<< 1 >> | IBS QUEST | MAY, 2021
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<< 1 >> | IBS QUEST | MAY, 2021 CONTENTS 1. National News ............................................. 3 2. International News ...................................... 9 3. Important Dates and Events ...................... 22 4. Sports News ............................................... 28 5. Awards & Recognitions ............................. 29 6. Defence News ............................................. 31 7. Science & Technology ............................... 35 8. Government Initiatives............................... 39 9. Ranking ..................................................... 44 10. States News ............................................... 46 11. Important MCQ for Competitive Exams ...... 52 << 2 >> | IBS QUEST | MAY, 2021 CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL 2021 NATIONAL NEWS INDIA CARRYING OUT URANIUM This development has come in India because EXPLORATION IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH- India is one of the most vulnerable country for Uranium exploration extreme weather events. It has been ranked at the has been taken up in 20th position on Climate Risk Index (CRI). Arunachal Pradesh by the Atomic Minerals CABINET APPROVED VACCINATION FOR Directorate for ALL ABOVE 45 YEARS FROM APRIL 1- Exploration and The Union Cabinet Research. on March 23, 2021 AMD is a constituent approved COVID-19 unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). vaccination for Uranium is used as fuel in nuclear reactors. everyone above 45 The AMD has a mandate to identify and evaluate years of age starting mineral resources of uranium, thorium, from April 1st. zirconium, titanium and others and rare earths This comes as the new coronavirus caseload in containing uranium and thorium in the potential the country touched 47,262 in the last 24 hours, geological domains of the country. which is the highest in the year 2021. Department of Atomic Energy The new guidelines mandate the state and UT Chairperson: K.N. Vyas governments to strictly enforce the Test-Track- Founder: Homi J. Bhabha Treat protocol in all parts of the country. Founded: 3 August 1954 N.V. RAMANA, THE SENIOR MOST JUDGE OF INDIA TO CONDUCT RADAR SURVEYS OF THE SUPREME COURT, HAS BEEN HIMALAYAN GLACIERS- RECOMMENDED AS THE NEXT TOP JUDGE India has planned to conduct the airborne radar BY THE PRESENT CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA surveys in order to estimate the thickness of (S A BOBDE)- Himalayan glaciers. Justice Ramana took over Under the plan, the pilot study will be conducted as the 48th Chief Justice of in the Lahaul – Spiti basin of the Himachal India (CJI) from 24th April Pradesh. 2021. He would be the CJI This proposal was initiated by the National Centre till 26th August 2022. for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOR) under the The Chief Justice of India Ministry of Earth Sciences. and the Judges of << 3 >> | IBS QUEST | MAY, 2021 the Supreme Court (SC) are appointed by the last India another 100-150 years. Additionally, the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the mining sector in India produces over one crore Constitution and the outgoing CJI recommends jobs. his successor as well. Reforms The Supreme Court collegium is headed by the The new law brings in several reforms. Now, Chief Justice of India and comprises four other PSUs (public sector units) which have old senior most judges of the court. mining contracts will be given extensions The collegium system is the system of based on a payment. Earlier, one had to reapply appointment and transfer of judges that has for clearance after a lease expired. evolved through judgments of the Supreme Court Now the clearances continue for the life of a (Judges Cases), and not by an Act of Parliament mine, even after the expiry of the lease. or by a provision of the Constitution. Restrictions on the end use of minerals by In 2019, the SC ruled that the office of Chief captive plants have been relaxed. Justice of India (CJI) comes under the purview of The new law mandates that whoever takes a the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. mining lease must start producing within three years of taking such lease or the lease will be PARLIAMENT PASSES MMDR AMENDMENT taken over and the mine will be re-auctioned. BILL 2021- On 22 March, PRESIDENT KOVIND APPROVED BILL TO Parliament cleared SET UP NATIONAL BANK FOR FINANCING the Mines and INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT- Minerals President Ram (Development and Nath Kovind Regulation) gave assent to a Amendment Bill, bill to set up the 2021, bringing in National Bank many reforms to for Financing India’s untapped Infrastructure and mining industry. Development (NaBFID) to fund infrastructure Mining in India projects in India. contributes to The National Bank for Financing Infrastructure only 1.75 per cent and Development (NaBFID) Bill 2021 was passed of the GDP, while the share for countries like in Rajya Sabha by voice vote. The bill was Australia and South Africa is about 7 per cent of approved in Lok Sabha on March 23, 2021. the GDP. The bill seeks to establish the National Bank for India produces coal worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore, yet Financing Infrastructure and Development to heavily imports it despite being the third largest support the development of long-term non- storehouse of coal in the world. It also has 22,000 recourse infrastructure financing in India million tonnes of iron ore reserve — enough to << 4 >> | IBS QUEST | MAY, 2021 including development of the bonds and The Agriculture Ministry’s rejection rate doubled derivatives markets. from 2% in 2018-19 to 4% in 2019-20. The DFI (Development Finance Institution), The Delhi Police and the Army also saw increases called the National Bank for Financing in rejection rates. Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID), will Central Information Commission be answerable to Parliament. Formed: 12 October 2005; 15 years ago Chief information Commissioner: Yashvardhan THE CENTRE HAS ONLY REJECTED 4.3% OF Kumar Sinha, IAS ALL RIGHT TO INFORMATION (RTI) Right to Information Act, 2005 REQUESTS IN 2019-20, THE LOWEST EVER Enacted by: Parliament of India RATE, ACCORDING TO THE CENTRAL Enacted: 15-June-2005 INFORMATION COMMISSION’S ANNUAL Assented to: 22-June-2005 REPORT- Commenced: 12-October-2005 THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS DECIDED TO RETAIN THE INFLATION TARGET OF 4%, WITH A TOLERANCE BAND OF +/- 2 PERCENTAGE POINTS- To control the price rise, the Centre in 2016 gave a mandate to the RBI to keep the retail inflation at 4% with a margin of 2% on either side for a five- year period ending 31st March, 2021. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) tracks the Almost 40% of these rejections did not include change in retail prices of goods and services any valid reason, as they did not invoke one of the which households purchase for their daily permissible exemption clauses in the RTI Act. consumption. This includes 90% of rejections by the Prime The inflation target for the period 1st April, 2021 Minister’s Office. to 31st March, 2026 under the Reserve Bank of Public authorities under the Central government India Act 1934 has been kept at the same level as received 13.7 lakh RTI requests in 2019-20, out was for previous 5 years. of which 58,634 were rejected for various Monetary Policy Committee reasons. Committee executive: Shaktikanta Das, IAS, Rejection rates have fallen since the 13.9% rate in Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and ex- 2005-06 and have been steadily trending officio chairperson downwards since the 8.4% spike in 2014-15. In Founded: 27 June 2016 2019-20, they hit their lowest level so far. The Home Ministry had the highest rate of HEALTHCARE SECTOR EXPECTED TO rejections, as it rejected 20% of all RTIs received. REACH USD 372 BILLION IN 2022: NITI AAYOG REPORT- << 5 >> | IBS QUEST | MAY, 2021 Healthcare has become one of the largest sectors Many states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, of the Indian economy and is expected to reach Chhattisgarh, Punjab crossed the first wave of a USD 372 billion in 2022, according to a report by peak in the cases. Niti Aayog released on Tuesday. Target was set to do 70% RT-PCR tests. More The report outlined a range of investment concentration will be paid on the micro- opportunities in the country's healthcare sector containment zones. PM urged to use the word across hospitals, pharmaceuticals and medical 'Corona Curfew' in the places where the night devices. curfew has been imposed. The report, titled 'Investment Opportunities in 11th to 14th April to be observed as 'Tika India's Healthcare Sector', also said India's (Vaccination) Utsav' for COVID-19 vaccination: healthcare sector has the potential to generate 27 PM Modi lakh jobs in India between 2017 and 2022 -- over 5 lakh new jobs per year. RBI MONETARY POLICY REVIEW: NITI Aayog SHAKTIKANTA DAS LED PANEL KEEPS Formed: 1 January 2015 POLICY RATES UNCHANGED- Headquarters: New Delhi The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its first by- Chairperson: Narendra Modi monthly monetary policy statement of fiscal 2021-22 has kept the policy rates unchanged amid PM MODI HELD MEETING ON 8TH APRIL uncertainty created by a fresh surge in WITH CMS ON RISING COVID-19 SITUATION- coronavirus infections. MPC saw inflation edging up to 5.2 per cent in the first half of the new fiscal from 5 per cent in the January-March period and moderate to 4.4 per cent in Q3 of FY22. The six-member Monetary Policy Committee headed by the Governor Shaktikanta Das expressed its comfort in terms of growth amid improving capacity utilisation and reviving consumer confidence. PM Modi interacted virtually with the Chief Unchanged Policy Rates: Ministers of various states on the Coronavirus Repo Rate - 4%. situation in the country and the vaccination- Reverse Repo Rate - 3.35%. related issues on April 8, 2021. Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) - 4.25%. There had been an alarming rate of growth of Bank Rate- 4.25%. cases and deaths due to COVID-19 with 10 states Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth contributing to more than 91% of cases and for 2021-22 has been retained at 10.5%.