Current Affairs 23rd & 24th May 2021| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Turtle Day – Observed on May 23

• World Turtle Day Observed on May 23.
• The purpose of World Turtle Day, May 23, sponsored yearly since 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue, is to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive.
• The themefor this year “Turtles Rock!” encourages a worldwide audience to see turtles as more than just rocks with legs.
• This day aims to raise knowledge about turtles and tortoises.

International Day to End Obstetric Fistula – Observed on May 23

• International Day to End Obstetric Fistula Observed on May 23
• Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious and tragic injuries that can occur during childbirth.
• It is a hole between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without treatment.
• The theme for this year is “Women’s rights are human rights! End fistula now!”.
• An estimated 2 million women in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Arab region, and Latin America and the Caribbean are living with this injury, and some 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop each year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Ministry of Ayush organizing series of five webinars 

• The Ministry of Ayush is organizing various activities in the run up to the International Day of Yoga, 2021.
• One among these is a series of five webinarsthat the Ministry is organizing under the broad theme of “Be with Yoga, Be at Home. 
• It is being organized incollaboration with five renowned organizations of the country who will present one webinar each on a particular topic of importance in the current scenario.
• The first among the series will be held on 24 May by The Art of Living on “Finding inner strength amidst outer crisis.”
• All the webinars will be live-streamed on YouTube & Facebook Page of the Ministry of Ayush.
• The other four webinars to follow in this series will be presented by The Yoga Institute, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Arham Dhyan Yog, and Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute.

About International yoga day:

• The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on 21 June since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
• Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice which originated in India.

SC’s E-Committee prepared and unveiled manual for its free e-Courts Services Mobile App

• The Supreme Court E-committee released a manual for its free e-courts mobile application in 14 languages for better reach among litigants and lawyers.
• The manual has been made available in English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Khasi, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, and Odia, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu.
• The application has crossed 57 lakh downloads on the play store so far.
• The App which acts as a personalized digital case diary with case details available on the handset throughout the day and free of cost.
• Through the e-Courts services mobile app- one can get the case status and case details of both High Courts and District Courts.

Six Indian places included into tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

• The Ministry of Culture announced Six Indian sites, including the temples of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, the Ganga ghats in Varanasi, and the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, have been added to the tentative list of UNESCO’s world heritage sites. 
• The six sites are namely Satpura Tiger Reserve, Iconic riverfront of the historic city of Varanasi, Megalithic site of Hire Benkal, Maratha Military Architecture in Maharashtra, Bhedaghat-Lametaghat in Narmada Valley- Jabalpur, and temples of Kanchipuram.
• UNESCO has 48 proposals in the tentative list of India.
• As per Operational Guidelines, 2019, it is mandatory to put any monument/site on the Tentative List (TL) before it is considered for the final nomination dossier.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

World Bank approves 600 million US Dollars for Bangladesh

• The World Bank approves 600 million US Dollars for two projects in Bangladesh.
• It is for to help over 1.75 million poor and vulnerable people in the country.
• The two projects will work with the youth, women, disadvantaged groups, and returnee migrant workers in improving employability and livelihood opportunities, and build their resilience against future shocks.
• Dandan Chen, Acting World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan stated that “In Bangladesh, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the livelihoods of thousands of people, particularly, female workers, youth, and returnee migrant workers”.
• “These two projects will help empower and mobilize rural poor people, prepare them for the future job market and support entrepreneurial opportunities, especially for women and disadvantaged groups”.

About World Bank:

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• President: David Malpass

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Uttarakhand CM declared Vatsalya Yojana for children orphaned due to Corona

• UttarakhandChief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has announced Chief Minister Vatsalya Yojana for orphaned children who have lost their parents due to Covid-19.
• Chief Minister said that such orphaned childrenof the state will be given a maintenance allowance of 3000 rupees per month. 
• Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat mentioned that, “The government has decided that to bear the responsibility of children who have lost their parents due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• For this, the state government came up with ‘Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana’.
• “According to the Union Health Ministry, there are 5,270 active coronavirus cases, 8,780 discharges/recoveries and 116 deaths.
• The scheme will be implemented on May 30, the day the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes seven years in office.

