SSC PORTAL Current Affairs - MAY 2021 Ebook

SSC Exams
Monthly Current Affairs

MAY 2021
NATIONAL 6
Alternate Investment Fund 6
Operation Samudra Setu-II 6
SUTRA model 6
Fire safety regulations for public buildings 7
Social Security Code 2020 7
National Financial Reporting Authority 7
2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) 8
e-Sanjeevani OPD 8
Mucormycosis 8
Amphotericin B 8
Hakki Pikki Tribe 9
NITI Aayog, Mastercard release report on Connected Commerce 9
Har Ghar Jal mission 9
GeM took several steps for easy procurement of critical health equipment 9
DIKSHA Portal 10
Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme 10
SWAMIH Fund 11
ICMR drops plasma therapy from COVID-19 treatment guidelines 11
National Crisis Management Committee 11
Eklavya Model Residential Schools 12
COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access 12
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana 12
National Archives of India (NAI) 12
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights 13
INTERNATIONAL 14
May Day 14
Tianhe 14
India receives COVID-19 aid from Taiwan 15
World Press Freedom Day 15
United Nations Operation in the Congo 15
CGL, CHSL, JE Study Notes
s://sscportal.in/study-kit
Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards 15

India-UK virtual summit 16
WTO mulling intellectual property waivers for vaccines 16
Dahla Dam 17
World Health Organization global sodium benchmarks for different food categories 17
Karen National Union 18
3rd Arctic Science Ministerial 18
Long March 5B rocket 18
EXO-CD24 19
Rheas 19
H1-B visa 19
World Food Prize 2021 20
Thwaites Glacier 20
Iran unveils advanced nuclear centrifuges 20
Global COVAX Alliance 21
BRICS Employment Working Group Meeting 21
Diplomatic immunity 21
Farzad-B gas field 22
World’s largest iceberg breaks off from Antarctica 22
Paracel Islands 22
Shangri-La dialogue 23
India-Oman Relations 23
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY 24

Scheme of Financial Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure 24
Govt to provide Rs 15,000 crore to states for capital expenditure 25
Non-resident taxable persons 25
E-way bill 25
Door step Banking 25
Forex reserve 26
Special Kharif strategy 26
SEBI technical group report 26
Social stock exchanges 27
www.SSCPORTAL.IN SSC Monthly Current Affairs - MAY 2021 2

Sebi notifies relaxed rules for listing start-ups 27

Business responsibility and sustainability report 28
New Umbrella Entities 28
Telecom Security 28
AIM-ICDK Water Innovation Challenge 29
Escrow Account 29
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority 29
New insurance FDI rules a mixed bag for foreign investors 29
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 31

MACS 1407 31
CT scan 31
Pox 186 32
5G spectrum trials 32
B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 33
Nitrogen Dioxide 33
Foam path 33
Block Track 34
SpaceX achieves first successful touchdown of prototype Starship rocket. 34
OSIRIS-REx 34
B.1.617 variant 35
Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 35
Iron Dome aerial defence system 35
Bubble curtain 36
Plasma 36
White fungus 36
Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover 37
MISCELLANEOUS 38
Python-5 38
Oxygen Concentrators 38
Zinc 38
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority 39

Lumpy skin disease 39

Sinopharm 39
Food distribution Programme 39
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine 40
Asperger’s syndrome 40
World’s oldest cave art 40
Cyclone ‘Tauktae’ 41
Mission COVID Suraksha 41
Snow Leopard 41
SPORTS 43
World Champion for 4th time in Snooker Mark Selby 43
Rafael Nadal Wins Italian Open 43
Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh 44
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund For Sportspersons 44
Mary Kom Remains with Silver Medal at 2021 Asian Boxing Championships 44
MCQ 46
1. The first Pollinator Park of India has been established in which state? 46
2. Estonia is a country in which continent? 46
3. The Union Cabinet has approved the export of which missile system in Dec 2020? 46
4. Which country's space agency has approved two sun-exploration heliophysics missions? 46
5. Adopt a Heritage: “Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan” is a project initiated by ministry? 47
6. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) comes under which ministry? 47
7. What is the full form of 'IUC'? 47
8. Zhong Shanshan, who became the richest person of Asia is from which country? 47
10. China has completed a railway line connecting Lhasa and Ningchi cities of Tibet near the border of
which Indian state? 47
11. Which magazine has been recently published on National Police? 47
12. Which Indian armed force has formed the first 'Human Rights Cell' of its kind? 47
13. Sambalpur, where Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of IIM, is located in which state? 48
14. In which state will the Asian Waterbird Census 2021, which was recently seen in the news? 48
15. Deepor Beel is the only Ramsar site of which state? 48

16. According to the revised estimates of NSO, what was India's GDP growth rate for 2019-20? 48
19. In which state / union territory, 'Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai' mission has been launched? 48
20. The MITRA scheme, which was announced in the recent Union Budget, is related to which field? 48
21. Adi Mahotsav is an initiative of which Union Ministry? 49
22. India's first wetland conservation and management center has been established in which city? 49
23. The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is an international non-governmental
organization based in which country? 49
24. Which country has recently decided to withdraw from the agreement to develop a strategic port
terminal with India and Japan? 49
25. Which Indian company has partnered with UNICEF to distribute vaccines worldwide? 49
:: MCQ ANSWERS :: 50

NATIONAL
Alternate Investment Fund Operation Samudra Setu-II

● Labour ministry has notified that Employees ● It is launched by Indian Navy to augment
Provident Fund Organisation can invest up to ongoing national mission to meet the country's
5% in AIF to support infra push. oxygen requirements.
● Alternate Investment Fund (AIF) means any ● Warships have been deployed to carry liquid
fund established or incorporated in India which oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and
is a privately pooled investment vehicle which associated medical equipment to India amid its
collects funds from sophisticated investors, worsening COVID-19 pandemic.
whether Indian or foreign, for investing it in ● All such containers carried on aircraft around
accordance with a defined investment policy for country are empty because oxygen-filled tanks
the benefit of its investors. cannot be transported by air.
● SEBI categorises AIF into
● Category I AIF like Venture Capital Funds. SUTRA model
● Category II AIF like Private Equity (PE) Funds.
● Category III AIF like Hedge Funds. ● Scientists working on the SUTRA model have
rejected media reports claiming that they had

cautioned the Government regarding the ● Part 4 of the National Building Code of India
second wave of the corona pandemic in March deals with fire and life safety.
this year. ● The document contains specifications and
guidelines for design and materials that reduce
About:
the risk of destructive fires. under the
● SUTRA model is used for charting the trajectory institutional category in the Code.
of COVID-19 in the country.
● Group of scientists working on the model stated Social Security Code 2020
that a mathematical model can only predict
● Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020
future with some certainty so long as virus
has been notified by Ministry of Labour &
dynamics and its transmissibility don’t change
Employment covering applicability of Aadhaar.
substantially over time.
● Though it gives the mandate to the ministry to
● They added that in the case of COVID-19, the
collect Aadhaar data, no benefit will be denied
nature of the virus has been changing very
to workers for want of Aadhaar.
rapidly.
● In such a context, they said any prediction for About Social Security Code:
COVID-19 must be continually readjusted.
● The Scientists working on the SUTRA model ● The Code has subsumed nine regulations
said that they continue their efforts to better relating to social security, retirement and
estimate the future trajectory of the pandemic. employee benefits.
● It has enhanced the coverage, extended the
benefit to all workers in the organised
Fire safety regulations for public buildings
/unorganised sectors.
● Last year there were fatal fires in hospital
buildings, including those treating COVID-19 National Financial Reporting Authority
patients.
● National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA)
About: has prepared a provisional database of
companies and auditors that come under its
● According to the National Criminal Records
regulatory ambit.
Bureau (NCRB), 330 people died in fires in
commercial buildings in 2019, while deaths in About:
residential or residential buildings were high.
● NFRA has the mandate to oversee compliance
● Power outages are cited as the leading cause of
with accounting and auditing standards by
fires, but state governments are widely
certain class of companies, described as Public
criticized for being sloppy with building safety
Interest Entities (PIEs).
laws and for failing to equip public buildings
● In this regard, a verified and accurate database
with modern technology because they are
of companies and auditors that come under the
infused with oxygen and must meet high
regulatory ambit of NFRA is being prepared.
standards.

● Establishment of the database involves critical

e-Sanjeevani OPD
steps like identification and verification of the
primary data source, and reconciliation of data ● To help the civilian authorities in dealing with
such as Company Identification Number (CIN) the rising cases of COVID-19, Ministry of
from different sources. Defence took initiative under which retired
● For preparing the database, NFRA has been military doctors will provide online consultation
working with the corporate affairs ministry’s on e-Sanjeevani OPD to all the citizens of the
Corporate Data Management (CDM) division country.
and three recognised national stock exchanges. ● e-Sanjeevani OPD is a flagship telemedicine
platform of the Government, developed by the
2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) Centre for Development of Advance Computing
(C-DAC), under the aegis of Ministry of Health
● The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI)
and Family Welfare.
has granted permission for emergency use of
● It provides free consultations to Indian citizens
anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the
in need.
drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG).
About: Mucormycosis
● It is developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine ● Niti Aayog member Dr VK Paul has said that
and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of Defence mucormycosis known as black fungus affects
Research and Development Organisation those people who are suffering from diabetes.
(DRDO), in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s ● Reacting to reports of mucormycosis or black
Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad. fungus among Covid-19 patients, the infection
● Clinical trial results have shown that this affects only those who have a high blood sugar
molecule helps in faster recovery of level.
hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental
About:
oxygen dependence.
● Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG ● Mucormycosis is a very rare infection.
showed RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID ● It is caused by exposure to mucor mould which
patients. The drug will be of immense benefit to is commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and
the people suffering from COVID-19. decaying fruits and vegetables.
● The drug comes in powder form in sachet, ● It affects the sinuses, the brain and the lungs
which is taken orally by dissolving it in water. It and can be life-threatening in diabetic or
accumulates in the virus infected cells and severely immunocompromised individuals, such
prevents virus growth by stopping viral as cancer patients or people with HIV/AIDS.
synthesis and energy production. Its selective
accumulation in virally infected cells makes this Amphotericin B
drug unique.
● Acute shortage of anti-fungal injection
‘amphotericin’ and other anti-fungal medicines

