plasma therapy.
The decision was taken on the basis of recommendations of experts from ICMR-COVID-19
National Task Force, AIIMS and Joint Monitoring Group of Union Health Ministry.
The members of the ICMR-National Task Force for Covid-19 had met on May 14th during which
they had deliberated and discussed upon the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of plasma therapy.
Key Details
•Plasma therapy has been largely used as a medium to treat COVID-19 patients, especially the
severe cases since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
•However, lately doubts were raised over its effectiveness in treating the COVID-19 patient.
•During its recent meeting, all members of the national covid task force were in favour of removing
the use of convalescent plasma therapy from the Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult
COVID-19 patients citing its ineffectiveness and inappropriate use in several cases.
•The decision was taken as convalescent plasma was seen to offer no therapeutic benefits in
patients admitted to hospital with the disease.
•The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is expected to issue an advisory on the matter
soon.
What is Plasma Therapy?
The plasma therapy involves transfusion of COVID-19 antibodies from the blood of a recovered
patient to the one being treated to aid faster recovery.
What is plasma?

Plasma is the clear liquid portion of the blood that remains after red and white blood cells,
platelets and other cellular components have been removed from it.
Who can give plasma?
The Convalescent plasma is extracted from the blood of patients who have recovered from
COVID-19 and who have sufficient antibodies against the infection.
India’s clinical management protocol for COVID-19 had so far recommended off-label use of
convalescent plasma under two specific criteria:
Early moderate disease, preferably within seven days of symptoms once and no use after seven
days
Availability of high titre donor plasma
How effective has plasma therapy been?
The plasma therapy has not been found effective in reducing the progression of the infection to
severe nor has it been able to decrease the fatality rate.
RECOVERY Trial
•The central health expert's decision to drop convalescent plasma as a recommended

therapy for management of COVID-19 comes three days after publishing of the findings
of the RECOVERY Trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) in the Lancet
medical journal.
•The RECOVERY Trial was the largest randomised trial conducted to investigate
whether treatment with Convalescent plasma, Lopinavir-Ritonavir, Hydroxychloroquine,
Corticosteroids, Azithromycin, Colchicine, IV Immunoglobulin (children only), Synthetic
neutralizing antibodies (REGN-COV2), Tocilizumab, Aspirin, Baricitinib, Infliximab or
Anakinra (children only) has been effective in patients hospitalised with Covid-19
•The trial data showed that compared with usual care alone, high-titre convalescent
plasma did not reduce 28-day mortality.
•It showed that high-titre convalescent plasma did not improve survival or other
prespecified clinical outcomes in patients hospitalised with Covid-19.
•The results of RECOVERY trial were published on May 14, 2021.
PLACID Trial

•India’s largest trial, PLACID trial had also concluded that convalescent plasma is
ineffective for treating COVID-19.
•The PLACID trial had mainly evaluated the effectiveness of convalescent plasma for the
treatment of moderate covid-19 in patients admitted to hospital in India.
•The PLACID Trial investigators found that there was no net benefit associated with
convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with moderate covid-19.
•Though the convalescent plasma did exactly what the investigators hoped it would do,
yet there was no net clinical benefit to patients.
•After the publication of the PLACID trial data, ICMR had issued an evidence-based
advisory to address the inappropriate use of convalescent plasma in Covid-19 patients.
•ICMR had emphasised that convalescent plasma with a low concentration of specific
antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 may be less beneficial in the treatment of Covid-19
patients compared to plasma with high concentration of such antibodies.
Background
With the surge in cases in the country, there was also a rise in demand for plasma donors, even
as experts raised concerns over the efficacy of plasma therapy for Covid-19 patients.
A group of medical practitioners had earlier written to Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay
Raghavan cautioning against the 'irrational and non-scientific use' of convalescent plasma for
COVID-19.

China to support global TRIPS waiver for

COVID-19 vaccines, what is TRIPS
agreement?
China on May 17, 2021, said that it will support India’s and South Africa’s proposal for a
temporary waiver of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for
coronavirus vaccines. It further mentioned that Beijing will contribute to all actions of the
developing countries to help them in their fight against coronavirus.
India and South Africa, in October 2020, had requested the World Health Organization (WHO) for
TRIPS waiver of certain IP provisions of COVID-19 vaccines so that that developing countries can
amplify vaccine production and provide access to COVID vaccines to the poorest of the poor
people.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in a press briefing that China, as the
largest developing country is supportive of the developing world’s demand for an IPR waiver for
COVID-19 vaccines. He further said that China will back all actions so that developing countries
can acquire vaccines in an equitable way to fight against the coronavirus.
China and COVID-19 vaccine: Key Points
•China has also been working with over 10 developing countries, including the UAE and Egypt to
facilitate cooperative production and technology transfer to increase the large-scale production of
vaccines.
•China has five COVID-19 vaccines, of which WHO, on May 7, 2021, authorized China’s
Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.
•The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, a

subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG).
•China has so far distributed millions of domestically-made COVID-19 vaccine assistance to three
international organizations and vaccine assistance to over 50 countries.
•China will be supplying 10 million vaccines to COVAX, a global vaccine distribution campaign

supported by the WHO.
What is TRIPS Agreement?
•TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) is an international agreement

among the member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
•TRIPS establishes standards and regulations protection of IP (intellectual property) rights like
industrial designs, patents, copyright, and protection of confidential information or trade secrets.
•TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) came into effect in January 1995.
•TRIPS enables each WTO member countries to negotiate compulsory licenses for each patent or
protection applying to each product.
•The concern of the developing countries in 2001 over the narrow reading of TRIPS by developed
countries led to a round of talks that later became the Doha Declaration, a WTO statement that
enlists the scope of TRIPS.

Padma Shri Dr KK Aggarwal and Ex-IMA

President succumbs to COVID-19 after a
lengthy battle, Get Details Here
Dr KK Aggarwal Passes Away due to COVID: Dr KK Aggarwal, Padma Shri awardee and
former national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has passed away after a long
battle with Covid-19 at New Delhi's AIIMS. As per the official bulletin, Dr KK Aggarwal succumbed
to COVID-19 at 11.30 pm on Monday at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New
Delhi. Dr Aggarwal was on ventilator support for the last few days of his battle with Coronavirus.
Was Battling Serious Bout of COVID-19
On 14th May, Dr Aggarwal’s family allayed rumours about Aggarwal's health saying that he was
'batling a serious bout of COVID-19 infection' but was being attended by a team of 'expert
doctors'. On 14th May, the family’s message said that his condition was 'stable'. But following
deterioration of his health, independent media reports claimed that he was put on ventilator
support for last few days.
pic.twitter.com/uy7JzOyGWK
— Dr K K Aggarwal (@DrKKAggarwal) May 17, 2021

Raised Public Health Awareness via Social Media
Dr Aggarwal was 62 years old veteran cardiologist and was honoured with Padma Shri in 2010.
He was a familiar face on social media and regularly posted updates, news and facts about public
health. Even during the pandemic, He made several videos to educate people about coronavirus.
After he took his second vaccine dose in February and had posted a Q and A video on Facebook
to address hesitancy and misapprehensions. As per the statement issued by his family, Dr
Aggarwal to reach out to over 100 million people through numerous videos and educational
programs and saved countless lives.
Aggarwal did MBBS from Nagpur University in 1979. He also obtained an MD from the same
university in 1983. He served as a senior consultant at Delhi's Moolchand Medcity until 2017. In
his illustrious career, he held the post of the president of the Confederation of Medical

Associations in Asia and Oceania and HCFI as well.

Centre's guidelines for COVID-19

management in peri-urban, rural, tribal areas:
All you need to know!
The central government issued guidelines for containment of COVID-19 in peri-urban, rural and
tribal areas on May 16, 2021 amid reports of a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases in rural India.
The centre's guidelines aim to strengthen primary-level healthcare infrastructure at all levels.
According to the Health Ministry's SOPs, active surveillance should be done periodically for
influenza-like illness/ severe acute respiratory infections in every village by ASHA workers with
the help of the Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC).
The SOPs stated that all symptomatic cases can be sorted at the village level by teleconsultation
with Community Health Officer (CHO) and cases with comorbidity or low oxygen saturation should
be sent to higher centres. It further said that every subcentre should run an ILI/SARI OPD for
dedicated time slots and days.
#Unite2FightCorona
Centre highlights to States/UTs Critical Protocols for #COVID19 Containment & Management in
Peri-Urban, Rural and Tribal Areas
Clinical Management for COVID complications like #Mucormycosis infections were also
discussed.https://t.co/34viBUV099 pic.twitter.com/xFXHX7Di2v
— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) May 16, 2021

Centre's SOPs for peri-urban, rural and tribal areas: Key Highlights
•All identified suspected COVID cases should link for testing to the health facilities either through
COVID-19 rapid antigen testing or by referral of samples to the nearest COVID-19 testing
laboratory.
•The CHOs and ANMs should be trained in performing Rapid Antigen Testing.
•The provision of Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits should be made at all public health facilities

including Sub-centres (SCs)/ Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Primary Health Centres
(PHCs).
•The COVID-19 patients should also be counseled to isolate themselves till their test results are
made available.
•Those people who are asymptomatic but have a history of high-risk exposure to COVID patients
such as exposure of more than 15 mins without a mask within 6 feet distance, should be advised
to quarantine and get tested as per ICMR protocol.
•Contact tracing should be done depending upon the intensity of the rise in cases, as per the
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme's guidelines for contact tracing of COVID-19 cases in
community settings.
•Since nearly 80-85 percent of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, these
patients do not require hospitalisation and may be managed at home or in COVID care isolation
facilities.
•Each village should have an adequate number of pulse oximeters and thermometers for COVID
patients to monitor the health of active cases in home isolation.
•The Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee should mobilize resources to make
provisions for this equipment.
•The pulse oximeters and thermometers should be sanitised after each use with cotton or a cloth
soaked in alcohol-based sanitizer.
•Follow-ups can be done for those undergoing home isolation through household visits by a
frontline worker or volunteers following infection prevention practices including wearing of a
medical mask and other precautions.
•Home isolation kits shall also be provided to all such cases which should include medicines
including Paracetamol 500 mg, ivermectin, cough syrup and multivitamins as prescribed by the
treating doctor.
•The patients or caregivers should keep monitoring their health and seek immediate medical
attention if serious signs or symptoms develop such as difficulty in breathing or dip in oxygen.

•If SpO2 goes below 94 percent, the patient should be referred to a facility with an oxygen bed.
•The patients under home isolation will be discharged after at least 10 days have passed from the
onset of symptoms. No need for testing after completion of the home isolation period.
•The health infrastructure planned for peri-urban, rural and tribal areas should be aligned to the
already mentioned 3-tier structure COVID Care Centre (CCC) to manage mild or asymptomatic
cases and dedicated COVID Health Centre (DCHC) to manage moderate cases and dedicated
COVID Hospital (DCH) to manage severe cases.
•All peri-urban and rural areas should plan a minimum of 30-bedded COVID Care Centre for the
care of asymptomatic cases with comorbidities or mild cases.
•The COVID Care Centres should have separate areas for suspected and confirmed cases with
separate entry and exit for each.
•Such centres will be made in makeshift facilities and may be set up in schools, community halls,
marriage halls and panchayat buildings in close proximity of hospitals or healthcare facilities.
•Such COVID Care Centres should also have a Basic Life Support Ambulance (BLSA) equipped
with sufficient oxygen support on a 24x7 basis for ensuring safe transport of patients with more
severe infection.
Source: Ministry of Health

Biden revokes Trump’s ban on immigrants

who cannot afford healthcare: All you need to
know
US President Joe Biden on May 14, 2021, revoked a 2019 proclamation issued by former
President Donald Trump that prevented immigrants from obtaining visas unless they could verify
that will be covered under an approved healthcare insurance plan or afford healthcare in the US.
Biden, in a statement, said that the previous proclamation does not help in advancing the
interests of the United States. “My administration is committed to expanding access to quality,
affordable healthcare. We can achieve that without barring the entry of non-citizens who seek to
immigrate lawfully to this country but lack significant financial means or have not purchased
health insurance coverage from a restrictive list of qualifying plans,” he said.
Biden, during revoking the previous proclamation, said that the reasons articulated in
Proclamation 9945 are ‘not detrimental to the interests of the United States'.
The US President also mentioned that the administration will review any orders, guidance
documents, regulations, policies, and any other similar agency actions developed to Proclamation
9945, and issue revised guidance.
Since the time of taking office, Biden has signed orders repealing Trump’s travel ban focusing on
Muslim-majority nations and holding up the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA) program.
Biden had also revoked the ‘National Garden of American Heroes’ that the Trump administration
had issued orders last year.
Why did Trump issue a ban on immigrants in 2019?
•Former President Donald Trump in 2019 issued a ban on immigrants who cannot afford
healthcare in the US. The ban was known as Proclamation 9945.
•Proclamation 9945 announced the suspension of entry of immigrants who will financially burden
the US healthcare system to protect the availability of healthcare benefits for Americans.

•Former US President Donald Trump during the issuance of Proclamation 9945 said that the
unrestricted entry of immigrants who lack the ability to pay for healthcare in the US would be
detrimental to the interests of the United States.
•The Proclamation 9945 issued by the Trump administration required non-citizens, within 30 days
of entering the US, to verify that they could obtain or will be covered under health insurance.
•Refugees and children of US citizens were exempted from the proclamation.

Delhi Government launches Centre for

realtime Covid-related data
The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal on May 15, 2021, launched an Integrated Command
and Control Centre (ICCC) for capturing the real-time pandemic management data.
While launching ICCC, the Chief Minister stated that the state government’s preparations will not
slow down as there is a possibility of a third wave of the pandemic. He further added that the
COVID Care Centres that were closed down earlier after the decline in the first wave will be
reopened and strengthened.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, while talking about the ongoing vaccination drive in India, said that
the experiences of the countries like the US and the US have shown that vaccination on a
massive scale can check the COVID-19.
He also stated that the Central and State Governments have been trying their best, and hopefully,
with the availability of more COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccination drive in India will pick up the pace.
Under the leadership of Hon'ble CM Shri @ArvindKejriwal, the Delhi government has launched an
Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC).
This Centre will collate and analyse real-time data on hospitals, oxygen, vaccination, and other
aspects of Covid management. pic.twitter.com/sBfBN8twsb
— CMO Delhi (@CMODelhi) May 15, 2021

Significance of ICCC:
• The new centre by the State Government will help in the decision-making by furnishing the real-
time data such as availability of oxygen, vaccination details, beds, medicines as well as other
requirements in both the government and private hospitals.
• As per the Chief Minister of Delhi, the decisions taken by the government based on data will be
more effective and meaningful.
• The realtime COVID data from ICCC will be made available to the officers through an app. The
government will also consider to what extent the access can be provided to the public.

Preparations in Delhi for anticipated third wave:
While talking about the preparations for the anticipated third wave of COVID-19, Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal said that although the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was showing
signs of decline, the efforts of the State government have not slowed down.
He informed that the government has set up 1,000 ICU beds, while more oxygen beds will also be
available soon. The COVID Care Centres by the government that were closed down after the
decline of the first wave will also be reopened.
COVID-19 cases in Delhi:
After a rapid surge in positive cases from the last few weeks, Delhi has seen a decline in fresh
COVID-19 cases. The state has recorded 4,524 new COVID-19 cases, 340 deaths and 10,918
recoveries in the last 24 hours.
Delhi reports 4524 new #COVID19 cases, 10,918 recoveries and 340 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 13,98,391

Total recoveries 13,20,496
Death toll 21,846
Active cases 56,049 pic.twitter.com/r7fXsnpmYR
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2021
The positivity rate in the state has dipped to 8.42% as Delhi recorded the lowest number of cases
since April 5, 2021.

Italian Open 2021: Rafael Nadal defeats

Novak Djokovic, wins 10th Italian title
Rafael Nadal on May 16, 2021, beat world number one Novak Djokovic and won a 10th Italian
Open title in Rome. Nadal won through 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 against the top seed during a 2hr 49 minutes
match on the clay court.
The 34-year-old, Nadal expressed how amazed he was to see the trophy in his hands for the 10th
time. He recalled his first match in Rome back in 2005 against Guillermo Coria that lasted for five
hours. With the win at the 2021 Italian Open clay court, Nadal also equalled Djokovic’s record of
36 ATP Masters 1000 titles in his 12th Rome final.
Nadal further said that he really wanted this title. This had been one of the most important titles of
his career. “I had won 10 in Monte Carlo, Roland Garros, and Barcelona, and really wanted it here
too,” he said.
RAFA RULES IN ROME@RafaelNadal is the @InteBNLdItalia champion for a 10th time

pic.twitter.com/rk1ggR1sA0
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 16, 2021
Nadal and Djokovic were playing for the 57th time in the Open era and their 9th meeting in the
Rome. Djokovic had lost to Nadal in their previous meeting at the 2020 French Open final.
Nadal now has won more than 10 titles at a single event for the fourth time after his wins at Monte
Carlo (11), Barcelona (12), and Roland Garros (13). Nadal will now be aiming for his 14th French
Open (also called Roland Garros) title at the Grand Slam that will begin on May 30, 2021.
About the Italian Open
•The Italian Open is one of the most important clay tennis tournaments that is held in Rome, Italy.
•The first Italian tennis tournament was held in 1930 in Milan and later in 1935, the tournament
was moved to Rome. The Italian Open became available to international players in 1969.
•The men’s competition, an ATP Tour Master 1000 event on the Association of Tennis
Professionals (ATP) tour, and the women’s competition, a WTA 1000 event on the Women’s

Tennis Association (WTA) tour, were merged in 2011.

India’s Shilpa Medicare joins efforts to ramp

up manufacturing of Sputnik V COVID
vaccine
In order to speed up India’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts, another Indian company, Shilpa
Medicare has also joined the efforts to increase the manufacturing capacity of the Sputnik V
Vaccine.
In September 2020, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, based in Hyderabad, had partnered with the
Russian Direct Investment Fund to conduct the clinical trials of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19
vaccine as well as for its distribution rights in India.
Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine was approved for use in India on April 12, 2021, and the
vaccine was granted emergency use authorization.
Shilpa Medicare to produce 50 million doses:
Sputnik V, while sharing the news on Twitter, announced that the Indian Company Shilpa
Medicare has joined the efforts to increase Sputnik V manufacturing capacity.
Another Indian company joins the effort to ramp #SputnikV manufacturing capacity. India's Shilpa
Medicare will produce 50 mln doses of #SputnikV in the next 12 months. It will also explore the
possibility to produce single-shot Sputnik Light. https://t.co/M5lurxp1qB
— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) May 17, 2021
India’s Shilpa Medicare will be producing 50 million doses of Sputnik V Vaccine in the next 12
months. The firm will also be exploring the possibility of a single-shot vaccine, named Sputnik
Light.
India receives consignments of Sputnik V Vaccine:
India received the second consignment of Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine on May 16, 2021. Dr.
Reddy’s Laboratory in Hyderabad has informed that the second consignment is of 60,000 doses
of Sputnik V.
The first consignment of the imported doses of the Sputnik V vaccine had landed in India on May

1, 2021. It had received regulatory clearance on May 13 from the Central Drugs Laboratory in
Himachal Pradesh.
Inoculations with Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine started in Hyderabad after the arrival of the first
batch of Russia’s Vaccine in India on May 1, 2021.
Sputnik V: First foreign-made vaccine used in India
Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine has also become the first-foreign made vaccine to be used in India
contributing to the largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the world.
Till now, two Make in India Vaccines- Covishield and COVAXIN, are being used to vaccinate the
Indians. COVAXIN is developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR while Covishield is
manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, Pune.
Nikolay Kudashev, Russian Ambassador to India, on May 16 termed the Russian-Indian fight
against the pandemic, as an example of the special and privileged strategic partnership. He also
called it an effective international anti-pandemic cooperation.

DRDO’s Anti-Covid Drug: What is 2DG

medicine? How does it work- Everything you
need to know!
DRDO’s Anti-Covid Drug: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the first batch of
DRDO's Anti-Covid Drug 2DG for treating COVID-19 patients on May 17, 2021. The Defence
Minister handed over the first batch of the 2-DG medicine to Union Health Minister Dr.
Harshvardhan at a formal launch event.
The anti-covid drug 2-DG has been developed by DRDO's Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied
Sciences (INMAS) in collaboration with Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL). Rajnath Singh said in a
tweet that it is a perfect example of India’s scientific prowess and a milestone in the efforts
towards self-reliance.
The Minister said that he would personally like to felicitate the scientists who played a major role
in the development of the drug when the situation improves, as they deserve credit for this
wonderful achievement.
What is anti-COVID drug 2-DG?
The 2-DG drug comes in a sachet in powder form. It is taken orally by dissolving it in
water.
How does 2-DG drug work?
The drug accumulates in the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping
viral synthesis and energy production. What makes this drug unique is its selective
accumulation in virally infected cells.
Significance
The anti-COVID drug 2-DG is expected to play a crucial role in winning the fight against
COVID-19. The Union Defence Minister noted that the development and production of
the drug is a shining example of a public-private sector partnership to help the nation in
these challenging times.
The medicine will play a crucial role in winning the fight against COVID-19. The development and
production of the drug is a shining example of public-private sector partnership to help the nation

in these challenging times.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 17, 2021

Key Highlights
•The first batch of the 2-DG (2-deoxy-D-glucose) drug comprises about 10,000 doses. It will soon
be given to the patients.
•Drug manufacturers are working on increasing the production of the medicine for future use.
•The drug has been developed by a team of DRDO scientists including Dr. Anant Narayan Bhatt.
•The clinical trials of the drug showed that it helps in the faster recovery of hospitalised patients
and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. A higher proportion of patients being treated with
the 2-DG drug showed RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID patients.
•The drug is expected to be of immense benefit to the people suffering from COVID-19.
How was anti-Covid drug 2-DG developed?
•DRDO took the initiative of developing an anti-COVID therapeutic application of 2-DG in April
2020 in line with PM Narendra Modi's call for preparedness against the pandemic.
•The INMAS-DRDO scientists conducted lab experiments with the help of the Centre for Cellular
and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad.
•The experiments showed that the molecule works effectively against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and
restricts viral growth.
•Based on these results, the DCGI's (Drugs Controller General of India) Central Drugs Standard
Control Organization (CDSCO) permitted Phase-II clinical trials of the 2-DG in COVID-19 patients
in May 2020.
•DRDO along with DRL started clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the drug in COVID-
19 patients.
2-DG drug: Phase II Clinical Trial Results
•The Phase-II clinical trials were conducted between May and October 2020. During the trials, the

drug was found to be safe in COVID-19 patients and it showed significant improvement in their
recovery.
•The Phase IIa trial was conducted in six hospitals and Phase IIb (dose-ranging) clinical trial was
conducted at 11 hospitals across the nation.
•Overall, the Phase-II clinical trials involved over 110 patients.
•The patients treated with 2-DG showed faster symptomatic cure than Standard of Care (SoC) on
various endpoints.
•A favourable trend was seen in the median time to achieve normalisation of specific vital signs
parameters.
•Following these successful results, the DGCI approval Phase-III clinical trials in November 2020.
2-DG drug: Phase III Clinical Trial Results
•The Phase-III clinical trials of 2-DG involved 220 patients and was conducted at 27 COVID
hospitals in Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West
Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu between December 2020 to March 2021.
•The phase III clinical trial data showed that a significantly higher proportion of patients improved
symptomatically and became free from supplemental oxygen dependence by Day-3 in
comparison to SoC (42 percent vs 31 percent), which indicated an early relief from Oxygen
dependence.
•This was also observed in patients aged more than 65 years.
•Following the submission of these results, the DCGI on May 1, 2021 granted permission for the
Emergency Use of the drug as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.
•The 2-DG drug is a generic molecule and analogue of glucose and hence, it can be easily
produced and made available in large quantities in the country.
Background
The second wave of the COVID-19 has turned out to be deadly for India with a large number of
patients facing severe oxygen dependency resulting in the need for urgent hospitalisation

The 2-DG drug is expected to save precious lives due to the mechanism of operation of the drug
in infected cells. This can also reduce the hospital stay of COVID-19 patients.

China’s ‘Zhurong’ rover on Mars: All you

need to know!
Tianwen-1, China’s uncrewed spacecraft successfully landed on the surface of Mars on May 15,
2021. The landing of the spacecraft has made the country only the second in the world to send a
rover for exploring the Red Planet.
‘Zhurong’ Rover was onboard the lander and the rover will soon be deployed to study the Martian
geology and atmosphere. If ‘Zhurong rover’ is deployed without a hitch, China will be the first
country to successfully orbit, land, and offload a rover during its Mars Mission.
The spacecraft has landed on a large plain that is located in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars,
known as Utopia Planitia. The impressive descent by China’s spacecraft to the surface of Mars is
also a major step in the country’s growing ambition to establish itself as a ‘great space power’.
Read below to know more about China’s mission to Mars and the ‘Zhurong’ rover.
Details about Zhurong Rover and how it will work on Mars?
Zhurong Rover, named after the mythical Chinese god of fire, will spend around 90 Martian days
on the planet. As the spacecraft landed on the plant, the rover will not be immediately offloaded
from the lander.
The probe sent on the planet will first be surveying the Utopia plane and will take high-resolution
images to locate the safest spot to put the rover down. The aim will be to find a stretch of the land
which is devoid of large boulders and craters.
After few days, Zhurong Rover will roll off the lander and will be joining the US Perseverance and
Curiosity rovers to explore the surface of Mars.
Zhurong Rover, which weighs about 240 kgs, is slightly heavier than the Spirit and Opportunity
Rovers of NASA, however, the rover is only one-fourth the weight of Perseverance and Curiosity.
Chinese rover powered by solar panels:
The Chinese rover has been powered by retractable solar panels and is fitted with seven primary

instruments- ground-penetrating radar, cameras, a weather station, and a magnetic-field detector.

The aim of the radar is to look for signs of ancient life as well as the subsurface water.
How did the Chinese rover land on Mars?
After orbiting around Mars for about 3 months preparing for a safe landing attempt, China’s lander
carrying the rover separated from the orbiter and descended towards the surface of the Red
Planet.
The target of the lander was to land on Utopia Planitia, which is a vast plain, measuring over
3,000 km across. The planitia was formed by an impact early in the history of Mars. The satellite
findings have also indicated that a significant amount of the ice has been stored deep beneath the
Utopia Planitia’s surface.
According to China Space News, there were ‘nine minutes of error’ as the landing module entered
the Mars atmosphere, decelerating and gradually descending to the surface of the moon.
The rover, during the descent, was covered with an aeroshell for the initial phase and the speed
of the capsule was also lowered after it started pushing against the Martian air. A parachute was
also released for reducing the capsule’s velocity even further.
China’s Mars Mission: Background
The Tianwen-1 Mission, launched by the China National Space Administration in July 2020,
consists of an orbiter, a golf-cart-sized rover called Zhurong, and a lander.
The spacecraft had arrived in Mars’s orbit in February 2021. The Mars mission by China aims at
making full use of the opportunity which emerges only once every two years when Mars and the
Earth are the closest together.
Through the mission, the Chinese scientists aim at exploring Mars and study its geology for at
least 90 days via Zhurong Rover.
However, this is not the first time that China has attempted to send a spacecraft to Mars. Around
10 years ago, China had launched the Yinghuo-1 mission. However, the mission failed after the
spacecraft burned while still in the Earth’s atmosphere after the Russian rocket which was
carrying it failed in the flight.
Other countries that send rovers to Mars:

• Only the United States, apart from China, has been successful to deploy the rovers for studying
the surface of the Red Planet.
• The first successful landing of the rover was made by NASA in July 1976, when the Viking 1
rover touched down the Mars. Shortly after that, Viking 2 also arrived on the red planet.
• The US has also successfully sent the Opportunity and the Spirit Rovers to explore the Red
Planet.
• Most recently in February 2021, NASA’s Perseverance Rover had successfully landed at the
Jezero Crater on Mars. After landing it resumed work to look for the signs of the past life.
• The former Soviet Union, in 1971, had also managed to launch a Mars probe. However, the
communication was lost within the seconds of its landing.

David Attenborough appointed as People’s

Advocate of COP26 for Climate Change
Sir David Attenborough, a natural historian and a world-renowned broadcaster, on May 10, 2021,
was appointed as the People’s Advocate of the COP26 for the UK’s Presidency of the UN Climate
Change summit to be held in Glasgow in November 2021.
Attenborough, 95, has been tasked with putting forward a case to key decision-makers, global
leaders, and the public to explain why climate action matters, highlight the progress to achieve the
climate goals, and what actions will the decision-makers need to take ahead of COP26.
Attenborough will address world leaders over the next six months, including the G7 Summit to be
held in Cornwall in June, to keep the protection of nature and climate on the top of the world
agenda. He will also be joining the Glasgow Summit, the most important climate meeting since
the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015.
Attenborough on his appointment said that we learned during the pandemic that how crucial it is
for nations to have an agreement to solve worldwide problems. Further, he emphasized that the
problems that await us within the next 5-10 years are even greater. The success of the meetings
in Glasgow, COP26 is crucial, he added.
The appointment of Attenborough came at a time when Alok Sharma, the Indian-origin Cabinet-
level minister as Britain's President-Designate of COP26, urged international organizations, civil
society, businesses, and governments to put the world towards net zero emissions by 2050.
Sharma said that climate change is the greatest threat to our planet. “The next decade will be
make, or break, for cutting global emissions sufficiently to avoid the worst effects of climate
change,” he added.
Who is Sir David Attenborough?
•Sir David Attenborough is a nature documentary film-maker, broadcaster, writer, naturalist for
his pioneer work in producing innovative educational series around natural history, animals,
exploration of Earth’s habitats, and environmental issues such as global warming, climate
change, etc.

•Attenborough has worked on documentaries notably Life series, The Blue Planet, Are We
Changing Planet Earth, Blue Planet II, Our Planet, Climate Change – The Facts, A Life on Our
Planet, and many more.
•Attenborough is the only person to be awarded BAFTAs for programs produced in black and
white, colour, HD, 3D, 4K, and VR. He has been awarded a Peabody Award in 2014 and an
Emmy Award in 2018.
About COP26
•COP, which stands for ‘Conference of the Parties’, is the UN Climate Change Conference that is
held annually to deliberate on the issue of climate change and what climate action plan the
countries will adopt.
•The UK, in partnership with Italy, will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties
(COP26) in Glasgow from November 1 – 12, 2021.
•The Summit will witness countries coming together to accelerate climate action in alignment with
the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Online appointments for 2nd dose of

Covishield to be given after 84 days
The Union Ministry of Health on May 16, 2021, announced that the requisite changes have been
done in the Co-WIN digital portal due to which further online or on-site appointments for the 2nd
dose of Covishield vaccine will not be possible, in case the period after the first dose date for the
beneficiary is less than 84 days.
The Ministry, however, clarified that the already booked online appointments for the 2nd dose of
Covishield will remain valid and that the same will not be cancelled on the Co-WIN platform.
The Central Government on May 13, 2021, had decided to extend the gap between the two doses
of Covishield to 12-16 weeks. The decision was taken based on the recommendations by the
COVID Working Group.
#LargestVaccineDrive
#CoWIN digital Portal Reconfigured to Reflect Change in Dose Interval of #Covishield Vaccine to
12-16 weeks.
Already Booked Online appointments for 2nd Covishield Dose will remain
Valid.https://t.co/fue31c2uEI pic.twitter.com/eJXEF7i1Gw
— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) May 16, 2021

Centre communicates the change to States and UTs:
The Health Ministry informed that the Government has communicated about this change to the
States and UTs. The Ministry added that Co-WIN digital portal has also been reconfigured to
reflect this extension of the interval between the two doses of Covishield vaccine to 12-16 weeks.
Already book appointments for 2nd dose to remain valid:
While commenting on the reports suggesting that the individuals who have already booked their
appointments for the second dose in less than 84 days are being returned back from the Centre,
the Ministry assured that the already booked online appointments for the second dose will remain
valid and will not be cancelled by Co-WIN.

The Ministry has advised the State and UTs governments that the field staff must be
instructed, that if such beneficiaries do arrive for the vaccination at the center, the second
dose of the vaccine must be administered and the individual must not be turned away.
Further, the beneficiaries have been advised to reschedule their appointments for a later date
beyond the 84th day from the first dose of the vaccination.
States/UTs to aware citizens about this change:
The Central Government has already reiterated to the governments of States and UTs that the
online appointments booked for the 2nd dose of Covishield vaccine prior to this change of the
interval between the two doses of vaccine, must be honoured.
However, in order to avoid any form of confusion and to make the beneficiaries understand that
the fresh appointment for 2nd dose will only be after 84 days of when the first dose was
administered, the States and UTs have been asked to undertake the awareness activities in order
to inform the beneficiaries about this change.

UNSC Meeting on Israel-Palestine clashes:

UN Chief calls for immediate ceasefire, no
action taken
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a meeting on the Israel-Palestine situation on
May 16, 2021. The meeting was chaired by the Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister
Wang Yi.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres was the first of nearly two dozen speakers on the
meeting's agenda. He called the hostilities between the two parties 'utterly appalling' and said,
"the current violence in Gaza & Israel only perpetuates the cycles of death, destruction & despair,
and pushes farther to the horizon any hopes of coexistence & peace." He asserted that the
fighting must stop immediately.
This was UNSC's first public meeting on the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The UNSC had met
privately twice last week over the worsening violence.
Israel- Palestine Clashes
•The hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians have escalated to such a high level that
was not seen since the 2014 war.
•The United Nations was forced to step up its diplomatic engagement and the UNSC met
to discuss the conflict in public for the first time with the conflict stretching into its seventh
straight day.
•However, the UN Security Council took no action even as all its member decried the
death and devastation.
•The airstrikes in Gaza by both Israel and Hamas have killed over dozens of people
including many women and children. Several buildings have been reduced to rubbles in
the airstrikes with workers combing through to look for survivors.
China's Solutions
China holds UNSC's rotating presidency for the month of May. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
said in his statement that the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine has caused a large
number of casualties, including women and children and the situation is extremely critical and

severe.
He asserted that the international community must act urgently to prevent the situation from
further deteriorating.
China advocated the following in response to current tensions between Israel and
Palestine:
1. Ceasefire is a current priority: China called upon both parties to the conflict to immediately
stop military actions and any action that worsens the situation including rocket launches, airstrikes
and ground offensives.
2. Humanitarian assistance is an urgent need: China urged Israel to earnestly fulfill its
international treaty obligations and lift the blockade and siege of Gaza as soon as possible and
guarantee the safety and rights of civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory. It also called upon
the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestine.
3. International support is an obligation: China urged that the UNSC must take effective action
on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reiterate its firm support for the "two-state solution," and
calm down the situation. The nation also called on the United States to support the Security
Council in playing its due role in easing the tensions, rebuilding trust, and resolving the situation.
China also called all the organisations and countries that have an influence in the region to play a
more active role in the situation and make more effective effort.
4. Two-state solution is the ultimate way out: China outlined that an ultimate way out of the
Palestinian issue lies in the implementation of the two-state solution. China extended its support
to the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel as soon as possible on the basis of
the "two-state solution". China also advocated for the establishment of a fully sovereign and
independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 border, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Palestine's Statement
The foreign minister of the Palestinian Authority, Riyad al-Maliki implicitly rebuked the US and
other powers that have defended Israel’s right to protect itself from Hamas rocket attacks. He
asserted that such arguments make Israel “further emboldened to continue to murder entire
families in their sleep.”
Israel's statement

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan rejected any attempt to portray the actions
of Israel and Hamas as moral equivalents. He urged that “Israel uses missiles to protect its
children,” while “Hamas uses children to protect its missiles.”
Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed earlier to continue striking Gaza “until we reach our
targets."
US Ambassador to UN
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that US President Joe
Biden had spoken with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, while US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken had also been engaging with his counterparts in the region.
She called on Hamas to stop its rocket launches against Israel and expressed concerns about
inter-communal violence and warned against incitement on both sides and said the United States
is prepared to lend its support and good offices should the parties seek a cease-fire.
US President Joe Biden had earlier on May 15th spoken with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and
President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas in separate calls to speak about efforts to
broker a cease-fire.
Other Nations
The envoys from all of UNSC's 15 members have though urged an immediate de-escalation,
there is no indication of what next steps the council will take to resolve the situation.
What triggered the latest Israeli-Palestinian crisis?
There were two main triggers for the conflict-
1. Protests began after Israel made attempts to evict several Palestinians from their
homes in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The evictions were paused
by Israel's Supreme Court.
2. Restrictions were also imposed on Palestinians during the Islamic holy month of
Ramadan. Every year, Israeli-Arabs and Palestinians used to gather at the Damascus
Gate entrance to Jerusalem's Old City to celebrate during Ramadan. However, this year
the Israeli police erected barricades in the area and restricted the number of people
allowed to enter the area. The barricades were removed after a series of protests.
What happened at Al Aqsa Mosque?

•Israeli police had earlier stormed the area around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is one of
the holiest sites in Islam and Judaism. While Muslims are allowed to pray there, Jews
and Christians are not.
•While the Israeli police said that they were responding to Israeli Arabs having gathered
stones to use in a later riot, as per Palestinians, fighting began after police entered the
compound and fired tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets.
•As per reports, hundreds of Palestinians were injured in the raid, while the Israeli police
said at least 21 officers were also hurt.
•Hamas group, which runs the Gaza strip, one of the two main Palestinian territories,
issued an ultimatum to Israel to remove its forces from Sheikh Jarrah and Al-Aqsa.
Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the US and Israel.
•Hamas then started firing rockets into Israel, which further prompted the Israeli military
to launch airstrikes in the Gaza strip.

Andrea Meza from Mexico crowned Miss

Universe 2020, Miss India Adline Castelini
finishes at fourth
Andrea Meza from Mexico has been crowned Miss Universe for the year 2020. She bested the
contestants from 74 other countries, including Miss India Adline Castelino, who made it to the top
4 of the beauty pageant.
The 69th edition of the pageant, which was held on May 16, 2021, at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino in Hollywood, United States, was a scaled-down affair because of the ongoing
Coronavirus pandemic.
As per the official website of Miss Universe, the 26-years old winner Andrea Meza was crowned
by her predecessor South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi. She had won the pageant in 2019.
The new Miss Universe is Mexico!!!! #MISSUNIVERSE pic.twitter.com/Mmb6l7tK8I
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) May 17, 2021
Julia Gama from Brazil, 28, emerged as the runner up and Janick Maceta, 27, from Peru finished
third at the beauty pageant.
Miss Diva Universe, via Twitter, congratulated the 22-year-old Miss India Adline Castelino.
3rd Runner-Up for India at @MissUniverse

Congratulations @AdlineCastelino You have made us immensely proud! Your resilience,
determination & grace shined throughout the competition and the hard work you’ve put in your
journey reflected in you this night! We are proud of u pic.twitter.com/hoi54G7d8A
— Miss Diva (@MissDivaOrg) May 17, 2021
The event on May 16 also marked the return of the Miss Universe Competition to the television,
as the pageant was cancelled in 2020, for the first time ever, because of the COVID-19
pandemic.
Miss Universe 2020: Key details
• The beauty pageant, Miss Universe 2020, was hosted by the American Actor Mario Lopez and

television personality Olivia Culpo.
• Former Miss Universe contestants Paulina Vega, Cheslie Kryst, and Demi-Leigh Tebow (winner
of 2017 title) served as the commentators and competition analysts. The panel of 8 women
determined the winner.
Who is Andrea Meza?
She is a Mexican model and the winner of Miss Universe 2020. Since winning the title, Meza has
become the third Mexican woman to be crowned Miss Universe.
She was previously crowned Mexicana Universal 2020, Miss Mexico 2017, and was also placed
as the first runner-up at Miss World 2017.
Born on August 13, 1994, in Chinhuahua City, Meza graduated with a degree in Software
Engineering in 2017. She started working in Mexico as a Software Engineer, while also pursuing
her career as a mode.
Political statements at beauty pageant:

Miss Myanmar Thuzar Wint Lwin draws attention to a military coup in Myanmar
Miss Myanmar, in the days leading up to the final competition, made waves when used
her time in the spotlight at the pageant to bring attention to the bloody military coup in
Myanmar. During her biographical video, she stated that out people are dying and are
being shot by the military every day, therefore, she urged everyone to speak out about
Myanmar.
Thuzar Wint Lwin, who made it to the top 21, was also seen taking part in the anti-coup
protests in the country, in the video. Miss Myanmar won the award for the Best National
Costume. She had worn an outfit that was beaded traditional Burmese pattern and had
held up a sign that stated 'Pray for Myanmar'.
Miss Singapore Bernadette Belle Ong made a statement of 'Stop Asian Hate'
Miss Singapore, who was not able to make it to the top 21, used her National Costume
portion for making a political statement. Dressed in a glittering bodysuit, she turned
around to reveal her cape which was painted with the words 'Stop Asian Hate'.
India at Miss Universe pageant:
India has won the title two times, in comparison to Miss World and Miss Earth.

Sushmita Sen had won the title of Miss Universe in 1994 and had become the first titleholder of
the country.
The feat was again achieved in 2000, with Lara Dutta winning the title of Miss Universe. The
same year, Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra had won the title for Miss World.
Miss Universe Competition: Background
It is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by the Miss Universe organization based in
the US. Miss Universe is one of the most-watched beauty pageants all over the world and along
with Miss World, Miss Earth, and Miss International, it is one of the Big Four International Beauty
Pageants.
The first pageant was held in 1952 in California and was won by Armi Kussela from Finland. She,
however, gave up her title, though not officially, to get married, before her year was completed.

Cyclone Tauktae: ‘Extremely Severe Cyclonic

Storm’, Expected to hit Gujarat Coast today
evening: All You Need to Know
The Indian Meteorological Department on May 17, 2021, issued an ‘Extremely Severe Cyclonic
Storm’ warning for Gujarat and Diu coasts.
The ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ Tauktae over the Arabian Sea has intensified into an ‘Extremely
Severe Cyclonic Storm’. Cyclone ‘Tauktae’ has been moving north-northwestwards with a speed
of approximately 20 km/h and most likely to hit the Gujarat Coast during the evening hours on
May 17, 2021, with maximum wind speeds gusting up to 185 – 210 km/h.
#CycloneAlert As per the latest Satellite observation (INSAT-3DR) at 0230 IST, the Vortex
"Tauktae" lay centered at 18.1N/71.6E, with a ragged eye & at a distance of around 290 KM
south-southeast of Diu. The system is moving towards the Gujarat coast at a speed of approx
20kmph. pic.twitter.com/g49wpHsRzn
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 16, 2021
More than 1 lakh people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of Gujarat. IMD further
stated that the cyclone will most likely hit the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva
(Bhavnagar district) between 3 pm – 6 pm on May 17.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected over the districts of Saurashtra, Diu, Kutch, and adjoining
coastal regions of Gujarat. Fishermen have advised not to venture in the Arabian Sea off
Maharashtra, Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli coasts till May 18th noon.
NDRF Director General S N Pradhan informed that 50 teams of NDRF have been deployed
currently and 50 more teams will reach Gujarat by the evening or late night. “Gujarat is most likely
to experience the maximum impact,” he further added.
Several people died in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka due to electrocution and wall collapse.
The Indian Meteorological Department had issued a red alert on May 14, 2021, after informing
about the low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea near Lakshadweep that led to a deep
depression is likely to intensify into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ by May 17 with wind speeds up

to 160 mph.
Depression over Lakshadweep area intensified into a Deep Depression , about 50 km north-
northwest of Amini Divi, 310 km west-southwest of Kannur (Kerala), To intensify into a Cyclonic
Storm in 12 hrs .To move north-northwestwards and reach near Gujarat coast by 18th
pic.twitter.com/EaOI1pXiih
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 14, 2021
Cyclone Tauktae was predicted to impact the coast of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Lakshadweep, Goa, and most likely to hit the coast of Gujarat by May 18 morning.
What is the meaning of the cyclone name ‘Tauktae’?
Cyclone ‘Tauktae’ (pronounced as Tau ‘Te) means ‘gecko’ in the Burmese language. The name
was given by Myanmar ‘gecko’ is a highly vocal lizard which is known for its peculiar
vocalizations.
It is the first cyclonic storm of 2021.
How are cyclones named?
All the cyclones are named by the World Meteorological Organization. The panel comprises 13
countries: India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Oman, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Iran, Thailand,
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, who suggest names of cyclones.
What does an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' mean?
Cyclones are classifieds based on the strength of wind speed. Cyclones with wind speeds ranging
from 119 to 222 km/h and above are predicted as ‘very severe’ and ‘extremely severe’ cyclonic
storms.

What is Mucormycosis? Centre warns that it

may turn fatal if uncared for- All you need to
know!
The central government has issued an advisory on the management of Mucormycosis fungal
infection among Corona patients. The centre stated that the fungal infection mainly affects
people who are on medication that reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens.
As per a statement given by the Maharashtra Health Minister, more than 2000 people had already
been affected by this fungal infection in the state and 10 people had even succumbed to it. Some
patients have even lost their eyesight. The state of Chhattisgarh has also reported as many as 18
patients of the black fungus infection, who are currently being treated in AIIMS Raipur.
The centre said that the infection may turn fatal if uncared for. It is generally being found in
COVID-19 patients with uncontrolled diabetes and prolonged ICU stay.
#Mucormycosis, a fungal infection being found in COVID patients with uncontrolled diabetes &
prolonged ICU stay, may turn fatal if uncared for: Centre
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 9, 2021

What is Mucormycosis?
•Mucormycosis is a black fungus infection that is being detected lately in some COVID-19 patients
in India who have had prolonged stays in the ICU. The spreading of the infection has caused few
COVID survivors to lose their vision.
•Mucormycosis is a serious but rare fungal infection, which is caused by a group of molds called
mucormycetes. These fungi generally live in the environment, particularly in soil and in decaying
organic matter, such as compost piles, leaves or rotten wood or even decaying fruits and
vegetables.
•According to health experts, it is found in the soil and air and even in the nose and mucus of
healthy people.
How does mucormycosis affect the human body?

The fungal infection affects the sinuses, brain and lungs of a person and can be life-threatening to
individuals who are diabetic or severely immunocompromised such as cancer patients or people
with HIV/AIDS.
In some cases, the patients lost their vision in both eyes and in rare cases, the doctors were
forced to remove certain body parts like the eye or jaw bone to stop the disease from spreading.
Who are the high-risk patients?
The mucormycosis infection is being detected among patients who are either recovering or have
recovered from COVID-19. Those who are diabetic or whose immune system is not functioning
well run the most risk of catching the infection and need to be on the guard against this.
According to ICMR's advisory, the following conditions in COVID-19 patients increase the risk of
mucormycosis infection:
-Uncontrolled diabetes
-Weakening of immune system due to use of steroids
-Prolonged ICU/hospital stay
-Co-morbidities / post organ transplant / cancer
-Voriconazole therapy (used to treat serious fungal infections)
What are the symptoms of mucormycosis?
According to the centre's advisory, people need to watch out for warning symptoms such
as-
-Pain and redness around the eyes or nose
-Headache
-Fever
-Coughing
-Bloody vomits
-Shortness of breath

-Altered mental status.
-Blackening or discoloration over the nose
-Blurred or double vision
-Chest pain
-Breathing difficulties
-Coughing of blood.
How severe is mucormycosis?
The mucormycosis fungal infection has an overall mortality rate of 50 percent.
The fungus generally begins to manifest as skin infection in the air pockets located behind our
forehead, nose, cheekbones and in between the eyes and teeth.
It then slowly spreads to the eyes, lungs and can even spread to the brain and it can prove fatal if
it reaches the brain.
What triggers mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients?
•Centre in its advisory stated that people are catching mucormycosis by coming in contact with
the fungal spores in the environment. The fungus can enter the skin through a cut, scrape, burn,
or other type of skin trauma.
•According to doctors. the mucormycosis infections may possibly be triggered due to the use of
steroids, which is currently seen as a life-saving treatment for critical COVID-19 patients.
•Administration of steroids reportedly reduces inflammation in the lungs of the critically ill COVID-
19 patients, thereby helping in stabilising their oxygen levels.
•However, steroids also reduce immunity and lead to a spike in blood sugar levels in both
diabetics and non-diabetic Covid-19 patients. This drop-in immunity is said to trigger
mucormycosis among some of the COVID patients, especially when they are exposed to wet
surfaces.

•Niti Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul said that most life-saving drugs that are currently being
used to treat COVID-19 patients like dexamethasone, methylprednisolone and prednisolone
suppress the immune system and this is when the fungus attacks. He said that even medicines
like Tocilizumab and Itolizumab suppresses the immune system and lead to mucormycosis in
diabetic patients.
•Paul explained by saying that when the same COVID-19 patient, who has been administered
these life-saving drugs, is put on oxygen support which has a humidifier containing water, the
chances of him/ her getting the fungal infection increase.
Is there any treatment for mucormycosis?
Since the infection may begin as a skin infection and then spread to other parts of the body, the
treatment involves surgically removing all dead and infected tissue. This can result in loss of
some body part in some extreme cases such as removal of upper jaw or the eye.
There is an anti-fungal intravenous injection, which is the only effective drug against the disease.
It has to be given every day to the patient for up to eight weeks.
Should people be alarmed?
Niti Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul confirmed that there is "no big outbreak" of the fungal
infection. He said that the situation is being monitored and the treatment for mucormycosis is
available. However, a rising number of cases of infection have been reported, especially among
young people or people with uncontrolled sugar levels.
Is there any way to prevent mucormycosis?
According to doctors, the only way to prevent the fungal infection is to make sure that the Covid-
19 patients are being administered the right dose and duration of steroids. Also, a constant check
and care is required of the patient's sugar levels after their discharge.
According to AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, the misuse of steroids is a major cause behind
mucormycosis. He has urged the hospitals to follow protocols of infection control practices as
secondary infections, both fungal and bacterial, are being increasingly detected in COVID-19
cases and are causing more mortality.
Niti Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul also urged that when a patient is on oxygen support, it
should be ensured that water does not leak from the humidifier. He also added saying that

whoever has diabetes needs to control the sugar level always. He also advised rational usage of
life-saving steroids and medicines.
One of the most important prevention method is controlling diabetes in COVID-19 patient.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman to chair 43rd GST

Council meeting on May 28
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will chair the 43rd Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Council meeting on May 28, 2021 through video conferencing.
The meeting will take place at 11 am on May 28th, as per the statement by the official Twitter
account of Nirmala Sitharaman's Office.
The meeting will see participation from Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur and Finance
Ministers and senior officials of all states and Union Territories (UT).
GST Council's 42nd Meeting: Key Highlights
•The GST Council had met for its 42nd meeting on October 5, 2020. During the meeting, the
council had decided to extend the levy of compensation cess beyond the transition period of five
years, that is beyond June 2022, for such period as may be required to meet the revenue gap.
•The GST Council had also taken up the long-pending issue of Integrated Goods and Services
Tax and decided to disburse Rs 25000 crore to all the states that have received less amount due
to various reasons.
•The Centre had also decided, on the request of states, to increase the shortfall amount to Rs
1.10 lakh crores from Rs 97,000 crores under the borrowing option.
Centre's two borrowing options
In August 2020, the centre had given two borrowing options to the states to meet their GST
shortfall:
1. Borrow Rs 97,000 crore from a special window facilitated by the RBI.
2. Borrow Rs 2.35 lakh crore from the market.
While 21 states had chosen the first borrowing option by mid-September, most of the opposition-
ruled states had not accepted any of the two borrowing options given by the Centre.

The Finance Minister then clarified that the Centre was not denying compensation to any state but
those that have not chosen any borrowing option have to borrow from the market.
GST Compensation
Under GST compensation, the states are guaranteed compensation for any loss of revenue owing
to the implementation of the GST, which entailed them giving up powers to collect taxes under the
earlier system. The loss incurred by the states is computed based on a formula provided in the
GST (Compensation to States) Act.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal holds talks with

US Trade Representative to enhance COVID-
19 vaccine production
The Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on May 14, 2021, held a discussion virtually
with the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai to increase the Coronavirus vaccine production.
In a tweet, the Union Minister informed that the discussion between both the officials was fruitful.
They both focused on India and the United States working together on Trade-Related
aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver. He added that this will ensure
affordable vaccines for all.
Had a fruitful discussion with US Trade Representative @AmbassadorTai focusing on India & US
working together on Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver. This
will ensure affordable COVID-19 vaccines for all. pic.twitter.com/Rin6V7YDRj
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) May 14, 2021
Piyush Goyal while talking about the meeting stated that the supply chains of the vaccine
manufacturers must be kept open and undisrupted as the whole world is in dire need of vaccines.
Both India and the US have agreed to work towards increasing vaccine availability and saving
lives.
India-US Meeting on COVID-19 vaccine production: Key Highlights
• The meeting between the Commerce and Industry Minister and the US Trade Representative
focused on increasing vaccine availability in an equitable and inclusive manner in order to combat
the global pandemic.
• India’s proposal on waiver of the certain TRIPS provision was also discussed. The proposal
aims at increasing global vaccine production to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of
the poor and saving lives.
• The Union Minister thanked the US Trade Representative for the US Government announcing
its support for India’s proposal.

Background:
In October 2020, India and South Africa, along with other 57 members of the World Trade
Organisation had proposed a waiver from a certain provision of the TRIPS agreement for the
containment, prevention, and treatment of Coronavirus.
The World Trade Agreement on TRIPS is a comprehensive multilateral agreement on Intellectual

Property.
On May 6, 2021, US President Biden’s government announced its support for a global waiver on
the patent protections for Coronavirus vaccines and stated that it will negotiate the terms with
WTO.

Protect dignity of dead, provide decent burial

to COVID-19 victims: NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission on May 14, 2021, issued an advisory to the Centre,
State, and UT governments for enacting specific legislation for upholding the dignity and
protecting the rights of the dead in the wake of COVID-19 deaths.
NHRC issued an advisory after reports of mishandling of dead bodies of COVID victims and
several bodies, suspected of death due to COVID-19, found dumped in the Ganga started doing
the rounds across the country.
Though there is no law at present to protect the rights of the dead in the country, however, the
Commission drew its inferences from Article 21 of the Constitution of India that not only applies to
the living but also the dead.
“It is the duty of the states to protect the rights of the deceased and prevent crime over the dead
bodies,” the Commission emphasized.
NHRC’s recommendations to protect the rights of dead bodies of COVID victims:
•Avoid mass burials or cremations or mounting of bodies while transporting them as that is a
violation of the rights and dignity of the people dead.
•No hospital administration should retain any dead body on account of pending bill payments. Any
unclaimed bodies are to be stored in safe adequate conditions.
•Any citizen who comes across any such death incident or any dead bodies should immediately
inform the nearest police station, emergency ambulance, legal or administrative authorities,
whichever possible at the earliest.
•There should be no delay in port-mortem by the police department, local authorities must ensure
the provision of proper transport facilities for the dead bodies, and overcharging of ambulance
services must be regulated.
•Maintain the COVID protocol issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), National Disaster
Management Authority, Govt. of India, and state governments while providing decent burial in

accordance with the respective culture and funeral rites.
•Make temporary arrangements to manage the piling number of dead bodies due to COVID-19
and long queues at crematoriums. More use of electronic crematoriums is encouraged.
•NGOs are requested to take responsibility to perform the last rites in case of unattended or
unclaimed bodies. In cases, when repatriation is not possible, or family members are not
available, local or state authorities may perform the last rites.
•Sensitize the staff at the crematoriums or burial grounds about handling the dead bodies to
maintain the dignity of the dead. Provide the staff with proper safety facilities and equipment for
them to perform their duty without any risk or fear. They should be compensated fairly.
•Each State must maintain a district-wise digital record of the death cases, and the same must be
updated on the deceased’s documents such as PAN card, Aadhaar card, bank accounts, etc.

ADB commits record USD 3.92 billion loan to

India in 2020
The Asian Development Bank informed on May 14, 2021 that it has committed a record USD 3.92
billion loan for 13 projects in India in 2020.
The loan amount also includes the USD 1.8 billion in COVID-19 related projects to support the
government's response to the pandemic.
ADB's support to India in 2020
•The Asian Development Bank had provided emergency assistance to contain the disease and
establish social protection measures for relief to the poor and other vulnerable groups in India.
•It had also approved financing to help the Indian government improve equitable access to
comprehensive primary health care in urban areas.
•This was ADB's highest-ever annual lending commitment to India since the beginning of its
lending operations in 1986.
•The bank has also committed USD 356.1 million through its non-sovereign operations to India,
including three COVID-19 support projects.
The new projects committed by ADB in 2020 include:
-USD 500 million for the high-speed 82-kilometer Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit system
corridor.
-The 120-megawatt hydroelectric power plant in Assam.

Energy sector loans to strengthen distribution network in Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Uttar Pradesh
-ADB also approved loans for sustainable urban development in secondary and smaller towns in
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
-The bank also granted funds to support West Bengal's fiscal consolidation programme.

-It also committed funds to provide Tripura and Himachal Pradesh with capacity development
support for planning and designing.
Future Projects
•The Asian Development Bank is ready to provide additional resources to help India in its
battle against COVID-19.
•It is ready to provide funds to expedite the country's ongoing vaccination programme
and build a resilient health care system that can hold against future shocks.
•It also aims to provide supplementary support to protect small businesses and underpin
education and social protection.
•The bank had also continued its regular assistance to energy, transport, urban
development and public sector management in India throughout 2020.

EAM S Jaishankar held talks with US Global

Task Force on Pandemic Relief
The External Affairs Minister of India, S Jaishankar on May 13, 2021, interacted with a global task
force of top American Companies. The task force was set up in April 2021 to support India in
tackling the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Union Minister informed about the virtual meeting through series of tweets and mentioned
that he talked about India’s priorities such as vaccines, oxygen, and pharmaceuticals as well as
the significance of effective supply chains.
Interacted with the US Global Task Force on Pandemic Relief. Appreciate the participation of the
CEOs and their support for India’s current efforts. pic.twitter.com/hQfacIrpUr
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 13, 2021
During the meeting, Jaishankar appreciated the participation of the CEOs of the American
companies and their extended support for India’s current efforts. He also underlined the global
implications of a stronger India-US health collaboration.
Objective:
The US Global Task Force on Pandemic Relief was launched for providing a unified platform for
the businesses to mobilize as well as deliver resources to assist the COVID-19 efforts in regions
of the highest need around the world.
Working of the Task Force:
The US Global Task Force has been working in close collaboration with the Indian and the US
government officials to share information as well as coordinate efforts. It includes regular briefings
with PM Modi and Biden administrations, US Senate Department, US Congress, and the United
States Agency for the International Development.
US Global Task Force on Pandemic Relief: Key details
• The CEOs of about top 40 US Companies, in order to show solidarity with India, came together
to create the country-specific global task force to help India fight the battle against the second
wave of the pandemic.

• The members of the steering committee of the task force include Andy Jassy, CEO, Amazon;
Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture; Tim Cook, CEO, Apple; Raj Subramaniam, President, FedEx; Brian
Moynihan, CEO, Bank of America; and Arvind Krishna, CEO, and Chairman, IBM.
Countries extend help to India amid the second wave:
As India has been battling the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, several nations around
the world have been sending medical supplies to help the country.
The leading nations that have delivered medical supplies to India are Russia, the US, the UK,
France, Australia, Germany, Romania, Ireland, Belgium, Singapore, Luxembourg, Sweden,
Portugal, Kuwait, New Zealand, and Mauritius.

