WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS MAY 9 - MAY 15 SOURCES- THE HINDU / INDIAN EXPRESS / PIB / WORLD WIDE WEB

MAY 9th

● At the invitation of the President of the European Council Mr. Charles Michel, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the -EU Leaders’ Meeting. ● The meeting was held in a hybrid format with the participation of leaders of all the 27 EU Member States as well as the President of the European Council and the European Commission. ● The talks for Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), which began in 2007, have been deadlocked since 2013 over issues including tariffs, market access and data security status etc. ● This is the first time that the EU hosted a meeting with India in the EU+27 format. The EU+27 have met in this format only once before, with the US President in March this year. ● It is a significant political milestone and will further build on the momentum witnessed in the relationship since the 15th India-EU Summit in July 2020. The meeting was the initiative of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union. ● ● During the meeting, the leaders exchanged views on three key thematic areas: i) foreign policy and security; ii) COVID-19, climate and environment; and iii) trade, connectivity and technology. ● The EU demanded that there are significant duty cuts in automobiles, tax reduction on wines, spirits etc, a strong intellectual property regime, relaxation in India's data localisation norms, protection to all its items with Geographical Indication etc. ● Indian demanded that Data secure status (important for India's IT sector); Ease norms on temporary movement of skilled workers, relaxation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) norms etc. ● The leaders welcomed the decision to resume negotiations on both the Trade and Investment Agreements which will enable the two sides to realise the full potential of the economic partnership. ● India and the EU launched an ambitious and comprehensive ‘Connectivity Partnership’ which is focused on enhancing digital, energy, transport and people-to-people connectivity. ● India welcomed the EU’s decision to join CDRI. ● India and the EU also agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation on digital and emerging technologies such as 5G, AI, Quantum and High-Performance Computing including through the early operationalization of the Joint Task Force on AI and the Digital Investment Forum. ● A finance contract of Euro 150 million for the Metro Rail Project was signed by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and European Investment Bank. ● Announced a dedicated dialogue on WTO issues, regulatory cooperation, market access issues and supply chain resilience, demonstrating the desire to deepen and further diversify economic engagement. ● India-EU Leaders Meeting has set a significant milestone by providing a new direction to the Strategic Partnership and giving a fresh impetus for implementing the ambitious India-EU Roadmap 2025 adopted at the 15th India-EU Summit held in July 2020. ● The EU is strategically important for India, and the EU as a whole was India's largest trading partner in 2018 with bilateral trade USD 115.6 billion in 2018-19. ● The EU wants to diversify its value chain away from China to India and hence there is interest on its part also to have a trade deal with India. Veteran Music Composer Vanraj Bhatia passes away at 93

● Veteran music composer Vanraj Bhatia died in yesterday after a brief illness. ● Vanraj Bhatia was an Indian composer best known for his work in Indian New Wave cinema. ● He was also one of the leading composers of Western classical music in India. ● The 93-year-old Padma Shri awardee scored the music for Shyam Benegal classics like ‘Ankur’ and ‘Bhumika’ and TV series ‘Yatra’ and ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’ ● Bhatia was a recipient of the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the television film Tamas (1988), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Creative and Experimental Music (1989) and India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri (2012).

India participates in the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial; shares plans for research and long-term cooperation in the Arctic ● India is participating in the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) - the global platform for discussing research and cooperation in the Arctic region (8-9 May, 2021). ● The first two meetings—ASM1 and ASM2—were held in the USA in 2016 and Germany in 2018, respectively. ● ASM3, jointly organised by Iceland and Japan, is the first Ministerial meeting being held in Asia. ● The meeting is designed to provide opportunities to various stakeholders to enhance collective understanding of the Arctic region, emphasize and engage in constant monitoring, and strengthen observations. ● The theme for this year is ‘Knowledge for a Sustainable Arctic’. ● India and Arctic :- India’s engagement with the Arctic dates back to 1920 with the signing of the Svalbard Treaty in Paris. Since July 2008, India has a permanent research station in the Arctic called Himadari at NyAlesund, Svalbard Area in Norway. ● Since 2013, India has enjoyed ‘Observer’ status in the Arctic Council with twelve other countries (Japan, China, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, Singapore, and South Korea). ● It has also deployed a multi-sensor moored observatory called IndARC in the Kongsfjorden fjord since July 2014. ● The research in the Arctic region from India is coordinated, conducted, and promoted by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. ● The launch of NISER (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite mission by India, in collaboration with the USA, is underway. NISER aims to conduct global measurements of the cause and consequences of land surface changes using advanced radar imaging. ● India’s contributions to the Sustained Arctic Observational Network (SAON) would continue.

Hope soars as Second World War airport in takes commercial wings ● An airport built for warplanes in 1939 took commercial wings, heralding the best of times for western Assam’s Dhubri district. ● near Gauripur, about 15 km from district headquarters Dhubri, was one of South Asia’s largest airports with a 1.8 km runway used by Allied aircraft for supplying arms, manpower and ammunition to forces in Burma and China during World War II. ● Rupsi is Assam's 7th airport and 15th in the northeast including Pakyong in Sikkim. Commercial flights were allowed later. ● India’s Partition in 1947 began eroding the airport’s importance. It was abandoned after the last flight — a from Dhubri to — took off in 1983. ● Flybig, an -based company, would be operating the -Guwahati-Rupsi flight under the subsidised UDAAN scheme for regional connectivity. ● Rupsi is vital not only for western Assam. It used to and again will cater to the people of western , and Alipurduar districts of and south-western Bhutan, besides fuelling small-scale industries.

US to join New Zealand-led global campaign to stamp out violent extremism online

● The United States will join a New Zealand-led global campaign to stamp out violent extremism online, making a policy change two years after the administration of former president Donald Trump declined to participate. Biden administration spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement yesterday that the US would join the Christchurch Call to Action to Eliminate Terrorist and Violent Extremist Content Online. ● The Christchurch Call is named after the New Zealand city in which 51 people from the Muslim community were killed in terrorist attacks broadcast live on the Internet on 15 March 2019. ● The Christchurch Call is an action plan that commits governments, international organizations and Internet players to take a series of measures, in particular: ● developing tools to prevent the downloading of terrorist and violent extremist content; ● combating the causes of violent extremism; improving transparency in the detection and removal of content; and ● ensuring that the algorithms designed and used by businesses do not direct users towards violent extremist content, so as to reduce their viral nature.

Army inducts first batch of women in military police The government had approved the induction of women in military police in January 2019, and plans to have 1700 women soldiers by 2036, in batches of 100 recruits per year.

● The Indian Army inducted its first batch of 83 women soldiers as part of its military police. ● The attestation parade for the soldiers took place at the Dronacharya Parade Ground in Bengaluru. ● The government had approved the induction of women in military police in January 2019, and plans to have 1700 women soldiers by 2036, in batches of 100 recruits per year. ● What is the Corps of Military Police (CMP)? :- It is the military police of the Indian Army. The roles of military police include the following: ● policing the cantonments and Army establishments, ● maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war and ● handling prisoners of war. ● They can be identified by their red berets and white belts. They also wear a black brassard with the letters MP imprinted in red. ● The First section of Indian Corps of Military Police was raised in 1939 during World War 2.

CBSE launches new mobile application for psycho social wellness of students, parents ● The new app namely CBSE Dost for Life has been designed for students of classes 9 to 12 and it can be used for counselling sessions from 10th of this month. ● Making a departure from the existing practice of counselling through toll free numbers across the country, the board has designed this facility for the ease, convenience and utility of students and parents within the safe home environment. ● Through this app, live counselling sessions will be conducted free of cost on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the trained counsellors. ● The app will also provide students information on suggestive course guides after ten plus two, tips on mental health and well-being, a corona guide and rap songs.

● Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved anti-COVID drugs developed by DRDO for emergency use. ● The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission for emergency use of an anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, . ● Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. ● Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID patients. The drug will be of immense benefit to the people suffering from COVID-19. ● The drug comes in powder form in sachet, which is taken orally by dissolving it in water. It accumulates in the virus infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virally infected cells makes this drug unique.

● The Supreme Court constituted a 12-member task force to assess availability and distribution of medical oxygen - on scientific, rational and equitable basis - across the country. The task force will also suggest measures to ensure availability of medicines needed to treat COVID-19. ● The tenure of the task force shall be six months initially. ● The 12-member task force comprises Dr Bhabatosh Biswas, Dr Devender Singh Rana, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Dr Gagandeep Kang, Dr JV Peter; Dr Naresh Trehan, Dr Rahul Pandit, Dr Saumitra Rawat, Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin, Dr Zarir F Udwadia, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (ex officio member). ● Cabinet Secretary to the Union Government shall be the Convenor of the national task force. COVID-19 survivors’ tales | Hakki-Pikki tribal from wins battle against the virus

● Hakki Pikki are a nomadic tribe which migrated from Northern India and now mainly settled in Karnataka region and other South Indian states. ● They are known as Bird Catcher (Hakki means Bird and Pikki means catcher in Kannada language) ● They speak the Indo Aryan language named as Vaagri' by scholars. ● UNESCO has listed Hakkipikki is one of the endangered languages. ● Today, they are mainly engaged in selling herbal products like herbal oils.