used to treat mucormycosis, a life-threatening level of digital transformation in the next three
infection that follows Covid-19 in roughly 30% years.
diabetics, is now adding to difficulties of ● This report titled ‘Connected Commerce:
patients. Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive
About: Bharat’ identifies challenges in accelerating
digital financial inclusion in India and provides
● Amphotericin B injection is used to treat serious recommendations for making digital services
and potentially life-threatening fungal accessible to its 1.3 billion citizens.
infections.
● Amphotericin B injection is in a class of Key recommendations by the report:
medications called antifungals. It works by
● To strengthening the payment infrastructure to
slowing the growth of fungi that cause
infection. promote a level playing field for NBFCs and
● It is typically given by injection into a vein. banks.
● Amphotericin B was isolated from ● To enabling agricultural NBFCs to access
Streptomyces nodosus in 1955 and came into low-cost capital and deploy a ‘phygital’ (physical
medical use in 1958. It is on the World Health + digital) model for outcomes.
Organization's List of Essential Medicines. ● To leveraging existing smartphones and
contactless cards, and aim for an inclusive,
Hakki Pikki Tribe interoperable, and fully London ‘Tube’.
● Hakki Pikki are a nomadic tribe which migrated

from Northern India and now mainly settled in
Har Ghar Jal mission
Karnataka region and other South Indian states.
● They are known as Bird Catcher (Hakki means ● Puducherry has achieved the target of 100%
Bird and Pikki means catcher in Kannada piped water connection in rural areas under the
language). Jal Jeevan Mission.
● They speak Indo Aryan language named as ● With this, the UT became the fourth State/UT
‘Vaagri’ by scholars. after Goa, Telangana and Andaman and Nicobar
● UNESCO has listed Hakkipikki is one of the
Islands to provide assured tap water supply to
endangered languages.
every rural home.
● Today, they are mainly engaged in selling of
● Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) envisages supply of
herbal products like herbal oils.
55 litres of water per person per day to every
NITI Aayog, Mastercard release report on rural household through Functional Household
Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024.
Connected Commerce
● NITI Aayog and Mastercard have jointly GeM took several steps for easy procurement
released a report highlighting key elements of a of critical health equipment
roadmap India can follow to achieve the next
● Public procurement portal GeM has
implemented several steps such as rapid

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onboarding of sellers of oxygen cylinders and

DIKSHA Portal
concentrators.
● It aims to enable easy buying of critical health ● According to a recent study, more than half of
equipment by government agencies in the wake the NCERT textbooks available on DIKSHA
of on-going second wave of the COVID-19 (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing)
pandemic in the country. portal are not accessible for visually impaired
students.
About:
● DIKSHA is a national platform (Ministry of
● The Commerce Ministry launched Government Education) for school education that is
e-Marketplace (GeM), an online platform for available for the use of all states and UTs of
public procurement, in August 2016 with the India.
objective of creating an open and transparent ● DIKSHA platform is developed for school
procurement platform for government, which education, foundational learning programs and
runs in several lakh crore. to support inclusive learning for underserved
● GeM created a dedicated page on its platform and differently-abled communities of learners
for medical and protective equipment like and teachers.
thermal scanners, biohazard bags and ● Diksha offers textbooks for students across
disinfectants to help the government fight the different boards and languages, and training
pandemic. modules for teachers.
● Oxygen cylinders and concentrators are in huge
demand due to increasing COVID-19 infections Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme
in the country.
● Government of India is making available
● Currently, government departments, ministries,
fertilizers, namely Urea and 22 grades of
public sector units, state governments, and
Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers
Central Armed Police Forces are allowed to
including Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP),
carry out transactions through this portal.
Muriate of Potash (MOP)& Single
● The portal provides a wide range of products
Superphosphate (SSP) to farmers at subsidized
from office stationery to vehicles. Automobiles,
prices through fertilizer manufacturers/
computers and office furniture are currently the
importers.
top product categories.
● Services, including transportation, logistics, About:
waste management, web casting and analytical,
are listed on the portal. ● The subsidy on P&K fertilizers is being
● So far, 17,88,490 sellers and service providers governed by NBS Scheme w.e.f 01.04.2010.
are registered with the portal to sell 3,12,6567 ● The Government is committed to ensure the
products and several services. Over Rs 1,14,270 availability of P&K fertilizers to the farmers at
crore worth of transactions have happened so affordable prices.
far at the portal. ● The subsidy is released to fertilizer companies
as per Nutrient based subsidy rates so that they

can make available fertilizers to farmers at ● It had found no significant benefit from the use
affordable price. of plasma it continued to find a place in the
● As a first step, Government has already directed recommended guidelines, in ‘off label’ use.
all the fertilizers companies to ensure the ● Several other international trials had also found
sufficient availability of these fertilizers in the no benefit from plasma therapy.
market for farmers. ● The use of such plasma may have even played
● Availability of fertilizers in the country is being a role in the facilitating new worrisome
daily monitored by the Government. mutations to the virus.
● In spite of no evidence, doctors have frequently
SWAMIH Fund put the onus on caregivers to source such
plasma from recovered patients, that has often
● Ministry of Finance's Special Window for led to fraught attempts from desperate kin.
Affordable & Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) ● The ICMR guidelines continue to recommend
fund has completed its first residential project. Ivermerctin and hydroxychloroquine for mild
About SWAMIH: disease but has also underlined that both drugs
had “low certainty of evidence”.
● In November 2019, the Centre had announced
setting up SWAMIH Investment Fund to provide National Crisis Management Committee
relief to developers with unfinished projects to
ensure delivery of homes to buyers. ● As Cyclone Tauktae intensifying into a very
● The Fund so far has given its final approval to severe cyclone, the National Crisis Management
72 projects. Committee (NCMC) reviewed preparedness of
● Fund is bridging the trust deficit between Central and State Ministries and agencies to
homebuyers and developers by completing deal the which is currently hovering over the
construction without depending on any other East-Central Arabian Sea.
source of finance.
About:
ICMR drops plasma therapy from COVID-19 ● National Crisis Management Committee
treatment guidelines (NCMC) was set up in the wake of a natural
calamity for effective coordination and
● An advisory noted by the Indian Council of implementation of relief measures and
Medical Research (ICMR) that the use of operations.
convalescent plasma has been dropped from ● It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs
the recommended treatment guidelines for and is an integral part of Natural Disaster
COVID-19. Management System.
About: ● NCMC gives direction to the Crisis Management
Group as deemed necessary.
● Though a trial by the ICMR on 400 patients last ● It is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and
year called the PLACID trial. Secretaries of all concerned Ministries

/Departments as well as organizations are

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana
members of Committee.
● New AIIMS (All India Institutes of Medical
Eklavya Model Residential Schools Sciences) started under PMSSY are providing
advanced COVID Care in States.
● Eklavya Model Residential Schools were started
in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education About:
to ST children in remote areas and to avail of
● PMSSY is a Central Sector Scheme, was
opportunities in higher education and
announced in 2003 to address imbalances in
employment.
availability of tertiary care hospitals and
● The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Microsoft
improve medical education in the country.
signed an MoU to support the digital
● It is implemented by the Ministry of Health and
transformation of schools such as Eklavya
Family Welfare.
Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and Ashram
Schools. It has two components:
About Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): ● Setting up new AIIMS (All India Institute of
Medical Sciences) and
● Presently we have 190 EMRS functioning with
● Upgradation of government medical colleges in
plan to have one such school in each block with
various states.
above 50% ST population or above 20,000
tribals by 2022.
National Archives of India (NAI)
● Recently, the Centre has informed that no
COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access changes are proposed at National Archives
building records during the revamp of the
● WHO, GAVI, CEPI and the UNICEF as the
Central Vista Project.
implementing partners.
● COVAX is an initiative that was started to About:
ensure the poorest of countries too had access
to the vaccine. ● National Archives of India (NAI) established in
● The initiative was started by the World Health 1891 at Calcutta as the Imperial Record
Organization (WHO), the European Commission Departmen.
and the government of France in April 2020. ● It is the biggest archival repository in South
● However, the initiative has not succeeded in its Asia.
goal so far due to over-dependence on a few ● It has a vast corpus of records viz., public
manufacturers, advance booking of vaccines records, private papers, oriental records,
and fund shortage. cartographic records and microfilms.
● It functions under the Ministry of Culture and
has one Regional Office at Bhopal and three

Records Centres at Bhubaneswar, Jaipur and ● The schemes available for child welfare, such
Puducherry. as sponsorship will also be integrated with this
database.
National Commission for Protection of Child
About:
Rights
● NCPCR is a statutory body under Ministry of
● The National Commission for Protection of Women and Child Development set up in 2007
Child Rights (NCPCR) is working on a under the Commissions for Protection of Child
centralised digital database to monitor and help Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.
children who have lost both their parents to ● It ensures that all Laws, Policies, Programmes,
Covid-19. and Administrative Mechanisms are in
Key highlights: consonance with the Child Rights perspective
as enshrined in the Constitution of India and
● The database will help the Commission follow also the UN Convention on the Rights of the
up regularly on the status of the vulnerable Child.
children and intervene wherever necessary.
● The database and software will help in
removing the bottlenecks in terms of the
problems the vulnerable children are facing, one
of the officials said on the condition of
anonymity.