Chhattisgarh govt to fund education of

children orphaned due to COVID-19
The Chhattisgarh government announced on May 14, 2021, that it will fund the education of
children who lost their parents or a guardian due to COVID-19 infection.
The state government will also pay for the education of children belonging to families whose only
earning members passed away due to COVID-19.
— CMO Chhattisgarh (@ChhattisgarhCMO) May 13, 2021
The Chief Minister Officer, Chhattisgarh announced via a tweet informing that the Chhattisgarh
government will fund the education of children orphaned due to coronavirus infection and also the
education of children who lost the only earning member in their families.
The state government will also provide scholarships under the state’s Mahtari Dular scheme.
The CMO, Chhattisgarh also informed via tweet that the children orphaned due to COVID-19
infection will be given priority for admission in Swami Atmanand English Medium schools and they
will not be charged with fees.
In a similar feat, Jammu & Kashmir government had also announced on May 12, 2021, to provide
special scholarships to orphaned children due to COVID-19.
Chhattisgarh: COVID-19 Tracker
Chhattisgarh, as of May 14, 2021, reported 9,121 active COVID-19 cases and 195 deaths.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is 8,92,331 and a total of 11,289 deaths so far
while the total number of recovered cases stands at 7,61,592.

Centre's Vaccination Plan: India to get 217

crore vaccine doses between August-
December 2021, Get all details here!
Union Government informed about its vaccination plan on May 13, 2021, stating that it planned to
get around 217 crore vaccine doses between August and December 2021.
The centre informed that around 51.6 vaccine doses have been ordered to fulfill the vaccine
demand in the country by the month of July.
The total number includes 16 crore doses procured directly by states and private hospitals and
35.6 crore doses procured by the Centre, which includes 1 crore doses procured from the Covax
facility.
What about the current unavailability of vaccines for the 18-45 years age group?
While addressing the concerns over the unavailability of vaccines for those falling under the age
group of 18-44 years due to a huge gap between demand and supply, the centre said that the
pace of vaccination will pick up as the production capacity of India's indigenous vaccines will be
ramped up and as foreign vaccines are also made available in the next few months.
Sputnik V to be available from next week!
Besides the two indigenously manufactured vaccines- Covishield and Covaxin that are
currently being used for vaccination across the country, India has also given emergency
use approval to Russia's Sputnik V, which is expected to be made available in the
market from next week.
When will local manufacturing of the Sputnik V vaccine begin?
The local manufacturing of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is expected to begin in July.

Currently, the vaccine is being imported from Russia. Roughly around 15.6 crore doses
of Sputnik are expected to be available for local consumption between August-
December.
How will India get 217 crore doses between August- December 2021?
•The government has estimated that India will get access to around 217 crore vaccine doses

between August and December 2021, based on the anticipated production indicated by the
companies of promising vaccine candidates that are currently under advanced stages of clinical
trials.
•It is an optimistic estimate and there are chances that it may not happen but preparations are
there, informed Niti Aayog Member VK Paul. He stated that the vaccines under advanced stages
of clinical trials are very promising.
•Dr. Paul further stated that the total number of vaccine doses available is expected to further rise
to around 300 crore by the end of the first quarter of 2022.
•These estimates are also based on lab and clinical trial results.
How many vaccine doses has India received so far?
•Out of the total order of 35.6 crore doses placed by the Centre so far, 7.6 crore have been
received and utilised and 86 percent of the 12 crore doses procured in phase-2 has been
received and the rest will be received by the end of May.
•Under centre's phase 3 procurement of the vaccines, another 16 crore doses will be supplied
between May and July.
•The government informed that around 7.3 crore doses have been made available through centre,
state and private hospitals in May alone.
SII, Bharat Biotech's vaccine production plan for the next four months
•The Serum Institute of India has informed that it will raise its monthly production capacity to 10
crore doses by August 2021 and will maintain the level in September.
•Bharat Biotech has informed that they will be increasing their monthly production capacity from
3.32 crore in July to 7.8 crore doses by August 2021 and the same number will be maintained in
September as well.
•Between August and December, the Serum Institute of India is expected to manufacture around
75 crore doses, while Bharat Biotech is expected to manufacturer around 55 crore doses of
Covaxin.
Other vaccines that are likely to be approved:

•Biological E's recombinant vaccine, being partnered with Baylor Medical College in the US, is
likely to provide 30 crore doses to India.
•India also expects to soon have vaccines from Cadila Healthcare and Genova Pharma.
•Bharat Biotech’s nasal vaccine candidate is also under trial.
•The government's vaccine projections also include Novavax, which will be manufactured by SII in
India.
•India is also in regular talks with foreign vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer, Moderna and J&J and
has been asking them to make their vaccines available in India, informed Dr. Paul.
•The centre wants these companies to bring their vaccines to India, partner with Indian firms, do
technology transfer and manufacture them here.
Background
India had recently in April 2021 relaxed its regulatory norms for granting approval to the foreign
developed and manufactured vaccines that have already been approved by credible global
regulators like USFDA and UK's MHRA.

What is African Swine Fever? All you need to

know
Meghalaya on May 12, 2021, informed that the resurgence of the African Swine Fever (ASF) has
killed over 300 pigs in the last month.
The State’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department have confirmed the presence of the
ASF in the districts of East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, and the sub-division of Sohra.
The confirmed number of death of pigs is 320 as of now, rest the suspected samples of 573 dead
pigs has been sent for confirmatory tests to a lab in Madhya Pradesh.
The State Government declared seven areas contaminated with the disease as containment
zones. The state’s animal husbandry and the veterinary department have set up 130 quick
response teams after the outbreak of ASF.
Meghalaya had also witnessed the outbreak of African Swine Fever in May and November last
year and again during Mid-April in 2021. The State Department advises the farmers to not buy
pigs from unverified or uncredible sources.
The African Swine Flu in Assam in 2020 had killed more than 14,000 pigs.
What is African Swine Fever?
African Swine Fever (ASF) is a deadly, highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease that affects
domestic and wild pigs. The fatality rate of the disease is 100 per cent.
The disease is transmitted through direct contact with an infected alive or dead domestic or wild
pigs, and also indirect contact or ingestion of contaminated material like feed or garbage, food
waste, ticks, or pork products.
The symptoms of African Swine Fever may be similar to Classical Swine Fever (CSF), hence the
test samples should be confirmed through lab tests.
How did the African Swine Fever emerge again?

Regarding the resurgence of the African Swine Fever, the state department of Meghalaya
expressed its doubts that some farmers might have brought in infected pigs across the borders of
Assam.

BRICS member nations keen on multilateral

social security framework
The first BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) meeting was held virtually on May 11 and
12, 2021. The meeting was chaired by the Labour Secretary of India, Apurva Chandra. India has
assumed the BRICS Presidency in 2021.
The prime agenda for discussions during the meeting was the formalization of the labour markets,
promoting social security agreements amongst BRICS nations, Gig and Platform workers’ role in
the labour market and the women’s participation in the labour force.
Sh. Apurva Chandra, Secretary, MoLE Chaired first #BRICS Employment Working Group
Meeting. The Indian delegation comprised of Smt. Anuradha Prasad, Spl. Secretary, MoLE, Sh.
R.K Gupta, JS, MoLE, Sh. Ajay Tewari, JS & DGLW, MoLE & Sh. Rupesh Kumar Thakur,
Director, MoLE. pic.twitter.com/a111BYvQBN
— Ministry of Labour (@LabourMinistry) May 11, 2021
In the meeting, apart from the representatives of the member nations Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa, the representatives of the International Social Security Agency and the
International Labour Organisation also gave valuable suggestions on the agenda issues.
BRICS nations on ‘multilateral social security framework’
The representatives of the BRICS nations, during the meeting, expressed willingness to
have a multilateral social security framework for safeguarding the rights of the workers.
The Social Security Agreement will facilitate the international workers to port their
benefits to their home countries thereby preventing the loss of their hard-earned
money.
Further, the workers will be exempted from contributing (social security schemes) both
in the home as well as in the host countries.
The multilateral Social Security framework will help the workers in avoiding the double
contributions in a cluster of such nations.
1st BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) meeting: Other key discussions
• The member nations, on the issue of the Social Security Agreement, decided to enter into a

dialogue and discussion with each other. They resolved to take it forward towards the signing of
the agreements, while the ILO and ISSA on their part, assured technical support for helping the
conclusion of such agreements.
• The BRICS member nations also decided to come up with a multilateral framework for the social
security agreement at a later stage.
• Various initiatives taken by the member nations for the formalization of jobs and in what way the
pandemic has enhanced informalization risk, were also discussed.
• BRICS member nations decided to promote women’s participation in productive, remunerative

and decent work and also extending the social security cover to the women workers who are
engaged in the informal sector. The impact of the pandemic on women’s participation in the
labour force was also discussed.
• In the issue of Gig and Platform workers as well as their role in the labour market, the discussion
took place on how the rapid growth of digital labour platforms has been altering the labour
process.
• Various measures taken and challenges faced by the member countries including the social
protection system extension was also discussed during the meeting.

What is Article 311: All you need to know
Assistant Police Inspector, Sachin Waze was terminated from the police service without a
departmental enquiry on May 11, 2021, after an order issued under Article 311 (2) (b) of the
Indian Constitution by the Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale.
Sachin Waze, a 1990-batch officer of the Maharashtra cadre, was suspended after his arrest by
the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case of an SUV with explosives found near Mukesh
Ambani’s house (also known as the Ambani terror scare case) and the murder of Mansukh Hiran.
On February 25, 2021, an SUV filled with explosives was found parked near the residence of
Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai. A few days later, businessman Mansukh Hiran was found dead in
Thane.
During that period, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) was looking into the crime
before NIA took over it. During the same time, Waze got transferred to the Special Brand of
Mumbai police.
However, upon an investigation of his alleged involvement in both the Ambani terror scare case
and the murder of Mansukh Hiran, the Special Branch prepared a report with inputs from the
Maharashtra ATS and submitted it to the Mumbai Police Commissioner.
The Mumbai Police Commissioner Nagrale issued an order terminating Sachin Waze from police
services under Article 311 (2) (b) without a departmental enquiry.
Article 311 in context of Sachin Waze’s Case
Article 311 (2) (b) clause of Article 311 of the Indian Constitution has been invoked by the Mumbai
Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale in Waze’s case.
Nagrale stated in writing that he is vested with the authority and is satisfied that it is not
reasonably practical to conduct a departmental enquiry against Waze.
What is Article 311?
Article 311 of the Indian Constitution serves as a safeguard for civil servants that provides them
with an opportunity to respond to the charges against them in a departmental enquiry to avoid

dismissal from service.
Article 311 (1) states that no government employee of All-India Services or a State government
shall be dismissed by an authority subordinate to them.
Article 311 (2) states that no civil servant shall be removed or dismissed or reduced in rank
without an enquiry wherein the person accused shall be informed of the charges and given an
opportunity to respond to the charges against him or her.
However, there are exceptions to Article 311 (2):
Article 311 (2) (a) states that a person is removed or dismissed or reduced in rank based on
conduct that led to his or her conviction on a criminal charge,
Article 311 (2) (b) states that if the authority vested with the power to remove or dismiss or
reduce in rank is satisfied for some reason, to be recorded by the authority in writing, it is not
reasonably practical to hold such enquiry.
Article 311 (2) (c) states that if the President or the Governor, as the case may be, is satisfied
that in the interest of the security of the State, it not necessary to hold such enquiry.
Can Sachin Waze challenge the dismissal under Article 311 (2) (b)?
Yes, Sachin Waze can approach the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal.
A government employee or a civil servant dismissed under Article 311 (2) (b) can approach the
State Administrative Tribunals or Central Administrative Tribunal or the Courts.

IREDA conferred with ‘Green Urja Award’
The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on May 11, 2021, conferred the Indian Renewable
Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) with the ‘Green Urja Award’. The agency has been
awarded for being the leading public institution in financing institution for renewable energy.
The prestigious award was received by the Chairman and Managing Director of IREDA, Pradip
Kumar Das from the Director-General, International Solar Alliance, Dr. Ajay Mathur. The chairman
of the ICC National Expert Committee, Anil Razdan was also present during a virtual ceremony.
The Chairman and Managing Director of IREDA while receiving the award stated that he is
honoured to receive this recognition on behalf of IREDA. He added that the award recognizes
IREDA’s immense contribution to the development of the Renewable energy sector in line with
PM Modi’s vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
IREDA has been conferred with “Green Urja Award” for being the Leading Public Institution in
Financing Institution for Renewable Energy.
Details: https://t.co/tHGsFgMoRz@mnreindia pic.twitter.com/4hlKC4DTMi
— MIB India #StaySafe (@MIB_India) May 11, 2021
Pradip Kumar Das dedicated the award to all the IREDANs for their constant hard work. He also
acknowledged them for their best effort to give outstanding performance in the last one year amid
the pandemic.
Why IREDA is awarded Green Urja Award?
• The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has received the award for
their pivotal and developmental role played in the Green Energy Financing.
• IREDA, despite the pandemic, ended the year 2020-21 on a strong note. It disbursed the
second-highest amount of loan amounting to Rs. 8,827 crores, which also indicates that IREDA
has the ability to translate the ongoing crisis into an opportunity.
Initiatives by IREDA during first and second wave of pandemic:
• IREDA formed a ‘COVID Care Response Team’ that has been continuously taking care of

COVID-19 positive employees as well as their family members. The initiative was started in June
2020 and has resulted in ‘ZERO’ employees who are Covid infected or under treatment as of May
11, 2021.
• At the time, when the whole world has been struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic,
IREDA has been able to successfully ensure a safe and healthy environment for its employees by
adopting a timely and proactive approach to the pandemic.
About IREDA:
IREDA, which is under the administrative control of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, is
the only dedicated institution in India for financing the Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy
Efficiency (EE) projects in the country.
The company, since its inception, has played a catalytic role in the developing market for
financing the EE and RE projects.
Over the years, the agency has sanctioned loans that aggregate to Rs. 96,601 crores, has
disbursed Rs. 63,492 crores and has supported more than 17,586 MW of Renewable Energy
capacity in India to date.

Nagaland Conservationist Y Nuklu Phom

awarded Whitley Award 2021
Nagaland Conservationist Y Nuklu Phom was named the winner of ‘Whitley Awards 2021‘, also
known as the Green Oscar, donated by MAVA Foundation on May 12, 2021 for his efforts in
establishing a biodiversity peace corridor in Nagaland.
He was among the seven conservationists from across the world who were recognised with the
Whitley Award honour for working with communities in their home countries, leading grassroots
action to benefit wildlife, habitats and people.
Y Nuklu Phom was the only Indian to win the prestigious annual award this year after a gap of
three years. The Whitley Awards are conferred to individuals from the Global South by UK-based
charity the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN)—this year.
Yanthungo Patton, Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland tweeted congratulating Nuklu Phom for
winning the prestigious Whitley Award.
Congratulations to Nuklu Phom for winning the prestigious Whitley Award. We’re proud of your
accomplishment and take absolute delight in the outstanding work you are doing. You're an
inspiration. I wish you continued success. #WhitleyAwards @WhitleyAwards
https://t.co/4OhuYkCMmK
— Yanthungo Patton (@YanthungoPatton) May 13, 2021
State Minister for Health & Family Welfare of Nagaland S Pangnyu Phom also congratulated
Nuklu Phom for winning the Whitley Awards 2021. He tweeted saying that his hard work,
commitment & tireless effort in establishing a biodiversity peace corridor has been recognized &
has brought laurels to all of us.
Congratulations to Mr. Nuklu Phom, for winning the Whitley Awards 2021.
Your hard work, commitment & tireless effort in establishing a biodiversity peace corridor is
recognized & has brought laurels to all of us.
I join your Award Winning Celebration and wish more success. pic.twitter.com/fVMDTQ12ME
— S Pangnyu Phom (@pangnyu) May 13, 2021

Key Highlights

•With his Whitley Award, Y Nuklu Phom along with his team will create a network of community-
owned forests, to fortify the rich biodiversity and culture of Nagaland.
•The Biodiversity Peace Corridor in Nagaland will now be expanded to incorporate 16 villages
across four districts.
•His team will ensure that the area supports both biodiversity and livelihoods by switching to
sustainable and non-extractive land-use practices.
•This will help unite some of India’s economically constrained communities through a common
cause.
•Nuklu along with his team also aims to revive the tribal education system and enable elders to
teach traditional knowledge to the younger generation.
Conservation of Amur Falcons
•Amur Falcons migrate to Nagaland every year and they are important bio-control
agents, as they protect the crops by keeping termite numbers in check.
•However, people have recently started hunting and selling the Amur falcons in large
numbers, with almost 14,000 falcons killed annually in one village alone.

•Nuklu and his team aim to stop the hunting of the Amur Falcons and want to offer
alternatives that engage communities in conservation using the Amur Falcon as a
flagship.
•The project had begun in 2007 and currently, three reserves have been set aside and
the number of roosting falcons has risen dramatically.
•Around 50,000 Amur Falcons were roosted in 2010, which increased to around
1,000,000 in 2019 due to Phom’s initiatives.
Key Actions
1. Y Nuklu Phom and his team will establish 16 community conservation areas as part of a
Biodiversity Peace Corridor spanning 200km2.
2. They aim to stop hunting, dynamite fishing, logging and slash-and-burn cultivation in the
reserves and instead provide eco-friendly alternatives to allow forest regeneration.
3. They also aim to train villagers for sustainable land use including fruit orchards, piggeries and
ginger production, which will in turn benefit 4,000 households.

4. They also aim to initiate conservation efforts for the Amur Falcon as a flagship species and
monitor its roosts and document the area’s biodiversity.
Background
The state of Nagaland has the highest rate of unemployment in India due to its history of inter-
ethnic conflict, struggle for independence and a lack of job opportunities from the government.

China launches three Yaogan-30 satellites,

what are Yaogan satellites?
China on May 7, 2021, launched the eighth group of three Yaogan-30 satellites into orbit on a
Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China. The eighth
group of three Yaogan-30 satellites will join the seven previous groups in the orbit that had been
launched in 2017.
A report issued by the Institute of Microsatellite Innovation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) mentioned that the eighth group of three Yaogan-30 satellites has been built with a new
multi-satellite network operation mode, which would be used for electromagnetic environment
surveys and other related technical tests.
A small satellite for the Internet of Things (IoT) called Tianqi-12 satellite was also aboard the
flight. It would serve the purpose of data connectivity for Guodian Gaoke, a commercial company
based in Beijing.
Yaogan-30 Satellites Launch: Key Points
•China launched the eighth group of three Yaogan-30 satellites on May 6, 2021, from the Xichang
Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China.
•This is the eighth group of Yaogan-30 satellites that will join the seven previous groups in the
orbit that had been launched in 2017.
•The eighth group of three Yaogan-30 satellites has been built with a new multi-satellite network
operation mode, which would be used for electromagnetic environment surveys and other related
technical tests.
•A small satellite for the Internet of Things (IoT) called Tianqi-12 satellite was also aboard the
flight. It would serve the purpose of data connectivity for Guodian Gaoke, a commercial company
based in Beijing.
•Prior to the launch of the Yaogan-30 satellites, China had launched the Yaogan-34 satellite on
April 30, 2021. The Yaogaon-34 satellite, an optical remote sensing satellite, will be used for
disaster prevention and reduction, surveying land resources, road network design, urban

planning, and crop yield estimation.
•China is aiming to launch at least forty satellites in 2021.
What are Yaogan satellites?
•Yaogan satellites are a series of reconnaissance satellites launched by China.
•The first Yaogan 1 satellite was launched in 2006.
•Chinese media states that the Yaogan satellites are optical remote sensing satellites that will be
used for disaster prevention and reduction, surveying land resources, road network design, urban
planning, and crop yield estimation, electromagnetic environment surveys, and related technical
tests.
•However, Western analysts suspect that these satellites are equipped with synthetic aperture
radar for military reconnaissance purposes.

Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine could be

available in India from next week: NITI Aayog
Dr VK Paul, Member (Health) of the NITI Aayog, on May 13, 2021, informed that Russia’s Sputnik
V COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in India and hopefully will be available in the market from the
next week. The announcement has come as a relief as several states have reported the shortage
of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr Paul while addressing the media said that the Sputnik V vaccine has arrived in India and that
the government is hopeful that the sale of the limited supply that has come from Russia will begin
next week.
The NITI Aayog member added that further supply will also follow. The production of Russia’s
Sputnik V Vaccine is scheduled to begin in India in July 2021 and it has been estimated that 15.6
crore doses of the vaccine will be manufactured in that period.
#Sputnik vaccine has arrived in India. I'm happy to say that we're hopeful that it'll be available in
the market next week. We're hopeful that the sale of the limited supply that has come from there
(Russia), will begin next week: Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog#COVID19
pic.twitter.com/OGUTHvKCr9
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2021
Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine is the third COVID-19 vaccine that has been approved after
Covishield, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and COVAXIN, the indigenous
vaccine by Bharat Biotech. In India, Covishield is manufactured by Serum Institute in Pune.
Central Government plans to increase doses of COVID-19 vaccine:
The NITI Aayog member while talking about the Central Government’s efforts of increasing the
availability of Coronavirus vaccine, informed that overall, 2156 crore doses of COVID vaccines
will be manufactured in India between August and September 2021.
He added that there must be no doubt that the vaccine will be available for all. Any vaccine which
has been approved by the World Health Organisation, FDA can come to India and the import
license will be granted within 1-2 days. He also assured that no import license is pending.

Government in touch with Pfizer, Johnson &Johnson, Moderna:
According to Dr VK Paul, the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of External Affairs, along with
the other concerned departments has been in touch with Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson &
Johnson from the initial days of the vaccine production.
He informed that the firms were officially asked if they would like to send the doses to India or
manufacture here. However, the firms stated that they have been working in their own way and
that they will talk of vaccine availability in the third quarter of 2021.
Dr Paul assured that the government is connected to the firms and he is hopeful that they will step
forward to increase the vaccine availability in India. The government has invited them to
manufacture along with Indian companies. Johnson & Johnson has accepted the offer under
Quad.
India third country to administer most COVID-19 doses:
Nearly 18 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in India, till now. In the
United States, the number stands around 26 crores which makes India the third country to
administer the most doses.
The NITI Aayog member informed that one-third of 45 and above are protected, this is also the
group that contributes to 88% of deaths.
Bharat Biotech invites other companies to manufacture COVAXIN:
India’s Bharat Biotech has welcomed the offer of other firms to manufacture COVAXIN for
increasing its production in the country.
Bharat Biotech accepted the offer after a discussion with the government. Dr Paul informed that
under Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN, a live virus is inactivated and this is done only in BSL3 Labs,
and not every company has this. He added that the firms who want to manufacture COVAXIN,
must do it together and that the government will also assist so that the capacity is increased.

KP Sharma Oli re-appointed as Nepal PM

after opposition parties fail to form coalition
government
KP Sharma Oli was reappointed as the Prime Minister of Nepal by President Bidhya Devi
Bhandari after the opposition parties failed to put together a coalition government by the 9 pm
deadline on May 13, 2021. Oli would be taking the oath of office today.
KP Sharma Oli had lost the trust vote in Nepal's House of Representatives on May 10, 2021. He
will now get 30 days to prove that he has majority support in the House.
This came after the main contender for the PM post, Sher Bahadur Deuba, the leader of Nepal's
main opposition party Nepali Congress, informed his allies shortly ahead of the deadline that he
would not be able to put together a coalition government with a majority in the House.
Sher Bahadur Deuba's formal withdrawal left the Nepali President with no other option but to
invite Oli to form the government again.
Key Highlights
•K P Sharma Oli was reappointed as Nepal Prime Minister after the Opposition alliance of Nepali
Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) failed to muster required support to
form the next government.
•Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari had given the Opposition parties time till 9pm on May
13th to come up with the majority support to form a coalition government in the nation after Oli
lost the trust vote in the House of Representatives.
•However, the opposition parties failed to claim majority government under article 76 (2) of the
Constitution.
•The two opposition parties-Nepali Congress and Maoist Centre have only 61 and 49 seats
respectively in the lower house and their combined strength of 110 was not enough seats to win
majority vote in the 275-member house.

•The parties required at least 136 votes to form the majority government in the nation.
•Though Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had received support from CPN Maoist
chairman Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda', he could not get the support from Janata Samajwadi
Party (JSP).
•Another party JSP's President Upendra Yadav had assured to support Deuba but the party's
other president Mahanta Thakur reportedly rejected the idea.
•KP Sharma Oli's CPN (UML) has 121 seats in the House of Representatives, making it the
single largest party and closest to the majority mark.
•Earlier, the dissident faction led by Madhav Nepal within the CPN-UML with their 28 members
had decided to resign from the Parliament, paving way for Deuba to claim for the post of Prime
Minister.
•However, Madhav Kumar did a U-turn after his last-minute meeting with Oli and his faction
decided to tender their resignations.
•If the 28 MPs would have resigned then the total strength of the House of Representatives would
have been reduced to 243 and only 122 votes would have been sufficient to stake claim for a
majority government.
•Currently, Nepal's 275-member House of Representatives has 271 valid members.

Why was KP Sharma Oli reappointed as Nepal PM after he lost the trust vote?
•As per Nepal's constitution, in cases where no party has a clear majority in the House,
the President shall appoint a member of the House as the prime minister who can
command the majority in the lower house of the Parliament with the support of two or
more parties.
•However, if two or more political parties fail to give a majority Prime Minister then the
President can invite parties to submit the name of a minority Prime Minister from the
single largest party as per Article 76 sub-clause 3 of the Constitution.
•Under this clause, Oli whose party has 121 seats in the House, can again stake claim to
form government in the nation.
•However, the Minority Prime Minister will need to win the vote of confidence within 30
days from the date of the appointment.

Background
Nepal was plunged into a political crisis in December 2020 when President Bhandari had
dissolved the House of Representatives and announced fresh elections on April 30th and May
10th at the recommendation of Prime Minister
KP Sharma Oli.
Oli’s move to dissolve the House of Representatives had sparked protests from a large section of
the NCP led by his rival ‘Prachanda’.
The Supreme Court of Nepal reinstated the dissolved House in February 2021. This was a major
setback for Oli who was preparing for snap polls.
KP Sharma Oli had earlier served as the Prime Minister of Nepal from October 11, 2015 to
August 3, 2016.

Prime Minister Modi releases 8th installment

of financial benefit under PM-KISAN
PM Modi on May 14, 2021, released the 8th installment of the financial benefit under Pradhan
Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) via video conferencing.
According to a release by Prime Minister’s Office, this will further enable the transfer of more than
Rs. 19,000 crores to more than 9.5 crores beneficiary farmer families under the scheme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases the 8th installment of financial benefit under the Pradhan
Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme via video conferencing
pic.twitter.com/6P5s5Gj4Sh
— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2021
PM Modi interacted with the farmer-beneficiaries during the virtual event and Union Minister of
Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar was also present on the occasion.
PM-KISAN initiative was first announced during the interim Union Budget on February 1, 2019,
and it came into effect from December 2019.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojana: Key details
• Under the government’s scheme, a financial benefit of Rs. 6000 per year is given to the eligible
beneficiary farmer families.
• The amount is payable to the beneficiaries in three equal four monthly installments of Rs. 2000
each.
• The fund from the scheme is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
• In this welfare scheme, the amount of over Rs. 1.15 crores have been transferred to the families
of the farmers so far.
What is the objective of the scheme?
• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana was launched by the Central Government to
augment the income of the Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF).

• The scheme aims to supplement the financial needs of the Small and Marginal Farmers- SMF
in procuring various inputs that will ensure proper crop health.
• The scheme also protects the farmers from falling into the traps of moneylenders to meet their
expenses and to ensure the continuance in the farming activities.

Can COVID-19 spread through water? Are

dead bodies infectious- All you need to know!
Many dead bodies washed up on the banks of the Ganga River in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh
around May 11, 2021. The site was not only disturbing but it raised a lot of shock and anger as
well.
According to local reports, more than 100 bodies were dumped into the river and were recovered
in a decomposed form. The unfortunate incident raised panic among locals about the spread of
COVID-19 through the Ganga River water.
Can COVID-19 spread through water?
•According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no evidence that
SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, can spread to people through water such as
beaches, oceans, lakes, rivers and other water bodies like pools, hot tubs.
•According to WHO, COVID-19 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets from an infected
person's mouth or nose when they cough, sneeze, speech or breath. Some of the droplets called
aerosols are very small and can be airborne over a distance greater than two metres.
•Though body fluids of an infected person may transmit coronavirus, there is no evidence to
suggest that running water or even a swimming pool can be the route of transmission for SARS-
CoV-2.
•The air in close contact remains the only proven route of Covid-19 transmission as of now. WHO
recommends maintaining 6-feet distance whether one is in the water or out of the water.
Can COVID-19 spread from a dead body?
•There is not much clarity on whether COVID-19 can spread from a dead body. Thailand
scientists had reported the first known case of COVID-19 infection from a dead person.
•While many other experts dismiss this possibility of COVID-19 transmission from a dead body,
they do reiterate that precautions should be taken while handling the body of a person who was
COVID-19 positive.

•The guidelines issued by the Union health ministry of India and the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS) though suggest that there is a possibility of coronavirus infection in handling
dead bodies and hence utmost care should be taken in the handling of the bodies of people
succumbing to Covid-19.
What precautions can be taken while handling bodies of COVID-19 positive patients?
•The guidelines of the Health Ministry prescribe use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
including masks and eyewear, hand sanitisation and also disinfecting of the bag containing the
dead body.
•Health experts across the world also suggest to continue to follow body disposal protocol for
Covid-19 cases such as wearing of protective suit, gloves, cap and mask and urge that family
members should not touch the body of the loved one who dies of COVID-19 infection.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is highly unlikely that COVID-19 can spread through the Ganga River where the
bloated bodies were found floating. However, high precaution needs to be taken while handling
the bodies as it is not confirmed whether they are COVID-19 positive or not. Also, in general,
dead bodies are considered contagious hence, they need to be handled with great caution.

COVID-19 vaccine: Government extends gap

between two doses of Covishield to 12-16
weeks
The Union Health Ministry announced on May 13, 2021, that the government has accepted the
recommendation of the COVID-19 Working Group for extending the gap between two doses of
Covishield COVID-19 vaccine to 12-16 weeks.
The Health Ministry further informed that based on the available real-life evidence, particularly in
the United Kingdom, the COVID-19 Working Group agreed to increase the dosing interval to 12-
16 weeks between the two doses of Covishield.
#NewsFlash: Gap between 2 doses of #Covishield extended to 12-16 weeks! #IndiaFightsCorona

pic.twitter.com/DqmA51svxx
— MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) May 13, 2021

Key Highlights:
• The Union Health Ministry while making the announcement added that no change has been
suggested for the dosage interval for Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN.
• The recommendation made by the COVID-19 Working Group was accepted by the National
Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) in the meeting held on May 12,
2021. NEGVAC is headed by Dr. VK Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog.
• After the acceptance of the recommendation, the government announced extending the gaps
between the first and second doses of Covishield to 12-16 weeks.
• The present gap between the doses of the Covishield vaccine, which is manufactured by the
Serum Institute of India, is 6-8 weeks.
Prior extensions of Covishield dosage intervals:
This will be the second time in three months that the intervals between the dosages of the
Covishield vaccine have been widened. Earlier in March 2021, the state and UT governments
were told to increase the gap between the dosages from 28 days to six to eight weeks for better

results.

NASA, Axiom announce first private

astronaut mission to ISS
NASA and the aerospace startup Axiom Space on Monday, May 10, 2021, announced that the
duo has signed up an order to send four people in a first private astronaut mission to the
International Space Station (ISS) by January 2022. The people selected for the launch are not
currently working as professional astronauts.
First private astronaut mission: Key points
•The first private astronaut mission, known as the AX-1 mission, will be launched from NASA’s
Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The group of private astronauts will travel to the International
Space Station (ISS) to spend eight days aboard the space lab orbiting Earth.
•Axiom’s Vice President, former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria will command the crew.
Along with him, former Israeli fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe, Canadian investor Mark Pathy, and real
estate investor Larry Connor will be part of the mission.
•The Axiom Mission 1 (AX-1) aims to launch this group of men into orbit on one of the Crew
Dragon spaceships of SpaceX.
•Each of the four private astronauts is paying $55 million to be part of the mission. NASA is
awaiting medical reviews of each before approving them.
•All the four private astronauts of the AX-1 crew will undergo a ‘serious training’ that would
comprise of a parabolic plane flight to imitate zero gravity and centrifuge training to stimulate a
launch. They will go through Crew Dragon training and learn about ISS systems.
•They will learn how to use toilets on the ISS and the spaceship and understand how Crew
Dragon docks to the ISS, and how to sleep in space.
•They will also prepare for the scientific research they will be conducting on the space station.
NASA is paying $1.69 million to Axiom to bring scientific samples from the space station back to
Earth in cold storage.
AX-1 mission: Significance

•The AX-1 mission is the first private astronaut mission that would launch private citizens to the
International Space Station. With the success of this mission, Axiom plans to send private
astronauts to the space station twice a year.
•The private astronaut missions are a part of NASA’s plan to stimulate demand for commercial
human spaceflight services and develop a commercial economy in low-Earth orbit.
•These missions will aid in realizing NASA’s goal of a commercial alternative to conduct research
on the effects of spaceflights on humans, technology development in space, and in-flight crew
testing, even after when NASA brings down ISS by 2030.

ICC Test Rankings 2021: India retains top

spot in ICC Test Team Rankings, New
Zealand ranks second
ICC Test Rankings 2021: Team India continued to hold its top spot on the ICC Test Team
Rankings, which were released by the ICC on May 13, 2021. India lead the table with 121 rating
after having accumulated 2914 points from 24 matches.
New Zealand also retained its second spot on the ICC Test Team Rankings with 120 rating after
having accumulated 2166 points from 18 Tests. The two sides are going to clash against each
other in the finale of the inaugural World Test Championship at Southampton's Ageas Bowl in the
United Kingdom from June 18 to 22.
England has climbed to the third spot with 109 rating, pushing Australia to the fourth place with
108 rating. Pakistan is fifth with 94 rating and West Indies has jumped up two places to the 6th
spot.
ICC Test Team Rankings 2021: Top 10 Test Teams
Rank Team Matches Points Rating
1 India 24 2,914 121
2 New Zealand 18 2,166 120
3 England 32 3,493 109
4 Australia 17 1,844 108
5 Pakistan 24 2,247 94
6 West Indies 24 2,024 84
7 South Africa 16 1,273 80
8 Sri Lanka 27 2,095 78
9 Bangladesh 15 694 46
10 Zimbabwe 10 346 35
ICC Test Batting Rankings

•New Zealand's skipper Kane Williamson tops the Test Batting Rankings with 919 rating, followed
by Australia's Steve Smith at the second spot with 891 rating.
•Australia's Marnus Labuschagne stands third with 878 rating followed by England's Joe Root at
fourth place with 831 rating.
•Indian skipper Virat Kohli is fifth with 814 rating, followed by Rishabh Pant at sixth place with 747
rating. India's Rohit Sharma also features in the top ten Test players rankings with 747 rating.
Top 10 Test Batsmen
Rank PLAYER TEAM RATING
1 Kane Williamson NZ 919
2 Steve Smith AUS 891

Marnus
3 AUS 878
Labuschagne
4 Joe Root ENG 831
5 Virat Kohli IND 814
6 Rishabh Pant IND 747
Henry Nicholls NZ 747
Rohit Sharma IND 747
9 David Warner AUS 724
10 Babar Azam PAK 714
Test Bowling Rankings
•Australia's Pat Cummins takes up top spot with 908 rating, followed by India's R Ashwin who
stands second with 820 rating. Ashwin is the sole Indian in the top ten Test Bowling Rankings.
•The next Indian bowler in the Test rankings is Jasprit Bumrah, who stays static at the 11th
position.
•The third rank is held by New Zealand's Neil Wagner who has 825 rating, followed by England's

James Anderson at the 4th spot with 822 rating and Australia's Josh Hazlewood at 5th spot with
816 rating.
Top 10 Test Bowlers
1 Pat Cummins AUS 908

Ravichandran
2 IND 850
Ashwin
3 Neil Wagner NZ 825
4 James Anderson ENG 822
5 Josh Hazlewood AUS 816
6 Tim Southee NZ 811
7 Stuart Broad ENG 792
8 Jason Holder WI 755
9 Kagiso Rabada SA 753
10 Mitchell Starc AUS 744
Test All-Rounder Rankings
•West Indies' cricketer Jason Holder leads the ICC Test All-Rounder Rankings list with 423 rating,
followed by England's Ben Stokes at 2nd rank with 393 rating and India's Ravindra Jadeja at the
3rd rank with 386 rating.
•India's R Ashwin ranks fourth on the list with 353 rating, followed by Bangladesh's Shakib Al
Hasan at the fifth spot with 338 rating.
Top 10 Test All-Rounders
3 Ravindra Jadeja IND 386

Ravichandran
4 IND 353
Ashwin
1 Jason Holder WI 423
2 Ben Stokes ENG 393
5 Shakib Al Hasan BAN 338
6 Kyle Jamieson NZ 293
7 Mitchell Starc AUS 275

Colin de
8 NZ 258
Grandhomme
9 Pat Cummins AUS 249
10 Chris Woakes ENG 238

Lunar Eclipse 2021: What is Blood Moon,

when it will occur; All you need to know!
The first total lunar eclipse or Blood Moon of this year will be on May 26, 2021. The lunar
eclipse takes place when the Earth comes in between the moon and sun, blocking the sun rays
from directly reaching the moon.
The eclipse on May 26 will be a total lunar eclipse as the full moon will pass through the dark
umbral shadow of Earth. It will also be the first total eclipse since January 21, 2019.
On the day of the total lunar eclipse, the moon will be closest to the Earth and because of it, it will
look larger in size in the sky. The eclipse will be visible at night if the sky is clear. In some places
around the world, the entire total lunar eclipse will be easily visible, while in some other areas, the
moon will rise or set during the total eclipse.
What is Blood Moon?
A total lunar eclipse is also often called the Blood Moon. It is known by this name due
to the reddish tinge that appears on the moon during a lunar eclipse. Even though the
Blood Moon is not a scientific term, it has been widely used in recent times.
The reddish tinge happens because the light from the Earth’s sunrise and sunset
directly fall on the moon and as the light waved are stretched out, they appear red in
color.
A total lunar eclipse will occur on the 26th of this month!
During a lunar eclipse, Earth gets in the way of the Sun’s light hitting the Moon, causing it to
gradually appear reddish.
Help your students learn all about eclipses with our article here: https://t.co/C5vkfJok6f
pic.twitter.com/S4niqpGW4g
— NASA Space Place (@NASAspaceplace) May 5, 2021

About Lunar Eclipses:
The Lunar eclipses take place when the shadow of the Earth blocks the sunlight, which is
normally reflected off the moon. There are typically three types of lunar eclipses- Total, Partial

and Penumbral.
During the total lunar eclipse, the inner part of the Earth’s shadow called Umbra falls on the
moon’s surface. During mid-eclipse, the entire moon will be in the shadow, hence appearing as
blood read.
Total Lunar Eclipse 2021: Where it will be visible?
The first lunar eclipse of 2021 on May 26 will be visible in Australia, South, and East Asia, Pacific,
part of the Western United States, Western South America, Antarctica, Indian Ocean, Atlantic. It
will not be visible in India.
Total Lunar Eclipse: What will be the timings?
The Total Lunar Eclipse will be at its peak at around 4.49 pm IST (Indian Standard Time). The
eclipse will start at 2.16 pm IST and between 4.41 pm IST to 4.56 pm IST, the moon’s surface will
be entirely covered by the Earth’s Umbra. This will be the time when it will clearly visible.
Eclipses in 2021:
There are four to seven eclipses every year, on average. Some of them are partial and some of
them are total eclipses. Below mentioned are the eclipses that the world will see in 2021.
1. May 26- Total Lunar Eclipse

2. June 10- Annual Solar Eclipse
3. November 19- Partial Lunar Eclipse
4. December 4- Total Lunar Eclipse

Centre approves 1.5 lakh units of DRDO’s

Oxycare system, how it will benefit during
COVID-19?
The PM CARES Fund on May 12, 2021, approved the procurement of 1.5 lakh units of the
Oxycare system, developed by DRDO, at a cost of Rs 322 crores. The Oxycare system aids in
regulating the oxygen being administered to patients based on the SpO2 levels.
The Defence Ministry, Government of India, on May 12, 2021, announced that it will procure
50,000 automatic and 1 lakh manual Oxycare systems, along with non-breather masks, under the
PM Cares Fund.
The Oxycare system is a boon during the deadly second wave of coronavirus pandemic. It can be
used at COVID-19 care centers, Quarantine centers, hospitals as well as at homes.
Oxycare System: Key Points
•The Oxycare system has been indigenously developed by the Defence Bio-Engineering and
ElectroMedical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bengaluru of the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
•The DRDO has developed the Oxycare system for soldiers posted at extremely high-altitude
‘field area’ locations.
•The Oxycare system delivers supplemental oxygen based on the SpO2 levels and prevents the
person from sinking into a state of hypoxia (shortage of oxygen in the body), which is a similar
condition experienced by COVID-19 infected patients.
•The Oxycare system is a boon during the deadly second wave of coronavirus pandemic. It can
be used at COVID-19 care centers, Quarantine centers, hospitals as well as at homes.
•The system has developed to function in extreme conditions such as low temperatures, humidity,
and low barometric pressures.
•There are two versions of the Oxycare system, one consists of a nasal canula, a humidifier, a

pressure regulator cum flow controller, and a 10-liter oxygen cylinder.
•Another is an automatic version that is equipped with electronic controls that automates the
process of regulating the oxygen flow a SpO2 probe and a low-pressure regulator.
•The automatic version of Oxycare gives out an audio warning in care of failure scenarios such as
probe disconnections or low SpO2 levels.
How is the Oxycare System beneficial during the pandemic?
•The Oxycare system can be used at COVID-19 care centers, Quarantine centers, hospitals as
well as at homes with a controlled oxygen flow at 2/5/7/10 lpm flow.
•The automatic version of Oxycare will give out an audio warning in care of failure scenarios such
as probe disconnections or low SpO2 levels. Such a feature increases its ease of use for people
at home and also aids in limiting the exposure of medical staff to monitor the oxygen levels of
patients.

Israel’s Iron Dome: How it intercepts,

neutralize rockets aimed at Israeli targets?
In the recent ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, the airstrikes and rocket attacks
between the two regions are being reported on a daily basis.
On May 11, 2021, a video showing rockets fired by Hamas in Gaza targeting Israel can be seen
being intercepted or blocked by the Israeli Iron Dome Air defence system. To the viewer, it
appears that the rockets were hitting an invisible shield.
Israel’s advanced drone and defence systems and the development of sophisticated defence
technology are known globally. We have explained below how the Iron Dome system of Israel
works and how its help the country in being one step ahead during a war or a violent attack.
What is Israel’s Iron Dome and how was it originated?
Iron Dome is a ground-to-air, short-range, air defence system. It includes a Tamir and radar
interceptor missiles that can track and neutralize any missiles or rockets that are aimed at Israeli
targets. The Iron Dome is used for countering artillery and mortars (C-RAM), rockets as well as
helicopters, aircraft and even unmanned aerial vehicles.
The origin of the Iron Dome goes back to the Israeli-Lebanon war in 2006 when Hezbollah
(Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group) fired thousands of rockets into Israel.
After the attacks, the following year, the Israeli government announced that its state-run Rafael
advance systems will come up with a new air defence system for protecting its cities and people.
The system was developed with Israel Aerospace Industries.
Know more about Jerusalem violence
What is the success rate and when was the Iron Dome deployed?
The Iron Dome of Israel was deployed in 2011. While the state-run Rafael advance systems claim
a success rate of the Iron Dome of over 90%, with more than 2,000 interceptions, the experts
have agreed that the success rate is over 80%.

As per the description on Rafael’s website, the dome can protect deployed and manoeuvring
forces, as well as the Forward Operating Base and the urban areas in the country, against a wide
range of indirect and aerial attacks.
How does the Iron Dome work?
Israel’s Iron Dome has three main systems that work together for providing a shield over the area
where the dome is deployed, making it capable to handle multiple threats.
The Iron Dome has detection and tracking radar that can spot any incoming threats, a
battle management and weapon control system (BMC) and a missile-firing unit. The BMC
liaises between the interceptor missile and the radar.
The Iron Dome is also capable of being used in any kind of weather condition, including day and
night.
A retired Air Marshal, who heads the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) think tank in India,
explained that there are two main elements in any air defence system. One is the radar, which
must have the capability of seeing small objects and must be able to accurately track it.
The Retired Air Marshal added that there are usually two to three radars in any air defence
system to track and sport the incoming objects. When the weapon is launched, it is the tracking
radar that will help the weapon reach there and the weapon’s own head will take over.
Once the missile is fired, it must be able to see the small target on its own and thereafter go and
shoot. However, it is impossible to shoot the target directly each time, which is why there is a
‘proximity fuse’ in each missile which is a laser-controlled fuse.
When passing within the 10 meters of the target, the fuse activates and blasts the missile with
shrapnel that destroys the target. The warhead is exploded in such a way that it caters for the
velocity of the target and missile.
Interceptors vs Rockets:
In a viral video on social media, the rockets from Gaza can be seen intercepted by
Israel’s iron dome system. When an interceptor’s sensor detects an incoming rocket, it
detonates its own rocket, sending out the fragments.
If the timing is correct, the fragments will hit the rocket’s warhead and will detonate it.
However, it is important to understand ‘how the interceptor approaches the rocket’.

There are three different approaches to it.

- Front Approach: It is the most effective tactic. The interceptor’s warhead is directly
in the position to have its fragments strike the rocket’s warhead and blow it up.
- Side Approach: The rocket is targeted from the side by the interceptor, increasing
the chance of a miss. However, the interceptor’s blast can still on occasion, hit the
rocket’s warhead.
- Rear Approach: The rocket is chased from behind, which means the metal
fragments usually fly before the interceptor can get near the rocket’s warhead.
Defence Systems in India:
Israel, along with Russia and the US, is a leader. The country had to master its air defence
system because of the surrounding threat as well as they also work very closely with the US.
As India is also currently in the process of buying S-400 defence systems from Russia for the cost
of over $5 billion, the Iron Dome was also one of the systems that were being spoken of.
While India is of a continent size, Israel is much smaller and has to deal with the threats that are
relatively close around it. India has got S-400, which caters to the three threats (missiles, rockets
and cruise missiles). India currently has Akash Short-range surface to air missiles and Russian
systems including the Pechora.

COVID-19 Vaccine: How long to wait to get

your vaccine after getting infected with
coronavirus
India’s cumulative vaccination coverage has exceeded 17.70 crores, as of May 13, 2021, of which
13.75 crores have been administered with the first dose of either COVAXIN or COVISHIELD
vaccine and 3.94 crores got their second dose of either of these vaccines.
In the last 24 hours, 18 lakh doses of vaccine have been administered across the country.
However, India, in addition to a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, is

struggling to meet the surging demand for COVID-19 vaccines in several states. Despite being
the home of the world’s biggest producer of COVID-19 vaccines, India’s vaccination program to
inoculate every one of age 18 or above from May 1 hit a setback due to a shortage of doses.
While many are waiting to be inoculated, let us help you understand when you can take your first
and second dose of vaccine, how long to wait to get your second dose if you get infected after
getting the first dose, is it safe to get two different vaccines for each shot, and many more. Read
on.
COVID-19 Vaccination in India: Key Points
•The Drug Controller General of India had earlier advised that the second dose of COVAXIN be
administered 28 days after the first dose, and 4-6 weeks after the first dose in case of
COVISHIELD.
•The waiting period was later changed to 4-6 weeks for COVAXIN and 4-8 weeks for
COVISHIELD.
•A government panel on May 13, 2021, advised increasing the waiting period between two doses
of COVISHIELD to 12-16 weeks. The dosage interval for COVAXIN to continue the same.
When should you get your vaccine shot, if you have not been vaccinated ever but got
infected and recovered from COVID-19?

•The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises a waiting period of 90 days
from the day one tested positive for COVID-19 infection, in case of who has never been received
his vaccine against coronavirus.
•The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) recommends waiting up to six
months after recovering from COVID-19 infection before taking the vaccine.
•The WHO has also said that a waiting period of six months is okay after getting infected and
recovering, as the natural antibodies are likely to keep working until then.
•Experts say that waiting up to 6-8 weeks to six months after recovery from COVID infection is
fine as the infection-triggered immunity is most likely to be at work for a few months.
When should you get your second dose of vaccine, if you got infected after getting your
first dose?
•There are still ongoing studies regarding natural and vaccine-induced immunity. As per CDC, the
body takes two weeks to build up immunity after getting the first vaccine shot, during which there
are chances of getting infected.
•The effect of the vaccine is not strong enough if the exposure happens within one to three weeks
of getting the first dose. The infection would run its course however, one may experience a milder
level of infection after having been administered with the first dose of vaccine.
•In such cases, the natural antibodies in our bodies start fighting the infection and it is deemed
like getting a vaccine shot. Experts, however, advise to wait up to eight weeks before getting the
second dose of the COVID vaccine if you get infected in between two doses.
What to do if you got your first dose of vaccine but unable to get the second dose due to
unavailability?
•Experts advise not to panic in case of a delay in getting the second dose of the vaccine.
•A study by the Lancet showed that a gap of three months between doses leads to higher vaccine
efficacy. As per the study, COVISHIELD is only 55.1 per cent efficient if the two doses are
administered less than six weeks but the efficacy increases to 81.3 per cent if administered at 12
weeks gap.
•Medical experts say that the gap between the first and second dose can be extended up to 45

days for COVAXIN, and three months for COVISHIELD.
What would happen if you extended the gap any longer between doses and why is it
necessary to get the second dose?
•Medical experts indicate that the first dose of inactivated vaccines such as COVAXIN offers
minor protection. Extending the gap between doses any longer than advised can increase the
chances of getting infected and worse, one might forget to get their second dose.
•Medical experts strongly advise getting the second dose to have an 80 per cent level of
protection against the COVID-19 infection.
What is the vaccination protocol for pregnant and lactating women, when can they get
vaccinated?
•As per the Central Government panel, lactating women can be administered the vaccine any
time after their delivery while pregnant women may be given a choice to get any COVID-19
vaccine.
Can you take COVISHIELD instead if in case you got COVAXIN as the first dose and now it
is unavailable?
•As per the CDC, it is not advisable to interchange the COVID-19 vaccines.
•For instance, the US used mRNA vaccines – Moderna and the Pfizer BioNTech vaccines. In
case of unavailability of the same mRNA vaccine product, “it is preferable to delay the second
dose (up to six weeks) to receive the same product” than to mix the vaccine products, explained
CDC.

SII to raise monthly vaccine production to 10

crore doses, Bharat Biotech to 7.8 crore
doses by August
The Serum Institute of India, manufacturer of the Covishield vaccine, has stated that it will raise
the monthly production of its vaccine to 10 crore doses by August 2021. Bharat Biotech, the
manufacturer of COVAXIN, has promised to raise its monthly vaccine production to 7.8 crore
doses.
The Union Health Ministry and the office of Drugs Controller General of India had sought vaccine
production plans for June, July, August and September from both the firms.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had informed on May 12th that the national capital
has exhausted its reserve stock of vaccines. He said while their COVAXIN stock will only last
about a day, their Covishield stock will last just about 2-3 days. As a result, he informed that over
100 vaccination centres set up in 17 schools have been closed.
However, Delhi is not the only state reporting a shortage in COVID-19 vaccines, multiple states
have reported the same issue. Though centre opened vaccination for all above 18 years from
May 1st, it is still extremely difficult for those between 18-45 years to book vaccine slots as none
are available.
SII, Bharat Biotech Vaccine production plan
•Both Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech have submitted their vaccine production plan for the
next four months to the Centre, informing them that they can increase their production up to 10
crore and 7.8 crore doses respectively by August 2021.
•Bharat Biotech's whole-time Director Dr. V Krishna Mohan is learned to have conveyed to the
government that the firm will raise production of Covaxin to 3.32 crore in July and 7.82 crore in
August, which will be maintained in September as well.
•SII's Government and Regulatory Affairs Director, Prakash Kumar Singh has also communicated
to the government that the production of Covishield will be increased to 10 crore doses each in

August and the same level will be maintained in September.
•The SII Director confirms that the quantities mentioned will be fulfilled under all circumstances.
He stated that they are trying their best by utilising all the resources to increase the production
capacity of the Covishield vaccine. The production of the vaccine in June and July is also
expected to increase by some quantity.
•The Ministry of Science & Technology had also said in a statement on April 16, 2021 that the
vaccine production capacity of indigenously developed Covaxin will be doubled in May-June 2021
and then increased nearly 6-7 fold by July-August 2021.
Inter-Ministerial group visits vaccine production facilities
The government had constituted an inter-ministerial group to facilitate the capacity augmentation
of domestic vaccine manufacturing. The group comprising Joint Secretary in the Department of
Pharmaceuticals Rajneesh Tingal and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Mandeep
Bhandari had visited the vaccine production facilities of both Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech
in April.
States float global tender
Several states including Telangana, Delhi, Karnataka, Odisha and Maharashtra have
decided to float global tenders to procure covid-19 vaccines from major National and
international firms. This comes after they reported a shortage in domestic vaccine
supply.
Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia informed on May 12th that Bharat Biotech
has said that it cannot provide additional Covaxin doses to the national capital.
Background
The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has indigenously developed and manufactured Covaxin,
while the Pune-based Serum Institute of India is manufacturing the Covishield vaccine, which has
been developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca. Currently, these two vaccines are being used for India's
vaccination drive. India has also given emergency use approval to Russia's Sputnik vaccine.
While the initial lot of Sputnik has arrived in India, it will be soon be manufactured as well in the
country to ramp up the vaccine supply.

Union Cabinet approves MoU between ICAI

and QFCA
The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi on May 13, 2021, gave its approval to the signing of the
Memorandum of Understanding between the Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) and the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
The signed MoU will benefit the Qatar Financial Centre Authority and Ministry of Corporate
Affairs, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
The Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has a strong membership base of over
6000 members in Qatar (Doha) and the Middle East Chapter and it is among the most vibrant
chapters of ICAI.
The members of ICAI also hold key positions at various public and private companies. They are
also actively involved in the support and development of the accounting profession in Qatar.
Objective:
The MoU signed between the two countries will enhance the cooperation between the institutes to
work together for strengthening the accounting profession and entrepreneurship base in Qatar.
Significance:
• The signing of the agreement will provide an additional push to the prospects of the ICAI
members in the Middle East to have better recognition, along with working to support the Indian
businesses that are desirous of doing business in Qatar and thus supporting the growth of India
and Qatar’s economies.
• The agreement will further endeavour to increase the opportunities for the ICAI members to
provide professional services by setting up practice for providing professional services in Qatar in
the field of advisory, assurance and auditing, financial services, taxation, and allied areas.
• ICAI, under the MoU, will also nurture and develop the local Qatar professionals, students, and
entrepreneurs through a specialized training program. It will be done in collaboration with QFCA.

ICAI and QFCA to work together for Indian businesses in Qatar:
Qatar Financial Centre Authority and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India will be
working together to explore the opportunities for Indian businesses in Qatar. It will be done by
organizing networking events, roundtables, or through any other mode that they mutually agree
upon.
Both will collaborate on the opportunities that may arise in the area of technical research and
advice, corporate governance, quality assurance, issues for small and medium-sized practices,
forensic accounting, Continuing Professional Development, Islamic Finance, or on any other
subject of mutual interest.

India to become world's most populous

country by 2027, forecasts UN report
India may cross China as the world's most populous country by 2027, forecasts a UN report
published in 2019. The report stated that India will remain the most populated country through the
end of the current century.
The report forecasted that India will add almost 273 million people to its population between now
and 2050. India had an estimated population of 1.37 billion in 2019, while China had 1.43 billion.
This projection comes as China's population census released on May 11th revealed its slowest-
ever growth in population in the last decade. As per the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics,
China's birthrate has shown a steady decline since 2017 despite China's relaxation of its
decades-old "one-child policy" amid fears over its aging population and shrinking workforce.
China's population growth in last decade
•According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's population rose by just 72 million to 1.411
billion in the past decade.
•In percentage terms, China's population grew by more than five percent over the past decade to
surpass 1.4 billion people.
•Its birthrate in 2019, 10.48 per 1,000 people, was the slowest birthrate ever recorded in the
nation since 1949.
•China's potential workforce between the age of 15-59 years has also decreased to 894 million, a
5 percent fall from 2011 peak of 925 million.
•The drop in population is expected to lead to labour shortages and a fall in consumption levels
and this, in turn, is expected to impact the nation's economic outlook.
India to overtake China sooner than 2027
•According to Chinese demographers, India will overtake China to become the world's most
populous country earlier than the UN report's projections of 2027.

•China's birth fertility rates have been low and they are expected to drop even further in the
coming years, as it recorded 12 million births in 2020, marking a drop in fertility rates for the fourth
consecutive year.
•China's total fertility rate of women of childbearing age was 1.3, which is a relatively low level.
This number is expected to go further down in the coming years, as the number of women aged
22 to 35, which is the childbearing period, will drop by more than 30 percent compared with the
present data in the next 10 years.
•Hence, the demographers predict that India with a higher fertility rate will overtake China as the
world's most populous country by 2023 or 2024.
•China's population is predicted to peak by 2027 before it starts to decline but demographers
predict the peak to come sooner as 2022.
What can stop China's population crisis?
•China's newborn population is predicted to fall below 10 million in the next few years
without strong policy intervention. Its fertility rate is expected to be lower than Japan's
and in fact, become the lowest in the world. This is a demographic crisis in waiting for
China.
•To stop this impending crisis, China had pulled a stop on its one-child policy in 2016 and
allowed two children. However, the move failed to have much impact on its declining
population as few people came forward to have a second child.
•China is now expected to lift all restrictions on the number of children that a couple can
have.

Union Cabinet approves Rs. 18,100 crores

PLI Scheme for battery storage
manufacturing
The Union Cabinet on May 12, 2021, gave its approval to the proposal of the Department of
Heavy Industry for Implementation of Production Linked Incentive Scheme ‘National Programme
on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage’. It will help in achieving the
manufacturing capacity of 50 Giga Watt Hour (GWh) of ACC and 5 GWh of ‘niche’ ACC with a
cost of Rs. 18,100 crores.
The Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar while informing about the
decision stated that it will lead to the direct investment of around Rs. 45,000 crores in ACC
Battery storage manufacturing projects.
The minister further added that the decision will facilitate the demand creation for battery storage
in India. It will boost Make in India with a greater emphasis on the domestic value-capture and
reduction in import dependence.
The #Cabinet chaired by PM @narendramodi took a significant decision which will give a big push
to electric mobility, benefiting 3-wheeler, 4-wheeler and heavy vehicles.
Rs 18,100 crore under the PLI incentive scheme for increasing the battery storage capacity has
been approved. pic.twitter.com/vY3RnXIkp4
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) May 12, 2021

What is Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC)?
According to an official release, the Advanced Chemistry Cells (ACCs) are the new generation of
advanced storage technologies that are able to store electric energy either as chemical energy or
electrochemical and convert it back to electric energy, as and when required.
Significance of PLI scheme for battery storage:
• The scheme will lead to savings of Rs. 2,00,000 crores to Rs. 2,50,000 crores on
account of the oil import bill reduction. The ACCs manufactured under the scheme are
expected to promote electric vehicle adoption in the country.