About Uttarakhand:

• Capital: Dehradun
• Chief minister: Tirath Singh Rawat
• Governor: Baby Rani Maurya

Jharkhand CM Launches Mobile App ‘Amrit Vahini’

• Corona patients in Jharkhand can book hospital beds online through ‘Amrit Vahini’ App launched by CM Hemant Soren.
• Soren also launched ‘Chatbot’ through which one may also get all information related to coronavirus.
• Through the ‘Amrit Vahini’ App or website one can get all information about the availability of hospital beds and even book one for himself or anybody else online.

About Jharkhand:

• Capital: Ranchi
• Chief minister: Hemant Soren
• Governor: Draupadi Murmu

Madhya Pradesh government launches Ankur scheme 

• The Madhya Pradesh government announced the launch of Ankur, a scheme under which citizens will be awarded for planting trees during monsoon.
• The Government announced that the People who take the initiative to plant saplings will be given the Pranvayu Award for their participation.
• The State Govt decided to set up oxygen plants in the state.Trees provide natural oxygen. No oxygen plant is bigger than trees.
• A sapling plantation campaign will be carried out under the Ankur scheme during monsoon.”
• The imbalance in nature has to be corrected, he said, urging citizens to pledge to plant more trees in monsoon.
• The Government mentioned that the People who wish to participate in the tree plantation drive can register themselves on the Vayudoot app.

About Madhya Pradesh:

• Capital: Bhopal (Executive Branch)
• Chief minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
• Governor: Anandiben Patel

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

RBI decided to transfer Rs 99,122 cr as dividend to govt

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will transfer Rs 99,122 crore as surplus to the central government for the nine months ended March 31 (July 2020-March 2021).
• This is much higher than what most had estimated and what the government itself had budgeted for.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earmarked a transfer of Rs 53,511 crore.
• The transfer was approved, in the meeting of the regulator’s central board, during which the RBI’s annual report was also approved.

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance launches Vision LifeIncome Plus

• Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), announced the launch of a hyper-flexible savings plan – ABSLI Vision Life Income Plus Plan that provides guaranteed regular income plus flexible bonus pay-outs.
• This non-linked participating individual plan has been designed to offer various plan options which can be tailor-made to perfectly suit the customers’ unique financial needs across different life-stages.

About Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance:

• Aditya Birla Sun Life InsuranceCompany Limited (ABSLI) is a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd (ABCL).
• It is one of the leading private sector life insurancecompanies in India.
• ABSLI was incorporated on August 4th, 2000 and commenced operations on January 17th, 2001.
• Headquarters location: New Delhi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Indian-Origin Anvee Bhutani Elected as Oxford Student Union President 

• An Indian-origin Human Sciences student from Magdalen College at the University of Oxford has been declared the winner at the end of a Student Union (SU) byelection.
• Anvee Bhutani, Co-Chair Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality (CRAE) at Oxford SU and President of the Oxford India Society, was in the fray for the by-election for the 2021-22 academic years, which attracted a record turnout.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Dr. Jane Goodall bags prestigious 2021 Templeton Prize

• The John Templeton Foundationhas awarded the 2021 Templeton Prize to world-renowned ethologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, whose groundbreaking discoveries have changed humanity’s understanding of its role in the natural world.
• The annual prize, which includes a monetary award of more than $1.5 million, honors individuals whose achievements have advanced the late Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision of harnessing science to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it.

About Templeton Prize:

• The Templeton Prize is an annual award granted to a living person, in the estimation of the judges, “whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it.
• Presented by: John Templeton Foundation

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

Dun & Bradstreet India, BSE sign MOU 

• Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India, a global provider of B2B data, insights, and AI-driven platforms, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BSE to create an ecosystem for promoting, aiding, and fostering the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
• The partnership will help SMEs in India to increase their visibility, expand access to global markets, find potential customers, uncover new suppliers and channel partners, manage risk and identify growth opportunities.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Haiyang-2D – China successfully launches new ocean observation satellite 

• On May 19, 2021, China successfully launched a new ocean-monitoring satellite Haiyang-2D (HY-2D) into orbit.
• The satellite was launched by a Long March-4B rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.
• This launch was the 370th by the Long March rocket series. Enditem

About Haiyang-2D Satellite :

• The HY-2D will form a constellation with the HY-2B and HY-2C satellites to build an all-weather and round-the-clock dynamic ocean environment monitoring system of high frequency and medium and large scale.
• It was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, and the carrier rocket by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.
• The constellation will support the country’s early warning and prediction of marine disasters, sustainable development and utilisation of ocean resources, effective response to global climate change as well as ocean research.