INTERNATIONAL
● In India, the first Labour day or May Day was

May Day
celebrated in 1923 in Chennai.
● International Labour Day is being celebrated
across the worldwide on May 1. Tianhe
About: ● China has recently launched key module of new
space station that it plans to complete by the
● International Labour Day or International
end of 2022.
Workers Day is often referred to as May Day.
● The day is celebrated to honour the contribution About:
of working men and women and to pay tribute
● The module has been named “Tianhe,” or
to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and
“Harmony of the Heaven”.
social rights all over the world.
● Tianhe forms the main living quarters for three
● It is observed on May Day (1st May), an ancient
crew members in the Chinese space station,
European spring festival. The date was chosen
which will have a life span of at least 10 years.
by a pan-national organization of socialist and
● Work on the space station programme began a
communist political parties to commemorate
decade ago with the launch of a space lab
the Haymarket affair, which occurred in Chicago
Tiangong-1 in 2011, and later, Tiangong-2 in
on 4 May 1886.
2016

● This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme

India receives COVID-19 aid from Taiwan
“Information as a Public Good” serves as a call
● India received assistance from Taiwan including to affirm the importance of cherishing
oxygen concentrators and cylinders, with more information as a public good.
batches of medical equipment set to follow
from Taipei. United Nations Operation in the Congo
● Taiwan’s deployment of medical supplies is
● It was UN peacekeeping mission which took
testament to the close collaboration and
place in Republic of Congo between 1960
partnership across multiple agencies on both
-1964.
sides.
● India contributed to the mission diplomatic and
About: military expertise, troops, food and aid.
● UN Peacekeeping is an instrument developed
● Taiwan officially the Republic of China (ROC) is
by the UN as a way to help countries torn by
a country in East Asia.
conflict to create the conditions for lasting
● Neighbouring countries include the People's
peace.
Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest,
● There are currently 12 peacekeeping operations
Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to
led by the Department of Peace Operations.
the south.
● The main island of Taiwan has an area of
Convention on the Recognition and
35,808 square kilometres (13,826 sq mi), with
mountain ranges dominating the eastern
Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
two-thirds and plains in the western third, where ● It is one of the key instruments in international
its highly urbanised population is concentrated. arbitration.
● The capital is Taipei, which, along with New ● Its two basic components include:
Taipei and Keelung, forms the largest ● Recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral
metropolitan area of Taiwan. Other major cities awards, i.e., arbitral awards made in the territory
include Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan and of another (Contracting) State.
Taoyuan. ● Court of a Contracting State, when seized of a
● With 23.57 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among matter in respect of which the parties have
the most densely populated countries. made an arbitration agreement, must, at the
request of one of the parties, refer them to
World Press Freedom Day arbitration.
● It is adhered to by more than 160 nations,
● World Press Freedom Day is being observed on
including India.
3rd May.
● This day is celebrated on the 3rd of May every
year.

support the transfer of inclusive Indian

India-UK virtual summit
innovations to select developing countries,
● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and The Rt starting with Africa.
Hon’ble Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the ● Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on
United Kingdom held a Virtual Summit. new and emerging technologies, including
● India and the UK enjoy long standing friendly Digital and ICT products, and work on supply
ties and share a Strategic Partnership chain resilience. They also agreed to strengthen
underpinned by mutual commitment to defence and security ties, including in the
democracy, fundamental freedoms and the rule maritime, counter-terrorism and cyberspace
of law, strong complementarities and growing domains.
convergences. ● Both Prime Ministers also exchanged views on
● An ambitious ‘Roadmap 2030’ was adopted at regional and global issues of mutual interest,
the Summit to elevate bilateral ties to a including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and
‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’. G7.
● The Roadmap will pave the way for a deeper ● They reiterated commitment to climate action
and stronger engagement over the next ten to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and
years in the key areas of people to people agreed to closely engage in the run up to CoP26
contacts, trade and economy, defence and hosted by the UK later this year.
security, climate action and health. ● India and the UK launched a comprehensive
● The two Prime Ministers launched an partnership on migration and mobility that will
‘Enhanced Trade Partnership’ (ETP) to unleash facilitate greater opportunities for the mobility
the trade potential between the 5th and 6th of students and professionals between the two
largest economies of the world and by setting countries.
an ambitious target of more than doubling
bilateral trade by 2030. WTO mulling intellectual property waivers for
● As part of the ETP, India and the UK agreed on a vaccines
roadmap to negotiate a comprehensive and
balanced FTA, including consideration of an ● Ambassadors from World Trade Organisation
Interim Trade Agreement for delivering early countries plan to discuss trade rules protecting
gains. the technological know-how behind COVID-19
● The enhanced trade partnership between India vaccines amid growing pressure on rich nations
and UK will generate several thousands of to relax them as a way to help developing
direct and indirect jobs in both the countries. countries fight the pandemic.
● The UK is India's second largest partner in About:
research and innovation collaborations. A new
India-UK ‘Global Innovation Partnership’ was ● The WTO’s General Council was taking up a
announced at the Virtual Summit that aims to temporary waiver for intellectual property

protections that South Africa and India first water for the provincial capital, was now under
proposed in October. Taliban control.
● The idea has gained support in the developing
About:
world and among some progressive lawmakers
in the West. ● The Dahla Dam, also known as Arghandab Dam,
● No consensus -- which is required under WTO is located in the Shah Wali Kot District of
rules -- was expected to emerge from the Kandahar Province in Afghanistan.
ambassadors’ two-day meeting on Wednesday ● It was constructed in 1952, it is said to be the
and Thursday. second largest dam in Afghanistan.
● Co-sponsors of the waiver idea were shuttling ● The Dahla Dam is built on the Arghandab River.
between different diplomatic missions to make
their case, according to a Geneva trade official World Health Organization global sodium
who was not authorized to speak publicly about benchmarks for different food categories
the discussions. A deadlock persists, and the
opposing sides remain far apart. ● The World Health Organization (WHO) has set
● The issue has become more pressing with a its sights on reducing salt in food products
surge in cases in India, the world’s second-most around the globe through new global
populous country and a key producer of benchmarks.
vaccines, including one based on Western
About:
technology.
● Proponents, including the World Health ● It suggests the benchmarks for sodium levels in
Organization chief, note that such waivers are more than 60 food categories will “help
part of the WTO toolbox and insist there’s no countries reduce salt intake and save lives”.
better time to use them than during a ● WHO said most people consume double its
once-in-a-century pandemic that has taken 3.2 recommended 5g of daily salt intake, putting
million lives, infected more than 437 million themselves at greater risk of heart disease and
people and devastated economies across the strokes that kill an estimated three million
globe. people each year.
● Its new Global Sodium Benchmarks for
Dahla Dam Different Food Categories is a guide for
countries and the industry to reduce the sodium
● The Taliban has captured Afghanistan’s content in different categories of processed
second-biggest dam after months of fierce foods, the consumption of which is a “rapidly
fighting in their former bastion of Kandahar, the increasing source of sodium.
insurgents and officials. ● The benchmarks target a wide range of
● Dahla Dam, which provides irrigation to farmers categories of processed and packaged foods,
via a network of canals as well as drinking

which the WHO says significantly contribute to region, emphasize and engage in constant
overly salty diets. monitoring, and strengthen observations.
● These include processed and packaged bread,
savoury snacks, meat products and cheese. Long March 5B rocket
● Debris from a Chinese rocket made an
Karen National Union
uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s
● Recently, Karen rebels seized army base near atmosphere and disintegrated over the Indian
Thai border. Ocean, with remnants falling at a location to the
● It is Myanmar’s oldest rebel group representing west of Maldives.
ethnic minority Karen communities in Karen, or About:
Kayin, State, bordering Thailand.
● Karen National Liberation Army, the armed wing ● The debris came from the upper stage of a
Long March 5B rocket– China’s largest– that
of the KNU, has been battling Myanmar’s
had been launched into space on April 29 for
government since 1949.
putting into orbit a core module of the new
● Its aim is self-determination for the Karen
Tianhe space station, which is expected to
people in a region. become operational in 2022.
● For days, there had been speculation on
3rd Arctic Science Ministerial whether the debris would hit a populated area
on the Earth’s surface, leading NASA to criticise
● India is participating in the 3rd Arctic Science
China over lack of transparency and for “failing
Ministerial (ASM3).
to meet responsible standards”.
● It is the global platform for discussing research
and cooperation in the Arctic region (8-9 May, Why did the Chinese rocket spark worry?
2021).
● When a rocket is launched, its discarded
About: booster stages re-enter the atmosphere soon
after lift off and harmlessly fall into the ocean–
● The first two meetings ASM1 and ASM2—were a standard practice.
held in the USA in 2016 and Germany in 2018, ● In this case, however, a 10-floor large vehicle of
respectively. the rocket weighing 18 metric tonnes went into
● ASM3, jointly organised by Iceland and Japan. It orbit along with the section of the
is the first Ministerial meeting being held in under-construction space station that it was
Asia. carrying.
● The theme for this year is ‘Knowledge for a ● While in orbit, this vehicle kept rubbing against
Sustainable Arctic’. the air at the top of the atmosphere, and the
● The meeting is designed to provide resulting friction caused it to start losing
opportunities to various stakeholders to altitude.
enhance collective understanding of the Arctic

● The piece hurtled through a low-Earth orbit at ● The medicine is reported to fight the cytokine
roughly 25,490 km/hr, traced by the US military. storm, which is a potentially lethal immune
● An “uncontrolled re-entry” thus became overreaction to the coronavirus infection that is
inevitable, but China did not admit this fact to believed to be responsible for much of the
the world until Sunday, when it said the debris deaths associated with the disease.
had entered the Earth’s atmosphere over the
Mediterranean, flown over the Arabian Rheas
peninsula and crashed near the Maldives at
72.47° East and 2.65° North. ● Conservationists in Chile are reintroducing the
● Few expected the debris to harm humans, rhea to its native Patagonia region, after the
mainly due to most of it burning up in the flightless bird was brought to near-extinction by
atmosphere, as well as the fact that large parts illegal hunting.
of the Earth are covered by oceans and massive
About Rheas:
land areas lie uninhabited.
So, what caused the rocket piece to enter into ● Rheas are the largest flightless bird of South
orbit? America.
● These play a fundamental role in creating and
● When rockets carry their payload into space, maintaining healthy grasslands by dispersing
their booster stages that reach orbit fire the seeds to renew vegetative growth.
engine again after completing their job so as to ● Rheas are listed as near-threatened on the
drop back to Earth and not remain in orbit.
IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.
● Space agencies plan this process to ensure that
such rocket parts end up in uninhabited areas,
such as the middle of the ocean.
H1-B visa
● Recent study showed that ending the
EXO-CD24 lottery-based system of allocating H-1B visas in
● A new coronavirus treatment being developed favour of a wage-based system will make it
in Israel’s Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Center has harder for international students to get a work
successfully completed phase one trials and permit in the US.
appears to have helped numerous About HI-B visa:
moderate-to-serious cases of COVID-19 quickly
recover from the disease. ● H1-B Visa is a multiple entry non-immigrant visa
● The EXO-CD24 substance had been which allows foreign workers employed by US
administered to 30 patients whose conditions companies to work in the United States.
were moderate or worse. ● H1B visa holders can work in the United States
● It added that all 30 recovered with 29 of them fora maximum period of 6 years.
getting well within just three to five days.