Probe into digging, construction activities on Kaziranga animal corridors

● The authorities in Assam’s Golaghat and Nagaon districts have begun probing cases of clearance of forest land, digging and construction activities on at least three animal corridors within the eco-sensitive zone of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. ● The Supreme Court of India in its 2019 order had said that “No new construction shall be permitted on private lands which form part of the nine identified animal corridors.” ● About Animal Corridors :- Wildlife or animal corridors are meant to ensure safe passage for animals between two isolated habitats. ● In wildlife parlance, corridors are mainly of two types: functional and structural. ● Functional corridors are defined in terms of functionality from the perspective of the animal (basically areas where there have been recorded movement of wildlife). ● Structural corridors are contiguous strips of forested areas and structurally connect the otherwise fragmented blocks of the landscape. ● When structural corridors are affected by human anthropogenic activities, functional corridors automatically widen because of animal use. ● About Kaziranga Corridor :- A special committee formed by the Supreme Court in its report had recommended the delineation of nine animal corridors in Kaziranga National Park (KNP). The nine identified animal corridors are: ● Amguri, Bagori, Chirang, Deosur, Harmati, Hatidandi and Kanchanjuri are in Nagaon district and Haldibari and Panbari corridors are in Golaghat district of Assam. ● The nine corridors that already exist behave as functional corridors, but according to the new recommendation, the corridors will act as both structural and functional, on the basis of need. ● The report suggested that structural corridors should be made free of all human induced disturbances except for the forestry and wildlife management practices. ● On the other hand, functional corridors (which might become important when structural corridors are disturbed), can have regulated multi-use with restrictions on land use change. PM pays tribute to Maharana Pratap on his Jayanti

● The Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Maharana Pratap on his Jayanti. ● Rana Pratap Singh also known as Maharana Pratap was born on 9th May 1540 in Kumbhalgarh, . ● He was the 13th King of Mewar and was the eldest son of Udai Singh II ● Maharana Udai Singh II ruled the kingdom of Mewar, with his capital at Chittor. ● Udai Singh II was also a founder of the city of Udaipur (Rajasthan). ● Battle of Haldighati: The Battle of Haldighati was fought in 1576 between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Raja Man Singh of Amber who was the general of the Mughal emperor Akbar. ● Maharana Pratap fought a brave war, but was defeated by Mughal forces. ● It is said that Maharana Pratap’s loyal horse named Chetak, gave up his life as the Maharana was leaving the battlefield. ● After 1579, the Mughal pressure relaxed over Mewar and Pratap recovered Western Mewar including Kumbhalgarh, Udaipur and Gogunda. ● During this period, he also built a new capital, Chavand, near modern Dungarpur. ● He died on 19th January, 1597. He was succeeded by his son Amar Singh, who submitted in 1614 to Emperor Jahāngīr, son of Akbar. Maratha quota | Centre alone can identify socially and educationally backward classes: Supreme Court

● The supreme court said that the Centre alone is empowered to identify Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and include them in the Central List for claiming reservation benefits. ● The President (that is the Central government) alone, to the exclusion of all other authorities, is empowered to identify SEBCs and include them in a list to be published under Article 342A (1), which shall be deemed to include SEBCs in relation to each State and Union Territory for the purposes of the Constitution. ● States could only make suggestions to the President or the statutory commissions concerned for inclusion, exclusion or modification of castes and communities to be included in the List. ● The Central List is to be the “only list” for the SEBC. ● Once published, under Article 342A (1), the list can only be amended through a law enacted by Parliament, by virtue of Article 342A (2). ● In the task of identification of SEBCs, the President shall be guided by the Commission (National Commission for Backward Classes) set up under Article 338B; its advice shall also be sought by the State in regard to policies that might be framed by it. ● If the commission prepares a report concerning matters of identification, such a report has to be shared with the State government, which is bound to deal with it, in accordance with provisions of Article 338B. ● However, the final determination culminates in the exercise undertaken by the President (i.e., the Central Government, under Article 342A (1). ● However, the President’s prerogative as far as the identification and inclusion of SEBCs in the List would not affect the States’ power to make reservations in favour of particular communities or castes within the ambit of Articles 15 and 16.

MAY 10th

Green panel allows Great Nicobar plan to advance ● Recently, the Environment Appraisal Committee which flagged concerns over the project has now ‘recommended’ it ‘for grant of terms of reference’ for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies. ● In August, 2020 the Prime Minister had declared that the Andaman and Nicobar islands will be developed as a "maritime and startup hub". ● The proposal includes an international container trans-shipment terminal, a greenfield international airport, a power plant and a township complex spread over 166 sq. km. (mainly pristine coastal systems and tropical forests). ● It is estimated to cost Rs. 75,000 crore. ● Lack of details on seismic and tsunami hazards, freshwater requirement details, and details of the impact on the Giant Leatherback turtle. ● No details of the trees to be felled—a number that could run into millions since 130 sq. km. of the project area has some of the finest tropical forests in India. ● A number of additional issues include about Galathea Bay, the site of the port and the centrepiece of the NITI Aayog proposal. ● Galathea Bay is an iconic nesting site in India of the enigmatic Giant Leatherback, the world’s largest marine turtle—borne out by surveys done over three decades. ● Ecological surveys in the last few years have reported a number of new species, many restricted to just the Galathea region. ● These include the critically endangered Nicobar shrew, the Great Nicobar crake, the Nicobar frog, the Nicobar cat snake, a new skink (Lipinia sp), a new lizard (Dibamus sp,) and a snake of the Lycodon sp that is yet to be described. ● The site selection for the port had been done mainly on technical and financial criteria, ignoring the environmental aspects. ● There is a need for an independent assessment of terrestrial and marine biodiversity, a study on the impact of dredging, reclamation and port operations, including oil spills. ● The need for studies of alternative sites for the port with a focus on environmental and ecological impact, especially on turtles, analysis of risk-handling capabilities. ● A seismic and tsunami hazard map, a disaster management plan, details of labour, labour camps and their requirements, an assessment of the cumulative impact, and a hydro-geological study to assess impact on round and surface water regimes. ● The remains of a Chinese rocket that was hurtling back towards Earth have crashed into the Indian Ocean, the country's space agency says. ● Parts of Long March 5B re-entered the atmosphere and landed in the Indian Ocean, with the bulk of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. ● Long March 5B was carrying components for the construction of China's space station, which will be completed by the end of next year. China's space station would be the second after the International Space Station (ISS) ● Russia has also announced its own space station. ● Last year, debris from another Chinese Long March rocket fell on Ivory Coast, damaging several buildings. ● Space debris encompasses both natural (meteoroid) and artificial (man-made) particles. Meteoroids are in orbit about the sun, while most artificial debris is in orbit about the Earth. ● There are more than 500,000 pieces of debris, or "space junk," that orbit the Earth travelling at speeds up to 17.500 mph. ● Rising population of space debris increases the potential danger to all space vehicles, but especially to the International Space Station, space shuttles and other spacecraft with humans aboard. ● Kessler Syndrome: NASA space debris expert Don Kessler observed that, once past a certain critical mass, the total amount of space debris will keep on increasing, give rise to more debris and lead to more collisions, in a chain reaction. Wildlife forensics helps cause of pangolins

Indian Researchers have sequenced 624 pangolin scales, thereby categorising the Indian and Chinese pangolins. ● Pangolins, despite being listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 continue to be the world’s most trafficked mammal. ● The primary demand for its scales in the making of traditional East Asian medicines has led to an estimated illegal trade worth $2.5 billion every year. ● To enforce the appropriate national and international laws and to track the decline of the species, researchers of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata, have now developed tools to tell apart the scales of Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla). ● They characterised the morphological features and investigated genetic variations between the two species by sequencing 624 scales of pangolins and comparing the sequences with all eight pangolin species. ● Based on the size, shape, weight and ridge counts on the scales, the team was able to categorise the two species of Indian and Chinese pangolins. ● Though the Chinese pangolin is distributed mostly in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the north-eastern part of our country is also its home.

What is black fungus? ● Mucormycosis is a rare serious fungal infection that has been observed in a number of Covid-19 patients recently. It often manifests in the skin and also affects the lungs and the brain. ● It is caused by a group of moulds known as mucormycetes present naturally in the environment. ● It mainly affects people who are on medication for health problems that reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens. ● Warning signs of the disease include pain and redness around the eyes or nose, with fever, headache, coughing, shortness of breath, bloody vomits, and altered mental status. ● IE Black fungus

Himanta Biswa Sarma to take over as Assam CM today

● Himanta Biswa Sarma, the face of the BJP in , will be sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam. ● His name was proposed by outgoing Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. ● BJP retained power in the state along with alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad and UPPL. Dr. Sarma was holding several important portfolios including Health and Finance in the Sarbananda Sonowal government. ● As finance minister, Sarma earned Assam the distinction of being the first state to roll out the GST regime.

PM Modi pays tributes to Tagore, Gokhale, Maharana Pratap

● Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Freedom Fighter and social reformer Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his birth anniversary. ● Gokhale became a member of the Indian National Congress in 1889. He was the leader of the moderate faction of the Congress party. ● In 1905, he was elected president of the Indian National Congress (Benares Session). ● He played a leading role in bringing about Morley-Minto Reforms, the beginning of constitutional reforms in India. ● Member in British India Legislature: In 1899, Gokhale was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council and in 1901 he was elected to the Imperial Council of the Governor-General of India. ● Servants of India Society: It was formed by him in Pune () in 1905 to further the expansion of education in India. The Society organised mobile libraries, founded schools, and provided night classes for factory workers. ● Ranade Institute of Economics: In 1908, he founded the 'Ranade Institute of Economics'. ● Mentor to Gandhi: In his autobiography, Gandhi calls Gokhale his mentor and guide. In 1912, Gokhale visited South Africa at Gandhi's invitation. He received personal guidance from Gokhale, including a knowledge and understanding of India and the issues confronting common Indians. ● Hitavad: He launched the English weekly newspaper named The Hitavad (The people's paper) in 1911.

● The Prime Minister paid tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on 160th Jayanti on 7th May, 2021. ● He was born in Calcutta on 7th May 1861. ● He was also referred to as ‘Gurudev’, ‘Kabiguru’, and ‘Biswakabi’ ● He is regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern India and hailed by W.B Yeats, Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, novelist, and painter, who was highly influential in introducing Indian culture to the west. ● He was an exceptional literary figure and a renowned polymath who singlehandedly reshaped the region's literature and music. ● He was a good friend of Mahatma Gandhi and is said to have given him the title of Mahatma. ● He had always stressed that unity in diversity is the only possible way for India’s national integration. ● He had spoken at the World Parliament for Religions in the years 1929 and 1937. ● He is said to have composed over 2000 songs and his songs and music are called ‘Rabindra Sangeet’ with its own distinct lyrical and fluid style. ● He is responsible for modernising Bengali prose and poetry. His notable works include Gitanjali, Ghare-Baire, Gora, Manasi, Balaka, Sonar Tori, He is also remembered for his song ‘Ekla Chalo Re’. ● He published his first poems aged 16 under the pen-name ‘Bhanusimha’. ● He not only gave the national anthems for two countries, India and Bangladesh, but also inspired a Ceylonese student of his, to pen and compose the national anthem of Sri Lanka. ● Besides all his literary achievements he was also a philosopher and educationist who in 1921 established the Vishwa-Bharati University, a university that challenged conventional education. ● In 1913 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work on Gitanjali. ● He was the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize. ● In 1915 he was awarded knighthood by the British King George V. In 1919, following the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre he renounced his Knighthood. ● He died on 7th August 1941 in Calcutta.