• The ACCs manufacturing will further facilitate the demand for EVs, which are less
polluting. It can be a contributing factor in reducing India’s Green House Gas (GHG)
emissions.
• The scheme will also lead to the import substitution of around Rs. 20,000 every year. It
will also push Research and Development to achieve higher specific energy density and
cycles in ACC as well as promote newer cell technologies.
National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage: Key details
• The PLI Scheme ‘National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage’ will
help in reducing the import dependence and will support the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• Under the PLI Scheme, the ACC battery storage manufacturers will be selected through a
transparent competitive bidding process.
• As per the release, the manufacturing facility of ACC battery storage will have to be
commissioned within a period of two years.
• The incentive will be disbursed thereafter over a time period of 5 years and the incentive amount
will increase with an increased specific energy density and cycles and the increased local value
addition.
• Each selected manufacturer of ACC battery Storage will have to commit to set up an ACC
manufacturing facility of a minimum 5 GWh capacity and will have to ensure a minimum 60%
domestic value addition at a project level within 5 years.
• The beneficiary companies will have to achieve a domestic value addition of at least 25% and
will have to incur the investment of Rs. 225 crores/GWh within the two years. The addition must
be raised to 60% domestic value addition within 5 years.
How much India currently invests in ACCs manufacturing?
While various companies have already started investing in the battery packs. Though the
capacities of these facilities are too small when compared to the global averages, the investment
in manufacturing, along with the value addition of ACCs, is still negligible in India. The
demand for ACCs is met through imports in India.
Electric vehicles, consumer electronics, solar rooftops, advanced electricity grids which are the

major battery consuming sectors are projected to achieve robust growth in the coming years. It is
expected that the dominant battery technologies will be controlling some of the world’s largest
growth sectors.

UP Government launches massive

vaccination drive of 18-44 age group
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath had informed on May 9, 2021, that the
COVID-19 vaccination for the age group of 18-44 will start in 11 more districts in UP from May 10.
The massive vaccination drive in Uttar Pradesh will be held in 17 municipal corporations and the
Gautam Budh Nagar area.
The announcement by the Chief Minister of UP comes at a time when the country is facing an
unprecedented surge in Coronavirus cases which has pushed the healthcare infrastructure of
India to its limit.
The Chief Minister said that the eligible beneficiaries can register for the vaccination online via
Aarogya Setu App or Co-WIN Portal. He added that the state has been receiving enough
vaccines with the help of the Central Government and that the vaccine wastage has come down
further.
Key Highlights:
• The massive drive will be held in Agra, Aligarh, Prayagraj, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Gorakhpur,
Meerut, Jhansi, Bareilly, Lucknow, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Varanasi, Mathura-Vrindavan,
Firozabad, Shahjahanpur, and Ayodhya Municipal Corporations, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
• So far, UP has vaccinated over 1 lakh people in the 18-44 age group.
• The vaccination for this age group started on May 1, 2021, in 7 districts in the state namely,
Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Meerut, Gorakhpur, and Bareilly.
• In UP, the online registration for the COVID-19 vaccine has been mandatory for all adults.
Earlier, the registration was mandatory only for those belonging to the 18-44 age group.
UP extends state-wide lockdown:
The UP government decided to extend the state-wide lockdown by a week till 7.00 am on May 17,
2021. The lockdown was to end on May 10.

All the essential services have been permitted during the lockdown to function and the vaccination
drive will continue as planned. The state government has also decided to intensify the sanitation
drive in all the 75 districts of the state.
COVID-19 cases in UP:
According to the Union health Ministry update, the state has recorded 26,636 fresh Coronavirus
cases and 297 deaths due to the infection in the last 24 hours.
In the last 24 hours, India has reported a total of 3,66,161 positive cases and 2,754 deaths,
according to the Health Ministry.

AstraZeneca pledges $250,000 as

humanitarian aid to India to fight COVID-19
pandemic
AstraZeneca, a drug major, announced on May 11, 2021, that it has pledged $2,50,000 (over Rs.
1.8 crores) in humanitarian aid to India. The funds will support the relief activities amid the second
wave of Coronavirus sweeping across the country.
The humanitarian aid to India is part of USD 1 million which the British-Swedish multinational has
assigned for the relief initiatives across the communities which have been hit hard by the COVID-
19 pandemic.
The Coronavirus pandemic has continued to cause devastation all over the world. Currently, India
has been facing an incredible humanitarian crisis from a surge of COVID-19 cases and related
deaths all over the country.
AstraZeneca extends humanitarian aid:
In a statement on Twitter, AstraZeneca stated that the company has pledged 1 million USD
humanitarian aid in order to support the covid relief activities in India as well as other communities
that have been hit by the pandemic.
To address the urgent crisis in India, we are pledging humanitarian aid that will provide oxygen
concentrators, medicines, PPE and other supplies via @DirectRelief. We also remain focused on
fair, equitable access to vaccination to help end the pandemic. https://t.co/KIWOwrzwt3
pic.twitter.com/IWE0EJUiSD
— AstraZeneca (@AstraZeneca) May 11, 2021
The aid includes directing USD 250,000 direct relief to support their efforts in India, which will
include the distribution of medicines, oxygen concentrators as well as Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) for providing treatment and care for those suffering from COVID-19.
Covishield: AstraZeneca vaccine in India
The drugmaker while informing about the humanitarian aid stated that approximately 10% of

India’s population has received one dose of our vaccine, which is known in India as Covishield. It
accounts for 90% of all vaccination.
AstraZeneca’s partner in India, Serum Institute in Pune, already has been producing more
COVID-19 vaccine doses than any other organization all over the world.
The drugmaker further emphasized that access to vaccination is a critical component in tackling
the pandemic. It is why the company has devoted its resources, time, and energy to developing a
vaccine that is available at profit during the pandemic and has been supplied equitably to as many
people as possible.
AstraZeneca-SII works together to scale up vaccine production:
The CEO of Serum Institute, Adar Poonawalla extended his gratitude to AstraZeneca for their
unwavering support. He mentioned that both have been working together to scale up the vaccine
production and are committed to supplying more vaccines to India by July 2021.
The CEO of AstraZeneca Pascal Soriot expressed hoped that through the increased vaccination,
donations of medicines and equipment, humanitarian relief efforts, India will recover from the
ongoing crisis. He assured that the global community stands together with India and has been
working tirelessly to end the pandemic as quickly as possible.

US to review withdrawal from Open Skies, as

Russia's plans to exit Treaty
The United States informed on May 12, 2021 that it was reviewing the previous administration's
withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty. This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin formally
submitted draft legislation to the parliament that proposes Russia's exit from the post-Cold war
treaty after US withdrawal.
The United States formally withdrew itself from the Treaty of Open Skies in November 2020. The
US Department of State spokesman had informed on November 22, 2020 that six months had
passed since the US notified the countries party to an agreement about its decision to withdraw.
The previous US administration under former President Donald Trump had exercised its right
under Article XV of the Open Skies Treaty by providing notice to all treaty depositaries of its
decision to withdraw from the treaty, effective six months from the notification date. The
administration had claimed that Russia was violating the agreement that allows the two powers
and their allies to monitor one another's airspace.
The then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had tweeted saying that America is more secure
because of the withdrawal, as Russia remains in non-compliance with its obligations.
Key Highlights
•The current administration of President Joe Biden has stated that it is taking another look at the
decision in consultation with US allies.
•The current State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the administration has not made a
decision on the future of American participation in the Open Skies Treaty. He informed that they
are actively reviewing matters related to the treaty.
•He further stated that Russia's continuing non-compliance with the treaty is one of several
pertinent factors that will be reviewed as they take stock of things.
•He further stated, "As this process continues, we encourage Russia to take steps to come back
into compliance with the treaty."

Read more -US withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty: What is Treaty of Open Skies, why did
US withdraw?
Russia moves to exit Open Skies Treaty
•Russia had announced in mid-January that it would withdraw itself from the treaty. The Open
Skies treaty allows signatories to carry out unarmed surveillance flights over each other's
territories.
•Russia cited a "lack of progress" on maintaining the functioning of the treaty after the United
States withdrew from it last year.
•Russian President recently submitted a bill to the Parliament that proposes withdrawal from the
treaty.
•According to Russia, the US withdrawal "upset the balance of interests" of signatory states and
serious damage was caused to the observance of the treaty and as a result, Russia's national
security was under threat.
About Open Skies Treaty
•The Open Skies Treaty was signed by 35 nations including the United States, United
Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Russia after the
end of the cold war and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
•The treaty was negotiated in 1992 and came into force on January 1, 2002.
•The treaty seeks to foster trust among the signatories by allowing unarmed aerial
surveillance flights over the entire territory of the participating countries.
•Under the treaty, all participating countries can observe each other's militaries through
aerial surveillance. All participating nations can conduct overflights over the entire
territory of the party-state and no territory can be declared off-limits by the host nation.
•Under the treaty, each country is given an annual quota of flights that it must accept and
can conduct.
•All signatories also have the right to conduct an equal number of observation flights over
any party nation that overflies it.
•Multiple states/ parties can take part in one overflight.
•Participating nations can also request copies of images taken during surveillance flights

carried out by other members.
•The host nation is generally given 72 hours' warning ahead of an overflight and 24
hours' notice of the flight path. The host nation is allowed to suggest modifications in the
flight path.
Background
US President Joe Biden had taken office pledging to hold a firmer line with Russia. He has
however brought the US back into many of the agreements it had withdrawn itself from earlier
under Trump's administration.
For eg, Biden had extended the New START nuclear treaty by five years in his first few days in
office. The New Start treaty is one of the last remaining arms reduction pacts between the former
Cold War rivals.

UN report projects India’s economy to grow

at 10.1% in 2022; Check details
The United Nations informed on May 11, 2021, that India has been projected to grow at 10.1% in
the year 2022. The country will be the fastest-growing major economy in the world. However, the
global agency has cautioned that the growth outlook of the country in 2021 was highly fragile as it
was the new hotbed of the pandemic.
The UN, in its mid-year update of the World Economic Situation and Prospects- WESP
which was first released in January 2021, has projected that the Indian economy will grow at
10.1% in 2022, nearly doubling the 5.9% growth forecast for India in the January report.
With a 10.1% growth rate, India will be the fastest-growing economy, even ahead of China which
is projected to grow at 5.8%, it is a major slowdown from 8.2% in 2021.
Mid-year update on India’s economic growth:
According to the mid-year update, India will be registering a 7.5% growth in 2021, after an
estimated contraction of 6.8% in the year 2020. The update has provided an upward revision for
growth projection for India from the UN forecasts that were released in January 2021.
The World Economic Situation and Prospects report of January had estimated that the Indian
economy will contract by 9.6% in the year 2020. It had projected a 7.3% growth rate in 2021 and
a 5.9% GDP growth in the year 2022.
India’s growth in 2021 to be highly fragile:
The report while projecting positive economic growth for the country in 2022 has also
warned that given the fluid situation, the growth outlook of the country in 2021 will be
highly fragile.
It further explains that India has been particularly affected by a brutal COVID-19 second
wave, which has severely impacted the public health system in large parts of India. The
report adds that the country has been expanding the vaccine eligibility and is also
ramping up the supply in every possible manner, but the access to vaccines in the
country is highly unequal and insufficient to meet the massive demand.
In an overview of the global progress on vaccination, the number of doses administered

in India is low at a ratio of 10 per 100 people, in comparison with the 68.2 per 100
people in the US, 13.6 in the Caribbean and Latin America, and 12.4 in Russia.
Growth outlook bleak for large number of countries: Report
The mid-year report has noted that the growth outlook is bleak for a large number of countries in
South Asia, Africa as well as the Caribbean, and Latin America, where the COVID-19 pandemic is
still raging.
The report states that India, with daily fresh infections averaging over 3,00,000 during the third
week of April 2021, is not the new hotbed of the ongoing pandemic.
However, it added that the worst is far from over for Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru and
that for a vast majority of developing nations, economic output will remain below 2019 levels for
most of 2021.
Amid the insufficient fiscal space for stimulating demand, many of these nations around the world
will be facing low and stagnant growth and the prospect of a lost decade.
Mid-year update identifies South Asia as one of the hardest-hit regions:
The mid-year update has noted that South Asia which is already one of the hardest-hit regions in
the world will be experiencing the Coronavirus crisis well into 2021.
It added that while the smaller nations in the region have managed to roll out the vaccination
successfully, the larger economies still continue to struggle to manage the increasing waves of
Covid infections.
The report has projected that the economic growth in the South Asia region will return in 2021 at
6.9% against a 5.6% drop in 2020, however, the recovery will be extremely uneven and the
effects will run deep.
The economic growth of South Asia in 2021 will still be insufficient to undo 2020’s 6.7% loss in
GDP per capita. The report cautions that the risks in the region are exceptionally high. South Asia
was already behind in the economic performance before the pandemic, with a regional economic
growth as low as 3.1% in 2019.
The global economy is projected to expand by 5.4% this year, but growth remains fragile in many
countries.

Equitable access to #COVID19 vaccines around the world is key for a broad-based recovery.
More in @UNDESA's latest #WorldEconomyReport: https://t.co/PHLOxSfEME

pic.twitter.com/RA07A4F5Il
— United Nations (@UN) May 11, 2021

Global economy projected to expand in 2021:
The World Economic Situation and Prospects mid-2021 report has claimed that after
following a sharp contraction of 3.6% in 2020, the global economy is projected to
expand by 5.4% in the year 2021. The projection reflects an upward revision from the
UN forecasts that were released in January 2021.
The report stated that amid the rapid vaccination and the continued monetary and fiscal
support measures, the US and China- the two largest economies- are well on the path
to recovery.
Vaccine inequity poses risk to fragile global recovery:
Even though the global outlook improves because of the robust rebound in China and the US, the
vaccine inequity between the nations and the regions still poses a significant risk to an uneven
and fragile global recovery.
Timely and universal access to vaccination will mean ending the pandemic promptly as well as
placing the world economy on the path of resilient recovery.
According to the Chief of Global Economic Monitoring Branch at the UN Department of Economic
and Social Affairs, Hamid Rashid, who is also the lead author of the report, the covid pandemic
has pushed some 58 million girls and women into extreme poverty which is huge to poverty
reduction efforts worldwide.
It has further led to the gender gaps in income, impending progress on gender inequality, and
wealth and education.

Snapdeal launches 'Sanjeevani' to connect

COVID patients with plasma donors
Snapdeal has launched 'Sanjeevani' to connect COVID-19 patients with potential plasma donors.
With this, the e-commerce company has joined other companies like Google, Paytm and
Facebook that have introduced digital tools to help people during the deadly second wave of the
pandemic.
Many companies and developers have been coming up with platforms to help people get basic
medical care such as finding resources like hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and ventilators and
even find slots for COVID-19 vaccination.
For example, HealthifyMe has launched VaccinateMe platform that uses CoWIN API to help users
find the available vaccination slots. Google has also updated Google Search, Google Maps, and
YouTube in India to display COVID-19 vaccine information and to help people find relevant
sources of medical oxygen using crowd-sourced information and nearby hospital beds.
Snapdeal's Sanjeevani platform
•Snapdeal has created Sanjeevani to use its wide reach in India, including across smaller towns
and cities to connect people.
•Snapdeal issued a statement saying that with the rising COVID-19 cases, plasma donors are
needed more than ever and their plasma connect initiative 'Sanjeevani' aims to fulfil this need.
•The platform can be accessed by people through the website and mobile app.
We have started a plasma connect initiative, #Sanjeevani. It enables those in need of #plasma to
find eligible #plasmadonors
Visit https://t.co/AKIqZPiiwP & register as a donor or recipient. #Covid19IndiaHelp
#COVIDEmergencyIndia https://t.co/twEzRGDaVj pic.twitter.com/XGZiAy53nT
— Snapdeal (@snapdeal) May 7, 2021

How to register on Sanjeevani
1. Visit Snapdeal's sanjeevani tool by clicking here- snapdeal donate plasma

2. It offers two registration options-

-Register as Donor
-Register as Patient
3. Hence, both donors and patients can register themselves with their mobile numbers, email IDs
and provide relevant information such as blood group and location.
4. The donors will need to put in some specific details such as when they tested positive or
negative for COVID-19 infection.
5. After registering, Snapdeal's search engine will search for relevant matches and connect
patients with potential donors.
6. After a match is found, the details will be sent to both the receiver and the donor.
How does it work?
The tool's algorithm searches for relevant patients and donors in their region and then finds a
match.
How are the patients connected to the donors?
The patients will be connected to the donors through SMS.
Background
Snapdeal had first launched Sanjeevani to help its employees find possible donors. However, the
e-commerce platform has now opened this for all people.
The portal will also help in raising awareness on the importance of plasma donation and
encourage recovered COVID-19 patients to donate.

Covid-19 variant first detected in India, found

in 44 countries: WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) informed on May 12, 2021 that the COVID-19 variant -
B.1.617 that was first found in India in October 2020 has been detected in sequences uploaded
from 44 countries in all six WHO regions.
The organisation said in its weekly update on the pandemic that as of May 11th, over 4500
sequences have been uploaded to GISAID (platform of data sharing mechanism for influenza)
and assigned to B.1.617 from 44 countries in all six WHO regions.
WHO also stated that it has received reports of detections from five additional countries.
B.1.617 variant of coronavirus first detected in India?
As per media reports, the COVID-19 variant B.1.617 was first identified in India in October 2020.
B.1.617 a variant of global concern
•The World Health Organization had on May 10, 2021 classified the variant as a "variant of global
concern" after some preliminary studies showed that it spreads more easily.
•Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, Technical lead COVID-19 at WHO said that WHO needs much more
information about this B1617 variant and all of the sub-lineages. She informed that the variant has
been classified as a variant of concern at the global level, as the available information suggests
increased transmissibility.
•The B.1.617 variant of SARS-CoV2 is also known as the double mutant variant that has been
spreading rapidly across India.
•The B.1.617 variant is the fourth variant to be designated as a variant of "global concern".
Which are the four variants of global concern?
B.1.1.7 - First detected in the United Kingdom in September 2020

B.1.351- First detected in South Africa in May 2020
B.1.1.28.1 - First detected in Brazil in November 2020

B.1.617 - First detected in India in October 2020
Besides this, WHO also has a list of Variants of Interest (VOIs):
B.1.525- Detected in multiple countries in December 2020

B.1.427/ B.1.429 - First detected in US in March 2020
B.1.1.28.2/ P.2 - First detected in Brazil in April 2020
B.1.1.28.3/P.3 - First detected in the Philippines in January 2021
B.1.526- First detected in the US in November 2020
B.1.616- First detected in France in February 2021
Reports terming B.1.617 variant as an “Indian Variant” are unfounded: Government
The government of India issued a statement on May 12, 2021 stating that the reports that have
termed the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus as an “Indian Variant” are without any basis and
unfounded.
The government's statement further read that WHO has not associated the term “Indian Variant”
with the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus in its 32-page document. It said that the word “Indian”
has in fact, not been used in its report on the matter.
This is to clarify that WHO has not associated the term “Indian Variant” with the B.1.617 variant of
the coronavirus in its 32 page document. In fact, the word “Indian” has not been used in its report
on the matter: Government of India
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2021

Prime Minister Modi will not attend G7

Summit in person due to COVID-19 situation,
says MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs informed on May 11, 2021, that PM Modi will not be attending the
G7 Summit in person in June 2021 because of the prevailing Coronavirus situation in India.
The Spokesperson of MEA, Arindam Bagchi stated that while appreciating the invitation of the UK
PM to attend the G7 Summit as a special invitee, in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation, it
has been decided that PM Modi will not be attending the G7 Summit in person.
While appreciating the invitation to the Prime Minister by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to
attend the G7 Summit as a Special Invitee, given the prevailing COVID situation, it has been
decided that the Prime Minister will not attend the G7 Summit in person: MEA Spokesperson
pic.twitter.com/2KMqO1Bnym
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2021
Prime Minister Modi was earlier scheduled to visit the United Kingdom in June 2021 on the
invitation of the UK PM Boris Johnson to attend the G7 Summit as a guest.
G7 Summit in June 2021:
The G7 Summit will take place in Cornwall, UK from June 11 to 13, 2021. The UK Government,
for the meeting, has invited leaders from Australia, South Korea, India, and South Africa to attend
the event as the guest countries. It will further deepen the experience as well as the expertise in
and around the table.
The upcoming meeting in June aims at addressing the shared challenges ranging from the
COVID-19 pandemic to the tackling of climate change. The discussions between the powerful
nations will further ensure that the world can be benefitted from open trade, technological change,
and scientific discovery.
What is G7?
G7 is an international grouping of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, the United

States, Japan, the European Union, and Italy.
G7 grouping is the only platform where the most advanced and influential economies of the world
are brought together to discuss various global and significant issues all over the world.
Previous canceled visits:
The cancellation of PM Modi’s visit to the UK in June 2021 is not the first time when the
Coronavirus has impacted a significant diplomatic meet.
Earlier, Britain Prime Minister Boris Johnson was scheduled to visit India to take part in the
celebrations of Republic Day 2021. The plan, however, was called off by the UK PM because of
the worsening COVID-19 situation in England at the time.

International Nurses Day 2021: History,

Theme, Significance and other details
International Nurses Day is observed every year on May 12 to honour nurses all over the world.
The day was celebrated for the first time by The International Council of Nurses- ICN in 1965.
In 1953, an official of the US health, education, and welfare department, Dorothy Sunderland had
proposed to President Dwight D. Eisenhower to proclaim ‘Nurses Day’ which he did not approve.
However, in 1974, May 12 was chosen to be celebrated as International Nurses Day. The date is
also the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, who was born on this day in 1820. She was the
founder of modern nursing and is perhaps the world’s most famous nurse. Florence Nightingale
was an English nurse, a social reformer as well as a statistician.
Theme for International Nurses Day 2021:
The theme for the International Nurses Day 2021 is Nurses: A Voice to Lead- A Vision
for Future Healthcare.
Know the history of the day: Who was Florence Nightingale?
Florence Nightingale, on whose birth anniversary this day is celebrated, was also known as the
Lady with the Lamp. She started working as a nurse in charge of the British and the allied soldiers
who were wounded during the Crimean War. She spent most of her time caring for the injured
soldiers-often late into the night.
Founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale was the first to establish formal training for the
nurses.
The first nursing school known as Nightingale School of Nursing was inaugurated in 1860 in
London. She also played a significant role in setting up a training school for the midwives as well.
She became the first woman to be awarded the Order of Merit 1907.
In her lifetime, Florence Nightingale also made various efforts in improving the health condition of
all the sections of British society. She advocated for better hunger relief for India and helped in
abolishing prostitution laws in England that were extremely harsh.

What makes this day significant?
As the world battles the deadly Coronavirus pandemic, the roles of nurses at the forefront of this
battle cannot be ignored. Nurses, like doctors and other healthcare workers, have been
continuously providing care without any kind of break. They are often the only health
professionals that the people see while going through a health crisis.
The International Nurses Day 2021 assumes greater significance. The day must be taken to
express gratitude to all the nurses and health workers around the world for their invaluable
services in these difficult times.
Nurses during COVID-19 pandemic:
According to the International Council of Nurses, more than 1.6 million health workers in 34
countries have been infected by the Coronavirus as of December 31, 2020.
As per the World Health Organisation, nurses account for more than half of all the world’s health
workers. However, as the health infrastructure has been affected enormously, the countries are
seeing a shortage of nurses worldwide with 5.9 million more nurses still needed. The problem is
prevalent, particularly in low and middle-income countries.

Dr. Tahera Qutbuddin becomes first Indian to

win Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Dr. Tahera Qutbuddin has become the first person from India to win the prestigious Sheikh
Zayed Book Award. The Mumbai-born professor won the honour for her book 'Arabic Oration:
Art and Function', which was published by Brill Academic Publishers of Leiden in 2019.
Dr. Tahera is a US citizen, who was born into the prominent Qutbuddin family in India and grew
up in south Mumbai. She will be presented with the award later this month at Abu Dhabi.
She has been named the winner of the 15th Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
About Dr. Tahera Qutbuddin
•Dr. Tahera Qutbuddin is a professor of Arabic Literature at the Department of NELC in

the University of Chicago.
•She had completed her early education in Fort Convent, Presentation Convent in
Kodaikanal, Villa Theresa High School and Sophia College in Mumbai.
•The professor also serves on the editorial board of Abu Dhabi's Library of Arabic
Literature.
•Her research focuses on intersections of the literary, the religious, and the political in
classical Arabic poetry and prose.
About Sheikh Zayed Book Award
•The Abu Dhabi Department of Cultural annually honours people with exemplary work in the field
of Arabic literature with the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
•Sheikh Zayed Book Award is popularly known as the Arabic world's Nobel Prize.
•The award aims at showcasing the most powerful, stimulating and challenging works
representing the Arab world.
•The award is presented to "Arab writers, intellectuals, publishers and young talent whose writings
and translations of humanities have scholarly and objectively enriched Arab cultural, literary and
social life.

•The award was set up in the memory of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the principal
architect of the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the authoritarian
ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE for over 30 years from 1971-2004.
•The award was first awarded in 2007. It is one of the richest literary awards in the world, as it
carries a cash prize worth DH 7,000,000.

J&K govt to help senior citizens, orphans,

daily wage workers during COVID-19
pandemic
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on May 11, 2021, announced a set of
measures for helping those who lost their loved ones due to COVID-19 infection and also the
daily wage workers who got affected by the pandemic in the union territory.
The Lt. Governor Sinha in a statement said, “Senior citizens who have lost only earning member
of the family will be provided a special pension for life.” The government will provide special
scholarships to children who lost their parents to the COVID-19 pandemic, he further said.
The Government also expressed its plan to provide financial assistance to every family in the
union territory who lost their loved ones due to untimely death from the COVID-19 infection.
The J&K administration also announced that it will lend Rs 1,000 per month for the next two
months to the daily wage workers who suffered a loss of livelihood during the pandemic. This
would include all registered construction workers, ponywalas, palkiwalas, and pithuwalas.
The J&K administration has instructed all its concerned officers to ensure an uninterrupted supply
of ration to all ration holders on priority. The official statement mentioned that the installments for
social welfare schemes like PMAY, Laadli Beti, old-age pension, MGNAREGA will be released
immediately.
The Lt. Governor further said that the government will extend all the support including rations, etc
to the old-age homes and orphanages.
He urged the people to abide by the COVID-19 protocols to limit the spread of infection.
As per the Union Health Ministry, Jammu and Kashmir has reported 703 new COVID-19 cases
and 56 deaths in the past 24 hours. J&K is currently fighting 49, 951 active COVID-19 cases.

Twitter donates USD 15 million for COVID-19

Relief in India
Twitter, a microblogging giant, has donated USD 15 million in order to help address the ongoing
COVID-19 crisis in India as the country battles the unprecedented second wave of the pandemic.
The CEO of Twitter, Jack Patrick Dorsey tweeted on May 10, 2021, that the amount has been
donated to three non-governmental organisations- Aid India, CARE, and Sewa International USA.
While CARE has been given $10 million Twitter has donated $2.5 million each to Aid India and
Sewa International USA.
$15 million split between @CARE, @AIDINDIA, and @sewausa to help address the COVID-19
crisis in India. All tracked here: https://t.co/Db2YJiwcqc
— jack (@jack) May 10, 2021
Twitter in an official statement informed that Sewa International is a Hindu faith-based non-profit,
humanitarian service organization. It added that the amount will help in the procurement of life-
saving equipment such as ventilators, concentrators, BiPAP, and CPAP machines as part of the
‘Help India Defeat COVID-19’ Campaign of Sewa International.
Sewa International USA thanks Twitter:
While responding to the announcement, the Vice President for Marketing and Fund Development
of Sewa International, Sandeep Khadkekar thanked Twitter CEO Dorsey for his generous
donation and stated that it is gratifying to know that Sewa’s work has been recognized.
While explaining how the funding in Sewa works, Mr. Khadkekar stated that Sewa’s administrative
costs are about 5%, which means that every dollar that the donor offers, the organisation spends
95% of it on the work that it is earmarked for.
He added that in the past few weeks, we have seen how overwhelmed the healthcare system is in
India and the organsiation wants to do as much as it can to help the people of India.
With the latest donation, Sewa International USA, headquartered in Houston, has so far raised
USD 17.5 million towards its relief efforts for India.

CARE to help set up temporary COVID-19 care centres:
Twitter has informed that the grant of USD 10 million to CARE will support the organisation’s
urgent action in addressing the deadly second wave of the pandemic which has devastated India.
The company informed that the funds donated will be used to supplement the Indian
Government’s efforts by setting up temporary Coronavirus care centres; providing oxygen, PPE
Kits as well as other critically needed emergency supplies for the frontline health workers.
The funding will also address the vaccine hesitancy and will help in ensuring that people are
vaccinated, particularly in marginalized communities in India.
AID promotes sustainable and just development:
The Association for India’s Development- AID is a voluntary movement that promotes equitable,
sustainable, and just development.
AID India partners with the grassroot organizations in India in the areas of health, education,
livelihoods, agriculture, human rights, and the environment.
The grant from Twitter will help the under-resourced communities in identifying the Covid-19
symptoms, will prevent the spread, provide care and treatment, benefit from medical equipment
such as oximeters, oxygen, protective gear and vaccination, thermometers.
The fund will also assist in regaining livelihoods, surviving lockdowns, and strengthening the
hospitals and NGOs that serve low-income and rural communities.
India battles the second wave of a pandemic:
India has been battling the unprecedented second wave of Coronavirus. The hospitals in several
states are facing a shortage of health workers, oxygen, vaccine, beds, and drugs.
After recording over 4 lakh fresh COVID-19 cases for 4 consecutive days, the country on May 10,
2021, witnessed a single-day rise of 3,66,161 cases. The death count due to COVID-19 has come
to 2,46,116.

Google to show information on COVID-19

vaccine, hospital beds, medical oxygen in
India
Google on May 10, 2021, announced that the company has updated Google Search, Google
Maps, and YouTube in India to display COVID-19 vaccine information and registration for it.
Google has been testing new features on Google Maps in India to help people find relevant
sources of medical oxygen using crowd-sourced information and hospital beds nearby.
The US-based company also informed that it has been aiding non-profit organizations such as
GOONJ, Charities Aid Foundation India, United Way of Mumbai, and GiveIndia to raise funds
during the COVID-19’s second wave. The company, with its internal donation campaign, has
raised over Rs 33 crores ($4.6 million) till now.
Google has also floated a COVID Aid campaign on Google Pay to encourage users to donate and
assist NGOs in the fight against coronavirus.
As a part of its ‘Get the Facts’ regarding vaccines, Google has been displaying safety messages
on its homepage, doodles, and floating reminders across the company’s apps and services.
Updates on Google Search, Google Maps, and Youtube amid COVID-19
•Google Search in India has been updated with new features to help people in the country
search for relevant information related to the COVID-19 vaccine and resources such as medical
oxygen, hospital beds, etc.
•When a user puts a query for vaccines on Google Search, the search engine turns up with
results displaying different panels with the latest updates on vaccines and data on their safety,
side-effects, efficacy, and relevant information on registration for vaccines.
•Google Search will also direct the users to the government’s CoWIN portal to register for the
COVID-19 vaccine.
•Google Search has also been updated with a Prevention and Treatment tab that will display

resources on self-care, prevention, and treatment of the COVID-19 infection. All the facts are
sourced from verified medical authorities and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
•In a similar feat last year, Google had featured a Doodle on its homepage to encourage
vaccination for COVID-19.
•Google Maps in India will display locations over 23,000 vaccination centres across the country.
The information has been sourced from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This
information will be available in English and 8 regional languages. Google has been displaying
about 2,500 testing centres across the country till now.
•Google has been experimenting with the Q&A function to provide information to queries by
people regarding COVID-19. This will enable users to share local information and ask questions
related to medical oxygen and the availability of hospital beds.
•The company noted that the information under the Q&A section would be user-generated,
therefore one needs to verify the credibility of any lead from this section.
•YouTube India channel has been updated with a set of playlists to give out information verified
by experts on COVID-19. These playlists would comprise resources on vaccines, facts from
experts, and prevention of the spread of coronavirus.

Puducherry becomes fourth ‘Har Ghar Jal’

State/ Union Territory
Puducherry has become ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Union Territory by ensuring that every rural home in the
UT has tap water connection.
With this, the Union Territory has become the fourth state/ UT to provide assured tap water supply
to every rural home under Union Government’s flagship programme Jal JeevanMission after Goa,
Telangana and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Key Highlights
•Puducherry has achieved the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ status much ahead of the target fixed. All 1.16 lakh
rural households in the union territory have a tap water supply now.
•During the UT's annual action plan in April 2021, it had decided to utilize various funds available
through the convergence of different programmes like MGNREGS, JJM, SBM (G), CSR Fund,
Local Area Development Fund and 15th Finance Commission Grants to PRIs etc at the village
level and prepare a Village Action Plan (VAP) for achieving long-term drinking water security.
•The union territory is now also planning to get NABL accreditation/ recognition for its water
quality testing laboratories and is take up testing of all drinking water sources on a campaign
mode.
•It is also planning to effectively treat and reuse greywater coming out of homes.
•It is also working towards achieving water source sustainability.

Advantages
•The union territory, fortunately, has various rivers and tributaries with seven in Karaikal
district, five in Puducherry district, two in Mahé district and one in Yanam district.
However, none of the rivers originate within the territory.
•The Union Territory also has 84 irrigation tanks and over 500 ponds that are the lifeline
for groundwater recharging systems, drinking water and agriculture.
•The UT has also been working on rejuvenating its local water bodies and de-silting

ponds.
Significance
Puducherry’s achievement is another indicator of the success of the Jal Jeevan Mission. Besides
the Union Territory, Punjab and the UTs of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have also
crossed a milestone under the mission by assuring regular tap water supply in 75 percent of rural
homes.
Now, around 26.31 lakh rural households out of total 34.73 lakh (76%) in Punjab have a tap water
supply. The state aims to achieve 100% coverage of all rural households by 2022.
Jal Jeevan Mission
•The Jal Jeevan Mission is a flagship programme of the Union Government that aims to
provide tap water connection to every rural household of the country by 2024.
•The mission is being implemented across India to provide safe tap water in adequate
quantity of prescribed quality to every rural home despite challenges faced due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
•Goa had become the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state across India to provide tap water
connections to every rural household in October 2020.

OSIRIS-REx spacecraft: NASA spacecraft

begins 2-year journey home with asteroid
samples
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft began its historic 2-year mission back to Earth after collecting
samples from asteroid Bennu on May 10, 2021. This is NASA's first asteroid sample return
mission and it carries a generous amount of rubble collected from the near-Earth asteroid.
The NASA spacecraft bid farewell to its asteroid companion after spending two-and-a-half years
together. Bennu, the 4.5 billion-year-old skyscraper-sized asteroid is around 320 million km from
the Earth.
NASA had sent the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to the asteroid to survey the surface, collect samples
and deliver them back to Earth. The spacecraft had reached asteroid Bennu in 2018 and spent
two years flying near and around it, before collecting asteroid rubble from the surface last year.
After nearly 5 years in space, @NASASolarSystem's #OSIRISREx mission is heading to Earth

with a sample of rocks & dust from a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid!
Check out how its mission #ToBennuAndBack exceeded our expectations:

https://t.co/91n38cmQNA pic.twitter.com/bxtT0uXeu3
— NASA (@NASA) May 10, 2021

Key Highlights
•At 4:16 pm ET, the OSIRIS-REx control room at Lockheed Martin in Colorado received a signal
from the spacecraft that it had fired thrusters to remove itself from an established orbit around
Bennu.
•The departure sequence was a huge step for the spacecraft. The thruster burn lasted for seven
minutes.
•The thrusters had to shift the spacecraft's velocity by 958 kilometers per hour to put it on course

to catch up with Earth.
•The spacecraft is currently moving away from Bennu at over 600 mph and is expected to swing
by Earth on September 24, 2023 and drop the sample at the Utah Test and Training Range.
•The sample contains 2.1 ounces of material that was collected from asteroid Bennu's surface.
Mission navigation has received confirmation of burn cutoff. #OSIRISREx is headed home with a
souvenir of rocks and dusts from a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid! #ToBennuAndBack
pic.twitter.com/BmaK1dkPDB
— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) May 10, 2021
•If the spacecraft continues to remain in good health then, it will be sent on a new expedition to
study other asteroids.
Why will it take the spacecraft two years to reach Earth?
NASA's OSIRIS-REx is currently 291 million miles away from Earth. It is scheduled to
orbit Sun twice and then 1.4 billion miles to catch up with the Earth and return the
sample.
Historic Milestones of OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft
•The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida in September 2016.
The spacecraft's name OSIRIS-REx stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource
Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer.
•It was the first NASA mission to a near-Earth asteroid and it performed the closest orbit of a
planetary body by a spacecraft.
•Bennu also became the smallest object to be orbited by a spacecraft.
•OSIRIS-REx arrived for its first close look at Bennu in December 2018, during which it surveyed
the asteroid to determine the best location to collect a sample.
•The close views of the asteroid gave the mission team deep insights about the asteroid such as:
-Discovery of water ice locked within Bennu's rocks
-Discovery of carbon in a form that is largely associated with biology

•The mission team also witnessed particles from the asteroid releasing into space.
•Then the spacecraft conducted the historic Touch-and-Go sample collection on October 20,
2020.
•There were a number of challenges that threatened the success of the mission but the team was
able to meet and overcome these challenges.
•One of the challenges was that the sample collection head on the spacecraft had collected so
much material that the container couldn't seal properly, leaking precious asteroid material into
space.
•The spacecraft is now on its journey back home with the largest sample collected by a NASA
mission since lunar rocks that were brought back by Apollo astronauts.
•A final flyby of Bennu was organised in April to survey how OSIRIS-REx disturbed and altered
the surface of the asteroid during the collection event. The pictures taken before and after the
sample collection event showed some intriguing differences.
Significance of the Mission
•The samples will be studied to get more information about the formation and history of our solar
system and also about the role that asteroids played in helping develop habitable planets like
Earth.
•It will also help understand more about the population of near-Earth asteroids like Bennu that
may be on an eventual collision course with Earth.
•A better grasp of their composition and orbits will help in predicting which asteroids may have the
closest approaches to Earth and when. It will also help in developing methods of deflecting these
asteroids.
•Scientists believe that asteroids like Bennu had crashed into Earth early during its formation,
delivering elements like water.
Bennu Asteroid
•Bennu is a carbonaceous asteroid in the Apollo group, which was discovered by the
LINEAR Project on 11 September 1999.

•It is listed as a potentially hazardous object, as it has a cumulative 1-in-2,700 chance of

impacting Earth between 2175 and 2199.
•The asteroid has been named after the ancient Egyptian mythological bird - Bennu,
which is associated with the Sun, creation and rebirth.

Israeli-Palestinian clashes in Jerusalem:

Everything you must know!
The clashes between the Israeli police and Palestinian protestors have been taking place on a
daily basis in and around Jerusalem’s Old City, for weeks now. Jerusalem is home to major
religious sites that are sacred to Jews, Muslims, and Christians and is also the epicenter of Middle
East Conflict.
For 100 years, Jerusalem has been the place of violent confrontations between Arabs and Jews
and has remained one of the most bitterly contested cities known.
However, the latest clashes in Jerusalem started a month ago with an Israeli move to stop some
Palestinian gatherings at the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it is already a time
of heightened religious sensitivities.
After the restrictions by Israel were eased, tensions over a plan of evicting dozens of Palestinians
from an east Jerusalem neighborhood continue to fuel the confrontations between the two groups.
On May 10, 2021, stun grenades echoed all over the holy hilltop compound. Hundreds of
Palestinians were hurt in the clashes between the stone-throwing protestors and Israeli Police
firing tear gas and rubber bullets. Police amid the clash was also injured.
Even with strong global condemnation, the clashes and confrontation between Israel and
Palestine have continued. Read here to know more about what set off the latest violence in
Jerusalem.
Jerusalem: Capital of Israelis and Palestinians

The people of Israel have viewed Jerusalem as its ‘unified, eternal’ capital. The
country had captured east Jerusalem, which also includes the Old City, during the
1967 Mideast war, along with Gaza and West Bank.
On the other hand, the people of Palestine demand those territories for their
future state, with East Jerusalem serving as an eventual capital. But Israeli
government annexed the eastern part of Jerusalem in a move that is not
recognized internationally.
The conflict has led to the path where the fate of east Jerusalem has become one of the thorniest

issues in the peace process, leading to a halt more than a decade ago.
On May 10, 2021, Israelis were set to mark Jerusalem Day. It is a national holiday celebrating the
annexation.
In the past years, thousands of Israelis- mainly the religious nationalists-have marched through
the old city of Jerusalem, including the densely populated Muslim Quarter, in a display that has
been considered provocative by many Palestinians.
Significance of the Holy Hilltop:
The clashes on May 10, 2021, took place in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of
Jerusalem. The mosque is considered to be the third-holiest site in Islam and it sits on a sprawling
plateau that is home to the iconic golden Dome of the Rock. Muslims refer to the Holy Hilltop
Compound as the Noble Sanctuary.
For Jews, the walled plateau is also the holiest site. They refer to it as the temple mount as it was
the location of biblical temples. In 70 A.D., the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, with only
the Western Wall remaining.
The mosques by Muslims were built centuries later. Neighbouring Jordan has been serving as the
custodian of the site, which is operated by an Islamic endowment called the Waqf.
The groups of the religious and nationalist Jews, in recent years, escorted by the police have
been seen visiting the Holy Hilltop Compound in greater number. They have also been holding
prayers in defiance of the rules that were established after 1967 by Jordan, Israel, and Muslim
religious authorities.
These frequent visits and attempted prayers by Jews have been seen by the Palestinians as a
provocation which often leads to more serious violence.
Some Israelis have stated that the site must be opened to all the worshippers. However, the
Palestinians refuse and fear that Israelis will take over the site or partition it. The officials of Israel
have said that they have no intention of changing the status quo.
Policy discrimination between Israeli and Palestinians:
Jews who are born in east Jerusalem are Israeli citizens, while the Palestinians from East

Jerusalem are given a form of permanent residency which can be revoked by the authorities if
they live outside the city for an extended period.
Jewish settlements have been built by Israel in east Jerusalem that is home to around 2,20,000
people. The settlements have severely limited the growth of Palestinian neighborhoods which
leads to overcrowding as well as unauthorized construction of thousands of homes that are at risk
of demolition.
The New York-based- Human Rights Watch and Israeli Rights Group B”Tselem pointed the
discriminatory policies in east Jerusalem and argued that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid.
Israel, on the other hand, has rejected those allegations stating that Jerusalem residents are
treated equally.
Threatened evictions of Palestinians from East Jerusalem:
The recent clashes in Jerusalem started at the start of Ramadan when the Israeli police placed
barricades outside the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a popular gathering
place after the evening prayers during the holy month when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.
The police later removed the barriers, but later the protests escalated over the threatened eviction
of Palestinian families from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.
Jerusalem violence leads to wider unrest:
The violence in Jerusalem and particularly in Al-Aqsa is often reflected across the region.
The Palestinian Militant Group Hamad, which rules Gaza, has called for a new uprising, same as
the one triggered by an Israeli Politician’s visit to Al-Aqsa in 2000. The militants of Gaza have also
fired rockets and balloons with devices attached to them in support of the Palestinian protestors.
The protests have been held in the occupied West Bank and in the Arab communities which are
inside Israel.
Jordan as well as other Arab nations that have friendly relations with Israel have condemned its
crackdown on the protests, while the archenemy of Israel Iran has encouraged the Palestinian
protests.
The United States and European Union have also condemned the violence and have expressed

concerns about the evictions.

Assam, first Indian state to have a digital

flood reporting system
Jishnu Barua, Chief Secretary, Assam, on May 8, 2021, launched a digital real-time Flood
Reporting and Information Management System (FIRMS) in the state of Assam.
With the launch of FRIMS, Assam becomes the first Indian state to have a real-time digital flood
reporting system. With the river Brahmaputra flowing at the crux, Assam is prone to severe floods
and erosion every year.
FRIMS, a digital real-time flood reporting system, has been developed jointly by Assam State
Disaster Management Agency (ASDMA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
During the digital launch, Chief Secretary Barua said that management of floods is a crucial
administrative function that involves various departments and stakeholders. He mentioned the
existing system of flood reporting was a time-consuming affair due to manual verification and
quality control system.
Tom White, UNICEF India Chief, Emergency and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) congratulated
the Assam Government to become the first state to have a digital flood reporting system. “Such a
system will go a long way in measuring the impact of disaster risk reduction interventions,” he
added.
Avinash Josh, Principal Secretary Revenue and Disaster Management Department said the
digital flood reporting system will enable immediate alert-based verification at defined levels,
information feeding at the source, and automatic compilation.
GD Tripathi, ASDMA Chief Executive Officer mentioned that the field staffers and officers have
completed the required training.
Assam has a mandatory flood reporting protocol in place every year from May 15 to October 15.
Flood Reporting and Information Management System (FRIMS)
•The Flood Reporting and Information Management System (FRIMS) is a digital real-time flood
reporting system launched in Assam.

•Assam is the first Indian state to adopt a digital flood reporting system that will replace the
existing system of manual flood reporting.
•FRIMS has been developed jointly by Assam State Disaster Management Agency (ASDMA) and
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
•FRIMS will be operational from May 15. The system will enable immediate alert-based
verification at defined levels, information feeding at the source, and automatic compilation.

German tennis player Alexander Zverev wins

his 2nd Madrid Open Title
The German Tennis player and the world number six Alexander Zverev continued his sensational
form and won his 2nd Madrid Open Title on May 10, 2021. He also lifted his fourth ATP Masters
1000 trophy.
After beating Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals and Dominic Theim, fourth-ranked, in the
semifinals, Alexander Zverev rallied to defeat the world number 10 Matteo Berrettini from Italy by
6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-3 in the finals.
The German player wasn’t able to convert a set point at 7/6 in the first-set tie-break but then he
claimed three service breaks in the following two sets to lift the coveted trophy.
Caja Mágica - you are my happy place! Thrilled about winning my 4th ATP Masters 1000 title!
Thank you everyone for the support! Muchas gracias Madrid
@atptour @alvarotenis1 pic.twitter.com/RxUz0wpsdq
— Alexander Zverev (@AlexZverev) May 9, 2021
In his post-match interview, Zverev stated that it is great to win the Madrid Open Title, particularly
after he lost the three last finals that he played at Masters 1000 events. He added that the win is
definitely special and that he just wants to enjoy this one.
While commenting on the game, Zverev stated that his opponent, Matteo’s gaming style showed
it all. He added that he did not play anybody this week who is able to serve 235 km/h on clay and
serve 230 km/h kick serves. Zverev acknowledged that it was definitely a different match and that
he is extremely happy right now.
The World number six player Zverev had not clinched successive games in three straight
competitions before the Madrid Open.
C A M P E O N E S 2021@atptour | @wta | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/qQdFd4ZWil
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) May 10, 2021

Men’s doubles final:
Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina, in the men's double final, defeated
Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic of Croatia by 1-6, 6-3, 10-8. The players from Spain and Argentina
claimed the men’s double titles on May 9, 2021.

COVID-19’s double mutant strain in India a

‘variant of concern’, says WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 10, 2021, announced that the B.1.617 variant of
SARS-CoV2, also known as the Indian variant or double mutant, is a ‘variant of concern’ at the
global level.
WHO said that the double mutant strain has been found to be transmitting more easily than the
original version of COVID-19.
The Indian variant, B.1.617, was first identified in India last October in 2020 and since then has
been spotted across 32 counties. A total of four variants of the coronavirus have been classified
as ‘variants of concern’, those that emerged in Brazil, India, South Africa, and the United
Kingdom.
The #SARSCoV2 virus variant B.1.617 is currently listed as a variant of interest but is being
evaluated as a potential variant of concern by @WHO & our evolution working group
We are grateful for the ongoing work around to monitor & study VOI/VOC#COVID19 @WHO
@DrTedros pic.twitter.com/CUDd4ue1ZW
— Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) May 9, 2021
The COVID-19 Technical Lead at WHO, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said that the WHO lab team and
EPI team are in discussion with the WHO virus evolution group to understand everything in terms
of the transmissibility of the double mutant strain. “There is some available information to suggest
increased transmissibility of B.1.617,” she said.
She further added that some preliminary studies have demonstrated increased transmissibility of
the strain but “we need much more information about this virus strain in this lineage, so we need
more targeted sequencing to be done, and to be shared in India and elsewhere so that we know
how much of this virus is circulating”.
Kherkhove also stated the epidemiologic studies that evaluate neutralization severity are
underway. “So far, the WHO does not have any evidence to suggest that our therapeutics or
diagnostics and our vaccines don’t work,” she added.

She further emphasized that we must do everything and take individual-level measures to limit the
spread of the virus. “We will continue to see variants emerge. We need to make sure that we take
all the measures to prevent ourselves from getting sick,” she added.
India COVID-19 tracker
India, on May 11, 2021, has reported 2,29,92,517 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 37,15,221
active cases and 2,49,992 deaths.
#CoronaVirusUpdates:
#COVID19 India Tracker

(As on 11 May, 2021, 08:00 AM)
Confirmed cases: 2,29,92,517

Recovered: 1,90,27,304 (82.75%)
Active cases: 37,15,221 (16.16%)
Deaths: 2,49,992 (1.09%)#IndiaFightsCorona#Unite2FightCorona#StaySafe @MoHFW_INDIA
pic.twitter.com/9rgIeZhq9Q
— #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) May 11, 2021

US government approves Pfizer’s COVID-19

vaccine for children in 12-15 age group
The United States Food and Drug Administration on May 10, 2021, gave the emergency use
approval to Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for the children in the 12-15 age group. The
US government aims at setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year.
Janet Woodcock, the FDA Commissioner while commenting on the latest approval stated that the
FDA's expansion of the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine to include the
teenagers of the 12-15 age group is a significant step in the fight against the Coronavirus
pandemic.
BREAKING: Today, with @BioNTech_Group, we announced @US_FDA expanded the

Emergency Use Authorization of our #COVID19 vaccine to adolescents 12 to 15 years of age.
Learn more: https://t.co/7C2YfXK868 pic.twitter.com/c69qUmRRzU
— Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) May 10, 2021
The US FDA determined that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has met the statutory criteria to amend
the Emergency Use Approval. The US Health Body further added that the known and potential
benefits of this vaccine in individuals of 12 years of age or above have outweighed the known and
potential risks and have supported the vaccine's use on them.
US FDA assures rigorous and thorough review of data before approval:
The US FDA Commissioner while making an announcement stated that the step allows for a
younger population to be protected from the pandemic which also brings the US closer to
returning to a sense of normalcy and ending the pandemic.
She added that the parents and guardians can be assured that the health agency undertook a
thorough and rigorous review of all the available data of Pfizer, as it has with all of the other
COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations.
Crucial step for lessening the public health burden:
The Director of the Centre for Biologics and Evaluation and Research of FDA, Peter Marks said
the vaccine authorization for the younger population is a significant step for lessening the

immense public health burden which was caused by the pandemic.
He added that with science guiding the decision-making process and evaluation, US FDA assures
the public and the medical community that the available data has met the rigorous standards for
supporting the emergency use of Pfizer's vaccine on teenagers.
Results of Pfizer vaccine study on US teenage volunteers:
In late March 2021, Pfizer had released the preliminary results from a COVID-19 vaccine study of
2,260 volunteers between the age of 12-15. The results showed that there were no cases of
Coronavirus among the fully vaccinated adolescents compared with the 18 among those given
the dummy shots. The company informed that the vaccinated kids had side effects similar to
young adults.
The major and most common side effects observed in the adolescent clinical trial participants
were pain at the injection site, headache, tiredness, muscle pain, chills, fever, and joint pains.
They typically lasted for 1-3 days.
However, it has been warned that the Pfizer vaccine must not be given to anyone with a known
history of severe allergic infection.
The vaccine is also determined to be 91% more effective in preventing the symptomatic COVID-
19 infection at least 6 months after the second dose.
Other vaccines in US seeking approval for vaccination of teenagers:
Pfizer was not the only company in the US that has been seeking to lower the age limit for its
vaccine. Results are also likely to come by the middle of 2021 from a US study of the Moderna
vaccine in 12 to 17 years old.
However, in a sign that the findings were promising, the US FDA has already allowed both Pfizer
and Moderna to begin the US studies in children 11 years and younger, while also working their
way to as young as 6 months old.
Pfizer Vaccine in the US:
More than 131 billion doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine have already been administered in the
United States. The demand for vaccines among adults has dramatically slowed in recent weeks.

The US officials hope that vaccinating teens of the country will further help in reducing the virus
caseload and will allow schools to reopen with minimal disruptions.
The US Government has ordered at least 300 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of
July 2021, which is enough to protect 150 million people.

China’s population crosses 1.4 billion,

birthrate shows decline amid fears of
shrinking workforce
China's population has risen over the past decade by 72 million to 1.411 billion in 2020, as per
the National Bureau of Statistics.
China's population has grown by more than five percent over the past decade to surpass 1.4
billion people. This was informed when the nation unveiled its census results.
However, the birthrate has shown a steady decline raising the nation's fears over its shrinking
workforce and aging population.
Key Highlights
•According to an official from the National Bureau of Statistics, the data shows that the population
of China maintained a mild growth momentum in the past decade.
•Since 2017 in fact, China's birthrate has shown a steady decline. This comes despite China's
relaxation of its decades-old "one-child policy" amid fears that an aging population and a slowing
birth rate pose a looming demographic crisis for the country.
•China conducts the census once every ten years to determine population growth, movement
patterns and other trends. The sensitive data that is collected during the process plays a
significant role in government policy planning.
•The census of the past decade showed a 5.4 percent increase in population.
•However, the nation recorded its slowest birthrate since 1949 in the year 2019, at 10.48 per
1,000 people.
•As per the preliminary data published in February, the birth rate was also down significantly in
2020, although the number of actual births has not yet been announced.
China's shrinking workforce

•Though the percentage of children in China's population has increased in comparison to 2010,
the percent of those aged above 60 years has increased faster.
•The pool of potential workers aged between 15 to 59 years in China have decreased to 894
million, down about 5% from a 2011 peak of 925 million.
•China's working-age population fell to 63.3 percent from 70.1 percent a decade ago.
•The change in the one-child policy was expected to promote a rebound in the birthrate. However,
around 12 million babies were born in 2020, which would be down by 18 percent from 2019's
report of 14.6 million.
China's demographic time bomb
•China along with few other developing nations including Thailand are aging fast and
these nations face the challenge of whether it can grow rich before it grows old. Some
forecasters have warned China faces a "demographic time bomb."
•The nation is increasingly concerned about the fast decline in its working-age
population. The population of its potential workers aged between 15 to 59 years is
expected to fall from three-quarters of the total in 2011 to just above half by 2050.
•If the population gets too old, it would be impossible to solve the problem, said some
experts urging that this needs to be dealt with at an early stage.
•The decline in the working-age population will also impact China's economic growth.
Background
•China's population census was completed in December 2020 with the help of almost over seven
million volunteers who surveyed residents door-to-door.
China, which had a strict one-child policy since 1980 to control its population growth, changed its
family planning rules •in 2016 to allow families to have two children. This came as fears grew
about China's fast-aging population and shrinking workforce.
•However, there have been concerns that the policy change is yet to produce the expected baby
boom to help offset the country's aging population.
•The key reasons for the same are falling marriage rates and couples struggling with the high cost
of raising children in major cities. Other reasons include women naturally delaying or avoiding

childbirth due to their growing empowerment.

India takes part in 3rd Arctic Science

Ministerial, shares plans for long term
cooperation in Arctic
The Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan while participating in the third Arctic
Science Ministerial on May 8, 2021, stated that India will continue to continue to play a positive
role in deepening the shared understanding of the Arctic through research, observation,
international cooperation, and capacity building.
The Union Minister also proposed that India can be given the opportunity of hosting the next or
the future Arctic Science Ministerial. The theme of the 3rd ASM was ‘Knowledge for
Sustainable Arctic’.
ASM is a global platform for discussing cooperation and research in the Arctic Region. The first
Arctic Science Ministerial was held in the US in 2016 and the second one was in Germany in
2018. The third was jointly organized by Japan and Iceland and was held in Asia.
Pleased to have addressed via VC today, the Third Arctic Science Ministerial.
Shared India’s vision and commitment to further research & cooperation in the Arctic region along
with all global stakeholders.@PMOIndia @moesgoi pic.twitter.com/uVPKX9G8tx
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) May 8, 2021

Objective:
The Arctic Science Ministerial aims at providing opportunities to various stakeholders, which
include indigenous communities, academia, policymakers, and governments, to enhance their
collective understanding of the Arctic Region. It also emphasizes and engages in the constant
monitoring and strengthening of observations.
What is Arctic Council?
It is a high-level intergovernmental forum for promoting the coordination, cooperation,

and interaction towards sustainable development and environmental protection in the
Arctic Region.

The Arctic Region is warming and its ice melting is a global concern as they play a
significant role in sea levels, regulating the climate, and maintaining biodiversity.
India at 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial: Key Details
• During the meeting, India shared its plans of contributing to the observing systems in the Arctic,
both by remote-sensing or on-site.
• India will also be deploying open ocean mooring in the Arctic Region. It will be for the long-term
monitoring of the upper ocean variables and marine meteorological parameters.
• The country assured that it will continue to play a positive role in the Arctic Region. It will also
be promoting sustainable development of the region through international cooperation.
• India, during the meeting, also talked about the growing evidence of a connection between the
Indian Ocean and the Arctic region, which modulates the Indian Monsoon. It added that improving
the understating of physical processes and measuring the impact of Arctic ice melt on India’s
monsoon is significant.
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite Mission:
At the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, India while laying its plans for the Arctic Region informed that
the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite Mission, in collaboration with the
United States is also underway.
The mission by India and the US aims at conducting global measurements of the consequences
and cause of the land surface changes with the use of advanced radar imaging.
The country assured that its contributions to the sustained Arctic Observational Network will
continue.
India’s status in Arctic Council:
• India, since 2013, enjoys an’ observer status’ in the Arctic Council along with 12 other nations,
namely Japan, France, China, Italy, UK, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Singapore, South
Korea, and the Netherlands.
• As part of the Arctic Council, the country contributes to the international deliberations for
developing effective cooperative partnerships towards a stable, safe and secure region.

• The engagement between India and Arctic Council dates back to 1920 when the Svalbard
Treaty in Paris was signed.
India’s research in the Arctic Region:
India has had a permanent research station in the Arctic Region called Himadari at NyAlesund,
Svalbard Area in Norway, since July 2008.
The country has also deployed a multi-sensor moored observatory known as IndARC in
Kongsfjordan fjord since July 2014.
India’s research in the Arctic Region is conducted, coordinated, and promoted by the National
Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa. It comes under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

KR Gouri Amma, first Revenue Minister of

Kerala and JSS leader, passes away at 102
The first Revenue Minister of Kerala and JSS leader KR Gouri Amma passed away on May 11,
2021, after being hospitalized for a few weeks for age-related ailments. She was 102 years old.
KR Gouri Amma was born in Pattanakkad village, Alappuzha district, Kerala in 1919. Gouri Amma
was the first woman to graduate from the Hindu Ezhava community. She entered politics when it
was entirely male-dominated and went to become one of the longest-serving politicians in the
political history of Kerala.
Gouri Amma got elected 11 times to the Kerala Assembly. She became a minister in the first
democratically elected Communist government in Kerala, drafted Kerala Agrarian Relations Bill,
Land reforms, served as the president of the Kerala Mahila Sangham, and Kerala Karshaka
Sangham.
She also remained a prominent CPI (M) leader for decades but after her ouster from the party at
76, she formed her new party Janathipathya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS).
KR Gouri Amma’s autobiography titled Athmakatha won the 2011 Kerala Sahitya Academy
Award.
First Revenue Minister of Kerala, KR Gouri Amma passes away at a hospital in

Thiruvananthapuram. She was 102 years old. pic.twitter.com/OWCab7gPRK
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2021

KR Gouri Amma's political career
•In 1952 and 1954, she was elected to the Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly.
•In 1957, she got elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Thereafter, she continuously got
elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1960, 1967, 1970, 1982, 1987, 1991, and 2001.
•In 1957, she became the first Revenue Minister in the Communist Government led by EMS
Namboodiripad.