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● Current Affairs for Exam

brought to Trinidad to engage in agricultural

World Food Prize 2021
labour.
● Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, a global
nutrition expert of Indian descent has won the Thwaites Glacier
prestigious 2021 World Food Prize for her
● Researchers at Sweden’s University of
groundbreaking research in developing holistic,
Gothenburg are now saying that fears related to
nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquaculture
Thwaites’s melting are worse than previously
and food systems.
thought, owing to the supply of warm water
Key highlights: flowing underneath at a rate underestimated in
the past.
● Thilsted’s trailblazing research on small native
fish species in Bangladesh led to the About:
development of nutrition-sensitive approaches
● Thwaites Glacier is 120 km wide at its broadest,
to aquatic food systems at all levels, from the
fast-moving, and melting fast over the years.
farm to food processing to final consumers.
Because of its size (1.9 lakh square km), it
● It resulting in improved diets for millions of the
contains enough water to raise the world sea
most vulnerable people in Asia and Africa, the
level by more than half a metre.
World Food Prize said on its website.
● The studies have found the amount of ice
● Nutrition-sensitive approaches place nutrition
flowing out of it has nearly doubled over the
and public health at the core of how food is
past 30 years.
produced, processed, transported, priced,
● Thwaites’s melting already contributes 4% to
distributed and consumed.
global sea level rise each year.
● Thilsted expanded the evolution of food
● It is estimated that it would collapse into the
systems from feeding to nourishing hundreds
sea in 200-900 years.
of millions of people who depend on fish and
● Thwaites is important for Antarctica as it slows
other aquatic foods as an integral part of their
the ice behind it from freely flowing into the
food and nutrition security, livelihoods and
ocean. Because of the risk it faces — and poses
culture.
— Thwaites is often called the Doomsday
About her: Glacier
● Thilsted, who is a native of Trinidad and Tobago Iran unveils advanced nuclear centrifuges
and a citizen of Denmark, was born in 1949 in
the Caribbean island of Trinidad in the small ● Iran announced has started up advanced
village of Reform. uranium enrichment centrifuges in a breach of
● Most of the inhabitants, including her family, its undertakings under a troubled 2015 nuclear
were descendants of Indian Hindu migrants deal, days after the start of talks on rescuing
the accord.

● The United States had said it had offered “very

BRICS Employment Working Group Meeting
serious” ideas on reviving the accord but was
waiting for Tehran to reciprocate, something ● Recently, the 1st BRICS EWG meeting was held
Saturday’s move signally failed to do. in virtual format.
● President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated the ● Apart from representatives of member nations
three cascades of 164 IR-6 centrifuges, 30 IR-5 i.e., Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa,
and another 30 IR-6 devices at Iran’s Natanz the representatives of International Labour
uranium enrichment plant in a ceremony Organization (ILO) etc.
broadcast by state television. ● They have also made valuable interventions and
● The television aired no images of the injection suggestions on the agenda issues.
of uranium hexafluoride gas into the cascades,
but broadcast a link with engineers at the plant About BRICS:
who said they had started the process. ● The acronym BRIC was coined by Goldman
● Iran’s latest move to step up uranium Sachs in 2001 to indicate the emerging powers.
enrichment follows an opening round of talks in ● India has assumed the BRICS Presidency this
Vienna Tuesday with representatives of the year. It is India’s 3rd BRICS Presidency since its
remaining parties to the nuclear deal on inception, after 2012 and 2016.
bringing the U.S. back into it.
Diplomatic immunity
Global COVAX Alliance
● After she allegedly hit two staff members at a
● Recently, Punjab Cabinet decided to join the boutique in Seoul last month, the wife of
Global COVAX Alliance, as first Indian state to Belgium’s ambassador to South Korea will now
do so because of vaccine shortage. be exercising her diplomatic immunity to avoid
About COVAX Alliance: criminal charges.
● COVAX, short for COVID-19 Vaccines Global About:

Access. ● Diplomatic immunity is a privilege of exemption
● It is a worldwide initiative co-led by Coalition for from certain laws and taxes granted to
Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), diplomats by the country in which they are
Gavi and the World Health Organization (WHO), posted.
alongside key delivery partner UNICEF. ● The custom was formed so that diplomats can
● It coordinates international resources to enable function without fear, threat or intimidation from
equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, the host country.
and vaccines. ● Diplomatic immunity is granted on the basis of
two conventions, popularly called the Vienna
Conventions — the Convention on Diplomatic

Relations, 1961, and the Convention on ● It is the latest in a series of large ice blocks to
Consular Relations, 1963. dislodge in a region acutely vulnerable to
● They have been ratified by 187 countries, climate change, although scientists said in this
including South Korea, which means, it is a law case it appeared to be part of a natural polar
under that country’s legal framework and cycle.
cannot be violated. ● A-76 had been monitored by scientists since
May 13 when it began to separate from the
Farzad-B gas field Ronne Ice Shelf.
● The iceberg, measuring around 170 km long
● India has lost its $3-billion bet on Iran, with and 25 km wide, with an area of 4,320 sq km is
Tehran showing the door to New Delhi in the now floating in the Weddell Sea.
giant Farzad-B gas field in Farsi block after a ● It joins previous world’s largest title holder
decade of negotiations with a consortium of A-23A — approximately 3,880 sq. km. in size —
Indian state-run oil companies that discovered which has remained in the same area since
the asset in 2008. 1986.
● National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed a
$1.7 billion deal for bringing the discovery to Paracel Islands
production with Petropars.
● Farzad-B is the second Indian investment ● China said, a US warship had illegally entered
proposal to come unstuck in Iran despite its territorial waters in the South China Sea, an
commitments by the top leadership of both assertion the United States denied.
countries.
About:
● Teheran last year dropped India’s $2-billion offer
and decided to build the Chabahar railway link ● The Paracel Islands archipelago is a collection
on its own. of 130 islands and coral reefs and is located in
● Farzad-B negotiations have been dogged by the South China Sea, almost equidistant from
stalemates since the beginning. China and Vietnam.
● Since 2012, China, Taiwan and Vietnam have
World’s largest iceberg breaks off from attempted to reinforce their claims on the
Antarctica territory by engaging in construction of
government administrative buildings, tourism,
● A huge ice block has broken off from western land reclamation initiatives and by establishing
Antarctica into the Weddell Sea, becoming the and expanding military presence on the
largest iceberg in the world and earning the archipelago.
name A-76.
About:

● Regular institutional and cultural interactions

Shangri-La dialogue
with presence of vibrant Indian expatriate
● The Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit community in Oman.
that was due to be held in Singapore next
month has been cancelled.
● It citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,
including on the host country.
About:
● It is an inter-governmental security forum held

annually since the first summit in 2002 by an
independent think tank International Institute
for Strategic Studies (IISS).
● It is attended by defense ministers, permanent
heads of ministries and military chiefs of 28
Asia-Pacific states aimed at building confidence
and fostering practical cooperation.
● It cultivates a sense of community among the
most important policymakers in the defence
and security community in the region.
India-Oman Relations
● Recently, India and Oman renewed the MoUs on
military cooperation and maritime issues.
About India-Oman Relations:
● Oman is a strategic partner of India in the Gulf

Region.
● It is a key pillar of India’s West Asia Policy with
the most robust defense and security
cooperation mechanisms. E.g., It is the only
nation with regular exercises by all
three armed forces like ‘Naseem-Al-Bahr’ by
Navies of both nations, ‘Al-Najah’ at Army level
and ‘Eastern Bridge’ between air forces.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
● Under the scheme, financial assistance is