Freedom fighter and INA veteran Lalti Ram passes away at 100 In 2019, Lalti Ram had presented a cap of the pre-Independence INA to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the 'Azad Hind Sarkar' by freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose.

● Freedom fighter and veteran of the erstwhile Indian National Army (INA) Lalti Ram passed away. He was 100. ● In 2019, Lalti Ram had presented a cap of the pre-Independence INA to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the ‘Azad Hind Sarkar’ by freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose. ● The Provisional Government of Free India (Arzi Hakumat-e-Azad Hind) or, more simply, Azad Hind, was an Indian Provisional government established in Japanese occupied Singapore during World War II. ● It was created in October 1943 and supported by – as well as largely dependent on – the Empire of Japan. ● It was established by Indian nationalists in exile during the latter part of the Second World War in Singapore with monetary, military and political assistance from Imperial Japan. ● The government was inspired by the concepts of Subhas Chandra Bose who was also the leader of the government and Head of State. ● Its army, the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj), went into action against the British Indian Army and the allied forces as part of the Imperial Japanese Army in the Imphal-Kohima sector. ● The INA had its first major engagement at the Battle of Imphal where, under the command of the Japanese Fifteenth Army, it breached the British defences in Kohima, reaching the salient of Moirang before suffering a catastrophic defeat. ● The death of Bose is seen as the end of the entire Azad Hind Movement.

Naomi Osaka named “Sportswoman of the Year” at Laureus World Sports Awards

● The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. ● Spain’s Rafael Nadal was named the 2021 Laureus Sportsman of the year, while fellow tennis player Naomi Osaka won the top women’s honour. ● Japan’s Osaka won her second U.S. Open title last year, while Nadal equalled Roger Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles by claiming his 13th French Open crown. ● Nadal picked up his fourth Laureus honour, having previously scooped the Breakthrough, Comeback and men’s individual awards. ● German soccer champions Bayern Munich, who won last season’s Champions League, was named the Team of the Year. ● Britain’s Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton claimed the inaugural Athlete Advocate of the Year Award for his involvement in the fight against racism. ● Tennis legend Billie Jean King was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Laureus Academy.

Explained: Why a China rocket crashing in Indian Ocean has drawn NASA flak For days, there had been speculation on whether the Chinese rocket's debris would hit a populated area on the Earth’s surface.

● Debris from a Chinese rocket made an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrated over the Indian Ocean, with remnants falling at a location to the west of Maldives. ● The debris came from the upper stage of a Long March 5B rocket– China’s largest– that had been launched into space on April 29 for putting into orbit a core module of the new Tianhe space station, which is expected to become operational in 2022. ● For days, there had been speculation on whether the debris would hit a populated area on the Earth’s surface, leading NASA to criticise China over lack of transparency and for “failing to meet responsible standards”. ● Why did the Chinese rocket spark worry? When a rocket is launched, its discarded booster stages re-enter the atmosphere soon after liftoff and harmlessly fall into the ocean– a standard practice. ● In this case, however, a 10-floor large vehicle of the rocket weighing 18 metric tonnes went into orbit along with the section of the under-construction space station that it was carrying. ● While in orbit, this vehicle kept rubbing against the air at the top of the atmosphere, and the resulting friction caused it to start losing altitude. The piece hurtled through a low-Earth orbit at roughly 25,490 km/hr. ● An “uncontrolled re-entry” thus became inevitable, but China did not admit this fact to the world until Sunday, when it said the debris had entered the Earth’s atmosphere over the Mediterranean, flown over the Arabian peninsula and crashed near the Maldives at 72.47° East and 2.65° North. ● Few expected the debris to harm humans, mainly due to most of it burning up in the atmosphere, as well as the fact that large parts of the Earth are covered by oceans and massive land areas lie uninhabited. ● So, what caused the rocket piece to enter into orbit? When rockets carry their payload into space, their booster stages that reach orbit fire the engine again after completing their job so as to drop back to Earth and not remain in orbit. ● Space agencies plan this process to ensure that such rocket parts end up in uninhabited areas, such as the middle of the ocean. ● China chose not to do this for its Long March rocket, leading to its vehicle crashing back uncontrollably. China’s plan to launch 10 more missions like this until 2022 to complete the Tianhe has thus sparked worry that pieces from its rockets could end up causing injuries. ● IE Rocket

Israel successfully completes phase one trial of drugs for treatment of Corona virus

● A new coronavirus treatment being developed in Israel's Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Center has successfully completed phase one trials and appears to have helped numerous moderate-to-serious cases of COVID-19 quickly recover from the disease. ● Hailing the treatment as a huge breakthrough, the hospital has said that the EXO-CD24 substance had been administered to 30 patients whose conditions were moderate or worse. ● It added that all 30 recovered with 29 of them getting well within just three to five days. ● The medicine is reported to fight the cytokine storm, which is a potentially lethal immune overreaction to the coronavirus infection that is believed to be responsible for much of the deaths associated with the disease.

Covid-19: Key anti-fungal drug scarcity new concern

● Acute shortage of antifungal injection ‘amphotericin’ and other anti-fungal medicines used to treat mucormycosis, a life-threatening infection that follows Covid-19 in roughly 30% diabetics, is now adding to difficulties of patients. ● Amphotericin B injection is used to treat serious and potentially life-threatening fungal infections. Amphotericin B injection is in a class of medications called antifungals. It works by slowing the growth of fungi that cause infection. ● It is typically given by injection into a vein. ● Amphotericin B was isolated from Streptomyces nodosus in 1955 and came into medical use in 1958. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. COVID-19 management: Centre releases Rs 8,923 cr to 25 states as grants for rural local bodies

● The finance ministry on Sunday said it has released Rs 8,923 crore to 25 states for providing grants to the rural local bodies for various prevention and mitigation measures needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. ● The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, on Saturday released an amount of Rs 8,923.8 crore to 25 states for providing grants to the rural local bodies (RLBs). ● The amount released is the first instalment of the Untied Grants for the year 2021-22. ● The grants are meant for all the three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions - village, block and district. ● It may be utilised by the RLBs, among other things, for various prevention and mitigation measures needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, Centre has waived certain conditions levied by the Finance commission on the grant in lieu of the pandemic. ● 15th finance commission on grants to local bodies:- Total grants to local bodies will be Rs 4.36 lakh crore (a portion of grants to be performance-linked). ● Grants to local bodies (other than health grants) will be distributed among states based on population and area, with 90% and 10% weightage, respectively. ● Also, no grants will be released to local bodies of a state after March 2024 if the state does not constitute the State Finance Commission and act upon its recommendations by then. ● Grants are meant to ensure additional funds to RLBS over and above the funds allocated by the Centre and the State

MAY 11th

NITI Aayog and Mastercard Release Report on ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat’

● NITI Aayog and Mastercard released a report titled ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat’. ● The report identifies challenges in accelerating digital financial inclusion in India and provides recommendations for making digital services accessible to its 1.3 billion citizens. ● “Digital financial inclusion (DFI)” can be defined broadly as digital access to and use of formal financial services by excluded and underserved populations. Such services should be suited to customers’ needs, and delivered responsibly, at a cost both affordable to customers and sustainable for providers. ● Key Recommendations :- Strengthening the payment infrastructure to promote a level playing field for NBFCs and banks. ● Digitizing registration and compliance processes and diversifying credit sources to enable growth opportunities for MSMEs. ● Building information sharing systems, including a ‘fraud repository’, and ensuring that online digital commerce platforms carry warnings to alert consumers to the risk of frauds. ● Enabling agricultural NBFCs to access low-cost capital and deploy a ‘phygital’ (physical + digital) model for achieving better long-term digital outcomes. Digitizing land records will also provide a major boost to the sector. ● To make city transit seamlessly accessible to all with minimal crowding and queues, leveraging existing smartphones and contactless cards, and aim for an inclusive, interoperable, and fully open system such as that of the London ‘Tube’.

Commodities in super cycle: Hit highs but cast cloud over recovery, inflation Steel, the most commonly used input in construction sector and industries, is at all-time highs, as most metals including base and precious metals prices have gone through the roof over the last one year.

● Recently, there has been an across-the-board rise in global commodity prices that is being billed as a new commodity super cycle. ● A commodity is a basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other goods of the same type. Commodities are most often used as inputs in the production of other goods or services. ● A commodity super cycle is a sustained period of abnormally strong demand growth that producers struggle to match, sparking an increase in prices that can last years or in some cases a decade or more. ● Steel, the most commonly used input in the construction sector and industries, is at all-time highs, as most metals including base and precious metals prices have increased a lot in the last one year. ● Sugar, corn, coffee, soybean oil, palm oil — have risen sharply in the US commodities market, the effect of which is being seen in the domestic market, too. ● The new commodity super cycle is resulting from: Recovery in global demand (led by recovery in China and the US). ● Supply-side constraints. ● Loose monetary policy of global central banks. ● Investment in Asset Creation: It is also a result of money starting to hide in assets that are stores of value as there is an expectation that inflation may rise. ● Therefore it is fear of inflation that is leading to a jump in prices and it is not demand driven. ● It is leading to input cost pressures and is a growing concern, as it is not only expected to have a bearing on cost of infrastructure development in India but also have an impact on the overall inflation, economic recovery and policy making. ● Higher metal prices will lead to higher Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation and so the core inflation may not come down. ● The decision makers need to look at the mismatch in supply and demand and they need to find out where to invest, where to incentivise through the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme to prepare themselves to deal with the situation.

Kenyan tea is under threat due to climate change: Report

● Rise in temperature and extreme rainfall events in Kenya in the future will adversely affect tea production.

● Tea requires well drained soil and deep loam in nature with a high amount of organic matter and pH 4.5 to 5.5. The performance of tea is excellent at elevations ranging from 1000-2500 m. Optimum temperature: 20-27 degree C.

● China is the largest producer of tea followed by India (Assam, West Bengal, , , Sikkim, Meghalaya, Bihar, , , , , and Karnataka). Explained: ATS seizes 7kg uranium worth Rs 21 crore from a scrap dealer; here’s what happened Why is uranium, a radioactive metal, used generally by nuclear power plants, being sold illegally?