•From 1957 to 1959, she served as the Minister for Revenue, Excise, and Devaswom.
•In 1964, post the split of the Communist Party (CPI), she joined the CPI (M).
•From 1967 to 1969, she served as Minister for Revenue, Sales Tax, Civil Supplies, Social
Welfare and Law.
•From 1980 to 1981, she was Minister for Agriculture, Social Welfare, Industries, Vigilance and
Administration of Justice Minister.
•From 1987 to 1991, she became Minister for Industries and Social Welfare, Vigilance and
Administration of Justice.
•In 1994, after her ouster from the CPI (M), she formed Janathipathya Samrakshana Samithi
(JSS) and joined the United Democratic Front.
•From 2001 to 2004, she served as the Minister of Agriculture.
•From 2004 to 2006, she was the Minister of Agriculture, Soil Conservation, Soil Survey,
Warehousing Corporation, Dairy Development, Milk Co-operatives, Agricultural University, Animal
Husbandry, and Coir.
Various social and political movements:
•From 1960 to 1984, she was the president of the Kerala Karshaka Sangham.
•From 1967 to 1976, she was the president of the Kerala Mahila Sangham.
•From 1976 to 1987, she was the secretary of the Kerala Mahila Sangham.

CoWIN launches 4-digit security code: All

you need to know
The Union Health Ministry has introduced a '4-digit security code' feature on the Cowin portal to
reduce errors regarding vaccination status.
The feature has been introduced for the individuals who have booked their vaccination slots
online. It will determine whether they received the vaccine dose or not.
The security code has been launched after the government received several complaints on social
media that stated that those who had booked an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine but didn't
show up to receive the dose were marked as having been administered the vaccine. These
individuals had received an SMS saying that the vaccine was administered to them even when it
had not.
The Ministry said that the CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code in
the CoWIN application from May 8 to minimise such errors and the subsequent inconvenience
caused to the citizens.
Significance
Now, the verifier/vaccinator will ask the beneficiary about his/ her four-digit code and then enter
the same in the CoWIN system to correctly record the vaccination status.
How will the 4-digit security code work?
•An individual will receive the four-digit security code when he/ she books vaccination slots on Co-
WIN platform.
•The 4-digit security code will also be printed on the appointment acknowledgment slip.
•The beneficiaries will also receive an SMS containing the four-digit code.
•The verifier/vaccinator will ask the beneficiary for his/her 4 digit security code.
•The vaccinator will then enter the four-digit security code into the CoWIN system to record that

the beneficiary has been vaccinated.
•The four-digit security feature will ensure that the correct data about vaccination is recorded.
•The vaccination certificate will be issued to users only after the vaccinator gets the security
code.
•It would be important for people going to get the vaccine to not lose their four-digit security code.
•This feature is only for those who have done an online booking for vaccination.
About Co-WIN Portal
All individuals can register themselves for COVID-19 vaccination on the CoWIN portal. The portal
allows people to choose their preferred vaccination centre.

SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites in

record 10th liftoff
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on May 9, 2021, launched 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit early
and then landed at sea to record the 10th flight for the company’s reusable booster.
The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 2.42 am EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral
Space Force Station. The white exterior of the rocket turned black after its trip to Earth’s orbit and
back.
“First time a Falcon rocket booster will reach double digits in flights,” tweeted Elon Musk, CEO,
SpaceX.
Deployment of 60 Starlink satellites confirmed pic.twitter.com/RarbrcfUml
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 9, 2021
This is the second successful liftoff by SpaceX of its 229-foot-tall (70 meters) workhorse Falcon 9
rockets within a week. Each Falcon 9 rocket was carrying a full stack of 60 flat-paneled Starlink
broadband satellites.
The SpaceX supply chain supervisor Michael Andrews during a live webcast informed that
SpaceX’s first reuse of an orbital class rocket was on the SES-10 mission way back in March of
2017.
Approximately about nine minutes post liftoff, the rocket’s first stage touched down on SpaceX’s
drone ship ‘Just Read the Instructions for a record 10th successful landing. Florida’s clear sky
presented a prime viewing condition.
What are Starlink broadband satellites?
•Starlink broadband satellites is a network of satellites that have been engineered by SpaceX to
provide low-cost internet to remote locations.
•These satellites are placed over 60 times closer to Earth than traditional satellites.
About SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

•Falcon 9 rocket has been designed and manufactured by SpaceX, an American aerospace
manufacturer and space transportation services company owned by Elon Musk.
•Falcon 9 rocket is the world’s first orbital-class two-stage, a reusable rocket built to transport
people and supplies into Earth orbit and beyond.

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli loses vote of

confidence in House of Representatives
The Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli has lost the vote of confidence in the House of
Representatives on May 10, 2021.
The decision has come as a major setback to the premier who was seeking to tighten his grip on
the power after the CPN (Maoist Centre), which is led by Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’,
withdrew support to Oli’s government.
Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli secured 93 votes in the Lower House of the Parliament during a special
session which was convened on the orders of the Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
The Prime Minister of Nepal required at least 136 votes in the 275 member House of
Representatives for winning the confidence motion as the 4 members are currently under
suspension. A total of 124 members in the House of Representatives voted against him.
KP Sharma Oli will be submitting his resignation to the President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari
who in turn will ask the Parliament for the formation of the new Government within a week.
Key Highlights:
• The Vote of Confidence that the Nepal PM Oli placed before the House of Representatives
secured 93 'Yes' votes against the 124 'No' votes.
• Of 271, only 232 members were present in the House. Those who were absented or abstained
included 28 dissident members from the Ruling Communist Nepal Party- Unified Marxist Leninist
abstained.
• This was also the first vote of confidence which was unsuccessfully sought by the first
government elected under the new Constitution promulgated in 2015.
Oli faces defeat in Parliament:
KP Sharma Oli faced defeat in the Parliament and exited from power after leading the Nepal
Government for 38 months.

While commenting on the result, he stated that it was unfortunate that the government that
tirelessly worked for the development of the country and nation-building is now being targeted by
narrow partisan interests. Oli also asked the opposition not to label false accusations against
anyone.
The prominent opposition leaders had blamed Oli for the failure to tackle the pandemic that
resulted in an increasing number of cases and fatalities in the country. He was also blamed for
blocking the timely supply of delivery of vaccines from India.
Nepal Political Crisis: Background
After its alliance, the Nepal Communist Party Maoist centre which is led by Prachanda withdrew
its support to the Government, KP Sharma Oli's government was reduced to a minority one.
The country plunged into the political crisis in December 2020 after the President of Nepal
decided to dissolve the House and announced fresh elections to be held on April 30 and May 10,
2021, at the recommendation of PM Oli, amidst the power tussle within the ruling Nepal
Communist Party (NCP).

Babar Azam won ICC Men’s Player of the

Month, Alyssa Healy won Women’s Player
award
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on May 10, 2021, announced the names of the winners of
the ‘ICC Players of the Month’ awards for April. These awards recognize and celebrate the best
performing male and female cricketers across all formats of international cricket.
The ICC Men’s Player of the Month for April was awarded to Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for his
outstanding performances across all formats in the series against South Africa. Australia’s Alyssa
Healy bagged the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April.
Ramiz Raja, representative of the ICC Voting Academy said that there are two ways to bat in
white-ball cricket. “One way is to destroy attacks with muscle and force and then there is the
Babar Azam way, like conducting a batting symphony with punch, panache, and flair, and he
deserves to win this award,” he said.
For his extraordinary 122 off 59, Babar Azam has been named Player of the Match
He smashed 15 fours and four sixes in his knock!#SAvPAK https://t.co/rihG1VCmdO

pic.twitter.com/xmZUZ1qIWK
— ICC (@ICC) April 14, 2021
Healy won the women’s award for her performance with the bat against all types of bowling and
conditions in the recently held series against New Zealand.
Ian Bishop, representative of the ICC Voting Academy highlighted that Healy deserves the ICC
Women’s Player of the Month – April, “as she added the runs at the top consistently and at a
good tempo to help set up Australia’s scoring in chases and target setting across all three games
of their record-breaking series.”
About ICC Player of the Month
•In January 2021, the International Cricket Council (ICC) launched its Player of the Month Awards
that recognizes and celebrates the best performing male and female cricketers across all formats

of international cricket throughout the year.
•An independent Voting Academy decides the Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month. The
Voting Academy is made up of former players, broadcasters, journalists, and cricket fans across
the world.

Canadian firm partners with SpaceX for moon

mission funded with Dogecoin
cryptocurrency
A Canadian Research and Development Company, Geometric Energy Corporation has

announced cooperating with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch a mission to the moon. The mission
will be funded entirely with Dogecoin Cryptocurrency.
The founder of SpaceX has claimed that Dogecoin will take over the world. Canada’s Geometric
Energy Cooperation informed about the dogecoin-funded mission with the statement but not
disclosing the mission’s financial value.
Tom Ochinero, SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Scale stated that we are excited to launch
DOGE-1 to the Moon. The lunar mission will demonstrate the application of the cryptocurrency
beyond Earth orbit and will set the foundation of interplanetary commerce.
SpaceX launching satellite Doge-1 to the moon next year
–Mission paid for in Doge

–1st crypto in space
–1st meme in space
To the mooooonnn!!https://t.co/xXfjGZVeUW
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2021

DOGE-1 Mission to the Moon:
The DOGE-1 Mission to the Moon of Geometric Energy Corporation will involve the Geometric
Space Corporation mission management collaborating with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch a 40
kg CubeSat as rideshare on a Flacon 9 Lunar payload mission in the first quarter of 2022.
The payload will be gathering a lunar-spatial intelligence from the cameras and sensors onboards
with integrated communications and computational systems.
What does the payment with Dogecoin Cryptocurrency signify?

The Geometric Energy Corporation stated that through this very transaction, DOGE has proven to
be a reliable, fast, and cryptographically secure digital currency that is able to operate when the
traditional banking system cannot.
The Dogecoin Cryptocurrency is also sophisticated enough to finance a commercial moon

mission in full. The company’s statement added that it has been chosen as a unit of account for
all the lunar business between Geometric Energy Corporation and SpaceX. It set precedents for
future missions to the Mars and Moon.
Dogecoin Cryptocurrency:
Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency. It was launched in 2013 and is based on the Litecoin algorithm.
The tweets by Elon Musk in 2021 had turned the once-obscure digital currency, which had begun
as a social media joke, into a spectacular’s dream.
Tesla Inc, the Electric Carmaker where Elon Musk is a CEO, announced in February 2021 that it
bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin and will soon start accepting it as a form of payment for its
electric cars. It proved to be a large stride toward mainstream acceptance that sent the bitcoin
soaring to a record high of nearly $62,000.

West Bengal Cabinet Ministers List 2021: 43

Ministers sworn in, Check Complete list
West Bengal Cabinet Ministers List 2021: A total of 43 Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders
were sworn in as ministers in West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Cabinet at the Raj
Bhavan on May 10, 2021. All the ministers were administered the oath of the office by West
Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Banerjee will hold the first cabinet meeting later today. Some of the ministers sworn in today
include veteran political leaders such as Subrata Mukherjee, Aroop Biswas, Moloy Ghatak, Jyoti
Priya Mallick,Firhad Hakim, Javed Ahmed Khan, Partha Chatterjee and Dr Shashi Panja,
Azzruzaman, Birbaha Hansda, Srikant Mahato and cricketer-turned-politician Manoj Tiwary.
Former finance minister Amit Mitra was sworn in through video conferencing.
TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as West Bengal's Chief Minister for the third time on
May 5, 2021 after her party registered a landslide win in the West Bengal State Assembly
Elections 2021 with 213 seats out of the total 292 Assembly constituencies that went to polls.
The elections for two seats in Murshidabad were postponed due to the death of the candidates
due to COVID-19.
Kolkata: 43 TMC leaders sworn-in as ministers in West Bengal cabinet

pic.twitter.com/FRIZL5eUJx
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2021

West Bengal Cabinet Ministers 2021: Full List
Cabinet Ministers
1. Subrata Mukherjee
2. Partha Chatterjee
3. Amit Mitra
4. Sadhan Pande

5. Jyoti Priya Mallick
6. Bankim Chandra Hazra
7. Manas Ranjan Bhunia
8. Saumen Kumar Mahapatra
9. Moloy Ghatak
10. Aroop Biswas
11. Ujjal Biswas
12. Arup Roy
13. Rathin Ghosh
14. Firhad Hakim
15. Chandranath Sinha
16. Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay
17. Bratya Basu
18. Pulak Roy
19. Dr. Shashi Panja
20. Md. Ghulam Rabbani
21. Biplab Mitra
22 Javed Ahmed Khan
23. Swapan Debnath
24 Siddhiqullah Choudhary

Ministers-of State (Independent Charge)
1. Becharam Manna
2. Subrata Saha
3. Humayun Kabir
4. Akhil Giri
5. Chandrima Bhattacharya
6. Ratna De Nag
7. Sandhyarani Tudu
8. Bulu Chik Baraik
9. Sujit Bose
10. Indranil Sen
Ministers-of-State
1. Dilip Mondal
2. Akhruzzaman
3. Seuli Saha
4. Srikant Mahato
5. Yeasmin Sabina
6. Birbaha Hansda
7. Jyotsna Mandi
8. Adhikary Paresh Chandra

9. Manoj Tiwari

COVID-19 vaccine: Bharat Biotech starts

direct supply of COVAXIN to 14 states
India’s Bharat Biotech has started the direct supply of its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ to 14
states, including Maharashtra and Delhi, from May 1, 2021, says Suchitra Ella, the Joint
Managing Director of Bharat Biotech.
The firm based in Hyderabad has started supplying its Coronavirus vaccine to the states on the
basis of the allocations that the company received from the Central Government.
In a tweet, the Joint Managing Director stated that the company has confirmed the direct supply of
Covaxin to the mentioned state governments based on the allocation by the Union Government.
Glad to announce Bharat Biotech confirms direct supplies of COVAXIN to the following state
govt’s since 1/5/21, based on the allocations received by GoI. Requests have been received from
other states, & will be processed for distribution based on availability of stocks 24x7
pic.twitter.com/OHrgXnw5Mj
— suchitra ella (@SuchitraElla) May 8, 2021
The tweet further added that the requests have been made from other states and will be
processed for distribution based on the availability of the stocks 24x7.
The step by the Indian Biotechnology Company will help India in its massive vaccination drive,
under which the government allowed its large 18 plus population to get vaccinated from May 1,
2021.
States getting direct supply of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin:
1.Delhi
2. Maharashtra
3. Andhra Pradesh
4. Assam
5. Chhattisgarh

6. Gujarat
7. Jammu & Kashmir
8. Jharkhand
9. Madhya Pradesh
10. Odisha
11. Tamil Nadu
12. Uttar Pradesh
13. Telangana
14. West Bengal
Price cut of COVAXIN:
On April 29, 2021, Bharat Biotech had announced that the prices of its Coronavirus vaccine
‘Covaxin’ have been reduced for the states to Rs. 400 per dose, which was earlier Rs. 600 per
dose.
The pricing policy of the company was widely criticized as it sold the vaccine to the Central
Government at Rs. 150 per dose.

China’s greenhouse gas emissions exceed all

developed nations combined: Report
In a new report by think tank Rhodium Group published on May 6, 2021, it was found that China
emits greenhouse gas pollution more than the 37 member nations of the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
In 2019, the country created 27 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases. With this, China
produces more than a quarter of global climate pollution. The US stood as the second-largest
contributor of greenhouse gas pollution at 11 per cent, while India was ranked third with 6 per
cent of the world’s emissions.
The level of greenhouse gas emissions by China has tripled since 1990. Since then, China has
produced 14 gigatons of carbon dioxide alone, the report noted.
The Rhodium Group has predicted that the per capita emissions of China will exceed the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s average for that year. It is
noted that China’s greenhouse gas emissions increased by 1.7 per cent during the pandemic
while many developed nations witnessed a decline in emissions.
Climate Action: China
•In September 2020, President Xi Jinping had announced that the country will work on its 2030
climate target (NDC) and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
•It will do so by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, increasing the share of non-fossil fuels, and
increasing forest coverage.
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Climate Action
The Sustainable Development Goal 13 by the United Nations urges the nations to take urgent
actions against climate change and its impacts.
As per the UN Environment Programme, climate change has led to an increase in the average
global temperature from 1880 to 2012 by 0.85 degree Celsius, an increase in the level of
greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent since 1990, rise in the global sea level by 19 cm during

1901 to 2010.
As per the UN, the year 2019 was recorded to be the second warmest year. The warmest year so
far has been 2016.
The five targets under the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Climate Action are:
•Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change and natural disasters in all
countries,
•Integrate climate change measures into national policies, planning, and strategies,
•Improve education around climate change, increase awareness and human and institutional
capacity on climate change mitigation, early warning, impact reduction, and adaption,
•Implement the UN Framework Convention on climate change and operationalize the Green
Climate Fund,
•Promote mechanisms to raise the capacity for effective climate change-related management and
planning in the least developed countries and small islands.

Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as Chief

Minister of Assam
Himanta Biswa Sarma, a senior BJP leader, took oath as the Chief Minister of Assam on May 10,
2021. His oath was administered by the Governor of Assam Jagdish Mukhi. The National
President of BJP JP Nadda and other senior leaders of the party were also present on the
occasion.
He was elected as the leader of BJP’s Legislative Party in Assam and was announced as the next
Chief Minister of the state on May 9, 2021.
Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as the Chief Minister of Assam. He is being administered the
oath by Governor Jagdish Mukhi. BJP national president JP Nadda and other leaders present at
the ceremony. pic.twitter.com/1bZQVPlWsd
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2021
The announcement came after the meeting of the legislative party which was held on May 9 to
decide the next Chief Minister of Assam. A crucial meeting in this regard which was chaired by
BJP Chief JP Nadda was also held on May 8 in Delhi.
CM of Tripura Biplab Deb, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, Manipur CM N Biren Singh, and
Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio also present at the swearing-in ceremony of Assam CM Himanta
Biswa Sarma and his cabinet. Former CM Sarbananda Sonowal also present.
pic.twitter.com/IdnHSlSd6K
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2021
BJP-led NDA alliance had registered a resounding win in the recent assembly elections.
The result of the assembly polls was announced on May 2, 2021.
13 Cabinet Ministers take oath:
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's 13 cabinet ministers also take the oath.
pic.twitter.com/JeV8LF4ls4
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2021

PM Modi extends wishes to new Assam CM, praises former CM
As Himanta Biswa Sarma took oath as the new Chief Minister of Assam, Prime Minister Modi

extended his wishes to the new CM and Cabinet Ministers of the state government.
Congratulations to @himantabiswa Ji and the other Ministers who took oath today. I am confident
this team will add momentum to the development journey of Assam and fulfil aspirations of the
people.
Prime Minister Modi also acknowledged former CM of Assam Sarbanada Sonowal. Prime Minister
addressed him as his valued colleague and acknowledged his contribution to the progress of
Assam as well as in strengthening the party in the state.
My valued colleague @sarbanandsonwal Ji was at the helm of a pro-people and pro-development

administration over the last five years. His contribution towards Assam’s progress and
strengthening the party in the state is immense.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma expresses gratitude to PM Modi:
On being announced as the next Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter
to express his gratitude to PM Modi as well as to the people of Assam.
In his tweet, he thanked the Prime Minister for showing faith in him. He assured that the party in
Assam will leave no stone unturned and will take the state and North East to greater heights.'
How enormously blessed I feel Hon PM Sri @narendramodi for your faith in me. This is the
biggest day in my life, and I so fondly cherish your generous affection. I assure you we shall leave
no stone unturned to carry forward your vision of taking Assam, & NE to greater heights.
pic.twitter.com/fQPKjXjDzR
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 9, 2021
While thanking the people of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that he will work with and
each one of the individuals with greater passion.
With fragrance of Assam in my heart & love of my wonderful people in my veins, I offer my
deepest gratitude to you all. I would not have been what I am had it not been for your pious faith
in me.
On this Day, I vow to work with & for each one of you with greater passion Assam.
pic.twitter.com/VyG24TucPl

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 9, 2021

About Himanta Biswa Sarma:
• Sarma had switched to the BJP from Congress six years ago. He has been credited as an
architect who brought the northeastern states within the party’s grasp.
• Sarma handled the health portfolio in the former CM Sarbanada Sonowal’s government in the
state.
• In 2015, he left the Congress government of Tarun Gogoi, joined BJP, and became its key
strategist for the Northeast.
• As BJP recorded a spectacular victory in the 2016 Assam elections, the post of Chief Minister
went to Sonowal while Sarma was made the Chief of convener of the North-East Democratic
Alliance (NEDA). It is a BJP led front of anti-Congress parties.
Sarbanada Sonowal tenders resignation as Assam CM:
The outgoing Chief Minister of Assam Sarbanada Sonowal on May 9, 2021, tendered his
resignation to the Governor of the state Jagdish Chandra Mukhi at Raj Bhavan.
Former CM tweeted that with the blessings of the people, he tendered his resignation as the CM
of Assam to the Governor.
With the blessings of the people, tendered my resignation as the Chief Minister of Assam to the
Hon'ble Governor Shri @jagdishmukhi ji in Raj Bhavan, Guwahati. pic.twitter.com/t4cu5jsfjQ
— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) May 9, 2021

Issues over the selection of CM of Assam:
The BJP-led NDA had stormed back to power in the crucial Northeastern State and was able to
retain its hold on the government.
However, the party was facing issues over the selection of the Chief Ministerial candidate. The
former CM Sarbanada Sonowal has been considered as a leader with a clean image who also
belongs to Assam’s indigenous tribal community.
On the other hand, a section of the BJP claimed that Himanta will be a better choice considering
his appeal to the masses and strong organizational skills.

It was also reported that Himanta Biswa Sarma and the former CM of Assam Sarbanada Sonowal
were also summoned to Delhi to take a call on the leadership issue in the state.
BJP in Assam:
The BJP led NDA won a second straight term in the recently concluded Assam Assembly
elections. The party had also earlier recorded a victory in the 2016 assembly elections in the
state.
The party was able to win 60 seats in 126 member Assam Assembly while its alliances United
People’s Party, Liberal got 6 seats and Asom Gana Parishad got 9 seats.

DCGI gives emergency use approval to anti-

COVID drug by DRDO - Everything you must
know!
The Drugs Controller General of India has given its approval for the emergency use of the anti-
COVID drug- 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
The drug by the DRDO has been approved as an adjunct therapy in the moderate to severe
COVID-19 cases.
As per the statement by DRDO, an anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-DG has
been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) which is a lab
of DRDO in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad.
An anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been

developed by INMAS, a lab of DRDO, in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad.
The drug will help in faster recovery of Covid-19 patients. https://t.co/HBKdAnZCCP
pic.twitter.com/8D6TDdcoI7
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) May 8, 2021

How the drug by DRDO works?
The official statement by the Defence Ministry explained that as the drug
accumulates in the virus-infected cells, it prevents the virus growth by stopping
the viral synthesis and energy production. The selective accumulation of 2-DG in
the virally infected cells makes this drug unique.

Significance:
In the ongoing second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of patients have been
facing severe oxygen dependency and require hospitalization.
The 2-DG is expected to save lives because of the mechanism of operation of the drug in the
infected cells. It will help in reducing the hospital stay of Coronavirus patients and the burden on
the country’s health infrastructure.
Drug goes through three phases of clinical trials: Check Details
• In April 2020, as the country was going through the first wave of Coronavirus pandemic, the
scientists of INMS-DRDO had conducted laboratory experiments with the help of the Centre for
Cellular and Molecular Biology- CCMB, Hyderabad. They found that the molecule (2-deoxy-D-
glucose) works effectively against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and had exhibited viral growth.
• Based on the results of the experiments, the DRDO-CDSCO allowed the phase-II clinical trial of

2-DG in COVID-19 patients in May 2020.
• Later in November 2020, the DCGI further permitted the phase III clinical trials of the drug.
• The third phase of the trial was conducted on 220 patients from December 2020 to March 2021
at 27 Coronavirus hospitals that are situated in Delhi, West Bengal, UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka.
• The detailed data of the third phase of the clinical trial was presented to the Drugs Controller
General of India.
Clinical trial result shows faster recovery:
The clinical trials of the drug have shown that the molecule helps in the faster recovery of the
hospitalized patients and also reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.
The patients treated with DRDO's 2-DG Drug showed a faster symptomatic cure than normal. It
took about 2.5 days less to recover than the people who were not.
A higher number of patients who were treated with 2-DG showed the RT-PCR negative
conversion in the COVID-19 patients. The official statement added that the drug by DRDO will be
of immense benefit to the individuals suffering from COVID-19 amid the ongoing pandemic.

Supreme Court sets up National Task Force

to allocate medical oxygen during COVID-19
The Supreme Court of India in an order passed on May 6, 2021, constituted a 12-member
national task force that would assist with formulating a methodology for the allocation of medical
oxygen to states and union territories during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Supreme Court has constituted the national task force at a time when the country is
experiencing a shortage of medical oxygen to handle the mounting cases of COVID-19. Hence,
the Court devised the national task force in the spirit to set up an ‘effective and transparent
mechanism’ and ‘streamline the process’ for allocating medical oxygen to all states and union
territories.
A bench of Justices M R Shah and DY Chandrachud informed that the Union Cabinet Secretary
will serve as the convenor of the national task force. The Secretary of the Union Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare will serve as an ex-officio member of the task force. Sandeep Budhiraja, Max
Healthcare, Randeep Guleria, AIIMS, and two IAS officers – one each from the Centre and the
Delhi government, will also be part of the task force.
12-member National Task Force: Key highlights
•The task force will help the government with strategies and inputs to solve the challenges of the
pandemic on a professional and transparent basis.
•The task force will constitute sub-groups or committees within each state and UT that will consist
of an officer of the State or UT government (not below the rank of Secretary to the State Govt.),
an officer of the Centre (not below the rank of Additional/Joint Secretary), two medical doctors in
the State/UT, and a representative from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization
(PESO).
•The sub-groups or committees within each state and UT will audit to confirm if the supplies by
the Centre reached the concerned state or UT, assess the efficiency of the distribution networks
regarding supplies for healthcare institutions and hospitals, and determine if the available stocks
are being dispersed in an effective, professional, and transparent mechanism.

•The task force will not interfere or scrutinize the decisions of the doctors but only ensure the
successful distribution of the supplies and oxygen to every state or UT.
•The tenure of the task force has been set six months initially. The Centre has been asked to
nominate two nodal officers who will be responsible for logistics, communication, and
arrangement of virtual meetings of the task force.
•The task force will be provided with complete and real-time data from the Centre and State
governments. All the healthcare institutions and hospitals are advised to cooperate with the task
force.

Himachal Pradesh builds ‘Forest Ponds’ to

harvest rainwater
Himachal Pradesh Government has been building ‘Forest Ponds’ in order to check the depletion
of the groundwater and to harvest the rainwater.
The state government under the Parvat Dhara Scheme has initiated the rejuvenation of the water
resources and recharging aquifers through the Forest Department with a cost of Rs. 20 crores.
The work has been started in 10 forest divisions in Himachal Pradesh. The divisions are namely
Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Jogindernagar, Parvati, Nachan, Rajgarh, Nurpur, Nalagarg, Dalhousie, and
Theog.
Objective of Parvat Dhara Scheme:
The Parvat Dhara Scheme aims at enhancing the water level by retaining it for the maximum
period of time.
Efforts are also being made by the government authorities to improve the green cover by planting
the fruit-bearing plants and special emphasis has been laid on preventing the first in the forests.
Parvat Dhara Scheme:
• According to the forest official, the cleaning and maintenance of the existing ponds have been
done under the scheme.
• Construction of contour trenches, new ponds, check dams, dams, and retaining walls for
controlling soil erosion has also been done.
• The Parvat Dhara Scheme will be implemented with other forest divisions as well with an
emphasis on water and soil conservation through the plantation.
Rich wildlife in Himachal Pradesh:
Himachal Pradesh consists of two national parks and 33 wildlife sanctuaries. As per the official
records, 27%- 15,433 sq km of the total 55, 643 sq km- of the Himalayan State is under the forest
cover.

The snowcapped mountains and lush green valleys of Himachal Pradesh are home to 26% of
India’s species of birds. Out of the 1,228 species reported in the country, 447 are in Himachal
Pradesh alone.

Indian Army inducts first batch of women

soldiers in Military Police
The Indian Army on May 8, 2021, inducted its first batch of 83 women soldiers in the military
police. The Corps of Military Police Centre and School (CMP C&S) held a low-key attestation
parade of the valiant women soldiers at the Dronacharya Parade Ground in Bengaluru.
The commandant, CMP C&S, praised the newly attested women soldiers for exhibiting an
impeccable drill. He also congratulated them for successfully completing the intense 61 weeks of
training.
The Corps of Military Police Centre & School (CMP C &S) at #Bengaluru held the attestation
parade of the first batch of 83 #Women soldiers at the #Dronacharya Parade Ground.
We welcome these valiant Soldiers to the #IndianArmy.#IndianArmy#StrongAndCapable

pic.twitter.com/jEZbhhR072
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 8, 2021
The training comprises Provost training that includes all forms of managing prisoners of war and
policing duties, and skill development that includes maintenance and driving of a vehicle and
signal communications, and basic Military training.
The commandant expressed that the trained imparted to them will help them to be a force
multiplier at their respective units.


Women in Military Police
•The induction of the first batch of women soldiers in the Indian Military Police is the first instance
where women have been placed in the non-officer category.
•In January 2019, the Government of India had approved the move to induct women into Military
Police. The government plans to induct 1700 women soldiers by 2036. It will recruit 100 women
soldiers per year.

India-EU leaders meeting: India, EU to

resume negotiations for comprehensive free
trade deal
India and the European Union leaders agreed to resume negotiations for a balanced and
comprehensive free trade deal and investment agreement during the European Council
Meeting on May 9, 2021.
The leaders also agreed on a comprehensive and ambitious Connectivity Partnership covering
digital, energy, transport and people-to-people connectivity. They also agreed to have dedicated
dialogues on WTO issues, market access issues, regulatory cooperation and supply chain
resilience, demonstrating the desire to deepen and further diversify economic engagement
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually joined in the meeting of the European Council
as a special invitee of European Council President, Charles Michel. PM Modi participated in the
meeting along with the Heads of State of all the 27 EU Member States.
Our stronger partnership is essential for achieving peace and prosperity for our peoples. We
welcomed the resumption of negotiations for Trade and Investment Agreements, as well as our
new Connectivity Partnership.

Key Highlights
•The India-EU Leaders' meeting was hosted by Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa, as
Portugal currently holds the Presidency of the European Union Council.
•The meeting was held in a hybrid format with the participation of leaders of all the 27 EU Member
States as well as the President of the European Council and the European Commission.
•The heads of all 27 European Nations have met only once before in this format and that was with
the US President in March 2021. This was the first time that India attended such a meeting.
A pivotal moment!

PM @narendramodi interacts with all leaders of EU Member States along with Presidents
@eucopresident & @vonderleyen #IndiaEU Leaders meet for the 1st time in EU+27 format.
Reflects a strong political will to deepen the - relations. pic.twitter.com/tCtkypj636

Important Decisions
India-EU agree to resume negotiations on FTA
•The leaders welcomed the decision to resume negotiations for a balanced and comprehensive
free trade and investment agreements.
•The negotiations will be pursued parallelly with an intention to achieve an early conclusion of
both agreements together.
•This will enable the two sides to realise the full potential of the economic partnership.
Significance
The negotiations for a free trade agreement was suspended in 2013 after several rounds of talks
spanning six years. Both sides have worked intensively over the last few months to arrive at a
common understanding.
India and the EU have also announced dedicated dialogues on WTO issues, regulatory
cooperation, market access issues and supply chain resilience.
Launched a comprehensive Connectivity Partnership that upholds international law and conforms
with international norms.
Committed to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific that respects UNCLOS.
Coordinating closely on Afghanistan as per our 4 May Statement.

Connectivity Partnership
•India and the EU have launched an ambitious and comprehensive 'Connectivity Partnership' that
will be focused on enhancing digital, energy, transport and people-to-people connectivity.
•The partnership will be based on shared principles of social, fiscal, economic, climate and

environmental sustainability, and respect for international law and commitments.
Significance
It is expected to catalyse private and public financing for connectivity projects and foster new
synergies for supporting connectivity initiatives in third countries, including in the Indo-Pacific.
India-EU Strategic Partnership
•The India-EU leaders further expressed their desire to strengthen the India-EU Strategic
Partnership, which is based on a shared commitment to democracy, fundamental freedoms,
multilateralism and rule of law.
•They exchanged views in the following areas-
-Foreign policy and security
-COVID-19
-Climate and environment
-Trade, connectivity and technology
•India and the EU also agreed to boost bilateral cooperation on digital and emerging technologies
such as AI, 5G and Quantum and High-Performance computing including through the early
operationalization of the Joint Task Force on AI and the Digital Investment Forum.
•India also welcomed the EU's decision to join Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
(CDRI).
On COVID-19
•The India-EU leaders discussed on forging closer cooperation on combating the COVID-19
pandemic and economic recovery, reforming multilateral institutions and tackling climate change.
•India further expressed appreciation to the prompt assistance provided by the EU and its
member states to combat its second wave of COVID-19.
•Indian PM Narendra Modi said that collaboration between India and European Union (EU) is

essential for stopping the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring a sustainable and inclusive recovery
in a more digital and greener world.
I thank the leaders of EU and its Member States for their continued commitment to strengthening
relationship with India. I also thank my friend Prime Minister @antoniocostapm for this initiative
and according high priority to India during Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council.

Climate Change
•The India-EU summit focused on achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, which
includes strengthening climate change mitigation as well as adaptation and resilience to the
impacts of climate change and providing means of implementation including finance and fully
implementing them without delay.
•The leaders also agreed to urgently address the interdependent challenges of climate change
such as biodiversity loss and pollution.
•They also stressed the importance on intensifying cooperation in combating plastic pollution and
protecting the marine environment.
•They have also pledged to contribute to the success of the upcoming Biodiversity COP15,
Climate COP26 and 2nd UN Ocean Conference.
•The leaders have also agreed to scale up their cooperation on water management in the
framework of the India-EU Water Partnership to tackle water pollution.
•They also agreed to strengthen joint efforts for mitigation, adaptation and resilience to the
impacts of climate change and providing means of implementation including finance in the context
of COP26.
Indo-Pacific Region
•The leaders also reiterated the importance of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-
Pacific.
•They agreed to closely engage in the region in the context of India's Indo-Pacific Ocean's
Initiative and the EU's new strategy on the Indo-Pacific.

Space
India and EU leaders also agreed to continue their cooperation on space and transport and
enable digital transformation to create quality jobs and advance cooperation and mobility on
research and innovation.
On Human Rights & Gender Equality
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to protecting and promoting all human rights including
women empowerment and gender equality.
They recognised the need to strengthen specific mechanisms for the promotion of human rights
and the role of national human rights institutions, civil society actors and journalists.
Non-proliferation and Disarmament
The leaders also emphasized strengthening of India-EU cooperation on international security,

including areas such as non-proliferation and disarmament and countering radicalism, terrorism
and violent extremism and maritime security, cyber and other threats through their regular
consultations.
Historic #IndiaEU Leaders’ meeting providing a new direction to the Strategic Partnership
Key outcomes: pic.twitter.com/yTUuyOXjuC

India-EU Business Roundtable
•An India-EU Business Roundtable was also organised to highlight the avenues for cooperation in
climate, digital and healthcare.
•A finance contract worth Euro 150 million was signed for the Pune Metro Rail Project by the
Union Finance Ministry and European Investment Bank.
Background
The last India-EU summit was held virtually on July 15, 2020. During the summit, the Indian and
EU leaders had adopted a five-year roadmap for the EU-India Strategic Partnership and a joint
declaration on resource efficiency and circular economy.

The current summit has set a significant milestone by providing a new direction to the Strategic
Partnership and giving a fresh impetus for implementing the ambitious India-EU Roadmap 2025
that was adopted last year.
About the European Union
•The European Union (EU) bloc comprises 27 nations of Europe. The bloc was formed in
the aftermath of World War II.
•The first batch of countries that joined the bloc in 1957 includes France, Germany, Italy,
Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands.
•Three more countries including the United Kingdom, Denmark and Ireland joined in
1973, followed by Greece in 1981.
•Spain and Portugal joined in 1986 and Finland, Austria and Sweden joined in 1995.
•Nine more countries were added in 2004 and two more in 2007. Croatia was the last
country to join the bloc in 2013, taking the total number of EU members to 28.
•However, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, which
reduces the total number of EU members to 27.

US President Joe Biden sets up Climate

Change Support Office
US President Joe Biden issued an executive order on May 7, 2021 to set up the Climate Change
Support Office (CCSO) within the Department of State.
The Climate Change Support Office (CCSO) has been established within the State Department
as a temporary organisation in accordance with section 3161 of title 5, United States Code.
Objective of Climate Change Support Office
•The main objective of the climate change support office would be to perform the specific project
of supporting bilateral and multilateral engagement in order to advance the US initiative to
address the global climate crisis.
•The department will support the US Department of State and other executive departments and
agencies in leading such projects and diplomatic engagement on climate change.
•It will also support them in exercising climate leadership in an international forum and in
advancing international climate ambition.
•It will also ensure that climate change is a priority in all US foreign policy-making decision
processes.
•It will also support efforts that go beyond the climate work such as a wide variety of work carried
out by the Department of State that aim to address issues such as the Arctic, clean energy,
oceans, sustainable development, shipping, aviation and migration.
Climate Action Momentum
•The climate action announcements during the US President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate
together with the announcements made in September 2020 have improved the Climate Action
Tracker’s warming estimate by 0.2°C.
•The US President had invited 40 world leaders to the Leaders Summit on Climate, which he
hosted virtually on April 22-23, 2021.

•As per current targets and Paris Agreement pledges, the end of century warming is estimated to
be 2.4°C.
•Are we meeting the Paris Climate Agreement target of 1.5C temperature limit?
•Though there have been developments when it comes to climate action, global warming based
on the current targets and pledges is still well above the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C temperature
limit.

WHO approves China’s Sinopharm COVID-19

vaccine for emergency use
The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 7, 2021, approved China’s Sinopharm COVID-19
vaccine for emergency use. The Sinopharm vaccine will now be included in the UN-backed
COVAX vaccine distribution scheme.
“This afternoon, WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm Beijing’s COVID-19 vaccine,
making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy, and quality,” said WHO
chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a press conference.
"The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, or SAGE, has also reviewed the
available data, and recommends the vaccine for adults 18 years and older, with a two-dose
schedule."-@DrTedros https://t.co/0ASiom6H72
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 7, 2021
WHO has already given its approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson and
Johnson, and Moderna but gave its approval to Sinopharm, a two-dose vaccine, after quite a
delay due to the unavailability of data.
WHO chief Tedros further informed that the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation
(SAGE) has also reviewed the available data on the Sinopharm vaccine and recommends it to be
administered to adults over 18 years two-dose schedule.
About the Sinopharm vaccine:
•The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by the Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, a
subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG).
•It is a two-dose vaccine. It is easy to store and highly viable for low-resource settings.

•It is the first vaccine that comes along with a vial monitor that changes color when exposed to
heat.
•The efficacy rate for symptomatic cases has been estimated to be 79 per cent.

RBI forms advisory group to assist

Regulatory Review Authority 2.0
The Reserve Bank of India on May 7, 2021 informed that it has set up an advisory group to assist
the second Regulatory Review Authority (RRA 2.0)
The RRA 2.0 was set up by the central bank earlier this month to streamline regulations and
reduce the compliance burden of regulated entities.
The advisory group will assist the authority by identifying areas, guidelines, regulations and
returns that can be rationalised. It will submit periodical reports to the authority that will contain its
recommendations and suggestions.
Key Highlights
•The advisory group will be headed by SBI Managing Director S Janakiraman.
•It will have members from regulated entities, including compliance officers.
•The members of the advisory group include:
-T T Srinivasaraghavan: Former Managing Director & Non-Executive Director OF Sundaram

Finance
-Gautam Thakur: Chairman of Saraswat Co-operative Bank
-Subir Saha: Group Chief Compliance Officer of ICICI Bank
-Ravi Duvvuru: President and CCO, Jana Small Finance Bank
-Abadaan Viccaji: Chief Compliance Officer, HSBC India

Objective
•The group's main objective will be to support the RRA in achieving the objective set
forth in the terms of reference of RRA 2.0.
•The group has sought feedback and suggestions from all regulated entities, industry

authorities and other stakeholders by June 15, 2021 to undertake its preparatory work.
Background
•The RBI had set up the Regulations Review Authority (RRA) in 1999.
The Regulations Review Authority was set up to review regulations and report systems and
circulars based on the feedback received from the banks, public and other financial institutions.
•The second Regulatory Review Authority (RRA 2.0) was set up by RBI initially for a period of one
year from May 1, 2021.
•The RRA 2.0 was set up to streamline regulations and reduce the compliance burden of
regulated entities.
•The Deputy Governor of RBI, M Rajeshwar Rao was appointed as the Regulations Review
Authority.

Endangered seals found dead on Caspian

Coast of Russia
The researchers of Moscow Marine Mammals Research Centre have informed that at least 170
endangered seals have washed up dead over the course of several days on the shores of the
Caspian Sea in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia.
Viktor Nikiforov of the Moscow Marine Mammals Research Centre stated that these are the dead
animals that they saw, photographed, and whose GPS coordinates they noted. The photographed
images have shown several seal carcasses washed up on the shore.
As per Nikiforov, the deaths of seals may have been caused by fishing, industrial pollution, or
poaching when the seals in the sea get caught in the nets. He also added that this can be the
result of climate change of several causes at the same time.
The researchers have informed that it will at least take a year of serious surveillance to precisely
identify the reason for the disaster.
Russia’s investigative committee looks into the incident:
As per the researchers, the seals were found some 100 km south of Makhachkala, Dagestan’s
capital. While the other washed-up 50 km north of the city.
The Russian federal Fisheries Agency in the North Caucasus informed that it had dispatched the
inspectors for carrying out a new count of the dead seals.
The Investigative Committee, which looks into the major crimes in Russia, stated that it was also
looking into the incident.
Seal Population of the Caspian Sea suffers industrial pollution:
The World’s largest inland body of water, the Caspian Sea, is bounded by 5 countries:
Kazakhstan, Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan.
For decades, the seal population in the Caspian Sea has suffered from overhunting and from the
effects of industrial pollution. According to the experts, there are now about only 70,000 Caspian

Seals which were more than one million in the early 20th century.
Authorities in December 2020 had reported the death of nearly 300 endangered seals on the
Caspian Shore of Dagestan.
Increasing level of pollution in the Caspian Sea:
Pollution caused by the extraction of gas and oil, along with the declining water levels because of
climate change has posed a major threat to many species and has also put the future of the sea
itself at risk.
The United Nations Environment Program has also warned that the Caspian Sea suffers from an
enormous burden of pollution.

Prioritise beneficiaries of 2nd dose of COVID-

19 vaccine: Health Ministry to States/ UTs
The Union Health Ministry on May 7, 2021 urged all states and union territories to prioritise giving
the COVID-19 vaccine to those who are scheduled to take their second dose of the vaccine.
Additional Health Secretary Arti Ahuja stated that the Ministry has requested all the states and
UTs to prioritise the beneficiaries of the second dose and ensure timely completion of vaccination
schedule.
The Ministry has directed the states / UTs to use the vaccines received through government
channels in a ratio of 70:30 for the second dose and the first dose respectively.
The Ministry has also urged the states/ UTs to do a regular review of the coverage of the
vaccination drive.
COVID-19 Vaccination in India
•Among Health workers, around 0.95 crore people have been given the first dose and 0.64 crore
have been given the second dose.
•In the case of frontline workers, 1.38 crore doses have been given as the first dose and 0.75
crore doses have been given as the second dose.
•In the case of people aged above 45 years, almost 10.76 doses have been administered for the
first dose and 1.90 crore doses have been given as the second dose.
•In the age group of 18-44 years, around 11.81 lakh people have been given the first dose.
•In total, 16.50 crore doses have been administered in India's vaccination drive, across all
categories.

Laureus World Sports Awards 2021: Rafael

Nadal wins Sportsman of the Year, Get Full
List of Winners!
Laureus Sports Awards 2021: Tennis legend Rafael Nadal won the Laureus World Sportsman
of the Year Award 2021 at the virtual awards ceremony conducted from Seville, Spain on May 6,
2021. Naomi Osaka won the prestigious Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award 2021.
All the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards 2021 were unveiled online from the Spanish
city due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Laureus World Team of the Year Award went to the Bayern Munich football team, while
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton won the Athlete Advocate of the Year for his continuous
efforts to raise social awareness. The Laureus World Sports Lifetime Achievement Award went to
Billie Jean King.
Laureus Sports Awards 2021: Full List of Winners
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Rafael Nadal
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Naomi Osaka
Laureus World Team of the Year: Bayern Munich
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Patrick Mahomes
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Max Parrot
Laureus Sport for Good: KICKFORMORE by KICKFAIR
Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: Billie Jean King

Laureus Athlete Advocate of the Year: Lewis Hamilton
Laureus Sporting Inspiration: Mohamed Salah
Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year: Chris Nikic
Laureus World Sports Awards 2021: Check out the Nominees

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award 2021 Nominees
Sportsman Sports Category Country
Armand Duplantis Athletics Sweden
Joshua Cheptegeui Athletics Uganda
Lebron James Basketball US
Lewis Hamilton Motor Racing UK
Rafael Nadal Tennis Spain
Robert Lewandowski Football Poland

Laureus World Sportswomen of the Year Award 2021 Nominees
Anna Van Der Breggen Cycling The Netherlands
Breanna Stewart Basketball US
Brigid Kosgei Athletics Kenya
Federica Brignone Skiing Italy
Naomi Osaka Tennis Japan
Wendie Renard Football France
Laureus World Team of the Year 2021 Nominees
Argentina Men's Rugby

Rugby Argentina
Team
Bayern Munich Football Germany

Kansas City Chiefs American Football US
Liverpool FC Football UK
Los Angeles Lakers Basketball US

Mercedes AMG Petronas
Motor Racing Germany
F1 Team
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
Ansu Fati Football Spain
Dominic Thiem Tennis Australia

IGA Swiatek Tennis Poland
Joan Mir Motor Cycling Spain
Patrick Mahomes American Football US

Tadej Pogacar Cycling Slovenia
Laureus World Comeback of the Year
Alex Morgan Football US
Alex Smith American Football US
Daniel Bard Baseball US
Kento Momota Badminton Japan
Max Parrot Snowboarding Canada
Mikaela Shiffrin Skiing US
Laureus Sport for Good Award
Boxgirls Kenya Boxing Kenya

Fundacion Colombianitos Multi-Sport Colombia

Kickformore By Kickfair Football Germany
About Laureus World Sports Awards
The Laureus World Sports Awards are annual awards that honour the most inspirational sporting
triumphs of the year.
When was it held for the first time?
•The Laureus World Sports Awards were held for the first time in 2000.
•The awards honour sportsmen and women in six categories-Sportswoman, Sportsman, Team,
Breakthrough, Comeback and Action.
•The winners are decided on the basis of the highest number of votes. The Laureus World Sports
Academy comprising a unique group of sporting legends votes for the winners in each shortlisted
category.
•The Academy can also grant discretionary awards such as the Laureus Lifetime Achievement
Award.
•The Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year award, which honours one inspiring story that
encapsulates the power of sport inspire and bring people together, is decided on the basis of a
global public vote.
•The Awards Ceremony also recognises one programme for its incredible work done to transform
young lives around the world through the Laureus Sport for Good Award.

Civil Aviation Ministry issues COVID

vaccination guidelines for its personnel
Ministry of Civil Aviation on May 6, 2021, issued a set of guidelines to ensure a timely and
efficient vaccination program for the civil aviation community in different phases.
The Civil sector has been playing an instrumental role in the transportation of medical supplies,
and people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Secretary of Civil Aviation Ministry had written a letter to all the State governments to
consider all the civil aviation personnel and related services as a priority group for COVID
vaccination.
Aviation community has worked overtime to ensure unhindered services for movement of people
in need & essential cargo. To ensure their safety & to avoid any delays, MoCA has issued
enabling Guidelines to facilitate their vaccination program in a fast and efficient manner.
pic.twitter.com/4rpJ5JRbZl
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) May 6, 2021

Guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination of civil aviation community: Key highlights
•The Civil Aviation ministry has advised the States to get their civil aviation personnel
administered with the COVID vaccines under the ongoing vaccination program.
•The guidelines issued suggest prioritizing the vaccination of the Air Traffic Control (ATC),
mission-critical and passenger facing staff, and the crew of airlines (both cabin and cockpit).
•The organizations that have established the arrangements with Government or private service
providers to vaccinate their employees are advised to continue with the same, the guidelines
stated.
•The Airport Operators have been asked to establish a dedicated vaccination facility at their
respective airports to execute the vaccination program for the personnel in aviation and related
services.
•The Airport Operators will also be required to set up facilities such as segregated waiting areas

(pre and post-vaccination), vaccination counters, and basic utilities such as drinking water,
ventilation fans, help desk, washrooms, etc in accordance with the COVID safety protocols.
•The cost per COVID vaccine dose can be decided by the Airport Operator with the service
provider.
•The Ministry mentioned that the Airport Operators can approach the local administration/District
Administration to extend the vaccination program for the smaller airports.
•Initially, the facilities would be available for the Civil Aviation personnel and be made available to
the family members subsequently, the ministry informed.
•All Airport Operators have been asked to appoint a nodal officer and an alternative nodal officer
to coordinate the vaccination programs.

Madhya Pradesh Government announces free

treatment scheme for poor COVID-19 patients
The Government of Madhya Pradesh has launched a new scheme under which free treatment will
be provided to the patients of Coronavirus in the state. The scheme by the state government will
benefit the poor and even the middle class, who will be able to get free COVID treatment at
contracted private hospitals.
The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan while making an announcement
stated that a special package will be provided by the state government to the private hospitals
under Ayushman Bharat Yojana to implement the scheme.
#MPFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/aabTVHy4eb
— DIRECTORATE OF HEALTH SERVICES, MP (@healthminmp) May 7, 2021
Under the scheme, the state government will empanel private hospitals for COVID treatment, and
tests such as the remdesivir injections, medicines, CT Scan, oxygen, etc. will be made available
free of cost.
The Chief Minister was reviewing the Coronavirus situation in the state at Corona Control Core
Group meeting through video conference. It was attended by the concerned officials and ministers
virtually.
Private Hospitals under Ayushman Bharat Yojana: Key Details
• Currently, there are 328 private hospitals that are empaneled under Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
In these hospitals 23,946 beds are available.
• The State Government on May 5, 2021, empaneled 68 private hospitals of the state under the
yojana for the next 3 months.
• Madhya Pradesh Government has also increased the rates of the Ayushman Bharat Package by
40% so that the private hospitals will be able to treat COVID patients well under the scheme.
These rates include food, rent, check-up, paramedical fee, consultation fee.

• After the scheme is implemented, a total of 60,915 beds will be available in the government and
private hospitals for the treatment of COVID to the beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Yojana in
Madhya Pradesh.
Free COVID treatment for beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Yojana:
• So far, 2.42 crore cards have been made in the state under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, under
which 88% of the population has been covered. In the latest scheme, all the beneficiaries will be
able to get free Corona treatment in government-contracted hospitals.
• To make free treatment available in private hospitals in each district of the state, the District
Collectors have been given the power to temporarily empanel the private hospitals of their district
under the Yojana.
• With this step, the Ayushman Card Holders will get free Corona treatment in all the private
hospitals.
• If a family member has an Ayushman Card, then other members of the family are also eligible to
get free treatment.
• Madhya Pradesh Government will provide Rs. 5,000 as a diagnostic advanced to every person
who has been receiving treatment under Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh:
As per the Directorate of Health Services in MP, a total of 12,421 COVID-19 positive cases has
been reported on May 6, 2021. This has taken the number of active cases in the state to 88,614.
19
6 : 12,965
6 : 12,421
: 88,614
: 6,37,406
: 5,42,632#MPFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/kAZSrD8iIs
— DIRECTORATE OF HEALTH SERVICES, MP (@healthminmp) May 7, 2021

Single-dose of Sputnik Light Vaccine shows

79.4 percent efficacy, effective against all
new COVID-19 strains: RDIF
Russian developers of the Sputnik V vaccine informed on May 6, 2021 that a single dose of
Sputnik Light vaccine demonstrated 79.4 percent efficacy against COVID-19. They added that it is
also effective against all new strains of COVID-19.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement that "the single-dose Sputnik
Light vaccine demonstrated 79.4 percent efficacy according to analyzed data taken from 28 days
after the injection was administered. An efficacy level of near 80 percent is higher than that of
many two-dose vaccines."
The RDIF is Russia's sovereign wealth fund, which was established in 2011. It is currently funding
and marketing the Russian vaccine abroad.
What is Sputnik Light?
Sputnik Light is the first component (recombinant human adenovirus serotype number 26
(rAd26)) of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.
Key Highlights
•The single dose of Sputnik Light has proven to be effective against all new strains of coronavirus.
This was demonstrated by the Gamaleya Center, during laboratory tests.
•The efficacy rate of the dose was calculated on the basis of the data obtained from the Russians
who have been vaccinated with a single dose and have not received the second one for some
reason or other during the mass vaccination programme that was undertaken between December
5 and April 15.
•On February 21, a global study of the Sputnik Light vaccine was launched by the Gamaleya
Center. The Phase III clinical study involved around 7,000 people from multiple countries
including Russia, Ghana and the UAE.
•The Sputnik Light vaccine is based on a well-studied human adenoviral vector platform, which

has proven to be safe and effective, as per RDIF. It has received emergency use authorization in
Russia, as per the Russian Ministry of Health, the RDIF and the Gamaleya National Research
Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology.
•Till May 5th, over 20 million people across the world have received the first injection of the
Sputnik V vaccine containing the first component.
RDIF CEO Kirikk Dmitriev noted that the Sputnik Light vaccine significantly reduces the
possibility of severe cases leading to hospitalization. He said, "a single dose of the
vaccine solves the challenge of immunizing large groups in a shorter time, which is
especially important during the acute phase of the spread of coronavirus, achieving herd
immunity faster."
He further informed that the Sputnik Light vaccine will be exported to the international
partners to "help increase the rate of vaccinations in a number of countries in the face of
the ongoing fight with the pandemic and new strains of coronavirus".
What is the cost of Sputnik Light Vaccine?
The cost of the Sputnik Light vaccine globally is less than USD10.
What are its storage requirements?
The vaccine requires basic simple storage requirements. It can be kept at 2-8 degrees, which
ensures easy logistics.
Significance
Since a single shot of the vaccine is proving to have large efficacy against COVID-19, this would
pave way for vaccination of large groups of the population in a short period of time, helping speed
up the battle against the pandemic during the acute phase.
According to the Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and
Microbiology, Alexander Gintsburg, Sputnik Light offers strong value in initial vaccination and re-
vaccination and boosts efficacy when taken in combination with other vaccines.
Alexander Gintsburg further stated that the Sputnik Light component will help to prevent the
spread of coronavirus through the faster immunization of larger population groups. It would also
support high immunity levels in those who have already been infected previously.
About Sputnik V Vaccine

•Sputnik V is a viral vector COVID-19 vaccine, which has been developed by the
Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.
•It was registered by Russian Health Ministry on August 11, 2020, making Russia the
world's first nation to successfully register a vaccine against COVID-19. However, it was
registered before the completion of clinical trials and there were doubts regarding its
safety and efficacy.
•The preliminary results of Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials were published in September,
which indicated preliminary evidence of safety and immune response. However, the
results were challenged by vaccine scientists who called them incomplete and
unreliable.
•However, the Phase III clinical trials were finally published in Lancet Journal on
February 2, 2021 and they involved about 21, 977 participants in Moscow.
•The trial results showed that the vaccine demonstrated 91.6 percent efficacy against the
COVID-19 virus. This shut down previous criticism of the vaccine.

Denmark Government passes law to screen

foreign investments for security risks
The Business Ministry of Denmark announced on May 5, 2021, that the lawmakers of the country
have passed legislation for allowing the screening of future foreign investments in order to ensure
that they don’t pose a threat to national security.
The new legislation by Denmark has been developed in part following the security concerns over
a bid by Huawei of China to build Denmark’s 5G Network. TDC, the biggest telecom operator of
Denmark, eventually decided to pick Ericsson over Huawei for the job.
The law, however, does not apply to Greenland or Faroe Islands. They both are sovereign
territories under the Kingdom of Denmark.
Objective:
As per the legislation, the aim of this Act is to prevent the threat posed by the outside foreign
direct investment and special economic agreement to the national security and or the public order
in Denmark.
The threat can be prevented through screening and potential interference with such agreements
and investments.
Key Highlights:
• Under the new law, the screening will be carried out for investments into information technology,
defence, and critical infrastructure.
• Foreign investors in Denmark will be assessed and evaluated on their potential link to any other
foreign governments, armed forces, or any other state entities as well as their connection to the
criminal activities.
• The EU lawmakers, in 2019, had backed a far-reaching system for coordinating the scrutiny of
foreign investments, particularly from China, in order to protect strategic infrastructure and
technologies in Europe.

Development of 5G Network in Denmark:
The Defence Minister of Denmark, Trine Bramsen, in 2020, while commenting on the following
concerns over the development of the 5G Network had said that Denmark wanted to be able to
eliminate 5G technology suppliers from providing any form of critical infrastructure if they are not
from the nations that are considered the security allies of Denmark.

Top 15 behavioural practices to fight COVID-

19: Health Ministry
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India on May 7, 2021, published a
guidebook outlining all the top 15 behavioral practices to fight against COVID-19.
With this guidebook of 15 best behavioral practices to fight COVID-19, the Ministry of Health aims
to reinforce the spirit among people to practice preventive measures and practices in a sustained
manner. This would help in stabilizing the caseload on the healthcare workforce and increase the
capacity to treat more people with acute conditions.
India is fighting the deadly second wave of the coronavirus that has presented the country with
unanticipated and unprecedented challenges. The Central and state governments are ensuring
that all the necessary measures are in place to fight the spread of the virus.
The Ministry of Healthcare urges the people of India to follow appropriate behavior practices to
fight COVID-19 such as avoid physical contact, maintain 6 feet (2 Gaj) distance in public places
especially when you run for errands, wear masks, gloves always when outside or in a public
gathering, wash your hands frequently, download Aarogya Setu app, and many more.
Top 15 behavioral practices to fight COVID-19 issued by the Health Ministry, Govt. of India
1. Greet without any form of physical contact

2. Maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet (2 Gaj)
3. Always wear a face-cover or mask when traveling, or in public places, or have cough, cold,
or flu
4. Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth
5. Maintain respiratory hygiene, cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
6. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or sanitize with hand sanitizer
7. Regularly clean and disinfect your environment by keeping your surroundings clean
8. Do not spit in open
9. Avoid unnecessary travel
10. Do not discriminate against anyone, show support to the person with COVID-19
11. Discourage crowd and social gatherings
12. Do not spread or forward unverified or negative information regarding COVID-19

13. Learn about COVID-19 and updated information from credible sources such as the Ministry
of Healthcare and Family Welfare website
14. For any COVID-19 related queries, call national toll-free helpline number 1075 or state
helpline numbers
15. Seek psychosocial support in case of anxiety or distress
Other than these, do not ignore any symptoms of concern such as fever, difficulty in breathing or
cough, or suppress any feelings of anxiety or stress, try connecting with your loved one and
colleagues virtually.
Following these 15 behavioural guidelines are critical in fighting COVID-19 and require collective
action on everyone’s part. Stay safe.