About China :

• Currency: Renminbi 
• Capital: Beijing
• President: Xi Jinping

About China National Space Administration :

• Founded: 22 April 1993
• Administrator: Zhang Kejian
• Headquarters: Haidian District, Beijing, China

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

India to Host 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Oct                

• The 2022 FIFA under-17 Women’s World Cup will be held in India from October 11 to 30, 2022.
• Earlier this event was scheduled to be held in India in 2021, but it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• This event will be the second FIFA tournament to be hosted by India after the FIFA under-17 World Cup in 2017, which broke the record for being the most attended youth World Cup in FIFA’s history.
• The FIFA Council also approved the tournament dates for the Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 from July 20 to August 20, 2023.

About FIFA :

• President: Gianni Infantino
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland
• Founded: 21 May 1904, Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, France

2021 Monaco Grand Prix Max Verstappen wins

• On May 23, 2021, Max Verstappen won the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix.
• Carlos Sainz Jr. came second place and Lando Norris came third place.
• This was Verstappen’s second win of this season.

TOP 10 Winners are :

1. Verstappen
2. Sainz
3. Norris
4. Perez
5. Vettel
6. Gasly
7. Hamilton
8. Stroll
9. Ocon
10. Giovinazzi

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Ex Atomic Energy Commission Chief Srikumar Banerjee Passes away

• On May 23, 2021, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Srikumar Banerjee Passed away.
• He was 70.

About Srikumar Banerjee :

• Srikumar Banerjee retired as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy in 2012.
• He also served as the director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for six years till 2010.
• Banerjee’s work focused on physical metallurgy and material science.

Achievements : 

• He was a recipient of the fourth-highest civilian award in the Republic of India Padma Shri in 2005.
• He also received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 1989 for his exceptional service in the field of science, especially in the areas of atomic energy and metallurgy.

About Bhabha Atomic Research Centre :

• Headquarters : Trombay, Mumbai
• Director : Ajit Kumar Mohanty

About Department of Atomic Energy :

• Chairperson & Secretary : N. Vyas
• Founder: Homi J. Bhabha
• Founded: 3 August 1954

Veteran music director Raam Laxman Passes away

• On May 22, 2021, Veteran music director Raam Laxman Passed away.
• He was 78.

About Raam Laxman :

• Patil, known by cinema aficionados as ‘Laxman’ of duo composers Raam-Laxman.
• Raam Laxman’s real name was Vijay Patil.
• He had a four-decade-long career in the music industry.
• He was most famous for his work with Rajshri Productions of Hindi films.
• He composed music for films like Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun, among others.
• Some of his other memorable works are “Agent Vinod”, “100 Days”, “Anmol”, “Tarana”, “Patthar Ke Phool” and “Hum Se Badhkar Kaun”.
• He gave music for more than 200 films in Hindi, Marathi and Bhojpuri languages.

Former NSG chief JK Dutt Passes away           

• The former NSG director-general JK Dutt, Passed away.
• He was 72.

About Jyoti Krishan Dutt :

• Jyoti Krishan Dutt, a 1971-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the West Bengal cadre,
• He headed the commando forces during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
• He served as the DG of the National Security Guard (NSG) from August 2006 to February 2009,
• He also worked in the Central Bureau of Investigation and he was once appointed as its officiating chief or director in 2005.

About National Security Guard (NSG) :

• Founded: 22 September 1986
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Daily CA On May 22 :