● Two people were arrested under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 for possessing uranium without licence and selling it illegally. ● On testing, the sample was confirmed as natural uranium by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). ● Uranium occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and water. It is a hard, dense, malleable, ductile, silver-white, radioactive metal. ● Uranium metal has a very high density. ● When finely divided, it can react with cold water. In air it is coated by uranium oxide, tarnishing rapidly. ● It can form solids solutions and intermetallic compounds with many of the metals. ● IE Uranium

Puducherry becomes ‘Har Ghar Jal’ UT

● The Union Territory of Puducherry has become the fourth State/UT after Goa, Telangana and Andaman & Nicobar Islands to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). ● Further, the State of Punjab and the UTs of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have also crossed the milestone of covering 75% of rural homes with assured tap water supply. ● JJM envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024. ● It is under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. ● JJM focuses on integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level. ● Creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse, is undertaken in convergence with other government programmes/schemes. ● It also encompasses prioritizing provision of FHTCs in quality affected areas, villages in drought prone and desert areas, Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) villages, etc. ● Providing functional tap connection to Schools, Anganwadi centres, Gram Panchayat buildings, Health centres, wellness centres and community buildings. ● Technological interventions for removal of contaminants where water quality is an issue. ● The Mission is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission. ● JJM looks to create a jan andolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority. ● The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, ● 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories. ● The total allocation to the scheme is over Rs. 3 lakh crore. ● In the Budget 2021-22, Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) was announced under the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry to provide universal coverage of water supply to all households through functional taps in all statutory towns in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal- 6 (clean water and sanitation). ● Its objectives were Securing tap and sewer connections, Rejuvenation of water bodies, Creating a circular water economy. Explained: Mount Sinabung’s recent volcanic eruption, why it happened and who are at risk

The latest eruption spewed a massive column of volcanic ash and smoke 3,000 metres into the sky.

● Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung, located in the North Sumatra province, erupted in May 2021 belching a massive column of volcanic ash and smoke 3,000 metres (3 km) into the sky. ● The volcano has been active since 2010 when it erupted after nearly 400 years of inactivity. ● Indonesia is home to many active volcanoes owing to its location in the “Ring of Fire” or the Circum-Pacific Belt — an area along the Pacific Ocean characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. ● The Ring of Fire is home to about 75 percent of the world’s volcanoes and about 90 per cent of earthquakes also occur here. ● About Volcano Eruption?- Basically, there are three types of volcanoes — active, dormant or extinct. ● An eruption takes place when magma (a thick flowing substance), that is formed when the earth’s mantle melts, rises to the surface. ● As magma is lighter than rock, it is able to rise through vents and fissures on the surface of the earth. Following an eruption, the magma is called lava. ● When the magma is runny and thin, gases can easily escape it. In such cases, the magma will flow out towards the surface. However, if the magma is thick and dense and gases cannot escape it, it builds up pressure inside resulting in a violent explosion. ● IE Mt.Sinabung ● South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dissolved Parliament, opening the way for lawmakers from opposing sides of the country’s civil war to be appointed under a 2018 peace accord. ● The setting up of a new legislative body was part of an accord signed in September 2018 between Mr. Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar, for years on opposition sides during the five-year civil war that left 3,80,000 people dead and four million displaced. ● In accordance with the 2018 accord, the new assembly will number 550 lawmakers, the majority — 332 — from Mr. Kiir’s governing SPLM party. The parliamentarians will be nominated by the different parties. ● South Sudan is a landlocked country in east/central Africa. ● It is bordered to the east by Ethiopia, to the north by Sudan, to the west by the Central African Republic, to the southwest by Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south by Uganda and to the southeast by Kenya. ● It gained independence from the Republic of the Sudan in 2011, making it the most recent sovereign state or country with widespread recognition as of 2021. ● Its capital is Juba. ● It includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd, formed by the White Nile and known locally as the Bahr al Jabal meaning "Mountain River". ● The White Nile passes through the country, passing by Juba.

Union Agriculture Ministry has allocated Rs 2250 Crore for realizing the huge potential of horticulture sector in 2021-22 ● Keeping in view the huge potential and role of the horticulture sector in increasing farmer’s income, the Government of India has allocated Rs. 2250 Crore for development of horticulture sector during 2021-22. ● To further promote and for holistic growth of the horticulture sector in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has provided an enhanced allocation of Rs. 2250 Crore for the year 2021-22 for ‘Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture’ (MIDH), a centrally sponsored scheme. ● The Ministry is implementing MIDH with effect from 2014-15, for realizing the potential of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew and cocoa. ● The allocation is significantly higher than the previous year allocation. ● This allocation has been communicated to the States/UTs for preparing Annual Action Plans. ● Schemes under MIDH: National Horticulture Mission (NHM); Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH) etc. ● The National Horticulture Board (NHB) is implementing various schemes under MIDH. ● Recent Initiative under MIDH: cluster development programme, credit push through Agri Infra Fund, formation and promotion of FPOS. ● Achievements of MIDH :- Area and production during the years 2014-15 to 2019-20 has increased by 9% and 14% respectively. ● Boosted best practices to be followed in farms which have significantly improved the quality of produce and productivity of farmland. ● Contributed towards achieving sustainable development goals of zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, no poverty, gender equality etc. . ● Challenges in this are high post-harvest loss and gaps in post-harvest management and supply chain infrastructure.

RBI modifies norms for undertaking govt business by private banks

● According to the modified norms, scheduled private sector banks, which are not under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework of the RBI, can undertake government business after executing an agreement with the central bank. ● PCA is a framework under which banks with weak financial metrics are put under watch by the RBI. ● RBI Initiated the Scheme of PCA in 2002 and further issued Revised PCA framework 2017, wherein apart from the capital, asset quality and profitability, leverage is to be monitored additionally. ● The PCA is based on three parameters :- Capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) ● Net non-performing assets (NPA) ● Return on Assets (RoA) ● PCA is intended to help alert the regulator as well as investors and depositors if a bank is heading for trouble. The idea is to intercept problems before they attain crisis proportions ● It is applicable only to commercial banks and not to co-operative banks and non-banking financial companies (NOFC) ● Currently, three banks under PCA are Indian Overseas Bank (106) UCO Bank and Central Bank of India

A wonder bamboo from Tamil Nadu to mitigate climate change

● The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has designed an ‘oxygen park’ within its premises at with Beema Bamboo. ● The Beema Bamboo developed by a bio-tech company can grow fast and does not die for many years, according to its developers ● Beema or Bheema Bamboo is a superior clone, selected from Bambusa balcooa, a higher biomass yielding bamboo species. This bamboo clone has been developed by the conventional breeding method. ● This species is considered to be one of the fastest-growing plants. It grows one-and-a-half feet per day under tropical conditions. ● It is said to be the best ‘carbon sink’ to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. ● There are about 3 trillion trees on earth and there is enough space on the planet for planting an additional 1.2 trillion trees that would have huge benefits in terms of absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide. ● The Beema Bamboo can be an excellent choice for making the earth greener and mitigating climate change. National Technology Day celebrations highlight surge in entrepreneurship spirit for cost effective tech

● The day is a significant milestone in the history of India’s technological innovations as India successfully tested nuclear bombs in Pokhran on May 11, 1998 and is commemorated every year by honouring the architects of such innovations. Awards are given to several innovators and entrepreneurs on this day every year. ● The day, which was first observed on 11th May, 1999, aims to commemorate the scientific and technological achievements of Indian scientists, engineers. ● The day was named by the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. ● Every year, the Technology Development Board of India celebrates the day by awarding individuals with the National Award for their contribution to science and technology in India. ● Technology Development Board is a statutory body of Government of India functioning under the Department of Science of Technology. ● It provides financial assistance to Indian industrial concerns and other agencies, for commercialization of indigenized technologies or adaptation of imported technologies for wider domestic applications. ● 2021 Theme was Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future. ● On the same day, India performed a successful test firing of the Trishul Missile (surface to air short range missile) and had test flown the first indigenous aircraft – ‘Hansa – 3’.

MAY 12th

Bangladesh rebuffs China on Quad warning

● China has warned Bangladesh against joining the US-led Quad alliance, saying that Dhaka's participation in the anti-Beijing "club" would result in "substantial damage" to bilateral relations. ● China's warning came after the Quad decision to deliver 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines to Indo Pacific nations including Bangladesh by 2022, a move that analysts said aims to counter China. ● Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue has often been stated as a grouping which brings together 'four like-minded countries' i.e., India, US, Australia and Japan. ● The reference to like-minded here indicates convergence on geopolitical issues, especially the Indo-Pacific Region. ● Analysts observe quad as a big step in countering China's One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative and Containing China's Aggression in the Indo-pacific region. ● India's steps towards Indo-Pacific :-Initiatives like Indo Pacific Oceans' Initiative, Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (increase maritime co-operation), Asia Africa Growth Corridor (for development and cooperation projects; quality infrastructure and institutional capacity) were taken up. ● Vision 'SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) to strengthen and preserve the traditional role of net security provider in IOR. ● Establishment of Indo-Pacific Division in 2019, to achieve convergence in regional groupings like BIMSTEC, Indian Ocean Rim Association, ASEAN and Forum for India-Pacific Islands cooperation. ● Reacting to the Chinese envoy's controversial remarks, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Dhaka maintains a non-aligned and balanced foreign policy and it will decide what to do according to those principles.

NITI Aayog, Mastercard release report on Connected Commerce

● A report titled "Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat' aims to promote digital financial inclusion. ● It identifies challenges in accelerating digital financial inclusion and provides recommendations to make digital services accessible to all citizens. ● Digital financial inclusion can be defined broadly as digital access to and use of formal financial services by excluded and underserved populations. Earlier, NFHS survey (2020) showed that only 42% of Indian women surveyed have ever used the internet, compared with 62% of men. ● Key recommendations by the report:- Strengthening the payment infrastructure to promote a level playing field for NBFCs and banks. ● Enabling agricultural NBFCs to access low-cost capital and deploy a 'phygital' (physical + digital) model for achieving better long-term digital outcomes. ● Leveraging existing smartphones and contactless cards, and aim for an inclusive, interoperable, and fully open system such as that of the London Tube. ● Financial inclusion initiatives in India: National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) for 2019-2024 for all Tier-ii to Tier VI centres. ● Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) Trinity and Digital India programme. ● RBI's Project Financial Literacy to promote financial inclusion by engaging business correspondents. ● Pocket Money by SEBI for increasing financial literacy among school students. Explained: As NASA’s OSIRIS-REx begins journey back from asteroid, the significance of its mission

In October 2020, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly touched asteroid Bennu, from where it collected samples of dust and pebbles.