AINRC chief N Rangasamy takes oath as

Chief Minister of Puducherry today
The All India NR Congress (AINRC) leader N Rangasamy took oath as the CM of Puducherry at
Raj Nivas on May 7, 2021, for the fourth time.
The oath-taking ceremony was administered by Lieutenant Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan.
The Rangasamy-led AINRC alliance is set to form its government in the State, of which BJP will
be a part of it for the first time.
The AINRC party won 10 seats while its alliance BJP bagged 6 seats in the Puducherry Assembly
Elections 2021. The winning majority mark was 16 seats for Puducherry.
All India NR Congress (AINRC) president N Rangasamy takes oath as the Chief Minister of
Puducherry.
The oath is being administered by Puducherry Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.

pic.twitter.com/fN4al885ad
— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2021

Who is N Rangasamy?
•N Rangasamy, born in Puducherry, is the Chief Minister of Puducherry. He started his political
career by contesting for the first time in the Thattanchavady constituency in 1990 but lost it.
•He went on to contest in this constituency in 1991 and won with a huge majority. He contested
from the same constituency during 1996, 2001, 2006, 2021, and in the Indiranagar constituency
during 2011 and 2016.
•In 1991, he got appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Co-operation after winning the assembly
elections.
•In 2000, he got appointed as the Minister of Tourism, Education, Public Works, Civil Aviation,
and Art and Culture.

•In 2001, he held the Ministry of Public Works, Agriculture, and Forest. In the same year, he
became the Chief Minister of Puducherry.
•In 2008, he resigned from the Congress party and floated his own party All India NR Congress
(AINRC) in 2011. Within three months of forming his party, he became the Chief Minister of
Puducherry.
•N Rangasamy has become the CM of Puducherry in 2001, then 2006, and 2011. This will mark
his fourth term as CM of Puducherry.

Centre exempts pregnant women, persons

with disabilities from attending office till May
31st
The central government has exempted pregnant women and persons with disabilities from
attending offices till May 31, 2021. Though most private offices are already functioning on a work
from home system, the government employees have been so far required to go to the office
regularly even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, taking into consideration the current COVID-19 situation in the country, the centre has
now offered more relaxations for its employees. The Department of Personnel & Training is taking
a series of steps to ensure preventive measures are taken to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
In line with the same, the Centre has exempted certain employees, especially the most vulnerable
ones including pregnant women and persons with disabilities from attending office physically and
work from home.
Key Highlights
•The DoPT's latest order reads that all central government departments will continue with
staggered office hours and 50 percent attendance of Under Secretary and below-level employees
till May 31, 2021 to avoid over-crowding at their workplaces.
•All officials and staff who attend office would also have to strictly follow COVID-19 appropriate
behaviour including wearing of a mask, physical distancing, use of sanitizer and frequent hand-
washing with soap and water.
•Further, the order read that crowding in lifts, corridors, staircases, common areas including
refreshment kiosks and parking areas is to be strictly avoided.
•Besides pregnant women and people with disabilities, all central government staff residing in the
containment zone have also been exempted from coming to offices till the containment zone is
de-notified.
•The officers and the staff residing in the containment zones will work from home and will be

available through telephone and electronic means of communication, at all times.

COVID-19 Second Wave in India
India reported 4,14,188 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, which is the
highest figure ever. According to experts, India's COVID-19 peak is yet to come. The
nation also witnessed around 3915 deaths in the last 24 hours and about 3,31,507
people were discharged.
This takes India's total COVID-19 tally to 2,14,91,598, which includes 36,45,164 active
cases, 1,76,12,351 recoveries and 2,34,083 deaths.

Israeli-based firm produces solar technology

in India for UAE
The Israeli embassy informed on May 6, 2021, that a partnership has been initiated by the
International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce- IFIICC through which an Israeli
company has been producing an innovative solar technology in India for a landmark project in the
United Arab Emirates- UAE.
In an official statement, the Israeli embassy stated that its I first-of-its-kind trilateral cooperation
which involved India, Israel, and UAE. The statement added that the Embassy of Israel in India is
proud of this cooperation between the three countries.
As per the release, the Abraham Accords signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates
have paved the way for the business partnerships and friendships between the two nations
across the region.
Good news to start the day!

First-of-its-kind trilateral cooperation has been initiated by #Israel , #India & #UAE
Israel-based @Ecoppia, through @ifiicc, is producing innovative robotic solar cleaning technology
in India for landmark projects in UAEhttps://t.co/dNjvpmP6xs
— Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) May 7, 2021

Trilateral partnership between India, Israel and UAE:
The Embassy of Israel in India informed that under the leadership of the ambassador of Israel to
India, Ron Malka, a trilateral partnership between India, Israel, and UAE has been initiated by the
IFIICC (International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce).
Through this partnership an Israeli-based company, Ecoppia has been producing an innovative
robotic solar cleaning technology in India for a landmark project in the United Arab Emirates.
The Ambassador of Israel to India, Ron Malka pointed that this confluence of the
cutting-edge technology of Israel, manufactured in India and imported from India
to UAE for the benefit of its citizens, has extreme potential and that this is only
the beginning of it.
What is IFIICC?

IFIICC was launched in the United Arab Emirates for broadening the relationship between
diasporas of Israel and India around the world and for exploring the possibility of trilateral
cooperation in the Gulf state.
The objective of the International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce is to foster

and promote commerce, innovation, cultural exchange, goodwill, and investment between the
diasporas of Israel and India around the world.
Background:
The mentioned business partnership between UAE and Israel is because of the Abraham Accords
which was reached on August 13, 2020. It is a joint statement between the United States, the
United Arab Emirates, and Israel.
The statement by the countries marked the first public normalization of relations between Israel
and the UAE which further facilitates friendly relations between both the nations.
The term used to refer to the agreements between Israel and UAE is the Israel-UAE normalization
agreement.

World Athletics Day 2021: History,

Objectives, all you need to know
Every year, May 7 is celebrated as World Athletics Day. The International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF), formerly the International Amateur Athletic Federation, founded this day as a
social responsibility project ‘Athletics for a Better World’.
The IAAF aims to increase the participation of youngsters in athletics and spread awareness
about the importance of fitness.
World Athletics Day: History
•World Athletics Day was introduced in 1996 by the then IAAF president Primo Nebiolo.
•The IAAF was established in 1912 in Sweden as the international governing body for sports and
athletics.
•Each year, the IAAF sponsors and organizes World Athletics Day. This day is celebrated with
several athletic and sports competitions across schools and colleges.
World Athletics Day: Significance
World Athletics Day aims to promote the spirit of participation in athletics among the youth and
understand the importance of staying fit and healthy.
World Athletics Day: Objectives
•Increase public awareness and sports education among youngsters,
•Give athletics a central role in the sports programs of schools and colleges,
•Encourage children and teenagers in schools to take up athletics.
World Athletics Day 2021: Theme
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, there is no set theme for this year. However, this day
encourages us all to take up sports activities and exercises such as running, walking, jumping, etc

to stay fit and healthy.
Athletics in India
•In India, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is the apex body that oversees athletics in the
country.
•AFI was founded in 1946. It is affiliated with the IAAF, Indian Olympic Association, and AAA.
•AFI organizes international championships and meets, national championships and Grand Prix
series, national inter-district juniors athletics meet, IAAF-AFI kids athletics, and develops young
athletic talent across India.

Indian Army establishes COVID Management

Cell to coordinate assistance to civil
authorities
The Indian Army has established a COVID Management Cell under Director-General Rank Officer
in order to coordinate multiple facets of the staffing and logistics support.
As per the official release by the Ministry of Defence, the COVID Management Cell will be
reporting directly to the Vice Chief of Army Staff. It added that the Indian Army has been at the
forefront of COVID response at the national level.
As India records a spike in COVID-19 cases, the Indian Army has deployed considerable medical
resources for assisting the civil authorities to fight against the pandemic. It has also been
providing medical care to the veterans and their dependents amid the ongoing health crisis.
Indian Army establishes #COVID19 management cell to coordinate assistance to civil authority
This will bring greater efficiency in coordinating real-time responses to address the exponential
rise in COVID cases across the country#Unite2FightCorona
Read:https://t.co/OI4PxcqcTQ pic.twitter.com/ibtW4MoXRB
— PIB India (@PIB_India) May 6, 2021

Significance:
The COVID Management Cell will bring efficiency in coordinating the real-time responses for
addressing the rampant rise in COVID-19 positive cases across the country including Delhi.
Assistance to the Civil Administration has already been provided in Delhi in form of admissions,
testing in military hospitals, and the transportation of critical medical equipment.
Army deploys medical resources to assist civil authorities:
Apart from ensuring force preservation and medical care to the veterans and their dependents,
the Indian Army has also been providing medical resources to assist civil authorities.

The assistance has been given by the army particularly at 5 COVID-19 hospitals that are already
functional or are in the process of being established at Ahmedabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Patna, and
Varanasi.
Special provisions and grants to armed forces:
To facilitate the medical resources and help from the Indian Army, Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh gave his approval to invoke the special provisions and also granted financial powers to the
armed forces.
The step was taken to speed their efforts and empower the forces as the country fights the
second wave of the pandemic. The special powers to the armed forces by the government have
been devolved for the time period of three months (May to July 2021).

MK Stalin takes oath as Tamil Nadu Chief

Minister today, check MK Stalin’s 33-member
cabinet
The DMK chief MK Stalin has been sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 7, 2021,
at Raj Bhavan in Chennai. Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath-taking ceremony.
The DMK president MK Stalin will assume the office of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the
first time and form his 33-member cabinet after a massive victory at the Tamil Nadu Assembly
Elections 2021.
The cabinet comprises 19 former and 15 fresh faces, among them two women ministers. His son
Udhayanidhi was not included in the cabinet.
Chennai: DMK Chief MK Stalin takes oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
He is being administered the oath by Governor Banwarilal Purohit pic.twitter.com/e8IZT1aNFz
— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2021

Tamil Nadu: Along with Chief Minister MK Stalin; 33 others take oath as Cabinet Ministers of
state. pic.twitter.com/co3nu8gKzd
— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2021
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had won 133 seats in the 234-assembly seats in the Tamil
Nadu General Assembly Elections 2021 on May 2, 2021.
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit appointed DMK chief MK Stalin on May 5, 2021, as the
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after the DMK chief MK Stalin along with general secretary
Duraimurugan and party veterans met the Governor of Tamil Nadu at the Raj Bhavan and put
forward a letter stating his election as leader of the DMK party, a Raj Bhavan release said.
MK Stalin will hold the following portfolios: Home, Special Initiatives, General Administration,
Welfare of Differently-abled Persons, and Special Programme Implementation.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin’s Cabinet
S. No. Name Portfolio

Chief Minister, General

administration, Indian
Administrative Service, Indian
Police Service, other All-India
1 MK Stalin Service, District revenue offic
Police, Home, Special initiativ
Special programme
implementation, Welfare of
differently abled persons
2 Duraimurugan Minister for Water Resources
Minister for Municipal
3 KN Nehru
Administration
4 I Periyasamy Minister for Co-operation
5 K Ponmudi Minister for Higher Education
Minister for Public Works
6 EV Velu (Buildings, Highways and Min
Ports)
Minister for Agriculture and
Farmer’s Welfare, Agricultura
Engineering, Agro Service Co
7 MRK Panneerselvam operatives, Horticulture,
Sugarcane Excise, Sugarcan
Development and Wasteland
Development
Minister for Revenue and Dis
Management Revenue, Distri
8 KKSSR Ramachandran
Revenue Establishment, Dep
Collectors, Disaster Managem
Minister for Industries, Tamil
9 Thangam Thennarasu Official Language and Tamil
Culture, Archaeology.
Minister for Law, Courts, Pris
10 S Raghupathy
and Prevention of Corruption
Minister for Housing and Urba
Development, Rural Housing
Town Planning projects and
Housing Development,
11 S Muthusamy
Accommodation Control, Tow
Planning, Urban Developmen
and Chennai Metropolitan
Development Authority.
12 KR Periakaruppan Minister for Rural Developme

Panchayats and Panchayat

Unions, Poverty Alleviation
Programmes, Rural Indebted
Minister for Rural Industries
including Anbarasan Rural
13 TM Anbarasan industries, cottage industries,
small industries, Slum Cleara
Board
Minister for Information &
Publicity, Film Technology an
14 MP Saminathan Cinematograph Act, Newsprin
Control, Stationery and Printi
Government Press
Minister for Social Welfare &
Women Empowerment, Wom
and Children Welfare includin
Social Welfare, Orphanages
15 P Geetha Jeevan Correctional Administration,
Integrated Child Developmen
Scheme and Beggar Homes
Social Reforms and Nutritious
Meal Programme
Minister for Fisheries -Fisherm
Welfare and Animal Husband
16 Anitha S Radhakrishnan Fisheries and Fisheries
Development Corporation an
Animal Husbandry
Minister for Transport,
17 SR Rajakannappan Nationalised Transport and M
Vehicles Act
18 K Ramchandran Minister for Forests
Minister for Food and Civil
Supplies Food and Civil Supp
19 R Sakkarapani
Consumer Protection and Pri
Control
Minister for Handlooms and
Textiles Handlooms and Text
20 R Gandhi
Khadi and Village Industries
Board, Boodhan and Gramad
Minister for Medical and Fam
21 MA Subramanian Welfare Health, Medical
Education and Family Welfar

Minister for Commercial Taxe

and Registration Commercial
Taxes, Registration and Stam
22 P Moorthy Act, Weights and Measures,
Relief including legislation on
Money lending, Chits and
Registration of Companies
Minister for Backward Classe
Welfare, Most Backward Clas
23 SS Sivasankar
Welfare and De-notified
Communities Welfare
Minister for Hindu Religious a
Charitable Endowments Hind
24 PK Sekarbabu
Religious and Charitable
Endowments
Minister for Finance and Hum
Resources Management Fina
25 Palanivel Thiagarajan Planning, Personnel and
Administrative Reforms, Pens
and Pension allowances
Minister for Milk & Dairy
26 SM Nasar
Development
Minister for Minorities Welfare
Non-Resident Tamils Welfare
27 Ginjee KS Masthan
Refugees & Evacuees and W
Board
28 Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi Minister for School Education
Minister for Environment and
29 Siva V Meyyanathan Climate Change, Youth Welfa
and Sports Development
Minister for Labour Welfare a
Skill Development Labour
30 CV Ganesan Welfare, Population, Employm
and Training, Census, Urban
Rural Employment
Minister for Information
31 T Mano Thangaraj
Technology
Minister for Tourism and Tou
32 M Mathiventhan
Development Corporation
Minister for Adi Dravidar Welf
33 N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj Hill Tribes and Bonded Labou
Welfare

Minister for Electricity, Non

Electricity, Prohibition & Excis
34 V Senthilbalaji Conventional Energy
Development, Prohibition and
Excise
Who is MK Stalin?
DMK Chief MK Stalin, also the son of late M Karunanidhi, contested from the Kolathur
constituency against Aadi Rajaram of AIADMK and J Arumugham of AMMK in the 2021 Tamil
Nadu General Assembly Elections.
He has been representing this constituency since 2011. He started his political career after
winning for the first time from Thousand Light constituency in 1989.
He has held the position of the Mayor of Chennai and the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
during the reign of DMK from 2006 to 2011.

China indefinitely suspends strategic

economic dialogue with Australia
China on May 6, 2021 "indefinitely" suspended all activity under the China-Australia Strategic
Economic Dialogue. This is the latest setback in the already strained relations between the two
nations.
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) issued a short statement on the
decision, which read, "Recently, some Australian Commonwealth Government officials launched
a series of measures to disrupt the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and
Australia out of Cold War mindset and ideological discrimination,"
The commission did not mention say what specific measures prompted the action on their part.
The Australian dollar fell sharply following the news, as low as 0.7701 to the US dollar from
$0.7747.
Australia's Reaction
Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan commented on the decision saying it was
"disappointing" because the economic dialogue was "an important forum for both the
nations to work through issues relevant to their economic partnership.
Tehan said in a statement that Australia remains open to holding the dialogue and
engaging at the ministerial level with China.
Australia-China Strained Bilateral Ties
•The bilateral ties between China and Australia have been under strain since 2018 after Australia
became the first country to publicly ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G network.
•Australia was also one of the countries that called for an independent investigation into the
origins of the novel coronavirus in 2020, which worsened the relations between the two and
prompted trade reprisals from China.
•The Australian government also cancelled two Belt and Road cooperation deals struck by the
state of Victoria in April 2021, which again prompted the Chinese embassy to warn that the ties
between the two nations were bound to worsen.

•China has retaliated by imposing a series of trade sanctions on Australian exports ranging from
wine and beef to coal.
•The successive Australian trade ministers failed to secure a phone call with their Chinese
counterparts since diplomatic tensions worsened in 2020.
•The last meeting of the trade ministers of the two nations was in Beijing in 2017, when Australia's
trade minister had signed an agreement on cooperation on Belt and Road projects in third-party
countries.
Background
China is one of Australia's biggest trading partners, accounting for 29 percent of Australia's trade
with the world in 2019. This is as per the data of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade.
However, Chinese investment in Australia fell by 61% in 2020, the lowest number in around six
years, as per the Australian National University's Chinese Investment in Australia Database.
China's recent trade sanctions have affected several key Australian industries including wine,
barley and coal.

Defence Ministry gives approval to 50 AFMS

hospitals as dedicated, mixed COVID
hospitals
The Indian Army has informed that the Ministry of Defence has given its approval to the total of 50
Armed Forces Medical Services- AFMS Hospitals designated as dedicated and mixed hospitals. It
includes five Air Force, 42 Army, and three Navy.
Apart from the entitled clientele of Armed Forces Medical Services, the serving personnel,
dependents, veterans, and their dependents, civilians will also be admitted through the referral by
the local health authority after ascertaining the availability of beds at these facilities.
As per the officials, the hospitals have a combined bed capacity of 9,038 patients, and that the
civilians will be also be admitted as there is a spike in COVID-19 cases and the hospitals will
augment the state healthcare facilities.
It is clarified that the MoD has approved a total of 50 AFMS hospitals (42 Army, 5 Air Force & 3
Navy) designated as "Dedicated & Mixed COVID Hospitals" where besides the entitled clientele of
AFMS (serving personnel, dependents, veterans, and their dependents), civilians..(2/3)
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 2, 2021

Key Details:
• As per the ministry, a list of the retired Army Medical Corps officers and paramedical staff have
been made. They may be requested to volunteer for work in AFMS hospitals at their current home
stations, in case there is a need. Around 990 paramedics and 43 officers have volunteered to
date.
• 6 viral testing labs have been established by AFMS in collaboration with the Indian Council of
Medical Research. These labs are also functional at various AFMS Hospitals.
Training activities suspended at AMC:
The training activities at the Army Medical Corps (AMC) Centre and College, Lucknow, and
Armed Forces Medical College, Pune have been suspended.

Around 650 medical officers who have been undergoing post-graduate training at Armed Forces
Medical Corps will be reverted to the units for providing the depending cover. In addition to this,
100 medical officers from recruiting organisations are also being detailed to work in those
hospitals where COVID wards are established.

SpaceX successfully lands Starship SN15 for

first time without explosion
SpaceX on May 5, 2021, successfully launched and landed its Starship SN15 without any
explosion for the first time. The Starship SN15 became SpaceX’s first Starship prototype that did
not get destroyed during its test flight.
SN15’s successful landing brings Elon Musk closer to his aim to transport cargo and launch
manned space missions to the Moon and Mars.
The Starship SN15, during its fifth flight test, took off from the Starbase in Boca Chica, Southern
Texas, at 5.24 pm IST (10.25 GMT) and flew up to an altitude of 10 km. The starship carried out a
horizontal descent and landed successfully without exploding.
However, there was a small fire at the base which SpaceX explained as ‘not unusual with the
methane fuel we are using'. The design issues are being worked out by the engineers.
Elon Musk who owns SpaceX triumphantly tweeted, “Starship landing nominal”, after the
successful landing.
Starship landing nominal!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 5, 2021
All the previous SpaceX’s Starship prototypes, SN8, SN9, SN10, and SN11, had exploded during
or after landing.
SpaceX’s Starship: Significance
US space agency NASA has selected SpaceX and two other companies to develop the first
commercial moon-lander systems for the Artemis program.
SpaceX won the $3-billion contract to develop a Starship that will land the first woman and person
of colour on the Moon.

Bulgaria’s President to hold snap

parliamentary election in July 2021
The President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev announced on May 5, 2021, that he will call a snap
parliamentary election for July 2021. He also added that he will name a technocrat interim cabinet
next week after the politicians failed in a third attempt to form a government a month after an
inconclusive vote.
Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov failed to form a new coalition government after the
widespread anger at the corruption in the poorest country of Europe had hit support for his center-
right GERB Party in the elections of April 4, even though the party remained the biggest group in
Parliament.
After PM Borissov’s attempts failed, so did the attempts by a new anti-elite party led by the TV
host Slavi Trifonov. Even any efforts of forming the government by third-largest party, the
Socialists also failed, who finally abandoned their attempts on May 5.
Bulgaria’s President to form interim cabinet:
While commenting on an ongoing political crisis in the country, the President of Bulgaria stated
that the country needs a strong-willed political alternative, which the current Parliament has failed
to provide.
He added that next week he will be dissolving the Parliament and will appoint an interim
government and that in this situation, an election is expected to take place on July 11.
President Radev further added that he planned on appointing experts to the caretaker cabinet.
He, however, did not reveal his choice to be Prime Minister.
The Cabinet has been expected to include the members of the Socialist Party which have already
confirmed that it will support Radev in his own re-election bid in a Presidential vote due in autumn.
Will there be a stable coalition in Bulgaria?
A recent poll has shown that GERB has remained the most popular party, however, its major rival,
Trifonov’s There Is Such a People, is a close second.

The poll raises a clear prospect of continued fragmentation in Bulgaria which the politicians will
continue to struggle to form a stable coalition.
Prolonged political uncertainty can delay reforms:
The ratings agency Fitch stated on May 4, 2021, that the prolonged political uncertainty in the
country is unlikely to undermine the prudent fiscal policies of Bulgaria and its commitment to
adopt the euro currency, mainly because of the broad political consensus on these issues in Sofia
(capital of Bulgaria).
Fitch, which also rates Bulgaria at investment BBB grade with a positive outlook, stated that a
political deadlock can delay reforms that are required for the efficient tapping of the EU's 750
billion Euro coronavirus Recovery Fund.
Challenged to be faced by the caretaker government:
The caretaker government to be formed by the President of Bulgaria will mainly face a
challenging agenda of managing the economic and health crisis that has been triggered by the
COVID-19 pandemic within a tight budget that it cannot amend. Another challenge will be of
ensuring a fair election in the country.

India’s GDP down to 9.8 per cent, 2nd COVID-

19 wave to derail India’s budding recovery:
S&P Global Ratings
S&P Global Ratings on May 5, 2021, revised down India’s GDP growth forecast to 9.8 per cent for
the financial year 2022 stating that the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic may derail
India’s budding recovery and credit conditions.
India’s second wave prompted S&P to reconsider its previous forecast of 11 per cent GDP growth
this fiscal year. “The timing of the peak in cases, and subsequent rate of decline, drive our
considerations,” said Shaun Roache, Chief Economist, S&P Global Ratings Asia-Pacific.
The increasing number of COVID-19 variants infection cases and limited vaccination coverage
point towards a peak in infection rate around late June. This peak could have adverse effects on
the funding and credit conditions, the study mentioned.
The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic can possibly knock off 2.8 per cent points from
India’s GDP growth rate in FY22.
In March, the US-based global rating agency S&P had predicted an 11 per cent GDP growth rate
for India from April 2021 to March 2022 owing to a fast economic reopening and fiscal stimulus.
S&P further mentioned that the Indian economy’s deceleration rate will further give insights into
how much the sovereign credit profile will be affected. S&P currently affirmed India’s rating with
‘BBB-’ with a stable outlook, which tells that India possesses the adequate capacity to meet its
financial commitments.
About S&P Global Ratings
•S&P Global Ratings (formerly Standard and Poor’s) is a US-based credit rating agency (CRA)
that publishes economic research and performs analysis on commodities, stocks, and bonds.
•S&P issues short-term as well as long-term credit ratings. As a credit rating agency, it issues
credit ratings for the debt of public borrowers such as governments and related entities, and for
public and private companies.

•The US Securities and Exchange Commission recognizes S&P as a national statistical rating
organization among the pool of various credit rating agencies.
•S&P is counted among the three big credit rating agencies, the other two – Fitch Ratings and
Moody’s Investors Service.

Shri Badrinath Dham: Oil and Gas PSUs sign

MOU for construction & redevelopment of
dham as Spiritual Smart Hill Town
The Oil and Gas PSUs including Indian Oil, ONGC, HPCL, BPCL and GAIL and Shri Badrinath
Utthan Charitable Trust signed Memorandums of Understanding on May 6, 2021 for the
Construction and Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham as a Spiritual Smart hill Town.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat
and Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Dharmendra Pradhan and other state
ministers and senior officers of the Uttarakhand Government and the Oil & Gas PSUs.
MOUs: Objective
As per the signed agreements, the Oil & Gas PSUs will be contributing Rs 99.60
crore in the first phase of the developmental activities which includes:
•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
The Oil and Gas PSUs will not only contribute to the development work of the Badrinath
but they will also be part of the development of other Dhams like Kedarnath, Uttarkashi,
Yamunotri and Gangotri.
The Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Dharmendra Pradhan said that Char
Dham is close to millions of Indians, due to spiritual, religious and cultural reasons. He said that
the signing of the MOUs is a significant milestone in the direction of PM Narendra Modi's vision of
developing Badrinath shrine as a mini smart and spiritual city, without compromising on the
religious sanctity and mythological importance of the region.
He further continued by saying that the development of sites like Badrinath would also help in
attracting more tourists, which in turn would strengthen the economy of the state. Tourism is one

of the key industries that plays a critical role in the development of the state.
Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat said that with the concerted efforts of both Uttarakhand
Government and Oil & Gas PSUs, they are hopeful of that the rejuvenation work of Shri Badrinath
Dham will be completed within three years.

EAM visit to London: S. Jaishankar held talks

with his counterparts of US, Australia, Japan
and others
The External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar had embarked on a four-day visit to London
on May 3, 2021. The visit from May 3 to May 6 was primarily scheduled for the union minister’s
participation in a meeting of the foreign ministers of G7 countries in London and India was invited
for a meeting as a guest country.
The G7 members meeting provided also a unique opportunity to the External Affairs Minister of
India to hold bilateral talks with his counterparts of various countries including the US, Canada,
Japan, and South Africa. During his visit, the Union Minister also took part in the first India-
France-Australia Trilateral Ministerial Dialogue to discuss the Indo-Pacific Strategic Landscape.
After reaching London, UK media had reported that the two members of the Indian delegation had
isolated themselves. The report was later confirmed by the External Affairs Minister himself who
tweeted that he has been made aware of the exposure to possible COVID-19 positive cases.
However, as a precautionary measure, the minister and three members of his delegation went
into isolation and the scheduled meetings, including the G7 summit, were attended by S.
Jaishankar in a virtual mode.
EAM S. Jaishankar meeting with US Secretary of State Blinken
The External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar on May 3, 2021, had met the US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken in London, before the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The Union Minister
thanked Blinken for the support extended by the United States to India amid the crisis caused by
the second wave of the pandemic.
While sharing the news of the meeting via Twitter, Jaishankar stated that both the ministers had a
detailed discussion on the global Covid challenge, reliable supply chains, and focus on expanding
the vaccine production capacity.
The other issues that were discussed were climate change, Myanmar violence, and the

developments in the Indo-Pacific region.
Good to meet in person my old friend @SecBlinken. Detailed discussion on the global Covid
challenge, focussing on expanded vaccine production capacity and reliable supply chains.
pic.twitter.com/iQZmGjuPi5

S. Jaishankar holds virtual meeting with Japanese counterpart
The Union Minister held a virtual meeting with the Foreign Minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi on
May 5, 2021, in London on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
Objective: During the virtual meeting, the two ministers of India and Japan held a discussion on
intensifying their bilateral engagement and reviewed the regional issues in the strategically
significant Indo-Pacific region which has seen growing assertiveness of China.
A cordial virtual meeting with FM @moteging of Japan. Appreciate Japan’s strong support for
India to meet the current Covid challenge. Discussed intensifying our bilateral engagement in the
near future. Also reviewed regional issues in the Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/grqIosacOF

First India-France-Australia Trilateral Ministerial Dialogue:
S. Jaishankar on May 4, 2021, held discussions with the Foreign Minister of France
Jean-Yves Le Drain and Australia Marise Payne under the first India-France-Australia
Trilateral Ministerial Dialogue in a virtual mode in London. The dialogue was held on the
sidelines of the G7 Foreign Minister’s Meeting.
The ministers discussed the Indo-Pacific Strategic Landscape and agreed on the
significance of enhancing the cooperation. The External Affairs Minister of India also
thanked both the ministers for their strong support to India in meeting the COVID-19
challenge.
Substantive discussions with my colleagues FM @JY_LeDrian and FM @MarisePayne
at the first India-France-Australia Trilateral Ministerial Dialogue. Thanked them both for
their strong support in meeting the Covid challenge.
S. Jaishankar holds bilateral dialogues with his Canadian counterpart
The EAM on May 5, 2021, held a virtual dialogue with the Foreign Minister of Canada Marc
Garneau. The dialogue took place in London on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Minister’s
Summit.

The ministers from India and Canada held a fruitful conversation and discussed the challenges
posed by the pandemic and different aspects of the bilateral relationship between the two
countries.
Useful virtual meeting with FM @MarcGarneau of Canada on G7 sidelines. Discussed our

respective Covid challenges. Talked about various aspects of our bilateral relationship. Also
exchanged views on Myanmar. pic.twitter.com/LNLdy86H8J

EAM meets South African Counterpart
The External Affairs Minister on May 4, 2021, met with the Foreign Minister of South Africa Naledi
Ponder. During the meeting, both the ministers held discussions on the commonwealth issues
and economic recovery. The meeting took place in London on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign
Minister’s Summit.
A pleasure to meet up with FM Dr Naledi Pandor of South Africa. A useful discussion on working
together to meet the Covid challenge. Also spoke about economic recovery and Commonwealth
issues. pic.twitter.com/GJJgmwLVKh

G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting:
The first-in-person gathering of G7 Foreign and Development ministers in over 2 years took place
in London, the United Kingdom from May 3 to May 5, 2021.
The G7 members are Britain, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Germany, and Japan.
Even though not part of it, South Africa, Australia, South Korea, India, and Brunei, the chair of the
Association of the South East Asian Nations were also invited as guests to participate in the
summit.

Oldest human burial site found in Africa,

dating back to 78,000 years old
Archaeologists have discovered the oldest human burial in Africa that offers insight into 78,000
years old burial practices, according to a new study published on May 05, 2021, in the journal
Nature.
A skeleton of about a 3-years-old toddler buried with a pillow under his head was excavated from
the modern-day Panga ya Saidi, Kenya, North of Mombasa, Africa. The body of the toddler was
placed on its side with legs flexed to its chest, the study mentioned.
Maria Martinon-Torres, co-author of the study and Director at the National Research Center on
Human Evolution in Burgos, Spain said, “We could infer this child was really put there in a specific
position with a pillow under his head.”
Torres explained that putting a child lying in a sleeping position shows respect, care, and
tenderness. “I think it’s one of most important, the earliest evidence in Africa, of humans living in
the physical and the symbolic world,” Torres added.
Panga ya Saidi burial site: Key findings
•A skeleton of about a 3-years-old toddler buried with a pillow under his head was excavated from
the modern-day Panga ya Saidi, Kenya, North of Mombasa, Africa.
•The site of the burial did not bear any signs of ochre or offerings, but the treatment given to the
toddler depicts a complex ritual that required the participation of several members of the child’s
community.
•This evidence showed that the people of Eurasia and Neanderthals commonly buried their dead
in residential sites unlike the mortuary behaviors of early people in Africa.
•Nicole Boivin, principal investigator of the project and director, department of archaeology, Max
Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany said, “Panga ya Saidi is truly one of a
kind.”
•Several excavations at Panga ya Saidi have established it as a key type of site for the East

African coast, “with an extraordinary 78,000-years-old record of early human cultural,

technological and symbolic activities,” she further added.
•The study further provides detailed insights into the timeline of the evolution of early people in
Africa and also throws light on the regional diversity in the evolution of our species.

ADB outlines 5-point agenda to achieve

recovery from pandemic in Asia-Pacific
Region
The Asian Development Bank announced on May 5, 2021, that investment in social protection,
education, and health along with deeper regional cooperation can help the nations in the Asia-
Pacific region to achieve an equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President of ADB, Masatsugu Asakawa while speaking at the board of governors meeting
said that the Asia-Pacific region can emerge from the pandemic even stronger than before by
focusing on inequality, climate, regional cooperation, infrastructure, and resource mobilization
related changes.
The President also highlighted that ADB was quick to respond to the pandemic outbreak as it
granted assistance followed by USD 20 billion COVID-19 assistance package. He added that
ADB will continue to deliver its unique synergy of knowledge, finance, and partnerships.
ADB President while speaking on ‘Toward a Lasting and Equitable Recovery:
ADB’s Leadership and Country Presence during the COVID-19 crisis’ pointed that
we need to prioritize the quality of our assistance over quantity and meeting near-
term needs with a clear vision for the future.
He added that if everyone stays on this course, the region will definitely emerge
from the current crisis even stronger than before.
5 point agenda to achieve lasting recovery in the Asia-Pacific region:
1. The ADB President suggested that the countries must place climate actions at the centre of the
development along with an increased focus on resilience and adaptation, with full commitment to
the goals of the Paris Agreement.
2. Inequality including the gender gaps must be addressed by investing in education, health, and
social protection. The gap has worsened during the pandemic.
3. High-quality green and digital infrastructure must be promoted to rebuild smartly while closing
the digital gap and attracting substantial private investment.

4. Regional cooperation and integration must be deepened, so that the developing member
nations can seize the opportunities of strengthening the regional health security and renewed
globalization.
5. Domestic resource mobilization must be strengthened in order to ensure that the governments
have all the resources that they need to finance sustainable growth and respond effectively to
future crises.
ADB contribution during the pandemic:
• Out of the bank’s USD 20 billion Covid Assistance Package, USD 16.1 billion was committed in
the year 2020. It included USD 10 billion for the quick disbursal budget support under CPRO-
Covid-19 Pandemic Response Option.
• The funding agency had also mobilized a record USD 16.4 billion co-financing.
• It embarked on an unprecedented borrowing programme of over USD 35 billion in order to

ensure the ready resources for a pandemic response while remaining financially stable.
• The donor members ADB also approved over USD 4 billion for the replenishment of ADB for
2021 to 2024 ensuring that the developing member nations most in need will not be left behind.
• ADB had also announced USD 9 billion APVAX or Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility in order
to help the member countries in procuring and delivering safe and effective vaccines as equitably
and swiftly.

US govt announces support for COVID-19

vaccine patent waiver
The US government on May 05, 2021, announced that it will support an India-South Africa joint
proposal to waive the patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines and it will negotiate the terms at
the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“These extraordinary times and circumstances call for extraordinary measures,” tweeted US
Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
The US supports the waiver of IP protections on COVID-19 vaccines to help end the pandemic
and we’ll actively participate in WTO negotiations to make that happen: US Trade Representative
Katherine Tai
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021
India, South Africa, and other nations had put up a request to waive certain parts of the Trade-
Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement for all members of the WTO.
This move by the US government is directed towards speeding up the inoculation drives across
the world especially in developing countries amid the pandemic.
The US administration strongly believes in the protection of intellectual property, however, it will
support the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines as a service towards ending the
pandemic, a statement said.
The US Trade Representative explained that the aim of the US administration is to provide as
many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as possible. “As our vaccine supply for the
American people is secured, the administration will continue to ramp up its efforts to, working with
the private sector and partners, to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution,” Tai further
said.
The US administration will also work towards increasing the raw materials needed to produce
those vaccines.

Third wave of COVID-19 inevitable, says

Government’s Principal Scientific Advisor
The Principal Scientific Advisor of the Indian Government, K. VijayRaghavan has warned that a
third wave of the COVID-19 in India is inevitable, given the amount of virus circulation. The
statement comes at a time when the country is battling with the second wave of the COVID-19
pandemic.
The Principal Scientific Advisor during a press conference on May 5, 2021, stated that there is,
however, no definite timeline when the third wave will occur.
He added that we should be prepared for the new waves and that the COVID-19 appropriate
behaviour and up-gradation of vaccines is the only way forward. In order to deal with the new
strains and mutations of the virus, there is a need to update the COVID-19 vaccines.
Basic precautions remain the same to break COVID-19 transmission:
The Principal Scientific Advisor pointed out that even though the nature of the virus is to mutate,
the basic measures and precautions taken to break the transmission did not change.
He suggested that Coronavirus appropriate behaviour by the citizens must be followed and
everyone must get vaccinated. The scientific community has been working at identifying the
possible changes that can occur in the virus in order to ensure that the preparedness and
response from the government remain robust.
India records the highest number of COVID-19 cases:
According to the Union Health Ministry, India has reported 4,12,262 new COVID-19
cases and 3,980 deaths in the last 24 hours making it the country’s worst covid numbers
ever since the pandemic broke in 2020.
India reports 4,12,262 new #COVID19 cases, 3,29,113 discharges and 3,980 deaths in
the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry
Total cases: 2,10,77,410

Total recoveries: 1,72,80,844
Death toll: 23,01,68
Active cases: 35,66,398

Total vaccination: 16,25,13,339 pic.twitter.com/W1kQnSucGe

— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2021
Transmission of the virus: Is it from animals to humans?
NITI Aayog member, V.K. Paul has refuted the claims that the virus has been spreading from
animals into humans and said that so far the virus has seen only human to human transmission.
He further explained that what we do know is that mutations will continue to go on and the
government need to keep a scientific watch on these changes. However, the response to these
changing viruses remains the same and it starts with our own personal behaviour.
Paul also appealed to the physicians to come forward for providing teleconsultation for those at
home.
Our request is that we need the physicians' fraternity to come forward and provide
teleconsultations to people and families at home who are infected with #COVID19.
-Dr. V K Paul, Member, Health, @NITIAayog#Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/zTZ8ur78lh

Government keeps a close watch on the virus, details shared with states regularly
The Director of NCDC (National Centre for Disease Control), Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh while
speaking at the press conference informed that a close watch has been kept on the virus, its
effect, spread as well as the response to vaccines.
He further informed that the written communications by NCDC and Health Ministry stressing the
need for more strict measures have been sent on a regular basis to all the States and UTs.
Strict surveillance has also been advised to the states and UTs in districts that have reported new
variants of concern. Strict public measures have also been suggested, which include the genome
sequencing of the positive samples of the individuals with a history of international travels and
contact tracing.
The information on genome sequencing is also shared by the government with the states on
regular basis.
Regions reporting an increasing trend of virus:

The Health Ministry of India has indicated that the states including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala,
Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Rajasthan have been reporting an increasing
trend in daily Coronavirus cases.
Maharashtra CM while talking about the third wave of pandemic stated that the state government
has been preparing for the third wave since last month. He also informed that as several districts
have seen a decline in COVID-19 cases, some other districts have seen an increase in reported
cases.
Central Govt's scientific body has warned about 3rd wave of COVID. We're preparing for that
since last month. Several districts are seeing a decline in COVID cases while some districts are
seeing an increase in cases.We're keeping a close tab on it:Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray
pic.twitter.com/EHVmGIkGvJ
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021
The increase in deaths due to the infection has been reported in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi,
Andhra Pradesh and Haryana.

G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting: Vaccination

only lasting solution to COVID-19 challenge,
says EAM Jaishankar
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday, May 05, 2021, attended the G7
Foreign Ministers Meeting in London virtually as a careful measure after he was informed of
possible exposure to COVID-19.
Jaishankar termed the G7 meeting as interactive and thought-provoking. The minister took it to
Twitter to share glimpses of the cyber participation at the G7 Foreign Minister’s Meeting.
A cyber participation at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. So far, yet so near.

pic.twitter.com/kjxqi5mwNx
—Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 5, 2021
Useful virtual meeting with FM @MarcGarneau of Canada on G7 sidelines. Discussed our

respective Covid challenges. Talked about various aspects of our bilateral relationship. Also
exchanged views on Myanmar. pic.twitter.com/LNLdy86H8J
—Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 5, 2021
G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting: Key Highlights
EAM Jaishankar attended the G7 meeting through a video conference and deliberated on
increasing support for the global vaccine distribution scheme COVAX and ensure fair access to
vaccine stocks, along with girls’ education, arbitrary detention, and media freedom on the agenda.
Jaishankar said that vaccination is the only lasting solution to the COVID-19 challenge. The global
answer involves uninterrupted supply chains, diversified production, and generous resourcing.
Jaishankar said, “India will do its part.”
•Vaccination is the only lasting solution to the Covid challenge. A global answer will require
diversified production, uninterrupted supply chains and generous resourcing. India will do its part.

He also touched upon the issue of fake news and digital manipulation. He suggested that
personal freedoms and open societies must on guard against fake news and digital manipulation.
He also spoke about how India has embraced Green Growth since 2014 and transformation
stories span across Jal Jeevan, LED distribution, Ujjwala, forest cover, and renewable capacity.
He also pointed that COP26 will be a test at achieving higher green ambitions.
Jaishankar was thankful to UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab for inviting India as a guest
country to the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting. India, along with Australia, South Africa, South
Korea, and the chair and secretary of ASEAN, was invited to the G7 talks as a guest country.
An interactive and thought-provoking G7 FMM concludes. Appreciated the opportunity to

participate in its many conversations. Some points made: pic.twitter.com/ucW5MnfrPF
The G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting was scheduled to be an in-person affair, however, earlier in the
day, Jaishankar was informed of possible exposure to COVID-19 infection when two members of
the Indian delegation tested positive. “As a measure of abundant caution & also out of
consideration for others, I decided to conduct my engagements in the virtual mode. That will be
the case with G7 Meeting today as well,” he tweeted.
Global Dialogue Series: Key highlights
Earlier in the day, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also addressed a Global Dialogue
Series where he said, “Our healthcare system stands exposed.”
Our healthcare system stands exposed, very clear that over 75 yrs we've underinvested in health.
Maybe there were reasons, it's very easy to say you should've put in more money. Now that I'm in
govt I can tell you it's not as easy as it sounds: EAM at Global Dialogue Series
pic.twitter.com/VntWooFXlV
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021
He spoke about the current medical oxygen crisis and shared that the second wave of COVID-19
has led to a shortage of medical oxygen for which the businesses have been asked to change
their production practices to free up industrial oxygen and convert it into medical oxygen.
We're running trains so that oxygen comes to population centres as production centres are very
distant. We have been trying to purchase tankers from abroad. That is what my Missions are
doing, they are looking for cryogenic tanks, for generators, concentrators: EAM Jaishankar

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021
He highlighted that the IAF is picking up empty tanks, flying them back so that we save on driving
time. “We are running trains to carry reserves of oxygen to population centres. We have been
trying to purchase tankers from abroad. That is what my Missions are doing, they are looking for
cryogenic tanks, generators, concentrators, he mentioned.

Delhi Government launches portal to enable

online booking of oxygen for home isolation
The Delhi Government issued a statement on May 6, 2021 informing that all people requiring
oxygen for home isolation can apply on Delhi Government's portal and their requests will be
processed on top priority.
All those in need of oxygen cylinders or are looking for the refilling of empty cylinders can apply
on Delhi Government's portal - https://delhi.gov.in/ - with a valid photo ID, Aadhaar card details
and COVID positive report.
Though the service is yet to start, the note by the government on the page reads, "a streamlined
system for online booking is being set up. You will be able to register requests through this
website."
Delhi Government says all persons requiring oxygen for home isolation can apply on
https://t.co/a9JS34ui8y with a valid photo ID, Aadhaar card details and COVID positive report
pic.twitter.com/QVbx4LXpj4
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2021

How to apply for oxygen online?
1. First go to https://delhi.gov.in/ website.
2. Scroll down and click on - Online Booking for Refilling of Oxygen Cylinders-Delhi Government-
Corona Relief.
3. You will be redirected to a new page.
4. The page is still being set up for now, keep checking to register your requests.
Delhi Government's Statement: Key Points to Note
•All people/ individuals requiring oxygen for home isolation can apply on delhi.gov.in website with
a valid photo ID, Aadhar card details, COVID-19 positive report and other documents such as CT
scan report.

•The District Magistrates will ensure that an adequate number of office people will be assigned to
scrutinize all incoming applications and issue the e-passes quickly as time is the essence in such
cases. This will be accorded Top priority.
•The DMs shall identify dedicated dealers/ depots to distribute such cylinders to the individuals
who shall not be directed to refilling plants under any circumstances.
•The DMs shall ensure that the dealers regularly get their cylinders refilled from the designated
refilling plants.
•The DM will issue a pass containing the date, time and address of the dealer/ depot from where
the oxygen cylinder can be issued/ exchanged. The DM must ensure that the filled oxygen
cylinder is available before issuing the pass.
•The DM's will further ensure that the distribution of lump-sum allocation is done judiciously and
equitably between the individuals, any non-COVID Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Ambulances, SOS
cylinders of COVID hospitals running on LMO.
•The DCs shall ensure that the committed supplies of the refilling plant for the hospitals.
Objective
Each district in Delhi has been assigned one re-filler for accessing its lump-sum allocation and the
respective District Magistrates have been directed to supervise the management of the
distribution of cylinders from the re-fillers to various recipients.
However, as per reports, there are long queues at cylinder refilling plants, which is also leading to
public safety and public health hazards.
Hence, the government decided to streamline the entire system of distribution of lump-sum
allocation under the supervision of District Magistrates. The move also aims to facilitate the public
to access the cylinders with certainty.

RLD Chief Ajit Singh passes away, he had

tested positive for COVID-19
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) President and former Union Mnister Ajit Singh passed away in the
morning on May 6, 2021. He 86.
He had tested positive for COVID-19 on April 20th and was being treated at a private hospital in
Guguram. As per reports, his condition deteriorated on May 5th due to lung infection.
Rashtriya Lok Dal President Chaudhary Ajit Singh passes away, confirms Jayant Chaudhary
He had tested positive for COVID19 on April 20 pic.twitter.com/TfNE5cimE4
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2021
PM Modi condoled the passing away of the Rashtriya Lok Dal President Chaudhary Ajit Singh
saying, "He was devoted to the interests of the farmers. He efficiently discharged the
responsibilities of several departments at the Centre."
President Ram Nath Kovind also said that he was 'saddened' at the demise of RLD President and
former Union minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh in a tweet.
President Ram Nath Kovind 'saddened' at the demise of RLD President and former Union
minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh pic.twitter.com/a1Qtx3CGtp
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2021

About Ajit Singh
•He was first elected to Rajya Sabha in 1986 after his father, former prime minister Ch Charan
Singh became ill.
•He was the President of Lok Dal (A) in 1987 and Janata Party in 1988.
•He became the General Secretary of Janata Dal in 1989 after all the parties decided to merge
under the leadership of VP Singh to take down the long-serving Congress government.
•Ajit Singh served as a significant political figure in many government formations as well as
alliances thereafter.

•He was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Baghpat Parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh
in 1989.
•He had served as the Minister of Industry under VP Singh's cabinet from December 1989 to
November 1990.
•He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 and served as the Minister of Food Processing
Industries under PV Narasimha Rao's cabinet.
•He was again re-elected in 1996 as a Congress candidate but he later resigned from the party as
well as from Lok sabha.
•He founded Rashtriya Lok Dal and got re-elected in the by-election conducted in 1997.
•Though he lost the Lok Sabha General Election, he was re-elected in 1999, 2004 and 2009.
•He served as the Union Minister of Agriculture under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government from
2001-2003.
•He had joined the United Progressive Alliance in 2011 and served as the Union Minister of Civil
Aviation from December 2011 to May 2014.

Union Cabinet approves MoU between India-

UK on Migration and Mobility Partnership
The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi gave its approval to the signing of the Memorandum of
Understanding between India and the United Kingdom on the Migration and Mobility Partnership.
The MoU will support the innovation ecosystem in both nations by facilitating the free flow of
talent. As per the official release, the Ministry of External Affairs will be closely monitoring the
effective implementation of the signed MoU through the Joint Working Group Mechanism.
The Union Cabinet, meanwhile, has also given its ex-post facto approval to the signing of MoU
between India and the United Kingdom on the Global Innovation Partnership.
Union Cabinet approves MoU b/w India& UK& Northern Island on Migration&Mobility Partnership.
MoU aimed at liberalising issuance of visas promoting mobility of students, researchers&skilled
professionals & strengthen cooperation on issues related to irregular migration&trafficking
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021

MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership: Objective
• The Memorandum of Understanding aims at liberalizing the issuance of visas to promote the
mobility of the researchers, students, and skilled professionals.
• It will also strengthen cooperation on the issues related to human trafficking and migration
between the two sides.
• The agreement will benefit the academics, Indian students and researchers, migrants for
economic and professional reasons. It will also facilitate those willing to contribute through various
projects to the economic development of both the nations without the consideration of creed,
caste, gender, or religion.
Global Innovation Partnership between India and UK:
The Union Cabinet also gave its approval to the signing of the Global Innovation Partnership
between India and the UK.
The partnership was announced during a virtual summit between PM Modi and UK PM Boris

Johnson. It aims to transfer the inclusive Indian innovations to selected developing countries,
starting with Africa.
Both India and UK have agreed to enhance the cooperation on the new and emerging
technologies which will include ICT and Digital products and will work on the supply resilience.
Global Innovation Partnership: Key Details
• GIP will support the Indian innovators to scale up their innovations in third-world nations. It will
help these countries in exploring new markets and become self-sustainable.
• GIP innovations will be focused on Sustainable Development Goals, thereby, assisting the
recipient nations in achieving their SDGs.
• Through grants, investments, seed funding, GIP will support the Indian innovators and
entrepreneurs to test, scale, and take their innovative development solution to the developing
nations.
• Global Innovation Partnership will also create an open and inclusive e-marketplace for cross-
border innovation transfer.

Cabinet approves strategic disinvestment

and transfer of management control in IDBI
Bank Limited
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on May 5, 2021 gave its approval for the strategic
disinvestment and transfer of management control in IDBI Bank Ltd. The cabinet was chaired by
Narendra Modi.
The extent of disinvestment of shareholding by the government and LIC will be decided in
consultation with the RBI during the time of structuring of the transaction.
Key Highlights
•The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and the Government of India together own more
than 94 percent of the equity of IDBI Bank. While the government owns 45.48 percent, LIC owns
49.2 percent of equity.
•LIC is the promoter of IDBI Bank with Management Control and the government of India is the
co-promoter.
•LIC Board recently passed a resolution that stated that LIC may reduce its shareholding in IDBI
Bank Ltd.
•The company plans to divest its stake along with a strategic stake sale envisaged by the Govt.
Objective
The main aim is to relinquish management control taking into consideration market outlook, price,
statutory stipulation and interest of policyholders.
The decision is consistent with the regulatory mandate to it to reduce its stake in the Bank.
Significance
•The strategic disinvestment is expected to infuse funds, new technology and best management
practices that will enable the optimal development of business potential and growth of IDBI Bank

Ltd.
•The move is also expected to generate more business for the bank without any dependence on
LIC and or Government assistance.
•The resources through strategic disinvestment of the Government's share in the bank will be
utilised for finance developmental programmes of the Government benefiting the citizens.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe: Natural Radio

Emission detected in Venus’ Atmosphere
In a study published on May 03, 2021, in the journal Geophysical Research, scientists revealed
that Venus’ upper atmosphere has changed a lot during a solar cycle, the Sun’s 11-years cycle.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, during a brief swing by Venus in July 2020, that reveals the probe
flew by the upper atmosphere of Venus and detected a natural radio signal
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe: Key findings
•The Parker probe's flyby in July 2020 by the upper atmosphere of Venus helped in getting the
first direct measurement of the atmosphere of Venus in about 30 years.
•Previously, NASA’s Pioneer Venus Orbiter from 1978 to 1992 and the European Space Agency’s
Venus Express from 2005 to 2014 had orbited Venus.
•30 years later during the flyby in 2020, the scientists received data that helped them in
calculating the density of the atmosphere of Venus.
•Scientists learned that the Ionosphere of Venus changes in accordance with Sun’s solar cycle.
They noted that Venus’ ionosphere is thinner during solar minimum compared to solar maximum.
•The probe also took an image of Venus when it came within 517 miles of the planet’s surface.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe: Significance
•The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 as a solar mission to analyze the Sun. The
probe’s flyby has been programmed to leverage Venus’ gravity so that the probe can fly closer to
the Sun. However, it keeps stumbling upon new facts about the Venusian atmosphere.
•Both, the Earth and Venus are rocky and similar in size, however, something caused both
planets to diverge their trajectory during formation. The data collected by the Parker probe is
assisting scientists to understand what caused the Earth and Venus to have differences despite
being called twins.

•It is extremely difficult to explore Venus with a spacecraft as it lacks a magnetic field and inhabits
blazingly high temperatures, enough to melt lead. No spacecraft would be able to survive more
than a couple of hours while descending.
•Hence, Scientists see the instances of the Parker probe flying by Venus as opportunities to
gather unique insights and scientific data about the planet.

Mayflower 400, world’s first Artificial

Intelligence ship: All you need to know
A team of researchers from the marine research organization ProMare in collaboration with IBM
built the world’s first AI ship, the ‘Mayflower 400’.
Mayflower 400, the unmanned 15-m-long trimaran that weighs nine tons is a completely
autonomous ship. The ship is set to sail on a transatlantic voyage. Mayflower 400 will track
aquatic mammals, analyze plastic in the water, and study marine pollution.
The ship is powered by Artificial Intelligence and the Sun’s energy via solar panels. Various
nations such as India, the United States, and Switzerland have contributed a variety of technology
towards the project. One of the partners at IBM informed that the project would have been 10
times costlier than the $1 million invested by ProMare without the global efforts from these
nations.
The ship has been equipped with a smart captain, an artificial intelligence technology. The ship is
also installed six high-tech cameras and radars to help the ship learn during its course. The ship,
however, is yet to be work at its best under the worst weather conditions.
Mayflower 400 autonomous ship will begin the transatlantic voyage on May 15, 2021 subject to
good weather conditions. The initial launch was meant to commemorate the sailing of the original
Mayflower that pilgrims from England took to seek a new settlement in America in 1620.
Mayflower 400, world’s first AI ship: Key highlights
•Mayflower 400 is a completely autonomous ship. It is a 15-m-long trimaran that weighs nine
tons.
•It will begin its transatlantic voyage on May 15, 2021, to track aquatic mammals, analyze plastic
in the water, and study marine pollution.
•It is powered by Artificial Intelligence and the Sun’s energy via solar panels.
•It has been built by the marine research organization ProMare in collaboration with IBM.

•ProMare invested $1 million along with global contributions in form of technology from India, the
United States, and Switzerland to build the ship.
•The ship, equipped with a smart captain, six high-tech cameras and radars, has been trained
with audio data to avoid collisions, correct its course, detect marine animals, and gather
information of the population of the aquatic animals.
•The ship can also listen to whales with a self-activating hydrophone.
•Currently, the ship is trained to handle fifty meters high waves.
•Mayflower 400 autonomous ship provides an edge to the scientists in exploring the rough seas
as the ship will be unmanned.

PM Modi, UK PM Johnson adopt 'Roadmap

2030' to elevate India-UK ties to
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson adopted an ambitious
Roadmap 2030 on May 4, 2021 for elevating India-UK ties to a 'Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership'.
The two countries have also launched an 'Enhanced Trade Partnership' (ETP) to enhance the
trade potential between the fifth and sixth largest economies of the world. Under the partnership,
the two countries have set an ambitious target of more than doubling bilateral trade by 2030.
This was decided during the high-level virtual summit conducted between the two Prime Ministers
on May 4th, during which they exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest
such as G7 and the cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region.
PM Modi had tweeted saying that he had a productive virtual summit with his friend Boris
Johnson. He said, "We adopted an ambitious Roadmap 2030 for elevating India-UK ties to a
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership."
Had a productive Virtual Summit with my friend UK PM @BorisJohnson. We adopted an

ambitious Roadmap 2030 for elevating India-UK ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

PM Modi-UK PM Virtual Meeting: Key Highlights
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced £1 billion
worth new UK-India trade & investment during their virtual meeting. The amount includes over
£533 million of new Indian investment into UK's vital and growing sectors such as health and
technology.
On COVID-19
The two leaders discussed the COVID-19 situation and ongoing cooperation in the battle against
the COVID-19 pandemic, including the successful partnership on vaccines.

Roadmap 2030
•An ambitious 'Roadmap 2030' was adopted during the summit to elevate bilateral ties to a
'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'.
•The roadmap will enable a deeper and stronger engagement between the two countries over the
next ten years in the key areas including trade and economy, defence and security, health,
climate action and people-to-people contacts.
•The two agreed on a roadmap to negotiate a comprehensive and balanced Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) including consideration of an interim trade agreement for delivering early gains.
The comprehensive roadmap will focus on five key areas:

-People-to-people relationship
-Trade and prosperity
-Defence and security
-Climate action and healthcare
Enhanced Trade Partnership
•The Prime Ministers of both nations launched an 'Enhanced Trade Partnership' (ETP) to explore
trade potential between the two nations.
•Under the partnership, the two nations set an ambitious target of more than doubling bilateral
trade by 2030.
•India and the UK also agreed to create a roadmap under the partnership to negotiate a
comprehensive and balanced FTA, including consideration of an Interim Trade Agreement for
delivering early gains.
•The enhanced trade partnership between India and UK is expected to generate several
thousands of direct and indirect jobs in both the countries.
We discussed ongoing cooperation on COVID-19 pandemic and reiterated commitment to

ambitious climate action to meet Paris goals in the run-up to COP26.