Scheme of Financial Assistance to States for
provided to state governments in the form of
Capital Expenditure 50-year interest free loan.
● The Centre will provide additional Rs15,000 ● The Government has decided to continue the
crore in FY22 to states as interest-free loan for scheme in the year 2021-22.
capital expenditure. ● Funds provided to the states will be used for
new and ongoing capital projects. The funds
About: can also be used for settling pending bills in
● It including Rs 5,000 crore if states undertake ongoing capital projects.
asset monetization and disinvestment of their ● Capital expenditure creates employment,
public sector enterprises. enhances the future productive capacity of the

economy, and results in a higher rate of

Non-resident taxable persons
economic growth.
● Non-resident taxable persons (NRTP) any
Govt to provide Rs 15,000 crore to states for person who occasionally undertakes
capital expenditure transactions involving the supply of goods
and/or services but who has no fixed place of
● The Centre on Friday announced decision to business or residence in India.
provide an additional amount of upto Rs 15,000 ● Under GST law there are separate sets of
crore to states as interest-free 50-year loan for provisions for registration, returns, refunds, etc.
spending on capital projects. for them.
● The Department of Expenditure has issued ● Domestic taxpayers: Registration under GST
fresh guidelines in this regard for financial year needed only if the aggregate turnover exceeds
2021-22, according to an official statement the prescribed threshold.
released by the Ministry of Finance. ● NRTP: They are required to compulsorily
● Capital expenditure creates employment, register under the Indian GST laws irrespective
especially for the poor and unskilled, has a high of the quantum of turnover involved.
multiplier effect, enhances the future productive
capacity of the economy, and results in a higher E-way bill
rate of economic growth.
● Thus, despite adverse financial position of the ● The recent e-way bill Data suggests that GST
Central government, it was decided last year to receipts could see a decline in May.
launch a scheme for special assistance ● E-way bill or Electronic-way bill is a document
to states for capital expenditure. introduced under the GST regime that needs to
● Under the scheme, financial assistance is be generated before transporting or shipping
provided to state governments in the form of goods worth more than Rs 50,000 within state
50-year interest free loan. An amount not or inter-state.
exceeding Rs 12,000 crore was earmarked for ● It is usually a unique bill number generated for
2020-21 and a sum of Rs 11,830.29 crore was the specific consignment involving the
released. movement of goods.
● This helped to sustain state level capital
expenditure in the pandemic year. “In view of Door step Banking
positive response to the scheme and
considering requests of state governments, the ● To tackle challenges posed by pandemic, Public
government has decided to continue the sector banks (PSBs) have come together to
scheme in 2021-22. form a new company in an attempt to take
banking services to the doorsteps of their
customers.

● The new company will engage Banking ● For the coming Kharif 2021, it is proposed to
Correspondents (BCs) under a common distribute more than 20 lakh mini kits of seeds.
standard operating procedure (SoP) to provide ● The total cost for these mini-kits will be borne
financial and non-financial services directly to by the Central Government to boost the
customer homes. production and productivity of tur, moong and
● Cash withdrawal is the only financial service urad. The move will cover over four lakh hectare
currently provided. area across the country.
● Non Financial services like cheque pickup, ● The Ministry of Agriculture in a statement said
account statements etc are also offered. that for effective implementation of the Kharif
mini kit programme, a massive outreach with
Forex reserve the concerned districts will be held.
● It said, the Agricultural Technology Application
● Reserve Bank of India bought 42 tonnes of gold Research Institutes (ATARIs) and Krishi Vigyan
in the last fiscal year to diversify forex assets. Kendras will also be roped in for effective
● Foreign exchange reserves are assets held on implementation and training to the farmers.
reserve by a central bank in foreign currencies.
These reserves are used to back liabilities and SEBI technical group report
influence monetary policy.
● RBI’s Forex reserve comprised of foreign ● A technical group on social stock exchanges
currency assets, gold. Special Drawing Rights of (SSEs), constituted by the Securities and
International Monetary Fund (IMF), and reserve Exchange Board of India (Sebi), has
position in the IMF. recommended that political and religious
organisations, trade organisations as well as
Special Kharif strategy corporate foundations should not be allowed to
raise funds through SSEs.
● The Ministry of Agriculture has formulated a
special Kharif strategy for implementation in About:
the ensuing Kharif 2021 season with an aim to
● Corporate foundations, political or religious
attain self-sufficiency in the production of
organizations/ activities, professional or trade
pulses.
associations, infrastructure and housing
About: companies (except affordable housing) will not
be permitted on SSE.
● Under the strategy, utilising all the high yielding ● The technical group report said both For Profit
varieties of seeds that are available either with Enterprise (FPE) and Not for Profit Organisation
the Central Seed Agencies or in the States will (NPO) will be eligible to tap the SSE if they are
be distributed free of cost to increase area able to show their primary goals are social
through intercropping and sole crop. intent and impact.

● SSE are engaged in at least one of the 15 broad ● The report has also made a list of eligible
eligible activities. activities that social enterprises can engage in
● They target underserved or less privileged such as eradicating hunger, poverty malnutrition
population segments or regions; and should and inequality; training to promote rural sports;
have at least 67 per cent of its activities promoting gender equality by empowerment of
qualifying as eligible activities to the target women and LGBTQIA+ communities; slum area
population. development/ affordable housing; forest and
● The panel has recommended different modes wildlife conservation; promoting livelihoods for
rural and urban poor; promotion of financial
of fund raising for NPOs and FPEs.
inclusion among others.
● The expert panel has said FPEs, which wish to
Social stock exchanges list their equity or debt, will first have to
● A technical group on social stock exchanges demonstrate their track record through social
(SSEs), constituted by the Securities and performance. This will allow investors to gain
Exchange Board of India (Sebi). an insight into the FPE’s activities.
● It has recommended that political and religious
organisations, trade organisations as well as Sebi notifies relaxed rules for listing start-ups
corporate foundations should not be allowed to
● With an aim to boost listing of start-ups,
raise funds through SSEs.
markets regulator Sebi has notified a slew of
About: relaxations to norms, including reducing holding
● The technical group report said both For Profit period for pre-issue capital and allowing
Enterprise (FPE) and Not for Profit Organisation discretionary allotment to eligible investors.
(NPO) will be eligible to tap the SSE if they are About:
able to show their primary goals are social
intent and impact. ● The changes have been made to the framework
● SSE are engaged in at least one of the 15 broad for listing on the Innovators Growth Platform
eligible activities. (IGP).
● They target underserved or less privileged ● This comes after the board of Sebi approved a
population segments or regions; and should proposal in March in this regard.
have at least 67 per cent of its activities ● Other relaxations include easing delisting
qualifying as eligible activities to the target requirements and relaxation in guidelines for
population. migrating to main board.
● The report said that entities listed on SSE will ● This is aimed at making the platform more
have to disclose their social impact report on an
accessible to companies in view of the evolving
annual basis covering aspects such as
start-up ecosystem.
“strategic intent and planning, approach, impact
● The regulator has reduced the period of holding
score card”.
of 25 per cent of pre-issue capital of the issuer

company by eligible investors to one year from platforms which are already at loggerheads
the current requirement of two years. with the agency.
● The RBI had released a framework for setting
Business responsibility and sustainability up NUEs, which would be able to carry out
report various payment services, akin to the ones
being provided by the NPCI right now.
● Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) ● The purpose of allowing private companies and
issued a circular notifying new disclosure norm entities to apply for a NUE licence was to
on sustainability related reporting for the top expand the ambit and coverage of traditional
1,000 listed companies by market cap by FY23. and new financial instruments as well as allow
● The reporting will be under a new BRSR format. applicants to set up, manage and operate new
● BRSR is a notable departure from the existing payment system.
business responsibility report and a step ● As per the RBI guidelines, the umbrella entity
towards bringing sustainability reporting at par applicants should have a minimum paid-up
with financial reporting. capital of Rs 500 crore, while no single
● Now, companies will need to provide an promoter or promoter group can have more
overview of their material environmental, social, than 40 per cent investment of capital. The NUE
governance (ESG) risks and opportunities and should maintain a minimum net worth of Rs
approach to mitigate or adapt to the risks along 300 crore at all times, said the RBI guidelines.
with financial implications.
Telecom Security
New Umbrella Entities
● Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash inaugurated
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is not in favour an online course to train and certify Officers in
of having direct and supervisory control over Network Security on the occasion of World
the New Umbrella Entities (NUE) and instead Telecommunication and Information Society
wants agencies such as the National Payments Day (May 17).
Corporation of India (NPCI) or a newly formed
body to take over the role. About:
About: ● The Course was organised by the National

Telecommunications Institute for Policy
● The RBI’s reluctance to have direct control over Research, Innovation and Training (NTIPRIT),
NUEs could also signal a soft touch approach the premier training institute of Department of
by the government, allowing the sector to Telecommunications, Government of India.
rapidly. ● This is a 36-hour (12 week) Course to train and
● The control, if given in the hands of NPCI, could certify Officers in Network Security and is the
raise some protests from newer payment first of its kind. While the Course is presently for

DoT Officers, it is proposed to be expanded to ● It is an account where funds or assets are held
cover other Officers of the Government and in trust by a third party whilst two or more
gradually those in the Private Sector also. parties complete a transaction.
● Sound Telecom Network Security is a result of ● It offers benefits like overcoming uncertainty on
collaborative efforts of Telecom Service ability to meet obligations and facilitating
Providers (TSPs), various Original Equipment custody of cash, securities and other collaterals
Manufacturers (OEMs) and DoT officers, based on the transaction type.
including those in the field (LSAs).
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
AIM-ICDK Water Innovation Challenge Authority
● Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in ● The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
partnership with Innovation Center Denmark Authority (PFRDA) has registered over 23%
(ICDK) concluded the global finals of the Next jump in the subscriber base under its two
Generation Water Action (NGWA) Water flagship pension schemes at 42.7 mn by the
Innovation Challenge. end of April 2021.
Innovative ideas were invited in following About:
challenge areas:
● It was established in 2003 through a Union
● Digital water management solutions, Government resolution (later PFRDA Act in
● Solutions for monitoring and prevention of 2013) to promote, develop and regulate pension
leakage in city water supply, sector in India.
● Waste water management across rural belts ● The two flagship pension schemes run by it are
and urban settlements, National Pension Scheme and Atal Pension
● Rainwater harvesting in rural and urban Yojana.
settlements, and
● Safe and sustained drinking water. New insurance FDI rules a mixed bag for
foreign investors
Escrow Account
● Indian promoters of insurance joint ventures
● Recently, Securities and Appellate Tribunal with foreign partners will no longer be able to
(SAT) allowed National Stock Exchange (NSE) nominate a majority of the board members, as
to withdraw Rs 6,085 crore deposited by it in an per new rules notified under the Insurance Act.
escrow account. ● The rules come into effect following recent
About: amendments to enhance the foreign direct
investment (FDI) limit in insurance from 49% to
74%.