​ ● Recently, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft departed from asteroid Bennu, and started its two-year long journey back to Earth. ● OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey its surface and collect a sample from it. ● It is the United States’ first asteroid sample return mission, aiming to collect and carry a pristine, unaltered sample from an asteroid back to earth for scientific study. ● The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) spacecraft was launched in 2016 for the journey to Bennu. ● The mission is essentially a seven-year-long voyage and will conclude when at least 60 grams of samples are delivered back to the Earth (in 2023). ● As per the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the mission promises to bring the largest amount of extraterrestrial material back to the Earth since the Apollo era. ● Apollo was the NASA program that resulted in American astronauts’ making a total of 11 space flights and walking on the moon (1968-72). ● The spacecraft contains five instruments meant to explore Bennu including cameras, a spectrometer and a laser altimeter. ● Recently, the spacecraft’s robotic arm called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), made an attempt to “TAG” the asteroid at a sample site and collected a sample. ● Scientists will use the asteroid samples to study the formation of the solar system and of habitable planets such as Earth. ● NASA will also distribute a part of the samples to laboratories worldwide and will reserve about 75% of the samples for future generations who can study it with technologies not yet created. ● Bennu is an ancient asteroid, currently more than 200 million miles from Earth. ● It is about as tall as the Empire State Building (US) and is named after an Egyptian deity. ● The asteroid was discovered by a team from the NASA-funded Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research team in 1999. ● It is known that this asteroid is a B-type asteroid, implying that it contains significant amounts of carbon and various other minerals. ● IE

Rajasthan to use MLA fund for vaccination

● Recently, Rajasthan Government has approved a proposal to provide Rs. 3 crore each from the MLA Local Area Development (LAD) Fund to mobilise resources for Covid-19 Vaccination of the people in the age group of 18 to 44 years. ● For meeting the expenses, the fund for each legislator has been increased from Rs. 2.25 crore to Rs. 5 crore a year. ● Members of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development (MLA-LAD) Scheme is the States’ version of a central government scheme - Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD). ● The objective of this scheme is to create local need based infrastructure, to create assets of public utility and to remove regional imbalances in development. ● This scheme is implemented in rural areas as well as urban areas of a state. ● MLAs do not receive any money under this scheme. The government transfers it directly to the respective local authorities. ● The legislators can only recommend works in their constituencies based on a set of guidelines. ● Amounts per MLA varies across the states. has the highest allocation under MLALAD; each MLA can recommend works for up to Rs. 10 crore each year. ● The guidelines for use of MLA-LAD funds differ across states. ● For example, Delhi MLAs can recommend the operation of fogging machines (to contain dengue mosquitoes), installation of CCTV cameras etc. ● After the legislators give the list of developmental works, they are executed by the district authorities as per the government's financial, technical and administrative rules. SEBI’s sustainability reporting norms mandate ESG overview

Regulator SEBI came out with disclosure requirements under business responsibility and sustainability reporting, covering environmental, social and governance perspectives, which will be applicable on the top 1,000 listed entities by market capitalisation.

● The new report -- Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR)-- will replace the existing Business Responsibility Report (BRR). ● The move is expected to bring in greater transparency and enable market participants to identify and assess sustainability-related risks and opportunities. ● Under BRSR, listed entities need to disclose about an overview of the entity's material ESG (environmental, social and governance) risks and opportunities, approach to mitigate or adapt to the risks along with financial implications of the same. ● In addition, sustainability related goals and targets and performance against the same need are mentioned in the report, it added. ● Environment related disclosures cover aspects such as resource usage (energy and water), air pollutant emissions, green-house (GHG) emissions, transitioning to circular economy, waste generated and waste management practices, bio-diversity. ● Social related disclosures would cover the workforce, value chain, communities and consumers. ● At communities level, listed entities will have to make disclosures on Social Impact Assessments (SIA), Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Corporate Social Responsibility, among others. ● The BRSR will be applicable on the top 1,000 listed entities by market capitalization. ● SEBI said the reporting would be on voluntary basis for financial year 2021-22 and on a mandatory basis from 2022-23. ● The filing of the BRR containing ESG disclosures was first introduced for listed entities in 2012 and since then, a number of developments have taken place. ● With the adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change and UN sustainable development goals, adapting to and mitigating climate change impact and transitioning to sustainable economies have emerged as major issues globally. Explained: How Sachin Waze was dismissed without a department probe Sachin Waze was dismissed from service by Mumbai Police Commissioner under Article 311 (2) (b) without a departmental enquiry. What is the process of a departmental enquiry, and can the dismissal be challenged?

● Recently, a police officer was dismissed from the service by Mumbai Police Commissioner under Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution without a departmental enquiry. ● Article 311 (1) says that no government employee either of an all India service or a state government shall be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to the own that appointed him/her. ● Article 311 (2) says that no civil servant shall be dismissed or removed or reduced in rank except after an inquiry in which s/he has been informed of the charges and given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in respect of those charges. ● People Protected under Article 311: The members of ● Civil service of the Union, ● All India Service, and ● Civil service of any State, ● People who hold a civil post under the Union or any State. ● The protective safeguards given under Article 311 are applicable only to civil servants, i.e. public officers. They are not available to defence personnel. ● Exceptions to Article 311 (2): ● 2 (a) - Where a person is dismissed or removed or reduced in rank on the ground of conduct which has led to his conviction on a criminal charge; or ● 2 (b) - Where the authority empowered to dismiss or remove a person or to reduce him in rank is satisfied that for some reason, to be recorded by that authority in writing, it is not reasonably practicable to hold such inquiry; or ● 2 (c) - Where the President or the Governor, as the case may be, is satisfied that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold such inquiry. ● IE Article 311 Veteran Communist leader K R. Gouri Amma no more

● Veteran Communist leader and the leader of Janadipathya Samrakshana Samiti (JSS), K.R. Gouri Amma passed away in due to age-related ailments. She was 102 years old. ● R. Gouri Amma was an Indian politician and the first revenue minister of Kerala state. ● She was a Marxist revolutionary, advocate, author and diplomat. ● She was also one of the founding leaders of the Communist movement in Kerala. ● She headed the Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy (JSS), a political party based in Kerala, a rebel outfit she had formed in 1994 after her ouster from CPI (M). ● She was the first female law student coming from the Ezhava community. She was a minister in the communist-led ministries in Kerala in 1957, 1967, 1980 and 1987. She also became a minister in the Congress-led cabinet from 2001 to 2006. ● She had been a minister in the first democratically elected Communist Government of 1957 in Kerala led by E M S Namboodiripad. As the revenue minister in the EMS cabinet, Gouri had drafted and piloted the historic Kerala Agrarian Relations Bill, which paved the way for land reforms. ● She has been the longest serving woman legislator in the Kerala Assembly, the oldest woman member in the Assembly, the oldest woman Minister etc. ● She published an autobiography titled Atmakatha, which won the 2011 Kerala Sahitya Academy Award. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted of Indian descent wins World Food Prize 2021

Thilsted's trailblazing research on small native fish species in Bangladesh led to the development of nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquatic food systems at all levels.

● Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, a global nutrition expert of Indian descent has won the prestigious 2021 World Food Prize for her groundbreaking research in developing holistic, nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquaculture and food systems. ● Thilsted's trailblazing research on small native fish species in Bangladesh led to the development of nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquatic food systems at all levels, from the farm to food processing to final consumers, resulting in improved diets for millions of the most vulnerable people in Asia and Africa. ● Thilsted, who is a native of Trinidad and Tobago and a citizen of Denmark, was born in 1949 in the Caribbean island of Trinidad in the small village of Reform. Most of the inhabitants, including her family, were descendants of Indian Hindu migrants brought to Trinidad to engage in agricultural labour. ● About World Food Prize :- Objective: The World Food Prize recognizes the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. ● Fields covered: It recognizes contributions in any field involved in the world food supply such as plant, animal and soil science; nutrition; rural development; marketing; food processing and packaging; water and the environment; physical infrastructure; policy analysis etc. ● Eligibility: The prize is open to every individual without regard to race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs. ● Presented by: World Food Prize Foundation, with various sponsor companies. ● Background: The prize was conceived by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in global agriculture. The Prize was created in 1986 and was first awarded in 1987 with M. S. Swaminathan of India being the first recipient. ● Ceremony: The annual award is presented each October on or around UN World Food Day (October 16). ● Cash prize: In addition to the cash award of $250,000, the Laureate receives a sculpture designed by the noted artist and designer, Saul Bass. IREDA bags “Green Urja Award”

● Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. IREDA has been conferred with “Green Urja Award” for being the Leading Public Institution in Financing Institution for Renewable Energy this year by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). ● The award was received by Shri Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), IREDA from Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, International Solar Alliance in presence of Shri Anil Razdan, Chairman, ICC National Expert Committee on Energy in a virtual ceremony held today. ● IREDA gets the award for the pivotal and developmental role it plays in Green Energy Financing. ● Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). ● IREDA is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987. ● IREDA has been notified as a “Public Financial Institution” under section 4 ‘A’ of the Companies Act, 1956 and registered as Non-Banking Financial Company (NFBC) with Reserve Bank of India (RBI). IREDA’s Motto is “Energy for Ever.” ● IREDA is the only dedicated institution for financing Renewable Energy (RE) & Energy Efficiency (EE) projects in India. Since, its inception the company has played a catalytic role in developing market for financing RE & EE projects. ● IREDA has over the years sanctioned loans aggregating to Rs. 96,601 crores, disbursed Rs. 63,492 cores and supported more than 17,586 MW of RE capacity in the country till date.