Climate Action

The two leaders further reiterated their commitment to climate action to achieve the goals of the
Paris Agreement. They also agreed to closely engage in the run-up to CoP26, which will be
hosted by the UK later this year.
India-UK Global Innovation Partnership
•A new India-UK 'Global Innovation Partnership' was also announced during the virtual summit
between the two leaders. The partnership aims to support the transfer of inclusive Indian
innovations to select developing countries, starting with Africa. The United Kingdom is India's
second-largest partner in research and innovation collaborations.
•The two nations also agreed to enhance cooperation on new and emerging technologies,
including Digital and ICT products and work on the supply chain resilience.
•The leaders also agreed to strengthen defence and security ties, including in counter-terrorism,
cyberspace and maritime domains.
Comprehensive Partnership on Migration
India and the UK have launched a comprehensive partnership on migration and mobility that aims
to facilitate greater opportunities for the mobility of students and professionals between the two
countries.
PM Modi thanks UK PM for prompt medical assistance
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi also thanked PM Johnson for the prompt medical assistance
provided by the UK government to India amid its deadly second wave of COVID-19.
•UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also appreciated India's role in extending assistance to the UK
and other countries over the last year by supplying life-saving pharmaceuticals and vaccines.
•The Indian Prime Minister further expressed his desire to be able to welcome the UK PM to India
as per his convenience after the situation stabilizes. The UK PM also reiterated his invitation to
PM Modi to visit UK for the G-7 Summit.
•The United Kingdom will be hosting the G7 summit in June 2021, where Prime Minister Modi is a
special invitee.
UK PM Boris Johnson cancels India visit

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on April 19, 2021, canceled his trip to India due to
the raging COVID-19 second wave in the country. He was scheduled to visit India on
April 25. It was decided then that the British PM will instead hold a virtual meeting with
Prime Minister Modi later to launch their plans for the future UK-India Partnership.
This was the second time that the UK PM canceled his visit to India. He was initially
supposed to visit India in January to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day
Celebrations on January 26, 2021. However, he had to cancel his visit due to a major
spike in the COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom.
Background
India and the United Kingdom share long-standing friendly ties. They also enjoy a Strategic
Partnership since 2004, which has been marked by regular high-level exchanges and growing
convergences in diverse areas.
The Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is currently on a visit to London (May 3-6, 2021)
to participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting, at which India has been invited as a guest
country.
The Minister will later hold a bilateral visit to the UK. He will also be meeting with the US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Union Cabinet approves free food grain

under PMGKAY for 2 months
The Union Cabinet gave its approval on May 5, 2021, for an allocation of additional food grain to
the NFSA beneficiaries under the government’s Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
(Phase III). The additional food grain will be given for the period of 2 months- May and June 2021.
The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi gave its ex-post facto approval for the allocation of
additional food grains under PMGKAY Phase III for two months.
Under the additional allocation, 5 kg of food grain will be given per person free of cost, covering
around 79.88 crores beneficiaries under NFSA (National Food Security Act) including those
covered under DBT.
According to the official release, the additional food grain allocated will entail an estimated food
subsidy of Rs. 25332.92 crores. It will take the estimated Economic Cost of Rs. 36789.2/MT for
rice and Rs. 25731.4/MT for the wheat.
Cabinet approves allocation of additional foodgrain to NFSA Beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri
Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (Phase III) for another period of two months – May and June,
2021https://t.co/N9r6poH2s1

Why the additional allocation is important?
The official release states that the additional allocation of the food grains will ameliorate the
hardships that are faced by the poor of the country because of the economic disruption caused by
the COVID-19.
It added that no poor family will suffer because of the non-availability of the food grains due to the
economic disruption in the next two months.
Key Highlights:
• The State/UT wise allocation of wheat and rice will be decided by the Food and Public
Distribution Department on the basis of the existing allocation ratio under the NFSA.

• The Food and Public Distribution Department will also be deciding on the extension of the lifting
or the distribution period under PMGKAY as per the operational requirements keeping into
consideration the partial and local lockdown situations, adverse weather conditions such as
cyclones, monsoons, COVID induced constraints and supply chain.
• The total outgo under the additional allocation in terms of the food grains will be approximately
80 lakh metric tonnes.
Background:
PMGKAY is a food security scheme. It was announced by the Indian Government amid the
COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The Food and Public Distribution Department is responsible
for operating the program under the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry.
It aims at providing food grains to the poorest of the country through the Public Distribution
System. Under PMGKAY, 5 kg of wheat or rice per person and 1 kg of dal are provided to each
family holding the ration card.

100 million-years-old bones of Sauropods

dinosaur found in Meghalaya
The researchers have identified the fossil bone fragments of the long-necked dinosaurs, known
as Sauropods from an area around West Khasi Hill Districts in Meghalaya. The fossil dates back
to about 100-million years.
The findings, which are yet to be published, were made during a recent field trip by the
researchers from the Palaeontology Division of the Geological Survey of India in the North-East
Region.
The researchers of the Geological Survey of India have also noted that this is the first record of
sauropods of the probable Titanosaurian origin that has been discovered in the region.
The latest findings also make Meghalaya the fifth state in India after Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,
Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra and the only state in the North East to report Sauropod bones
having titanosaurian affinity.
Sauropods dinosaur:
Sauropods dinosaurs were the ones with a very long neck, small heads, long tails, relative to the
rest of their body, and four-thick pillar-like legs. Sauropods are notable for the enormous sizes
attained by some of the species. The group includes the largest animals to have ever lived on the
land.
Titanosaurs were a diverse group of the Sauropod Dinosaurs. They included genera from Asia,
Africa, North America, South America, Australia, Europe, and Antarctica.
Discovery of the fossil bone fragments in Meghalaya:
The Senior Geologist of the Palaeontology Division of GSI, Arindam Roy has informed that the
dinosaur bones from Meghalaya were reported by the Geological Survey of India in 2001.
However, they were ill-preserved and were fragmentary in order to understand its taxonomic
identification.
He added that the present findings of the fossil bones are during the fieldwork in 2019-2020 and

2020-21. The last visit of the team of GSI to the region was in February 2021. The fossils that are
found are presumably of the Late Cretaceous period which is about 100 million years ago.
The Senior Geologist noted that the best-preserved fossils are the limb bones. He also added the
type of curvature, development of the lateral and proximal margins of the partially preserved
bones are also indicative of it being humerus bone.
He further noted that the conclusions are drawn from the preliminary studies and informed that
the detailed work is going on.
Identification becomes difficult due to poor preservation:
The fossil bone fragments of Sauropods were discovered by the GSI team from very poorly
sorted, purplish to greenish very coarse-grained arkosic sandstone. It was interlaid with pebbly
beds.
More than 25-disarticulated, mostly fragmentary bone specimens were recovered, which are of
different sizes and also occur as isolated specimens but some of them were found in close
proximity with each other.
Because of the poorly preserved, fragmentary, and incomplete nature of the bone, the taxonomic
identification up to the genus level is difficult. Most of the recovered bones are partially petrified
and are partially replaced.
Therefore, as per the researchers, only three of the best-preserved bones can be studied. The
largest one is partially preserved limb bone of 55 cm and is comparable with the average
humerus length of the titanosaurids.
Another incomplete limb bone found is 45 cm in length. It is comparable with the limb bones of the
titanosauriform clade.
Cretaceous sauropod dinosaur in India:
The late cretaceous sauropod dinosaur in India generally belongs to the titanosaurian clade. It
has been reported from the Lameta Formation of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra,
and Kallamedu Formation of Tamil Nadu.

RBI Governor announces new measures to

tackle COVID-19 pandemic: Get Key
Highlights
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced Rs 50,000 crore liquidity for ramping up COVID-19
related healthcare infrastructure and services till March 2022.
He also announced special long-term repo operations for small finance banks to provide further
support to micro, small & other unorganized sector entities and three-year repo operations of Rs
10,000 crore at repo rate for fresh lending up to Rs 10 lakh per borrower.
India was at foothills of recovery: RBI Governor
•The Governor noted that as the financial year 2020-21, the pandemic year, was drawing to a
close, the Indian economy was advantageously poised, relative to peers.
•He said that India was at the foothills of a strong recovery, having regained positive growth and
having flattened the infections curve.
•However, the situation changed drastically since then. He noted that India today is fighting a
ferocious rise in infections and mortalities.
•He further stated that new mutant strains have emerged, which are causing severe strains on the
healthcare and medical facilities, vaccine supplies and frontline health personnel. He said that the
fresh crisis is still unfolding.
Restoring Normalcy Imperative
•The RBI governor stated that shoring up livelihoods and restoring normalcy in access to
workplaces, education and incomes is imperative at this time.
•He assured that the RBI will continue to monitor the emerging situation and deploy all its
resources in the service of the nation, especially the citizens and business entities that have been
hit majorly by the second wave.

•He stated that the devastating speed with which the virus has affected different regions of the
country has to be matched by swift-footed and wide-ranging actions in calibrated manner to reach
out to various sections of the society and business, especially the smallest and the most
vulnerable.
The devastating speed with which the virus affects has to be matched by swift and wide-ranging
actions that are sequenced, calibrated and well-timed so as to reach out to various sections
including the most vulnerable: RBI Governor
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021

RBI Governor hails Doctors/Nurses
•The RBI Governor expressed his gratitude to all the doctors, healthcare and medical staff, police
and law enforcement agencies and other authorities who are battling the second wave selflessly
and tirelessly and have been at the frontline of India's battle against COVID-19 for more than a
year.
•He emphasised that their services to the nation are needed now, more than ever.
•He stated that RBI's quarantine facilities continue to operate with more than 250 RBI personnel
and service providers, who are away from their homes, to ensure continuity of various segments
of financial markets and RBI operations.
Assessment of the Current Global Economic Situation
•The RBI Governor noted that the global economy is exhibiting incipient signs of recovery as
countries renew their growth, supported by monetary and fiscal stimulus. However, the activity
remains uneven across countries and sectors.
•He said that the global economic outlook is highly uncertain and clouded with downside risks.
•In April 2021, the International Monetary Fund had revised up its global growth projection for
2021 to 6.0 percent, from 5.5 percent projected in January 2021, based on the assumption that
vaccines would be available in advanced economies (AEs) and some emerging market
economies (EMEs) by mid-2021 and in most other countries by the second half of 2022.
•The Consumer price index (CPI) inflation remained fine for advanced economies. In few
emerging market economies, on the other hand, it remains to be above targets on account of
firming global food and commodity prices.

•Further, the global financial markets regained buoyancy in April on vaccine optimism after bouts
of volatility in February-March, followed by corrections.
India's Economic Situation
•India's aggregate supply conditions are underpinned by the resilience of the agricultural sector,
said the RBI Governor.
•He further noted that the record foodgrains production and buffer stocks in 2020-21 helped
provide food security and support to other sectors of the economy in the form of rural demand,
employment and agricultural inputs and supplies, including for exports.
•He further said that the forecast of a normal monsoon by the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) is expected to sustain rural demand and overall output in 2021-22 and also have a soothing
impact on inflation pressures.
•However, he said that the aggregate demand conditions, especially in contact-intensive services,
are likely to see a temporary dip, depending on the COVID situation.
•He noted that households and businesses are still learning to adapt with restrictions and
containment measures being localised.
•He noted that the dent to aggregate demand is expected to be moderate in comparison to a year
ago, disruption in manufacturing units so far is minimal.
•The consumption demand is also holding up so far, with sales of consumer goods rising in
double digits in January-March 2021.
•The Rail freight has registered growth of over 76 percent year-on-year in April.
Rail freight registered growth of over 76% yr on yr in April. Toll collections in April suggest mobility
declined but unlike abrupt halt during April 2020. Automobiles registration in April 2021 shown
moderation compared to March. Tractor segment continues robust pace: RBI Gov
pic.twitter.com/B945yMEFXF
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021
•While mobility has declined, it is not the same as the abrupt halt in mobility during April 2020.
•Further, registration of automobiles in April 2021 has shown moderation compared to March.

•The tractor segment continues to grow at robust pace.
•The Purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for manufacturing also continues to expand at 55.5 in
April 2021 compared to 55.4 in the preceding month.
•Overall, the high-frequency indicators have been emitting mixed signals.
•The RBI governor assures that RBI will closely and continuously monitor all incoming data to
assess on a real-time basis the impact of the second wave on macro-economic and financial
conditions.
Key Details
•The CPI inflation edged up to 5.5 percent in March 2021 from 5.0 percent a month ago.
•While there has been softening in the prices of cereals and key vegetables, price pressures in
pulses and edible oils remain.
•The prices of petrol and diesel registered some moderation in April, while manufacturing and
services PMIs along with rising WPI inflation show persistence of input price pressure.
•A normal southwest monsoon is expected to help contain food price pressures, especially in
cereals and pulses.
Normal monsoon should help contain food price pressures, especially in cereals and pulses.
Merchandise imports and exports continue to witness robust growth performance, even in April
2021. Foreign exchange reserves give us confidence to deal with global spillovers: RBI Governor
pic.twitter.com/w0GjsQZ1R0
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021
•Among other sectors, India’s merchandise exports and imports rose sharply in March 2021.
•The merchandise trade deficit shrank to US $98.6 billion for 2020-21 from US $ 161 billion a year
ago.
•According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, India’s merchandise exports and imports
continue to witness broad-based robust growth performance in April 2021.
•India's Foreign exchange reserves also stood at US$ 588 billion on April 30, 2021.

RBI's additional measures to support businesses and individuals amid COVID-19 second
wave
Following are some of the measures that the RBI has undertaken to support growth
impulses such as small businesses and financial entities at the grassroot level that are
bearing the biggest brunt of the second wave of COVID-19-
i) RBI has announced Rs 50,000 crore liquidity for ramping up COVID-related healthcare
infrastructure and services till March 2022.
ii) RBI is also opening an on-tap liquidity window of 50,000 crore with tenors of up to three years
at the repo rate till March 31, 2022 to boost provision of immediate liquidity for ramping up COVID
related healthcare infrastructure and services in the country.
Special long term repo operations for small finance banks to provide further support to micro,
small & other unorganized sector entities,3-yr repo operations of Rs. 10,000 crore at repo rate, for
fresh lending up to Rs 10 lakh per borrower;facility up to 31 Oct' 21: RBI Governor
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021
iii) Under the scheme, banks will be able to provide fresh lending support to a wide range of
entities including vaccine manufactures, suppliers or importers of vaccines and priority medical
devices, pathology labs, hospitals/dispensaries and manufacturers and suppliers of oxygen and
ventilators.
iv) The banks have also been incentivised for quick credit delivery under the scheme through
extension of priority sector classification to such lending up to March 31, 2022.
v) These loans will be classified under priority sector till repayment or maturity, whichever is
earlier.
vi) The Banks may deliver these loans to borrowers directly or through intermediary financial
entities thatare regulated by the RBI.
vii) Further, the banks are expected to create a COVID loan book under the scheme.
viii) Banks will also be eligible to park their surplus liquidity up to the size of the COVID loan book
with the RBI under the reverse repo window at a rate that is 25 bps lower than the repo rate or,
termed in a different way, 40 bps higher than the reverse repo rate.

Special Long-Term Repo Operations for Small Finance Banks
•RBI has decided to conduct special three-year long-term repo operations (SLTRO) of 10,000
crore at repo rate for the SFBs, to be deployed for fresh lending of up to 10 lakh per borrower.
This facility will be available till October 31, 2021.
•The move aims to provide further support to small business units, micro and small industries, and
other unorganised sector entities adversely affected during the current wave of the pandemic.
•The Small Finance Banks have also been permitted to regard fresh on-lending to MFIs with asset
size up to Rs 500 crore, as priority sector lending, facility available up to 31 March, 2022.
•In February 2021, Scheduled Commercial Banks were allowed to deduct credit disbursed to new
MSME borrowers from their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) for calculation of the cash
reserve ratio (CRR). This exemption currently available for exposures up to 25 lakh and for credit
disbursed up to the fortnight ending October 1, 2021 is being extended till December 31, 2021.
RBI has also announced separate measures targeting the most vulnerable category of
borrowers- individual borrowers, small businesses and MSMEs-
1. The individuals and small businesses and MSMEs having aggregate exposure of upto 25 crore
and who have not availed restructuring under any of the earlier restructuring frameworks
(including under the Resolution Framework 1.0 dated August 6, 2020), and who were classified
as ‘Standard’ as on March 31, 2021 shall be eligible to be considered under Resolution
Framework 2.0. Restructuring under the proposed framework may be invoked up to September
30, 2021 and shall have to be implemented within 90 days after invocation.
2. The individual borrowers and small businesses who have availed restructuring of their loans
under Resolution Framework 1.0, where the resolution plan permitted moratorium of less than two
years, lending institutions are being permitted to use this window to modify such plans to the
extent of increasing the period of moratorium and/or extending the residual tenor up to a total of 2
years. Other conditions will remain the same.
3. The lending institutions are also being permitted as a one-time measure, to review the working
capital sanctioned limits for small businesses and MSMEs, based on a reassessment of the
working capital cycle, margins.
No penalty where periodic KYC updating is due

The RBI has advised regulated entities that for the customer accounts where periodic
KYC updating is due/pending, no punitive restriction on operations of customer accounts
shall be imposed till December 31, 2021.
Relaxation in State's Overdraft facility
The RBI has permitted certain relaxations in the overdraft facilities of the state
governments. The maximum number of days of OD in a quarter is being increased from
36 to 50 days and the number of consecutive days of OD from 14 to 21 days.
This will be available up to September 30, 2021. The Ways and Means Advance (WMA)
limits of states have already been enhanced on April 23, 2021.
Source: RBI

COAI welcomes Telecom Department’s

approval to 5G Technology and spectrum
trials
The Cellular Operators Association of India- COAI on May 4, 2021, welcomed the decision of the
Telecom Department to give approval to the applications of the telecom service providers for
conducting the 5G Trials in the country.
The Department of Telecom approved the applications of the telecom service providers- TSPs-
Bharti Airtel Ltd, Vodafone Idea Ltd., Reliance JioInfocomm Ltd, and MTNL- for conducting the 5
G trials.
In an official statement, Lieutenant General Dr. SP Kochhar, Director-General of COAI stated that
COAI welcomes the decision of the government of starting the exhaustive 5G trials in the different
categories of locations across India.
The statement added that the move will further help in stimulating the local research and
development ecosystem.
Telecom Department gives go-ahead for 5G Technology and Spectrum Trials
Telecom Service Providers to start 5G trials in different locations across India@rsprasad

@DoT_India @SanjayDhotreMP @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts
Details: https://t.co/B1DkmR8itx
— PIB_INDIA Ministry of Communications (@pib_comm) May 4, 2021

What will happen under the 5G trials?
• The 5G trials by the Telecom Service Providers in various locations of the country will help in
stimulating the local Research and Development ecosystem in order to develop innovative
applications tailored to commercial needs.
• The trials will also enable the TSPs to validate the 5G Technologies and also use cases such as
Industry 4.0 and IoT.

• The Telecom Service Providers whose application was approved have tied up with the original
equipment manufacturers and technology providers- Nokia, Ericsson, C-DOT, and Samsung. In
addition to this, Reliance JioInfocomm Ltd will also be conducting trials using its own indigenous
technology.
5G Trials by the TSPs: Key details
• At present, the duration of the trials is for a period of 6 months. This will include the time period
of 2 months for the procurement and setting up of the equipment.
• The permission letters by the government have specified that TSP will be required to conduct
trials in semi-urban and rural settings. It will be done in addition to the urban settings so that the
benefit of the 5G Technology is escalated across the country and is not limited only to the urban
areas.
• The Telecom Service Providers are also encouraged to conduct the trials using 5Gi technology
in addition to the already known 5G Technology.

COVID-19 testing: ICMR issues revised

guidelines, all you need to know
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on May 04, 2021, issued fresh guidelines for
COVID-19 testing as laboratories are facing difficulty to fulfill the expected testing target ‘due to
overwhelming high caseload and staff being infected with COVID-19’.
The ICMR recommended optimizing RT-PCR testing for COVID-19 so that testing can be made
accessible and available to every citizen.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issues advisory for COVID19 testing during the
second wave of the pandemic; RTPCR test must not be repeated in any individual who has tested
positive once either by RAT or RTPCR. pic.twitter.com/Tjkez7lmaL
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2021

Revised guidelines for COVID-19 testing: Key Points
•RT-PCR test will not be repeated on any individual who has previously tested positive once.
•No need for COVID-19 testing for individuals who recovered at the time of hospital discharge.
•Testing not required for healthy individuals going for inter-state domestic travel.
•Interstate travel of symptomatic individuals and non-essential travel must be avoided to contain
the spread of infection.
•ICMR asks States to increase RT-PCR testing across mobile testing systems available on the
Government e-Marketplace portal.
•Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) to be allowed across all Government and private healthcare facilities.
•RAT booths to be set up across healthcare facilities, offices, schools, RWA, community centers,
colleges, and other vacant spaces. These booths must be always operating to increase
accessibility and availability of testing.
•Infected individuals who tested positive through RAT advised to practice home isolation and
need not be re-tested, as per ICMR.

•If individuals tested negative through RAT must be attached with an RT-PCR test facility and be
advised to practice home isolation treatment.
•All RAT and RT-PCR tests must be uploaded on the ICMR portal. All individuals tested for
COVID-19 through RAT and RT-PCR should upload their vaccination status on the Sample
Referral Form (SRF) in the RT-PCR app.

Mamata Banerjee takes oath as West Bengal

CM for third consecutive time
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as West Bengal's Chief Minister for the
third consecutive time on May 5, 2021. This comes after her party, All India Trinamool Congress
secured a landslide win in the state with 213 seats out of the total 292 Assembly constituencies
that went to polls.
Mamata Banerjee has become the only woman Chief Minister to win three consecutive terms
in India that too each time with a bigger margin. She was administered the oath by West Bengal
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
After the swearing-in ceremony, the WB Governor congratulated Mamata Banerjee on her third
term. He emphasised on putting priority to bring an end to this senseless violence that has
affected society at large. He added saying that he has every hope that the CM on an urgent basis
will take all steps to restore rule of law in the state
I congratulate Mamata Ji on her third term. Our priority is that we must bring an end to this
senseless violence that has affected society at large. I have every hope that the CM on an urgent
basis will take all steps to restore rule of law: West Bengal Governor pic.twitter.com/bn3jbtQaGM
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2021

Key Details
•Mamata Banerjee's oath-taking ceremony was low profile due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic
situation in India.
•Her cabinet is expected to be sworn in tomorrow, on May 6th by pro-tem speaker Subrata
Mukherjee.
•As per reports, Biman Banerjee has been named the speaker of the house.
•The All India Trinamool Congress won 213 seats out of the 292 constituencies that went to polls,
while BJP won 77 and the Congress and the Left alliance could not win any.
•The elections in two seats in Murshidabad were postponed due to the demise of candidates due

to COVID.
•The TMC has won more seats in this election in comparison to last time when they had won 211
seats.
Nandigram Battle
Mamata Banerjee lost her battle in the Nandigram constituency despite winning a clear
majority in the whole of West Bengal. She was up against her former aide Suvendhu
Adhikari, whose family has had an upper hand in the constituency for years. Adhikari had
switched over to the BJP this time.

US Government approves major solar energy

project in California desert
The Government of the United States of America announced on May 3, 2021, that it has given its
approval to a major solar energy project in the California desert. The solar energy project will be
capable of powering nearly 90,000 homes.
The announcement of approving the project comes as US President Joe Biden promised to
enhance the development of the renewable energy projects on the public lands of the country.
The expansion is part of the broader agenda to create jobs, fight climate change, and reverse the
former President Trump’s emphasis on maximizing fossil fuel extraction.
Significance:
According to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, projects such as solar energy in California will help
in making the United States a global leader in the clean energy economy. It will be done through
the acceleration of the responsible renewable energy development on the public lands.
Crimson Solar Project: Key details
• The Interior Department in a statement informed that the Crimson Solar Energy Project of
$550 million will be sited on 2,000 acres of federal land west of Blythe, California.
• The solar energy project is being developed by the Canadian Solar Unit Recurrent Energy and it
will be delivering power to California Utility Southern California Edison.
• Crimson Solar energy project will create 650 construction jobs but just 40 temporary and 10
permanent jobs in the operations and the maintenance for the 30-year life of the project.
• The solar energy project will include a battery storage system and will be sited on the land that
has been designated for renewable energy development by the Desert Renewable Energy
Conservation Plan.
• The agreement of the plan was signed between the Obama administration and the state of
California that aside areas for the wind and solar projects.

IPL suspended indefinitely, informs BCCI

Vice-President Rajeev Shukla
The Indian Premier League has been suspended indefinitely, informed Vice-President BCCI
Rajeev Shukla on May 4, 2021. The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) and
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season
with immediate effect during an emergency meeting in the wake of worsening COVID-19 crisis in
the country.
The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season, with
immediate effect: BCCI pic.twitter.com/3NaN3qgJdt
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2021
The announcement comes a day after two Kolkata Knight Riders players- Varun Chakravarthy
and Sandeep Warrior tested positive for COVID-19. SunRisers Hyderabad's wicketkeeper-
batsman Wriddhiman Saha has also tested positive for COVID-19.
Delhi Capitals spinner Amit Mishra has also tested positive for coronavirus. Two members of the
Chennai Super Kings franchise have also tested positive including a support staff and a bus
cleaner, none of them are players. As per reports, five groundsmen on Kotla cricket ground in
Delhi also tested positive for COVID-19.
BCCI Secretary's Statement
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said in a statement that the safety of each and every person
involved with the league was the priority. He said that they have decided to postpone the
2021 season till further notice keeping an eye on the current COVID-19 situation in the
country.
He emphasised that they don't wish to compromise the safety of the players and all the
other people involved including the employees, the groundsmen and the match officials.
Key Details
•The two KKR players were found to be positive in the third round of testing in the last four days.
The rest of the KKR team tested negative.

•This is the first time that COVID-19 positive cases were detected with an IPL team bubble since
the 2021 season started.
•All IPL teams have been kept in a strict bio-secure environment. However, as per reports Varun
Chakravarthy had left the bio-secure bubble through an official green channel to get a scan for an
injured shoulder. He may have caught the virus there.
•The full KKR contingent has now moved towards a daily testing routine to identify any other
possible cases. The entire team has been put in a 5-day quarantine in their hotel rooms in
Ahmedabad.
•The two positive players are also being closely monitored by a medical team.
•The match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 3rd in
Ahmedabad was postponed following the news.
Official Announcement:
Today’s match between KKR and RCB has been postponed by the BCCI as per IPL Safety
Guidelines after Varun Chakaravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive for COVID.
We wish Varun and Sandeep a speedy recovery. #PlayBold #IPL2021 #KKRvRCB

pic.twitter.com/yctoffeW3C
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 3, 2021
• SunRisers Hyderabad's wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha also tested positive for Covid-
19 on May 4, 2021. He is, however, the only person in the team to have tested positive for
coronavirus so far. The entire team is now under isolation.
SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) Wriddhiman Saha tests positive for #COVID19, confirms SRH
Management.#IPL2021
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/RlClGjfXNc
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2021
•The Sunrisers Hyderabad were supposed to play against the Mumbai Indians on May 4th at the
Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

•The Delhi Capitals team, which played against KKR on April 29th, has also gone into isolation.
The DC had played against Punjab Kings on May 2nd.
•The Chennai Super Kings issued a statement on May 4, 2021 informing that bowling coach
Lakshmipathy Balaji and member of the travel support staff had tested positive for Covid-19. The
team informed that both members of staff were in isolation and under medical supervision.
•The rest of the CSK squad will also remain in isolation as per IPL protocols.
Official Announcement!#WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/45mWyu8ySn
— Chennai Super Kings - Mask Pdu Whistle Pdu! (@ChennaiIPL) May 4, 2021
IPL Suspended or to be Rescheduled?
IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel informed on May 4, 2021 that the Indian Premier League has
been indefinitely suspended following the Covid-19 crisis in the country. He announced,
"The tournament stands suspended, we are looking for another window." He continued
by saying, "Right now we can't say when we can reschedule it."
Background
The IPL suspension comes as the deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is ripping
apart the Indian health care system. India's total tally of COVID-19 infections reached 2,02,82,833
with 3,57,229 new COVID19 cases being reported in the last 24 hours. The total death toll has
reached 2,22,408 with 3449 deaths reported in the past day. Currently, India has about 34,47,133
active cases and around 1,66,13,292 people have recovered.

IPL Schedule 2021: Check Full IPL Schedule,

IPL 2021 Time Table, Teams and Venue
IPL Schedule 2021: The Indian Premier League 2021 has been suspended for now due to
detection of COVID-19 positive cases within the IPL bio-secure bubble. Two KKR players, along
with one SRH player and DC bowler and two CSK staff tested positive for COVID-19.
All the affected teams have been put under isolation and will be tested again. So, far no other
player has tested positive. However, as a precaution in the wake of India's COVID-19 crisis, the
IPL Governing Council and the BCCI unanimously decided to postpone the league indefinitely
with immediate effect. The BCCI has assured that it will do everything in its powers to arrange for
the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021.
Overall 29 league stage matches were played so far, all the remaining ones have been postponed
indefinitely.
IPL 2021 Final
The IPL 2021 final was supposed to be played on May 30th at the Narendra Modi Stadium in
Ahmedabad. The newly rebuilt stadium, which is currently the largest cricket stadium in the world,
hosted its first-ever IPL match in this season. The venue was supposed to host both playoffs and
the final.
BCCI announces schedule for VIVO IPL 2021
The season will kickstart on 9th April in Chennai and the final will take place on May 30th at the
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
More details here - https://t.co/yKxJujGGcD #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/qfaKS6prAJ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 7, 2021

IPL 2021 Full Schedule, Time Table, Venue & Matches: All you need to Know!
• Out of the total 56 league matches, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata & Bengaluru will host 10 matches
each and Delhi and Ahmedabad will host 8 matches each.

• All matches will be played at neutral venues for the first-ever time in IPL. This means that no
team will play at their home venue.
• All teams will play at 4 out of 6 venues during the league stage.
• There will be 11 doubleheaders in total where 6 teams will play three afternoon matches and 2
will play two afternoon matches.
• The afternoon matches will begin at 3.30 pm IST, while the evening match will start at 7:30 pm
IST.
• The matches have been planned in a way that every team will travel only three times during the
league stage to reduce commuting and thus minimize risk.
Will fans be allowed for IPL 2021 Tournament?
Initially, the VIVO IPL 2021 will be played behind closed doors with no live audience and a call on
allowing spectators will be taken at a later stage of the tournament.
IPL 2021 Schedule: Date, Time, Venue & Fixtures
V
e
Match IST
Matches Date/ Day n Result
No. Time
u
e
C
h
RCB
Mumbai Indians (MI) Vs e
7:30 won by
1 Royal Challengers 9th April/ Friday n
PM IST 2
Bangalore (RCB) n
wickets
a
i
M
u
Chennai Super Kings DC won
7:30 m
2 (CSK) Vs Delhi Capitals 10th April/ Saturday by 7
PM IST b
(DC) wickets
a
i

C
h
Sun Risers Hyderabad e KKR
7:30
3 (SRH) Vs Kolkata Knight 11th April/ Sunday n won by
PM IST
Riders (KKR) n 10 runs
a
i
M
u Punjab
Rajasthan Royals (RR) 7:30 m Kings
4 12th April/ Monday
Vs Punjab Kings PM IST b won by
a 10 runs
i
C
h
Kolkata Knight Riders e MI won
7:30
5 (KKR) Vs Mumbai 13th April/ Tuesday n by 10
PM IST
Indians (MI) n runs
a
i
C
h
Sun Risers Hyderabad
e RCB
(SRH) Vs Royal 7:30
6 14th April/ Wednesday n won by
Challengers Bangalore PM IST
n 6 runs
(RCB)
a
i
M
u
Rajasthan Royals (RR) 7:30 m RR won
7 15th April/ Thursday by 3
Vs Delhi Capitals (DC) PM IST b
a wickets
i
M
u CSK
Punjab Kings Vs Chennai 7:30 m won by
8 16th April/ Friday
Super Kings (CSK) PM IST b 6
a wickets
i
9 Mumbai Indians (MI) Vs 17th April/ Saturday 7:30 C MI won

h
e
Sun Risers Hyderabad n by 13
PM IST
(SRH)) n runs
a
i
C
h
Royal Challengers
e RCB
Bangalore (RCB) Vs 3:30
10 18th April/ Sunday n won by
Kolkata Knight Riders PM IST
n 38 runs
(KKR)
a
i
M
u
Delhi Capitals (DC) Vs 7:30 m DC won
11 18th April/ Sunday by 6
Punjab Kings PM IST b
a wickets
i
M
u
Chennai Super Kings
7:30 m CSK
12 (CSK) Vs Rajasthan 19th April/ Monday
PM IST b won by
Royals (RR)
a 45 runs
i
C
h
e DC won
Delhi Capitals (DC) Vs 7:30
13 20th April/ Tuesday n by 6
Mumbai Indians (MI) PM IST
n wickets
a
i
C
h
e SRH
Punjab Kings Vs Sun 3:30
14 21st April/ Wednesday n won by
Risers Hyderabad (SRH) PM IST 9
n
a wickets
i
15 Kolkata Knight Riders 21st April/ Wednesday 7:30 M CSK

u
m won by
(KKR) Vs Chennai Super
PM IST b 18
Kings (CSK)
a runs
i
M
u RCB
Royal Challengers
7:30 m won by
16 Bangalore (RCB) Vs 22nd April/ Thursday
PM IST b 9
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
a wickets
i
C
h Punjab
e Kings
Punjab Kings Vs Mumbai 7:30
17 23rd April/ Friday n won by
Indians (MI) PM IST
n 9
a wickets
i
M
u
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
7:30 m RR won
18 Vs Kolkata Knight Riders 24th April/ Saturday by 6
PM IST b
(KKR) wickets
a
i
M
Chennai Super Kings u
(CSK) Vs Royal 3:30 m CSK
19 25th April/ Sunday
Challengers Bangalore PM IST b win by
(RCB) a 69 runs
i
C
h Delhi
Sun Risers Hyderabad e Capital
7:30
20 (SRH) Vs Delhi Capitals 25th April/ Sunday n s win
PM IST
(DC) n Super
a Over
i
A KKR
Punjab Kings Vs Kolkata 7:30 h won by
21 26th April/ Monday
Knight Riders (KKR) PM IST m 5

e
d
a
b wickets
a
d
A
h
m
Delhi Capitals (DC) Vs e RCB
7:30
22 Royal Challengers 27th April/ Tuesday d won by
PM IST
Bangalore (RCB) a 1 run
b
a
d
D
Chennai Super Kings e CSK
7:30
23 (CSK) Vs Sun Risers 28th April/ Wednesday l won by
PM IST 7
Hyderabad (SRH) h
i wickets
D
e MI won
Mumbai Indians (MI) Vs 3:30
24 29th April/ Thursday l by 7
Rajasthan Royals (RR) PM IST
h wickets
i
A
h
m
e DC won
Delhi Capitals Vs Kolkata 7:30
25 29th April/ Thursday d by 7
Knight Riders (KKR) PM IST
a wickets
b
a
d
A
h
Punjab Kings Vs Royal m Punjab
3:30
26 Challengers Bangalore 30th April/ Friday e Kings
PM IST
(RCB d won by
a 34 runs
b

a
d
D
Mumbai Indians (MI) Vs e MI won
7:30
27 Chennai Super Kings 1st May/ Saturday l by 4
PM IST
(CSK)) h runs
i
D
Rajasthan Royals (RR) e RR won
3:30
28 Vs Sun Risers 2nd May/ Sunday l by 50
PM IST
Hyderabad (SRH) h runs
i
A
h
m
e DC won
Punjab Kings Vs Delhi 7:30
29 2nd May/ Sunday d by 7
Capitals (DC) PM IST
a wickets
b
a
d
A
h
m
Kolkata Knight Riders
e
(KKR) Vs Royal 7:30
30 3rd May/ Monday d Postpo
Challengers Bangalore PM IST ned
a
(RCB
b
a
d
D
Sun Risers Hyderabad e
7:30
31 (SRH) Vs Mumbai 4th May/ Tuesday l Postpo
PM IST ned
Indians (MI) h
i
D
Rajasthan Royals (RR) e
7:30 Postpo
32 Vs Chennai Super Kings 5th May/ Wednesday l
PM IST ned
(CSK) h
i

A
h
m
Royal Challengers e
7:30
33 Bangalore (RCB) Vs 6th May/ Thursday d Postpo
PM IST ned
Punjab Kings a
b
a
d
D
Sunrisers Hyderabad e
7:30
34 (SRH) Vs Chennai Super 7th May/ Friday l Postpo
PM IST ned
Kings (CSK) h
i
A
h
m
e
Kolkata Knight Riders vs 3:30
35 8th May/ Saturday d Postpo
Delhi Capitals PM IST ned
a
b
a
d
D
e
Rajasthan Royals Vs 7:30
36 8th May/ Saturday l Postpo
Mumbai Indians PM IST ned
h
i
B
e
n
g
Chennai Super Kings v 3:30 Postpo
37 9th May/ Sunday a
Punjab Kings PM IST ned
l
u
r
u
38 Royal Challengers 9th May/ Sunday 7:30 K Postpo

o
l
Bangalore v Sunrisers k
PM IST ned
Hyderabad a
t
a
B
e
n
g
Mumbai Indians v Kolkata 7:30 Postpo
39 10th May/ Monday a
Knight Riders PM IST ned
l
u
r
u
K
o
l
Delhi Capitals v 7:30 Postpo
40 11th May/ Tuesday k
Rajasthan Royals PM IST ned
a
t
a
B
e
n
g
41 12th May/ Wednesday a
Kolkata Knight Riders PM IST ned
l
u
r
u
B
e
n
g
Mumbai Indians v Punjab 3:30 Postpo
42 13th May/ Thursday a
Kings PM IST ned
l
u
r
u
43 Sunrisers Hyderabad v 13th May/ Thursday 7:30 K Postpo

o
l
k
Rajasthan Royal PM IST ned
a
t
a
K
o
Royal Challengers l
7:30 Postpo
44 Bangalore v Delhi 14th May/ Friday k
PM IST ned
Capitals a
t
a
B
e
n
g
Kolkata Knight Riders v 7:30 Postpo
45 15th May/ Saturday a
l
u
r
u
K
o
Rajasthan Royals v l
3:30 Postpo
46 Royal Challengers 16th May/ Sunday k
PM IST ned
Bangalore a
t
a
B
e
n
g
47 16th May/ Sunday a
Mumbai Indians PM IST ned
l
u
r
u
K
Delhi Capitals v Sunrisers 7:30 Postpo
48 17th May/ Monday o
Hyderabad PM IST ned
l

k
a
t
a
B
e
n
g
49 18th May/ Tuesday a
Rajasthan Royals PM IST ned
l
u
r
u
B
e
n
g
Sunrisers Hyderabad v 7:30 Postpo
50 19th May/ Wednesday a
l
u
r
u
K
o
Royal Challengers l
7:30 Postpo
51 Bangalore v Mumbai 20th May/ Thursday k
PM IST ned
Indians a
t
a
B
e
n
g
52 21st May/ Friday a
Sunrisers Hyderabad, PM IST ned
l
u
r
u
K
Delhi Capitals v Chennai 7:30 Postpo
53 21st May/ Friday o
Super Kings PM IST ned
l

k
a
t
a
B
e
n
g
Punjab Kings v Rajasthan 7:30 Postpo
54 22nd May/ Saturday a
Royals, PM IST ned
l
u
r
u
K
o
l
Mumbai Indians v Delhi 3:30 Postpo
55 23rd May/ Sunday k
Capitals, PM IST ned
a
t
a
B
e
n
Royal Challengers g
7:30 Postpo
56 Bangalore v Chennai 23rd May/ Sunday a
PM IST ned
Super Kings l
u
r
u
A
h
m
e
7:30
Qualifier 1 25th May/ Tuesday d Postpo
PM IST ned
a
b
a
d
Eliminator 26th May/ Wednesday 7:30 A Postpo

h
m
e
d
PM IST ned
a
b
a
d
A
h
m
e
7:30
Qualifier 2 28th May/ Friday d Postpo
PM IST ned
a
b
a
d
A
h
m
e
7:30
Final 30th May/ Sunday d Postpo
PM IST ned
a
b
a
d
Background
The Board of Control for Cricket in India had successfully hosted IPL 2020 in the United Arab
Emirates during the September-November window. The popular cricket league had to be shifted
out of India due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.
After hosting the tournament safely and successfully last year with all safety protocols and bubble
arrangements in place, the BCCI is again confident of hosting IPL at home keeping the health and
safety of all players and officials involved at top priority.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

flags off first supply of used cooking-oil
based biodiesel
The Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on May 4, 2021, flagged off the first supply of Used
Cooking Oil- UCO-based biodiesel blended diesel from the Tikrikalan Terminal of Indian Oil. The
supply has been launched under the Expressions of Interest (EoIs) Scheme.
The Union Minister while speaking on the occasion complimented the oil industry for its role in
keeping the fuel lines running despite the pandemic. He also lauded the OMCs for extending
support for the medical oxygen supply to the nation amid the ongoing crisis.
While referring to the flag-off of the first-ever supply of UCO-based biodiesel, the minister stated
that this step is a landmark in India’s pursuance of biofuels and that this will have a positive
impact on the environment.
Flagged-off the 1st supply of UCO-based #biodiesel blended High-speed Diesel under the EOI
scheme at @IndianOilcl’s TikriKalan terminal.This is one among the several green fuel initiatives
being promoted by @PetroleumMin to explore alternative energy sources, especially biofuels.
pic.twitter.com/LELUUGPQS8
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) May 4, 2021

Objective:
The Petroleum Minister informed that this initiative will provide substantial economic benefits to
the country by boosting the indigenous biodiesel supply, generating rural employment, and
reducing import dependence.
Expression of Interests (EoI) Scheme:
• In order to create an ecosystem for the conversion and collection of UCO into biodiesel and
developing entrepreneurship opportunities, the minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas in
collaboration with the Minister of Health, Science and Technology, and Earth Sciences had
initiated the Expression of Interest.

• It was launched for the procurement of Bio-diesel produced from the Used Cooking Oil- UCO on
August 10, 2019.
• Oil Marketing Companies periodically release such ‘Expression of Interest’. The Union
Petroleum Minister while appreciating the role of Oil Marketing Companies shared that 30 LOIs
(Letter of Intent) have already been issued.
• In the first phase of the scheme, 11 Expression of Interests were floated between August 10,
2019, to November 9, 2020, for 200 locations.
• Publications of such EOIs have been extended for one more year up to December 31, 2021, for
300 locations all over the country.
• OMCs, under the initiative, also offer periodically incremental price guarantees for 5 years. They
also extend off-take guarantees for the period of 10 years to prospective entrepreneurs.
Biodiesel: An alternative fuel
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that is similar to fossil diesel. Biodiesel can be produced from
animal fats, vegetable oil, and waste cooking oil.
A major advantage of Biodiesel is its carbon-neutrality, meaning that the oilseed absorbs the
same amount of CO2 as is released when the fuel is combusted in a vehicle. Biodiesel is also
completely non-toxic and is biodegradable.

COVID-19: Personalities who tested positive

during 2nd wave- Check the complete list
Various National leaders and celebrities have been trapped in the ongoing second wave of
Coronavirus pandemic in India. From political leaders to Bollywood celebrities, just when things
were expected to go back to normal, they saw themselves being infected with a virus that has
impacted the lives and livelihoods of more than millions.
With Rahul Gandhi being the latest case after former PM Manmohan Singh, we are giving a list of
National leaders and celebrities who have been tested positive for COVID-19.
Check the names of the national leaders who succumbed to the second wave
1. Delhi L-G Anil Baijal tests positive for COVID-19
The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal has tested positive for COVID-19. He stated that he
has mild symptoms and that he has self-isolated himself.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal tests positive for #COVID19. He says he has mild
symptoms and has isolated himself. pic.twitter.com/bJ39gHDwKb
2. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tests positive
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot has tested positive for Coronavirus on April 29,
2021. He informed through his official Twitter account and stated that he is asymptomatic and is
in isolation following the required COVID-19 protocols.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot tests positive for #COVID19, says he is asymptomatic and in
isolation. pic.twitter.com/rpGLNAr2au
3. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank tests positive
The Union Education Minister Dr. Ramesh Kumar Pokhriyal has tested positive for Coronavirus.
He informed that he has been taking the required medication and treatment as per the advice of
the doctors.

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank tests positive for #COVID19
pic.twitter.com/ZIXNXUnFTM
4. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tested positive for COVID-19 on April 21, 2021. He shared the
news via Twitter and informed that after waiting for two days for the test appointment and one and
a half for the results, he has been tested positive. He also added that his sister and 85 years old
mother have also tested COVID-19 positive.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tests positive for #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Am2YshuUdy
5. TMC Leader Madan Mitra tests positive
Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra has tested positive for Coronavirus. he was admitted to
SSKM Hospital in Kolkata after he complained of breathing problems.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Madan Mitra tests positive for COVID-19.
6. Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tested positive for COVID-19. He had shared the news via Twitter
and mentioned that he has mild symptoms. Mr. Gandhi has isolated himself at home.
In a tweet, he mentioned that after experiencing mild symptoms, he has tested positive for
COVID-19. The Congress leader added that those who have been in a contact with him recently
must follow all the safety protocols.
After experiencing mild symptoms, I’ve just tested positive for COVID.
All those who’ve been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 20, 2021
Sources close to the Congress leader have informed that he is still at home as advised by his
doctor and has not met with his mother Sonia Gandhi, who is also a Congress President in the
last 12 days. Rahul Gandhi has not met with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as well in five days.

Prime Minister Modi in a tweet extended his wish for good health and recovery to the Congress
MP.
I pray for the good health and quick recovery of Lok Sabha MP Shri @RahulGandhi Ji.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 20, 2021
However, Rahul Gandhi is not the only National personality who tested positive during the second
wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
7. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh was tested positive for COVID-19 on April 19,
2021. The 88 years old was admitted to the hospital for high fever and was later tested positive.
The former PM had already received two doses of the Coronavirus vaccine COVAXIN and was
hospitalized as a matter of precaution. Rahul Gandhi had extended his wishes via Twitter for the
former PM's speedy recovery.
Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji,
Wishing you a speedy recovery.

India needs your guidance and advice in this difficult time.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 19, 2021
8. Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao
The Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrashekhar Rao was tested positive on April 19, 2021.
He was showing mild symptoms and was advised isolation by the doctors. According to the State
Chief Secretary, a team of doctors has been monitoring his health.
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao tests positive for COVID19. He has mild symptoms. He has
been advised isolation. A team of doctors is monitoring his health: State Chief Secretary
(file photo) pic.twitter.com/GWpraCBuAb
9. Congress leader Anand Sharma
A senior Congress leader Anand Sharma tested positive for COVID-19 on April 20, 2021. He has
been admitted to the Apollo Hospital.

10. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Aditynath informed on April 14, 2021, that he has tested
positive for COVID-19. He further added that on the consult of doctors he has self-isolated
himself.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says that he has tested positive for #COVID19. He
is in self-isolation. pic.twitter.com/YBicvmVtO5
11. Former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh also tested positive for COVID-
19 on April 14, 2021. While sharing the news via Twitter, he informed that he has self-isolated
himself and has started his treatment at home.
12. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal self-isolates after wife tests positive
The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal self-isolated himself after his wife Sunita Kejriwal
tested positive for Coronavirus on April 20, 2021. She has also self-isolated himself.
13. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh tested positive
The Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh also announced via Twitter that he has positive for COVID-
19. He urged those who have been in contact with him to get themselves screened.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh tests positive for #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/an8UcBXByd

Actors tested positive for COVID-19
Many Bollywood actors were also caught up amid the seocnd wave of the pandemic. Some of
them are listed below.
S. No. Actors
1. Sonu Sood
2. Sumeet Vyas
3. Arjun Rampal
4. Sameera Reddy

5. Neil Nitin Mukesh

6. Rahul Roy
7. Ashutosh Rana

Indian Army launches first Green Solar

Energy Plant in Sikkim
The Indian Army on April 30, 2021, launched the first Green Solar Energy plant in North Sikkim to
harness renewable energy for its troops.
The Green Solar Energy plant with a capacity of 56 KVA, at an altitude of 16,000 ft, will use
vanadium-based battery technology.
P Khongsai, the Public Relation Officer (Defence), Guwahati, informed that the project has been
accomplished in collaboration with IIT, Mumbai.
A team of faculty from IIT, Mumbai, led by Prof Prakash Ghosh and troops, finished the project
against extreme climatic conditions.
More green projects by the Indian Army
The Indian Army launched a solar plant at Jalandhar Cantonment as a part of the ‘Go Green’
initiative. They chose World Earth Day to launch the plant.
The project comprises 3,176 indigenous solar panels that produce 1 MW of solar energy. It
serves the military hospital in the cantonment area.
About Vanadium
Vanadium, in India, was first found in January 2021 in Arunachal Pradesh.
India currently consumes 4 per cent of Vanadium in the world. China is the largest producer of
Vanadium.
Vanadium, a transitional metal and a good conductor of heat and electricity, is used to strengthen
steel, make nuclear reactors, space vehicles, steel alloys, and create renewable sources of
energy.

Delhi Government announces free ration for 2

months, Rs. 5,000 each to autorickshaw
drivers
The Delhi state government announced on May 4, 2021, that it will provide free ration to all the
ration cardholders in the state for the next two months and Rs. 5,000 each to all the taxi and
autorickshaw drives in the state.
The decision has been taken as the government decided to extend the ongoing lockdown in the
state till May 10, 2021.
As per the Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, the imposition of lockdown was required to
control the spread of the virus and for breaking the COVID-19 chain. However, he added, that the
lockdown can create financial difficulties for the underprivileged sections of the state, particularly
the daily wage labourers.
5 pic.twitter.com/a0mUnYjR5B
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 4, 2021
In 2020, the Arvind Kejriwal government had also helped around 1,56,000 taxi drivers and
autorickshaw drivers.
Delhi extends help to those in need:
The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal informed that the government has decided that all the
ration cardholders in the state, around 72 lakh, will be given free ration for two months.
72 pic.twitter.com/lBcBQrRbmT
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 4, 2021
He further added that it does not mean that the lockdown will continue for two months and that it
is done to help the poor going through the financial crisis.
The CM also announced that all the taxi drivers and autorickshaw drivers will be given Rs. 5,000
each by the state government. This will help them in going through the ongoing financial crisis.

Delhi Government provides financial aid to construction workers:
The Arvind Kejriwal government had also disbursed ex-gratia payments of Rs. 5,000 each to the
construction workers who have been registered under the Delhi building as well as other
construction workers' welfare boards.
The Chief Minister has urged all the political parties and people to help each other without doing
any form of politics. He added that if we all fight together, we will be able to win the fight against
the pandemic.
COVID-19 cases in Delhi:
On May 3, 2021, Delhi has reported 18,043 new infected cases and 448 deaths. This is also the
single -highest death toll in the city since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020. The total
active cases in Delhi now are 89,592.

Single dose of COVID-19 vaccine can boost

protection among those previously infected:
Study
According to a study published in the journal Science, a single dose of COVID-19 boosts the
immune response against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the variants but only among those who
have been previously infected.
The study led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, Imperial College London, and
University College London showed that the immune system's response would be insufficient for
those who have received only one dose of vaccine and have not been previously infected with the
virus.
Key findings of the study
The researchers at Queen Mary University of London, Imperial College London, and University
College London examined the immune responses in UK healthcare workers at Barts and Royal
Free hospitals after they were administered their first dose of the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine.
It was found that people with mild or asymptomatic infection had shown enhanced protection
against the South Africa and Kent variants, after being administered with a single dose of the
mRNA vaccine.
However, the immune response was found to be weak after a single dose in people with no prior
COVID-19.
The researchers looked at the UK and South Africa variants of the coronavirus and find it possible
that findings may apply to other variants of the virus, such as India (B.1.1617 and B.1.618) and
Brazil (P.1) variants.
How was the study conducted?
The researchers studied the blood samples to determine the presence and levels of immunity
against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strain and also the South Africa (B.1.351) and Kent (B.1.17)
variants.

The researchers, along with the antibodies that neutralize the virus, also focused on two types of
white blood cells: B cells, which memorize the virus, and T cells, which boost the memory of B
cells to identify and destroy the cells contaminated with coronavirus.
The researchers concluded that cases already infected with the virus showed a boosted B cell, T
cell, and enhanced response by antibodies in neutralizing the virus after a single dose of vaccine.
Whereas cases with no prior COVID-19 infection showed a weaker response by antibodies at
neutralizing the coronavirus and the variants after being administered with a single dose of
vaccine.
Significance of the study
The researchers concluded that their study highlights the importance of getting both shots of
coronavirus vaccines.
The researchers said that the study is an assurance as well as a warning. The study shows that a
single dose of vaccine produces a stronger immune response against the original strain as well as
the variants but only in those who were previously infected with COVID-19.
The study also warns that those who received only a single dose of the vaccine and have never
been infected with COVID-19 are not completely protected and present a larger risk of circulating
the virus.
Therefore, it is crucial that people understand the importance of getting both doses of the
vaccines, irrelevant of prior COVID-19 infection or not, to produce a boosted immune response at
neutralizing the virus and the variants.

EU proposes to ease travel restrictions on

fully vaccinated tourists this summer
The executive of the European Union has recommended easing the COVID-19 travel restrictions
in June 2021 to let foreign travellers from more countries enter the bloc. The EU hopes to boost
the stricken tourist industry in the summer of 2021.
Under the current restrictions by the EU, the travellers from only seven countries, including
Singapore and Australia, are allowed to enter the EU on holiday, regardless of whether they have
been vaccinated but must confirm to tests or quarantine.
The new proposal from the EU Commission, which will still require approval by the 27 member
states of the EU, will allow the fully vaccinated foreign tourists and those from the nations with a
‘good epidemiological situation’.
In a tweet, the President of the European Commission stated that it is time to revive the tourism
industry and for the cross-border friendships to rekindle.
Time to revive tourism industry & for cross-border friendships to rekindle - safely.
We propose to welcome again vaccinated visitors & those from countries with a good health
situation.
But if variants emerge we have to act fast: we propose an EU emergency brake mechanism.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 3, 2021

EU member states to discuss the proposal:
The member states of the European Union are due to start discussing the proposal soon and the
officials hope that it will be approved in May 2021, as the EU plans to pass the proposal before
the mass summer travel starts.
Travellers arriving from Russia, Britain and a number of other nations will meet the new criteria,
as per the data provided by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The citizens of the
United States will not currently do so.

EU suffers a big loss due to COVID-19:
The travel restrictions announced because of the widespread COVID-19 pandemic have inflicted
heavy losses on the tourism industry in the European Union.
If the member states agree on the new proposals, specific European Union countries will be
expected- but not be legally obliged- to follow the new joint approach to revive travel. Greece has
already permitted vaccinated tourists from Israel.
Measures proposed by EU to revive tourism industry:
• Other measures include a central European Union register. It will allow free travel for the bloc’s
travellers holding a ‘green certificate’ which proves that they have been vaccinated, have
immunity after recovering or have tested negative for the COVID-19 test.
• The EU Commission has also recommended allowing the citizens who are fully vaccinated with
EU-recognised vaccines to be able to enter from any nation. The commission also stated that
other vaccines can be added if they are approved by WHO.
• Currently, the European Medicines Agency has given authorization to the use of shots of
Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson in the EU.
• The EU Commission has also proposed a ‘new emergency brake’, to limit the risk of importing
new COVID variants. The brake will allow swift travel restrictions from those countries where the
health situation collapsed sharply. European Union Countries will review the situation every two
weeks.

T Rabi Sankar named new RBI Deputy

Governor
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on May 1, 2021 approved the appointment of T Rabi
Sankar as the new deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He will be succeeding BP
Kanungo, who retired from the post on April 2nd after receiving one-year extension in his position.
T Rabi Sankar has been named as the fourth Deputy Governor of the central bank. He will be
serving at the post for a period of three years.
He will be in charge of important portfolios such as current management, operations, payment,

bank account, external investments and settlement system. He has also been given the charge of
the internal debt management department, right to information and information technology
departments.
Sankar was previously serving as the Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of T Rabi Sankar,
Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India to the post of Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
for a period of three years, says an official letter. pic.twitter.com/Qx6xyNzimf
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2021

Key Details
•The Reserve Bank of India has four deputy governor posts, one of which fell vacant when BP
Kanungo retired in April.
The names of the other three RBI Deputy Governors are M Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra and
Mahesh Kumar Jain.
•The Reserve Bank also did a portfolio reshuffle of the other three deputy governors:
•M K Jain will now handle portfolios including consumer education, central security cell, protection
department, supervision, financial Inclusion, human resource and rajbhasha.
•M D Patra will handle budget and corporate strategy, statistics and information, economic and

policy research, financial markets, financial markets operations, deposit insurance, financial
stability unit, monetary policy department and the International department.
•M Rajeshwar Rao will handle communication, regulation, inspection, enforcement, legal

department and risk monitoring department.
About T Rabi Shankar
•T Rabi Sankar is a career central banker, who joined the RBI in 1990. Since his joining, he has
worked in various positions in the central bank.
•As RBI Executive Director, he was looking over Fintech and the Risk Monitoring Department,
Department of Payment and Settlement Systems and Department of Information Technology.
•Rabi Sankar had previously served as a consultant with the International Monetary Fund from
2005 till 2011 on matters such as developing Government bond markets and debt management.
•He has also represented RBI on international forums like Bank for International Settlements and
various internal and external expert committees and working groups.

EAM Jaishankar, US Secretary Blinken meet

in UK, discusses COVID-19 vaccine
production
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on
May 04, 2021, during his visit to London, UK.
EAM Jaishankar is visiting London from May 03 – May 06, 2021, to participate in the G7 Foreign
Ministers Meeting, to which India has been invited as a guest country.
Jaishankar and Blinken deliberated on how to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on
expanding vaccine production and reliable supply chains during the G7 Foreign and Development
Minister’s Meeting.
Jaishankar also thanked his US counterpart for the support extended by the United States,
especially the supply of Remdesivir and oxygen, during India’s battle against COVID-19.
Jaishankar and Blinken also touched upon the issues related to the India-Pacific region,
Myanmar, UN Security Council, and climate change.
India’s External Affairs Minister Jaishankar posted on Twitter about his meeting with Blinken.
Good to meet in person my old friend @SecBlinken. Detailed discussion on the global Covid
challenge, focussing on expanded vaccine production capacity and reliable supply chains.
pic.twitter.com/iQZmGjuPi5
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also took it to Twitter to share glimpses of the discussion
among the leaders at the G7 Foreign and Development Minister’s Meeting.
Met today with @DrSJaishankar to discuss our joint efforts to combat COVID-19 and to advance
our broader comprehensive global strategic partnership. India is a close friend and partner, and I
look forward to further deepening the unique partnership between our two nations.
pic.twitter.com/flYtYWeQ8p
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 3, 2021

About the G7
The G7, or the Group of 7, is a forum that brings together leaders from seven countries across the
world. The seven-member countries are the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Italy,
Germany, France, Canada, and the European Union (EU). Founded in 1975, the group meets to
discuss gripping world issues.

PM Modi speaks with EU Chief Ursula von der

Leyen, discusses prevailing COVID-19
situation in India
Prime Minister Modi held a telephone call on May 3, 2021, with the President of the European
Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The two leaders discussed and exchanged views on the
prevailing Coronavirus situation in India and the European Union.
As per the statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi and EU Chief discussed the
ongoing efforts in India to contain the second wave of COVID-19.
Several nations around the globe including Russia, the United Kingdom, and the US have
extended support to India as the country continues to struggle with an increase in its health
infrastructure needs.
Spoke to President of the EU Commission @vonderleyen and thanked EU for support and
assistance to India’s COVID response.
We discussed India-EU Leaders’ Meeting on 8 May. I am confident that the Meeting will provide a
new momentum to our Strategic Partnership.