What you will get: Price of the Kit:
● 100% CHSL Exam Syllabus Covered

Rs. 3,000
● 8 Booklets Rs. 1,499/-
(Limited time Offer)
● 750+ Pages
● 2500+ MCQs
● Previous Solved Papers
● Current Affairs for Exam

● This new norms will apply to all insurers,

irrespective of the stake held by the foreign
partner, said legal experts.
● The Finance Ministry has also specified further
conditions on the composition of the board of
directors for firms in which foreign investors’
stake exceeds 49%.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
● It is suitable for cultivation in the states of

MACS 1407
Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh
● Indian Scientists recently have developed a and North-Eastern states.
high-yielding and pest-resistant variety of ● It has white coloured flowers, yellow seeds and
soybean, called MACS 1407. black hilum. Its seeds have 19.81 % oil content
● It is a high-yielding and pest-resistant variety of and 41 % protein content.
soybean developed by scientists from MACS-
Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune in CT scan
collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural
● Several Covid positive patients with mild to
Research (ICAR), New Delhi.
moderate Covid symptoms, and some with

negative RT-PCR reports but Covid symptoms quantity to 100 thousand instances the mass of
are coming for CT scans. the sun -- made the blow-away possible.
About: Gemini Observatory:
● CT scan is a combination of multiple X-rays and ● The Gemini Observatory is an astronomical

a computer process to create a picture of the observatory along with 8.1-metre telescopes,
body or any part of the body and it shows much Gemini North and Gemini South, which might be
more details about the body than the regular placed at separate websites in Hawaii and
X-ray. Chile, respectively.
● If a patient’s oxygen level is going down below ● The dual Gemini telescopes offer nearly whole
95 during home quarantine or his health is not insurance of each the northern and southern
improving even after a week after coming Covid skies.
positive then such patients should get their CT ● They are presently amongst the most important
scan done to detect the infection level. and maximum superior optical/infrared
● Even if a patient is showing mild or moderate telescopes to be had to astronomers.
symptoms and his report is false negative they
should act wisely and go in home quarantine 5G spectrum trials
and must keep a tab on the oxygen level and
there is no need to expose the body to such ● The Department of Telecommunications (DoT),
radiations of CT scan unnecessarily. gave permissions to Telecom Service Providers
(TSPs) to conduct trials for use and
Pox 186 applications of 5G technology in India.
● The applicant TSPs include Bharti Airtel
● Astrophysicists the usage of the Gemini Reliance Jio Infocomm, Vodafone Idea and
telescope have noticed the first ‘blow-away’ MTNL.
galaxy, wherein the hydrogen clouds had been
About:
stripped off exposing high-electricity light.
● This locating may want to deliver a clue to fixing ● The experimental spectrum is being given in
the puzzle of the reionisation of the universe. various bands which include the mid-band (3.2
GHz to 3.67 GHz), millimeter-wave band (24.25
About:
GHz to 28.5 GHz) and in the Sub-Gigahertz
● The galaxy, named Pox 186, is so small that it band (700 GHz).
may suit in the Milky Way. ● The TSPs will also be allowed to use their
● The researchers suspect that its compact size, existing spectrum owned by them (800 MHz,
coupled with its huge populace of stars -- which 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2500 MHz) for
conduct of 5G trials.

● The objectives of conducting 5G trials include

Nitrogen Dioxide
testing 5G spectrum propagation
characteristics especially in the Indian context, ● A recent study concluded that Long-term
model tuning and evaluation of chosen exposure to NO2 pollution can affect lung
equipment and vendors, testing of indigenous function and increase the risk of pulmonary
technology, testing of applications including disease.
telemedicine, tele-education, augmented or
virtual reality, drone-based agricultural About NO2:
monitoring, and to test 5G phones and devices. ● NO2 is one of a group of highly reactive gases
● 5G technology is expected to deliver improved known as oxides of nitrogen or nitrogen oxides
user experience in terms of data download (NOx).
rates (expected to be 10 times that of 4G), up to ● NO2 primarily gets in the air from the burning of
three times greater spectrum efficiency, and fuel.
ultra-low latency to enable Industry 4.0. ● NO2 and other nitrogen oxides are also
● The applications of 5G are across a wide range precursors for a number of harmful secondary
of sectors such as agriculture, education, air pollutants such as ozone and particulate
health, transport, traffic management, smart matter, and play a role in the formation of acid
cities, smart homes, and multiple applications rain.
of IoT (Internet of Things).
Foam path
B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19
A medical flight made an emergency belly landing
● Canadian researchers have published first at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International
structural images of a mutation in B.1.1.7 Airport in Mumbai after a wheel of the aircraft
variant of COVID-19 virus. separated from its body. Mumbai airport officials
● B.1.1.7 variant, first reported by World Health sprayed foam on the runway to prevent fire as the
Organization in December, 2020 has an Beechcraft VT-JIL aircraft made a belly landing.
unusually large number of mutations (it may
explain why the B.1.1.7 variant is more About:
infectious). ● A foam path is an aviation safety practice of
● Cryo-electron microscopes (cryo-EM) was used spreading a layer of fire suppression foam on
to “visualise the detailed shapes of viruses and an airport runway prior to an emergency
proteins. This imaging technology uses beams landing.
of electrons to picture the samples at liquid ● Following a crash-landing, liquids leaking from
nitrogen temperatures. the aircraft, which are not yet burning, start
evaporating, thereby resulting in forming an
air-vapour mixture that is flammable or even

highly explosive. In such cases, extinguishing vehicle to eventually carry astronauts and large
foam is used preventively and the liquid is cargo payloads to the moon and Mars.
covered with a foam carpet as a vapor barrier. ● The Starship SN15 blasted off from the SpaceX
● Airport fire brigades create a foam carpet in launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, along the Gulf
order to secure an emergency landing if the Coast.
landing gear of an aircraft is not extended or is ● Maneuvering itself back into vertical position
unstable. under rocket thrust as it approached the
● This is done in order to suppress sparking and ground, the 16-story, three-engine vehicle
descended to a gentle touchdown on its landing
burning of any aircraft metals due to friction
gear.
with the runway surface.
● The flight came on the 60th anniversary of the
first spaceflight by an American astronaut Alan
Block Track Shepard's launch on a 15-minute suborbital
● Researchers at the IIT-Madras have developed a mission atop NASA's Mercury-Redstone rocket
from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
blockchain-based data exchange system-
BlockTrack for a mobile phone-based
OSIRIS-REx
application.
● It aims to digitise healthcare information ● On May 11, NASA’s Origins, Spectral
systems while ensuring the protection of Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security,
sensitive personal information and medical Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft will
records by decentralising the control and depart asteroid Bennu, and start its two-year
ownership of patient data. long journey back to Earth.
● OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a
SpaceX achieves first successful touchdown near-Earth asteroid, survey its surface and
of prototype Starship rocket. collect a sample from it.
● SpaceX achieved the first successful About Asteroid Bennu:
touchdown of its prototype Starship rocket
during the latest test flight of the ● Bennu is an asteroid about as tall as the Empire
next-generation launch vehicle in south Texas State Building, located about 200 million miles
yesterday, after four previous landing attempts away from the Earth.
ended in explosions. ● Bennu is named after an Egyptian deity. The
name was suggested by a nine-year-old boy
About:
from North Carolina in 2013, who won NASA’s
● The feat marked a key milestone for the private “Name that Asteroid” competition.
rocket company of Elon Musk in its ● The asteroid was discovered by a team from
development of a resusable heavy-lift launch the NASA-funded Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid
Research team in 1999.

● Bennu is a B-type asteroid, implying that it About:

contains significant amounts of carbon and
● This active galaxy called the Narrow-Line
various other minerals.
Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy, which is about 31
● Bennu is considered to be an ancient asteroid
billion light-years away, opens up avenues to
that has not gone through a lot of
explore more such gamma-ray emitting galaxies
composition-altering change through billions of
that wait to meet us.
years, which means that below its surface lie
● Ever since 1929, when Edwin Hubble discovered
chemicals and rocks from the birth of the solar
that the Universe is expanding, it has been
system.
known that most other galaxies are moving
● Therefore, scientists and researchers are
away from us. Light from these galaxies is
interested in studying this asteroid as it might
shifted to longer (and this means redder)
give them clues about the origins of the solar
wavelengths - in other words, it is red-shifted.
system, the sun, the Earth and the other
Scientists have been trying to trace such
planets.
red-shifted galaxies to understand the early
Universe.
B.1.617 variant
● Scientists from ARIES, an autonomous institute
● Health Ministry has recently clarified that WHO of the Department of Science & Technology
has not termed B.1.617 as an Indian variant. (DST), Government of India, in collaboration
with researchers from other institutions, studied
About:
around 25,000 luminous Active galactic nuclei
● According to WHO, the B.1.617 variant of (AGN) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS),
SARS-CoV-2 virus, having three sub-lineages a major optical imaging and spectroscopic
(B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2, B.1.617.3), has a higher survey of astronomical objects in-operation for
rate of transmission. the last 20 years and found a unique object that
● The variant B.1.617 has been detected in more emits high-energy gamma rays located at a high
than 44 countries and has now been declared redshift (more than 1).
as a variant of concern. ● They identified it as a gamma-ray emitting NLS1
● The B.1.617 variant is believed to have been galaxy, which is a rare entity in space.
detected in India in October 2020.
Iron Dome aerial defence system
Narrow-Line Seyfert 1
● This aerial defence system of Israel intercepted
● Astronomers have discovered a new active a Hamas Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that
galaxy identified as the farthest gamma-ray crossed from Gaza.
emitting galaxy that has so far been stumbled ● It is a multi-mission system capable of
upon. intercepting rockets, artillery, mortars and
Precision Guided Munitions like very