4th India-Swiss Financial Dialogue held virtually

● The 4th India-Swiss Financial Dialogue was held here today virtually through video conferencing. Shri Ajay Seth, Secretary Economic Affairs led the Indian delegation. ● The delegation from the Swiss side was led by Ms. Daniela Stoffel, State Secretary, State Secretariat for International Finance, Switzerland. ● The Indian delegation included representatives from the Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Revenue, Department of Financial Services and Ministry of External Affairs. ● Talks for collaboration on various aspects including investments, International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA), National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), FinTech, sustainable finance and cross border financial services. ● The matters relating to G20, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy were discussed along with infrastructure financing. ● Emphasised the importance of coordinated bilateral action on a clean and resilient post-Covid world. ● A Treaty of Friendship between India and Switzerland was signed at in 1948. ● India’s policy of non-alignment and Switzerland’s traditional policy of neutrality has led to a close understanding between the two countries. ● India-Switzerland Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) is under negotiation. ● Negotiations are also taking place on India-EFTA Trade & Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA). ● The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. ● These countries are not part of the European Union (EU) with which India is negotiating a separate trade agreement called the India-EU Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement. India to soon announce standards for low-cost AC charging point for EVs

● The Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA), in close coordination with the NITI Aayog team has been working on this initiative. ● Innovative, LAC infrastructure aims to accelerate the adoption of EVs ● Group has set a target price of less than Rs. 3500 ($50) for a smart AC charge point which can be operated with a smartphone. ● The user's smartphone will communicate with the LAC via low-power Bluetooth and links up to a back-end where transaction payment and analytics are enabled. ● Also, the LAC device is intended to be highly scalable and deployed in any place. New LAC infrastructure will be ratified by the Bureau of Indian Standards. ● Also, cabinet has approved Production Linked Incentive scheme "National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage" ● It will reduce import dependence, support Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and facilitate demand for EVS, which are proven to be significantly less polluting ● ACCS are the new generation storage technologies that can store electric energy either as electrochemical or as chemical energy and convert it back to electric energy as and when required

SEBI pitches for bringing in ‘person in control’ concept

● Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) proposed to rationalise the definition of ‘promoter group’ and move to the concept of ‘person in control’ as well as lower the minimum lock-in periods for promoters and other shareholders after an IPO. ● SEBI has suggested rationalising the definition of ‘promoter group’ as the current definition focuses on encompassing holdings by a common group of individuals or persons and often results in including unrelated companies with common financial investors. ● The regulator has proposed to do away with the current definition of promoter group as the deletion would rationalise the disclosure burden and bring it in line with the post listing disclosure requirement. ● Citing the changing investor landscape, SEBI said there was a need to revisit the concept of ‘promoter’ to a concept of ‘person in control’ and a period of three years has been proposed for such a shift over in a smooth and progressive manner without causing disruption. ● With regard to lock-in periods, SEBI has proposed that if the objective of the issue involves offer for sale or financing other than for capital expenditure for a project, then the minimum promoters’ contribution of 20% should be locked-in for one year from the date of allotment in the Initial Public Offer (IPO). Currently, the lock-in period is three years. ● SEBI has sought comments from the public on the proposals, the window being open till June 10.

MAY 13th

● The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of Department of Heavy Industry for implementation of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 'National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage’. ● The move aims to achieve a manufacturing capacity of 50 GigaWatt Hour of ACC and five Megawatt Hour of Niche ACC with an outlay of 18,100 crore. ● ACCs are the new generation of advanced storage technologies that can store electric energy either as electrochemical or as chemical energy and convert it back to electric energy as and when required. ● It will also give a big push to electric mobility, benefiting three-wheelers, four-wheelers and heavy vehicles. ● India is currently importing Battery Storage Equipment worth 20 thousand crore rupees and the scheme will be helpful in making the country self-reliant (Atma Nirbhar). Cabinet approves MoU between ICAI and Qatar Financial Centre Authority

● The Union Cabinet has approved signing of MoU between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA). ● The MoU would enhance cooperation between the Institutes to work together to strengthen the Accounting profession and entrepreneurship base in Qatar. This MoU will benefit Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and Qatar Financial Centre Authority. ● ICAI has an active Chapter in Doha, Qatar which was established in the year 1981 and is the oldest among the 36 overseas Chapters of the ICAI. Qatar (Doha) Chapter is amongst the most vibrant Chapters of ICAI. ● The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament of India, The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949', to regulate the profession of Chartered Accountancy in India. ● Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) an independent legal entity established pursuant to Law No. (7) of 2005,is responsible for the development and promotion of the QFC as a world-class on-shore financial and business centre in the State of Qatar.

Centre approves transfer of ITBP land to Uttarakhand govt for development of Aerial Passenger Ropeway System between and Mussoorie ● The Union Cabinet gave its approval to the transfer of land of Indo-Tibetan Border Police, ITBP to Government of Uttarakhand for development of Aerial Passenger Ropeway System between Dehradun and Mussoorie. ● The proposed Ropeway is a mono-cable ropeway of 5580 meters length between Purkul Gaon, Dehradun and Library, Mussoorie being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 285 crore. ● It will have a carrying capacity of 1,000 persons per hour per direction. This will considerably reduce the traffic flow on the road route from Dehradun to Mussoorie. ● Besides, this will generate direct employment of 350 and indirect employment of more than 1,500 people. Once completed, the ropeway will be a huge attraction for tourists which in turn will provide a boost to the tourism industry in the state and create additional employment opportunities in the tourism sector. ● The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is India's primary border patrol organization with its border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region. It was raised in 1962 in the wake of the Sino-Indian War of 1962. ● The "Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act, 1992" provides for the constitution and regulation" of the ITBP "for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected therewith".

Activists in Karnataka fear child marriages may go unnoticed during lockdown

● Recently, some activists and organisations of Karnataka have raised the issue of increased child marriages in Lockdown with the Ministry of Women and Child Development. ● According to a report published in December 2020 by ChildLine India, the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have proved to be new drivers of child marriages in rural . ● Earlier, when child marriages happened at wedding halls, temples, etc, there were people who would alert the relevant authorities or activists who would be able to reach on time to stop it. But now, with marriages happening at homes, we may get fewer alerts and our going there could be treated as trespass. ● Economic pressures due to the pandemic have pushed poor parents to marry off girls early. ● With no schools, safety of children, particularly girls, was a major reason for increase in violence against children and child marriages. ● Child Marriage is defined as a marriage of a girl or boy before the age of 18 and refers to both formal marriages and informal unions in which children under the age of 18 live with a partner as if married. ● United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates suggest that each year, at least 1.5 million girls under 18 get married in India, which makes it home to the largest number of child brides in the world - accounting for a third of the global total. ● Recent study by The Lancet shows that up to 2.5 million more girls (below the age of 18) around the world are at risk of marriage in the next 5 years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

India received $83 billion in remittances in 2020: World Bank report China, which received USD59.5 billion in remittances in 2020 against USD68.3 billion the previous year, is a distant second in terms of global remittances for the year gone by, as per the latest World Bank data released on Wednesday.

● According to the latest edition of the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, despite Covid-19, remittance flows remained resilient in 2020, registering a smaller decline than previously projected. ● Remittance to India :- India being at top, received over USD 83 billion in remittances in 2020, a drop of just 0.2 per cent from the previous year, despite a pandemic that devastated the world economy. ● India’s remittances fell by just 0.2% in 2020, with much of the decline due to a 17% drop in remittances from the United Arab Emirates, which offset resilient flows from the United States and other host countries. ● In 2019, India had received USD 83.3 billion in remittances. ● China is second in terms of global remittances in 2020. ● China received USD 59.5 billion in remittances in 2020. ● India and China are followed by Mexico, the Philippines, Egypt, Pakistan , France and Bangladesh. ● Remittance outflow was the maximum from the United States (USD 68 billion), followed by UAE, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Germany, and China. ● Reason for the Steady Flow of Remittances: Fiscal stimulus that resulted in better-than-expected economic conditions in host countries. ● Shift in flows from cash to digital and from informal to formal channels. ● Cyclical movements in oil prices and currency exchange rates. ● About Remittance:- A remittance is money sent to another party, usually one in another country. ● The sender is typically an immigrant and the recipient a relative back home. ● Remittances represent one of the largest sources of income for people in low-income and developing nations. It often exceeds the amount of direct investment and official development assistance. ● Remittances help families afford food, healthcare, and basic needs. ● India is the world’s biggest recipient of remittances. Remittances bolsters India's foreign exchange reserves and helps fund its current account deficit.

● Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (The Independent Panel) was appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General ● Key findings:- WHO should have declared emergency sooner ● Countries that devalued science failed to build trust in their response and pursued inconsistent strategies that left them lagging behind the epidemic and with high infection and death rates ● National pandemic preparedness has been vastly underfunded, ● Health systems and health workers were not prepared for a prolonged crisis. ● Recommendation to address the current pandemic: Rich countries should provide the 92 poorest territories in the Covax scheme. ● The G7 nations should pay 60% of the $19 billion required to fund vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics via the WHO's Access to Covid Tools Accelerator programme in 2021. ● Voluntary licensing and technology transfers for Covid-19 vaccines or a waiver of intellectual property rights should come into force. ● The G20 should also create an International Pandemic Financing Facility. ● WHO is the United Nations' specialized agency for Health that works world wide to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable.

International Nurses Day, 2021: Occasion honours selfess dedication of nurses worldwide

● The International Nurses and Midwives Day is celebrated on May 12 every year. ● The celebration of International Nurses Day started in 1965 by the International Council of Nurses(ICN). ● This day is the birth anniversary of the famous Florence Nightingale. ● She was an English nurse, social reformer, and statistician. During the Crimean war, she gained fame while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses, being the pillar of modern nursing. She brought a reputation for nursing and became an icon in Victorian culture. ● The theme for this year’s International Nurses Day is Nurses: A Voice to Lead-A Vision for Future Healthcare. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2021-22

● The Central Government in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds. ● The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be issued in six tranches from 17th May to September 2021. ● The Bonds will be sold through Scheduled Commercial banks (except Small Finance Banks and Payment Banks), Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL),designated post offices, and recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited. ● The minimum permissible investment will be one gram of gold. ● Investors will be compensated at a fixed rate of 2.50 percent per annum payable semi-annually on the nominal value. ● The Bonds will be restricted for sale to resident individuals, Hindu Undivided Families, Trusts, Universities and Charitable Institutions. ● The tenor of the Bond will be for a period of 8 years with exit option after 5th year to be exercised on the next interest payment dates. Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin gets DCGI nod to conduct clinical trials on children

● • Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Bharat Biotech's Covaxin to conduct clinical trials on children between the age of 2 and 18, paving way for the first coronavirus inoculation to be tested in minors in the country. ● Covaxin is the first Covid-19 vaccine developed in India by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). ● It is a whole virion inactivated vaccine, which uses a weakened or deactivated virus (Sars-Cov-2) responsible for the disease to trigger immunity against it. India to oppose WTO draft text on fisheries subsidies

● India and 79-member African, Caribbean and Pacific group likely to oppose WTO draft text aimed at reducing global fisheries subsidies. ● It is seen as a major dilution of developing countries' special and differential treatment (S&OT) rights. ● S&DT provides several flexibilities for developing countries, such as longer time periods for implementing agreements and commitments, lower levels of commitment and measures to increase trading opportunities. ● WTO draft text proposes time bound exemptions for subsidies given by developing and least-developed countries for fishing close to shore. MAY 14th

Road accidents: SC calls for hike in compensation to self-employed deceased aged below 40

● The Supreme Court has held that an extra 40% should be added to the income of deceased road accident victims who are aged below 40 years and are self-employed, while calculating compensation. ● A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said the additional amount should be included in the income of the dead person as “future prospects”. ● The judgment is significant as it recognises self-employment as gainful employment and calls for an increase in the compensation amount accordingly. ● Chief Justice Ramana referred to a Constitution Bench decision in National Insurance vs Pranay Sethi, which had “clearly held that in case the deceased is self-employed and below the age of 40, 40% addition would be made to their income as future prospects”. ● The High Court had earlier held the victim ineligible for future prospects because she was self-employed.