India-EU Strategic Partnership witnesses renewed momentum:
The two leaders during the phone call also noted that India-US strategic partnership has been
witnessing a renewed momentum since the last summit in July 2020.
During the call, PM Modi also expressed his appreciation of the EU and its member states for
providing support to India in its fight against the second wave of the pandemic.
The EU stands by India, as I told Prime Minister @narendramodi today.
More aid - oxygen cylinders, ventilators, medication - is channelled to from Czechia, Denmark,
Spain, Netherlands and Germany via the Civil Protection Mechanism.
This is global solidarity in action.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 3, 2021

Strengthening India-EU partnership:
Both PM Modi and EU Chief also agreed that the upcoming India-EU Leader’s meeting on May 8,
2021, to be held in a virtual format will be a significant opportunity for providing a renewed
momentum to the already multi-faceted India-EU relationship.
The India-European Union Leaders’ meeting will be the first meeting in the EU +27 format. It
reflects the shared ambition of both sides for further strengthening the strategic partnership
between India and the European Union.
COVID-19 situation in India:
India has been currently dealing with the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic that has swept
through the nation.
The increasing cases of infection have strained the country’s health infrastructure and have
overburdened the frontline health workers. On May 1, 2021, the daily spike of COVID-19
infections reached its peak with over 4 lakh cases.

Jagmohan Former Governor Jammu and

Kashmir passes away at 94
Jagmohan, former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, passed away at 94 after battling a brief period
of illness in Delhi on May 3, 2021.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the death of the former Governor (J&K)
and called it a ‘monumental loss for the nation’.
Home Minister Amit Shah also tweeted a picture of Jagmohan to share his deepest condolences
on the demise of the former Governor (J&K).
Jagmohan Ji’s demise is a monumental loss for our nation. He was an exemplary administrator
and a renowned scholar. He always worked towards the betterment of India. His ministerial tenure
was marked by innovative policy making. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.

Shri Jagmohan Ji will always be remembered for his remarkable tenure as the Governor of J&K.
An able administrator and later a devoted politician who took key decisions for the nation’s peace
& progress. India mourns his sad demise. My deepest condolences to his family. Om Shanti
pic.twitter.com/aemBwkY3VN
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 4, 2021

About Jagmohan, former Governor (J&K)
Jagmohan Malhotra was more known as Jagmohan. Born on September 25, 1927, He served as
a former civil servant and held posts of the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir and Goa, and
Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
Jagmohan served as the Governor of J&K two times, the first term from 1984, and the second
term from January to May 1990.
He got elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1996 and held the post of the Union Minister
for Urban Development and Tourism.
Jagmohan was honored with the three highest civilian awards:

•In 2016, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award, and
•In 1977, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, and
•In 1971, he was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award.

COVID-19-Hit IPL 2021: List of IPL Players

found COVID-19 Positive, 2 KKR players test
positive
COVID-19-Hit IPL 2021: In a major blow to the Indian Premier League 2021, two Kolkata Knight
Riders (KKR) players Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier have tested positive for Covid-
19.
The IPL said in a statement that the two players were found to be positive in the third round of
testing in the last four days. Both of them have isolated themselves from the remaining squad. All
the other team members tested negative.
A medical team is constantly in touch with the two players and is monitoring their health. The
Kolkata Knight Riders Franchise has now moved towards a daily testing routine to quickly identify
any other possible cases and treat them at the earliest.
Two members of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) contingent have also tested positive for COVID-
19. While their names have not been revealed, one of them is reportedly a support staff member
and the other a bus cleaner. The team's training session was cancelled as a precautionary
measure.
Delhi Capitals self-isolating themselves
As per reports, the entire team of the Delhi Capitals is self-isolating in their rooms after two KKR
players tested positive for coronavirus. The team had played against KKR on April 29, 2021. The
team then went on to play against the Punjab Kings on May 2, 2021. The team is currently placed
on the top of the IPL Points Table 2021 with 12 points.
KKR vs RCB clash postponed
The Kolkata Knight Riders were slated to face the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at
Ahmedabad on May 3, 2021 but their match has now been postponed. It has been rescheduled
for a later date.
BCCI Guidelines for IPL Players who test positive

As per the BCCI guidelines, the player or support staff, who tests positive for COVID-19,
must isolate in the designated area outside the bio-secure environment for at least 10
days from the first day of symptoms or the date of collection of the sample that resulted
in a positive RT-PCR report.
COVID-19-Hit IPL 2021: Full List of IPL Players who have tested COVID-19 positive
1.Anrich Nortje- DC
Delhi Capitals pacer Anrich Nortje had previously tested positive for Covid-19. The South African
pacer Anrich Nortje was undergoing seven days of mandatory quarantine when he tested positive
for COVID-19. He had landed in Mumbai with a negative report but he tested positive while
undergoing quarantine. He is the second DC player to test positive for coronavirus after spinner
Axar Patel and second foreign player after RCB's Daniel Sams.
2. Daniel Sams- RCB
Earlier, Daniel Sams from Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL franchise had tested positive for
COVID-19. The Australian all-rounder had also arrived with a negative COVID-19 certificate but
tested positive when tested again after his arrival.
The team tweeted on April 7, 2021 saying, "Daniel Sams checked into the team hotel in Chennai
on April 3, with a negative COVID report on arrival. His report from the second test on April 7
came positive."
The franchise added saying, "Sams is currently asymptomatic and he is in isolation at a

designated medical facility. Royal Challengers Bangalore medical team is in constant touch with
Sams and continue to monitor his health and abide by the BCCI protocols."
Royal Challengers Bangalore medical team is in constant touch with Daniel Sams and continue to
monitor his health and abide by the BCCI protocols.
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 7, 2021
The 28-year-old was the first foreign player to test positive for coronavirus inside IPL's bio-secure
bubble and the second RCB player.
3. Axar Patel -DC
The first big blow for Delhi Capitals was when spinner Axar Patel tested positive for COVID-19

before the start of the IPL 2021 tournament.
3. Nitish Rana - KKR (He has tested negative now)
The KKR batsman Nitish Rana had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 22, 2021, a day after
he landed in Mumbai. The 27-year-old had 12 days of extended quarantine and later joined his
teammates after testing negative for second successive day.
4. Devdutt Padikkal - RCB (He has tested negative now)
The team's opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal had also tested positive earlier. However, the
cricketer completed his quarantine period tested negative recently and has joined the team again.
RCB confirmed that Padikkal is healthy, feeling better and raring to go.
Bold Diaries: Devdutt Padikkal joins the RCB camp after testing negative for COVID-19. He’s
healthy, feeling better and raring to go. Here’s a message to all RCB fans from Devdutt.#PlayBold
#WeAreChallengers #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/BtVszNABJW
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 7, 2021
5. Kiran More- MI consultant and scout had tested positive for the virus before the start of the
tournament. He has, however, recovered fully and joined the squad.
6. Wankhede Staff
Around 10 ground staff members at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium, which will host 10 IPL
matches have also tested positive. As per reports, 14 members from the broadcast team have
also tested positive for coronavirus.
IPL 2021
The IPL 2021 tournament kickstarted on April 9, 2021 despite the threat of COVID-19 pandemic.
The players have been subjected to a strict bio-secure environment.
The IPL 2021 tournament involves a total of eight teams playing 52 matches at six venues across
the nation with the IPL final on May 30th.
The six venues include- Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. All six
cities have seen a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections in recent weeks.

Five of the eight franchises are currently training in different grounds in Mumbai, the worst-hit city
by India's second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Congo declares end of Ebola outbreak, what

is Ebola virus?
The Democratic Republic of Congo on May 3, 2021, declared the end of the 12th outbreak of
Ebola virus disease that infected 12 people in the eastern province of North Kivu and killed six of
them.
The aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) informed that Merck’s Ebola vaccine was used to
contain the outbreak. The vaccine was administered to 1,600 patients and their contacts and
contacts of contacts.
Upon examination, a genetic link was found between the cases as of present and the 2018-20
Ebola epidemic. The outbreak during 2018-20 recorded over 2,200 people deaths, the second-
highest toll in the entire disease’s history.
The latest resurgence was noted on February 3, 2021, in the city of Butembo when a woman,
whose husband had contracted the virus during the previous outbreak, died.
"I am pleased to solemnly declare the end of the 12th epidemic of Ebola virus disease in North
Kivu Province," health minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani said in a statement.
What is Ebola Virus Disease?
•Ebola virus was first discovered near the Ebola river (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in
1976. Since then, the virus has gripped several African countries.
•It is known to be a highly contagious and deadly virus that compromises the immune system in
ways that leads to heavy bleeding internally and externally. Symptoms include headache, muscle
pain, fatigue, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, organs failure, etc.
•The average fatality rate stands at 50 per cent. The per-case fatality rate has ranged from 25 per
cent to 90 per cent throughout the past outbreaks.
•The virus jumps from animals to humans and transmits further among people through human-to-
human contact.

Ebola Virus: Diagnosis
It was next to impossible to diagnose the Ebola virus in humans due to the symptoms resembling
malaria, meningitis, typhoid, etc, but the confirmed diagnosis of this virus infection was made
possible with the following methods:
•RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction)
•Serum Neutralization Test
•ELISA (Antibody-capture Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay)
•Electron Microscopy
Ebola Virus: Vaccine
•Vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV proved to be effective in neutralizing the Ebola virus during a trial in
Guinea in 2015.
•Vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV has been used in the 2018-2020 outbreak and recent 2021 outbreak.

Pfizer in discussion with India for expedited

approval for its Coronavirus vaccine: CEO
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla informed on May 3, 2021, that Pfizer is in discussions with the Indian
government and the regulatory body seeking an ‘expedited approval pathway’ for its Coronavirus
vaccine.
Bourla shared the news while announcing a donation of medicines worth 70 million USD to India,
as the country battles against the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He further added that, unfortunately, the Pfizer vaccine is not registered in India although the
application for approval by the company was submitted months ago.
Pfizer CEO informed that they are currently in discussion with the Indian Government for an
expedited approval pathway in order to make Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines available in the country.
Pfizer donates medicines to India:
The CEO of Pfizer stated that the company will be donating medicines worth USD 70 million.
They will be made available for every public health facility in India free of cost.
Bourla said that Pfizer is donating to make sure that every Coronavirus patient in every public
health facility across India can have access to the Pfizer medicines they need free of charge.
The donated medicines will include anticoagulants to help prevent blood clotting, reduce
inflammation, as well as antibiotics that will help in treating secondary bacterial infections.
COVID-19 vaccines in India:
So far, India has given approval to three vaccines of Coronavirus- Covishield (Vaccine of Oxford-
AstraZeneca which is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India), COVAXIN (the indigenous
vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech), and Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine.
Covishield and Covaxin are used in the ongoing nationwide vaccination drive in India, while the
first consignment of Sputnik arrived in India in May 2021. India had started its COVID-19
vaccination drive on January 16, 2021.

Mamata Banerjee to take oath as West Bengal

CM on May 5
Mamata Banerjee will take oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the third time on May 5,
2021. This was informed by senior Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee during a press
briefing.
This would be the incumbent CM's third consecutive term in West Bengal. This comes after her
party, All India Trinamool Congress was declared the winner of West Bengal Elections 2021 by a
huge landslide on May 2nd.
Following the thumping victory, Banerjee was unanimously elected as the leader of the TMC
Legislative Council at a party meet in Kolkata on May 3, 2021.
Mamata Banerjee to take oath as Chief Minister on 5th May: West Bengal Minister and senior
TMC leader Partha Chatterjee pic.twitter.com/KzWVXzbu0d
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2021

Key Highlights
•Mamata Banerjee's oath-taking ceremony is likely to be low profile due to the COVID-19
pandemic situation.
•The TMC Chief is expected to meet West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at 7 pm today
and stake claim to form the government.
•The new cabinet ministers are likely to be sworn in on May 6, 2021 by Pro-tem speaker Subrata
Mukherjee.
Biman Banerjee has been named the speaker of the house.
•Several party leaders including Arvind Kejriwal, Captain Amarinder Singh, Uddhav Thackeray,
Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Rajnikanth, Omar Abdullah had called the West Bengal Chief Minister to
congratulate her for her landslide win.
•Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won 213 seats in the just concluded West Bengal
assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered 77 seats in the 294-seat state

assembly. However, elections for two seats in Murshidabad are postponed due to the demise of
candidates due to COVID.
•The All India Trinamool Congress won a total of 213 seats out of the 292 constituencies that
went to polls, while the BJP won 77 and the Congress and the Left alliance drew a blank. The
TMC has won more seats this time than last time when they had won 211 seats.
Wins an Election, loses her seat
Mamata Banerjee created history by defying all poll predictions and turning the result around
completely with a resounding victory in the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021. However, the
TMC Chief lost from her assembly constituency of Nandigram. She had switched her seat in this
election to go up against her former aide Suvendhu Adhikari, who has joined BJP. After a long
day of neck-to-neck battle, she eventually lost by 1956 votes.

Ethiopia to designate Tigray People’s

Liberation Front (TPLF) as terrorist group
Ethiopia has designated Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and OLF-Shene as terrorist
organisations. This came after several attacks from the organisations in different parts of the
country that targeted civilians and public infrastructure over the past couple of years.
The council of ministers approved a resolution on May 1, 2021 to designate the TPLF as a
“terrorist” organisation, along with the OLF-Shene. The move was endorsed by a meeting of
cabinet members chaired by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The action will come into effect when it receives approval from the Ethiopian lawmakers.
Impact
The move could lead to further prosecution and the arrest of the groups’ members and
supporters.
Ethiopia's statement
The Ethiopian Prime Minister's office issued a statement saying that the two groups
operate as terrorists and their management or decision-makers have acknowledged or
are leading destructive activities on the nation.
The statement further added that the decision would apply to organisations and
individuals who collaborate, or have links with or relate to the ideas and actions of the
designated “terrorist” organisations.
Why have the two groups been designated as terrorist organisations?
•The Council of Ministers had listed the two groups due to their activities such as arming, training
and financing other violent elements in addition to engaging in attacks themselves.
•The groups have also been accused of launching attacks against civilians and public
infrastructure to achieve political objectives.
•Ethiopian Prime Minister also held the group responsible for attacking the Ethiopian military on
November 3 and killing soldiers while they were sleeping and looting military hardware. He said

that this action had prompted the Ethiopian government to launch a sweeping law enforcement
operation against the TPLF. The TPLF stated that the attack was a preemptive raid.
What happened in Tigray?
•Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali in a statement on March 23rd had said that the
Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) had tried to seize power in a failed attempt in
early November when they had treasonously attacked the Northern Command of the
Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF).
•The TPLF had reportedly fired rockets into Bahir Dar and Gonder cities and killed and
kidnapped members of the Ethiopian National Defence Force.
•This action provoked the Federal Government into a military engagement. The
Ethiopian Prime Minister had sent troops into the Tigray region on November 4, 2020 to
control the situation.
•The troops of Eritrea had also crossed the border and come into Tigray during the time
because they were concerned of being attacked by the TPLF forces, as the group had
reportedly fired rockets on Asmara, Eritrea multiple times.
•The conflict in Tigray killed almost thousands of people and forced many others to flee
from the area.
•The violence had followed years of tension between the federal government and TPLF.
Other Details
The Ethiopian government is also engaging in operations against the OLA, which is a military
splinter group of the Oromo Liberation Front.
According to the government, the group is killing civilians and is behind destruction in the Oromia
region and other parts of the country. The group has denied such claims and has accused the
government instead for the killings.

COVID-19: Defence Minister invokes special

provisions & grants emergency financial
powers to armed forces
The Defence Ministry informed on April 30, 2021, that it has decided to invoke the special
provisions and has granted emergency financial powers to the armed forces of the country in view
of the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced to invoke the special provisions and gave
the emergency financial powers to the armed forces in order to speed up their efforts and
empower them amid the current health crisis. The news was shared via a tweet by the Defence
Minister’s Office.
Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh invokes special provisions and granted Emergency Financial
Powers to the Armed Forces to empower them and speed up their efforts in tide over the current
COVID-19 situation in the country, https://t.co/xS48tSPxcl
— A. Bharat Bhushan Babu (@SpokespersonMoD) April 30, 2021
The Defence Ministry also informed that these powers by the ministry have been devolved initially
for a time period of 3 months from May 1 to July 31, 2021. These powers are in addition to the
emergency powers granted to the medical officers of the armed forces last week.
What will happen under the powers granted to armed forces?
• These special powers will help the formation commanders to operate as well as establish the
hospitals/quarantine facilities. They will also facilitate in undertaking the procurement/repair of
equipment/materials/items/stores, apart from provisioning of various works and services that are
required to support the ongoing efforts against the pandemic.
• Under the granted powers, the Vice Chief of the armed forces, including the Integrated Defence
Staff Chief to the General Officer Commanding-in-chiefs and Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee
and the equivalents of all the three services have been provided with the full powers.
• Area Commanders/Corps Commanders have also been delegated the powers up to Rs. 50 lakh
per case. While the Sub Area Commanders/Division Commanders and the equivalents have been

delegated the powers of up to Rs. 20 lakh per case.
Emergency powers to armed forces:
The emergency powers by the Defence Ministry were sanctioned to the armed forces in 2020 as
well when the Coronavirus pandemic had first broken out in the country.
These powers granted by the government helped the armed forces in tackling the situation faster
and in a much effective manner.

US govt clears sale of six more P-8I aircraft to

India, what is P-8I aircraft?
The US government under the leadership of President Joe Biden on April 30, 2021, approved the
sale of six P-8I patrol aircraft to India for an estimated cost of USD 2.42 billion.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the certification to notify the Congress of this
sale on Friday, April 20, 2021.
The notification informed that this sale would support the foreign policy and act as a booster to the
national security of the US in turn, strengthening the US-Indian strategic relationship. This will
enhance the security of a major defensive partner in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region.
The proposed sale of an additional six P-8I aircraft “will allow the Indian Navy to expand its
maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) capability for the next 30 years. India will have no difficulty
absorbing these aircraft into its armed forces,” said the notification.
The Indian Navy had procured the first P-8I aircraft in 2013. Later, in 2009, the Indian Navy
purchased a fleet of eight P-8I aircraft through a direct commercial sale and four additional aircraft
in July 2016.
About the P-8I Aircraft
P-8I aircraft is a variant of the Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft that serves as a replacement for the
US Navy’s P-3 fleet.
The Indian Navy is the first international customer for the P-8 aircraft. The Indian variant of P-8
aircraft is referred to as P-8I.
The P-8I aircraft, as described by the manufacturing company Boeing, are built for anti-surface
warfare, long-range anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance missions, and surveillance.
The Indian variant P-8I aircraft come equipped with:
•42 AN/AAR-54 Missile Warning Sensors,

•14 LN-251 with Embedded Global Positioning Systems/Inertial Navigations Systems,
•8 Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Joint Tactical Radio Systems 5 (MIDS-JTRS 5).

Democratic Republic of Congo declares

‘state of siege’ in violence-hit eastern
province
The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi, has declared a state
of emergency over the increasing violence in the eastern provinces in North Kivu and Ituri.
The increased attacks by the intercommunal fighting and the armed groups in the eastern region
of Congo have killed more than 300 people since the start of 2021. It further deepens the
displacement and humanitarian crisis in the mineral-rich territory.
The spokesperson of the Government Patrick Muyaya while announcing the President’s decision
stated that the objective is to smoothly end the insecurity which has been killing the citizens in
that part of the country. However, the President has not yet announced what steps will be taken
under the state of the siege.
What step will the government take to control the situation in the eastern province?
President Felix Tshisekedi had stated earlier that he has been preparing for radical measures to
deal with the security situation in the Eastern part of Congo.
After that, the Prime Minister suggested that a state of emergency might be declared by the
government in the Eastern province of Congo, further replacing the civil administration with the
military administration.
An analyst at the Centre for Research on the Congo-Kinshasa, Kambale Musavali has stated that
it looks like that the government will be sending more troops to the two affected regions.
In North Kivu and Ituri, the United Nations Peacekeepers and the government troops have
continuously struggled to contain the violence.
Violence in Eastern Province of Congo: Background
Around 122 armed groups of different sizes operate in the eastern part of the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Many of the groups are the legacy of the catastrophic regional wars in the

1990s in the region.
A rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces, formed in the neighbouring country Uganda more
than 20 years ago, is responsible for much of the recent bloodshed.
The rebel group has committed a series of brutal attacks on the civilians ever since the nation’s
army started operations against the group in late 2019. As per the UN figures, the group has killed
about 850 people in 2020.
UNICEF informed in April 2021, that the violence led to a humanitarian crisis with more than 1.6
million people displaced in Ituri out of the total population of 5.7 million people. Around 2.8 million
people in the region are in need of some form of emergency assistance.
Citizen protests against Congo government:
In North Kivu, dozen of students have been camping outside the town hall over the last week.
They were demanding the departure of the UN Peacekeeping force and were asking for President
Felix Tshisekedi to visit the troubled region of Congo. The protestors were accusing the
peacekeeping forces of failing to stop the rebel attacks.
However, the police and soldiers in the region had used tear gas and whips to scatter the high
school students who were protesting the failure.

SBI allocates Rs 71 crores to help India

combat COVID-19 second wave
The State Bank of India has allocated Rs 71 crores to support various initiatives that will help
India battle the deadly second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
The public sector bank has allocated Rs 30 crores to set up healthcare facilities such as 1000-
bedded makeshift hospitals, 1000- bedded isolation facilities and 250 bed ICU facilities in some of
the worst-hit states. They will be set up with the help of municipal corporations and government
hospitals of the respective cities.
SBI has allocated Rs 71 crores to undertake various support initiatives to help India combat
second wave of COVID-19. Bank has dedicated Rs 30 crores to setup 1000-bedded makeshift
hospitals, 250 bed ICU facilities & 1000-bedded isolation facilities in some worst-hit states: SBI
pic.twitter.com/vcawp1Y6Jk
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2021

Key Highlights
•The SBI is exploring partnerships to set up makeshift hospitals and has been in talks with various
designated authorities.
•The Bank will also contribute Rs 10 crore for vaccine research and genome-sequencing
equipment and lab.
•The bank has also allocated Rs 21 crore to all its 17 local Head Offices to address the urgent
medical needs of the citizens such as in getting life-saving healthcare equipment and enhancing
oxygen supply in hospitals.
•The bank will continue to provide cooked meals, ration, PPE kits and masks.
•It has also decided to strengthen vaccination drives and undertake community-based testing with
the support of NGOs. It has allocated Rs 10 crore for the same. Under the same effort, a helpline
will be set up for COVID-19 related matters.
•The bank has also tied up with various hospitals to conduct vaccination of its employees. It will

be bearing the cost of vaccination for its employees and their dependent family members.
•Sixty training centres of the bank across the country have been converted into isolation and
quarantine centres for affected employees and their family members
SBI Chairman Dinesh Khara said, "We are committed to contribute funds, resources and reach
out to the citizens of India and also join in the government’s efforts in fighting the virus. I urge
everyone to offer their support in any form to the people in need and contribute towards making
the country COVID-19 free.”
Background
The State Bank of India had pledged 0.25 percent of its annual profit last year to fight the
coronavirus outbreak in India. It had donated over Rs 108 crore to the PM CARES Fund.
The bank has also contributed Rs 11 crore to support the government's vaccination drive.

Op Samudra Setu-II: Indian Navy launches

operation for the shipment oxygen-filled
containers to India
The Indian Navy has launched Operation Samudra Setu-II in order to support the ongoing
national mission of meeting the oxygen requirements amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in the
country.
The Indian Navy spokesperson via a tweet informed that the mission-deployed Indian Naval
warships will be undertaking shipment of the liquid oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and the
associated medical equipment.
All such containers carried on the aircraft across the country are empty as the oxygen-filled tanks
cannot be transported by air. Thus, the naval operation gains prominence along with the ongoing
efforts of the Railways.
#IndianNavy launches Operation #SamudraSetu_II to augment ongoing national mission

#OxygenExpress.
Mission deployed warships will undertake shipment of liquid #Oxygen filled cryogenic containers
& associated medical equipment in support of nation’s #FightAgainstCOVID19 (1/2).
pic.twitter.com/fLRWobOp7U
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) April 30, 2021

Key details:
• INS Kolkata and INS Talwar, two ships entered the port of Manama, Bahrain for carrying back
40 tonnes of liquid oxygen to Mumbai.
• INS Airavat is on its way to Singapore while the INS Jalashwa is en route to Bangkok on similar
missions.
Operation Samudra Setu:
Indian Navy had launched Operation Samudra Setu in 2020 as part of the Vande Bharat Mission.
It repatriated 3992 stranded and distressed citizens of India from Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Iran.

Contribution by Armed Forces:
As part of the armed force contribution to the civil administration to combat the ongoing COVID-19
crisis, a 57 member medical team of the navy consisting of 7 nurses, four doctors, 20 supporting
staff, 26 paramedics were also deputed to Ahmedabad on April 29, 2021.
The team by the armed forces will be deployed at the ‘PM Cares COVID Hospital’. It is a special
hospital that was set up to manage the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. The team has been deployed
for two months to begin and the duration of the operation will be extended, in case it is required.

World Press Freedom Day 2021: Origin,

Purpose, Theme, all you need to know
Each year on May 03, World Press Freedom Day is a day dedicated to celebrating the fourth
pillar of democracy – the press. World Press Freedom Day commemorates the field of
journalism and the struggle faced by journalists who have risked their lives to seek and bring true
stories to the world.
The World Press Freedom Day to date stands as the day to remind the governments of their
commitment to press freedom and as a day for media professionals to reflect upon professional
ethics and issues of press freedom.
Origin
The UN General Assembly in 1993 announced that World Freedom Day will be celebrated on
May 3 every year.
The UN General Assembly reached this decision after the recommendation made at the 26th
UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991, and also as a result of the 1991 Declaration of
Windhoek, which was a statement presented by African journalists about press freedom at a
UNESCO seminar that concluded on May 03.
Purpose
As stated by UNESCO, this day is observed to:
•Pay tributes to journalists who lost their lives during their quest to cover the truth,
•Assess the status of press freedom around the world,
•Defend the media professionals and entities from attacks on their independence,
•Celebrate the freedom of the press around the world.
World Press Freedom Day 2021: Theme
The World Press Freedom Day theme for 2021 is ‘Information as a Public Good’.

The theme for World Press Freedom Day 2021 recognizes the importance of seeking
information as a public good and explores ways to strengthen journalism.
The World Press Freedom Day 2021 will focus on three key topics:
•Steps focused on ensuring the economic viability of news media,
•Mechanisms for ensuring transparency of internet companies,
•Enhanced Media and Information Literacy (MIL) capacities that enable people to recognize and
value, defend, and demand, journalism as an important part of information as a public good.
World Press Freedom Day 2021: Celebrations
The UNESCO and the Government of Namibia is hosting the 2021 Global Conference from April
29-May 03, 2021 in Windhoek.
The event will be a combination of in-presence participation and virtual participation. The
conference will draw urgent attention to the looming danger of extinction of local news media
across the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event will also dive into ideas to understand what all can be done to increase the
transparency of online media companies and improve the working conditions and safety levels of
journalists.
On World Press Freedom Day, the 2021 Global Conference will:
•Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, and
•Host six regional forums to investigate local aspects of press freedom, and
•Host the 6th Academic Conference on the Safety of Journalists.

WHO gives emergency use authorization to

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
The World Health Organisation on April 30, 2021, granted the emergency use authorization to
Moderna Coronavirus vaccine. The global body listed the vaccine for emergency use, adding
another shot to its arsenal in the fight against the pandemic.
The shots from the Moderna vaccine have joined the shots from AstraZeneca-SK Bio, Janssen,
Pfizer-BioNTech, Serum Institute of India on the World Health Organisation’s list of emergency
use vaccines.
With this, the Moderna vaccine (mRNA 1273) has become the fifth vaccine to receive the
emergency use validation from WHO.
Moderna vaccine is developed by the US company Moderna, the Biomedical Advanced Research
and Development Authority, and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The @WHO has issued Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for our COVID-19 vaccine to prevent
COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older. Read more: https://t.co/hGuRTHACem
pic.twitter.com/FxzzhpygqI
— Moderna (@moderna_tx) April 30, 2021

Key details:
• The experts of the World Health Organisation have recommended using the vaccine for patients
over the age of 18 years.
• As per the WHO estimates, the drug is mRNA-based and it has an efficacy of 94.1%.
• Moderna vaccine can be stored between -25oC and -15oC, but the vaccine can also be stored
up to 30 days at temperatures between 2 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius.
Moderna vaccine to be a part of COVAX:
The addition of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to the emergency use listing of the World Health
Organisation is a prerequisite for it to be a part of COVAX.

COVAX is a global program to distribute the shots of the Coronavirus vaccine to low-income
countries. The program also allows the nations to expedite their own regulatory approval to
administer and import the Coronavirus vaccine.
Approval to Moderna vaccine by EU and the US:
The Moderna vaccine was given emergency use authorization by the United States in December
2020. The European Union also gave its approval to the vaccine shortly after the US in January
2021.
The authorization of the vaccine by the global health body has come as the global community
works to increase its COVID vaccinations to curb the pandemic over a year after it broke in China.
Similar approvals from WHO for China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines are also expected in
the coming days and weeks.

Assam 2021 Winning Candidates List: Check

the winner candidates and parties in Assam
Assembly Elections
As the result of Assam Assembly Elections 2021 was announced on May 2, 2021, BJP has won
with a clear majority in the state. The party has successfully made a comeback for the 2nd term in
Assam.
Assam Assembly Elections 2021 saw BJP in alliance with Asom Gana Parishad and the United
People’s Party Limited, the Indian National Congress has come together with 7 other parties in
grand alliance-Mahajot, namely, AIUDF, BPF, CPI (M), CPI, CPI (ML) L, AGM, and RJD.
However, BJP and Congress will not be the only parties as Assam Jatiya Parishad, Raijor Dal
have also stepped up their game for the upcoming election results.
While both the Congress and BJP claim to form the government in Assam, the exit polls have
clearly given an edge to the ruling BJP in the state.
Here, we are providing you with a list of 126 constituencies along with the names of the winning
candidates and their parties.
S. No. Constituencies Winning Candidates
1 Ratabari (SC) Bijoy Malakar (Bharatiya Janata Party)
2 Patharkandi Krishnendu Paul (Bharatiya Janata Party)
Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha (Indian National

3 Karimganj North
Congress)
4 Karimganj South Siddeque Ahmed (Indian National Congress)

5 Badarpur Abdul Aziz (All India United Democratic Front)
Zakir Hussain Laskar (All India United Democratic

6 Hailakandi
Front)
Suzam Uddin Laskar (All India United Democratic

7 Katlicherra
Front)
Nijam Uddin Choudhury (All India United

8 Algapur
Democratic Front)
9 Silchar Dipayan Chakraborty (Bharatiya Janata Party)
Karim Uddin Barbhuiya (All India United

10 Sonai
Democratic Front)
11 Dholai (SC) Parimal Sukla Baidya (Bharatiya Janata Party)
12 Udharbond Mihir Kanti Shome (Bharatiya Janata Party)
13 Lakhipur Kaushik Rai (Bharatiya Janata Party)
14 Barkhola Misbahul Islam Laskar (Indian National Congress)
15 Katigora Khalil Uddin Mazumder (Indian National Congress)
16 Haflong (ST) Nandita Gorlosa (Bharatiya Janata Party)
17 Bokajan (ST) Numal Momin (Bharatiya Janata Party)
18 Howraghat (ST) Darsing Ronghang (Bharatiya Janata Party)
19 Diphu (ST) Bidya Sing Engleng (Bharatiya Janata Party)
20 Baithalangso (ST) Rupsing Teron (Bharatiya Janata Party)
21 Mankachar MD. Aminul Islam (All India United Democratic

Front)

22 Salmara South Wazed Ali Choudhury (Indian National Congress)
23 Dhubri Nazrul Hoque (All Indian United Democratic Front)
Nizanur Rahman (All India United Democratic

24 Gauripur
Front)
Abdus Sobahan Ali Sarkar (Indian National

25 Golakganj
Congress)
Hafiz Bashir Ahmed (All India United Democratic

26 Bilasipara West
Front)
27 Bilasipara East Samsul Huda (All India United Democratic Front)
28 Gossaigaon Majendra Narzary (Bodoland Peoples Front)
Kokrajhar West
29 Rabiram Narzary (Bodoland People's Front)
(ST)
Kokrajhar East
30 Lawrence Islary (United People's Party, Liberal)
(ST)
Joyanta Basumatary (United People's Party,

31 Sidli (ST)
Liberal)
32 Bongaigaon Phani Bhushan Choudhury (Asom Gana Parishad)
33 Bijni Ajoy Kumar Ray (Bharatiya Janata Party)
34 Abhayapuri North Abdul Batin Khandakar (Congress)
Abhayapuri South
35 Pradip Sarkar (Congress)
(SC)
36 Dudhnai (ST) Jadab Swargiary (Congress)

Abul Kalam Rashid Alam (Indian National

37 Goalpara East
Congress)
38 Goalpara West Abdur Rashid Mandal (Indian National Congress)
39 Jaleswar Aftab Uddin Mollah (Indian National Congress)
Manoranjan Talukdar (Communist Party of India-

40 Sorbhog
Marxist)
Phanidhar Talukdar (All India United Democratic

41 Bhabanipur
Front)
42 Patacharkuchi Ranjeet Kumar Dass (Bharatiya Janata Party)
43 Barpeta Abdur Rahim Ahmed (Indian National Congress)
44 Jania Rafiqul Islam (All India United Democratic Front)
45 Baghbar Sherman Ali Ahmed (Indian National Congress)
46 Sarukhetri Jakir Hussain Sikdar (Indian National Congress)
Ashraful Hussain (All India United Democratic

47 Chenga
Front)
48 Boko (SC) Nandita Das (Indian National Congress)
49 Chaygaon Rekibuddin Ahmed (Indian National Congress)
50 Palasbari Hemanga Thakuria (Bharatiya Janata Party)
Himanta Biswa Sarma (Bharatiya Janata Party)-

51 Jalukbari
WON
52 Dispur Atul Bora (Bharatiya Janata Party)
53 Gauhati East Siddhartha Bhattacharya (Bharatiya Janata Party)

54 Gauhati West Ramendra Narayan Kalita (Asom Gana Parishad)
55 Hajo Suman Haripriya (Bharatiya Janata Party)
56 Kamalpur Diganta Kalita (Bharatiya Janata Party)
57 Rangia Bhabesh Kalita (Bharatiya Janata Party)
58 Tamulpur Leho Ram Boro (United people's party, Liberal)
59 Nalbari Jayanta Malla Baruah (Bharatiya Janata Party)
60 Barkhetri Diganta Barman (Indian National Congress)
61 Dharmapur Chandra Mohan Patowary (Bharatiya Janata Party)
62 Barama (ST) Bhupen Baro (United People's Party, Liberal)
Urkhao Gwra Brahma (United People's Party,

63 Chapaguri (ST)
Liberal)
64 Panery Biswajit Daimary (Bharatiya Janata Party)
65 Kalaigaon Durga Das Boro (Bodoland People's Front)
66 Sipajhar Paramananda Rajbongshi (Bharatiya Janata Party)
67 Mangaldoi (SC) Basanta Das (Indian National Congress)
Mazibur Rahman (All India United Democratic

68 Dalgaon
Front)
Gobindra Chandra basumatari (United People's

69 Udalguri (ST)
Party, Liberal)

70 Majbat Charan Boro (Bodoland People's Front)
71 Dhekiajuli Ashok Singhal (Bharatiya Janata Party)
72 Barchalla Ganesh Kumar Limbu (Bharatiya Janata Party)
73 Tezpur Prithiraj Rava (Asom Gana Parishad)
74 Rangapara Krishna kamal Tanti (Bharatiya Janata Party)
75 Sootea Padma hazarika (Bharatiya Janata party)
76 Biswanath Promod Borthakur (Bharatiya Janata Party)
77 Behali Ranjit Dutta (Bharatiya Janata party)
78 Gohpur Utpal Borah (Bharatiya Janata Party)
79 Jagiroad (SC) Pijush hazarika (Bharatiya Janata Party)
80 Marigaon Rama Kanta Dewri (Bharatiya Janata Party)
Dr. Asif Mohammad Nazar (Indian National

81 Laharighat
Congress)
82 Raha (SC) Sashi Kanta Das (Indian National Congress)
83 Dhing Aminul Islam (All Indian United Democratic Front)
84 Batadroba Sibamoni Bora (Indian National Congress)
85 Rupohihat Nurul Huda (Indian National Congress)

86 Nowgong Rupak Sarmah (Bharatiya janata Party)
87 Barhampur Jitu Goswami (Bharatiya Janata Party)
88 Samaguri Rakibul Hussain (Indian National Congress)
89 Kaliabor Keshab Mahanta (Asom Gana Parishad)
Siraj Uddian Ajmal (All India United Democratic

90 Jamunamukh
Front)
91 Hojai Ramkrishna Ghosh (Bharatiya Janata Party)
92 Lumding Sibu Misra (Bharatiya Janata Party)
93 Bokakhat Atul Bora (Asom Gana Parishad)
94 Sarupathar Biswajit Phukan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
95 Golaghat Ajanta Neog (Bharatiya Janata Party)
96 Khumtai Mrinal Saikia (Bharatiya Janata Party)
97 Dergaon (SC) Bhabendra Nath Bharali (Asom Gana Parishad)
98 Jorhat Hitendra Nath Goswami (Bharatiya Janata Party)
99 Majuli (ST) Sarbananda Sonwal (Bharatiya Janata Party)
100 Titabar Bhaskar Jyoti Baruah (Indian National Congress)
101 Mariani Rupjyoti Kurmi (Indian National Congress)
102 Teok Renupoma Rajkhowa (Asom gana Parishad)

103 Amguri Prodip Hazarika (Asom Gana Parishad)
104 Nazira Debabrata Saikia (Indian National Congress)
105 Mahmara Jogen Mohan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
106 Sonari Dharmeswar Konwar (Bharatiya Janata Party)
107 Thowra Sushanta Borgohain (Indian National Congress)
108 Sibsagar Akhil Gogoi (Independent)
109 Bihpuria Dr. Amiya Kumar Bhuyan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
110 Naoboicha Bharat Chandra Narah (Indian National Congress)
111 Lakhimpur Manab Deka (Bharatiya Janata Party)
112 Dhakuakhana (ST) Naba Kumar Doley (Bharatiya Janata Party)
113 Dhemaji (ST) Ranoj Pegu (Bharatiya Janata Party)
114 Jonai (ST) Bhuban Pegu (Bharatiya Janata Party)
115 Moran Chakradhar Gogoi (Bharatiya Janata Party)
116 Dibrugarh Prasanta Phukan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
117 Lahowal Binod Hazarika (Bharatiya Janata party)
118 Duliajan Terash Gowala (Bharatiya Janata Party)
119 Tingkhong Bimal Borah (Bharatiya Janata Party)

120 Naharkatia Taranga Gogoi (Bharatiya Janata Party)
121 Chabua Ponakan Baruah (Asom Gana Parishad)
122 Tinsukia Sanjoy Kishan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
123 Digboi Suren Phukan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
124 Margherita Bhaskar Sharma (Bharatiya Janata Party)
125 Doom Dooma Rupesh Gowala (Bharatiya Janata Party)
126 Sadiya Bolin Chetia (Bharatiya Janata Party)

Kerala 2021 Winning Candidates List:

Communist Party to form second
consecutive government in Kerala, Get
Complete list of Winners Here
LDF set to come to power for a second consecutive term in the state creating history. The LDF
has maintained a lead in 98 seats out of 140 which is 7 seats more than 2016 while the UDF has
been reduced to 41 seats, Find the complete list of candidates winning the elections in 2021.
List of Winners Kerala Assembly Elections 2021
Constituency Winner Party
Adoor Chittayam Gopakumar LDF
Alappuzha P.P Chitharanjan LDF
Alathur K.D.PRASENAN LDF
Aluva ANWAR SADATH UDF
Ambalapuzha H.Salam LDF
Angamaly ROJI M JOHN UDF
Aranmula VEENA GEORGE LDF
Aroor Daleema Jojo LDF
Aruvikkara G Steephan LDF

Attingal OS Ambika LDF
Azhikode KV Sumesh LDF
Balusseri Sachin Dev LDF
Beypore Adv. P. A MOHAMED RIYAS LDF
Chadayamangalam J.Chinchurani LDF
Chalakkudy Saneeshkumar Joseph UDF
Changanassery Job Michael LDF
Chathannur G.S. JAYALAL LDF
Chavara Dr.SUJITH VIJAYANPILLAI LDF
Chelakkara K Radhakrishnan LDF
Chengannur SAJI CHERIAN LDF
Chirayinkeezhu V. Sasi LDF
Cherthala P Prasad LDF
Chittur K Krishnankutty LDF
Devikulam A Raja LDF
Dharmadam Pinarayi Vijayan LDF

Elathur P Sashidharan UDF
Eranad PK Basheer UDF
Eranakulam
Eravipuram M Naushad LDF
Ettumanoor VN Vasavan LDF
Guruvayoor MK Akbar LDF
Haripad Ramesh Chennithala UDF
Idukki Roshi Augustin LDF
Irikkur Sajeev Joseph UDF
Irinjalakkuda R Bindu LDF
Kaduthuruthy Mons Joseph UDF
Kaipamangalam E T TAISON MASTER LDF
Kalamassery P. RAJEEVE LDF
Kalliasseri M Vijin LDF
Kalpetta T Siddiqu UDF
Kanhangad E CHANDRASHEKARAN LDF

Kanjirappally M Jayaraj LDF
Kannur Congress
Ramachandran Kadanapally
Secular
Karunagappally C. R Mahesh UDF
Kasaragod NA Nellikunnu UDF
Kattakkada Adv I B SATHEESH LDF
Kayamkulam U Pratibha LDF
Kazhakkoottam Kadagampally Surendran LDF
Kochi KJ Maxy LDF
Kodungallur V. R. Sunilkumar LDF
Koduvally
Kollam M Vincent UDF
Kondotty T V IBRAHIM UDF
Kongad Santhakumari K LDF
Konni Jenish Kumar LDF
Kothamangalam Antony Job LDF
Kottakkal PROF. ABID HUSSAIN THANGAL UDF

Kottarakkara K N BALAGOPAL LDF
Kottayam Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan UDF
Kovalam M Vincent UDF
Kozhikode North Totattil Ravindran LDF
Indian
Kozhikode South AHAMMAD DEVARKOVIL National
League
Kundara PC Vishwanath UDF
Kunnamangalam ADV. P. T. A RAHIM Independent
Kunnamkulam AC Moideen LDF
Kunnathunad PV Sreenijin LDF
Kunnathur KOVOOR KUNJUMON Independent
Kuthuparamba Loktantrik
K.P. MOHANAN
Janata Dal
Kuttanad Jacob Abraham LDF
Kuttiadi KP Kunjahamedkutty LDF
Malampuzha A Prabhakaran LDF
Malappuram P. UBAIDULLA UDF
Manalur Murali LDF

Mananthavady OR Kelu LDF
Manjeri UA Lateef UDF
Manjeshwar AKM Ashraf UDF
Mankada M Ali UDF
Mannarkad N Samsudeen UDF
Mattannur KK Shailaja LDF
Mavelikara M S ARUN KUMAR LDF
Muvattupuzha MATHEW KUZHALNADAN UDF
Nadapuram Dr. MATHEW KUZHALNADAN UDF
Nattika CC Mukundan LDF
Nedumangad GR Anil LDF
Nemom V.Sivankutty LDF
Nenmara K. Babu LDF
Neyyattinkara K. ANSALAN LDF
Nilambur PV Anwar LDF
Ollur K Rajan LDF

Ottapalam Adv. K. PREMKUMAR LDF
Pala Maani C Kappan UDF
Palakkad Shafi Parambil UDF
Parassala C.K.HAREENDRAN LDF
Paravur V.D. SATHEESAN UDF
Pathanapuram K.B. GANESH KUMAR UDF
Pattambi Muhammed Muhassin LDF
Payyannur T I MADHUSOODANAN LDF
Peerumade Vazhoor Soman LDF
Perambra TP Ramakrishnan LDF
Peravoor Sunny Joseph UDF
Perinthalmanna NAJEEB KANTHAPURAM UDF
Perumbavoor Adv ELDOSE P KUNNAPILLIL UDF
Piravom Anoop Jacob UDF
Ponnani P Nandakumar LDF
Poonjar Sebastian Kulatinkal LDF

Punalur P S SUPAL LDF
Puthukkad K.K. Ramachandran LDF
Puthuppally Ommen Chandy UDF
Quilandy Kanathil Jameela LDF
Ranni Adv. Pramod Narayan UDF
Shornur P. MAMMIKUTTY LDF
Sulthanbathery IC Balakrishnan UDF
Taliparambu M V GOVINDAN MASTER LDF
National
Tanur V.ABDURAHIMAN Secular
Conference
Tarur P.P.SUMOD LDF
Thalassery Adv. A. N. SHAMSEER LDF
Thavanur DR.K.T.JALEEL Independent
Thiruvalla Mathew T Thomas LDF
Thiruvambady Linto Joseph LDF
Thiruvananthapuram Anthony Raju
Thodupuzha PJ Josph UDF

Thrikkakara PT Thomas UDF
Thripunithura K. BABU UDF
Thrissur P. Balachaandran LDF
Thrithala MB Rajesh LDF
Tirur KURUKKOLI MOIDEEN UDF
Tirurangadi KPA Majeed UDF
Trikaripur M RAJAGOPALAN LDF
Udma CH Kunjambu LDF
Udumbanchola M.M. Mani LDF
Vadakara KK Rema UDF
Vaikom CK Asha LDF
Vallikkunnu Abdul Hameed UDF
Vamanapuram Adv. D. K. Murali LDF
Varkala Adv. V Joy LDF
Vattiyoorkavu Adv.V.K.PRASANTH LDF
Vengara PK Kunjalikutty UDF

Vypen K.N. Unnikrishnan LDF
Wadakkanchery Xavier Chittilappilly LDF
Wandoor AP Anil Kumar UDF

West Bengal 2021 Winning Candidates List:

Check complete list of winners!
West Bengal Election Results 2021: Mamata Banerjee 's All India Trinamool Congress on May
2, 2021 demolished all poll predictions by clinching a landslide victory in the West Bengal State
Assembly Elections 2021.
The party clinched clear victory in 213 West Bengal Assembly constituencies, which is way over
the majority mark of 148 seats. The BJP won only 77 seats, while an independent and Rashtriya
Secular Majlis Party won one seat each.
All exit polls had either called for a neck-to-neck battle in West Bengal between the BJP and TMC
or a major win for the BJP in the state. However, the results were completely the opposite with the
Trinamool Congress sweeping through the election results.
The BJP was predicted to win around 134-160 seats, while the TMC was predicted to win only
134-158 seats out of the total 294 Assembly Constituencies. The elections for two constituencies
were defered due to the death of two candidates.
West Bengal Election Result 2021
Party Won Leading Total

All India Trinamool
213 0 213
Congress
Bharatiya Janata
77 0 77
Party
Independent 1 0 1
Rashtriya Secular
1 0 1
Majlis Party
Total 292 0 292
Nandigram Constituency Election Result 2021
The result of the Nandigram constituency was not clear for a long time as initially the Election

Commission declared Mamata Banerjee as the winner from the seat but then later retracted its
statement saying that the Suvendhu was actually the winner. The commission then said that
counting of some votes still remained. Finally, the EC declared Suvendhu Adhikari only as the
winner with a lead of 1736 votes. The TMC had contested the result and asked for a recount. The
Election Commission has rejected the party's appeal for a recount.
Speaking earlier on her defeat from the Nandigram constituency, Banerjee had said, "don't worry
about Nandigram, I struggled for Nandigram because I fought a movement. It's ok. Let the
Nandigram people give whatever verdict they want, I accept that. I don't mind. We won more than
221 seats & BJP has lost the election."
Don't worry about Nandigram, I struggled for Nandigram because I fought a movement. It's ok.
Let the Nandigram people give whatever verdict they want, I accept that. I don't mind. We won
more than 221 seats & BJP has lost the election: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
pic.twitter.com/jmp098PF2A
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

West Bengal Winning Candidates List 2021: Full List of Winners (will be announced when
EC declares)
Constituency Name Winning Candidate Party
Bharatiya Jan
Alipurduars SUMAN KANJILAL
Party
All India Trinam

Amdanga RAFIQUR RAHAMAN
Congress
All India Trinam

Amta SUKANTA KUMAR PAUL
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Arambag MADHUSUDAN BAG
Party
All India Trinam

Asansol Uttar Ghatak Moloy
Congress
All India Trinam

Ashoknagar NARAYAN GOSWAMI
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Asnsol Dakshin AGNIMITRA PAUL
Party
Ausgram ABHEDANANDA THANDER All India Trinam

Congress
All India Trinam

Baduria ABDUR RAHIM QUAZI
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Bagda Biswajit Das
Party
All India Trinam

Baghmundi Sushanta Mahato
Congress
All India Trinam

Bagnan Arunava Sen (Raja)
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Baharampur Subrata Maitra (Kanchan)
Party
All India Trinam

Baisnabnagar CHANDANA SARKAR
Congress
All India Trinam

Balagarh MANORANJAN BAPARI
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Balarampur BANESWAR MAHATO
Party
All India Trinam

Bally RANA CHATTERJEE
Congress
All India Trinam

Ballygunge Subrata Mukherjee
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Balurghat Ashok Kumar Lahiri
Party
All India Trinam

Bandwan RAJIB LOCHAN SAREN
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Bangaon Dakshin SWAPAN MAJUMDER
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Bangaon Uttar ASHOK KIRTANIA
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Bankura NILADRI SEKHAR DANA
Party

All India Trinam

Barabani BIDHAN UPADHYAY
Congress
All India Trinam

Baranagar TAPAS ROY
Congress
All India Trinam

Barasat CHIRANJEET CHAKRABARTI
Congress
All India Trinam

Barjora ALOK MUKHERJEE
Congress
All India Trinam

Barrackpur RAJU CHAKRABORTY (RAJ)
Congress
All India Trinam

Baruipur Paschim BIMAN BANERJEE
Congress
All India Trinam

Baruipur Purba BIVAS SARDAR (VOBO)
Congress
All India Trinam

Basanti SHYAMAL MONDAL
Congress
All India Trinam

Basirhat Dakshin DR. SAPTARSHI BANERJEE
Congress
All India Trinam

Basirhat Uttar RAFIKUL ISLAM MONDAL
Congress
All India Trinam

Behala Paschim PARTHA CHATTERJEE
Congress
All India Trinam

Behala Purba Ratna Chatterjee
Congress
All India Trinam

Beldanga HASANUZZAMAN SK
Congress
All India Trinam

Beleghata PARESH PAUL
Congress
All India Trinam

Bhabanipur Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay
Congress
All India Trinam

Bhagabangola IDRIS ALI
Congress

Bharatiya Jan
Bhagabanpur RABINDRANATH MAITY
Party
Rashtriya Sec
Bhangar MD. NAWSAD SIDDIQUE
Majlis Party
All India Trinam

Bharatpur HUMAYUN KABIR
Congress
All India Trinam

Bhatar ADHIKARI MANGOBINDA
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Bhatpara PAWAN KUMAR SINGH
Party
All India Trinam

Bidhannagar SUJIT BOSE S/O - LATE AJIT BOSE
Congress
All India Trinam

Bijpur SUBODH ADHIKARY
Congress
All India Trinam

Binpur DEBNATH HANSDA
Congress
All India Trinam

Bishnupur DILIP MONDAL
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Bishnupur TANMAY GHOSH (BUMBA)
Party
All India Trinam

Bolpur SINHA CHANDRANATH
Congress
All India Trinam

Budge Budge ASHOK KUMAR DEB
Congress
All India Trinam

Burdwan Dakshin KHOKAN DAS
Congress
All India Trinam

Burdwan Uttar NISITH KUMAR MALIK
Congress
All India Trinam

Burwan JIBAN KRISHNA SAHA
Congress
All India Trinam

Canning Paschim Paresh Ram Das
Congress

All India Trinam

Canning Purba SAOKAT MOLLA
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Chakdaha Bankim Chandra Ghosh
Party
All India Trinam

Chakulia AZAD MINHAJUL ARFIN
Congress
All India Trinam

Champdani ARINDAM GUIN (BUBAI)
Congress
All India Trinam

Chanchal Nihar Ranjan Ghosh
Congress
All India Trinam

Chandannagar INDRANIL SEN
Congress
All India Trinam

Chandipur Soham Chakraborty
Congress
All India Trinam

Chanditala SWATI KHANDOKER
Congress
All India Trinam

Chandrakona ARUP DHARA
Congress
All India Trinam

Chapra RUKBANUR RAHMAN
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Chhatna SATYANARAYAN MUKHOPADHYAY
Party
All India Trinam

Chopra HAMIDUL RAHAMAN
Congress
All India Trinam

Chowrangee BANDYOPADHYAY NAYNA
Congress
All India Trinam

Chunchura Asit Mazumder (Tapan)
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Cooch Behar Dakshin Nikhil Ranjan Dey
Party
Bharatiya Jan
COOCHBEHAR UTTAR SUKUMAR ROY
Party

Bharatiya Jan
Dabgram-Fulbari Sikha Chatterjee
Party
All India Trinam

Dantan BIKRAM CHANDRA PRADHAN
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Darjeeling NEERAJ TAMANG ZIMBA
Party
All India Trinam

Daspur MAMATA BHUNIA
Congress
All India Trinam

Debra HUMAYUN KABIR
Congress
All India Trinam

Deganga RAHIMA MONDAL
Congress
All India Trinam

Dhanekhali ASIMA PATRA
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Dhupguri BISHNU PADA RAY
Party
All India Trinam

Diamond Harbour PANNALAL HALDER
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Dinhata NISITH PRAMANIK
Party
All India Trinam

Domjur KALYAN GHOSH
Congress
All India Trinam

Domkal JAFIKUL ISLAM
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Dubrajpur Anup Kumar Saha
Party
All India Trinam

Dum Dum BRTYA BASU
Congress
All India Trinam

Dum Dum Uttar CHANDRIMA BHATTACHARYA
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Durgapur Paschim LAKSHMAN CHANDRA GHORUI
Party

All India Trinam

Durgapur Purba PRADIP MAZUMDAR
Congress
All India Trinam

Egra TARUN KUMAR MAITY
Congress
SREERUPA MITRA CHAUDHURY(NIRBHOY Bharatiya Jan

Englishbazar
DIDI) Party
All India Trinam

Entally Swarna Kamal Saha
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Falakata DIPAK BARMAN
Party
All India Trinam

Falta SANKAR KUMAR NASKAR
Congress
All India Trinam

Farakka MANIRUL ISLAM
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Gaighata SUBRATA THAKUR
Party
All India Trinam

Galsi NEPAL GHORUI
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Gangarampur SATYENDRA NATH RAY
Party
All India Trinam

Garbeta Uttara Singha (Hazra)
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Gazole CHINMOY DEB BARMAN
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Ghatal SITAL KAPAT
Party
All India Trinam

Goalpokhar MD. GHULAM RABBANI
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Goghat BISWANATH KARAK
Party
All India Trinam

Gopiballavpur Dr. Khagendra Nath Mahata
Congress

All India Trinam

Gosaba JAYANTA NASKAR
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Habibpur JOYEL MURMU
Party
All India Trinam

Habra JYOTI PRIYA MALLICK
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Haldia Tapasi Mondal
Party
All India Trinam

Hansan Dr. ASOK KUMAR CHATTOPADHYAY
Congress
All India Trinam

Hariharpara NIAMOT SHEIKH
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Haringhata ASIM KUMAR SARKAR
Party
All India Trinam

Haripal Dr. Karabi Manna
Congress
All India Trinam

Harirampur BIPLAB MITRA
Congress
All India Trinam

Harischandrapur TAJMUL HOSSAIN
Congress
All India Trinam

Haroa ISLAM SK NURUL (HAJI)
Congress
All India Trinam

Hemtabad SATYAJIT BARMAN
Congress
All India Trinam

Hingalganj DEBES MANDAL
Congress
All India Trinam

Howrah Dakshin NANDITA CHOWDHURY
Congress
All India Trinam

Howrah Madhya Arup Roy, S/o Late Prabhat Roy
Congress
All India Trinam

Howrah Uttar GAUTAM CHOWDHURI
Congress

Bharatiya Jan
Indus NIRMAL KUMAR DHARA
Party
All India Trinam

Islampur ABDUL KARIM CHOWDHARY
Congress
All India Trinam

Itahar MOSARAF HUSSEN
Congress
All India Trinam

Jadavpur DEBABRATA MAJUMDAR (MALAY)
Congress
All India Trinam

Jagatballavpur SITANATH GHOSH
Congress
All India Trinam

Jagatdal SOMENATH SHYAM ICHINI
Congress
All India Trinam

Jalangi ABDUR RAZZAK
Congress
All India Trinam

Jalpaiguri DR. PRADIP KUMAR BARMA
Congress
All India Trinam

Jamalpur ALOK KUMAR MAJHI
Congress
All India Trinam

Jamuria HARERAM SINGH
Congress
All India Trinam

Jangipara SNEHASIS CHAKRABORTY
Congress
All India Trinam

Jhargram BIRBAHA HANSDA
Congress
All India Trinam

Jorasanko VIVEK GUPTA
Congress
All India Trinam

Joynagar BISWANATH DAS
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Joypur Nara Hari Mahato
Party
All India Trinam

Kakdwip MANTURAM PAKHIRA
Congress

Bharatiya Jan
Kalchini BISHAL LAMA
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Kaliaganj SOUMEN ROY
Party
All India Trinam

Kaliganj NASIRUDDIN AHAMED (LAL)
Congress
Kalimpong RUDEN SADA LEPCHA Independen
All India Trinam

Kalna DEBOPRASAD BAG (POLTU)
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Kalyani AMBIKA ROY
Party
All India Trinam

Kamarhati MADAN MITRA
Congress
All India Trinam

Kandi APURBA SARKAR (DAVID)
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Kanthi Dakshin ARUP KUMAR DAS
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Kanthi Uttar SUMITA SINHA
Party
All India Trinam

Karandighi GOUTAM PAUL
Congress
All India Trinam

Karimpur Bimalendu Sinha Roy
Congress
All India Trinam

Kasba AHMED JAVED KHAN
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Kashipur KAMALAKANTA HANSDA
Party
All India Trinam

Kashipur-Belgachhia Atin Ghosh
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Katulpur HARAKALI PROTIHER
Party

All India Trinam

Katwa Rabindranath Chatterjee
Congress
All India Trinam

Keshiary PARESH MURMU
Congress
All India Trinam

Keshpur Seuli Saha
Congress
All India Trinam

Ketugram Sekh Sahonawez
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Khanakul SUSANTA GHOSH
Party
All India Trinam

Khandaghosh NABIN CHANDRA BAG
Congress
All India Trinam

Kharagpur DINEN ROY
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Kharagpur Sadar HIRANMOY CHATTOPADHYAYA
Party
All India Trinam

Khardaha KAJAL SINHA
Congress
All India Trinam

Khargram ASHIS MARJIT
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Khejuri SANTANU PRAMANIK
Party
All India Trinam

Kolkata Port Firhad Hakim
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Krishnaganj ASHIS KUMAR BISWAS
Party
All India Trinam

Krishnanagar Dakshin UJJAL BISWAS
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Krishnanagar Uttar MUKUL ROY
Party
All India Trinam

Kulpi JOGARANJAN HALDER
Congress

All India Trinam

Kultali Ganesh Chandra Mondal
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Kulti AJAY KUMAR PODDAR
Party
All India Trinam

Kumarganj TORAF HOSSAIN MANDAL
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Kumargram MANOJ KUMAR ORAON
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Kurseong Bishnu Prasad Sharma (alias B.P. Bajgain)
Party
All India Trinam

Kushmandi REKHA ROY
Congress
All India Trinam

Labhpur ABHIJIT SINHA (RANA)
Congress
All India Trinam

Lalgola ALI MOHAMMAD
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Madarihat MANOJ TIGGA
Party
All India Trinam