short-range air defence (V-SHORAD), aircraft, ion-hole structures (a localized plasma region
helicopters and UAV over short ranges of up to where the ion density is lower than the
70 km. surrounding plasma).
● It is an all-weather system and can engage ● They have completely ruled out the necessity of
multiple targets simultaneously. the upper limit in the temperature ratio between
● It can be deployed over land and sea. ions and electrons for the generation of a
special kind of wave called Bernstein Green
Bubble curtain Kruskal (BGK) waves, named after the
scientists who predicted this wave. They
● This technology is being used for the first time revealed that the electrons that are not part of
in India to stop plastic from entering the river ion hole dynamics also play a vital role.
Yamuna. ● The new theory developed by the IIG team
● It is a non-invasive solution to stop plastic from provides a better understanding of their
entering the oceans. characteristics and sheds light on the
● The bubble screen is created by a specially generation of these structures leading to the
designed air tube which is placed diagonally on unraveling of nature's greatest mystery that
the bed of the canal or river. causes phenomena ---plasma transport and
● It brings waste to the surface, channels the heating of plasma -- the fourth state of matter
plastic onto the banks where it can be after solid, liquid, and gas, which is the most
extracted. natural and widely observed state of matter in
● Ships and fish can pass through the air bubbles, the entire universe.
but plastics will be stopped.
White fungus
Plasma
● According to health officials, four cases of
● Scientists from the Indian Institute of ‘white fungus’ or ‘candidiasis’ have been
Geomagnetism (IIG), an autonomous institute detected at the government-run Patna Medical
under the Department of Science & Technology, College and Hospital.
Government of India have recently developed a
theory that helps understand the complicated About:
nature of Sun-Earth interaction's happening in
● White fungus is considered to be more
the magnetosphere-- an area of space around
dangerous than black fungus or mucormycosis.
Earth that is controlled by the Earth’s magnetic
● White fungus affected the lungs as well as
field.
other parts of the body including the nails, skin,
About: stomach, kidney, brain, private parts and mouth.
● They pointed that white fungus also caused an
● This new theory has opened up a plethora of infection similar to COVID-19 in the lungs that
opportunities to unlock the mysteries of the

was detected when high-resolution computed

tomography was performed on the infected
patient.
● The four patients with white fungus had
displayed COVID-19-like symptoms. But they
were not found to be COVID-19 positive after
being tested. Instead, white fungus was
detected.
● “After the white fungus was detected, the
patients were treated with antifungal medicines
and have since shown improvement in their
condition,” Singh said.
● Another PMCH doctor said the oxygen
saturation level of one of the four patients
detected with white fungus dropped from
normal levels. However, after being treated with
antifungal medicines, the oxygen level reached
95.
Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover

● It is NASA’s first mobile robot to be sent to the
Moon in late 2023 in search of ice and other
resources on and below the lunar surface.
About:
● It is part of NASA’s Artemis programme.

VIPER runs on solar power. It will collect data
that would help NASA map resources at the
lunar South Pole that could one day be
harvested for long-term human exploration at
the Moon.
● This is yet another example of how robotic
science missions and human exploration go
hand in hand.

MISCELLANEOUS
Python-5 Oxygen Concentrators

● India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, ● PM CARES Fund would be used to procure 1
has added the fifth generation Python-5 lakh portable oxygen concentrators.
Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) to its weapons ● An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that
capability. concentrates oxygen from ambient air.
● The Python-5 is the second AAM of Israeli ● Oxygen concentrator takes in air, filters it
origin to be integrated on the Tejas fighter. through a sieve, releases the nitrogen back into
● It is an infra-red guided missile with a range of the air, and works on the remaining oxygen.
at least 20km. ● This oxygen, compressed and dispensed
● The first missile was the Beyond Visual Range through a cannula, is 90-95 per cent pure.
(BVR) AAM Derby which is a radar-guided ● A pressure valve in concentrators helps regulate
weapon with a range of over 50km. supply, ranging from 1-10 litres per minute.

transmission by mosquitoes, houseflies, and

Zinc
lice.
● Several studies have stated that zinc has a ● Humans are not at risk of developing LSD.
broad-spectrum antiviral activity against a ● The disease has various implications like
variety of viruses including COVID-19 and plays decreased milk production causing significant
a key role in the immune system. economic loss to farmers.
● Zinc is vital for more than 300 enzymes in the ● The disease, currently, has no treatment. Hence,
body, and also plays a role in protein synthesis, prevention by vaccination is the only effective
wound healing, DNA synthesis, cell division and means to control the spread.
is required for proper sense of taste and smell. ● The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
● Food high in Zinc: Eggs, Garlic, Legumes, has declared it as a notifiable disease.
Spinach, Potatoes,Yoghurt, Dark Chocolate,
Meat, Shellfish, Seeds, Nuts. Sinopharm
● It is Chinese COVID-19 vaccine for which World
Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Health Organization (WHO) has given the green
Export Development Authority light for use worldwide.
● It was established under the Agricultural and ● It estimates that Siopharm is 79% effective
Processed Food Products Export Development against coronavirus.
Authority Act passed by the Parliament in ● Earlier, WHO has also listed the Pfizer/BioNTech
December, 1985. (USA), AstraZeneca (British-Swedish), Johnson
● APEDA is mandated with the responsibility of & Johnson (USA), and Moderna vaccines (USA)
export promotion and development of for emergency use.
scheduled products such as Fruits, Vegetable,
Meat, Poultry Products. Dairy Products, Food distribution Programme
Confectionery, Biscuits, Bakery Products, Honey,
● National Backward Classes Finance &
Jaggery and Sugar Products, Cocoa products,
Development Corporation (NBCFDC) and
chocolates, floriculture Products. Pickles,
National Scheduled Castes Finance and
Papads and Chutneys etc.
Development Corporation (NSFDC) are
● It also provides financial assistance,
conducting the initiatives like Food distribution
information, guidelines towards the
Programme for providing relief to Covid
development of scheduled products.
patients.
● NBCFDC and NSFDC are incorporated as
Lumpy skin disease company not for profit operated under Ministry
● It is caused by the pox virus which affects cattle of Social Justice and Empowerment.
and buffalo and is spreading through blood ● NBCFDC is a Government of India Undertaking
under Companies Act 1956 with an objective to

promote economic and developmental

World’s oldest cave art
activities for the benefit of Backward Classes.
● NSFDC is incorporated as a fully owned ● Scientists have warned that environmental
Government of India Company under the degradation is killing one of the oldest and
Companies Act, 2013. most precious pieces of the world’s human
● NSFDC facilitate, finance and mobilize funds for heritage.
the economic empowerment of people ● Researchers have reported that Pleistocene-era
belonging to the SC category and living below rock paintings dating back to 45,000-20,000
double the poverty line. years ago in cave sites in southern Sulawesi, on
the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, are
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine weathering at an alarming rate.
● U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Significance of the cave paintings:
this vaccine for kids between 12 and 15 years
● A team of Australian and Indonesian
of age, making it the first for children.
archaeological scientists, conservation
● It is mRNA-based vaccine developed by USA.
specialists, and heritage managers examined
● mRNA vaccines teach our cells how to make a
11 caves and rock-shelters in the
protein— or even just a piece of a protein— that
Maros-Pangkep region in Sulawesi.
triggers an immune response inside our bodies.
● The artwork in the area includes what is
believed to be the world’s oldest hand stencil
Asperger’s syndrome
(almost 40,000 years ago), created by pressing
● Tech billionaire Elon Musk announced that he the hand on a cave wall, and spraying wet
has Asperger’s syndrome. red-mulberry pigments over it.
● A nearby cave features the world’s oldest
About: depiction of an animal, a warty pig painted on
● It is a disorder where people have trouble in the wall 45,500 years ago.
social relationships. ● The cave art of Sulawesi is much older than the
● It belongs to the autism spectrum which can prehistoric cave art of Europe.
severely inhibit a person’s mental and social Findings of the study:
development.
● The disorder is named after German doctor ● The researchers studied flakes of rock that have
Hans Asperger, who first described it in 1944. begun to detach from cave surfaces to find that
● In 2013, it became part of one umbrella salts in three of the samples comprise calcium
diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in sulphate and sodium chloride, which are known
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental to form crystals on rock surfaces, causing them
Disorders 5 (DSM-5). to break.

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● The artwork made with pigments was decaying regulatory facilitation for deployment, would
due to a process known as haloclasty, which is consolidate all available and funded resources
triggered by the growth of salt crystals due to towards an accelerated product development.
repeated changes in temperature and humidity, ● To augument the capacity of Indigenous
caused by alternating wet and dry weather in production of Covaxin under the Mission,
the region. Government has provided financial support as
● Indonesia has also experienced several natural Grant to vaccine manufacturing facilities for
disasters in recent years, which have quickened enhanced production capacities.
the process of deterioration.
Snow Leopard
Cyclone ‘Tauktae’
● World Wide Fund in a recent report said that
● Cyclone ‘Tauktae’, which lay as a deep more than 70 per cent habitat of the snow
depression over the Arabian Sea close leopard, over 12 Asian countries, remains
to Lakshadweep. un-researched.
● It was likely to intensify into a ‘very severe
About Snow leopards:
cyclonic storm’ with wind speeds of 150-160
kmph gusting to 175 kmph by Sunday morning, ● In India, they occupy the western and eastern
bringing heavy to very heavy rain to many parts Himalayas.
of the western coast. ● Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN- Red Data list.
There is yet not clear whether the cyclonic ● Apart from the state animal of Himachal
storm will cross the Gujarat coast or just skirt it Pradesh, it is also the National Heritage Animal
by May 18. of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
● It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm
during the next 12 hours and is very likely to Conservation programs:
intensify further during the subsequent 24 ● Project Snow Leopard: It was launched in 2009
hours and move north, north-westwards. to promote an inclusive and participatory
approach to conserve snow leopards and their
Mission COVID Suraksha habitat.
● WWF-India selected the regions of Kargil in the
● Under Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0, Mission COVID
Ladakh, North Sikkim and Western Arunachal
Suraksha (Indian COVID-19 Vaccine
Pradesh as focus areas for snow leopard
Development Mission) was announced to
conservations.
enable development of indigenous, affordable
and accessible vaccines for our country.
● The Mission with end-to-end focus from
preclinical development to manufacturing and