‘ ● The Supreme Court has thrown open the door to the legislature to “ponder” over the idea of placing convicts under house arrest to avoid overcrowding of prisons. ● A Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and K.M. Joseph, in a judgment, highlighted the “alarming” statistics of prisons. The suggestion is relevant considering the spread of COVID-19. ● A few days ago, a Bench, led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, issued a series of directions, including the grant of interim bail and parole to prisoners to decongest prisons. ● Justice Joseph said the occupancy rate in prisons had climbed to 118.5% in 2019. The court referred to the National Crime Records Bureau’s figures of 2019 to show that 18,86,092 inmates were admitted in jails. ● The number of undertrial prisoners in 2019 was 3,30,487, which, in fact, constituted 69.05% of the total number of prisoners. Secondly, a very large sum (₹6818.1 crore) was the budget for prisons. ● The “tremendous” overcrowding of prisons and the huge budget were both “relevant in the context of the possibilities that house arrest offers”, the court noted. ● There is a “long” history of house arrests starting with that of St. Paul the Apostle in Rome. ● Societies found in Poland, South Korea, India, and the Soviet Union are known to employ ‘house arrest’ primarily to deal with troublesome political dissenters. ‘House arrest’ in India has its roots in laws providing for preventive detention. ● Ankle bracelets have become an indispensable appendage to monitor compliance of house arrests in foreign countries. These bracelets were the product of an inspiration of a New Mexico district court judge “who read a comic strip where Spiderman was being tracked by a transmitter fixed to his wrist”.

Actively considering plan to telecast live SC proceedings, says CJI

● Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana launched a new feature in the Supreme Court’s official website called ‘Indicative Notes’. ● This feature is aimed at providing concise summaries of landmark judgments in an easy-to-understand format. ● This will serve as a useful resource for media persons and the general public who wish to be better informed about the rulings of the court. ● The COVID Working Group chaired by Dr N K Arora has recommended extension of the gap between the first and second doses of COVISHIELD vaccine to 12-16 weeks. The present gap between the two doses of COVISHIELD vaccine is 6-8 weeks. ● Based on the available real-life evidence, particularly from the UK, the COVID-19 Working Group agreed for increasing the dosing interval to 12-16 weeks between two doses of COVISHIELD vaccine. No change in interval of COVAXIN vaccine doses was recommended. ● The COVID Working Group is headed by Dr N K Arora- Director, INCLEN Trust. ● The recommendation of the COVID Working Group was accepted by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC), headed by Dr V K Paul, Member (Health) Niti Aayog in its meeting on 12th May 2021.

● Even as Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) have come under the direct supervision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) since August 2019, existing home loan customers are getting differential treatment from banks and HFCs. ● Over the last 18 months to 5 years, if bank customers have seen better transmission of rate cuts in their home loan rates on account of cut in marginal cost of lending rate (MCLR), HFC customers have had limited benefit because of relatively smaller cuts in the prime lending rate (PLR). ● While HFCs and banks compete hard on rates to attract new customers, the cut in rates for existing customers depends on the reduction in MCLR by banks and in PLR by HFCs in response to a repo cut by RBI. ● HFCs base their lending rates on PLR and offer a discount on it to customers. While the discount is fixed for the term of the loan, an upward or downward revision in PLR (in line with repo rate movement) impacts the lending rate of the existing customer. As for new customers, the HFC can increase the discount on the PLR to offer a more attractive rate. A cut in PLR is reflected in the effective rate for the customer within three months. ● In the case of banks, lending rates are based on either MCLR or on the repo rate (since October 2019). ● IE Bank vs HFC

The crime of enforced disappearances must end

● Since the coup in Myanmar, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) has received reports of enforced disappearances from the family members of victims. ● Many Asian regimes are using enforced disappearances as a tool to suppress the people. ● Enforced disappearance occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, of a state or political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person’s fate and whereabouts, with the intent of placing the victim outside the protection of the law. ● Enforced disappearances became widely known to the world in the 1970s and the early 1980s during the ‘Dirty War’ in Argentina. ● Dirty War, also called Process of National Reorganization, was a infamous campaign waged by Argentina’s military dictatorship against suspected left-wing political opponents. ● Constituents of Enforced Disappearances: Deprivation of liberty against the will of the person. ● Involvement of government officials, at least by acquiescence. ● Refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person. Ist BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting amongst BRICS Countries

● Recently, the 1st BRICS EWG meeting was held in virtual format. Apart from representatives of member nations Le Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the representatives of International Labour ● Organization (ILO) etc. also made valuable interventions and suggestions on the agenda issues. ● About BRICS:- The acronym BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs in 2001 to indicate the emerging powers > India has assumed the BRICS Presidency this year. It is India's 3rd BRICS Presidency since its Inception, after 2012 and 2016.

Government of India’s Special Window Completes First Residential Project

● Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs handed over possession to homebuyers as Government of India’s Special Window for Affordable & Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) completes its first residential project. ● The residential project - Rivali Park, located in suburban Mumbai, was the first housing project in India to have received funding under the SWAMIH Fund. The SWAMIH Fund was launched in 2019. Rivali Park Wintergreens is the first investment by the Fund and is also the first project to get completed. ● In a short time-span of 1.5 years since inception, the SWAMIH Investment Fund today is one of the largest private equity teams in India and has done commendable work despite COVID-19 related restrictions. ● The Fund so far has given its final approval to 72 projects that will complete 44,100 homes, while 132 projects have received preliminary approval, which will complete an additional 72,500 homes. Thus, the Fund is targeting to complete an aggregate of 1,16,600 homes. ● This Fund is bridging the trust deficit between homebuyers and developers by completing construction and delivering homes without depending on any other source of finance.

IIT develops portable tech-traditional eco-friendly mobile cremation system

● Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has developed a prototype of a moveable electric cremation system which claims to be using first of its kind technology that involves smokeless cremation despite using wood. ● It uses half of the wood otherwise required for the cremation and still is eco-friendly because of the technology that uses the combustion air system. ● It is based on wick-stove technology in which the wick when lighted glows yellow. This is converted into smokeless blue flame with the help of a combustion air system installed over the wicks. ● The cremation system or incinerator heats up at 1044 degree Celsius which ensures complete sterilization. ● Keeping in view the present pandemic situation, if this system can be adopted, may provide respectable cremation to the near and dear ones of those who cannot afford the financial burden of arranging wood.

Overseas Citizens of India, stung by MHA notification, plan to take battle to HC

● The Home Ministry issued an order requiring professional OCIs, such as journalists and researchers to notify about their activities in India. ● Issues with notification:- It equates India-domiciled OCls with a foreigner. ● Exorbitantly high fees under the NRI quota cannot be afforded by many OCIs. ● India-domiciled OCI students are deprived of domicile status both in India as well as the country of their citizenship. ● About OCI- A person registered as OCI cardholder under section 7A of Citizenship Act, 955. OCIS are of Indian origin but hold foreign passports. ● Benefits:- Multiple entry lifelong visa for visiting India for any purpose. ● Exemption from registration for any length of stay in India. ● ● Parity with NRIs in- Financial, economic and educational fields except in the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties. ● Inter-country adoption of Indian children Pursuing professions- Doctors, pharmacists, etc ● Parity with the Indian nationals for airfare tariffs for domestic travel and entry fees to any national parks, museums, etc. ● As per the Citizenship Act 1955, a person registered as an OCI for 5 years and who is ordinarily resident in India for 12 months before making an application for registration is eligible for citizenship. ● As per a latest report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), India continues to label itself as a country with no Community Transmission (CT) since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. ● Countries such as the United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, France have all labelled themselves as being in the ‘community transmission’ stage whereas Italy and Russia do not label themselves as being in ‘community transmission’. ● Community Transmission (CT): It is one of the stages of the Pandemic. ● Broadly, CT is when new cases in the last 14 days can’t be traced to those who have an international travel history, when cases can’t be linked to specific clusters. ● CT classification is now divided into four levels, from low incidence (CT1) to very high incidence (CT4). ● India opts for the lower, less serious classification called ‘cluster of cases’. ● It says 'Cases detected in the past 14 days are predominantly limited to well-defined clusters that are not directly linked to imported cases'. ● It is assumed that there are a number of unidentified cases in the area. This implies a low risk of infection to others in the wider community if exposure to these clusters is avoided.

Culture Minister Sh. Prahlad Singh Patel discusses various issues under Cultural Exchange Programme with his Mongolian counterpart Ms.Chinbat Nomin

● Recently, the Minister of State for Culture discussed various issues under the Cultural Exchange Programme with his Mongolian counterpart. ● Some details :- Strengthening the strategic partnership- established in 2015. ● The Cultural Exchange Program between India and Mongolia stands renewed until 2023. ● 10 dedicated ICCR scholarships for studying ‘Tibetan Buddhism’ have been allocated for Mongolians to study in specialized institutes of CIBS, Leh and CUTS, Varanasi, starting from 2020-2021. ● The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India's external cultural relations (cultural diplomacy), through cultural exchange with other countries and their peoples. ● Tibetan Buddhism combines the essential teachings of Mahayana Buddhism with Tantric and Shamanic, and material from an ancient Tibetan religion called Bon. ● India reiterated its commitment for digitization of Buddhist manuscripts in Gandan monastery and would consider Mongolia’s request for assistance in setting up a museum-cum-library there. ● The Ministry of Culture is likely to complete reprinting of about 100 sets of sacred Mongolian Kanjur by 2022 for distribution in the main centers of Buddhism in Mongolia. ● Mongolian Kanjur is a Buddhist canonical text in 108 volumes and is considered to be the most important religious text in Mongolia. It has been translated from Tibetan and is written in classical mongolian. ● In the Mongolian language ‘Kanjur’ means ‘Concise Orders’- the words of Lord Buddha in particular. ● Highlighted steps taken to facilitate the visa and travel of Buddhist monks from Mongolia within India. ● India and Mongolia have interacted through Buddhism throughout history. ● India was the first country outside the former Soviet bloc of nations to open diplomatic relations with Mongolia in 1955. ● In 2015, Mongolia witnessed the first ever visit by the Prime Minister of India (a part of India’s Act East policy).