• The International Day for Biological Diversity is a United Nations–sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. It is currently held on May 22. The themefor this year’s (2021) IDB is “We’re part of the solution”.
• Rural Advancement Minister Narendra Singh Tomar now launched Nationwide Cellular Checking Application, NMMS app and Space officer checking Application via Movie-Conferencing.
• A lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a Covid-19 antibodydetection-based kit called DIPCOVAN.
• Maharashtra government has launched the “Mission Oxygen Self-Reliance” scheme to meet the state’s oxygen needs.
• The Hero Grouphas announced the launch of Hero Vired, a new edtech company. The edtech venture will offer an end-to-end learning ecosystem.
• Drug major Cipla announced the commercialization of its RT-PCR test kit ‘ViraGen’ for COVID-19 in India, in partnership with Ubio Biotechnology Systems.
• MG Motor India launched a platform for free online medical consultation with doctors for its customers as part of its COVID-19 relief initiatives.
• Internet Explorer was once the most widely used web browser, obtaining a peak of about 95 percent usage share by 2003.
• Equitas Small Finance Bank has touched a new milestone by becoming the first Small Finance Bank to offer its NRI customer segment the ease of account opening online.
• The RBIhas imposed monetary penalty on City Union Bank, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank and two other lenders for contravention of certain directions issued by the central bank non-compliance with certain provisions contained in the RBI (Lending to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector) Directions, 2017
• Essence, a global data and measurement-driven media agency which is part of GroupM, announced the appointment of Sonali Malaviyaas the agency’s managing director for India.
• On May 21, 2021, INS Rajput, the first destroyer of the Indian Navy, will be decommissioned after over 41 years of service. It was the lead ship of the Kashin-class destroyers built by the erstwhile USSR. The ship had the motto “Raj Karega Rajput’’
• In the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, Indian Meteorological Department Informed that Tauktae the extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm  made landfall. It is Formed in the Arabian Sea.
• For the first time in the club’s history, Barcelona beat Chelsea 4-0 to win the Women’s Champions League final.
• On May 21, 2021, Noted environmentalist and Gandhian activist, Sunderlal Bahuguna Passed away.

Daily CA On May 23 & 24 :

• World Turtle Day Observed on May 23. The theme for this year “Turtles Rock!” encourages a worldwide audience to see turtles as more than just rocks with legs.
• International Day to End Obstetric Fistula Observed on May 23. The theme for this year is “Women’s rights are human rights! End fistula now!”.
• The Ministry of Ayush is organizing various activities in the run up to the International Day of Yoga, 2021. One among these is a series of five webinarsthat the Ministry is organizing under the broad theme of “Be with Yoga, Be at Home. 
• The Supreme Court E-committee released a manual for its free e-courts mobile application in 14 languages for better reach among litigants and lawyers.
• The Ministry of Culture announced Six Indian sites, including the temples of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, the Ganga ghats in Varanasi, and the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, have been added to the tentative list of UNESCO’s world heritage sites. 
• The World Bank approves 600 million US Dollars for two projects in Bangladesh. It is for to help over 1.75 million poor and vulnerable people in the country.
• UttarakhandChief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has announced Chief Minister Vatsalya Yojana for orphaned children who have lost their parents due to Covid-19.
• Corona patients in Jharkhand can book hospital beds online through ‘Amrit Vahini’ App launched by CM Hemant Soren.
• The Madhya Pradesh government announced the launch of Ankur, a scheme under which citizens will be awarded for planting trees during monsoon.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will transfer Rs 99,122 crore as surplus to the central government for the nine months ended March 31 (July 2020-March 2021).
• Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), announced the launch of a hyper-flexible savings plan – ABSLI Vision Life Income Plus Plan that provides guaranteed regular income plus flexible bonus pay-outs.
• An Indian-origin Human Sciences student from Magdalen College at the University of Oxford has been declared the winner at the end of a Student Union (SU) byelection.
• The John Templeton Foundationhas awarded the 2021 Templeton Prize to world-renowned ethologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, whose groundbreaking discoveries have changed humanity’s understanding of its role in the natural world.
• Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India, a global provider of B2B data, insights, and AI-driven platforms, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BSE to create an ecosystem for promoting, aiding, and fostering the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
• On May 19, 2021, China successfully launched a new ocean-monitoring satellite Haiyang-2D (HY-2D) into orbit. The satellite was launched by a Long March-4B rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.
• The 2022 FIFA under-17 Women’s World Cup will be held in India from October 11 to 30, 2022. Earlier this event was scheduled to be held in India in 2021, but it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• On May 23, 2021, Max Verstappen won the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz Jr. came second place and Lando Norris came third place.
• On May 23, 2021, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Srikumar Banerjee Passed away.
• On May 22, 2021, Veteran music director Raam Laxman Passed away.
• The former NSG director-general JK Dutt, Passed away.