SPORTS
that use strokes. It plays on a table with four

World Champion for 4th time in Snooker Mark
pockets or six pockets. It is played with snooker
Selby and cue.
● British professional snooker player Mark Selby Rafael Nadal Wins Italian Open
won the world championship for the fourth
time. This time he won the title of defeating ● Rafael Nadal won the 2021 Italian Open. This is
Shaun Murphy. his tenth Rome Masters championship.
Key highlights: ● On May 16, 2021, the Italian Open was held in
Rome. The final was held between Rafael Nadal
● Mark Selby won the 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021 and Novak Djokovic. It is also called the Rome
world championships. He ranked first in the Masters.
world between 2015 and 2019.
● World Snooker Championship has been held About Rafael Nadal:
annually since 1927. The game was played at ● Rafael Nadal is a tennis player from Spain. By
the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The the Association of Tennis Professionals, he is
World Professional Billiards and Snooker ranked third in the world.
Association organized a championship game. ● To date, he has won twenty Grand Slams,
● Snooker is a suggestive sport. Cue sport is also including thirteen French Open titles. In clay
called billiard sport. They are all kinds of games

courts, he has a perfect winning record.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare
About Novak Djokovic:
Fund For Sportspersons
● Novak Djokovic is a tennis player from Serbia. ● The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has
By the Association of Tennis Professionals, he approved a grant of Rs 200,000 for V Tejaswini
is ranked first in the world. He has eighteen Bai of Karnataka, who won the Arjuna Award in
Grand Slam titles under his belt. 2011 and was a member of the women’s
● He is the only player on the ATP tour to have Kabaddi team, that won gold medal games at
won all of the "Big Titles." A trophy awarded the Asian Olympic Games in 2014 and 2014
during the Nitto ATP Finals, Grand Slam respectively.
Championships, ATP Masters 1000 ● The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National
tournaments, or Olympics Singles gold medals Welfare Fund for Sportspersons (PDUNWFS)
is known as the Big Title. has approved financial assistance.
About Italian Open: About the Fund:

● It was formerly known as the International ● Founded in March 1982 with the goal of
Championship of Italy. It is a tennis tournament assisting outstanding athletes from the past
hosted in the Italian city of Rome. who were living in impoverished circumstances
● It's a clay tennis competition. Tennis court and had brought glory to the country through
surfaces can be divided into four categories. sports.
Clay courts, carpet courts, hard courts, and ● In May 2016, the scheme was revised to provide
grass courts are the four types. lump sum ex-gratia assistance to outstanding
● The tournament is part of the ATP Tours athletes from the past.
Masters 100 event. ● The provision for a pension has been eliminated
because there is already a Scheme of Pension
Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh for Meritorious Sportspersons.
● Indian rowers Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh
Mary Kom Remains with Silver Medal at 2021
qualified for the Olympics in men’s lightweight
Asian Boxing Championships
double sculls event after finishing second in the
final race of the Asia/Oceania Continental ● Indian pugilist Mary Kom lost two-time world
Qualifying Regatta in Tokyo on Friday. champion Nazym Kyzaibay of Kazakhstan to
● Another Indian, Jakar Khan finished fourth in settle for a silver medal at the Asian Boxing
the men’s singles sculls final which offers five Championships 2021 in Dubai.
Olympic quotas but he missed out as a country
gets only one qualifying spot from this regatta. Key highlights:
● The top three qualify for Olympics in men’s
lightweight double sculls event. ● The five-time Asian Championships gold
medallist Mary Kom was once competing in a

high-octane 51kg final. This is the 2nd silver for

Mary Kom at the Asian Championships, who
has received silver in 2008.
● Apart from this, she gained world championship
titles on five events inclusive of 2003, 2005,
2010, 2012, and 2017.
● Meanwhile, Pooja Rani gained the gold medal in
the 75kg Women’s Middle category last at the
Asian Boxing Championships. She defeated
Mavluda Movlonova in the gold medal clash.

MCQ
1. The first Pollinator Park of India has been

established in which state? 3. The Union Cabinet has approved the export
of which missile system in Dec 2020?
A. UTTAR PRADESH
B. MADHYA PRADESH A. PRITHVI
C. UTTARAKHAND B. NAAG
D. HIMACHAL PRADESH C. AKASH
D. NONE OF THESE
2. Estonia is a country in which continent?
4. Which country's space agency has approved
A. AUSTRALIA two sun-exploration heliophysics missions?
B. EUROPE
C. ANTARCTICA A. USA
D. SOUTH AMERICA B. JAPAN

C. CHINA A. PUNNET SINGH

D. INDIA B. SANJEEV PARASHAR
C. SUMIT GARG
5. Adopt a Heritage: “Apni Dharohar, Apni D. SUNIT SHARMA
Pehchaan” is a project initiated by ministry?
10. China has completed a railway line
a. Ministry of External Affairs connecting Lhasa and Ningchi cities of Tibet
b. Ministry of Home near the border of which Indian state?
c. Ministry of Tourism
d. Ministry of Commerce A. MANIPUIR
B. TRIPURA
6. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) comes C. ARUNACHAL PRADESH
under which ministry? D. ASSAM
a. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE 11. Which magazine has been recently

b. MINISTRY OF HOME published on National Police?
c. MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
d. NONE OF THESE A. K-9
B. K-10
7. What is the full form of 'IUC'? C. K-11
D. K-12
A. Inter usage charges
B. Interconnect usage charges 12. Which Indian armed force has formed the
C. Interconnect charges first 'Human Rights Cell' of its kind?
D. connect usage charges
A. INDIAN NAVY
8. Zhong Shanshan, who became the richest B. INDIAN ARMY
person of Asia is from which country? C. INDIAN COAST GUARD
D. NONE OF THESE
A. JAPAN
B. S. KOREA
C. CHINA
D. SINGAPORE
9. Who has been appointed as the new Chairman
and CEO of the Railway Board?

D. 5%
13. Sambalpur, where Prime Minister Modi laid 17. Sandro Botticelli was the famous painter of
the foundation stone of IIM, is located in which country?
which state? A. BRAZIL
B. U.S.A.
A. ANDHRA PRADESH C. ITALY
B. ODISHA D. FRANCE
C. KERALA 18. Chauri Chaura town is located in which Indian
D. UTTAR PRADESH state / union territory?
A. MADHYA PRADESH
14. In which state will the Asian Waterbird B. HARYANA
Census 2021, which was recently seen in the C. PUNJAB
D. UTTAR PRADESH
news?
19. In which state / union territory, 'Har Ghar
A. TAMILNADU
B. KARNATAKA
Pani, Har Ghar Safai' mission has been
C. ANDHRA PRADESH launched?
D. MANIPUR
a. Haryana
15. Deepor Beel is the only Ramsar site of b. Punjab
which state? c. Delhi
d. Uttar Pradesh
A. ASSAM
20. The MITRA scheme, which was announced
B. TRIPURA
C. MANIPUR in the recent Union Budget, is related to which
D. NAGALAND field?
16. According to the revised estimates of NSO, a. Cloth

what was India's GDP growth rate for b. Coal
2019-20? c. Petrol
d. Medicine
A. 2%
B. 3%
C. 4%

C. SRILANKA
21. Adi Mahotsav is an initiative of which D. MALDIVES
Union Ministry?
25. Which Indian company has partnered with
a. Ministry of Home UNICEF to distribute vaccines worldwide?
b. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
c. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare A. SERUM INSTITUTE
d. Ministry of Tribal Affairs B. BHARAT BIOTECH
C. INDIAN IMMUNOLOGICALS
22. India's first wetland conservation and D. NONE OF THESE
management center has been established in
which city?
A. BANGALORE
B. HYDERABAD
C. KOCHI
D. CHENNAI
23. The Commonwealth Human Rights

Initiative (CHRI) is an international
non-governmental organization based in
which country?
A. INDIA
B. UK
C. AUSTRALIA
D. JAPAN
24. Which country has recently decided to

withdraw from the agreement to develop a
strategic port terminal with India and Japan?
A. BANGLADESH
B. INDONESIA

:: MCQ ANSWERS ::
1. (C) 2. (B) 3. (C) 4. (A) 5. (C) 6. (D) 7. (B) 8. (C) 9. (D) 10. (C)
11. (A) 12. (B) 13. (B) 14. (C) 15. (A) 16. (C) 17. (C) 18. (D) 19. (B) 20. (A)
21. (D) 22. (D) 23. (A) 24. (C) 25. (A)

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SSC Exams

Monthly Current Affairs

Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards 15

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY 24

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Sebi notifies relaxed rules for listing start-ups 27

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 31

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Lumpy skin disease 39

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Alternate Investment Fund Operation Samudra Setu-II

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● Establishment of the database involves critical

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● Hakki Pikki are a nomadic tribe which migrated

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onboarding of sellers of oxygen cylinders and

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/Departments as well as organizations are

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● In India, the first Labour day or May Day was

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● This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme

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support the transfer of inclusive Indian

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brought to Trinidad to engage in agricultural

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● The United States had said it had offered “very

● COVAX, short for COVID-19 Vaccines Global About:

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● Regular institutional and cultural interactions

● It is an inter-governmental security forum held

● Oman is a strategic partner of India in the Gulf

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BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

● Under the scheme, financial assistance is

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economy, and results in a higher rate of

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About: ● The Course was organised by the National

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● 100% CHSL Exam Syllabus Covered

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● This new norms will apply to all insurers,

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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