MAY 15th ● The Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepted a Hamas Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that crossed from Gaza into Israel, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said on social media. ● Iron Dome is a multi-mission system capable of intercepting rockets, artillery, mortars and Precision Guided Munitions like very short range air defence (V-SHORAD) systems as well as aircraft, helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) over short ranges of up to 70 km. ● It is an all-weather system and can engage multiple targets simultaneously and be deployed over land and sea. Iron Dome is manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems and has been in service with Israeli Air Force since 2011. The radar system was developed by Elta. ● Its development was prompted after a series of rocket attacks on Israel by Hezbollah and Hamas in the 2000s. ● How does it work? An Iron Dome battery consists of a battle management control unit, a detection and tracking radar and a firing unit of three vertical launchers, with 20 interceptor missiles each. ● The interceptor missile uses a proximity fuse to detonate the target warhead in the air. ● The Iron Dome is deployed in a layered defence along with David’s Sling and Arrow missile defence system which are designed for medium- and long-range threats. ● The I-DOME is the mobile variant with all components on a single truck and C-DOME is the naval version for deployment on ships. ● One of the system’s important advantages is its ability to identify the anticipated point of impact of the threatening rocket, to calculate whether it will fall in a built-up area or not, and to decide on this basis whether or not to engage it. ● This prevents unnecessary interception of rockets that will fall in open areas and thus not cause damage, the paper states. The system has intercepted thousands of rockets so far and, according to Rafael, its success rate is over 90%. Malerkotla is Punjab’s 23rd district

● Punjab Chief Minister announced the creation of a new district of Malerkotla, carving the state’s only Muslim-majority town from Sangrur district. ● Malerkotla will be the 23rd district of the State. ● Adjoining Amargarh and Ahmedgarh will also form part of Malerkotla district. ● Initially the sub-divisions of Malerkotla and Ahmedgarh, as well as the sub-tehsil of Amargarh, would be included in the newly created district. The process of bringing villages under the jurisdiction of Malerkotla district would begin later, after the conclusion of census operations. ● Tracing the town’s history, the chief minister said it was established in 1454 by Sheikh Sadruddin-i-Jahan from Afghanistan and subsequently the State of Malerkotla was established in 1657 by Bayazid Khan. ● Malerkotla was later merged with other nearby princely states to create the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). During the reorganisation of states in 1956, the territory of the erstwhile State of Malerkotla became part of Punjab.

● With the second wave of COVID-19 sweeping across the rural heartland of , infections are being reported among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). ● As many as 21 tribals across eight different PVTGs in the State have so far tested positive, including two from the Bonda tribe, known for its secluded lifestyle. Bonda people live in highlands, 3,500-feet above sea level, in Malkangiri, the southernmost district of Odisha. ● Four members of Dongria Kondh, another PVTG, have tested positive in Parasali panchayat of Kalyansinghpur block in Rayagada district. ● Odisha has among the largest and most diverse tribal populations in the country. ● Of the 62 tribal groups residing in Odisha, 13 are recognised as PVTGs. ● According to the 2011 Census, Odisha’s share of the country’s total tribal population was 9%. Tribals constitute 22.85% of State’s population. ● The PVTGs in the states are Bonda, Birhor, Chuktia Bhunjia, Didayi, Dongaria Kandha, Hill Kharia, Juang, Kutia Kondh, Lanjia Saora, Lodha, Mankirdia, Paudi Bhuyan and Saora. ● These PVTGs have been identified on the basis of stagnant or diminishing populations, subsistence level of economy associated with pre-agricultural stages of hunting, food gathering and shifting cultivation, and relative physical isolation.

Explained: What is causing ‘mice rain’ in eastern Australia?

● The government of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia has extended a support package of $50 million to farmers to deal with a devastating mouse plague that has affected farmers, community members and residents. ● To control the plague, the government has now authorised the use of an otherwise outlawed poison called ● The current plague is being called one of the worst plagues in decades and started being reported around mid-March in Australia’s eastern states. In some places, residents of affected areas reported mice falling out from roof tops causing “mice rain”. ● Reasons :- Researchers attribute the plague to an unusually abundant grain harvest, which caused a surplus of mice earlier in the season. ● Add to this the fact that mice have a short breeding cycle (a pair of breeding mice can give birth to a new litter every 21 days or so) and are not very choosy about food. Rodents (which includes rats and mice) are the second most successful mammals on the planet after humans. ● Rodents are capable of destroying food grains and can cause widespread damage to domestic households, commercial businesses, farms, manufacturers and livestock. Further, rodents can not only gnaw through materials but can also ruin supplies by excreting on them. ● Rodents can also cause diseases such as leptospirosis and typhus fever. They can also carry fleas or ticks that can harm pets and humans. ● IE Mice Rain

Native Indian turtles face U.S. slider threat across Northeast

● A ‘cute’ American turtle popular as pet is threatening to invade the natural water bodies across the Northeast, which is home to 21 of the 29 vulnerable native Indian species of freshwater turtles and tortoises. ● Between August 2018 and June 2019, a team of herpetologists from the NGO ‘Help Earth’ found red-eared sliders in the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary and the Ugratara temple pond — both in Guwahati. ● The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) derives its name from red stripes around the part where its ears would be and from its ability to slide quickly off any surface into the water. ● Native to the U.S. and northern Mexico, this turtle is an extremely popular pet ... But on the flip side they grow fast and virtually leave nothing for the native species to eat. ● Much like the Burmese python that went to the U.S. as a pet to damage the South Florida Everglades ecosystem, the red-eared slider has already affected States such as Karnataka and , where it has been found in 33 natural water bodies. ● But more than elsewhere in India, preventing this invasive species from overtaking the Brahmaputra and other river ecosystems in the Northeast is crucial because the Northeast is home to more than 72% of the turtle and tortoise species in the country, all of them very rare.

​ ​ ​ Covid-19: As Punjab faces vaccine shortage, state hopes to join Covax facility

● Recently, Punjab Cabinet decided to join the Global COVAX Alliance, as first Indian state to do so because of vaccine shortage About COVAX Alliance ● COVAX, short for COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, is a worldwide initiative co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key delivery partner UNICEF ● It coordinates international resources to enable equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines

186 elephants killed on railway tracks in over 10 years: MoEFCC

● A total of 186 elephants were killed after being hit by trains across India between 2009-10 and 2020-21, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). ● Assam accounted for the highest number of elephant casualties on railway tracks (62), followed by West Bengal (57), and Odisha (27). Uttar Pradesh saw just one death. ● Measures taken to avoid elephant casualties on railway lines :- A Permanent Coordination Committee was constituted between the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) and the MoEFCC for preventing elephant deaths in train accidents. ● Clearing vegetation along railway tracks to enable clear view for loco pilots, setting up underpass/overpass for safe passage of elephants, regulation of train speed from sunset to sunrise in vulnerable stretches, and regular patrolling of vulnerable stretches of railway tracks are among other initiatives the Ministry has undertaken. ● The MoEFCC released ₹212.49 crore to elephant range States under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) of Project Elephant to protect elephants, their habitat and corridors, to address man-elephant conflicts, and for the welfare of captive elephants, between 2011-12 and 2020-21. Israel pounds Gaza as conflict intensifies, stops short of ground operation

● Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes following a new barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave, intensifying a conflict that has claimed more than 120 lives. ● The Gaza Strip or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory. ● It is located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north border. ● Gaza and the West Bank are claimed by the de jure sovereign State of Palestine. The territories of Gaza and the West Bank are separated from each other by Israeli territory. ● Both fell under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, but the strip has since the Battle of Gaza in June 2007 been governed by Hamas, a Palestinian fundamentalist militant Islamic organization which came to power in the last-held elections in 2006. ● It has been placed under an Israeli and US-led international economic and political boycott from that time onwards. ● Reasons for recent conflict :- Conflict at Al-Aqsa mosque: More than 160 people clashed with Palestinians at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque. ● wounded when Israell riot police ● Al-Aqsa mosque complex in Jerusalem's Old City is one of Islam's most revered location. ● Eviction of some Palestinian families in East Jerusalem: Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it later. Background of conflict ● The conflict dates back to early 20th century. During World War II, over 3 lakh Jews migrated & resettled in Palestine and demanded a new country. ● In 1947 the United Nations voted to split Palestine between Arabs and Jews. ● The Jewish residents accepted the agreement and declared independence of Israel in 1948 while Arabs rejected the agreement. ● India's stance on Israel Palestine conflict:- India believes in the 2-state solution. It supports the establishment of a sovereign independent and a viable state of Palestine along with maintaining India's growing relationship with Israel. ● In the recent conflict, India called on both sides to avoid changing the status-quo on the ground.

● Cyclone ‘Tauktae’, which lay as a deep depression over the Arabian Sea close to , was likely to intensify into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ with wind speeds of 150-160 kmph gusting to 175 kmph, bringing heavy to very heavy rain to many parts of the western coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. ● There is yet not clear whether the cyclonic storm will cross the Gujarat coast or just skirt it by May 18. ● It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and is very likely to intensify further during the subsequent 24 hours and move north, north-westwards, IMD said. ● In view of Cyclone Tauktae warning, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 24 teams in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

PM Modi Releases Over ₹ 20,000 Crore To More Than 9 Crore Farmers Under PM-KISAN Scheme

● This is the eighth instalment of payouts under the PM KISAN scheme and the highest amount paid by the government under the scheme in a single instalment. ● This was the first time that West Bengal farmers received this benefit. ● About PM-KISAN:- It was launched to secure the lives of small and marginal farmers by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. ● It is a 100% centrally funded scheme under which Rs 6,000 is transferred in three equal instalments (Rs. 2000 each every four months) to eligible farmer families in a year through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. ● Definition of family for the scheme is husband, wife, and minor children. ● It is extended to all eligible families irrespective of the size of land holdings. ● Identification of beneficiary farmer families rests with the State/UT Governments. ● Exclusions from PM-KISAN include institutional land holders, farmer families holding constitutional posts, serving or retired officers and employees of state/central government as well as PSUs and government autonomous bodies