Madhyamgram RATHIN GHOSH
Congress
All India Trinam

Magrahat Paschim GIAS UDDIN MOLLA
Congress
All India Trinam

Magrahat Purba NAMITA SAHA
Congress
All India Trinam

Maheshtala DULAL CHANDRA DAS
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Kumargram MANOJ KUMAR ORAON
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Kurseong Bishnu Prasad Sharma (alias B.P. Bajgain)
Party
All India Trinam

Kushmandi REKHA ROY
Congress

All India Trinam

Labhpur ABHIJIT SINHA (RANA)
Congress
All India Trinam

Lalgola ALI MOHAMMAD
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Madarihat MANOJ TIGGA
Party
All India Trinam

Madhyamgram RATHIN GHOSH
Congress
All India Trinam

Magrahat Paschim GIAS UDDIN MOLLA
Congress
All India Trinam

Magrahat Purba NAMITA SAHA
Congress
All India Trinam

Maheshtala DULAL CHANDRA DAS
Congress
All India Trinam

Mahishadal TILAK KUMAR CHAKRABORTY
Congress
All India Trinam

Mal BULU CHIK BARAIK
Congress
All India Trinam

Malatipur ABDUR RAHIM BOXI
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Maldaha Gopal Chandra Saha
Party
All India Trinam

Manbazar SANDHYARANI TUDU
Congress
All India Trinam

Mandirbazar JOYDEB HALDER
Congress
All India Trinam

Manikchak SABITRI MITRA
Congress
All India Trinam

Maniktola Sadhan Pande
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Mathabhanga Sushil Barman
Party

Bharatiya Jan
Matigara-Naxalbari Anandamay Barman
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Maynaguri Kaushik Roy
Party
All India Trinam

Mayureswar ABHIJIT ROY
Congress
All India Trinam

Medinipur June Maliah
Congress
All India Trinam

Mekliganj ADHIKARY PARESH CHANDRA
Congress
All India Trinam

Memari MADHUSUDAN BHATTACHARYA
Congress
All India Trinam

Metiaburuz ABDUL KHALEQUE MOLLA
Congress
All India Trinam

Minakhan USHA RANI MONDAL
Congress
All India Trinam

Mongalkote Apurba Chowdhury (Achal)
Congress
All India Trinam

Monteswar CHOWDHURY SIDDIQULLAH
Congress
All India Trinam

Mothabari YEASMIN SABINA
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Moyna Ashoke Dinda
Party
All India Trinam

Murarai DR MOSARRAF HOSSAIN
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Murshidabad GOURI SANKAR GHOSH
Party
All India Trinam

Nabadwip PUNDARIKAKSHYA SAHA
Congress
All India Trinam

Nabagram KANAI CHANDRA MONDAL
Congress

Bharatiya Jan
Nagrakata PUNA BHENGRA
Party
All India Trinam

Naihati PARTHA BHOWMICK
Congress
All India Trinam

Nakashipara Kallol Khan
Congress
All India Trinam

Nalhati RAJENDRA PRASAD SINGH (RAJU SINGH)
Congress
All India Trinam

Nandakumar SUKUMAR DE
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Nandigram ADHIKARI SUVENDU
Party
All India Trinam

Nanoor BIDHAN CHANDRA MAJHI
Congress
All India Trinam

Naoda SAHINA MOMTAZ KHAN
Congress
All India Trinam

Narayangarh ATTA SURJA KANTA
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Natabari Mihir Goswami
Party
All India Trinam

Nayagram DULAL MURMU
Congress
All India Trinam

Noapara MANJU BASU
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Onda AMARNATH SHAKHA
Party
All India Trinam

Palashipara Dr. Manik Bhattacharya
Congress
All India Trinam

Panchla GULSAN MULLICK
Congress
All India Trinam

Pandabeswar NARENDRANATH CHAKRABORTY
Congress

All India Trinam

Pandua Dr. Ratna De Nag
Congress
All India Trinam

Panihati NIRMAL GHOSH
Congress
All India Trinam

Panskura Paschim PHIROJA BIBI
Congress
All India Trinam

Panskura Purba Biplab Roy Chowdhury
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Para NADIAR CHAND BOURI
Party
All India Trinam

Patashpur UTTAM BARIK
Congress
All India Trinam

Patharpratima SAMIR KUMAR JANA
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Phansidewa Durga Murmu
Party
All India Trinam

Pingla AJIT MAITY
Congress
All India Trinam

Purbasthali Dakshin SWAPAN DEBNATH
Congress
All India Trinam

Purbasthali Uttar TAPAN CHATTERJEE
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Pursurah BIMAN GHOSH
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Purulia Sudip Kumar Mukherjee
Party
All India Trinam

RaghunathGanj Akhruzzaman
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Raghunathpur Vivekananda Bauri
Party
All India Trinam

Raidighi ALOKE JALDATA
Congress

Bharatiya Jan
Raiganj KRISHNA KALYANI
Party
All India Trinam

Raina Shampa Dhara
Congress
All India Trinam

Raipur MRITYUNJOY MURMU
Congress
All India Trinam

Rajarhat Gopalpur ADITI MUNSHI
Congress
All India Trinam

Rajarhat New Town TAPASH CHATTERJEE
Congress
All India Trinam

Rajganj KHAGESWAR ROY
Congress
All India Trinam

Ramnagar AKHIL GIRI
Congress
All India Trinam

Rampurhat ASISH BANERJEE
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Ranaghat Dakshin MUKUT MANI ADHIKARI
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Ranaghat Uttar Paschim PARTHASARATHI CHATTERJEE
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Ranaghat Uttar Purba ASHIM BISWAS
Party
All India Trinam

Ranibandh Jyotsna Mandi
Congress
All India Trinam

Raniganj TAPAS BANERJEE
Congress
All India Trinam

Raninagar ABDUL SOUMIK HOSSAIN
Congress
All India Trinam

Rashbehari DEBASISH KUMAR
Congress
All India Trinam

Ratua Samar Mukherjee
Congress

All India Trinam

Rejinagar RABIUL ALAM CHOWDHURY
Congress
All India Trinam

Sabang MANAS RANJAN BHUNIA
Congress
All India Trinam

Sagar BANKIM CHANDRA HAZRA
Congress
All India Trinam

Sagardighi SUBRATA SAHA
Congress
All India Trinam

Sainthia NILABATI SAHA
Congress
All India Trinam

Salboni Srikanta Mahata
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Saltora BAURI CHANDANA
Party
All India Trinam

Sandeshkhali SUKUMAR MAHATA
Congress
All India Trinam

Sankrail PRIYA PAUL
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Santipur JAGANNATH SARKAR
Party
All India Trinam

Saptagram TAPAN DASGUPTA
Congress
All India Trinam

Satgachhia MOHAN CHANDRA NASKAR
Congress
All India Trinam

Shibpur Manoj Tiwary
Congress
All India Trinam

Shyampukur Dr. SHASHI PANJA
Congress
All India Trinam

Shyampur KALIPADA MANDAL
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Siliguri Sankar Ghosh
Party

All India Trinam

Singur BECHARAM MANNA
Congress
All India Trinam

Sitai JAGADISH CHANDRA BARMA BASUNIA
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Sitalkuchi Baren Chandra Barman
Party
Bharatiya Jan
Sonamukhi DIBAKAR GHARAMI
Party
All India Trinam

Sonarpur Dakshin ARUNDHUTI MAITRA (LOVELY)
Congress
All India Trinam

Sonarpur Uttar FIRDOUSI BEGUM
Congress
All India Trinam

Sreerampur DR. SUDIPTO ROY
Congress
All India Trinam

Sujapur Md Abdul Ghani
Congress
All India Trinam

Suri BIKASH ROYCHOUDHURY
Congress
All India Trinam

Suti EMANI BISWAS
Congress
All India Trinam

Swarupnagar BINA MONDAL
Congress
All India Trinam

Taldangra ARUP CHAKRABORTY
Congress
All India Trinam

Tamluk Saumen Kumar Mahapatra
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Tapan BUDHRAI TUDU
Party
All India Trinam

Tarakeswar RAMENDU SINHARAY
Congress
All India Trinam

Tehatta Tapas Kumar Saha
Congress

All India Trinam

Tollyganj AROOP BISWAS
Congress
Bharatiya Jan
Tufanganj Malati Rava Roy
Party
All India Trinam

Udaynarayanpur SAMIR KUMAR PANJA
Congress
All India Trinam

Uluberia Dakshin PULAK ROY
Congress
All India Trinam

Uluberia Purba BIDESH RANJAN BOSE
Congress
All India Trinam

Uluberia Uttar Dr. Nirmal Maji
Congress
All India Trinam

Uttarpara KANCHAN MULLICK
Congress

Kerala Election Result 2021: LDF to form

second consecutive government in the state,
NDA voted out with zero seats
Pinarayi Vijayan set to form a government for the second continuous term. LDF leads in 92 seats
out of 140 while UDF reduced to 45 and NDA maintains lead in 3 seats. Health Minister KK
Shailaja leading with 23000 votes while lead numbers drops for Ommen Chandy in Puthupally.
Check here for regular updates, leading candidates and constituencies, and the final list of
winners. For Live updates Click Here
Check Updates Here
3:06 PM: Health Minister KK Shailaja secures a historic majority in Mattanur
State Health Minister KK Shailaja has secured a historic vote majority with almost 61 thousand
votes in the Mattanur constituency. CM Pinarayi Vijayan lads in Dharmadom with close to 40
thousand vote margin.
2:24 PM: Palakkad in a tough spot for BJP
BJP candidate E Sresharan falls back on the lead by 1000 votes. BJP reduced to 0 seats in the
state as LDF set to form government with close to 96 seats in the state.
11:32 AM: Jose K Mani heading towards a loss in Pala
LDF candidate Jose K Mani heading towards a loss with UDF candidate Mani C Kappan
maintaining a lead id 10,000 votes. Pala was a UDF seat where former minister and father of MO
Jose K Mani - KM Mani has won the assembly elections for 54 years.
10: 52 AM - CM Pinarayi Vijayan maintains lead
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan maintains a lead of 5000 in Dharmadam while Health Minister KK
Shailaja maintains a lead with 24329 votes in Mattannur.

10: 32 AM - UDF cruising ahead in Pala
LDF candidate Jose K Mani losing the lead in Pala to UDF candidate Mani C Kappan. LDF
leading in 89 seats in Kerala as the state moving to a historic second term of LDF after Round 3
of voting.
10:17 AM - Pala fluctuates yet again, Palakkad BJP maintains lead
UDF candidate Mani C Kappan in the lead again with approximately 5000 votes. Mani C Kappan
expects to retain the seat he won in the by-elections held in 2020. BJP candidate E Sreesharan
maintains despite fall in lead.
9: 48 AM - Ommen Chandy leading by approximately 1037 votes in Puthupally which is the

bastion on the congress party and former CM Ommen Chandy. The LDF maintains a lead in 85
seats in the state with the UDF at 52 seats and NDA with 3 seats.
9:29 AM - LDF candidate Jose K Mani maintaining a lead in bastion seat of Pala. UDF candidate
Mani C Kappan reported putting up a neck-to-neck fight in pala to regain the seat. Former CM
Ommen Chandy and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala maintaining their lead in Puthupally
and Haripad constituency respectively.
9:12 AM - BJP candidate E Sreedharan in the lead in Palakkad with 2000 votes. The seats have
been in the limelight since BJP announced metro man E Sreedharan as its CM candidate.
9: 08 AM - UDF candidate Mani C Kappan now in the lead in Pala in the Kottayam district. LDF
candidate Jose K Mani was in the lead in the congress bastion seat. LDF leading in 81 seats in
the state.

Kerala Election Result 2021: CM Pinarayi

Vijayan returns to power with 99 seats in the
LDF, NDA reduced to Zero
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan set to form government in Kerala for a second consecutive term.
Top leaders, KK Shailaja, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, Ommn Chandy, BJP
candidates Sreesdharan maintain lead in their respective constituencies. Kerala Congress Mani
leader and LDF candidate Jose K Mani loses bastion Pala to UDF candidate and sitting MLA
Mani C Kappan.
Check below the key constituencies and the top leaders contesting in the elections here. For live
updates Click here
Check Updates Below
3:55 PM: Winners being declared in constituencies; NDA wiped out
Kerala State Assembly Election results 2021 are being declared with the state releasing the list of
winners and lead vote margin. LDF secures lead in 99 seats while UDF secures a led in 41 seats,
NDA wiped out completely losing its lead in the three seats it had a lead.
2:18 PM: E Sreedharan takes a backseat in Palakkad
A neck-to-neck battle in Palakkad with E Sreedharan losing the lead by 1000 votes to Congress
candidate Shafi Parambil. NDA reduced to 0 seats in Kerala as LDF leads on on 97 seats
compared to the 91 seats in 2016.
12;44 PM - Top leaders maintain lead in 91 seats
LDF top leaders maintain the lead in 91 seats in the state while NDA reduced to 2 seats
11: 55 AM - E Sreedharan leads with 5000 votes in Palakkad

BJP Candidate E Shredharan maintains the lead in Palakkad with approximately 2000 votes.
After 4 hours of counting LDF expected to come to power.
11:47 AM: Mani C Kappan set to win Pala as he leads with 10,000 votes
Kerala Congress MAni Leader Jose KMani set to lose his bastion as UDF candidate Mani C
Kappanleads with 10,000 plus votes. Addressing the media, Mani C Kappan says that he expects
a majority of 15,000 votes and retaining his seat in Pala.
11:35 AM - Ommen Chandy lead reduces to 2000 votes
Vote lead for Former CM Ommen Chandy reduces in Puthupally to 2000 votes. LDF set to form a
government for a second consecutive term with a lead in 90 seats.
11: 17 AM- Paalakkad E Sreedharan maintains lad with 12286
NJP looking forward to taking Palakkd as E Sreedggaran maintains the lead with 12286 votes.
NDA leading in 3 sets in the state. Mani C Kappan maintains a lead with 20721 votes.
11 AM: UDF leading Pala
UDF candidate Mani C Kappan maintains the lead in Kottayam's Pala constituency with a lead of
9000 votes Initial trends in Pala show a win for Mani C Kappan retaining his seat.
10:52 AM: Ramesh Chemmithala maintains lead in Haripad
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and former CM Ommen Chandy maintain lead in Haripad
and Puthupally constituency. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan maintains the lead in Dharmadam
with approximately 5000 votes.
10:30 AM: Mani C Kappan leading by 8000 votes
LDF candidate Jose K Mani facing a tough fight with UDF candidate Mani C Kappan leading by
8000 votes in Pala.
10: 22 AM - Palakkad lead numbers fall
BJP candidate E Sreedharan maintains the lead by 2136 votes despite a fall in lead numbers.
Pala Constituency shows its favor to UDF candidate Mani C Kappan where the lead was

maintained until now by Jose K Mani.
10: 00 AM - CM Pinarayi Vijayan maintains a lead of 8000 votes
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan maintains his lead in Dharmadan with 8434 votes. E
Sreedharan lead numbers reduce in Palakkad with approximately 1000 votes.
9:55 AM - Konni LDF leading, Pala swaying towards UDF
LDF is maintaining a lead of over 1700 while UDF candidate Mani C Kappan shoots forward with
over 3000 votes.
9: 34 AM - Mani C Kappan leading
Lead fluctuating in Pala between Mani C Kappan and Jose K Mani putting up a neck-to-neck
fight.
9: 25 AM - E Sreedharan lead by 2000 votes
Metroman E Sreedharan maintains a safe lead in Palakkad while a neck-to-neck fight is playing
around in Pala. LDF maintaining its lead in 79 seats in the seat while NDA maintaining a lead in 2
seats. UDF maintaining its lead in 59 seats.
9:00 AM: BJP candidate E Dreedharan leading in Palakkad with 1425 votes. Kottayam district
trends so far show Pala LDF, Vaikom LDF, Punjar LDF, Changanacherry LDF, Kottayam UDF
candidates in the lead.
8:51 AM: Konni UDF leading, Palakkad BJP in the lead
One hour into the vote-counting UDF candidate Robin Peter leading in Konni. Pala LDF candidate
Jose K Mani leading as electrical vote-counting commences. Palakkad BJP candidate E
Sresharan leading.
8; 33 AM: Electoral Vote counting commence
Electoral vote-counting commences in the state. Initial trends in Pala showing a lead for LDF
candidate Jose K Mani. LDF leading in 60 seats in Kerala as per initial trends.

8: 20 AM: LDF leading in Nemam, Pala LDF in the lead
BJP candidate O Rajagopal shown in the lead in Nemam with 115 votes although initial trends
showed a lead for the LDF. Kerala Congress Mani leader Jose K Mani leading in Pala.

Assam Election Result 2021: Key candidates-

Himanta Biswa Sarma wins for the 5th time
from Jalukbari Constituency
The results of the Assam Assembly elections have been announced on May 2, 2021, as the vote-
counting is underway in the state. BJP's star campaigner Himanta Biswa Sarma has won from
Jalukbari Constituency with a clear majority for the 5th consecutive term.
The polling for 126 constituencies was held in three phases starting from March 27, 2021, to April
6, 2021.
Apart from West Bengal, Assam will also be a significant state in deciding the fate of two major
parties- BJP and the Indian National Congress. While BJP-led NDA has been contesting the
elections in the state in alliance with Asom Gana Parishad and United People’s Party Liberal, the
Congress is trying to make a comeback with the grand alliance of 8 parties.
With BJP’s Sarbanada Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma as the key candidates, it will be
interesting to see whether BJP will be able to retain its position as a ruling party in the state as the
exit polls indicate. However, Congress Assam Pradesh Chief Ripun Bora or Assam Jatiya
Parishad’s Lurinjyoti Gogoi will also be the key candidates to look for.
Sarbanada Sonowal:
The Current Chief Minister of Assam Sarbanada Somowal is contesting from Majuli Constituency.
He also won his last elections in 2016 from the same constituency. When BJP had come to the
power with a clear majority in 2016, Sonowal was brought in as CM by NDA. However, the 2021
elections will be the test of his policies and governance in the state.
Himanta Biswa Sarma:
The BJP strongman and the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance, Himanta Biswa
Sarma is contesting from the Jalukbari constituency in Assam. One of the most popular faces of
the Assam Assembly elections, he has been fighting from the same constituency for the fifth
consecutive year.

Ripun Bora:
Monika Bora from Gohpur was replaced by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President
Ripun Bora. He has been pitched against BJP’s Utpal Bora. Ripun Bora is also believed to be a
man for bringing together Mahajot- an alliance of 6 parties together in the state. Congress hopes
to bank on Ripun Bora’s popularity.
Lurinjyoti Gogoi:
A popular younger leader of Assam is contesting from two constituencies- Duliajan and
Naharkatia. President of the Assam Jaitya Parishad Party, Gogoi can be seen as a fresh face of
the Assam Assembly elections. Lurinjyoti Gogoi is also known to be at forefront of anti-CAA
protest in the state.
Key candidates of Assam leading and trailing:
Constituency Leading candidate Trailing candidate

Sarbananda Sonowal Rajib Lochan Pegu
Majuli
(BJP) (Congress)
Himanta Biswa Sarma Romen Chandra
Jalukbari
(BJP) Borthakur (Congress)
Gohpur Utpal Bohra (BJP) Ripun Bora ( Congress)
Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Assam
Naharkatiya Taranga Gogoi (BJP)
Jatiya Parishad)

West Bengal Election Result 2021 Key

Candidates: EC declares Suvendhu Adhikari
as winner from Nandigram
West Bengal Election Result 2021- Key Candidates: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee claimed a third term in the West Bengal State Assembly Elections 2021 on May 2, 2021.
The CM, however , lost her battle against TMC turncoat Suvendhu Adhikari, who was contesting
from his stronghold Nandigram constituency from the BJP ticket.
The Chief Minister had actually taken a major risk by switching her constituency this time and
taking up the Nandigram seat, which though was a TMC stronghold but was known to be a strong
area for the Adhikari family, who recently switched their allegiances to the BJP.
The West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021 had many high-profile candidates including CM
Mamata Banerjee, Suvendhu Adhikari, Mukul Roy, Babul Supriyo, Madan Mitra and Swapan
Dasgupta etc. Lets have a detailed Look
Key Candidates in West Bengal
Mamata Banerjee: Mamata Banerjee has taken a huge risk this by leaving her current seat and
choosing to fight from Nandigram, which was a TMC stronghold but held by the Adhikari family,
which has switched over to the BJP.
Suvendu Adhikari: Suvendhu Adhikari is the turncoat TMC MLA who crossed over to BJP along
with some other TMC MLAs. He is taking on the CM from his family’s stronghold seat.
Swapan Dasgupta: The BJP politician is taking on TMC’s Ramendu Sinharay from Tarakeshwar
Assembly Constituency.
Mukul Roy: BJP’s Mukul Roy is taking on TMC’s Koushani Mukherjee in the Krishnanagar Uttar
assembly constituency.
Babul Supriyo: Union Minister Babul Supriyo is facing TMC MLA Aroop Biswas and CPI(M)’s
Debdut Ghosh in the Tollygunge constituency.

Madan Mitra: The TMC heavyweight Madan Mitra is contesting from Kamarhati constituency. He
is pitted against BJP's Anindya Banerjee and CPI(M)'s Sayandeep Mitra in the seat.
Ashok Kumar Lahiri: The well-known economist has been pitted against TMC's Sekhar
Dasgupta in the Balurghat constituency. The RSP has fielded Sucheta Biswas. Lahiri is a member
of the Fifteenth Finance Commission and has also served as the 12th Chief Economic Adviser to
the Government of India.
Chiranjeet Chakraborty: Actor Chiranjeet Chakraborty is fighting from Barasat constituency on behalf of TMC
against BJP's Shankar Chatterjee and Forward Bloc candidate Sanjib Chattopadhyay.
Loknath Chatterjee: BJP's Loknath Chatterjee is currently trailing by 15842 votes in the Ballygungse seat (BJP),
TMC's Subrata Mukherjee is leading from the seat. Subrata Mukherjee is currently a state cabinet minister.
Which candidate is leading, who is trailing?

Constituency Leading Candidate Trailing Candidate
Sayantika Banerjee (TMC)

Bankura NILADRI SEKHAR DANA
by 45 votes
Chiranjeet Chakraborty (TMC)
Barasat Shankar Chatterjee (BJP)_
by 12970 votes
Ballygungse Subrata Mukherjee (TMC) 21356 Loknath Chatterjee (BJP)
Mamata Banerjee by 1200

Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari
votes
Aroop Biswas by 14222

Tollygunge Babul Supriyo
votes
Madan Mitra by 8340
Kamarhati Anindya Banerjee
votes
Ramendu Sinharay by
Tarakeswar Dr. Swapan Dasgupta
6649 votes
Ashok Kumar Lahiri by

Balurghat Sekhar Dasgupta
2863 votes
Krishnanagar Uttar Mukul Roy by 8235 votes Koushani Mukherjee


Tamil Nadu 2021 Winning Candidates List:

Full winners list constituency-wise, DMK won
in 133 seats
Tamil Nadu Election Result 2021: M K Stalin-led DMK has emerged as the winning party in the
Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2021 and will return to power after 10 years of AIADMK ruling the
state. DMK leader MK Stalin expressed his gratitude for the huge victory in the Tamil Nadu
Assembly Election 2021 and said, "I will announce the date of the swearing-in ceremony
tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
I would like to express my gratitude to the people of TN for giving this coalition a huge victory in
the election. We will gradually fulfill our specific election promises. I will announce the date of
swearing-in ceremony tomorrow or day after tomorrow: DMK's chief MK Stalin
pic.twitter.com/XgXGEgNlMz
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021
The counting of votes for the 16th Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections began at 8 am on May 02,
2021.
The state of Tamil Nadu state is divided into 234 constituencies. The two leading parties in the
TN’s Dravidian politics are Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The 2021 TN Assembly Elections are the state’s first elections
since the death of two key leaders, Jayalalithaa, AIADMK, and M.Karunanidhi, DMK.
Exit Polls had predicted DMK will return to power after 10 years. In the 2016 elections, the
AIADMK won 136 out of 234 seats in the assembly. DMK won 89 seats while Congress bagged 8
seats.
In 2021, DMK has won in 133 constituencies of Tamil Nadu. DMK leader Stalin won in his
Kolathur constituency and his son Udhyanidhi Stalin also won big from the Chepauk constituency.
Here is the full list of winner candidates from each assembly constituency of Tamil Nadu
Assembly Election 2021
Tamil Nadu Election Result 2021 Winning Candidates List (Constituency-wise)

Constituency Winning Candidate Party
Alandur T.M.Anbarasan DMK
Alangudi Siva.V.Meyyanathan DMK
Alangulam Paul Manoj Pandian AIADMK
Ambasamudram E.Subaya AIADMK
Ambattur Joseph Samuel DMK
Ambur Vilwanathan A C DMK
Anaikattu A.P.Nandakumar DMK
Andipatti A Maharajan DMK
Anna Nagar M.K. Mohan DMK
Anthiyur Venkatachalam.A.G DMK
Arakkonam S Ravi AIADMK
Arani S.Ramachandran AIADMK
Aranthangi Ramachandran T INC
Aravakurichi Elango. R DMK
Arcot J L Eswarappan DMK
Ariyalur Chinnappa K DMK
Aruppukkottai K.K.S.S.R.Ramachandran DMK
Athoor Periyasamy I DMK
Attur Jayasankaran, A.P. AIADMK
Avadi Nasar S M DMK
Avanashi Dhanapal P AIADMK
Bargur Mathiazhagan D DMK
Bhavani Karuppanan K C AIADMK
Bhavanisagar A Bannari AIADMK
Bhuvanagiri Arunmozhithevan A AIADMK

Bodinayakanur O Panneerselvam AIADMK
Chengalpattu Varalakshmi.M DMK
Chengam Giri M P DMK
Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Udhayanidhi Stalin DMK
Cheyyar Jothi O DMK
Cheyyur Babu M Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katch
Chidambaram K A Pandian AIADMK
Coimbatore (North) Amman K Arjunan AIADMK
Coimbatore (South) Vanathi Srinivasan BJP
Colachal Prince J G INC
Coonoor Ramachandran K. DMK
Cuddalore G Iyappan DMK
Cumbum N Ramakrishnan DMK
Dharapuram Kayalvizhi N DMK
Dharmapuri Venkateshwaran S P Pattali Makkal Katchi
Dindigul Sreenivasan C AIADMK
Dr.Radhakrishnan Nagar Ebenezer J J DMK
Edappadi Edappadi Palaniswami K AIADMK
Egmore I.Paranthamen DMK
Erode (East) Thirumahan Everaa E INC
Erode (West) Muthusamy S DMK
Gandarvakkottai M.Chinnadurai CPI (M)
Gangavalli Nallathambi A AIADMK
Gingee Masthan K S DMK
Gobichettipalayam Sengottaiyan K A AIADMK
Gudalur Pon Jayaseelan AIADMK
Gudiyattam Amulu V DMK

Gummidipoondi Govindarajan T J DMK
Harbour Sekarbabu P K DMK
Harur Sampathkumar.V AIADMK
Hosur Prakaash Y DMK
Jayankondam Kannan Ka So Ka DMK
Jolarpet Devaraji K DMK
Kadayanallur C.Krishnamurali AIADMK
Kalasapakkam Saravanan P S T DMK
Kallakurichi Senthilkumar M AIADMK
Kancheepuram C V M P Ezhailzrasan DMK
Kangayam Saminathan M P DMK
Kanniyakumari Thalavai Sundaram N AIADMK
Karaikudi S Mangudi INC
Karur Senthilbalaji V DMK
Katpadi Duraimurugan DMK
Kattumannarkoil Sinthanai Selvan Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katch
Kavundampalayam G Arunkumar AIADMK
Killiyoor Rajesh Kumar S INC
Kilpennathur K Pitchandi DMK
Kilvaithinankuppam M Jagan Moorthy AIADMK
Kilvelur Nagaimaali V P CPI (M)
Kinathukadavu Damodaran.S AIADMK
Kolathur M K Stalin DMK
Kovilpatti Kadambur Raju AIADMK
Krishnagiri Ashokkumar.K AIADMK
Krishnarayapuram Sivagama Sundari K DMK
Kulithalai R Manickam DMK

Kumarapalayam Thangamani P AIADMK
Kumbakonam Anbalagan G DMK
Kunnam Sivasankar S S DMK
Kurinjipadi M R K Panneerselvam DMK
Lalgudi A Soundarapandian DMK
Madathukulam C Mahendran AIADMK
Madavaram Sudharsanam S DMK
Madurai Central Palanivel Thiaga Rajan DMK
Madurai East Moorthy P DMK
Madurai North Thalapathi G DMK
Madurai South Boominathan M DMK
Madurai West Raju K AIADMK
Madurantakam Maragatham K AIADMK
Maduravoyal Ganapathy K DMK
Mailam Sivakumar C Pattali Makkal Katchi
Manachanallur S Kathiravan DMK
Manamadurai Tamilarasi A DMK
Manapparai Abdul Samad P DMK
Mannargudi Rajaa T R B DMK
Mayiladuthurai Rajakumar S INC
Melur Periyapullan P AIADMK
Mettuppalayam Selvaraj A K AIADMK
Mettur Sadhasivam S Pattali Makkal Katchi
Modakkurichi Sarasswathi C BJP
Mudhukulathur R S Rajakannappan DMK
Musiri N Thiyagarajan DMK
Mylapore Velu Dha DMK

Nagapattinam J Mohamed Shanavas Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katch
Nagercoil Gandhi M R BJP
Namakkal Ramalingam P DMK
Nanguneri Ruby R Manoharan INC
Nannilam Kamaraj R AIADMK
Natham Natham R Viswanathan AIADMK
Neyveli Saba Rajendran DMK
Nilakkottai S Thenmozhi AIADMK
Oddanchatram Sakkarapani R DMK
Omalur R Mani AIADMK
Orathanadu Vaithilingam R AIADMK
Ottapidaram Shunmugaiah C DMK
Padmanabhapuram Mano Thangaraj T DMK
Palacode Anbalagan K P AIADMK
Palani Senthil Kumar I P DMK
Palayamkottai Abdul Wahab M DMK
Palladam Anandan M S M AIADMK
Pallavaram Karunanithi DMK
Panruti Velmurugan T DMK
Papanasam Dr Jawahirullah M H DMK
Pappireddipatti Govindasamy A AIADMK
Paramakudi Murugesan S DMK
Paramathi-Velur Sekar S AIADMK
Pattukkottai Annadurai K DMK
Pennagaram Mani G K Pattali Makkal Katchi
Perambalur Prabhaharan M DMK
Perambur Shekar R D DMK

Peravurani Ashokkumar N DMK
Periyakulam K S Saravanakumaar DMK
Perundurai Jayakumar S AIADMK
Pollachi Pollachi V Jayaraman AIADMK
Polur Agri Krishnamurthy S S AIADMK
Ponneri Durai Chandrasekar INC
Poompuhar Nivedha M Murugan DMK
Poonamallee Krishnaswamy A DMK
Pudukkottai V Muthuraja DMK
Radhapuram M Appavu DMK
Rajapalayam Thangapandian S DMK
Ramanathapuram Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam DMK
Ranipet R Gandhi DMK
Rasipuram Mathiventhan M DMK
Rishivandiyam Karthikeyan K DMK
Royapuram Murthy R Idream DMK
Saidapet Subramanian M A DMK
Salem (North) R Rajendran DMK
Salem (South) E.Balasubramanian AIADMK
Salem (West) Arul R Pattali Makkal Katchi
Sankarankovil Raja E DMK
Sankarapuram Udhayasuriyan T DMK
Sankari Sundararajan S AIADMK
Sattur Raghuraman A R R DMK
Senthamangalam Ponnusamy K DMK
Sholavandan Venkatesan A DMK
Sholinghur A M Munirathinam INC

Shozhinganallur S Aravindramesh DMK
Singanallur Jayaram K R AIADMK
Sirkazhi Panneerselvam DMK
Sivaganga Pr. Senthilnathan AIADMK
Sivakasi Ashokan G INC
Sriperumbudur Selvaperunthagai INC
Srirangam Palaniyandi M DMK
Srivaikuntam Amirtharaj S INC
Srivilliputhur Manraj E M AIADMK
Sulur Kandasamy V P AIADMK
Tambaram Raja S R DMK
Tenkasi Palani Nadar S INC
Thalli Ramachandran T CPI
Thanjavur Neelamegam T K G DMK
Thiru-Vi-Ka-Nagar Sivakumar P DMK
Thirumangalam Udhayakumar R B AIADMK
Thirumayam S Regupathy DMK
Thiruparankundram Rajanchellappa V V AIADMK
Thiruporur S S Balaji Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katch
Thiruthuraipoondi Marimuthu K CPI
Thiruvaiyaru Durai Chandrasekaran DMK
Thiruvallur Raajendran V G DMK
Thiruvarur Kalaivanan Poondi K DMK
Thiruverumbur Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi DMK
Thiruvidaimarudur Chezhiaan Govi.
Thiruvottiyur K P Shankar DMK
Thiyagarayanagar Karunanithi J DMK

Thondamuthur S P Velumani AIADMK
Thoothukkudi P Geetha Jeevan DMK
Thousand Lights Ezhilan N DMK
Thuraiyur S Stalinkumar DMK
Tindivanam Arjunan P AIADMK
Tiruchendur Anitha R Radhakrishnan DMK
Tiruchengodu Eswaran E R DMK
Tiruchirappalli (East) Inigo Irudayaraj S DMK
Tiruchirappalli (West) Nehru K N DMK
Tiruchuli Thangam Thenarasu DMK
Tirukkoyilur K Ponmudy DMK
Tirunelveli Nainar Nagenthran BJP
Tirupattur A Nallathambi DMK
Tiruppattur Kr Periyakaruppan DMK
Tiruppur (North) Vijeyakumar K N AIADMK
Tiruppur (South) Selvaraj K DMK
Tiruttani S Chandran DMK
Tiruvadanai Karumanickam INC
Tiruvannamalai E V Velu DMK
Tittakudi Ganesan C V DMK
Udhagamandalam Ganesh R INC
Udumalaipettai Radhakrishnan K AIADMK
Ulundurpettai Manikannan A J DMK
Usilampatti Ayyappan P AIADMK
Uthangarai T M Tamilselvam AIADMK
Uthiramerur Sundar K DMK
Valparai Amulkandasami T K AIADMK

Vandavasi Ambethkumar S DMK
Vaniyambadi G Sendhil Kumar AIADMK
Vanur Chakrapani M AIADMK
Vasudevanallur Sadhan Thirumalaikumar DMK
Vedaranyam O S Manian AIADMK
Vedasandur Gandhirajan S DMK
Veerapandi Rajamuthu M AIADMK
Velachery Jmh Aassan Maulaana INC
Vellore Karthikeyan P DMK
Veppanahalli K P Munusamy AIADMK
Vikravandi Pugazhenthi N DMK
Vilathikulam Markandayan V DMK
Vilavancode Vijayadharani S INC
Villivakkam A Vetriazhagan DMK
Villupuram Lakshmanan R DMK
Viralimalai Vijaya Basker C AIADMK
Virudhunagar Seenivasan A.R.R DMK
Virugampakkam Amv Prabhakara Raja DMK
Vriddhachalam Radhakrishnan INC
Yercaud G Chitra AIADMK

Assam Election Results 2021: Key

Constituencies- CM Sonowal leads from
Majuli and Himanta Biswa Sarma leads from
Jalukbari
The 2021 Assam Assembly Elections were held in the Indian state of Assam from March 27,
2021, to April 6, 2021. The election was held in three phases for 126 constituencies in the state.
The final counting of votes will be done on May 2, 2021, announcing the fate of two major parties
in the state- BJP led NDA and the grand alliance of Congress.
The first phase of assembly elections in Assam was held on March 27 and the voting took place
in a total of 47 constituencies. The second phase was held on April 1 in 39 constituencies and the
final phase of voting took place on April 6, 2021, in the remaining 40 constituencies.
Check here all the live updates of Assam Election Results 2021
Some of the constituencies in Assam with the major number of votes which will put them on focus
are Majuli, Jalukbari, Sarukhetri, Dharmapur among others. Deciding the fate of the current BJP
government in the state or the Congress in opposition, these constituencies will be playing a
significant role in Assam Election Results. Let's have a look at them.
Majuli:
The constituency of the Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Majuli is a reserved seat for
the Scheduled Tribes (ST). BJP has fielded CM Sonowal for the seat from which he had also won
in 2016. From the Indian National Congress, Rajib Lechan pegu and from Assam Jaitya Parishad
Sishudhar Doley will be seen against the Chief Minister.
Jalukbari:
Jalukbari constituency has become a key focus area in Assam 2021 Assembly elections. The key
constituency has 2,04,415 voters and 297 polling booths. For the seat which will play a key role in
deciding the fate of electing parties, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Assam Minister

Himanta Biswa Sarma. He will be against Romen Chandra Borthakur of Congress and three other
independent candidates.
Sarukhetri:
Singer Kalpana Patowary is contesting for Sarukhetri seat on Asom Gana Parishad. The party is
contesting in alliance with the BJP Government. From Congress Jakir Hussain Sikdar and from
AJP Manik Chandra Bora will also be seen fighting for the seat. The elections in Sarukhetri were
held in the third phase on April 6, 2021.
Patacharkuchi:
This one is part of the Barpeta Lok Sabha Constituency and has 1,44,190 voters and 208 polling
booths. The state President of BJP Ranjit Kumar Das will be contesting election from the seat
against the Congress candidate Santanu Sarma and Assam Jatiya Parishad’s working President
Prabindra Deka who had also won from the constituency in 2016.
Dharmapur:
Dharmapur constituency will be seeing Ratul Patowary of Congress against Chandra Mohan
Patowary of BJP and Dr. Shikhar Kumar Sharma of AJP. Dharmapur has 197 polling booths for
1,41,592 voters. Dharmapur will be an interesting one to see whether Chandra Mohan Patowary
will be able to retain his victory of 2016 from the same seat.

West Bengal Assembly Elections Result

2021 Key Constituencies- Nandigram,
Bhabanipur, Tollygunge
West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021 Key Constituencies: West Bengal Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee contested the State Assembly Elections 2021 from Nandigram. She left her
Bhabanipur constituency to take on BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram, a Trinamool
Bastion.
The CM’s current assembly seat Bhabanipur saw a triangular contest between TMC’s Sovandeb
Chattopadhyay, BJP’s Rudranil Ghosh and Shadab Khan of Congress. The West Bengal
Elections 2021 were held in eight phases with the last phase culminating on April 29, 2021.
Though the exit polls predicted the battle for Bengal to be extremely close between BJP and TMC
but Mamata Banerjee-led TMC recorded a clear victory with the TMC winning 208 constituencies
out of the total declared 284 seats. With this, Mamata Banerjee will return as the Chief Minister of
the state for the third time.
Check West Bengal Key Candidates 2021 Here
Following are the Key Constituencies that will be the main battlegrounds for both the
parties:
Nandigram constituency: Mamata Banerjee’s new battle turf will definitely be a seat to watch
out for as she is up against turncoat MLA Suvendu Adhikari, who is now contesting from the BJP.
The CPI(M) has fielded Minakshi Mukherjee from the seat. While the seat is a Trinamool bastion,
the Adhikari family have a major sway in the district. Suvendu Adhikari along with several other
TMC MLAs had switched to the BJP due to rising influence of Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek
Banerjee.
Bhabanipur constituency: West Bengal CM’s old seat is also one of the most high-profile
constituencies of the state. Mamata Banerjee had won from this seat in 2011, breaching the Left
bastion. She has now fielded Sovandeb Chattopadhyay against BJP’s Rudranil Ghosh and
Shadab Khan of Congress.

Tollygunge constituency: The seat will witness another major clash between Union Minister
Babul Supriyo and sitting 3-time TMC MLA Aroop Biswas. The CPI(M) has fielded Debdut Ghosh
from the seat.
Purulia constituency: The seat will witness a three-way fight between BJP’s Sudip Mukherjee,
Congress’ Partha Pratim Banerjee (Cong) and TMC’s Sujoy Banerjee. The seat has been held by
both Congress and TMC. In 2016, the Congress candidate had win with a slim margin.
Kamarhati constituency: The constituency is important because TMC heavyweight Madan Mitra
is contesting from here. However, he had lost the seat to CPI(M)’s Manash Mukherjee in 2016
Elections by a narrow margin. This time he is up against BJP's Anindya Banerjee and CPI(M)'s
Sayandeep Mitra.
Ballygunge: This constituency is witnessing a triangular contest between TMC's Subrata

Mukherjee, BJP's Loknath Chatterjee and CPI (M)'s Dr Fuad Halim. Subrata Mukherjee is a state
cabinet minister.
Siliguri: CPI(M)'s Ashok Bhattacharya has been pitted against BJP's Shankar Ghosh and TMC's
Omprakash Mishra from the constituency. Bhattacharya is a former Mayor of Siliguri and a
prominent communist leader in North Bengal.
Haldia: Haldia constituency is one of the key seats that the TMC had lost in 2016. The CPI(M)'s
candidate Tapasi Mondal, who had won the seat in 2016, has now switched to BJP and has been
pitted against TMC's Swapan Naskar and CPI(M)'s Kar Paik Manika.
Krishnanagar Uttar: This seat was vacant since June 2020 when TMC MLA Abani Mohan
Joardar passed away. BJP has fielded its current national vice president Mukul Roy from the seat
against TMC's Koushani Mukherjee.
Diamond Harbur: The constituency is a TMC stronghold. It is witnessing a battle for power
among a political veteran, 70-year-old Pannalal Halder of TMC and a two-time sitting MLA of TMC
Dipak Kumar Halder who is contesting from BJP ticket this time and CPI (M)'s Prateek Ur
Rahaman.
Check Assam Assembly Elections Key Candidates here
Check Key Constituencies of Assam State Assembly 2021

Tamil Nadu Election Result 2021: Key

Constituencies: MK Stalin leads in Kolathur,
Udhayanidhi in Chepauk, DMK most likely to
sweep TN
Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Result 2021: Official trends by the ECI show DMK is in the
leading. DMK chief MK Stalin from the Kolathur constituency, and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin from
the Chepauk constituency are leading by a margin of 3,697 votes and 16,819 votes, respectively.
Edapaddi Palaniswami of AIADMK is leading in his Edappadi constituency against

Sambathkumar T of DMK by a margin of 19,903 votes and O Panneerselvam of AIADMK is
ahead of DMK's Thanga Tamilselvan in the Bodiyanakkanur constituency by a margin of 350
votes.
MNM's Kamal Haasan is in the leading in the Coimbatore South constituency by a margin of 534
votes.
However, TTV Dhinakaran, who did not choose to contest from the RK Nagar Assembly
constituency, which he had won in 2017, for re-election is trailing behind Kadambur C Raju of
AIADMK. Raju is in the leading by a margin of 1,359 votes. In 2016, Late Jayalalithaa of AIADMK
represented the RK Nagar assembly constituency. In 2017, Dhinakaran won the RK Nagar
assembly constituency.
The 16th Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections were held on April 06, 2021, in a single phase. The
results for the 234-seats high octane TN Assembly Elections are to be declared today, May 02,
2021. The 2021 TN Assembly Elections are the state’s first elections since the death of two key
leaders, J. Jayalalithaa, AIADMK, and M. Karunanidhi, DMK.
The Dravidian politics in 2021 witnessed competition from the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party
led by Kamal Hassan and the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam party led by TTV Dhinakaran.
Here are the key constituencies to watch out for:
Edappadi: Tamil Nadu CM and AIADMK top leader K Palaniswami Edappadi is contesting from

the Edappadi constituency for the seventh time. He has contested six times from the Edappadi
constituency since 1989 and only lost twice. He is facing T M Sambathkumar of the DMK and N
Pookadai Sekar of AMMK.
Bodinayakkanur: Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is contesting from the
Bodinayakkanur district. He had won from this district in 2011 by 30,000 votes and in 2016 by
15,000 votes. This year, he is facing Thanga Tamilselvan of the DMK.
Kolathur: DMK President M K Stalin is contesting from the Kolathur constituency. This is his first
election without his father and DMK leader M Karunanidhi who passed away in 2018. This year,
he is facing Aadi Rajaram of AIADMK and J Arumugham of AMMK. In 2016, Stalin won by 36,000
votes and in 2011, he won by just 2,734 votes in the Kolathur district.
Chepauk: Udhayanidhi Stalin of DMK, son of M K Stalin, is making his debut from Chepauk
district. He is facing AVA Kassali (PMK), I Rajendran (AMMK), Muhammad Ithris (IJK), and
Jayasimaharaja (NTK). In the past, J Anbazhagan has won from Chepauk in 2011 by 9,203 votes
and in 2016 by 14,000 votes.
Coimbatore South: Actor-turned-politician and the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party leader
Kamal Haasan is contesting from the Coimbatore South against Mayura Jayakumar, Congress
ally of DMK and Vanathi Srinivasan, BJP ally of AIADMK.
Kovilpatti: The Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK) party leader TTV Dhinakaran, also
the nephew of VK Sasikala, is contesting from this constituency. He is facing Kadambur C Raju of
AIADMK and K Sreenivasan, CPM ally of DMK. Raju had won Kovilpatti by 26,000 votes in 2011.
Constituen Leading Trailing

Votes Margin
cy Candidate Candidate
Palaniswami
Edapaddi Sambathkumar T 19,903
Edappadi
Bodinayakk Thanga
O Panneerselvam 350
anur Tamilselvan
Kolathur M K Stalin Aadirajaram 3,697
Chepauk Udhayanidhi Stalin Kassali A V A 16,819

Coimbatore Mayura S
Kamal Haasan 84
South Jayakumar
Kovilpatti Kadambur C Raju TTV Dhinakaran 1,359

Tamil Nadu Election Result 2021: Key

candidates: Palaniswami, MK Stalin,
Udhayanidhi, Haasan in lead, Dhinakaran
trailing
Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021: DMK President MK Stalin is leading from Kolathur
Assembly constituency by a margin of 3,697 votes and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin of DMK is
leading from the Chepauk constituency by a margin of 16,819 votes.
Edapaddi Palaniswami of AIADMK is leading from his Edappadi constituency by a margin of

19,903 votes and O Panneerselvam of AIADMK is leading from Bodiyanakkanur constituency by
a margin of 350 votes.
In Coimbatore (South), MNM's Kamal Haasan is in the leading by a margin of 534 votes.
However, TTV Dhinakaran, who had chosen the Kovilpatti constituency rather than getting re-
elected in his RK Nagar constituency, is trailing behind AIADMK's Kadambur C Raju. by a margin
of 1,359 votes.
The results for the 16th Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections are to be declared today, May 02, 2021.
The elections for the 234-seats high octane TN Assembly Elections were held on April 06, 2021,
in a single phase.
The 2021 TN Assembly Elections are the state’s first elections since the death of two key leaders,
J. Jayalalithaa, AIADMK, and M. Karunanidhi, DMK.
The counting of votes of the TN Assembly Elections 2021 will witness a power-packed political
battle between a total of 3,998 candidates across 234 constituencies of which,
The key candidates to watch out for are:
Edappadi K Palaniswami (Edappadi constituency)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK leader Edappadi Palaniswami is one of the key players in

the 2021 TN Assembly Elections. He first appeared as a volunteer in the AIADMK in 1974. In
2017, he became the CM after O Panneerselvam resigned after Jayalalithaa’s death.
Palaniswami is contesting from the Edappadi district for the seventh time. He has contested six
times from the Edappadi constituency since 1989 and only lost twice. He will be facing T Sampath
Kumar of DMK.
O Panneerselvam (Bodinayakkanur constituency)
Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, also joint coordinator of AIADMK, is another key
candidate to look out for in the 2021 TN Assembly Elections. He was also a close aid of Late
Jayalalithaa. He is contesting from the Bodinayakannur constituency. He has never lost in this
constituency since 2001. He is facing Thanga Tamilselvan of the DMK.
M K Stalin (Kolathur constituency)
DMK Chief MK Stalin, also the son of late M Karunanidhi, is contesting from the Kolathur
constituency. He has been representing this constituency since 2011. He started his political
career after winning for the first time from Thousand Light constituency in 1989. He has held the
position of the Mayor of Chennai and also the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Stalin is facing Aadi Rajaram of AIADMK and J Arumugham of AMMK. If the DMK-Congress
alliance wins the 2021 state assembly elections, Stalin would become the Chief Minister of Tamil
Nadu for the first time.
Udhayanidhi Stalin (Chepauk constituency)
Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of DMK chief MK Stalin, is making his political debut in the 2021 Tamil
Nadu Assembly elections. He is contesting from the Chepauk constituency which is in the heart of
Chennai. He is facing AVA Kassali (PMK), I Rajendran (AMMK), Muhammad Ithris (IJK), and
Jayasimaharaja (NTK).
Chepauk constituency has been represented by Late M Karunanidhi thrice from 1996 to 2011 and
DMK has enjoyed a stronghold here.
Kamal Haasan (Coimbatore South constituency)
Actor-turned politician and the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party Kamal Haasan is making his

political debut from the Coimbatore South. He is facing Mayura Jayakumar, Congress ally of
DMK, and Vanathi Srinivasan, BJP ally of AIADMK.
TTV Dhinakaran (Kovilpatti constituency)
TTV Dhinakaran is the founder of the Amma Makkal Munettra Kazhagam (AMMK). He is an MLA
from Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar in Chennai. In 2016, Late Jayalalithaa of AIADMK had won the RK
Nagar assembly constituency.
In 2017, Dhinakaran had won the RK Nagar assembly constituency. However, he is not
contesting for re-election from Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar but rather from the Kovilpatti
constituency. He will face Kadambur C Raju of AIADMK and K Sreenivasan, CPM ally of DMK.

IPL 2021 Live: Mumbai Indians (MI) vs

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) live Streaming
Online, Where and How to watch IPL Matches
IPL 2021: The 14th season of the Indian Premier League began on April 9, 2021. The season will
bring a total of eight teams that will play matches at 6 different venues across India.
While the fans have been looking to watch the upcoming season of VIVO IPL 2021, BCCI has
again decided to hold the matches without audiences, leaving the fans with an option of streaming
the matches online. Apart from the live match on TV, fans can show their love and support online
on their smartphone and smart TV.
The 27th match of IPL 2021 will be between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings
(CSK) on May 1, 2021, in Delhi at 7.30 PM. The final match of the league will be on May 30.
Check more details below to enjoy VIVO IPL 2021 live from the comfort of your home.
IPL Matches 2021 Live on TV: Which Channels will broadcast?
In India, the Indian Premier League 2021 will be broadcasted live on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3,
Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 3 HD TV Channels.
IPL 2021 matches live streaming online:
For IPL 2021, the Board of Control for Cricket in India- BCCI has decided to continue its
partnership with Disney + Hotstar.
Viewers will be able to enjoy and support their teams by live streaming IPL 2021 matches on
Disney + Hotstar VIP or Disney + Hotstar Premium.
What will be the timings of IPL 2021 matches?
The IPL 2021 matches will take place between eight teams. According to the official IPL 2021
schedule, 6 teams will play three afternoon matches and 2 teams will play two-afternoon matches.
The timings of the afternoon match will be at 3.30 PM while the evening match will start at 7.30

PM.
Venue of IPL 2021 matches:
In India, six neutral venues will play host to the league matches of IPL 2021. The venues are-
Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru.
However, the eliminators, qualifiers, and final match will be hosted exclusively at the newly-
inaugurated Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Gujarat.
IPL 2021: Background
This will be the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League where 8 teams will try to prove
themselves to be the best to win the final trophy.
However, amid the pandemic, the organizing body decided to held matches without a live
audience. The same had happened during IPL 2020 which took place in Dubai without audiences.
But fans can prove their loyalty by streaming the live matches online or can watch the live
broadcast on TV.

No clampdown on citizens seeking COVID-

related help on social media: SC
The Supreme Court on April 30, 2021 stated that there should not be any clampdown on citizens
communicating their COVID-19 related grievances on social media.
An SC bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud said strictly that if citizens communicate their
grievance on social media, then it cannot be said it is wrong information. The court asserted that it
does not want any clampdown of information. It said we will treat it as a contempt of court if such
grievances are considered for action.
The court said this while hearing a suo motu case on issues related to the shortage in oxygen
supply, medicine supply and vaccine policy in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Highlights
•The court emphasised that a strong message should be sent to all the states and DGP of states,
which states that clampdown of information is contrary to basic precepts.
•The Bench also questioned the Centre regarding the quantity of oxygen being made available to
critical states such as Delhi.
•Responding to this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing on behalf of the Centre
said that the Union government is providing tankers to Delhi.
•The Solicitor Genera stated that there was some scarcity of tankers and now it has been eased
out. He also stated that Delhi is a non-industrial state and that is why the issue is more acute
here.
•He further assured saying that oxygen has been supplied to each and every heavy load state.
•However, the court retorted pointing out, "Delhi shows that the demand has increased where
there was 123 percent increase and revised need was 700 MT and then you say you allocated
490 MT? If there is a 200 MT deficit then you should give that straight away to Delhi. Centre has
an important responsibility as far as citizens of Delhi are concerned."

•The court further stated that if there is a surplus in the steel sector, then use that and supply to
Delhi. "Between today and Monday there will be 500 deaths in our hands," the court said.
•The court further pulled up the centre saying as a national authority that has a responsibility to
the national capital you are answerable to the citizens and Delhi represents the nation.
Background
The Supreme Court had on April 22, 2021 taken suo motu cognizance of the "alarming situation"
in connection with various health emergencies including shortage of oxygen during the COVID-19
pandemic.
The court had issued a notice to the Centre seeking a response on kinds of immediate and
effective action it can take to handle such a situation.
During a previous hearing, the court had asked the Centre to present and apprise it as to whether
a national plan can be prepared to handle this worrisome situation.
It made these remarks, after taking into record at least six different state High Courts, including
the Delhi High Court, have been hearing the matter on the same issues.

International Labour Day 2021: History,

Significance, and Theme
Each year, May 1 is celebrated as International Labour Day, also known as May Day,
International Workers’ Day, or as Labour Day across the world. This day is observed to celebrate
the workers' worldwide and their contributions, and pay tributes to those who lost their lives in the
historic 1886 Haymarket riots.
On this day amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Guy Ryder, the Director-General of the International
Labour Organization (ILO) asks everyone across the world, workers, employers, international
organizations, governments, to join forces and commit to building a better world for the workers
everywhere.
History and Significance of International Labour Day
The origin of the International Labour Day traces back to the labour union movement in the US
during the 19th century.
Earlier, workers were forced to work for 15 hours a day. On May 1, 1886, there was a strike in
Chicago, called the Haymarket riots, for adopting an 8-hours workday. A bomb was hurled during
the strike which led to the police opening fire on the protestors. Hundreds of labours, civilians,
police officers died.
In 1889, the Marxist International Socialist Congress called for a meeting in Paris to adopt a
resolution that the workers should not be forced to work more than 8 hours a day. Following the
adoption of this resolution, May 1 came to be celebrated as International Labour Day to
commemorate the 1886 Haymarket riots.
In India, the International Labour Day was celebrated for the first time in Madras (now Chennai)
on May 1, 1923, by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan. This was also the day when India was
used a red flag.
Why is International Labour Day celebrated?
International Labour Day is celebrated to recall the historic sacrifice and struggle of the people
to bring equity and justice to the working conditions of the people across the globe.

This day calls us all to celebrate the workers' everywhere and help in generating better job
opportunities, improve working conditions, offer social protection, and protect the rights of
workers.
The theme of International Labour Day 2021
The theme of International Labour Day 2021 is yet to be announced. The 2020 theme was
“Maintaining safety and security at the workplace”.

JagranJosh CA May 2021

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

JagranJosh CA May 2021

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

www.jagranjosh.

MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS EBOOK

YOUR GUIDE TO MOST

IAS | BANKING | SSC | NDA/CDS | AND OTHER COMPETITIVE EXAMS

Centre to launch Unified Health Interface under NDHM 3

COVID-19 vaccine: UK approves single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine 7

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 60 more Starlink satellites into orbit 16

Smart Kitchen Scheme: Kerala CM announces guidelines to be ready by July 10 19

Cyclone Tauktae: Maharashtra govt approves a relief fund of Rs 252 crore 23

Germany to vaccinate children over 12 years from June 7 32

US President orders Intelligence Report on COVID origins within 90 days 46

Tennis: US Open line judges to be replaced by technology on all courts in 2021 55

Guillermo Lasso takes oath as first right-wing President of Ecuador 62

UN bodies to set up One Health panel to prevent zoonotic diseases 64

WHO experts likely to reconsider China lab origin theory of COVID-19 66

What is Save Lakshadweep Campaign? – Explainer of the Day 71

No risk of COVID transmission from animals to humans: Experts 73

Cabinet approves proposal to open new Consulate General of India in Maldives 78

China’s top hybrid rice scientist Yuan Longping passes away 88

COVID-19 Vaccine: When will Pfizer, Moderna vaccines be available in India? 90

UK-India Trade Deal: UK kickstarts trade negotiations with India 93

What is Target Olympic Podium Scheme? – Explainer of the Day 118

Microsoft to retire Internet Explorer in June 2022 125

Hockey India honoured with prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award 127

India-Israel sign 3-year work programme for agricultural cooperation 129

US imposes restrictions on Ethiopian, Eritrean officials over Tigray crisis 131

G-7 nations agree to speed up efforts to slow global warming 135

Singapore approves breathalyser test to detect COVID-19 in 1-minute 137

Cheetahs to be re-introduced in India after being declared extinct in 1952 162

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to contest by-election from Bhawanipore 169

DIPCOVAN: DRDO develops COVID-19 antibody detection kit 182

RBI approves transfer of Rs. 99,122 crores surplus to Government 184

China to approve 14th Dalai Lama's successor? 188

Asia Cup 2021 postponed due to COVID-19 199

Russia, China start their biggest Nuclear Power Project 202

Moctar Ouane, Mali PM reinstated to form new government 217

Rajasthan Government declares ‘Black Fungus’ an epidemic 219

Centre to launch DD International to project India Story globally 221

UP Government to take responsibility of children orphaned due to COVID-19 225

Former Rajasthan CM Jagannath Pahadia dies due to COVID-19 229

Penpa Tsering elected as President of Central Tibetan Administration 237

Kobe Bryant inducted into Hall of Fame 254

What is INSACOG and its role in COVID-19 fight? 267

PM Modi interacts with state, district officials on COVID-19 Management 269

US Government pledges to share 80 million COVID-19 vaccine jabs globally 283

Delhi Government launches Centre for realtime Covid-related data 297

China’s ‘Zhurong’ rover on Mars: All you need to know! 307

FM Nirmala Sitharaman to chair 43rd GST Council meeting on May 28 328

Chhattisgarh govt to fund education of children orphaned due to COVID-19 338

What is African Swine Fever? All you need to know 342

BRICS member nations keen on multilateral social security framework 344

What is Article 311: All you need to know 346

IREDA conferred with ‘Green Urja Award’ 348

Nagaland Conservationist Y Nuklu Phom awarded Whitley Award 2021 350

NASA, Axiom announce first private astronaut mission to ISS 367

Union Cabinet approves MoU between ICAI and QFCA 385

UP Government launches massive vaccination drive of 18-44 age group 392

Covid-19 variant first detected in India, found in 44 countries: WHO 404

Twitter donates USD 15 million for COVID-19 Relief in India 413

Israeli-Palestinian clashes in Jerusalem: Everything you must know! 423

SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites in record 10th liftoff 446

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli loses vote of confidence in House of Representatives 448

Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as Chief Minister of Assam 462

Himachal Pradesh builds ‘Forest Ponds’ to harvest rainwater 471